Boyle Co Farmers' Market Opens on Derby Day@

The Boyle County Farmer's Market opens on May 7, also Kentucky Derby Day. To connect the two, officials with the Farmer's Market say there'll be mint juleps available at the market. Also at the market this year, the Boyle County FFA. Members will sell flowers and plants to help fund the trip to their annual convention. The Boyle County Farmers Market is at the Boyle County Fairgrounds in Danville. Wear you best hat!

Casey Co Man Indicted

A Willow Springs Road man was indicted by a Casey County grand jury for allegedly having sex with an 11 year old girl. The grand jury indicted 33 year old James Q. Emerson on first degree sexual abuse for allegedly subjecting the child to sex with him while he was in an authority position. The indictment alleges that the events happened between January, 2008 to January of this year. Emerson's bond was set at five thousand dollars.

Area Spared Injuries, Severe Damage

The National Weather Service said there were no tornadoes in Crab Orchard or any nearby communities on Wednesday, as some had predicted. Many in the area said they were relieved that they were spared what many in the south endured, with some 200 killed in Alabama from what was described as an F-4 or F-5 tornado. Here in our area, there were trees uprooted and streets damaged because of that. There were also some outbuildings damaged, but there were no injuries reported from the strong winds here.

Harrodsburg Man Indicted

A Harrodsburg man is in jail on 100 thousand dollars bond following his indictment by a Mercer County grand jury on charges that he held up a check cashing business. Thirty year old Andrew Henninger of Oakland Lane is charged with first degree robbery after he allegedly threatened physical force during an armed robbery with a deadly weapon. Police said Henninger robbed the Cash Express on March 21st.

$34M in Damage from Storms in KY

Governor Steve Beshear said he's been told that damage statewide from recent storms had exceeded $34 million. The governor said at a news conference that he hoped to have enough figures from counties soon to determine whether the state could move quickly to ask for a presidential disaster declaration. Beshear declared a statewide emergency on Monday, and 38 counties and 17 cities have declared their own states of emergency. Western Kentucky has been hit hardest. And the south central part of the state was next, yesterday. Today, though, we are expecting to get a break from the rough weather.

Drug Take Back Day is Saturday

All over the country, Saturday is "Drug Take Back Day" when you can bring your unused prescription drugs to a drop of site, and drop them off. No questions asked. The Drug Enforcement Administration sponsors and administers the day used to try to keep prescription drugs out of the wrong hands. Find out where to take your unused medications at
www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov

Survey Shows Danville Positively

The results of Danville's budget survey are out, and the majority of those who took part in the survey said the city is on the right track. The respondents cited leadership, alcohol sales, recycling, economic development and the downtown being on the upswing as the top five positivest on the survey. The bottom five of what changes would you make were that the city needs an action plan, improved and open communications, need for more green initiatives, more retail, and infrastructure needs improvement. You can view the entire survey at danvilleky.org.

Lincoln Co Commissioners Consider Roaming Animal Ordinance

Animals that get out from their enclosures in rural areas can be a problem for those who don't own the at-large animals. They have to be captures, corralled, cared for and eventually returned to their owners. Now, Kentucky has a statute that covers roaming cattle, but what about roaming horses, or roaming hogs? The state doesn't have an ordinance, but Lincoln County could soon have one. With the Cattlemen's Association present, commissioners talked about passing such an ordinance after several property owners complained. Commissioner said cattle would not be affected since they're covered under the state ordinance, but those other animals would be, and their owners would be held responsible.

High Winds Do Damage, No Injuries in Lincoln County

There were tornado warnings here yesterday as the winds picked up and reports of damage started rolling into the Bluegrass 911 Center around 9:30 a.m. Crab Orchard may have been the hardest hit area in our area with power lines down after utility poles were snapped in two and hundreds were left without electricity. Two trees were uprooted along Osborne Road and that tore up the road. Lots of homes, barns and other outbuildings were damaged in the high winds, but amazingly, nobody was hurt. Local officials said the National Weather Service would have to come in and figure out if the damage is from an actual tornado. Several shelters were open in the area, as storms were expected to continue all day Wednesday.

Farmer Furloughs, Apologizes

Richie Farmer says he'll now go along with furlough days. It was last month when the Ag Commissioner and candidate for Kentucky Lieutenant Governor said he wouldn't participate in furlough days, that he didn't believe in them. Farmer also apologized yesterday for not going along with furlough days sooner and will now will donate a part of his more than 110 thousand dollar salary to charity. Farmer said in a statement that he quote -- "shares in state employees pain" in giving up some of his salary. Farmer is Senate President David Williams' running mate and the Republican gubernatorial primary is May 17.

Local Area Counties in the Middle of all 120

The latest figures released by the Kentucky Office of Employment show that counties in our area fell somewhere in the middle of Kentucky's 120 on the unemployment scale. Casey County's was the lowest in our area at 11.1 percent. Lincoln County had the highest in the area at 14.8 percent. In between, Garrard County's was 11.4, Mercer County's was 11.5, Boyle County's was 11.8. The state considers the percentages as being an estimate of those who are out of work, but are actively seeking employment in the past four weeks.

Beshear Signs Price-Gouging Law

Governor Steve Beshear signed an executive order that sets in motion, a law holding those who price gouge during an emergency responsible. It also lets the attorney general, Jack Conway, investigate price gouging complaints on building supplies, gas, hotels and other items. Beshear declared the state of emergency on Monday in the midst of heavy rains and flooding in the Bluegrass. There's a concern that both the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers could flood to historic levels.

AMBER ALERT as of Tuesday Night

Kentucky State Police have issued an AMBER Alert for 13-month old Chloe Clark. She was last seen Sunday in the Varney community and believed to be in extreme danger. Clark is 28-inches tall with brown hair and brown eyes. Police say she was likely abducted by Crystal Seigler Clark. She is 5’ 7” 120 pounds with green eyes and brown hair. She is wanted for questioning in a homicide investigation. They may be traveling to North Carolina or Tennessee in a silver mini-van. If you have any information, call state police.

Council Approve One Annexation, Awaits Two More

Stanford is now 70 acres bigger. The city council approved Mayor Bill Miracle's proposal to annex the 70 acres on US 27 that includes Walmart on second reading. That'll mean more taxes collected in the city. The other thing the mayor wanted, the 150 acres in the other direction that includes the Lincoln County Schools Campus was approved on first reading. Second and final reading will be in about two weeks. That's when Miracle says he'll propose a third annexation. Council members agreed with the annexations saying that the city needs the new taxes to function.

Lightning Strike Takes Out Soem Computers at American Greetings in Danville

Nobody at American Greetings Corporate offices were available to talk, but some time over the weekend, a lightning strike took out some computers at the company's Danville plant. Fire officials in Danville said the strike hit a system that communicates orders from a production facility to here, and it took out a computerized system that releases inert gases when it senses a fire. Fire officials said that with the computers being fried, some of the work at the Danville plant was temporarily disrupted

Danville City Commission Takes No Action at Monday's Meeting

Danville will have a full count of 33 police officers one they've all been trained. The last officer was hired in an executive session by city commission members. It was one of many executive sessions the council has adjourned to since the first of the year, and may have speculated that they've bee discussing the future of City Manager Paul Stansbury. A full house was on hand Monday night as the commission took no action on the budget, but again went into executive session to discuss personnel matters. No city officials would discuss the sessions.

