News from March 20, 2003 issue
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Standoff ends after 9 hours in Mattoon
Police used rubber bullets the size of D batteries and chemical gases before they finally forced a Mattoon man out of a house where he was holed up for more than nine hours Sunday and Monday.

Charles E. Kelly, 43, was arrested shortly after 1:30 a.m., Monday following a standoff with police agencies that began at 3:30 p.m., Sunday when volunteer firefighters responded to a burning building at Kelly's address. During the ordeal, Kelly threatened firemen with a knife, stole a pickup truck and ran over a pedestrian, who suffered multiple injuries.

He held off police until a special response team finally forced him out a house, which belonged to one of his neighbors. He had entered the home after police were chasing him for brandishing the knife, stealing the truck and hit-and-run.

After his arrest, Kelly was treated at Crittenden Hospital and later taken to Christian County Jail where is remains under at $25,000 cash bond. He was supposed to be taken to a state physchatrical institute for evaluation Wednesday or Thursday.

For greater details in this story, see this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press.

State chooses US 641 route for Phase I

Now that the state has weighed in with its choice for the proposed widening of U.S. 641 from Fredonia to Marion - Crittenden County Judge Executive Pippi Hardin says he'd like to see a firm financial commitment on the commonwealth's part.

"It's like an egg and ham breakfast," Hardin said in an update he delivered to the Crittenden County Economic Development Corp. last week. "The chicken is involved, but the pig is committed. We need the state to be that committed."

Hardin said he is doing what he can to keep the project in the state budget.
"Once we can get some dirt moved, we'll feel a lot better," he said.

The chosen option, the one labeled Option D during the public comment period, is a partially controlled access road with a direct tie to the existing highway. This choice will probably require the relocation of four homes - Stanley Gardella on Lily Dale Road, James Dunham on Coleman Road and Wesley Cullen and Tony Belt, both on U.S. 641. A total of 74 total parcels are affected.

"It's sad that anyone has to be hurt in this deal," said Hardin, "but we've got to have this road."

The road is part of Priority Section One to build a highway from Marion to Interstate 24.
According to Wayne Mosley, Chief Engineer in the District 1 office of the Kentucky Department of Highways, the project is nearing the end of the Phase I planning stage.
"In Phase II you perform the detail design and decide the exact location of the highway. You see exactly how you're going to affect the adjoining property and you draw a detailed right-of-way plan."

The state's current funding schedule allows for right-of-way and utility relocation to be done in 2004, with construction set to begin in 2006.

Mosley said most of the surveying and engineering has been completed.
"If this process works, we work through and complete our right-of-way plans which are viewed and approved in Frankfort," said Mosley. "Then, appraisals are done by contract appraisers and then we negotiate with the property owners."

Mosley said some landowners can be reimbursed for damage because of the proximity of the new highway, or because a piece of property becomes landlocked.

"We try and negotiate with property owners for a reasonable settlement," said Mosley. "If our starting numbers are way too far apart... the court decides what the fair value is."

Mosley said after right-of-ways are secured, it will take three to six months to complete appraisals.

"It will be a year to a year and a half before we can turn dirt," he said.

City wants tech center named for Whitfield
Report from this week's council meeting

Marion Mayor Mick Alexander defends the city street department's snow removal techniques during abundant winter storms.

"I hope that we've had all the snow we're going to have this winter," Alexander told city council members in their regular meeting Monday night. "We did have a few complaints about snow removal, but we had two trucks break down so there were times when these guys were basically scraping ice and snow by hand. If we didn't do as good a job as (people) expected, I want them to know why."

On a positive note, said City Administrator Garry Barber, the city's draft budget has a $50,000 line item for a new truck to be equipped for winter road upkeep.

Council members will study that item and others in the draft handed out Monday when they meet Wednesday, March 26 at 6 p.m. for a budget workshop.

"I've summarized all major categories and given you graphs to see," said Barber, who told the council that he did not change the Base Court Revenue numbers, in spite of the state legislature's decision to pull back 50 percent of the $11,000 that has been coming to Marion. Instead, that money will now fund county jails.

According to State Rep. Mike Cherry, D-Princeton, when the legislature took away traffic court-related revenue more than 20 years ago, the Base Court Revenue was instituted to compensate for lost income, particularly to small communities.

"It's no problem to give the money to counties for jail operations," said Alexander. "I think that's where they found a bunch of the money to keep state prisoners in so Patton won't turn them out. They could get away with it without too much uproar."

