The-Press.com down

Readers of www.The-Press.com will find the site down or slow to load today and through the weekend due to routine maintenance by our service provider. Thank you for your patience. The temporary interruption should be over by late Sunday.

Rockets lose in semis

After leading 6-1 in the fourth, Crittenden County gave up seven runs in the sixth and host Henderson County beat the Rockets 13-7 in the Second Region semifinals Thursday.

It was the first time Crittenden had played in the regional semifinals in 30 years.

See photo gallery of Rockets semifinal game at The.Press.com.

Thefts all over town

Local authorities are blaming a rash of thefts on the rising cost of fuel, a struggling economy and the high price scrap metal is bringing at the salvage yards.

In the past few days, there have been all sorts of thefts reported in Marion and Crittenden County. Medication is missing from New Haven Assisted Living, cash belonging to a patient was allegedly stolen from a safe at Crittenden Hospital, cash from the till at Ideal gas station, checks from a parked van and lots of other metal items such as farm equipment and even a tractor.

The Crittenden Press is following up on all of these cases and will have details in next week's printed edition.

In the meantime, police say residents should be vigilant, keep their sheds locked and the children's bicycles put away. They're made of metal, too.

Click it, Or Ticket Students

Marion police officers will be checking students who drive to school Friday on the last day of classes as part of the federal Click It, or Ticket driver safety campaign.

Police Chief Ray O'Neal says officers will be conducting a scheduled road check after school Friday at the intersection of Old Morganfield Road and Elm Street near the bus garage on campus.

Officers will be making sure drivers and passengers leaving the school parking lot are buckled up. They will be citing drivers who fail to comply with the mandatory Kentucky seat belt law. The fine is $25.

Tractorland

Billy Holcomb of Frances has dozens of restored tractors and other antiquated farm equipment.

He pulled all of the shiny rigs out of their sheds last weekend for friends and neighbors to stop by and see. This week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press will feature Holcomb with the story about he collected all of those old tractors and why.

Rain delay

The Rockets' Second Region semifinal baseball game against Henderson County was rained out Tuesday night. It has been rescheduled for 7 p.m., Thursday at Henderson.

The Rockets are playing in the regional semifinals for the first time in about 30 years. 

Sports shorts

Baseball

Crittenden County will play Henderson today (Tuesday) at 5:30 p.m., at Henderson in the Second Region Tournament. In case of rain, game will be Wednesday. The Rockets beat Hopkinsville 9-8 in the opening round Monday.

Track

Crittenden County will have one relay team and one individual to participate in this weekend's Kentucky State Track and Field Championships at Louisville. Senior Breanna Cozart has qualified in the high jump and also as a member of the 800 meter relay team. Others on the qualifying rely are eighth-grader Katelyn Moss, junior Anna Jimenez and senior Leah Keene. The relay alternate is Lauren Hunt, a freshman. The qualifying athletes are pictured (from left) Keene, Moss, Jimenez, Cozart and Hunt.

Band on the run

In case you missed it in last week's printed edition of The Press, a local high school graduate's rock band, Echo Grey, won first place in a regional battle of the bands competition last weekend at Harrah's Casino in Metropolis, Ill.

Shawn Steele (pictured), a 2004 graduate of Crittenden High School, is lead singer for the group. He traces his musical roots as far back as his great-grandmother, Virginia Byford, who was well known for teaching piano in Marion.

In addition to the role of lead vocalist for the four-man rock group, Steele plays the keyboards, acoustic guitar, electric guitar and writes the majority of the lyrics. He shares song-writing responsibilities with the other members who just came together in July 2007.

Rockets win district

 Crittenden County beat host Lyon County 3-1 this week to win the Fifth District baseball championship.

The Rockets will play Monday in the Second Region Tournament at Henderson. The pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon.

With the score 1-all with one out in the bottom of the fifth, Crittenden’s Cody McDonald reached first on an error. He advanced to second on a ground-out and put his team up for good when Dylan Clark doubled him home. Clark scored the insurance run with Alex Home singled him in.

Crittenden's Cody McDonald, Alex Wood, Jacob McMican and Alex Porter were named to the All-District Team. Livingston Central’s Wes Lasher and John Wingham also earned All-District honors.

