The Falmouth Outlook

The above photo of a funnel cloud was captured by Amy Davidson on her cell phone while she was en route to her home on June 4. She was traveling on Highway 10 when she looked to her right and saw the funnel cloud over in the Peach Grove area. She took the photo at 6:23 p.m.

Tornado leaves its trail along Highway 10

By Debbie Dennie, Editor

June came in like a lion with two days of vicious wind storms, one confirmed tornado, and several funnel clouds ravaging across our county last week uprooting large trees, leaving downed power lines, and extensive damage to homes in the Peach Grove area on Tuesday, and Wednesday, June 3 and 4.

An enormous amount of trees along KY 154 from Yelton Road to the Northern Pendleton Fire Department were uprooted and blown over with some damage to a few barns. But the major damage in the county was done on KY 10.

It's possible the tornado that struck the Grant's Lick area on U.S. 27 is probably the one responsible for the extensive damage in the northern part of Pendleton County.

Dr. Monte McElfresh's house on the corner of Monohon Road and Highway 10 was almost hidden by uprooted and broken trees. "We had 13 trees in our yard and the tornado ripped up and destroyed 11 of them," said Myrna McElfresh. "God just laid the trees down on all sides of our house, sparing it."

The McElfresh's, family, and friends spent last Thursday and Friday sawing up the trees and getting rid of limbs and other debris in their yard. The clean up was the same for the Delbert Cox family, Ronnie and Brenda Fossitt family, the Eddie Hoskins family, and many other neighbors on Highway 10 and KY 154 last Friday.

It looked like a forest of trees along KY 10 had just been picked up and dropped back down.

Carl and Fern Rardin both said they thought their house was gone. "It got so dark that we had to use a flashlight to get to the basement," said Mrs. Rardin. "Just as we got the basement door open one of our front porch posts was torn off and crashed against our front window in the house breaking it," said Mr. Rardin.

Two of the Rardin's outbuildings were totaled, and extensive damage was done to their large barn, which had a portion of its roof ripped off, some other windows on the house broken and tin roofs off the buildings scattered everywhere.

The photo of the funnel cloud above was taken by Kathy Colvin and was taken from Bishop Ridge Road. This is the same funnel cloud that residents saw go over Cardinal Ridge and move toward the McKinneysburg area.

For more of this story, see this week's Falmouth Outlook

Trespassing call lands Ohio man in jail for cultivating marijuana
State Police have toll free number to call

Kentucky State Police Trooper Steven Robb was investigating a trespassing complaint around 5 p.m. June 6, 2008 on Knoxville-Gardnersville Road.

When Tpr. Robb arrived he came into contact with two male individuals camping in a wooded area off the road. Robb discovered marijuana plants being grown where the two men were.

John Phillip Jenkins, 21, of Ohio was arrested and charged with cultivation of marijuana, over five plants, which is a felony and possession of marijuana. He was lodged in the Boone County Detention Center.

The Kentucky State Police have a new toll free number to call if you have any information about someone growing marijuana plants. You do not have to give your name. Call 1-800-DOPE-TIP.

School bus and car collide on Flour Creek Road

Thirty-seven people were lucky to escape serious injury after a car and a bus collided head-on in Butler, Tuesday, June 3. Brandi Herald, 25, of Foster, operating a 1990 Honda Accord, was traveling west on Flour Creek Road around 3:55 p.m. when the accident occurred. She had three passengers in the car: Timothy Herald, 24, of Cold Spring, T.J. Herald, 4, of Foster, and Luke Herald, 10 months-old, of Foster. Herald stated that she drove through water that was crossing the roadway and lost control of her vehicle. She saw the oncoming school bus and hit her brakes but could not avoid striking it. The school bus was being operated by Donald Osborne, 79, of Butler, and contained 32 students. Pendleton County Deputy Sheriff Todd Dennie responded to the scene and worked the accident. He was assisted by the Butler Volunteer Fire Department and Northern Pendleton Ambulance Service. All of the occupants of Herald's car were taken to area hospitals to be checked for injuries. Nobody was hurt on the school bus. Damage to both vehicles was severe. Rodney Miles Towing and Tim Norton Towing handled the job of removing the vehicles from the roadway. Article and photo by Jackie Vaughn, Reporter.

Father's Day Special at Kincaid Regional Theatre

Are you looking for something to do for your father on Father's Day? Look no longer! Bring your father to Kincaid Regional Theatre's Sunday, June 15 matinee performance of "Big River." Fathers will get in FREE with the purchase of an accompanying ticket. You will laugh and cry and be thoroughy entertained by our "Big River" cast. The wonderful Roger Miller music will have your toes tappin' and your hands clappin', and his tuneful ballads will make you wax sentimental. For ticket reservations call (859) 654-2636 or just stop by the theatre at the Falmouth School Center, 500 Chapel Street, Falmouth, and buy them at the door. The box office opens at 1 p.m. and the house opens at 1:30 p.m. Come and enjoy a great show and spend a cool afternoon of pure entertainment with Dad.

Departments busy clearing roads after storms
What outdoor sirens mean when activated

Pendleton County Emergency Management Director Mike Moore said that many departments throughout the county were kept busy last week clearing roads from downed trees and power lines.

Last Wednesday night's storm where the tornado was confirmed did quite a bit of damage in the northern part of county.

Trees were down on U.S. 27 near Butler Methodist Church, many, many trees down on KY 10, and KY 154, Monohon Road, and Yelton Road.

The State Highway Dept. cleaned up downed trees and cleared roadways as did the Pendleton County Road Department, Pendleton County Sheriff's Department, Northern Pendleton Fire Department and Butler Fire Department. Search and Rescue members helped do damage assessment.

There were reports of funnel clouds being sighted on Highway 467, KY 10, Cardinal Ridge on U.S. 27 south of Falmouth and in the McKinneysburg area that we know of.

Moore wants county residents to understand what it means when the sirens are activated. The sirens sound when a severe storm warning has been issued for Pendleton County by the National Weather Service and when there is a tornado watch issued for Pendleton County while at the same time we are under a Tornado Watch (Because all conditions are in place for a tornado to develop with little or no warning). When the sirens sound don't watch for a funnel cloud, it could be too late, take cover in basements, storm cellars or the lowest building level. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck. Do not open windows.

Currently there are seven outdoor warning sirens in the county and their purpose is to warn people that are outdoors. NOAA Weather Radios are the best source for receiving quick notification of severe weather. They provide a variety of hazard information and can be purchased rather inexpensively at any electronics store.

2008 Pendleton High School Class Scholarship Winners

Pictured above are the Scholarship winners for the 2008 Pendleton County High School Class. A list of the students and the scholarship they received are listed on Page 13 inside. Photo by Roger McKinney.