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Rousey granted 3-year probation
Despite being sentenced to a year in prison, Brandon Clay Rousey will be free on probation after less than two months in custody following a hearing Thursday in Madison Circuit Court.
Madison Circuit Judge William G. Clouse granted Rousey’s motion for shock probation after approximately 50 days in prison for his guilty plea to a single count of unlawful use of electronic means to induce a minor to engage in sexual activity.
Rousey would have been parole-eligible after 55 days in prison according to state parole guidelines, Clouse said during the hearing. He was initially lodged in the Madison County Detention Center following his sentencing, but was transferred to the Leslie County Detention Center in mid-October.
Under the terms of the three-year probation, Rousey is on a curfew that allows him to travel to and from work, will be monitored by an ankle bracelet and is barred from having any contact with minors, including visiting any school, attending a school-related activity or participating in a community group where minors are present.
Clouse also prohibited the use of e-mail, text messaging, social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace and other electronic communication, but Rousey is allowed to own a cellular phone.
Under the terms of the probation, Rousey will be monitored by ankle bracelet for a minimum of one year, and must attend regular counseling sessions with his minister, a requirement asked for by Rousey’s attorney, Wes Browne.
Prosecutors had opposed probation entirely, and Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jennifer Hall Smith said in a memorandum filed with Clouse’s office that prosecutors felt that because Rousey was in a position of authority when he committed the crime that granting probation would depreciate the seriousness of the charge.
Rousey was working as a volunteer at Madison Middle School in 2008 when he sent sexually explicit text messages to a 13-year-old female student at the school.
Smith had sought a minimum of 60 days in custody before probation, a request Clouse chose not to grant. However, Clouse did choose to impose the three-year term Smith had sought for any probation.
“You’re a young man, and you’re going to live the rest of your life trying to live down this despicable act,” Clouse told Rousey during the hearing.
Rousey is required to register as a sex offender for 20 years following his release, and must comply with all registry requirements as a condition of his probation.
Brian Smith may be reached at bsmith@richmondregister.com or at 624-6694.
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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
