Events set tone for new school year

Two events in the coming days geared for Crittenden County students and parents will allow them to meet staff, tour the schools and learn about what the community has to offer.

On Monday, a Back to School Bash will be held for middle and high school students and families. It will be held from 5-8 p.m., at the multi-purpose room.

On Aug. 9, Sneak-a-Peek for elementary schoolers and parents will be from 6-8 p.m., at the school, with students whose last name starts A-K the first hour and all other the second hour.

The following day is opening day for staff of the district. Kentucky’s Commissioner of Education will be the opening speaker for the school year’s kick-off event. The community is invited to attend a luncheon that follows in order to exchange information about your business or organization with staff.

I-24 blocked by multi-vehicle accident

UPDATE: SITE IS CLEARED

A multi-vehicle accident is blocking the westbound lanes of I-24 between Calvert City and Grand Rivers. Traffic is being re-routed around the scene.

Area death

Gertrude Florence Dempsey, 92, of Marion died Wednesday at Crittenden Health Systems. Memorial services will be held at a later date. The Myers Funeral Home in Marion is handling arrangements.

Ledbetter Bridge down to one lane Monday

Traffic on the U.S. 60 Tennessee River Bridge at Ledbetter will be restricted to one lane starting Monday.

The lane restriction during daylight hours is to allow a detailed inspection of the bridge structure.

Traffic will be restricted to one lane with alternating flow controlled by flaggers between approximately 8 a.m., and 3 p.m., weekdays only for about one week.

Motorists should be alert for slowing and stopped traffic in the work zone. Travel delays should be less than 4 minutes. Motorists should be alert for equipment, flaggers and maintenance personnel on the bridge deck.

All Kentucky bridges get a detailed inspection every two years with long-span bridges subject to additional walk-through inspections from time to time. The bridge was opened to traffic in 1931 and now carries approximately 7,800 vehicles across the Tennessee River in an average day.

A new bridge is being constructed approximately 1,500 feet upstream from the existing bridge.

U.S. 60 milling, paving starts Friday

Milling and paving work in Livingston County along U.S. 60 between Marion and Smithland and Ky. 967 is under way this week. The work along U.S. 60 starts just east of Burna and runs to the Livingston-Crittenden County line just east of Salem.

Milling and paving along Ky. 967 runs from the intersection with U.S. 60 near Smithland City Hall northward to Court Street. This runs at the rear of the new Livingston County Judicial Center.

The milling and paving schedule for these projects is as follows:

• Friday and Saturday: Cut back shoulders on U.S. 60 and remove pavement markers.
• Monday: Milling along both projects.
• Tuesday: Start paving operations on Ky. 967 and then moving to U.S. 60.

Motorists should be alert for road crews working along the roadway where traffic will be restricted to one lane. Paving along these projects is expected to take about a week, weather permitting.

Marion man injured in powerline accident

UPDATE: Friends say Hayes suffered burns, but is going to be okay. He is in stable condition.

A Marion man was severely injured today when he was electrocuted while working on a power line in Clinton, Ky.

John Hayes was taken to a Fulton hospital and later transferred to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville.

He is employed by Hendrix Electric Inc., of Dixon.

Road work to close U.S 60 in Marion

Tuesday will see the closing of West Gum Street (U.S. 60 West) between Blackburn and Yandell streets in Marion beginning at 6 a.m. The closure will be preceded by prep work on Friday and Monday along the same stretch and will require lane restrictions.

This planned closure, just east of Crittenden County High School and Crittenden Hospital, is to allow a cross drain replacement and improvements to the Yandell Street intersection with Gum Street. The work is expected to be completed by 3 p.m., Tuesday.

During prep work and construction, motorists may take a self-detour via Ky. 91 to Ky. 981 (Old Salem Road).

AG files suit against Daymar College

An investigation into Daymar College by Kentucky's attorney general led to a suit filed today against the owners and operators of the college. Attorney General Jack Conway claims the for-profit college, with locations in Madisonville and Paducah, violated Kentucky’s Consumer Protection Act by engaging in unfair, false, misleading, and deceptive trade practices.

