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TIM ES-TR IBUNE

www.thetimestribune. com

Your life. Your paper.

NO. 8 VOL. 120

JAN. 11, 2012 |

WEDNESDAY | CALL (606) 528-2464 TO SUBSCRIBE

PFC. DUSTIN P. NAPIER

Dies Sunday in Afghanistan from enemy fire BY JEFF NOBLE STAFF WRITER

SOLDIER FROM LONDON KILLED

Pfc. Dustin P. Napier, of London, who served with the United States Army in Operation Enduring Freedom, and warmly remembered by his friends and classmates at South Laurel High School as a man “totally committed to being an Army soldier from the very first day,” died Sunday in Afghanistan from injuries he suffered from enemy small-arms fire. He was 20 years old. He was killed during the exchange of fire in the city of Qalat, in Afghanistan’s Zabul Province on Sunday afternoon. During the incident, two other soldiers were wounded. All three were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, based in Fort Wainwright, Alaska. Napier was deployed to Afghanistan in April 2011 for a one-year tour of duty. He joined the U.S. Army in July 2010, completed his basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia and arrived at Fort Wainwright in November of that same year. A spokesperson for the Army in Alaska said Tuesday that Napier’s family and next-of-kin were notified of his passing. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time.

75 cents

New federal charge for drug dealer Man associated with Hodge accused of testimony impeding BY BECKY KILLIAN MANAGING EDITOR

n accused Whitley County A drug dealer associated in a federal affidavit with former Whitley

County Sheriff Lawrence Hodge now faces a new federal charge for trying to impede testimony, according to a superseding indictment filed in London’s U.S. District Court. Doyle “Stan-Boy” Fritts is accused of conspiring “to knowingly corruptly persuade another with the intent to influence, delay, and prevent their testimony in an official proceeding,” according to the indictment, which was filed Thursday. Doyle Fritts also faces three charges of distributing oxycodone and one charge related to being a convicted felon in possession of a Chinese firearm. Jerry Lee Fritts is also named in the indictments but the charges against him remain unchanged from a Sept. 8 indictment. Court documents state he faces two charges of distributing oxycodone. The two men were set to go on trial Monday, Jan. 9, but that trial date has

SEE DRUG, PAGE 3

Man indicted for setting fire to dorm room door BY BECKY KILLIAN MANAGING EDITOR

PHOTOS BY JEFF NOBLE

ABOVE: South Laurel High’s Principal, David Cummins, points to a picture of Pfc. Napier when he was a member of the school’s JROTC unit. INSET: On Tuesday afternoon, the flag at South Laurel High School was at half-mast, in honor of Pfc. Dustin Napier of London. Napier, a 2010 graduate of South Laurel, died Sunday while serving his country in Afghanistan.

SEE NAPIER, PAGE 3

A Georgia man arrested after he set fire to a dormitory room door at University of the Cumberlands has been indicted, according to Whitley Circuit Court documents. Quintine Cayo, 18, faces two counts of first-degree arson and one count of first-degree wanton endangerment. Cayo was arrested in December after Williamsburg police reviewed surveillance footage following the fire, which happened when papers posted on a dorm room door were set on fire.

SEE DORM, PAGE 3

Whitley fire leaves man homeless BY JEFF NOBLE STAFF WRITER

On the day he turned 40 years old, a Whitley County man is staying with relatives, after a fire destroyed his mobile home in the Whipporwill community Tuesday. The blaze happened around 9:25 a.m. at the residence of Curtis Hatfield, who owned the 14-by-76-foot single wide mobile home at 100 Osborne Lane, off Whipporwill Road. Hatfield was not at home at the time of the fire, because he had been released from Baptist Regional Medical Center in Corbin, after

spending the last few days there due to an attack of kidney stones. “I was in the hospital, and my friend came to pick me up because I’d been released. My friend got a call on the phone, and the one on the other line said my home was on fire. We came down here, and the home’s a total loss,” Hatfield told the Times-Tribune after the blaze was put out. Hatfield added, “It’s a heck of a birthday present. I don’t have any insurance.”

LOTTERY

OBITUARIES

TUESDAY LOTTERY

Leland Ferguson . . . . . . Corbin Patrick Corrigan . . . . . . . Ohio Christopher Fuson . Williamsburg Chasity Forest . . . . . London Earl Hale . . . . . Williamsburg Fred Jackson . . . . . . . London Keith Hensley . . . . . . . . Berry

MIDDAY Pick 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9-3 Pick 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-8-0-8

EVENING Pick 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-7-6 Pick 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0-6-7-6 Cash Ball . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3-16-30-17 Cash Ball Kicker . . . . . . . . . . 9-2-9-7-0 Three Line Lotto . . . . . 1-3-6-16-19-30 Mega Millions . . . . . . 4-10-16-38-48-34

TODAY’S WEATHER Cloudy, rain likely.

HIGH 58° | LOW 44°

SEE FIRE, PAGE 3

Cottongim Drug closes doors BY CARL KEITH GREENE STAFF WRITER

PHOTO BY JEFF NOBLE

Firefighters begin putting away their gear at the scene of Tuesday’s mobile home fire in Whipporwill. As of Tuesday night, the cause of the blaze had not been determined.

A downtown Corbin landmark has closed. Cottongim Drug, the last “drug store” on Main Street, closed Monday. Prescriptions on file at the store may be filled at Sav-Rite Family Pharmacy on Master Street.

INSIDE TODAY

INDEX

ASK DR. K SEE PAGE 10

FRUGAL LIVING SEE PAGE 11

SEE CLOSES, PAGE 2

WIGS FOR KIDS

AN EXCLUSIVE LOOK

7-year-old third-grader donates 13 inches of her hair. See PAGE 14

Siler Implement Company owners attend national tractor meeting. See PAGE 15

Obituaries

2 Around Town

5

Weather

2 Comics

10

Editorial

4 Classifieds

12

Sports

6 Entertainment 9

3

FROM THE FRONT

PHOTO BY JEFF NOBLE

Zachary Skaw, of Corbin (left), and Steven Cheek, of London, graduated with Pfc. Napier at South Laurel in 2010. They also served with him in the school’s JROTC unit, and have a picture to prove it.

NAPIER FROM FRONT PAGE

Hearts were heavy throughout London and Laurel County on Monday and Tuesday as word spread of Napier’s death. The sadness and grief were especially painful at South Laurel High School, where Napier graduated as a member of the Class of 2010. Outside the high school, the American flag stood at half-mast. Inside, students, faculty and friends who knew and admired him spoke of Napier as a person well-liked, well-respected and willing to help everyone. “We got the news Monday morning about his death. We’re very saddened to hear this. I remember Napier when he was here, and I remember him as a model student, very quiet and serious. You always knew where he stood,” said Col. Mark Jones, who’s with the Air Force Junior ROTC at South Laurel High. Jones told the TimesTribune that a memorial service for Napier would be held at the school this Friday at 9:30 a.m. by members of the JROTC. He said many of the cadets were “numbed” by the sudden death of their former classmate, and are taking it hard. “A lot of the cadets who knew Dustin started filtering in the school Monday, to see what they could do to honor his memory. Everybody’s really sad, especially the ones who knew Dustin personally.” South Laurel’s Principal, David Cummins, agreed. Showing a picture of Napier in his military dress uniform while in JROTC, Cummins said Napier was a “model stu-

DRUG

FROM FRONT PAGE now been changed to Feb. 21. They are set to be arraigned at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, in London. Doyle Fritts and Jerry Lee Fritts were among six people arrested and

DORM

FROM FRONT PAGE

Others indicted by the grand jury and the charges they face are: *Angela Barnhill, 45, of Corbin, program assistance fraud relating to food stamps totaling $10,308, LIHEAP totaling $126 and Medicaid totaling $5,597. *Brenda Bray, 27, of Williamsburg, program assistance fraud for food stamps totaling $7,762, LIHEAP totaling $800 and Medicaid totaling $1,501. *Mark Ferguson, 24,

dent” and was both popular and respected. “The last couple of days have been really trying around here with his loss. A lot of students really looked up to him as a role model and someone they could believe in.” Cummins added some of the current and former JROTC students there were planning on making a collage in memory of Napier, by using some of his pictures on the social website Facebook and pictures of him in military service. Never was the show of sorrow and affection more apparent than in the school’s JROTC classroom. “When I walked in here Monday and heard he died, my legs almost collapsed. It was unbelievable. He was a good friend, a good mentor, and truly a good person,” said Devan Burkhart, a senior at South Laurel and currently cadet captain of the school’s JROTC program. Burkhart was a sophomore when Napier was a senior, and the two met while serving in the military program. “He really had a kind of charisma about him that you liked. What I learned in the JROTC program as far as the Color Guard, the Drill Team and other things, I learned from him. He was the one who would tell me, ‘Stick with it,’ when I got frustrated with the program, and I did stick with it.” Amber Glass remembered Napier as someone she could look up to. “He was very aware of everybody, and always stood up for the underdog, which I thought was very nice. Dustin wasn’t cocky but confident, and knew who he was and his place in life.” A junior at South Laurel, Glass credits Napier for helping her aspire to her current rank as second lieutenant in

the school’s JROTC program. “He inspired me to do whatever I wanted, and to follow my dreams. Anybody who knew him is hurting inside right now.” “Dustin was a really awesome friend. I was a sophomore when Dustin was a senior. He was more like a brother to me,” said Ashley Smith, currently a junior and Second Lieutenant in South Laurel’s JROTC program. Recalling his time in school with her, Smith remembered Napier as a young man of principles. “He encouraged me to go into the Army, and he gave us a lot in return. He taught us discipline, self-respect and basic core values. He said, ‘Service before self,’ and he not only talked it, he did it. Dustin lived his dream, which was to be an American soldier.” And there was this comment from a friend of Napier’s — a sophomore who wished to remain anonymous. “Dustin was respectable, and you could trust him when he talked to you. He was always respectful of his friends, and cared about everyone. There wasn’t anyone he didn’t like.” According to one of his teachers in high school, Napier had his sights set on joining the military at a very young age. “From the time he was 4 years old, Dustin wanted to be in uniform. He would be with a group of friends and buddies who would go out and play Army when he was growing up. Most of the time, he would be dressed in BDU’s (Battle Dress Uniform) or camos. He was the son of a military man, and Dustin was from a military family, so he knew what he wanted to be. His mom said early on that being in the Army was what he wanted to do. And he did to the very end,” said Chief Master Sargeant Randy Creech, with the JROTC at South Laurel High. Creech noted that during his four years in school, Napier was the unit’s Corps Commander. “He was, and he was a leader to his fellow cadets. He never missed a semester during his four years here. Everyone looked up to him, and Dustin earned a lot of respect. We’ve got a lot of students who’ve lost a friend, a cadet, and a classmate. It’s tough.” Two of Napier’s closest friends from the Class of 2010 served with him in JROTC, and Tuesday afternoon they brought a picture of all of them, spit-shined and polished-up in their dress uniforms. To

TIMES—TRIBUNE / WEDNESDAY, JAN. 11, 2012 Zachary Skaw and Steven Cheek, that picture is now priceless. “We’d do crazy stuff in high school. We’d go to Dustin’s house, and we’d bug his dad. We’d shoot rifles and Dustin was an expert shot. He’d show us the movie, “Full Metal Jacket”, quoting all the lines in it, because he remembered them and loved the movie. And he’d show videos of his favorite group, Jim Morrison and The Doors. Two of his favorite songs were “Light My Fire” and “Love Me Two Times,” said Cheek. “We’d go to Dustin’s house and scout out deer outside. We’d watch a lot of movies, and we weren’t there or with the JROTC program, we’d spend most of our time at school activities, like ballgames,” added Skaw, a former London resident who now lives in Corbin. Cheek pointed out one of the persons in the picture as another one of Napier’s closest friends, Seth Thompson. “He couldn’t make it here today, but if Seth was around, he would tell us how much he missed Dustin.” “Our great nation has lost another brave son from the heart of a region where countless men and women are raised, like Pfc. Dustin Napier, with a devout love for our country and consider it the greatest honor to serve in the U. S. Armed Forces. My wife, Cynthia and I offer our deepest condolences to the Napier family. Their sacrifice will forever live on in the hearts and minds of those who loved and knew Dustin best,” said 5th District Congressman Hal Rogers, in a statement from his Washington office Tuesday evening. In the JROTC room at South Laurel, Col. Jones has a picture of Napier during his senior year. It was taken at Pine Mountain State Resort Park, and shows him relaxing with his hands on his head, looking at and enjoying the view of the mountains from atop Chained Rock. Written in the upper lefthand corner of the picture are these words. “Rest in Peace. PFC Dustin Paul Napier, from those at KY-932.” KY-932 is the designation for the school’s Air Force JROTC unit, “Unit Kentucky 932.” Jones quietly said, “When a soldier dies in the line of combat, we hear about it happening to Kentuckians all the time. But when it happens to a Laurel Countian, it really hits home. Dustin was one of us.”

