Upcoming training, holidays to shut circut clerk office

Crittenden Circuit Clerk's office will be closed several days in November for training and holidays, and one day of driver testing has been cancelled.

According to Circuit Melissa Guill, her office will be closed from 8 a.m. to noon on Monday, Nov. 4 for training. The office will open for business after noon.

Later that week on Friday, Nov. 8, driver testing has been cancelled due to a shortage of license examiners. This includes both the road and written tests.

For holidays in November, the office will be closed Monday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day. For Thanksgiving, the office will close at noon on Wednesday, Nov. 27 and remain closed until Monday, Dec. 2.

Road Project Cancelled in Crittenden

UPDATE:
This project has been cancelled due to equipment issues. It will be rescheduled at a later date.


Original post
A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans milling to be followed by asphalt paving along a section of Ky. 120 in eastern Crittenden County starting Saturday.

Milling and paving along Ky. 120 runs from milepoint 8.162 near the Cave Springs Road intersection at Deanwood extending eastward through the Y intersection with Ky. 139 to milepoint 12.299 at the Ky. 132/Fishtrap Road intersection.  This includes Ky. 120 between Marion and Providence known as Shady Grove Road and Providence Road.

Milling of intersection connecting edge points is expected on Saturday to be followed by the start of asphalt paving on Monday.

Motorists should be alert for one lane traffic with alternating flow controlled by flaggers. Appropriate caution is required where equipment, flaggers, and construction personnel are along the roadway in close proximity to traffic.

Rogers Group is the prime contractor. Paving along this section of Ky. 120 is expected to take about a week to complete, weather permitting.

Cross country lifts off on final meet

Crittenden County High School's cross country team took off Thursday at Paducah's Noble Park on the final race of the regular season.

It was a short course designed to get teams ready for next week's regional meet at Marshall County.

For complete results and insight into the local runners' chances for a start berth, see next week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press.

Fiscal court OKs courthouse roof fix

Magistrates have awarded a $52,000-plus bid to a Harrisburg, Ill., company to repair the leaky roof at the center of county government.

Over the years, Crittenden County Courthouse has dealt with nagging leaks through the flat roof over each segment of the building. The water at times has created mold, ruined equipment, furniture and files and made life miserable for employees. Above, equipment and files inside County Clerk Carolyn Byford's office had to be covered with black plastic for protection from roof leaks in February 2018.

Integrity Roofing and Exteriors was selected at today's Crittenden Fiscal Court meeting to tear out rotted fiberboard and a water-resistant membrane that has failed to protect the building from moisture damage. They will replace it with another waterproof layer.

Additional costs to replace unforeseen damaged materials could add as much as $40,000 to the bill.

Judge-Executive Perry Newcom said the problem originates with the courthouse being built with a flat roof in 1961. However, he adds that a protective membrane installed incorrectly more than 12 years ago, prior to him taking office, is the source of repeated problems in recent years.

Newcom is hoping Kentucky's Administrative Office of the Courts, or AOC, will pay for some of the repairs, as the agency rents space in the courthouse for judicial functions.

Calls seeking KU payment a scam

Crittenden County Sheriff Wayne Agent reports a scam that has duped an elderly Fredonia resident out of hundreds of dollars for fear of having their electricity shut off.

Agent said the scam involves a phone call with the caller portraying themselves as representing Kentucky Utilities Co. and claiming an electric bill is overdue. If the amount is not paid immediately, the caller threatens, KU will shut off the person's power.

The sheriff said in the particular case cited, the victim was told to settle the bill of more than $800 with a prepaid Visa or Mastercard.

"KU said it is a scam," Agent said. "I know this was Fredonia, but it will be coming here, too, I'm sure."

According to the sheriff, KU sometimes calls utility customers about overdue bills, but will never ask for the amount to be settled with a prepaid debit or credit card. He advised any person who receives a call from someone purporting to be with KU to verify with the utility before paying anything.

"They should call KU to make sure," Agent said.

Below are the contact numbers to verify any phone calls with KU:

• KU residential: 800-981-0600
• KU business: 859-367-1200 or 800-383-5582

Annual Hunting Guide is Available Now

The annual Crittenden Outdoors Hunting Guide is now available for free at newsstands, restaurants and other participating outlets around Marion and beyond.

Published by The Crittenden Press, the Hunting Guide comes out each October and includes hunting information for various seasons, license information, articles and promotional from area businesses.

This year's Hunting Guide features local hunter Blake Gardner on the front cover.

This publication is not part of the weekly newspaper or shoppers guide, which are also published by The Crittenden Press.

For a free copy, stop by The Press office or keep an eye out at restraints, sporting goods stores and other retail businesses in the area.

Disc golf tournament at M-CC Park

Crittenden County Lions Club will be hosting a disc golf tournament next month to benefit those needing eyeglasses. 

The multi-division event will be held Saturday, Nov. 9 at Marion-Crittenden County Park. This will be a 36-hole event, which will be seeded following the first 18 holes. The final 18 will be the championship round.

There will be open divisions for Advanced, Intermediate, Recreational and Novice. There will also be a women’s Recreational Division. Cost is $40. Juniors 15-under can play nine holes for $20.

