THE TRIMBLE BANNER TIME MACHINE

JANUARY

Milton’s Masons and Lions members celebrated the grand re-opening of their new shared clubhouse. The Lions Club invited the Masonic Lodge No. 947 to share its space, allowing the Masons to build their own meeting room onto the existing building.
The Masons also paid for renovations to the building, including making the restrooms handicapped accessible.
The project cost about $35,000.

J.W. Sachleben retired after seven years as a member of the Trimble County Board of Education. Sachleben spent 33 years in education, first as a teacher from 1966-70, then serving as principal of Milton Elementary School from 1971-83, when he became superintendent of the district.
He retired from that position in 1996.

FEBRUARY

The Trimble County High School academic team took its seventh-straight district title. The quick recall team was paced by senior Jacob Mejean, who earned 17 points. Senior Zach Taylor served as team captain and scored 12 points. Freshman James Line scored 11, while sophomore Hunter Consley added three. Later in the month, the team went on to win the Governor’s Cup, beating out the top schools in the 8th Region.

It was a snowy month for Trimble County, starting with a warm-up of 3 inches that fell on Feb. 5. That was followed by another storm that dumped another 8 inches on the area on Feb. 9.
But, Mother Nature wasn’t done yet; Feb. 15 brought a near-blizzard storm that dumped an additional 9 inches. The series of storms closed schools and county offices.

MARCH

Former Trimble County High School teacher Kirk G. Chism was sentenced to serve one year in jail with five years’ conditional discharge after being convicted on three counts of first-degree sexual assault, a Class D felony. The conviction was based on an illicit relationship Chism had with a 17-year-old female TCHS student. The affair cost him his teaching job and an opportunity to coach the TCHS football team, a position he had been given just prior to his indictment.
Chism also faced similar charges in Indiana, because he had had sex with the juvenile in Madison, where he was a resident.

A series of daytime burglaries shook residents in more-remote areas of this rural county for several weeks. The first two occurred at the end of February; five more were reported on March 16 – including a break-in at Milton Municipal Building.
As that spree continued, thieves also targeted copper wiring at Nugent Sand in Carroll County, damaging conveyors and halting a portion of the company’s operations.
The crimes are still under investigation here and in Indiana, where it’s possible some of those involved in the home invasions may be from.
All-day kindergarten was given the green light, to the delight of parents, by the Trimble County Board of Education at its March 17 meeting.

The month ended with the tragic shooting death of Amanda Ralston, 19, of Bedford. Ralston died March 29 of a gunshot wound at the home of her boyfriend, Jeffrey Wright, on Cedar Hills Road.
Kentucky State Police detectives determined the fatal shot was self-inflicted. Both Wright and Ralston were members of the Bedford Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department.

APRIL

Fire destroyed a trailer on Coopers Bottom Road in Milton on April 1, displacing Brittney Gribbins and her husband, Steven, who at the time were expecting their first child.

Burglars continued to maraude Trimble County residents, striking a second time at a Milton-Bedford Pike residence that they had broken into weeks earlier. Deputies also were called to a break-in April 1 at Apple Tree Studio, where $100 and personal checks were found missing.
Later in the month, thieves also broke into vending machines in downtown Milton and New Castle, Ky., and an armed man robbed a clerk at the Discount Tobacco store in Milton.
The tobacco store robbery was believed to be unrelated to the burglaries.

A Milton man was charged with attempted murder after firing shots at a neighbor’s house on Greenbriar Road. Kenneth J. Boehnlein Jr. was facing three counts of the charge. Police said the shooting was the result of a long-standing feud between the two. Later in 2010, Boehnlein died from natural causes before the case could proceed through the court system.

Carl Allen, a former teacher and principal at Milton Elementary School, was thrown a birthday party at Trimble County Senior Center to celebrate his 100th birthday. Joining in the festivities was his wife Ila. The couple has been married nearly 72 years.

