Vehicle License Plate News for 2024

Sheriff's Department Now Hiring

Crittenden County Sheriff's Office is accepting applications for the position of Deputy. Preference will be given to candidates with current KY Peace Officer Professional Standards certification in good standing or candidates certified in another state in good standing for a lateral transfer. Candidates not certified are still encouraged to apply for the job.

Minimum Qualifications for the job are:

Be 21 years of age at the time of graduation from basic training academy, High School Diploma or GED Equivalent, possess a valid Kentucky operators license or the ability to obtain one. Able to legally possess a firearm within state and federal laws, NO prior felony convictions, NO emergency protective orders or domestic violence orders, Honorable discharge or general discharge from military. Pass phases 1 and 2 of the Kentucky Peace Officers Professional Standards Examinations and successfully complete a 20 week Department of Criminal Justice Basic training academy in Richmond, KY.

Salary is $42,016 for non-certified recruits. (This individual will have to complete the hiring process and complete basic training)

Salary for certified is $43,680-$51,792 depending on experience.
Salary does not include $4,300 yearly KLEFPF incentive.
Benefits Include:
Take Home Fleet
All Equipment Furnished
Overtime
Paid Court Time
Paid Vacation
Paid Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Employee Health Insurance
County Employee Retirement
Deferred Compensation Plan

The Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office is an equal opportunity employer. Applications may be picked up at the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office. Applications MUST be received in the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office by 4:00 P.M February 5, 2024.

Area Deaths

Anna Louise "Tootsie" Hamilton, 97, of Marion died Thursday, Dec. 28 at Livingston Hospital. Services are at 10 a.m., Saturday Dec. 30 at Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion. Visitation is from 5-7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 29 and from 9 a.m., until service time at the funeral home on Saturday. .

Gerald Lee Ford, 67, of Marion died Wednesday, Dec. 27 at Baptist Health Paducah. Masonic services are at 2 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 31 with funeral services immediately afterward. Visitation is from 11 a.m., Sunday until service time at the funeral home.

Ann Elizabeth Lawrence, 91, of Hampton died Tuesday, Dec. 26, at Salem Springlake Health and Rehabilitation Center. Services will be at 1:00 p.m., Friday, Dec. 29 in the chapel of Boyd Funeral Directors and Cremation Services. Visitation is from 11:00 a.m., until the funeral hour on Friday at Boyd's.

No Press this week

Reminder: There is no Dec. 28 issue of The Crittenden Press on newsstands. As customary, we do not have a Press the week following Christmas. We will return next week to our normal schedule. 

Thank you to area retailers who partner with us to sell The Press in their establishments each week. You can find The Press at our office each Wednesday afternoon and at the following locations: Food Giant, H&H Home and Hardware, Liberty Fuels, KB Pharmacy, Glenn's Pharmacy, Crittenden Hospital lobby, Ideal and Five Star in Marion and at Salem Foods, Tambco, Glenn's Pharmacy and Pit Stop in Salem. 

We hope you have a safe and happy New Year!

Area Deaths

Martha Conner, 67, of Marion died Sunday, Dec. 24 at Heart-to-Heart Hospice in Evansville. No service is planned at this time. Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  

Magdaline “Peggy” Conyer, 86, died Sunday, Dec. 24, at Livingston Hospital. Services will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 30 at Boyd Funeral Directors and Cremation Services. Visitation is from noon until the hour of the service at Boyd's.

Heath Burton-Gipson, 36, of Henderson died Sunday, Dec. 24 at the Lucy Smith King Care Center in Henderson. Services will be at 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 30 at Myers Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 11 a.m., until the service time. Myers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. 

Rent Fohs Hall for your next event

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Once a school, historic Fohs Hall is an ideal location for your next event.

Available as a rental for parties, weddings, receptions and concerts, the building recently received a sound and light upgrade that further 
improved its value as a cultural arts center.

Next week Fohs Hall will host a children's production featuring 
local youth.

Visit the Fohs Hall website, fohshall.org. 

Tracing Ramsey's journey en route to UK QB

Derrick Ramsey’s journey to becoming the first African-American quarterback at Kentucky was not an easy one but it eventually led him to being a Super Bowl champion, college athletics director and even Kentucky government cabinet secretary.

Ramsey shares his story — and the values his parents instilled in him — in his new book: "They Call Me “Mr. Secretary” with Dr. John Huang.

Ramsey grew up in Hastings, Fla., and says he “owes everything to my parents” who taught him that coming from humble beginnings did not negate a path to future success. 

“My mom got pregnant at age 15 but my parents were together for 56 years until my mom passed away,” Ramsey said. “My father always had great advice for me. I still remember him telling me that ‘you either get to the table or whatever scraps fall off is what you get.’”

Ramey learned that if he could “get to the table” he could be part of the decision-making process.

“I never forgot those words. All my life, I’ve been trying to get to the table,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey left his home in Florida to play his final two high school seasons in Camden, N.J., before coming to Kentucky to play for coach Fran Curci. He led Kentucky to its first bowl bid in 25 years in 1976 and then in 1977 the Cats were unbeaten in SEC play and won 10 games — something UK didn’t do again for 41 years.

At Kentucky he ran 446 times for 1,764 yards and 25 touchdowns and completed 130 of 273 passes for 1,653 yards and 14 scores.  He went on to play tight end in 122 NFL games in 10 seasons with Oakland, New England and Detroit with 38 starts. He caught 188 passes for 2,364 yards and — 12.6

Merry Christmas: Follow Santa Here

Follow Santa's Travels

The Crittenden Press full edition will not be published on the last week of 2023 as we have closed for the holidays. 

