1st Congressional District ranks among worst in nation in well-being

A 2015 study ranks Kentucky's 1st Congressional District
among the nation's worst in well-being for its residents. See how
the district measures up by clicking image to enlarge.

THE CRITTENDEN PRESS
Nowhere are the disparities between the haves and have nots in America more apparent than in California, but in Kentucky, that disparity gives way to an apparent desperateness from one end of the state to the other.

Kentucky, particularly western and far eastern portions of the state, is mostly populated with have nots when it comes to well-being, according to a recent Measure of America study, a project of the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Social Science Research Council (SSRC). The 1st Congressional District's abysmal rankings in three fundamental areas determining the general welfare of a population helps underscore the importance of Tuesday's primary election.

The 65-page study of well-being, Geographies of Opportunity, ranks each of the nation’s 435 congressional districts and the District of Columbia on how its residents are faring in the areas health, access to knowledge and living standards. The rankings simply provide a way to measure based on geography what the independent, non-profit research organization SSRC calls the American Human Development Index.

Kentucky's 1st Congressional District, which encompasses most of western Kentucky, including Crittenden and Livingston counties, ranks in the bottom 10 percent in all three fundamental areas studied. The state's 5th Congressional District, nestled in far eastern Kentucky in the heart of Appalachia, ranks even lower.

Retiring Congressman Ed Whitfield, who has represented the 1st District for 22 years, said the task ahead to improve the quality of life in western Kentucky will require conservative leadership on Capitol Hill.

“I believe the most effective way for Congress to improve the quality of life in the 1st Congressional District is by advancing policies that promote economic growth, create jobs and expand opportunities for Kentuckians,” the Hopkinsville Republican told The Crittenden Press. “The House Republican majority has passed legislation to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, simplify the tax code, promote educational opportunities for our students, expand domestic energy production, make it easier to hire veterans and to empower the American worker.”

However, Republicans have held the majority in the House in all but four years – 2007-11 – since Whitfield first took office in 1995, and the district is still suffering from poor health, subpar living standards and an apparent weak emphasis education.

Of the 436 districts, Kentucky’s 1st Congressional District ranks only 18 from the bottom in Measuring America’s overall human development index, which is a composite score of health, living standards and access to knowledge. The nation’s highest rating came from California District 18 that includes the San Francisco Bay Area. Next door, the Golden State’s Central Valley (District 21) reflected the worst score.

The top 10 congressional districts in terms of human development are all in the greater metropolitan areas of Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. The bottom 10 disproportionately comprise struggling rural and urban areas in the South. These areas face interlocking challenges in terms of residential segregation by income and race, poor health, under-resourced educational infrastructure and limited job opportunities.

Whitfield said work to improve the lifestyle of a district as large as Kentucky’s 1st District, which includes 35 counties, takes time.

“Communities and regions of the country cannot change overnight, but (House Republicans) can and are taking the incremental steps necessary to promote change and improve lives,” he explained.

Three of the four candidates in next week’s GOP congressional primary to fill Whitfield’s open seat discussed with The Press the issues they would be facing as congressman should they earn the nomination and go on to beat Democratic nominee Samuel L. Gaskins in November. Jason Batts of Clinton said the Measure of America study is emblematic of small town America.

“Being from a small town,” he said, “I know firsthand how we the people struggle with the policies implemented by career politicians. It’s our small towns that have felt the worst impact of Washington’s policies.

“We need to pass a balanced budget amendment, end the rules and regulations coming out of Washington and reform our tax system so we have more money in our pockets. These are the types of policies that will increase the economic opportunity for all of us.”

Perhaps the most telling result of the poor overall ranking for rural parts of Kentucky is found in life expectancy. Congressional District 5 in eastern Kentucky rates last in the nation in life expectancy at only 72.9 years. Just 14 spots up from last, where residents can expect to live 75.5 years, is District 1. The average life expectancy in the U.S. is 79.1 years and tops out in the bay area of San Francisco (District 19) at 83.9 years.

