Fire destroys mobile home

Tuesday afternoon a fire destroyed a mobile home on Hall Road near Bluebank. No one was injured. See the full story in today's Gazette.

Mr. Farris

Franklin H. Farris, 92, died Monday, Aug. 31, 2009, at the Meadowview Regional Medical Center. A long time resident of Jersey Ridge Road, Mr. Farris has been a resident of the Maysville Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility since August 2001. He was born July 24, 1917 in Goddard, Fleming County, the son of the late Basil Bramel and Kate Hart Faris.
Mr. Farris was preceded in death by his wife, the former Leota Colliver, who died June 17, 1987. He and Mrs. Farris were married in January 1948.
Known throughout the community for his many years in the automobile industry, Mr. Farris was a 1935 graduate of May’s Lick High School. After working with DuPont in Charlestown, Ind., Mr. Farris entered military service at Fort Dix, N.J. in August 1942 until April 1945. During his first tour of duty, an extra "r" was added to his last name. When he brought the mistake to the attention of his commanding officer, Mr. Farris was told that from now on your last name will be spelled with the two r’s. He was with the 135th Regiment of the 34th "Red Bull" Infantry Division where he earned the Combat Infantryman Badge and wreath for meritorious service and the European Theatre Ribbon. He joined the local 400th Quartermaster Army Reserve unit in 1946 and served that unit until his retirement at the rank of 1SG AUSR (E8) in the summer of 1969.
From 1946 through 1951, he operated the service station located just west of the Kentucky entrance to the Simon Kenton Bridge. He joined the sales force of Dallas Queen Chevrolet-Oldsmobile in 1951 and remained in that position until the mid 1960’s, when he and partners Alvin Cummins and Marjorie Owens acquired the dealership and renamed it Alvin Cummins Chevrolet. He remained in that role until the business was sold in the early 1970s, and later enjoyed the companionship of many of his friends in performing part time duties for John Hord’s Hilltop Ford.
He was an active member of the First Baptist Church for close to 50 years. Mr. Farris served as deacon and a church trustee for most of those years. He was a member of the Lions Club, Commander of the Leslie H. Arthur Post No. 13 American Legion and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was most proud of his service as a member of the Mason County School Board of Education when the then controversial decision was made to build the Mason County Fieldhouse in the early 1960s.
In his later years, Mr. Farris was able to see the Fieldhouse from his room at the Maysville Nursing and Rehabilitaion Facility and often remarked at how "everyone thought we were crazy" for building what remains some 45 years later the finest athletics and fine arts facility in Kentucky.
Mr. Farris was preceded in death by his older brother, Albert L. Faris; younger sister, Thelma Marquita Faris; and younger brother, Byram H. Faris.
He is survived by one son, Franklin H. Farris Jr. (Anne Hardymon) of Louisville; and grandchildren Clay Walton Farris of Louisville and Elizabeth Hart Farris of Indianapolis, Ind.; and is survived by nephews and nieces, Albert L. Faris Jr. of Maysville, Michelle Faris Harr of Lexington, Cheri Strode Claybrooke and Clarence Strode Jr. of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Martha Holland Watson of Maysville and Debbie Holland Calvert of Lexington.
Services for Franklin H. Farris will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, at the First Baptist Church with Rev. James Rawlings and Rev. Tony Leiss officiating. Burial will be in the Maysville Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Bill Hensley, Nick Pitakis, Clarence Strode Jr., Albert L. Faris Jr., Gayle Watson and Rich Harr. Visitation will be held at the Knox and Brothers Funeral Home Thursday from 6 -- 8 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church, 315 Market Street, Maysville, KY 41056 or to the charity of one’s choice.
Guest book at www.knoxbrothersfuneralhome.com.

Panthers 33, Bluejackets 0

Junior quarterback Chip Clark scored twice to lead Fleming County to a 33-0 win over Nicholas County at Carlisle in the season opener for both teams. The Panthers' home opener is next Friday against Raceland.

New bridge coming to Kelley Pike (KY 860) in Fleming County

Route will be closed for three weeks

FLEMINGSBURG, Ky. – Contractors will begin a $267,000 project next month to replace a bridge on Kelley Pike (KY 860) at Johnson Creek in Fleming County.