Wreck now double fatality

The accident last week on Ky. 91 between Fredonia and Princeton has claimed another victim.

Mrs. Katherine C. Hall, 81, succumbed to her injuries and passed away on May 22, 2008 at approximately 3:55 p.m. Her husband Phi Hall, 83, died at the scene.

Livingston no-hits Lady Rockets

Livingston Central pitcher Mariah Owen – who recently moved to Marion – threw a no-hitter against the Lady Rockets Tuesday in the opening round of the Fifth District Tournament at Eddyville, helping her team claim a hard-fought 1-0 win.

The loss eliminates the Lady Rockets (5-10) from the playoffs.

Pictured is Crittenden pitcher Sammie Jo Quisenberry.

Sports writer Chris Hardesty was at the game and this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press will have all of the details from the softball and baseball playoffs.

War Memorial

The City of Marion with help from the local tourism department has created a Veterans Memorial on the lawn at Marion Commons.

There will be three Memorial Day celebrations this weekend.

1. Blackford Veterans Memorial at 2 p.m., Saturday

2. Mapleview Cemetery at 10 a.m., Monday

3. Shady Grove Cemetery at 11 a.m., Monday

Rockets advance to region

Crittenden County beat Livingston Central 21-0 Monday night in the opening round of the Fifth District Baseball Tournament at Lyon County. The Rockets will advance to Wednesday night's championship game against Lyon County.

With Monday night's win, the Rockets earn a berth in the Second Region Tournament next week at Henderson County.

Suspect still in ICU

The robbery suspect shot by a state trooper in Marion last Thursday night remains in the intensive care unit at Deaconess Hospital in Evansville.

Wesley N. Dockrey, 26, of Clay will face attempted murder charges once he is discharged from the hospital.

This photo of Dockrey is from the Webster County Detention Center, where he was once jailed on a criminal mischief charge.

Trooper William Braden, who shot the suspect after he aimed a pistol at Marion policeman Marty Hodge, remains on administrative leave.

Buntin regional officer

Kayla Buntin of Marion has been elected secretary for the Pennyrile Regional FFA board.

Buntin is the daughter of Magistrate Curt Buntin and his wife Melody.

Buntin is an active member of the Critttenden County FFA under the direction of advisor Larry Duvall. She is also a very successful in raising and showing goats.

Meth lab

State police arrested Carl and Beverlie Belt of Pleasant Hill Road Thursday night after they found marijuana and an alleged meth lab at their residence. See next week's Crittenden Press for more detials.

Shooting update

The following is a press release issued by the Kentucky State Police. It was issued Friday morning.

On Thursday, May 15, 2008, at approximately 5:57 p.m. CST, the Kentucky State Police Post 2 Madisonville received an attempt to locate two robbery suspects. The suspects, later identified as Wesley N. Dockrey, 26, of Clay and Sarah Rushin, 18, of Providence had entered the Wal-Mart pharmacy in Morganfield and tried to obtain medication. Dockrey handed the clerk a note that made threats of him having a gun; however, no weapon was seen. The suspects were unsuccessful in their attempt and fled the scene.

At approximately 7:47 p.m., Thursday, May 15, Trooper William Braden located the suspect’s vehicle at the Royal Inn and Suites in Marion. Marion Police Department officers Bobby West, Marty Hodge and Marion Police Chief Ray O’Neal arrived to assist. Officers made contact with the suspects, but were unsuccessful in attempts to get them to surrender. As the officers were negotiating with the suspects, Dockrey peered out of the window and aimed a handgun at Officer Hodge. Trooper Braden fired two rounds at Dockrey striking him.

Dockrey was transported to the Crittenden County Hospital and then transferred to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville. There were no injuries to any officers or bystanders.

At the present time, Dockrey is listed in stable condition at Deaconess. The Kentucky State Police currently has an arrest warrant for Dockrey for the charge of Attempted Murder of a Police Officer.

Sarah Rushin was charged with two counts of Execution of a Warrant for Other Police Agency. One warrant was for Robbery First Degree in Union County and the other warrant was for Failure to Appear in Hopkins County. She was lodged in the Crittenden County Jail.