Houstonville Police Chief Now Rides a Honda -- Motorcycle

Hustonville Police Chief Fred McCoy is now on a motorcycle. He's patrolling the town, choosing to leave his cruiser parked along US 127, making motorists think he's out catching speeders. Mayor Cecil Maddox said the chief started riding as a joke, but the city is now saving money since the motorcycle belongs to the chief, not Houstonville. It does have the blue lights that the city paid for, and he can stop you while he's on it, so watch out!

Charged Upped in Bat Beating Case

We told you last week about a man who was arrested for hitting his nine year old son in the head with a baseball bat. Thirty four year old Jesse Vanwinkle was initially charged in Rockcastle County with second degree criminal abuse. Now the grand jury has upped the charge to first degree assault. The boy suffered a skull fracture but is recovering. Police said that Vanwinkle hit the child several times.

Public Input Sought Regarding The Future of Danville's Elementary Schools

Danville School's Local Planning Committee will conduct a public forum tonight at 6 PM at the Danville High School cafeteria located at 203 W. Lexington Ave. in Danville. Chuck Stallard, Director "of Facilities for the Danville Schools says they are seeking community input on the future of their elementary facilities which are aging.






Stallard says the input received will be considered as the local planning committee considers the future district facility plan.

Rain Continues Tuesday

BOYLE KY-GARRARD KY-CASEY KY-LINCOLN KY

EXCESSIVE RAINS ARE POSSIBLE LATE TUESDAY THROUGH EARLY THURSDAY. AN ADDITIONAL 2 TO 3 INCHES OR MORE IS LIKELY.
THIS RAIN...COUPLED WITH SATURATED GROUND WILL BRING MANY SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS OUT OF THEIR BANKS AND LEAD TO FLOODING ON MAIN
STEM RIVERS LATER THIS WEEK. SOME THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY MAY BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREAT.

Beshear Will Ask Obama for Federal Disaster Declaration

With the storms and flooding we're having, Governor Steve Beshear says he'll ask President Barack Obama to declare a federal state of emergency in the Bluegrass so that municipalities can get federal help after the weather passes. The governor says with both the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers over filling their banks, there's no place for the water to go but into the cities and towns. Beshear said with an emergency declaration, the state can start cleaning up after this one and getting ready for the next one. Most of the flooding is in western Kentucky.

ABC to Award 2 Package Liquor Licenses

Now that Danville is wet, the state says the city has two package liquor licenses available. City ABC Administrator Tom Bustle said the city will award those two licenses after it get the necessary information and final inspections. The applicants for the licenses are:
1. Chris Hill
DBA: Chills Quick Stop, LLC
Location: 1714 Perryville Road #600
Danville, KY 40422

2. Umesh Patel
Raj Spirits Inc.
DBA: Raj Spirits
1000 E. Lexington Avenue, Suite #38
Danville, KY 40422

The licenses will be awarded by July 31 of this year.

Local Planning Committee Wants to Hear From You

Those who pay the property taxes that support local schools are called stakeholders. The Danville School's Local Planning Committee wants to hear from its stakeholders as to what they think of the district's facilities. The committee is holding as public forum tomorrow night, 6 p.m., at the Danville High School cafeteria. Its at 203 West Lexington Avenue in Danville. Specifically, the committee wants to know what stakeholders think of the district facility plan and current elementary facilities. So be at the meeting tomorrow night to let the committee know what you think of the current school facilities.

NWS: Rain for the Next Several Days

FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...

THIS AFFECTS BOYLE AND MERCER COUNTIES, INCLUDING THE CITIES OF DANVILLE AND HARRODSBURG.

THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR MERCER, BOYLE, GARRARD, CASEY AND LINCOLN COUNTIES.

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND TONIGHT. AN ADDITIONAL ONE TO ONE AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN
FURTHER SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER, REPEATED THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE LOCALIZED ONE TO
TWO INCH AMOUNTS. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES THROUGH THIS EVENING.

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE WEST. THE MAIN THREATS WITH THESE STORMS WILL BE GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL.

WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TUESDAY THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AS A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT GRADUALLY CROSSES THE REGION. STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS WITH GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE EARLY TUESDAY MORNING AND AGAIN TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY.

Rain and Flash Floods Possible Today

FLASH FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING...

THIS AFFECTS BOYLE AND MERCER COUNTIES, INCLUDING THE CITIES OF DANVILLE AND HARRODSBURG.

SHOWERS AND STORMS EXPECTED ON MONDAY AND AREAS THAT RECEIVE MULTIPLE EPISODES OF RAINFALL WILL EXPERIENCE FLASH FLOODING WITH AREA CREEKS AND RIVERS RISING RAPIDLY OVER ROADWAYS AND BRIDGES.

* WIDESPREAD ONE TO TWO INCH RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE AREA...WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.

Ft Campbell, KY Soldier Killed in Afghanistan

A Kentucky-based soldier died in Afghanistan. The Department of Defense announced yesterday, the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Twenty-five year old Sergeant John P. Castro of Andrews, Texas died April 22 at Paktika province, Afghanistan of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by small arms fire. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

There Are New Rules For Car Seats

The American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending keeping children in rear facing car seats until they are at least two years old. Studies show, according to Dr. Marilyn Bull, MD, professor of pediatrics at the Indiana School of Medicine, that children are simply safer when facing the rear.






Bull also recommends that no child should ride in the front seat until the age of 13.

Paint Lick Teen Found Dead in Lancaster on Monday

A Paint Lick teen was found dead on Monday afternoon in Lancaster. The Garrard County Coroner said 18 year old Brandon Hubbard died at a house on Highland Avenue around 2:30 p.m. The woman who owns the house said Hubbard came there on Sunday night saying he was going to drive to Georgia, but the homeowner convinced him to stay there, telling Hubbard he didn't seem fit to drive. The woman said she checked on Hubbard throughout the night, but when she did so on Monday afternoon, she told police he wasn't breathing. The coroner said an autopsy didn't reveal a cause of death, and authorities are waiting for more test results.

Third Person Charged in Thefts

They stole meat, detergent, and other stuff from big stores and resold them to smaller groceries in the central part of the state. Now, after two have been charged, a third man's been charged. Thirty three year old Steven Oscar Saylor of Berea faces charges in Somerset of theft and being a persistent felony. Somerset police said Saylor is the last piece in the puzzle that breaks up the theft ring. Jonathan Lewis and Steven Napier were charged with similar offenses last month.stolen from stores in Somerset.

Four Boyle Co Firefighters Hurt in Fireturck Crash

Four Boyle County firefighters were hurt when their firetruck, en route to a chimney fire, rolled on its side. Kentucky State Police said the Firetrucks driver, Lieutenant Jim Harris told them that two of the firetrucks wheels dropped off the road and when Harris tried to get it back on the road, and the weight of the on board water shifted, causing the truck rolled onto its side. A pickup truck then hit the firetruck.
Harris and the other three fire fighters, Tim Middleton, Lieutenant Nate Wesley and Lieutenant Clarence Roller were all taken to the hospital with what were believed to be minor injuries. Another company put out the chimney fire.

