TheThe LickingLicking ValleyValley CourierCourier Morgan County’s HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER Speaking Of and For Morgan, the Bluegrass County of the Mountains Since 1910 (USPS 312-040) Morgan County Courthouse - Built 1907 Per $22.50 Year In County Volume 97 — No. 32 WEST LIBERTY, KENTUCKY 41472, THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2008 ¢ $25.00 Year In Kentucky 50 Copy $27.00 Year Outside Kentucky City Council Court adopts tax again tables amendment package, avoids to dog law By Miranda Cantrell James takeover by state The West Liberty City Coun- cil at its regular March 24 meet- Measures pass 3-2 with one abstention ing voted again to table for fur- Ordinances imposing a one county’s long-standing budget ther discussion a proposed half of one percent county pay- problems. amendment of the city’s dog law roll tax and increasing the The new taxes are expected to ordinance to impose higher fines county’s insurance premium tax generate approximately for violations. by 2.5 percent — from 2.5 to 4.5 $575,000 annually, which will Mayor Bob Nickell expressed percent — got their second read- allow the magistrates to escape a desire to repeal and update the ings Monday and were adopted incurring a deficit in the county’s current ordinance, which requires by the fiscal court on a vote of 3 current budget and allow work to police officers to impound stray to 2 with one abstention. begin on preparation of a new dogs. The two revenue-enhancing budget for 2008-2009. “This is a liability issue,” measures, which received their Judge Executive Tim Conley Nickell said. “What if someone first readings March 10, will be- said that even with the new rev- who is not trained to impound come effective on July 1. enue, next year’s budget is prob- these animals gets hurt? We also Their adoption by the court ably going to be “pretty tight” have to find a way to deal with removes the threat of impending because, he said, “we’re still the city’s stray cats, as they are litigation by the state to force the working ourselves our of a hole more apt to carry disease. I think county to take measures to get its (in the current budget) and we once we start dealing with the finances in order, and appears to don’t know yet exactly how short dog issue, we should clean up ev- have been based on the premise it will be.” Currently, the county erything else as well.” that “everybody should pay a is facing a budget deficit of Police Chief Kelse Hensley little bit” to help solve the See COURT ADOPTS Page 4 See CITY COUNCIL Page 4 Weekend tractor Hospice of the Bluegrass to accident claims life of local man offer hospice care in Wolfe By Miranda Cantrell James and Morgan counties A local man has died as a re- sult of injuries he received in a WEST LIBERTY, Ky., March reached at 743-4371 for those tractor accident at his home last 24 — Appalachian Regional services. Friday evening. Healthcare announced today that The Hospice sale will be fi- Coroner Kenny Perry said Greg Gullett, paramedic (left) and Darrell Rogers (Instructor) its Morgan County ARH Hospice nalized April 1 and will offer the Frank Elbert Gevedon, 82, of 731 program will soon be operated by highest level of quality end-of- Gevedon Branch Rd., was in his the state’s leader in hospice care. life care to terminally ill patients barn on March 21 when his trac- Local emergency personnel The ARH Board of Trustees and their families in Morgan and tor ran over him during a main- approved the sale of its Certifi- Wolfe counties, said Gavalchik. tenance procedure. cate of Need and License of its Gavalchik said there will be “It appears Mr. Gevedon was hospice program in Morgan and no change in the services offered installing a starter on his tractor,” learn rappelling techniques Wolfe counties to Hospice of the and said he expects the transition Perry said. “He was standing be- Bluegrass — the largest hospice “to be a seamless transaction tween the two tractor wheels By Miranda Cantrell James “Morgan County has several high areas,” in the state, as a way to better with quality care as always.” when he may have turned the key The Morgan County Rescue Squad hosted a Lacy said. “There is always the possibility that care for terminally ill patients, Hospice of the Bluegrass will be and started the vehicle. The trac- rappelling course for all local emergency, fire emergency personnel may need to rappel from said Morgan County ARH Com- located in the same location in tor was in gear and it ran over and law enforcement personnel at vertical rock cliffs, hills, etc. to