We wish everyone a blessed and special Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Meanwhile, we pray for a childlike holiday season for all and in that spirt you can find at this SANTA NORAD LINK a satellite tracker of Santa's movements on Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning. 

This week in-person deadline for voter party changes

Voters have already started to look ahead at the 2024 election that includes President of the United States.

Though Kentucky's primary is not until May 21, 2024, those wishing to change their party affiliation need to do so by Dec. 31 in order to vote in the spring election. Anyone switching parties after that date will be ineligible to vote in May.

Changing political parties is easy. It can be done online 24/7 at GoVote.ky.gov or in the county clerk's office during regular business hours.

However, in-person updates to voter registrations must be done before the close of business on Thursday, Dec. 28 due to New Year holiday closing.

On the ballot next year are partisan races for circuit clerk, Commonwealth's attorney, statehouse legislative seats, Congress and, of course, President.

Area Death

Jerry "Bud" Travis, 81, of Marion died Friday, Dec. 22 at Salem Springlake. Services are at 1pm Tuesday, Dec. 26 at Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion. Visitation is at 10am until funeral hour Tuesday.

Job Corps has job openings

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The Earle C. Clements Job Corps Center is hiring! Minimum wage is $16.20, plus sign-on bonus for most positions.

Pay for Residential Advisor positions for nights and overnights is $16.45 per hour plus a $2,000 sign-on bonus.

The Job Corps Center offers a benefits package and opportunities for advancement. 

Area Death

Nancy Barnes Lapp, 82, of Marion died Dec. 20 at Crittenden Community Hospital. Memorial services are scheduled for a later date. Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Temporary creek crossing completed

A temporary creek crossing near the Marion Water Plant has been completed after about a day's work by J&J Excavating.

The rock and culvert crossing was built next to the Crooked Creek Bridge on Chapel Hill Road near Marion City Limits to facilitate heavy-loaded trucks that will be hauling rip rap and other material to Lake George, where repairs will be made to the crippled levee.

For further details on the Lake George project and what's ahead for the city's raw water reservoir, see this week's full edition of The Crittenden Press.

Webster County inmate remains on the loose

Crowley

UPDATE: Crowley has been captured and returned to the Webster County Detention Center.

ORIGINAL POST

Kentucky State Police say one of two men who escaped from the Webster County Detention Center early Sunday remains at large.

Jodie E. Crowley, 48, of Sebree, and Tony B. Elders, 44, of Morganfield, escaped and shortly thereafter, Elders was apprehended.

Still on the loose, Crowley is described as 5’10” tall, weighing 160 pounds, with blue eyes and black hair. He was last seen wearing an orange coat, blue jeans and a black toboggan.

Crowley has multiple tattoos on his arms, legs, chest, back and neck. He has a significant identifier of “TINA” tattooed on the right side of his neck.

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Crowley is asked to contact the Kentucky State Police, Post 2 at (270) 676-3313.  Citizens may also report tips confidentially through the KSP website.

Christmas dreams found in Santa letters

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Thankfully Santa reads The Crittenden Press, because all of the wishes for a magical Christmas have been sent express mail to the North Pole.

Letters to Santa from Crittenden County Elementary School students are published in this week's issue of The Crittenden Press. 

This is a sample of Christmas joy as seen though the eyes of students in Cassie Polk's first grade.

Give Community News for Christmas

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Online subscribers will encounter temporary issue

UPDATE

All issues should be resolved.

If you still have a problem, or need your password

call our office at 965-3191 or email thepress@the-press.com

Online and eEdition Press subscribers will encounter an error message and perhaps a screen asking for your credentials while logging in online to this week's paper.

We changed servers this morning and thought all of the bugs were out of the system.

We apologize for the delay. We are working on the matter and should have it rectified soon.

Thank you for your patience. 

Consider an AirEvac membership

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When seconds count, Air Evac Lifeteam is here to help.

If you do not have a membership with Air Evac Lifetime, now is a good time to join.

AirMedCare Network has coverage in 38 states with more than 320 bases.

For more information about membership, contact Pam Truitt at (270) 969-1950.

Beware of holiday season scams

Christmas is coming, but so are fraudsters. As Kentuckians prepare for the holiday season, the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) wants to alert citizens about an increase in securities-related scams. Consumers are advised to be vigilant when thinking about investing or moving investments around, especially around the holidays and into the new year when bad actors take advantage of generous, holly spirits.

“We have seen an increase in reports from Kentucky consumers of both advance payment scams and high-yield investment program scams,” said Chad Harlan, assistant director of DFI’s securities division. “The best way to protect yourself and your money is to do your homework before investing. In many cases, your money cannot be returned after the fact. This is why it’s important to thoroughly

KY 120 reopens at Crittenden-Webster Line

Montezuma Bridge across the Tradewater River at the Crittenden and Webster County line has reopened to through traffic.

KY 120 had been closed at the bridge since Oct. 23 for replacement of one of the two overflow bridges at the river.

Work was completed today at 4 p.m., about one month ahead of schedule.

Is Reed Sheppard an NBA first-rounder?

The Reed Sheppard bandwagon has certainly filled up since Kentucky’s season started to the point where the UK freshman is now being projected as a potential first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.

However, one national analyst who was on the Sheppard bandwagon even before UK played three games in Canada in July was Krysten Peek, a writer for YahooSports and Rivals.

