Monthly Archive for September, 2008Page 2 of 11

Propane tank explodes at London Wal-Mart

Published
by
Steve Lannen
on September 26, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

By Steve Lannen
slannen@herald-leader.com

A propane tank exploded at a Super Wal-Mart in London rocking customers and damaging the store.
The explosion occurred around 4 p.m.

One man was taken to a hospital and two others were injured from falling lights and debris at a nearby Walgreen’s that had just opened today, said London Police Lt. Stewart Walker.

It was still unclear exactly what caused the explosion, but a white Chevrolet pickup truck emitting white smoke pulled into auto and lube center at the Wal-Mart store, Walker said.

In the back of the Chevy was a 100-pound propane tank and it is thought something caused the tank to explode, Walker said.

The truck driver was thrown from the vehicle and was later taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in London.

Several hanging ceiling lights and other equipment in the auto care center were damaged as well as the rubber roof. The newly opened Walgreen’s in an adjacent lot also sustained damage, but is expected to be open.

The Kentucky State Fire Marshal and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating, Walker said.

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Man pleads guilty in 2002 double murder

Published
by
Steve Lannen
on September 26, 2008
in Uncategorized
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Man pleads guilty in 2002 double murder

By Steve Lannen
slannen@herald-leader.com

On a day when one man agreed to plead guilty to his role in a 6-year-old double murder, two other men were indicted for the crime.

Charles Smith and an unidentified man were indicted Friday by a Lincoln County grand jury. They are the fourth and fifth suspects in the 2002 murders of Bo Upton and Ryan Shangraw.

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Henry Earl, back in the news

Published
by
Brandon Ortiz
on September 26, 2008
in Courts and National headlines
. 1 Comment

Lexington’s famous town drunk, Henry Earl, made Keith Olbermann’s oddball countdown Thursday night. The pundit dubbed Earl, 58, the “Babe Ruth of getting arrested” for the reported 1,333 times he has been arrested. (Henry is after this story about a Sarah Palin corn maze in Ohio.)

Below the fold is the definitive Henry Earl story that was published in the Herald-Leader on Dec. 19, 2005

Continue reading ‘Henry Earl, back in the news’

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Police, school ID’d alleged ‘hit list’ author quickly

Published
by
Shawntaye Hopkins
on September 26, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 2 Comments

By Shawntaye Hopkins

shopkins@herald-leader.com

Danville police and Boyle County High School administrators say it took only a few hours to figure out who used a ballpoint pen to write a “hit list” in a bathroom stall at the school.

A 15-year-old boy who had just transferred to Boyle County High School was questioned by police about 11 p.m. Thursday, and the investigation was turned over to a juvenile court worker, authorities say.

Danville police Chief Jay Newell said police have requested that the student be charged with first-degree terroristic threatening at a school.

The school was able to quickly identify the student who wrote the list of names because he had class with all the teachers and students on the list, Assistant Principal Will Begley said. The school has not yet decided on disciplinary action.

The writing in the stall also noted that a female student, who was named, was going to bring a gun to the school Friday. Newell said police determined during the investigation that the message wasn’t truthful, but police are still investigating whether the female student knew about the note.

She was allowed to attend school Friday.

The incident was reported to police about 8:15 p.m. Thursday after a school custodian saw the writing in the stall and told the principal. The names — including three teachers and a handful of students — have been removed, Begley said.

Parents were contacted about the list Thursday night. Begley said all the teachers and students returned to school on Friday.

Police have not found any weapons during the investigation.

“The school was right on top of this, and they worked very, very closely with our officers who were involved,” Newell said. “We made a good team.”

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Short-dress wearer sues Richmond mall

Published
by
Steve Lannen
on September 25, 2008
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

(From WKYT-27)

Lawsuit Filed Over Skimpy Dress

A woman who made national news because her choice of clothing got her kicked out of the mall is now suing.

The lawsuit against the Richmond Mall in Madison County was filed Thursday.

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Husband pleads guilty to killing wife

Published
by
H-L Justice Team
on September 25, 2008
in Fayette Circuit Court
. 4 Comments

By Brandon Ortiz
bortiz@herald-leader.com

A man who was the subject of a manhunt in 2007 because of allegations he killed his wife and later confronted his brother at a Richmond newspaper pleaded guilty Thursday to manslaughter charges.

John William Todd Jr., 64, pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting his wife, Charlene Lynn Todd, on March 8, 2007, at their 1813 Darien Drive home.

John William Todd Jr., 64, pleaded guilty Thursday to first-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting his wife, Charlene Lynn Todd, on March 8, 2007, at their 1813 Darien Drive home.

John William Todd Jr., 64, pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter for fatally shooting his wife, Charlene Lynn Todd, on March 8, 2007, at their 1813 Darien Drive home.

He accepted a plea deal for a 10-year sentence, with one caveat: his attorneys will argue to a judge that John Todd was a victim of domestic violence.

If a judge agrees, Todd could become eligible for parole after serving 20 percent of his sentence, two years.

Violent offenders normally must serve 85 percent of their sentence before they can get a parole hearing.

