KSP confirms accident details, identifies victims

Makaela Franklin worked
at McDonald's in Marion
and has a young son,
according to friends and
social media.

The Kentucky State Police continues to investigate a three-vehicle accident that left one driver dead on US 60 Monday night near Salem. The collision occurred at approximately 8:37 p.m., in Crittenden County.

A preliminary investigation has revealed that Kaysie Yaw, 35, of Burna, was operating her 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, also occupied by two juveniles, ages 10 and 15, westbound on US 60 West when she attempted to pass a 2004 Ford F150 operated by Kelly Quertermous, 55, of Salem.

However, there was oncoming traffic and Yaw swerved in attempt to miss an oncoming vehicle, causing Quertermous to slam on his brakes and jackknife his Ford truck that was pulling a trailer.

Yaw collided head on with a 2001 Chrysler 300 traveling eastbound, operated by Makaela Franklin, 27, of Marion.

Franklin was pronounced dead at the scene by Crittenden County Coroner Brad Gilbert.

Yaw was transported by Air Evac to St. Vincent Hospital in Evansville, Ind., where she was last reported in stable condition. Both juveniles in her vehicle were transported by ambulance to Livingston Hospital in Salem where they were later released.

Kelly Quertermous did not sustain any injuries from the collision.

Yaw, both juveniles, and Quertermous were all wearing seat belts. Franklin was not wearing a seat belt.

Trooper Jacob Stephens is investigating the collision and was assisted on scene by Trooper Daniel Holland, Crittenden County Sheriff’s Department, Crittenden County EMS, Crittenden County Fire and Rescue and Air Evac.

Three-vehicle accident one US 60 West

UPDATE: It appears that one person has died at the scene and another has been flown by AirEvac to a regional trauma center. Five individuals were involved in the crash in three different vehicles. Three were hurt, including the one life-flighted from the scene.

State police crash scene reconstructionists are on the scene and the road will likely be closed for a couple of hours.

The crash occurred at about 8:40pm.

ORIGINAL POST
Emergency responders are working a traffic accident near the Crittenden and Livingston Line on US 60 West.

An air ambulance has responded and there appears to be multiple serious injuries with three vehicles involved the crash.

Main Street Free Will Church razed

The church was torn down recently.

The former home of Main Street Free Will Baptist Church has been razed.

Once home to a thriving local African-American congregation, the church had not been active in about 10 years, said former pastor Bob Hill.

“We had only one member left in Marion,” Hill explained.

The others had either passed away or moved, he said.

When services ceased at the clapboard structure on South Main Street, the building began to fall into ill repair. The City of Marion condemned it a few months ago and a local contractor, who owns nearby property, secured the deed through a legal process.

The building was “falling down,” said the former pastor who served the church for 35 years. The contractor removed anything that was salvageable inside and tore it down.

Some of the pews from the church were salvaged by local Methodist minister Rev. David Combs and donated to the Micah Mission Center in Hopkinsville.

Estate Tag sale this weekend

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Former principal digs horrifying Halloweens

Skittish souls beware.

This time of year is one of Becky Tyner-Belt’s favorites, but any number of things in her house might scare the living daylights out of you if you aren’t expecting them.

Tyner-Belt was raised watching black and white horror movies with her dad in Tolu, where she decorated her bedroom as a young girl with plastic models from “The Creature from the Black Lagoon.” Her love of all things Halloween continued through adulthood, enjoyed also by her late husband Herschel, and now includes an impressive collection of Lenox pumpkins and Christopher Radko figurines along with a set of delicate vintage mummies and funeral home fans.

Yes, funeral home fans. Tyner-Belt has collected the fans, which served two purposes in the days before air conditioning – to cool guests in the funeral parlor as well as advertise their services. She has about 100 in her collection, which she and friends have picked up at antique stores.

Through the years, gifts from friends have been quite frequently Halloween decor.

(Trick or Treat on Main Street is Tuesday afternoon and The Press will be taking its customary Halloween costume photos at that time)

There are conversation pieces at every turn, from the front door to the back, where guests are welcomed by a baby zombie and a vintage talking clown.

The heads of Count and Countess Dracula sit overlooking a festive dining room table while a life-size witch periodically expresses its spooky sentiment when activated by motion or sound, as does a floating clown that dances along the hardwood floor, sharing its own frightening greetings.

It takes several weeks for Tyner-Belt to prepare her home for the October holiday. Beginning in August she unpacks totes and replaces traditional wall art with witchy canvases and temporarily stashes modern throw pillows to make way for black and orange ones. Her guests enjoy visiting during Halloween, especially when she makes cheese balls in a skull mold or miniature chocolate pie crusts that look like skulls.

Her love of Halloween doesn’t stop with decor. Tyner-Belt has a collection of scary novels and the season’s .... (for the rest of this article see this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press).

Area death

Duane Anthony Fletcher, 58, of Marion died Wednesday. Myers Funeral Home in Marion is in charge of arrangements.

Trick or Treat on Main is Tuesday

Trick or Treat on Main has become an anticipated annual event each year in the community.  Marion Main Street Inc. offers this event to children 12 and under.

