Junction City

In business session on Aug. 21, the First Baptist Church of Junction City, upon recommendation of its deacons, voted unanimously as a body to stand in opposition to the expansion of alcohol sales as proposed in the local option election for the three Junction City precincts set for Oct. 4. This is the historical Baptist stance. This stance is also from our experiences in ministry to those subjected to the negatives of alcohol use and abuse. This is a stand for full truth politically and financially - which has been lacking thus far - because alcohol never delivers to the larger good of the community and any perceived or claimed financial benefits are realized only for the few. Some unanswered questions: What exactly would be permitted by a “Yes” vote - beer sales, package stores, by-the-drink bars and restaurants?

JUNCTION CITY - Beer has been on Junction City store shelves less than a month, but officials already face legal fire for allowing alcohol sales. Junction City resident Joseph O. Perry and Liquor Mart of Danville are suing the City Council, Mayor Jim Douglas and others for allegedly violating state laws that require fourth-class cities - the smallest allowed to sell alcohol - to have populations of at least 3,000. The lawsuit claims Junction City did not have the authority to hold a vote on alcohol sales because the city's population is less than the benchmark.

The recent article titled “Junction City considers starting recycling program” is a positive proposal. As a lifelong resident of Boyle County, I have seen the recent success of Danville’s recycling program. I see people who previously never took the time, but are now aware and active recyclers. I believe this all stems from having the extra bin for curbside pickup. Now that Junction City is considering the same program, we should expect the same results. Sure people will now have to be conscious of putting their waste in a separate container, but it is not a drastic change.

JUNCTION CITY - One man was airlifted and another taken to a local hospital following a one-vehicle crash Wednesday afternoon on Ky. 300.Junction City Police Chief Merl Baldwin said a 2011 Toyota Camry driven by Michael Bradford, 44, and carrying passenger Shawn Douglas, 43, both of Junction City, was headed west on Ky. 300 about 50 feet past the intersection with Bells Lane shortly before 4 p.m. when it left the roadway. The vehicle went down an embankment and struck a culvert.Both the driver and passenger, who Baldwin said were wearing seat belts, had to be extricated from the vehicle.Bradford was airlifted to University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center in Lexington with unknown injuries.

JUNCTION CITY - A petition is circulating at local gas stations that seeks to legalize alcohol sales in Junction City, taking advantage of the city's recent upgrade in classification. If the petition is certified by the county clerk and judge-executive, residents would vote later this year on whether to become fully wet, allowing for licenses including retail beer and package liquor. Employees at two gas stations in Junction City said they were unsure who or what group is behind the petition, which asks residents simply if they are in favor of the sale and consumption of alcohol in the city.

Junction City is closer than ever to upgrading from a fifth-class city to a fourth-class city. After about three years of being denied a vote in the House, legislation that would reclassify Junction and three other citites passed in the chamber 82-16 Wednesday. “That is great news,” Junction City Mayor Jim Douglas said. “We’ll get to looking into what grants that we can get now.” The bill, which in the Senate included fourth- to fifth-class upgrades for Junction City in Boyle County, Guthrie in Todd County and Greensburg in Green County, passed there 34-2 last month.

I appeal to the voters of Junction City - please vote “No” on Oct. 4's local option election. I've been asked, “Why are you voicing your opinion?” After all, I am a Danville resident for a quarter of a century. Naturally, my initial inclination is to answer: “I'm a Baptist ... a minister.” Secondly, for the past decade I've been a staff pastor with the First Baptist Church of Junction City, and our church family has taken a definite stand in opposition to the proposed expanded sales.

JUNCTION CITY - Voters chose “yes” to alcohol sales in Junction City by a slim of margin Tuesday. The final tally for the three precincts was 198-195. The result of the election means retail beer sales and package liquor sales will be legal. The number of package liquor licenses will be determined by the state office of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Junction City resident Ron Pemberton, who started and filed the petition that led to the referendum, was part of a small group of people at the courthouse Tuesday night sweating out the tense moments until the razor thin victory was assured.

JUNCTION¿CITY¿ - James Albert Coontz got mad as a hornet Wednesday afternoon after learning that his home on West Grubbs Lane was featured on the front page of The Advocate-Messenger in a story about Junction City filing lawsuits against property owners to collect maintenance fees on unkempt lots. “It hit the newspaper before I knew anything about it,” Coontz said later Wednesday during an interview at Hardee's. Coontz is named as defendant in a lawsuit filed last week in Boyle Circuit Court that alleges he owes the city $3,000 for 10 separate clean-ups of his property by city employees between May 2010 and August 2011, and also $40.32 in back taxes.

A man who rejected a plea offer from prosecutors on an armed robbery charge has now been indicted by a Boyle County grand jury for being an alleged persistent felony offender, which could stiffen his prison sentence if he is convicted at trial in June. Michael W. Durham, 26, of Stanford, faces three PFO counts, one for each of the charges against him in the 2010 home invasion robbery of Warren and Mary Bigger of Junction City: two counts of first-degree robbery and first-degree burglary.