Lunch with Santa cancelled

The Lions Club Lunch with Santa on Saturday at Marion Baptist Church has been cancelled due to the forecast for wintry weather. The event will be rescheduled. Check back for a date.

Courthouse offices closed Saturday

All courthouse offices will be closed Saturday. This includes the office of circuit clerk, county clerk and sheriff.

State snow, ice crews prep for wintry mix

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 1 snow and ice team is carefully monitoring a winter weather event that is expected to hit the 12 westernmost counties of Kentucky with a winter mix of precipitation on Thursday and Friday.

Area highway crews have stocked up on brine to prepare to pretreat roadways, if possible. At this point, it appears rain will move in before the winter precipitation hits. That prohibits pretreating because the rain would wash away any benefits.

The snow and ice team will continue to monitor the weather forecast. If the chance of rain diminishes crews will be prepared to pre-treat. Otherwise, crews are continuing their regular maintenance activities. In between other duties, operators will be checking their equipment to assure they are prepared for whatever arrives at our doorstep later in the week. Back in late-October, operators made test runs along their assigned routes with snow plows and salt spreaders mounted on their trucks.

Motorists are asked to carefully monitor area news media outlets for updates as this winter weather event approaches.

KyTC has established snow and ice priority routes for each county. Maps showing the snow removal priority routes are available at http://go.usa.gov/gmDe. In the initial hours of a winter weather event, crews focus much of their attention on “A” snow and ice priority routes such as interstates, parkways and federal highways. As conditions improve on major transportation routes, crews move to “B” routes which are generally connector routes, then move to “C” routes which are generally rural secondary highways.

Timely traffic advisories for the 12 counties of KyTC Highway District 1 are available by going to www.facebook.com/kytcdistrict1. You do not have to be a Facebook member to access this page.

'Scrooge' play rescheduled due to weather

This weekend's play at Fohs Hall, "Scrooge in Bethlehem," has been rescheduled for a later date due to an impending winter storm forecast to arrive Thursday night with a significant accumulation of wintry precipitation expected.

New dates for the play will be Dec. 13 and 15. The times will remain the same, 7 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

The musical production incorporates the Nativity with the Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol."

Saturday's Christmas parade cancelled

According to Crittenden County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Susan Alexander, weather experts, Crittenden County Emergency Management and local law enforcement have advised the Chamber to cancel Saturday's Christmas parade due to a forecast winter storm arriving Thursday night. Once the weather arrives, temperatures are not expected to rise above the freezing mark until mid-Sunday, when more wintry precipitation is expected.

As of right now, there are no plans to reschedule the parade.

Keep checking The Press Online and our Facebook page for cancellations and rescheduled events related to the impending weather.

Accident on US 60E

Emergency response personnel are at the scene of an automobile accident on U.S. 60 East near the Crittenden-Union line. Although an ambulance crew was dispatched to the scene, it does not appear that the victim(s) have sustained life-threatening injuries.

School custodian, referee Hamilton dies

Mike Hamilton, a Crittenden County School District custodian and sports referee, passed away in Eddyville earlier tonight while officiating a basketball game.

Hamilton had called the first game of a middle school boys' doubleheader between Lyon and Caldwell counties. In the second game, he left the court and went into the locker room where he later died of an apparent heart attack.

Hamilton was the head umpire for youth baseball and softball games at Marion-Crittenden County Park and had for several years officiated various other school and youth sporting events in western Kentucky.

Food Giant circulars not in Bird

Local consumers who did not receive Food Giant inserts in this week's Early Bird may pick up a copy of the current sales flyer at the Marion Food Giant or at The Crittenden Press office. A delivery issue with the grocer's printing company prevented the weekly inserts from being included in the Early Bird this week. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes for local consumers.

Area death

Donald E. Ryan, 77, of Portage, Ind., a native of Crittenden County, died Dec. 1, 2013, at his home. Reese Funeral Home in Portage is handling arrangements.

Circuit clerk's office closed Wednesday

Crittenden County Circuit Clerk's office will be closed Wednesday.

Area death

Phillip Conger Jr., 85, of Earlington, Ky., formerly of Mexico, died Nov. 28, 2013 at Baptist Health Madisonville. Morgan's Funeral Home in Princeton is handling arrangements.

Area deaths

L. Dwayne Croft, 80, of Marion died Dec. 1, 2013, at his home. Myers Funeral Home in Marion is handling arrangements.

H.F. Simpson, 82, of Marion died Dec. 1, 2013, at Baptist Health Madisonville. Myers Funeral Home in Marion is handling arrangements.

U.S. Senate candidate in Marion Monday

Matt Bevin, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, will be in Marion Monday at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church on West Bellville Street. Bevin will be at the church's fellowship hall from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Area deaths

J.D. Hackney, 71, of Marion died Nov. 29, 2013, at his home in Marion. Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion is handling arrangements.

Maranda Sue “Mandy” Robinson-Nichols, 41, of Marion died Nov. 29, 2013 at her home in Marion. Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion is handling arrangements.

Judith A. Roach, 73, of St. Augustine, Fla., formerly of Marion, died in Florida. Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion is handling arrangements.

Area death

Robert “Bob” M. Daniels, 73, of Tiline died Nov. 28, 2013, at his home. Boyd Funeral Directors in Salem is handling arrangements.

Press closed for Thanksgiving

The Crittenden Press will be closed today and Friday in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We wish you all a happy and blessed Thanksgiving.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

    ~ From President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Proclamation of Thanksgiving

Area deaths

Shirley Sue (Riley) Gass, 75, of Paducah, a native of Livingston County, died Nov. 25, 2013, at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah. Boyd Funeral Directors in Salem is handling arrangements.

Russell Louie Henry, 83, of Tallahassee, Fla., formerly of Dycusburg, died Nov. 22, 2013, at Seven Hills Health and Rehab Center in Tallahassee. Morgan’s Funeral Home in Princeton is handling arrangements.

Gov. Beshear to appear on 'CBS Evening News'

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear will appear today on the "CBS Evening News" at 5:30 p.m. Anchorman Scott Pelley profiles the governor and implementation in Kentucky of the Affordable Care Act.

Join Meacham's celebration Saturday

Special Basketball Section this Week

The printed edition of The Crittenden Press will be publishing this week its annual Basketball Preview Special Section. 

The newspaper's special coverage will include individual and team photographs, rosters, schedules and a preview of the boys' and girls' teams. 

It will be on newsstands by 3 p.m., Wednesday.

Bookmark and follow the Rockets and Lady Rockets Online at this link:
http://cchsrocketbasketball.blogspot.com/