Meeting in regular session last week the Vanceburg City Council heard from two local residents regarding separate traffic issues in the community.

Barbara Hardin of Garrison asked the council about restricting parking on Main Street in Vanceburg to one side of the street. She said that she recently attempted to avoid an on-coming vehicle as she approached the railroad tracks and hit a parked car.

Hardin also noted that delivery vehicles often block one lane of traffic on Main Street when making deliveries to local businesses.

Mayor William T. "Bill Tom" Cooper told her that he did not know what could be done about that because one of the major complaints he gets from city residents is about the lack of parking downtown. He added that restricting parking there would result in complaints from the merchants.

The mayor apologized for the inconvenience but advised caution when driving in the area.

Jennifer Vaden requested that the council install stop signs on Front Street at the intersection with Court Street. Vaden said that children cross the street there often going to the playground at Scott Memorial Park and that plans called for using the building on the corner of Front and Court as one of the sites for the Boys and Girls Club now in the planning stage for Vanceburg.

Council member Angie Patton added that lines for a walkway could also be painted on the street.

Councilman Tim Bowden, who lives on Front Street, said that he had mentioned the speeding to several drivers in the area. They often exceed the 20 mph speed limit on the street.

Mayor Cooper said that a resident of Flinders Drive was scheduled to appear before the council to ask that the street be made one way going toward Fairlane Drive, but the resident was not present at the meeting. No action was taken on the matter after a brief discussion.

The council moved to deed over a small parcel of city property deemed useless to the city to two residents on Flinders Drive so they could do some repair work to stop a slippage and to deal with the water runoff in the area.

The council also decided to do the best it could to donate $1,000 as the funds become available to the Lewis County Little League.

A spokesman with the Morehead Post of the Kentucky State Police said the accident happened about 7:15 a.m. Friday on Route 11 near Sharpsburg.

The spokesman said Jonathon W. Hamilton, 20, of Petersville, was traveling south on the roadway in a 1996 Dodge Neon when he apparently lost control of the vehicle, left the roadway and struck a utility pole.

Hamilton was a cum laude graduate of Lewis County High School, where he was a member of the JRTOC. He had attended Maysville Community College and was a member of Petersville Church of Christ. He was a certified welder, brick mason and farmer.

Services were conducted Monday afternoon at Gaydos Funeral Home in Vanceburg.

A spokesman with the Morehead Post of the Kentucky State Police said the accident happened about 11:45 a.m. Thursday.

The spokesman said Loretta Johnson, 43, was traveling east on the highway in a 1999 Plymouth passenger vehicle when the left front tire apparently blew out, causing her to go into the westbound lane, striking the trailer of an oncoming tractor-trailer.

The 2000 Peterbilt rig was operated by Michael Vaughn, 49, of Indianapolis, Indiana, the spokesman said.

Johnson was removed from her vehicle by the Tollesboro Fire and Rescue Squad utilizing the Jaws of Life. She was transported from the scene, with multiple injuries, to a hospital by helicopter.

The highway was closed for about an hour following the accident.

The Kentucky Library Trustees Association has announced that Carol Gilbert is the recipient of one of these grants.