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Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Burnside honors four late town marshals in memorial ceremony
Despite adverse conditions — a lack of electricity and water in the city following Friday's tornado — Burnside officials came together on Saturday to honor four of the community's officers of the law who made the greatest possible sacrifice in the line of duty. The Burnside Fallen Officer Memorial Ceremony went on as planned this past weekend, with families of those being honored coming in from all over the country — not just Kentucky, but Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, and even California and Florida. An estimated 200 people were present at Cole Park for the ceremony. Four town marshals — a position that eventually evolved into Burnside Chief of Police — who were killed as a result of their service to the community were honored, with their names being placed on the monument at the Burnside Memorial Garden at Cole Park. Burnside Police Chief Mike Hill told the Commonwealth Journal that his department had a recruit in the police academy that was doing a history project, and asked Hill questions about when Burnside's Police Department was established and other details. This led Hill to do his own research to find those answers, and in the process, learned about the four men who will be honored Saturday. When Burnside created its Memorial Garden in 2023, Hill decided that he'd like to utilize it to honor the four marshals he learned about who died as a result of their service to the city. In particular, that's because they're already permanently honored in the police academy at Eastern Kentucky University and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington D.C., but hadn't yet been recognized in Burnside itself. A number of speakers participated in the event, including Hill and Burnside Mayor Robert Lawson, who read a proclamation declaring that week — May 11-17 — as National Police Week in the City of Burnside, and Saturday, May 17 as Police Day. He also recognized a moment of silence for those whose lives were lost as a result of Friday's tornado in the area. Speaking to those in attendance about the recognition of the four marshals, Lawson said, "I want to say thank you to the families. That is the ultimate sacrifice, is giving your life." Also speaking were retired police chief Eddie Glover, who talked about the kind of dangers law officers face every day, noting that almost 100 officers per year are lost to violence, and that doesn't include those who take their own lives due to the stresses of the job; former mayor Jim Brooks, who spoke abut the stories he heard from his family over the years about one of those marshals, John Coomer; Brandon Becker, city councilor and chair of the Burnside Historical Society, who talked about how safe he feels in a community like Burnside and how its the police that provide that safety; and tourism commissioner Jerrica Flynn, who spoke about the role law officers play assisting her in her job. "There's a type of authenticity that you can't market, that I can't create on a campaign," she said. "... (T)hese fallen officers ... are a prime example of what you can do for your community when you are so ingrained in what you do and what you love. It's almost magical to see that type of love for others and their place of being. So for me as a tourism director, these guys make my job easy. ... That authenticity of true love for their community and that warm hospitality, it's just so easy to convey to other people and have them come back and visit again and again." JOHN COOMER On August 18, 1913, an alleged moonshiner shot and killed a Burnside Councilman, John Fitzgerald, and wounded the town marshal, John Coomer, in a pistol duel. The shooter had been to Somerset with a friend earlier that day and appeared to be drunk when he stepped off the train at Burnside. Marshal Coomer arrested Tarter and was about to take him to jail when the prisoner drew his pistol and shot Coomer in the neck, causing a severe flesh wound. He also shot a town councilman after running off toward the Burnside Ferry. On October 1, 1913, Marshal Coomer died as a result of the gunshot to his neck. However, his death certificate says his cause of death is "unknown." It was reported that Marshal Coomer made a deathbed request that the shooter, identified as a Josh Tarter, not be charged with his murder. Eventually, Tarter was apprehended and convicted of killing the councilman and sentenced to five years in prison; however, he was not charged with murdering Marshal Coomer due to the reported request the marshal made before he died. HIRAM GREGORY Burnside City Marshal Hiram Gregory was shot on April 23, 1926 while attempting to arrest a Burnside barber identified as Ed Gibson for public drunkenness. The August 23, 2002, edition of the Commonwealth Journal said that two shots entered Gregory's left arm, just below the arm pit and another in the left side below his heart. He was also shot in the forehead. Gregory died at a local hospital about six hours after he was shot. It was reported that Marshal Gregory told officers on his deathbed that Gibson was the one responsible for his wounds. He said that he received a complaint at around seven in the morning in front of the Burnside Post Office. He said he didn't see Gibson walk up