www.middlesborodailynews.com Saturday, December 17, 2011 Serving the Tri-State community Printed on 100% Recycled Newsprint 14 Pages, 50¢ YOUR COMMUNITY Homecoming: Griffey pleads not guilty to Mountain Warriors child molestation charges back in Bell County PINEVILLE – Jason Griffey, 28 of ANTHONY CLOUD Middlesboro, officially Staff Writer pleaded not guilty in his formal arraignment MIDDLESBORO — Friday morning. Friends and family Griffey’s pre-trial con- crowded in front of Binghamtown Baptist ference date is set for Church in anticipation to January 30, 2012 at 9 a.m. see their loved ones for His bond remains the the first time in seven same at $500,000. months. Then the sound Griffey was indicted on of sirens rang through 11 counts of sodomy in the air as the the first degree, seven Middlesboro police and counts of sexual abuse in fire department escorted the first degree, and nine the troops to the church. counts of criminal attempt American flags held to commit sexual abuse in by family and friends waved through the air as the first degree. His vic- troops made their way tims were under 12 years off the charter bus. The of age. 149th National Guard Griffey remains in cus- unit, nicknamed “The tody at the Bell County Mountain Warriors”, had Detention Center. finally returned home. An arrest or indictment It was the first time is an accusation only. the troops has seen their Those arrested or indicted families since they are considered innocent deployed on June 4. The unless proven guilty in a group served for seven ANTHONY CLOUD| Middlesboro Daily News months and 12 days. court of law. The ultimate mission Maiden of of the 149th unit was to ‘Taylor 4’ turn Iraq back over to the Iraqi soldiers. They receives no escorted supply convoys across Iraq and returned bond around 80 million dollars worth of equipment after PINEVILLE — crossing the Kuwait bor- Circuit Court Judge der, losing no soldier in Robert Costanzo ruled the process. All of the bases were early Friday that Candy shut down and turned Maiden, 28 of Frakes, over to the Iraqis at the would receive no bond. end of service. The prosecutors and After arriving, the sol- RAY WELCH| Middlesboro Daily News the defense met earlier in diers made their way into ANTHONY CLOUD| Middlesboro Daily News the month for a bond hear- the church with their ing. Costanzo listened to family and friends. both sides before making Mayor Bill Kelley spoke his decision. briefly to the soldiers, Maiden is one of four and welcomed them back home. people charged in the “These men are murder of 91-year-old heroes,” stated Kelley as William Taylor. he stood in front of the 1880 gold troops. A couple other offi- coin turns cers spoke to the soldiers up in telling them to enjoy their time off and how Salvation proud they were to serve next to their brothers in Army kettle arms. Sergeant First Class CYNTHIANA, Ky. Mario Cima ended the (AP) — The Salvation gathering in fitting fash- Army is hoping to turn a ion, announcing that the soldiers were “dis- $10 gold piece dropped missed.” into one of its red collec- Anthony Cloud is a staff tion kettles into a larger writer for the Middlesboro sum with an auction that Daily News. Contact him starts the bidding at via e-mail at $800. acloud@heartlandpublica- The 1880 coin was tions.com. RAY WELCH| Middlesboro Daily News placed into a kettle at the Cynthiana Wal-Mart this month and went unno- Ky. preparing to release nearly 1,000 inmates ticed until a bank teller spotted it, John Hodge, FRANKFORT, Ky. helps inmates find jobs they have no transition." chairman of the service considered maximum released, said it is (AP) — Kentucky is and housing after leav- There will be 996 security prisoners. unit of the Harrison important to have transi- preparing to release ing prison, in an attempt inmates released next The state has hired tion services to help County chapter of the nearly 1,000 inmates to reduce recidivism month, but Brown said about 90 new workers in Salvation Army, told the early as part an overhaul (http://cjky.it/rwbaWZ). he expects about 3,000 probation and parole to people adjust to life out- Lexington Herald- of the corrections It also will trim the to be released under the accommodate the side prison. Leader. department that state Department of program throughout increased number of "There are huge hur- Hodge says he thinks lawmakers passed earli- Corrections budget by 2012. inmates going into dles," Hascal said. "Our the coin wasn't given by er this year. about $40 million next Most of the inmates supervision. goal is to help people Inmates who are year. were convicted of Class "We delayed the mistake but deliberately have a healthy, drug- donated by someone within six months of They were "going D felonies, which are the implementation of this and alcohol-free place to who doesn't want to be being released will be let from the most super- lowest level and include particular piece long identified. go on Jan. 3 and put vised place they could robbery, burglary and enough to have the live," she said. Similar stories have under supervision by the be in to basically open- some drug offenses. infrastructure in place," In addition, she said Probation and Parole ing the door and saying: Several inmates are Brown said. been reported in Kansas, staff at The Brady Department. 