She watched Sheppard play in the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass., in January and not only liked what she saw on the court but what she heard from him off the court.

“I was telling him he had a fantastic game (13 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks and two steals) and was doing what he’s doing at Kentucky now,” said Peek. “I asked him about joining the ranks of some of the nation’s best players (D.J. Wagner, Rob Dillingham, Justin Edwards) in his class in a Kentucky backcourt and how he would fit.

“I won’t forget what he told me. He said, ‘I will do whatever I am asked to do. If I need to dish out assists, hit 3-pointers, grab water during timeouts … I will do whatever as long as we win.’

“Some kids say what they think you want to hear in an interview but you could tell this  kid believes in his soul in doing what it takes to win and if that was getting water, he would get water. I knew then he was a winner and would be just fine at Kentucky. I actually thought then he could be the most

Part of KY could see wintry weather Monday

GO TO snowky.ky.gov for weather resources | snow maps | highway updates

Kentuckians are encouraged to stay weather-aware and practice safe driving behaviors as part of the state braces for winter weather late Monday morning through evening that may impact travel.   

"Kentuckians please be weather aware today," said Gov. Andy Beshear."We need all our families to stay safe on the roadways as snow showers and gusty winds could bring dangerous conditions.”

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for portions of central Kentucky and predicts the combination of falling temperatures, 25-30 mph winds, and brief bursts of snow will create poor driving conditions, especially when temperatures drop below freezing. Snowfall accumulations are predicted to be light and measurable snow is possible along and east of Interstate 75 in the afternoon.  

Snow squalls – sudden, brief but intense bursts of snow coupled with gusty winds- happen rapidly and

Chamber breakfast Wednesday morning

 Prospective members and current members of the Crittenden County Chamber of Commerce will gather for breakfast between 7:30-8:30 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 20 at A Brunch of Sandwiches. 

A Brunch of Sandwiches, chosen as the Chamber's 2023 Up and Coming Business of the Year, is located inside the former Conrad's Food Store building at 515 S. Main St., Marion.  

The dutch treat breakfast is an opportunity to learn more about the chamber, its plans for 2024 and to pay dues for the upcoming calendar year.

Nursing openings in Marion, Salem

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Are you considering a career move in the new year?

Openings for a number of positions exist at Crittenden County Health & Rehab in Marion and Salem Springlake Health and Rehabilitation Center in Salem.

The facilities, owned by Atrium Centers, LLC, have openings for RNs, CNAs, LPNAs and KMAs.

Apply online at indeed.com or stop by either location.

Clerk's office will be closed for upgrades

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Local residents who need to do business in the Crittenden County Clerk's Office should be aware of upcoming closures.

Transactions will be processed through Dec. 22 and two more days in December (Dec. 27-28). After that, the office will be closed through Jan. 9 for computer system upgrades.

See attached calendar for detailed information.

US Postal Service Holiday Mailing Timeline

According to the United States Postal Service here are key recommended holiday shipping and mailing dates for expected delivery within the U.S. by Dec. 25:

• Dec. 16: USPS Ground Advantage (5-day); First Class Mail (5-Day)

•Dec. 20: Priority Mail (3-Day); USPS Ground Advantage (2-Day); First-Class Mail (2-Day); and Priority Mail Express (2-Day)

•Dec. 21: Priority Mail Express (1-Day); and Priority Mail (2-Day)

For complete recommended holiday shipping and mailing information, visit https://about.usps.com/holidaynews/ online.

County seeking bids for services, materials

Crittenden County is seeking bids on a number of services, including snow removal, debris removal, tree cutting services, chip and seal, asphalt paving, aggregate, oil and lubricants. 

Sealed bids will be opened at next week’s fiscal court meeting on Dec. 21. 

For further information on these requests for bid, see the Classified Bid Notice section in this week’s newspaper or clock the MORE link below.

CD rates are hot at First United Bank

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Rates will warm you up at First United Bank. 

And while you're in, enjoy a cup of fresh, hot coffee.

Stop by the Marion office on North Main Street to discuss First United's 

CD rates, or give the staff a call at (270) 965-1230.

Solar meetings planned for today, tomorrow

 RWE Clean Energy, LLC, has scheduled two open houses this week for community members to learn more about its proposed Pleasant Valley Solar project. 

The first open house will be held in Lyon County this evening from 5-7:30 p.m., at the Lyon County Convention Center, on Lee S Jones Park Road, Eddyville. 

The second open house will be held in Caldwell County on Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023 from 5-7:30 p.m., at the Fredonia Cumberland Presbyterian (Activities Building), 303 Cassidy Ave.

Both open houses will have the same information and an open, drop-in format, so attendees are welcome to attend one or the other and stop by as their schedule allows. 

Pleasant Valley Solar will be an up to 125 MW solar generation facility and will connect to a Big Rivers Electric Corporation 161 kV transmission line that crosses the project. It is proposed to be located on 1,027 acres on the border of Lyon and Caldwell counties east of the Western Kentucky Correctional Facility. 

This will be adjacent to RWE Clean Energy’s Ashwood Solar project, which is currently under construction. 

If you are unable to attend either meeting in person or have additional questions regarding Pleasant Valley Solar, please contact Paul Griffin at RWE: paul.griffin@rwe.com or (872) 257-4451.

Gift of local history available

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Give the gift of local history this Christmas.

