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Post by In The News on Sept 21, 2011 17:00:46 GMT -5
The McCreary County Record Clay County part of federal sex offender compliance check By JANIE SLAVEN, News Editor
LONDON — On Tuesday, the United States Marshals Service held a press conference announcing Operation Cumberland Valley, a seven-county operation held August 30-31 to check compliance with the sex offender registry. According to Loren “Squirrel” Carl, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky (headquartered in Lexington), the Attorney General gave the Service the mission of assisting local agencies across the nation with compliance checks. To date 27 Kentucky counties have been through the compliance checks, which began in August 2010. Teams of three spread throughout Clay, Knox, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Wayne and Whitley counties over the latest two-day operation with 316 compliance checks conducted. Of that total, 36 percent are considered “move-ins” — meaning their convictions were in other states but they have since moved to Kentucky. Across the region, around 40 are facing additional charges and four are considered fugitive: Robert Neal Maddox and Thomas Isaac Ellis (Pulaski County), James Thomas Watkins (Wayne County) and Danny William Fritts (Whitley County). Anyone with information regarding these fugitives or others in non-compliance with the registry should call KSP Post 11 at 878-6622. mccrearyrecord.com/x2137253892/McCreary-part-of-federal-sex-offender-compliance-check
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Post by In The News on Sept 27, 2011 20:43:56 GMT -5
WYMT News Clay County store owners say booze business booming Reporter: Greg Robinson
Local store owners are seeing customers from across the region and hope the new alcohol tax will benefit the city. Not everyone is thrilled about the city's new source of income. The Stop N' Shop in Manchester barely has room for the beer they have had to stock the last several weeks. The local convenient store started selling beer earlier this month and say the sales have been a great success. Officials hope that the city and business owners can benefit from the sale of alcohol and say they will continue to monitor buyers and sellers are obeying the laws. They currently have seven applications pending from local businesses awaiting approval to sell alcohol. www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/Officials_say_alcohol_sales_are_booming_130595348.html
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Post by In The News on Sept 27, 2011 20:51:53 GMT -5
WYMT News Clay County High School sets state and national testing record Reporter: Maisie Insko
It's a state testing program aimed at higher level education in math, science and english and Clay County High School has set a record with the greatest gain in the advanced placement program. Taking an Advanced Placement class is now the cool thing to do at Clay County High School. Among the forty four Kentucky public schools participating in the state AdvanceKentucky program, the school led the way last year, with a one year growth of six hundred and thirty four percent. But these record setting results didn't just happen overnight; it took a lot of hard work from students and teachers. Students even came to school on Saturdays so they could get in extra study sessions and for many students these sessions literally paid off. On Friday AdvanceKentucky presented the eighty-one students who passed the exam with a one hundred dollar check. But that's not the only incentive these students received. www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/Local_high_school_sets_state_and_national_testing_record_130591318.html
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Post by In The News on Sept 27, 2011 21:01:25 GMT -5
WYMT News One arrested in Clay County after an early morning standoff with police Reporter: Maisie Insko
The Clay County Sheriff's Department says they arrived at a home to serve an arrest warrant but things quickly escalated when a man allegedly barricaded himself and his family in a bedroom. It seemed nothing more than a routine morning for the Clay County Sheriff's Department as they arrived to the residence of thirty seven year old Lloyd Lipps. According to the sheriff's department, that is when the standoff began as Lipps threatened to harm himself and his family. The standoff lasted nearly an hour before Chief Deputy Bryan Jackson finally talked Lipps into opening the door. Lipps was then taken into custody where he is now being held in the Clay County Detention Center. In additions to the original charges on the warrant, police say Lipps faces two charges of kidnapping and two counts of unlawful imprisonment. www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/One_arrested_after_an_early_morning_standoff_with_police_130671193.html
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Post by Press Release on Oct 8, 2011 13:22:04 GMT -5
Aaron Thompson featured speaker at Union College Minorities Day event Oct. 11 Union College Press Release
Dr. Aaron Thompson
The Union College annual Minorities Day lecture will feature guest speaker Aaron Thompson, Ph.D., and his presentation, "Turning Obstacles into Opportunities: an Appalachian Upbringing." The event is on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 a.m. in the Conway Boatman Chapel on Union's campus. There is no charge to attend, and the lecture is open to the public. Thompson is senior vice president for academic affairs for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education. He holds a doctorate in sociology in areas of organizational behavior/race and gender relations. In his talk, Thompson will discuss both the richness and difficulties of his mountain upbringing, which began in a two-room cabin in a Clay County hollow -- a background that ultimately provided him the tools necessary to earn his Ph.D. Thompson uses humor to effectively tell his uplifting story, which includes Appalachian history and customs, race relations, family influences and education. As an academic and scholar, Thompson has authored or co-authored numerous books, book chapters and articles on topics ranging from the African-American family to student success. His research has been cited in such publications as Cosmopolitan, the Baltimore Sun, the Orlando Sentinel and others. He has researched, taught, or consulted in areas of educational attainment, assessment, diversity, leadership, ethics, research methodology and social statistics, multicultural families, race and ethnic relations, first-year students, retention, and organizational design. He is nationally recognized in the areas of educational attainment and academic success, African American fatherhood, divorce in the black family, and black and white differences in marital expectations. The annual Minorities Day event is sponsored by the sociology program in the college's Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Union College is a four-year liberal arts institution related to the United Methodist Church.
