Three injured in one-vehicle accident

Three Pendleton County residents were injured in a one-vehicle accident on U.S. 27 north of Butler around 1:45 p.m. on January 15, 2008. Two out of the four were air lifted to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center from the accident. Injured was Miranda English, 19, of Hogg Ridge. Miss English was airlifted to the hospital with arm and serious spinal injuries. She is still confined to the hospital in fair condition. Jeff (Bird) Moreland, 38, of Falmouth also was airlifted to U.C. Wesley Brown, 31, of Butler was taken to University of Cincinnati by Pendleton County ambulance. Another passenger in the vehicle was Chanci Buckley, 20, of Falmouth. She was not injured. Moreland and Brown have since been released from the hospital. Kentucky State Police Trooper Mark Grisik investigated the accident. Tpr. Grisik stated that Miranda English was operating the 2001 Nissan Ultima northbound on U.S. 27. She apparently got off the right side of the roadway, overcorrected, and slid across three lanes to the left, hit an earth embankment, struck a tree and the vehicle flipped over. Miss English was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle. Tpr. Grisik charged her with DUI. Photo by Jackie Vaughn.

Briar Brown brought lots of joy to his owner and other family members. A joy that has quickly turned to sorrow after a neighbor shot and killed Briar.

Family pet shot and killed by neighbor for no reason

By Debbie Dennie, Editor

Local resident and real estate lady, Kathy Colvin, lost her family pet, that was apparently shot and killed by a neighbor. Now she is faced with do you let this act of cruelty drop or do you take it to court. "I can't let this cruelty go. I don't want some other child to lose their best friend," she said.

Briar Brown, their six-year-old mixed collie dog was more like a family member than a pet. "He went everywhere with us," says Ms. Colvin. "He hopped up in the back of the pick-up truck in warm weather and went everywhere we did." In cold weather he could be seen riding in the front seat of her truck as she went to show property or went to work. He was always there. Many times he accompanied her to her office. Briar was also in advertisements for the reality.

"My granddaughter and our sons simply loved him," she said with a quiver in her voice. "He was so loveable and loved the children."

"If it hadn't been for the brave and kind heart, who also must love animals, we might not have never known what happened to our dog."

Ms. Colvin said she had kept Briar tied during most of the 2007 gun season for hunting deer because of the fear that the dog might be shot by hunters.

'On Sunday, December 9, it was my son's birthday and we were going to celebrate his birthday later that day and I had untied Briar to let him get some exercise before we went to church. Briar and our beagle took off down our lane, which would prove later to be a fatal mistake."

After church Ms. Colvin said they came back home and Briar was nowhere to be found. "I thought to myself something must be wrong because he always came back in just a little while."

While they were at the birthday party Ms. Colvin received a telephone call, while she was in Cold Spring, telling her that one of their dogs had been shot.

Her son and daughter-in-law reached the area on Bishop Ridge where Briar lay first. They picked the dog up and started en route to Dr. Crowley's office, a veterinarian, at Grant's Lick. Briar died on the way.

"I know for a fact that Briar was shot and killed for no reason because the eye witness told me so," she said. "He also told me that he asked the shooter two or three times to please not shoot the dog. On the third time he asked him not to shoot the shooter turned to the witness and said, "I just needed to unload my muzzle loader."

The shooter shot across a public roadway, Bishop Ridge Road, which is illegal to start with, what would have happened if a car had suddenly appeared?

"It's the fact that people can do this thing to someone. It's not right and they ought to be punished for it," she said. "It just gets to you at night and you think how bad you miss them. It's terrible they become so much more than a pet."

"Our Christmas this year was so sad without Briar and will continue to be for quite some time."

Ms. Colvin talked with the Pendleton County Sheriff's Department and the Animal Control Officer and the man was charged with Animal Cruelty.

What the punishment is to be for someone who does such a cruel act will be decided by a judge in Pendleton District Court at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, February 5.

Judge announces Family Drug Court for Harrison, Nicholas, Pendleton and Robertson counties

Family Court Judge David E. Melcher announced a new Family Drug Court to serve adults and families in Harrison, Nicholas, Pendleton and Robertson counties at a news conference held January 16 at the Harrison County Justice Center in Cynthiana.

The new Family Drug Court will be a collaborative effort by the Administrative Office of the Courts, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Bourbon/Harrison Board of the Kentucky Agency for Substance Abuse Policy.

"The Family Drug Court program is a very worthwhile service, and we're fortunate to have the support of the AOC, Cabinet for Health and Family Services and Kentucky ASAP so that we are able to provide this program for our community," said Judge Melcher, who will serve as judge for the new Family Drug Court. "It's a great resource for our community."

Melcher serves Harrison, Nicholas, Pendleton and Robertson counties, which comprise the 18th Judicial Circuit.

Family Drug Court is a program affiliated with Family Court and serves families in which substance abuse is a contributing factor in children being removed from the home due to abuse or neglect. Family Drug Court teams work with parents to achieve sustained abstinence from abused substances, improved housing and employment status, improved physical and mental health and, finally, permanent reunification with their children.

"Substance abuse by parents devastates the family and creates far-reaching social implications for health care systems, schools, the courts and child welfare agencies," said Chief Justice of Kentucky Joseph E. Lambert. "Family Drug Court provides hope for this grim situation by helping parents free themselves of addiction and improve their parenting skills."