The Crittenden County Historical Society has discounted copies of Satan's Ferryman available, just in time for Christmas. Crittenden County History volumes I and II are also available. Since the museum is closed for the season, copies of the book are available at the welcome center in Marion Commons.

A unique piece of Crittenden County history also can be found at the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum. For a limited time, free admission to the museum is offered with a $30 purchase in the gift shop.

The Clement museum has jewelry, games for kids and other rare geological finds.

5-Star UK recruit believes in Cal's staff

Five-star center Jayden Quaintance is a top 10 player nationally but that has not been a surprise for his father, Haminn Quaintance.

“I always knew my son would be a very good basketball player,” said Haminn, a former college and professional basketball player. “I started working with him when he was about 7 years old, or maybe younger. 

“This is not all about how good you are. How do you pick things up? How is your work ethic, self discipline? A lot of things determine how good you will be. At a young age not everybody wants to do it. If it was just me pushing him to play basketball, it would not matter but he wanted to do it and that’s why he got better.”

The 6-10, 250-pound Quaintance signed with Kentucky last month. He’s only 16 years old and will not be eligible for the NBA draft until after graduates from Word of God Christian Academy (N.C.) in the spring.

Picking Kentucky was not a hard choice for Jayden Quaintance.

“It was the Big Blue Nation and all that good stuff,” Haminn said. “There is a huge spotlight that comes with being at Kentucky when you are doing well. But more than anything it was the coaching staff. You have to believe in the coaching staff. We also know we have got to do our work and if we do that then the coaches are going to put us in the best situation. They know what needs to be done.”

Haminn played two years at Jacksonville State and two years at Kent State. He started 104 games in four years, including 35 in 2007-08 at Kent State. He was a 54.5 percent (1,048 of 1,922) shooter from the field and averaged 11.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.8 steals per game during his career.

“I played against Duke (2010) and North Carolina (2009) the year they both won a national championship,” Haminn, who went on to play professionally overseas, said. “I was pretty athletic I

U.S. 60 East closed following accident

U.S. 60 East is closed temporarily following a one-vehicle accident about five miles outside of Marion.

The rollover accident occurred around 12:30 p.m. Crittenden EMS, Crittenden County Sheriff's Department and Kentucky State Police are assisting at the accident scene. 

Motorists are encouraged to avoid the area for the time being.

4-H Ham Project entry deadline today

This is the last day to sign up to be part of a ham curing project.

Crittenden County 4-H is offering an opportunity for local youth to learn the age-old art of curing a smoked country ham. Any Crittenden Coutian age 9-18 is eligible to participate in this months-long process that will culminate with an entry and trip to the Kentucky State Fair Ham Contest on Aug. 15. 

Cost is $70, which includes two hams that will belong to the participant when the project is complete. 

Today is the deadline to register at the Extension office.

Possible hit and run leaves man seriously injured

Authorities are investigating a possible hit and run that occurred overnight on KY 902 near Dycusburg.

At about 5:40 a.m., a passing motorist discovered a man, believed to be in his early 60s, lying on the south side of the highway partly in the ditch. 

The sheriff’s department initially responded and Kentucky State Police were summoned to handle the investigation. 

AirEvac life flighted the victim to a regional hospital with serious injures.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call Kentucky State Police at 1-800-222-5555.

Grinch roaming Sturgis Road

The Grinch is lurking around Marion today!

Be on the lookout. The Grinch is collecting toys and other Christmas items to distribute to children. Don't be surprised if he hops in your vehicle or makes an appearance when you lease expect it. 

He will be at Ideal on Sturgis Rd., in Marion with Santa Claus this afternoon from 4-6 p.m.

Automobiles registered near end of 2023

Crittenden County Clerk reminds drivers that if you own a car on Jan. 1, you will owe 2024 property taxes on the vehicle, even if it has not yet been titled in your name.

For instance, if you purchase a new automobile on Dec. 26, but don’t title it until mid-January, you will be responsible for next year’s taxes. Likewise, if you sell a car on Jan. 2, you will owe 2024 taxes on it.

Residents should plan appropriately for registering a vehicle as the new year approaches.

“Our office will be closed Dec. 29 to Jan. 10 due to a statewide shutdown and revamp of Kentucky’s motor vehicle registration system,” said Crittenden County Clerk Daryl Tabor.

Consider the gift of history

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Give the gift of local history this Christmas.

The Crittenden County Historical Society has discounted copies of Satan's Ferryman available, just in time for Christmas. Crittenden County History volumes I and II are also available. Since the museum is closed for the season, copies of the book are available at the welcome center in Marion Commons.

A unique piece of Crittenden County history also can be found at the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum. For a limited time, free admission to the museum is offered with a $30 purchase in the gift shop.

The Clement museum has jewelry, games for kids and other rare geological finds.

County's New Office Complex Dedicated Thursday

A building dedication and open house is being planned for the Crittenden County Office Complex in Industrial Park North. The event will be at 5:30 p.m., on Thursday, Dec. 7 and will include a formal blessing of the building with addresses from local leaders and state dignitaries. 

An open house will follow with refreshments.

All local county offices have moved to the new location as Marion prepares to replace its downtown courthouse. A new justice center will be rebuilt downtown. It will be home only to circuit, district and family court.

Reward offered for suspect's arrest

Mitchell Peek

Crittenden County authorities are seeking the public’s help in locating Mitchell Peek, 36, of Marion who is wanted on an indictment warrant from Crittenden County and two warrants out of Lyon County. 