“There is a great safety aspect that goes along with this event,” said Susan Alexander, Main Street director. “The kids can trick or treat in the daylight hours and receive tasty treats from businesses that we all know and trust.”

Alexander, works with the downtown merchants and other offices to offer candy for the event. This year's event will fall on Halloween, Oct. 31, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in downtown Marion. Children can begin at Marion Welcome Center and all participating businesses will have a flyer posted in their window or door.  

“This event has continued to grow over the years and everyone seems to look forward to bringing the children out to visit businesses in Marion,” Alexander said. “One of the key elements of the Marion Main Street organization is to promote downtown business, and this event brings out the parents along with the children.  

“We feel it is a safe way to enjoy Halloween, gather up the candy and have fun.  Our hope is that parents will also think of these businesses that are furnishing treats and return to shop or trade with them in the future.”

Haires find fall perfect for sorghum making

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By MIMI BYRNS
Larry and Donna Haire’s yard in Crittenden County is a frequent stop for dozens of visitors attracted by the sign they have put in front of their house – "Sorghum-making demonstrations."

The family is eager to show passersby their family’s 100-year-old tradition of making syrup from the sorghum plant as well as the newer businesses their teenage granddaughters Tessa and Megan have started. They use sorghum byproducts to make stationery, handmade paper, bookmarkers and other paper products. The family has an impressive assortment of creative ideas on how to turn every part of the sorghum plant into something that can be used in a household, from coasters to jewelry, salves, soaps and lotions, even popcorn and candy.

 The family yard is very well equipped with everything needed for sorghum – a term that generally refers to the syrup made from the plant – from presses to a furnace, which is especially attractive to visitors who can see firsthand the entire process of turning the sorghum plant into sorghum juice, which is further processed into delicious syrup.

Not only has the Haire family mastered syrup-making, but they also pay special attention to their family tradition and heritage and serve the delicacies in a manner the previous generations have – on a communal plate over butter.

It takes Larry 5-6 hours and 50 gallons of sorghum juice to produce 5 gallons of syrup. He is enjoys this process, using three presses that are over a century old but still work very well.

"The juice is then cleaned of impurities and concentrated by evaporation in open pans into a clear, amber-colored mild flavored syrup,” Haire said. “This syrup retains all of its natural sugars and other nutrients. It is 100 percent natural and contains no chemical additives of any kind.”

Everyone in this family is very passionate about the sorghum plant and is engaged in the process of turning it into a delicious treat or useful home item. The history of sorghum is presented on handmade posters with pictures, which the family uses in their presentations and demonstrations for guests.

The family has come up with all kinds of products mixed with sorghum byproducts they recycle and reuse.

"My granddaughters Tessa and Megan started their own business, 'TessPress' for handmade paper,” Hair explained. “Besides the sorghum, we grow our own herbs as well, and some of the paper has these herbs in it, like thyme or sage. People love the patterns herbs create on the paper.”
The girls even package their products themselves.

“I am proud that two young teenagers started a business on their own,” Haire continues.

The family processes the sorghum in fall in order to avoid the summer humidity.

“There is the scientific term for the part of the sorghum plant that we call 'pummies.' But we don't use it out of respect for the previous generations who have used the term pummies,” Hair said. “We want to continue that tradition.”

The pummies have to be dried and their fibers broken down. They are then run through a mulcher, and once they get 5 gallons, the pummies are cooked down until a pudding texture.

“I usually add recycled paper in there and mixed it up together,” said Donna Haire, demonstrating the process. “Then we blend everything together and get the paper pulp. Afterwards, we use screens, and we measure the pulp so that each piece of paper gets the same amount of pulp in it. We flip this on a screen, let it dry and that is how we get the paper.”

Depending on the type of recycled paper they mix with the sorghum byproducts, Tessa and Megan get a unique and different feel and thickness of the paper every time. Not a piece of the special plant goes to waste in this family. Even the seed heads of the sorghum are used as decoration on the paper.
Syrup-making is not an easy job.

"It takes six men to cook it,” said Donna.

Sorghum is one of the oldest natural sweeteners known. It was the principal sweetener used as America was being settled. The sorghum cooking pan traveled westward with the frontiersmen. It then became a part of America’s heritage.

Besides being energy food of the settlers, sorghum made foods more tasty and nutritious. Sorghum contains such nutrients as calcium, iron, potassium and phosphorus. The settlers found many ways to use sorghum – sweetening drinks, making confections and flavoring meats – but its most popular use was in baking. It was used in place of sugar in pies, bread, puddings and countless cakes and cookies.
The versatility of sorghum is being rediscovered by today’s nutrition-conscious homemakers.

LHHS job openings

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Garage sale Saturday

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What's news this week in Crittenden County...

Acting Crittenden Health Systems (CHS) CEO Terry Nichols evoked the words of Mark Twain last week when offering community leaders a state of the hospital report. “The rumors of the closing of your hospital have been greatly exaggerated,” Nichols told a couple dozen influential community members at last Friday’s quarterly leadership breakfast. “You have my word, your hospital is not closing. Not even close.”

