Thursday, March 12, 2009
House Approves School Waiver Bill
Thursday (today) the House agreed to some minor changes made to House Bill 322 by the Senate that requests to waive 10 makeup days, for missed school days, must be made no later than May 1st. The commissioner of education would have 10 days to approve or deny the request and a school must use all of its makeup days in its approved calendar before making the request. The House voted 92 to 4 to pass the measure. It now goes to Governor Beshear for signature or veto.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:44 PM
Bond Denied For Man Who Planned Murder For Hire
During a detention hearing in Lexington Thursday (today) for 70 year old Robert Barnett of Magoffin County, Special Agent Jesse Hooker laid out the case against Barnett. Hooker says, while posing as a hit man from Reno, Nevada, he met Barnett at a motel in Mount Sterling. There they discussed a plan to murder a Huntington man who allegedly owed Barnett money. The undercover federal agent testified Barnett wanted the testicles, eyeballs and thumbs of the intended victim. Barnett also allegedly told Hooker he wanted four people in Salyersville and a doctor who once practiced in Paintsville either kidnapped or killed. A request for bond was denied.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:30 PM
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Former Director During Fletcher Term Dies
Forty year old Angela Cox, who served as director of scheduling during former Governor Ernie Fletcher's term, died Tuesday night of complications from extensive burns she received on the morning of January 17th. She had been in a coma and had undergone several skin grafts after being pulled from the flames of her home on Boston Road in Lexington. She was pronounced dead at University of Kentucky Hospital.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:30 PM
Pike County Man Charged With Assault And Other Charges
Twenty three year old Wayne L. Rose of Lookout was arrested Monday after he allegedly shot Dennis R. Adkins Jr. with a shotgun early Saturday morning at Poor Bottom. Adkins, who suffered an injury to his arm, was treated and released at Pikeville Medical Center. Kentucky State Police Officer Danny Caudill stopped Rose's vehicle on Rose Hollow Road at Lookout Monday, while responding to a complaint that Rose threw rocks through two windows of a vehicle owned by Keith Williams of Millard. Caudill administered field sobriety tests which Rose failed. It was discovered that Rose had an outstanding warrant related to an August run-in with Williams in which Rose allegedly threatened to burn Williams' home and harm his family. Rose was charged with several charges, including first-degree and fourth-degree assault, second-degree and third-degree criminal mischief and terroristic threatening.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:10 PM
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Whitesburg Man Killed In Single Car Crash
Forty two year old Gregory Collins of Whitesburg was pronounced dead at Whitesburg Appalachian Regional Hospital Tuesday (today) following a single vehicle accident which occurred at 7:58 A.M. on KY 15 at Dry Fork of Letcher County. Police say Collins was driving north when his vehicle drifted off the shoulder and hit a guardrail, crossed the road, went into a ditch, crossed the road again and hit the guardrail a second time, before overturning in the road and ejecting Collins from the vehicle.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:31 PM
Three Vehicle Accident Kills Clay County Man
An accident which occurred Tuesday (today) on Highway 80 near mile marker 16 in Knott County left one man dead and another in a Tennessee hospital. Police say a van driven by Joshua Mills of Manchester rear-ended a tractor trailer, then crossed the median and hit a car head on. Mills was taken to Hazard Appalachian Regional Hospital then was pronounced dead after being flown to St. Mary's Hospital in Huntington. The driver of the car was flown to Holston Valley Medical Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. The tractor trailer driver was not injured.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:19 PM
Salyersville Man Charged In Murder For Hire Plot
Seventy year old Robert H. Barnett of Salyersville was arrested March 6th. and charged March 9th. with causing another to travel in interstate commerce with intent to commit murder and unlawful possession of and transfer of a machine gun. ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) special agent Jesse R. Hooker says Barnett called him for a meeting last Thursday in Mount Sterling, where they discussed a murder-for-hire plot against a person in Huntington, West Virginia. Hooker says Barnett gave him $5,000, a Cobray 9mm machine gun, a .22 caliber pistol and ammunition and promised him $4,000 more on completion of the slaying. A detention hearing is scheduled for Thursday in federal court in Lexington for Barnett.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:03 PM
House Snags Abortion Bill
Senate Bill 79, which would require pregnant women to have ultrasounds and a face-to-face meeting with physicians before having abortions, hit a snag Tuesday (today) in the House Health and Welfare Committee. The measure received a vote of 8 to 8, not enough to get it to the House floor. Proponents say the plan gives women more information before having an abortion, but, those who oppose it, say it creates more obstacles to women facing a tough decision.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 8:52 PM
Floyd County School To Expand
Mountain Christian Academy in Floyd County, which was once in danger of closing its doors for good, says, thanks to efforts from the community, it will begin offering 9th. grade classes for the upcoming school year. Enrollment begins April 1st.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 8:47 PM
Monday, March 09, 2009
Corbin Police Search For Hotel Robber
Police in Corbin are searching for a white male suspect, around 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing around 200 pounds, after he allegedly robbed the Holiday Inn Express on Cumberland Falls Highway around 4:00 A.M. Monday (today). Investigators say the suspect was wearing a dark-colored hoodie and jeans when he entered the hotel, pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded cash.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 10:04 PM
