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Hal Roger's gets Legislation Approved 1-10-08
WASHINGTON, DC.—U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced today that Congress approved legislation that will provide $600,000 in funding for southern and eastern Kentucky’s Tourism Development Association, SEKTDA.   This measure, part of a wider bill funding nearly all federal government operations for 2008, is expected to be signed into law by the President later next week.
“The natural beauty, history, artistry, and heritage of our region make southern and eastern Kentucky a natural travel destination,” said Rogers.  “Like any other sector of the economy, making wise targeted investments now pays off many times over.”
The tourism and travel industry contributed over $1.2 billion annually in the region, supporting 20,000 jobs.  Statewide, there is $9.4 billion in annual impact from tourism.
SEKTDA is a nonprofit organization created in 1987 to promote tourism throughout Southern and Eastern Kentucky in an effort to contribute to the economic and cultural growth of the region
Rogers works to secure funding for SEKTDA, and other initiatives important in the fifth district, as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee.

GOVERNOR FLETCHER SIGNS EMERGENCY DECLARATION BANNING OUTDOOR BURNING
Drought conditions create hazardous conditions
FRANKFORT , Ky. – Governor Ernie Fletcher has signed an executive order banning all outdoor burning across the Commonwealth as the extreme drought situation has created extraordinarily hazardous wildfire conditions in Kentucky . A severe fall forest fire season is already underway and the drought conditions statewide prompted Governor Fletcher’s action.
“These conditions place our citizens and the firefighters battling these blazes in great danger,” said Governor Fletcher. “This order is one step that can prevent some of the accidental wildfires and place law enforcement agencies on alert for deliberately set fires.”
The order requests local governments to direct their law enforcement personnel to aid state agencies in the execution of the burning ban. The order authorizes the state Division of Forestry (DOF) to request federal assistance to minimize human suffering, restore public service and alleviate unanticipated financial obligations resulting from this emergency.
Any exceptions to the burn ban must be approved in advance by the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet.
The short-term forecast for rainfall is dismal. Scattered showers only provide a temporary relief when substantial rainfall is needed to impact drought conditions.
Firefighters continue to battle fires occurring throughout the state, primarily in eastern and southeastern Kentucky .  The division has moved some personnel and equipment from district offices having little fire activity to the three district offices in the eastern and southeastern regions of the state.
DOF has also activated the Southeastern Interstate Forest Fire Compact and South Central Interstate Forest fire Protection Compact, which provides firefighting assistance to member states in times of need.  The compact establishes a legal means for states to share skilled wildland firefighters and equipment.  Member states agree to help each other to the extent possible, to maintain a dialogue about wildfire threats and to make plans for equipment and personnel to be available on short notice.
Anyone caught violating this order shall be subject to fines and/or imprisonment as provided in KRS 39A.990 and other fines, penalties, or imprisonment provided by other state laws.  To report violations of this order, please call the state police or your local law enforcement officials.

Media Campaign Warns Against Drunk Driving
(FRANKFORT, Ky.) - Traffic on the state’s roadways is expected to increase significantly during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, which traditionally marks the end of the summer driving season. Motorists in Kentucky should be aware that the Kentucky State Police (KSP) is joining other law enforcement and highway safety agencies across the nation in an aggressive new crackdown on impaired drivers called “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.”
The enforcement campaign will run from today, Aug. 18, through the Labor Day holiday, which officially ends at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 4.
“We will be out in force conducting sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols and using undercover officers to get more drunk drivers off the road,” said John (Jack) Adams, commissioner of the Kentucky State Police. “We want everyone to play it safe and always designate a sober driver or find an alternative method of getting home if they have been out drinking.”
Drunk driving is one of America’s deadliest crimes. In 2004, nearly 13,000 people were killed in highway crashes involving an impaired driver or motorcycle operator with an illegal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. In Kentucky in 2005, there were 5,515 alcohol-related crashes resulting in 205 fatalities. Through Aug. 13, 2006, a total of 538 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways. Alcohol was a factor in 124 of those deaths.
“Driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or higher is illegal,” said KSP Capt. Eric Walker, commander of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. “Motorists who choose to drink and drive can face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work and dozens of other expenses - not to mention the risk of killing themselves or someone else.”
The Governor’s Highway Safety Program gives this advice:
Be responsible and don’t take the risk of driving impaired - you will be caught.
If you plan to drink, choose a designated driver before going out.
Take mass transit, a taxicab, or ask a sober friend to drive you home.
Spend the night where the activity is being held.
Always buckle up - it’s your best defense against an impaired driver.
Report impaired drivers to law enforcement.
Citizens can report erratic drivers to the KSP toll-free hotline at 1-800-222-5555. Callers will remain anonymous and should give a description of the vehicle, location, direction of travel and license number if possible.
The national “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” campaign is a comprehensive impaired driving prevention program focused on conducting highly visible law-enforcement-related efforts to deter impaired driving. For more information, visit www.Stop ImpairedDriving.org.