If prosperity is measured in dollars alone, western Kentucky is scraping the bottom again. The median income is only $24,070, more than $6,000 off the national average and almost $37,000 behind someone living in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan (New York District 12), America’s most affluent district. The median earnings in Kentucky District 1 are poor enough to place it 394 of 436. California District 12 in the slums of L.A. had the lowest median earnings at $20,054.

Mike Pape, a Republican congressional candidate from Hopkinsville, largely blames President Obama for crippling one of the biggest economic drivers in western Kentucky.

“It is hard to grow an economy where coal is one of our largest economic drivers while Obama’s EPA wages their war on coal,” he said. “This isn’t just a war on a mineral or companies. This is a war on coal jobs.

“I have seen the effects firsthand that this has had on coal miners and their families from my 21 years of working with Congressman Whitfield. Our economic growth can’t flourish while we’re losing well-paying jobs to the EPA.”

Of course, one of the road blocks to attaining better paying jobs or starting a new career after a mine layoff is education. District 1 in Kentucky ranked only 21 spots from the bottom in terms of percentage of the population with a bachelor’s degree. Just 15.5 percent of the people living in the district have earned a four-year degree compared with 69.2 percent – tops in the nation – in the same New York district where earnings were highest. California’s Central Valley (District 12) that attained the overall worst rating in the study, ranked last in education with only 8.3 percent having attained a degree. That agricultural district is home to tens of thousands of migrant farm workers.

James Comer, the presumed frontrunner in Tuesday’s 1st District race, says western Kentucky suffers from a brain drain. Over-regulation by the federal government is forcing those with an education to go elsewhere to seek employment, he claims.

“In my travels across the district, one major problem that I see is that our best and brightest leave home to go to college and do not return back home,” he explained. “In order to keep our best and brightest young people in the rural counties across the 1st Congressional District, we must create more good-paying jobs. The biggest impediments to job creation in rural areas are the federal government's burdensome regulations, unfair trade policies and lack of infrastructure.”

Improving the welfare of the people in District 1 and other disaffected areas of the country will be a long, uphill battle, Congressman Whitfield warns. It is also one that will take more than a single congressman to solve.

“It is essential that we have presidential leadership that promotes economic growth,” he said, citing a Goldman Sachs Global Markets Institute study that found 6 million jobs lost in the U.S. from 2009 to 2014 tied to a decline of small businesses. “According to this report, the primary cause for these declines is because of regulations that have come from the Obama Administration.”

But whether studies like Measuring America are enough to get voters to the polls remains to be seen. Crittenden County Clerk Carolyn Byford expects a low turnout Tuesday, perhaps 17 percent, she guessed.

Primary Election 411

THE CRITTENDEN PRESS
If it seems like you’ve already voted more this year than in most others, for many, you are right.

Next week’s primary election in Kentucky marks the third vote in 2016 for many in Crittenden County. For Republicans, the March 5 presidential caucus led off the balloting, and residents inside the City of Marion voted down legalizing alcohol March 22.

Tuesday will mark the first voting opportunity for county Democrats living outside Marion’s city limits.  However, with Hillary Clinton having all but wrapped up the party’s nomination for President, the election is not likely to draw many of the county’s 2,927 registered Democrats. There is still a vote to pick the party’s nominee for U.S. Senate, but of the seven hopefuls, only two carry any significant name recognition – Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, who is Kentucky’s first openly gay candidate for the post, and Tom Recktenwald, who two years ago ran an unsuccessful primary bid for the state’s other seat in the Senate.

A contested Democratic race for District 1 congressman is on the ballot, but only in appearance. Paducah’s Tom Osborne dropped out of the race after ballots in the Bluegrass State were printed, and all votes for him will be discarded, anointing Hopkinsville’s Samuel Gaskins the party’s choice to face one of four Republicans looking to fill retiring Congressman Ed Whitfield’s seat on Capitol Hill.

Those four candidates – Mike Pape, Jason Batts, James Comer and Miles Caughey Jr. – will be featured in one of two races for 3,230 GOP voters in the county. An outsider at best, Caughey offers only token resistance in what could be a tight three-way race.

Seeking the party’s choice to vie in November for the upper chamber in Congress will be incumbent U.S. Sen. Rand Paul. He is facing two political longshots. Paul ran for President, but ended his bid just after the Iowa caucuses in February.