For this story and the following headlines, pick up this week's issue of The Crittenden Press:

• Escapee warning system goes back to basics
• Governor appoints District 3 magistrate
• Troublesome city intersection altered
• Hunt, Hart give up grind to new ownership
• Halloween decor greets Tyner-Belt’s house guests
• Band headed to state semifinals Saturday
• Free Will Baptist Church razed
• RIDLEY: Pension fix plan worries senator
• BECHLER: 1st step to address pension crisis taken
• USDA suspends CRP enrollment
• Local Governments up technology for services
• County looks to refinance jail debt
• Ky. receives extension on Real ID until October 2018
• VAUGHT'S VIEWS: Adair County home to top prospect
• SPORTS: Rockets complete plan, making coach district winner 1 last time
• SPORTS: Junior Pro Rockets undefeated this fall; title tilt is Saturday
• FORGOTTEN PASSAGES: Citizens enjoy Halloweens of yesteryear

Oval track closed at park

The quarter-mile oval track at Marion-Crittenden County Park will be off limits for walkers or runners this week while routine repairs are made. 

A contractor will be filling cracks, resealing the track then re-striping it. 

Work was scheduled to begin today and should be done by Friday.

Chamber recognizes Signature Boutique

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Area death

Former county farm services executive Helen M. Hunt, 83, of Marion died today. Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

LHHS Walk-in Clinic has new hours

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Crock Pot special at P&H Cattle

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New pavement coming to 4 roads

Crittenden County magistrates recently approved accepting almost $200,000 in state funds to put down new asphalt on a little more than 4 miles of various rural secondary roads in the county.

The agreement for flex funds from Kentucky Transportation Cabinet totaling $197,890 will pave:

• Lewis Croft Road: 1 mile. This will finish paving the entire road from previous work.
• Brown School Road: 1.1 miles. This will finish paving on the road from previous work.
• Polk Drive and Dry Branch Roads: Less than 0.75 miles combined. 
• Providence Road: 1.2 miles from the intersection with Ky. 1917 to where the last section of new asphalt was laid.

Judge-Executive Perry Newcom expects the work to be done this fall, weather permitting.

Tolu hosting softball event Saturday

Five teams will compete in a men’s softball tournament beginning at 8 a.m., Saturday in Tolu.

The public is invited to watch games and enjoy concessions at the community center.

The tournament benefits softball field improvements at the Tolu field.

Picture in the Park Saturday night

The Crittenden County Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with local business Auto Art to host another Picture in the Park.

The movie to be shown is Ghostbusters.

It will begin at dark on Oct. 21.

Those attending are encouraged to bring along lawn chairs or blankets for seating and dress appropriately for outdoor viewing of this show.

Ky. 506 shut temporariliy

We have a report of utility lines down along Ky. 506 in Crittenden County. Ky. 506 is blocked near the 6.5 mile point. This is near the Country View Drive intersection.

AT&T has been contacted, and a repair crew is on the way.

New magistrate appointed by governor

Bloodworth

Gov. Matt Bevin today appointed Zachary Lewis Bloodworth, of Marion, as magistrate for the 3rd District of Crittenden County. He fills a vacancy left after longtime Magistrate Glenn Underdown died.

Bloodworth is director of quality assurance for Par 4 Plastics Inc. and holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from Mid-Continent University. He has received Six Sigma Black Belt certification through the Aveta Business Institute and is an executive committee member of the Manufacturers Association of Plastics Processors Young Professionals.

He will serve until the position is filled in accordance with the results of the November 2018 midterm election, pursuant to the provisions of Section 152 of the Kentucky Constitution.

NOW OPEN : Lunch and Dinner

PICKUP AND DELIVERY ONLY

Christmas in Marion is Saturday

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What's news this week in Crittenden County...

Anyone who has shopped for the week’s groceries without a list knows how difficult an otherwise simple task can become. Adam Ledford said that’s a good example of how the City of Marion has been operating for years. But at Monday’s Marion City Council meeting, the six-member body gave Ledford the “grocery list” he’s sought...

For more on this story, our 12-page fall home improvement guide and the following headlines, check out this week's issue of The Crittenden Press:

• City council OKs ‘grocery list’ for future
• City leaf collection delayed for repairs
• Half-dozen Rocket Docket cases speed circuit court
• Grand jury indicts three on variety of charges
• Making syrup, byproducts from sorghum family affair for Haires
• Vietnam War vivid memory for Conger
• Cumberland River Homes opens new gym
• CCHS chess wins first tournament
• SPORTS: Rockets post first shutout in five years; Russellville is next
• SPORTS: Mexico Baptists are hosting trap shoot
• VAUGHT'S VIEWS: Woodford County lineman getting chance at UK’s center
• FORGOTTEN PASSAGES: Marion’s first baseball team debuted in 1908
• SEN. RIDLEY: Opiod crisis touches every corner of Ky.
• Local GOP gearing up, seeking candidates
• Marion native to run for district judge
• Free dental care offered to all vets
• Assistant Providence police chief arrested
• Beekeeping school scheduled for next week
• Christmas in Marion, Shoppe Next Door arrive Saturday

