Tedford's buzz on beekeeping
James Tedford handles a swarm of bees like most folks cuddle a kitten.
After cutting up a honeycomb last Thursday on his family farm in rural Crittenden County, the 16-year-old bee keeper attracted an army of honey bees looking for a quick meal.
“Bees make honey, yes, but they will steal it when they can,” Tedford said with a laugh.
Dozens of bees swarmed around his face and hands, but it didn't faze him one iota.
“They won't sting you as long as they are getting the honey,” he said.
Tedford with a little help and encouragement from his mother, Donna, operates Deer Orchard Farms & Apiaries. It's the name he chose to promote his best selling product – honey.
It costs about $150 to get into the bee business, he said. With a little luck, some regular care and plenty of nearby flowering plants, a few hives can turn out a few hundred dollars a year, according to Tedford, who is home-schooled, but participates in 4-H and other community activities.
His mother explains that her son suffers from scoliosis, an abnormality of the spine, which prevents him from being able to sit for long periods of time, as would be required attend public schools.
When it comes to marketing, finances and management, it's clear that Tedford's education is well above the curve. He applied for certification from the Kentucky Proud program three of years ago for his goat-rearing operation. The following year, he was approved for retail sale of his honey.
Tedford says the Kentucky Proud program is for items raised in Kentucky or made strictly from raw Kentucky products. It's a good, free way to market a product, he said.
He used to have several more hives, but lost about a half dozen over the past year or so. A rare phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder is being studied nationwide. Scientists and agriculture specialists say something is causing bees to leave their hives and never return. Dozens of theories have evolved from the issue. One far-fetched idea blames cell phones.
Tedford isn't sure what might be at the root of the problem, but he has certainly felt its consequences. A wild bee hive in a hollow tree across the street from his house disappeared recently, too.
Bees are very susceptible to predators and weather conditions. Tedford said the late freeze in 2007 and two straight years of drought have been tough on bees. Those things could be largely to blame for his losses, Tedford said.
Skunks, raccoons and mites are also among the most notorious bee busters.
Right now, Tedford has three working hives that have produced about 50 gallons of honey so far this season. Bees make honey from spring through early fall.
Bees stockpile winter stores of honey. That's what they live off of when it gets too cold to go out looking for nourishment, Tedford explained.
"You can't take it all or they won't make it through the winter," he said.
Tedford generally harvests about half of the honey made by the bees. He sells a pint for anywhere between $2 and $6, depending on the color.
"People will pay more for lighter colored honey," he said.
And thanks to the Kentucky Proud program, and a strong word-of-mouth network, his sales are generally brisk.

State eyes Kimball land for tourism
Nearly 12,000 acres of contiguous, undeveloped property – excellent for hunting, timber and farmland – is being eyed by Frankfort as a possible recreational area.
The acreage owned by Kimball International, formerly known as Alcoa, straddles Crittenden and Union counties. On Nov. 8, it will be sold at public auction and the Commonwealth of Kentucky will be one of the bidders, according to the state’s lieutenant governor.
Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, in Marion last Thursday as he worked his way across western Kentucky, told The Crittenden Press that the property along the Ohio River could be purchased by the commonwealth to bolster an initiative to make Kentucky's outdoor tourism industry one the best in the nation. Through the state's Adventure Tourism initiative, the land could be transformed to a state-owned preserve, offering hunting, camping and trail opportunities, as well as acting as a nature conservancy.
“We have been trying to find a way to purchase that land for the state – for Fish and Wildlife, for Nature Conservation – to turn that into an Adventure Tourism-type destination with more access to hunting, for nature preserves (and) conservation," said Mongiardo, himself an avid outdoorsman.
Local officials skeptical
While local officials applaud the idea of turning the Kimball property into a recreational area, most are skeptical of the state's ability to seal the deal.
The 11,759 acres offered in 71 tracts from 14 to more than 600 acres is considered a world-class hunting area for whitetailed deer. It has been managed in recent years by Game Trails, a nationally-known outfitter, which holds the hunting lease through this fall.
"If we use that property the right way, then it'll be a huge tourist attraction," Mongiardo said.
Besides making Kentucky a family-friendly destination, Adventure Tourism, through acquiring sites like the one in Crittenden and Union counties, can also help develop a culture of healthier Kentuckians, something as a physician Mongiardo sees as critical.
"If we get kids up and moving again, it's going to be good for our health as well," he said.
Judge-Executive Fred Brown said he first made Mongiardo aware of the property's opportunities in July, when the first-term lieutenant governor was in Marion for the annual meeting of Crittenden County Economic Development Corp. Brown said the state fish and wildlife department was aware of the land sale at the time, but Mongiardo is now leading the push for acquisition through the Adventure Tourism program headed by his office.
Brown is hopeful because of the potential economic impact such a recreation site could have on the county. However, the county judge is skeptical of whether the state has the extra cash or gumption to buy it.