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Post by In The News on Oct 9, 2011 7:03:03 GMT -5
wkyt.com Two new U.S. Marshal Task Force Officers in EKY
Two Eastern Kentucky law enforcement officials were sworn in as U.S. Marshal Task Force officers. Laurel County Sheriff Deputy Jason Back and Manchester Police Officer Gary Harris are the new additions on the force. Officer Harris' position with the U.S. Marshals Service was renewed after working as a task force officer for the past two years. The two officers have jurisdiction in all 50 states meaning they can make arrests in any part of the country. Their appointments expire in September 2013. Read the article and view the video at: www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/131021798.html
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Post by In The News on Oct 9, 2011 7:09:16 GMT -5
profitscam.com State police in Kentucky, New York target financial scam in Clay
A financial scam involving online dating sites led to the discovery of electronics, clothing, jewelry and other goods Friday at a home on Sextons Creek in Clay County, according to Kentucky State Police. The New York State Police called the Kentucky State Police to ask for help investigating a credit card fraud case. Kentucky state Trooper Nick Metcalf went to the home allegedly receiving the fraudulently obtained goods and discovered that they were being reshipped from there to Africa, police said in a statement. The person behind the scam apparently poses online as a military service member stationed overseas, police said. Criminal charges will depend on the outcome of the investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call state police at: 1-800-222-5555 or (606) 878-6622
Article source: www.kentucky.com/2011/10/08/1913755/state-police-in-clay-county-help.html profitscam.com/state-police-in-kentucky-new-york-target-financial-scam-in-clay
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Post by In The News on Oct 17, 2011 18:28:10 GMT -5
Courier-Journal Welcome to Florida, Kentucky's pain-pill pipeline With cash-only pain clinics plentiful, the sunshine state fuels a prescription-drug abuse epidemic ravaging the commonwealth
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. — An explosion of Florida pain clinics has turned a 1,000-mile stretch of Interstate 75 into a pain-pill pipeline — the chief supply line feeding Kentucky’s deadly prescription-drug abuse epidemic. A Courier-Journal investigation shows that, despite recent crackdowns, cash-only clinics continue to operate throughout the Sunshine State, with doctors indiscriminately doling out prescriptions for such drugs as oxycodone and Xanax, often after little more than a cursory physical examination or a glance at an old MRI scan. Some of their best customers are Kentuckians who have found it tougher to get the pills they crave at home and take the 17-hour drive to southern Florida’s Broward County, where dozens of pain clinics fill strip malls and storefronts. They will sometimes pay $4 each for 200 or more pills — enough to take care of their own addiction and then sell the excess on the street for up to $30 a pill..... .....Paul Sloan, president of the Florida Society of Pain Management Providers, said most of the 50,000 doctors with Florida licenses authorized to prescribe controlled substances are doing so responsibly. Yet because of the crackdown, Sloan said, some people in chronic pain are finding it more difficult to get the medicines they need. Sloan gets little sympathy from Kentuckians such as Jason Petrey of Corbin, 37, who says Florida pain clinics gave him a cheap way to feed his addiction. At the height of his 20-year struggle, Petrey said he shot up painkillers many times a day, eventually giving them to his 17-year-old son, who is also a recovering addict. He’s now in treatment at Chad’s Hope — a Christian center north of Manchester that is designed to help men with drug and alcohol problems — and is hopeful about his future. But he’s less optimistic that Kentucky and Florida can slow the pill trade that has devastated his family and community..... Read the entire article at: www.courier-journal.com/article/20111016/EXTRAS15/310150070/1003/Welcome-Florida-Kentucky-s-pain-pill-pipeline
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Post by In The News on Oct 17, 2011 18:29:25 GMT -5
lex18.com Clay County Man Arrested In Somerset For Bombs Threats
A week-long investigation into several bomb threats called in to the Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital has resulted in the arrest of a Clay County man. Jeffrey Croucher, 46, was taken into custody at about 9:30 Sunday night by Kentucky State Police with the assistance of Somerset police detectives at his home on Spencer Branch Road in Clay County. The investigation began on October 8 when a LCRH switchboard operator received a call saying there was a bomb in the hospital. The second call was received on October 13. The threats increased on Saturday and Sunday when four calls were made each day. Detectives had been in constant communication with a telephone provider since the beginning of the investigation, but it wasn't until late Saturday night that a programming issue was rectified and the calls could be traced. When the additional threats were made Sunday morning, the calling party's phone number was identified which eventually led to Croucher. Croucher is being held in the Pulaski County Detention Center on 10 felony counts of second-degree terroristic threatening. His bail has been set at $50,000. www.lex18.com/news/clay-county-man-arrested-in-somerset-for-bombs-threats