For whom can I vote?
Kentucky’s primary is closed, meaning voters can only select from candidates of their own political persuasion. If you are uncertain if you are a Democrat or Republican, you may contact County Clerk Carolyn Byford’s office prior to Election Day at (270) 965-3403 or visit the secretary of state’s Voter Information Center.

It is too late to register to vote or change parties.

When can I vote?
Across Kentucky, polls are open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday. In Crittenden County, absentee balloting in Byford’s office ends at 4 p.m. Monday.

Where do I vote?
There are a dozen precincts in Crittenden County, giving every voter a polling location within only a few miles of their home. Precinct numbers, their polling location and IDs are:

1. Crittenden County Courthouse (C101).
2. Emmanuel Baptist Church (A101).
3. Marion Baptist Church (F101).
4. Marion Ed-Tech Center (D101).
5. Crittenden County Gun Club (C102).
6. St. William Catholic Church (E102).
7. Mexico Baptist Church (D102).
8. Grace Baptist Church (D102).
9. Deer Creek Baptist Church (B101).
10. Tolu Community Center (B102).
11. Mattoon Fire Department (A102).
12. Shady Grove Fire Department (F102).

To find out where you vote, visit the aforementioned Voter Information Center online or contact Byford’s office.

Where can I get results?
Local election results will be posted here at The Press Online around 7 p.m. Tuesday and will be available at the courthouse as returns filter in.

Next eclipse meeting set for May 19

The next meeting for planning a local event tied to next year’s rare total solar eclipse will be at 2 p.m. next at The Peoples Bank in Marion. Organizers are hoping to schedule a community fun day the Saturday before the Monday, Aug. 21, 2017 event.

The eclipse will be the first since 1918 with a path of totality crossing the lower 48 states, and Crittenden County will have one of the longest viewing times in the country. Tens of thousands of people from around the world are expected to descend upon western Kentucky for the astrological phenomenon.

Curnel Chamber's Person of Year

Among those recognized by the Crittenden County Chamber
of Commerce last week were (from left) Eddie King,
Melanie Lloyd, Robin Curnel, Kathey Penn Belt
and Natalie Parish.

From The Crittenden Press, May 5, 2016 Issue

A nurse who’s devoted her professional life to the local hospital and her spare time to volunteer work, largely with children’s and civic groups, was named Person of the Year last week by the Crittenden County Chamber of Commerce.

Robin Curnel, a native of Graves County who has called Marion her home for more than 20 years, was humbled and a bit emotional following her recognition during the Chamber’s annual awards banquet last Thursday at the Marion Ed-Tech Center.

“This is certainly something I never expected,” Curnel said.

She is the outgoing Chamber president having served two terms at the post. Curnel is by day the chief nursing operations officer at Crittenden Health Systems where she’s spent the vast majority of her 21-year nursing career.

A member of the PTO, park board and youth sports organizations, Curnel has devoted much her volunteer work to children for which she’s always had a soft spot in her heart. She was originally an obstetrics nurse and counts among her greatest blessings her two children.

A self-professed farm girl and NASCAR fan, Curnel will remain as a Chamber director through 2017 as past-president.

Others honored by the Chamber of Commerce were owner Eddie King and the Heritage Golf Course at Marion Country Club, Conrad’s employee Melanie Lloyd, Pennyrile Allied Community Services Crittenden County Director Kathey Penn Belt and Relay for Life Chairperson Natalie Parish.

The Chamber named Parish Volunteer of the Year for her work with the American Cancer Society’s biggest fundraising event and her volunteer work with the Crittenden County Lions Club. Parish, the community’s first female member of the Lions Club, is co-chair of the county fair and directs the fair pageants. She was also the Lions Club Lion of the Year for 2015.

Parish lives in the Caldwell Springs community with her family, which has a large farming operation. She serves a director for the Caldwell Springs Volunteer Fire Department, School Advisory Council and the county food bank.

Lloyd, who works as a shift manager at the service desk and checkout line at Conrad’s Food Store, was recognized with the Chamber’s Customer Service Award. Lloyd’s high-energy, bubbly persona has been a regular fixture at the grocery store for the last six years. She is a native of California who moved to Crittenden County 11 years ago.