"If it's very much of a possibility, I don't know about it," Brown said after Mongiardo's visit. "I didn't think there was any kind of way they could come put up that kind of money."
Darrin Tabor, a local real estate broker and Marion City Council member, had a similar perspective on the state's interest in the property, which could fetch around $29 million in one contiguous tract. Crittenden County Property Valuation Administrator Ronnie Heady said the average farm in the county sells for about $2,000 per acre.
"It would definitely benefit our community. It's an awesome opportunity," Tabor said. "There will never be another tract of property like this for sale in Kentucky. The potential is astronomical."
Yet Tabor questions the state's ability to appropriate that kind of money for something remote to most people – both figuratively and physically. The land is miles from a major city and half the state away from the power center in Frankfort. While its general isolation is attractive to hunters, it might be a hard sell to state lawmakers.
"I don't know if the state could pull it off or not," Tabor said. "It could do it, but it would take a massive amount of money and I don't know if the state is willing pay what it's going to bring."
The Kimball property will be sold at auction on the first Saturday in November at Union County High School – which is not coincidentally the first day of rifle deer season when hundreds of potential out-of-state buyers will be in the commonwealth chasing whitetails.
Wealth of possibilities
Mongiardo did not say whether the state was looking at the whole thing or only a piece of it. However, he insists that the cost could be worth the return as it would bolster the state's push to create more and more recreational opportunities for residents and visitors.
"The No. 1 draw for tourists is a trail – hiking trail, walking trail, biking trail, horse trail – and because we know that is the No. 1. draw, we are concentrating on developing a statewide trail system so that we can bring people to Kentucky," Mongiardo said. "Once they are here, we've got so much else."
The lieutenant governor pointed to the state's shorelines and navigable waterways, second only to Alaska in the U.S., its lakes and streams and hunting opportunities provided by the largest elk herd east of the Rocky Mountains, an abundance of wild turkeys and Kentucky being the fourth most attractive state for deer hunters because of its potential for Boone & Crockett bucks.
"We have so many natural assets, natural strengths here, that once people get here, it's going to build on itself," he said.
Mongiardo's goal is for Adventure Tourism to eventually connect every county in the state through a trail system, whether it be on foot, horseback or ATV. It would be, in the end, comparable to the highway system where along the edge of the trail, private enterprise can flourish.
"Once people come, we'll let the the private individuals figure out how to make money," he said.

Dycusburg Day arrives Saturday
The community of Dycusburg will be celebrating “Dycusburg Day 2008: Rolling on the River” on Saturday. The event begins at 10 a.m.
The free event will offer activities throughout the day, including the following:
• Door prizes — must register to win.
• Fun and games for children, 10 a.m., to noon, including Duck Pond, Go Fish, Bean Bag Toss, Lollipop Tree, Rubber Chicken Toss and Dice Roll.
• Inflatables for children, all day long.
• Crittenden County Genealogical Society meeting: “History of Dycusburg” at Dycusburg Methodist Church, followed by a walking tour of the Dycusburg Cemetery, 11 a.m., to 1 p.m.
• Parade at noon with unique and antique cars.
• Magician Tommy Rushing, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Afternoon gospel singing by “Living Proof,” 2 to 3 p.m.
• Live music by “Gunner T,” starting at 6 p.m.
• Silent auction, 2 to 8 p.m., and all-day raffle. The selection of items includes gift certificates, getaway and restaurant packages, autographed books, food items and movie tickets.

Grand jury indicts nine
A Crittenden County Grand Jury indicted nine individuals on felony charges Monday. Most of them were drug related.
The Pennyrile Area Narcotics Task Force delivered seven of the nine cases that resulted in indictments. Those cases all stem from an undercover operation last spring and early summer.
A handful of cases were either dismissed or remanded to district court as misdemeanor crimes. Drug possession charges against Teresa L. Angel were dismissed; a theft charge against Freddie G. Jackson was remanded to district court; two theft charges against Jimmy Dale Rose Jr., were remanded to district court; and a case involving Jeffery D. Vinson for operating on a suspended driver's license was continued.
All indictments will proceed as felony cases in Crittenden Circuit Court.