Stanford Man Killed in Wednesday Crash

A Stanford man was killed in a two vehicle crash yesterday in Madison County. Kentucky State Police said that 61 year old Garland Adams was driving his Mustang westbound on Kentucky 1295 when 18 year old Brandon Gross of Richmond, who was heading east, veered into the westbound lane and Gross' car slammed into Adams' car. Adams was flown to UK Hospital but died later. Gross was treated at Pattie A Clay in Richmond for his injuries and police say both were wearing seat belts.

Colo. lawmakers start over on redistricting

Lawmakers charged with redrawing Colorado's seven congressional districts started over yesterday, just a day before a deadline to complete their work.

The committee decided to start fresh on Wednesday after they gave up after trying to resolve differences in the 11 proposed maps that have been submitted. Six were offered by Democrats and five by Republicans.

Republican Rep. David Balmer and Democratic Sen. Rollie Heath agreed it would be too difficult to try to iron out differences on competing maps. They decided instead to start with a new map in an effort to find common ground.

Under federal law, states must redraw congressional lines based on the census every 10 years to ensure equal representation.

The committee is supposed to give map recommendations to legislative leaders on Thursday.

Lightning Falls Tree, Sets Off Gas Line Fire

The chief called it a unique phenomenon. A tree struck by lightning in Danville yesterday and a gas line, causing a fire. Danville's interim fire chief Woody Bell said it happened on Woodland Place in the early morning hours. The fire burned for about half an hour until Atmos Energy got there to turn off the gas. Ball said fire fighters doused the house and the fallen tree so they wouldn't catch fire. The house was not damaged and nobody was hurt.

Skin Cancer From Driving Your Car? A New Study Shows It

Did you know you could get skin cancer from driving your car? According to dermatologist Scott Fosko of Saint Louis University, if you are driving north in the afternoon and don't wear sunscreen, that is exactly what can happen.






The study women by age and showed those younger than 50 also showed the left-sided connection. The bottom line is, Fosko says, is to wear your sunscreen… even when you are driving or riding in a car.

Agency Budget Requests are Now Available for Review

Agency budget requests are available for review as the city of Danville prepares its next budget. There are shared service agencies and community agencies who all want a part of city budget dollars. They're listed here:

Shared Service Agencies

Airport Board $20,000
Economic Development Partnership $120,000
Parks and Recreation $234,500
Planning and Zoning $91,054

Community Agencies

American Red Cross $7,500
Arts Commission $600
Bluegrass Community Action $2,500
Child Development Center $16,000
Citizens Concerned For Human Rights $500
Civil Air Patrol $1,720
Community Arts Center $5,000
Community Education $8,000
Senior Citizens Center $64,500
Danville Sister Cities Commission $2,760
Family Services $12,700
Great American Brass Band Festival $30,000
Nursing Home Ombudsman $2,400
YMCA $3,000

Individuals wishing to view requests should call Joyce at City Hall - 238 1200 – to schedule a time.

Some Damage in Danville From Wednesday Storms

Severe storms that moved to the Bluegrass region early yesterday caused scattered damage throughout the region. In Danville, the fire department went to a home on Woodland Place where a tree that was struck by lightning and fell, caused a natural gas line break and fire. Crews were on scene for an hour and a half. So far, no fatalities or injuries were reported.

New COmmittee Will Study Non-Motorizes Trail System

Danville's new trails committee has met once, and they're ready to put the pedal to the spokes to expand the city's biking, walking and otherwise non-motorized trail system. It all started with Ernst Crown-Weber. He owns Danville Bike and Footwear and he's on the city's transportation committee. He and Mayor Bernie Hunstad decided that a committee separate from the transportation committee could work on a trails project.

Man Jailed on DUI, Assault and Bad Check Charges

A Harrodsburg man was still in jail yesterday, charged with DUI and assault. Police got a call of a possible DUI on Warwick Road. They followed 26 year old Michael Salvia to his house on Cornishville Street and as he drove home, he drove on the wrong side of the street. They gave him a field sobriety test which police said he did not pass. Forty-eight year old Darcie Salvia got out of the car and police said they asked why she had blood on her, and she told them that Michael Salvia had hit her. Michael Salvia was jailed on the charges and police said for some bad checks, so his bond was set at more than ten thousand dollars.

Tax Could Be Added to Livestock Sales

A tax on cattle sold at auction? It could happen in Lincoln County. Fiscal Court Magistrate Dexter Todd suggested at Tuesday's meeting that they might want to consider taxing cattle sales at the Bluegrass Livestock auction. He said that would cover the cost of dead animal removal that the county does. While many may not like it, Todd said 50 cents or a dollar per head could be added to the sales price. Its not known if the county has the right to collect the tax, but the issue is being considered.

NWS: Possible Heavy Thunderstorms This Morning

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THERE'S A LARGE AREA OF
RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL SWING THROUGH KENTUCKY LATER THIS MORNING.

OVERALL SEVERE THREAT IS LIMITED TO JUST OUR SOUTHEAST SECTIONS. SO NWS IS
DROPPING THE TORNADO WATCH FOR MUCH OF OUR REGION
WITH THE MORNING FORECAST

A COLD FRONT SHOULD PASS THROUGH THE REGION THIS MORNING AND WE SHOULD START TO SEE IMPROVING CONDITIONS LATER THIS AFTERNOON.

MaKenzie Weddle's Funeral is Today

Sixteen year old MaKenzie Weddle's funeral is today. She was one of three killed in a crash in Boyle County last Saturday. Her boyfriend, 16 year old Mason Steigerwald and his grandmother, 73 year old Marie Baker were also killed. Weddle's funeral is today at 2 p.m. at Bartle Funeral home in Liberty. Visitation for Steigerwald and Baker is today from 4 to 9 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Danville, as is their funeral tomorrow at 11 a.m.

We don't like Knight

Athletics officials at the University of Kentucky are blasting former Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight. For decades, Knight was coach of the rival Hoosiers. Recently, he ripped the Wildcat basketball program, saying 5 players who started for the team last year never attended classes. Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart says that is blatantly untrue. Barnhart says academics are always a priority in the Wildcat family.

Free Entrance To Any National Park This Week

As part of the Presidentially proclaimed National Park Week which started last Friday, you can get in free at any national park. According to Bill Line, National Park spokesman, that fee waiver includes entrance fees, commercial tour fees and transportation entrance fees.






Kentucky has 4 national parks, 7 national natural landmarks, and 30 national historic landmarks. Last year, visitors to Kentucky's national parks totaled 1,797,894 bringing over 76 million dollars from tourism to the state. For more information, go to nps.gov.

Garrard Animal Shelter Needs Help

An animal hoarding situation has led the Garrard County Animal Shelter to put out a call for help. Officials were called to a mobile home in the southern part of the county where they found a woman and 100 cats. The cats are cared for, clean and healthy, but they need homes. None of the cats have been spayed or neutered. The help the shelter needs is food, cat litter and other supplies, along with homes for the felines. The history is that the woman moved to Garrard County from Louisiana back in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. She brought six cats with her, but none were spayed or neutered, and now there are a hundred. If you can help, call the Garrard County Animal Shelter at 859-792-1562.

UK Wants Tuition Increase

In state, undergrad tuition will go up by six percent at the University of Kentucky if President Lee Todd has his way. He's calling for the raise in tuition to cover a three percent raise in pay to professors and staff. It would be their first raise in pay in three years. UK's tuition increase is the same as what University of Louisville President James Ramsey is asking for. Ramsey's request sent a group of people to Frankfort, asking the legislature to put a moratorium on tuition increases next year. Nonprofit public policy group, The Family Foundation claims that four year schools are not helping students achieve their goals, just saddling them with debt. If UK's tuition increase is granted, undergrads would pay more than 500 dollars a year in fees, which does not include room and board.

