Photos via CCSO
CCSO CAPTURES TWO FUGITIVES
At approximately 1 am Wednesday, the Calloway County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by law enforcement in Tennessee in an effort to help locate 41-year old David Todd of Murray. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office had an active warrant of arrest for Todd. Shortly thereafter, Calloway County Deputy Corey Keene located Todd. He was arrested, charged with being a Fugitive from Another State, and lodged in the Calloway County Jail.
At approximately 8:30 pm Monday, Calloway County Deputy Sheriff Jon Hayden stopped a vehicle on Highway 80 West in Calloway County for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, a passenger in the vehicle was identified as 39-year old Jason Beasley of Mount Airy, Maryland who had an active warrant of arrest from Maryland for felony charges including the rape of a woman in 2019. Beasley was arrested and charged with being a Fugitive from Another State, and lodged in the Calloway County Jail.
REPORT: CHILD ABUSE CASE MOVES TO GRAND JURY
The Murray Ledger and Times reports that a preliminary hearing in a Calloway County child abuse case was called off yesterday. Before Calloway District Judge Randall Hutchens started the hearing, attorney Cheri Riedel informed him that the defendant in the case was choosing to waive the prelim. This means that the case now will head to a Calloway County grand jury in July. 24-year old Matthew Dean Jones Junior was arrested last month after an infant with physical injuries was brought to Murray-Calloway County Hospital. The child was later flown by helicopter to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville for further treatment. The infant has recovered and is reportedly in protective custody. Jones was charged with criminal abuse of a child under 12. He remains lodged in the Calloway County Jail but his $50,000 bond was reduced to 10% of that total at yesterday’s hearing.
TORNADO SIREN TEST SET FOR FRIDAY
The tornado warning sirens in Murray, Hazel, and on the Murray State University campus will be tested Friday morning just after 9. The MSU systems will be tested first. These produce a tone and a spoken announcement. The City sirens will be tested next. The first sounding will be a wavering siren, which is the “alert” or “warning” sound. It will be followed by a steady tone which means “all clear”. The Hazel sirens will be tested in the same manner. The warning sirens are designed to warn persons who are outside that they should seek shelter and tune into a news source. It is also recommended to have a NOAA weather radio receiver to receive warnings while inside a building. You may also sign up for the CodeRED automated weather warning phone calls at callowaycounty-ky.gov or by calling 270-753-2920.
CALLOWAY COVID REPORT
The Calloway County Health Department reported 3 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the county total during the pandemic to 3,524. Of that total, 3,464 have recovered, 11 are isolated at home, and none are hospitalized. There have been 49 deaths, but none reported since April 15. As of yesterday, 34.2% of Calloway County residents have been fully vaccinated including 69.2% of those 65 and older. Calloway County’s COVID-19 positivity rate as of Wednesday was .97%, which is higher than Tuesday’s rate of .89%.
KENTUCKY COVID REPORT
At Wednesday’s COVID-19 update for Kentucky, 445 new cases and 4 new deaths were reported, raising the total to 7,071 Kentuckians who are listed as Covid deaths. As of Wednesday, there have been over 6.64 million coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky with a positivity rate of 2.77%, which is higher than last Wednesday’s rate of 2.4%. There are 307 Kentuckians hospitalized which is 42 less than last Wednesday, including 106 in ICU, which is 3 less than one week ago. At least 52,836 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus. As of Wednesday, 2,060,313 Kentuckians have been vaccinated for a 46% total, including 81% of those 65 and older.
CELLAS ESTABLISH ENDOWMENT FOR MISD STUDENTS
Dr. Ron and Doris Cella recently established an endowment with the Murray Independent School District Foundation for Excellence. The endowment will fund awards to help Murray High graduates participate in Murray State’s Education Abroad programs. A former twelve-year MISD Board of Education member, who served as chair for eight years, Doris Cella has volunteered as a tutor and helped coach the speech team with the Murray School system. Ron Cella has been a member and officer of the MISD Foundation since 2009. Murray High School students attending MSU will be informed about requirements to apply for the Cella Fund after applying and meeting requirements to participate in an MSU Education Abroad program.
MSU PROGRAM NAMED BEST IN KENTUCKY
The graphic design program housed in Murray State University’s Department of Art & Design has been ranked #1 in the state of Kentucky for 2021 and in the Top 25 in the South by the Animation Career Review, a major online resource for people aspiring for careers in animation, game design, graphic design, digital art, and related fields. The organization considers every degree-granting school of which they are aware, with the exception of two-year community colleges. Animation Career Review’s end goal is to provide students and their parents access to ample information so they can make an informed decision about the school they choose to attend and the program they pursue.
DENO AWARDED EDMONDS FELLOWSHIP
Ashleigh Deno has been awarded the Edmonds Summer Fellowship from Human Rights Educators USA. The fellowship supports hands-on leadership experience in human rights education and works to engage young people in building human rights-friendly schools and communities. Deno is an alumna of Murray State who graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in Secondary History Education. She spent the last two years working as an historical researcher at Wrather West Kentucky Museum where she specialized in women’s history in the Jackson Purchase Area, creating both physical and digital exhibits for the local community.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
FRANKFORT—Tourism officials from across Kentucky say the industry is in need of rescue. Officials from Louisville, Lexington, Owensboro and other areas presented a 75-million-dollar plan to a state subcommittee on economic development and tourism yesterday. The money sought would come from the American Rescue plan. The coronavirus outbreak is expected to cause as much as a three-billion-dollar loss to Kentucky’s tourism industry.
FRANKFORT—The University of Kentucky will benefit from a Bardstown license plate to be offered starting next year. The plate will honor the bourbon capital of the world. Money raised by the plate will go to scholarships for The James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits program at UK. It will cost 42-dollars the first year and 28-dollars each year after.
WEBSTER COUNTY—Officials at the Dotiki Mine in Webster County have the ear of a U.S. Senator. Kentucky Republican Rand Paul was at the mine yesterday hearing a presentation about how coal waste can be repurposed to extract rare minerals from the rocks that are discarded. The University of Kentucky College of Engineering says it can prove the concept works. Officials say the operation could bring nearly 100 jobs to the area with proper funding.
LESLIE COUNTY—No one is currently facing charges after a shooting in Leslie County. The shooting happened yesterday morning in Hyden at an Exxon gas station. Kentucky State Police say 54-year-old Gordon Bussell and 58-year-old Gary Howard got in a fight before Howard shot Bussell. The case will be presented to the Leslie County Grand Jury. The incident is under investigation.
TENNESSEE—There are over 320 new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported the new cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to nearly 863-thousand-330. An additional nine COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, with the total number of coronavirus-attributed deaths standing at nearly 12-thousand-470. There are about 450 people with COVID-19 hospitalized in Tennessee.
TENNESSEE—Governor Bill Lee is ceremoniously signing the permitless carry gun bill. A celebration was held at gun manufacturer Beretta USA’s facility in Gallatin yesterday. The bill allows Tennesseans 21 and over and members of the military over 18 to carry open or concealed handguns without a permit. It also increases penalties for gun-related crimes.
