Local News
Clark gets first challenger in 7 years
Madison County Judge/ Executive Kent Clark will face opposition for the first time in seven years, and filed Monday to run for his last term in office.
“I’m going to run one more time, then it’s probably time for someone else,” Clark said.
Clark is opposed in the May 2010 primary election by Benny Biggs, a long-time Madison County resident who has been an employee of EnerSys (formerly known as Exide) for the past 23 years.
“I decided to run because I’d like to make the county a better place,” Biggs said. “There are some issues that I don’t go along with, and I want to give the county back to the people.”
One particular area Biggs said he would focus on if elected is making better use of the county’s jail inmates, especially in the case of senior citizens who need help maintaining their property.
Clark, who first was elected in 1994, faced opposition in 2002 by J.T. Broaddus in the primary election and Karen Botner in the general election.
Initiating planning and zoning in Madison County, ensuring that all county residents have safe drinking water and a sanitary regional sewer were a few things Clark said he is most proud of during his time as judge/executive.
Clark also said he is fortunate that the 12 departments within the county work together as one unit.
“It seems like they work together as a family,” Clark said. “It’s exciting for me to continue working with these department heads while continuing to upgrade services and working to keep a good quality of life for generations to come.”
Clark filed Monday alongside Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison, who faces no opposition at this time.
Cornelison has served as county coroner since 1999, when he defeated his long-time boss, the late Embry Curry.
Curry served as county coroner for 27 years, and Cornelison worked under him as a deputy coroner for approximately 15 years.
“I learned a great deal under him and he exposed me to a lot of things and taught me as we went along,” said Cornelison, who also has served as a paramedic for the past 32 years.
Working as a coroner may not sound like a glamorous job and a lot of people are not interested in the work, but it is something that remains a need in the community, he said.
“It’s something that has to be done,” Cornelison said. “I don’t like getting up at 3 a.m. and knocking on somebody’s door or going out and taking pictures of a car wreck scene, but by law, it says it will be done. I feel like I’m qualified for that position.”
The following is a list of 2010 election candidates according to Monday’s roster from the Madison County Clerk’s Office:
• County attorney: T. Marcum “Marc” Robbins
• County clerk: Francette Durbin, Lisa A. Davis
• Jailer: Doug Thomas, Patrick Allan Begley
• Magistrate, 1st District: Larry L. Combs, Greg Lakes
• Magistrate, 2nd District: Wayne S. Long, Roger D. Barger
• Magistrate, 3rd District: Robert E. Murphy, John C. Tudor
• Magistrate, 4th District: Bruce B. Begley, Jack Marcum, Mike Isaacs
• Property Valuation Administrator: Billy Ackerman
• Sheriff: Nelson E. O’Donnell
• Constable, 2nd District: James E. House, David Kelley
• Constable, 3rd District: Bruce Thomas
• Constable, 4th District: John Wright, Billy Mitchell Sparks
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.
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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