Awards Given at Annual Lincoln Co Chamber Banquet

The Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce held its annual banquet Tuesday night and gave the following awards:

Citizen of the Year- George Saufly

Business of the Year- Hilltop Florist

Farmer of the Year- Orville Whitaker

Health Care Worker of the Year- Forest Calico

Big Apple Award- Rita Noe

Design Impact Award- Lincoln County Library

Chamber Ambassador of the Year- was our own WPBK Station Manager Renee Knies.

Fallen Stanford police officer to be honored April 28

A ceremony honoring a Stanford police officer killed in the line of duty will be held the afternoon of Thursday, April 28, on U.S. 150 at the Lincoln-Rockcastle County line. A highway sign in memory of Officer Gary E. Kidwell will be unveiled on U.S. 150 near Copper Creek Road. The dedication ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. State Rep. Danny Ford, of Mount Vernon, will preside. Motorists are encouraged to exercise caution when driving in the area at that time. Officer Kidwell was fatally injured while conducting a traffic stop on the night of Jan. 20, 1991.

Lancaster Renting Out Part of City Hall

There won't be a for rent sign on Lancaster city hall, since an unknown person or entity could be renting the back part of it out. City council will have the back part of the building renovated, spending about 27 thousand dollars and it will be ready to rent out. The potential tenant asked for new flooring, new electrical outlets and some walls built and the cost of the renovations will become part of the lease. Its not the first tenant in the building though. Garrard County Schools leased the back part of city hall for about three years.

McDonalds Hiring

The new economy make get a big boost today, as McDonald's will hire 50 thousand people across the country, that's a thousand in each state and about four new employees per restaurant. If you go to a McDonald's, you'll see the help wanted signs. You can also go online to mcdonalds.com/careers.
McDonald's officials say the company needs workers because its business is improving and because more of its restaurants are staying open 24 hours a day.

Mercer Chamber Offers Computer Course

The Mercer County Chamber of Commerce will offer a free computer workshop for local business owners who want to learn or increase their knowledge of basic computer functions for business. The free educational seminar is from 6-7 p.m. today at Hughes Jones Area Technical School, 611 Tapp Road.
To sign up, call the chamber visit the office at 488 Price Ave.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Believes Distracted Driving Is An Epidemic

In 2009, distracted drivers killed nearly 5,500 people across the nation. U. S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood believes we all have a right to be alarmed at those numbers.






April is officially National Distracted Driver month. LaHood challenges everyone to turn off the cell phone and place it in your trunk before you get behind the wheel. Kentucky currently has a ban of all cell phone use for anyone under the age of 18.

Funerals Planned for Crash Victims

Funeral arrangements have been set for the three people killed in that weekend crash in Boyle County. As we told you yesterday, visitation for MacKenzie Weddle will be today from 4:00-9:00 p.m. at Bartle Funeral Home in Casey County. The funeral and burial will be tomorrow at 2:00 at Brush Creek Cemetery. A dual visitation and funeral are planned for 16 year old Mason Steigerwald and his grandmother, 73 year old Marie Baker. The visitation is tomorrow from 4 to 9 p.m. at First Baptist Church on the bypass in Danville. Their funeral will be held on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church. The three were killed on Saturday when police said Steigerwald ran a stop sign at Alum Springs Road and Stewarts Lane and his vehicle collided with another. The two in the other vehicle were not seriously hurt.

Pieces Fall Off Downtown Danville Building

Some in Danville may have thought the sky was falling on Sunday, but in fact, it was not. What was falling, were pieces of a building on Main Street. Woody Ball, Danville's interim fire chief said people found the debris in the 300 block of Main Street, where Coldwell Banker VIP Realty is located. The chief said some tin on the front of the building peeled off last week, but winds on Saturday pulled it fully off the building. Some parking spaces near the building are blocked off so no vehicles get damaged if any more pieces fall off the building.

Grief Counselors at Boyle County High School

There are grief counselors at Boyle County High School today as students, faculty and staff try to deal with the deaths of two of their classmates. Sixteen year olds Mason Steigerwald and Makenzie Weddle, along with Mason's grandmother were killed in a crash over the weekend at Stewart's Lane and Kentucky 300. There was a memorial at the high school last night for friends and family of the two students. Visitation for Weddle is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the Bartle Funeral Home in Casey County with burial on Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Brush Creek Cemetery. Arrangement for Steigerwald and his grandmother, 73 year old Marie Baker are pending at Kerr Brothers in Lexington.

Man Jailed for Allegedly Hitting 9 year old son with bat

A Rockcastle County man who police said hit his nine year old son in the head with a baseball bat is in jail today. Police said the incident happened yesterday morning on Sand Hill Road. Thirty-four year old Jesse Vanwinkle of Livingston was arrested and charged with criminal abuse. He's in jail on 25 thousand dollars bond. The child was flown to UK Hospital in critical condition.

Public Hear in Budget Tomorrow

The City of Danville will hold a public hearing tomorrow at 1 p.m. to get more written and oral comments about the possible use of Municipal Aid and Local Government Economic Assistance program funds for the upcoming fiscal year. Anyone who cannot attend the public hearing but wants to submit comments, should call City Manager Paul Stansbury at 859-238-1200 by 5:00 PM today to make arrangements to secure their comments.

Hydrant Flushing Starts Today

The Danville Fire Department will begin the 2011 Spring hydrant flushing and testing today. Signs will be posted in each area before flushing begins. Flushing will be done between 8:30 AM and 4:45 PM. Hydrant flushing and testing is done to ensure that all city-owned hydrants and water lines are operating properly and will be usable during a fire emergency.

Hydrant flushing may cause discoloration of your household water in or near the areas being tested, which is a result of iron deposits being disturbed during the flushing process. Iron deposits can build up inside pressure tanks, water heaters and water pipes. It occasionally breaks loose, causing rusty water when faucets are first opened. This happens especially when city or household water lines are disturbed (e.g. moved, replaced, back flushed, or repaired) and rust breaks loose from old pipes.

Customers are advised to check their water for signs of discoloration prior to doing laundry. If you notice discoloration in the water, let it run until it clears before doing laundry. This usually takes less than five minutes. If laundry appears stained, keep the articles wet and rewash them using a rust-removing compound. Do not use bleach on stained laundry, as it will “set” the stain.

Listed is the tentative schedule. Streets include adjacent areas and roadways. Rain and emergencies may delay testing (see website for weekly updates):

1. Monday, April 18: Green Acres, Candlewood, Danville High School area

2. Tuesday, April 19: East Main St, Hill n Dale area

3. Wednesday, April 20: Indian Hills, Lexington Rd and Goggin area, Grabruck area

4. Thursday, April 21: Shakertown Rd area thru North 6th St.

5. Friday, April 22: Streamland, Colonial, Brookcove subdivisions

6. Monday, April 25: Maple Ave area, Argyll subdivision, Hardee St area, Caldwell Manor

7. Tuesday, April 26: Downtown area, includes Broadway to Martin Luther King (firefighters will also be testing the downtown area beginning at 7 PM to avoid traffic problems.)