Fall Home Improvement

• Multi-generational businesses building bright future locally
• Local labor helps businesswoman fulfill dreams
• Rusty Gate offers ‘Pumpkin Queen’ outlet for peddling favorite gourd, autumn colors
• County offering free junk disposal
• Advertisements for just about any home improvement you may need
• And much, much more

Road closed this week in eastern part of county

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans daytime closures along a section of Ky. 1917 in eastern Crittenden County on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week

Ky. 1917 will be closed between milepoint 0.2 and 1.3 to allow several cross drains to be replaced.  This is between Wolf Creek Road and the End of State Maintenance at the Providence Road intersection.

This closure is expected to be in place between approximately 7:30 a.m., and 2:30 p.m., each day.

Thee will be no marked detour.  This work is scheduled on a weather permitting basis.

Belt's bowls key attraction at Saturday's show

By MIMI BYRNS
Early Christmas shoppers looking for the perfect handcrafted gifts or keepsakes are getting ready for the 30th annual Christmas in Marion arts and crafts show Saturday.

The show, at Crittenden County Middle School gym, brings together 600 or so visitors every year searching for unique and personalized holiday gifts made by the crafty hands of local vendors and artists. For the third time in a row, the festive atmosphere at this event will be enriched with the booth of C.G. Belt of Marion, who puts his heart into making handcrafted wooden bowls.

He started his hobby nine years ago after he retired. He never thought that his creations would find their place in so many homes, even in Switzerland. Several years ago, at a local quilt show, his works caught the eye of a tourist who took the bowls back to her European home.

"When I first started making my bowls, I honestly did it out of boredom," said Belt. "At the time, I had just retired and was looking for something to do with my free time. I’ve got a small workshop behind my house and started gluing stuff together."

With time, he got a dust collector, planer to remove the rough surfaces from the boards, a table saw and a lot of equipment.

"It takes it all," he said. "I even had one bowl explode on me and hit me in the chest while making it. But this didn't discourage me. I kept on going."

For each of his creations, he uses several different pieces of wood, but they blend together so well, a person can hardly tell.

"The secret to that is the planer," he explains. "What I like the most about this hobby is that when I start a bowl, I don't know how it is going to turn out until it is finished. I can't make two alike, even if I tried. It takes me two days to make one bowl because I have to let the glue set in."
Belt said his bowls are suitable for keeping everything except perishables.

He is thrilled with the support he gets from his friends and family and that gives him the energy to continue the creative process and to experiment with different materials. And not all of his materials are local. Some of them, like camphor wood, is supplied to him from Florida.

"It is a hard material to work with, and it makes my eyes and nose water," Belt said with a smile.
He also uses pine to make solid blocks that later on he turns into beautiful decorative bowls.

Belt is impressed with the creative potential of Christmas in Marion as well as the works of the other crafters. The show will be open to the public with free admission from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Last year, among the handmade items were jewelry, birdhouses, candles, baskets, decorations, wood items and homemade food. The creative artists like Belt have all their ducks in a row for the upcoming event and have been preparing their products since the last Christmas in Marion in order to satisfy the tastes of those who value quality and unique items perfect for the gift-giving spirit of the season.

As with the last six years, The Shoppe Next Door will be set up next to Christmas in Marion in the multi-purpose room. The Shoppe features dealer representatives, home businesses and organizations.

Dealer reps include Avon, Mary Kay, Thirty-One, Pampered Chef, Tupperware, LulaRoe, Lipsense, Young Living Essential Oils, Limelight by Alcone, MojiLife, Tastefully Simple, It Works and Watkins. Other home businesses include Haleigh-Claire’s Cupcakery, Ranch Dressing Designs, Juanita Crouch, Pokerneys Kettle Korn, Elizabeth Mast and The 3 Girls from Southern Illinois. Organizations include the Mary Hall-Ruddiman Canine Shelter, The Woman’s Club of Marion, American Legion Auxiliary Unit 217 and Caldwell Springs Volunteer Fire Department. A Crafter’s Café is also available for lunch or a snack.

With so much to choose from the 70-plus booths, shoppers are sure to mark off most of their Christmas lists at the shows and can spend the holidays enjoying their family and friends without having to worry about long lines and crowded parking lots.

School considering bass fishing club at CCHS

A small group of students is hoping that bass fishing will become part of the after-school sports opportunities at Crittenden County High School.

There will be a meeting at 5 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 19 at the high school to learn more about the proposed program and to determine student interest.

Cheryl Burks, coordinator of the 21st Century Learning Center for CCHS, is organizing the informational meeting, which will include a presentation by Scott Ellison of Fishing League World Wide (FLW), which is headquartered in Benton.

Burks said several area school districts sponsor bass fishing teams and clubs. She said Calloway County is one of the leaders in western Kentucky when it comes to student fishing. Last spring, 64 high school teams participated in the Kentucky High School Athletics Association (KHSAA) State Bass Fishing Tournament at Kentucky Dam Marina.

