Beech Tree News Network

 Gov. Matt Bevin appointed Blake Ross Chambers, of Morgantown, as Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 38th Judicial Circuit of Kentucky. Circuit Judge Tim Coleman adminstered the oaath of office to Chambers on Thursday at the Butler County Courthouse.

Symbols of appreciation come in many forms, from a simple verbal ‘thank you’ to a hand-written note to a random act of kindness. But for the family of a Nicholasville, Kentucky police officer the token of appreciation had a deeper, more heartfelt meaning for both them and those involved in the project.

FRANKFORT,  Ky.  – State  Auditor  Mike  Harmon today  released  the  audit  of  the  sheriff’s  settlement  2015 taxes for Butler County Sheriff  Scottie Ward. State law requires the auditor to annually audit the accounts of each county sheriff. In compliance with this law, the auditor issues two  sheriff’s  reports  each  year:  one  reporting  on  the audit  of  the  sheriff’s  tax  account, and the other reporting on the audit of the fee account used to operate the office.

Butler County Fiscal Court meet with all magistrates present in their regularly scheduled session on Monday, April 24th.  Several items were on the agenda for the night, all being brief with the exception of the closed session that took place.  All items were passed unanimously.

Two animals in Butler County have tested positive for rabies according to John Morgan of the Barren River District Health Department.  The animals were a skunk and a feeder calf (steer) both on the same farm in the Sugar Grove area. 

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The vast majority of rabies cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) each year occur in wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes.

A much-improved, interactive sign is something Butler County Middle School Principal Tim Freeman and Assistant Principal Cody Donaldson have wanted for a long time.  After reaching out to potential sponsors, they got their wish.  Recently, BCMS partnered with Delta Faucets, Morgantown Bank and Trust and the schools' partent-teacher organization to install a completely new digital sign in front of the middle school. 

State Sen. C.B. Embry said he won't consider a sales tax on some foods or drugs in Kentucky if that's an option offered by Gov. Matt Bevin in a possible special General Assembly session later this year.

Bevin has indicated he's considering a special session to look at pensions and tax reform.

Embry, R-Morgantown, and several other local lawmakers discussed the pending special session and the now-concluded regular short session in Frankfort at the Barren River Area Development District board meeting Wednesday in Bowling Green.

On July 1, a new Kentucky law is expected to bring greater transparency and accountability to area development districts, Auditor Mike Harmon said.

State Rep. Jim DeCesare, R-Bowling Green, who worked on the legislation for two sessions of the Kentucky General Assembly, said the effort worked because all parties affected by the proposed law worked together.

“Everybody had a seat at the table. The intent of the legislation was to allow more transparency in the process,” DeCesare said Tuesday. DeCesare publicly voiced concerns about the ADDs in Kentucky.

An estimated 14,000 students, educators and parents converged on Lexington for the ninth annual Student Technology Leadership Program (STLP) State Championship on April 12th.

Blake McMeans was once one of the nation’s top-ranked high school tennis players until one drinking and driving accident changed the course of his life forever. At the age of 17, Blake’s world was suddenly rocked by the unexpected death of his father. Shook by grief, Blake turned to alcohol to numb the pain. On the night of Nov. 10, 1994, Blake went out drinking, then got into his car to drive home -- a choice that turned out to be the biggest mistake of his life.