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Post by In The News on Oct 17, 2011 18:29:51 GMT -5
courier-journal.com In treatment at Chad’s Hope
Matthew Wilson was once an ambitious college student at a Christian university in Florida. Two years later, he was writhing in pain in a Kentucky jail cell, detoxing from a prescription-pill addiction that turned him into a desperate drug dealer. The transformation began when the Somerset native broke up with his girlfriend of six years in 2008. The break-up hit him hard. He dropped out of Palm Beach Atlantic University, where he was studying youth leadership. He returned to Somerset, he said, got in with a bad crowd, and started drinking too much and taking prescription drugs to get high. He soon realized that he could get pills much cheaper in Florida. Percocet painkillers, for example, were $30 a pill on the streets in Kentucky, but only $6 in the Palm Beach area. Wilson said he visited a pain clinic in Boca Raton about seven times with friends to get prescriptions he didn’t need. He also bought painkillers from dealers in a gated community in West Palm Beach, he said. For almost a year, Wilson, now 24, has been in treatment at Chad’s Hope in Manchester, Ky., a long-term Christian recovery center for men. In addition to working with addicts, he worked as a waiter at a local restaurant, and hopes to someday go back to college and study psychology or counseling. Read the entire article at: www.courier-journal.com/article/20111017/EXTRAS15/310170038/Kentuckian-strives-stay-clean
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Post by Local News on Oct 22, 2011 9:13:56 GMT -5
herald-leader.com Richie Farmer determined to bounce back after tough year By Jack Brammer
FRANKFORT — Of all his 42 years, this one has been the toughest for Richie Farmer. Farmer has endured personal upheaval and public pillorying while running on a ticket this year with Republican gubernatorial nominee David Williams. As his wife of 13 years filed for divorce this spring, the media and Democrats dogged Farmer with questions about spending in his state office. The controversial purchases range from refrigerators and televisions to hotel stays and conference trips. He claims all of them were appropriate to his job. While his office's signature program, Kentucky Proud, has been praised for dramatically increasing the visibility of Kentucky-grown farm products, political opponents say the program spent too much money promoting Farmer. Farmer also points out that the agriculture department's staffing has dropped from about 325 employees when he started in 2004 to about 255 today. The department's operating budget has been cut eight times under Farmer. Farmer was born in Manchester, the second of three children. His father, Richard, worked as a transportation manager for Shamrock Coal Co. and is now in the insurance business. Farmer's mother, Virginia, has been a stay-at-home mom. He started on the high school basketball team as a seventh grader. In 1988, Farmer was named Mr. Basketball in the state. He played shooting guard for UK from 1988 to 1992. After getting a bachelor's degree from UK with a double major in agricultural economics and agribusiness management, Farmer became an investment planner in Clay County. In 2003, state Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, helped recruit Farmer to run for commissioner of agriculture. Stivers said Farmer now would make an excellent lieutenant governor. Marshall Coyle, a Bath County farmer and former president of the Kentucky Farm Bureau, said Farmer has "done an outstanding job as commissioner. He's a hard worker who is easy to work with." Read more: www.kentucky.com/2011/10/18/1925948/richie-farmer-determined-to-bounce.html
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Post by In The News on Oct 25, 2011 20:43:10 GMT -5
wymtnews Clay County man arrested for selling marijuana
Detectives in Laurel County arrest a Clay County man on drug related charges. Police say Otis Edwards of Clay County sold 2 ounces of marijuana to a Laurel County Sheriff's Office confidential witness. Following a search of Edwards' vehicle, police found 13 more ounces of marijuana with a street value of more than three thousand dollars, along with a large amount of cash. Edwards is being held in the Laurel County Detention Center. www.wkyt.com/wymtnews/headlines/Man_arrested_for_selling_marijuana_132567283.html
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Post by Local News on Oct 26, 2011 17:00:20 GMT -5
Traffic Crash in Clay County
