Ohio County Times

Beaver Dam Police Chief Casey Thacker enters Citizens Bank with a Kentucky State Police Trooper after the branch was robbed last Thursday. Times-News photo/Dustin Bratcher

Citizens Bank robbed: Suspect still being sought

A fuzzy black and white image of a burly-looking woman wearing a light-colored cap and big-rimmed sunglasses captured by a security camera is what police viewed last Thursday after an armed robbery at the Citizens Bank branch in Beaver Dam. And as of Wednesday of this week, she was still being sought by the FBI and the Kentucky State Police. The woman, who is described as a white female with brown hair in her 40s, approximately 5-feet 6-inches to 5-feet 8-inches tall and weighing around 200 pounds walked into the bank around 11 a.m. with a note, a small silver handgun and a pocketbook.

Kronos area approaching two weeks without water

The residents around Kronos have been hit the hardest once again after a pumping system malfunctioned, causing a chain reaction of waterline breaks near Centertown almost two weeks ago. Phyllis Everly, a 73-year-old resident of Kronos, said she and her husband have been living with constant water problems for four years. “We have to keep five-gallon jugs around just in case,” Everly said. “I can’t take a bath, wash clothes or wash dishes. After six days of not washing my hair, it felt like things were crawling around in it.”

Special called meeting to address fee pooling

There will be a special called Fiscal Court meeting today (Thursday) at 4 p.m. to resolve various issues facing the county. The main agenda item will revolve around County Clerk Bess Ralph’s threat to pull out of the fee pooling system after the Fiscal Court refused to leave enough money in the county clerk’s budget for pay raises. And as both sides head into the special called meeting, they have indicated that backing down is not an option. Ralph, who initially hired an attorney out of her own pocket for $165 per hour, is now being financed by the state’s County Clerk’s Association to fight over the right for her to pull out of fee pooling despite a county ordinance. “I’m very serious about this,” Ralph said on Monday. “It’s going to complicate my life but I want what’s fair.”

Sparks in the Park set for third annual fireworks show

This year the United States is turning 230 years old and here in Ohio County, the birthday celebration will be held the usual way — with colorful sparks flying and people staring to the sky in awe. If the past two years serve as examples, Ohio Countians will again flock to Ohio County Park for the third annual Sparks in the Park Fourth of July celebration, which will take place next Wednesday. Sparks in the Park started as a project by the Ohio County Chamber of Commerce to provide an outlet and a reason for the citizens to stay in the county on Independence Day.

Dr. Eme leaving Ohio County Hospital

Dr. Eme Igbokwe receives a hug from Mary Spurlock of Rockport during a recent farewell party at OCH. TImes-News photo/Dustin Bratcher

For Dr. Eme Igbokwe, Ohio County has been his life for the past eight-plus years. However, Igbokwe — or Dr. Eme as he is affectionately known by his patients and colleagues — is leaving the comfortable family practice he built at Ohio County Hospital to further his dreams in the medical profession. “I had a lot of satisfaction here but I had a feeling of unfulfillment,” said Igbokwe who will see his last patient today (Thursday). Igbokwe is being drawn by the desire to specialize in neurology — a branch of medicine that deals with anatomy, functions and organic disorders of nerves and the nervous system.

Attention readers

Because of the Fourth of July holiday falling on Wednesday — the day the newspaper is printed — next week, the Times-News will be a day late in its publication. Subscribers will receive their paper on Friday instead of Thursday.