KHSAA started a bass fishing championship program in 2013.

Burks said the school can join as a club and fish local tournaments or develop a team and be part of the KHSAA championship series, which includes regional and state tournaments.

“Ross Crider, a senior at Crittenden County, came to me and asked about the possibility of starting this,” Burks said. “We’re going to see what it looks like and determine student interest.”

Burks said that if a dozen or so students want to be part of a fishing program, chances are the school will develop one.

The program will require volunteers to serve as boat captains to take students fishing on nearby lakes and rivers.

Irma and Ditney road work

Asphalt paving along sections of Ky. 723 (Irma Road) and Ky. 838 (Ditney Road) in the Salem and Lola areas of Livingston County has started today.

Paving on Irma Road runs from the US 60 in Salem extending northward to the Livingston-Crittenden County line, a distance of 1.73 miles.

Paving along Ditney Road runs from the Ky. 133 in Lola extending eastward to the Livingston-Crittenden County Line, a distance of 1.55 miles.

The work on Irma Road will be first.

Motorists should be alert for one lane traffic with alternating flow controlled by flaggers.  

Jim Smith Contracting is the prime contractor on this $425,492 highway improvement project.  Weather permitting, all work at these two locations should be completed in 3 to 4 working days.

Need a lift? Here are PACS details

PACS transportation information
Pennyrile Allied Community Services recently announced details of its transportation system:

Rides are offered weekdays 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. with 24-hour notice unless otherwise denoted. Cost is 70 cents per mile in county or to adjacent county or $1.10 per mile for other locations up to 250 miles one way.

Senior Shuttle
Crittenden: (270) 965-5229 / Livingston: (270) 928-2811
Rides to and from centers require 48-hour notice. Group rates are available. Contact local centers to inquire about sponsoring group rides for seniors.

Public transportation
Crittenden and Livingston 
Includes uses for grocery, dining, dialysis, malls, athletics or weight loss centers, college, pharmacy, medical appointments, parks, library, post office, work or to visit a friend or family member.

Medicaid transportation
(800) 467-4601
For a Medicaid qualifying and paid trip you must call 72 hours in advance or register online at PACS-Ky.org.

Veterans transportation
(800) 467-4601 or (270) 886-6641
Half-price rates for medically-related appointments

Intercity Transit to Nashville
(800) 467-4601 or (270) 886-6641
Call for specific schedule, pick-up and drop-off locations. Round trip is $12.50 due at time of or before pick-up.

Area death

Jeanette Ann Jones, 76, of Lola died Friday. Myers Funeral Home in Marion is in charge of arrangements.

J-Dubs Grand Opening

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Free dump days are next week

Crittenden County will give residents an opportunity to clean out their garages and outbuildings on Oct. 20-21 and for Free Dump Days.

The convenience center on U.S. 60 East will be open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20 and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 21 to accept those things you no longer want hanging around the house or stacked up in your garage and basement. That includes things like furniture and appliances, electronics, oil cans and paint, if it has been dried. Solid Waste Coordinator Sue Padget said paint can be dried up with a substance like kitty litter.

Disposal of household garbage will still require a fee, and tires will not be accepted as part of the semiannual program.

Call Padget at (270) 965-5251 for further details, if needed.

Brock hands over Bookmobile keys

After working as a Bookmobile driver for the last nine years, Nancy Brock has retired from her work at Crittenden County Public Library. The former teacher has handed off the keys to Susan Smith, former Director of Medical Records at Crittenden Health Systems.

Prior to the library, Brock taught for Crittenden County Schools for 31 years. She has loved every minute of her second career but is looking forward to retirement.

“It’s been the best part-time job anyone could have," she said of working at the library. "Everyone in the library and on the book route has always been so great. I loved every aspect of it, especially watching how excited the kids were about getting on the Bookmobile and picking out their own books.”  

Brock said that although retirement is often thought of as a time of respite, she will be doing anything but resting. Outside of being able to delve into her hobbies occasionally, she will now have more time to spend with her husband Bob and soon-to-be six grandchildren – all boys. Brock will be doing some traveling as well, though she doesn’t have anything specific planned as she favors spontaneity.

Being the Bookmobile driver provided Brock many opportunities of reuniting with friends and acquaintances of all ages.

“On my routes I got to see three generations worth. People I grew up with, their children and grandchildren. That was my favorite part about the job, getting to reunite with old classmates and students I taught,” Brock recalls.

Smith is excited to start the job and looks forward to the experience. She worked closely with Brock for the last couple weeks in order to get familiar with the job and route itself. In the short amount of time they worked together, she has been able to meet and bond with some of the people Brock considers dear.

Though Smith worked in the Webster County Library, this is her first time to drive the Bookmobile and she is looking forward to it as much as Brock is her retirement.

“I was in the medical field for many years, and now I’m getting to do something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m looking forward to meeting people that I haven’t had the opportunity to meet,” Smith said.

