News

Police Chief Joe Billman injured in fire

By Dennis Brown

Vanceburg Police Chief Joe Billman was injured last week as he was gaining access to a burning house believing his sister-in-law was inside the home.

Vanceburg Police Lt. Tom Flannigan said the fire was reported Billman about 9:00 p.m. Thursday as he was checking on the home of John and Anita Billman off Slate Hollow Road in Vanceburg. John Billman, who is Joe Billman’s brother, died at the home two days earlier.

Flannigan said Joe Billman believed John Billman’s wife, Anita, was inside the home and kicked in the front door resulting in a rush of flames out of the doorway causing second degree burns to about 25 percent of Joe Billman’s body.

Officer John Ferguson was one of the first to arrive at the scene. Ferguson checked assisted in checking the house and it was determined that no one was inside. It was also at that time that Joe Billman realized the extent of his injuries, Flannigan said.

Firefighters from Vanceburg and Black Oak Fire Departments responded to the call and soon had the fire extinguished.

A neighbor said Anita Billman had moved out of the house earlier in the day.

Jolisa Puente, Joe Billman’s daughter, transported him to Meadowview Regional Medical Center in Maysville and he was later transferred to the University of Cincinnati Hospital Burn Unit for treatment. He was released from the burn unit Friday

afternoon with extensive burns to his right hand and arm and the right side of his face.

Flannigan said arson was suspected in the fire and the Kentucky State Police Arson Unit and Kentucky State Fire Marshall were called in to investigate the cause of the fire. The investigators arrived Friday afternoon and, along with local officials, scoured the scene.

Vanceburg Police Officer Joe Paul Gilbert is investigating John Billman’s death. Gilbert said Anita Billman discovered that her husband was unresponsive Tuesday morning. He was pronounced dead by Lewis County Coroner Tony Gaydos.

Gilbert is also investigating an assault and robbery of John and Anita Billman at about 2:00 a.m. on June 24.

Gilbert said three men dressed in black and wearing hoods or toboggans forced their way into the home and assaulted the couple before taking a quantity of prescription medications and about $900 in cash.

He said John Billman suffered a broken arm, an injury over his right eye and bruises on his legs and ribs in the incident. Anita Billman received some lacerations near her hairline, he added.

Both were taken to Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth, Ohio, for treatment.

Gilbert said an autopsy has been performed on John Billman and results are pending. He didn’t speculate on whether or not the incidents were related.

Three charged in connection with assault on John and Anita Billman

By Dennis Brown

Three Vanceburg men have been charged in connection with the assault of John and Anita Billman at their home on June 24.

Vanceburg Police Lt. Tom Flannigan said officers were acting on a tip when they charged Jackie Lyons, 18, Chris Lyons, 21, and Rodney Butler, 21, all of Vanceburg. Butler and Chris Lyons were in jail on other charges when they were charged in connection with the assault on Saturday. Jackie Lyons was arrested Saturday and lodged in the Lewis County Detention Center.

Flannigan said Butler confessed to his involvement in the robbery.

John and Anita Billman were assaulted and robbed by three men at their home. The Billmans were taken to Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth, Ohio, for treatment. Anita Billman was treated and released while John Billman was hospitalized overnight with a broken arm and other injuries. He died at his home on June 29. It is unknown if the death was in

connection with the assault.

The robbers took about $900 in cash and prescription medication, according to Officer Joe Paul Gilbert, who is investigating both the robbery and John Billman’s death.

Flannigan said Anita Billman, 38, was arrested three days following John Billman’s death for allegedly trying to cash a Social Security check made out to John Billman.

He said she allegedly first took the check to Citizens Deposit Bank where a teller refused to cash it because the payee was deceased, he said she later also tried to cash it at Lewis County Foodland.

Anita Billman was charged with first degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. She allegedly signed John Billman’s name along with her own on the back of the check, according to Flannigan.

Investigations in to all of the incidents are continuing.

Church volunteers build "voyage ship"

By Dennis Brown

Visitors and members of Bivens Chapel Church at Garrison last week were treated to a taste of the high seas as they walked into the sanctuary and right up to a large detailed replica of a wooden ship.

The ship was put conceived and put together primarily by three members of the congregation for Vacation Bible School.

The theme of the event was Vast Voyage: High Seas Expedition and Director Lisa Dummitt said she and Darrel Armstrong realized they had the same vision for what they wanted to create for the bible school as they sat down to discuss decorating for the event.

“We both saw the same thing,” Dummitt said last week as she stood near the ship which covered the entire stage at the church building.

Dummitt and Armstrong, along with Delbert Collier, started about collecting materials to construct the ship and its components and began to assemble them.