'Good luck,' " Brown not eligible for the pro- Karyn Hascal with Center can help released Maryland and Justice Cabinet said. "Some would suc- gram, including those The Healing Place, a Tennessee. Secretary J. Michael ceed on their own ... but convicted of Class A nonprofit agency that inmates come up with a Brown told The Courier- we know that many felonies, which is the operates a center to help plan to find employment Journal that the program won't succeed because highest level, and those inmates who have been and live independently. www.middlesborodailynews.com PAGE 2 THE DAILY NEWS |SATURDAY | DECEMBER 17, 2011 Today's Weather TODAY IN BRIEF Local 5-Day Forecast Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed — National News — 12/17 12/18 12/19 12/20 12/21 'Barefoot Bandit' cases against Harris-Moore in three gets more than 7 Washington counties. He has already pleaded guilty to federal charges in years for spree Seattle and will be sentenced for those crimes early next year, but the sentence is 52/30 55/33 60/44 57/45 59/36 COUPEVILLE, Wash. (AP) — The expected to be shorter than his state term. Clouds giving way to Sunny. Highs in the Considerable cloudi- Showers possible. Few showers. Highs youthful thief who rocketed to interna- Harris-Moore faced a sentencing sun . Highs in the mid 50s and lows in ness. Highs in the Highs in the upper in the upper 50s and tional notoriety as the "Barefoot Bandit" range of just over seven years to just low 50s and lows in the low 30s. low 60s and lows in 50s and lows in the lows in the mid 30s. while he evaded police in pilfered cars, under 10 years. the low 30s. the mid 40s. mid 40s. boats and planes during a two-year crime "Colton's very pleased," said his attor- spree was sentenced Friday to more than ney John Henry Browne. "He was Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset seven years in a Washington state prison expecting the worst." 7:41 AM 5:21 PM 7:42 AM 5:21 PM 7:42 AM 5:22 PM 7:43 AM 5:22 PM 7:43 AM 5:23 PM after pleading guilty to dozens of Wearing handcuffs and an orange jail uniform, Colton Harris-Moore spoke charges. softly in court while entering his pleas. Colton Harris-Moore, now 20, In a statement provided to the judge, showed no reaction as the sentence was he said his childhood was one he would- delivered by a judge who took pity on his n't wish on his "darkest enemies." bleak upbringing at the hands of an alco- Still, he said he takes responsibility for holic mother and a series of her convict the crime spree that brought him interna- Kentucky At A Glance boyfriends — a situation she described as tional notoriety, and said he learned only a "mind-numbing absence of hope." too late of the fear he was instilling in his "This case is a tragedy in many ways, victims. but it's a triumph of the human spirit in Harris-Moore said he studied manuals other ways," Island County Judge Vickie and online videos to teach himself to be a Louisville Churchill said. "I could have been read- pilot, and the thrills he experienced while 46/32 ing about the history of a mass murderer. flying stolen planes renewed his passion Frankfort I could have been reading about a drug for life and will help him rehabilitate 45/28 abusive, alcoholic young man. That is the while in prison. triumph of Colton Harris-Moore: He has "The euphoria of the countdown to survived." takeoff and the realization of a dream was Lexington Harris-Moore's daring run from the nearly blinding," he wrote of his first Paducah 43/29 law earned him international fame and a illicit flight on Nov. 11, 2008. "My first movie deal to help repay his victims after thought after takeoff was 'Oh my God, 48/32 he flew a stolen plane from Indiana to the I'm flying.' I had waited my entire life for Bowling Green Bahamas in July 2010, crash-landed it that moment." 49/31 near a mangrove swamp and was arrest- He said he'll use his prison time to ed by Bahamian authorities in a hail of study and get ready to apply to college, bullets.