(LONDON, KY.) –- On Wednesday October 26, 2011 at approximately 1:50 p.m. the Kentucky State Police, Post 11, London received a report of an injury to a person that fell from a moving vehicle on Paw Paw Road in Clay County. Upon arrival Trooper Josh Wilson determined that Bobby A. Sams, 44, of Manchester was riding in the rear (bed) of a silver, 1990, Ford, Ranger, pickup truck driven by James S. Cottrell, 54, of Manchester. Sams was in the rear (bed) of the truck holding onto an entertainment center, that was being moved, when the wind forced him over the side and onto the ground. Sams was flown to the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington for treatment of his injuries. Cottrell was not injured in the incident. No drug or alcohol usage suspected and Sams was not restrained in the vehicle. Trooper Wilson is continuing the investigation and was assisted at the scene by the Clay County EMS. The preceding press release was from Kentucky State Police Post 11 in London which serves the following Kentucky Counties: Clay, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Wayne, and Whitley.
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Post by In The News on Oct 27, 2011 23:27:43 GMT -5
herald-leader.com Tire Man's wife pleads guilty in drug case By Bill Estep
The wife of a Clay County constable charged with him in a drug case has pleaded guilty in federal court. Jennifer L. Roberts admitted being an illegal drug user in possession of a .38-caliber pistol. Roberts also acknowledged she sold pain pills and said her husband, Jackie "The Tireman" Roberts, sold pills as well, according to a court document. He is set for trial in November. Read more: www.kentucky.com/2011/10/27/1937476/clay-constables-wife-pleads-guilty.html#ixzz1c2yVBkbO
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Post by In The News on Oct 30, 2011 7:36:36 GMT -5
courier-journal.com Richie Farmer takes pride in record
This is one in a series of stories about Kentucky’s statewide races for offices on the Nov. 8 ballot.
Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer pledged to raise awareness of the state Agriculture Department when he first ran for office in 2003. Almost eight years later, the two-term commissioner and Kentucky basketball hero has kept that promise. But much of the attention has been unfavorable. Since announcing his candidacy last year, Farmer has been playing defense over his qualifications, spending practices and personal life. The latest Courier-Journal/WHAS11 Bluegrass Poll, from late September, found the Williams-Farmer ticket trailing Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and running mate Jerry Abramson by 31 percentage points in the three-way race. It has been a swift turnabout for Farmer, who was best known for his prowess on the basketball court and who only four years ago received more votes than any other candidate on the ballot. Sitting in the department’s offices in Frankfort, Farmer said in a recent interview that political opponents and the news media have misrepresented his service as commissioner. He argues that his management decisions have actually saved the department millions. Moreover, the Kentucky Proud program — which promotes the state’s agricultural products and is highlighted by the campaign as his principal achievement — has grown exponentially under his watch, Farmer said. Read the entire article at: www.courier-journal.com/article/20111022/NEWS01/310230020/1008/Richie-Farmer-takes-pride-record
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Post by In The News on Nov 9, 2011 17:18:33 GMT -5
Claiborne Progress Thousands ‘Stand in the Gap’ against drug abuse by MARISA ANDERS
An enormous crowd lined up Sunday afternoon from Lincoln Memorial University's Tex Turner Area parking lot and marched to the town of Cumberland Gap, ready to take a stand and take back the community. It was part of Stand in the Gap, a prayer march that involved residents of the Tri-State area and counties beyond. Organizers estimate there were well over 8,000 people present at the event, which also had starting places in Kentucky and Virginia. The thousands of people gathered in prayer after the march reached the town, and the group is determined to seek God to help the community. The movement started after several people saw the movie, "An Appalachian Dawn," which tells the story of how the town of Manchester, Ky., was changed after the residents united in their fight against drug abuse and corruption. The group plans a follow-up meeting Sunday, Nov. 13, at 3 p.m. in Duke Hall on the campus of Lincoln Memorial University Read more: The Middlesboro Daily News www.claiborneprogress.net/view/full_story/16327393/article-This-is-just-the-beginning
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Post by In The News on Nov 12, 2011 15:41:11 GMT -5
www.lex18.com Clarissa Burkhart killed by car
Police say a man admitted to drinking and taking prescription pills before he accidentally hit and killed a toddler with his car in Clay County Thursday afternoon. Investigators say Bobby L. Sester, 23, was leaving a home just north of Manchester and didn't see 14-month-old Clarissa Burkhart, in the driveway. The car struck the child, who later died from her injuries. Read the entire article and see the video at: www.lex18.com/news/man-charged-after-toddler-hit-by-car-killed
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Post by In The News on Nov 12, 2011 15:45:55 GMT -5
Constable Jackie Roberts convicted in a London courtroom
