News from June 5, 2008 issue

Local News
The Crittenden Press (PDF)
(Selected pages from Sections A & B)
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Lt. Col. Campbell takes command of 149th
Military service is a family tradition for Lt. Col. Scott A. Campbell and his family.
Campbell, a native of Crittenden County, recently took command of the Kentucky Army National Guard's 149th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, the largest organization in the Kentucky Guard.
Campbell's father was in the U.S. Army, his uncle was in the Army, his brother in the U.S. Navy and his son is in the U.S. Air Force attending the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif.
The brigade Campbell will now lead has recently changed from an armor brigade to a maneuver enhancement brigade because of the Army’s effort to restructure the force based on the capabilities needed to fight our nation’s wars. The maneuver enhancement brigade has a mix of engineer, military police, chemical and infantry units, Campbell said. It includes about 2,500 soldiers in 25 company or detachment sized units from as far west as Benton and as far southeast as Harlan.
"We nearly span the whole state. Needless to say I’ll be traveling quite a bit," Campbell added.
He grew up in the Frances community and joined the Marion unit of the Kentucky Army National Guard on May 11, 1981. The unit was then A Company, 1-123rd Armor Battalion.
"I took a break from college to attend training," Campbell recalled.
He served in the Marion unit from 1981 through 1988 as armor crewman, platoon leader and company executive officer.
Beginning in the local unit, his military life has run parallel to a successful civilian career. A traditional National Guard soldier, Campbell has held civilian jobs throughout most of his military career.
In 1985, he went to work at Kentucky State Penitentiary as a correctional officer. He made sergeant, lieutenant and classification and treatment officer senior before transferring to the Paducah office of probation and parole in 1991. He retired from state government in 2001.
In January 2004, after returning from a military deployment to Bosnia, Campbell went to work for Northrop Grumman Corp., at Fort Knox as a defense analyst.
"We are working on the Future Combat Systems program. I worked out of my home for the first year and in 2005 moved to the Elizabethtown area to be closer to the project. I still work for Northrop Grumman," he said.
Campbell was deployed to Iraq in 2006 and 2007.
He has deep roots in western Kentucky, but now calls the Louisville area his home. He graduated from Crittenden County High School in 1978 and earned a bachelor's degree from Murray State University in criminal justice in 1988.
“My ancestors first arrived in the Eddy Creek area of Lyon County and in Princeton in the early 1800s. The family has moved in and out of western Kentucky mostly for employment reasons ever since," he said. "Crittenden County has a great history of support to the military and our nation’s defense.
"I am one of a handful from Crittenden to achieve this rank but there are many unsung heroes. My accomplishments pale in comparison to what these true heroes have done, some of whom gave the ultimate sacrifice."
Campbell said that while he was a guardsman in Marion, 1st Sgt. Everett Morris and others encouraged him to attend officer training school, which he did. Campbell received his commission in 1984 and returned to Marion as platoon leader and later executive officer.
Campbell has established himself as a well-respected leader in the guard. He was company commander at Hopkinsville, battalion commander at Bowling Green and executive officer and deputy commander at Louisville before taking over the unit last month. He has numerous military decorations including a Bronze Star and a Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters.
Earlier this year, the Louisville brigade began transitioning from a armor heavy brigade to a maneuver enhancement brigade, Campbell explained.
He took command of the Louisville-based brigade on May 18. He is scheduled to graduate from the Army War College in July with a master's degree in strategic studies.
Although most of his family has moved away from Marion, his wife's relatives reside here. She is the former Linda Hackney. They have two sons. Joseph who is 21 and serving in the Air Force, and Jace, 10.

Thefts flooding police department
Local law enforcement agencies continue to be inundated with reports of thefts throughout the city and county. On one day late last week, Marion Police Department opened six theft cases.
Police Chief Ray O'Neal urges everyone to be vigilant and lock up their belongings.
"People really need to watch out and lock up their outbuildings and put things like children's bicycles away at night," the chief said. "Bicycles are metal and anything metal is a target."
The high price of scrap metal, rising fuel costs and a struggling economy are to blame for the spike in thefts, law enforcement officials say.
"Citizens need to be aware and be on the lookout for anything suspicious. If you see suspicious people in your neighborhood, people who are not normally there, make a note of it," O'Neal added.
Of the thefts reported recently, medication, cash, metal items and golf clubs have been the targets. At Crittenden Hospital a patient lost $3,100 that was put into a safe when she checked into the hospital. She was there only a couple of days, police said. When she checked out, her money had been allegedly stolen from the hospital's safe in the admitting department. That case remains under investigation and several people have been interviewed by police.
A resident at New Haven Assisted Living in Marion was also victimized by theft. The elderly resident had 300 Percocets stolen from her room last week. That case, too, remains under investigation.
A checkbook was stolen from a parked van in Marion, golf clubs were taken from a cart shed at Marion Country Club and $277 was missing from Ideal gas station last week. There have been various other items stolen from residences inside the city and out in the county.
"Our officers will be patrolling and looking around with spotlights at night," O'Neal said. "But residents need to be extra cautious."