FIRE

FROM FRONT PAGE

Close to 30 firefighters with the Oak Grove and Bald Rock Volunteer Fire Departments were at the scene, putting out the fire under extremely foggy conditions. A full crew with Whitley CountyCorbin EMS was also at the fire, providing assistance and medical help, just in case. “There were visible flames coming all the way out to the front door, and heavy smoke,” said Billy Holder of the Whitley CountyCorbin EMS, who’s unit came from Whitley Station, Zone 2, and was one of the first responders at the scene. “There was still heavy smoke coming out over the left side of the trailer,” added Martha Bowman, who’s with the Oak Grove VFD. While no humans were inside the mobile home, Hatfield said two dogs and a bird were inside when the fire broke out. “I had two Chihuahuas and they got out. I had a friend who came over and let the dogs out. But a Cockatiel bird died inside the house. The bird couldn’t be saved.” Also lost was many belongings that Hatfield had, including gifts from his daughter. “I lost all my daughter’s stuff. Pictures, too. All the stuff she gave me for Christmas and Father’s Day went up in smoke. As for a place to stay, my brother’s coming down to pick me up. I can stay with him.” Witnesses reported they heard an explosion and saw a “big fire.” Hatfield noted the explosion may have come from shotgun shells that were stored inside the home. “The mobile home has extensive fire damage in the southwest corner, where two rooms were fully destroyed. The rest of the home had smoke damage. Because of the home’s age, it’s considered to be a total loss,” said Oak Grove VFD Chief Kevin Gibbs. Gibbs added the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, and that it would be investigated. He also answered a question asked by some about why there was an EMS crew on the scene. “A lot of people have asked me why the EMS responds. They really do a great job for us, because you never know when you get paged out if there’s someone inside. We have a lot of elderly people who live in the area we cover, and when we go on-scene, you want to have every source available to help you. There may be someone hurt, or one of us first-responders hurt. You just never know.”

charged federally in connection with a drug operation on Ted Ball Road in Whitley County. Two of the others who were arrested — Nikita N. Evans and Jason A. Kersey — were sentenced Thursday. Evans pleaded guilty in September to aiding and abetting in the distribution of hydrocodone as well as to a criminal forfeiture allegation as part of a plea

agreement that called for the dismissal of another charge of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. She was sentenced to time served of five months and 24 days with three years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. Kersey also pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement to a charge of distributing hydrocodone.

He was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment. To other men, James Meradith and Charles F. Fritts Jr., have also pleaded guilty as part of plea agreements. On Dec. 8, Meradith pleaded guilty to one count of distributing oxycodone. The plea agreement calls for the dismissal of other

charges against him. He is set to be sentenced April 12. Charles F. Fritts Jr. pleaded guilty on Oct. 12 to distributing oxycodone and for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. The plea agreement calls for the dismissal of other charges against him and he is set to be sentenced Feb. 16. A federal affidavit filed

in March indicated Hodge frequented the Ted Ball Road home of Charles Fritts Jr., a known “dope house” where Hodge reportedly sold and bought drugs and where Kersey and Charles Fritts Jr. helped Hodge dispose of guns reported missing from the sheriff’s office in a 2009 burglary that was later determined to have been staged by Hodge.

and Melissa Johnson, 22, both Whitley County jail inmates, first-degree fleeing or evading police and receiving stolen property worth more than $10,000 related to a stolen 2007 Toyota Camry. *Jason Collett, 40, of Corbin, theft by deception more than $500 but less than $10,000 related to giving a bad check written for $6,000 to a business. He was also charged with being a first-degree persistent felony offender. *Ester McCrary, no age given, of Williamsburg, first-degree criminal mischief for intentionally damaging a 2008 Ford Escape and causing more than

$1,000 damage. *Donnie Chad Anderson, 32, of Rockholds, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and first-degree fleeing or evading police. *Wendell Canada, 38, Angela Gilreath, 25, and William Strunk, 27, all of Williamsburg, manufacture of methamphetamine. *Corey Anderson, 19, of Gray, and Franklin A.

Mills, 29, Kenneth Fallen, 42, and Ashley Douglas, 19, all of Williamsburg, two counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument. *David Vanderpool, 30, and Mary Powers, 25, of Williamsburg, receiving stolen property worth $500 or more but less than $10,000 related to merchandise taken from Burke’s Outlet and receiving stolen property worth less than $500 related to

Tractor Supply merchandise. Vanderpool was also charged with being a second-degree persistent felony offender. *Jason K. Mullins, 25, of Hendersonville, N.C., manufacturing meth. *Judy Green, 50, of

Williamsburg, theft by unlawful taking over $10,000 related to her having taken $80,800 from another person. An indictment is a formal charge by a grand jury and is not a conviction or an admission of guilt.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY” BIRTHDAY”

CLAUDETTE HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY JANE HUMPHREY

KIMMIE

We are so thankful for all of you who touched our lives during the recent death of our loved one, Herbert Eaton. We are comforted by the outpouring of love and support, and know your presence and prayers helped sustain us. Special thanks to Rev. Johnny Jervis for the comforting words, singer Chad Wetherill, and the Hart Funeral Home for the beautiful service, and to Don Estep, Mark White, and Trent Knuckles for the nice newspaper tributes. Thank you to those who sent flowers and memorials, those who provided food, and to Herbert’s caregivers at the Corbin Nursing Home - he loved all of you. Thank you to all the former employees of Eaton and Gibbs. Thank you Larry Jones, you meant so much to dad.

Time sure has Áown by. We hope you have a wonderful Birthday and We Love You Very Much Dad & Trish

I AM SO PROUD OF HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME. LOVE YOU ALWAYS MOM

With gratitude - The Eaton Family.

TIM ES-TR IBUNE

www.thetimestribune. com

Your life. Your paper.

NO. 9 VOL. 120

JAN. 12, 2012 |

THURSDAY | CALL (606) 528-2464 TO SUBSCRIBE

75 cents

London alcohol election scheduled

U.S. ARMY PFC. DUSTIN NAPIER REMEMBERED

BY CARL KEITH GREENE STAFF WRITER

uesday, March 7, is the T date in London when voters will determine if alcoholic beverages will be sold in package stores in the town. After petitions presented with about 650 signatures were verified, County Clerk Dean Johnson set the date for the local option election. The minimum verified signatures needed were 540. The signatures were verified by Laurel Judge/Executive David Westerfield with the help of his staff. In January 2005, limited restaurant sales of alcohol drinks began in London. In that situation, London restaurants with 100 seats were able to have 70 percent sales of food and the rest alcoholic beverages.

K JONES

ESY COL. MAR

PHOTO COURT

es’ office at Col. Mark Jon OTC members in is r ie ap N mes from JR f Pfc. Dustin This picture o h School. The message co of remembering Napier, ay Hig South Laurel ast and present, as their w p l, o o h . n hanista at the sc Sunday in Afg who was killed

SEE LONDON, PAGE 3

Along with his parents and family, Pfc. Napier was a member of the Sunshine Hill Baptist Church in Laurel County. At press time, funeral arrangements were incomplete, according to the London Funeral Home. PHOTO BY JEFF NOBLE

A soldier’s father speaks Story by JEFF NOBLE ~ TIMES-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

I

n his short life, U. S. Army Pfc. Dustin Napier had a lot to offer. His parents, Darrell and Marianne Napier of Laurel County, saw to that, as they encouraged him to reach for the stars. They also had front row seats to their youngest son growing up as a boy, a student, a soldier and a man. It’s those qualities in Dustin — his leadership, his love of life and the people around him, and his sense of knowing when to take a stand and fight for it — that stand out the most to his parents. Which is why the 20-year-old soldier’s untimely death by enemy fire in Afghanistan this past Sunday has seared a deep hole in their hearts. “I guess just watching him grow up, and watching him focus on life, is one of the best memories I have of Dustin,” said dad Darrell Napier in a telephone interview with the Times-Tribune on Wednesday afternoon. His father said Dustin brought a joy to everyone, whether it be his Junior ROTC buddies coming over to visit their house in the McWhorter-Sublimity community, keeping his fellow workers laughing at the Save-A-Lot grocery store in London, or staying focused on being a soldier with the Army. “I’ve seen his good qualities in his life. He loved the outdoors. I was proud of his accomplishments in the JROTC at South Laurel High School. He loved his friends, and most of the time there was always a bunch of his friends over at our house. And he loved helping me out around the house. That means a lot when your son’s close to you,” Darrell noted.

“H

e did miss home a lot. He loved to hang out with his friends very much. He missed his friends at Save-A-Lot, where he worked for almost four years. And if there was one meal Dustin really loved from his mother, it was her chicken and dumplings.”

—Darrell Napier, father of Pfc. Dustin Napier

PHOTO BY CARL KEITH GREENE

If an ordinance passes in Laurel Fiscal Court on Jan. 26, carrying concealed deadly weapons into the Laurel County Courthouse will not be allowed. The exception will be peace officers.

Second reading of weapon ordinance coming Jan. 26 BY CARL KEITH GREENE STAFF WRITER

he carrying of concealed T weapons in county buildings will not be allowed if the ordinance banning them that was approved in first reading by the Laurel County Fiscal Court on Dec. 20 is adopted on second reading Jan. 26. The ordinance states that it is to serve the people of the county “to the best of its ability in a spirit of peace and cooperation.” It also is to, “assure the safety of the citizens, officers and employees” of the county. Judge/Executive David Westerfield explained that the ordinance is needed in order to post a sign on county buildings banning the carrying into those buildings all firearms by those who have permits to carry their concealed weapons. The signs will be 18 x 18 inches and state, “The Possession of Concealed Deadly Weapons, even with proper permits, are hereby Prohibited on this Property.”

SEE FATHER, PAGE 3

LOTTERY

OBITUARIES

WEDNESDAY LOTTERY

John Culver . . . . . . . . Corbin Earl Hale . . . . . . Williamsburg David Wilburn . . . . . . Corbin Kelsey Shelton . . . Williamsburg Oma Cox . . . . . . . . Corbin Chasity Forrest . . . . . London Keith Hensley . . . . . . . Berry Zella Whitaker Sasser School Rd. Pearl Harris . . . . . . . London Billy Cunigan . . . . . . . London Ford McGeorge . . . . . . London Farrah Fuller . . . . . . London Derek Harris . . . . . . . Lily

MIDDAY Pick 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4-1 Pick 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6-2-1

EVENING Pick 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1-0 Pick 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-9-1-7 Cash Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7-10-16-22 Cash Ball Kicker . . . . . . . . . . 0-0-9-0-2 Powerball . . . . . . . . . . 5-19-29-45-47-25

SEE WEAPON, PAGE 3

INSIDE TODAY

INDEX

CARL KEITH GREENE

Obituaries

2 Around Town

5

Weather

2 Comics

8

Editorial

4 Classifieds

Sports

6 Entertainment 5

SEE PAGE 4

VILLAGE IDIOT SEE PAGE 9

PHILLIPS ADDRESS

NICE DEVELOPMENT

New city manager speaks during Chamber of Commerce luncheon. See PAGE 2

Upstart Williamsburg Yellow Jackets are peaking at the right time. See PAGE 6

10

3

FROM THE FRONT

Two arrested Ex-fire chief pleads for shoplifting guilty to trafficking TIMES-TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

TIMES-TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

T

wo alleged shoplifters were arrested Tuesday at about 5:40 p.m. by Laurel sheriff ’s deputies. Deputies Greg Turner and Shawn Boroviak were called to the Walmart on U.S. 25E at Corbin. They found that Walmart employees had detained Sarah L. Daniels, 23, and Rindy Flannery, 22, both of Middlesboro. The two had been caught stealing merchandise in the Walmart and when the deputies investigated their vehicle, they found items that seemed to have been stolen from Belk in Trademark Shopping Center. The items included mattress toppers, T-shirts, drapery panels, sheets, blue jeans, bed spreads, pillows, assorted shirts and dress pants worth more than $500. Daniels was charged with theft (aka shoplifting) and receiving stolen property. Flannery was charged with receiving stolen property. They were both taken to the Laurel County Corrections Center.

FATHER

FROM FRONT PAGE

It also meant a lot that Dustin followed his father into the Armed Forces. From 1989 to 1994, Darrell Napier was in the United States Army. He was stationed overseas in Europe at Budigen, Germany, and stateside at Fort Polk, La. “I tried to volunteer for combat, but my commander wouldn’t let me volunteer. It just wasn’t my time,” said his dad. Dustin was the youngest of Darrell’s three sons. His oldest son is Dustin’s half-brother, 29-year-old Christopher Bittner, who lives in Maineville, Ohio (near Cincinnati) and did not serve in the military. His middle son, Darrell Napier Jr., did serve briefly in the Army and was stationed at Fort Knox. At age 21, Darrell Jr. lives at home with his parents. And deep inside was a feeling in the Napier family that someday their youngest son would pursue an Army career. Which Dustin did. According to Darrell Napier, his middle son’s step into serving in the

WEAPON FROM FRONT PAGE

Persons violating the ordinance will be denied entrance to the building or ordered to leave the building. Also, employees of the county or any elected official of the county who violated the ordinance will see disciplinary measures, with the exclusion of peace officers. Kentucky Revised Statute 237.110 states that any person who has a license can carry a concealed weapon into a police station or sheriff’s office, a detention facility, prison or jail or any courthouse that is occupied

LONDON FROM FRONT PAGE

If the voters approve package stores, the restaurants may be able to sell 50 percent of their food as alcoholic beverages and 50 percent for food. Local option elections are scheduled for Feb. 7 in Barbourville and on Feb. 14 in Corbin. Corbin already has restaurant sales. Barbourville is still dry.