“In the medical field I always knew so many people’s names, but I never personally knew them. But now, with this job, I will get to meet and learn about people that I can make a relationship with. I hope to do that half as well as Nancy.”

What's news this week in Crittenden County...

Two of three men who escaped Friday from the custody of a prisoner transport company delivering inmates to Crittenden County Detention Center are back behind bars, while a third remains at large. One man was apprehended in Marion just hours after the escape was discovered, while another was on the lam for two days before being caught elsewhere.

For the full story and the following headlines, pick up a copy of this week's issue of The Crittenden Press:

• Students lag in math, excel with humanities
• State budget cuts could sting schools
• Filing period nears for big election year in Crittenden
• Belt bringing bowls back to Christmas in Marion
• Siemens increases global railway share
• Victory Gardens spared for next year
• Chess season starts Saturday
• $200K will pave 4 miles of rural roads
• SPORTS: Rockets run out of time in epic showdown
• SPORTS: Gilchrist misses state cut by five strokes, finishes with 86
• SPORTS: Soccer girls fall in 5th to Lyon
• SPORTS: MS football gets 3rd straight with victory over Caldwell County
• SPORTS: CCHS considering bass fishing team
• VAUGHT'S VIEWS: Baker not forgotten by coach
• OUTDOORS: Big Rivers WMA going strong this fall
• OUTDOORS: Youth deer hunt this weekend in county
• DEFEW'S VIEWS: Naming hurricanes tradition since 1950s
• SEN. RIDLEY: Here’s how Ky. pays to pave our roads
• Webster teacher now facing more charges
• Trick or Treat on Main set for Oct. 31

Beaver Dam rest stop re-opening

The Beaver Dam rest stop, one of the landmarks along the Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway, will re-open early next year, according to news reports.

The state announced this week that it has awarded a contract to Martin and Bailey, Inc., convenience rest area operators in five states to re-open the convenience center, located in the median of the parkway.

The Beaver Dam rest stop closed in January of this year after the vendor’s lease expired.

Read More

Area deaths

Harry Walker Gass, 90 of Marion died Monday. Myers Funeral Home in Marion is in charge of arrangements.

Patsy Jean Locke Tabor, 73, of Marion died Monday. Myers Funeral Home in Marion is in charge of arrangements.

Tri-Rivers welcomes Justin Lewis

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Ky. 1917 closed Thursday

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to close a section of Ky. 1917 in eastern Crittenden County on Thursday.

Ky. 1917 will be closed at mile-point 0.15 to allow a cross drain to be replaced.  This is along Ky. 1917 between Wolf Creek Road and the end of state maintenance at the Providence Road intersection.

This closure along Ky. 1917 is expected to be in place between approximately 7:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

Thee will be no marked detour. This work is scheduled on a weather permitting basis.

Ky. 855 shut Wednesday

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to close a section of Ky. 855 in southern Crittenden County on Wednesday.

Ky. 855 will be closed at mile-point 1.334 to allow a cross drain to be replaced.  This is along Ky. 855 between Caldwell Springs Road and Main Lake Road.

Ky. 855 is expected to close at approximately 7:30 a.m. It is expected to reopen to traffic around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

There will be no marked detour.

Escapee believed to flee custody in Marion

ESCAPEE: Charles Lance Kelly

UPDATE: Escapee is Caught

The escapee has been taken into custody.

Marion Assistant Police Chief Bobby West said employees and patrons at Five Star Convenience Center had notified authorities that Kelly had been in the store asking about where he might find a motel.

They began looking for the escapee downtown and later saw Kelly near Five Star. An eyewitness told The Press that Kelly had been hiding behind a garbage can at the Farmers Market on Main Street. Police ultimately found Kelly trying to hide in a overgrown, weedy area behind The Crittenden Press at 11:15pm.


ORIGINAL POST
One of the three inmates who was found to be missing during a prisoner transport to Crittenden County Detention Center apparently fled custody in Marion. Authorities had come to believe that all three had left the Prisoner Transport Service of America (PTS) bus at a previous stop in Benton, Ill.

The inmate who apparently fled custody in Marion is Charles Lance Kelly of Michigan. Jailer Robbie Kirk said Kelly is very identifiable. He is a white male with thick brown hair and a beard. He also has a bad left eye and rose tattoo on his left forearm.

Kirk said just before 10 p.m. that the discovery was made after viewing additional surveillance video from the jail.

"It's no doubt it's him," Kirk said of Kelly from the footage.

Initial surveillance viewed by authorities did not show anyone fleeing the bus during the transfer. But the newly-reviewed angle shows Kelly escaping custody between the back of the detention center and the adjacent restricted custody center. The escape took place when the transport bus was parked on West Carlisle Street in front of the jail, not on detention center property, Kirk added.

He apparently had not been booked into Crittenden County Detention Center. The jailer said no one housed at the local lock-up had escaped.

The jailer would not identify what charges Kelly was jailed on, but did say that he is a convicted felon. Kirk said authorities consider all escapees to be potentially dangerous. He urges anyone who thinks they may have seen Kelly to immediately call 911.