Conway's office received information in 2008 that Daymar College was preventing students from buying their textbooks and supplies cheaper from other sources. The attorney general’s investigation concluded that Daymar College had been engaged in a sophisticated practice of deceiving and misleading students about their textbooks and financial aid so that students would be forced into purchasing books and supplies from Daymar College at prices substantially higher than other vendors.

Additionally, Conway alleges that the defendants provide false and misleading information to students about the transferability of credits earned at Daymar College. In addition to telling students their credits will transfer, the complaint alleges that the written information Daymar College provides to students about the transferability of credits omits the material information that credits are not likely to transfer to other schools.

The complaint further alleges that Daymar has enrolled some students who do not meet the school’s criteria for admission, thereby increasing the likelihood that a student will withdraw from the program, be unable to pay the debt they incurred while attending Daymar and be unable to get a job in their career field. According to information available from the U.S. Department of Education, Daymar Learning, Inc., with the exception of one other school, currently has the highest default rate of any Kentucky-based school.

Besides Paducah and Madisonville, Daymar College campuses or learning sites are located in eight other Kentucky cities. There also is a Daymar College online program.

Persons who have information about Daymar College are encouraged to contact the Office of the Attorney General at 1-888-432-9257 or by e-mail studentcomplaints@ag.ky.gov.

Area death

Larneena Wynn, 80, of Eddyville died Tuesday at Princeton Health Rehab Center. She has a brother, Shoney Oliver, who lives in Marion. Services are Thursday at Morgan Funeral Home in Princeton.

Stout selected for federal bench

Marion attorney Alan Stout has been selected as a U.S. Bankruptcy judge for the Western District of Kentucky to fill a vacancy being created by the retirement of Judge David Stosberg.

A former five-term Crittenden County Attorney, Stout has been in private practice in Marion since 1981. Over the next three months, Stout will phase out his private practice in Marion.

Once sworn to the federal judgeship – sometime before the end of the year – his term on the bench will be for 14 years.

Stout says he will maintain a residence in Marion and Louisville while on the bench. The Western District is headquartered in Louisville and Stout anticipates overseeing dockets in Owensboro and Louisville. There are other satellite courts in Bowling Green and Paducah.

Find this story and more in this full edition of The Crittenden Press.

Hodge is queen of county fair

Jessi Hodge, 18, of Marion (pictured) was crowned queen of the Crittenden County Lions Club Fair Monday night at Fohs Hall.

Jenna Copeland, 20, was first runnerup.

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

Family Night at the Crittenden County Fair

Tonight is Family Night at the Crittenden County Lions Club Fair. Admission is $2 for everyone and ride bracelets will be available at the carnival.

Area death

Clinton Lowery Hunter, 66, of Marion has died at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah. Graveside services are Tuesday at Deer Creek Cemetery. Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Man hurt in wreck near Dycusburg

A Kuttawa man was seriously injured in a single-vehicle accident early Sunday morning near Dycusburg.

State Police say Michael Taylor, 20, was driving a Ford Explorer eastbound on Ky. 70 two miles east of Dycusburg just after 3 a.m., when he lost control and SUV and ran off the highway, struck a concrete culvert and a utility pole then overturned.

Taylor was not wearing a seatbelt. He was extrciated from the vehicle by the Crittenden County Rescue Squad. Taylor was transported by PHI Air Medical to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville.

Tolu FD hosting 20th year celebration

Tolu Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate its 20th year of service on Saturday with a barbecue appreciation supper at the community center. The meal will be served at 5 p.m. There will be no charge, but donations of pies or cakes will be accepted.

Area death

Delores Jean Underhill, 71, of Tolu died Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at Livingston Hospital. Graveside services are Saturday. Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

See you tonight at the ballpark... It's FREE

Inmate faces 2nd assault charge at county jail

A criminal case alleging that a Crittenden County Detention Center inmate broke the leg of another inmate during an altercation inside a jail cell is going to the Crittenden County Grand Jury next month.

Crittenden District Judge Daniel Heady found probable cause in the case alleging second-degree assault by Matthew E. Young, 27, of Louisville following testimony last Wednesday by two jail employees.

According to testimony by Chief Jail Deputy Tammy Robertson and Jail Lt. Tina Rushing at the preliminary hearing, Young and inmate Scott McAllister were involved in an altercation on Sunday, June 26 over the channel of the television in their cell.

