July 17, 2008

Arson suspected in fire
By Rhonda Smyth, CV&T News Editor

A couple who reside on Pea Ridge Road had an alarming and unwelcome surprise in the middle of the night Sunday when their home nearly went up in flames.
Residents Tammy Townsend and Levi Ross were sleeping when they heard a loud noise, like an explosion. Ross went out of the house through the garage and saw flames licking at the garage door and circling the home.
Estill County Fire Chief Derrick Muncie was called to the scene at 12:05 a.m. Monday. He said the fire was already out when he arrived.
“The fire was very obviously set,” he said. “There was a strong odor around the house that could have been gas or diesel fuel. It is hard to tell.”
Muncie said that he took pictures of the fire damage and cleared the smoke out of the home.
“The house being made of stucco saved it. The garage door was real heavy wood and it sustained minor damage,” he said. “There were places in the stucco where the foam behind it was beginning to melt.”
Muncie said he called Kentucky State Police Arson Investigator Patrick Alford who came to the scene early Monday. He took samples of the path of the fire and said it could be one day to six months before he knows for sure what ignited the fire.
“To do something like this when there is nobody home is bad enough. But it is really bad when there are people in the home and somebody tries to burn it down,” Muncie said.

Three men plead guilty to burglary
By Rhonda Smyth, CV&T News Editor

Three men charged with burglarizing the homes of Irvine Police Officer Adrian McKinney and his mother-in-law in December entered guilty pleas in Estill Circuit Court last Friday.
Edward Hall and Travis Jewell were originally charged with two counts of second degree burglary and one count of theft by unlawful taking for breaking into the two residences and removing several items. As a condition of their plea agreement the second degree burglary charges were amended to third degree burglary.
The commonwealth recommended five years each on the two burglary charges to run consecutively and five years on the theft charge to run concurrently for a total of 10 years for each defendant.
Commonwealth Attorney Heather Combs said the burglary victims had agreed to the plea arrangement and the amount of years on the sentence. Formal sentencing will be July 25.
A third man charged in the case, Lee Hall, received the same sentence but because he didn’t actually enter the residences, his sentence was probated for five years. If he doesn’t follow all the conditions of his probation, he will also be required to serve 10 years.
Also on Friday’s docket was accused murderer Bruce Hartley. He is charged with the murder of Angel Riddell on Jan. 5 and was ruled competent to stand trial which is scheduled to begin Aug.1.
Philip L. Abney, charged with tampering with physical evidence, hindering prosecution and complicity to robbery in the Riddell case was remanded to custody. Abney had been on monitored conditional release since shortly after his arrest. He was remanded to custody Friday for submitting a dilluted urine sample for a drug test. This violates the condition of his release. He will remain in custody until his trial.
Other cases on Friday’s docket handled by Judge Tom Jones were:
•Katherine M. Abney, 30, who is charged with four counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument, failed a court mandated drug test when she tested positive for marijuana and methadone. Jones revoked her bond and remanded her to custody to await trial.
•Christopher Riddell, 34, stipulated to using methadone, a violation of his pre-trial diversion. The commonwealth recommended a sentence of five years and formal sentencing will be Aug. 8.
•A bond hearing is set for July 25 for Marvin Lewis who is in custody awaiting trial on two counts of theft by deception over $300 including cold checks.
•Orville Wasson pleaded guilty to second degree burglary, forced entry and the commonwealth recommended an unlawful transaction with a minor charge be dismissed. Jones ruled Wasson is to stay in custody until he is sentenced on Aug. 22.
•Michael J. Hatton, 28, pleaded guilty to theft by unlawful taking. A pre-sentence investigation was ordered and he will be sentenced on Aug. 22.
•Jones ordered Mary E. Riddell be placed on the fugitive docket. She is charged with theft by unlawful taking.
•Billy Norton, 23, pleaded guilty to second degree trafficking in a controlled substance. He will be sentenced on Aug. 22.
•Christopher Sizemore entered an Alford Plea to facilitation to receiving stolen property. He was sentenced to 12 months.
•Michael Sizemore, 25, pleaded guilty to receiving stolen property. The commonwealth recommended diversion to which the Judge agreed.
Motions for bond reductions were denied for Johnny Abney, Anthony Clay Brooks and Tim Henry.

Kids parade will kick off Railroad Festival
By Rhonda Smyth, CV&T News Editor

The railroad is a big part of Estill County and the City of Ravenna is planning a celebration in honor of the railroad for the first weekend of August.
The first annual Railroad Festival will be an event of Aug. 2-3 on Main Street in Ravenna. It will kick-off on Saturday at 10 a.m. with a Kids Mini Parade. Children 12 and under can walk, ride bicycles, tricycles, pedal cars, battery operated power-wheels, wagons and other kids’ riding toys. It will begin at Seventh Street and end at Fifth Street. Gasoline powered vehicles such as four-wheelers, motorcycles and lawn mowers are prohibited. Call city hall at 723-3332 to register your child so organizers will have an idea of how many will participate. There is no charge to register.
A railroader’s reunion hall and model train display will be in the youth center. A CSX Operation Lifesaver will be located in the grass lot where the old railroad depot was. The LocoMagic trains will be on display throughout the festival grounds.
There will be informational and craft booths set up on Main Street and entertainment all day for the two days in the Ravenna Veteran’s Memorial Park.
The schedule of events for Saturday include:
•1 p.m.-Dedication of the railroad mural on the side of city hall;
•2 p.m.-Senior Sounds, a band that plays old country music;
•3 p.m. South Bound Highway, a Bluegrass band;
•5 p.m. Tripping Scarlet, a band that plays 90s and modern rock music;
•7 p.m. the Richard McHargue Cloggers.
On Sunday booths will be open and an afternoon of gospel music is planned.
•2 p.m. Matthew and Rosemary Watson;
•3 p.m. Liberty Zion
•4 p.m. Jessica Mullins
•5 p.m. Emmanuel Baptist Kids Choir
The entertainment schedule also includes times for open-mic performances so the council invites everybody to bring their guitars and fine-tune their voices and perform.
Food vendors will be set up inside the park along the fence. They include Jake’s Lemonade, Ear-Resistible, Kiwanis Club, Boo-Boo’s Concessions, RTD Concessions, A&A Concessions and Alma Jones.
Booths along Main Street are D.Horn Woodworking, Ravenna Chuch of the Nazarene, Estill Bicentennial Committee, Not of this World Creations, Estill Arts Council, Hollow Tree Crafts, Elizabeth Isaacs, L&L Sales, George Boutilier, Pat’s Purses, ARTGECO Airbrush, The Gift Shack, Wanda Frazier, Victory Wood Products, PADD, Terry Williams, Estill County Historical Society and Isaacs Partytime Rentals.
The Little Smiling Choo-choo will be giving free rides.
“People can park free at Kiwanis Park and then ride the choo-choo to the festival,” City Clerk Kim Parks said.
And that’s not all. There will also be a car show in Fred Arthur’s fenced in lot sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans.
Main Street in Ravenna will be closed beginning Friday at 5 p.m. and will remain closed until Sunday at 6 p.m. Elm and Poplar Streets will be one way for normal traffic. Trucks and through traffic will be routed to Kirkland Avenue (Old Pike). Signs will be posted.
Parks reminds everyone that events are still being added.
“I have verbal commitments from other vendors and we continue to add events as they become available,” Parks said. “We hope everybody comes out to help us celebrate the railroad.”