News news 2008-08-03 Andanh.com

Food and fun at yearly fire fair Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:27:50 -0500
The annual fair to support the Browning Volunteer Fire Department drew several hundred people on Saturday to relax, eat, chat with old friends and watch their children play.

Schools struggle with rise in rolls Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:27:51 -0500
Greenwood High School was built for a capacity of 1,300 students. Yet, over the years, enrollment has increased. Last school year, the school hosted 1,500 students; this year, it is expected to hit record enrollment with 1,700 students on the first day of school.

Mileage rates getting blamed for cab closing Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:27:52 -0500
A week after Yellow Cab closed its Bowling Green operation, the exact reason for its collapse is still unknown, but another cab company owner and officials with agencies that pay taxi services for hauling patients indicate that state-controlled mileage calculations may have played a role.

Two new options available following Yellow Cab closing Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:27:52 -0500
Those who depended on Yellow Cab to get around Bowling Green do have a couple of new options, though both are limited - one by location and time, and one by price.

Elderly need to prepare for nearing switch to digital TV Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:27:52 -0500
Residents of southcentral Kentucky need to make plans now for television broadcasting’s switch from analog to digital, according to an advocate for the elderly.

Police urging safety around buses as school season returns Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:27:53 -0500
With the start of school just days away, law enforcement and prosecutors are hoping that drivers remember safety around school buses.

Seniors feeling pinch of struggling economy Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:27:53 -0500
Many people are challenged in many ways by a slow economy, but area seniors are facing challenges controlling mounting expenses that are especially unique.

Warren hosts Back-to-School Bash for parents and children Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:27:54 -0500
Photos by David W. Smith, The Daily News

Indictments: BG man faces four counts of sodomy Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:27:54 -0500
A Bowling Green man was indicted Wednesday for allegedly sodomizing a child over several years.

