Thursday, October 31, 2019

Community Christmas registration Friday

Registration for this winter's Community Christmas event is Friday.

Parents or grandparents needing assistance providing Christmas gifts for children may sign up between 9 a.m.-1 p.m. between 2-6 p.m., at the Extension Annex on U.S. 60 East in Marion.

Documentation of completed community education classes and proof of income are required.

Watch The Crittenden Press for upcoming dates of other charitable events and more information about Community Christmas giving opportunities.


LBL hosts Fall Festival Saturday

Celebrate the Fall season at Woodlands Nature Station at the annual Fall Festival on November 2, 2019. Activities include hayrides, a puppet show, live music, Smokey Bear, crafts and more. Photo credit: Melodie Anderson
The Friends of Land Between the Lakes invite you to celebrate autumn with our annual Fall Fest on Saturday, November 2, 2019, at the Woodlands Nature Station, 3146 Silver Trail Road, Cadiz, Kentucky 42211, inside Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. Admission is $5 for ages 13 and up, $3 for ages 5 - 12 and free for ages 4 and under. 

Programming includes:

10 am - 4 pm - Visit with Smokey Bear
10 am - 4 pm - Local Artisan Demonstrations
10 am - 4 pm - Build a Beaver Craft
10 am - 4 pm - Seasonal Hayrides - $3 a person, free for children 2 and under. Fee is separate from Nature Station admission. Limited seating. Sign up at front desk. Trips depart regularly throughout the day. Dress appropriately for the weather.
10 am - 3 pm - "Opossum Crawl" Obstacle Course
12 - 12:45 pm - Fall Music Concert
1:30 - 2 pm - HOOTenanny!
2 - 2:45 pm - Fall Music Concert
3 - 3:30 pm - Puppet Show: The Mighty Tree with Smokey Bear
4:30 pm - Parade of Raptors

For more information, call 270.924.2299 or visit https://www.landbetweenthelakes.us.

Sullivan Auction Saturday night

Click Image to Enlarge
Estate items and more will be sold Saturday night at Sullivan Auction Barn.  The estate of Emma Yates includes numerous items from lamps to rare coins.

Silver coins are among things included in the auction, as well as old records, household items and furniture.

Sullivan Auction Barn is located on Hwy. 141 in Sullivan, just off U.S. 60.




Area Deaths

Rose Hamilton Hill, 85, of Marion died this morning. Gilbert Funeral Home of Marion is in charge of arrangements.

Melba Lee Wilson, 94, of Salem of  died Wednesday. Gilbert Funeral Home of Marion is in charge of arrangements.

Veterans, CCHS Wants You!

Crittenden County High School is asking veterans to be part of its Nov. 11 Veterans Day Celebration.

History and social studies teacher Kim Vince says Crittenden County students will present a Military Through the Ages program and exhibit a Missing Man table.

"Students are in charge of the event," Vince said.

Livingston Hospital CEO Liz Snodgrass, a military veteran, will be the keynote speaker. Snodgrass was the featured speaker at the recent Kentucky Traveling Vietnam War Memorial opening ceremony and drew great accolades from those attending.

"We are making a big push to have as many veterans participate as possible," Vince said.

The event begins at 9am at Rocket Arena and there will be a reception for veterans following the presentation.

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

County's Oldest Resident Dies this Morning

Ada White, who turned 102 earlier this month, died this morning.

She was the oldest known living resident of Crittenden County.

Coincidentally, her birthday photograph was printed in today's newspaper.

The Press learned of her death after the newspaper was already printed this week.

Trick or Treating on Main Street Thursday

Trick or Treaters may have to brave some chilly weather and step around construction on Main Street Thursday night, but Halloween will go on as planned unless it's raining.

If Thursday's rain doesn't move out in time for Trick or Treat on Main Street, plans are to move the event until Friday.

There will also be some construction that may hamper traffic a bit as a contractor begins work on Main Street this week.

See the attached image for a list of those merchants and groups in Marion that will be participating in Trick or Treat on Main by handing out goodies.

Stay informed with The Crittenden Press, subscribe today to ensure that reporting on local news and sports continues in Marion and Crittenden County. Subscribe Now to the full version, starting at just $2.95 a month.

Printed Press is out today with lots of 'new' news

This week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press features a number of articles that will get you up to date on streets, roads, alcohol, election, Veterans Day, sports and schools.

