Commencement exercises for the Adair County High School Class of 2013 will take place on Friday, May 14, 2013, at 7pm at the John Burr Memorial Gymnasium. Each senior who is participating in the graduation ceremony has been given two tickets for early entry. Ticket holders may enter the gym at 5:30pm. The general public may enter at 6pm.

The Class of 2013 is made up of 184 students. Seventeen students will be wearing gold cords indicating that they have completed high school with a four-year cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher on a weighted 4.0 scale. Additionally, 56 students will be wearing red, white, and blue cords signifying that they have a four-year cumulative GPA between 3.0 and 3.74 on a weighted 4.0 scale. Seventy-nine students have met the standards for receiving a college preparatory diploma, as well.

The valedictory address will be delivered by Heather Jackson. Heather is the daughter of Trish Zatkoff and Robert Jackson. Her four-year GPA is 4.413 on a weighted 4.0 scale. Cody Giles will deliver the salutatory address. Cody is the son of Jeff Giles and Mary Ellen Simpson. Cody's four-year GPA is 4.375 on a weighted 4.0 scale.

Special music will be performed by graduating senior Roslin Wilson and the ACHS Band.

The class motto is "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream" by C.S. Lewis, the class flower is the Blue Forget-Met-Not, the class colors are Red and White, and the class song is “Live Like We’re Dying” by The Script. - Chad A. Parnell, Information Technology Teacher, School Technology Coordinator

4 persons were arrested on drug charges at a Taylor Co. residence on Wed. afternoon.

After numerous complaints of possible drug activity at 107 Cedar Street in Campbellsville, officers with the Campbellsville Police Department went to the residence at 4:30 p.m. to investigate.  Jessica Swartz age 32  was arrested and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance (Meth).  Three other people at the residence were also arrested on outstanding warrants: Shayla F. McAllister age 31 and Timothy Ulsh age 38  both of Campbellsville, and Brandon Ballard age 32 of Loretto were all lodged in the Taylor County Detention Center.
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VFW Columbia Post 6097 invites you to the annual Memorial Day program to help honor Fallen Hero's from all wars.  The program will be held at the VFW Building, 411 Fairground St, Columbia, on Sunday,  May 26.

The time of the program this year has been changed to 4 PM.  Also, all of the program, except for the "laying of the wreaths and honor guard duties, will be held inside the hall with seating.

Brother Raymond Martin will be the speaker this year. Brother Martin is a WWII, Navy Veteran and well know in our community for his long ministry at the Columbia Christian Church.
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Motorists who refuse to wear their seat belts – beware.  The 2013 national “Click It or Ticket” Memorial Day seat belt enforcement mobilization kicks off May 20 to help save lives by cracking down on those who don’t buckle up. 

Despite a wealth of data showing that seat belts save lives – and also despite implementation of a primary seat belt law – Kentucky’s 83 percent seat belt usage rate lags behind the national rate of 86 percent. Therefore, the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety  is supporting state and local law enforcement across the country in their efforts to strongly enforce seat belt laws around the clock.

Kentucky’s roadway fatalities increased last year, going from 721 deaths in 2011 to 746 in 2012.  More than half of those killed in motor vehicles were not restrained.

While this year’s Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization runs from May 20 through June 2, motorists should know that officers are out enforcing seat belt laws year-round.
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It's Crusade Roadblock Time!

Adair County Firemen will be on the public square in Columbia from 8am-12 noon on Sunday, May 26th. On Friday, May 31st from 4pm-8pm, firefighters will be manning roadblocks on Campbellsville Street, Jamestown Street, and at the intersection at Walmart. They will be in the same locations on Saturday June 1st from 8am-3pm.

Members of the Fire Department will then travel to Campbellsville to the State Fire Rescue Training Center on Old Greensburg Road in Campbellsville for a live remote with WBKO and give the total for 2013.

Last year's Adair County total was $34,642.52. Since 1963, over $969,000 has been collected in Adair County.

An accident on Hwy West 80 in Russell Springs early Wed. morning caused a power outage that lasted for approx. 4 to 5 hours.

According to the R.S. Police Dept., the accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. when 44-year-old Brandon Pittman of Russell Springs, who was traveling west on 80 near the stoarge units and Marathon station, fell asleep at the wheel, left the roadway and struck a utility pole. The vehicle stopped after hitting the sign for the storage units.

Police say a second accident occurred when 20-year-old Tiffany Brumley who was traveling east on Hwy 80 operating a 2005 Chevy Blazer, struck part of the utility pole that was in the road causing her to run off the roadway.  Brumley was not injured; Pittman suffered minor injuries but did not seek medical treatment.

R.S. Police Officer Nathan Bradshaw investigated the accidents.

South Ky. RECC worked throughout the early morning hours to restore power to hundreds of customers in Russell and Adair Counties.
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On Tues. afternoon, approximately 7,000 SKRECC members were without power due to the storm that swept through the area.
 
Outages were widespread throughout the South Kentucky RECC system in Clinton, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, and Wayne Counties. The winds that accompanied this storm wreaked havoc on power poles and lines and caused trees to fall on the lines.