Belt was awarded the Chamber’s Unsung Hero Award for her tireless dedication to the less fortunate in the community. As director of the PACS in Crittenden County, she oversees a number of low-income programs that affect thousands of people, including free food distribution, clothes closet and winter heating and summer cooling assistance and more.

Much of her time is spent teaching community classes to help people learn how to cook, sew, apply for college grants, garden and find other types of assistance.

“When I took this position, I vowed to make a difference in my community,” Belt said.

The Chamber agrees that she has indeed done just that.

For its renovations over the last year or so, the country club was selected for the Chamber’s Community Pride Award. The club was purchased by King less than two years ago and he and his staff have made great strides at improving its appearance and benefit to the community. King grew up in this area, but has become a successful California businessman. He now spends part of his time here and part of it on the West Coast.

Mayor Mickey Alexander said a country club is an asset to any community because of its offerings of swimming, dining and golf. He said King never forgot his roots and has been a key figure in reinvigorating interest in the semi-private club in Marion.

The Chamber also installed its new officers for 2016-17. They are Randa Berry, president; Angel Henry, vice-president; and Todd Perryman, treasurer. New board members were also sworn at the annual meeting. They are Madison Qualls, Chris Evans, Dee Brasher and Marilyn Belt, who was not present.

Area Death

John James Autry, 35, of Marion died Thursday, May 12, 2016 at his home after a long illness. Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion is in charge of arrangements.

Know the candidates for Tuesday's vote

Click to enlarge

Tuesday is Primary Election Day in Kentucky. While President is the top office on the ballot, Republicans have already chosen Donald Trump in their caucus March 5, and Hillary Clinton has all but wrapped up the Democratic nomination. However, voters in both parties still need to choose candidates for U.S. Senate, and Republicans also have a nominee for U.S. House of Representatives to select.

On the image to the right, The Crittenden Press shares some basic information readily available for all candidates appearing on Tuesday’s ballot, a sample of which is also shown above. The information includes age, city of residence, occupation, military experience, political experience, education, family, religion and the candidate’s website.

Further information can be found online with the 2016 Kentucky Voter Guide, Ballotpedia.org and Project Vote Smart, which offers its Political Courage Test that indicates where candidates stand on key issues.

Votes for candidates who have withdrawn from their respective races – Democrats Tom Osborne for Congress and Martin O’Malley for President – will be discarded.

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We're Celebrating You

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Area deaths

Linda Pearl Odom, 67, of Marion died Wednesday at Crittenden Hospital. Gilbert Funeral Home in Marion is in charge of arrangements.

Charles Edward Beard, 87, of Marion died Friday at Crittenden Health and Rehabilitation Center. Boyd Funeral Directors and Cremation Services in Salem is in charge of arrangements.

Martha Jane Robertson, 82, of Princeton, formerly of Marion, died Thursday at Crittenden Hospital. Boyd Funeral Directors and Cremation Services is in charge of arrangements.

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Election turnout expected to be low

Election officials expect next week's turnout for the primary in Kentucky to be low.

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes on Wednesday projected approximately 20 percent of the 3.2 million people registered to vote in Kentucky will turn out for the May 17 Primary Election. Crittenden County Clerk Carolyn Byford predicts 17 percent turnout locally.

“After reviewing absentee data provided by our county clerks and historical turnout in similar election cycles, I believe one in five registered Kentucky voters will cast ballots in Tuesday’s Primary Election,” Grimes said. “While presidential primaries generally draw significant interest, overall turnout will likely be driven lower because Republicans held a presidential caucus earlier this year.”

Election officials are expecting a lighter turnout among Republicans because the party held a caucus to choose presidential delegates in March, Grimes said. Republican voters in the Primary may still consider candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state Senate and state House.

About 13 percent of voters cast ballots in the 2012 Primary Election, the last presidential election cycle. In 2008, when the office of U.S. President was an open seat, Primary voter turnout was approximately 31 percent.

