A TRAFFIC STOP IN MADISONVILLE EARLY THIS MORNING LED TO METH CHARGES FOR A YOUNG HOPKINS COUNTY MAN.

            STATE POLICE SAY 28-YEAR OLD JEREMIAH CHAPMAN OF MADISONVILLE WAS PULLED OVER JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT ON SOUTH MAIN STREET BY TROOPER JOHN MCGEHEE.

            TROOPERS DETERMINED CHAPMAN TO BE INTOXICATED AND PLACED HIM UNDER ARREST FOR DUI. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, POLICE ALLEGEDLY FOUND A GUN, METHAMPHETAMINE AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH SELLING IN CHAPMAN’S VEHICLE.

            CHAPMAN WAS LODGED IN THE HOPKINS COUNTY JAIL ON SEVERAL TRAFFIC CHARGES IN ADDITION TO TRAFFICKING IN METHAPMETAMINE AND CARRYING A CONCEALED DEADLY WEAPON.

            THE HOPKINSVILLE-CHRISTIAN COUNTY TOURISM COMISSION BOARD HEARD A POSITIVE REPORT REGARDING THE HOTEL BUSINESS MONDAY NIGHT.

            BOARD MEMBER AND FISCAL COURT MAGISTRATE JIM FLEMMING SAYS THE HEMLOCK SEMI-CONDUCTOR PLANT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT JUST SOUTH OF THE STATE LINE HAS PRODUCED A GREAT NEED FOR SHORT-TERM HOUSING—A NEED TOO GREAT FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY ALONE.

            SQUIRE FLEMMING SAYS HE’S HOPEFUL FOR MORE OF THE SAME IN THE FUTURE AND SAYS MANY OF THOSE CONTRACTORS ONLY WANT TO RENT A PLACE TO STAY AS THEIR LOCAL WORK IS TEMPORARY AND BUYING A HOME ISN’T PRACTICAL.

                                                **

BURKE

            A FORT CAMPBELL INVESTIGATING OFFICER HAS ONCE AGAIN RECOMMENDED THAT MURDER CHARGES AGAINST FORMER FORT CAMPBELL SOLDIER BRENT BURKE GO TO A GENERAL COURT MARTIAL.

            AN ARTICLE 32 HEARING IS SIMILAR TO A GRAND JURY SESSION AND REQUIRES A THOROUGH AND IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION OF CHARGES AND SPECIFICATIONS BEFORE THEY CAN BE REFERRED TO A GENERAL-COURT-MARTIAL FOR THE CRIMES WHICH ALLEGEDLY COMMITTED.

            THE MOST RECENT HEARING WAS HELD OCTOBER 14^TH ON POST AND GAVE AN OFFICER THE AUTHORITY TO LOOK OVER THE DOUBLE-HOMICIDE CASE AGAIN AND TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE COMMANDING GENERAL.

            A COURT MARTIAL IS SIMILAR TO A TRIAL IN THE CIVILIAN WORLD, BUT DIFFERS IN THAT A UNANIMOUS VERDICT IS NOT REQUIRED.

            BURKE IS ACCUSED OF SHOOTING HIS ESTRANGED WIFE AND FORMER MOTHER-IN-LAW TRACY BURKE AND KAREN COMER IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007 IN HARDIN COUNTY. FOUR CIVILIAN TRIALS RESULTED IN MISTRIALS AND HUNG JURIES.

                                                **

Lacy principal Chris Bentzel

            AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN CHRISTIAN COUNTY RECENTLY RECEIVED A STATEWIDE HONOR BASED ON SEVERAL CRITERIA.

            THE KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SAYS LACY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TOOK HONORABLE MENTION AT THE 17^TH ANNUAL SAFE SCHOOLS, SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS CONFERENCE IN LOUISVILLE. ALSO AMONG THE 49 HONORABLE MENTION SCHOOLS ARE MUHLENBERG SOUTH ELEMENTARY, AND CALDWELL COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

            BENTON MIDDLE SCHOOL IN MASHALL COUNTY AND ADAIRVILLE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN LOGAN COUNTY ACTUALLY MADE THE TOP TEN ELITE LIST.

            THE SCHOOLS WERE SELECTED IN A FOUR PHASE PROCESS—TAKING INTO ACCOUNT A FACULTY SURVEY, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND SCHOOL SAFETY.

            MORE THAN ANYTHING, THE HONOR IS MEANT TO INDICATE THE SCHOOLS HAVE A POSITIVE AND SAFE WORKING ENVIORNMENT.