As a result of the alleged assault, McAllister's leg was broken in three places, according to testimony. Robertson testified that hospital officials likened the surgical repair of his leg to "putting a potato chip back together."

Jailer Rick Riley said the alleged victim has been transferred to Kentucky State Reformatory at LaGrange. He said there’s a chance the inmate could lose his leg as a result of the injury.

In another case pending in Crittenden Circuit Court, Young is accused of attacking a deputy jailer on Oct. 17, 2010. He faces third-degree assault charges in that case.

Young is a state inmate. He has several pending felony charges in Louisville and is currently being held for a probation violation from a 2007 conviction of tampering with physical evidence and fleeing and evading police.

Read more in this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press

I-24 one-lane traffic switch Thursday

A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans a traffic shift starting at noon Thursday in a work zone for milling and paving on I-24 between the Calvert City and Grand Rivers exits. Both eastbound and westbound traffic is restricted to one lane on I-24 in this work zone. Since work started July 5, all traffic has been moved to the left-hand or passing lane between the exits. Starting around midday Thursday, the contractor plans to switch traffic to the right-hand or driving lane to allow milling and paving along the passing lane. Motorists should continue to be alert for slowing and merging traffic as they approach this work zone. Work on this section should be completed in about 2 to 3 weeks, weather permitting.

Blood drive today at Methodist church

There will be a Red Cross Blood Drive from noon to 4 p.m., today at the Marion United Methodist Church.

The American Red Cross has issued an appeal for blood donors to roll up a sleeve and give blood right now because there is currently a critical blood shortage across our nation. Many donors are busy or traveling, school is out of session and donations have dropped dramatically.

In May and June, donations were at the lowest level the Red Cross has seen in this timeframe in over a dozen years, while demand for blood products remained steady. Because of that, the Red Cross needs blood donors now more than ever. All types are needed, but especially O negative, which can be used to treat any patient.

Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental permission), meet weight and height requirements (110 pounds or more, depending on height) and are in generally good health may be eligible to give blood. Please have a Red Cross blood donor card or other form of identification when donating.

Quota deadline for LBL deer hunts

Land Between the Lakes reminds hunters that the July 31 deadline for 2011 quota deer hunt applications is rapidly approaching.

To submit a hunt application, go online to www.lbl.org and apply before the deadline. You can revisit the LBL website in late August and use your login information and password to see if you were drawn and print your permit and maps.

If you are not drawn, your updated preference point information will be displayed.

Quota hunts not only provide unique recreational opportunities within the LBL region, they help maintain a healthy deer population. Deer harvested on LBL are bonus deer and do not count toward statewide bag limits. All quota hunt permits will be either-sex permits. Also, there is an LBL-wide one antlered buck limit.

I-24 down to one-lane in the morning

Commuters heading toward Paducah should be aware of a traffic issue on I-24 in the morning.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to restrict westbound traffic to one lane on I-24 in Lyon County Tuesday. The one-lane area will be between Kuttawa and the truck weigh scales west of the Grand Rivers exit. Potholes are being repaired on the interstate. Lane restrictions are likely to be up from about 7 a.m. to about noon Tuesday. Westbound motorists should be alert for slowing and merging traffic as they approach the area.

State police seek new cadets

The Kentucky State Police has begun accepting applications for its next cadet class. Interested applicants should visit the KSP website at www.kentuckystatepolice.org and click on the Career Opportunities, Recruitment Home and How To Become A Kentucky State Trooper links.

Information at the site includes an outline of the application process, a list of minimum requirements and disqualifications, a downloadable application form with a list of supporting documents required, a downloadable study guide for the written test and a list of the following testing dates, times and locations:

Sept. 27, 2011: 9:00 a.m., Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Ky. (Application deadline: Sept. 20)

Oct. 22, 2011: 9:00 a.m., Murray State University, Murray, Ky. (Application deadline: Oct. 14)

If more information is needed after visiting the Website, applicants can call toll-free

1-866-360-3165 during office hours from 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or leave a message any other time.

All application materials must be completed and returned to the KSP Recruitment Branch at 919 Versailles Road, Frankfort, KY 40601 by the application deadline. The next cadet class is scheduled to begin in May of 2012.