CORRECTION Due to a reporter’s error a story on Page 1 of Friday, Dec. 9, 2011’s edition of the Times-Triune concerning the guilty plea of James Meradith in U.S. District Court contained an error. It should have said he pleaded guilty to only one charge of a fourcount indictment. We regret the error.

ormer Baldrock fire chief, Tony F Slusher, 38, will report to the Laurel County Corrections Center on Friday at 6 p.m. He had pleaded guilty to trafficking in marijuana. He had operated a business on KY192 called Just Another Bait Shop on the way to Laurel River Lake, Lake Cumberland and the Rockcastle River. Apparently, Laurel County Sheriff deputies reported that they decided that not only bait was being sold. When an informant bought marijuana at the store the deputies arrested Slusher on charges of selling less than eight ounces of marijuana. Though Slusher claimed that he knew nothing of the marijuana sales, the deputies found a quantity of marijuana in the store. In Laurel District Court, Judge John Chappell ordered Slusher to serve 30 days of the 365-day sentence, pay $184 in court costs and have no further violations for two years after release. Slusher was a member of the Baldrock Fire Department as chief, but after the arrest the department removed him from the office. He can stay as a firefighter, though.

military was Dustin’s calling in life. “He’d been wanting to do that since he was a little boy, about when he was 6 years old. I encouraged him to do so. And he was a leader. He’d take the initiative to get things done. I’ve always raised my boys to do the right thing, no matter if the cause was popular or unpopular.” Dustin joined the Army in July 2010, and after completing his basic training in Fort Benning, Ga., he went to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, in November of that year. It was last April that Dustin was deployed with 4,000 other soldiers for a year’s tour of duty in Afghanistan with the Army’s 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment of the Stryker Brigade. He was assigned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team when he was killed Sunday, Jan. 8, in an exchange of small arms fire in the Qalat, in Afghanistan’s Zabul Province. “When he was in Afghanistan, he’d call by phone every now and then. He didn’t talk a lot about the missions he went on. But when he did, he said they were a lot like what he’d seen of combat in the movies and on TV,” his dad remembered.

only by the Court of Justice courtroom or court proceeding. Also, firearms may not be taken into any meeting of the governing body of a county, city or special district or any meeting of the State General Assembly or a committee of the assembly. However, members of

TIMES-TRIBUNE / THURSDAY, JAN. 12, 2012

Deadline approaching for Master Gardener program TIMES-TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

The deadline to apply for the Whitley County Master Gardener Program is Friday.

CHAMBER FROM PAGE 2

place, like the BMW plant, like the people who make parts, supplies and things to support that big industry. Then it evolves with tourism, lodging, restaurants, services, schools and events that draw people into the city during the night, not just during the daytime.” Phillips called himself “a person who thinks outside the box,” and reminded the chamber to take the best of everything and take advantage of opportunities — even those that sometimes aren’t common. “We need to build on what we have, and we need to build on what we don’t have. We also need to do something unusual that gets people’s attention and get people talking about Corbin and the surrounding area. We’ve got those opportunities, so let’s build on them. And start making your notes so you

But Darrell Napier said he noticed a restlessness in Dustin’s voice at times. “He’d let things bother him sometimes because he wasn’t busy. I told him to read a book, play a sport, or play a game to occupy his time.” As families with loved ones serving in uniform overseas, the Napier family looked to their church for comfort and strength, said Darrell. “Dustin did talk about death at times, which is understandable in the situation he was in. We’re members of the Sunshine Hill Baptist Church, and the congregation prayed about him and for him throughout his time in Afghanistan.” Above all, his father noted Dustin missed his friends most of all — and his mom’s home cooking. “He did miss home a lot. He loved to hang out with his friends very much. He missed his friends at Save-A-Lot, where he worked for almost four years. And if there was one meal Dustin really loved from his mother, it was her chicken and dumplings.” On Route 25 south of downtown London, his former coworkers at Save-A-Lot miss Dustin too. “You couldn’t beat him at

the governing group may carry a licensed concealed weapon at a meeting of which he or she is a member. Weapons may not be carried into an establishment that sells beer of alcoholic beverages on the premises. Such weapons may not be carried in any elemen-

Those interested in the program, which has a $75 registration fee, should call the Whitley County Cooperative Extension at 606-5491430.

can give those ideas to me.” Among items brought up at the meeting was the announcement of this year’s annual Relay For Life, sponsored by the American Cancer Society. The event will be held Friday, June 1, at Corbin Elementary School. Also at the meeting was a presentation by 9-to-11-year-old students from the Taoist Cheing Chung Primary School in Hong Kong, China. The group is in Corbin this week as part of an exchange program with Corbin Intermediate School. The students had some fun with chamber members involving a game of guessing numbers on playing cards, and received a warm round of applause afterwards. Said Kelli Moore, who’s with EKUCorbin, “It’s been such a great experience. The students? They’ve been more open and speaking up more over the weekend. My children have enjoyed being with them at home, and my macaroni and cheese has been a big hit with the students from Hong Kong. Children are children, no matter where they come from.”

work. Dustin was a good worker here at the store. And he took his ROTC mission seriously. If you had questions about anything about the military, you’d go to him. He would always wear his Army combat uniform and his desert boots. He was very proud to wear the uniform, whether it was his ROTC uniform at South Laurel, or recently with the Army,” said Sarah Baker of London, who remembered Dustin when she was in the JROTC at North Laurel High School. Kim Patterson recalled Dustin and his brother Darrell Jr. both working with her at the store. She also recalled the good times they all had. “He was a very outgoing boy. He was polite, he was funny and he loved to sing songs by The Doors while he was at work. He talked about joining the Army, and he did just that. He loved his country, and he and his brother were like family to us. If you were down and out, Dustin would lift you up. He brought happiness to this place.” He also found happiness with his wife, Tabitha Sturgill Napier, who Dustin married last October. His dad talked about the time they first met. “Dustin met

tary or secondary school facility without the consent of the school’s authorities or any certified family child-care home. But the owner of such a home may carry a concealed firearm into the owner’s home if it is used as a certified childcare home. Also, the weapons may not be taken into an air-

Tabitha in the air. He was on R&R (Rest and Relaxation) when they were both flying in a plane. She was a Kentucky girl from over in a place called Eoila. That’s over in Letcher County, near the Virginia border where Pine Mountain is. From that first meeting in an airplane they would get married in the fall of last year.” When the remains of Pfc. Dustin Napier are brought back home, his wife Tabitha will be with her husband when the plane lands at the LondonCorbin Airport. The Patriot Guard Riders will meet them to escort this fallen soldier for his service and his final resting place. And the playing of “Taps” will be heard over the land Dustin loved so much. Darrell Napier said of his son, “He was born in an Army hospital, and I’m sure he ended up dying in an Army hospital. He was my hero. Please pray for us.” REPORTER’S NOTE: The London Funeral Home on South Main Street in London is in charge of the funeral arrangements for Pfc. Dustin Paul Napier. As of Wednesday night, those arrangements were incomplete.

port if access is controlled by the inspection of persons and property or any places where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law. According to Kentucky League of Cities, cities and counties, including Whitley, have passed similar ordinances. The League reports

that about 24 cities in the state have passed the ordinance including Bowling Green, Danville, Jackson, Lexington, Louisville, Morehead and Pikeville. It also reports that Boone, Kenton and Woodford counties have also enacted the ordinances.

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POLICE ROUNDUP

Man arrested for string of burglaries TIMES-TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

A London man believed connected to a series of burglaries in northern Laurel County was arrested Sunday, according to Sheriff John Root. The arrest came after deputies Greg Turner and Shawn B o r o v i a k responded to a 911 caller who said two men

with guns were running down Hensley Road about 9 p.m. The deputies learned a man who had been the victim of a burglary earlier came to a mobile home along Hensley Road, located eight miles north of London, and confronted another man he believed was involved in the burglary.

SEE POLICE, PAGE 3

Man killed in motorcycle crash Sunday TIMES-TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

A motorcyclist was killed Sunday when he tried to pass another car in a no-passing zone and struck the car, according to Laurel County Sheriff John Root. The crash happened about 6 p.m on KY 30 two miles east of London as Clinton S. Lewis, 38, rode east. Root said Lewis tried to pass a 1999 Mercury

Knox bust raises red flag for law enforcement

IS HEROIN THE NEXT DRUG PROBLEM? BY JEFF NOBLE STAFF WRITER

A

s a law enforcement officer, Detective Jimmy Phelps of the London Police Department has seen a lot of lives ruined by drugs over the years. While he says the abuse of prescription medications remains the biggest drug problem in the Tri-County, followed by methamphetamine and meth labs, there’s a new kind of high that’s been slowly hitting the area during the past year. That problem is heroin. His concerns came after the Knox County Sheriff ’s Office seized heroin and other items during a search late last week. According to the sheriff ’s office, Knox County Sheriff John Pickard and his deputies executed a search warrant at the home of David Lake at Blue Hole Branch Road in the Kay Jay community. Heroin was seized in the search, along with drug paraphernalia, weapons, cash and vehicles. The sheriff ’s office said the investigation came from several complaints of drug trafficking, and a controlled buy of heroin from Lake at his residence. At the time the search was conducted, Lake was not home. The Knox County Sheriff ’s Office added a warrant for Lake’s arrest would be obtained for first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. Chief Deputy Derek Eubanks is continuing his investigation. In Laurel County, the news sent out a caution flag to those who fight the drug problems firsthand. “Our undercover agents have not purchased any heroin, nor have we made any heroin busts in London. It’s seldom heard here. You hear about it in the big cities, but

Cougar driven by Marcus Stigall, 29, of London. Stigall turned left into a business and Lewis struck the driver’s side of the vehicle. Lewis was thrown from the motorcycle. Lewis hit the road and suffered fatal injuries, Root said. Stigall was taken to Saint Joseph-London hospital with minor injuries.

SEE CRASH, PAGE 3

Land to be purchased for vocational school BY CARL KEITH GREENE STAFF WRITER

In a closed “executive session� that lasted about an hour Monday afternoon, the Laurel County Board of Education agreed to accept permission from the state education department to

SEE HEROIN, PAGE 3

buy land for a vocational school. Though the exact site wasn’t identified, Charles “Bud� Stuber, board chairman, said the site is about half-way between North and South Laurel high schools.

Playground mulch catches fire at Corbin Primary Firefighters were called to Corbin Primary School after 4 p.m. Monday after several spots of mulch on the playground were found burning. Corbin and Oak Grove fire departments responded as did the Corbin Police Department. Principal Travis Wilder said no playground equipment was damaged and it is believed the dry conditions along with heat of the day created the hot spots. Since the school has no summer programs, no children were present at the time of the fire.

SEE SCHOOL, PAGE 3

LOTTERY

OBITUARIES

MONDAY LOTTERY

Ruth Rains . . . . . . . Rockholds Patsy Mabe . . . . . . . . . Corbin Hubert Upton . . . . . . Williamsburg Clinton Lewis . . . . . . . . . London Edmund Kalko Sr. . . . Williamsburg Callie Warren . . . . . . . . Michigan Ruth Holbert . . . . . . Tennessee Lenora Harth . . . . . . . California

MIDDAY Pick 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1-6 Pick 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1-5-5

EVENING Pick 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3-0 Pick 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-1-8-6 Cash Ball . . . . . . . . . . . 8-14-19-22-12 Cash Ball Kicker . . . . . . . . . . 6-9-2-4-2 Decades of Dollars . . . . 3-17-18-20-33-43 5 Card Cash . . . . . . . . . . 8H-AD-6H-JD-7C

TODAY’S WEATHER Mostly sunny and hot.

