Dollar General predicts no major disruptions
There should be no disruption in services provided by Dollar General Store in Marion as it phases into a new building later this summer.
Emily Weiss, a Dollar General spokesperson at company headquarters in Nashville, said the goal is never to miss a beat.
“Dollar General’s goal is to help our customers save time and money every day, so our plan is to keep the current store open until the new store is ready to open,” Weiss said.
The new store will be ready by Aug. 1, according to Joe Treece of Group One Construction, the contractor building it.
Treece owns the construction company and JKPY Properties, which is having the store built. His company will lease the building to Dollar General once it is erected. Treece said site preparation started last week and construction should be finished in July.
Treece’s company built and owns the Dollar General building in Dixon and Hardin. It is completing a store building this week in Hickman, too.
“We look forward to continuing to serve our customers in the new space,” said Weiss, the Dollar General spokesperson. “We hope they will enjoy shopping at the new Dollar General. There will be a grand opening celebration when the new store opens.”
Farmers Bank and Trust Company of Marion has purchased the current store building, which is next to its headquarters on Main Street. The bank is planning to renovate and occupy the Dollar Store section once the retailer has vacated the building.
The new Dollar General will be on the vacant lot next to Cozy Hearth Restaurant on Sturgis Road. It will be 9,100 square feet. The current store in downtown Marion is 6,262 square feet.
The new store will be of steel construction with a metal outer shell. It will have a masonry front. There will be parking in the front of the store and down each side, enough to accommodate 40 vehicles.
The new venue will offer the same selection of merchandise – national and private brands of food, housewares, seasonal items, cleaning supplies, basic apparel and health and beauty care products, Weiss said.
“Customers will notice a new layout, which is designed to make shopping easier. Some of the store’s new features include coolers conveniently located at the front of the store, seasonal products featured in the center of the store and a permanent treasure hunt section,” the company spokesperson added.
Employees from the current location will transfer to the new store when it relocates to the new building. Anyone interested in employment at Dollar General can visit a store and request an application from the store manager or go online to www.dollargeneral.com for employment information.  
Dollar General opened its current location at 205 S. Main St. in February 2002. It was formerly Hicks Dollar Store.

CCHS Class of '58 prepares for 50th reunion
The first graduating class of a consolidated Crittenden County High School will hold its golden anniversary this year.
A group of 1958 graduates is planning the 50-year reunion for Oct. 18. It is being scheduled to coincide with the annual Christmas in Marion celebration. Anyone interested in helping plan the event should attend a meeting at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday at Thom’s Sweet Shoppe in Marion or contact Virgie Collins or Judy Roach.
Marion and Crittenden County high school consolidated during the fall of 1957 and graduated its first class in the spring of 1958.

Bond revoked in explicit photo case
Bond has been revoked for a Marion man charged with taking explicit photographs of an underage female.
Billy W. Holland, 48, was free on bond following his arrest here in February on one count of possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. Holland had turned himself in to police after the charges were filed in the case. He had originally left the county, police said, when he learned that charges were pending.
Now, Holland is back behind bars and District Judge Tommy Simpson has revoked his bond because Holland was picked up in Lyon County and charged with two counts of unlawful transaction with a minor. According to court records, state police arrested Holland at 11:23 p.m., Monday, May 5 in Eddyville after someone called in and reported underage drinking at 1026 Indian Hills Trail.
At that location, police and court records say, Holland was found with two girls, ages 16 and 18, both of whom had been drinking alcohol.
Holland was lodged in the Caldwell County Jail following those charges. He was brought to Crittenden County Detention Center on Wednesday, May 7 after his bond was revoked on the February charge in Marion.
In the meantime, Marion Police officers had been preparing evidence against Holland in the February case and last Thursday, they served him with a criminal summons, citing seven counts of possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor. Those charges stem from the February case, according to Marion Police Chief Ray O’Neal.
Officers Bobby West and George Foster had been working on the case, going through DVDs and CDs seized from Holland’s home at 119 Old Salem Road on Feb. 23. On that electronic media, they found reason to file the additional seven counts, bringing the total to eight charges against Holland here.
O’Neal said that Kentucky State Police have hard drives and other electronic equipment confiscated in the February raid. They are awaiting results from those items to know if further charges are warranted, he said.
Police said in February that at least one photograph found on a compact disc showed a partially dressed minor in a provocative pose.
O’Neal said similar photographs were found later in the investigation.

Bargo hired as Livingston superintendent
Former Crittenden County teacher, assistant principal and football coach Kennith Bargo, 60, was named the new superintendent of Livingston County schools during the board of education meeting Monday.
Bargo will assume leadership of the 1,400 student system on July 1, filling the void left by retiring superintendent Jack Monroe.
Born in Knox County, Ky., Bargo moved to Indiana at an early age. After attending school in Evansville, he went on to attend the University of Illinois on a football scholarship. He received a master’s degree from the University of Evansville and an administration degree from Murray State.
Bargo has experience as a head football coach, physical education and health instructor, and in various administrative positions, including Assistant Principal at Crittenden County High School and Assistant and Principal at Madisonville-North Hopkins High. He is currently serving as Director of Pupil Personnel in Warrick County, Indiana.
"I consider it a real honor to be a part of this outstanding school system," commented Bargo. "While at Crittenden County, I always kept a close eye on Livingston County, knowing that good things would be going on here."
Bargo and his wife Suzie have two children and one grandchild. They plan to relocate to the area in the near future.