An elected official in Clay County has been found guilty of drug use. Constable Jackie Roberts was convicted in a London courtroom. The indictment charged that on July 19, 2011, Roberts distributed hydrocodone pills. The jury heard testimony for two days, and returned the verdict on November 11 after approximately 2 hours of deliberations. nicholasvilleclassifieds.com/?p=357969
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Post by In The News on Nov 13, 2011 22:01:57 GMT -5
Robert Stivers says David Williams will continue to be Senate leader (L-R) Robert Stivers, David Williams
FRANKFORT, KY. — In the hours after Gov. Steve Beshear trounced Senate President David Williams in Tuesday’s election, the two had a telephone conversation in which they pledged to meet in the coming days to discuss possible compromises. But as of Wednesday afternoon, no meeting had been scheduled, neither would specifiy issues on which they might find common ground and they even seemed to dig in their heels to some degree. Moreover, there were questions about whether Williams might face a challenge next year to his Senate leadership position, which he has held for more than a decade, given the lopsided loss he suffered on Tuesday. Williams’ two-year term as Senate president doesn’t end until January 2013, though a majority of senators could try to force a vote for a replacement before then. Senate Republican Floor Leader Robert Stivers of Manchester does not think that will happen. “I have not heard any talk about changing the Senate presidency,” he said. But Sen. Tom Jensen, R-London, declined to say whether he believes Tuesday’s results are a reason to consider a change. “David and I have been friends a long time ... so I want to talk to him before I express any opinions on that,” he said. In Tuesday’s election, Beshear won big in all portions of the state except for southeastern Kentucky, where Williams carried all but a few counties. www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011311090102
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Post by In The News on Nov 17, 2011 18:29:28 GMT -5
lex18.com Police ID Mother, Daughter Killed In Clay County Crash
According to Kentucky State Police, the child who survived when the car she was riding in crashed into a Clay County creek has since died. Gabriella Ramos' mother, Kimberly Jackson, 27, was also killed in the wreck along Highway 11, four miles south of Manchester, on Wednesday afternoon. The 5-month-old's father survived. Police said both he and Jackson were not wearing seat belts. Gabriella was in a car seat. Mitchell Allen operated the tow truck that pulled the wrecked car out of the water. www.lex18.com/news/police-id-mother-daughter-killed-in-clay-county-crash
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Post by In The News on Nov 19, 2011 6:26:39 GMT -5
courier-journal.com Richie Farmer hired girlfriend to $60,000-a-year job in agriculture department
State Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer hired his girlfriend as a “special assistant” in his department during the waning days of the 2011 gubernatorial campaign, in which he was a candidate for lieutenant governor. According to the state Personnel Cabinet, Stephanie L. Sandmann was hired as a non-merit employee in the Department of Agriculture, to start work on Oct. 31, and is earning $5,000 a month, equal to $60,000 a year. Senate President David Williams, Farmer’s running mate, confirmed Thursday that Sandmann is Farmer’s girlfriend and said he had no idea Farmer had put her on the state’s payroll eight days before the Nov. 8 election. He said he met her while on the campaign trail with Farmer. According to her state personnel file, the 38-year-old Sandmann didn’t apply for a specific job but said she was willing to work only in Frankfort. Non-merit employees aren’t required to pass civil-service tests and can be hired or fired at the discretion of elected officials and their top aides. Farmer’s estranged wife, Rebecca Ann, filed suit in Franklin Circuit Court on April 5 to dissolve the couple’s 13-year marriage. The case is scheduled for trial Tuesday. Sandmann is also going through a divorce. In the last days of the campaign, Farmer and Sandmann were often seen on the campaign trail together, including election night at the Republican Party celebration at the Marriott Griffin Gate Hotel in Lexington. Farmer, a former University of Kentucky basketball star and a high school legend in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, burst onto Kentucky’s political scene in 2003 with his first campaign for agriculture commissioner. He was re-elected in 2007 and was the Republicans’ leading vote getter that year. www.courier-journal.com/article/20111118/NEWS01/311180082/1001/Richie-Farmer-hired-girlfriend-60-000-year-job-agriculture-department
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Post by In The News on Nov 19, 2011 6:28:09 GMT -5
Clay County part of $1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission
