Liberty City Council will host a special called meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, Nov. 1) at 5pm at City Hall.

Items on the agenda include:

• Bids for Napier Street Bridge
• Executive session for Personnel

That meeting is open to the public.

The Kentucky State Police, Post 7, Richmond was called just before 4:30 p.m. this afternoon in reference to a shooting that occurred on Raintree Circle in Lincoln County.

The initial investigation indicates that Charles Mcelroy, 35 years old of Danville, pulled in front of a residence on Raintree Circle, when he was confronted by Robert Sexton, 61 years old of Lincoln County. During the confrontation, it is alleged that Sexton fired several rounds into the vehicle striking Mcelroy. Charles Mcelroy was transported by ambulance to the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital with critical injuries. 

As a result of the preliminary investigation, Robert Sexton was located and taken into custody. He has been lodged at the Pulaski County Detention Center charged with Assault 1st Degree.  

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by KSP Post 7 Detective Storm Stevens.  He was assisted at the scene by KSP Personnel, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office and Lincoln County EMS.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) advises motorists that significant traffic pattern changes will take place Tuesday, Nov. 1, at the intersection of KY 461 and KY 80 in Pulaski County as part of a transformative project to improve safety, reduce traffic congestion and support economic development.

Traffic changes include lane shifts and travel on a ramp. This is necessary for the ongoing KY 461 improvement project, which includes the replacing of the intersection at KY 80.

Motorists should be prepared for the following changes:

• Southbound KY 461 traffic traveling to London will continue straight on the new alignment, cross the bridge and exit right to loop around toward London.
• Eastbound KY 80 traffic seeking to access KY 461 will continue straight onto the new alignment, cross the bridge and continue north toward Mt. Vernon.
• Eastbound KY 80 traffic traveling to London will exit right onto current KY 80 to continue east. 
• Westbound KY 80 traffic traveling to Mt. Vernon will make a right turn at the current intersection onto old KY 461 and approach a stop condition to turn north onto the new KY 461 alignment.

Motorists should exercise extreme caution and are advised to slow down, avoid distractions and obey directional signage.

The date may be adjusted for inclement weather or other unforeseeable delays.  

Motorists can access travel and traffic conditions at http://goky.ky.gov or contribute their own reports at www.waze.com or via the Waze mobile application.

Traffic information for the District 8 counties is also available at www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict8 or by following us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KYTCDistrict8.  

The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Post 11 in London is investigating a fatal collision involving a London Police Department (London PD) Officer. At approximately 12:49 AM, KSP Post 11 Troopers responded to a two-vehicle collision that occurred at the intersection of South Main Street and KY 229 Barbourville Street in the city limits of London in Laurel County.

The preliminary investigation indicates that a 2022 Ram Pickup Truck operated by Casey P. Byrd, 36, of Oneida, TN was traveling North on KY 229 (Barbourville Rd) when his vehicle entered the intersection of South Main Street and struck a 2019 Dodge Charger Police Cruiser traveling Southbound on South Main Street operated by on-duty London PD Officer Logan K. Medlock, 26, of Keavy, KY.

As a result of the collision, Officer Medlock suffered life-threatening injuries, and was pronounced deceased on scene by the Laurel County Coroner’s Office. Mr. Byrd was not injured in the collision.

Alcohol is suspected to be a contributing factor in this collision. Mr. Byrd was arrested and charged with:

• Murder – Police Officer
• Operating Motor Vehicle Under the Influence 1^st Aggravating Circumstance

Mr. Byrd was transported to the Laurel County Correctional Center.

The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team is continuing the investigation. They were assisted at the scene by Post 11 personnel, the London Police Department, Laurel County Sheriff’s Office, Laurel County EMS, London City Fire Department, London ECO Tech, Laurel County Fire Department, and the Laurel County Coroner’s office.

There was a large turn out Saturday for the official dedication as a Trail Town community for Liberty & Casey County.

Here's Tourism Director, Heather Cundifff...
 

Trent N Sears, 41 of Somerset, arrested by Officer Sims with Somerset PD for failure to appear, contempt of court, drug paraphernalia, & possession of meth 1^st degree.

Zachary D Boatley, 30 of Somerset, arrested by Officer Strickland with Somerset PD for alcohol intoxication in a public place 2^nd offense & possession of marijuana.

Terry W Wray, 60 of Stanford, arrested by Officer Milburn with Stanford PD for possession of meth 1^st degree/2^nd offense & possession of handgun by convicted felon.

Lodged in the Pulaski County Jail.

James D Demaree, 41, arrested by Deputy Pinkston with Washington Co SO for possession of firearm by convicted felon, possession of opiates 1^st degree, wanton endangerment – abuse/neglect of adult by person, possession of meth 1^st degree, possession of heroin 1^st degree, & drug paraphernalia.