A summary of the grand jury's indictments follows:
n Teresa L. Angel, 46, of Ky. 855, Marion, was indicted on a charge of trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school, second offense; and a charge of being a second-degree persistent felony offender. The drug charge stems from the alleged transaction on April 28 of Dalmane involving an undercover operative for the Pennyrile Area Drug Task Force. The alleged sale was conducted near Crittenden Elementary School.
n Glenda Barnes, 51, of View Road, Marion, was indicted on three counts of second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance by complicity; and one count of trafficking in a legend drug by complicity. The charges stem from the alleged transfer of Lortabs, Aripiprazole and Seroquel to an informant in June.
n Mark Hanor, 40, of View Road, Marion, was indicted on three counts of second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance by complicity; and one count of trafficking in a legend drug by complicity. Like Barnes, the charges stem from the alleged transfer of Lortabs, Aripiprazole and Seroquel to an informant in June.
n Marty Harris, 46, of East Lion Drive, Salem, was indicted on one count of trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school; second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (Hydrocodone); trafficking in marijuana, less than eight ounces; and first-degree persistent felony offender. The case stems from alleged transactions in March involving an informant for the drug task force. One of the alleged transactions took place near Crittenden County High School.
n Nicholas I. Pinkerton of Carbondale, Ill., was indicted on a felony charge of flagrant non-support of his minor children. Court records indicate that Pinkerton was behind in child support payments by the amount of $8,980.52 as of Aug. 25.
n Jimmy Dale Rose Jr., 20, of Lewis Street, Marion, was indicted on one count of theft by unlawful taking (over $300). The case stems from an investigation by the Crittenden County Sheriff's Department into the taking of wire from Mike Perryman on Aug. 27.
n Bobby Singleton, 52, of Hickory Hills Avenue, Marion, was indicted on one count of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance by complicity; and second-degree persistent felony offender. The drug charge stems from an alleged transaction of Oxycodone involving a task force informant on March 18.
n Steve Tinsley, 43, of Ky. 120, Marion, was indicted on one count of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance by complicity. Like Singleton, the drug charge stems from the alleged sale of Oxycodone to a task force informant on March 18.
n Jay Vance, 42, of Morganfield, (a.k.a., Josianne Vance or Jay Greenwell) was indicted on two counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, second offense for allegedly selling Valium and amphetamine to an informant on March 21.

Local service Sunday for World War II airman
H.C. Enoch II was a smart boy who liked to take hikes, play board games and even get into an occasional fight, according to his friends from the 1941 and 1942 graduating classes of Marion High School.
Members of the graduating class, like his family, were saddened for many years when his remains were not recovered after his P-51D Mustang crashed over Germany at the end of World War II.
The all-American boy, known by the nickname “Peeny” by his classmates, was presumed missing in action and his body unrecoverable for more than 60 years – until this spring.
To the astonishment of most, the pilot's remains were positively identified by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command in Hawaii, the largest forensics lab in the world, 63 years after Enoch's death.
Enoch's life will be celebrated Sunday during a public memorial service in Marion.
It will be attended by family, some of whom are distant relatives who only learned of H.C. Enoch's story recently, as well as friends like William Glenn McConnell, a classmate at Marion High School.
McConnell, too, was serving in the military in 1945 when his mother informed him by letter of Enoch's death.
He recalls Peeny, as a smart boy who whose good grades ranked him among the top of the class of 1942.
Another friend, Dr. Clifton Lowery of Owensboro, knew Enoch’s fascination with aviation magazines.
“I lived across the street from him, and I would go over there and see him,” recalls the retired physician and surgeon who graduated from Shady Grove in 1938. “He would read magazines about aviation. They were about 100-page magazines with stories people sent in about aviation, and his parents didn't like it very well.”
Enoch grew up on the corner of Main and East Mound Park streets in Marion, after his family relocated here from El Paso, Texas, when Enoch was in second grade. His mother Maddie was a sister to Ollie Bryan Lucas.
Enoch married his wife Margarette not long before he was killed and left behind an unborn son, Howard Enoch III, who will travel to Marion for Sunday’s memorial service.
The local memorial comes on the heels of a full military burial in Arlington National Cemetery Sept. 22.
The services give closure to an almost unbelievable series of events that ended with the amazing discovery of H.C.'s remains more than five decades after his death.
Enoch piloted a P-51D Mustang in the 368th Fighter Squadron, 359th Fighter Group, nicknamed the Unicorns of the Eighth Air Force.
While on a mission over Halle, Germany, his plane went down on March 19, 1945. His son’s research uncovered eyewitness accounts of the accident, which are different than the official military report which says Enoch, who was flying solo, became distracted and crashed.
"This (eyewitness) account says he was engaged in an air battle and both planes crashed. There are additional eyewitness reports, but they are a little too graphic," Enoch says. "These two reports contain the essential facts as I believe they happened."
Aside from the military explanation for his death, Howard Enoch has known little about his father. His mother Margarette remarried, and his stepfather became the only father he knew.
What Howard knew of his parents' relationship was through letters exchanged between the two prior to deadly crash.
"He was a smart boy, up toward the top in his grade," recalls McConnell, a retired pharmacist in Kuttawa. "He played on the football team a little bit, his senior year."
McConnell and Enoch had another connection – Enoch’s father was postmaster in Marion, and when he died his wife Maddie took his place as interim until William Glenn's father Homer took over in 1939.