The Christian County Attorney’s Office remains number one in the nation in collecting child support payments.
County Attorney Mike Foster says the message is clear, a person who refuses to pay child support will likely be arrested and charged with flagrant non-support.
Two years ago, his office was approached by the state child support office to take over child support collections and in doing so, Foster says his office underwent a major transition in order to handle the large case loads.
Foster says his office has proven that child support collections are more effective if its handled by a prosecutor and that he is proud to know that through the efforts of his staff, custodial parents are getting money to properly raise their children.
For more information about child support collections, contact the Christian County Attorney’s Office at 270-887-4114.
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The artworks of several students including a Christian County High School student are being featured at the state capitol after their creations were chosen as part of the annual Congressional Arts competition.
Union County High School Junior Sarah Bickett won first place for her work entitled Kickin It in Kentucky, Christian County High School Sophmore, Justin T. Cunningham received 2^nd place for his entry entitled Mean Marine and Union County student, Elijah Ervin was awarded 3^rd place for his entry entitled My Old Kentucky Home.
The Congressional Arts Competition is sponsored annually by Members of Congress to showcase the talent of students across the Commonwealth.
The art works are hanging in a walkway connecting the House office buildings with the U.S. Capitol and Capitol Visitors Center.
Congressman Ed Whitfield says he passes the works of art on his way to the Capitol, and is impressed with the outstanding work these students created.
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Attorney General Jack Conway recently announced that Kentucky is among several other states to receive compensation as part of a settlement totaling $1.6 billion with Abbott Laboratories to settle civil and criminal allegations that the drug company illegally marketed the drug Depakote.
Kentucky is expected to receive a total of $4.6 million to settle the civil allegations against Abbott Laboratories, which includes over $2.9 million in restitution and other recovery under the Medicaid settlement and over $1.6 to settle violations to Kentucky’s Consumer Protection Act.
Attorney General Conway says from January 1998 through December 31, 2008, Abbott promoted the sale and use of Depakote for uses that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration as safe and effective.
The $1.6 billion Medicaid settlement is reportedly the second largest recovery from a pharmaceutical company.

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A Hopkinsville woman is accused of leaving her grand-child home alone in a residence that had no running water.
Hopkinsville Police charged 55-year old Becky J. Alder yesterday afternoon with one count of 3^rd degree criminal abuse of a child under the age of 12 years old.
Police say officers were dispatched to an East 23^rd Street residence in regards to a child being left alone in a vacant home.
When officers arrived on the scene, they found the child in the residence covered in fleas and described the vacant home as dirty.
The child reportedly told officers that she was told to stay at the residence for several hours a day until someone picked her up and had no way of contacting someone in case of an emergency.
Child services was contacted and the child was released into the custody of her father.
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Hall                                             Rollings

The man accused of killing the mother of his child on East 17^th Street yesterday afternoon apparently took his own life shortly after.

As previously reported, 24-year old Autumn Rollings of Hopkinsville was found dead around 5pm yesterday at 208 East 18^th Street, Apartment #2 of multiple stab wounds. About three and a half hours later, police said they were looking for 28-year old T’Marcus Hall of Hopkinsville as a suspect.

Detective Tony Sierra said police had reason to believe Hall was suicidal last night and that there were Facebook postings by Hall that he may take his own life at a rock quarry.

Officers were checking the area of quarries and an officer noticed a damaged gate at Rogers Group near the 1000 block of North Main Street.

Officials from the Area 2 Dive Team and Christian County Rescue Squad were able to determine a vehicle was below the water and crews worked through the overnight and early morning hours to finally pull the 2006 Dodge Charger to the surface around 6:45.

Christian County Coroner Dorris Lamb was on the scene and identified the person inside the vechicle as Hall.

Hopkinsville Police Public Information Officer Paul Ray says they have no other suspects in the murder case.

It wasn’t the first time the relationship between Hall and Ms. Rollings had turned violent, as Hall had been arrested at least once for 2^nd degree assault against the victim.

The child the couple shared was home yesterday, but police say a neighbor had removed the child before any violence occurred.

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05/07/2012/am