Livingston County has pivoted on its bus plan for the Cumberland River Bridge and Rep. Lynn Bechler says there's a chance for new pavement on a major Marion thoroughfare. Find out who's in line for new alcohol sales licenses and read about a hunter who was seriously injured after falling from a deer stand.

Get updates on the search for a man who escaped from a Louisville halfway house and was on the loose earlier this week around Tolu.

Don't be left in the dark when it comes to local news, sports and entertainment. Get all of the answers in The Crittenden Press, on newsstands early this afternoon.

The Crittenden Press is your primary source of news and information for this community. We’re proud to serve our community and we take great pride in bringing you real news, sports reporting and other information that helps you know what’s going on in town and across the county. Help ensure that real reporting continues in this community by subscribing today. You can subscribe online to the full version of the newspaper for only $2.95 a month. Click here to subscribe.

Over $193,000 coming for sidewalk repair

City maintenance workers Tony Jackson and Garry Gerard repair at section of sidewalk in East Bellville Street on Tuesday.

Part of the sidewalk there, near the busiest intersection in Marion, had buckled up, creating a walking hazard.

Sidewalks elsewhere in the city will be getting some major repairs before too long thanks to a $193,200 grant.

See this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press to find out which areas are targeted for improvement.

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Lady Rockets advance with comeback win

Crittenden County beat Webster County in a dramatic fifth set on Tuesday to advance to Wednesday's seminal found of the Second Region Volleyball Tournament at Madisonville.

See this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press for details of Tuesday's exciting quarterfinal win.

Halloween event at Emmanuel

Click Image to Enlarge
A Halloween event is scheduled for Halloween at Emmanuel Baptist Church. 

No tricks, all treats will be offered at the SHINE event.

The church is located on Hillcrest Drive in Greenwood Heights.

Estate auction Saturday

Click Image to Enlarge
Bluegrass Realty-Auction will conduct an estate auction Saturday on Lola Road.

Selling will be numerous pieces of farm equipment, household furniture and some medical equipment.

See complete list here, or contact Robert Kirby for more information.

The auction beans at 9 a.m.


Area Death

Lucas Daniel Steve Rieke, 39 of Marion died Sunday. Myers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Lady Rockets open regional play tonight


Crittenden County's Fifth District champion Lady Rocket volleyball team will open Second Region Tournament play tonight against Webster County.

The tournament will be played at Madisonville, and CCHS plays at 5:30pm.

The Lady Rockets (14-17) split two meetings with Webster County. Crittenden won the match 3-2 at Dixon and lost its home contest against the Lady Trojans 3-1.

Webster County is 17-15 this season and has the fourth best record in the region.

If Crittenden wins its opening match tonight, the girls will play tomorrow night in the regional semifinals at 7:30pm against either University Heights or Madisonville.

Smithland bridge closed nightly for 2 weeks

The Cumberland River Bridge at Smithland will be closed nightly for two weeks while repairs are made to a beam that has been damaged by overweight trucks. Load limits have recently been reduced until repairs can be completed.

The work will begin on Friday and closures will begin at 8pm each night and end at 5am. The bridge will have a reduced speed limit during the day.

Overnight or early-morning drivers traveling between Paducah and Livingston or Crittenden County should expect an additional hour or more of travel time.

Livingston County schools have made special arrangements during the construction period. Buses will not cross the bridge.

Engineers and contractors for the state highway department are working on contingency plans to deal with possible emergency scenarios, such as medical emergencies requiring ambulance service to Paducah.

Load limit restrictions
• Type 1: 17 tons—Two axle single unit trucks
• Type 2: 18 tons—Three axle single unit trucks
• Type 3: 20 tons—Four axle single unit trucks
• Type 4: 32 tons—Five axle SEMI trucks
• Single Unit Vehicle with five axles: 22 tons
• Single Unit Vehicle with six axles: 22 tons
• Single Unit Vehicle with seven plus axles: 24 tons

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is planning construction of a new $45 million bridge in about two years.

Murray State Alumni Reception before Friday Football


Join Crittenden County Racer Alumni on Friday, November 1, to cheer the Rockets!  Be there for a pre-game reception starting at 6 p.m. in the Rocket Arena meeting room and then take the field at halftime!  For more details and to RSVP please contact Shawna Thomas at sthomas39@murraystate.edu.  Help us share the Racer tradition with the Rockets this year!