HIGH 90° | LOW 66°

PHOTO BY BECKY KILLIAN

INSIDE TODAY

INDEX

GENE LYONS SEE PAGE 4

KNOW IT ALL SEE PAGE 11

CORBIN SPEEDWAY

60TH ANNIVERSARY

Steven Taylor wins special mechanics race. See PAGE 5

Harold and Patsy Prewitt to celebrate Sunday, July 1. See PAGE 15

Obituaries

2 Around Town

5

Weather

2 Comics

10

Editorial

4 Classifieds

8

Sports

6 Entertainment 14

3

FROM THE FRONT

BUDGET FROM PAGE 2

council member Troy Sharp. The council also had the first reading of the tourism budget as well. The total projected revenues and expenditures for Williamsburg Tourism was $627,000, for a balanced budget. Last year’s tourism budget was $552,000, according to tourism director Alvin Sharpe. Council members also discussed a resolution on a Municipal Road Aid Co-operative program contract between the incorporated area and the Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. “We joined a co-op program a few years ago. This allows us to get the bulk of the money up front as opposed to getting the money monthly. This year we will get about $76,000 up front,� Harrison said. “It doesn’t lessen any of the

HEROIN FROM FRONT PAGE

we’re hearing it’s working its way down south. There is an increase in heroin in our area. We’ve had an increased number of complaints from people from time to time, during the last six months to a year. In fact, there was a death from a heroin overdose in Pulaski County recently,� Phelps said. A few eyebrows were raised by the seizure in Kay Jay, which confirms what Deputy Gilbert Acciardo of the Laurel County Sheriff ’s Office has been hearing recently. “We’re hearing that it may be coming to this area. That’s from some of our undercover guys. But so far, nothing’s come across from my desk,� Acciardo said

POLICE

FROM FRONT PAGE

Once at the mobile home, the two deputies, along with Deputy Steve Hoskins, found Michael Holt, 25, of London, who was involved in the earlier incident that prompted the 911 call. Root said deputies had been seeking Holt since he was believed to be connected to numerous burglaries in the north end of Laurel County. Deputies found many items reported stolen during the burglaries in the mobile home, including some reported stolen that day. Items found included jewelry, chain saws, Weed Eaters and jewelry boxes. Also assisting at the scene were Root, Chief Deputy Eddy Sizemore, Lt. Rodney Van Zant, Detective Daryl Zanet and Deputy Gilbert Acciardo. Detective Sgt. Tommy Johnston is the investigating officer. He and Zanet are working to identify other victims and identify possible stolen items. Holt was charged with first-degree burglary and theft by unlawful taking in connection with an earlier burglary that happened that day.

CRASH

FROM FRONT PAGE Deputy Greg Turner is investigating the crash. At the scene were Chief Deputy Eddy Sizemore, deputies Shawn Borviak and Steve

money we receive, it just frees us up so we can do more,� he added. Before budget discussions began, the council heard comment from Darrell Ball who wished to speak in regards to the recent alcohol ordinance which was adopted by the city. According to Ball, an injury had prevented him from attending the alcohol ordinance reading. He prefaced his statement to the council with the back history that his father was an alcoholic who had died at age 44. “I’m just here today to ask the council to reconsider... I hope the citizens demand a re-vote for this subject. Life is too short for us to worry about which town is getting ahead of one another,� Ball said to the council. Harrison thanked Ball for his comments. “I appreciate the comments and could tell that they were heartfelt and I understand them. As a council, there is nothing they can do as far as turning back on what has been voted on by the citizens of Williamsburg,� Harrison said. “I’ve done all that I can and said what I came to say,� Ball said. Monday during at his office in London. Phelps confirmed that what his undercover agents hear that “black tar heroin� is the most popular form of the drug that has been found in the region, followed by a powdery form of heroin. Black tar heroin is made in Latin American countries, mostly in western Mexico, and is found mainly in the southern and western parts of the United States. It is an illegal drug processed from morphine — a natural opiate which comes from specific varieties of poppy. The highly addictive drug is caused by an old process that makes a very crude and unrefined opiate product that does not require complex chemicals, which makes it easier for drug producers to make. According to a story in January of this year by The Herald Weekly, based in Huntersville, N.C., the cities of Charlotte, N.C. and

Holt was jailed in the Laurel County Corrections Center. As word of the arrest spread in northern Laurel County, many other potential victims came to the scene to meet with Root and the deputies. It was the second arrest that day related to the burglaries, Root said. Earlier that day, as Deputy John Inman responded to the report of the burglary on Allen School Road, the victim’s daughters said they saw two possible suspects running down the road. Inman found an East Bernstadt woman who was seen carrying items from the residence. Treva Chappell, 23, of East Bernstadt, was charged with first-degree burglary, theft by unlawful taking and public intoxication. She was jailed in the Laurel County Corrections Center. A man had fled the scene and was not located immediately. It is believed the two ran after the homeowner came home while the burglary was occurring. Stolen items included jewelry, a handgun, pieces of silver and household items. Inman recovered several items at the scene outside the home including tools, a clock and bags of assorted items. Later that evening, after deputies responded Hopkins and Kentucky State Trooper Jack Riley, Laurel Coroner Doug Bowling and East Ber nstadt Fire Department. Bowling said no autopsy will be completed on Lewis. Lewis’ obituary appears on Page 2 in today’s edition of the Times-Tribune.

TIMES-TRIBUNE / TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2012

Baseball’s Clemens acquitted of all charges WASHINGTON (AP) — Roger Clemens was acquitted Monday on all charges that he obstructed and lied to Congress in denying he used performance-enhancing drugs to extend his long career as one of the greatest and most-decorated pitchers in baseball history. Fierce on the pitching mound in his playing days, Clemens was quietly emotional after the verdict was announced. “I’m very thankful,� he said, choking up as he spoke. “It’s been a hard five years,� said the pitcher, who was retried after an earlier prosecution ended in a mistrial. This case was lengthy, but the deliberations were relatively brief. Jurors returned their verdict after less than 10 hours over several days. The outcome ended a 10-week trial that capped the government’s investigation of the pitcher known as “The Rocket� for the fastball that he retained into his 40s. He Columbus, Ohio are also hubs for black tar heroin. The story said the drug sells for $10 to $12 for a “balloon,� which is cheaper than an Oxycontin pill, which they say is about $80 a pill. Because the substance is sticky, those who supply black tar heroin in the Charlotte area “roll it on plastic grocery bags, cut it in squares and tie the squares off like a balloon.� U.S. 23, a major north-south route in the eastern third of the country and in eastern Kentucky, goes through Columbus, Ohio, and Asheville, N.C. Charlotte, N.C., is connected to Asheville via I-40 and I-77. Asheville is also connected by U.S. 25, which splits off into U.S. 25W and U.S. 25E in Tennessee and runs through southeastern Kentucky. And the fact a major interstate runs through the Tri-County has brought feelings of caution. Those feelings have reached the headquarters of Operation

to Hensley Road, they found Holt and determined he was involved in the Allen School Road burglary. Women arrested for breaking into building Two women were arrested Saturday after 11 p.m., one of whom was found in a building reportedly owned by a deceased woman, according to Laurel County Sheriff John Root. After Kirk Mays responded to a complaint about a break in on TIB Drive, located three miles south of London, he found Virginia R. Smallwood, 53, of London, inside the building. He determined she didn’t have permission to be in the building or to remove items from it. Also arrested at the scene was Misty D. Smith, 34, of Manchester. Both women were charged with third-degree burglary, third-degree criminal trespass and public intoxication. Both were jailed in the Laurel County Corrections Center. Man arrested in connection with TIB Drive burglary A London man was arrested early Saturday morning after a deputy

won seven Cy Young Awards, emblematic of the league’s best pitcher each year in a 24-year career with the Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays and Astros. The verdict was the latest blow to the government’s legal pursuit of athletes accused of illicit drug use. A seven-year investigation into home run king Barry Bonds yielded a guilty verdict on only one count of obstruction of justice in a San Francisco court last year, with the jury deadlocked on whether Bonds lied to a grand jury when he denied knowingly taking performanceenhancing drugs. A two-year, multi-continent investigation of cyclist Lance Armstrong was recently closed with no charges brought, though the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency filed formal accusations last week that could strip the seventime Tour de France winner of his victories in that storied race. Armstrong denies any doping. UNITE, the region’s main organization that does undercover narcotics investigations and coordinates treatment for substance abusers. Karen Kelly, director of Operation UNITE, said, “It’s not common in our region of the state. Prescription drugs and meth are still the problems here, but we have had some heroin seized by our agents in the far eastern Kentucky counties that we cover. That included an arrest of a couple of people from North Carolina who were selling heroin in Harlan County recently. We have gotten warnings from our counterparts in other states like Florida. That’s because I-75 is a drug pipeline from Florida to Michigan. Like Oxycontin and Oxycodone, heroin is an opiate, and it causes the same affect on the brain as those two other drugs that are common in this region. And it’s cheaper, and that does concern us.�

found stolen property on the front porch of his home, according to Laurel County Sheriff John Root. Allen S. Wombls, 33, was arrested by Deputy Josh Scott, who had assisted Deputy Kirk Mays on a burglary case in TIB Drive area earlier during which two women were arrested. Following an investigation, some of the reported stolen property was found and Wombls was arrested. He is charged with receiving stolen property under $10,000. He was jailed in the Laurel County Corrections Center. Children found playing on street Two people were arrested Friday after they were found sleeping while children in their care played on Falls Street, according to London Police Chief Stewart Walker. The children, ages 1 and 3, were found by a passerby who told Officer Jeremy Shell she found the young children playing on bicycles in the road. The woman had been with the children for more than 20 minutes while she tried to determine where they lived. She learned they live in a

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house on Falls Street but she couldn’t get anyone to answer the door. Shell went to the home and made several attempts to locate someone but was unsuccessful. He continued to knock on doors and windows then found an unlocked door. Once in the doorway, he saw someone sleeping on the couch. Shell continued knocking and yelling until Travis D. Allen, 31, of London, woke up. Allen said he and his fiancee, Jessica Lawson, had fallen asleep but both children were inside the mobile home at that time. Allen said the children must had awakened and left the residence without their knowledge. The children were removed by Child Protective Services and released to family members. Both Allen and Lawson were arrested and jailed in the Laurel County Corrections Center. They

SCHOOL FROM FRONT PAGE

Many of the individual students’ regular classes will be in either of the North or South Laurel high schools, but the vocational and technology will be taught at the new school. Particularly, students will be taught how classes, such as geometry, go hand in hand with a class such as carpentry, Stuber said. He also noted that for the most part about half of the students who graduate from high school haven’t learned vocational and technological skills and having a vocational and technological school will help the students to get better work. The vocational and technological classes also lower the dropout rates, Stuber said. At the next board meeting, it will have permission by the state to sign the deed for the property on which the new school will be built. Finally, Stuber explained the current owner of the property will be approved to sign the deed once the state approves the cost. In other business in the meeting, the board threw out all bids for work on the North Middle School. Finance officer Jim Kennedy said the bids ranged from $7.1 million to $9.1 million, which he said is too high. Kennedy said the board will look into making lower cost changes at the building. are charged with endangering the welfare of a minor.

Pickup truck stolen from garage A Stinnett woman was arrested Saturday in connection with the theft of a truck that had been parked in a garage at a home along KY 638, according to Laurel County Sheriff John Root. Jacqueline Curry, also known as Jacqueline Morgan, 32, was arrested after Deputy William Bo Harris responded to the complaint and found the 2001 black Ford Ranger in a ditch in the area. He determined Curry had taken the truck, so he arrested her and charged her with seconddegree burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, firstdegree criminal mischief and operating a motor vehicle under the influence and operating on a suspended or revoked operator’s license.

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Missing Whitley man’s body recovered Discovery comes after three-day intensive search BY JEFF NOBLE STAFF WRITER

At 5:12 p.m. Wednesday, the body of 63-year-old Richard D. “Dick” Martin was recovered by rescuers, on the third day of their search in rural Whitley County. Martin, who lived at 603 Casey Lane, near Stoney Fork Road, had been missing since Monday morning. The discovery of his body came after first responders and neigh-

bors had returned to the neighborhood to resume their search at 11 a.m. Wednesday. The Casey Lane-Stoney Fork Road area of Whitley County is close to Bee Creek Road (Ky.1193), and is near the Grove Marina of Laurel River Lake and U.S. 25W. “The subject is found, and we’re having contingencies. And once those contingencies are met, we’ll release more information,” said Rudy Young, Director of

McCreary County Emergency Management, shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday. Young spoke on behalf of Whitley County Emergency Management Director Danny Moses and Knox County Emergency Management Director Larry Howard, who were also at the scene after sunset. The search for Martin, who served in the U. S. Army, began Monday morning. That’s

when his wife called the Whitley County Sheriff ’s Office, saying she was worried about his whereabouts after he had made some selfdepreciating comments and left the house. According to Chief Rick Fore of Woodbine Search and Rescue, Martin was riding his red ATV in the woods behind his home. He also suffered from crippling arthritis, and rare-

SEE MAN, PAGE 3

PHOTO COURTESY WLEX-TV, LEXINGTON

Richard D. “Dick” Martin, who was found dead Wednesday afternoon near his home on Casey Lane in Whitley County. Searchers combed the area for three days before discovering his body.

Abandoned Devils Creek home burns BY JEFF NOBLE STAFF WRITER

What was described by those who were first at the scene as a “spectacular fire, with the house fully engulfed in flames,” totally destroyed an abandoned house in Whitley County on Wednesday morning. The frame house was located at 1174 Devils Creek Road, at the corner of Devils Creek Road and Red Bud Lane. The blaze also did extensive damage to an abandoned trailer next to the house, and posed a threat to some homes behind the Devils Creek Road area of the county before firefighters got the situation under control. No one was in the

SEE FIRE, PAGE 3

Laurel County crash kills Berea woman TIMES-TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

PHOTO BY JEFF NOBLE

Fire crews hose down an abandoned home at 1174 Devils Creek Road in Whitley County after a fire broke out around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. The frame house was totally destroyed, and the nearby mobile home also suffered extensive damage. No one was in the homes at the time.

