Posted on Fri, May. 09, 2008

AROUND KENTUCKY

LEXINGTON

GRAND JURY GETS FATAL ACCIDENT CASE

The case of a man accused of leaving the scene of an accident in which a University of Kentucky student was killed April 13 has been sent to a grand jury. Shannon D. Houser, 36, who has pleaded not guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and tampering with physical evidence, appeared in court Thursday morning. UK freshman Connie Blount, 18, was crossing South Broadway at West Maxwell against the traffic signal about 2:30 a.m. when she was hit by a truck going south on South Broadway. Blount died at UK Hospital. Houser was arrested about two weeks later. Police impounded the truck from Houser's driveway on Detroit Avenue and matched damaged truck parts to debris at the scene of the wreck.

NICHOLASVILLE

BURNED BODY IDENTIFIED

The burned body of a man found in a pickup in rural Jessamine County was identified Thursday as that of Mark Dunn, 45, of Nicholasville. Dunn operated Best Choice Furniture & Variety on West Maple Street in Nicholasville. His body was found Tuesday on Hunters Ferry Road southeast of Nicholasville. Kentucky State Police are investigating the case as a murder but released no other information about the investigation.

HAZARD

CRASH KILLS AT LEAST ONE PERSON

At least one person died after a car crashed into a coal truck about 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The crash occurred about 5 miles north of Hazard on Ky. 15 in Perry County. The roads were wet from rain that began about 4 p.m., but Kentucky State Police had not released information about the cause of the crash or the victim's identity.

STANTON

JUVENILE CHARGED IN BOMB THREAT

A juvenile has been charged with terroristic threatening after a bomb threat was made Wednesday against the Powell County schools. All five schools were searched, but no devices were found, Kentucky State Police said. The suspect, who police said confessed to making the call, was taken to the Breathitt County Detention Center.

FRANKFORT

SUSPECT SOUGHT IN SLAYING

Frankfort police are searching for a suspect in the slaying of a Louisville man shot outside a Frankfort apartment complex in January. Jonathan McFadden, 20, had been shot once in the head and died at University of Kentucky Hospital early Jan. 24. The shooting occurred at Hickory Hills Manor on Marlowe Court. Police have a criminal murder complaint for Demetrius McClellon, 18. McClellon, who was 17 at the time, has recently turned 18, Maj. Fred Deaton said. The last known address for McClellon was in Cincinnati, Deaton said. McClellon is described as 5-foot-8 and about 120 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to call Frankfort police at (502) 875-8523 or Frankfort Crimestoppers at (502) 875-8648.

WILKEY WON'T SEEK RE-ELECTION

House Majority Whip Rob Wilkey, D-Scottsville, has decided not to seek re-election. Wilkey, a member of the House since 1996, said he is fond of the legislature but that "it is more important for me to be at home and be a full-time dad for my children at this time." Wilkey, a lawyer for Commonwealth Brands in Bowling Green, said he will file documents with the secretary of state in June about his decision not to be on the ballot this year. The political parties in his district will have 10 days to nominate candidates to run on the November ballot. Wilkey will serve the remainder of his term, which runs through the end of the year. House Democrats will determine Wilkey's successor in January.

COMBS RE-ELECTED CHIEF JUDGE

Sara W. Combs has been re-elected chief judge of the Kentucky Court of Appeals for a second four-year term. In 2004, Combs became the first woman and the first judge from Eastern Kentucky's 7th Appellate District elected to the role of providing administrative oversight to the 14-member court. Combs, of Stanton, was the first woman to serve on Kentucky's Supreme Court.