Monday, October 28, 2019


Subject of manhunt near Tolu is identified

Local authorities believe a man they began searching for around noon Sunday in the northern part of Crittenden County to be Josh Jones, 31, formerly of Marion.

Sheriff Wayne Agent said Jones had absconded from a halfway house in Louisville a few weeks ago.

Law enforcement spent yesterday afternoon and last night combing the area between Cave In Rock Ferry and Tolu after a white male believed to have been Jones led Crittenden County Deputy Chuck Hoover on a short pursuit on Ky. 91 North

The suspect ditched a silver Monte Carlo and fled on foot.

Authorities say Jones has ties to the Tolu area. The sheriff said evidence  leads authorities to believe it was Jones driving the Chevrolet that eluded Deputy Hoover north of Marion.

Jones has a criminal record stemming from cases in Crittenden and Livingston counties.

Exercise caution if you see Jones or anyone in the area that appears suspicious, and call 911 or local police dispatching at 270.965.3500.


Hunting Guide is now available online

Crittenden Outdoors’ annual Hunting Guide is now available online.

The 2019 Hunting Guide was published earlier this month by The Crittenden Press. It is a free publication and available at various participating retail outlets throughout Marion and Crittenden County.

The Hunting Guide includes an assortment of helpful information for hunters, including license information, where to hunt on public lands, deer hunting harvest data, big buck contest profiles from 2018’s season, a cover feature on a local man who bagged a trophy buck after almost giving up deer hunting and more for small game hunters and waterfowlers.

This publication will not appear as part of the weekly newspaper.

Click cover image or here for PDF of the 2019 Hunting Guide.




Sunday, October 27, 2019

Authorities on manhunt in northern Crittenden County

Local authorities are looking for a man who they believe could be an escapee from a Louisville jail.

Law enforcement is in the northern part of the county combing the area after then man led Crittenden County Deputy Chuck Hoover on a short pursuit on Ky. 91 North shortly after noon today.

The suspect ditched a silver Monte Carlo and fled on foot.

Authorities are not certain, but believe it could be a man who escaped earlier this month and has ties to the Tolu area.

No further details were immediately available. 

Exercise caution if you see anyone that appears suspicious and call 911 or local police dispatching at 270.965.3500.

Area Death

Helen Conyer, 78, of Marion died Saturday. Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mulligans Pizzeria & Pub opening Friday

Click Image to Enlarge
Marion's first establishment to sell alcohol since the referendum was passed by voters earlier this year will open Friday. Located at Marion Golf & Pool (formerly Marion Country Club), Mulligans Pizzeria & Pub features a sports bar and game room and a separate family dining area. Menu items include pizza, burgers, wings and appetizers.

Initially, only bar seating and carry-out will be available until finishing touches are done on the spacious dining area.

The restaurant and bar, located on Blackburn Street off U.S. 60 West, are open to the public Thursday through Saturday beginning at 4 p.m., and Sundays beginning at noon.

The bar and game room include big screen TVs, a championship pool table, dart board and golf simulator.


Free kickball and lunch at the park


Saturday, October 26, 2019

Area death

Robert E. “Boozer” Belt, 91, of Marion died Saturday. Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Keller gets what she wanted at XC regional

Crittenden County junior Kate Keller won the Class A First Region cross country meet on Saturday at Draffenville.

Keller, who'd been ranked atop the small-school division virtually all season, battled wet and windy conditions to capture her first regional championship.

She qualifies for next week's state finals.

See the upcoming printed edition of The Crittenden Press to find out how the rest of the running Rockets did in Saturday's regional meet.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Area Death

Tyler Blake Bivins, 25, of Marion died Wednesday. Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Policy appears to be improving attendance

Crittenden County Schools Director of Pupil Personnel Diana Lusby at Thursday's meeting briefed board of education members on improvements to school attendance in the current academic year. The school system's districtwide attendance goal for the year is 96 percent, and through the first nine weeks of classes, the rate has eclipsed that mark. "We're thrilled with the way attendance is going," Lusby said, citing a new board policy to help administrators battle chronic absenteeism. "I believe with all my heart that is making a huge difference." Over the last few prior years, attendance after the second week of classes has dipped below 96 percent, but a more stringent policy to deter absences appears to be staving off that trend.

Rogers WoodmenLife representative

Click Here to Learn More
If you're planning for the future, talk to Grant Rogers. Rogers is a representative for Crittenden and surrounding counties for WoodmenLife.

WoodmenLife writes life insurance policies and helps you plan ahead for retirement.

