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.

Grange City bridge OK for Festival

According to the Ledger Independent, the Grange City Covered Bridge has been cleared for pedestrian traffic for the 12th annual Covered Bridge Festival.
The safety of the bridge was called into question earlier this month at a Fleming County Fiscal Court meeting by the Hillsboro Homemakers, who often have demonstrations at the bridge. The Kentucky Department of Transportation was requested to assess the bridge to determine the level of deterioration, and whether there should be a limit on the number of people on the bridge at one time.
Debbie Richardson, assistant to the executive director of the Fleming County Chamber of Commerce, said the DOT has cleared the bridge for festival activities with no limitations on crowd size.

Mr. McClain

Donald Gene McLain, age 64, of Sunset Road, Hillsboro, Kentucky, passed away Tuesday, August 18, 2009, at his residence.

Born January 23, 1945, in Hillsboro, Kentucky, he was the son of the late Byrom and Lucille Royse McClain. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Byrom McClain, Jr., and one sister, Mary Lee McClain Gibson.

Don is survived by his wife of 45 years, Willa Jane Daulton McLain, whom he married November 9, 1963; one son, Michael McLain and Paula Story of Hillsboro, Kentucky; one daughter, Martha Ann and David Simms of Flemingsburg, Kentucky; and two granddaughters, Jesshia and Kevin Fulkerson and Michaela Jane Boone.

Other survivors include three sisters, Billie Alderman of Morehead, Kentucky, Louise England of Maysville, Kentucky, and Carolyn (Ronnie) Helphenstine of Flemingsburg, Kentucky; several nieces and nephews; and his canine companion, Ginger.

Don was a heavy equipment operator and farmer; former fire chief of Hillsboro Volunteer Fire Department, and former owner of McLain Grocery in Hillsboro. He loved to fish and hunt. Don was a member of the Sharkey Freewill Baptist Church.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, August 21, 2009, at the Hutton Funeral Home with the Rev. Harley Sexton, Jr., and the Rev. John Tucker officiating. Burial will follow in the Hillsboro Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Stevie Call, Mike Hawkins, Herbert Jolly, Harold Dean Sorrell, Sammy Lewis, Ricky Smoot, Tim Vise, and Claude Reffitt.

Visitation is after 6 p.m. Thursday, August 20, 2009, at the Hutton Funeral Home, Hillsboro, Kentucky.

Mr. Beckett

John Fred Beckett, 58, of Foxport died Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at his residence.
He was born Aug. 16, 1951, in Wallingford, to the late Argee Fugett Beckett and Kathrine Everman Beckett.
Mr. Beckett was a carpenter and worked in construction. He was a member of the Foxport Baptist Church.
He is survived by two children, John Fred Beckett II of Foxport, and Anna Davis of Fleming County; a special companion, Doris Poe and daughter, Maddison Napper of Flemingsburg; one grandchild, Hailee Brooke Davis; two brothers, James Beckett of Aberdeen and Jessie Beckett and wife, Virginia of Sardinia, Ohio.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Argee Beckett and Dallas Beckett; and two sisters, Elizabeth Beckett and Ida Beckett.
Services 1 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009, at Barbour and Son Funeral Home in Tollesboro. Bro. Stoney Hamilton and Bro. John Dotson will officiate.
Burial will follow in the Burtonville Cemetery in Burtonville.
Visitation is 11 a.m. - 1 p.m., Thursday at the funeral home.

Mrs. Koehler

Bonnie Jean Arnold Koehler, 73, of Elizaville died Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009, at Fleming County Hospital.
She was a homemaker and a member of St. Charles Catholic Church in Flemingsburg.
Mrs. Koehler was born in Fleming County on April 17, 1936, the daughter of the late Ben and Donna Adkins Arnold.
Survivors include her husband of 55 years, June Koehler; two sons, Mike (Lois) Koehler of Bardstown and Ed (Michelle) Koehler of Elizaville; one daughter, Debbie (John) Donovan of Ewing; six grandchildren, John Michael (Erin) Koehler, Andrew Koehler and Sarah Koehler, Katie and Jake Donovan and Madison Koehler; and one brother, Ben (Becky) Arnold Jr. of Columbus, Ohio.
Mass of Christian Burial will be intoned at 11 a.m., Wednesday at St. Charles Catholic Church in Flemingsburg with Rev. Verne F. Hogan officiating.
Burial will follow in St. Patrick Cemetery.
Visitation is 9 -10:30 a.m., Wednesday at Palmer Funeral Home in May’s Lick.
Condolences to www.palmerfuneralhome.net.