What made the local news in 2019?
Stories that chronicled the events of the year throughout the seven-county coverage area of The Ledger Independent included a spectrum of issues — from public health-related topics, such as smoke-free legislation to economic issues such as industrial development. New schools opened and old ones closed. Elections brought changes from the statehouse to the courthouse. There were some bumpy roads, literally, and some smooth sailing along the way.
As 2019 unfolded reporters were there to document for our readers what is often the first history recorded of the event.
Over the past few weeks, we have been taking a look back at those stories and here and continuing inside on page 8 inside readers will find the events and articles we selected as tops for 2019.
Rice retires, Muse named MPD chief
In August, Maysville Police Chief Ron Rice announced plans to retire.
Rice, the first African-American to serve as chief, was named to the position when Kent Butcher retired.
During his tenure as chief, Rice guided MPD through the process to become accredited through the Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police Accreditation Program. To be an accredited agency, a police department must meet 140 standard in such areas as policy and procedure, training and equipment. He also oversaw the move into the new police and communications headquarters on Government Street and the opening of the renovated substation in the East End.
In September, Assistant Chief Jared Muse was named MPD chief on the recommendation of City Manager Matt Wallingford and with unanimous approval from city commissioners and Mayor Charles Cotterill.
Muse’s grandfather was the chief of the Maysville Police Department in the 1970s, his father retired from MPD and his brother began his career with the Maysville department.
Bridge, Kentucky 3056 closed, set for repairs
After months of trying to nurse the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge along until repairs could be made to the iconic span, officials with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet made the decision in November to close it to traffic.
The closure will be through the winter, according to KYTC spokesperson Allen Blair.
The bridge, which carries U.S. 62 across the Ohio River between downtown Maysville and Aberdeen, Ohio, was restricted to a 3-ton weight limit as a safety precaution in July after inspectors found corrosion damage to several suspender cables. State highway engineers put the bridge on a monthly inspection rotation, and began planning both short- and long-term improvements.
The $250,000 repair project includes installation of temporary support rods and brackets at 19 locations adjacent to damaged suspender cables as a short-term safety measure while longer-term repairs are considered.
The work will be done by Judy C. Harp Company, Inc., under a $254,535 low-bid Kentucky Transportation Cabinet contract. The contractor has until April 15 to complete the work.
Also in November, repairs to Kentucky 3056 in Maysville began, nearly a year after the road was closed for hillside slippage.
“State highway engineers closed the roadway in January due to rockfalls that were becoming larger, Blair said.
LVCAP
Licking Valley Community Action Program learned in July it would no longer administer Head Start programs in the area after its contract with the federal government was not renewed.
Fleming County Judge-Executive Larry Foxworthy, president of the LVCAP board of directors said the agency was notified by the National Head Start Program’s Regional Office in Atlanta, Ga., of the development.
“I think it was a combination of things,” he said. “A lot of it was due to the audit that we received from 2018, and then there were some policies and procedures that maybe were not followed as correctly as they should have been. And that was the reason for the decision.”
“It’s almost $4 million in the budget of our entire agency, so it’s going to have a dramatic effect,” he said.
According to State Head Start Collaboration Director Sally Shepherd, the Gateway Community Action Agency, based in West Liberty was granted the Head Start contract, which was previously held by LVCAP.
Union soldier grave
The remains and grave marker of William Thomas were re-interred in the Johnsville I.O.O.F. Cemetery in Johnsville on Aug. 17.
Thomas was a Union soldier during the Civil War. The grave stone indicates that Thomas served in Company D, 16th Kentucky Infantry regiment.
For years, Thomas’ grave rested in the backyard of Greg Jones’ home, around 11 miles west of Augusta on Kentucky 8 near the CSX railroad. The railroad tracks, and Thomas’grave marker, could be seen from a nearby back porch.
According to the Bracken County Historical Society, Thomas apparently had no children and was the son of Hiram and Margaret Thomas, formerly of Augusta. He had several sisters and possibly one brother.
Some members of Thomas’ family and descendants are also buried in the Johnsville Cemetery.
Industrial, economic development shows robust growth
In 2018, Maysville was selected by Precision Pulley and Idler as the site for a new plant. In 2019, the plant began operation and was only one of many positive economic and growth factors which marked the year.
At East Kentucky Power Cooperation, plans for a quarter billion dollar investment in the Spurlock Station was revealed and Enviroflight and Maca Plastics/Acela Biomedical opened their doors
In another industrial announcement, PatienTech said it would open a premium bed manufacturing division in Maysville after receiving approval for state incentives. The PatienTech announcement coincided with a Community Development Block Grant award from the Department of Local Government for $500,000 written by BTADD on behalf of the MMCIDA.
