News from December 15, 2005 issue



Drug roundup nets 17 suspects
It was on a cold, icy morning last Thursday when 19 local police officers and area drug enforcement officials gathered well before daylight to begin a sweeping dragnet that led to the arrest of 17 individuals on more than 30 charges, mostly drug related. More arrests are anticipated, officers said.
The arrests were a culmination of 10 months of investigation and undercover work by agents from the Pennyrile Area Narcotics Task Force (PANTF) working in conjunction with local and state police, confidential informants and undercover officers.
Robbie Kirk, a Marion resident and detective for the narcotics task force based in Hopkinsville, led the investigation. Kirk said the operation began in February and was centered around drug buys by cooperating witnesses who were generally working with police in exchange for leniency for crimes of their own.
Kirk said more arrests are anticipated based on evidence gained during the operation. Warrants for at least four more individuals are outstanding.
Most of those charged last week are suspected of drug trafficking and a third of those included methamphetamine. Kirk said that undercover agents made some of the drug buys, which included the illegal sale of prescription medicines such as Lortab, Xanax, Morphine and Soma. Marijuana and crack cocaine were also among the drugs uncovered as part of the investigation, Kirk said.


Here is a list of alleged suspects and charges as a result of last week's countywide sweep following a 10-month undercover investigation:
·Jim Stephen Harris, 50, 1817 U.S. 60 East Salem, Trafficking controlled substance 1st degree, Persistent Felony Offender 2nd degree
·Timothy Grant Adams, 20, 719 South Main Street Marion, Trafficking in controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school, Trafficking in controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school, Trafficking in controlled substance 3rd degree.
·Jeff Asbridge, 36, 421 South Walker Street Marion, Trafficking in controlled substance 1st degree.
·Meredith Ann Tabor, 34, 714 East Bellville Street Marion, Trafficking in controlled substance 3rd degree.
·Anthony Crawford, 44, North Weldon Street Marion, Trafficking in controlled substance 1st degree, Trafficking in controlled substance 2nd degree.
·Willard McKinney, 275 Franklin Mine Road Marion, Trafficking controlled substance 3rd degree.
·Charles James Gresham, 40, U.S. 60 Marion, Trafficking controlled substance 1st degree, Trafficking in a legend drug, Trafficking in a legend drug.
·Christopher Freeman, 36, 2253 U.S. 641 Marion, Trafficking controlled substance 2nd degree
·Jonathan W. Allen, 22, 650 South Main Street Marion, Trafficking controlled substance 1st degree
·Richard James Clark, 38, 102 Sturgis Road Marion, Trafficking controlled substance 3rd degree, Trafficking controlled substance 3rd degree.
·Terry Wayne McClure, 34, 108 Walnut Street Marion, Marion, Trafficking controlled substance 3rd degree
·Virginia A. Hodge, 55, 51 Barnett Chapel Road Marion, Trafficking controlled substance 3rd degree.
·Michael E. Hillyard, 47, 535 East Bellville Street Marion, Trafficking marijuana less than eight ounces 2nd offense.
·Bobby Hunt Singleton, 50, 102 Hickory Hill Road Marion, Trafficking controlled substance 1st degree.
·Charles Brent Beard, 43, 819 Terrace Drive Marion, Trafficking controlled substance 1st degree, Trafficking in marijuana less than eight ounces, Trafficking in marijuana less than eight ounces.
·Velour David Poston, 23, 127 North College Street Marion, Trafficking controlled substance 3rd degree.
·Derek McCree, 25, 290 Airport Road Marion, Trafficking in controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school.

Warrants have also been issued for the following, but they had not been formally served as of Monday:
·Melanie Ford, 42, Trafficking in controlled substance 3rd degree.
·Antonio Fortune, 25, Trafficking in controlled substance 1st degree, Trafficking in controlled substance 3rd degree.
·Lawrence Davidson, 28, Trafficking in marijuana less than eight ounces

 


Lions Club honors Jim Hatfield

Long-time fair coordinator Jim Hatfield was honored Monday night at the Crittenden County Lions Club's annual Christmas dinner.

 Lions look back...

Original charter members of the Crittenden County Lions Club in 1972 were Jim Hatfield, Jewell Penn, Bobby Fox, Larry Davidson, Dr. Howard Mathis, Raymond Duffy, Ronnie Hughes, Charles Enoch, William D. Belt, James Johnson, G.N. Rohrer, Cortis Hill, Paul Belt, Morris O. Belt, Fred Lynn, John Tyson, Louis Bell, Willie Johnson, Franklin Hazzard, Paul Harshman, Orman Hunt, Tom McKenney, J.T. May, Kennth Winn, James Davids, Dickie McDonald, George Winn, Charlie Thomas and Mike Watson.


Hatfield, 62, is a charter member of the local Lions Club and for the past 33 years has been chairman of the county fair, which is coordinated each summer by the Lions Club.

In fact, Hatfield is the only chairman to ever oversee the county fair. He took the position in 1972 when the Lions Club first received its local charter and has served in that capacity ever since. For the first two years, Hatfield served as president of the newly formed Lions Club from 1972-74, a title he would hold again in 1983. He has also been the zone chairman, secretary, deputy district governor, telethon chairman and six times the club's Lion of the Year.

Hatfield spearheaded the effort to get the fair going in the early 1970s, largely inspired by his father who was the County Extension Agent here from 1956 until his death in 1972.

Hatfield's father had tried to establish a modern-day fair and after his death his son made it his ambition to see the job through. Hatfield wanted the county fair to provide fun, competition and community pride. The Lions Club served as his instrument for getting the fair going. Since its establishement, the county fair has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars to the community and enabled the Lions Club to support its many beneficiaries. Among the things the Lions Club initiates for the community is an eyeglass program for those in need, the annual Lunch with Santa and other events and projects.