Monks-area home destroyed in early morning blaze
Thursday, July 17, 2008, 3:30 a.m. -- A home in the 1300 block of Eddie Miles Road was gutted by a fire early this morning. The Rolling Fork Fire Department was knocked out about 3 a.m. to respond to the house fire, located about a mile and a half from Monks Road on Eddie Miles Road. A caller reported that the flames were already through the roof before firefighters arrived. The New Hope Fire Department assisted Rolling Fork by providing additiional equipment and manpower. The American Red Cross responded to provide housing and other assistance to the home's occupants.

Early morning fire damages area's newest family restaurant
Monday, July 14, 2008, 3 a.m. -- One of the county's newest restaurants was heavily damaged by fire overnight. About 2:45 this morning, fire was reported at the rear of Bryan's Salads & Grill, 104 Blakenrod Blvd. The business was so new that Nelson County Dispatch had no information on who to contact with the business regarding the fire. Click here for more.

UPDATE 2:30 P.M. - State fire marshall office has completed its investigation. Building has been turned back over to the owners. All firefighters and Investigators are leaving the scene.

Nelson deputy guarding 'Thomas' finds himself facing angry mob
Friday, July 4, 2008, 10:30 p.m. -- A Nelson County deputy sheriff found himself in hostile territory Friday evening while on special detail providing security for the "Day Out With Thomas" exhibit at the Kentucky Railway Museum in New Haven. Click here for more.

NBC and investment group to buy Weather Channel for $3.5 billion
Thursday, July 3, 2008, 5 p.m. -- The Kentucky Standard's parent company, Landmark Communications of Norfolk, Va., will announce soon the sale of The Weather Channel to NBC Universal, Blackstone Group LP and Bain Capital. The sale price will be at or near $3.5 million, substantially less than the company's original price tag of $5 billion. A sale of the company's community newspaper division, Landmark Community Newspapers Inc., located in Shelbyville, has not yet been announced.Click here the Reuters story regarding the sale of The Weather Channel.

Bardstown home destroyed in early morning fire
Thursday, July 3, 2008, 2:30 a.m. -- A single-family home on Fern Lea Circle was destroyed in an early morning fire Thursday. The fire was called in as a dryer fire.

Kentucky Standard publisher Ron Filkins dies
Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 1 p.m. -- Kentucky Standard publisher Ron Filkins died this morning at the family's home in the Edgewood neighborhood of Bardstown. The announcement was published on the Kentucky Standard's web site this morning. Click here for more.

It was a Doo-Dah Day!

50th anniversary parade re-creates Foster musical's opening day fete
Sunday, June 8, 2008, 11:55 p.m. -- Hundreds of residents and tourists brought their sunscreen and chairs to downtown Bardstown Saturday afternoon for a parade celebration of the opening night of the 50th season of "Stephen Foster - The Musical."

  Click here for complete photo coverage of the 50th season opening parade!

Police investigating teen break-in at Nelson County High School
Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 2 a.m. -- Police are investigating a break-in at Nelson County High School about 12:15 this morning. Witnesses said a group of six to eight teen-agers ran out of the school shop room door and scattered across the parking lot. Police were checking the ownership of three cars found concealed among school buses near the school. Click here for more.

UPDATE: 3 juveniles involved in NCHS break-in turn themselves in

Clinton stomps Obama; Lunsford to face off against McConnell in November
Election Day, May 20, 2008, 9 p.m. -- QUESTION: What do candidates for president Ron Paul and Barack Obama have in common? ANSWER: Each carried a single Nelson County precinct in Tuesday's primary election. As predicted, Sen. Hillary Clinton blew out her opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, in both Nelson County and statewide election totals. The hotly contested race drew lots of Democrats to the polls. In Nelson County, the Democratic voter turnout was nearly 46 percent. Click here for the full story.

