Local News fom April 8, 2010 issue

The Crittenden Press Full Version (PDF)

Intruder enterst teacher's home
For the second time in two weeks, a Crittenden County home has been invaded during the middle of the night by an intruder. The incidents are not related, but police say they’re hauntingly similar.
Crittenden County school teacher Howard Suggs, his wife Willa, and their nine children were sleeping soundly at around 4:30 a.m., Easter Sunday morning when a man entered their home through an unlocked garage door.
Suggs said the man told him that he needed help and wanted to use the phone. Suggs asked him to wait outside on the porch and the man left his house.
“He was in their bedroom,” said Crittenden County Deputy Greg Rushing, who lives just two doors down from the Suggs.
Suggs got out of bed, slipped on some shorts, still not knowing who the man was or what he wanted. He looked inside and out but couldn’t find the intruder so he phoned 911. Rushing was called and responded immediately. He searched the Suggs home and the immediate area, but could not locate the suspect.
State Trooper Matt Foster arrived on the scene within a short time and joined the investigation. Suggs described the man and said he was wearing a dark hooded sweatshirt.
Based on evidence at the Suggs home and other information, the trooper and deputy went to a nearby residence and found Gary Justin Tabor, 25, of Cedar Grove Road in Burna. Tabor was asleep on a friend’s couch about a mile from the Suggs home. Rushing said that Tabor once lived in the Suggs home before that family moved in.
Rushing said Tabor had just gotten out of prison last Thursday on what he described as a previous felony conviction for burglary.
Tabor was questioned, but not arrested at that time.
Rushing and Foster went back to the Suggs home and gathered more evidence after sunup. They found items at the scene and took footprint evidence.
Shortly thereafter, they went back to question Tabor again. Rushing said Tabor admitted that a pack of menthol cigarettes found at the Suggs home belonged to him.
Police reports also say that Tabor was lying on a dark colored, hooded sweatshirt matching the description given by the homeowner.
Tabor was arrested and charged with third-degree burglary and failure to have prescription medicine in its proper container. Officers found what was believed to be a Valium in the cigarette pack.
Tabor did not admit to being inside the Suggs home. He did tell investigators that he had been drinking beer earlier.
They discovered several items allegedly taken from Suggs’ garage, including cassette tapes, a small First Aid kit and tire pump wrapped in a blanket in the grass near the home.
Tabor was lodged in the Crittenden County Detention Center.


Smithland Dam work begins
The first of what will be hundreds of contractors, laborers and engineers have already started to converge upon the tiny river town of Smithland in Livingston County.
The boat ramp at the Smithland Dam is temporarily off limits and the access road leading into the dam will eventually be closed and rebuilt. This and other activity around the Ohio River is prelude to a four-year, $432 million hydroelectric project to fit the dam with power generation mechanisms that will create nearly 400 temporary jobs and seven to nine permanent ones.
American Municipal Power, Inc. (AMP) has hired general contractor C.J. Mahan Construction Company, of Grove City, Ohio, for the design and construction of a cofferdam for AMP’s Smithland Hydroelectric project. The action paves the way for construction to start on the second of five run-of-the-river hydroelectric projects AMP currently has under development. The first project was at Cannelton Locks and Dam near Hawesville, Ky.
“The economic impact is going to be significant,” said Livingston County Judge-Executive Chris Lasher.
The county judge says site preparation is going on right now. A local company, Smith Contracting, is doing much of the early work at the dam, which is just east of Smithland.
“There are a dozen or two dozen workers there now, but that will build to about 100 to 240 workers during the first phase of construction, which will last about 18 months,” Lasher said. “Then, the second phase will take about three years and there will be 300 or 350 workers, according to the latest information I’ve seen.”
Lasher says that so far there have been no new businesses to pop up in Smithland to cater to the anticipated inflow of daily workers, but he says there has already been an impact. There are things quietly going on, he explained, such as a demand for rental property.
Lasher said the access road to the dam will be closed to traffic during most of the construction period. Once all of the work is complete, he said there will be places at the dam for recreation.
“There will be some new bank fishing opportunities, handicapped fishing areas and a new picnic facility. It will be sort of like Barkley and Kentucky dam areas.”

Montalta is Master Conservationist
Raymond Montalta Jr., a Crittenden County resident and farm owner, was honored as the 2009 Master Conservationist at the annual Crittenden County Conservation District banquet March 18 at the Marion Ed-Tech Center
The Master Conservationist Award goes to a conscientious farmer who is careful to maintain adequate vegetative cover on his farm to prevent erosion. Montalta’s farm’s hayland and pasture are highly productive due to proper rotational grazing and nutrient management. He also utilizes crop rotation and nutrient management on several acres of row crops. He has installed many practices which are a reflection of his conservation management. Those practices include filter strips, pasture planting using both native and introduced grasses, and fencing livestock out of forestland.
The conservation district also honored the winners of the annual conservation art and writing contests. Ashley Shubin, daughter of Diana Bradford, is the county art contest winner. Adeana Burris, daughter of Robert Burris and Vicki Burris, is the county writing contest winner.
Connie Gray with the Kentucky Division of Conservation was recognized for her 19 years of assistance to the district as field representative. Darl Henley was presented an honor award for assisting the district with educational activities.
Phillip English was honored for wildlife habitat improvement on his farm. He has installed food plots, wildlife-friendly grasses, tree plantings, shallow water areas, nesting boxes and continues to manage wildlife habitat.
Other awards presented during the ceremonies went to Corey Bruns, FFA Land Judging Award; Heather McKinney, NACD Poster Contest state winner; and Rob Ison, Soil and Water Stewardship Award.
The evening’s program included a slide presentation highlighting the district’s programs and activities during the past year. Members of the Crittenden FFA assisting with the presentation were Kari Buntin, Jake Woods, Alyssa Qualls, Daniel Patton, Courtney Todd, Corey Bruns, Angelic Singleton and Stacia Snow.
Conservation District Supervisors are Beverly Herrin, chairman; Carol Hendrix, vice-chairman; Margaret Parish, secretary/treasurer; Adam Barnes; Larry Duvall; Helen Hunt; and Brigham Kirk.
Frankie Vailes is the district’s administrative secretary. Neil Decker serves as a conservation technician assisting landusers with conservation practices. Debbie Hinton-Seltsam, Kentucky Division of Conservation, serves as field representative.
The banquet was sponsored by Akridge Farm Supply of Fredonia, Crittenden County Farm Bureau, Farmers Bank & Trust Co., The Peoples Bank, West Kentucky Livestock Market, LLC, and it was catered by Conrad’s Food Store.