Local News
Related Photos
-
Bill Robinson
Lamb pleads guilty to nursing home abuse, gets diversion
Valerie Lamb of Berea, one of three former employees of Madison Manor nursing home indicted for abuse of a patient there, pleaded guilty Monday in Madison District Court to one count of misdemeanor abuse of an adult.
The case was prosecuted by the state attorney general’s office, and Judge Earl-Ray Neal accepted the state recommended sentence of a two-year diversion program that includes 50 hours of community service.
Lamb will be required to cooperate with any further investigation of Madison Manor. According to a press release from the attorney general’s office, the investigation is ongoing.
Lamb’s community service may not involve work with children, vulnerable adults or any program funded by Medicaid or Medicare, according to the judge’s order. She also must remain drug free and commit no other criminal violation.
Compliance will be monitored by the court’s Pretrial Diversion office. If she violates the conditions of her diversion, Neal said, Lamb will be sentenced to one year in jail.
Lamb was indicted by a Madison County grand jury in April after the family of Armeda Thomas, 84, an Alzheimer’s patient from Irvine, suspected their loved one was being abused at the nursing home and planted a hidden camera to record her care in August 2008.
The indictment accused Lamb of reckless abuse and neglect of an adult by “lifting Thomas by her neck and by highly raising her legs when she performed incontinent changes resulting in pain or injury to Ms. Thomas.”
Another defendant in the case, Jaclyn Dawn VanWinkle of Richmond, also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and received a similar sentence.
VanWinkle later was indicted on rape and sodomy charges for allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old boy. She was given a hearing Monday morning in Madison Circuit Court to determine if she was mentally competent to stand trial. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jennifer said a Feb. 18 pre-trial conference was scheduled for VanWinkle and referred questions about details of the competency hearing to the defendant’s attorney, Michael Eubanks.
A third defendant in the Madison Manor abuse case, Amanda Sallee of Richmond, is scheduled to stand trial March 15 in Madison Circuit Court on charges of wanton abuse of an adult.
The indictment of Sallee accused her of denying Thomas food between Sept. 1 and Sept. 5, 2008, and eating the meals herself.
Wanton abuse or neglect of an adult is a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison if convicted. Reckless abuse or neglect is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
- Local News
-
-
Baldwin Farms shows plastic cover, irrigation
There has been no drought this summer. However, much of the rainfall has come in occasional downpours, which is not necessarily good for growing vegetables.
-
Berea man struck by car in serious condition
A Berea man is in serious condition after he was struck by a car Thursday evening. Frank Bloom, 59, is in serious condition at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. He walked into the parth of a car on KY 1016 at 9:30 p.m. Thursday, according to Berea Police. The accident occured in front of the Silver Creek Shell, 865 KY 1016.
-
Berea men indicted for passing forged checks
A Madison County grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday against two Berea men for allegedly passing multiple forged checks.
-
Hearing waived
A former employee of an adult day care facility waived her right to a preliminary hearing on an abuse charge Wednesday in Madison District Court.
-
Oh, oh, it’s magic!
-
Vial of old chemical causes scare at EKU
A small vial of forgotten chemicals brought out three police units, including the Lexington-Fayette County Bomb Squad, at Eastern Kentucky University on Thursday evening.
-
23 percent of county’s children living in poverty
Kentucky is ranked 40th of 50 states in child well-being, according to the annual KIDS Count report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
-
O’Donnell registers as write-in candidate
Madison County Sheriff Nelson O’Donnell, who lost the Democratic Primary to former Berea Police officers Jerry Combs, by 82 votes, has registered as a write-in candidate for the November general election.
O’Donnell registered Monday morning, according a deputy county court clerk. Write-in candidates have until Oct. 22 to file, the clerk said.
On June 23, O’Donnell announced his intention to launch a write-in campaign.
The Republican nominee in the sheriff’s race is Irving Wicker. -
Police arrest two on drug charges
A Madison County woman is facing felony drug charges after being arrested for shoplifting.
Officers responded to Lowe’s at about 3:38 p.m. Sunday, and arrested Kayla B. Neely, 25, of Green’s Crossing, for allegedly shoplifting $40 in merchandise from the store, said Larry Brock, Richmond police chief. When officers took Neely into custody, they allegedly discovered two Adererall pills in a red tube inside her purse, Brock said. -
Traveling the globe
During her travels, Terry Ham has visited 58 countries.
Eight of those countries she was able to call her temporary home.
Since 1991, Ham has been teaching music and drama around the world, from Paraguay to Shanghai, to her to current job in Bangladesh. - More Local News Headlines
-
