A6 THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012 THE ADVOCATE-MESSENGER LOCAL WWW.AMNEWS.COM WATER, from A1 COONTZ, from A1 tention of paying the city for Junction City Attorney “ey aren’t trying to sin- their properties tidy, Dou- clean-ups at the property Brad Guthrie could not be gle him out,” Guthrie said glas said. for extra labor costs caused liens or other encum- that took place before he reached for comment Tuesday. “is is nothing Coontz said it’s wrong by the city’s actions. brances against the small purchased it. today. In an interview against Mr. Coontz himself, for the city to pick on his The jury did not award lot and two-story home at “When I buy it, I don’t Tuesday, Guthrie said the except he bought property property for violations that any damages for extra vet- the intersection of West assume some other peo- lawsuit against Coontz is with a bunch of liens against occurred before he owned erinary costs or damage to Grubbs Lane and U.S. 127 ple’s problems,” said the first of more than 50 it.” it and after he’s made every the Camenisches’ house, that he is currently remod- Coontz, who has not yet that are expected to be filed Mayor Jim Douglas and effort to clean up the prop- which the couple had eling and plans to move filed a legal response to the against property owners Police Chief Merl Baldwin erty and improve it in the sought. into. allegations made in the who have violated the city’s both said Coontz has been four months he has owned “We didn’t get very good Any liens on the property lawsuit. “I think it’s bull- ordinance prohibiting un- easy to work with and has it. The lawsuit unfairly proof on (the veterinary were attached after he pur- crap. I’m not going to be tidy lots and been cleaned done a good job of cleaning makes him look like a slob costs). … We didn’t get chased it, Coontz said. jacked with. I’ve got as up by city employees. up the property while he is and a scofflaw, he said. good proof on (the house “I have a clear deed,” he much money as they do, Coontz was randomly se- fixing it up. e city is going “I feel like this is casting damages) either,” said said. and I don’t care. I’m not lected as the first of the after all of those in violation me in a bad light, and peo- Richard Rawdon Jr., the Ca- Coontz, a disabled vet- going to pay them, and I bunch because his case of the ordinance in court be- ple will say that I’m making menisches’ attorney. “On eran who lives just outside don’t think there’s a judge came to Guthrie’s office cause many have just ig- them pay to clean up my the other things, they gave Junction City in Lincoln in the state that would ahead of the others, the at- nored the city’s repeated property, and that’s not us to the penny what we County, said he has no in- make me do that.” torney explained. efforts to get owners to keep right,” he said. asked for. … When we gave the jury proof, they gave us damages, and when we FURLOUGHS, from A1 Minton said the judicial sions must be made.” “We’ll survive it,” Peckler some $300 million. didn’t, they didn’t award system will start charging Circuit Judge Darren said. “It’s just one of those Many state agencies al- any damages, simple as Minton said the fur- schools $10 for criminal Peckler, who presides over budget-saving things and ready have cut spending by that.” loughs were necessary be- background checks that the 50th Judicial Circuit we have to trust that the more than 30 percent over Jonathan Baker, who rep- cause lawmakers cut the used to be done for free. made up of Boyle and Mer- chief justice did the best he the past four years. resented Stanford, said the court system’s operating The charge will increase cer counties, said the shut- could with what he had to To generate fast cash, city is glad to have the case budget by $16.2 million from $15 to $20 to all others downs, will impact circuit, work with.” lawmakers passed a tax resolved so there aren’t any and transferred $9 million seeking background district and family courts, A slow economic re- amnesty plan that Gov. more questions lingering. from the court system to checks. which will have to resched- bound led to a lean, two- Steve Beshear believes “Everyone knows where the state’s General Fund. “Until now, we were able ule dockets to make up for year state budget that could collect a badly they stand and can move Like the legislative and to take aggressive measures the three lost days. Family forced sharp cuts on most needed $55 million over forward,” he said. “The city executive branches, the ju- to avoid furloughs and keep court could be the most government agencies, left the next two years. It would is happy with the finding of dicial branch has been hit courts open,” Minton said worrisome, Peckler said, employees without pay be the state’s first offer of the jury and believe that hard by an economic reces- in the statement. “But there because some emergency raises again and erased a tax amnesty in a decade, they reviewed all the evi- sion that began in 2008, the are only so many places to juvenile and domestic vio- planned cost-of-living in- and would forgive some dence and testimony and effects of which still linger cut in a court operations lence matters must be crease from the monthly penalties if people come made a fair decision. The in Kentucky. The court sys- budget that is 86 percent heard within a certain time pension checks of retirees. forward and pay their taxes. City of Stanford is also look- tem has reduced employ- personnel. When there’s frame. Two of the furlough The measure calls for 8.4 ing forward to a good work- ment by 282 people since such a large gap between days will be on Mondays, percent cuts to most gov- Advocate reporter Todd ing relationship with (the 2008. what we ask for and what when family court is in ses- ernment agencies and pro- Kleffman contributed to this Camenisches) in the fu- To generate cash, we receive, difficult deci- sion, Peckler said. grams, which would save story. ture.” In addition to the dam- ages awarded by the jury, rassed its patients, claiming revealed he pre-signed Stewart could not be Moreland because it was Stanford also has made a CLINIC, from A1 he was a federal agent and blank prescriptions and reached for comment on run out of town. legal agreement with the Stewart filed lawsuits the clinic was under inves- had been writing prescrip- the closing of the Moreland “Business had been great Camenisches to install a against Stanford Drug and tigation and about to be tions for large amounts of clinic. The clinic’s attorney, across the board,” Woods functioning water pump Hill’s Pharmacy in Liberty, closed down. controlled substances with Woods, said Stewart, be- said. “I don’t think they that delivers water from a alleging they refused to fill That lawsuit, initially multiple refills to two pa- cause of poor health, would succumbed to anything. It spring to a barn, as well as a prescriptions from the filed in Lincoln Circuit tients, who would in turn no longer be seeing patients was purely a business deci- water line and sewer pipe clinic and insulted its pa- Court, was dropped after it share some of the pills with at the clinic’s Lexington lo- sion. Dr. Stewart’s services on their property. tients while spreading false was learned that Adams Stewart, cation. provided a significant The city will provide in- claims that he was a “pill does actually work for the In an interview with The The stress of being un- amount of revenue for the stallation of all the facilities, pusher.” Those cases are federal Drug Enforcement Advocate-Messenger last fairly scrutinized and ha- clinic and he is no longer unlimited water for stock still pending, said the Agency and the case was year, Stewart admitted he rassed by law enforcement able to work for health rea- purposes only to the barn clinic’s attorney, Allen transferred to federal court became hooked on and others while working in sons.” from the spring, up to 7,250 Woods of Nashville. in Lexington. painkillers following back- Moreland contributed to gallons a month to the Ca- Stewart also filed a com- Stewart himself had to-back hip replacement Stewart’s poor health, menisches’ “mansion plaint against Rockcastle struggled with prescription surgeries but went through Woods and Pelphrey sug- house” and sewer services, County Deputy Barry drug addiction in the past. treatment and remained gested. all for free, according to the BIG Adams, claiming he waged He was ordered to undergo “clean.” “The unfair targeting by agreement. a personal campaign rehabilitation, and his med- “I’m still active in recov- law enforcement and other Once installation of the DEALS against Advanced Care by ical license was restricted ery circles,” he said at the businesses certainly took its pump and pipes are com- advising area pharmacies by the Kentucky Board of time. “I do a lot of counsel- toll on him,” Woods said.