Contact Grant Rogers at (270) 625-1691.


Thursday, October 24, 2019

Open Enrollment for Medicare Simplfied

Why should you care about Medicare Open Enrollment? Well for starters, there could be real money on the table, according to the National Council on Aging. But before we get to that, let’s review the basics.

To begin, what is Open Enrollment (otherwise known as the Annual Election Period or AEP)? Medicare Open Enrollment is a period which begins on October 15 every year and ends on December 7 every year. This is the time of the year when you can:


  • Evaluate and/or change your Part D prescription drug benefits
  • Evaluate or change your Medicare Advantage plan (Part C plan)
  • Decide to join a Medicare Advantage plan for the first time
  • Add or change a Medigap plan
  • Decide to disenroll from a Medicare Advantage plan (this can also be done in January and early February but with fewer choices).

Read More of this article by the by Margie Johnson Ware, Aging and Health Specialist for the National Council on Aging.




UPDATE: Mock Disaster delayed one week

THIS MOCK DISASTER DRILL
Has been delayed for one week.
It will now be on Nov. 2 at 4pm. The postponement was necessitated based on a forecast of heavy rainfall this weekend.

ORIGINAL POST
Crittenden Community Hospital, EMS, local fire departments, AirEvac and area law enforcement will be conducting a Mock Disaster on Saturday.

The event will be conducted to train and test readiness of first responders in the case of a real disaster. It will begin at 4pm and will be held at Marion City Lake (Lake George).

Sirens and emergency vehicles will be prevalent in the community around the time of this planned fake disaster.




First United celebrating 1st anniversary

Click Image to Enlarge
First United Bank in Marion is celebrating its first anniversary with give-aways, refreshments and free admission to the Rockets' football game Friday night.

The celebration begins at 8:30 a.m., Friday at the banking center on North Main Street. A tailgate party featuring free hot dogs and face painting will be held at 5 p.m., and the first 200 people wearing a First United Bank Rockets shirt will receive free admission to the football game. 

Stop by the bank Friday and celebrate and register to win one of 15 $25 gift cards from local businesses.





Marion Baptist hosts fall athletes

Marion Baptist Church is inviting local athletes and their families to Fall Sports Sunday this week.

The church is having its 10am Sunday service inside its Family Life Center and encouraging everyone to come wearing their Rockets uniforms or fan gear.


Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Boil Water Advisory is Lifted

The City of Marion has lifted its boil water advisory that was issued yesterday.

A water main break on the north side of town, which caused low water pressure throughout the system, prompted the precautionary advisory.

Tests of the system have been conducted and the water has been deemed okay to drink without boiling, said City Administrator Adam Ledford.

Bids opened next week on sidewalk project

Bids for a sidewalk replacement project along a portion of South Main and West Carlisle streets in Marion are due in Friday, Nov. 1, but construction is not likely to take place until early 2020.

Marion City Administrator Adam Ledford said he met with multiple contractor interested in the project in a prebid meeting last week. The work will relay about 1,700 feet of sidewalks along four city blocks. The original estimated project cost is $193,200, which will all but $10,000 be covered by federal grant money.

“Originally, it was as much as a 20 percent match,” Ledford said, “but the state has said the match is $10,000.”

The project will add to a sidewalk reconstruction started years ago with Safe Routes to Schools money and will connect the high/middle school campus with the public library.

For more on this story, see the Oct. 31 edition of The Crittenden Press.

2 more derelict homes to be razed

Two more derelict homes in Marion are scheduled for the wrecking ball, so to speak.

Unoccupied, abandoned homes at 120 Shady Lane (above left) and 421 S. Walker St. (above right) will be razed by order of the city, possibly as early as this week. The teardowns are part of the city's efforts led by Code Enforcement Officer Terri Hart to clean up unsightly Marion properties.

Hart said signs of squatters had been found in at least one of the homes. She is using money budgeted by Marion City Council for code enforcement to remove the structures and clean up the lots.

Jeremy Whited of J and J Excavating in Fredonia was the low bidder for cleaning up the two properties.

Last week, a home that sat behind the Imogene Stout Market on Main was torn down by Marion Tourism Commission to make way for a parking lot. Also in the process of being razed is a home on West Bellville Street. It was dilapidated when Gary Baulos acquired the property, and he has agreed to tear down the structure.