Growing rural philanthropy in Kentucky took another step forward this week when the Center for Rural Development convened a two-day workshop in Somerset to discuss how Appalachian counties can start and utilize community foundations as a way to stop outmigration of the region’s wealth. Nearly 130 community leaders from 35 counties in Southern and Eastern Kentucky learned about the newly launched Appalachian Rural Development Philanthropy Initiative (ARDPI) that will support the development of permanent, accessible community foundations in Eastern Kentucky. The meeting came a week after the announcement of a $1 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission that will assist in the development of the community endowments. Four organizations – the Center, the Hazard-Perry County Community Foundation, Brushy Fork Institute, and the Foundation for the Tri-State Community in Ashland – share the grant. In announcing the grant, Gov. Steve Beshear acknowledged the work of the Kentucky Philanthropy Initiative and its groundbreaking 2010 study, Transfer of Wealth Kentucky, in advancing understanding of the opportunities in the state as the intergenerational transfer of wealth takes place. The Center’s workshop session was led by Janet Topolsky and John Molinaro, co-directors of The Aspen Institute. “This work will not only help grow the economy of our region but will empower local community leaders to foster a culture of philanthropy that will benefit future generations,” Lonnie Lawson, president and CEO of The Center, said. “The Center is committed to improving the quality of life for all residents within our 42-county primary service area in Southern and Eastern Kentucky, and ARDPI is a perfect fit with that mission.” The 11 counties that will participate initially in ARDPI include Bell, Clay, Elliott, Knott, Knox, Lawrence, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, Martin, and Whitley. Counties participating in the initiative must fit the ARC’s classification as a “distressed” county. Many community leaders in attendance at Monday’s meeting said they hope their participation in ARDPI will help reverse that status after wealth is reinvested in local programs and initiatives that could improve the quality of life in those areas. “One of the ways this initiative will help Bell County is with the revitalization of our downtown areas through the possible restoration of historic office buildings and store fronts in hopes of filling those vacant buildings with tenants, shops, and offices,” said Bell County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Rob Lincks. “We have partnered with ARC and The Center on multiple occasions through mini-ARC grants and other initiatives.” ARDPI program work will include regional planning, training for communities, development of an on-the-ground consultant program, and the use of mini-grants to assist communities in planning for securing and leveraging local resources. “We cannot look outside of our community for the answers to the issues that we face in our communities in Southeastern Kentucky,” said Levi Alley of Clay County, a board member of the Manchester Memorial Hospital Foundation. “This workshop brings together the ideas for fresh leadership in philanthropy and giving.” “Change is going to occur from the bottom up, not the top down,” added Janice Lee Odom of the Kentucky Entrepreneurs Alliance. “For distressed counties like Powell County, community foundations represent the hope of change that we need. ARDPI is crucial to us.” Other partner organizations working with the project include the Kentucky Philanthropy Initiative (www.kyphilanthropy.org) and the Blue Grass Community Foundation. www.kyforward.com/our-economy/2011/11/18/growing-rural-philanthropy-in-kentucky-is-goal-of-arc-grant-recipients-subject-of-workshop
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Post by In The News on Nov 19, 2011 8:36:52 GMT -5
Harlan Daily Enterprise Harlan KSP Arrest 4 Clay County residents On Meth Charges Debbie Caldwell, Editor
Kentucky State Police Sgt. Jeremy Lee has reported that troopers Jason Joseph and Joey Brigmon were on patrol of U.S. 421 on Pine Mountain in Harlan County on Saturday when they observed suspicious activity from a Blue Ford Explorer driven by Joie Smith, of Manchester. Lee said upon further contact with the occupants of the vehicle, troopers found discrepancies in their stories and also observed several precursors for the manufacture of methamphetamine. Lee said during the search of the vehicle, troopers Joseph and Brigmon found several packs of Pseudoephedrine, lithium batteries, drain cleaners and other precursors that are used for the manufacture of meth. Also discovered in the search was finished product methamphetamine. Those arrested are as follows: · Joie Smith, 31, of Manchester. She is charged with DUI, manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. · Christy Smith, 27, of Manchester. She is charged with manufacturing methamphetamine and tampering with physical evidence · Robert C. Young Jr., 32, of Manchester. He is charged with manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. · Jason Cottongin, 32, of Manchester. He is charged with manufacturing methamphetamine. The case is still under investigation by Brigmon. www.harlandaily.com/view/full_story/16433124/article-KSP-arrest-4--on-meth-charges
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Post by In The News on Nov 21, 2011 16:45:58 GMT -5
Include rural schools in fixing federal education law By Reid Livingston
Reid Livingston of Berea is state director for Save the Children, an international non-profit.