The program promotes the safety and well-being of children by supporting the recovery of parents from alcohol and drug abuse through comprehensive treatment services and accountability to the court. Each Family Drug Court team includes a judge, county attorney, Family Drug Court program supervisor, case manager and project coordinator, CHFS representatives and local treatment providers.

The AOC, which is the administrative agent for the Kentucky Court of Justice, oversees the Family Drug Court program. In addition to having its personnel serve on the Family Drug Court teams, CHFS will provide the new Family Drug Court with many of its clients through referrals. Kentucky ASAP's Bourbon/Harrison Board has provided treatment funding for the new program.

Commissioner Patricia R. Wilson of the CHFS Department for Community Based Services said the partnership with Family Drug Court is an important way to support parents struggling with addiction.

"Family Drug Court is proven to help families reunite sooner and stronger," she said. "No parent facing substance abuse can do it alone, but through collaborations such as this, mothers and fathers in these four counties can realize the hope of a sober life."

The new Family Drug Court will be the fourth such program implemented in Kentucky. Jefferson County implemented the first program in 2002. Fayette County began a Family Drug Court in 2004, and Knox/Laurel counties kicked off their program in October 2007.

The new Family Drug Court will begin its work later this month.

For more information about Family Drug Court, visit http://courts.ky.gov/state programs/familydrugcourt/

As the administrative and fiscal agent for the Kentucky Court of Justice, the AOC supports the activities of approximately 4,000 court system employees, including the elected offices of justices, judges and circuit court clerks.

Local girl attends Christmas party at the White House

Local lady, Kasey Jo Bishop, of Falmouth, was privileged to be able to attend a Christmas party with her fiancé hosted by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush on December 17, 2007.

Farmers Bank in Falmouth will have drive-thru

Farmers Bank Branch, 215 West Shelby Street, in downtown Falmouth will soon have a drive thru window installed. In today's world of rushing around the drive thru windows are a quick way to take care of your banking. This will be a huge asset for their customers. You will enter the drive-thru on Maple Avenue and exit on to Shelby Street. Workers are almost done with work on the window.

Trust For Life - Organ Donation Awareness; you can sign up and help another person live

Licensed drivers in Pendleton County once again showed their support of organ donation by being "above average" in donating an extra dollar to the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks Trust For Life when renewing their driver's licenses in 2007.

Many Pendleton County residents also placed their names on the new Kentucky Organ Donor Registry. According to the Trust For Life, Pendleton Circuit Court Clerk Michael Redden's office collected the donated $1 from 52.8% of those obtaining their drivers license last year. The average number of drivers who donated $1 when they got their new or renewed license in Kentucky's 120 counties was 41.6%. And, since May 15 when it was added to the drivers license process, 767 county residents have placed their names on the donor registry.

"Michael Redden and his staff should be very proud of their efforts in collecting the $1 donations and in adding names to the donor registry," said Trust President Doug Hall, who is also the Floyd Circuit Clerk.

The Trust For Life was created by the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks Association and the state legislature in 1992 to collect the $1 at driver's license counters to fund a year-round education and promotion effort to encourage all Kentuckians to be organ and tissue donors so that others might live. They were also very instrumental in establishing the new Kentucky Organ Donor Registry.

Currently more than 770 Kentuckians are on waiting lists for lifesaving organ transplants and many more need life-enhancing procedures requiring donated tissue like corneas, heart valves and veins. Many of these patients will die waiting.

Any Kentucky resident with a valid state driver's license or state ID can now make their wishes to be a donor known by registering on Kentucky's new Organ Donor Registry when they go to the Circuit Clerks' offices to renew. Or they can access the registry by visiting www.DonateLifeKY.org. The registration process is quick, easy and secure. The clerks and the Trust encouraged everyone to tell their families of their decision.

For more information about the Trust and the Organ Donor Registry, call toll-free (866) 945-5433 or visit the TFL web site at www.trustforlife.org.

Grand Illusion Magic Show coming

You won't believe your eyes. Be awed and entertained by The Grand Illusion Magic Show. The show will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, January 26 at the Pendleton County High School Gym.

There's more than meets the eye when it comes to Roger and Lee Ann's Grand Illusion Magic Show. It's spellbinding. It's mesmerizing. It defies logic and is great magic.

This magic show is brought to you by The Falmouth Lions Club. The proceeds go to help with the eyeglass program and eye surgeries for the less fortunate.

Mark your calendars, and don't miss out on this show. Tickets are available in advance at $7.50, at door prices will be $10 for adults and $7.50 for children. Under 4-years-old and younger are admitted free.

Relay For Life Calendar Of Events

The following dates are set: ACS Community Rally; Team Captain's Meetings: 6:30 p.m. February 12, March 11, April 17, and May 15; Bank Night will be announced at a later date. Note: The RFL Event Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. before each Team Captain's Meeting. For more information, contact Event Chair Bridget Browning at 859-322-6917 or at Bridget.Browning@ Pendleton.kyschools.us. Or log on to the event website: events.cancer. org/rflpendletonky. Also, be sure to mark your calendar for the 2008 Relay For Life "Marga-RELAY-ville" will be held on June 6-7, 2008.

Additional articles this week include:

Jesse Himmelsbach takes gold!

Ladycats pummel Grant County

Butler City Council meets in regular session

Sullivan paints life into guitar

and more!!