Angela S Garcia, 49, arrested by Deputy Pinkston with Washington Co SO for possession of meth 1^st degree, possession of heroin 1^st degree, drug paraphernalia, wanton endangerment – abuse/neglect of adult by person, & possession of opiates 1^st degree.

Anthony C Brown, 50, arrested by Deputy Nelson with Marion Co SO for drug paraphernalia, possession of meth 1^st degree, improper display of registration plates, trafficking in cocaine over 4 grams 1^st degree, tampering with physical evidence, & possession of marijuana.

Bobby G Keeling, 62, arrested by Officer Gorley with Lebanon PD for criminal trespassing 3^rd degree & possession of marijuana.

Lodged in the Marion County Jail.

We remind our listeners all suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

It was another Hail Mary for the Casey County Rebels as they won over Estill County Friday night, that final score 29-22.

Looking at other scores from across the area:

• Lincoln Co won over Rockcastle Co. 28-7;
• Danville lost to Whitley Co 50-54;
• Boyle Co lost to Frederick Douglas 6-37;
• Larue Co won over Russell Co 33-16;
• Adair Co won over Washington Co 24-20;
• Marion Co took the victory over Taylor Co 66-29;
• Campbellsville won over Atherton 34-27.

Casey County will host Webster Co. in the first round of the playoffs this Friday night, at 8:00 pm at Rebel Field.

Gates will open approximately at 5:15 pm.

Admission for ALL attending is $6.00 cash.

NO PASSES accepted of any kind.

Be sure to listen in Wednesday morning at 8:30 as Casey Co Athletics Director Victor Black will stop by with additional updates & information.

Early (absentee) voting is underway at the Clerk's Office.

Interview with Casey County Clerk, Casey Davis...

Congressman James Comer stopped by the Casey County Judicial Center in Liberty yesterday to give us an update from Washington...

No charges have been filed in a fatal shooting at a Somerset subidivision, where police say a homeowner shot and killed a man in his driveway.

Jeff Henderson has more on the story...
 

A Casey County Teen died in a one vehicle accident in the early morning hours Saturday.

According to Taylor County Sheriff Allen Newton, 18 year old Dalton Weddle, of Liberty, was driving on private property off KY 76, Knifley Road, when his vehicle traveled over an embankment and overturned into a pond.

Weddle and three passengers were taken to Taylor Regional Hospital.

Weddle, the son of Casey County Sheriff Chad Weddle, was pronounced dead by the Taylor County Coroners office.

The other three passengers were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The accident was investigated by Taylor County Sheriff Allen Newton, Brent Burkhead, Stephen Dobson.

Our prayers go out to Sheriff Weddle & his family.

A Casey County woman facing additional drug charges as warrants are served.

On Thursday, Casey County Sheriff Chad Weddle went to serve 4 warrants on 34 year old Tiffany Robinson, of Liberty, at a location on Sheep Skin Road, about 12 miles north-west of Liberty.

As she was being arrested, Tiffany stated there were drugs in her purse.

Sheriff Weddle located 2 bags of Crystal Meth, Marijuana roaches, and 2 pipes with residue inside.
Robinson was charged with Possession of Methamphetamine-1st degree/3rd Offense, Possession of Marijuana, & Drug Paraphernalia, along with the active warrants.

Sheriff Weddle was assisted by Probation/Parole Officers Wilson & Harrod.

A Casey County man is facing DUI charges following an injury accident that happened Tuesday.

Deputies with the Casey County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene shortly after 5pm, about nine miles west of Liberty on KY 49. The report states a 2012 Ford, driven by 32 year old Corey M McCawley, of 2956 Poplar Springs Rd., Liberty, was traveling at a high rate of speed when he crossed the center line and struck another vehicle head on, causing injury to the other driver, whose name was not provided.

Mr. McCawley failed field sobriety tests and consented to a blood test at Casey County Hospital. He stated during transport that he had smoked Meth two days prior.

McCawley was arrested on charges of DUI-controlled substance, and Reckless Driving.
Liberty Police assisted.

A Liberty man arrested in connection with a burglary investigation.

Casey County Sheriff Chad Weddle says the victim, Robbie Vaught, reported someone had entered a house he was building at 1226 Nubbin Ridge Road, sometime Tuesday night, and removed his Husqvarna chainsaw and a 500 ft roll of electric wire. The wire was later found near the house.

On Wednesday, Sheriff Weddle recovered the chainsaw from Preston's Pawn Shop in Russell Springs, along with a pawn shop receipt from 33 year old Jamie L Sharp, of 00 Combs Rd., Liberty.

Mr. Sharp was located at his residence and admitted to taking the wire and chainsaw. He was placed under arrest at that time on charges of Burglary-3rd degree, & Theft by unlawful taking (over $1,000).
 