Area death

Dentis, “D.K.” “Dentley” Kerr Riley, 89 of Paducah died Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at his home. The funeral is Saturday at Boyd Funeral Directors in Salem. He is the father of Crittenden County Jailer Rick Riley.

Hospital phone line damaged

Crittenden Hospital's phone line was damaged during ongoing construction Thursday on the new surgical wing behind the main building. Director of Nursing Robin Curnel said no calls can be made or received at the hospital. For emergencies, call 911. She hopes the problem will be resolved this evening.

Area deaths

William “Bill” Henry Brown, 82, of Salem, formerly of Evansville, Ind., died Saturday in Salem. A memorial service will be held at Emmaus Baptist Church Saturday, July 23. Myers Funeral Home in Marion is in charge of arrangements.

Kenneth T. Hardin, 95, of Hampton died Monday, July 11, 2011 at his home. The funeral is Friday at Boyd Funeral Directors in Salem.

Virginia Little, 95 of Salem died Tuesday, at Parkview Nursing & Rehabilitation Center of Paducah. The funeral is Saturday at Boyd Funeral Directors in Salem.

Relay For Life Event Schedule

FRIDAY NIGHT AT CITY-COUNTY PARK

5 p.m. Relay Begins, team campsites will be open for food sales

5:30 p.m. Survivors’ Dinner

6 p.m. Birthday Cake Judging to Begin

6:30 p.m. Opening Ceremony, Survivors’ Lap, Caregivers’ Lap, Team Lap with banners

7 p.m. Zumba

8 p.m. Darren Warren to perform and speak

9 p.m. Luminaria Ceremony

10 p.m. Birthday Cake Winner nnounced, Hand-Made Banana Splits

11 p.m. Wet T-Shirt Contest, Minute to Win It Games: Bottoms Up and Shoe Fly Shoe

11:30 p.m. Musical Chair, Scavenger Hunt

12 a.m. Midnight Madness Race

12:30 a.m. Dress Up Hot Potato

1 a.m. Basketball Lap, Rewind Lap, Chicken Dance Lap

1:30 a.m. Relay Scrabble

2 a.m. S’Mores-Not Snores

2:45 a.m. Pajama Lap

3 a.m. Minute to Win It Games: This Blows, Face the Cookie, and Nervous Nelly

3:30 a.m. Campsite cleanup begins

4:30 a.m. Closing Ceremony

5 a.m. Relay Ends

Fohs Hall hosts Southern Gospel Concert Saturday

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Baseball Clinic is Monday at park

Marion-Crittenden County Park Board will host a Bobcats Baseball Clinic from 8:30 a.m., to noon Monday at the park. Cost is $20 per participant, which includes lunch. The clinic is for ages 6-14. There will be additional training for participants aged 9-14 for $10 extra. Registration at 8 a.m.

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Rally this week at Sturgis

An influx of motorcycles is expected this week as bikers head to the annual rally in Sturgis.

The Little Sturgis Rally was formerly held at the Union County Fairgrounds. A lawsuit over the name prompted organizers to halt that event.

Now, the Kentucky Bikefest is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday.

It is expected to attract around 15,000 motorcycle enthusiasts. Transportation officials say motorists can expect heavy traffic and minor delays along U.S. 60 through the Sturgis area. The arrival and departure of RVs and other support vehicles pulling trailers adds to congestion through the area, said Keith Todd, spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Highways.

Remember Health, Safety As Temperatures Rise

The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services is urging the public to take steps to avoid injury and illness during this period of extreme heat, particularly dangers associated with leaving children in vehicles.

According to Safe Kids, 49 children in the U.S. died last year from heat stroke while unattended in vehicles.

From 1998-2010, at least 494 deaths are known to have occurred nationally. In Kentucky, there have been 13 deaths attributed to vehicular hyperthermia during the same time period and one death every year since 2004.

“We want our citizens to understand the dangers of extreme heat, particularly the danger of leaving children in hot cars,” said Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr. William Hacker. “Not only are extreme temperatures uncomfortable, they present a significant health threat. This is particularly true for vulnerable populations such as young children and the elderly.”

