TheThe 16 PAGES / VOLUME 139 / NUMBER 25 COVID-style basketball starting up THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24 , 2020 CrittendenCrittendenRead Rocket Hoops Preview Page 14 PressPress 24/7 BREAKING AND LOCAL NEWS / THE-PRESS.COM AN INDEPENDENTLY-OWNED, LOCAL NEWSPAPER SINCE 1879 ONE DOLLAR City approves extending Alive & Well Dilemma, Four-year-old Lourdes-Love rudd to new development Donohue of Marion was among those who stopped Marion City Council approved a be the court square Satur- Pandemic day to visit with Santa. An plan Monday night during its regu- anonymous email sent per- lar monthly meeting to allow an haps from the North Pole to extension of Rudd Street, which The Press read, “Children New Culture would provide access to a proposed and kids alike enjoyed the new preschool complex. City Ad- When times change at time with Santa at the court- warp speed, there’s sure to ministrator Adam Ledford de- house gazebo. They be- be ways and means left in scribed the extension as “about a lieve! Letters from the kids the exhaust. half of a city block.” The street will showed love & hope are No reason to remind you be built by Audubon Head Start alive and well!” that our culture has been which is proposing to develop a twisted and reformed by new facility on 1.6 acres that lies technology that’s overtaken between Rudd and Chapel Hill the entire globe in only about the last 20 years. Road. Audubon has applied to the That’s faster than the speed Marion Planning Commission for a of light when you consider zoning change of the property from the history of mankind and residential to commercial. Ledford what’s emerged since the said Audubon will pay for construc- turn of the century. We went tion of the street, but it will be ac- from buggy whips to jet cepted into the city street system planes in a flash during the early 20th century. We don’t and maintained by the city. There really need pi- was some discussion about the lots for planes matter, as council members raised nowadays, and questions about adding school bus soon the same and perhaps other heavy traffic to for cars. Our Rudd Street. The measure passed, Ryley Pope and his family, smartphones however, with one dissenting vote. who reside in Louisiana may drive them. No press next week Dying in the wake of this Chris fascinating ad- EVANS The Crittenden Press staff will vancement is Press Editor & Publisher take its traditional holiday break Christmas the way we’ve About Town next week and will not publish a always done newspaper on Thursday, Dec. 31. It things. The has come to our attention that Bell mail for instance is caught many subscribers have had diffi- up in a void – a black hole culty receiving their newspaper via somewhere between Pony From Siemens’ crew Expre ss and George Jetson. mail. This is a widespread issue SPECIAL TO THE PRESS Wash down a de facto gov- across all of western Kentucky due They say the holiday sea- Local Siemens employees Brad Samuel, Chayne Gass, Daisy ernment agency like the to the volume of Christmas mail in son is not about what you Davidson and Jessica Courtney with the bell. United States Postal Service the United States Postal Service get, but what you give. This with a pandemic and you system. Please accept our apology. year, Siemens Mobility em- ning of December, when has had a lifelong passion get a paralyzing kidney We beg for your patience during ployees in Marion have Ryan Pope reached out to for all-things trains, espe- stone right at Christmas- taken this sentiment above Siemens Mobility through a cially train crossings. this time. We’re told that the issues time. and beyond with a truly web inquiry form on behalf His dad noted in his re- Getting to the point... I am should clear up after the holidays. heartwarming act of kind- of his 10-year old son, quest, “Ever since Ryley just explaining why you may Meantime, let us know if you would ness. Ryley. Diagnosed with be reading this in January like to receive a complimentary It all started at the begin- autism at age two, Ryley See SIEMENS/page 7 instead of December when electronic issue, which can be we mailed it. Uncle Sam’s emailed to subscribers. And, check USPS is dialed in to the The Press Online regularly as im- same fate as Ma Bell, but portant information and breaking we’re caught in the fog of transition. Mail volume is news will be posted on our website declining – for most of the next week although there will not Tribute to year – therefore post offices be a printed edition of the newspa- are cutting staff and hours per. to deal with the perils of less revenue. When Christmas HOLIDAY CLOSINGS cards, gifts and a virus hit Perry’s the mail system at the same time it creates unprece- •Marion