Click here to download the unofficial Nelson County precinct results

For first time, Kentucky is a player in national presidential primary
Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 2 a.m. -- For the first time in history, the Commonwealth of Kentucky is a major player in the Democratic presidential primary. And despite the fact that Sen. Hillary Clinton's win in Kentucky is all but assured, the state's 51 delegates will provide Sen. Barack Obama the numbers he needs to claim a primary victory -- which pundits believe he will do from Iowa this evening. Click here for more.

Police rush to apprehend apparent drunk driver on KY 245
Saturday, May 17, 2008, 11:45 p.m. -- An apparent drunken driver in a Ford pickup truck endangered dozens of motorists as he careened west on KY 245, often driving in the wrong lane. Officers with the Nelson County Sheriff's Office and the Bardstown Police Department rushed to catch the driver before someone was serious injured or killed. Click here for more.

Wreck involving Nelson County bus sends 43 students to hospitals
Monday, May 11, 2008, 12 noon -- A crash involving a Nelson County Schools bus resulted in 43 school children being taken to Louisville hospitals. The crash occured at 10 a.m. today in the northbound lanes of I-65 just south of the Eastern Parkway exits near the UofL campus. The female driver of Nelson County bus no. 37 allegedly suffered a broken leg in the crash. Click here for more.

Nelson County rocked by early morning aftershock
Monday, April 21, 2008, 1:45 a.m. -- Nelson County was rocked by an aftershock this morning at 1:41 a.m. EST. The 4.5 magnitude tremor was not as strong as the 4.6 magnitute aftershock felt last Friday morning at 11:16. Bullitt County Dispatch fielded several radio reports from officers asking one anoth4er"Did you feel that?" Geologist say there have been a great many smaller aftershocks since last Friday's earthquake shook several states. Only the stronger aftershocks have been felt.

Texas inmate earns write-in spot on Ky. Democratic presidential primary
Thursday, April 16, 2008, 2 a.m. -- A Texas prison inmate has earned a spot as a write-in candidate in Kentucky's Democratic presidential primary on May 20th. Keith Russell Judd, 49, an inmate housed at the Beaumont Federal Correctional Institution in Texas since 1999, won't appear on the ballot in Kentucky, but he will in Idaho. Click here for more.

Download your copy of the Nelson County primary ballot
Thursday, April 16, 2008, 2 a.m. -- On May 20th, Nelson County voters will get to vote for more than just the presidential race. Democrats will select a candidate to run against Republican state Sen. Brett Guthrie for the open 2nd Congressional seat. Voters from both parties will select their candidate for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Mitch McConnell. You won't know the players without a program!

Download the Nelson County primary ballot

Bardstown man named head of state emergency management division
Monday, March 31, 2008, 3:45 p.m. -- Brigadier General Jospeh. Lonnie Culver of Bardstown was named interim head of the state division of Emergency Management following the resignation of state EMA director retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Maxwell "Clay" Bailey. Click here for more.

Two Fort Knox men may face charges after shopping cart caper
Friday, March 28, 2008, 1:45 a.m. -- Two Fort Knox men were being questioned by police after one of them attempted to steal a shopping cart full of adult beverages from the Bardstown Wal-Mart Supercenter early this morning. The booze thief was apparently chased down in the parking lot and confronted by store patrons. Click here for more.

Jail Inmate injured after reported assault against officer
Wednesday, March 26, 2008, 10 p.m. -- A Nelson County Jail inmate was injured Wednesday evening after police were called to respond to a reported assault of an officer at the jail. Nelson County Dispatch received a 911 call about the assault from the jail at about 9 p.m. Click here for more.

Irish Traveller's appearance a sure sign of Spring
Saturday, March 22, 2008 -- It's late March and the harbingers of Spring have arrived in Nelson County. The sunny yellow daffodils are in bloom. On desks, cubicle walls and kitchen tables you find copies of the NCAA college basketball brackets. And for those of us who live along the county's highways, nothing is a surer sign of Spring than the arrival of the Irish Travellers. Click here for more.