8. Wednesday, April 27: West Danville, Boyle County High School area and Millennium Park

9. Thursday, April 28: Ben Ali area, Danville Square and Bluegrass subdivision, Bluegrass Pike

10. Friday, April 29: South Fourth St, KSD area, Stockyards area and J.E. Woods Dr.

11. Monday, May 2: Stanford Rd area

12. Tuesday, May 3: Highland Ct, Duncan Hill, Baughman and Imperial Trailer Park

13. Wednesday, May 4: Cloverdale, Ridgefield, Paula Heights subdivisions

14. Thursday, May 5: Lincoln, Jefferson, Madison, Lisa areas and Brookshire subdivision

15. Friday, May 6: South Danville bypass area, Walton and May Blvd, Popplewell

16. Monday, May 9: Stewarts Ln, Lebanon Rd, Industrial Park, Corporate Dr, Boyle Co Gov. Center

17. Monday, May 16: Boyle County to include Old Bridge, Riverview

18. Tuesday, May 17: Perryville Rd, Perryville east side of Chaplin River

19. Wednesday, May 18: Perryville west side of Chaplin River

20. Thursday, May 19: Junction City, Park Hills subdivison, Shelby Green, Airport Rd area

21. Friday, May 20: Junction City, Downtown area, White Oak Rd area

For more information contact: Woody Ball or Tim Brumfield at the Danville Fire Department, 238-1211

Man Faces Several Charges After Car-Lawn Mower Crash

At last check a man was still in the Mercer County Detention Center facing several charges after police said Christopher Byrd of Harrodsburg drove off Bohon Road on Thursday and hit Michael Moore on his lawn mower as he cut the grass at his home. Police said in a news release that Moore was airlifted to UK Hospital and was last listed in fair condition. Byrd told officers that his cell phone rang and the crash happened when he tried to answer it. Police investigated and arrested Byrd for driving under the influence of drugs, wanton endangerment, possession of marijuana and driving without proper insurance. Byrd's bond was set at ten thousand dollars.

The Danville Dulcimers Will Play For Lunch With The Arts This Wednesday

Every third Wednesday of the month, the Danville Community Arts Center holds Lunch With The Arts. This month's program is this Wednesday and features The Danville Dulcimers.






Marketing Director Jenny Jacoby says the music will be followed by a brief discussion. Attendees can choose to bring their own lunch and pay $5 or pay $10 for a catered meal. The music starts at noon at the Center located at 401 West Main Street in Danville. To reserve a meal, call 859-236-4054.

Four Hurt in Saturday Crash

Kentucky State Police said four people were hurt in a Casey County crash on Friday afternoon. They said that As 71 year old Mildred Durham drove east on Kentucky Highway 70 outside Yosemite, she apparently crossed the center line and slammed into a car with three people in it. Durham was taken to UK Hospital in Lexington in serious condition. The others were taken to Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center where two were treated and released, and the third was admitted. KSP said everybody was wearing seat belts.

Danville Child Dies in Georgia of Apparent Beating

Police in Georgia say a two year old Danville boy may have die from a beating for wetting his pants. Conyers, Georgia Police said they got a call on April 11 that the child, identified as Clayden Allen, was unconscious and having trouble breathing. He was taken to a children's hospital in Atlanta where he died. An autopsy showed that the child died from a brain hemorrhage. Police said that bruising on the boy's head was a sign of being hit several times. 23 year old James Rivera Sims was taking care of the boy when police went to the house in Conyers. Sims was arrested on murder and cruelty to a child charges. Sims and the child's mother were living together in Georgia, having left Kentucky for Sims to work a construction job.

UPDATE: New Information: Three Killed in Saturday Crash

Three people were killed in a crash in Boyle County on Saturday. Fire investigators said the crash happened around 6 p.m. just outside Junction City. They said a Mercury and a Jeep Cherokee collided at Stewart's Lane near the US 127 Bypass. All three people in the Mercury died at the scene. Investigators said the car's driver was 16 year old Mason Steigerwald. His grandmother, 73 year old Marie Baker of Danville, and Steigerwald's girlfriend, 16 year old McKenzie Weddle were passengers in the car. Both people in the Jeep were taken to Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center.

Three Killed in Boyle Co Crash Saturday

Three people were killed in a crash in Boyle County on Saturday. Fire investigators said the crash happened around 6 p.m. just outside Junction City. They said a Mercury and a Jeep Cherokee collided at Stewart's Lane and KY-300. All three people in the Mercury died at the scene. Investigators said the car's driver was a 17 year old, the passenger in the front seat was a 64 year old woman and the back seat passenger was a 15 year old girl. Both people in the Jeep were taken to the hospital in Danville and were released Saturday night. No name were released.

New Company on its way to Danville and Boyle County

Boyle County is giving them a .325 percent occupational tax credit, Danville's giving them a .625 percent credit, and the state's kicked in a couple million dollars in incentives for ten years too. in return, "Project Trust", as officials are calling it will bring in 63 jobs that will supply parts to Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems Corporation. Officials also say the new jobs, when they're in place, will pay about 19 dollars an hour. The new venture will invest about seven million dollars to start.

Gas prices up again

Kentucky gas prices jumped another 3 cents over the last week. The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is at 3 dollars, 70 cents, up 15 cents from last month. We’re still almost a dime below the national average.

EKU Cares Advocacy Day for Pets To Be Held Saturday

The Central Kentucky Regional Humane Society will host Eastern Kentucky University Cares Advocacy Day from noon to 3 p.m. tomorrow at 214 Richmond Street in Lancaster. The day will include information on spaying and neutering with EKU students and Dr. Dianne Hellwig, adoption pet viewing and a pet contest at 1 PM. Mark Hurd, Volunteer Executive Director of CKYRHUS says the event is free, but donations are welcome. .






All pets must be on a leash for safety.

Centre College to Have New Housing

Commencement at Centre College is May 22. After that, construction commences on a new, 15 million dollar. It will be a residential village with housing for upperclass students, most of whom have lived and studied overseas. There will be room for as many as 130 students and should be open for the 2012-2013 school year.

Atkins to Moderate Racially Charged Meeting

A Centre College vice president will moderate a meeting on Friday regarding Lincoln County Middle School. The vice president is JH Atkins, and he's the vice president for diversity education at the college, and a Danville city council member. He'll try to keep tempers calm as the situation is hopefully resolved. It all started when a group of students at the middle school were rewarded with lunch at McDonalds for their charitable giving to an organizatoin. Three African American students, who were also rewarded, but left out of the trip. There have since been referneces to the KKK and anonymous notes. Atkins try to diffuse the situation leading a discussion among students, staffers and parents and other who want to attend.

Woman at UK Burn Unit After Fire, Explosion

A woman was airlifted to UK Hospital after suffering burns yesterday morning in an apparent propane gas explosion and fire at a Casey County home. The fire broke out at about 8 a.m. at a guest cabin on Halon Young Road in Evona. 50 year old Marlene Withington's stepmother said that a propane gas line that had been connected to a water heater in the cabin Wednesday apparently had a leak. When Withington plugged in a vacuum Thursday morning, the gas exploded, blowing Withington through a window.
Withington is in the burn unit at UK Hospital, where she was listed in fair condition on Thursday. The cabin was a complete loss, and the heat from the fire melted siding on one side of the main home.
.

