Farmer, Williams announce election plans

The Associated Press says that two Kentucky Republican political allies have scheduled a press conference for 10 a.m., CST Wednesday in Frankfort to announce whether they will run as a ticket for governor and lieutenant governor next year.

Senate President David Williams and Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer have been talking about running in the 2011 GOP primary for governor.

Already, Louisville businessman Phil Moffett has announced he will seek the GOP nomination.

Mock disaster at 9 a.m., today

Local schools and emergency response agencies are conducting a mock disaster starting at 9 a.m., this morning. The training exercise will be held at Marion City Hall and local schools.

Traffic advisory Crittenden County

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to close KY 1917/Wolf Creek Road in eastern Crittenden County on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

The closures at KY 1917 mile point 2.0 and 2.9 are to allow the Crittenden County Highway Maintenance Crew to replace two cross drains. This is near the intersection with Roberts Road between the Wolf Creek Bridge and KY 120.

The roadway will be closed from approximately 7:30 a.m. to approximately 3 p.m., each day.

Motorists who regularly travel KY 1917/Wolf Creek Road in eastern Crittenden County should take note of these planned closures on Monday and Tuesday and make advance alternate travel plans.

Henderson judge-exec dies at conference

Henderson County Judge-executive Sandy Lee Watkins died in his sleep Friday night while attending a conference in San Diego, Calif., along with other area members of the Pennyrile Area Development District.

Watkins, 58, has been judge-executive in Henderson since 1993.

Services Sunday for Livingston teen

Services for Austin Glenn Crouch, the 16-yaer-old Livingston Central sophomore who died in an automobile accident Thursday in Smithland, will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 29 at Livingston Central High School with Rev. Terry Mitcheson officiating. Burial will follow at Ferguson Cemetery.

Visitation will be after 5 p.m., Saturday at Boyd Funeral Directors in Salem and again Sunday morning from 10 a.m., until the funeral hour at the school.

School board raises tax rates

During a special meeting Thursday night, Crittenden County School Board voted to raise taxes for 2010 on real estate and personal property.

To illustrate the impact of the increase, the rate hike will mean about $14 more this year for taxpayers owning a home worth $100,000.

Next week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press will include details of the meeting.

In the air Saturday morning over Marion

Area residents shouldn't be surprised if they see an unusual number of aircraft dropping in toward the Marion-Crittenden County Airport early Saturday morning. A local aviation enthusiast, Mark Beduhn, is hosting a fly-in.

A pancake breakfast will be served at the airport's main hangar starting at 7:30 a.m.

Pictured is Bedhun's Cozy Mk IV plane that has become a common sight in the skies over Marion. Beduhn moved here only a few months ago. For more about how he landed in Crittenden County see the Aug. 26 issue of The Crittenden Press.

Livingston teen dies in wreck

A Livingston Central High School sophomore en route to school this morning died after being involved in a two-vehicle crash on Tiline Road near Smithland.

Austin Crouch, 16, of Tiline was the victim. Grief counselors are at Livingston County High School helping students deal with the situation.

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Men charged with Ideal theft

Marion police have charged two men with theft in the alleged taking about $300 from a service attendant at Ideal gas station last week. Stay tuned to next week's Crittenden Press for more details.

Area Death

John Wayne Curry, 61, died Monday, Aug. 23 at the Livingston County Hospital. Services are Friday at Boyd Funeral Directors in Salem.

Chamber outlines plans for fall festival

Chamber of Commerce members have been meeting over the past few weeks, working to reinvent the fall festival formerly known as Heritage Days.

Starting this year, the two-day event that coincides with the U.S. 60 Yard Sale – and one time only with football homecoming and an airport open house – will be billed as the Pumpkin Festival.

The entire program will revolve around a fall theme and events will be geared toward those who like activity. There will be a pumpkin smashing event, 5K run, pet contest, petting zoo, car and antique tractor show, pumpkin pie contest, Little Mr. and Miss pageant, political speaking, FFA pedal tractor pull, cow chip throwing contest, corn hole tournament and a pumpkin relay to name a few of the events scheduled for Oct. 1-2.

“We want to focus on the events that have been hugely popular in the past,” said Chamber President Corey Payne.

The idea behind changing the name and retooling some of the events is to reinvigorate the annual festival, say chamber members who are serving on the planning committee.

“We have liked the Heritage Days theme, but we wanted something that might attract people from out of town,” Payne said.