As of May 9, 5,694 voters had voted absentee on machines in county clerks’ offices and 9,814 absentee ballots had been mailed to voters.

Grimes encourages voters to prepare to vote on May 17 by checking their polling places and viewing sample ballots through GoVoteKY.com, Kentucky’s new one-stop voter portal.

Area Death

Donald Garner Brasher, 81, of Pleasanton, Texas died Saturday. The funeral was Monday at First United Methodist Church in Pleasanton. He was author of "The Wampus Cat" a tale of his boyhood in rural Crittenden County.

KSP traffic checkpoints listed

Throughout the month, the Kentucky State Police Post 2 in Madisonville will conduct traffic safety checkpoints in the Post 2 District.

The KSP utilizes traffic safety checkpoints to promote safety for motorists and to provide a deterrent for those who violate laws contained in the Kentucky Revised Statutes.

The intent of a traffic safety checkpoint is to provide a highly visible, public safety service focusing on vehicular equipment deficiencies, confirming appropriate registration and insurance of vehicles, and the valid licensing of drivers.  Violations of law or other public safety issues that arise shall be addressed.

Drivers encountering a traffic safety checkpoint are requested to have their operator’s license, vehicle registration receipt, and proof of insurance readily accessible.  Drivers with this information in hand can reasonably expect to be delayed for no more than a few minutes, as long as there are no violations of law, and depending on roadway congestion.

Listed below are the supervisory-approved traffic safety checkpoint locations in the Kentucky State Police Post 2 District:

CRITTENDEN COUNTY

• Ky. 297 at the U.S. 60 intersection
• U.S. 641 at the Crayne Post Office
• U.S. 60 at the Ky. 365 intersection
• Ky. 91 at the Ky.135 intersection

CALDWELL COUNTY

• Ky. 91 at the Ky. 139 intersection
• Ky. 126 at the Ky. 672 intersection
• U.S. 62 at the Lyon County line

WEBSTER COUNTY

• U.S. 41 at the Ky. 56 intersection
• U.S. 41A at the Ky. 56 / Ky. 873 intersection
• U.S. 41A at the Ken Williams Road intersection 

CHRISTIAN COUNTY

• U.S. 41 at the Ky. 800 intersection
• Ky. 91 at the Ky. 1026 (Clark Store Sinking Fork Road) intersection
• Ky. 107 at the Ky. 1682 intersection
• Ky. 507 at the Ky. 508 intersection
• Ky. 109 at the M.J. Boyd intersection 

HOPKINS COUNTY

• U.S. 62 at the Ky. 813 intersection
• U.S. 41 at the U.S. 62 intersection
• U.S. 41 at the Ky. 112 intersection
• U.S. 41A at the Ky. 630 intersection
• Ky. 70 at the Ky. 109 intersection 

MUHLENBERG COUNTY

• U.S. 431 at the Ky. 176 intersection
• Ky. 181 at the Ky. 601 intersection
• U.S. 431 at the Ky. 70 (Browder) intersection
• Ky. 189 at the Ky. 70 (Front Street) intersection
• Ky. 81 at the Ky. 181 intersection 

TODD COUNTY

• U.S. 79 at the Ky. 102 intersection
• Ky. 181 at the Ky. 507 intersection
• Ky. 181 at the Chestnut Road intersection

Traffic safety checkpoint locations in the Post 2 District may also be located at its website: www.kentuckystatepolice.org/posts/press/post2_checkpoints.html.

Post 2 serves Caldwell, Christian, Crittenden, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Todd and Webster.

Congressional candidates face local voters

THE CRITTENDEN PRESS
There’s not a lot of daylight between Mike Pape and Jason Batts on policy matters, but at a town hall meeting last month in Marion, each of the Republican congressional candidates put miles between themselves and the moderate wing of the GOP, not to mention Democrats in Washington, D.C.

The town hall on April 28 night at Fohs Hall was a bit of a departure from political events in recent years sponsored by Crittenden County Republican Party. Half of the field vying for the party’s nomination to fill an open seat on Capitol Hill took the stage at the community center to answer questions on issues submitted from the audience. While the local party has worked to bring candidates to the county for events in the past, they have essentially served as a platform for politicians to offer rehearsed comments on a whistlestop and discuss policy one-on-one with only a handful of voters aggressive enough to push for details.