As he was being searched, Sharp was found to be in possession of a baggie of Meth in his pants pocket. He was additionally charged with Possession of Methamphetamine-1st Degree.

Liberty Police Chief Garrett, and Officer Christian assisted.

The Kentucky State Police (KSP) requests assistance in their on-going investigation of locating a missing person.  

Dennis Keith Davis, age 37 of Dunnville, KY, was last seen at his home in Casey County at approximately 1:30 P.M. EST on Tuesday, August 30, 2022.  

KSP is urging the public to contact Post 15 in Columbia at 270-384-4796 with any assistance locating Mr. Davis. Mr. Davis has been entered as a missing person and the case is continuing by Trooper Jake Smith.

Six Casey County High School graduates received scholarships to Western Kentucky University from the Owenelle Gift Fund for the 2022-2023 academic year. Recipients include Dylan Carman, Mackenzie Cundiff, Anna Howard, Adam Price, Emily Smith and Miracle Stinson.

Mackenzie Cundiff, a junior from Dunnville, Ky., who is pursuing a degree in Biology and Dental Hygiene, said that receiving the Owenelle scholarship gave her courage to make her dreams a reality when she was struggling to invest in herself.

“The Owenelle scholarship has allowed me to put my education first rather than the worry of finances,” Cundiff said. “It has allowed me to be a better student and provided me with the resources I need to succeed.”

Dylan Carman, a sophomore from Bethelridge, Ky., who is pursuing a degree in Manufacturing Engineering Technology, hopes to return to Casey County and one day open his own business.

“I’m truly grateful for this scholarship, and I am thankful for the donors who made this possible,” Carman said.

The Owenelle Gift Fund was established in 2016, and the first scholarships were awarded in 2018. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be graduates of Casey County High School and be enrolled as full-time students at WKU with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. The award for individual students can be up to $10,000 for each school year and is determined by the number of applicants and student financial need. The scholarship is renewable, provided students continue to meet the requirements.

The donors who established the Owenelle Gift Fund grew up in Casey County and attended Casey County High School and WKU. Growing up in Casey County instilled the values of hard work, integrity, perseverance and an appreciation for simple joys. Their teachers at Casey County High School inpsired continued learning and exploration of the bigger world. After graduating from WKU, their careers took them beyond Kentucky and outside the United States. Culturally enriching experiences exposed them to different ideas and reinforced their belief that mankind is good.

“Receiving this scholarship means more to me than I could put into words,” said Adam Price, a junior from Liberty, Ky., who is studying Health Care Administration. “The scholarship has made me realize how relieving financial stress can help motivate and drive individuals to push harder toward their goals. I hope that one day I will be able to provide people in need with a similar feeling and help motivate them.”

Price plans to return to Liberty and serve his community as a Health Care Administrator.

“My mom, uncle and older brother are WKU alumni and are successful,” Price said. “I hope to one day follow in their footsteps and make a difference in my community.”

The Owenelle Gift Fund was established to help young people continue their education even though they might not have the resources to do so by themselves. The donors only ask the recipients to reflect on the generosity of this gift, study and work hard, be open minded, respect others, challenge the status quo and when the opportunity presents itself, pay it forward to help others.

The recipients are already thinking about how they can give back.

“When I become an alumna, I want to give back to my alma mater and be involved in the success of students like many have been for me,” Cundiff said. “The University has instilled confidence in me and saw potential in me that I never did. I cannot wait to be able to do that for others.”

Miracle Stinson, a freshman from Liberty, Ky., is pursuing a degree in Accounting and hopes to be an Accountant. She said receiving scholarship support eased her worries about how to pay for college, and now she can focus on her studies.

“Scholarships have shaped my thoughts of ‘I’m doing this for me’ to now believing that I am not only going to college and giving it my all for me but for all those who made it possible for me to be here and have the opportunity for a better life,” Stinson said.

Emily Smith, a junior from Columbia, Ky., is pursuing a degree in Criminology and Sociology with a minor in History.

“This scholarship allowed me to continue my education at WKU and experience college in a supportive environment,” Smith said. “It made me realize it is important to give back to education for future generations.”

“The College Heights Foundation is proud to administer the Owenelle Gift Fund and provide scholarship support for students from Casey County High School,” said Dr. Donald Smith, President of the College Heights Foundation at WKU. “We want to make sure students from Casey County High School know this opportunity is available and encourage more students to further their education at WKU.

“We also want to thank the donors for this generous support to benefit young people from their community,” Smith added. “WKU alumni giving back to benefit current and future Hilltoppers continues a tradition that started more than 100 years ago, and that speaks to the strength of the WKU Spirit. This University continues to be a place of access and opportunity.”