                                                **

Gov. Steve Beshear

            WITH THE NARROW SUPPORT OF CHRISTIAN COUNTY, GOVERNOR STEVE BESHEAR WON A SECOND TERM AS GOVERNOR OF KENTUCKY IN TUESDAY'S ELECTION.

            GOVERNOR BESHEAR WON BY A MARGIN OF 20 PERCENT ACROSS KENTUCKY, THOUGH HE ONLY TOOK CHRISTIAN COUNTY BY A MARGIN OF 132 VOTES. REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR DAVID WILLIAMS WON TODD COUNTY BY 27 VOTES AND TRIGG BY 78 VOTES.

            INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE GATEWOOD GALBRAITH GARNERED ABOUT NINE PERCENT OF VOTES STATEWIDE AND BETWEEN FOUR AND FIVE PERCENT IN CHRISTIAN, TODD AND TRIGG COUNTIES.

            CHRISTIAN COUNTY CLERK MIKE KEM WAS RIGHT ON COURSE FOR HIS TURNOUT PREDICTIONS, AS 17.8 PERCENT OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS SHOWED UP AT THEIR POLLING PLACE. TURNOUT IN TODD COUNTY WAS JUST OVER 22 PERCENT AND IT WAS 29.6 PERCENT IN TRIGG COUNTY.

            IN A RACE THAT WASN’T ALL THAT CLOSE STATEWIDE, ATTORNEY GENERAL JACK CONWAY WON A SECOND TERM IN THAT OFFICE.

            ATTORNEY GENERAL CONWAY WON BY ABOUT A NINE PERCENT MARGIN, BUT LOST CHRISTIAN COUNTY BY 536 VOTES TO REPUBLICAN HOPKINS COUNTY COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEY TODD P’POOL AND LOST TRIGG BY 266 BALLOTS.

            CONWAY TOOK TODD COUNTY BY ONLY FIVE VOTES.

            P’POOL ALSO WON HIS HOME COUNTY OF HOPKINS BY A LARGE MARGIN.

            IN A RACE WITH LOCAL TIES, TODD COUNTY’S BILL JOHNSON FELL IN THE SECRETERY OF STATE RACE TO DEMOCRAT ALLISON LUNDERGAN-GRIMES.

            JOHNSON DID WIN CHRISTIAN COUNTY BY 653 VOTES, TODD BY 304 VOTES AND TRIGG BY 132—BUT LOST THE STATEWIDE RACE BY ABOUT A 21-PERCENT MARGIN.

            JOHNSON THANKED HIS SUPPORTERS FOR BEING WITH HIM DURING A SUCCESSFUL PRIMARY AND UNSUCCESSFUL GENERAL ELECTION, WHILE MS. LUNDERGAN-GRIMES SAID SHE WILL WORK TO REPRESENT ALL CITIZENS OF KENTUCKY.

            LUNDERGAN-GRIMES WILL BECOME THE THIRD SECRETERY OF STATE THIS CALENDAR YEAR AFTER TREY GRAYSON RESIGNED AND ELAINE WALKER LOST THE MAY PRIMARY.

            IN OTHER STATEWIDE RACES, THERE WERE NO REAL SURPRISES.

            REPUBLICAN COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE CANDIDATE JAMES COMER WON CHRISTIAN, TODD AND TRIGG COUNTIES BY 21, 9 AND 19 PERCENTAGE POINTS, RESPECTIVELY. HE WON THE STATEWIDE ELECTION BY ABOUT 27 PERCENTAGE POINTS OVER DEMOCRAT BOB FARMER.

            REPUBLICAN STATE AUDITOR CANDIDATE JOHN KEMPER WON ALL THREE SOUTHERN PENNYRILE COUNTIES BY ABOUT 14 PERCENT, BUT LOST TO DEMOCRAT ADAM EDELEN STATEWIDE BY AROUND 11 PERCENT.

            DEMOCRAT TODD HOLLENBACH DIDN’T NEED CHRISTIAN OR TRIGG’S SUPPORT TO KNOCK OFF REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER K.C. CROSBIE IN A RACE THAT REPRESENTED ONE OF THE CLOSEST STATEWIDE. HOLLENBACH WON BY ABOUT THREE PERCENT, WHILE LIBERTERIAN CANDIDATE KENNETH MOELLMAN CAME IN WITH ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT.

            NO MAJOR PROBLEMS WERE NOTED WITH VOTING IN CHRISTIAN COUNTY, WITH ONLY ONE MACHINE MALFUNCTIONING, WHICH WAS QUICKLY REPLACED.

                                                **