Peek eluded apprehension Friday night following a police chase through two counties that was initiated before 10 p.m., by Sheriff Evan Head on US 60 just east of Moore Hill. Peek was operating a motorcycle and had a female passenger. 

The sheriff attempted to make a traffic stop when Peek was observed allegedly operating the motorcycle in a reckless fashion. The bike sped away and turned onto KY 1668, then westbound onto KY 135. The chase, which never exceeded 55 mph on a foggy night, went through Tolu and into Carrsville in Livingston County before Peek crashed. He fled on foot, but the female was taken into custody.

Peek is believed to be at large in Crittenden, Lyon or Livingston counties. 

Peek is wanted in Crittenden County in connection to a case involving Brian Fitzgerald, who is now in custody and facing a federal indictment. During the Fitzgerald investigation, authorities say evidence was ascertained indicating that Peek was in possession of a handgun (as a convicted felon) and possession of drug paraphernalia. The Crittenden County Grand Jury handed down an indictment against Peek last month in those accusations.

In Lyon County, he’s wanted for various alleged crimes, including fleeing or evading police, possession of methamphetamine, probation violation, tampering with physical evidence and wanton endangerment. 

Peek is described as a white male, 6-foot tall and weighting 210 pounds.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 270-965-3500. 

The female passenger on the motorcycle, Christina Robison, 30, of Marion was cited for possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She refused treatment follow the crash.

A reward for information leading to his capture is being offered Crittenden County TipLine.

Step Back into Time Saturday at Fohs

Step back in time with the Community Arts Foundation from 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Dec. 2 at Fohs Hall for a Christmas classic.

The literary treasure, “The Night Before Christmas,” will be read and additional activities will include Christmas traditions, decorations and trimmings for a vintage holiday.

Admission is free.

Get You Christmas On!

UPCOMING HOLIDAY EVENTS 

•Akridge Farm Supply will be grand marshal of Fredonia Christmas Parade at 6 p.m., Friday, Dec. 1.

•Community Arts Foundation is hosting “The Night Before Christmas” reading along with other activities from 10 a.m., to noon, Saturday, Dec. 2 at Fohs Hall. More details on page 4.

 •“A Country Christmas” parade will be at 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 2 in Marion. Chris Cook is grand marshal.

•Supper with Santa will be held at the Lions Club Agriculture Building at the fairgrounds following Marion Christmas parade. 

•Christmas Jubilee at Fohs Hall featuring Cutter and Cash and the Kentucky Grass performing holiday and bluegrass music will start at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 2. Doors open at 5:45. Admission is free and will include holiday nostalgia, vintage decorations, toys and games that will foster Christmas memories.

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Buntin auctioning Crider goods Saturday

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Furniture, farm equipment, tools and outdoors items will be included in an action Saturday, Dec. 2 conducted by Buntin Auction Service.

Auctioneer Curt Buntin will sell these indoor and outdoor items at the Mike and Lisa Crider residence at 803 Just-a-Mere Road 

in Crittenden County.

Furniture includes a dining room suite, church pew, book case, wooden gun cabinet, bar stools and other miscellaneous pieces.

A variety of shop tools and outdoor equipment, hunting and fishing supplies are also included in the sale.

 

Supper with Santa Saturday after parade

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If seeing Santa in the parade isn't enough, take the kids to Supper with Santa, hosted by the Crittenden County Lions Club.

Right after Marion's Christmas parade Saturday night, meet at the Lions Club building at the former Town & Country Riding Club for chili, hot dogs and cookies.

Children eat free. Adults who wish to eat can make a donation that will be used for a children's gift for Christmas.

Photos with Santa also will be available.

Fords Ferry Road closed temporarily Tuesday

Fords Ferry Road inside the City Limits of Marion will be closed Tuesday, Dec. 5 to allow maintenance crews an opportunity to complete a repair job. 

Between Curve-In and to just beyond Marion Church of God, the road will be shut down to through traffic. The closured will be from 8:30 a.m., to 12:30pm.

In a formal announcement about the road closure, the City of Marion pointed out that work zone can be bypassed by taking Whippoorwill Drive through Greenwood Heights subdivision.

 

New surgeon joins Crittenden Hospital

Dr. Eric Kivisto and his wife Liz, an RN, will begin seeing patients in Marion on Monday, Dec. 4 at Crittenden Community Hospital.  Kivisto has 30 years experience as a general surgeon.

Kivisto most recently worked for Southern Illinois Healthcare, where he served as an acute care general surgeon. Prior to that he was a general surgeon for multiple facilities in the Northern Region for OSF Healthcare, a not-for-profit Catholic health care organization that operates a medical group in Illinois and Michigan.

Crittenden Community Hospital CEO Shawn Bright said Kivisto is a native to small-town living, and, together with his wife, will see patients throughout the entirety of their healthcare needs from the clinic through necessary medical procedures. Hear from Dr. Kivisto and his wife Liz

Demolition of Smithland Bridge tomorrow

Explosive demolition of the old Smithland Bridge is scheduled for 9 a.m., Thursday.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says that a demolition contractor should have all explosives placed on the truss by noon today. 

The public can view the demolition from Livingston County Fairgrounds.

Formally known as the Lucy Jefferson Lewis Memorial Bridge, the span that cross the Cumberland River was built 92 years ago and named for the sister of President of Thomas Jefferson, who had settled nearby in the early 1800s. The bridge is 1,817 feet long with a 500-foot main truss. When it first opened in 1931, a toll was paid at a rate of 25 cents for cars, trucks were 50 cents and livestock on the hoof was 5 cents a head.

