Dismissal

“I thought the phone would never stop ringing,” Kay Peppard said in an interview Monday, about the support she has received from the community after taking early retirement from her position as the director of the Lincoln County Public Library. “Thank God for all of the good people of Lincoln County and their good wishes and concern,” she added. Peppard said that she is obviously disappointed with what she sees as the Library Executive Board’s implied ultimatum for her to either accept early retirement or be fired.

LIBERTY - Casey County Extension District Board has asked for dismissal of a lawsuit filed against the board by a former employee. Chairman John Gossage told the board Tuesday that the board's lawyer has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Jan Atwood, former 4-H youth development agent for the county. Another court hearing may be held Oct. 14. Atwood filed the lawsuit in July in Fayette Circuit Court against the board and the University of Kentucky after the board did not include money in its 2005-2006 budget for her salary and expenses.

HARRODSBURG - The dismissal of Donald Smith at Kentucky State University came as quite a surprise to some of those who know him best, and apparently to Smith as well. Smith, a Harrodsburg native who has coached Kentucky State's football team for the past three seasons, was fired Wednesday by the school. School officials have given no reason for their action, which came exactly one month after he was suspended without explanation. Smith was not available for comment. Two people who are close to Smith said Thursday they were stunned by the announcement from Kentucky State.

The Danville Board of Education is denying that it violated the state's Open Meetings law last week, and in the process revealing that its closed door discussions could lead to the dismissal of an unnamed employee. Citing a 1979 case between The Courier Journal and the University of Louisville Board of Regents, Danville attorney Vince Pennington concludes that the school board can meet in executive session to discuss the election of officers as long as it comes back into open session to conduct the election.

LIBERTY - Seven pupils at Casey County Middle School were suspended Friday for walking out of school to protest the dismissal of a teacher. They were students of Tonia Gosser, who was fired Tuesday by Superintendent Linda Hatter. When a few students started out the door Friday morning, Principal Terry Price warned them that if they left the premises they would be punished. All but seven pupils returned to class. "I explained that dismissal of the teacher had nothing to do with anyone at the school," said Price.

STANFORD ? Lincoln County school Superintendent Larry Woods says the dismissal of the district's technology coordinator had nothing to do with sexual orientation. Anthony Beeler has filed suit in circuit court against the school board and Woods charging that his termination violated the Kentucky Whistle Blower Act that protects employees from reprisal from reporting violations of laws or statutes, and Section 2 of the Kentucky Constitution that protects citizens from absolute and arbitrary power over their lives and liberty.

Dear Editor, With the recent dismissal of Brian Jenkins, I wanted to inform the community of what a loss this is for the city of Stanford. I have worked alongside Mr. Jenkins for three years at our full-time fire department in a surrounding city. Mr. Jenkins is a respected member of our department. He is professional firefighter and deserves a respected answer for his dismissal. As a citizen, I would be concerned and would be asking questions on why they would dismiss several well-trained firefighters.

With the recent dismissal of Brian Jenkins I wanted to inform the community about a loss this is for the city of Stanford. I have worked alongside Mr. Jenkins for three years at our full-time fire department in a surrounding city. Mr. Jenkins is a respected member of our department; he is a professional fire fighter and deserves a respected answer for his dismissal. As a citizen I would be concerned and would be asking questions about why they would dismiss several well-trained firefighters.

By Michael Broihier Judge Executive R. W. "Buckwheat" Gilbert and County Treasurer Teresa Padgett were served papers Tuesday in a second set of legal action claiming the two made defamatory statements about a former county employee. Audrey Gayle Young, who'd worked at the courthouse for four years before her dismissal, said in a complaint that Gilbert and Padgett, "intentionally, wantonly, willfully and maliciously communicated false and defamatory statements," about her. Young's complaint charges that the pair told various third parties that she had stolen money from the Fiscal Court, a charge Gilbert flatly denies.

LEXINGTON - Drug trafficking charges against Jimmy and Regina Banks were dismissed before their scheduled trial Wednesday in Fayette Circuit Court, but a prosecutor says he hopes to have them reinstated next week along with additional charges. The Bankses, who used to live at the corner of Lexington Avenue and Third Street in Danville, were indicted in July for first-degree trafficking in oxycodone after they allegedly sold pills to an undercover police informant at their home in Lexington.

