News from May 11, 2006 issue


Brown Man of the Year
The Crittenden County Chamber of Commerce presented Judge-Executive Fred Brown with its Man of the Year award during Tuesday night's annual banquet.Brown has served the community for over 20 years as a businessman, city councilman and currently as the county's top executive, said Zac Greenwell, Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, who presented the award. Greenwell was last year's recipient."He is not a follower, he's a leader," Greenwell said.Brown is also praised by his staff as a great boss who is wonderful to work for, Greenwell said during his remarks prior to recognizing Brown.Brown accepted the award with humility stating, "This is not about Fred Brown, it's about the community."

Other awards and recognitions were presented.

Jim Johnson received the Unsung Hero recognition largely for his work on the airport board, said Mayor Micky Alexander, who presented Johnson's award.

"Jim has gone about it tenaciously," Alexander said.

The Community Pride award went to Superior Trophies for its contribution to Main Street. The award was presented by Marion Main Street Director Rose Crider and accepted by Mike Hamilton on behalf of the family business. Superior and Hunt's Department Store were operated down the street for many years, but moved last year to its new location. There the Hamiltons renovated part of the old Cochran Supply building.

A special commemorative plaque went to Henry and Henry Monuments for being in operation 125 years, all under the same family's management.

The evening rounded out with a motivational speech by former University of Kentucky and Baltimore Colts football player Sam Ball.

Ball, who is a part-time Crittenden Countian and owns a farm here, shared funny, "country-boy" stories to teach simple, yet important life lessons.


Infant dies of fuel ingestion
A second child in six months has died after ingesting a form of fuel in Crittenden County's Amish community.Fifteen-month-old Aaron Stutzman died Saturday after being flown by air ambulance to Kosair Children's Hospital in Louisville.

Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Robert Fraction said the cause of death was chemical "pneumonitis, secondary to kerosene ingestion."

In November 2005, one-year-old Eldora Miller ingested Naptha, a form of airplane fuel, and died at Crittenden Hospital.Kerosene and similar forms of fuel, in the absence of electricity, are commonly used to operate appliances in the Amish community.

Crittenden County Deputy Coroner Britt Gilbert said that in the Miller case last fall, the infant drank Naptha fuel that was being stored in a milk jug in the family's garage. She died within a couple of hours. In her case, death occurred after she aspirated the fluid into her lungs.

The Amish community is mourning this second tragic infant death. An Amish mother who is unrelated to last weekend's victim said that Stutzman, the youngest of five children, only lived a few hours after drinking the fluid from a small can.

"We get it in big 55 gallon barrels, but take it out in small containers a little at a time, and that would be easier for (a child) to pick up," said the Amish woman and mother of nine, who asked not to be identified by name.

She said there have been other, non-fatal cases in the past when children ingested kerosene or Naptha fuel.

"It scares us and reminds us how careful we need to be," she said, noting that Amish families usually store fuel in utility rooms or garages. It is unclear in this case where the child found the can of kerosene.

Kentucky State Police were called to investigate the incident by the Jefferson County coroner's office after the child died Saturday night in Louisville. No foul play is suspected, according to KSP.

Kerosene is commonly used among the Amish to light cooking stoves, water heaters, refrigerators and oil lamps.

Some members of Crittenden County's Amish community attend safety meetings in Pennsylvania at least once every two years and report new safety regulations and recommendations back to their communities. Those safety meetings include suggestions for preventing farm and sawmill accidents but also accidents involving chemicals, a member of the community told The Press this week.