News from April 13, 2006 issue


Woman robbed at knife point
A woman was robbed Sunday night at knife point while making an after hours deposit at the Fredonia Valley Bank depository. This marked the fourth major violent crime in the area within the past few months.

Terry Reed, an employee at the Fredonia Food and More store, was making a routine deposit at the Fredonia Valley Bank for the super market at about 10:40 p.m. After making a deposit with the store's money, she heard footsteps behind her, according to Darci Metcalf, Fredonia Food and More manager. When she turned around, a young male put a knife to her throat and demanded money, said the store manager.
Reed had already deposited the convenience store's money, but told the robber that she had her own personal cash in her purse from a recently cashed income tax check. The robber took all of it, but police would not disclose how much cash was stolen.

"She is lucky to have her life," added Metcalf.

Chris Noel, a detective for the Caldwell County Sheriff's Department, confirmed the robbery, but would not disclose any other details, fearing it might jeopardize the investigation.

The robber is believed to have been a young white male in his middle to late 20s.
No identification has been made of the assailant, but police have been looking for a vehicle which might have been used in the commission of the crime.

There has been one murder, two shootings and another burglary in the Fredonia area this spring and late winter.

Caldwell County officials have been so concerned by the rise in criminal activity that the fiscal court approved the hiring of a deputy to specifically cover Fredonia and the nearby area. Deputy Boyd Bates was hired two weeks ago to serve as the area's patrolman.

There is no apparent connection between the crimes and a few arrests have been made.

There have been no arrests yet in Reed's case.

County gets $1.96 million in projects
Kentucky Rep. Mike Cherry (D-Princeton) said Tuesday afternoon that all of Crittenden County's projects appear to have received the green light in the state's two-year spending plan.

The Senate approved the $18 billion state budget Monday and the House okayed it Tuesday. It now goes to the governor for his signature. He has line item veto authority. It is the first time in four years that the General Assembly has approved the state budget on time.

The Press reported last month a list of items approved in the House version of the budget. Although some of those were taken out in the Senate plan, a conference committee put all of the local projects back into the budget this week.

Some of the money was shifted from one project to another. For instance the county's proposed Emergency Services Center is now getting $375,000, it was originally set to receive about half that amount. The local jail construction project was originally ear-marked for $425,000, but now is getting $225,000.

Here is a listing of projects and funds for Crittenden County:

LOCAL state budget items
Community Projects
Critt.-Liv. Water District - $800,000
City of Marion sewer - $400,000
New county jail - $225,000
Emergency services center - $375,000
Ongoing jail operations - $40,000
Mineral museum - $20,000
Senior center - $65,000
Animal shelter - $40,000
Total - $1,965,000

Highway Projects
U.S. 641 to Fredonia- $23.75 million
Ferry operation- $655,000

Cherry said the Six-Year Highways Plan now includes $5 million for the U.S. 641 project's phase two from Fredonia to Eddyville, something that was not in the earlier highways plan.

In Livingston County, Cherry said the courthouse renovation project is getting $970,000 for furnishings.

The Livingston highways projects include $15 million for the Ledbetter bridge, which is only a fraction of the overall cost. Federal funds also being used.

There is an additional $6.8 million for bridge approaches to the Ledbetter bridge, $500,000 for work on a small section of I-24 and $2.1 million for straightening U.S. 60 at Dyer Hill curve.

Cherry was pleased with his district's portion of the budget and also said the state spending plan is one of the best he's ever seen for education.