News from April
7, 2005 issue
Crittenden
to build new jail
Crittenden County will move ahead with plans to build a new $3
million, 75-bed full-service jail. If all goes as planned, it
could be ready to house prisoners within 18 months.The Crittenden
Fiscal Court approved a resolution during a special meeting Tuesday
morning, signifying its willingness to press forward with the
project.
The step was necessary in order to hire an architect and engineer.Crittenden
Judge-Executive Fred Brown said there will be some intense fact-finding
over the next 30 to 45 days as engineers come up with a preliminary
construction cost and conduct a feasibility study regarding the
county's ability to operate a jail if and when it's built. The
judge said that based on preliminary figures, building a new jail
will be more financially attractive than closing the old jail
and transporting inmates to other counties.
"Everybody (on the fiscal court) is under the same assumption
that I am and that's that we don't really have any options,"
Brown said. "We're just going to take this one step at a
time and make sure it's going to work."
Because the state is tightening requirements for small jails like
the one operating here now, most have folded. This jail is among
only a very few statewide still operating under "life safety"
standards and eventually it will have to close.
The proposed new full-service jail would mean Crittenden County
could keep low-risk Class D state felons. The state pays counties
to house those type inmates. The price it will pay goes up to
$30.51 per day July 1 and next year, it will go up again to $34.50.
Likewise, a new jail would also qualify to keep prisoners from
other counties, which would also generate revenue.
Based on its preliminary figures, the county thinks it would have
to spend about $260,000 annually to pay off a 30-year loan to
build a new jail. It would cost about $477,550 to operate the
new jail each year. Based on estimates, the jail could derive
enough money from housing state and other county inmates to more
than pay for the jail. In fact, by the time it's full, Jailer
Rick Riley thinks it could turn a profit of about $75,000 a year.
That money would be turned over to the county for use in its general
fund.
"It won't do that the first year, please understand that.
It's going to take a while, but once it's full and going, it should
be making money," he said.
The jail is currently supplemented by the general fund to meet
operating costs. This year, the county will add $158,000 to the
jail's budget just to help it pay the bills.
"I don't feel like we have any other choice," said Magistrate
Greg West. "The longer we wait to build a jail, the more
it's going to cost."
The other magistrates agreed, some of them made similar statements.
If built, the new jail would go behind the current jail between
West Depot and West Carlisle streets. The county has already bought
the lots it will need there, and it has an option on another piece
of property adjacent them.
Judge Brown said he is working with JKS Contracting from Hopkinsville
and thinks that firm will provide the engineering and feasibility
study. Once that is complete, the Department of Corrections will
have to approve the plans before the county can go further.
"Within 30 to 45 days, we should be ready to take this plan
to Corrections," Brown said.
Board will interview 6 for superintendent
School board officials will begin interviewing candidates for
superintendent of schools this week, allowing the public an opportunity
to meet each candidate.
Meeting Monday evening in closed session, Crittenden County Board
of Education members gathered to hear a screening committee's
recommendation of finalists for the position and to discuss details
of the hiring process. Emerging after more than three hours behind
closed doors, the board set aside blocks of time over the next
12 days for candidate interviews, the first of which will take
place Friday evening.
"Hopefully, all of the interviews will be lined up by late
this week," Board Chairman Phyllis Orr said Tuesday.
Former Superintendent Fredericka Hargis was suspended in February
2003 and later fired in December 2004. Janie Tomek has been serving
as acting superintendent the past 14 months.
Names of the six superintendent finalists to fill Hargis' post
were not immediately released, but will be made public prior to
their respective interviews, according to Dr. Ken Scott, a consultant
with the Kentucky Schools Board Association (KSBA) hired to help
the board conduct the superintendent search.
Scott suggested the board not make public the names until all
interviews are scheduled.
The names could be released as early as Thursday (today).
Scott nor board members would release any clues as to who the
finalists for position may be, though it is known that three of
the six are from out of state. As for diversity, only two of the
initial 21 applicants were women, Orr said, and race is not asked
in the application process.