"I'd be cautious," he said, urging witnesses to not engage Kelly. "Just report to law enforcement."

Authorities earlier reported they believed all three missing men – two white and one black – fled the custody of PTS at a stop at McDonald's in southern Illinois. Kirk, a former state police officer, said that assumption was made based on the information they had at the time.

The three inmates were first discovered missing around 4:45 p.m. following a head count after five female prisoners were transferred into the jail from the bus without incident. Authorities began to canvass the area, but later believed from early video footage – and information gained through interviews with the remaining inmates on the transport – that no one escaped PTS custody while in Marion.

Marion Assistant Police Chief Bobby West said PTS reported 25 meals were purchased at the McDonald's in Illinois and 25 meals were distributed, indicating all the prisoners on the transport manifest were accounted for at the time. Therefore, it became unclear exactly when the  men escaped.

We will continue to follow this story and update information as it becomes available.

Inmates said to have escaped in Ill.

UPDATED AT 8:15 P.M.

Crittenden County Jailer Robbie Kirk says three  inmates discovered missing during a prisoner transport to the local detention center late this afternoon did not escape in Marion. In fact, Assistant Marion Police Chief Bobby West said the investigation is leading to Illinois.

Three male inmates were found missing from a Prisoner Transport Services of America (PTS) bus around 4:45 p.m. at the jail on West Carlisle Street. A census of prisoners made on the bus after five female prisoners were safely offloaded here for housing revealed three inmates were unaccounted for.

"When they did a head count, they were three short," the jailer said, adding that no inmates booked into Crittenden County Detention Center have escaped.

Kirk added that there no prisoners being sought in Marion or Crittenden County.

The local investigation, including a review of surveillance video from the jail and nearby rescue squad building as well as corroborating interviews with other inmates on the transport, indicates the men were already missing when the bus arrived in Marion. Authorities believe the prisoners, still shackled, escaped at a PTS stop in Benton, Ill.

"As of right now, there is no evidence showing they are here in Marion, Ky.," said West.

West said a McDonald's in Benton was the previous stop for the PTS bus before arriving in Marion. Guards with the transport company purchased lunch orders for 25 prisoners and handed out 25 meals at the restaurant, the officer said, indicating all inmates were accounted for at the time of distribution.

"They were there roughly 15-20 minutes," West said. "There were no stops between Benton and here."

Kirk, a former state police officer, explained the transport bus remains at Crittenden County Detention Center because it is considered part of an active crime scene. And PTS is currently interviewing the remaining 22 inmates, added West.

"They are trying to nail down exactly where they got off," the officer said. "There is nothing to show they are here."

Upon the initial discovery that three inmates were apparently missing, local law enforcement and jail employees began canvassing the immediate area, warning local residents to be wary and lock their doors. But just before 6 p.m., Kirk said there was no longer a full-blown search. He added though, that police continue to patrol and be on the lookout for anything suspicious.

"Local law enforcement has been given names of who is missing and are doing what they should be doing," Kirk said.

Marion Police Chief Ray O'Neal said two of the three escapees are white men and the other is black. All are believed to be handcuffed and shackled.

Any updates to the story will be posted here.

3 escapees loose in Marion

Details are scarce right now, but local law enforcement is looking for three men who escaped today from a transport bus bringing prisoners to the Crittenden County Detention Center.

It is unknown what the three escapees are wearing at this time, but they are believed to be handcuffed and shackled.

Mike Harris, who lives near jail, said he saw a transport bus at the jail and deputies scurrying around in the neighborhood looking for the escapees.

Police are urging everyone in the area to exercise extreme caution. Keep doors locked and remove keys from parked vehicles.

The apparent escape happened about 4:45 p.m.

In addition to conducting a citywide search, authorities are currently reviewing videotape from the jail and elsewhere in Marion to determine which direction the escapees headed.

Country Club Drive down again

The City of Marion will be temporarily closing Country Club Drive again.

It was closed before school started for a major repair. This time the road is being closed while students are on fall break next week.

Work will begin Monday and is expected to last until Sunday, Oct. 15.

The street will be closed to all through traffic as repairs are made to a buckling spot in the pavement. Access to the Crittenden Country Elementary School, Head Start and Quality Day Care will be available by way of Industrial Drive or Chapel Hill Road.

City Administrator Adam Ledford said the street should be re-opened to traffic when students return to class on Monday, Oct. 16.

For further information, contact the Marion City Hall at (270) 965-2266.

Area death

Nelda Elfa Sisco, 79, of Salem died Wednesday. Boyd Funeral Directors and Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements.

Community Christmas registration today, tomorrow

Community Christmas sign-up for eligible Crittenden County residents is today and Friday. 

Individuals wishing to apply for the holiday assistance should stop by the Crittenden County Extension Service Annex on U.S. 60 East between 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Emmaus Church celebrates 150 years

The history of Emmaus Church will be celebrated Sunday, Oct. 8 during its 150-year anniversary and homecoming celebration.