Schools seek photos to honor veterans

Crittenden County Schools will be hosting its annual Veterans Day program at Rocket Arena and is seeking names and photos of local veterans to honor during a slideshow. The program begins at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11 and is intended to pay tribute to all who served in the United States military. Veterans and the public are invited to attend the ceremony.

To honor a veteran, email a current or service-time photo, the name of the veteran, branch of service and years served to broadcastjournalism@crittenden.kyschools.us. The schools are also asking for the veteran’s address in order to mail an invitation to the event. The deadline for submissions is Friday.

Crittenden County Public Library is offering a digital scanning service at no charge for families who do not have electronic images of their veteran honoree. They will scan the photo and return it at the time. They will also forward the information to the schools at not cost.

Equipment auction Saturday

Click Image to Enlarge
Buntin Auction Service is holding its annual fall consignment auction Saturday.

Numerous pieces of farm equipment has been consigned, and auctioneer Curt Buntin will conduct the sale beginning at 9 a.m.

The sale will be held behind Buntin Trailer Sales off Ky. 297 near Sheridan.

To learn more about items listed, contact Buntin.


Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Lady Rockets capture second straight district crown

Crittenden County’s volleyball team, under the direction of first-year head coach Bayley McDonald, ran the table against Livingston Central Tuesday night to win its second straight Fifth District championship.

The Lady Rockets won in straight sets 25-17, 25-13, 25-22 in the district tournament championship game at Rocket Arena.

The CCHS girls will play in the Second Region Tournament next week at Madisonville. The tournament draw will be held later this week, but Crittenden will open with a district runnerup after capturing the district’s No. 1 seed.


Required city sewer fee to climb

An environmental assessment fee that appears on monthly city sewer bills will be going up again in December. The fee is mandated by the state to ensure the City of Marion can pay back the $13 million it will finance to construct mandated upgrades to the wastewater system, including a new sewer plant.

Introduced at Monday’s city council meeting, elected officials are not happy with the second increase to the fee since it was established in 2016. However, they have little choice but to approve what will be a significant increase on the average water/sewer customers' monthly bill.

“We can’t keep raising rates on people,” said Councilman Don Arflack. “We just can’t do this. Some people are barely paying their bill now.”

Sewer project engineer Alan Robinson, president of Eclipse Engineering, reminded the council that it is under an agreed order to have a new sewer plant online by July 2021 or face daily fines of thousands of dollars.

For the full story, see this week's edition of The Crittenden Press.

City under boil water advisory

A city-wide boil water advisory is in effect inside Marion city limits.

A contractor hit a water main near Darben Plaza on the north side of town.

City residents are asked to boil water for drinking or cooking until further notice.

Marion leaf collection appears a go

Leaf collection will return next month for Marion residents.

After speculation that the City of Marion may have to do away with the popular service, it appears a solution has been found to help residents dispose of their fallen leaves this autumn. Marion Mayor Jared Byford announced at Monday’s council meeting that he was working on a plan to bring back leaf collection. Today, that plan was confirmed.

This marked the third consecutive year that the city entered fall unsure if it was going to continue the service.

For this full story, see this week's issue of The Crittenden Press.

Lions host Nov. 9 events

Click Image to Enlarge
A vendor fair for home-based and online businesses and a disc golf tournament are planned for Nov. 9 in Marion.

The Crittenden County Lions Club is sponsoring both events, the vendor fair at its recently completed building at the fairgrounds and the disc golf tournament just down the hill at the City-County Park.

To learn more about the vendor fair or to reserve booth space, contact Natalie Parish.

To learn more about registering for the disc golf tournament, call Rodney Travis.

Both events benefit the Lions Club and its charities, including eyeglasses for those in need.


Late-night blaze destroys vehicle on lot

A vehicle was destroyed by fire late last night in the parking lot at Par 4 Plastics on Industrial Drive in Marion.

Marion fire department responded and extinguished the blaze.

No other information was immediately available.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Gilchrist to announce golf commitment this evening

Crittenden County senior Lauren Gilchrist plans to unveil this evening where she will play Division 1 collegiate golf beginning this fall.

The standout Lady Rocket golfer qualified for four KHSAA state tournaments and six All A Classic state tournaments during her high school career and she was a three-time All A regional champion.

Keep an eye on her Instagram and Facebook accounts this afternoon for the big announcement.

For all the details of her signing and the historic significance it will have for CCHS, see this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press.