The first of seven scheduled days set aside for interviews of
finalists will be Friday. After the candidate has had the opportunity
to spend the day touring the district, the board and public will
have the chance to formally meet the prospective superintendent.
That meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m., at Greenwell and Frazer
law office on Main Street in Marion.
"This process has worked well," Scott, who conducts
dozens of similar searches for KSBA each year, said.
Shortly after convening at the law office, the meeting will recess
for a dinner break, giving the board time to get better acquainted
with the candidate. Scott said the informal dinner setting, held
in public, gives the board an opportunity to meet candidates in
a relaxed atmosphere.
"It's a much more meaningful interview if you get to sit
down and get to know someone," he said.
After the meal, the board will then reconvene in closed session
at the law office to conduct the formal interview.
Interviews with the remaining candidates will follow the same
process, continuing next Monday through Friday at 5:30 each evening.
The board has also set aside April 18 in order to accommodate
any potential scheduling conflicts.
Orr said a decision should be reached by the end of the month.
April 25 is slated as the date by which a a decision is expected
to be made, though a decision could be delayed if additional time
is needed for follow-up interviews or contract negotiations.
Guardsman death hits close
to home
News of the latest Kentuckian killed in Iraq hit a little too
close to home for some in Crittenden County.
On Sunday, James Alexander Sherrill, 27, was killed when his convoy
came under attack in the north central Iraq city of Bayji. The
Meade County native was one of about 160 soldiers with the Kentucky
National Guard's 2113th Transportation Company (Medium) that includes
four Crittenden County men.
"That's when it hit me that this is real," said Nancy
Hodge of Marion, whose husband is with the Paducah-based unit.
Sgt. 1st Class Marty Hodge, a Marion Police officer, joins three
others from here who left for Iraq with the 2113th after training
at Camp Shelby, Miss., was completed early this year.
"Marty called at 4 a.m. the morning it happened to warn me...
to let me know (he was okay)," Nancy said.
With the frequency of attacks on military convoys by roadside
bombs like the one that reportedly killed Sherrill, she said it
"terrifies" her to know her husband is with a transportation
company charged with moving supplies and materiel along dangerous
Iraqi roads.
"That's kind of why I don't watch the news," she said.
Fortunately, Sgt. 1st Class Hodge's duties as a truck master will
often keep him at base camp and off the convoys, which is a measure
of comfort to Nancy and the couple's 12-year-old daughter, Stephanie.
The family stays connected by e-mail virtually everyday, but phone
calls are too infrequent, coming about once a week.
"There's nothing like hearing someone's voice," Nancy
said.
At some point over the unit's 12- to 18-month deployment, the
Hodges and family members of Crittenden County's other three soldiers
with the 2113th Staff Sgt. Aaron Davis, Sgt. Landon Drive
and Spec. Ray Weatherspoon should get to share each
other's company in person. Each soldier with the Paducah unit
will get a two-week leave during their overseas tour in order
to return home for a visit.
But Sherrill's family will not be afforded the same privilege.
The former Marine left behind a father, younger brother and a
fiance expecting the couple's child.
Nancy Hodge said she and her daughter recalled having seen Sherrill
at Camp Shelby upon seeing a photo released after his death.
Though the news of Sherrill's death has touched the families of
all soldiers with the Guard unit, Nancy said she and her daughter
survive "by keeping it light" and avoiding the news
as much as possible.
"She's a whole lot like her father," Nancy said of Stephanie.
"She's a lot tougher and strong than I am.
"But I have my family, and I can talk to Marty."
Nancy said the community, particularly churches, has been very
supportive.
Sherrill became the fifth Kentucky guardsman to be killed and
the second within a week. Of the at least 1,536 members of the
U.S. military killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war two
years ago, 19 have listed Kentucky as their home.
As of last week, there were 1,159 Kentucky Guard soldiers in Iraq.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.