Sheets were used for the ship’s sails while heavy cardboard tubes were given to the group by Carol Lynn Carpet to use as masts. The tubes had been used as cores for rolls of vinyl flooring.

The ship’s primary component was corrugated plastic sheeting donated by Coroplast.

Georgeann Kamer recycled some of the components from the previous bible school to create the ship’s helm.

“We appreciate what everyone has done in helping out on this project,” said Collier, who added the majority of the work on the project was completed by Dummitt and Armstrong.

Armstrong painstakingly painted each board and knothole in the ship and utilized a hot blade to help cut intricate designs for the spindles and even dolphins on the ship’s siding.

Collier said the length of the ship is about 27 feet and covers the entire stage at the church building. He didn’t convert that length into cubits.

The group spent numerous hours over four days to assemble and decorate the themed centerpiece and said it was worth every minute.

Dennis Brown/Lewis County Herald

A large ship encompasses the stage at the Bivens Chapel Church building last week for Vacation Bible School. The prop was the centerpiece for Vast Voyage: High Seas Expedition, the theme for this year’s bible school.

“We’re just glad to be a part of the community and create a fun learning experience for the kids,” said Dummitt. “We want to make it fun for them to take home God’s word.”

Attendance for the bible school last week averaged more than 100 each evening.

Although the ship was scheduled to be dismantled by Sunday, there are no plans to scrap it.

Dummitt said there has already been interest in borrowing the ship to reassemble for a church camp conducted by the Kentucky Christian Conference. Some others have also asked about borrowing the prop for other church related events.

“We appreciate everyone who contributed and everyone who helped out on the project,” said Collier. “Everyone has had a part in it.”

New home for Black Oak Fire Department

By Dennis Brown

Work is underway on a new fire station for the Black Oak Volunteer Fire Department after years of planning and time to secure financing.

Fire Chief Roy Chinn said Black Oak Fire Department began planning for a new station in 2006 as the demand for equipment storage became evident due to the limitations of the existing building.

The new 8,000-square-foot, handicapped accessible building will provide three bays to house six firefighting vehicles, and a community center that will seat 100-125 people for community events.

Kevin Cornette, Economic Development Director for the Buffalo Trace ADD said funding for the project has been awarded in the in the form of a $250,000 USDA Rural Development Community Facilities grant, $250,000 USDA Rural Development Community Facilities loan, $50,000 from the Black Oak Tax Board Building Fund and a $50,000 land contribution to the project.

Chinn said the Jim Pattison Group, which owns Coroplast in the Black Oak Industrial Park, donated four acres of land to the

Fire Department for the development of the project. The new fire station site is located across Industrial Park Road from the existing fire station in the industrial park.

“We would like to thank Coroplast for their donation and cooperation in helping to make this project a reality,” Chinn said. “This project will assist the fire department in its expansion efforts to lower insurance ratings and provide for the needs of the community.”

The new site will allow for future expansion of the facility as the needs for services increase in the years to come, he added.

Cornette stated that site work is now being completed to prepare for the construction of the new facility. The new facility is being designed at this time and will be ready for bid no later than October. The department plans to have the building completed by May of next year.

The Black Oak Fire Department is a volunteer fire department. Chinn said the department is always seeking and welcomes residents of the community to become volunteers.

The fire department holds its regular meetings at 7:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.

Vanceburg adopts $2.7 million budget

By Dennis Brown

Vanceburg City Council adopted the annual budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year which got underway on July 1.

Mayor Angie Patton presented the budget to council members and said total appropriations for the year will amount to $2,699,153.

Of that amount, $600,000 is in the Hydro Fund. The money has been in interest bearing accounts for several years since a settlement with the city of Hamilton, Ohio. The funds will remain in an interest bearing account with the interest to go into the general fund.

The sanitation department will have total estimated revenues and expenses of $132,510 with $20,266 of that amount in a contingency fund.

The projected expenses for the police department total $397,794 and include a grant of $30,000 which will pay the salary for one officer.

The fire department account was budgeted at $44,727. Patton said there will also be a Community Development Block Grant of $500,000 and USDA/Rural Development Grant of $75,000 for a new fire department/community center building.

The street department has been budgeted $88,391 while general government is showing appropriations of $287,668.

The general fund, which includes general government, police, fire, streets, sanitation and community development, has a contingency amount of $110,420.

Patton said sidewalk replacement and upgrades will be made on Ky. Rt. 59/Fairlane Drive with a Safe Routes to School Grant of $250,000.

Council adopted the budget following the second reading on Wednesday evening. The first reading of the budget ordinance was held last Monday afternoon.

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