Grant County has been declared a disaster area and is eligible for federal assistance after the March 2 tornado ripped through Crittenden.

Gov. Steve Beshear received notification March 9 that President Barack Obama has authorized assistance for resi-dents of nine more Kentucky counties, including Grant, that suffered significant damage as a result of tornadoes and severe storms.

The declaration brings the total number of counties receiv-

ing federal aid from FEMA to 16.

“It’s very important because it allows people to get assistance for living expenses, especially renters,” said Rick Willoby, director of Grant County Emergency Management. “It also allows home owners to get low interest loans to rebuild.

FEMA typically fills in for peo-ple who don’t have insurance. If you have needs, your primary insurance should take care of that first, but anything that they did not get covered completely, you can request FEMA assis-tance to help you as well.”

Assistance for individuals can include grants for temporary

housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other pro-grams to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

The deadly storms and torna-does across Kentucky caused 23 deaths and more than 300 inju-ries.

Willoby said he was always confident that Grant County would be approved for federal assistance based on the amount of damage received in the Crittenden area, especially the Harvesters Subdivision.

Grant County NewsWWW.GRANTKY.COM Serving Crittenden, Corinth, Dry Ridge, Mason, Williamstown and Jonesville 75 cents

SEUSS ON THE LOOSE!SCHOOLS CELEBRATE BIG BIRTHDAY - Pgs. 8, 9

THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2012Vol. 106, No.11 26 Pages

By Bryan MarshallStaff Writer

Town hall meeting focuses on college, career readiness

Cheryl Ralph and Rileigh Ralph, of Dry Ridge, worked March 8 at the Crittenden Baptist Church organizing donations. Cheryl is the pastor’s wife at Pleasant View Baptist Church. She homeschools her children, but said actually helping others was more of a lesson than one learned from a book. “This is about healing hearts,” Cheryl said. Photo by Jamie Baker-Nantz

Story/photos by Jamie Baker-Nantz

Crittenden Baptistbecomes relief center

Police are hoping the public can help them solve a break in at the Marathon Station on Ky. 36 in Williamstown.

They may be related to three other break ins that occurred recently at Peg’s Pit Stop in Corinth and the Jonesville Country Store.

According to police, at least two, possibly three suspects, broke out a side window around 12:30 a.m. on Feb. 26.

The suspects ransacked the office and attempted to destroy a security camera. Eventually they gained access to the ATM and stole an undisclosed amount of cash.

Sgt. Robert Reed of the Williamstown Police Department is in charge of the investigation.

While the suspects attempted to destroy the video camera, Reed said he was able to save some of the footage.

“The video showed all kinds of traffic going

by but you wouldn’t necessarily notice because of how they made entry,” Reed said.

Reed said it’s possible they also used a lookout and scanner or walkie talkies to communicate.

“We believe the suspects are local and that they were also responsible for the other break ins because of similarities between them,” Reed said.

By Jamie Baker-NantzEditor

COMING UP:• MORE TORNADO COVERAGE• FIRE/EMS FUNDING ISSUES

•Helping People Out Everywhere

Volunteers from all over the tri-state came to Crittenden Baptist Church to help with tornado relief efforts. This vol-unteer is organizing shoes.

I would hope everybody in the county who had any damage would apply for aid. It is tax dollars and you are entitled to get

some of that back or at least apply for it.

- Rick WillobyGrant County Emergency Management Director

‘ ‘Federal aid available to tornado victimsWHAT TO EXPECT FROM FEMA:

• Inspector’s Call: After you register - either online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 - a nine-digit application number is assigned. An inspector will call to schedule an appointment to visit your damaged property, gen-erally no longer than 10 days after registration.

• Inspector’s Visit: Keep the scheduled appointment to make sure the assistance process moves quickly. Inspectors will review both struc-tural and personal property damage and file a report, but they do not determine eligibility or estimate or determine the value of damage or losses. The inspection typically takes 15 to 45 minutes.

DONATIONNEEDS

CHANGE:The temporary tornado relief center at Crit-tenden Baptist

Church is now in need of furniture, bath towels, wash

cloths, sheet sets and fabric

softener.The center will ac-cept items through

March 17. For more information,

call 428-3122.

POLICE

Marathonrobbed, publichelp neededto ID thieves

Marijuana chargesdismissed against

GCMS teacherA Harrison County grand jury did not

indict Dr. Nicholas Catey on charges of cultivating marijuana.

Catey, a special education teacher at Grant County Middle School for 15 years, was charged on Jan. 20 when Kentucky State Police executed a warrant for him at his Berry home.

Police said they found marijuana plants growing in pots on his farm.

Catey was placed on unpaid leave on Jan. 26 pending the outcome of the case.

Grant County Superintendent Ron Livingood said Catey will be working out of the central office for the remainder of the school year. He is updating student records.

By 2018, 54 percent of all jobs in Kentucky will require post-second-ary training beyond high school.

However, Kentucky currently ranks 48th in the percentage of post-secondary education degree projections for 2018.

By 2020, 123 million American jobs will be in high-skill / high-pay occupations, from computer pro-gramming to bio-engineering, but only 50 million Americans will be qualified to fill them.

Grant County Schools and schools across the state are hoping the solution is making students col-lege and career ready by the time they graduate.

The Grant County School District will host its first town hall meeting, “Breaking New Ground – The Path to College and Career Readiness,” at 7 p.m. March 27 at the Grant County High School audi-torium.

Tours of the new career and technology center will be provided from 6 to 7 p.m. before the meet-ing.

“The education of our youth is critically important to not only our students, but also to the community at large,” said Superintendent Ron Livingood. “A town hall meeting is an excellent forum to generate the increased and necessary awareness among all stakeholders relevant to this most important issue.”

Attendees will learn about how the college and career readiness initiatives affect Grant County Schools and its students, along with insights by Livingood and several students.

By Bryan MarshallStaff Writer

Anyone with information about the break in

should call 824-3353.

Crittenden Baptist Church is buzzing with activity.Since the March 2 tornado, it has become one busy

place as the central drop off point for donations, volun-teers, victims to connect with emergency service pro-viders and its kitchen has been serving three meals a day to victims and volunteers.

It got started when Kim Haubner, the founder of HOPE (Helping People Out Everywhere) posted on Facebook that her newly founded organization would be distributing clothes and food to tornado victims on March 4.

The weather forecast was cold and windy.“My wife, Carol, and I saw that post and God

touched both of us and at that point we said that just couldn’t happen,” Carl Jackson Jr. said.

Jackson, a member of Crittenden Baptist Church for the last six years, got to work.

He knew he’d found a purpose for the church’s new 12,000 square foot addition that could serve as a ware-house for donations.

‘BREAKING NEW GROUND - THE

PATH TO COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS”

• March 27• 7 p.m.

• Grant Co. High School

Students, parents, faculty and the public

are invited .See TOWN HALL page 3

See CRITTENDEN page 12

See FEDERAL page 3See FEMA page 3