Trooper William Braden is a seven-year veteran of the Kentucky State Police. Pursuant to Kentucky State Police policy, he has been placed on paid, administrative leave pending the internal investigation. The investigation is continuing.

US 641 wreck

Debra Hodges of Marion emailed us a photo she took at the accident scene of U.S. 641 Thursday, May 15. Two people were injured in the wreck just south of Mott City and the road was closed for almost 10 hours.

Hodges was behind the tractor-trailer when the wreck happend.

"Pieces of the car flew everywhere," she said. "The young man was ejected from the car and was laying close to the center line."

He had a very badly injured left arm, she added. The man in the car was Barry Beard of Marion. He remained hospitalized Friday morning.

 

Winters reception Saturday

Crittenden Countians can’t vote for native son Sen. Ken Winters in this year’s general election, but they can support him in other ways. His campaign will tell local supporters how they can help during a reception at 4 p.m., Saturday at S&J Barbecue restaurant on U.S. 60 West.
That’s why the incumbent senator always comes home to Marion for a fundraising event during political seasons.

Winters, 73, of Murray represents the First Senatorial District in the Kentucky General Assembly. He is completing his first term in Frankfort and is seeking re-election as the Republican nominee, who is unopposed next week. Winters will face in November a Democratic challenger, either Carroll Hubbard or Rick Johnson. Those two square off in Tuesday’s primary.

The district Winters represents covers a large portion of far western Kentucky, including Lyon, Trigg and five other counties.

Winters grew up in Marion and graduated from Crittenden County High School. His wife, Shirley (Henry), is also a native Crittenden Countian.

Latest Update 11:15 p.m.

Just confirmed, it was a Kentucky State Trooper who shot a suspect tonight (Thursday, May 15) at room 4 at the Royal Inn & Suites on Sturgis Road. The incident was directly related to an attempted robbery earlier in the day at the pharmacy at Morganfield Wal-Mart. 

According to a Wal-Mart pharmacy employee, a man walked up to the counter and handed a note to a pharmacy technician around 4 p.m., demanding Lortabs and Percocets. While the manager was paged to the pharmacy, the man fled empty handed.

Morganfield authorities had issued a warrant for the suspect, whose name is being withheld at this time. He had been seen driving a pickup, perhaps the dark colored Ford Ranger, which was parked in front of the room at the Marion inn.

When a state policeman found the vehicle at the Royal Inn and Suites, the trooper called for backup. Two Marion police officers, Bobby West and Marty Hodge, responded to the scene, also.

When contact was the made with the suspect, the shooting occurred. State Police spokesman Stu Recke (pictured being interviewed by WPSD TV) said further details will be forthcoming. He said the trooper's name was being withheld until Friday morning. The trooper was not injured.

The suspect was taken to Crittenden Hospital by ambulance at approximately 8:15 p.m. After being stabilized there, he was transported by ambulance to an Evansville hospital with a police escort at 10 p.m.

ADDITIONALLY ON THURSDAY, a gas tanker truck and car collided on U.S. 641 South near Mott City at about 1:30 p.m. The driver of the car, Barry Beard of Marion, was seriously injured after being ejected from the vehicle. The tanker driver was not injured.

The highway was closed for at least 10 hours as crews unloaded the fuel from the tanker onto another rig for transport from the scene. Workers were still at the location at midnight.

Police investigating apparent shooting

Information is sketchy right now, but it appears police are investigating a shooting at Royal Inn and Suites in Marion (formerly Tobin's Tourtel).

Five marked Kentucky State Police cruisers, three from the City of Marion and other unmarked police vehicles barricaded the scene about 8 p.m., tonight (Thursday, May 15).

One victim was taken from the scene in a Crittenden County ambulance. It's unclear who may have shot him, but there is some indication that it might have been linked to a robbery in Webster or Union county. A Webster County Sheriff's Department cruiser and a Clay Police vehicle were also at the scene.

It appears the shooting took place in room four.

Pictured are Derek Smith of the Kentucky State Police and Steve Madden of the Webster County Sheriff's Department putting up police tape in front of the inn.

Stay tuned for details as they are available.