The new format was a hit.

“It was a helluva good show,” said local pundit Gordon Guess, who probably knows national politics as well as anyone in the 1st Congressional District. “This offered a lot of substance.”

Former Kentucky agriculture commissioner and gubernatorial candidate James Comer was also on the billing, but cancelled just hours before the town hall, according to Fred Stubblefield, vice chairman of the county’s GOP. A fourth Republican candidate, Herndon farmer Miles A. Caughey Jr., whose campaign has registered little more than a blip on the radar, also sat out the chance to reach Crittenden County voters.

In stark contrast to the bitter presidential campaigns playing out in the media, Pape and Batts seemed to reach the few dozen voters at Fohs Hall – including a handful of Democrats – through substance, not slurs. At times, the two even made a point to compliment the other. Pape did, however, take a few shots at Comer, who is perceived as the frontrunner, though no independent polling less than two weeks before the May 17 primary has proven such.

In 1994, Ed Whitfield became the first-ever Republican elected to represent Kentucky’s 1st District in Congress. Last summer, Whitfield decided to make his 11th term in office his last, opening the field for a new set of GOP hopefuls like Pape and Batts.

While only nuances on policy separated the two men April 28 under the spotlights at Fohs Hall, the candidates took pains to underscore the biggest difference in their resumes – experience.

Pape, though he has never held public office, clearly holds the lead in political maturity. For 21 years, he served as Whitfield’s top man on the ground in Kentucky, working out of the congressman’s field office in Hopkinsville, where both men call home. In that role, Pape has visited all 35 counties in the district that encompasses all of far western Kentucky and spreads across much of south-central Kentucky. In fact, he is on a first name basis with most every county and city leader in the district, including those in Crittenden County.

“I have unmatched experience in representing the people of the 1st District,” Pape said in his opening comments, a statement he would repeat throughout the evening, touting his familiarity with issues concerning most western Kentucky conservatives from social issues to a $19 trillion national debt.

Meantime, Batts calls himself a different kind of candidate, a true establishment outsider. Unlike Pape and Comer, he is new to the political arena outside of his home county of Hickman, where he serves as county attorney. He sees that as his advantage over his opponents.

“I’m running because I’m absolutely fed up with Washington,” said the captain in the U.S. Army Reserves who has served as a military prosecutor. “I’m fed up with the direction of this country.”

Throughout the night, each man followed the other in answering question after question from the town hall moderator, Lyon County Judge-Executive Wade White, who selected topics from questions submitted prior to the event by voters in the crowd. On issue after issue, the two seemed to echo the sentiments of the audience, which cast its approval with applause.

Some of the issues addressed included:

Term limits
Both canddiates have pledged to limit their time on the Hill. Pape has restricted himself to 12 years, calling career politicians, including those in his own party, a big part of the nation’s problem. “They are too comfortable and too far removed,” he said, excluding his former boss from the suggestion. “I see that in what doesn’t happen in Congress today.”

Batts did not restrict himself to a specific number of terms, but said, “If we want to change Washington, we have to end career politicians.”

Gun control
Both want to strengthen the rights of gun owners and adamantly oppose any efforts to restrict ownership.

“As a prosecutor and soldier, I know how critical the 2nd Amendment is to our lives,” Batts said. “The 2nd Amendment is 27 words worth fighting for.”

“It’s a fundamental right we have as Americans,” Pape echoed.

Religious liberties
Liberal justices have gone too far in their efforts to remove the influences of Christianity on the daily lives of Americans, the two agreed.

“The first thing you do (to protect religious liberties) is follow the Constitution,” said Pape. “Congress should come back and legislate, in effect, to overturn the courts.”

“(Religious freedoms) are placed at the front of the Constitution for a reason,” Batts added. “We are a Christian nation.”

Both candidates are opposed to the federal government legalizing gay marriage, preferring instead to let each state decide the issue’s.

War on coal
Batts called the war on coal “one of the primary battlefields in the country.”

