Freezing rain and Icy roads brings
most travel to a halt
A night of chaos to remember
There are many residents and emergency personnel who will remember the night of Tuesday, December 23, 2008 for a long time to come.
The 911 dispatchers will tell you that once the phone started ringing, with the first accident happening around 4 p.m. when a Griffin's truck slid into a guard rail near Butler, it didn't stop until near midnight.
Emergency Management Mgr. Mike Moore issued a 911 reverse call that went out to all homes in the county, excluding cell phones, for anyone not absolutely needing to be out on the highway to stay home. Highway 17 competed with KY 22 east and west for having the most vehicles off the roadway.
For more information see this week's Falmouth Outlook
Christmas, a time for giving
Caroling brightens the faces of residents at River Valley
Children from two Girl Scout troops set out to give of their time and make the Christmas holiday a little bit exciting as they went Christmas caroling on Friday evening, December 19. Girl Scout Troop 48, Troop Leader Lisa Cobb and Girl Scout Troop 215, Scout Leader Patti Miles, arrived at River Valley Nursing Home in Butler. The residents there were preparing for their Christmas holiday dinner with family members. The minute the group started to sing you could see big smiles come to the residents faces. Perhaps it took them back to their days when they themselves went caroling as a youth or maybe they were so happy to hear the children singing to them. Tthe evening was made so much more meaningful by the youth singing and thanks to Mitch Ruth for playing the guitar. The troops stopped at several private residences.
Pendleton County man killed
in three vehicle accident
Officers and medical personnel were dispatched to the scene of a deadly three vehicle crash on the AA Highway, just north of Steffen Lane, at 9:14 p.m. on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24.
Jason Carr, 30, of Falmouth, was pronounced dead at the scene while six others, three adults and three juveniles, were injured. Carr was operating a Ford Mustang southbound when he drifted into oncoming traffic striking a sedan. The sedan contained four passengers, two adults, a ten-year-old boy and a six-year-old girl. The girl was aircared to Children's Hospital while the other three were transported to University Hospital.
Another vehicle involved in the accident had an adult and child who were treated by medics at the scene and later released. The names of the injured and their current conditions were unknown as of press time. The accident is under investigation and no charges have been filed as of this time. The initial investigation lists excessive speed as a contributing factor in the accident.
Jason leaves behind two small children. A fund has been set up in his name at Fifth Third Bank for those that would like to help.
Education cuts concern school board
When the Pendleton County School Board met on December 18th, they had quite a bit on their plate. The board recognized seven teachers who earned the honor of becoming a National Certified Teacher, plus retiring Board Member Gene Flaugher and school employees Northern Elementary Cafeteria Manager Jay Workman and Carole Jeanne Bowen, Secretary to the Superintendent, and recognized Pendleton High School teacher Charlotte Miller for 25 years as a special education teacher. But then the reports of an impending four percent cut across the board from the governor's budget, possible layoffs, and a contingency fund that potentially could fall under the state mandate of two percent was like the proverbial elephant in the room no one wants to talk about, but the board did.
A last minute budget plan by the governor may have averted a serious crisis, but the schools are still waiting for the other shoe to drop.
The board was advised that the projected four percent would mean a loss of over $509,000 from the contingency fund along with certain mandated spending restrictions to make up the difference this year. Superintendent J. Robert Yost expressed concern that without a turn around in the economy, the reductions in 2009-10 will be even greater.
The draft budget for 2009-10 is scheduled to be presented at the January school board meeting as a first step towards developing an operating budget for FY2010.
For more information see this week's Falmouth Outlook