The project, which includes a temporary road closure, will replace the existing narrow span with a new and wider culvert-style concrete bridge. It’s part of $24.2 million in Transportation Cabinet contracts awarded recently in Department of Highways District 9.

Crews with ASL Excavating Inc. expect to start minor earth work at the Johnson Creek bridge by mid-September. As construction progresses, the road will be closed to through traffic for three weeks so sections of new concrete culvert can be installed – likely in October. The closure will be announced in advance.

Work on the project is expected to be complete by Nov. 30, weather permitting.

Adults charged with wanton child endangerment

According to the Ledger Independent, Four Fleming County adults were charged Tuesday with wanton child endangerment after two toddlers were discovered playing near a road without adult supervision.
Flemingsburg Police Chief Randy Sergent said Maj. Falon Fugett was the first to respond to a welfare check on Helena Road where he discovered two toddlers, ages 2 and 3 years old, near the road. With them were two passersby who had called police after seeing the 2-year-old almost get hit by a car, Sergent said. Also responding to the scene was Kentucky State Police Trooper Eugene Robinson.
According to a press release from KSP, Robinson and Fugett entered the home of the two toddlers to discover four adults who were "severely incapacitated due to alcohol consumption." Sergent said officers had difficulty getting an adult to come to the door because of the state of intoxication.
Once inside, Sergent said officers found animal and human waste on the floor. Also, there was no refrigerator in the house and no food except a package of cookies.

Officers discovered a third child, a 7-month-old infant, inside the house. Both toddlers and the infant were removed from the residence due to the unsanitary living conditions, according to the KSP. Robinson and Fugett assisted Fleming County Social Services with the emergency removal.
Brothers Timothy Benton, 26, and Tyler Benton, 21, and their wives, Shayla Benton, 21, and Amber Benton, 21, were arrested and charged with first-degree wanton endangerment, a felony, Sergent said. Timothy Benton, 26, was additionally charged with resisting arrest. The four adults were lodged in the Mason County Detention Center. Sergent said all four are scheduled to appear in Fleming County District Court Thursday.

Mr. Fetters

Samuel Oscar Fetters, 81, of Vanceburg died Friday, Aug. 21, 2009, at Southern Ohio Medical Center.

He was born Feb. 14, 1928 in Lewis County, the son of the late Rhoda and Bessie Frye Fetter. Hew was a farmer and logger.

He is survived by his wife, Evelyn Renchen Fetters; four sons, Donald (Patty) Fetters of Bucyrus, Ohio, Steve (Linda) Fetters of Tollesboro, Jack (Vinian) Fetters of Columbus, Ohio, and Tom (Lisa) Fetters of Vanceburg; three daughters, Connie (Robert) Dixon of Vanceburg, Brenda (Matt) Rigdon of Aberdeen, Ohio, and Faye (Brien) Ferguson of Flemingsburg.

He is also survived by a brother, Floyd Fetters of Vanceburg; a sister, Dolly Smith of Vanceburg; 17 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and five step-great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Lewis Fetters; a sister, Minerva Wills; and two great-grandchildren, Kayla and Kaleb Fetters.

Services 11 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009, at the Dickerson Funeral Home with Pastor Debbie Horn officiating. Burial in the East Fork Cemetery.

Visitation 5-9 p.m., Monday, and 8 a.m., until time of service, Tuesday at the funeral home.
Condolences to www.dickersonfh.com.

Mrs. Colgan

Edith Beulah Colgan, 81, of Beechtree Pike, Flemingsburg died Friday at her residence.
She was the widow of James Colgan.
Mrs. Colgan was born Aug. 23, 1927, in Lawrence County. She was the daughter of the late Charles and Leona Derefield Stafford.
She is survived by a daughter, Joann Mason of Flemingsburg; two sons, Charles "Shug" (Patricia) Colgan and William (Berty) Colgan, all of Flemingsburg; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, James B. Colgan; two sisters, Ruth Conn and Maxine Rolth; and two brothers, Russell Stafford and Charles Stafford.
Services will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday at the Boone-Nickell Funeral Home. Rev. Fred Garrett will officiate.
Burial will follow in the Mount Carmel Cemetery.
Visitation after 6 p.m., Monday at the funeral home.