Abuse of painkiller patch may lead users on a one-way trip
Monday, March 17, 2008, 11:55 p.m. -- The call over the police scanner is becoming all to common: A dispatcher's voice cuts through the silence, requesting an EMS squad to respond to a suspected overdose and the patient is unresponsive. The overdose may have been accidental, but in an increasing number of cases the goal was the same -- to get high by abusing a commonly available prescription painkiller patch. Click here for more.

Rockslide drops boulder on BG Parkway
Saturday, March 15, 2008, 11:30 p.m. -- A boulder fell into one lane of the Blue Grass Parkway this evening after a small rockslide. Two cars suffered damage after running into the debris in the roadway. There were no injuries. The slide sent debris into the eastbound lane of the parkway near the 21 mile marker. One car suffered transmission damage. The state highway department brought a front-end loader to the scene to move the debris off the roadway. UPDATE 12:16 A.M. - A Nelson County deputy sheriff posted at the rock slide reports the highway department has cleared the roadway.

Bardstown bar brawl leaves two injured
Saturday, March 15, 2008, 12:15 a.m. -- Two men were injured about midnight Friday after two separate fights fight erupted at Don W's Bar and Grill, 611 North Third Street in Bardstown. Police were called twice within 15 minutes regarding the fights. After police broke up the first fight and left the bar, it quickly turned ugly. Click here for more.

Schum interview raises more questions than it answers
Sunday, March 9, 2008, 11:59 a.m. -- In the Friday, March 7th edition of The Kentucky Standard, former Bethlehem principal Dr. Paul A. Schum gives his side of the ordeal that led to his resignation. His sometimes tortured explanation of the events answers few question. In the end, Schum sounds like someone caught with his hand in the cookie jar trying to blame the cookie jar. Click here for more.

Winter storm dumps heavy snow, sleet on Nelson County
Saturday, March 8, 2008, 11 a.m. -- Blowing, drifting snow choked area roadways and created white-out conditions, leaving local roads in hazardous condition. Numerous non-injury accidents and incidents of vehicles off the road were reported overnight, overwhelming police and wrecker services. Humvees provided by the Kentucky National Guard are being used to help get to people who were snowbound. Click here for more.

SEND IN YOUR SNOW PHOTOS! Send in your images by e-mail to news@nelsoncountygazette.com

NCHS team buses get police escort, inspection after 5th Region game
Monday, March 3, 2008, 10:30 p.m. -- Buses bringing the Nelson County Cards basketball team home from the opening game of the 5th Region tournament in Radcliff tonight received a police escort from two Nelson County deputy sheriffs -- though the team's on-court performance wasn't what the officers were investigating. Click here for more.

Suspect in Bullitt copper theft apprehended at his home
Monday, March 3, 2008, 2:30 p.m. (UPDATED 7 p.m.) -- Deputies from the Nelson County Sheriff's Office and a KSP trooper apprehended a Cox's Creek man wanted by Bullitt County authorities investigating the theft of copper wire. Click here for more.

Eyewitness helps cops nab vandalism duo
Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008, 2:15 a.m. -- Quick action by an eyewitness was crucial in the capture of two would-be thieves who vandalized a pay phone at a Balltown store early Thursday morning. Click here for more.

Lincoln heritage feted at annual GOP dinner fundraiser
Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008, 6 p.m. -- The life and legacy of our 16th president was the focus of the annual Lincoln Day Dinner, a fundraiser for the Nelson County Republican Party. The event attracted a crowd of nearly 100, including 2nd Congressional District GOP candidate state Sen. Brett Guthrie and Secretary of State Trey Grayson. Click here for Lincoln Day Dinner coverage.