Reasonable Doubt: Living right in Bowling Green Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:26:18 -0500
As you read this, I’ll be lugging boxes of books, stacks of CDs and then some more books up a flight of stairs. I’m moving to a new apartment, which got me thinking about the many other places I’ve lived around Bowling Green, and the points they had in common. Mostly bad. My family moved every couple of years when I was a kid, on average, so I’m used to carting all my stuff around. My parents usually seemed to move on the coldest day of the year, while on my own it always seems to be muggy midsummer. This time I wanted to get something before the big college-student rush, which I beat by a week or two, though some are already trickling back. Though I’ve usually shared space with roommates, I wanted a quiet place of my own, so I searched the want ads and drove around looking for yard signs. In all I checked out about two dozen places. I was surprised by how many landlords didn’t even return calls. More than half the people for whom I left messages never called back, or did so only days later. Yet judging by the continued ads and signs in front of buildings, they’re still available. Here’s a hint, guys: If you’d answer your phone once in a while, you might have those places rented by now. In the end, I wound up with the same landlords I’ve got now. They had a very nice place that saves money, but still gives me another room for an office. It’s a better deal than I found from anything else advertised. I have had extensive experience with local apartment living, in a city where the majority of residents - 53 percent, according to the last census figures - rent rather than own. While there are certainly some nice places out there, I’ve lived in some appallingly bad places, and so have most of the people I know. Not counting four of Western’s dorms - where I was once bitten by a brown recluse spider, by the way - I’ve lived in an even dozen places around Bowling Green over 14 years. None of those apartments were large, professionally run complexes. Some were built as small apartment buildings, but most were just old houses chopped up into units, with a little extra amateur plumbing. Several of those places are now demolished, and deservedly so - from my first place, a half-duplex with no locks on the doors, to the place where the common entertainment was to make a Lysol blowtorch with a lighter and flame cockroaches off the walls. Turn out the lights for two minutes, and dozens would emerge. Among my friends are guys who were deluged with rainwater on the second floor of a three-story building. Elsewhere, several of us kept getting uninvited 2 a.m. guests because druggies couldn’t tell the difference between our kitchen and the crack house in the back yard. Out of all that experience, I’d call four of my landlords good. That includes the current ones, obviously, since I’m staying with them; an older man whose apartments were both a busywork job and retirement investment; an elderly lady who lived in the same house and rented out rooms; and a guy whose amazingly stoned son collected rent when tenants reminded him to. He’d come down long enough to keep things in repair, but I’ve also dealt with various drug-addled property managers who couldn’t be counted on to keep their hands off my deposit, fix anything that broke, or even remember that I’d asked. At least one landlord grinningly denied I’d ever paid a deposit. I couldn’t prove it. He was an ol’ buddy of my dad, so he’d assured me that I didn’t even need to sign a lease since we were all friends, right? He gave such a friendly laugh as he walked off with my money in his pocket. I’ve also rented two places in Louisville. One was a nice place with a bad roommate, which was my problem, not the landlord’s; the other was in a sketchy area where my car got stolen and upstairs neighbor was murdered at home. Then there were two apartments in Florida, both good. On the whole, that’s three out of four good apartments elsewhere. It’s not like I’m being particularly picky. Old houses make fine apartments - if properly maintained. All I ask is that problems be fixed when that’s needed, and that my landlord not actually steal money or belongings from me. Yet in Bowling Green, my personal experiences are the reverse of what they’ve been elsewhere. That’s not much of a record. If you went to a restaurant a dozen times, and only got three edible meals, would you go back? Renters can’t expect palaces on small budgets, certainly. But property owners have no excuse to not look at their apartments and ask themselves, “Would I live here? For any price?” My current landlords can do that - years ago, they lived in my new building themselves. It’s still nice. Yes, tenants need to be responsible, too, and should be held to account for any damage they do. But tenants move on, while apartments stay to become an open sore in a neighborhood. When one runs down, those around it tend to follow. Many of the problems I’ve seen, or that show up on the outside of houses, can only be the result of long-term neglect, not a single bad or destructive tenant. Among the worst, the common owners’ excuse seems to be a question: Why bother to fix up a place if it’s just going to be rented by more irresponsible kids who will trash it again? It gets expensive. So it does, but that’s all a neglected apartment will attract. Among all the tenants I know, the response is also a question: If we’re paying through the nose for a dump in the first place, why should we take better care of it than the landlord has?

Joseph A. Burks Sr. Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:29:10 -0500
HORSE CAVE — Joseph A. Burks Sr., 73, of Horse Cave died Aug. 1, 2008, at T.J. Samson Community Hospital in Glasgow. The Horse Cave native had an extraordinary basketball career in high school and college. He helped lead the Caverna High School team to third place in the state tournament during his 1953 senior year. He played basketball at Middle Tennessee College, graduating in 1958. He retired after 33 years as a teacher and coach in the Hart County School System. He was an original board member of LifeSkills, a Mason and a member of Horse Cave Christian Church. He was a son of the late Joseph G. Burks and Elizabeth Downing Burks. Funeral will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Horse Cave Christian Church, with burial in Horse Cave Municipal Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Winn Funeral Home and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday at the church. Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Horse Cave Christian Church, P.O. Box 35, Horse Cave, KY 42749; or to the Joseph A. Burks Sr. Scholarship Fund, c/o the College Heights Foundation, 1 Big Red Way, Bowling Green, KY 42101. Survivors include his wife, Linda S. Burks; a son, Joseph A Burks Jr. of Lexington; a daughter, Laura Burks of Horse Cave; a brother, James Wilson “Teeny” Burks and his wife, Anne, of Brentwood, Tenn.; and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and former students.

