Beech Tree News Network

On October 1, 1962, U. S. President John F. Kennedy signed into public law a joint resolution of the 87th Congress designating May 15 as Police Officer's Memorial Day in honor of federal, state, and municipal peace officers who have been killed or disabled in the line of duty. Each year, the calendar week in which May 15 falls is called "Police Week." The 2013 National Peace Officer's Memorial Week has been designated May 12-18, 2013.

Warren RECC is celebrating its 75th anniversary.  On Friday, May 24, the cooperative will host a Customer Appreciation Day from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at its office located at 112 South Tyler Street, in Morgantown.  There will be free food and other goodies as long as supplies last.
During May, all Warren RECC offices are serving as drop-off points for A Case for Dignity, an organization that collects new or gently-used backpacks and duffel bags for children going into foster homes.

Celebration of Commencement Weekend at WKU continued Saturday as The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky celebrated the graduation of its Class of 2013. Alonna Ballinger, of Morgantown, was a member of the class. She is the daughter of Tom and Denise Ballinger.

Sixty-nine students representing 51 counties from across the Commonwealth were recognized during the ceremony in Van Meter Hall. The ceremony honored the Gatton Academy’s sixth graduating class.

The Morgantown City Council took up a busy agenda on Thursday night, with emphasis on economic development issues, new police officers, and vandalism in the city park.
 

A little less than seven years ago, Gene and Connie Poole opened the doors to the Good News Community Center at 5401 Caneyville Road in Butler County.  They had one central aim: to have a facility that would glorify God by blessing the community with a place they could use, free of charge.  A brief survey of last month’s activities and this month’s scheduled events shows their vision for the facility is on track.  Weddings, showers, receptions, birthday parties, reunions, benefits and various community meetings are common occurrences at the center.

Beech Tree News provides courthouse statistics on a regular basis. Courthouse information provided in this article is a matter of public record. The following records are from the Butler County Clerk and Circuit Clerk’s offices and cover April 19- May 1.

Civil Cases:
Roger Dunn vs. Bruce West

Family Court:
Trevia B. White vs. Ricky L. White
Roberta Allison Lynn Angel vs. Brandon Lee Angel
Vanessa Kay Evans vs. Robert Wayne Evans

Friday was the start of a long rainy weekend, and although the night might have been a dreary one, people from around the community gathered at the Butler County High School football field for the Butler County Relay for Life.  A Relay for Life event is where communities gather to honor cancer survivors, remember lost loved ones, and raise money to help fight back.  This year, twelve teams participated including a team from Morgantown Elementary, Butler County Middle School, and two teams from Butler County High School.

The Annual Click it or Ticket campaign is ready to kick off. Officers from the Butler County Sheriff's Department and the Kentucky State Police will be taking part in the 2013 national "Click it or Ticket" enforcement campaign starting May 20th through June 2nd.
Officers will be conducting traffic safety check points as well as looking for violators that are engaging in unsafe driving behaviors such as speeding, reckless driving, unsafe lane change, following too close and D.U.I.

Future Donations Expected to Increase As Program Grows- Tom Jones, President/CEO of Morgantown Bank & Trust presented Butler County Schools Superintendent Scott Howard with a check for $839.60 for the first donation from the bank’s school spirit card program.  This is the first quarter of the new promotion and the majority of the income for the first quarter was earned in March, which indicates that the program is growing and donations are expected to increase in the future.    

Shane Williams, of Centertown, Kentucky has filed a lawsuit Terry M. Fugate, Butler County Jailer, in his personal and official capacities. In a civil action filed on April 1, 2013 in the United States District Court, Bowling Green Division, Williams claims he sustained physical and sexual assault at the hands of fellow inmates from approximately the time of his incarceration until his release.  He also claims he was denied medical treatment for his injuries.