TWO HOSPITALIZED AFTER BYPASS WRECK

            A WRECK AT THE BYPASS-PENNYRILE PARKWAY INTERCHANGE THURSDAY EVENING INJURED THE DRIVERS OF TWO VEHICLES.

            THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AROUND 5:20, ACCORDING TO THE REPORT FROM CITY POLICE, WHICH SAYS 34-YEAR OLD JEREMY LAWSON OF FORT CAMPBELL WAS ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN ONTO THE BYPASS OFF THE PARKWAY EXIT RAMP.

            LAWSON TOLD OFFICERS HE DIDN’T SEE AN ONCOMING VEHICLE DRIVEN BY 48-YEAR OLD TYRONE WEBBER OF HOPKINSVILLE AND PULLED INTO HIS PATH. WEBBER ATTEMPTED TO STOP—AS EVIDENCED BY SEVERAL YARDS OF SKID MARKS ON THE ROADWAY—BUT COULDN’T AVOID A COLLISSION.

            BOTH DRIVERS WERE TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO JENNIE STUART MEDICAL CENTER. LAWSON WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, WHILE WEBBER WAS REPORTEDLY NOT BUCKLED IN.

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11/18/2011/AM

FORMER FORT CAMPBELL SOLDIER PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO TERROR PLOTS

            THE FORMER FORT CAMPBELL SOLDIER ACCUSED OF PLOTTING TO KILL SOLDIERS FROM FT. HOOD, TEXAS PLED NOT GUILTY FEDERAL COURT IN WACO THURSDAY ON CHARGES THAT COULD PUT HIM IN PRISON FOR LIFE.

NASER JASON ABDO HAD BEEN INDICTED ON A HALF-DOZEN COUNTS ACCUSING HIM OF PLOTTING TO USE A HOME-MADE BOMB TO KILL SOLDIERS AT A RESTAURANT NEAR FT. HOOD, AND SHOOT SURVIVORS OF THE BOMBING. ABDO WAS ARRESTED AFTER GOING AWOL FROM FT. CAMPBELL, KENTUCKY. HE'S SCHEDULED TO GO ON TRIAL JANUARY 23^RD IN TEXAS.

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11/18/2011/AM

HOPKINSVILLE POLICE OFFICER ARRESTED FOR DUI

            A HOPKINSVILLE POLICE OFFICER WAS ARRESTED TONIGHT FOR ALLEGEDLY DRIVING DRUNK.

            HOPKINSVILLE POLICE CHIEF GUY HOWIE WAS VERY FORTHCOMING WITH THE MATTER AFTER TONIGHT’S COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING, SAYING A CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTY PULLED OVER AND ARRESTED 35-YEAR OLD TIMOTHY LEYENAAR.

            “HOPKINSVILLE POLICE OFFICER TIMOTHY LEYENAAR WAS CAUGHT DUI, AGGRAVATED DUI,” CHIEF HOWIE SAID. “HE’S CURRENTLY BEEN SUSPENDED; I’VE REMOVED ALL OF HIS POLICE POWERS. I’LL BE HAVING AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATION INTO HIS ACTIVITIES. IF HE’S FOUND TO HAVE SERIOUSLY VIOLATED HOPKINSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT POLICY OR HAS VIOLATED K.R.S. THEN HE WILL BE FACING SEVERE DISCIPLINARY ACTION.”

            CHIEF HOWIE PRAISED THE ACTIONS OF THE DEPUTY, SAYING HE DID THE RIGHT THING.

            “I APPLAUD THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR DOING WHAT THEY DID. IT’S A DIFFICULT SITUATION WHEN YOU ARE PUT IN THAT SITUATION BUT THEY DID THE RIGHT THING AND I APPLAUD THE DEPUTY’S ACTIONS.”

            OFFICER LEYENNAR JOINED THE HOPKINSVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN 2004.

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MUNICIPAL BUILDING PROJECT TO COME IN MORE EXPENSIVE THAN FIRST THOUGHT

Mayor Dan Kemp looks through some papers during Thursday's meeting/photo by Adam May

            THE HOPKINSVILLE CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WENT FORTH WITH THE DOWNTOWN MUNICPAL BUILDING PROJECT TONIGHT, BUT NOT WITHOUT SOME SPIRITED DEBATE.

            PROJECT MANAGER RICHARD MITCHELL, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR STEVE BOURNE AND FINANCIAL DIRECTOR ROBERT MARTIN GAVE REPORTS ON THEIR CAPACITIES IN THE MATTER.

            BOURNE WAS GIVEN THE UNENVIABLE TASK OF TELLING COUNCIL THE PROJECT WILL LIKELY COST AT LEAST 1 MILLION DOLLARS MORE THAN HAD BEEN PROPOSED.

            THE NEW FIGURES SHOW THE TOTAL COST OF REPLACING THE OLD DOWNTOWN PLANTERS BANK BUILDING WITH CITY HALL INCLUDING A BASEMENT PLUS TEARING DOWN THE METCALFE PROPERTY ACROSS THE STREET IN ADDITION TO RENNOVATING THE LACKEY BUILDING INTO A POLICE STATION WOULD NOW COME IN AT JUST OVER 10 MILLION DOLLARS.

            WITHOUT THE BASEMENT AND METCALFE PARKING PROJECT—IT WOULD BE JUST OVER 9.2 MILLION DOLLARS.

            THE COMMITTEE DEBATED WHETHER THEY HAD LOST FOCUS OF THEIR ORIGINAL INTENTION OF HAVING A NEW POLICE STATION, BUT ULTIMATELY VOTED 8 TO 3 IN FAVOR OF SENDING A BONDING ORDINANCE THE FIRST SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE PROJECT TO CITY COUNCIL.

            COUNCIL MEMBERS ANN CHERRY, CHARLIE HENDERSON AND PAUL HENSON VOTED “NO.” KIMBERLY MCCARLEY WAS ABSENT.

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11/17/2011/AM

CHRISTIAN CO. ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL TO MOVE LOCATION

            IT WAS BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR THE CHRISTIAN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION TONIGHT.

            THE SCHOOL BOARD UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED TO RELOCATE THE DISTRICT’S ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL PROGRAMS INTO THE OLD CHRISTIAN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL.

            DIRECTOR OF PUPIL PERSONNEL, KATHY HANCOCK SPOKE ABOUT WHAT PROGRAMS WILL BE RELOCATED FROM THE STADIUM OF CHAMPIONS TO THE OLD CHRISTIAN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL.

            IN OTHER BUSINESS, THE ARCHITECT FOR THE NEW CHRISTIAN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL, KEITH SHARP, SAYS FINISHING TOUCHES ARE BEING MADE TO THE NEW SCHOOL.

            ACCORDING TO SHARP, CONSTRUCTION FOR THE NEW CHRISTIAN COUNTY MIDDLE SCHOOL WILL BE COMPLETED BY JANUARY 1^ST.

            THE SCHOOL BOARD APPOINTED BOARD CHAIRMAN BARRY CORNELIUS TO SERVE ON A COMMITTEE AND THEN WENT INTO CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS PENDING LITIGATION.

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(11/18/2011/MF)