“All of us are impacted by the carrot and stick policy of Obama” in regard to energy policy, Batts said. “Alternative energy gets the carrot; coal gets the stick.”

“We have to reign in the EPA,” Pape said, calling the agency Obama’s tool to destroy coal. “It makes no sense at all. It wipes out our cheapest energy by over-regulating.”

Both men said the EPA is emblematic of a larger problem – overreach by the federal government that is negatively impacting the lives of the average American, particularly in coal country where local economies has been devastated by the loss of top jobs.

National defense
When asked the most important role of the federal government, Pape and Batts agreed that national defense is paramount and a stronger military is needed to carry out that duty.

Channeling the philosophy of President Ronald Reagan, his political idol, Pape said the best way to achieve peace is through strength.

“We’ve got to restore our military,” explained Pape, whose  wife’s brother was killed in Afghanistan. “We have to be a force for good so when we say something, the world knows we mean it and can back it up.”

Speaking as a veteran of the regular Army and current reservist, Batts railed on the issue of the federal government’s responsibilities.

“Their role is to protect our country, back the Constitution and stay out of our lives,” he said. “Washington doesn't understand. (Obama) won't even say ‘radical Islam.’ Well, I don't have any problem saying it. PC or not, we have to kill them first before they get us.”

Each extended their concern about protecting Americans to a porous southern border that threatens national security by allowing both foreign terrorists and illegal aliens into circulation. Increasing border security is the only way to reduce those threats, and building a wall is part of the answer along with adding more personnel.

Pape is the son of a legal German immigrant.

Veterans
Pape is also the son of a World War II and Korean War veteran. He said he is embarrassed at how the nation’s veterans are treated, particularly when it comes to their health care.

“Veterans should be able to go to the doctor here in Marion and get treatment, not have to wait in line at the VA and fill out complicated paperwork.”

“Career politicians have failed our veterans and failed us all,” Batts said. “Three hundred thousand veterans have died awaiting care.”

Other issues
Both candidates identified as pro-life and advocated cutting all federal monies to Planned Parenthood. And reigning in the national debt with a balanced budget amendment is a must, they agreed. 

Ending Obamacare is a priority, too, each calling the President’s solution to health care issues in America as the worst thing to happen to health care in America.

Pape and Batts seemed careful to distance themselves from the presumptive GOP presidential nominee. Donald Trump’s name was not mentioned once all night.

This story first appeared in the May 5 issue of The Crittenden Press.

Senior center meal set for this evening

Crittenden County Senior Citizens Center’s monthly fundraising meal is today at 5 p.m. Ravioli will be on the menu, but guests are asked to bring a side dish. A $5 donation to benefit the center is requested. Musical entertainment will be provided by Richard Maxfield.

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Area Death

Harold Bennett Shouse, 92, died Thursday, May 5 in Salem. Boyd Funeral Directors and Cremation Services in Salem is in charge of arrangements.

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

Get prepared for Tuesday's election with The Crittenden Press.

An almost 10 percent increase in anticipated tax receipts will not mean any lavish spending for Crittenden County government, but it will provide a pay hike for county employees of at least 2 percent, and provide a small cushion for unforeseen expenses. A reassessment of soil classes in Kentucky will have a marked affect on the county budget. Crittenden County Judge-Executive Perry Newcom and the budget committee have estimated a boost of at least $40,000 in new taxes for the 2016 general fund.

For more on the projected county budget and the following headlines, pick up a copy of this week' issue of The Crittenden Press:

• Quality of life in 1st Congressional District ranks near bottom in U.S..
• Tuesday’s primary in Kentucky third vote in two months for some.
• ELECTION 411: Find out where you vote Tuesday, who you can vote for and a little about the candidates.
• IN PICTURES: CCES hosts its own Run for the Roses.
• 4 to be interviewed for CCMS principal.
• Suttons best loggers in Kentucky.
• PVA letters indicate new assessments for property.
• Cattle number 12,500 in county.
• State’s coal jobs continue to fall.
• Sunday wreck hurts three local residents.
• Woman’s Club Gala hosts trivia, Cinco de Mayo event.
• IN PICTURES: Mother’s Day, Derby observed at senior center.
• FORGOTTEN PASSAGES: One-room schoolhouses hold fond memories.
• SPORTS: High school diamond round-ups.
• SPORTS: High school track and field results.
• SPORTS: CCDL results, standings.
• SPORTS: Crittenden County Rockets Special Olympics team competed.

