Police in northern Kentucky have identified a man found dead in a vacant home and say they have charged the man's caretaker with collecting his Air Force veteran benefits. Media report the body discovered Saturday in a Dayton home was identified Wednesday by police as 55-year-old Steven Reis. Dayton Police Chief David Halfhill said it looked like Reis probably died in early January, but the cause of death hasn't been determined. Police charged 40-year-old Christy Russell of Dayton with tampering with evidence and fraud. She was being held in the Campbell County jail on $7,500 bond. Halfhill said Russell knew Reis was dead and used his credit card to steal between $24,000 and $30,000 in Reis' veteran benefits. … [Read more...]
Caretaker Charged With Fraud
Transparency Reveals Investment Fees
After promising more transparency in its expenses, Kentucky's pension plan for public employees has reported investment fees that are more than double what's been previously made public. The Kentucky Retirement Systems Board of Trustees made the disclosure last week in a meeting. A memo to board members said the agency revised the amount it paid to outside investment firms as part of a "proactive transparency change." KRS Chief Investment Officer David Peden said the system's net income was not affected. The numbers give the nearly 350,000 public employees and retirees that depend on the pension system a better idea of how much the board pays to firms to invest about $16 billion in assets. … [Read more...]
Farmers Expecting Good Yield
Kentucky farmers may be poised to produce the state's largest soybean crop on record as the fall harvest gets under way. The latest figures from the National Agricultural Statistics Service show that soybean production in Kentucky is forecast at 92 million bushels. That is unchanged from the August forecast but up 10 percent from 2014. Statewide corn production is forecast at 224 million bushels, up 1 percent from the August forecast but down 1 percent from the previous crop. Corn yield is estimated at 172 bushels per acre, up 14 bushels from last year's level. Soybean yield is projected at 50 bushels per acre, up 2 bushels from a year ago. Burley tobacco production is forecast at 118 million pounds, down 28 percent from 2014. Yield is projected at 1,900 pounds per acre. … [Read more...]
Former Football Coach Pleads Guilty
A former high school football coach has pleaded guilty in western Kentucky to sexual abuse. Attorney General Jack Conway's office says Former Marshall County High School coach Ronald E. Barnard pleaded guilty Tuesday to six different charges, including five felonies. Sentencing is November 5 in Marshall County. The attorney general's office said in a news release that the 47-year-old Barnard agreed to a total sentence of seven years. The release said Barnard was arrested last year in a case involving a 15-year-old student at the school. Investigators examined personal computer devices belonging to Barnard, and he was indicted in May in connection with another female student, who was 17. The release said the investigation led to discovery of a fake Twitter account set up by Barnard to communicate with students and allow inappropriate pictures to be exchanged. … [Read more...]
Phillip Reed Pate
Phillip Reed Pate, age 65, of Brandenburg, died Sunday at the Norton Hosparus In-patient Unit, in Louisville. He is survived by… His wife: Gwendolyn King Pate of Brandenburg: Eight children: Craig Allen Pate of Memphis, Indiana, Matthew Allen Pate, Sean Allen Pate, Daniel Allen Pate and Kali Ruth Pate, all of Brandenburg, Christopher Allen Pate of Wittier, California, Lauren Elizabeth Chapman of Irving, Texas, Samantha Ashley Syrus of Terre Haute, Indiana. His mother: Ruth Pate of Louisville. Two brothers: Frankie Pate of Louisville and Bruce Pate of Upton. Seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Cremation was chosen by the family. The Hager Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed here. … [Read more...]
Roscoe J. “JR” Blanton, Jr.
Roscoe J. “JR” Blanton, Jr., 72 of Vine Grove, passed away Tuesday, September 15, 2015, at his residence. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roscoe and Pauline; 3 siblings, Jerry, Sharon, and Jean. He is survived by… His wife: Shirley F. Blanton of Vine Grove. Two children: Hazel Denise Miller of Elizabethtown and Donald Lee Blanton of Louisville. One grandson and 1 great grandchild. Two step grandchildren. Four sisters: Grace Ivey of Mississippi, Frankie Saltsman ofVine Grove, Judy Voge of Florida and Joan Eastep of Michigan. Four brothers: Pat Blanton of Annette, Gary Blanton of Florida, Ricky Blanton of Florida and DeWayne Blanton of Eastview. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 19, 2015, at Coffey & Chism Funeral Home in Vine Grove. Burial will follow in the Elizabethtown Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 4 until 8 p.m. on Friday and after 9 a.m. on Saturday. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to: St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000 Dept 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908 Online condolences may be expressed here. … [Read more...]
Bessie Davis
Bessie Davis, age 94, died Saturday. She was born June 30, 1921 in McMinnville, Tennessee to the late Isaac Hampilton and Eliza Evaline Webb. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and 2 brothers: Villa Eugene Webb Sr. and Edwin Eldon Webb. She is survived by… Her sister-in-laws: Dorothy O’Neal Webb of McMinnville, Tennessee, and Evelynn Hoff of Hamburg, New York. Six nieces and nephews: Villa Eugene Webb Jr., Dorothy Pearl Briggs, Vilas Elaine Lappin, Teresa Gale Hillis, all of McMinnville, Tennessee; Julius Garry Webb of Brentwood, Tennessee; and Linda Doraine Enman of Etna, Maine. Funeral Services will be held at 2 pm Thursday at the Brandenburg United Methodist Church with burial in the Eastlawn Cemetery. Visitation will be after 11 am at the church. Expressions of sympathy can be made in the form of donations to: Pets in Need Society (PINS) 543 Bypass Road Brandenburg, KY 40108 Online condolences may be expressed here. … [Read more...]
Joseph Cameron Ponder
Joseph Cameron Ponder, 31, of Rineyville, died on Sunday. Survivors include… His father: Joseph Ponder of Radcliff. His mother & step father: Brenda & Allan Tiffany of Rineyville. His fiancée: Chrystal Coleman of Radcliff. One sister: Kelly Ponder of Elizabethtown. Two brothers: Damon Tiffany and Travis Tiffany. His grandmother: Erika Shook of Vine Grove Funeral services will be held at 11 am Friday at the Severns Valley Baptist Church with burial with military honors will be at the Kentucky Veterans Cemetery Central, in Radcliff. Visitation will be from 1 until 8 pm Thursday at the Stithton Baptist Church in Radcliff. There will be no visitation prior to the service on Friday. Online condolences may be expressed here. … [Read more...]
Ralph Lynwood Powell
Ralph Lynwood Powell, age 51, of Battletown, died Tuesday at his residence. He is survived by… Two daughters: Jenny Rose Powell and Amy Michelle Banner. His mother: Myra Heil. One grandson. Cremation was chosen by the family. Hager Funeral Home in Brandenburg was entrusted with arrangements. … [Read more...]
Edna Frances Payne
Edna Frances Payne, 87, of Brandenburg, died Sunday at Brandenburg Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. She was preceded in death by a sister, Myrtle Payne and a brother, James F. “Bulldog” Payne. She is survived by her nieces and nephews: Myrtle Thompson, Raymond Payne, Sr., Patricia Bykes, Jesse Payne and Jerry Wayne Payne, all of Louisville. Funeral services will be held at 1 pm Thursday at the Zion Grove Baptist Church with burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6 until 8 pm Wednesday at Hager Funeral Home and after Noon Thursday at the church. Online condolences may be expressed here. … [Read more...]