Lancaster

LANCASTER - A man has been arrested and charged following a fire that police say was intentionally set by the homeowner.  Damien Heath Mullins, 37, of Lancaster was rescued from the roof of his home on Cleo Drive on Oct. 10 by members of the Camp Dick Fire Department who responded to a fire.  Firefighters discovered explosives on the property belonging to Mullins and contacted Kentucky State Police.  The KSP hazardous devices unit responded...

A Lancaster man was injured in a single-vehicle accident in Danville Sunday, police said. About 3:20 p.m. Sunday, Bobby Craft, 58, of Lancaster, was driving a 1997 GMC Yukon westbound on Lexington Road when he lost control of the vehicle, police said. The Yukon traveled through the grass on the north side of the road and collided with a cement fixture. Craft's vehicle went airborne and landed in the front yard of a house at 1655 Lexington Road, police said. Paramedics treated Craft at the scene and transported him to Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center.

Claude E. Shearer, 88, father of Sandra and Larry (Rhonda) Shearer, died Dec. 5, in Laurel Manor Nursing Home in New Tazewell, Tenn., after an extended illness. He was a native of Lancaster, and born July 10, 1924, to the late Claude and Mary Ann Clark Shearer. He was the former owner of Modern Electric Service in Winchester and was a World War II veteran of the 9th U S Army Air Corps, flying 42 bombing missions over Germany and Europe in B-17s, including D-Day, and was a recipient of the Purple Heart.

LANCASTER - The city council voted Monday night to adjust the pay grade of the incoming superintendent after the resignation of Lancaster Wastewater Plant Superintendent Millard Rose. Rose is quitting after 26 years of service to the city, with his official last day to fall on Feb. 15.  Rose said in a phone interview he is leaving simply because he is “too old for all this bickering,” regarding questions and disagreements with the budget being spent at the sewage treatment plant.

The Lancaster Woman's Club wishes to thank all the attendees and supporters of the sixth annual “Breakfast with Santa” held Dec. 8. The breakfast was our best yet. Each year sees growth in attendance. We are so grateful to every business for their generous donations.  The raffle winners were Austin Young and Peyton Crossfield. All proceeds go toward the Pat Ballard Memorial Scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship awarded to a Garrard County female senior each May. Sandra Keeney Lancaster

LANCASTER - The son of a Berea couple killed last summer in a car crash has filed a lawsuit against two Lancaster businesses that allegedly sold alcohol to the driver of the vehicle that slammed into their car. In a complaint filed last week in Garrard Circuit Court, Joel Rowland of Lancaster names the owners of Mariachi's restaurant and Liquor Mart of Lancaster as defendants, alleging they sold alcohol to an already drunk Brett Whitaker before...

BARDSTOWN - A Lancaster man was killed Saturday when he lost control of his car.  According to Nelson County Deputy Coroner Brian Papenfuss, the driver, Donald Foster, 61, was unable to navigate a turn, which resulted in the car rolling over.  Police reports say the crasg occurred on Balltown Road in Nelson County and that Foster crossed the center line, striking an embankment. He was pronounced dead at the scene.  A passenger in the car, William Thomas Metcalf, 51, of Bardstown, had to be extricated from the vehicle and was flown to the University of Louisville hospital with unknown injuries but was released the following day. It is unknown if the two men were wearing seat belts.

LEXINGTON (AP) — The president of an oil and gas company has been convicted of defrauding Kentucky investors and other states of $12 million. Michael D. Smith of Lancaster was convicted Saturday of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and on 11 counts of mail fraud by a federal jury. Smith is president of the Target Oil and Gas Co. and a principal of the Kentucky and Indiana Oil and Gas Co. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lexington says Smith and other co-defendants sent brochures to investors that included general geological information about an area but made it appear to be a specific assessment about a proposed well.

LANCASTER - Ten organizations were awarded a portion of the grant allocations available from the city of Lancaster for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Lancaster City Councilwoman Maggie Mick presented to the council an explanation of the decisions and amounts. The Central Kentucky Regional Humane Society, Garrard County Adult Day, Garrard County Arts Council and Garrard County Rural Heritage Tobacco Festival, all received $750 per organization. The Garrard County Senior Citizens Center and Garrard County Partners for Progress were granted $1,000 each, and the Town Square Beautification received $500.