Arrests Made in Owsley County Triple Murder 12-21-05
On Wednesday, May 24th, 2005, Gary "Boogerman" Peters, Fannie Mae McIntosh, and Billy Tirey were found dead from gunshot wounds at the Peters residence on KY 11, Booneville. The Kentucky State Police and the Owsley County Sheriff's Department conducted the investigation and with community involvement several leads were developed.  On 12/19/2005 , the Owsley County Grand Jury returned indictments for Charles "Rooster" Napier charging him three counts of Murder, Ricky Green with three counts of Complicity to Commit Murder, and Marietta Short with Hindering Apprehension regarding the deaths of Peters, McIntosh, and Tirey. The Owsley County Grand Jury also returned indictments against Ricky Green charging him with Murder and Michael Dwayne Bowling charging him with Complicity to Commit Murder . These indictments are in regards to the death of Charles "Slick" Bowling, a potential witness to the triple murder. Charles Bowling was killed on July 23, 2005. Ricky Green and Michael Dwayne Bowling are lodged in the Three Forks Regional Jail in Lee County. Charles "Rooster" Napier has not been located. Napier is 53 years of  age, 5'5" in height, weighs 130 lbs. with brown hair and blue eyes. Napier is considered armed and dangerous and the public should not attempt to apprehend him. Contact Law Enforcement immediately if he is sighted. Napier has contacts in Indiana and Kentucky. If you have any information regarding the location of Charles "Rooster " Napier or information regarding these murders, contact the Kentucky State Police at 1-800-222-5555 or the Owsley County Sheriff's Department at 606-593-5161.

Letcher drug roundup ‘just the beginning’  11-12-05
A small army of law enforcement officers set out to arrest 20 suspected Letcher County drug dealers Tuesday, November 8, in that county’s first major roundup orchestrated by Operation UNITE.
“These individuals targeted today represent only a fraction of the known dealers in Letcher County,” said Dan Smoot, law enforcement director for UNITE. “Instead of arresting a large group at one time, which can overwhelm the jail and court system, we elected to seek a more manageable number. This is just the beginning.”
“We’re sympathetic to the budgetary constraints of our county jails,” Smoot continued. “We are encouraging those who sell drugs in order to fuel their addiction to seek treatment before it’s too late. It’s as easy as calling 1-866-90-UNITE. If they fail to get help, we will get them.”
Detectives from UNITE were joined by officers from the Letcher County Sheriff’s Office, Whitesburg Police Department, Jenkins Police Department, Fleming-Neon Police Department and the Kentucky State Police Hazard Post in the morning roundup.
Armed with indictment warrants, teams of law enforcement officers headed to all areas of Letcher County shortly after 7:30 a.m. Once in custody, suspects were brought to the Whitesburg City Hall council chambers for processing before being turned over to Jailer Gary Cornett.
Most of the cases resulting from an approximately three-month investigation involved the illegal sale of prescription drugs.
“This was an outstanding example of how agencies can work together to battle the drug problems plaguing Southeastern Kentucky,” said Mike Luttrell, Big Sandy Task Force Manager for UNITE. “We had every agency in the county represented today.”
As of 1:30 p.m. Tuesday authorities had arrested 14 individuals. They are:
• Gerald Blevins, age 56, Thorn Drive, Gordon, two counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Kaye L. Brown, age 37, Highway 931 South, Whitesburg, one count first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and one count possession for sale of a simulated controlled substance.
• Roger R. Brown, age 38, Highway 931 South, Whitesburg, one count first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Ed Combs Jr., age 38, Highway 7, Isom, one count trafficking in marijuana less than 8 ounces.
• Amanda Gail “Mandy” Davis, age 27, Goose Creek Road, Neon, two counts third-degree possession of a controlled substance.
• Walter Parnell Fields, age 44, P.O. Box, Cromona, one count second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Maranda Jennell Frazier, age 24, Highway 221, Big Laurel, one count first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Michael Bobby Gibson, age 23, Coal Avenue, Neon, one count second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Johnny Mitchell Hill, age 54, Highway 805, Jenkins, two counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• William Darrell Ivey, age 63, Doty Creek, Jeremiah, three counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and one count trafficking in marijuana less than 8 ounces.
• Jackie Owen Littrell, age 44, Copperhead Road, Ermine, one count second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• Travis G. Monroe, age 26, Goldenrod Drive, Thornton, one count second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• James Andrew Smith, age 21, Doty Creek Road, Jeremiah, one count first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and one count second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
• B.H. Vanover, age 67, Robinson Creek, Virgie, three counts second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and two counts third-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