Darrell W. Cox Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:29:11 -0500
Darrell Wayne Cox, 52, died Aug. 2, 2008, at his Bowling Green home. The Warren County native was an employee of Gary Force Body Shop for more than 30 years, a loving husband and father, and an avid gardener. He was a member of Hillvue Heights Baptist Church. He was a son of the late John Henry Cox and Martyne Payne Cox. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Johnny and Freddie Cox; a sister, Charlene Kingsley; his father-in-law, Gary Davidson; and his sister-in-law, Louise Wells. Funeral is at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Hillvue Heights Baptist Church, with burial in Bowling Green Gardens. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Johnson-Vaughn-Phelps Funeral Home and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the church. Words of condolence may be sent to jvpfh@bellsouth.net. Survivors include his wife, Barbara Davidson Cox; a son, Durham Cox of Bowling Green; his mother-in-law, Rosalie Davidson of Bowling Green; a brother, Charles “Red” Cox and his wife, Becky, of Bowling Green; four sisters-in-law, Pat Cox of Morgantown, Sharon Cline, Cathy White and Bridget Evans and her husband, Shane, all of Bowling Green; and several nieces and nephews.

Robert L. DeWeese Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:29:11 -0500
MORGANTOWN — Robert L. DeWeese, 62, of Roundhill died at 3:59 p.m. July 31, 2008, at Commonwealth Regional Specialty Hospital in Bowling Green. The Butler County native was a son of the late Clyde E. DeWeese and Edna M. Reynolds-DeWeese. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Frances DeWeese; and several brothers and sisters. Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Jones Funeral Chapel, with burial in DeWeese Cemetery. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and begins at 8 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Online condolences may be made at www.jonesfuneralchapel.com. Survivors include his wife, Nancy Hayse DeWeese; a daughter, Tina Embry of Leitchfield; three sons, Charles Cook of Roundhill, Ricky Cook of Louisville and Rodger Cook of Brownsville; a brother, Frank DeWeese of Beattyville; a sister, Eunia Mae Phelps of Morgantown; a baby girl, Joanna Hudspeth of Roundhill; and several nieces and nephews.

Robert H. Preston Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:29:12 -0500
Robert H. “Chief” Preston, 89, died at his Bowling Green home at 10:33 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008. He was retired from the U.S. Navy and was director of member relations for the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. He was a proud veteran of World War II and the Korean War. He loved people, was usually heard before he was seen, and never met a stranger. He enjoyed playing cards, golf and traveling in his motor home. He was a son of the late Harry Irving Preston and Mary Jean Stafford. Funeral is at 11 a.m. Tuesday at J.C. Kirby & Son, Funeral Home, Lovers Lane chapel, with burial in Fairview Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Online condolences may be made at www.jckirbyandson.com. Survivors include four sons, David Robert Preston and his wife, Laura, of Marathon Key, Fla., Dean Alan Preston and his wife, Donna, of Shelbyville, Greg Preston and his wife, Teddi, of Bowling Green and Robert Karl Preston of Louisville; a daughter, Edie Jones and her husband, Johnny, of Bowling Green; six grandchildren, Casey Preston, Leslie Preston, Greg Preston Jr., Tyler Preston, Taylor Jones and Preston Jones; three great-grandchildren; and three nieces.

Frances H. Wilkerson Sat, 2 Aug 2008 21:29:12 -0500
MUNFORDVILLE — Frances Hamburg Wilkerson, 82, of Munfordville died at 4:55 a.m. August 1, 2008, at a Horse Cave nursing home. The Hart County native was born June 7, 1926. She was a homemaker and a member of Concord Baptist Church. She was a daughter of the late Guy Hamburg and Drucilla Bryant Hamburg. She was preceded in death a son, Danny Ray Wilkerson; a sister, Dorothy Darst; and a brother, Houston Hamburg. Funeral is at 2 p.m. today at Brooks Funeral Home, with burial in Concord Cemetery. Visitation begins at 9 a.m. today at the funeral home. Online condolences may be made at www.brooksfuneralhomeky.com. Survivors include a daughter, Sue Snawder of Shepherdsville; two sons, Greg Wilkerson of Rowlette and Michael Kelly Wilkerson of Munfordville; two sisters, Gladys Crump of Munfordville and Betty Jean Fleener of Horse Cave; 12 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

Woman in Middletown accident died of blunt-force injuries Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:16:00 EST
An 82-year-old woman killed in a traffic accident in Middletown Saturday morning died of multiple blunt-force injuries, according to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office.