Several measures are recommended to prevent these types of deaths from occurring. They include:

- Create reminders. More than half of child heat stroke deaths occur because parents and caregivers become distracted and exit their vehicle without their child. To help prevent these tragedies parents can:

− Place a cell phone, PDA, purse, briefcase, gym bag or something that is needed at your next stop on the floor in front of a child in a backseat. This will help you see your child when you open the rear door and reach for your belongings.

− Set the alarm on your cell phone as a reminder to you to drop your child off at day care.

− Set your computer calendar program to ask, “Did you drop off at day care today?” Establish a plan with your day care that if your child fails to arrive within an agreed upon time, you will be called. Be especially mindful of your child if you change your routine for day care.

· Don’t underestimate the risk. The inside of vehicles can quickly heat up, even on relatively cool days, so you should never leave your child alone in a car. Don’t underestimate the risks and leave them even “just for a minute.”

· Lock cars and trucks. Thirty percent of the recorded heat stroke deaths in the U.S. occur because a child was playing in an unattended vehicle. These deaths can be prevented by simply locking the vehicle doors to help assure that kids don’t enter the vehicles and become trapped.

· Immediately dial 911 if you see an unattended child in a car. EMS professionals are trained to determine if a child is in trouble. The body temperature of children rises three to five times faster than adults. As a result, children are much more vulnerable to heat stroke. Check vehicles and trunks first if a child is missing.

Additional tips are recommended to avoid other heat-related injury and illness:

·Drink plenty of fluids. Increase your normal fluid intake regardless of your activity level. You will need to drink more fluids than your thirst level indicates. This is especially true for people age 65 or older who often have a decreased ability to respond to external temperature changes. In addition, avoid drinking beverages containing alcohol, because they will actually cause you to lose more fluid.

·Wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen. Choose lightweight, light colored, loose fitting clothing. In the hot sun, wear a wide-brimmed hat that will provide shade and keep the head cool. Sunscreen should be SPF 15 or greater and applied 30 minutes before going out into the sun.

·Stay cool indoors. The most efficient way to beat the heat is to stay in an air-conditioned area. If you do not have an air conditioner, consider visiting a mall or public library.

·Schedule outdoor activities carefully. If you must be out in the heat, try to plan your activities so that you are outdoors either before noon or in the evening. Rest periodically so your body’s thermostat will have a chance to recover.

·Use a buddy system. When working in the heat, monitor the condition of your co-workers and have someone do the same for you. Heat-induced illness can cause a person to become confused or lose consciousness.

·Monitor those at high risk. Those at greatest risk of heat-related illness include:

- Infants and children up to 4 years of age

- People 65 years of age or older

- People who are overweight

- People who overexert during work or exercise

- People who are ill or on certain medications for blood pressure or diuretics

Bank closes because AC is out

SECOND UPDATE: BANK IS NOW OPEN.

UPDATE: Technicians were unable to get the air conditioning working so the bank will remain closed Tuesday morning until the issues are resolved.

Marion Fifth Third Bank's air conditioning went out today, prompting the bank to close at 1 p.m.

A sign on the window stated the bank had closed due to an emergency.

Branch manager John Watson said temperatures inside the bank climbed up over 90 degrees before it closed. A repair crew is on site now and Watson says the bank should open on schedule Tuesday morning.

Concert this weekend at Fohs Hall

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50-Percent Off Liquidation Sale Today

A one-day liquidation sale is being held today at the former Crittenden Farm Supply building on Gum Street in Marion.

All inventory is 50 Percent off today only. The store is open from 7:30 a.m., until 5 p.m.

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Pig Kisser

To raise money for Relay for Life, which is July 15-16 in Crittenden County, Crystal Capps kissed a pig Friday at Par 4 Plastics. See next week's Crittenden Press printed edition for more details.

KDFWR to close on first tract for WMA near Sturgis

Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) now has a contract to buy 2,546 acres of the former Kimball International property near Sturgis (also formerly known as the Alcoa property).

The deal is expected to close by the end of the year. The fish and wildlife department wants to develop a wildlife management area (WMA) on the property. The WMA would eventually include another large tract in Crittenden County.

Forestland Group, a timber management company from North Carolina, owns more than 9,000 acres at the location, all in one piece, but has agreed to parcel it out in two sections starting with a tract in Union County. KDFWR wants about 6,800 acres to develop for public use, including hunting, fishing, hiking and nature watching.