As we face historic childhood poverty rates in Kentucky, we must look to education as the most viable way out of this crisis. U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who chairs the Senate committee tasked with writing federal education laws, emphasized that to "prepare our children to compete in the global economy, we must ensure that every American child has access to a world-class education." Last month, the committee made the first step in the right direction when it approved the Elementary and Secondary Education Reauthorization Act of 2011, released on Oct. 19 by Harkin and Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming, the committee's top Republican. While not perfect and still a work in progress, the bill aims to rectify the inherent flaws of the current federal education law, which has neglected too many kids in rural America. Sure, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has injected long-needed accountability into our education system. But one of the lessons we've learned over the past decade is that it was disproportionately geared toward the needs of suburban and urban kids. It failed to consider the unique challenges of children in rural school districts such as Clay County in southeastern Kentucky. In February, Clay County Schools Superintendent Reecia Samples and student representatives met in Washington, D.C., at the behest of John White, deputy assistant secretary for rural outreach in the Department of Education, to make the case for more equitable investment in rural communities and the flexibility for states such as Kentucky to measure progress. "Rural districts, such as my community, have been making tremendous strides with our students, and the new federal legislation needs to recognize that progress and allow for states like Kentucky to best define practices for student success," said Samples. Leading the nation as the first state to adopt the Common Core Academic Standards, Kentucky is requesting a testing waiver to ensure the appropriate flexibility in the assessment process. Our laws must acknowledge the trials and tribulations of rural schools. Filling this void, Save the Children has delivered critical support to academically lagging students and overextended teachers at struggling schools in the most remote parts of Kentucky. Last year, we partnered with 31 schools in 10 counties, reaching 13,089 students through educational programs designed to help children overcome barriers that stand in the way of a brighter future. The long-awaited reforms to No Child Left Behind include best practices proven successful in Save the Children's education programs. Revisions to the 21st Century Community Learning Center model, for example, reflect the need for in-school and extended school-day interventions. The new Improve Literacy Instruction and Achievement program requires states to focus on early-childhood education and would allocate considerable funding to improve literacy, specifically for children reading below grade level. What's more, for the first time, the Investing in Innovation Fund that provides competitive grants for practices to improve student achievement would award 22 percent of annual funds specifically for low-income rural schools. If this had been in place in 2009, more than $100 million could have gone to rural schools. In reality, very little — if any — went to rural-specific programs. In this bill, teaching to the test would be replaced by a return to teaching the child. Title I schools would no longer be measured by Annual Yearly Progress standards, which have frustrated educators in our schools by undermining successful local initiatives. Instead, our state would be required to develop new, rigorous assessments by 2015 to identify low-performing schools and generate action plans for improvement that would empower local schools to take into account the unique needs of their students. These revisions have opened the door for us to advocate aggressively for our state to implement these measures in a way that would benefit rural schools. They would have a real impact in real classrooms that desperately need real investments. Now, as the full Senate considers this bill, let's urge lawmakers to set politics aside, make any needed changes and pass this important legislation as a long-overdue down payment on the future of our children in rural communities who have been left behind for far too long. Read more: www.kentucky.com/2011/11/21/1967703/include-rural-schools-in-fixing.html#ixzz1eMN3o0T0
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Post by In The News on Nov 21, 2011 16:47:24 GMT -5
courier-journal.com Richie Farmer divorce case trial to be postponed
FRANKFORT, KY. — Tuesday’s scheduled trial in Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer’s divorce case will be postponed, Farmer’s attorney said Monday. Richie Farmer is nearing the end of his second term as agriculture commissioner. He ran this year for lieutenant governor on the Republican slate headed by Senate President David Williams. On April 5, during the primary election campaign, Rebecca Ann Farmer filed a petition in Franklin Circuit Court to dissolve her 13-year marriage to Richie Farmer. The Farmers have three sons. www.courier-journal.com/article/20111121/NEWS01/311210045/Richie-Farmer-divorce-case-trial-postponed