Man burned in LaRue Co. fire, explosion Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:30:00 EST
Kentucky State Police said components commonly used to make methamphetamine were found in the apartment where the fire began.

Death of elderly man assaulted in home ruled homicide Sun, 03 Aug 2008 16:08:00 EST
An 88-year-old Louisville man has died at University Hospital after he was assaulted in his Winkler Avenue home last month, and his death is being considered a homicide.

Fatally shot driver was celebrating birthday Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:27:00 EST
A 31-year-old Louisville man out celebrating his birthday with friends has been identified as the victim of a fatal shooting Sunday morning near the Clark Memorial Bridge.

Louisville man identified as victim of party stabbing Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:04:00 EST
A 35-year-old Louisville man has been identified as the victim of a fatal stabbing outside his cousin's Sweet 16 birthday party on Mellwood Avenue.

Scorching heat by Tuesday to give way to storms Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:57:00 EST
If the weekend's hot weather didn't have you sweating, tomorrow likely will.

Mayor to aid green effort by driving a hybrid SUV Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:24:00 EST
Saying he wants to "set the tone" in promoting the city's energy-conservation efforts, Mayor Jerry Abramson is trading a city-leased gas guzzler for a hybrid SUV.

Favre reinstated, will report to Packers' camp tomorrow Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:45:00 EST
Brett Favre will be reinstated and added to the Green Bay Packers' active roster tomorrow.

Cheaper diesel deal won't lower TARC fares Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:23:00 EST
The Transit Authority of River City's fuel pinch has eased a trifle, but not enough to restore planned service cuts or reduce recently raised boarding fares.

Rwandans look to Louisville for interfaith model Sun, 03 Aug 2008 11:57:00 EST
As Rwandans attempt to win the trust of people from various religions to stop ethnic violence, they're modeling their agency after Louisville's Center for Interfaith Relations.

Seneca grad Burrows finds his way to Olympics Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:14:00 EST
The note arrived at Louisville Collegiate School on July 15, e-mailed to teachers and staff from a former student. Nothing unusual there. Former students write all the time. But this was different. This particular student had been dismissed from the private school midway through his junior year. And, even more remarkable, he had just made the Olympic swim team for his home nation.

Beshear appears tough on road contract costs Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:13:00 EST
The Beshear administration is being more aggressive than its predecessor at holding the cost of highway contracts below official estimates, a Courier-Journal analysis indicates.

Ryder Cup pressure grows in final week of qualifying Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:14:00 EST
Stewart Cink knows how professional golfers like Rocco Mediate, Woody Austin, Zach Johnson, Sean O'Hair and J.B. Holmes feel heading into this week's PGA Championship.

Ky. court fees spike sharply under new deal Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:13:00 EST
Looking to get a court case expunged in Kentucky? The court fee just shot up to $100 from $25. And you better bring extra money to the courthouse if you want to file a lawsuit -- which increased $35 -- or post a bond for somebody, because the bond filing fee jumped more than sixfold, to $25 from $4.

Reinventing herself Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:14:00 EST
Former WHAS-TV anchor Jean West is returning to television tomorrow and going back to the kind of reporting that first brought her to Louisville 23 years ago.

TARC struggles to meet demands Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:00:00 EST
Rising gas prices have resulted in more riders boarding Louisville buses and passengers are clamoring for better service.

Teen's fiancee says he's a hero Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:43:00 EST
Ryan Dahn, whose body was found two days after he disappeared in the Ohio River, died a hero, his fiancee said. "I just want him to be recognized for what he did," Christa Alford said yesterday -- hours after his body had been found -- as she sat on the front porch of her family's home on West Howard Avenue in Clarksville.

Inside Celie's skin Thu, 31 Jul 2008 03:08:00 EST
Celie, the essential character of the Broadway musical "The Color Purple," is almost never off-stage. "It's the role of a lifetime," said LaTonya Holmes, who will play Celie this week at the Kentucky Center in the national tour.

