Beech Tree News Network

The Senior Class of 2014 has been awarded $2,553,725 in scholarships; this is a record amount according to Butler County Counselor Duane Curry. The presentations were made on Thursday night during the honors program at the Butler County High School Auditorium.

On Saturday, May 24 at 1 p.m, a program was held on Main Street in Morgantown for the unveiling of Butler County's most recent historical marker sign. This will be the 10th historical marker sign established in Butler County alone.

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 30- May 21.
Civil Cases:
William Troy Holman vs. Senora Fulkerson
Summit Medical Center vs. Christopher Henderson
Morgantown Bank & Trust vs. Theresa D. Bell
Morgantown Bank & Trust vs. Deborah M. Combs
Richard T.C. Wan vs. Brad Smart
Tidewater Motor Credit vs. Ronnie Cockrell

The Annual Memorial Day Program will be hosted by the VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post 5837on the 26 day of May 2014. The Butler County Chapter and Green River Chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution will also participate.
It is the hope of Auxiliary Post 5837 that all the bricks ordered will be placed and that our landscaping will be done. We have 193 bricks to be placed. Services will began at 11:00 AM.
We hope that all will come out and honor the men and women who sacrificed for us to live free.

On Friday, May 30 at 7:30 pm the 2014 Commencement for Butler County High School will be held in the school gymnasium.  As principal, I am happy to be a part of this special occasion and I am very proud of our students, teachers, and staff.  In consideration of making this event go as smoothly as possible, we will have school buses picking up guests at the Educational Complex on Veteran’s Way (next to Casco) beginning at 6:00 p.m.  The buses will resume the return route as soon as the commencement is over.

Morgantown City Police is investigating vandalism at the Butler County High School softball and baseball fields.  Person(s) turned over the drink machine and tore the front off damaging the machine.  They also broke out a window in the concession building.  No damage was reported from inside the building.  Officer Denny Deweese is leading the investigation. 

First Baptist Church held a groundbreaking service on Sunday for the new Fellowship Hall.  Five years ago a building fund was started by the WMU and in March of this year the Church voted to proceed with the construction of the new Fellowship Hall.
According to Pastor Greg Wallace the Church had a need for a ground level, handicapped accessible fellowship hall and kitchen.  “We have members in our church who cannot attend fellowship gatherings because they cannot navigate the steps to the basement,” said Wallace.

Several people waited in line for the official grand opening of the Dollar General Market in Morgantown on Saturday morning. Mayor Linda Keown, councilwomen Sharon Johnson and Dionne Merritt, Chamber President James Runion, Chamber Board member Randall Gaskey,and  Donna Morris joined the Dollar General Market employees in officially opening the store. 

A portion of the William H. Natcher Parkway is being dedicated to Medal of Honor recipients in Butler and Ohio Counties.

The stretch of the Natcher Parkway going through both counties is designated the “Medal of Honor Recipient Trail” in honor of  Staff Sergeant Don J. Jenkins of Butler County and PFC Wesley Phelps of Ohio County.

Representative C.B. Embry Jr. of Morgantown was a leading sponsor of the bill.

The Morgantown City Council met briefly Thursday night in a special called session and passed two ordinances.  The Council passed the 2nd reading of the Ordinance 2014-07 which formally closes the alley running behind the former Dalton Oil property running in an L shape from South Tyler Street to G. L. Smith Street.  The Council also passed the 1st reading of an amendment to the 2013-14 budget.

After those votes, the Council went into a work session concerning the 2014-15 budget.  No action was taken.