Post Office’s window dented pressures and we’re will be open until noon on Christ- seeing it buckle. mas Eve. Otherwise, cards and let- The National Newspaper ters may still be mailed via the 50 years Association late last week curbside mailbox or lobby box. confirmed what we already knew here on the ground, •The courthouse will be closed that systemwide problems Dec. 24-25 for Christmas and then are occuring in the mail sys- Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for New Year’s. of service tem, which is greatly affect- This will include the County Animal ing our ability to mail the Shelter, County Convenience Center Brad Gilbert and Don Perry newspaper. The Press is sold and County Road Department, bar- on racks in Marion and the ring emergencies. surrounding area, but many folks here and abroad re- •The Crittenden Press will be ceive the paper via mail. closed Dec. 24-25 for Christmas Gravedigger to Those outside of our county and Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 for New have seen incredible delays Year’s. You can reach our staff any- in getting their newspaper. time via our “Contact Us” email Some have not gotten one in portal at The Press Online. weeks. When we enter the funeral director mail at Marion’s post office, the out-of-town papers are The-Press.com sent to Paducah, which for- Join our online viewers BY CHRIS EVANS age 70. wards them to Evansville. at The Press online. THE CRITTENDEN PRESS For most of his career, Perry worked two There, in southern Indiana, From gravedigger to patrolman, ambu- western Kentucky’s mail is For breaking news through- jobs, putting in weekly hours that would lance driver and licensed funeral director, make a sweat shop laborer blush. For five sorted and directed toward out the holiday season, tune Don Perry has in one way or another decades, he’s been tied to the funeral busi- its destination post offices, in to The Press Online. brushed against nearly each soul in every ness and there’s no indication he’s going to where local carriers handle corner of Crittenden County over the last stop anytime soon. it for the so-called last mile. half century. Perry is a licensed funeral director at The Postal Service ex- “And if he lives another 50 years, he will Gilbert Funeral Home and assists a second pected to deliver roughly 20 still be there,” says local funeral director generation of Gilberts to manage the million packages a day dur- No matter what generation you’re from Brad Gilbert, who knows firsthand Perry’s or which platform you prefer, The Press is work ethic and energy despite approaching there bringing you news and sports in a See PERRY/page 7 See MAIL/page 4 timely fashion. Join us online today! The CrittendenUSPS 138-260 / Marion, Press Ky. ©2020, The Crittenden Press Inc. The contents of this newspaper, including stories and advertising, are protected by U.S. copyright laws. 2 THE CRITTENDEN PRESS, Marion, Kentucky 42064, Thursday, December 24, 2020 Salem; a son, Johnie tenden County Health Rd., Marion, KY 42064 or (Christina) Young of and Rehabilitation Frances Community Deaths Salem; three sisters, Sue Center. Church, c/o Angel 5K Jan. 9 for canines Young Belt of Marion, He was retired from the McDonald, 172 SR 70, A Furry Scurry 5K race will be held at 9 a.m., Jan. 9 at Connie (Dewey) Cowan Kentucky Department of Marion, KY 42064. Marion City-County Park. The event is being coordinated by local runner Chad Bell. Bell will be at the Farmers RobertsLayla Ann Roberts, in- of Marion and Bonnie Correc- A memorial service will Penn of Owensboro; a tions. He be held at a later date. Market in Marion between 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. fant daughter of Jordan 26 to register individuals for the race. and Tiffany Roberts of brother, Stanley Young of was a Myers Funeral Home was Marion; seven grandchil- former in charge of arrange- Deadline to be assured a t-shirt from the race is Dec. Marion, died Tuesday, 28. The event will benefit the local animal shelters. Dec. 15, 2020 at Nortons dren; and 15 great member of ments. Children's Hospital in grandchildren. the Crit- He was preceded in tenden Louisville. In addition to her par- death by his wife of 60 County years, Judy (Appel) Fire and Online Condolences ents she is survived by myersfuneralhomeonline.com KFB honors local group her grandparents, Roger Young; a son, Terry Lee Rescue boydfuneraldirectors.com Crittenden County Farm Bureau’s women’s program Roberts and Larry and Young; a grandson, Squad and Aaron Nolan; six sisters, a member gilbertfunerals.com received the 2020 Gold Star Award of Excellence from Debbie Hearell all of Mar- ion; great-grandmother, JoAnn Long, Mona of Frances Community Kentucky Farm Bureau.