Car slides off KY 11 into Disappointment Creek

Tommie Johnson, 60, of Berea, collided with Charles Joseph, 19, of London, about 7 p.m. Tuesday. Johnson was removed from her Chevy Cavalier and taken to Saint Joseph - London hospital, where she was pronounced dead by Laurel County Coroner Doug Bowling. Joseph had minor injuries and was taken to the hospital in a personal vehicle. According to Chief Deputy Eddy Sizemore, Johnson was pulling out of Maple Grove Road south of London onto KY 363. She collided with a Dodge Durango driven by Joseph southbound on KY 363. Sizemore, Deputy Greg Turner and reconstructionists Deputy Richard Dalrymple and London Police Officer Chris Edwards responded and the Laurel County Rescue Squad, Ambulance Inc., of Laurel County and the Laurel County Fire Department assisted.

PHOTO BY CARL KEITH GREENE

About 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Mark Tidwell, of Barbourville slid on wet pavement, went off KY 11 and into Disappointment Creek, according to Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy Chad Wagner. Tidwell had been coming from Clay County. He was conscious and alert when he was taken to Knox County Hospital, said Wagner. He was not admitted. The crash happened about a half-mile from the Clay County border in the Woolum community. Wagner continues his investigation into the crash.

LOTTERY

OBITUARIES

WEDNESDAY LOTTERY

William Moeller . . . . . . . . . Corbin

MIDDAY

Dorothy Watkins. . . . . . London

Pick 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-8-9 Pick 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-1-5-6

Willa Ward. . . . . London

EVENING

James Earls. . . . . . Williamsburg

Pick 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-0-7 Pick 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3-1-0 Cash Ball . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4-8-27-3 Cash Ball Kicker . . . . . . . . . . 2-5-4-3-1 Powerball . . . . . . . . . . 17-28-38-39-51-33

Myrtle Evans. . . . . . Jellico

PHOTO BY LAUREL SHERIFF’S OFFICE

A vehicle on the left driven by Tommie Johnson, 60, of Berea, collided Tuesday night with the Dodge Durango on the right driven by Charles Joseph, 19, of London.

INSIDE TODAY CARL KEITH GREENE

Obituaries

2 Around Town

5

Weather

2 Comics

8

Editorial

4 Classifieds

Sports

6 Entertainment 5

SEE PAGE 4

TODAY’S WEATHER

VILLAGE IDIOT

Decreasing clouds.

SEE PAGE 9

HIGH 45° | LOW 27°

INDEX

MOVING UP

LOVE TRIANGLE

Sentinel-Echo ad director to oversee London, Corbin sales. See PAGE 5.

New play opens at Corbin High School. See PAGE 12.

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FROM THE FRONT

TIMES-TRIBUNE / THURSDAY, FEB. 9, 2012

Confusion reigns in Frankfort over redistricting ruling

BY RONNIE ELLIS CNHI NEWS SERVICE

FRANKFORT Confusion reigns in the wake of a judge’s ruling that state redistricting maps passed by the General Assembly are unconstitutional. That ruling says until the legislature offers a plan which meets constitutional muster, 2012 candidates for the legislature must run in the districts drawn 10 years ago. Incumbent lawmakers ask each other, their leaders and even reporters in what district they will ultimately campaign. Potential challengers walk the hallways and ask the same questions. Candidates, both incumbents and challengers, who already have filed to run, visit the Secretary of State’s Office to withdraw from a district they no longer reside in and file papers — and pay a $200 filing fee for the second time — for the dis-

MAN

FROM FRONT PAGE

ly rode alone. Fore was one of those at the scene Wednesday, involved in the rescue efforts. On Wednesday morning, the rescuers came to the staging area near Martin’s home at 11 a.m. Young said some 45 searchers were involved, representing several police, fire, and emergency medical and response units from Whitley, Knox and McCreary counties, as well as the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife and Kentucky Emergency Management District 9 personnel, based in London. In addition, scores of neighbors and volunteers — some who had been searching for the past two days — used their ATV’s to comb the woods around the Martin house, hoping to find their friend alive. One neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, told the TimesTribune before the search began, “I just want my friend back.” Another neighbor, who’s put in a lot of hours in the search, was Grady Burnett.

trict which now is in force after Judge Phillip Shepherd’s ruling. Perhaps no one put it better than Sen. Robert Stivers, R-Manchester. “It is what it is today, which is what it was 30 days ago,” said Stivers. Another Republican Senator, Jimmy Higdon of Lebanon, rose to introduce guests to the Senate from Nelson County. “I represent them,” Hidgon said — “at least this week.” Lawmakers who had decided not to seek reelection in newly drawn, unfavorable districts suddenly find themselves back in the districts from which they previously won election. Sen. Walter Blevins, D-Morehead, who had said he wouldn’t seek re-election after the legislature passed a new district map now has filed to run in his old 27th District seat. Paradoxically, Rep. Martha Jane King,

D-Lewisburg (Logan County), has filed to run in the 27th Senate District. But that’s the “new” 27th, halfway across the state. And under Shepherd’s ruling and temporary injunction, that new district is no longer the law. King said she’s not yet decided whether to remain in her House seat or run for the Senate. She’s waiting to see which district might be available. “I intend to wait and see where things go for the next couple of days,” King said when asked which chamber she’d run for. “I am happy in my House seat and I’d be happy in the new Senate seat. Either one gives me a great opportunity to serve my counties.” Rep. David Floyd, R-Bardstown, had filed to run for a newly drawn Senate District. After Shepherd’s ruling, he withdrew from that race

“I’m just a friend of Dick’s. We live in the neighborhood. I first went out to search for him Monday night ‘til about 3 a.m. One of Sheriff (Colan) Harrell’s deputies called and asked me to help search with one of them. I took in one of the fire and rescue crews into the area. I’ve lived here for awhile, and I ride my four-wheeler in this area all the time, so I know the area real well. That’s why they asked me to help. Since Monday, I’ve been out here for some 24-30 hours. We’ve found nothing so far,” noted Burnett late Wednesday morning. Some 15 minutes before Wednesday’s search officially began, Burnett said another search of the area was being done by some fourlegged friends. “We’ve had a search dog go in the area this morning. That’s why we’re not in these woods now.” “There will be more dogs going up to search today. And we’ll probably have over 50 people joining in the search as well,” said Moses late Wednesday morning. Local fire departments close to the neighborhood were at the staging area on Wednesday. The Oak Grove and Woodbine

Volunteer Fire Departments and the Williamsburg Fire Department were joined by a crew from McCreary County Search and Rescue, and the Knox County Rescue Squad, as well as the Whitley County Sheriff ’s Office. Unlike Tuesday’s sunshine and mild temperatures, Wednesday morning’s weather started out on a raw, cold note, with light mist and drizzle dampening the search area. Still, those involved in the search pushed on — and that included the neighbors around Casey Lane. Burnett summed it up this way before Wednesday’s search began. “I hope we find him. I hope so. We’ve had a good response to people here helping out, from my eight-year-old greatgrandson, all the way up to men and women in their 70s. I hate to see anybody in this situation, especially when you know a friend’s lost in there.” Whitley County Coroner Andy Croley and Whitley County Sheriff ’s Deputy Sean Jackson continue to investigate Martin’s death. Croley said an autopsy is scheduled in Frankfort for Martin.

and is re-filing for his old House seat. “I am going to withdraw from the Senate race and re-file for the House – unless it changes again,” Floyd said ruefully. And it could change. House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said he will urge House Democrats to appeal Shepherd’s ruling. He said his first preference would be for the Kentucky Supreme Court to lift Shepherd’s injunction and declare House Bill 1 — the legislation which re-drew the maps — constitutional. If the court won’t do that, Stumbo said, he’d like to see it decide the case while permitting elections to proceed under the old district map. Stivers, the Republican Floor Leader in the Senate, said Senate Republicans are considering whether to join the House in an

appeal. “It’s a possibility,” Stivers said. “No decision has been made.” But Stivers said he’s heard from several lawmakers who want to address the antiquated Section 33 of the state constitution. That section prohibits splitting counties — but the federal mandate of equality among districts makes that impossible. In the 1990s, Kentucky’s Supreme Court tried to reconcile those differences by ruling the legislature must split the “fewest number of counties possible” while keeping districts within 5 percent of the ideal district population size. Those are the precedents and law on which Shepherd based his order. Meanwhile all other business has stopped. Oh, some minor, noncontroversial bills have passed one or the other chamber. But anything remotely controversial,

especially big items like gambling, are stalled. Gov. Steve Beshear said Wednesday it’s more prudent to wait on introducing a gambling amendment until the redistricting questions are answered. “Obviously we don’t know yet where the redistricting issue is going,” Beshear said. “So I think probably in the next two to three days we will have a much better picture of what that road map looks like.” He said “plenty of time” remains in the session to deal with issues like gambling after that. RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www. twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.

PHOTOS BY JEFF NOBLE

The search for Richard Martin was aided with responders and volunteers using ATV’s to comb the area. In the photo above, folks from Whitley County and Woodbine were among those preparing to use the fourwheelers on Wednesday. In the photo on the left, minutes before the start of the third day of searching for Richard D. “Dick” Martin, crews helping with the search set up along Casey Lane in Whitley County. On Wednesday, a group from McCreary Co. Search and Rescue joined the search.

House panel reverses itself, passes ‘Cooper’s Law’

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — One week after a House committee rejected a measure that would allow the family of a Lexington boy with cerebral palsy to keep the playhouse that was built for his physical therapy, the panel reversed its decision. On Wednesday, the bill received the nine votes it needed to pass the committee and be sent to the House floor. The bill by Democratic Rep. Richard Henderson of Jeffersonville is called “Cooper’s Law” for 3-year-old Cooper Veloudis. It would allow

such playhouses with a doctor’s prescription regardless of homeowner association restrictions, but with some conditions. The parents could build playhouses or other detached structures for therapeutic purposes, but they would have to conform to “architectural aesthetics” of the neighborhoods, couldn’t be bigger than 100 square feet and would have to be removed once a child reached 13. Dr. George Veloudis, Cooper’s father, said he and his wife Tiffiney were “elated” by the committee’s decision.

He said he was also thankful to the Kentuckians who contacted their representatives after last week’s meeting. “It’s a great first step to protecting special needs children,” he said. Veloudis and his wife, Tiffiney, had the playhouse installed because they say it helps Cooper do physical therapy exercises such as climbing. The Andover Forest Homeowners Association ordered the playhouse removed, saying it violates deed restrictions. Tiffiney Veloudis admitted that she and

FIRE

first rolled out, I called Woodbine (Volunteer Fire Department) for help, and they started to send three tankers to the scene. But when we got to the scene of the fire, I called them and asked them to bring one tanker. We might have had enough water to put it out, but it’s better to be safe than sorry,” said Donnie Hart of the Oak Grove VFD. Just when Hart finished speaking, he got word that some runaway flames from the abandoned house had

reached the abandoned trailer nearby. Fire units from both Oak Grove and Woodbine quickly got the blaze out. A large plume of heavy, thick gray smoke hung over the mist and fog around 10:20 a.m., when first responders said the fire was under control. Assisting the Oak Grove and Woodbine VFD’s at the scene was a unit from the Whitley County EMS, and Cumberland Valley Electric, to turn off the power to the burned-out buildings.

FROM FRONT PAGE frame house or in the trailer, and no one was hurt. The cause of the fire was undetermined as of Wednesday afternoon. It happened around 9:30 a.m., when the Oak Grove Volunteer Fire Department first got the call. “That’s when we first heard about it. When we

The Times-Tribune The Tri-County’s trusted news source for in-depth coverage of the issues. Subscribe today by calling the circulation department at 606-528-2464.

her husband did not follow proper procedures when they had the temporary structure built on their property, but they took steps to correct that. One of the homeowner group’s objections has to do with the structure’s location on the property, but she said they can’t move it. Cooper’s father, who is a physician, said the playhouse, with its equip-

ment, has noticeably helped with his son’s physical therapy. Henderson called the committee’s decision a victory in an ongoing fight for “all special needs children.” “We have a long journey ahead of us, but today was a positive movement for special needs kids across Kentucky and the United States,” Henderson said after the meeting.

“Children with cerebral palsy deserve to have the same opportunities that my daughter Sydney does, who is healthy,” he said. On Feb. 1, Henderson’s bill failed to get the necessary votes to pass. However, on Wednesday some of those who did not vote on the issue last week voted yes, saying they did so in order for the bill to get hearing in the full House.