Funnel cloud reported over county

A storm system passed over western Kentucky Tuesday
afternoon and evening that dropped tornadoes on the area, including
one in Mayfield, and led to reports of several funnel clouds. This one
over Crittenden County seen around 7:30 p.m. looking eastward
from atop Wilson Hill in Marion at the intersection of Ky. 506
and Briarwood Drive never touched down in the county.

By HAWKINS TEAGUE and TOM BERRY
The Mayfield Messenger
A tornado struck Graves County Tuesday afternoon, causing extensive damage and leaving several people with non-life-threatening injuries.

The National Weather Service office in Paducah issued a severe thunderstorm warning around 2:30 p.m. for Graves, Carlisle and Hickman counties. About 15 minutes later, the office issued a tornado warning for Graves County after a tornado was spotted about four miles from Fancy Farm. It then headed northeast toward U.S. 45 north of Mayfield and crossed Ky. 121 and 45, the NWS reported.

Graves County Emergency Management Director Davant Ramage said the tornado left extensive damage from north of the Purchase Parkway all the way to the Marshall County line.

Jackson Purchase Medical Center CEO Dave Anderson said there were no reported fatalitie. He said several patients were brought into the emergency room, but their injuries were mostly minor. One orthopedic injury was more serious, he said.

"I was overwhelmed by our medical staff and their response," Anderson said. "I think our staff was fantastic, and we had people that came in just in case we needed them because initially it sounded like the casualty count could have been pretty high. So we had all hands on deck ... I was proud of our entire team and how they stepped up."

Pat Spoden, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Paducah, said Rick Shanklin, a senior meteorologist charged with damage assessment, was en route to Mayfield late Tuesday afternoon to assess the damage.

"We have someone on the way to start to look at the damage," Spoden said. "We have lots of reports but really no detail."

Sloden said estimates concerning the size and force of the tornado would have to wait for Shanklin's assessment.

"We won't know until we do the inspections tomorrow (Wednesday)," Spoden said.

David Smart, CEO of West Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation, said the company had about 6,000 outages - mostly in Graves County - across the company's service area at the storm's peak. As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, there were still some 2,450 outages, and crews were assessing damage and gathering the equipment needed to make the repairs, he said.

"At this point, we look forward to probably the rest of the evening working on these repairs before we can restore service to those folks," Smart said.

One of the businesses on U.S. 45 North that experienced heavy damage was Bennett Motors. Many vehicles in the lot had their windshields smashed in addition to other major damage.

Owner Mike Bennett arrived at his business some time after the tornado hit.

"It's just devastating; I don't really know what to say," Bennett said. "I was in Murray picking up a car, and they called me and said a tornado had just hit the lot and destroyed the lot. I just wanted to make sure everyone was OK. That was the main thing for me. I don't care about all this (damage); I'm glad they're OK. All this can be replaced. I hate it, but there's nothing you can do about it."

Kentucky State Police spokesman Michael Robichaud said preliminary investigations showed that the tornado developed in the western part of the county and began a path east across the county. It traveled close to Graves County middle and high schools, the Board of Education office and Central Elementary, but the school buildings did not sustain significant damage, he said.

Robichaud said homes and businesses on the north side of Mayfield experienced significant damage. The majority of the damage east of Mayfield was contained to trees and fields, although some homes were seriously damaged, he said.

Graves County Schools spokesman Paul Schaumburg said the district's schools kept students on site in a lockdown after the tornado warning was issued and released them after the danger had passed. He said all the teachers did a great job responding to the situation, keeping the children safe and helping them feel secure.

Mayfield Independent Schools spokeswoman Kim Hamby said that while some of the Mayfield High School students had left for the day, the warning was issued before any elementary or middle school students had been released. Students were then held in tornado shelter areas for about 45 minutes until the all-clear was given and buses could be loaded, she said.