A little over a day after Governor Steve Beshear signed the synthetic drug legislation into law, Hopkinsville Police used it to seize thousands of dollars worth of the products and cash from a local convenience store.

An undercover officer went to the Scott’s Market on E. 9^th St. Thursday and purchased a synthetic drug product, which is illegal to sell under the new law. That transaction gave HPD authority to request and gain a search warrant for the business, where they found a large quantity of products.

Police also searched the business owner’s home and found several boxes of synthetic drugs, which are marketed as bath salts and other common substances, though they are used as a narcotic.

In all, 8 thousand dollars worth of the products were seized and $1,615 cash was taken from a cash register only used for synthetic drug transactions. No arrests were made, though the owner’s name is redacted on the report as a suspect who could be arrested or cited for a crime.

Police say the 16-hundred dollars was just the cash made at the store in one day from synthetic drugs. Officials say the store pays about $4.50 wholesale for the product and charged customers $20.

Christian County Attorney Mike Foster, Assistant County Attorney Lindsey Adams and State Representative John Tilley held a press conference about the law and the raid Friday afternoon, where Foster said a Hopkinsville child is currently in the hospital after severe psychological damage sustained from synthetic drugs just this Tuesday.

Adams said the first place police went to Wednesday night was sold out, but the products weren’t hard to find elsewhere.

The law not only makes it a crime for businesses to sell the products, it also gives law enforcement authority to remove a store’s authority to sell alcohol once they are caught multiple times. Representative Tilley was one of the primary innovators of the legislation and said Governor Beshear signed it with little fanfare Wednesday in Frankfort.

                                                            **

04/13/2012/am

A single-vehicle wreck on I-24 in Christian County this morning sent a woman and four children to the hospital.

The incident happened around 6:30 near the 82 mile-maker, according to State Police, who say 25-year old Candice Aldridge of Hopkinsville was eastbound when she lost control of her vehicle and ran off the road and into a ditch.

Her vehicle then hit a light pole, before going back across the road and into the median. Ms. Aldridge and her four passengers—4-year old Eric George, 4-year old Victor George, 4-year old Valorie George and 2-year old Ethan Aldridge—were all taken to Gateway Medical Center in Clarksville for treatment of their injuries.

                                                            **

04/13/2012/am

A wreck in Calloway County this afternoon injured a Murray man.

A news release from state police says 20-year old Brianna Skaggs of Murray was northbound on Locust Grove Road in Calloway County when she crossed Kentucky Highway 121 to travel on Applewood Road and drove into the path of a vehicle driven by 58-year old Richard Edwards of Murray.

Edwards steered to the right to avoid a collision, but struck Ms. Skaggs’ vehicle in the side. Edwards was taken to Murray-Calloway County Hospital for treatment of his injuries, while Ms. Skaggs went uninjured.

                                                **

04/13/2012/am

After being pushed back several times, the new Todd County Justice Center will open sometime this summer, meaning a significantly greater security presence will be required in a much larger building.

Todd County Sheriff Joey Johnson addressed the matter at this morning’s Todd Fiscal Court meeting, saying part-time bailiffs will soon need to be hired—which is a long tedious process including lie detector tests and criminal background checks.

Sheriff Johnson says up to seven deputies will eventually be needed in the justice center, though the county could choose to go with a mixture of bailiffs and security guards. Security guards do not have the authority to arrest and would have to wait for a bailiff or sheriff’s deputy to arrive if there were to be an emergency, while Bailiffs have the same authority as a deputy.

Todd County Attorney Mac Johns says there are good points to be made on both sides of whether to hire bailiffs or security guards, but the ultimate goal is for the center to be as safe as possible.

The court took no action, but was receptive to making a budget transfer in the near future to pay for the training for three bailiffs before the county establishes a new and separate fund for all things relating to the new justice center on West Main Street.

In other action, Todd County Treasurer Tammy Robertson and Judge-Executive Darryl Greenfield agreed the county is in good shape financially at this point in the year, with most items at or near where the budget said they would be.

                                                **

04/13/2012/am

Governor Beshear has wasted no time in calling lawmakers back to Frankfort next week for a special legislative session to pass a transportation budget and a prescription abuse bill. 
 
Lawmakers adjourned this year's legislative session late Thursday night without completing work on those two pieces of legislation. On Friday, Beshear called lawmakers back for a special session to begin Monday. 
 
Beshear blamed Republican Senate President David Williams for thwarting passage of the bills. Williams pointed his finger back at Beshear, claiming he was playing politics. 
 
Kentucky's divided legislature has a history of ending annual legislative sessions without budget agreements. The state's last three budgets were adopted in special legislative sessions called after they'd failed to reach accords on spending plans.
 **

04/13/2012