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SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA

NEW HIGH ON THE WAY DOWN? Synthetic marijuana: It’s here and it’s a problem BY JEFF NOBLE At 28,251 feet, K2 is the second highest mountain in the world. Located on the Chinese-Pakistan border in the continent of Asia, it’s the highest peak in Pakistan. But some say that high’s nothing compared to the high they get from a package of K2, which they can easily buy. The Scooby Doo that’s become popular in the Tri-County region in recent months has nothing to do with the cartoon character of the same name — the Scooby Doo that parents of a generation ago used to watch on TV. Today, some of those parents are concerned about their teenagers using packages of what’s called “Scooby Snax.” And those snacks aren’t dog biscuits.

SEE PROBLEM, PAGE 3

WHAT IS SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA? Synthetic marijuana combines herbs mixed in with a bit of chemically-produced marijuana, and is usually marketed as incense and bath salts. It’s made to mimic the effects of the real thing that’s grown out of the ground by binding to similar receptors in the brain. It’s widely available across the nation, and it’s been hailed as a legal alternative to marijuana. It all began at Clemson University, where researchers developed synthetic cannabinoids to create therapeutic drugs. Dr. John Huffman created the cannabinoid compounds while at Clemson, and during that work it

was discovered the cannabinoids have effects similar to marijuana’s main ingredient, THC. Sometimes, synthetic marijuana is labeled and marketed as “legal” substances. And while countries like Germany, Great Britian, France and Poland have made their sale and use illegal, it’s available in most of the United States, even though its sale and use is slowly being banned in states. They go under names like “Spice” and “Scooby Snax,” which authorities say are the most popular here in the Tri-County region.

SEE MARIJUANA, PAGE 3

SYNTHETIC, SCARY AND LOCAL: Kentucky, region seeing highs, lows of synthetic marijuana abuse. SEE PAGE 2

OBITUARIES Roland Shelley . . . Waynesburg Sarah Taylor . . . . . Williamsburg Anthony Fields . . . . . London King Warren . . . . . . Barbourville

INSIDE TODAY —Knox Central principal removed; site based decision making council disbanded following audit. See PAGE 2 —Fourth town hall meeting set for London. See PAGE 2.

INSIDE TODAY

INDEX Obituaries

2 Religion

5

RONNIE ELLIS

Church

6 Sports

8

SEE PAGE 4

Editorial

4 Comics

12

Around Town 11 Classifieds

REV. JOHN BURKHART SEE PAGE 5

THEY CALL IT PUPPY LOVE FRIENDS READY TO FIGHT HARD WORK PAYS OFF Find out why science says dogs can keep you happy and healthy. USA WEEKEND, INSIDE

Mike Peters and Brian Kilgore headline MMA main event. See SPORTS, PAGE 8.

Cafe at Lynn Camp rewards students for meeting individual goals. See PAGE 19.

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FOR THE RECORD

TIMES-TRIBUNE / WEEKEND EDITION, JAN. 21-22, 2012

OBITUARIES ROLAND SHELLEY

Roland Shelley, 64, of Waynesburg, formerly of Williamsburg, died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, at his residence. He was the husband of Billie Shelley. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. Visitation will be after 6 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home chapel. Masonic services will be at 7 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home chapel. Croley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

SARAH TAYLOR

Sarah Taylor, 89, of Williamsburg, died Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, at her residence. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Croley Funeral Home.

ANTHONY FIELDS

Anthony Shawn Fields, 36, of London, died Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012, in East Bernstadt. He was the husband of Jaymee Brown Fields. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will follow at Weaver Cemetery in London. Visitation will be after 6 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home chapel. Bowling Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

KING WARREN

King Solomon Warren, 95, of Barbourville, formerly of Walker, died Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, at Barbourville Health and Rehabilitation Center. He was the husband of the late Ellen Gray. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at the funeral home chapel. Burial will follow at Mont G. Warren Cemetery in Walker. Visitation will be from 2-9 p.m. Sunday and from 9 a.m. until the funeral hour Monday at the funeral home chapel. Hampton Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Laurel Schools official indicted for unlawful sexual activity TIMES-TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

Charles Douglas Phelps, Laurel County Schools Director of Pupil Personnel was indicted Friday by the Laurel County grand jury with unlawful sexual activity. Phelps, 51, was charged on two counts that on Nov. 3, and Nov. 5, 2011, with first-degree sexual abuse by subjecting P.M. 15 years old. On two other counts on the same

dates he was charged with thirddegree unlawful transation with a minor, by knowingly and unlawfully selling, giving, buying or gettng alcohol to the same 15-year-old. A fifth count charges that he also committed first-degree sexual abuse of C.E., 18 years old, on Nov. 5, 2011. A complete listing of indictments from Laurel Circuit Court will be in Monday’s paper.

House Speaker: Compromise elusive on redistricting

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Negotiators remain far apart on competing proposals to redraw boundary lines around Kentucky’s congressional districts, House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Friday. The House and Senate had adjourned by late Friday morning without a resolution, and negotiators opted to postpone any further talks until Monday. The Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-dominated Senate have been able to settle on new lines around state legislative districts after a prolonged partisan feud that left two lawmakers serving districts 100 to 200 miles from their homes. Even so, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear signed the legislative redistricting bill into law on Friday, despite criticizing portions of it as “beyond partisanship. “It reflects a personal vindictiveness that should have no place in this process,� Beshear said. The measure shifts Democratic firebrand Sen. Kathy Stein’s district out of Lexington into a largely rural territory that includes the cities of Maysville and Vanceburg, some 100 miles away from her home to represent constituents she’s never met. And it moves Democrat Dorsey Ridley out of his western Kentucky district centered around Henderson into the heart of Lexington, some 200 miles distant.

Knox Central principal removed Site based decision making council disbanded following audit BY BECKY KILLIAN MANAGING EDITOR

he Knox Central High T School principal has been removed and its site based decision making council has been disbanded following a state audit that found deficiencies with the school’s leadership. Knox County Public Schools Superintendent Walter T. Hulett removed Tim Roark and assumed control of the school following the audit’s Jan. 5 release, according to Frank Shelton, public relations director for the district. Hulett also disbanded the site based decision making council and assumed control of the school. Shelton said Hulett has met with staff and students and has outlined his expectations of them. The school was identified as a persistently low-achieving school in October, according to Lisa Y. Gross, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Education. State and federal guide-

lines require that low-achieving schools be identified annually. Knox Central was among 19 schools that were identified based on an average of students found proficient or higher in reading and mathematics on state assessments. Because of the lowachieving designation, the school had a leadership assessment conducted in December by a trained team, Gross said. The team’s report concluded that Roark and the school’s site based council didn’t have the ability to lead the intervention required to improve the school’s performance, the report states. The report said Roark hadn’t created “a professional climate of mutual respect and trust among all stakeholders,� had not “maximized the evaluation process to improve student achievement,� hadn’t insured that teachers were using effective instructional practices and that he hadn’t “empowered teachers as important decision-makers.�

The site based council, the report said, failed to “continuously and rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of their decisions� In a written release, Shelton said the No Child Left Behind Act requires the removal of principals of lowachieving schools who have served as principal for more than three years. Shelton said the district wasn’t surprised by the list of deficiencies. “The deficiencies found in the audit were areas that supported the federal mandate as reasons for removing the principal and disbanding the school council.� During a Jan. 9 meeting, the school’s site based decision making council decided not to appeal the audit even though they dispute some of its findings. Gross said the district and the school have about 45 days to select one of four intervention options the state offers. Those options include closing the school or turning over its management to an external organi-

zation. The third and fourth options call for the replacement of the principal and site based council if called for in the report. They also call for staff changes, with one requiring the replacement of at least 50 percent of the school’s staff. The option chosen by the school district requires extra professional development, according to Shelton. Shelton said no staff will be transferred from the school. On Jan. 11, the district sent a letter home to parents explaining the changes at the school. It explained the district is making plans to choose either a new full-time or interim principal for the school. Hulett will continue to run the school with the help of an advisory council, Shelton said. Roark has a contract with the district until the end of the school year. Shelton said he will be given other duties. Roark did not return a request for a call relayed to him through the district office.

SYNTHETIC, SCARY AND LOCAL Kentucky and region seeing the highs and lows of synthetic marijuana abuse BY JEFF NOBLE STAFF WRITER

nformation released from the I National Institute on Drug Abuse last month showed what the White House Office on National Drug Control Policy called a “troubling� prevalence of synthetic drug abuse among high school seniors nationwide. That report mentioned that one in nine high school seniors had used “K2� or “Spice� over the last year, and went on to say that synthetic marijuana was now the second most frequently used illicit drug by high school seniors, after marijuana. Even more frightening to authorities is the rise in calls to Poison Control Centers in America during 2011. As of last October, over 5,500 calls relating to synthetic marijuana were reported — over twice the number reported in 2010. And that increase was also mirrored in Kentucky as well. The reports of what happened to places tightening up their drug laws, and those abusing the drug, have been documented across the state and region. In McCracken County, where Paducah is located, a law banning synthetic marijuana is back on the books, and authorities say this one has teeth. Instead of a few chemicals being banned, the new one passed in November of 2011 bans thousands of chemicals. According to Paducah’s WPSD-TV, the new ordinance names potential chemicals that can be used in future production of synthetic marijuana. More important, the ordinance can be amended as soon as law enforcement runs across any compound not listed. It helps law enforcement get around the problem they had when drug manufacturers simply alter the drug’s formula, where they find new chemicals that give the same high, while side-stepping old laws. It comes at a time when the side effects of the drug, and what’s happening in the emergency room, are making people notice. On synthetic marijuana’s side

effects, McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden said, “Deathly ill, vomiting uncontrollably, not able to stop. Hallucinations, severe headaches, rapid heart rate, making people so sick they think they’re dying basically.� Both the Paducah Police Department and the McCracken County Sheriff ’s Office subpoenaed one month’s worth of ambulance responses from Mercy Regional in Paducah, and found out more than a dozen teens and young adults got violently sick after smoking the substance, and had to be rushed to the emergency room. Hayden added, “If the trend continues that we’ve seen locally, there’s no question we’re going to lose lives over it.� Also last November, one of Northern Kentucky’s best players in high school football didn’t make the playoffs, because of reports that he and other players at Dixie Heights High School were using synthetic marijuana before games. Quarterback Zeke Pike was suspended from the playoff game, according to kypost.com and their sister station, WCPO-TV in Cincinnati. The story said the entire team had individual meetings with coaches and the school’s assistant superintendent about the drug use. In addition, the school sent home a letter to parents about the incident. The letter said, “Please be aware that there is a rumor that students may be using synthetic marijuana although it is legal for 18-year-olds. It is still very dangerous for their health.� Last spring in Eastern Kentucky, some $7,000 worth of suspected synthetic marijuana was seized from a liquor store near Hazard by State Police and state Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) officers. A KSP captain told The Hazard Herald the substance they recovered had been sent to a state laboratory for testing to determine exactly what the substance is. Captain Scott Miller said once that’s determined, specific charges can be brought against those responsible for the sale of the items at

the liquor store. He went on to say the substance seized was marketed as incense. The substance was synthetic marijuana. Months later, the suspect — the owner of the liquor store — pleaded guilty of trafficking in synthetic cannabinoids and got six months diversion from the District Court Judge. His case is also pending through the state ABC board. And in the Nashville, Tenn. region, doctors at a hospital in neighboring Hermitage noticed last month four young men coming into the hospital’s emergency room, complaining of heart trouble. Two of them had full-blown heart attacks. “Heart attacks, actual heart attack in somebody who’s young,� Dr. Jeff Greenlee of Summit Medical Center told WTVF-NewsChannel5 in Nashville. Marijuana use was the common link between the four men who were in their late teens and early 20’s. Greenlee added, “There’s potential that the supply of marijuana could be laced with K2, there’s always that possibility. Certainly in these cases that was our suspicion... They may think they’re just smoking benign marijuana and come in with a real heart attack.� The report from Nashville noted that prominent medical journals have documented a possible link between the use of synthetic marijuana and teen heart attacks. When asked “What can people do about it?� Summer Miller, who works with the Laurel County Schools helping teenagers overcome their substance abuse problems, told the Times-Tribune, “That’s a good question.� “We can’t do anything about the synthetic marijuana problem until it becomes illegal. Kids tell me, ‘What can they do to me? It’s legal.’ So make the use and sale illegal, like it’s being done in Corbin and Laurel County (and now Whitley County). This is for now. Hopefully, they’ll have state and federal laws on the books soon. The less available it is, the less chances there are to buy it. We’ve got to start somewhere.�

Fourth town hall meeting set for London TIMES-TRIBUNE STAFF REPORT

aurel County Sheriff L John Root’s fourth town meeting, since he was elected, will be Monday, Jan. 23, at the Laurel County Fire

Department. The firehouse is off Fourth Street east of London on TLC Drive near KY 192. Topics to be discussed will be complaint calls, methamphetamine laboratories, neighborhood watch

and other items. Not only will the Laurel Sheriff ’s staff be there but county officials including County Clerk Dean Johnson, Circuit Clerk Roger Schott, Judge/ Executive David Westerfield, County

Attorney Jodi Albright, Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele, Jailer Jamie Mosley, magistrates and constables. London officials will also be present, the city council and Mayor Troy Rudder.