Myers recognized again

The Department of Criminal Justice Training will honor Marion Police Department Officer Louis W. Myers along with 24 other officers killed in the line of duty at its annual law enforcement memorial ceremony to be held at the Kentucky Law Enforcement Memorial, located at DOCJT in front of the John W. Bizzack Law Enforcement Training Complex on Eastern Kentucky University’s campus. Myers died Aug. 29, 1973.

The agency will dedicate the officers' names on the memorial monument during the ceremony, Wednesday, May 21 at 11 a.m.

Kentucky state Rep. Harry Moberly will be the keynote speaker.

Of the 25 names that have been added to the monument this year and will be dedicated at the ceremony, three are of officers killed in 2007.

Myers was recently recognized by a similar ceremony at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. Myers died in the line of duty 35 years ago while chasing a fugitive who had escaped from a nearby prison.

Xtreme on track

Production of the new Xtreme Tracker in Marion, Ky., at Tyler Manufacturing Co., is on target for later this spring. The company is working through some final issues before taking the product to the assembly line.

The Xtreme Tracker is a Web-based, GPS tracking system that is being marketed primarily toward the fleet equipment industry. It has many other applications however. Production should begin in June, a company official said.

Several new jobs will be created once production gets into full swing. It will be built in the Tyler building, which is formerly Siemens.

The the Web site at 

http://www.xtreme-tracker.com/

Welcome 4 Rivers

We would like to welcome Four Rivers Land Surveying as a new sponsor at The Press Online.

Four Rivers is owned and operated by Jacob Selph of Dycusburg. The company's office is in Eddyville and it serves the entire region.

See the Four Rivers Web site which is still under construction.

$500 reward

Crittenden County TipLine is offering a $500 reward for anyone with information leading to an arrest in the drive-by shootings of four vehicles in Marion late Sunday night or early Monday morning.

Three cars at Denny Woodall's Used Cars and one private vehicle parked on Food Giant parking lot had their windows shattered by a rapid-fire, high-powered pellet gun.

Call 965-3000 to report information on the crime and remain anonymous.

Bargo hired at Livingston

Kennith Bargo was named the new superintendent of Livingston County Schools at Monday's school board meeting at Smithland.

Bargo, a former teacher, assistant principal and football coach at Crittenden County, will assume leadership of the 1,400 student school system on July 1, filling the void left by retiring superintendent Jack Monroe.

"I consider it a real honor to be a part of this outstanding school system," commented Bargo. "While at Crittenden County, I always kept a close eye on Livingston County, knowing that good things would be going on here."

Bargo and his wife Suzie have two children and one grandchild. They plan to relocate to the area in the near future.

Meet the new Chamber Exec

Meet Michele Fowler, the new executive secretary of the Crittenden County Chamber of Commerce. 

Fowler is relatively new to the community, having moved here in 2007 from the Chicago area. She is married to Dale Fowler.

Read more about the new Chamber exec in this week's Crittenden Press printed edition.

Click It, Or Ticket

Marion Police Department, Crittenden County Sheriff's Department and Kentucky State Police are joining forces for the 2008 National “Click It or Ticket Campaign.”

“The message is simple,” Police Chief Ray O’Neal said, “Buckle up day and night. Seat belts save lives.”

O’Neal said state and local authorities will be conducting road checks and observing motorists during the national campaign, May 19 through June 1. They will be looking primarily for motorists not abiding by the Kentucky seat belt law. Wearing your seat belt is a primary law and police can pull you over for that reason alone. 

During the campaign, officers will also be doing sobriety checkpoints and looking for other moving violations.

Still going after all these years

Tim Hill and Payton Croft, two Crittenden County High School graduates, have been playing basketball together since they were in elementary school. Now, as college juniors, the two were teammates on the No. 9 intra-mural team in the country.

Their dormitory team, Hart College, was second in the Murray State Intra-Mural Tournament, qualifying it for the regionals in Mississippi. There, another second place finish sent the team to the North Carolina State for the national finals. They lost in the round of 16, but finished ninth overall by virtue of a points system.

Croft and Hill graduated from CCHS in 2005. Hill (23) is pictured back left and Croft (21) back center.

We'll have more details on the sports page of The Crittenden Press this week.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day to all you wonderful, faithful mothers who are truly beloved by your admiring children.

I want to wish a special day to my mother, Carol Evans of Paris, Tenn., (pictured) and the mother of my three children, Allison Evans.