Community Christmas sign-ups Nov. 1

Many details for 45th annual Community Christmas in Crittenden County were set last week by the council that oversees the holiday charity, and this year, collection of gifted items will be one-stop shopping for the less fortunate.

Sign-ups for Community Christmas will be Friday, Nov. 1 at the Extension service annex on U.S. 60 East just north of Marion. The morning session will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and an afternoon period will be 2-6 p.m.

Last year, only 33 families sign up for help through community’s flagship holiday charity. In the past, the Community Christmas has served more than 100 families and upward of 300 people. The numbers have fallen in recent years since Crittenden County Interagency Council began requiring community education classes before qualifying for assistance. The requirement is for only three hours of credit to become eligible for food, vouchers and toys for children.

Classes are not required for seniors seeking food baskets.

A significant change this year will be the location for distribution in December.

For more on Community Christmas 2019, pick up a copy of this week's issue of The Crittenden Press on newsstands Wednesday.

Rains allow burn ban removal

Crittenden County Judge-Executive Perry Newcom this morning lifted a burn ban that had been in place due to recent drought-like conditions.

Here is the order, lifting the burn ban:

Effective this 21st day of October 2019 the burn ban for Crittenden County that was implemented on the 23rd day of September 2019 by virtue of KRS 149.401 has been rescinded affective immediately.  

The rescinding of this burn ban is a result of recent rainfall and the forecast for a greater possibility of rain chances and lower temperatures.  I would still encourage all citizens to exercise extreme caution regarding all planned outdoor burning activities.

Therefore, the county of Crittenden will now revert back to normal State burn laws which states that between October 1 through December 15 no one can set fire to or, have someone set fire to or, add flammable material capable of spreading fire, located in or within 150’ (one hundred fifty feet) of any woodland or brushland except, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. or, when the ground is covered in snow.

Commonwealth Policy releases survey responses

Click Image to Enlarge
The Commonwealth Policy Center has released results of a survey presented to Kentucky gubernatorial and attorney general candidates. 

Issues addressed in the survey include protection of human life, gambling expansion, the protection of religious freedoms, legalization of recreational marijuana, funding for Planned Parenthood and use of transgender restrooms.

Both the governor and attorney general races will appear on Kentucky's November 5 ballot.


Lady Rockets crack pre-season Top 10

Crittenden County's Lady Rocket basketball team is among the Top 10 teams in the Second Region, according to a pre-season media poll.

Madisonville's boys' are a consensus No. 1 selection and Henderson and Webster counties share the top spot for Second Region girls.

See this week's printed  edition of The Crittenden Press for complete look at the pre-season basketball poll.


Sunday, October 20, 2019

Trunks of Treats at Mexico Baptist

Click Image to Enlarge
Kids are invited to participate in a costume parade, devotion and trunks of treats during a seasonal celebration Oct. 30 at Mexico Baptist Church.

Costumes are encouraged, but no gory ones please.

The event will be held at the church on Mexico Church Road just off Ky. 70 between Crayne and Fredonia. Church members decorate their trunks and hand out cane to kids.

For more information, contact the church.


Friday, October 18, 2019

Area death

Alton Dykes, 85, of Paducah, formerly of Crittenden County, died Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019 at Ray and Kay Eckstein Hospice Care Center in Paducah. Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah is in charge of arrangements.

Rescue squad offered armory for home

Crittenden Fiscal Court decided Thursday to forego running a new water line to the county's rescue squad headquarters on West Carlisle Street in favor of offering the former National Guard armory for use.

The county has an agreement with the Department of the Army to lease the Carson G. Davidson Kentucky National Guard Armory in Marion at no cost for the next five years. The local Guard united vacated the building early this year.

The agreement restricts usage for only offices and/or warehousing. Shifting Crittenden County Rescue Squad headquarters from West Carlisle Street to the armory appears to fall within the confines of what was agreed upon, allowing the emergency response team to store its vehicles and equipment at the building and use it for training and administrative duties.

Rescue Squad Chief Don Arflack had requested the county run a water line to its current headquarters adjacent to the jail for restrooms and a variety of uses. Water is available at another building used by the rescue squad on the same block, but running a line to replace a dysfunctional one at the headquarters could cost the county several thousand dollars.

Judge-Executive Perry Newom and magistrates have no specific plans for the armory currently, but have discussed the possibility of moving several county offices to the location on Rochester Avenue as well as the rescue squad.

For more on the rescue squad's possible interest in the armory, see next week's issue of The Crittenden Press on newsstands Wednesday.