The application deadline for the 2023-2024 academic year is Feb. 1, 2023. Visit wku.edu/topdollar for scholarship opportunities.

For more information, contact Jessica Carver at (270) 745-2342.

The Casey County Fiscal Court met in regular session Monday.

The court set trick-or-treating hours in the County for Monday, October 31st, from 5 till 8 PM.

Judge Executive Randy Dial says the County has profited about $128,000 on three road department trucks...
 

A bridge on Casey Creek Road is closed indefinitely for replacement. Judge Dial...
 

Casey County Sheriff Chad Weddle gave his department's monthly activity report for September.
 

The court went into executive session for about 25 minutes with no action taken.

Immediately after, Magistrates approved the purchase of real property adjacent to the Judicial Center and the amount of $50,000...
 

The next regular meeting of the Casey County Fiscal Court is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 7th.

A Pulaski County man was arrested during a traffic stop over the weekend.

Shortly after 8pm Friday, Deputy Brandon Smith, with Casey County Sheriff's Office, observed an '89 Ford Escort, on KY 70 East, traveling at a high rate of speed. Deputy Smith followed the the car into the city limits of Liberty, with radar tracking 60 mph in a 45 mph zone. He also noted the car cross the white line and the center line several times on HWY 127.

Upon stopping the vehicle, the driver appeared to be impaired.

40 year old Kenny Lee Sims, of 250 Kyles Lane, Nancy, failed field sobriety tests. He told the Deputy he'd used Marijuana.

A search of the vehicle located Marijuana, two pills, and a baggie of crystal Methamphetamine.

Sims was lodged in the Casey County Jail on charges of Speeding 15mph over the limit, Careless Driving, DUI, & Possession of Methamphetamine-1st Degree.

Notification from the State Transportation Cabinet.

Starting Wednesday, Oct. 19th, Casey Creek Road will be closed at the 2.9 mile marker.

This location will be closed until further notice.

A local man was awarded the Key to the City at a recent meeting of the Somerset City Council.

Jeff Henderson has the story...
 

Liberty city council met in regular session Monday.

A guest at the meeting, Chuck Combs, asked for an update on repairs to the Napier Street Bridge. The bridge has been reduced to one lane due to disrepair for over a year...

On the agenda was the issue of trick-or-treat hours in the City Of Liberty. The council set the hours for Saturday, October 29 from 5 'til 7 PM to coincide with Trail Town activities at Liberty Island.

Mayor Brown signed a proclamation recognizing the week of October 17-23 as Retired Teachers week to honor retired teachers.

Councilman Richard Montgomery informed the council that a city employee would be leaving their job to go work at the jail. Montgomery stated as long as the city didn’t have to replace that employee, that he intended to make a motion at the next meeting for a pay increase of 5% for all city employees to match the recent increase given to the police department...

The next meeting of the Liberty City Council is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 14th.

Two people arrested on drug charges during an early morning traffic stop.

Around 12:30am Sunday morning, Casey County Deputy Brandon Smith observed a 2010 Chevy Malibu fail to stop at the intersection of Sugars Hill & HWY 127. He also noted that the vehicle's license plate was not illuminated.

Upon contact with the driver, 33 year old Jenna N. Whited, of 183 Ridgecrest Dr., Liberty, the Deputy noticed she had slurred speech and appeared disoriented.

After failing field sobriety tests, Crosier was transported to the Casey County Jail on charges of DUI, Disregarding a stop sign, & Rear License Not Illuminated.

Arrested at the same time was Bryan C. Roberts, age 42 of 110 Fair St., Liberty.

Deputy Smith asked Mr. Roberts to empty his pockets onto the trunk of the car, and attempted to put something back into his pocket. Roberts was found to be in possession of a glass pipe with Meth residue inside, two baggies of Methamphetamine, and other paraphernalia consistent with Meth use.
 

Roberts was also taken to the Casey County Jail on charges of Possession of Methamphetamine-1st Degree, & Drug Paraphernalia.

A Casey County woman is facing new drug charges after police find drugs while serving a warrant for drug offenses.

In the early morning hours Monday, Deputy Brandon Smith, with Casey County Sheriff's Office, went to the residence of 47 year old Tammie G. Crosier, at 47 Westwood Dr., about seven miles North of Liberty, to serve a warrant for failure to appear on drug related charges. Ms. Crosier was placed under arrest for that warrant, and gave consent to search the residence.

Deputy Smith located a pink container with a glass pipe & needle inside. The pipe had white residue inside. Also located in the home search was a small baggie of Methamphetamine.

Crosier was transported to the Casey County Jail on charges of Possession of Meth & Drug Paraphernalia.

McBride & The Ride will play at the Downtown Days Festival in Columbia, Ky on Saturday, Oct. 8th!

We spoke with Terry McBride by phone Friday morning.