A new bridge has been built beside of the old one and it has been open to traffic for several months.

Here is a timeline for the blast and associated demolition activities:

Thursday
7:15 a.m. - Final coordinating meeting for Go-No Go Decision considering weather, etc.
7:45 a.m. - Coast Guard boat and other security vessels on station
8 a.m. - Cumberland River closed to all boat traffic for up to 36 hours
8:05 a.m. - Public viewing areas open at Livingston County Fairgrounds and at 770 Tiline Road (KY 70)
8:30 a.m. - New U.S 60 Cumberland River Bridge closes to all highway traffic
8:40 a.m. - 1500 ft. Blast Clear Zone security sweep
9 a.m. - Siren to precede 10 second countdown to blast that will take down main truss and two approach spans on each side
9:15 a.m. - Contractor and KYTC personnel start sweep deck of new bridge to remove blast debris
9:30 a.m. - Barge and crane move into position to remove old bridge truss from the river with ground-based crew starting additional demolition of approach spans
11 a.m. (Approximately) - New U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge reopens to highway traffic with traffic restricted to one lane alternating flow controlled by an automated signal through Friday
5 p.m. - Crane halts steel removal for the day

Friday
Cumberland River remains closed to all boat traffic until approximately 8 p.m.
Crane continues to remove steel from river at daylight
Coast Guard team runs sonar scan of river bed before restoring river traffic
The contractor has established a 1500 clear zone around the blast site.  The public is asked to stay out of the clear zone to avoid delaying the detonation.

The U.S. Coast Guard has authorized the contractor to halt commercial tow boat and pleasure boat traffic for up to 36 hours on the Cumberland River to allow a barge-mounted crane to remove pieces of the steel truss from the river.   Livingston County Emergency Management, Crittenden County Rescue Squad, Marshall County Emergency Management, and McCracken County Emergency Management will assist with security.

A Kentucky Environmental Cabinet DMRE unit will assist with seismic monitoring of the blast.

Fredonia solar project hosts public meetings

RWE Clean Energy, the company building two solar farms near Fredonia, has scheduled two public meetings next month for its second project. Details of what has been named Pleasant Valley Solar project will be available at the meetings. 

The first public meeting will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 12 at the Lyon County Convention Center at Lee Jones Park. 

The second will be held in Fredonia from 5 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 13 at Fredonia Cumberland Presbyterian Activities Building. 

Both meetings will have the same information with an open, come-and-go format. Pleasant Valley Solar will be an up to 125 megawatt solar generation facility and will connect to a Big Rivers Electric Corporation 161 kV transmission line that crosses the project. It is proposed to be located on 1,027 acres on the border of Lyon and Caldwell counties east of the Western Kentucky Correctional Facility. 

This will be adjacent to RWE Clean Energy’s Ashwood Solar project, which is currently under construction south of Fredonia off US 641. 

If unable to attend, you may contact REW’s Paul Griffin at paul.griffin@rwe.com or (872) 257-4451.

Job Corps center has job openings

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The Earle C. Clements Job Corps Center is hiring! Minimum wage is $16.20, plus sign-on bonus for most positions.

Pay for Residential Advisor positions for nights and overnights is $16.45 per hour plus a $2,000 sign-on bonus.

The Job Corps Center offers a benefits package and opportunities for advancement. 

River View Coal hiring in Henderson County

River View Coal is accepting applications for its Henderson County Mine.

Applications may be uploaded at Brightfuture.arlp.com.

For more information, call (270) 389-6733.

Perry's parents never pushed him toward UK

Travis Perry slips on a UK camp while with mother and father,
Jamie and Ryan Perry look on. Ryan and Jamie are graduates
of Crittenden County High School and the University of Kentucky.

Ryan Perry and his wife are both University of Kentucky graduates and have been Kentucky fans their whole lives. However, they made sure they took the middle ground when their son, Lyon County senior Travis Perry, was being recruited.

“I have a whole closet full of Kentucky clothes that I could not wear the last couple of years. I could not go into events wearing clothes of another team when my son was being recruited by the school where we were,” Perry said. 

Travis Perry, the state’s all-time leading boys scorer, picked Kentucky over Cincinnati, Ole Miss, Western Kentucky, Alabama and others in a move that surprised a lot of UK fans and national recruiting analysts.

“It was his decision but it was hard at times,” Ryan Perry, the head coach at Lyon County, said. “Deep down you would love to see your kid play at any school but especially the school you pull for as much as my family does for Kentucky. It was his decision and it was a hard decision because he had such good relations with a lot of other coaches.

“My wife and I wanted to make sure it was Travis’ decision. He had to make sure it was the right place for him but he has a good track record of making good decisions.”

Coach Perry said his son is a “very loyal” person who chose Kentucky because he wants to help the program win.

“He is addicted to winning. That’s all he wants to do. As long as he can impact winning, he is happy,” Ryan Perry said. “Lyon County used to be a little over a .500 program. Now we have been to the last two state tournaments. He played for Indiana Elite (in summer basketball) and went 106-7 in three years. He expects to win and will do what it takes to win.

“He wanted to put that Kentucky jersey on every morning and help the team win. Fans love him because he plays so hard and that’s what he will do at Kentucky.”

Kentucky coach John Calipari was so welcoming to the Perry family after offering the Lyon senior a scholarship and Ryan Perry said that “resonated with us early” and meant a lot to the family. 