You are two most wonderful women in my life and I hope you enjoy your Mothers Day lunch this afternoon.

State Champion !

The Crittenden County Middle School Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) has won the state championship.

Each year, all Kentucky schools engage in a technology competition which culminates in a statewide competition. This year’s Crittenden County was judged to be the best in the commonwealth.

The team’s site, StudentActionNetwork.org, provides teachers and students with educational tools. These tools include videos, PowerPoint presentations, lesson plans, important news stories and more.

CCMS STLP members (pictured are) Corey Bruns, Emily Owen, Stacia Snow, Jake Tabor, Clint Asbridge, Austin Dunkerson, Tucker Frazer, Stacie Hearell, Jake Hunt, Alyssa Leet, Ellen Merrick, Daniel Patton and Ben Thompson.

The Press printed edition will feature the team in its May 15 issue.

Dollar days

Dollar General in Marion is moving from its downtown location to a place north of town on Sturigs Road. Construction work began at the new site this week. The new location is directly across the street from True Value.

Dollar General's new building will be 9,100 square feet. The current store in downtown Marion is 6,262 square feet. It should be open by Aug. 1. Stay tuned to next week's printed edition of The Press for more details about what shoppers can expect from the new Dollar General.

History lesson

For those of you in and around Marion who are intrigued by history, you will not want to miss Saturday's lecture on the history of religious camp meetings.

The Crittenden County Genealogy Society will host the 10 a.m, event in the meeting room at Crittenden County Public Library. The program will be "History of our Camp Meetings" presented by local historian Brenda Underdown.

Writer's roots in Crittenden

Jennifer Frazer was finishing up her master's degree when she first learned of a mysterious series of elk deaths in the Northwest. Intrigued by the story, she followed up on her interest in the matter a couple of years later while working as a reporter in Wyoming.

After hours of interviews, research and writing, Frazer's newspaper published a two-part series about how a common and generally harmless lichen – a naturally occurring mixture of algae and fungus – killed 500 elk on the Red Rim near Cheyenne.

Frazer, 29, the granddaughter of Robert Lee and Ada White of Tolu, has deep roots in Crittenden County although she's never lived here. A journalist educated at Cornell and MIT, she now resides in Boulder, Colo., and works as a science writer for the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research which operates the National Center for Atmospheric Research. 

The story she wrote two years ago was recently recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which honored her with a first-place award for newspapers under 100,000 circulation. The two articles were published after about 500 elk has mysteriously died or had to be put down by game wardens. Biologists and wildlife officials were perplexed by the deaths and struggled for answers before they realized it was a poisonous lichen that commonly forms on the surface of the earth.

READ THE ARTICLES ONLINE: http://wyomingnews.com/elk_stories/

Frazer's piece described the steps by which researchers determined that the tumbleweed lichen was the culprit. Through research and interviews show explained how range conditions and weather resulted in a lack of forage for the elk. They turned to eating lichens – about the only thing left on the snow-covered Red Rim – with fatal consequences.

Frazer learned about the elk issue two years before she wrote the series.

"When I was still a graduate student at MIT, I read an article about it as it was happening on CNN. I was fascinated because I like studying interesting creatures like mushrooms, lichens, and moss. I thought that if I ever lived in Wyoming, I'd love to do a story about it," she said. "It took me two more years to get around to doing it because working at a small-town newspaper was so hectic."

The reporting position on the health and environment beat for the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle was her first after graduating from college, save a stint as an intern with the Louisville Courier-Journal. With a master's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she's very suited for her current position with Boulder atmospheric research corporation.

Frazer says she always enjoys trips to Crittenden County to visit her grandparents and has planned a July visit this year so she can pick blackberries on the family farm. She is also the granddaughter of the late Robert "Bob" and Dorothy Frazer of Marion.

Snake bite stalls mail

A snakebite stalled the delivery of Marion's mail temporarily Saturday, but carrier Jeremey Poindexter bounced right back.

Poindexter, a part-time mailman, was struck by a non-venomous snake as he walked between residences on Elm Street. The creature turned out to be a rat snake (pictured), according to a postal official. 

Poindexter was treated at Crittenden Hospital, but went back to work as scheduled.

See details in this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press.