near where he was standing until he was there shooting him. Marshal Gregory went on to tell officers that Gibson had threatened to kill him more than once. Gibson was arrested and charged with the Marshal's murder. During his trial Gibson denied shooting the marshal, but he was found guilty of murder by a Lincoln County jury and sentenced to life in prison. CHARLIE WRIGHT Marshal Charlie Wright was appointed to office after Hiram Gregory was shot and killed six months prior. According to historical records and news articles, on November 15, 1926, Marshal Charlie Wright was shot while attempting to arrest a bootlegger identified as Ike Guffey. At the time of the shooting, Marshal Wright was on patrol when he encountered Guffey, who was wanted for a previous offense. Wright attempted to arrest Guffey, but Guffey pulled out a gun and shot Wright in the chest. Wright was rushed to a hospital in Somerset, but he died from his injuries the following day. After the shooting, a manhunt was launched to capture Guffey, who was eventually arrested and charged with murder. During his trial, Guffey claimed that he had acted in self-defense because Wright had been abusive and had tried to shoot him first. However, this claim was disputed by eyewitnesses, and Guffey was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. GEORGE PRENTICE SOUTHWOOD Marshal Southwood was shot and killed in the line of duty shortly before noon on September 30, 1948, by a man in a black pickup truck at the construction site of the new U.S. 27 bridge which was being built at the time. The man had been arrested previously by Southwood for public intoxication and there was no doubt a history between the men. A work stoppage was occurring at the site due to a pay dispute. There were reports of gambling at the site and Prentice was called in to investigate those reports. The killer was a local constable who was drunk at the time and onsite as well. Southwood engaged in a verbal altercation with the constable after observing alcohol in his vehicle. He ordered the constable who was the driver and his passenger out of the vehicle. The passenger was the driver's son-in-law. The son-in-law was a worker at the site. The passenger followed orders but the driver did not. During the altercation that followed, Southwood was shot twice with a .38 caliber pistol, once in the head and once in the heart, by the intoxicated man. Construction workers rushed to the scene to try to aid Southwood. The shooter fled south on U.S. 27, and after an exhaustive search across three counties that lasted 19 hours, an arrest was made. A long and large trial would follow, and the shooter would receive a life sentence. Years later, however, against the family's wishes, he would be released while ill. The stories of the four men were read by Hill at the ceremony, and all current and former officers of the law or their family representatives present were given tokens of appreciation. In addition, a member of the family of each fallen marshal was presented with an American flag hand-folded there on site by Burnside police officers. Following the ceremony, the family members spoke to the Commonwealth Journal about the opportunity afforded to them for remembrance and recognition on Saturday. Gregory accepts flag Lewis Gregory, great-grandson of late Burnside Town Marshal Hiram Gregory, accepts an American flag as a gift at Saturday's Memorial Ceremony in Burnside's Cole Park. Lewis Gregory, from Greenwood, Indiana, great-grandson of Hiram Gregory, said, "It was really a remarkable honor. ... It is very intensely meaningful for me that all of these good people came together to honor him. I never met him, I wish I had. ... The sacrifice that people in law enforcement (were) giving back then, and even now, is astounding. I served as a judge for 28 years, (and) other legal positions through the years, and I have a lot of respect for police officers." "It was a proud moment, for my whole family really," said Joe Canada of Cincinnati, great-great-grandson of Coomer. "(They shared) a lot of history I didn't know about." Eddie Wright, great-grandson of Charlie Wright, said, "I'm glad that his service is recognized. It was a long time ago; he died before he knew any of his grandkids. I think the first one was born in 1928. He served in the Spanish-American War; my great-grandmother was the last ... beneficiary of the war benefits from that. She was the last Spanish-American War widow, so to speak. It's good to see that they still recognize him after all this time. It happened almost 100 years ago. It's just a legacy." "This means the world to me and my family, honoring our ancestor and honoring the thee other gentlemen (to serve as town marshal)," said Cincinnati's Wade Southwood, great-great-grandson of Prentice Southwood. "It means the world that they're being remembered and memorialized, and also just a general celebration (of) law enforcement ... and what they do for their communities and for this nation." Southwood police car Wade Southwood brought the car that his great-great-grandfather, former Burnside Town Marshal Prentice Southwood, was driving the day he was killed in 1948. Wade Southwood also spoke briefly during the event to the crowd, and brought with him a unique vehicle — Marshal Southwood's own police car, the car he was driving the day he was shot. The car has gone down through several families and is now in Wade Southwood's possession, said Hill. The chief was appreciative that the long-planned event was able to go forward, even considering the difficulties caused by Friday's tornado in southern Pulaski County. "There (are) a lot of people who gave up their time to come here (and) travel," said Hill. "... I think it was awesome that we got to hold this event due to all the extra circumstances going on, that people still would come and share this experience with us."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