Danville to Hold Special Called Meeting

Special Called Budget Meeting for
Agency Presentations. This meeting will be held on April 19, Tuesday, at the InterCounty Energy building at 1009 Hustonville Road in the community room, starting at 4:00 PM

Burgin Couple Found Dead at Home

A Mercer County couple was found dead in their Burgin home. Mercer County Sheriff's officials said the couple was found shot to death in their Paradise Camp Road last night. Investigators found a weapon. While their names were not released, the couple's neighbors say the two were in their 60s and had been married for about 15 years. Reports indicate that it may have been a murder-suicide.

Wausau Paper to Invest $220 Million to Expand Tissue Production at Harrodsburg Plant

Wausau Paper's Board of Directors approved plans to expand the company’s towel and tissue production capabilities in response to growing demand for its "green" products.

The project includes a 220-inch Voith ATMOS technology paper machine capable of producing 75,000 tons per year of premium towel and tissue products from 100 percent recycled fiber.

The new machine will be located at the company’s converting facility in Harrodsburg with construction scheduled to begin this summer and startup expected in early 2013.

Total costs associated with the project approximate $220 million and include building construction, the new paper machine, converting line enhancements and project-related expenses.

The project received incentive commitments of approximately $7 million from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority. The company expects to fund the project primarily from future cash flow from operations and available credit from its established $300 million borrowing base.

Once operational, employment at the Harrodsburg site is expected to increase by up to 76 full-time positions.

Wausau Paper says that under its Bay West master brand, the company was first to market a broad line of Green Seal™-certified products. Since their introduction in 2003, Green Seal-certified products have grown to more than half of Wausau Paper’s total towel and tissue volume.

Consistent with the company’s strategy to increase the size of its Tissue business, this investment is the cornerstone of the Tissue segment’s plan to double revenue and operating profit over the next five to seven years, Wausau said.

Man Killed, Two Woman Injured in Crash

One man was killed, two other people were hurt when their vehicles collided head on yesterday afternoon. Police said it happened around 4 p.m. when 21 year old Abraham Ramirez was driving on the wrong side of US 1295 near the Garrard-Madison County Line. His car slammed head on into truck in which a woman and her adult daughter were riding. They were rushed to UK Hospital.

Danville Children's Choir To Perform First Concert

The Danville Children's Choir will present its first concert since being reborn in January. The choir of nearly 40 singers will be joined by the Lexington Children's Choir. The concert will be at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday at The Presbyterian Church on Main Street.






Meg Stohlmann, Director of the Danville Children's Choir says the event is free and open to the public.

Gas prices hit groceries

Most are experts are blaming rising gas prices for what we’re seeing on the grocery store shelves. Gas prices are 34 percent higher than they were at this time last year. The Kentucky Farm Bureau reports, overall food prices have increased 5 percent in the last 3 months. Fruits and vegetables are 4 percent higher. Meat, poultry, fish and eggs have jumped nearly 7 percent.

Ops center activated

County governments aren’t officially asking for help yet, but the Commonwealth Emergency Operations Center is active. State officials flipped the switch in response to flash flood warnings and reports of water over Kentucky roadways.

The Phone Rings and it Could be Bad Weather

Here's one way to get your attention if there's bad weather in the offing: call you on the phone. That's what residents in Garrard County may get -- a phone call -- if there's back weather. The alert notification is a result of a Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program project or CESPP. Director Jay Overman said this week that fiscal court will consider the severe weather option. Right now, Garrard County uses a severe weather siren.

NYT's Brooks to Give Press Lecture Tonight

This year's Press Lecture at Centre College will feature National Public Radio, Public Broadcasting System and New York Times columnist David Brooks. The lecture will be tonight at 8:30 at Newlin Hall at the Norton Center for the Arts and its open to everybody. Brooks will hold a book signing after his presentation. He's been a columnist for the Times for about eight years.

Alleged Homemade Bomb Found at Local Business

Danville police said there was a possible bomb found at a local business. Police said an employee at Sellers Engineering found what appeared to be a homemade bomb at the business on West Walnut Street. Police said the possible bomb looking like a Molotov cocktail on Monday, called a supervisor and the supervisor emptied the liquid that was in a container. Police say they'll process the device for anything they can get from it.

Teen Found Dead at Home

A Boyle County teen died of apparent natural causes on Tuesday at home in Danville. Coroner Don Hamner said 19 year old Rhyan Doneghy was unresponsive when his mother found him in the apartment they share with his grandmother. That happened just off Stanford Road at Village Apartments around 9:30 Tuesday morning. Now an autopsy will be performed, but the preliminary finding is that the teen died of natural causes.

Farmer Responds to Divorce Filing

State Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer responded yesterday to his wife's filing for divorce. In court documents he said he disagrees that the marriage is broken and cannot be reconciled. He does agree that his wife Rebecca should have custody and control of their three children. He also asked for the petition for divorce to be dismissed. If that doesn't happen, Farmer said in his filing that he wants all the non-marital property and that they split all the marital property. He also wants joint custody of their children with a reasonable time-sharing schedule.

Scully Died of Pneumonia

That 78 year old man who went missing last week setting off a Golden Alert and was later found on his own property died of pneumonia. The Garrard County Coroner did the autopsy on Donald Scully. Police said Scully apparently drove his truck into a sinkhole, then he climbed out. A relative found his body near a tree, about 50 feet from the sinkhole.

Rebecca Wants Richie To Pay For Farmer Divorce

Now that Kentucky's Ag Commissioner Richie Farmer and his wife are divorcing, Rebecca Farmer is asking for primary custody of their children. Rebecca Farmer filed for divorce last week as Richie Farmer is in the middle of running for lieutenant governor with Senate President David Williams. Rebecca Farmer is also asking that Richie pay for the divorce since she can't get to the family's funds.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month… Help Prevent Underage Drinking

April has been declared National Alcohol Awareness month. According to Thomas Bussell, Assistant Chief of Police and ABC Administrator for the City of Danville, not only is underage drinking against the law, but so is the party itself. Local hosting law can carry a minimum of a one thousand dollar fine.







Bussell wants to remind everyone that if you report underage drinking, you are not ruining their fun, but saving a life.

Budget Meeting Thursday

There's a Danville budget meeting tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. It will be at Inter County Energy- RECC at1009 Hustonville Road in Danville.

Two Danville Commissioners Walk Out on Exec Session

We don't know why they did it, but two Danville city commissioners walked out on an executive session that was called Monday night. Kevin Caudill and J H Atkins neither one voted for the executive session, but also would not say why they walked out. The meeting had been called to handle some personnel matters. The city attorney said the personnel matter could mean firing a city employee.

Banks Pleads Not Guilty to Reduced Charges

Richard Banks pleaded not guilty to reduced charges on Monday in connection with abusing 30 horses. Banks was in a Mercer County courtroom on Monday where prosecutors reduced the 30 counts to misdemeanors. Banks, who is the head of the Central Kentucky Equine Rescue, was arrested last month on complaints of malnourished animals. Banks will be back in court on May 26 for a pre trial conference.

Richmond has trash problem

The mayor of Richmond says trash is piling up in some neighborhoods there. The Richmond City Council is taking up the topic today. Mayor Jim Barnes says he believes most of the problem areas are around rental or abandoned properties.

