This spring The Crittenden Press is celebrating ten professionals in the top
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Crittenden County Project Development Board will meet at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday at Crittenden County Office Complex. The board is overseeing demolition of the existing courthouse and construction of a new justice center in town.
An active milling and paving operation is underway along I-24 eastbound and westbound between the 29 and 33 mile marker as part of a maintenance project to renew the roadway. Heavy traffic through the work zone has resulted in backups of up to 5 miles. Peak delays have been observed 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily.
To avoid traffic delays in the I-24 work zone, motorists should consider a self-detour along U.S. 62 between I-24 Eddyville-Kuttawa Exit 40 and I-24 Calvert City Exit 27 until the milling and paving operation is completed around August 1.
Motorists who travel U.S. 62 between Exit 40 and Exit 27 should be aware of heavier than usual traffic following the alternate route.
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STATE BUNGLES APRIL RENEWAL NOTICES
If your vehicle registration was to expire in April, you may not have realized it. Because of a glitch in the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet, notices that should have gone out in March for April renewals are just now being mailed.Crittenden County Clerk Daryl Tabor says his office had nothing to do with the late mailings, but believes his clerks will bear much of the negative feedback from frustrated auto owners once they get their renewal notices. Tabor said June notices were mailed early by the state, but April and May were not sent on time.
Tabor said Crittenden County is waiving any late fees or penalties for April renewals, which actually became delinquent on Wednesday.
“Drivers need to know that their decals could be expired and if they’re pulled over, they will get a ticket,” Tabor said.
The clerk points out that automobile owners do not need a renewal notice to go ahead and pay their April taxes and registration fees. For the fastest service, go to Drive.Ky.Gov to renew online if possible. You may also go to the clerk’s office to renew in person.
Online renewals are not available if previous balances are owed or if insurance information is not on file.
Kentucky’s new Automated Vehicle Information System (KAVIS) was launched in January and has been hampered by rollout problems. The system is used by county clerk staff to perform vehicle and boat transactions and to generate user data used to mail notices. April’s delayed renewal notices are the latest in a series of growing pains since the state started KAVIS. The state said changes were necessary to replace a 1970s-era computer system.
“He was the guy who sacrificed it all and did whatever was asked of him. He started and then Walter (McCarty) did in that spot but he did not care because he wanted to win. He was selfless,” said former UK teammate Derek Anderson.
“We all voted for him as team captain. Usually you do not have a senior captain coming off the bench but he was different. He was tremendous for us with his sacrifice and effort. He cares more about UK than he does anything else and always has. That’s his passion. We knew who he was and he was our captain. He was an impactful person and an impactful player. It just went hand in hand with him.”
Anderson valued Pope so much as a teammate that he flew into Lexington from Los Angeles on the day of Pope’s introductory press conference as UK’s new coach and flew back to LA later the same night.
“I was not going to miss that,” Anderson laughed and said. “I would have flown more than four years to be there for him.”
Maybe that’s why Pope gave the national championship trophy to Anderson to hold after the new coach carried it off the bus when it rolled into Rupp Arena to mimic UK’s 1996 national championship reception.
“We were on the bus talking about who should take the trophy and somebody said I should take it because I had better hands. So rather than take a chance on breaking it, I did it for the team just like Mark used to do things for our team.”
Anderson said UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart knew the support Pope would have from former players when he hired him following John Calipari’s resignation. The initial UK fan base may not have seemed overly thrilled with the pick but Anderson knew that would change.
“You are getting a coach who believes in Kentucky and believes you will win. No one could have wanted this job more than him and no one understands the history better,” he said. “Mark loves Kentucky and has
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This spring The Crittenden Press is celebrating ten professionals in the top
Crittenden County volunteer firemen are on the scene of a structure fire at the bottom of Moore Hill on U.S. 60 West.
Personnel were alerted around 2:30 p.m., Friday about smoke billowing from the mobile home.
It was not immediately known whether there was anyone inside the residence.
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Rising rivers and creeks due to recent spring rainfall have closed five roads in rural Crittenden County.
Enon Church Road, Cool Springs Road, Elizabethtown Ferry Road, River Drive in Tolu and Phin Croft are all underwater and impassable by vehicle.
On the evening of April 18, Kentucky State Police (KSP) Post 2 received a call from Caldwell County 911 Center for assistance. Caldwell County Sheriff’s Department requested assistance regarding a death investigation at a residence on South Jefferson Street in Princeton.
Detectives launched an investigation into the incident and determined the death of Dorothy D. Sparks, 93, of Princeton was a homicide.
The investigation is ongoing by Detective Jacob Stephens.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) plans overnight closures of the westbound lanes of Interstate 24 near the 29 mile marker at the Tennessee River Bridge Work Zone today and tomorrow.
I-24 westbound will be closed from 7 p.m., to 7 a.m., Monday night and Tuesday night, at the 29 mile marker to allow permanent repairs to potholes along the shoulder area in the Tennessee River Bridge work zone.
Due to a work zone traffic shift to facilitate rehabilitation and painting work on the Interstate 24 Tennessee River Bridge, westbound traffic has been running on the shoulder area. This has created an extended area of potholes along the westbound shoulder where traffic transitions back to the roadway.