One of Todd’s attorneys, Jerry Wright, declined to elaborate on why Todd says the shooting was related to domestic violence.

Wright said he will file a motion outlining his arguments by Oct. 24.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jason Moore declined to comment on why Todd was offered a plea deal because the case is still pending.

The day of the shooting, Lexington police were called to the home about 12:45 p.m. for reports of a shooting. Police roped off the street at Traveller Road, and a SWAT team entered the home later that afternoon to find Lynn Todd dead with gunshot wounds. Family frantically called John Todd’s cellphone trying to persuade him to turn himself in.

At 11 a.m., John Todd went to his brother’s office at the Richmond Register.

John told his brother, Jim, that he was having marital problems and had shot his wife to death after a fight. John then pulled out a .38-caliber revolver and told Jim that he had come to kill him, the Register reported.

But John Todd changed his mind, and told Jim that he wanted him to tell John Todd’s children that he had come there to kill Jim but didn’t, according to the Register.

He later turned himself in at 10:40 p.m.

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Bed, Bath & Beyond manager pleads not guilty

Published
by
H-L Justice Team
on September 25, 2008
in Fayette District Court
. 7 Comments

By Shawntaye Hopkins
shopkins@herald-leader.com

A Bed, Bath & Beyond manager accused of refusing to help a Danville couple trying to call police about a child they found locked in a hot van in the parking lot pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge.

Elizabeth A. Miller, 34, of Richmond, waived formal arraignment in Fayette District Court Thursday afternoon and was not present when her lawyer entered the plea on her behalf. She is charged with failing to report child dependency, neglect or abuse.

Miller was charged days after a couple found a toddler inside a van in the parking lot of the housewares store on Nicholasville Road.

On Sept. 5, Randy and Nancy Belcher said they noticed there was a boy in the van parked next to their vehicle. The boy did not respond to knocks on the van’s windows.

The Belchers thought the child’s parent was probably in Bed Bath & Beyond. They went into the store and were referred to Miller, who told the Belchers it was against store policy to get involved with anything happening in the store’s parking lot, Randy Belcher says. The Belchers say Miller would not let them use the phone or make an announcement over the store’s public-address system to alert the mother or parent that the child was in distress. A corporate spokesman has denied having such a store policy.

The Belchers then returned to their vehicle, got a cell phone and called police. Others in the parking lot also called police.

Police removed Ryan Patel, 3, from the van by breaking the window. He was treated at the scene for dehydration.

His mother, Tanuja Patel, was arrested and charged with first-degree wanton endangerment. She has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Miller is scheduled to return to court at 10 a.m. Oct. 15 for a pretrial conference.

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Woman charged with arson after house fire

Published
by
H-L Justice Team
on September 25, 2008
in Police
. 0 Comments

The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE — Authorities say a woman has been charged with arson after investigators said she set fire to a Louisville home she rented.

Louisville Fire and Rescue spokesman Sgt. Sal Melendez says the fire also damaged two neighboring houses.

Forty-seven-year-old Dianne Williamson was charged Wednesday with one count of first-degree arson and two counts of third-degree arson.

Firefighters were called to the fire around 4:15 p.m. Wednesday.

Melendez says Williamson was the only resident of the home where the fire was set. He says that because of the intensity of the fire and the closeness of the buildings, the houses on either side were also damaged.

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Year-long drug investigation results in 15 arrests

Published
by
H-L Justice Team
on September 25, 2008
in Police
. 0 Comments

The Herald-Dispatch reports that Kentucky State Police arrested 15 people Wednesday in connection with a year-long drug trafficking investigation in Boyd, Carter, Lawrence and Greenup counties. Check out the story here.

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Mom accused of letting kids grow pot

Published
by
H-L Justice Team
on September 25, 2008
in Lexington police
. 41 Comments

By Shawntaye Hopkins
shopkins@herald-leader.com

A Lexington bridal consultant has been charged with endangering the welfare of minors because, police said, she allowed her teenage son and daughter to grow marijuana at their home, according to court records.

Michele Hall Landers has pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana and three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

Michele Hall Landers has pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana and three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor.

Michele Hall Landers, an accredited bridal consultant who runs Bridal Potpourri on Clays Mill Road, has pleaded not guilty to possession of marijuana and three counts of endangering the welfare of a minor. She was arrested last Thursday at her home on Ashebrooke Drive.

Landers’ teenage son and daughter have been charged with cultivation and possession of marijuana and trafficking marijuana, court records say. Police also say Landers knew about what was going on and did not intervene. According to court documents, one of the daughter’s friends, a 15-year-old, was also involved.

Landers, 49, was also charged with possession after police found her with 5 grams of marijuana cigarettes.

Landers did not return calls seeking comment.

Bridal Potpourri, 3306 Clays Mill Road, offers brides help in designing wedding invitations, programs, map cards and event itineraries, according to the business Web site.

Her business has been featured in the Herald-Leader, Bluegrass Style and other publications. According to the Web site, Landers’ staff hosts two bridal shows each year and sometimes teaches a wedding planning class at Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

Landers is expected to appear in court for a pretrial conference at 10 a.m. Oct. 15.

 

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