Featured Articles from the Central Kentucky News

James Lawson loves old cars, sure, but he's no collector. He just likes to keep one around, kind of out of habit. "I get one car and keep it for a while, then someone will offer me a ridiculous price and I'll sell it and go out and look for another one," he explained. Lawson's current love is a 1958 Chevy Biscayne, which he's had for nine years, ever since he saw its shiny front end poking out from behind a shed in Bryantsville. "I was just out running around and saw the car sitting beside a work shed.

Grace Prewitt Yarutis, 88, mother of Ray Glave, passed away Friday, Jan. 27, 2012, at Fountain Circle. No services are planned. The guest book is at www.scobeefuneralhome.com, and the 24-hour funeral information line can be reached by dialing 744-2122.

A local "digger" is asked the best way to tell the difference between a real Civil War relic and a fake one. Mark Kitchen answers, "Darrell Young. He's the man to ask. He's kind of a legend to all us guys who started this a little later in life. " Kitchen is no freshman at dirt fishing, either. He's brought home valuable relics from his expeditions, like a cannon ball that had to be disarmed by removing the explosive powder, and a fully intact Union belt buckle, but he says Young is the go-to guy for anyone who "wants to know more.

BOYLE DISTRICT COURT Cases handled recently in Boyle District Court, listed by name, charge, fine and jail sentence, where applicable, include the following. Court costs also were assessed in most cases. Ages and addresses are listed if available. Ladonna E. Parker, 20, 103 Balasa Drive, fourth-degree aggravated assault, amended to disorderly conduct, $100. Michael D. Parker, 19, 103 Balasa Drive, fourth-degree aggravated assault, amended to disorderly conduct, $100.

The GED test will be free in Kentucky from May 15 to July 31. Kentuckians taking the test during that time frame will not have to pay the usual test fee, which will be paid by Kentucky Adult Education, a unit of the Council on Postsecondary Education. “Our message is don't wait until later in the year to start work on your GED,” said Reecie Stagnolia, vice president, Kentucky Adult Education. “Get started now to take advantage of the free testing.” The GED test provides adults who did not finish high school with the opportunity to certify their attainment of high school-level academic knowledge and skills.

Jessamine County may soon see another large senior-living community after the Nicholasville Planning Commission approved a zone change and a land subdivision for The Joseph Group in the northern part of the county Monday night. The planning commission voted unanimously to approve several zone changes to single-family residential and townhouse residential on Patmore Lane, Cimmaron Place and Lauderdale Drive to allow The Joseph Group, headed by Charbel Joseph, to move forward with the development of Ashgrove Woods.

The news of a school bus crash or a child killed while boarding or unloading a school bus sends a terrifying tremor through a community. School bus crashes are rare. In fact, school buses are one of the safest forms of transportation in the nation - nearly 2,000 times safer than the family car. School buses are designed to withstand all but the most serious crashes without death or serious injury. Most injuries and fatalities related to school bus safety occur outside a bus rather than inside one. Most people would never think of deliberately injuring a young person, but lack of attention by drivers puts our young people getting off and on a school bus in danger.

LIBERTY - An intense fire swept through Goose Creek Candle Co. in Liberty this morning, rendering the facility a total loss. More than 200 firefighters from seven departments battled the blaze - which was reported about 7 a.m. - for more than four hours before finally getting it under control. Hot spots and flames inside the facility on Campbellsville Street were still being reported at 12:30 p.m. Goose Creek candles are distributed nationally and the factory employed about 75 people.

Kyle Wiltjer felt Kentucky's season was an “eye-opener” for him and teammates following the national championship year when everything seemed to go right for the Wildcats. “It just shows us how much work we have to put in to get better individually and as a team,” said Wiltjer after UK's season ended with a NIT loss at Robert Morris. “It has been a disappointing season, but life is more than just basketball. We have to really stay positive and use this loss to our advantage now and use this season, as bad as it was, to learn from it and get better.” Wiltjer averaged 10.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

LEXINGTON - Alex Poythress isn't second guessing his decision to return to Kentucky for his sophomore season rather than put his name into the NBA draft like teammates Nerlens Noel and Archie Goodwin did. “I'm happy with my choice of coming back,” Poythress said Monday. “It was a long process and you just wanted to make sure your heart was all in it, make sure you made the right decision and I felt like I did it.” Poythress admitted that it was a “hard decision,” because it's “your future” but leaned on his own conscious when it came down to making a final decision on whether to enter the NBA Draft or return to school.

The George Rogers Clark softball team's district opener ended in dramatic fashion Tuesday at Cardinal Heights. The Lady Cardinals trailed 5-2 going into the bottom of the seventh inning but rallied and scored two runs and a play at the plate ended Clark's comeback attempt resulting in a 5-4 loss to Bourbon County. Clark courtesy runner Bryah Campbell was thrown out at home by Lady Colonels center fielder Destinee Arnold following a two-out single by Kolbi Mitchell. Campbell entered the contest after Erin Carrus smacked a double that scored Sydney Anderson, who reached on an error to extend the inning.

Thousands of Boyle County residents could get some good news when they answer the phone on Oct. 8. State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach was at the Boyle County Courthouse on Wednesday to announce that a call center made up of local officials and longtime residents will be established here next week to contact people about unclaimed property that has been turned over to the state treasury. "When I took office, we saw that we needed to do a better job and be more proactive getting people's property returned," Hollenbach said.

Two Boyle County residents were arrested on drug charges early this morning after authorities executed a search warrant on their Kings Mill Road residence and turned up a large stash of crack cocaine. Jerome Penman, 36, and Mary Huston, 19, both of 597 Kings Mill Road, were each charged with trafficking in cocaine and possession of cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. They were lodged in the Boyle County Detention Center. It was Penman's second drug trafficking offense, said Boyle Deputy Marty Elliott.