Schools opening late, buses delayed by accidents on routes to schools
Friday, Feb. 22, 2008, 9 a.m. -- Schools are on a one-hour delay today, though roads remain slick in spots. Minor accidents have blocked school bus routes on KY 509 and Boston Road, forcing some buses to take alternative routes and delaying others stuck in traffic. Salt River Electric crews are still working to restore power in parts of Bullitt County.

Ice storm warning tonight; city, county roads already slick, hazardous
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008, 1 p.m. -- Numerous accidents have taken place since midmorning when an icy mix of rain and sleet started falling in Nelson County. The slick roads are hampering police and EMS efforts to respond to calls for help. Click here for more details on the ice storm warning. UPDATE: Click the Breaking News link below to read the latest storm developments.

 Breaking Local Storm News

 Current NWS Weather Radar

Rep. Ron Lewis apologizes, London drops bid for Congress
Friday, Feb. 8, 2008, 11 a.m. -- In a Courier-Journal story today U.S. Rep. Ron Lewis admits his sudden retirement at the filing deadline "was just bad judgment." Minutes before the filing deadline, the wife of Lewis' chief of staff slipped into the Secretary of State's office in Frankfort to file paperwork to remove Lewis from the race and put her husband, Daniel London, in the race. The move angered Republicans across the Second District. London dropped his congressional bid Thursday, throwing his support behind state Sen. Brett Guthrie of Bowling Green. Click here the story for the Courier-Journal's story.

Sen. John Kerry links deadly storm outbreak to global warming
Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, 9 p.m. -- Former presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry told a national TV audience today that this morning's severe weather that killed more than 50 people was caused by global warming. Appearing on MSNBC, when asked about the storms, Kerry used the opportunity to advance the cause of global warming alarmism. Click here to read the story at the Business & Media Institute.

Four injured when home is destroyed by tornadic storm
Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008, 2:30 a.m. -- Four people were injured overnight after their mobile home on Double Springs Road was destroyed by what officials believe may have been a tornado. The storms that raced through Nelson County damaged numerous buildings, downed trees and power lines across the area. Click here for more.

City CFO Mike Abell, left, accepts a $6596 donation to the fire victims fund from Tommy Spires, president of the GE employees' union on Feb. 23, 2007.

Mayor says trust may return money given to fire victims' fund
Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008, 11:30 p.m. -- The City of Bardstown may wash its hands of the trust fund it created to help the families of victims of last year's devastating Feb. 6th house fire. That's what WAVE TV 3 reported Thursday evening after investigative reporter Janelle MacDonald spent the day here trying to get answers to residents complaints that the trust wasn't helping those who needed its help. Click here for more.

Bardstown produce company lands military contract
Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008, 6.p.m. -- Roby's Country Gardens has been awarded an $8 million, 18-month contract to fresh fruit and vegetables to the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and other government programs. According to the Dec. 26th edition of Business First of Louisville, the contract was awarded by the Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia. Roby's has a 50,000-square-foot processing facility on Buchannan Drive in Bardstown.

Hospital signs go black to prepare for changes
Monday, Jan. 28, 2008, 6.p.m. -- Hospital contractors covered the signs today about noon in front of Flaget Memorial Hospital prior to a 3:30 p.m. reception to mark the hospital's move to join the new St. Joseph Health System. Flaget is the only one of the seven regional hospitals that is keeping its name, though new signs will identify it as part of the St. Joseph system.

Bethlehem interim principal announces his departure
Friday, Jan. 25, 2008, 6.m. -- Bethlehem High School's search for a new principal will now include a search for an assistant principal. Chris Walsh, the school's assistant principal and campus minister, announced today he has accepted a position at DeSales High School in Louisville. Click here for more.

Which school did you say?: City officer sent to Bardstown Middle on drug investigation
Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008, 9 p.m. -- When a Bardstown city police officer was sent by Nelson County Dispatch to Bardstown Middle School in regard to illegal drugs, the officer's reaction was unmistakable: "Did you say Bardstown Middle?" she radioed to her dispatcher, making no attempt to hide the surprise in her voice. The dispatcher confirmed it: Yes, the request for an officer was from the middle school. Click here for more.