Calipari didn’t tell Travis Perry he would have to work to earn playing time. 

“It’s no secret Kentucky has really good guards every year. That’s what they do at Kentucky,” Ryan Perry said. “You have to try and earn minutes from lottery picks every year. We appreciated coach Cal and the way he was honest the whole time.

“The more Travis heard he should take the easier path and get playing time quicker by not going to Kentucky, the more he felt challenged and he loves a challenge.”

Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard of North Laurel heard the same thing last year before he signed with Kentucky. He’s been an instant contributor at Kentucky with his 3-point shooting, passing and defense.

“I told Travis that Reed would be an impact player and could definitely play for Kentucky. He’s a guy you cannot keep off the floor. He shoots at a high level and is just a guy that makes everybody around him better,” Ryan Perry said. “If you are trying to win you have got to have guys like that on your team.

“He is having a great freshman year just like I thought he would. He’s a great kid from a great family. They have been supportive of Travis and we have been supportive of Reed. It helped Travis watching games and seeing what Reed was doing. It kind of validated that if you play the right way and make others better it is hard to keep you off the floor.”

Travis Perry is similar to Sheppard in that he is not an emotional player. He doesn’t get overly excited or overly down on the court. He took the same approach to his college choice.

“He doesn’t get very excited about a lot of things but we saw a sense of relief when he picked Kentucky and could tell Travis was very relaxed about the decision he made,” the Lyon coach said. “It was like the

Texans perform Sunday, Dec. 3 in Marion

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The Texans will present a Christmas concert Sunday, Dec. 3 in Marion.

Marion Church of God on Old Fords Ferry Rd., will host the group, which will present "The Reason for the Season," at 6 p.m.

Great music for the entire family will be shared, with a love offering accepted to help missions around the world.

UPDATED: Fatal crash on US 60 West

Includes updates at 6:44pm, confirming fatality 

Road will be closed until about 8:30 p.m.

It appears that a Kentucky State Police accident reconstruction crew is now on the scene of a double fatality automobile accident on US 60 West in Crittenden County. The highway will remained closed until approximately 8:30 pm, according to state highway department officials. 

The crash occurred around 3pm and involved three vehicles. 

At least one young victim was flown to Vanderbilt Hospital with injuries. Another passenger was not seriously injured. 

The head-on crash happened just east of the KY 297 intersection near the bottom of Moore Hill.

Victims identified 

Victims of the fatal accident included Jesika Duncan, 21, of Marion and Harold G. Glendening, 59, of Tiline. Both were drivers. Another driver, Charles H. Blankinship, 28, of Tiline was not seriously injured.

Duncan's two-year-old son, Knox, was taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville where he is recovering from injuries. A 7-year-old passenger in one vehicle was transported to Livingston County Hospital and then life-flighted to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville. Another 3-year-old passenger in one of the vehicles was not injured.

Johnson's has holiday savings

Holiday savings continue at Johnson's Furniture & Appliances.

Stop by and check out the savings or visit JohnsonsFurn.com.

Chamber hosts Small Business Bingo

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This holiday season the Crittenden County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a game of Small Business Bingo to get shoppers in the spirit and in local stores.

Discounts are offered at 23 local businesses, ranging from Buy 1, Get 1 Free to reduced rates on merchandise.

Get the Bingo card out of the Nov. 21 Early Bird and visit businesses to make a Bingo either vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The free square can be used in any location to make Bingo.

Turn cards in no later than Dec. 20 at The Crittenden Press for a chance to win a big Chamber of Commerce prize basket. Receipts or stamps provided by each business must be attached to 

completed Bingo cards.

Have fun and shop local.

Wreck on U.S. 60 near Moore Hill

Traffic is backed up in both directions on U.S. 60 West in the vicinity of Moore Hill following an accident around 4:15 p.m., today.

Law enforcement and EMS officials are on the scene of the accident involving a vehicle and farm tractor. Motorists should find alternate routes and avoid the area until the scene is cleared.

VAUGHT: Sheppard 3rd leading scorer

Kentucky freshman Reed Sheppard currently is the team's third leading scorer at 13.3 points per game and leads the team in 3-point shooting at 70.6 percent (12 of 17). However, he also led the team in steals (12) and blocked shots (6) after four games.

Maybe some fans have been surprised by the way Sheppard can play defense. However, freshman teammate D.J. Wagner knew what was coming.

“That’s what he does in practice,” Wagner said. “Now you all are seeing it. You all are seeing how much of a threat he is defensively, how great of a player he is defensively.”

Sheppard’s instincts and athleticism made him a good player at North Laurel High School. He’s second all-time in Kentucky in career steals. He’s also shown he can block shots, especially from 3-point range, like he did in high school.

“It must be exhausting to have Reed Sheppard guarding you,” ESPN/SEC Network announcer Tom Hart said. “He never lets up.” 

Sheppard said daily practices forced him to get even better defensively.

“That’s the good thing about being at Kentucky. I get to guard Robert (Dillingham) and D.J., Antonio (Reeves), Justin (Edwards) — whoever it is in practice — every single day,” Sheppard said. “Sometimes it’s not fun at all, because they’re all really, really good players. 

“You just get better. Every day, you compete. So being able to do that against them in practice is a

City, County governmental meetings this week

Marion City Councils meets at 5pm Monday (tonight) at city hall for its regular monthly meeting.