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FROM THE FRONT

PROBLEM FROM FRONT PAGE

And what comes to mind when some hear the word, “Spice?” Not the saying, “Sugar and spice and everything nice” that your granny used to tell you, or the Spice Girls your daughter may have liked, or your dad’s Old Spice after shave. Are they known as “synthetic marijuana” drugs? Yep. Are they popping up in the Tri-County region? Same answer. “It’s gotten bad here in the last month or so. The schools have brought that to our attention,” said Carlos Cameron, who’s the Region 1 Coalition Coordinator with Operation UNITE. Cameron’s been keeping an eye on his territory about the rise in synthetic marijuana, which has cropped up in the area he covers — Whitley County, Laurel County, and the city of Corbin. “There’s a lot of problems with it, and there’s an increased awareness on it in the past few weeks. The problem is, it’s legal,” said Elissa Price, who’s Treatment Director for Operation UNITE. At the same time, several Tri-County governments have taken steps to make the drug illegal. The Laurel County Fiscal Court was the first to do it by approving the first reading of an ordinance banning the possession and sale of synthetic marijuana on Dec. 20. When Laurel County Sheriff John Root asked court members to approve the first reading at that meeting, two representatives from local high schools indicated they’d seen students in those schools who had taken the substances and overdosed. Summer Lewis was one of those representatives. She works with the Laurel County school system, helping teenagers who have substance abuse problems. “I felt like it was more noticeable around the time of last summer’s Chicken Festival. The group I was working with told me there were different brands of synthetic marijuana, and how they made them feel,” Lewis told The Times-Tribune during a telephone interview last week. “They told me you can smoke it, just like regular mari-

juana. You can roll it onto a cigarette paper. You can put it in brownies, put it in pipes, and put it in bongs. But most of them smoke it like a joint. It can be sprayed, but it cannot be bought as a spray. It’s almost always ordered from overseas, from China and Korea,” Lewis pointed out. Laurel County’s Fiscal Court will vote on the second reading at its monthly meeting Jan. 26. If approved, the ordinance becomes law. The city of Corbin was next to take action. Towards the end of its monthly meeting on Jan. 9, Corbin City Commissioner Joe White made the motion for a first reading of an ordinance to make synthetic marijuana illegal. Commissioner Joe Shelton seconded the motion, and it was approved unanimously. “It’s a cousin of meth. The retailers will sell it to anybody under the counter. It’s six times more powerful than marijuana,” White said afterwards, and suggested Corbin Police do investigative work on the drug. Unless a special meeting is called, the Corbin City Commission is expected to approve the second reading. If so, the ordinance is official. The problem was brought up at last Thursday’s meeting of the Corbin School Board. And the concerns from school board members were many. “We were enlightened. There’s about 200 varieties of synthetic marijuana, and it’s four-to-ten times stronger than natural marijuana. It’s not illegal. It can be bought at many gas stations. The robbery at the adult place in Gray? They were after synthetic marijuana. This is scary, folks,” Corbin School Superintendent Ed McNeel told the audience after he and others sat in on a meeting last Monday about the problem. McNeel added the school board was looking into having a community forum on synthetic marijuana use soon, as well as a parents’ forum, to let them know about what needs to be done. “I enlightened the mayor (Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney) about this, and his eyes popped up. It’s not the substance that causes the problem, it’s the spray that causes it. It’s synthetic, it’s scary, and it’s legal.” “We’ve got to put pressure on our elected officials to make this illegal,” said Lisa Cleary, who’s Vice-Chair of the Corbin School Board.

MARIJUANA FROM FRONT PAGE

“It’s the strongest one out there. Those who’ve used it say it makes you feel like you’re on meth,” said Summer Lewis, who works with students in the Laurel County School system who are fighting substance abuse. Other names for synthetic marijuana include “Mr. Nice Guy” (it’s the one with the yellow smiley face), “Wig Splitter,” “Dead Man Walking,” “Bob Marley” (named after the late reggae singer from Jamaica), “K2,” “MILF,” and “Mr. Happy.” Lewis told the TimesTribune the synthetic marijuana being sold looks like a package of “pop rocks.” Of the 200 varieties of the drug sold, only five are illegal.

The illegal forms are JWH-018 and four similar cannabinoids. JWH018 (named after the drug’s creator, Dr. John W. Huffman)is a synthetic that binds CB1 and CB2 receptors, with a moderate selectivity for the CB2 receptor and produces effects consistent with THC, natural marijuana’s main ingredient. The five cannabinoids are classified by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in March of last year as Schedule I controlled substances, which make their use and possession illegal in all 50 states. At present the law allows for a DEA study for one year on the effects of JWH-018 on the human body, so they can determine if it should be clas-

Whitley County became the third area to get on the bandwagon this Tuesday. At its monthly meeting in Williamsburg, the Fiscal Court approved the first reading of an ordinance banning the use of synthetic marijuana in Whitley County. That unanimous vote came after District Judge Cathy Prewitt told court members about the dangers the chemical-laced products pose to people who smoke them. The second reading is expected to come next month. If approved, the ordinance will become law. In addition, the city of Williamsburg is also looking into passing its own anti-synthetic marijuana ordinance as well. Mayor Roddy Harrison said Wednesday it’s just a matter of time. “If they’re having a problem in Corbin, and they shut down selling it up there, they’ll come here next. Our ordinance will be preventative as well. We’re looking at it, so we’re doing the research part now. I don’t know at this time what that will entail, but we will put up an ordinance soon.” It’s expected both the Knox County Fiscal Court and the city of Barbourville will be watching what happens with their neighbors to the west and see what happens next. What concerns Price most is what the drugs can do to those who take them. In her position with the schools in Laurel County, she helps individuals find treatment, and in some cases, help them pay for that treatment. It’s the symptoms from the use of synthetic marijuana that she watches out for. “Rapid heart rate is the biggest concern. For an 18-yearold to have a heart attack is a big problem. There can be severe withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, tremors, nausea, depression, palpitations, desperation, suicidal thoughts, and permanent psychosis.” Hospitals across Kentucky and the nation have reported cases of overdoses from the drug, but that’s not been the case at St. Joseph-London, according to Sharon Hershberger, who’s the hospital’s Public Affairs Director. “I talked with our ED Director and she says they have not seen any cases of synthetic marijuana use or abuse in our Emergency Department,” Hershberger said in an e-mail on Thursday. Making the drug illegal in

sified permanently as a Schedule I substance in America. One way the manufacturers get around the illegal tag is by calling them “herbal incense,” and being sold in small pouches or packets in places like tobacco or smoke shops, drug paraphernalia shops, adult book and movie stores, convenience stores, gas stations, or on the Internet. Another way is for manufacturers to slightly alter the chemical compounds. That happens when synthetic marijuana is declared illegal. The product is made to try to be a synthetic cannabinoid, but it’s not truly a cannabinoid, which is why it’s not often illegal. As a result, many synthetic marijuana brands are legal in Kentucky because the slight chance in the formula puts them out of danger of violating the state’s law without lowering the brand’s kick.

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SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA PACKAGING

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Pictured above and at left are examples of synthetic marijuana packaging. AT TOP: (Shown clockwise from top) Peace of Mind, Mr. Kwik-E, Herbal Incense and Mr. Nice Guy. ABOVE LEFT: Scooby Snax. ABOVE RIGHT: Two packages of K2. LEFT: Spice. Kentucky may be starting to shake in Frankfort, thanks to a bill introduced during their recent session. State Representative C. B. Embry (R-Morgantown) is the author of the legislation, banning the sale of synthetic marijuana in the state. House Bill 198 is now in the House Judiciary Committee. Meanwhile the Synthetic Drug Control Act was passed on Dec. 8 by the U. S. House of Representatives. It passed, with 317 in favor, with 98 against it. Price said a slightly different version of the act is now in the U. S. Senate. U. S. Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa is sponsoring the bill, but she noted passage is delayed over an objection from U. S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky. According to American Medical News, Sen. Paul didn’t

One brand of the drug, known as “Mad Hatter,” contains the chemical JWH-250, which is illegal to sell in Kentucky. Last month, a convenience store owner in Owensboro was cited with trafficking in a synthetic cannabinoid, a class A misdemeanor. If convicted, the owner can be sentenced to 12 months in jail and a fine of $500. Last March, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) banned the sale of the chemicals used to manufacture two brands of synthetic marijuana, Spice and K2. At least 40 states have taken action to ban chemicals found in K2 and Spice, including Kentucky and its neighboring states. One such bill to ban synthetic marijuana is now in the state House of Representatives and is presently in the House Judiciar y

respond to questions seeking comment on the legislative hold, which senators sometimes place on bills over matters unrelated to legislation in question. “Right now, only five of the roughly 200 variations of synthetic marijuana are federally banned,” Price pointed out. What happens next remains to be seen. Without passage of strong federal and state laws, Price feels it’s up to local governments — and concerned people — to step up to the plate. “After Dr. Huffman created synthetic marijuana to help cancer patients and saw what later happened, he was quoted as saying, ‘Anybody who uses this is an idiot. I’ve created a monster.’ All I want is this very harmful drug taken off the streets.”

Committee. What has Congress done about banning the drugs’ availability? The House of Representatives passed legislation last month that would ban synthetic drugs, including those marketed as “bath salts.” But the Senate version of the legislation has hit a snag. Authorities and national anti-drug organizations will continue to work with people in public health and safety, along with law enforce-

ment, to answer the increased threat caused by the drugs, but the National Drug Control Policy’s director, Gil Kerlikowske, said the first line of defense for young adults and children are their parents. “Parents are the most powerful force in the lives of young people, and we ask that all of them talk to their teens today about the serious consequences of using (synthetic) marijuana, K2 or Spice.”

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HOSTESS SHUTDOWN HITS HOME

BY BECKY KILLIAN, EDITOR

A postal employee has been federally indicted for stealing movie DVDs and drugs, according to an indictment filed Nov. 15 in London’s U.S. District Court. Arnold Bingham took the movies, which were from Netflix and Blockbuster, while in Knox County from January 2009 through June 22, 2012, the indictment states. He also took parcels containing drugs from Veterans Affairs. The packages were addressed to people other than Bingham. If convicted, Bingham could face a maximum prison sentence of five years, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. An indictment is a formal charge by a grand jury and is not a conviction or an admission of guilt.

Williamsburg woman indicted for stabbings BY BECKY KILLIAN, EDITOR

A Williamsburg woman has been indicted by a Whitley County Grand Jury on two charges of assault in connection with the August stabbings of two men, according to Whitley Circuit Court documents. Teresa G. Sharp, 44, faces two counts of first-degree assault and a third charge of being a persistent felony offender. Sharp was arrested after the Aug. 26 stabbings, which happened at a home on White Oak Road in Whitley County.

PHOTOS BY JEFF NOBLE

Most of the store’s shelves were full, but quite a few were empty Tuesday afternoon. One notable section without baked goods were the cakes, pies and snack foods Hostess made. They sold out last Saturday.

Barbourville, London stores and distribution center come to a close BY JEFF NOBLE STAFF WRITER

SEE WOMAN, PAGE 3A

T

Bunn indicted for crime spree BY JOHN L. ROSS STAFF WRITER

A four-count indictment was handed down by the Whitley County grand jury Monday against a Louisiana man who brought his crime spree to Corbin in October. Thomas William Bunn, 26, suspected in several crimes in Louisiana and Florida, also has been indicted by a federal grand

Like many who came in Tuesday, Amy Castle, of Barbourville, will be feeding a lot of folks for Thanksgiving. With a family of six to cook for, she took advantage of items being 50 percent off.

SEE BUNN, PAGE 3A

LOTTERY

OBITUARIES

Cliff Helton . . . . . . . Corbin Debra Bays . . . . . . . Artemus Bobby Deaton . . . . . . . London Johnny Bryant . . . . Williamsburg Evie Taylor . . . . . . Williamsburg

he signs outside the Hostess Bakery Outlet Store in Barbourville said “50% Off ” on all baked goods, as motorists whizzed by U. S. 25E on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. For most people, it was a great deal. Breads, buns and rolls being sold at fantastic prices, just in time for Thanksgiving. But when one looked closer at the window, another sign simply said, “Going Out of Business.” At the end of the day Tuesday, the Hostess Store, long a staple at the corner of 25E and Daniel Boone

Drive, was shutting its doors for good. The conflict between Hostess Brands and one of its unions caused the bankrupt company to shut down and liquidate its assets last Friday, according to the company. Legendary baked goods, such as Hostess Twinkies, Ho Ho’s, Ding Dongs, Hostess Cupcakes and other delicacies went off the shelves first. On Tuesday, the outlet stores in Barbourville and London, along with the distribution center in London, were closing down and letting people go. “As far as we know, they’re

SEE CLOSE, PAGE 3A

INSIDE TODAY

INDEX

BYRON YORK

Obituaries

6A Calendar

9A

Weather

6B Comics

8B

Editorial

4A Classifieds

2C

Sports

1B Entertainment 6B

SEE PAGE 4A

INSIDE TODAY About 500 students participate in Corbin Career Connection event. See PAGE 2A

TO THE POYNT

TODAY’S WEATHER

SEE PAGE 4A

Mostly sunny.