‘Rock hounds’ ready for mineral dig, show
It’s that time of the year again; time to get down and dirty.
This Saturday and Sunday, hundreds will visit Marion to participate in the third annual Ben E. Clement Gem, Mineral, Fossil and Jewelry Show and Dig.
Tina Walker, director of the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum, said she doesn’t mind getting a little dirty.
“It was the first time I was able to play in the mud and people didn’t think I was crazy for doing it,” she said of her first dig for minerals. “But if you want to find anything, you’re going to get a little dirty.”
Although attendance dropped significantly from the first show of 700 in 2006 to 350 last year, Walker and Bill Frazer, chairman of the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum, hope that an increase in advertising and word of mouth will boost attendance.
“We’re hoping to get 600 to 700 people here again,” said Frazer. “This is the first year that we’ve done some serious advertising and this is going to be something to do that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.”
According to Walker, individuals from as far as Florida have asked about the upcoming dig. But she also recognizes the challenges of boosting interest, especially among those who have never dug before.
“Word of mouth is the biggest thing,” said Walker. “Even if they’re not particularly into rocks, this is beautiful, this is God’s art, and that’s what people come to see.”
The gem and mineral show will be held from 9 a.m., to 5 p.m., on Saturday and 11 a.m., to 5 p.m., on Sunday at Rocket Arena at Crittenden County High School. Several vendors and guests will be featured.
“Vendors will have everything you can imagine,” said Frazer.
Featured vendors will sell everything from minerals and jewelry to artwork and crafts. The show will also feature silent auctions, museum tours and door prizes.
General admission for the gem and mineral show is $2 and free for children under five. General admission for the museum is $5, $3 for ages 6-12 and free for those under the age of five.
Frazer said they expect to have nearly 100 diggers this year at the six featured sites, including one site that will be open for night digging.
“We’re expecting people from all over,” said Frazer, who added that experienced diggers or “rock hounds” and newcomers are all welcome to participate. “It’s growing; it’s getting big.”
Digs are $20 per person for a five-gallon pail of collected material during the day and $30 per person for a five-gallon pail of collected material during the night dig.
Walker said regulars can expect changes with the additional vendors, a guest from the Illinois Geological Survey and members from the Kentucky Geological Society to explain rock and mineral uses. Hourly door prizes will also be given.
“The dig and the show are fun, exciting and they’re educational,” said Walker. “You’ll see things you won’t find anywhere else.”

Bobcats get win on road
The second victory of the year for the the Marion Bobcats ended a five-game road trip to open the season and left a good taste in the mouth of Manager Steve Fowler as the team headed home for its first homestand of the season.
Fowler, who coached at Tradewater for seven years, amassing a 183-128-1 record, on Tuesday earned his first victory ever against his old club behind a stellar performance by starter Logan Thomas and the team’s first home run.
“It was sweet,” the coach said shortly after Marion (2-3) evened the two-game set in Dawson Springs with a 3-2 win. “Very enjoyable.”
The Bobcats took an early lead and traded one-run innings with the Pirates (3-2) until Jacob Martin put his name in the history books as having hit the first home run in Bobcats history. The solo shot also put Marion up for good in the top of the last frame. 
“Oh man, it was a barn-burner,” Fowler said of the back-and-forth action.
Stopper Kyle Medley came in to record the final out of the game after starter Thomas threw a strong eight and two-thirds innings. Medley, who has earned a save in both of Marion’s victories, is now tied for the league lead in saves.
The victory sent the Bobcats home on a high note before Opening Night Wednesday at Gordon B. Guess Field. Marion will play at home each night beginning at 7:05 through Tuesday.
Besides earning a victory against his old team, Tuesday's win moved the Bobcats to within two games of league-leading Fulton, which lost its first game of the season the same night. Fulton came to Marion for the Bobcats' home-opener on Wednesday.
Going into the two-game series with 2-3 record “makes a world of difference” over facing 4-1 Fulton with only one win, Fowler said. That could have caused his young team to press even more in the already nerve-racking debut before the home fans.
The results of Wednesday’s contest against the Railroaders were not available at press time, but today’s (Thursday) series finale starts at 7:05 p.m.
The remaining five games of the home stand also begin at 7:05 p.m. Ticket prices are $5 for adults and $3 for children. Little Leaguers in uniform enter for free.
On Friday, the first of four scheduled Ladies Nights, women will pay only $3 to watch the game. Monday will offer discounted admission to any adult holding a current church bulletin. The promotion is one of four Church Nights slated for home games at Marion-Crittenden County Park.
Finally, on Tuesday, the last day of the homestand, Farmers Bank Night will be the first corporate sponsored night with souvenirs and entertainment offered by the bank.
Up-to-date information and results from nightly Bobcat games can be found online at MarionBobcats.com. Team and individual stats are posted nightly on the League Web site at KITLeagueBaseball.com.