The retail sector also produced healthy growth with the opening of several new outlets, from new restaurants and service focused businesses to the Harbor Freight store in Bluegrass.
Comprehend opens
About 18 months after breaking ground, Comprehend, Inc. officially opened the doors on its new facility on Forest Avenue in Maysville in October.
The Harriett Hord Cartmell Medical Building is a three-story, 25,308-square-foot addition constructed in Maysville’s East End. Cartmell was a pioneer in bringing mental health care services to the Buffalo Trace Region. The $7.5 million project was funded by $3.4 million in tax credits with the remainder in loans.
The day also marked the opening of the Buffalo Trace Medical Arts facility, a primary care program on the second floor and the only care clinic located in the east end of Maysville. It will operate under the leadership of Maysville native Dr. Peter Kambelos. The suite will be named the John and Erato Kambelos Primary Care suite, in honor of Dr. Kambelos’ parents.
Moyer fire
An early morning fire in mid-June destroyed Moyer Winery and Restaurant near Manchester, Ohio
Manchester Volunteer Fire Department Chief Rick Bowman said he received a call around 1:40 a.m. in regards to a fire along U.S. 52 in Manchester. Upon arriving, firefighters found the restaurant to be engulfed.
“We believe it started around the kitchen,” he said. “When we came around the corner, it was through the whole roof of the kitchen. Other than that, we really don’t know what may have caused it. We’re waiting on the fire marshal to come out and inspect it.”
Dozens of firefighters and equipment from throughout the area, from Ohio and Kentucky responded to the call to battle the blaze, officials said.
Owner Ken Smith said there are plans to rebuild the business, although there is a lot of work to be done before that can happen.
“That’s the plan right now,” Smith said.
The restaurant was originally opened in 1972 by Ken and Mary Moyer. In 2018, it was sold to Ken and Kimberly Smith. The couple renovated the property and reopened it that year.
Murder suspects indicted
Arica Louise Woodruff, 29, of Maysville, Dagoberto Ramos, 32, of Seamen, Ohio, and Nelson Ramos, 27, of Peebles, Ohio, were indicted on the charge of murder, relating to the death of Augusta resident James Gordley.
According to the indictments, Gordley, 59, suffered multiple lacerations to the upper torso and head, causing his death.
Gordley was found dead in his mobile home in Augusta on Dec. 14, 2018, after police received a phone call from one of Gordley’s neighbors, according to Kentucky State Police Detective Isaac Waters.
“On the morning of Dec. 14, 2018, I was notified by (KSP) of a murder victim in Augusta,” Kentucky State Police Detective Isaac Waters said during a recent testimony in Bracken District before Judge Jeff Schumacher. “The victim was identified as James Gordley. Upon arrival, I observed Mr. Gordley deceased in his living room with multiple lacerations of his upper torso, specifically his head. The lacerations appeared to be caused by a long-bladed instrument.”
Dagoberto Ramos and Woodruff are being held in the Mason County Detention Center on a $500,000 cash bond. Nelson Ramos is also in the Mason County Detention Center on a $100,000 cash bond.
New Central Elementary School opens
The new Lewis County Central Elementary School invited the public for an open house in September, where visitors were taken on a tour of the new building.
“We’re very excited to have everybody out tonight,” LCCES Principal Stacy Kidwell said. “We’ve had a lot of the community members asking to come in and see the school, and we kind of wanted to get in and get settled and get our kids familiar with things.”
Visitors were first greeted with a brief opening ceremony, with a word of thanks expressed on behalf of the students at LCCES, followed by a ribbon cutting by the students themselves. Visitors were then able to enter the new school, where students offered to take groups around the building and show them the classrooms and other facilities.
In the new building there are now three classrooms for each grade, including pre-school and two FMD special education rooms which will serve the entire school district for elementary school students.
This new elementary school was built to replace the original LCCES building, which had aged and deteriorated since its construction in the 1930s.
Car pulled from Ohio River linked to missing man
Authorities have identified the owner of the 1998 Buick Le Sabre pulled from the Ohio River in Aberdeen, Ohio, in June.
Brown County Sheriff’s Sgt. Chad Noble said the vehicle was registered to a man named Jesse Flaugher, who is listed on namus.gov as a missing person from October 2006. He was 85 years old at the time of his disappearance.
Recovery teams arrived on scene near the Aberdeen boat ramp with crews from Task Force One.
According to Flaugher’s niece, Janet Brammel, Flaugher disappeared on Oct. 1, 2006, from Brookville, Ohio, and the family was almost certain he had committed suicide.
“On Oct. 1, 2006, he went missing,” she said. “He dropped off an envelope on his sister’s porch and it contained his apartment key, wallet and cash. We never saw him again. He had a lot of problems and we knew something was wrong. His mind wasn’t right. We knew something had happened.”