Schum Send off: Bethlehem AD quietly hosts reception for former principal
Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008, 12 noon. -- Former Bethlehem principal Dr. Paul A. Schum was back in town last week for a quietly conducted sendoff reception. The reception was held at Hampton Inn, selected because one of the owners is Bethlehem math teacher and athletic director Tommy Reed. The Gazette's sources say Reed invited Schum to the event, which was scheduled to allow faculty and staff who had worked with Schum the past 2-1/2 years to wish him well and say goodbye. Schum was charged Oct. 30 with soliciting for the purposes of prostitution when he was stopped by police dressed in a women's leather outfit wearing fake breasts and fishnet stockings. The charge was dismissed during a December court appearance. The search for a new school principal continues.

2008 General Assembly faces dizzying array of legislation
Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008, 11:59 p.m. -- The Kentucky General Assembly faces a wide range of pre-filed bills when its members convene on Tuesday. The topics run from casino gambling to burgoo, from cornhole to scrap metal, and from automated politicking to selling booze on Election Day. Click here for details.

Kentucky Standard parent company puts its media properties up for sale
Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008, 6 p.m. -- Landmark Communications, the parent of the company that owns The Kentucky Standard and a host of other Kentucky newspapers announced today its plans to explore the sale of its properties which include The Weather Channel. Click here for more.

TOP STORIES 2007
Bugs being worked out of new dispatch center
Friday, Dec. 28, 2007, 12:30 p.m. -- Two of 2007's top news stories both involve public safety. The first was the Bardstown police's move to a new building. The second was the creation of a joint 911 dispatch center. Click here for more.

Former bank president dies in Saturday car crash near Chaplin
Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007, 8 a.m.-- Murna Shelburne, 72, died Saturday from injuries after her car left Highway 458 near Chaplin and overturned. Shelburne, a former president at Town & Country Bank, had a long history of community service, and was still serving as treasurer of the United Way of Nelson County. Click here for more.

Schum resigns as Bethlehem principal
Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, 3:15 p.m. -- (UPDATED DEC. 7) Dr. Paul A. Schum has resigned his post as principal of Bethlehem High School after he was cited for soliciting for the purposes of prostitution on Halloween Eve. In his letter, Schum says the media has "scandalize a totally innocuous event." Students heard the news at an assembly right before school was dismissed. Click here for more.

Read Schum's resignation letter
Friday, Dec. 7, 2007-- In his resignation letter dated Wednesday, Dec. 5th, Dr. Paul A. Schum expressed confidence in being cleared of the charge against him. "I can assure you that what you may have seen or heard reported by the media is not an accurate account of my intent nor of the circumstances..." Schum states. Click here for more.

U.S. Foreign Aid: Who gets it and how much do they get?
Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2007, 1 a.m. -- A caller to the "Brooks & Ken Show" last Tuesday morning questioned the countries that receive U.S. aid and how much they receive. To answer that request for information, the Gazette has compiled the list of the Top 10 recipients of U.S. foreign aid. Click here for more.

Bethlehem principal pleads not guilty, Dec. 20 court date set
(UPDATED) Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007, 1:30 p.m. -- Bethlehem principal Dr. Paul Schum pleaded not guilty to a charge of loitering for the purposes of prostitution today in Jefferson District Court. Schum has hired a high-profile Louisville attorney who represented most of of the Archdiocese of Louisville priests named in sex abuse lawsuits a few years back. Click here for more.

Schum's name dropped from school e-mails; faces judge today
Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007, 12:35 a.m. -- Bethlehem principal Dr. Paul Schum is set to appear in Jefferson District Court at 9 this morning for his arraignment following his Oct. 30th citation on charges that he was loitering for the purposes of prostitution. Schum's day in court comes the week after mention of his name was dropped from daily e-mails the school sends to parents. Click here for more.