KSP Posting Most Wanted Fugitive Profiles Online
In an effort to make it easier to share information, 8 of Kentucky's 16 state police posts are posting lists of most wanted fugitives on the state police Web page. The idea for a Web-based listing grew out of the list of outstanding warrants circulated to each state police post every month. The McCraken County Sheriff's Office is also putting their most wanted fugitives online. The agencies are joining a long list of departments nationally, including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and multiple agencies in Missouri and Florida.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:51 PM
Roadblocks Halt Mining Bills
Democratic state Representative Keith Hall of Phelps announced Monday (today) he won't push for passage of a bill that would reduce the number of medics required at Kentucky coal mines. Also, Monday (today), Republician state Senator Tom Jensen of London declared a bill dead that could have reduced the number of mine inspections performed by the Office of Mine Safety and Licensing.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:41 PM
Knott County Officials Not Going To Jail
Pending results of appeals filed, U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove has ruled in favor of Knott County Judge Executive Randy Thompson, Magistrate Ronnie Adams and Deputy Judges Phillip Champion and Mac Combs. The Knott County officials will not have to report to prison on March 23rd. In granting the motion to allow them to remain out on bond, the court stated they had clearly demonstrated they were not flight risks and were not a danger to the public. The ruling also stays the order to pay restitution. Attorneys say appeals could take up to two years to complete. The officials were convicted in June of last year after being accused of buying votes in the November 2006 election.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:28 PM
Florida To Kentucky Trafficking Ring Sentenced
Monday (today) was federal sentencing day for about a dozen people involved in an interstate drug trafficking ring which moved OxyContin pills by the thousands from Florida to Kentucky to be sold on the streets of eastern Kentucky. Prosecutors say Florida doctor Roger Browne admitted he illegally wrote prescriptions for 500 people who came to Florida from eastern Kentucky. Browne was sentenced to two and one-half years in prison. All others sentenced pleaded guilty to their involvement.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:16 PM
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Trial Set For Alleged Virgie Middle School Vandals
An April 27th. trial date has been set for Jordan Holbrook of Jonancy, Thomas Bartley of Virgie and Christopher McPeek of Virgie. Police say, on September 8th. of last year, they stole several items, including computer and camera equipment, cash and Food City gift cards, while vandalizing the Virgie Middle School.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:01 PM
Two Arrested Following Shooting Death
Twenty seven year old Robie Lee Miller of Martin was arrested Sunday (today) and lodged in the Floyd County Detention Center, charged with murder. Kentucky State Police also arrested 44 year old Robie Dean Miller, also of Martin, and charged him with tampering with physical evidence and falsely reporting an incident. They're accused in the death of 27 year old John Salisbury of Hueysville, who died at 11:40 P.M. Saturday night at St. Joe's Hospital after being shot at a strip mine on Shepherd Branch Road in the Hippo community of Floyd County. Salisbury suffered two gunshot wounds.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 8:34 PM
Parkway Crash Kills Mother And Child- - Leaves Two Hospitalized
Twenty eight year old Candice Elaine Johnson and her son, three year old Kaden Johnson of Bowling Green were pronounced dead Friday afternoon at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital following a two-vehicle accident which occurred on the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway. Police say Johnson lost control of her vehicle while driving east, about 7 miles east of Russell Springs, crossed the median and was hit by an oncoming vehicle driven by 40 year old Joseph Matthew Dalton of Russell Springs. Five year old Christian Johnson was in serious condition and 8 month old Logan Brunner was in critical condition Saturday afternoon.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 8:19 PM
Status Hearing Delayed For Brother Of Mummified Woman
A status hearing for 30 year old Timothy Allen Brown of Georgetown has been rescheduled for April 3rd. after police found the mummified body of his sister, Penny Michelle Brown, in the trunk of his car in October. Brown pleaded not guilty last month to charges of abuse or neglect of an adult, interstate flight to avoid prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, 8 counts of theft over $300, endangering the welfare of a minor and abuse of a corpse.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 8:08 PM
Pke County Fiscal Court Helping School Kids Fight Drugs
The Pike County Fiscal Court has given $35,500 to UNITE Pike to provide salary for the new coordinator and prevention specialist, Alisha Baldridge. She says she wants to go into high schools and start a program called Generation Rx, an interactive program which would give kids a chance to make decisions and keep them busy pursuing other alternatives to drugs. If they make bad decisions, it would give the program an opportunity to work with the kids in an effort to keep them off drugs.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:54 PM
House Votes To Freeze Kentucky Gas Tax
The Kentucky House voted 82-17 Friday morning to freeze the state's gasoline tax at its current level of 22.5 cents per gallon. Lawmakers say the state needs the $130 million generated by the 4 cents it had planned to drop to maintain and improve roads. It now heads to the Senate.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:34 PM