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Post by In The News on Dec 2, 2011 21:45:40 GMT -5
Richie Farmer says girlfriend qualified for a job in his office New Comissioner says don't bet on it
LOUISVILLE — Outgoing Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer says he did nothing improper in hiring his girlfriend for a job in his Frankfort office. He told reporters at the Kentucky Farm Bureau convention in Louisville that Sandmann is qualified for the job, a non-merit position paying $5,000 a month. Duties include assisting with administrative tasks and answering the phone. Farmer said he and Sandmann "went out" a couple of times since meeting in late August, but he said he has never dated anyone else at the department during his tenure. "I was married," he said. He said Sandmann's hiring came when the department was short-staffed. The incoming ag commissioner, James Comer, said that on Monday, he is going to have his transition team interview all 26 non-merit employees, including Sandmann. Of Sandmann, Comer said he "wouldn't bet on her staying." Farmer, whose wife filed for divorce in April, lost his bid for lieutenant governor in November on the Republican ticket with Senate President David Williams. Farmer also said he is exploring his employment options. He said there has "been no contact" with the University of Kentucky, where he was a star basketball player in the 1990s; Farmer previously told the Herald-Leader that his "dream job" would be UK's athletics director. Farmer said he might go back into financial advising, but his focus now is on his sons. Read more: www.kentucky.com/2011/12/01/1979939/richie-farmer-girlfriend-qualified.html
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Post by In The News on Jan 23, 2012 21:41:16 GMT -5
bereaonline.com Three from Clay County arrested for Unlawful Possession of Meth Precursor
Drug Arrests: On 01/21/2012 Police charged Jennifer Smith age 37, Manchester, KY for Unlawful Possession of Meth Precursor 1st Offense. A Traffic Stop was conducted for an expired license plate. Consent to search of vehicle was given to police by owner, police discovered 7.2 grams of Pseudoephedrine, a four pack of Lithium batteries, and 32 ounces of Coleman fuel. All of these items are used in the production of Methamphetamine. Also charged was Harry Henson, age 34 of Gooserock, KY, and Ashley Holland age 23 of Manchester, KY. All were charged with Unlawful Possession of a Meth Precursor 1st Offense, and Lodged in the Madison County Detention Center. bereaonline.com/?p=7399&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=berea-police-report-jan-23-2012
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Post by In The News on Feb 12, 2012 13:14:06 GMT -5
Kenneth Stepp to face Michael Ackerman for opportunity to face Hal Rogers Kenneth Stepp
WASHINGTON — Four of Kentucky’s five incumbent congressmen will have no opposition in the state’s May 22 primary. And Rep. John Yarmuth, D-3rd District, is facing only a perennial candidate, Burrel Charles Farnsley, as a primary opponent and a relatively unknown Republican, Brooks Wicker, for the general election, according to filings in the Kentucky secretary of state’s office. The filing deadline was Tuesday. Legislative leaders in Frankfort decided not to pass a congressional redistricting plan, although that could be challenged in court. For now, the fields in Kentucky’s six U.S. House districts are set. In the 5th District, Republican Rep. Hal Rogers, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, will run against the Democratic primary winner, either Michael Ackerman of Morehead or Kenneth S. Stepp of Manchester. www.courier-journal.com/article/20120207/NEWS01/302070074/4-Kentucky-congressmen-unopposed-primary
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Post by Press Release on Feb 12, 2012 13:53:27 GMT -5
Hyde, Young named to Union Fall 2011 Dean's List
Union College has released its fall 2011 Dean’s List and list of Presidential Laureates. The Dean’s List is comprised of undergraduates who have completed at least 15 hours of graded work with a 3.33 grade point average, no grades of incomplete for the semester, and no grades of C or below for the semester. Dean’s List: • Juleda N. Hyde, Manchester • Charles Tyler Young, Manchester thinkunionKentuckyblogspot.com/2012/02/union-announces-fall-2011-deans-list.html
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Post by In The News on Feb 12, 2012 13:55:20 GMT -5
courier-journal.com Stivers says Senate to appeal Legislative District case
FRANKFORT, Kentucky — The Kentucky House and Senate decided Thursday to appeal to the state Supreme Court a ruling that new legislative districts are unconstitutional — and said they would seek to run this year in the new districts. The move appears to run counter to an announcement made Wednesday after a closed House Democratic caucus meeting. A spokesman had said then that the House members would agree to run in the current districts but would ask the high court to rule that the new districts meet constitutional muster. Senate Majority Floor Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, said a notice of appeal would likely be filed in Franklin Circuit Court. The House and Senate redistricting plans are contained in House Bill 1. www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012302090073
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