The revolving door of Big East coaches Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:59:00 EST
First, they win. Then they flee. I'm talking about the best and brightest football coaches in the Big East Conference. When everybody gathered for the league's media day on Tuesday in Newport, R.I., the Big East arranged for a podium, a clambake and a revolving door.

Auto sales running on empty Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:31:00 EST
Bruce Wunderlich sees the results of the seismic shifts in the U.S. auto market every Thursday morning. As the ear-splitting shouts of auctioneers reverberate inside Manheim's Louisville Auto Auction in Jeffersonville, Ind., gently used trucks and sport utility vehicles roll through the lanes to command a fraction of their former value.

Democrats, GOP face off at Fancy Farm Sun, 03 Aug 2008 03:03:00 EST
Kentucky's U.S. Senate race was the focus at Fancy Farm 2008. Video: McConnell vs. Lunsford Joe Gerth asks: Where have all the great political orators gone?

Kentucky Bluegrass Festival draws fans to Louisville Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:32:00 EST
The music was cooking and the fans were baking on the Belvedere downtown yesterday while the Kentucky Bluegrass Music Festival welcomed some young newcomers into the fold.

Gas prices affect community college attendance Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:52:00 EST
While Exxon Mobil was smugly announcing the largest quarterly profit in U.S. history, $11.7 billion, Wheeler Conover, dean of academic affairs at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Cumberland, was wondering how to prevent high gasoline prices from wrecking enrollment among a student body of 3,900 commuters.

United Methodists assign Ky. leader Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:00:00 EST
Kentucky's United Methodists are getting a new leader from Atlanta, one who's overseen something most of the denomination hasn't experienced: a growth in membership.

McConnell mum on tobacco bill Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:58:00 EST
The issue of federal regulation of tobacco now sits with the Senate, and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will play a key role in what happens next. The Kentucky Republican has until at least Sept. 8 to ponder his options. That's when Congress returns from the August recess it began Friday.

Reunions Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:48:00 EST

Meetings Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:48:00 EST

New Albany eyes smoke ban Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:14:00 EST
As they left Lancaster's Cafeteria in New Albany last week, Wanda and Joe Ruttle talked about a proposal to ban smoking in restaurants and bars in the city.

Madison Railroad on right track Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:05:00 EST
A few manufacturers rely on the Madison Railroad. A few more than a few seems possible. Noticed the price of truck fuel? If not ideal for many industries, Madison Railroad offers an option.

Ivy Tech's student numbers rising swiftly on rise Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:07:00 EST
Ivy Tech Community College held the school's first ever Saturday orientation and registration session yesterday and signed up about 150 people to be part of what is expected to be a record number of new students when the fall semester begins later this month.

Gubernatorial campaigns look ahead Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:03:00 EST
Finally, we're getting to the point in the governor's race when the campaigns will start focusing on the future. Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels has spent millions of dollars this year telling Hoosiers about what he believes are the highlights of his first term.

Around Indiana Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:11:00 EST

Wet, windy and wild Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:52:00 EST
Chicagoans are a little like Northern Europeans: After the snow melts and the sun comes out, they go outside and stay there all summer. That's a visitor's impression, anyway, on a sunny summer day, when swarms of bikers, in-line skaters, joggers, volleyball players and swimmers hit the shore, taking advantage of the city's splendid bike path along the lake and, of course, its beaches.

Not just a pretty face Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:11:00 EST
Most models-turned-moguls go into some sort of fashion-related business because it is what they know best, but others are successful businesswomen who have parlayed their looks into careers that show off that other important asset — their wits. A glimpse at some models proving a head for business.

Want to be on the C-J's Teen Round Table? Thu, 31 Jul 2008 02:54:00 EST
Tired of other people speaking for you? Want to express your own opinions about what's going on in your community, your country, your world? Apply for the 2008-09 Courier-Journal High School Round Table.

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