Parents Should Watch For Seasonal Allergy Symptoms In Their Kids

Adults who have seasonal allergies know when that season kicks in. Allergy experts say parents who might think their child just has a cold, should also consider that it might be an allergy.






Dr. Brad Becker, (MD), an allergy specialist at SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center and Saint Louis University, says that if a child's symptoms become so persistent that their quality of life is affected, then it's time to seek specialized help. Parents can read more about allergies online at cardinalglennon.com.

153 Cries for Help

The numbers don't lie: The instances of child abuse in Garrard County are up. From 2009 to 2010, the numbers have gone up. Child Protective Services says there were 11,041 reports in 2009, and 11,197 in 2010. The increase of 156 may not seem like much, compared to the total eleven thousand plus in each year, but CPS officicals will tell you, they're 156 children, being physically, mentally or emotionally abused. Those who advocate for the abused say it may not be a case of abuse as most people define the word, but a cry for help, whether its food, clothing or help paying the bills.

One Boy Accused of Stabbing Another

A 12 year old is recovering from stab wounds and a 10 year old isd charged with stabbing him. Danville police said it happened Sunday night and the 10 year old was released to his mother's custody. Police have not said what led to the stabbing or how the boys know each other.

Gas Pirces Up Even Here

Everybody is looking for the best gas prices as many start to change their lifestyles to stay within their budget. So we checked out gas prices in the Danville area for you and found that the best prices are at the Kroger on Skywatch Drive, Chill's on Houstonville Road and the Marathon on Houstonville Road. Regular gas is at 3.69 a gallon. Its even cheaper in Harrodsburg. Its 3.59 a gallon for regular at the Swifty at South College and Chestnut Street, the Mr. Kwik at South College and Mooreland Avenue and at the Marathon at South College at Chestnut Street. We'll let you know every so often what the price of gas is doing.

Federal money coming to Kentucky

If you qualify, you could get up to 20 thousand dollars in mortgage assistance from the federal government. A plan by the Obama administration targets states with high unemployment rates or depressed home prices. The funds come from unspent money from the 700 billion dollar federal bank bailout.

Police Look for Escapees

They're neither armed, nor dangerous, but Kentucky State Police are looking for a couple of escapees from the Frankfort Career Development Center. They got out last night. Officials say 25 year old William Richardson and 33 year old Timothy Hogue escaped from the minimum security prison sometime between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Richardson was serving time for burglary and theft in Casey County. Hogue was convicted on a Pulaski County trafficking charge, and burglary charges in Garrard and Lincoln Counties.

Farmer's Wife Files for Divorce

Kentucky Ag Secretary Richie Farmer's wife has filed for divorce. Reports indicate that the paperwork to dissolve the 13 year marriage was filed on April 5. The couple has three sons. Richie Farmer is running for lieutenant governor with David Williams.

Gas Prices Up

The average price of a gallon of
gasoline in the US has gone up by 19 cents in the past three weeks.
The Lundberg Survey of fuel prices says the average price for a gallon of regular is $3.76. That's 91 cents more than a year ago. The highest price gas in the country is in San Francisco at 4.13, the lowest is in Tucson at 3.41 a gallon.

Medicaid changes proposed

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear pushes a plan to create a statewide managed system for Medicaid. One or more companies would handle most of the 6 and a half billion dollar a year program. The idea comes at a time there is a shortage of funding for Medicaid. A consortium of hospitals, physicians and other health care providers have been administering Kentucky’s Medicaid program for 15 years.

30th Annual National Crime Victims Week Begins Monday

Joye Frost, Acting Director for the Office for Victims of Crime with the United States Department of Justice knows that anyone can become a victim of a crime at any time. Before that happens to you, there are things you should keep in mind.






This week is the 30th year for the National Crime Victims' Rights week. According to Frost, much has been accomplished regarding crime victims' rights in the last 30 years, there are still many strides to be made.

Child Abuse Prevention Could Be Hurt By Budget Cuts

During this National Month of Child Abuse Prevention, the question arises… what affect will the federal budget woes have on prevention? Bryan Samuels, Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says while, at the federal level, there are no plans for cuts regarding prevention, it may be another story at the state level.






According to Samuels, child abuse is harmful both to children and society and the most effective interventions are to prevent child abuse from ever occuring.

Funding Heaing on Tuesday

A public hearing will be held by the City of Danville at City Hall / Police Station on Tuesday, April 19th, at 1:00 p.m. to get written and oral comments regarding the possible use of Municipal Aid and Local Government Economic Assistance (LGEA) program funds for the upcoming fiscal year. Anyone who cannot attend the public hearing but wishes to submit comments, should call City Manager Paul Stansbury at 859-238-1200 by 5:00 p.m. Monday, April 18th so that arrangements can be made to secure their comments.

"Hope 4 Japan" Sends Help to Japan

There are a lot of people who have said they couldn't sit idly by when the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, and four women at Corning in Harrodsburg were no different. Linda Whittaker,Michelle Cheak, Rebecca Winburn and Lori Daugherty came up with a design for the campaign they call Hope 4 Japan -- that's the numeral four -- and they sold 250 teeshirts at the Harrodsburg plant. Then another two fifty,and another and...you get the idea. Soon, Hope 4 Japan spread to Corning in New York, it was on hats, mugs, and bags, and before long, the four women had raised thousands of dollars, all of which went to the Red Cross to send to Japan.
Japan was rocked with a second quake yesterday -- a 7.4 magnitude aftershock yesterday. While there were fears of another tsunami, there was none and the warnings were called off.

Old Bridge Golf Course Sold

Nobody's teed off about this one: Old Bridge Golf Club has been sold, and for one Danville native, its a hole in one. Mike Kehoe is the head golf pro at Country Club and Greg Johnson is the GM at Peninsula Golf Resort in Garrard County. They'll now own Old Bridge, and they say they'll make changes to improve the place, like more merchandise in the pro shop, they'll have the restaurant up and running, maybe as early as this weekend, and Old Bridge is open for play now. That's par for the course.

Four Busted on Meth Charges

Kentucky State Police found a working meth lab on Tuesday and now four Casey County residents are in jail. KSP in Columbia said they got an anonymous tip and went to investigate, finding the meth lab at a house on Kentucky 70 in Liberty. Police arrested
37 year old Nathan Norman
34 year old Brenda Marie Hall
22 year old Michael Hall and
19 year old Rebecca Hall
They're all from Liberty and all face possession of methamphetamine precursor, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and manufacturing methamphetamine. They're all in the Casey County Detention Center.

Consumers At Risk After Data Management Company is Hacked Into

Someone hacked Epsilon Data Management in Irving, Texas, this past weekend placing consumers across the country at risk. Officials said the hackers collected information from Epsilon's clients such as Citigroup, Capitol One and US Bank.. Detective A. J. Mullins of the Danville Police Department warns that emails and phone calls that appear to be legitimately from your bank may be part of a scam.






Most of the companies affected are sending out warnings to customers and asking people not to respond.

Customer Service Sector Works Invited To Become Tourism Ambassadors

A training program intending to turn front line employees in Danville and Boyle County into "Tourism Ambassadors" will be offered by the Danville Boyle Count Convention and Visitors Bureau on April 25th. Charlie Cox, Marketing Communications Coordinator for Danville Boyle County Economic Development Partnership says the free program will be a fun afternoon.







