News
Local and Area News HeadlinesBy: Tom Redmon
Mar 9th, 2010 more
WASHINGTON COUNTY MAGISTRATES MISSED OUT ON A CHANCE TO RAISE THEIR PAY MONDAY MORNING.....THEY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO KEEP THEIR YEARLY COMPENSATION AT THE SAME LEVEL, DESPITE BEING INFORMED BY JUDGE EXECUTIVE JOHN SETTLES THAT ONLY FIVE COUNTIES IN THE STATE PAY THEIR MAGISTRATES LESS.....SETTLES ALSO SAID WASHINGTON COUNTY'S MAGISTRATES ARE PAID MUCH LESS THAN THOSE IN SURROUNDING COUNTIES.....GREG SIMMS MADE THE MOTION TO NOT RAISE THEIR PAY.....BY STATE LAW MAGISTRATES CAN ONLY ADJUST THEIR PAY BEFORE MAY 1ST DURING AN ELECTION YEAR, WHICH MEANS THE COURT CAN NOT VOTE ON THE PAY ISSUE AGAIN FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS....
THE NEW HAVEN FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO A HOUSE FIRE AT 468 HILLTOP AT AROUND 4 AM THIS (TUESDAY) MORNING.....THE RED CROSS WAS CONTACTED A HALF AN HOUR LATER AND ASKED TO COME TO THE SCENE....THERE WERE NO INJURIES....
A GARAGE IN NELSON COUNTY WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED BY FIRE MONDAY MORNING.....THE BARDSTOWN-NELSON COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS DISPATCHED TO THE SHANE ULERY PROPERTY ON ROBERT TAYLOR LANE JUST OFF THE BALLTOWN CONNECTOR AT ABOUT 11:45.....TWO CARS WERE DESTROYED AND A BOAT WAS DAMAGED....A LARGE QUANITY OF FURNITURE WAS ALSO LOST IN THE BLAZE....THE CAUSE HASN'T BEEN DETERMINED, BUT THE FIRE APPARENTLY STARTED NEAR A SMALL STORAGE TRAILER....FIRE UNITS WERE ON THE SCENE FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS....
WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF TOMMY BARTLEY ANNOUNCED MONDAY HE HAS HIRED A FORMER SPRINGFIELD POLICE OFFICER AS A NEW DEPUTY.....SUE MUDD HAS FIVE YEARS EXPERIENCE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT.....BARTLEY SAID MUDD WILL PRIMARLY BE WORKING DURING THE EVENINGS AND ON WEEKENDS.....THE HIRING OF MUDD GIVES THE DEPARTMENT FOUR FULL TIME PATROL OFFICERS....BARTLEY SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO HIRE AT LEAST ONE MORE DEPUTY AND POSSIBLY TWO IF THE BUDGET WOULD ALLOW IT.....THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN SHORTSTAFFED SINCE LAST FALL WHEN TWO FORMER DEPUTIES WERE FIRED FOR ALLEGEDLY BEING INVOLVED IN DRUG TRAFFICKING....
WASHINGTON COUNTY'S DEAD ANIMAL REMOVAL SERVICE CAME UNDER FIRE DURING MONDAY'S FISCAL COURT MEETING.....MAGISTRATE BENJAMINE SETTLES SAID HE HAS RECEIVED THREE COMPLAINTS AND JUDGE EXECUTIVE JOHN SETTLES SAYS HE HAS LOOKED INTO FOUR COMPALINTS FROM RESIDENTS THAT DARD, THE CONTRACTOR HAS NOT BEEN PICKING UP CARCASES IN A TIMELY MANNER.....DARD HAS HAD THE CONTRACT FOR ABOUT A YEAR....