The first Emmaus church was organized and built in 1867. All records, along with the church history, were destroyed by fire. The first church building was built approximately 25 years after Crittenden County was trimmed away from the original, larger Livingston County in 1842.
According to the church deed, on Oct. 8, 1895, Samuel Howerton purchased land for $10 and donated one acre for a new Emmaus Baptist Church for as long as it was used as a Baptist church.

The trustees appointed at that time were Albert Butler, J.C. Perryman and Andrew Greenlee.
The present church building, located near the banks of Claylick Creek, was built shortly after the land donation in the fall of 1895.

Information has been handed down from former members and today’s 85-year member, Mildred “Peachie” Long.

During the Great Flood of 1937, water covered the present church building, high up on the church windows, Long said. Men in a boat witnessed pews floating inside the church. Men also checked the depth of the water in the building.

Although some later records simply vanished, the following information is from Long’s memory. She’s over 90 years old.

Sunday school rooms were added in the 1950s. The record Sunday school attendance was 157. Later, the tall church ceiling was lowered to its present height. The church building has been modernized at intervals, including the addition of hardwood floors, new pews, aluminum siding, carpeting, running water, central heat and air conditioning, bathrooms and a metal roof.

Some of this information was prepared by Marilyn Long, a lifetime member of the Crittenden County Historical and Genealogical Society.

Circus coming to town

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Area death

Agnes Irene Watson Myers, 77, of Morganfield died Tuesday. Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion is in charge of arrangements.

What's news this week in Crittenden County...

Crittenden County’s representation in the Kentucky Senate has not just been listening to drivers who have let their license lapse since the state stopped sending renewal reminders in the mail – he’s one of them. Last Wednesday, Sen. Dorsey Ridley, D-Henderson, filed legislation to reinstate sending reminders through the mail to alert drivers that their licenses, permits or personal identification cards are about to expire.

For the full story and the following headlines, pick up a copy of this week's issue of The Crittenden Press:

• County Club Drive closing for repairs
• Brock hands off Bookmobile keys
• Board searching for new library director
• Life in Christ takes Kentucky blessing to ravage Texas community
• PACS transportation changes worry seniors
• Gun club donates property
• Ky. 723, Ky. 365 to get new asphalt
• Comer’s staff hosts Marion office hours
• Homecoming royalty crowned
• Local women’s co-op ministry hosting retreat this weekend
• FORGOTTEN PASSAGES: Museum visit offers something for everyone
• McGee appointed to fill Riley’s unexpired term
• Webster teacher arrested for child porn possession
• VAUGHT'S VIEWS: Woman breaks SEC radio barrier
• Water is Life theme of conservation contest
• SPORTS: Rockets make easy homecoming work of Fulton
• SPORTS: Fall sports roundup

Health department encourages screenings

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Peoples Bank breaks ground for new site

The Peoples Bank, headquartered in Marion, will soon expand to a fourth location.

On Sept. 12, bank President and CEO Terry L. Bunnell and its board of directors hosted a groundbreaking ceremony in Glasgow for a new branch there.

“Growth in the Barren County market has been outstanding and our customer base continues to grow,” said Bunnell. “The groundbreaking of the new Glasgow facility is a reality of our plans for the bank and a response to customer needs. The bank’s customer base in our Marion-Crittenden County market and our successes with new banking relationships in our Glasgow-Barren County region are the catalyst for our expansion.”

The new location of The Peoples Bank at 1300 W. Main St. in Glasgow will be a two-story, 6,700-square-foot facility with a three lane drive-through and drive-up ATM. The projected completion date is July 2018.

The Peoples Bank was organized in 1946 in Marion. The bank was acquired by Bunnell and other investors in 2007. In 2008, the Glasgow location opened as a loan production office. The following year, the drive-through branch in Marion opened. In 2010, the Glasgow location was converted into a full-service community bank branch, offering all the products and services of a larger financial institution.

“The Peoples Bank has continued to grow to become an asset to our community as customers continue to search for the one-on-one customer service and flexibility of a locally owned community bank,” said Bunnell.

Tri-Rivers welcomes Lewis

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Farmers Day is Friday

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Homecoming festivities at CCHS

Homecoming festivities were held Friday night before the Rockets beat Fulton City in the annual homecoming Game.

Pictured are London McCord and Russell Vince who served as flower girl and crown bearer for the coronation ceremony.

See more from homecoming in this week's printed issue of The Crittenden Press.

Local couple honored with Sophia Award

Diocese honors Woodalls

Denny and Lynann Woodall of Marion were recently presented the Sophia Award by Bishop Medley at St. Stephen's Cathedral in Owensboro. The award, named after St. Sophia, the mother of Faith, Hope and Charity, was created by the Diocese of Owensboro to recognize those who "embrace and live a life of stewardship, giving of their time and talent." Recipients must be 65 years of age and are nominated based on past outstanding contributions to their Catholic Parish. The winners are those who receive the most nominations. This was the first year both Woodalls were eligible.

Area death

Jerry Wayne McConnell, 80, died Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017 at his home in Umatilla, Fla. He grew up in Marion. J.H. Churchill Funeral Home in Murray is in charge of arrangement.