Charges from a February 2012 shooting and robbery were dismissed after the victim refused to cooperate with prosecutors. William Fulz, 35, was charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree assault after he allegedly shot Earl McVey Jr. outside 88 Tyler Banks Court on Feb. 26, 2012. He also allegedly robbed McVey, police said at the time. Thursday afternoon, Fulz's indictment and all charges were dismissed without prejudice in Clark Circuit Court. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Heidi Engel said the victim had refused to work with prosecutors and could not be located.

The city of Danville's insurance carrier paid to settle a lawsuit filed by former city commissioner Ryan Owens, a settlement the insurance company attempted to keep secret. According to the settlement agreement, which The Advocate-Messenger obtained Tuesday through an open records request to Danville City Clerk Donna Peek, Kentucky League of Cities Insurance Services paid Owens $52,500 to avoid further litigation of a lawsuit Owens filed in 2010. The lawsuit claimed the city, City Engineer Earl Coffey and former city manager Paul Stanbury caused Owens to lose his job with a Lexington engineering firm because of Owens' decision to run for Boyle County judge-executive.

A lawsuit filed in 2010 by former Danville city commissioner Ryan Owens that alleged meddling by city officials cost him his job at an engineering firm has been dismissed. Boyle Circuit Judge Darren Peckler entered an agreed order Wednesday in which both parties signed off on the dismissal of the lawsuit with prejudice, which means it cannot be relitigated in the future. Both sides are responsible for their own legal fees and costs, according to the agreed order. The case had been scheduled Monday for a four-day trial in Boyle Circuit Court, but the trial was canceled.

RICHMOND - A little more than a month after Eastern Kentucky University introduced Debra Hoskins as executive director of its Center for the Arts on Jan. 31, 2011, her former employer, Centre College informed her and EKU that it had evidence she had improperly obtained confidential records from its Norton Center for the Arts. Hoskins was employed by the Norton Center for more than 20 years before joining EKU. The information included customer and advertiser lists that were obtained by a Norton employee, Angie Young, sent to her personal email and then forwarded to Hoskins' personal email, according to a letter from Centre President John Roush to Hoskins and EKU President Doug Whitlock.

The arson charge against the second suspect in a fatal fire was dismissed Wednesday after detectives testified that there was no evidence linking Brandon Guy with setting the fire. Guy, 25, surrendered to police Nov. 10 after detectives swore out a warrant charging him with first-degree arson in connection with the Oct. 21 fire that killed 50-year-old Kenneth Payton in his home. During Guy's preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon in Clark District Court, Kentucky State Police Detective Jeremy Hamm testified that there was no direct evidence at this time to implicate Guy in setting the fire.

The arson charge against the second suspect in a fatal fire was dismissed Wednesday after detectives testified that there was no evidence linking Brandon Guy with setting the fire. Guy, 25, surrendered to police Nov. 10 after detectives swore out a warrant charging him with first-degree arson in connection with the Oct. 21 fire that killed 50-year-old Kenneth Payton in his home. During Guy's preliminary hearing Wednesday afternoon in Clark District Court, Kentucky State Police Detective Jeremy Hamm testified that there was no direct evidence at this time to implicate Guy in setting the fire.

We are very fortunate to have Dr. Carmen Coleman serve as superintendent of the Danville school system. I have served on the Danville School Education Foundation for almost two years, and that experience has allowed me significant first hand knowledge of Dr. Coleman's outstanding abilities, intelligence and enthusiasm. She is an excellent superintendent. As an attorney, I hope all of The Advocate-Messenger's readers understand that the recent article regarding litigation involving the Danville school board and Dr. Coleman only reports one side of a dispute.

HARRODSBURG - Edward Johnson claims the video machines confiscated from his store are like the Monopoly game offered by McDonald's, a promotional sweepstakes entertainment legal under Kentucky's “vague” gambling statutes. Mercer Circuit Judge Darren Peckler didn't buy that argument, however, and on Wednesday denied Johnson's motion to dismiss the 16 counts of felony promoting gambling against Johnson stemming from a raid on his Pioneer Market store in March. The store is on U.S. 127 in Harrodsburg.

By TODD KLEFFMAN tkleffman@amnews.com LANCASTER - Even though Liquor Mart of Lancaster sold a case of Bud Light to an intoxicated Brett Whitaker just before he killed a Berea couple in a drunk-driving collision, the liquor store won't be held responsible for the deaths, a judge has ruled. Garrard Circuit Judge Hunter Daugherty granted a motion for summary judgment in favor of Liquor Mart, dismissing the liquor store from liability in the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Joel Rowland, son of John and Lavada Rowland, who were killed in the crash on U.S. 27 in June 2010.