SKRECC V-P of Engineering Dennis Holt says restoration was handled as quickly as possible.
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Adair County District 4 Magistrate Perry Reeder was injured in a motor vehicle accident a few weeks ago and his recovery may take several more weeks. During this time, anyone needing assistance in the District 4 Area of Adair County may call the Adair County Road Department at 270-384-3738 or the Adair County Judge's Office at 270-384-4703 until further notice.
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Preliminary statistics indicate that six people died in five separate crashes on Kentucky’s roadways from Monday, May 13 through Sunday, May 19, 2013.

One double fatality, motor vehicle crash occurred in Nelson County. The crash involved the suspected use of alcohol and one of the victims was not wearing a seat belt.

One single-fatality, motor vehicle crash occurred in each of the following counties: Christian, Jefferson and Warren. The victim in Warren County was not wearing a seat belt.

One pedestrian was killed in Jefferson County.

Through May 19, 196 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways during 2013. This is 72 less than reported for this time period in 2012.
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The GED test will be free in Kentucky May 15–July 31. Kentuckians taking the test during that timeframe will not have to pay the usual test fee, which will be paid by Kentucky Adult Education.

The GED test provides adults who did not finish high school with the opportunity to certify their attainment of high school-level academic knowledge and skills. It’s particularly important for those without a high school diploma to pass all five parts of the GED test this year because the GED test will change January 1, 2014. In Kentucky, approximately 16,000 people have started taking the test but have not completed. All previous scores will expire and anyone who has started but not completed will have to start over. The last test date in Kentucky this year will be December 18, 2013.

Kentuckians interested in free classes and the time-limited free GED testing should contact the adult education center in their county to discuss how to get started. To find the local adult education center, call (800) 928-7323 or visit www.KnowHow2GoKy.org and click on “Adults.”

The superintendent of the Adair Youth Development Center faces ethics charges for allegedly directing a state employee to research and place illegal bets on sporting events for him while the employee was working.

According to the Lexington Herald Leader, the Executive Branch Ethics Commission accused Dewayne Mills on Monday of instructing a subordinate at the treatment center for juveniles to place bets — anywhere from $25 to $100 — on "hundreds of sporting events" in 2010 and 2011. Mills allegedly would text or call the employee to place the bet with a bookie while the employee was on state time.
Mills also is accused of using state computers to research point spreads, and of instructing an employee to do the same while the employee was working.

On one occasion, Mills allegedly told the employee to lie to his on-site supervisor about why he had to leave a meeting and then use another employee's office to do online betting research.

The ethics panel began its investigation of Mills in September 2012, according to documents released by the commission. If the charges are found to be true, the commission may issue a cease-and-desist order, issue a public reprimand, recommend removal from office and set a fine of up to $5,000 per violation.
Stacy Floden, a spokeswoman for the Juvenile Justice Department, declined to release the outcome of that investigation or to say if Mills has been disciplined.

According to state records, Mills makes $70,864 a year as a superintendent. He has been employed by the department since March 1999.
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There are over 3 lawsuits against Westlake Regional Hospital and the hospital board met for over 3 hours Monday morning in Executive Session to discuss pending litigation.
No action was taken upon returning to general session.
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Another "moist" election may be on the ballot in Jamestown to determine whether alcoholic beverages will be sold in restaurants.
According to lakercountry.com, on Monday, Greg Shaw, Chairman of a group named “Progress Jamestown” delivered to Russell County Clerk Lisha Popplewell more than 200 signed petitions in favor of the move. Shaw said the petitions gathered so far represent more than 25% of the registered voters that voted in the last general election held in Jamestown and therefore, after being certified by the clerk’s office, should qualify the petition to be put on a ballot for the voters’ decision.
According to state law, this would set the date for an election no less than 60 days and no more than 90 days from yesterday.
Shaw said the initiative is not meant to advocate the consumption of alcohol but rather to provide a much needed economic boost to the city and its citizens, claiming the sale of alcoholic beverages by the drink in restaurants would attract new restaurants and additional visitors, gain new jobs and bring in more income to the city and county.
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A missing Campbellsville teenager has been located.
The Campbellsville Police Department say they have located 16-year-old Donald Powers and he is safe.
Powers was last seen near his West Campbellsville residence at approximately noon on Monday and was reported missing Mon. afternoon.  The teen suffers from developmental disabilities.
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A Taylor County man who used cell phones to take photos of himself molesting girls younger than 5 was sentenced Monday to 110 years in prison, according to a news release from David J. Hale, U.S. Attorney for Western Kentucky.

Tony Edwin Davis, 50, of Campbellsville pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child pornography.
Federal authorities started investigating Davis after someone who had loaned him a cell phone told police she'd found images of child pornography on the device after getting it back.
Authorities found 227 images of child pornography on three phones Davis had used.

Davis was a dangerous predator who "raped children, some still in diapers, and recorded it for his perverse sexual gratification," Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness said in one document.

Davis pleaded guilty on charges involving two girls, but after he was arrested, other people told authorities he had molested them when they were children, according to a court document.

Davis, who has a prior conviction in state court for sexually abusing a 14-year-old, will have to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence.