Divers went to the bottom of Kentucky Lake early this morning to investigate how stable the  piers holding up the remaineder of the Eggner’s Ferry Bridge are.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Keith Todd says the divers will issue a formal report to the state as early as Friday regarding the stability of the two piers that supported the 322 foot collapsed section of the bridge and another pier just east of those two.

Todd says if the report comes back that one of the piers is unstable, that is bad news for the prospects of repairing the current bridge while a new one is built.

Sight-seers have also become less of a problem due to a larger police presence, according to Todd, who also says the Coast Guard is making preparations for removing the collapsed section off of the cargo vessel that remains parked where it has been since Thursday night.

Todd says a crane arrived Sunday and it will be used for the removal process in some capacity.

If repair of the old bridge isn’t possible, then the use of a ferry remains possible until expedited construction on a new bridge can be completed—though that would still take years to finish.

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01/31/2012/am

A prominent southern Pennyrile Republican has thrown his hat into a state senate race.

Filing his papers for the first district seat yesterday was Trigg County Judge-Executive Stan Humphries, who will face Mayfield Democrat and former congressman Carrol Hubbard.

Neither candidate has any opposition in the May primary and the deadline to file is this afternoon at 4.

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01/31/2012/am

A 17-year old Hopkinsville juvenile was arrested late last night on wanton endangerment charges.

The local student is charged with two counts of wanton endangerment after he allegedly approached a vehicle at 818 E. 13^th Street and demanded the driver move.

When the driver told him he’d do so shortly, the 17-year old allegedly picked up a rock and threw it through the passenger side window. He then allegedly opened the vehicle’s passenger side door and attempted to pull the driver out of the moving vehicle.

The driver, identified as 26-year old William Steel of Hopkinsville, had to slow down at the intersection with Walnut Street and that’s when the juvenile threw two more large rocks through the back window sending glass into the back seat.

Three children, ages 5, 4 and 1, were in the back seat and could have seriously been injured in the incident had the glass gotten on them.

Steel was ultimately able to get away with no injury to him or the children and the juvenile was taken into custody just before 11pm.

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01/31/2012/am

Brown

At least one of the four men accused being part of an armed robbery at AC Automotive yesterday afternoon is from Hopkinsville.

The only man arrested for the crime was 23-year old Joseph Marshall Brown of Hopkinsville, while the other three suspects remain at-large.

Brown reportedly admitted to driving the car that was stopped by Oak Grove Police on I-24 near the Tennessee state line around 5:15 last night. One of the four suspects allegedly shot at the officer, with the officer returning fire and no one hit or injured.

Police were able to immediately get Brown in custody, but the other three fled into a wood line, leading to a massive manhunt that included officers and K-9’s from multiple police agencies and a helicopter from Metro Nashville Police.

One of the victims from the East 9^th St. business, 35-year old Anthony Catlett of Hopkinsville, was able to positively identify Brown as the driver who helped the three men who came inside to get away with three cell phones, a cordless phone and cash.

The suspects also allegedly assaulted Catlett and 36-year old Garvin Henry during the armed robbery, reportedly pistol-whipping them.

The manhunt lasted late into the evening and spread into the Tiny Town area of Clarksville, with the other three men sought on several charges by Oak Grove and Hopkinsville Police.                   

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01/31/2012/am

Oak Grove Police say a toddler was attacked by a dog and died as a result of his injuries.

According to police, officers responded to 9-36 Linda Drive Sunday afternoon in reference to a six-year old boy that was attacked by a dog.
Upon arrival, officers witnessed the small child in the front yard and people administering first aid until the Oak Grove Fire Department arrived to take over medical care.

Police say the six-year old boy was air-lifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for treatment, but later succumbed to his injuries.

The dog that attacked the toddler was reportedly a German Shepard and was removed by Oak Grove animal control.
Police say an investigation remains underway concerning the events that led up to the attack and no further information was provided.
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