MAY

The Primary Election dominated the month, bringing an end May 18 to two hotly contentious county races. County Judge-Executive Randy Stevens won the Democratic nomination and, in effect, retained his office after a tough campaign against challenger Scott Burrows.
Sheriff Tim Coons also weathered the storm, beating out three challengers – former KSP Trooper Chip Perry, Richey Dunlap and Paul Poe. Jailer Bobby Temple also retained his office.
Magistrates Nolan Hamilton Jr., David Scott and Stephen Stark won the Democratic primary as well. Incumbent Kirby Melvin beat two challengers, Elizabeth “Betty” Bray and Kerry Callis. Melvin later would beat Callis, who campaigned again for magistrate, this time as a write-in candidate, in the Nov. 2 General Election.

JUNE

The Kentucky General Assembly approved a $4.45 billion two-year road plan that included $62.5 million for the state’s share of replacing the Milton-Madison Bridge. The measure allowed the project team to start the bid process and get the project rolling.

A Bedford man drowned in a boating accident near Lock 1 of the Kentucky River in Carrollton. Jeffrey O’Neal, 27, died after the boat he and friend Neal Smith were fishing in began to take on water near the dam.

Trimble County High School graduated 94 seniors during commencement June 6. Hannah Hudson gave the address to her fellow graduates in the Class of 2010.

New charges were brought against a Trimble County man, who was arrested in 2009 for allegedly raping a minor in his care. KSP detectives served Marion “Frank” McCane with 19 sex-related charges, ranging from first-degree rape to second-degree sodomy, stemming from the continued investigation. The case is scheduled for a jury trial Monday, Jan. 10.

Trimble County’s third annual Relay for Life generated more than $32,000 in donations to the American Cancer Society.

JULY

Jessica Ottersback, 19, of Henry County took home the crown after winning Miss Trimble County during the fair pageant. It was the first year the fair board opened the contest to nonresidents.

Sheriff Tim Coons recovered quickly after suffering a mild heart attack on July 5. The sheriff, who underwent quadruple-bypass surgery in 2008, was back to work by July 19.

The community mourned the loss of a soldier in Kandahar. U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Stout, formerly of Worthville, Ky., was the father of a Jacqueline “Jacky” Stout, 13, of Bedford.

Weeks after Milton city clerk-treasurer Shannon Hoskins took vacation time and medical leave, commissioners acted on a recommendation by Mayor Denny Jackson to  terminate her.

Despite an impassioned plea to keep her job, commissioners voted 3-1 in favor of firing her. Commissioner Steve Brierly cast the sole vote against the move. Jackson recused himself from the vote.

Later in the month, Hoskins filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against the city and the mayor, and filed a complaint with the state Department of Labor. Portions of the lawsuit since have been dismissed, but Hoskins has appealed that decision.
Hoskins claims she was fired for “blowing the whistle” and reporting wrongdoing by city officials within the municipal water department. She also claims sex discrimination and defamation of character.
Jackson said he decided to terminate her based on issues of insubordination and poor morale among other city employees stemming from Hoskins’ management style.

AUGUST

Ronnie Barnes announced his retirement as chief of the Milton Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department. He was succeeded by his assistant chief, Jason Long.

Daniel Haney, 16, was one of a select group of 60 students nationwide to attend a NASA-sponsored camp in Puerto Rico. Haney said it was a “really great stepping stone for the career I want to go into.”

All-day kindergarten received rave reviews at the beginning of the school year. Later, however, it became clear that more students had enrolled in the program at Milton Elementary School than projected.
After receiving pleas from concerned parents, the Board of Education voted to add another teacher and instructional aide to reduce class size, which, with two teachers, was hovering at 30.

Danny Hall was named Trimble County Citizen of the Year by the Bedford Rotary Club. The Milton resident was selected for the numerous activities he is involved in, including school and youth-league sports and working for his church.

The Bedford City Commission agreed to spend just under $6,000 to have new laminate flooring installed in the Morgan Community Center. The Community Center. The hardwood-like flooring replaced carpeting that was beginning to show extreme wear and tear.

SEPTEMBER

Four area fire departments were called in to battle a blaze that displaced the family of Steve and May Renfro on Richmond Road in Milton. The A-frame roof made extinguishing the smoldering fire extremely difficult for fire crews. No one was injured.