Starting promptly at 7 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, I-24 westbound traffic will be temporarily detoured at the KY 453 Grand Rivers Exit 31 interchange to take KY 453 South to U.S. 62 West to return to I-24 westbound via the U.S. 62 Calvert City Exit 27 Interchange.
During these overnight closures, westbound motorists on I-24 should be alert for slowing and stopped traffic as they approach the I-24 Grand Rivers Exit 31 interchange. Appropriate caution is
“It was probably a little more (attendance wise) than I thought it might be but I knew it would be a big turnout,” said Scott Padgett, Pope’s former teammate at UK and now an assistant coach at Mississippi State. “I am glad the fans did that for Pope. I know some fans only knew what they had heard about Pope on social media but everything fans saw up there at the press conference, that is who he is.
“You will not find anybody who has met Pope who does not love him. He is high energy, passionate, funny. He is so intelligent. All you see and think about him is true.”
However, Padgett, a former head coach at Samford, hopes Kentucky fans also understand that Pope is a highly respected coach because of what he’s done the last nine years at Utah Valley and BYU.
“He has a great reputation in the business. A lot of coaches really think highly of Mark,” Padgett said. “He has infectious energy and positivity. He’s obviously very, very intelligent and that will help with recruiting. But he is a great X and O guy. He is just a big-time guy and coach.
“He is ahead of the game in how he uses analytics. He even has an algorithm of how you go out and recruit. I don’t know how many Rhodes Scholars candidates are out there now coaching but I suspect Mark is one of very few or maybe the only one.”
Pope has not coached in the SEC like Padgett but the Mississippi State assistant coach does not think it will take Pope long to adjust to the styles of play in the SEC or what each head coach does best.
“I expect him to attack it head on and not just walk into it. He will run into it and embrace the competition,” Padgett said. “He is a very smart and intelligent person. It will not take him too long to get the lay of the land and who he will be battling against not only on the court but in recruiting.”
Recruiting at Kentucky will be vastly different from recruiting at Utah Valley or BYU but not something Padgett thinks will be an impossible task for Pope.
“BYU is a great place but there are some built in recruiting shackles that are not built in at Kentucky,” Padgett said. “He will have the same energy and effort in relationship building but every kid he wants a chance to recruit he will have that opportunity.
“This job will enhance him. When he was at Utah Valley he did a great job but it is a hard job there to get it going to where you can move up to BYU. Then BYU jumped from a lower league to the Big 12 and he went 10-8 and beat Iowa State, Kansas and Baylor in BYU’s first year as a Big 12 school. That was very impressive.
“I think a place like Kentucky that has money, support and the greatest fans is only going to enhance him. NIL is as important as anything in recruiting. Trust me, some battles you are not going to win when you don’t have enough NIL money. I am not saying old school recruiting is not important but NIL is probably even more important today.”
Padgett also said Pope’s familiarity with the UK program is extremely important.
“Deep down in his soul place this is the place he wants to be. He has been here and part of it and knows the heartbeat of the fan base. He’s been there and done that. He’s listened and knows what fans cheer for and what they boo for and knows what he needs to give them.
“I don’t know anybody who could come in with a better understanding of the job and be more ready for it. He had a great mentor (Pitino) who has been through the job. He lived it as a player. Nobody is more prepared than him because he’s had success in good jobs that were also tough jobs. I think he will do great.”
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YahooSports NBA draft analyst Krysten Peek has Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard going No. 6 in the NBA
Those enrolled in the leadership program will tour various locations in both Livingston and Crittenden counties. Buses from Crittenden and Livingston school districts will provide transportation during the visit. An itinerary of the full-day excursion will include stops at Pine Bluff rock quarry south of Salem, Livingston and Crittenden hospitals, Siemens in Marion, James Johnson Airport in Marion, Fohs Hall, Clement Mineral Museum and meals at Mulligan’s and Game Day in Marion.
Government officials, management at those operations and leaders from the Chamber of Commerce and Crittenden County Economic Development Corporation (CCED) will lead discussions about the community.
“We are excited about hosting this event to highlight our community,” said Chris Cook, chairman of the CCEDC and a member of the West Kentucky Chamber Alliance.
Leadership West Kentucky as a regional program seeking to build a network of informed citizens connected across community lines.
Founded in 2008, West Kentucky Regional Chamber Alliance provides a unified voice for local businesses in the region and to serve as a catalyst for regional leadership and action, bringing together resources for legislative, educational, infrastructure and economic development advocacy.
Livingston County is hosting its annual Spring Cleanup Days and there is an extra day this time. Dates are April 24-27 from 8 a.m., to 4 p.m., daily.
For free dumping, dumpsters will be available at the Livingston County Convenience Center at 761 Cutoff Road and at the Old Riding Club at 1795 U.S. 60 East between Burna and Salem.
Appliances and furniture will be accepted. To make arrangements for large appliances to be picked up, call the Judge-Executive Teris Swanson's office at 270-928-2105.
Only large items will be picked up, no common household trash. This pickup service is limited so call promptly.
Be aware that EPA requires all items to be placed directly into the dumpster.
Tires are not accepted. Proof of Livingston County residency is required.