Lancaster

LANCASTER - Mine Shields Inc. is still in the process of receiving American certification for its refuge chambers, designed to provide food, water and breathable air for trapped miners. But that isn't stopping the company from pursuing safety certification internationally. Chinese company Triolink is flying a 6-foot tall, 23-foot long Mine Shields chamber to Beijing to begin four weeks of testing for the country's material application certification. Striving to meet these qualifications gives Mine Shields a better chance of expanding operations and employment, Mine Shields CEO Connie Hendren said.

LANCASTER - U.S. Congressman Ben Chandler will be in Lancaster at 10 a.m. April 20 to present recorded interviews of local veterans to the Garrard County Public Library, 101 Lexington St. The event is open to the public.

Dear Editor, The streets need repaving instead of more gravel. The water line work on Richmond and Crab Orchard streets, in Lancaster, has been done for awhile now. Don't do half the job. Finish what you start before going on to another street. Gale Eden Lancaster

LANCASTER - A team of Kentucky Community Preparedness Program assessors will be in Lancaster today through Friday, scrutinizing the community's preparedness levels and offering recommendations to make the community safer. Working closely with local law enforcement and community leaders, the team will conduct vulnerability assessments to identify the community's weaknesses. It will scrutinize the community's infrastructure, including schools, water plants, communications systems and government buildings, and offer recommendations for security improvements.

LANCASTER - Gov. Ernie Fletcher and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced a $30,000 funding award for the city of Lancaster. The money will be used to resurface Ky. 52E from the Campbell Street interchange to the new construction at the cemetery. Funding for the project is coming from the KYTC state construction account. While the cabinet will provide the funds, the city of Lancaster will be in charge of the project. The city will award the resurfacing contract through a competitive bid process.

LANCASTER - An apartment on South Campbell Street in Lancaster caught fire Monday, displacing the occupant as well as residents of an apartment next door. Lancaster Fire Chief Richard Sebastian said the fire destroyed the apartment of William McKnight of 214 S. Campbell St. McKnight is confined to a wheelchair and recently had returned to his apartment from dialysis. "He got out OK, but his apartment was pretty much gutted," Sebastian said. The owner of the apartment complex provided another apartment for McKnight to stay in, he said.

LANCASTER - A wheelchair-bound Lancaster resident long at odds with the city over the condition of its sidewalks has filed his own lawsuit against the city and unnamed property owners. Acting as his own attorney, Ohmer Portwood filed the one-paragraph complaint last week in Garrard Circuit Court. "I Ohmer Portwood am filing a civil lawsuit against the city of Lancaster and several property owners on Danville Street, North Maple Street and Lexington Road for bodily harm, personal injuries, depression, anxiety, and also harassment by several police officers and the local newspaper.

LANCASTER - Representatives from the Department of Criminal Justice Training presented their findings Thursday after a week-long scrutiny of Lancaster's emergency preparedness. Communities that complete the entire assessment program are certified as a Prepared Kentucky Community and can receive up to $10,000 for making recommended changes. Assessors analyze facilities, structures and security policies and their relationship to each other to identify the community's weaknesses.

D103, Poor House, located at Garrard County High School: 186 yes; 142 no. A101, Boones Creek, located at Garrard Middle School: 118 yes; 145 no. B101, Gilberts Creek, located at the Garrard County Health Department: 201 yes; 155 no. B103, Pleasant Retreat, located at the Garrard County Extension Office: 102 yes; 86 no. Absentee ballots: 47 yes; 22 no. Totals: 656 yes; 550 no. ...

LANCASTER - Two days after Russell Preston announced his resignation as police chief, Wanda Shelton has been named interim police chief in Lancaster. Shelton, who has been with the force since 1998 and mostly recently held the rank of sergeant, will serve at least 30 days while the council reviews applicants. "I have a big job ahead of me," said Shelton. Mayor Billy Moss said Shelton and Sgt. Willie Skeens were considered for the interim position, with Shelton given the nod. "Willie said if I wanted it, he would back me 100 percent," said Shelton.