State Attorney General Jack Conway upheld a complaint that Milton Mayor Denny Jackson and city commissioners held meetings in violation of the state’s open meetings law. The complaint was filed by former clerk-treasurer Shannon Hoskins, who claimed the meetings were held without appropriate notice to the public.

Superintendent Marcia Haney Dunaway announced that she and the Board of Education were planning to work toward building new athletic facilities for Trimble County High School.
A preliminary plan unveiled in December, estimated at $2.26 million, would include new baseball and softball fields, four tennis courts and a concession stand/restroom, among other amenities. The project remains in the planning stages.

After waiting more than a year for word on a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant, trustees of the Trimble County Public Library and other state and local officials broke ground on the new facility, being built south of Bedford city limits on U.S. 42 West.
The federal CDBG was granted to the county; completion of the estimated $2 million to $2.5 million facility is later this year.

Pete Wood, who carried mail for Milton-area residents for 39 years, retired from the Milton Post Office. An open house was held in his honor.

Three Bedford residents were arrested for operating a methamphetamine lab at their home on Smith Road. Robert Lee Stivers, 37; Susie Beatrice Stivers, 38; and Melissa B. Brewer, 34, were charged with one count each of manufacturing meth, first offence.

OCTOBER

A hot, dry summer that turned into an even hotter, drier fall caused numerous field fires in the area. The largest scorched about 15 acres of hillside near Wise’s Landing, as well as acreage on farms throughout the county.
The county suffered nearly four months without a substantial rainfall and was subjected to a countywide burn ban for several weeks.

Volunteers came to the rescue of the annual Light Up Bedford holiday celebration. Bedford city commissioners were planning to scrap the event, primarily because of costs involved. The TCHS senior class and volunteers from Signature Health Care pledged to help assistant city clerk Rita Davis with getting the courthouse square ready for the Christmas event. Signature also donated $1,000 for lighting and other needs.
It was a smashing success on Dec. 3.

Also a success was a multi-agency drill centering around a ficticious hazardous materials spill on Bray Ridge Road. Ronnie McCane said the event, which also involved the state fire marshall and emergency crews from Oldham County, went smoothly and was a useful training tool.

NOVEMBER

Challenger Steve Brierly failed to take over the mayor’s office in Milton in the General Election on Nov. 3. The city commissioner lost by nearly a 3-to-1 margin. Denny Jackson was sworn in to serve his first full term at the December commission meeting.
Newcomers Cecil Robak and Tom Mahoney joined incumbents Jerry Harmon and Gerald Owen on the Milton panel.
In Bedford, all incumbents were re-elected: Mayor Russell Clifton and commissioners Harold Greene, Todd Pollock and Darrell Harmon. Frank Floyd was elected to replace Glenford Alexander, who retired this year after 17 years on the commission.

Six people were injured, two seriously, when a fracas erupted during a party at a Bedford residence. Aaron Woosley, 25, of Lancaster, Ky., was charged with six counts of first-degree assault and one count of first-degree wanton endangerment. All of the injured survived the attack.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood attended the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Milton-Madison Bridge project. He and other local and state officials from Kentucky and Indiana lauded the project, which is to be completed by September 2012. Ironically, the event was held in the Brown Gymnasium in Madison, Ind., because of heavy rains – finally breaking the region’s drought.

DECEMBER

Several hundred people attended Light Up Bedford, which included visits with Santa and a chili supper hosted by the Bedford Rotary Club.

Not to be outdone, Bedford mail carrier Bob Webb retired from his post after 32 years. He, too, was honored with an open house.

A duck-hunting trip ended in apparent tragedy, after Justin Hearn, 20, of Carroll County slipped beneath the waters of the Ohio River after a boat capsized. Hearn’s body still has not been found.

The TCHS Lady Raiders varsity basketball team earned a 2-2 record at the KSA Holiday Classic in Orlando, Fla. The team almost missed the tourney when their flight from Louisville was cancelled due to an East Coast snowstorm.