This week's issue

This week, readers of The Crittenden Press can expect some extensive coverage on the search for a new superintendent of county schools. One candidate has withdrawn, but four finalists remain and we will have detailed information on each of those.

•A Marion businesswoman is retiring after 31 years as a children's clothing merchant. Lenore Drennan (pictured) hopes to make her retirement final this summer. So far, there is no buyer for her downtown operation.

•Crittenden County pitcher Alex Wood has thrown the second perfect game of his career. The junior beat Lyon County 10-0 last week.

Stay tuned for details to these and other stories in this week's edition, on sale at newsstands Wednesday afternoon.

Superintendent finalist withdraws

One of the five finalists for superintendent of Crittenden County schools has withdrawn from consideration.

James Francis, a certified personnel specialist with Jefferson County Public School, notified The Crittenden Press on Monday that he was pulling out of consideration for the head of Crittenden County schools.

"I am happy at JCPS, and the timing on this is not conducive for my family and I," Francis wrote in an e-mail to the newspaper this morning.

Board of Education Chairman Chris Cook confirmed that Francis had notified the local board of his intentions to withdraw from consideration. 

"Mr. Francis has withdrawn his application, so our last scheduled interview will actually be tonight," Cook said, shortly before an interview with now-final candidate Dr. Shirley Menendez was to take place.

Francis had been scheduled to interview Thursday. The board of education will now meet in closed session Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., to begin processing all of the information obtained from its four interviews – Menendez, Victor Zimmerman, Travis Hamby and Dr. Rachel Yarbrough. 

May 20 remains the latest date by which the board intends to make a decision on its replacement for retiring John Belt.

My derby picks

Only once in my life did I ever score at the race track. Won a couple hundred bucks on the daily double and blew it before we left the venue.

I preface the following Kentucky Derby picks with the statement above and warn you that I generally lose handily at the two-dollar window.

With that said, here's my picks for today's race:

1. Pyro

2. Tale of Ekati

3. Anak Nakel

Of course, the favorite Big Brown will surely be somewhere in the top three, but no one ever won big betting on the favorite.

Get your hats and mint juleps and let's get ready for post time!

WWII POW dies

James "Red Rock" Stone has died at the age of 84. 

Stone was a veteran of World War II and was a prisoner of war in a German camp in Europe. 

He died at 6:50 a.m., Thursday, May 1, 2008 at Salem Springlake Health and Rehab.

Boyd Funeral Home in Salem is in charge of arrangements. Visitation from 10 a.m., until the funeral hour at 2 p.m., Sunday.

Accident in Livingston

We have learned that Mike Perrin of Lola was severely injured in a motorcycle accident Thursday evening on the River Road in Livingston County. Perrin, who is an operator with Crittenden-Livingston Water District, was flown to Evansville's Deaconess Hospital with multiple injuries.

Planting begins in earnest

The excessive rains that have plagued farmers and kept them from the fields this spring have paused long enough to allow some planting to begin, according to Crittenden County U.K. Ag Extension Agent Corey Payne.

Payne said on Tuesday of this week that about 10 percent of the corn intended for Crittenden County fields had been planted, with more continuing all week. Despite cooler weather, sunshine and wind have helped to dry out the land for planting.

Until the last week, no corn had been planted in the county. Payne said, however, that crops were really not that late. Optimum planting for the area is the third week of April and, generally, the cut-off is mid-May. After that time, he said, it would be best to plant soybeans.

Meantime, winter crops are almost ready for harvest.

Payne said that in a couple of weeks, winter wheat planted in the fall would be mature. This year, he said more wheat had been planted in the county than in recent memory, perhaps ever. Around 1,500 acres of wheat was planted last fall.

Another crop planted in the autumn and near maturity for harvest is canola, not often planted in the county. The blossoms have created a sea of yellow along Ky. 70 between Dycusburg and Frances. Payne said hundreds of acres were planted this year by land tended by Larry and Philip Parish and Chris Hooks.

Canola is a cool-weather crop developed in Canada in the 1970s from cross-breeding other plants. In fact, the name canola is derived from Canadian oil, low acid. Canola oil is used in cooking and is a major export for both Canada and the United States.

Conala plants put off a pungent smell as they near maturity.