Support for the fall Heritage Days had waned in recent years, even among Chamber members. The group had decided several months ago to no longer host a fall festival, partly because it’s so costly. Payne said that some members pushed for reviving it and focusing on popular events.

Coincidentally, this year’s Pumpkin Festival will fall on the same week as the high school’s homecoming, so there will be a parade on Thursday night.

Susan Alexander, executive director of the Chamber, said this isn’t the first Pumpkin Festival.
“4-H used to sponsor a Pumpkin Festival years ago,” she said.

With this being an election year, organizers are also hoping for a big turnout for the political speaking.

Burn ban still in effect

The burn ban ordered more than two weeks ago by Crittenden County Judge-Executive Fred Brown remains in effect until sufficient rainfall is experienced here.

All outdoor burning is prohibited under the burn ban.

Road closed south of Shady Grove near Creswell

KY 139 is closed just north of KY 70 in Caldwell County.

The closure is due to broken pilings on the main Donaldson Creek Bridge on KY 139.

A mowing crew working in the area noticed a pier had dropped several inches and a railing was bent near the middle of the bridge, said Keith Todd, a highway department spokesman.

"When they investigated they found the broken pilings and called bridge engineers to check the structure," Todd explained.

The bridge is the northernmost of three bridges that cross Donaldson Creek near the Creswell community. All three bridges have a 15 ton load limit and are scheduled for replacement in the Kentucky Road Plan.

It may take several days for engineers to determine the extent of repairs required to reopen the bridge, Todd said.

The roadway is being barricaded and KY 139 will remain closed until further notice while the bridge is evaluated. A marked detour will be established by Tuesday morning.

Gas station attendant robbed

The gas station attendant was robbed Friday night at Ideal on Sturgis Road.

A man looking to be about 19 or 20 years old told the attendant that the bathroom toilet needing some attention. When the attendant went to look, the man grabbed a wallet out of his back pocket and ran off toward the 88 Dip.

Police have a good description of the suspect and are working on the investigation this morning.

Rockets win football opener

Crittenden County defeated Hopkins Central 20-15 behind a stellar passing effort by QB Brian Berry. Read more at the Rocket blog, click here.

Smithland bridge work to end next week

Deck rehabilitation work on the U.S. 60 Cumberland River Bridge at Smithlad – which started the week of June 14 – is expected to be complete by the middle of next week.

Engineers are awaiting the results of strength tests on sample concrete cylinders to check the quality control of materials used for the work. If tests turn out okay, the highway restrictions on the bridge will be lifted in a few days.

City buying ladder fire truck

Marion City Council approved the purchase of a 1993 E-One Hurricane 75-foot Quint fire truck during its meeting Monday.

The truck will be capable of fighting fires above the tallest buildings in Marion and is something firemen have wanted for several years. Fire Chief Red Howton said the ladder could extend to reach about five stories, if necessary.

The truck is being purchased from an Alabama firm that recently bought it from the Paducah Fire Department. Marion officials had previously tried to buy the same truck when Paducah sold it at public auction. The truck is being purchased for $102,685. It is capable of spraying 1,250 gallons of water per minute.

Marion Fire Department currently has three pumper trucks, but may sell one after the ladder truck is in service, the fire chief said.

The city is also in the process of building a new fire station on the corner of Main and Bellville streets. The station will cost around $700,000, according to estimates.

BUS program aims for safety

Students are now being rewarded for doing absolutely nothing.

School officials think the idea will create a safer environment because its on the bus where this new program is being implemented.

Libby Robinson, who drives one of the 19 yellow buses that run the roads of Crittenden County five days a week during the school year, thinks it’s a good idea that will work.

“It’s just an incentive program like Star Stickers at the elementary school,” said Robinson. “When we see a student behaving, following the rules or being safety conscious, we give them a sticker or a ticket.”

Keeping students out the aisles and in their seats is part of the aim, said Robinson.

Al Starnes, director of transportation for the school district, said a committee made up of bus drivers and other staff devised the BUS plan, which is an acronym for Behave appropriately, Understand the rules and Safety first.

Read more of this article in this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press.

Pictured is bus driver Libby Robinson keeping a watchful eye from her mirror on the aisle of the bus.

Firefighters find burn-ban violation

Firefighters responding to a call regarding smoke billowing from an area in the Irma area this morning found what appeared to be loggers burning brush piles, a violation of the county's burn ban.

A deputy was dispatched to the scene and firemen extinguished the several burning brush piles.