Benjy Kinman, deputy commissioner of the KDFWR, says the state has received confirmation that it is getting $3.25 million from the federal Forest Legacy Fund to help defray the cost to KDFWR. Other partners are involved in the project, including the Nature Conservancy.

“We are calling (this) Phase I. Funds should arrive this summer,” Kinman said. “We hope to close on this property prior Dec 31, 2011 if not sooner.”

The state has also applied for $5.1 million in additional federal grant funds to secure 6,807 acres in Crittenden County. Kinman said that will be Phase 2.

Area death

John Robert Cash, 72, of Marion, died at his home. The funeral is Saturday at Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion.

Landowner wants quarry at Paddy's Bluff

A Dycusburg landowner has applied for a quarry license to mine limestone near the Cumberland River at Paddy’s Bluff.

Grogan Properties, the group that purchased Paddy’s Bluff in 2008, wants to open a rock quarry two miles northwest of Dycusburg.

The property was formerly a popular ATV park.

Mark Hatcher, a partner with Grogran Properties, says the landowner is in the process of permitting the site and has already completed phase one of the application process.

The operation will use the open pit, or strip-mining method, to extract limestone.

There are three other limestone rock quarries near the site, but all of them are farther down river in Livingston County.

Hatcher said Grogan Properties is also applying for a permit to operate a barge-loading facility on the Cumberland River.

Application has already been filed with the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet to place fill in the Cumberland River Floodplain in order to accommodate the barge loading facility.

Hatcher said the company is currently looking for investors in the project in order to continue the process of opening a mine on the property.

“This will be a great opportunity for Crittenden County. When the mine opens, it will employ local residents,” Hatcher said.

That area along the Cumberland River is noted for its high-grade and large limestone deposits.

Read more in this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press

Watson speaks at tonight's service

Churches of Crittenden County and the Ellis B. Ordway American Legion Post 111 will host the annual Community Patriotic Service tonight (Wednesday) at 6:30 p.m., at the Marion Baptist Church Family Life Center.

Marion native Lt. Col. John Watson (retired) will be the featured speaker. Watson is a graduate of Crittenden County High School and Murray State University. He received his commission through the MSU ROTC program and served continuously in the military until his retirement two years ago.

Watson, 44, served six duty tours in Iraq and Aghanistan as an officer with a heavy arms division.

He is the son of Buddy Watson of Marion and the late Mary Jane Watson.

The service will include music and other patriotic ceremonies.

Fireworks displays in county

Pictured are fireworks at the Tolu Community Center Saturday night. Community leaders raised almost $3,000 to produce the fireworks display. There was also an ice cream social as part of Tolu Day.

Dycusburg will host a fireworks display tonight at dark. There will be a live band at the riverfront in the hours before the fireworks begin.

Rocket Youth Football Camp Registration

Registration is now open for the

ROCKET YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP

Ages 6-15 – Cost $30 – 8:30-11:30 AM

July 11-13, 2011 at Rocket Arena

Get a Registration form by CLICKING HERE

Area death

J.C. Crockett, 73 of Marion died Friday at his home. The funeral is Wednesday at Myers Funeral Home.

Helen May Tabor, 76, of Salem died Thursday, June 30, 2011 at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Hobart, Ind. The funeral is Wednesday at Boyd Funeral Directors in Salem.

Area death

Mary Louise Hardin, 93, of Hampton, died Thursday at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah. The funeral is Sunday at Boyd Funeral Directors.

Law enforcement on extra patrol this weekend

City, county and state police will beef up patrols this weekend as motorists take to the roadways while celebrating the Fourth of July holiday.

During the official holiday period in 2010, there were 1,237 crashes resulting in 7 fatalities in Kentucky. Of that number, 66 crashes were alcohol related, resulting in 52 injuries and 1 fatality.

Police will be increasing radar speed patrols and conducting road checks looking for seat belt infractions and impaired drivers at various locations in Crittenden County.

Kentucky raises gas tax today

Starting today, Kentucky is raising the state gasoline tax by nearly two cents a gallon. The overall state tax rate jumps from 26 cents to almost 28 cents. With the federal tax included, Kentucky drivers are paying 46 cents in taxes per gallon of gas.

The increase is expected to generate an extra $57 million for highway and road work.