He had his life planned out: Mother of Drew Inabnitt talks about his love of family, farming
'I would tell him, 'Drew, be a kid. Go out and have fun.' And he'd said, 'Mom, there is no place I would rather be than on the back of my horse in the middle of this field, working these cattle.'' Brooke Inabnitt The story of Drew Inabnitt is of a young man who liked playing football, disliked school, and loved being a cattleman. His ambition was to be a farmer, so much so that he began planning when he was a freshman in high school on how to graduate early so he could get straight to work. He achieved that dream of graduating early from Southwestern High School in December. He turned 19 in January, and was excited for working on the farm this spring. It is almost inconceivable, therefore, that his life was cut short so suddenly. The Eubank resident passed away on March 25 while he was in the fields he so loved. His mother, Brooke Inabnitt, talked to the Commonwealth Journal about what kind of a person Drew was and how he looked out for his family and friends. 'Me and him were so tight,' Brooke Inabnitt said of her son. 'We were really close. I think that's kind of been the hardest part, because he was not just a good son, but he was a good brother. He always looked out for his brother and sister. Him and his sister talked every day, and he was a thread that kind of held us all together. At 19 years old, he was a rock for his family and his friends. If there was something going on, all of us, even me and his dad, we would call Drew. That's what (his brother) Alex said the other day. He said, 'It's not that I'm sad so much as I'm just lost. We had our whole life planed out.'' Drew was an extensive planner, Brooke Inabnitt said. She has multiple notebooks of his to prove it, where he had written down his goals and what path he was going to take to achieve them. His ultimate goal was to become a farmer, she said. It was an interest he had since he was little. 'We would always take him to the stockyards at Lake Cumberland Livestock Auction down here, and we would just sit, and we would watch the auction. My dad, before he passed, he would take them when they were little to Jon Anderson's farm just to look at the cows. He was always interested in agriculture and farming,' Brooke said. She added, 'When he was younger, we always got him these toy cows to play with. His dad built him a stockyard out of little pieces of wood. And he had a little barn. So he's just always, from the time he was old enough to play with the things, that's what he wanted to play with.' Still, she said she didn't quite understand why he was so attracted to farming. 'I don't know exactly what about the cattle appealed to him. … He's 19, and I would always fuss about it, because he would work. He worked 222 hours this month (March). I would always fuss on the weekends, because his buddy Brodrick Finley would reach out and be like, 'Hey, you want to go hang out with us tonight?' and Drew would be like, 'No.' He wanted to work. 'I would tell him, 'Drew, be a kid. Go out and have fun.' And he'd said, 'Mom, there is no place I would rather be than on the back of my horse in the middle of this field, working these cattle.' So I had to let him do what made him happy.' His mother would support him in his decisions on what he wanted to do, even if that wasn't always what she wanted for him. For instance, Brooke said he was an excellent football player, but despite her trying to get him to go to college and continue his football career, he was adamant about working instead, she said. 'He went to Pulaski County High School his freshman and sophomore year, and I'm telling you what, he was always in the state records (rankings) for linebackers, for tackles. He just really had a knack for the game and just enjoyed getting out there and playing defense.' Last year, she said, he transferred to Southwestern High School and had a good year there as well. 'He was always in some sort of record book. And I was wanting to push him to go to college and play football in college, because I just wasn't ready to let that go,' she said. 'I loved watching him out there. He was just so good. But that's not what he wanted to do. He wanted to farm, so as hard as that was for me to let that go, I knew I had to let him pursue what his life goal was. And that was not college.' Part of the reason for that, she said with a laugh, was that he wasn't the best student in school. 'He was a terrible student. He was awful. He hated school. I couldn't hardly get him to go,' she said. He enjoyed learning about the things he was interested in, she said, and one of his goals for 2025 was to build his knowledge. But most of the time, his interest was to learn about farming. 