Only 72 entries will be taken and there will be prizes for top finishers. A  shotgun start will be held at 9:30am for the first round, juniors will play at lunchtime and there will be a shotgun start for the championship round at 1pm.

Go here to read more about the Kentucky Lions Eye Foundation.

Crittenden burn ban continues

Crittenden County's outdoor burning ban continues, as Tuesday's rains were not enough to reduce the fire hazards associated with the extended unseasonably dry and warm conditions in the county.

"Last night's rain was only on average for the county (of a half-inch)," said Judge-Executive Perry Newcom, "not nearly enough to revive soil and surface moisture levels."

All outdoor burning is prohibited until the ban is lifted.

According to the Kentucky Mesonet weather monitoring station, only 1.2 inches of rain has fallen on the county since late August.

Area Death

Leroy Abraham Guess, 81, of Marion died Tuesday. Boyd Funeral Directors and Cremation Service is in charge of arrangements.

CCES hosts literacy night

Crittenden County's Early Childhood Council is sponsoring an event to promote literacy at Crittenden County Elementary School.

On Monday night, three- through five-year-olds will be treated to reading and camping time, hot dogs, chips and s'mores.

Activities begin at 5:30 p.m.

The event also counts as a credit toward Community Christmas.

Dilapidated Marion home being razed

One of Marion's nuisance homes will soon be gone. Gary Baulos, who acquired the unkempt West Bellville Street property earlier this year, is having the house torn down. The previous owner, who could not keep up the property, handed it over to Baulos, who maintains several rental properties in the community. This summer, Marion Planning and Zoning Coordinator Terri Hart said Baulos may decide to rebuild on the lot.

Jenkins estate auction Saturday

Click Image to Enlarge

The home and personal property of the late Robert Jenkins will be auctioned by Bunch Brothers Auctioneers & Realty Company on Saturday.

Among the items to be auctioned are a 4 or 5 bedroom, 5 bedroom brick home located one block from South Main Street in Marion.

Numerous pieces of antique furniture and other personal effects are included in the sale.

For more information, contact Bunch Brothers.

Area Death

Ronald Carter Fritts, 71, of Marion died today at Baptist Health Paducah. Gilbert Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Local burn ban could be lifted soon

Showers and storms expected tonight could be enough to lift the countywide burn ban in effect the last few weeks for Crittenden County.

But as leaf-burning season nears, residents should not assume any amount of rain is enough to reduce dangerous wildfire risks. Judge-Executive Perry Newcom will announce here and through other public outlets when the ban is lifted. And if it is, Kentucky’s fall forest fire hazard season still restricts legal burning.

The Commonwealth’s 6 a.m.-to-6 p.m. Burning Law prohibits daytime burning if the fire is within 150 feet of woodland, brushland or fields containing dry grass or other flammable materials. The restrictions continue through Dec. 15.

According to the National Weather Service, there is an 80 percent chance of rain and possible storms before 1 a.m. tonight.

Highway 135 will close on Thursday

State highway Ky. 135 in rural, northern Crittenden County will close for repairs Thursday.

Also known as the Tolu-Carrsville Road, a section will close just west of Tolu, which will allow for repairs of a base failure. The closed section will be about half way between Ky. 297 at the E-town Landing intersection and Ky. 723.

Buses will be allowed to run that morning prior to the closing of the roadway. The work should be completed about 2:30pm.

Band places third over weekend

Crittenden County Marching Band's Paris Anderson, Trevor Eifler and Tate LaRue perform their 2019 show "Happiness" at Friday's home football game. The band placed third in their class Saturday at the West Kentucky Tournament of Champions. This weekend, they complete in Hopkinsville at the regional band competition. They will advance to state semifinals Oct. 26 in Bowling Green if they finish eighth or higher among the 11 bands competing.

Area Death

Harold Brad Lanham, 85, of Marion died Sunday. Myers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Absentee voting begins today

Absentee balloting for the Nov. 5 general election in Kentucky begins today on the voting machine in Crittenden County Clerk Carolyn Byford’s courthouse office. It will run through Nov. 4 for those who due to age, illness or physical disability cannot go to their polling place. Regular office hours are Monday and Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Voter registration is now closed until after the election.

On the ballot are statewide races for governor/lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, agriculture commissioner, treasurer and auditor.

Injury accident on 723 in Crittenden County

Crittenden County Rescue Squad and EMS have been dispatched to a two-vehicle injury accident in rural Crittenden County near the Livingston County line north of Salem on Ky. 723.

The head-on crash occurred about 5:30pm.

At least three people are reportedly injured.

Former substitute teacher is sentenced

The former substitute teacher who investigators say brandished a knife and threatened students earlier this year while working at Crittenden County Elementary School entered an Alford plea last week in Crittenden Circuit Court.

Jaken S. Orten, 23, of Dawson Springs was sentenced last Thursday by Judge Rene Williams.

Orten was a substitute teacher on Jan. 15 when he brandished a knife in front of two elementary school students and said, “Sit down or I will kill you.”

The school district terminated him as a substitute the following day after learning of the incident, completing an internal investigation then turning the matter over to authorities. 

For complete details of his sentencing, see this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press.