Crittenden County Fiscal Court meets in special session at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday at the County Office Complex.

Buntin conducts Crider auction Dec. 2

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Furniture, farm equipment, tools and outdoors items will be included in an action Dec. 2 conducted by Buntin Auction Service.

Auctioneer Curt Buntin will sell these indoor and outdoor items at the Mike and Lisa Crider residence at 803 Just-a-Mere Road 

in Crittenden County.

Furniture includes a dining room suite, church pew, book case, wooden gun cabinet, bar stools and other miscellaneous pieces.

A variety of shop tools and outdoor equipment, hunting and fishing supplies are also included in the sale.

The resemblance is fascinating

This photo is from My Old Kentucky in Bardstown, Ky., where this gazebo is a renown landmark.

Fohs Hall is getting one of its own designed and inspired from this one at Stephen F. Foster's homeplace.

An architect's computer-generated renderings of the proposed Fohs Hall gazebo and colonnade are in this week's full edition of The Crittenden Press. You'll want to see these remarkable, full-color drawings.

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. Try our new e-Edition newspaper emailed straight to your inbox every Wednesday. Click here to SUBSCRIBE.

Copyright 2023

The Crittenden Press

Family accepts Poindexter's retired jersey

Family members of the late James Howard "Jimmie" Poindexter, who died Dec. 22, 1973, accept Poindexter's framed retired jersey during Havoc at the Hive Nov. 11 in Fredonia. 

Poindexter was a 15-year-old freshman on the Frances Bulldogs' basketball team when he died from injuries as a result of a tractor accident. During his final basketball season, he was averaging 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Accepting the framed retired jersey, which contained a letter from the 1973-1974 basketball team and a photo of the team, are (from left) Laura Poindexter, Connor Poindexter, Brayden Poindexter who wore number 41 during the Havoc at the Hive scrimmage, Reed Poindexter, Jimmie Poindexter's sister-in-law Bonita Poindexter, his nephew Jeremy Poindexter, sister Linda Chandler; and sister-in-law Cathy Poindexter.

REMINDER: KY 120 remains closed at eastern county line

Kentucky Highway 120 remains closed at the Crittenden-Webster County Line while a bridge is replaced across the Tradewater River.

Due to the extended closure, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has recommended a marked detour along KY 109 North from Providence to U.S. 60 West at Sullivan, then along U.S. 60 East to Marion. The detour will add 8.4 miles or 11 minutes to a trip between Marion and Providence, transportation officials say.

Work is scheduled to take most of the winter to complete.

For several months prior to the work, the bridge had a reduced five-ton weight limit posted. An electronic sign has been located just east of Marion on KY 120 since the weight limit was reduced and notifying users of the closure.

There are actually three bridges at the project site on KY 120. The main bridge spanning the Tradewater River is okay, but two smaller bridges that cross a slew near the river need replacing. Cambry Contracting, Inc., of Leitchfield is the primary contractor on the $727,224 bridge replacement project. There is some indication that state transportation crews may try to replace the other small bridge while the highway is closed. 

UPDATE: Student charged with false threat

Updated with further information 4:16pm

Crittenden County School District says students were moved the football field before 2pm today after a threat was made by a student. 

A safety sweep was conducted by law enforcement and no danger was determined. 

A high school student has been charged with making a false threat. 

Sheriff Evan Head said the student, a 14-year-old female, was taken into custody and will be facing a single felony charge. The sheriff characterized the situation as a "bomb threat" but said nothing was found and no students were ever in harms way.

"Our students' and staff's safety is our main focus, and we will always take all measures to ensure safety in our district," the school said in a news release. 

ORIGINAL POST

Crittenden County School District issued the following alert at about 2pm today.

This afternoon, students at CCMS and CCHS were placed on lockdown and then evacuated to the football field following a statement made by a high school student. Our SRO and local law enforcement immediately investigated and determined no immediate danger.  All students are safe on the football field with staff while further safety measures are made. A security sweep is currently in progress of both buildings. Updates will be shared promptly. 

Havoc at the Hive: Crittenden vs Caldwell

For the first time in about 50 years, Fredonia gym hosted a big ballgame.

Billed as Havoc at the Hive, Fredonia Baptist Church organized a scrimmage game between Crittenden and Caldwell counties' basketball teams. Crittenden wore replica uniforms of the Frances Bulldogs and Caldwell was dressed as the Fredonia Yellowjackets.

The gym was packed and Caldwell won the scrimmage game.

Proceeds from the $30-a-ticket ThrowBack event will be divided among the two teams and the church.

Click here for photos

Livingston Hospital clinic open in Marion

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Livingston Hospital's new Family Clinic opened Monday.

The clinic offers primary care services by nurse practitioners Jennifer Johnson and Samantha Samuels, and behavioral and mental health services by Jessica Sigler.

Healthcare for the whole family are offered, including infants through seniors. 

The clinic is located on South Main Street in the former Midwest Transport building.

Hughes addresses packed Veterans Day event

Retired Marine and reservist Barkley Hughes

Paul Barkley Hughes, USMC-Ret. a 1990 graduate of Crittenden County High School, was the keynote speaker during the community Veterans Day program 

at Rocket Arena Friday.

Hughes served in the U.S. Marines from 1991-1995 

and in the Kentucky National Guard from 1996-2013,  serving in combat in Africa, Afghanistan and Iraq and retiring as commander HDD 149th Brigade Support Battalion.

HERE IS A LINK TO MORE PHOTOS