Trick-or-Treat Safety Tips from Sheriff Frankie Springfield

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Webster County Sheriff Frankie Springfield has offered the following safety tips for Halloween 2014.

Trick-or-Treaters

•Carry a flashlight

•Walk, don’t run.

•Stay on Sidewalks

Coal Association names Rep. Jim Gooch 'Coal Miner of the Year'

On Friday, October 24, 2014, the Kentucky Coal Association (KCA) named Kentucky State Representative Jim Gooch, Jr. as its 2014 Coal Miner of the Year. This annual recognition is decided upon by the board of KCA, which represents leaders within Kentucky’s coal industry as well as other businesses who are dependent on the mining of coal for their livelihoods. 

Clay Council holds first meeting at new Fire Station

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Clay City Council held their October meeting last week following the open house at the newly constructed Clay Fire Department. 

Local minister announces retirement following 43 year career

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Dr. Bob Hardison, pastor of Sebree First Baptist church will retire from full-time ministry following services on November 2, 2014, 35 years from the same weekend he began his ministry at the church in 1979.

Water District line flushing completed ahead of schedule

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

2014 continues to be a high production year for the Webster County Water District (WCWD), with production numbers topping those from 2013 in 8 of the first 9 months of the year. Overall WCWD has produced 18.4 million more gallons this year than last. Even more importantly, water sales are up and less water is being lost to line flushing.

As water flows through the system, lines begin to accumulate build-ups of sediment. These build-ups are especially bad in low flow and dead end lines, where water may stay for longer periods of time. These build-ups naturally occur for various reasons over time in all water systems, and if left unchecked can result in a drop in water quality and can affect the taste, clarity, and color of the water. 

Item left off of Bulletin Board

Fish Fry at Liberty Praise Chapel, 401 highway 41-A south in Providence, on Sunday, October 26. Fun & games will begin at 4:00 p.m. The meal will be served at 5:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome. For more information call 270-667-2300.

Sheriffs Department recieves $11,151 to buy firearms

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Thanks to a grant from Kentucky Office of Homeland Security (KOHS) , the Webster county Sheriff’s Department will soon be able to purchase new duty weapons and patrol rifles. 

On Thursday, Governor Steve Beshear announced that the Webster County Fiscal Court, on behalf of the Sheriffs Department, was one of 30 agencies across the state that would receive part of $170, 832 in Law Enforcement Protection Program (LEPP) grants that are administered by KOHS.

Webster Food Services named #1 in the state for best practices

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Webster County Food Services was honored on Tuesday by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for having the ‘#1 Best Practices’ in the state of Kentucky.

In the 21 years that the USDA has been presenting the award to school districts, Webster County is the first district from Kentucky to be nominated for the award.

AT&T donates $5,000 to Providence Food Bank

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Since opening in 2012, the Providence Community Food Bank has relied heavily on donations and volunteers to help assist Webster County residents in need. Time and time again the community has come through for the organization, whether it be by lending a helping hand or by donating funds.

In the last week the organization has received three sizeable donations. The largest came on Monday, when a representative of one of the largest corporations in the state presented food bank director Chip Palmer with a check for $5,000.

WCHS graduate leading small but growing manufactureing company

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Par 4 Plastics, located in Marion, Kentucky, is a plastic injection molding facility that manufactures specialty parts for various companies, including Remington and Marlin Firearms, Siemens, Nissan, Honda, Ford and GM. At the helm of the company is President Tim Capps, a 1987 of Webster County High School.

Capps, the son of a coal miner, grew up on Highway 132 between Dixon and Clay.

Tapp reappointed to US Soybean Board

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Sebree area farmer Keith Tapp has been reappointed to the United Soybean Board by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Crittenden Sheriff looking for info

Crittenden Sheriff is looking for these vehicles to solve a crime:

County considers dropping AT&T for Time Warner

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

On Monday, members of the Webster County Fiscal Court heard from David Hagen, a representative of Time-Warner Cable. The cable television provider already supplies complementary cable service to several facilities maintained by the county. Now the company will be offering other services to county-owned facilities as well.

“Since we already have services coming into most of your facilities, it’s only a small step for us to offer you additional services at those facilities as well,” Hagen explained.

County takes first step towards approving controversial maps

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

On Monday the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) won a battle at the county level as members of the Webster County Fiscal Court voted to accept controversial and reportedly incorrect flood maps.

“I think we are in a position where we don’t have any choice but to accept the maps in order to protect the county, which is our responsibility,” said Judge Executive Jim Townsend. “We are one of the only counties in Kentucky who haven’t adopted them already.”

Kentucky native to oversee legislative activities for Century

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

 Century Aluminum announced on Monday that it had hired a new Director of Government and Community Affairs. Chad A. Harpole will be joining the Company starting November 1, 2014.  

School district overall test scores show slight increase

Scores fall at Clay Elementary

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) released the results of this year’s Unbridled Learning Assessment tests on Friday, naming the Webster County School district as a focus district. Focus districts are identified annually based on federal requirements when a district has a non-duplicated student gap group score in the bottom 10% for all districts.

Clay awards generator bid

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Clay city council met in a special called meeting on Thursday night to make a decision on bids for an emergency generator for the new Clay Fire Department. 

Providence festival to feature local recording artist

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

When the Annual Providence Uptown Fall Festival kicks off this Saturday, it will feature live music from a pair of local musicians. Cousins Ben and Chris Knight will split time on the stage between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Slaughters native Chris Knight’s story isn’t your typical singer/song writer story. He didn’t start writing songs until he was 26 and did not start performing until he was 30. He signed his first record deal at the age of 37.

FEMA responds to flood map questions

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Seven months after initially rejecting new FEMA flood maps, the topic was back on the table at last week’s Webster County Fiscal Court meeting. Judge Executive Jim Townsend and Webster County EMA Director Jeremy Moore recently attended a meeting hosted by Todd Bass from FEMA’s Atlanta office in which Bass warned counties that they were at risk of losing FEMA monies if they continued to not adopt the maps.

Magistrates decided to table the discussion until their next meeting, but it was clear the tides of opinion have changed since February. At the core of that change seems to be FEMA’s threat of withholding disaster funds.

Boat pilot sets sale for retirement after 57 year career

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Most people aren’t aware that any commercial shipping is done by water Webster County, but coal barges have been moving in and out of the Sebree area for years. For more than forty years one man has been at the center of that little known industry, but Friday, October 3, 2014 is expected to be his last day in the pilot house as he begins his well deserved retirement.

John ‘Johnny’ Fulkerson has worked almost continuously as a boat pilot in Webster County for more than four decades. For the last eleven years he has served as pilot of the Eva Sue at Steamport Dock, the facility that loads coal barges for Sebree Mine (formerly Advent Mine) near Onton.