assist fallen people, or to per- munity CEO Steve Gavalchik. West Liberty as it was when him.” cliffs overlooking the Licking River in White form auto extrications. This training teaches res- The transfer of license is for ARH provided the services and Perry said the body was dis- Oak last Saturday. cue workers how to do that safely.” the Hospice services only, can be reached at 800-560-1101. covered by Gevedon’s wife, Assistant Rescue Squad Chief Mike Lacy Course instructors included Red River Gorge Gavalchik said. Morgan County “ARH decided to offer and Bertie. said approximately 30 participants learned high Rescue Team volunteers Donnie Brown, Darrell ARH will continue to provide sell its license to Hospice of the Gevedon was pronounced and low angle rappelling techniques from a Rogers and Charles Fugate, all of Menifee Home Health services as usual Bluegrass to better serve patients dead at the scene at 7:13 p.m. His maxium height of 35 feet with rope and harness County, who demonstrated proper rope tying, at its location at 493 Main Street in Morgan and Wolfe counties obituary appears elsewhere in equipment for search and rescue missions. See RAPPELLING Page 2 in West Liberty and can be See HOSPICE Page 4 this week’s edition. Water sale stations in West Liberty and Meet the real new head coach Ezel are burglarized We’re not quite sure what to with the story, finished making one from the other. The other The water sales station oper- lay it on — getting in too big a up the page, and thought no more problem was that we forgot what ated by the West Liberty Fire De- hurry, technological ignorance, about it until sometime after we had named the file contain- partment at the old Fire House on or part-timer’s. Anyway, our noon last Thursday when Chris ing Purnell’s photo (which turned Riverside Drive was broken into apologies to MCHS athletic di- called to inform us that we had out to be “new coach - Purnell”). sometime over the past weekend. rector Chris Trusty and to our used the picture of one of the Computers, of course, do exactly Anyone that has information or new football coach at MCHS and coachs who was hired in 2007 as they are told and when we told who may haave witnessed any our readers for using the wrong and later resigned. it to locate “new coach,” it did suspicious activity in that area is photo with David Patrick’s story The main problem was that just that, referring us to the file asked to contact the West Liberty in last week’s edition introduc- we had never met either of the we had named and saved in 2007. Police Department at 606-743- ing the new coach. coaches and, thus, did not know — EWK 4385 or HYPERLINK “http:// The photo of the new coach, www.westlibertypd.com” Jake Purnell (shown at left in www.westlibertypd.com. photo at right) to accompany the New football coach feeling The water sales operated by story was e-mailed to us by Chris the Morgan County Water Dis- on Tuesday. As the sports page at home in West Liberty trict on Liberty Street in Ezel also was being put together shortly was broken into sometime Sun- before press time Wednesday By David Patrick said Purnell in reference to his day night or early Monday morn- morning, ye scribe could not lo- hometown in northeast Pennsyl- ing. The Kentucky State Police Jake Purnell and his family cate the file containing Purnell’s are anxious to make West Lib- vania. “There was a 4x4 sign that in Morehead is investigating this photo on our hard drive. No prob- read “Welcome to Barnesville” theft. erty their home. They love the lem (we thought) . just type in people, school and the “small on one side and “Thanks for Vis- the words “new coach” and uti- town” feel. But when you com- iting Barnesville” on the other. Monday deadline for lize the computer’s nifty search pare it to the place where Purnell It’s that small.” News and advertising function. grew up, West Liberty is actually Purnell may be a small town News items and advertising should guy, but he has “big time” plans be submitted for publication in The We did that and sure enough, quite large. Coach Jake Purnell, left, with Corey Legister, one of his standout up popped the file entitled “new “This place is like a metropo- for Cougar football. He wants to Courier must be in our office before players at Tabb High School last fall. noon on Monday. —Editor coach.” We placed the photo lis compared to Barnesville,” See NEW COACH Page 2-B WEST LIBERTY OODOOD XPRESSXPRESS ○○○○○○○○○○○○○ FF○○○○○○○○○○ EE Plenty Of In-Store Specials! 625 Prestonsburg Street Everyday Low Meat And Produce Prices! Prices Good Mar.