The program is open to anyone who works in the customer service sector. To register, call 859-236-7794 by April 20th.

25% of Kentuckians are Without Health Insurance

A recent poll by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati finds that one-fourth of Kentuckians between the ages of 18 and 64 have no health insurance. A year earlier, the same pollsters found that one in three didn't have insurance. There's no explanation for the change in the numbers. The annual Kentucky Health Issues Poll was conducted late last year, and it found that a third of those who responded had no health insurance in the previous 12 months. One in four had none when the poll was taken. The poll showed that those with lower incomes, and younger adults were more likely to be uninsured than older, more established people.

Fundraiser Set for RECT

“Night at the Ragged Edge” is a fund raiser that's set for 8 p.m. April 30 at Ragged Edge Community Theatre in Harrodsburg. Entertainment includes favorite RECT performers like Natalie Berry, Hannah Beth Turner and the “Cast of Beauty and the Beast.” Food will be part of the evening. In addition, SummerStage Children’s Workshop registration forms are available at the theater. Tickets are $15.

Still Pumping Ideas on Water

Lancaster is still trying to decide whether it will buy water from Danville or build its own treatment plant. First Lancaster city council members were told they'd need a storage tank and pumping station with the pipeline to get the water from Danville to Lancaster. That would cost nearly 12 million dollars, and former mayor Don Rinthen that's almost as much as it would cost to build a new water treatment plant. Council and those involved say they'll keep working on it.

Fire in Semis Ruled Accidental

We told you about those two semis that caught fire as they sat at a truck stop in Danville. Fire investigators say they still don't know how it happed, but the fire was accidental. It happened Saturday around 5 a.m. at Bluegrass Auto Truck Stop on Stewarts Lane. First responders got the call that the two semis were on fire. Investigators said it looked like the fire started in an unoccupied flatbed, and spread to a second truck. The driver was sleeping in the cab. Now, investigators said a third truck was exposed to the fire, but the driver was able to make a get away. Nobody was hurt.

Honor Our Military Children This Month

April is Month of the Military Child, a time to celebrate the sacrifice of our military children. Staff Sergeant Paul Hunt with the Kentucky Army National Guard State Family programs office, says it is a time to honor and recognize the smallest heroes.






More than 1.7 million children nationwide under the age of 18 have at least one parent serving in the armed forces. Events will be taking place across the state all of this month to honor them.

Kiplinger's Ranks Centre College in Top 30 Most Affordable Schools

Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine ranked Centre College in Danville 31st in its list of the 100 best values in private liberal arts colleges for 2010-11. Transylvania University in Lexington ranked 75th, and Berea College in Berea ranked 84th. Bellarmine in Louisville was ranked 90th in the list of the top 100 private universities. Schools were ranked by academic quality and affordability.

Junction City Woman in Jail on Numerous Charges

A Lincoln County woman led police on a chase on Sunday morning. Tina Maples of Junction City was weaving as she drove just before midnight Saturday night, and that's when a deputy began following her. Officials said Maples refused to heed the deputy and continued onto US 127 at speeds of up to 90 miles an hour. She stopped her car on Spring Run Road and began running away on foot. Officers followed, and had to taser Maples to subdue her. She now faces charges of fleeing and evading, reckless driving, speeding, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, driving with an open container, driving under the influence as a fourth offense, and two counts of wanton endangerment.

Williams Campaigns in Garrard County

Nearly 100 people came out last Friday to the Garrard County Extension Office to hear from Kentucky Senate President David Williams talk about his run for the governor's office. Williams told them that if he's elected, he'll change the public pension system so that it doesn't collapse and restructure Kentucky's tax system. He said those priorities would make Kentucky competitive with other states. Williams added that his running mate, Ag Secretary Richie Farmer, the former basketballer, was campaigning with UK in Houston, but as we know now, to no avail.

Abramson Keynotes Jefferson-Jackson Dinner

When he lead the city of Louisville, Jerry Abramson was known as "mayor for life", having been reelected numerous times, but now, Abramson is Steve Beshear's running mate in Beshear's reelection campaign for Kentucky's governor. Abramson was at Centre College for the Jefferson-Jackson Dinner last Friday. He told the crowd present that while some in the state Senate want to make sweeping, across the board cuts to balance the budget, Beshear would take a micro approach, and cut where cuts needed to be made. Abramson added that Beshear said that Kentucky would be ready when the economy recovered, but bolstering business in the state.

Former Constable Hodge to be Arraigned This month

Former Lincoln County District 2 Constable Ken Hodge of Crab Orchard will be arraigned on April 22, having been indicted last week for allegedly selling a narcotic pain reliever to a confidential informant. Hodge was one of the 83 arrested last November in that four-county drug sweep. Operation "November Rain" sent 120 officers into Boyle, Garrard, Lincoln and Mercer counties after a year-long undercover drug buying investigation from the suspects. Hodge's bond was set at 25 thousand dollars.

Oney Arraigned This Week

Former Lincoln County deputy Rob Oney of Stanford will be arraigned this week after he was indicted more than a week ago. Kentucky State Police are investigating Oney on charges that there's money missing from the Waynesburg Little League Booster Club, of which Oney was president at the time the money went missing. KSP told the grand jury that Oney used the money for personal reasons. The indictment charges that Oney obtained “property belonging to the Waynesburg Little League Booster Club and deal(t) with such property as his own,” and that it happened between 2009 and 2011. The money has since been paid back to the booster club.

National Work Zone Awareness Week Begins Monday

crashes were caused by roadway condition. That means, Kentucky DOT workers are out there for you. National Work Zone Awareness Week starts today and Natasha Lacey, Public Information Officer for District 7 Highway Office hopes you will remember those workers this construction season.







85 percent of all deaths in construction zones are actually drivers and pedestrians. Lacey says those deaths simply do not have to happen.

Fans Proud of Cats, Despite Loss to UCon

The Big Blue season ended in one point -- 56 to 55, with less than two seconds to go as the Wildcats were ousted by the Ucon Huskies from the NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four on Saturday. Some 200 police officers were on hand in Lexington as fans who didn't make the trip to Houston watched from local watering holes as the final buzzer sounded and it was Ucon, not UK celebrating. Fans were appreciative of the team as they got word that the Cats would head home on Sunday.

Two Semis Catch Fire at Danville Truck Stop

Two semis parked at a truck stop in Danville caught fire early Saturday morning. Fire crews said it started around 5 a.m. at Bluegrass Auto Truck Stop and was over in less than an hour. And when it was over, nobody was hurt, but the tractor-trailer rigs were heavily damaged, and there were about a hundred gallons of diesel fuel spilled. That posed an environmental issue so several agencies who deal with that sort of thing were called to the scene, including called Danville-Boyle County Emergency Management, state agencies and a hazmat contractor who cleaned up the spill. Officials at the scene said because of the quick work of hazmat crews, there was no threat to any water or sewer systems. Fire investigators are still trying to find out what caused the fire in one unoccupied truck that spread to a second.

Unemployment Down in 93 Counties

Unemployment is down in 93 of Kentucky's 120 counties. The Kentucky Office of Employment and Training reported February unemployment yesterday, showing that about two dozen counties' numbers went up, three were the same and two counties had lower unemployment numbers. Magoffin had the highest unemployment rate, at 20.3 percent, and Fayette and Woodford counties the lowest at 8.6 percent.