On the Beat in the Bluegrass

By Shawntaye Hopkins

A man apparently trying to break into a north Lexington apartment overnight partially kicked in the front door before firing two rounds into the door, Lexington police said.

No one was injured, but a man and woman were inside the apartment at 787 Chiles Avenue when the incident occurred about 4:30 a.m., Lexington police Lt. Mario Russo said.

The man, who never entered the home, fled in an unknown vehicle.

Anyone with information about this incident should contact police at 258-3700.

HERALD-LEADER STAFF REPORT

Three horses and a mule died in a barn fire on a Fayette County farm Wednesday night, Lexington fire officials said.

The fire started about 11 p.m. at Grand Marina Farm 4928 Russell Cave Road. One of the owners of the farm, Bill Hilliard, was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene after he rescued one Thoroughbred.

“It’s completely gone,” another farm owner, Polly Hilliard, said of the barn.

Polly Hilliard said that she’s sorry for the customers who lost their animals.

The horses that Bill Hilliard could not rescue were a gelding, a mare show horse and a filly pleasure horse.

The mule also was used for pleasure riding.

The cause of the fire has not been determined.

By Shawntaye Hopkins

Copper has been stolen in recent days from three Kentucky Utilities electrical substations in Central Kentucky — a dangerous crime that has proved fatal in the past, KU spokesman Cliff Feltham said.

No power outages resulted from the copper thefts, and it appears that no one was injured, Feltham said. It is not clear when the thefts occurred, but KU employees discovered that copper was missing from a substation in Lexington’s Joyland neighborhood Monday night and from a substation on Iron Works Pike Wednesday morning.

Another copper theft was discovered recently in Paris.

No arrests have been made. But, Feltham said, if the same vandals stole copper from each of the three substations, they’ve “been pretty lucky three times in a row,” because someone usually gets hurts while committing this type of crime.

“It’s extremely dangerous inside those chain-link fences,” Feltham said.

In May 2006, David Avant, 20, of Middlesboro was found dead among live wires near a utility pole that had been cut down outside a vacant building along U.S. 25E, south of Pineville. He was electrocuted; two others were badly burned.
In August 2007, a KU employee found the body of a man near a utility pole in Neff in Harlan County, and it appeared he had been trying to steal copper wire when he was electrocuted.

In October 2007, tools left at a substation off Waveland Museum Lane in Lexington indicated that someone had broken in and tried to disassemble parts to get copper wire, but nothing was taken. Lexington police suggested that something might have blown up in the person’s face.

“I’m hoping they learned to never do that again,” Feltham said of the incident near Waveland Museum. “That’s a hard lesson learned.”

Copper thefts tend to increase during warmer months, but KU has taken several steps to catch the thieves who often sell the copper at junkyards, Feltham said. KU has asked police to patrol substations more, especially overnight. And neighbors have been asked to report suspicious behavior near the electrical stations.

Customers usually lose power when a substation is tampered with, Feltham said. But the copper stolen at these substations was not taken directly from machinery that delivers electricity.

Reach Shawntaye Hopkins at (859) 231-1386 or 1-800-950-6397 Ext. 1386.

Herald-Leader Staff Report

A Florida man who was involved in a motorcycle crash in Fleming County earlier this month died Tuesday, Kentucky State Police said.

Joseph Fite, 63, of Bunnell, Fla., was operating a 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle south on Ky. 211, about 2 miles south of Flemingsburg, when an oncoming vehicle crossed the center line about 12:20 p.m. June 1, state police said.

Fite lost control of the motorcycle after he swerved to avoid a collision. The bike slid about 75 feet.

Fite was pronounced dead at University of Kentucky Hospital at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Herald-Leader Staff Report

A Florida man who was involved in a motorcycle crash in Fleming County earlier this month died Tuesday, Kentucky State Police said.

Joseph Fite, 63, of Bunnell, Fla., was operating a 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle south on Ky. 211, about 2 miles south of Flemingsburg, when an oncoming vehicle crossed the center line about 12:20 p.m. June 1, state police said.

Fite lost control of the motorcycle after he swerved to avoid a collision. The bike slid about 75 feet.

Fite was pronounced dead at University of Kentucky Hospital at 7 a.m. Tuesday.