Still, said Barber, the city will be able to recoup some of the lost funds by "collecting fines and fees ourselves."

The city can assess up to $10 a conviction for citations its officers write.

"There's some concern within the state that suddenly cities will have ticket quotas again," Barber said.

Council members know the responsibility for naming for the Crittenden County Educational-Technical Center rests with the Economic Development Board, but voted Monday night to request the board consider using U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield's name. The vote passed with only Mike Byford voting against.

"When you ride a horse, you need to feed it," said Fred Brown, who said Whitfield should be thanked for his past support for Crittenden County.

Alexander and council member Allen Lynn agreed. "I don't think there's anybody that's helped us more than he has," Alexander said.

Lynn pointed to Whitfield's reputation for coming through in a crisis. "I remember when Crayne got hit, he was here," Lynn said. "He know where Marion, Ky., is."

Airport gets federal grant to pave runway

The Marion-Crittenden County Airport recently learned it will receive $800,000 in federal funds for the first year of a $2.7 million Phase I upgrade.

Phase I construction will take three or four years and will include excavation of the existing runway, paving the runway, installing airfield lighting and signage and construction of a parking lot and access road.

The airport board secured 95 percent of the first-year funding through the Federal Avaiation Administration's transportation budget, $800,000 of which is budgeted in the coming year. The City of Marion and Crittenden County will fund five percent of the Phase I cost, which is estimated at $135,000 over the next three or four years.

"I'm happy to report that we couldn't be in a better position than we are now," said Airport Board Chairman Jim Johnson, who attended the quarterly board meeting of the Crittenden County Economic Development Corp. Friday to break the good news.

"It's not one year, it's not two years, (Phase I) is really a three-year project... a much larger deal than you think," Johnson said, "and if they fund it the first year, they're really obligated to keep funding it."

Johnson, who has been given the go-ahead by U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield's office to make the news official, said last week that the money comes under the FAA's portion of federal transportation appropriations, which President Bush has signed.

"We did just get in under the wire," said Johnson. "If we had not been successful this time... if we hadn't had the ball rolling back in January of last year, we probably never would have got it done."

Once completed, the local airport will be comparable to that of Sturgis Airport, which currently is used by officials traveling to Marion for business.

"We're looking at long-term benefits," Johnson said. "After the city and county pay their five percent of the project, additional support needed will be minimal.

"The airport will generate enough money to maintain operations."

Johnson, a former air traffic controller who also has his pilot's license, said operating expenses for the facility will cost about the same as the board currently pays to keep the turf runway mowed.

He said the county will benefit from numerous taxes generated at the facility as well as by other means.

Another blessing, said Johnson, is that any land issues that often surface in similar projects will not affect this one.

The land to accommodate the general aviation development was purchased in 1999. In 2001, the airport board used an $80,000 FAA grant to prepare a feasibility study for the site and to develop an action plan. That same year the FAA approved the plan and in June of 2002, the board got a $132,840 FAA grant to reimburse it for the land acquired for expansion.

Johnson has said Whitfield was instrumental in securing each grant so far.

"We now have all the land issues behind us," Johnson said.

Now that it has been approved, the $800,000 will be used to fund all engineering for the Phase I development and to excavate for the runway, taxiway and apron. Other portions of Phase I include paving a 4,000-foot runway (with excavating done for an extension to 5,000 feet in Phase III) , the addition of auto parking facilities, terminal facilities, security fencing/lighting and hangars.

Johnson, who expects design work to be finished by mid-May and dirt work by the end of the year, sees the eventual end product as an economic boon for the region.

"This money that will come from federal money would have been spent improving or building an airport somewhere," Johnson said. "Not only have we brought it to Kentucky; we've brought it to Marion."

In Phase II (FY 2006-2010) Johnson anticipates a full parallel taxiway will be completed to enhance the facility's safety. Also included in this phase are additional hangars and a jet fuel system necessary to support jet/turboprop aircraft.

Phase III will primarily consist of the paved runway extension, if justifiable. Larger business jets require the extended length, said Johnson.

Chicken growers suing judge in case
In a most unusual twist to the so-called chicken case here, Tyson Foods and its local chicken-grower B&G Poultry are suing District Judge Rene Williams for mishandling the case. Attorneys for the companies seek a stay in the criminal nuisance case, a hearing on the merits of some of the judge's rulings and damages, including attorney fees. A hearing is set for April 17 in Crittenden Circuit Court before Judge Tommy Chandler. See this week's Crittenden Press printed edition for more details.