HIGH 64° | LOW 37°

LAST HURRAH

RED RIBBON WEEK

RECEIVING HONOR

Long-time Lady Colonel coach set to tackle final season. See SPORTS, PAGE 1B.

Barbourville observes drug and alcohol awareness campaign. See PAGE 11B

‘Helpful Hands, Hopeful Hearts’ recognizes volunteers. See PAGE 10B.

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FROM THE FRONT

BUNN

FROM FRONT PAGE

jury. Bunn came to Corbin with a Tactical Weapons Solutions AR-15, .223-caliber rifle reported stolen in Florida. Investigators were led to Fast Cash Pawn Shop in Williamsburg, where Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird advised Bunn had indeed pawned the gun and received $300. Meanwhile, Corbin Police were dispatched to investigate a suspicious vehi-

WOMAN FROM FRONT PAGE

Kentucky State Police Trooper Tony Dingess responded to a 911 call and, when he arrived at the home, he found the two men who had been stabbed during a dispute. The men were taken to the University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville for treatment. It was initially thought that drugs and alcohol may have played a role in the incident, state police said. In another indictment, Victor Edwards, 70, of Williamsburg, is charged with two counts of first-degree sexual abuse for subjecting another adult man to sexual contact through the use of force. An Ohio man, Darren Maloy, 42, of Miamisburg, is charged with second-degree assault for injuring a woman by dragging her with his truck, and seconddegree unlawful imprisonment for restraining the woman. David W.C. Robinson, 50, of Corbin, was indicted for second-degree assault for dragging another man with his pickup truck, causing the man

CLOSE

FROM FRONT PAGE

telling us to sell out. My boss called me just a while ago, and told me to sell out today, take the shelves down. The bread, buns and rolls that’s left over will be picked up and taken to a food pantry tomorrow, where it will be donated,” said an employee of the Barbourville store who spoke on the condition of anonymity Tuesday. The employee is one of 30 affected by the shutdown in the two towns. The Hostess distribution center, warehouse and nearby outlet store on U. S. 25 in London are also shutting the oven off. A total of 27 employees are affected in London at both places. “We told our employees that as of 6 p.m. Friday we’d be closing down, and we’ve told our customers that they would have to find another supplier for their baked goods. We’re waiting on the direction of my company. It’s a very tough time for a lot of people,” said an employee in management at the London distribution center Tuesday, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity. He added the stores have been selling baked goods at a reduced price, and because they’re perishable products, they have to find a place for the breads, buns and rolls. The employee noted local food banks will get what’s not sold.

cle at the Days Inn near I-75. When Patrolman Kyle Gray went to the vehicle, the driver fled in a 2005 Chevrolet truck and led police on a 24-mile chase on northbound I-75, at times reaching speeds exceeding 100 mph. Five police cruisers were damaged or disabled during the vehicle chase, which ended in the woods near exit 49. Two state police dogs were brought in after the driver abandoned the truck and fled into the woods on foot. Police quickly learned the suspect was Bunn, and he was captured the next day without incident. Monday’s indictment only lists charges related to the car and subsequent foot chase. Count I states that Bunn, “…com-

serious injury. Others indicted were: — Barry W. Welborn, 31, of Corbin, John C. Jones, 37, of London, and Lori N.Welborn, 32, of Corbin, were each indicted for manufacturing methamphetamine and first-degree possession of a controlled substance. Jones faces a third charge of unlawful possession of a methamphetamine precursor. — Cody W. Hill, 20, and Devin Jones, 20, both of Williamsburg, were charged with second-degree burglary and possession of burglar’s tools. — Elizabeth Bunch, 34, of Barbourville, charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and thirddegree trafficking in a controlled substance. — Jerry R. Thornton Jr., 39, of Tackett Creek Road, charged with eight counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud by not telling the five doctors he was seeing that he was obtaining prescriptions from other doctors. — Bryan A. Rose, 42, of Williamsburg, five counts of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud by not telling the three doctors he was seeing that he was obtaining pre-

Among those getting the loaves and rolls are the Barbourville Children’s Home and food pantries associated with local churches. Three persons at the Barbourville store are affected by the Hostess closing, including the employee who spoke in this story. The employee has worked at the store for 20 years, while another employee worked there for 17 years. A third person working part-time put in time with Hostess for three years. The closings couldn’t have come at a worse time — the advent of the holiday season. “It will affect us a lot. The holidays will be rough. I’m looking at unemployment now. As far as insurance is concerned, my family — we’re gonna hurt. My husband and I have a son who’s disabled from a car wreck, and he has severe brain injuries. He’s learning to learn everything all over again,” the Barbourville employee said. On Monday, a tractor trailer load of baked goods from Knoxville, Tenn., came to the Barbourville Hostess store. On the shelves, rows of Merita rolls were going for 70 cents. There were plenty of Merita hamburger buns and hot dog buns, too. Most of those were also being sold at 70 cents, while big two-pound loaves of Merita Old Fashioned bread were going for 75 cents each. There were no Hostess cupcakes, or Twinkies, anywhere to

mitted the offense of fleeing or evading first degree while operating a motor vehicle when he knowingly or wantonly disobeyed a direction to stop by a motor vehicle driven by Corbin Police Officer James Miller and in the course of fleeing or evading caused or created a substantial risk of physical injury to the officer and other drivers on the highway…” The second count charges Bunn with committing first-degree criminal mischief by “intentionally doing damage to three police cruisers owned by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Department, two police cruisers owned by the London City Police and one police cruiser owned by the City of Corbin causing damage in excess of $1,000.”

scriptions from other doctors and for being a first-degree persistent felony offender related to two other convictions for attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud and for first-degree burglary. — Robert McFadden, 35, of London, first-degree possession of a controlled substance. — Charles Elliott, 23, of Corbin, first-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. — Jonathan Siler, 26, of Rockholds, unlawful possession of a methamphetamine precursor. — James Wagers, 42,of Lily, first-degree possession of a controlled substance. — Brandon Petrey, 29, of Williamsburg, first-degree criminal mischief, receiving stolen property worth more than $10,000, first-degree fleeing or evading police, operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and for being a second-degree persistent felony offender. — Wayne C. Marcus, 32, of Corbin, third-degree burglary, theft by unlawful taking over $500 but less than $10,000, firstdegree fleeing or evading

be found. The big red display where they were located was empty, as were a number of other shelves in the store. “The Hostess cakes sold out last Saturday. The cakes were our biggest seller,” said the employee in Barbourville. A steady stream of customers came inside the store in the early afternoon. With the sounds of Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles singing the group’s hit tune “Stuck Like Glue” from a nearby radio, it was business as usual at Hostess — but everyone knew it was not for long. Amy Castle of Barbourville came in to buy a loaf of baked goods for her family of six, including four children whose ages range from five to 13 years old. She’s shopped there for at least 10 years, and knows those who work there well. But she admitted Tuesday’s purchase has a bittersweet feeling to a lot of people. “It’s sad. I like shopping here. My kids cried when they heard the news (of Hostess shutting down). My kids love the Twinkies, the donuts, the Ho-Ho’s and Ding Dongs. Almost everything they like they’ve sold off the shelves. I told them hopefully they’ll come back in business. I hope they’ll open back up,” Castle said at the store’s checkout counter. Anna Caudill, of Barbourville, shopped at the Hostess store ever since they opened the place up. She came in Tuesday to buy a pack-

Count III charges Bunn with first-degree fleeing or evading police on foot. The final count for this indictment is first-degree persistent felony offender, as Bunn has previous felony convictions. In the federal indictment filed in London’s U.S. District Court Nov. 15, Bunn is charged with possessing and affecting interstate commerce with a firearm, an AK-15 rifle. If convicted, the federal charge carries a maximum 10 year prison sentence, $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. An indictment is a formal charge by a grand jury and is not a conviction or an admission of guilt.

police, third-degree assault for fighting with a state police trooper, and second-degree criminal mischief related to a theft from Canada Town Market. — Gregory K. Ball, 36, of Jellico, Tenn., identity theft for giving someone else’s name, date of birth and Social Security number as his own to a state police trooper. — Jason Mullins, 26, a Whitley County Detention Center inmate, second-degree burglary and theft by unlawful taking over $500 but less than $10,000. — Charlie Johnson, 26, of Corbin, program assistance fraud related to the receipt of child care benefits of more than $7,000. — Mary Nichols, 54, and Jack McCullah, 49, both of Williamsburg, second degree trafficking in a controlled substance. McCullah is also charged with first-degree persistent felony offender related to prior convictions for firstdegree possession of a controlled substance, receiving stolen property, flagrant nonsupport, first-degree fleeing or evading police and second-degree persistent felony offender. — Stuart Mitchell, 29, of

age of rolls for Thanksgiving dinner. Caudill ended up buying another item before she left — a loaf of bread. “When I heard they were going out of business, I sure didn’t like it one bit. I was looking for some pies, but since they have none, I’ll have to go somewhere else,” Caudill stated. Nearby, a man grabbed several loaves of bread with both hands and headed towards the checkout counter. “I’ve got 15 people to feed,” he noted. A few feet away, a woman came in to buy some bread as well. “My daughter said, ‘What am I gonna do? No more banana nut muffins?’ She’s gonna flip her wig.” Samantha and David Brewer, of Corbin, stopped in to buy some bread and rolls for Thanksgiving dinner. They brought their son along, and agreed his sweet tooth — just like thousands of others in the area — are missing some sweet treats. “We come up here every week. Our son loves donuts, and when they didn’t have donuts, he was upset. This place is gonna be missed,” Samantha pointed out. “It’s going to affect a lot of people here in Barbourville and Knox County. A lot of folks on

Gray, theft by unlawful taking over $500 but less than $10,000 for the theft of street signs from Corbin. — Earnest W. Doan, 33, and Joshua Fields, 24, both of Corbin, charged with receiving stolen property worth $10,000 or more related to the possession of a stolen trailer and other items. Doan is also charged with first-degree possession of a controlled substance and second-degree persistent felony offender related to prior convictions. — Daniel Brumley, 27, of Williamsburg, first-degree possession of a controlled substance. — Kaywood Smith, 33, of Monticello, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. — Cody Hill, 20, of Williamsburg, and Jesus Sands, 18, of Corbin, second-degree burglary. — Thomas Caldwell, 21, and Joseph Digregorio, 24, both of Corbin, and Jason Foster, 34, of Harriman, Tenn., first-degree possession of a controlled substance. An indictment is a formal charge by a grand jury and is not a conviction or an admission of guilt.

low incomes and fixed incomes come here to get a break on the price of bread, rolls, buns and cakes,” the Barbourville store employee said as three customers left the building, arms filled with baked goods in bags. Shortly after 1 p.m. the phone rings, and the employee answers it. Talking on the phone with one hand, the person fills up the bags while the shopper pays for his order. After the purchase is complete, the employee hangs up. “A driver told me on the phone that the negotiations are about the ones that went on strike. They want their vacation days and pay that was due to them. That’s what he just said.” As of this writing, the story doesn’t have an ending. On Monday, the Associated Press reported a bankruptcy judge ordered Hostess and its

second largest union to go into mediation and try to resolve their differences. According to ABC News on Monday, three companies — including ConAgra and Flowers Foods — have been named as reportedly interested in buying the iconic brand. All that means nothing to those who will lose their jobs in Barbourville and London, after the Hostess stores and distribution center close. Unlike those people who’ve missed the baked goods and the creamfilled filling of the brand’s beloved Twinkies, those facing unemployment and an uncertain future will be filled with emptiness as Thanksgiving arrives Thursday. “I don’t know how to put it in words. After coming here to work for 20 years, I won’t know what to do. It’s going to affect us all,” the employee in Barbourville quietly said.

CORRECTION

Due to a reporter’s error, Page 3 of the Nov. 6 edition of the Times-Tribune contained incorrect information about two new members appointed to the City of London’s Ethics Board. The reference should have read, “The meeting also saw appointments made at two boards. Judy Nicholson and Brian House were named to the Ethics Board. The two were named to fill the positions after the passing away of members Connie Moran and the late Gene Huff.” We regret the error.

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*Minimum purchase of 6 windows, 600 sq. ft. of siding or 140 sq. ft sun room required. All discounts apply to our regular prices. All prices include expert installation. Sorry, no adjustments can be made on prior sales. Cannot be combined with other offers. See store for warranty. Offers expire 10-31-12. © Champion ®, 2012.

ALL DAY!!!! ANY TOTAL PURCHASE $50 TO $100 - GET $10 MORE OFF TOTAL ANY TOTAL PURCHASE ABOVE $100 - GET $20 MORE OFF TOTAL GREAT SELECTION! Great Buys! Free gift wrapping! Free Layaway! Only at...

B&H

FAMILY SHOE STORE

HWY 25E • CORBIN • 528-0521

“BIG NEW STORE LOCATION •JUST DOWN FROM K-MART ON THE SAME SIDE.”

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