OxyContin dealer arrested in Breathitt County 10-25-05
Detectives have arrested a Breathitt County man suspected of selling a large quantity of OxyContin to area residents.
Carlis Wayne Hudson, age 29, of Wolverine Road (KY 3193), was charged with two counts of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance following a search of two homes in the City of Jackson on Tuesday, October 25.
Operation UNITE had been investigating Hudson for more than a month and obtained search warrants for his home and the neighboring home of his parents, Maxine and Carlis Hudson.
Jackson Police Chief Clayde Caudill and Patrolman John Marshall assisted detectives in the search about noon Tuesday. A small quantity of schedule IV narcotics was found at the parents’ home, said Mike Luttrell, Kentucky River Task Force manager for UNITE.
Carlis Wayne Hudson was lodged in the Three Forks Regional Jail.
The investigation is continuing, and additional arrests are expected.

SUN SETS ON "SMILEY FACE" PLATE  9-14-05
Unbridled Spirit to Replace Old Plates Beginning Next Week
FRANKFORT, KY (September 14, 2005) - The state's "Unbridled Spirit" brand, which has seized the imagination of the Commonwealth, will soon be issued to everyone renewing their passenger vehicle registration. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials announced today that the supply of "smiley face" plates has almost been entirely depleted.
Earlier today Cabinet officials acknowledged that the state would not be making any more of the old smiley face plates.  Acting Transportation Cabinet Secretary Bill Nighbert said "Beginning Monday, September 19, motorists will receive a new Unbridled Spirit plate instead of a decal when they renew their registration. It represents the dawning of a new day in Kentucky."
The re-plating process was scheduled to begin in January. That timetable was changed when Transportation Cabinet managers discovered that the inventory of "smiley face" plates would be exhausted before October. The re-plating process will continue for the next 12 months and all the "smiley face" plates will be off the road by the end of September, 2006.
"Our proactive management ensures a smooth transition from the old plate to the new Unbridled Spirit license plate," said Roy Mundy, Commissioner for the Department of Vehicle Regulation. "We are not wasting any old plates while the new brand will be distributed in mass.  It's a win-win situation."
Approximately two million new plates will be produced over the next year at a total cost of $3.5 million. The re-plating process is not costing taxpayers anything. Those costs are covered by a fifty cent "re-plating fee" charged to each vehicle registration in Kentucky. Funds from that fee are placed into an escrow account. The escrow account will cover all the costs.
Kentucky's Unbridled Spirit plates made their debut August first, for vehicles being registered in Kentucky for the first time. Governor Ernie Fletcher unveiled the new license plate design during a press conference at the Kentucky Speedway in mid July.