Local News
Former minister charged with rape, abuse
A Richmond city building inspector and former youth minister has been indicted by an Anderson County grand jury on six counts of third-degree rape, five counts of third-degree sodomy, one count of first-degree sexual abuse and one count of second-degree sexual abuse.
Gordon H. Lunceford, 47, of the 1000 block of Walnut Grove Circle, is accused of molesting two victims between February and November of 1992, according to court records obtained by The Anderson News in Lawrenceburg and provided to the Register.
The victims in the indictment were both under 16 years of age, but are identified only by initials.
Lunceford is a former youth minister at churches in Anderson, Franklin and Madison counties, according to Kentucky State Police.
A Gordon Lunceford served as a youth minister at First Baptist Church in Lawrenceburg in 1992, church employees told The Anderson News.
The Rev. Bill Fort, pastor of First Baptist Church on the Eastern Bypass in Richmond, said Lunceford was interim youth director “for a very short time” about two years ago.
Fort said there were no complaints or accusations against Lunceford during the brief time he worked with youth at First Baptist.
A member of Rosedale Baptist Church said Lunceford had once worked with the church’s youth group, but attempts Friday to reach two of the church’s trustees were unsuccessful.
Lunceford posted a $10,000 cash bond and was released from the Franklin County Regional Jail after he surrendered to authorities on June 5, jail officials said Friday.
He is employed by the city of Richmond as a building inspector, but has taken personal leave and has not been on the job recently, according to City Manager David Evans.
Evans said he learned of Lunceford’s indictment Thursday evening through the news media and would “take a look at this” on Tuesday.
City Hall will be closed Monday for the Independence Day holiday.
Lunceford is scheduled for a pretrial conference in Anderson Circuit Court on July 21.
If convicted, Lunceford could receive one to five years in prison on each of the rape and sodomy charges as well as the first-degree sexual abuse charge, which are all Class D felonies. Second-degree sexual abuse is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by 12 months in jail if convicted.
State police Detective Luke VanHoose, of Post 12 in Frankfort, is investigating the case. Anyone with information is asked to call Post 12 at 1-502-227-2221.
An indictment is a formal statement of charges and does not imply guilt.
Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.
Bill Robinson may be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
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Berea men arrested for robbery
Berea police arrested two men in connection with a March 8 robbery at a check-cashing business, a spokesman said Monday.
Shawn Burns, 32, was charged with first-degree robbery and misdemeanor receiving stolen property, while Bradley Lamb, 21, was charged with complicity to first-degree robbery and misdemeanor receiving stolen property, said Capt. Ken Clark, Berea Police Department spokesman. -
City seeks proposals for Gibson Bay Cafe
The operation lease for Gibson Bay Cafe expires at the end of May, and the City of Richmond will be accepting bids for the operation of the restaurant from the public until Friday, March 26.
Gibson Bay Cafe, which is located at Lake Reba Recreational Complex on the Gibson Bay Golf Course, is owned by city commissioner Bill Strong and his wife Jeanie Strong. -
Reports of home burglaries keep Richmond police busy
The new owner of a mobile home on Bradbury Pointe reported to Richmond police Friday that appliances had been stolen from the home.
A stainless steel refrigerator, a white stove, a white microwave and a three-ton Trane heating and air conditioning unit were discovered to be missing from the home on March 7, said Chief Larry Brock. -
Parents upset about test scores, deficiencies
The frustration was evident in the voices of a number of Berea Community School parents who spent more than an hour Monday night addressing the Berea Independent Board of Education.
The parents spent most of the evening talking directly to middle school/high school principal John Masters about a lack of communication with school personnel and asking for answers about how the district intends to correct a number of deficiencies identified by the state in a December audit. -
Time to stand up, be counted
Madison County households will be receiving questionnaires in the mail today through Wednesday from the U.S. Census Bureau which is carrying out it constitutional mandate to count all U.S. citizens every 10 years.
Letters were mailed last week advising household to be watching for the census questionnaire, according to J.C. Barbour, the bureau’s media specialist for Kentucky. -
‘Sunshine Boys’ dedicated to Kerby’s memory
The late Dr. Clifford Kerby, former mayor of Berea, was a longtime supporter and often an actor in community theater.
One of his favorite plays, in which he played one of the two lead roles for the old Berea Community Theater back in 1977, was “The Sunshine Boys,” said his wife Diane. -
Two chances to meet, hear candidates
“You can’t tell the players without a program,” vendors at old minor league baseball games used to yell.
With so many local candidates in the running for election this year, voters may know too little about them to make an informed choice, some observers have remarked.
However, two Madison County organizations have scheduled events for Thursday evening to help clarify who the candidates are and what they stand for. -
Local group to meet on skate park on Tuesday
A local group seeking to build a public skateboard park in Richmond will conduct a public meeting next week in downtown Richmond.
Skate Richmond, KY is a non-profit group founded in 2007, according to group member and local attorney Wesley Browne, and is interested in constructing a public skateboard park in downtown Richmond. -
Lots of ‘energy’ at expo Saturday
Gloomy weather and college basketball did not keep people away from Saturday’s Madison County Home Energy Expo at the Perkins Building on Eastern Kentucky University’s campus.
The second-annual event, hosted by Madison County’s University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension office, moved to the EKU campus this year after last year’s event was conducted at Glenn Marshall Elementary School. -
Kentucky Blood Center collection Tuesday in Berea
Kentucky Blood Center will conduct a blood drive on Tuesday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Union Church in the Community Room, 200 Prospect St., Berea.
Every volunteer who presents to donate blood with the Kentucky Blood Center (KBC) will have a chance to win a trip to the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four games. One winner will receive a package for two that includes hotel stay April 2-6 and tickets to the Final Four (April 3) and Championship Games (April 5) in Indianapolis. The drawing will be conducted on April 1. - More Local News Headlines
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Berea men arrested for robbery