'Wes Finley described Drew as the sweetest-meanest kid he'd ever met. And I put that in his obituary,' Brooke said. As is expected, it hurts his family that he passed away at such a young age. It's especially hard as, since as of right now, they don't have answers as to what caused his death. Brook Inabnitt said that he was working on a farm at Nancy and was with his girlfriend at the time. He was driving a tractor, and she was opening a gate for him to drive through. 'For whatever reason he was getting out of the tractor, which there was no need for him to get out of the tractor, because he was having to pull through the gate. (The girlfriend) said he was getting out of the tractor when she turned her back, and when she turned back around he was on the ground.' An autopsy has been performed, Brooke said, but it might take a couple of months for the family to get answers. 'But what I do know, and what brings me peace, is that that boy was doing exactly what he loved to do. He was so happy that day,' she said. 'He was here one minute and gone the next,' she said. Brooke said that she knew her son had friends, but that she always thought of him having a few close-knit friends that were like brothers to him. She was not expecting it to be standing-room-only at her son's funeral, she said. 'That gives me comfort, too, knowing that he will live on through them,' she said. 'They have their memories of him and how he's touched their lives.' She said it has also been comforting to see the outpouring of love that the family has received. She told the story of when Drew's casket was being lowered into the ground, and Drew's friends asked if they could be the ones to throw the dirt on his grave. She said she thought it would be a small group of friends, but there were 30 to 40 people who did so. It was comforting to see 'that amount of love they had for him, and just taking care of him and making sure that he was taken care of right to the very end,' she said. Brooke summarized her son's life by saying, 'He did so many things to make me shake my head, and he was ornery, but my goodness, I wouldn't change it for nothing. That's what made him who he was. And he packed a lot of life in the 19 years he lived. He lived every single day, doing what he loved and what made him happy.'
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Local Republican leaders react to McConnell announcement
U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell made an interesting announcement on his 83rd birthday Thursday. The long-serving Kentucky legislator stated he would not seek reelection. McConnell noted that he was making the announcement on his birthday – a date 'I've never liked calling too much attention to,' he said in his remarks on the U.S. Senate floor. 'Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate. Every day in between I've been humbled by the trust they've placed in me to do their business here. Representing our Commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last,' McConnell stated. The Louisville native who was first elected to the seat in 1984 plans to serve until the end of his current term, which means he will stay in office until January 2027. The Commonwealth Journal reached out to Pulaski Republican Party Chair Bill Turpen, who said that the Kentucky senator has had a great career. 'I think as a Republican and as a conservative, we all have a great deal of gratitude for Sen. McConnell and his leadership in the senate for as long as he has been there,' Turpen said. 'Now, I have not always agreed with him, nor have conservatives in general always agreed with him, but most of the time they have.' In looking at a time in which local conservatives did agree with McConnell, Turpen recalled the spring 2016 choice by then-President Barack Obama to nominate Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court due to the death of Antonin Scalia. Instead of entertaining the idea of holding a hearing for Obama's pick, McConnell – then the senate majority leader – denied the hearing and said the new justice should be chosen by whoever won the November election. 'He stopped (Garland) from being a justice on the Supreme Court, and I think that what he did in 2016 probably helped (Donald) Trump get elected,' Turpen said. 'When Trump said 'Here's my list, I will nominate from these conservatives on the list,' I think a lot of people voted for him because they wanted to see a change in the courts. I know some close friends, even some family, who voted that way. So I think we all need to say 'Thank you Sen. McConnell for your service.'' Turpen did note, however, that more recently some of McConnell's actions have not been seen as favorable for local conservatives. 'As of recent, some people didn't care about some of his votes against some of the Trump nominees, and fortunately they went on through anyway,' Turpen said. But, he said, looking at the whole picture, McConnell has done a lot of conservatives, the country, and Kentucky. Turpen added that McConnell's decision would affect all of Kentucky, especially since McConnell's long time in service placed the state in a high position in Washington. '(McConnell's) seniority means a lot, and we have benefited from his seniority in the Senate, and from Hal Rogers' seniority in the house,' he said. Congressman Rogers issued his own statement after McConnell's announcement, praising the senator's work in Washington. 'Senator McConnell's retirement announcement marks the coming end of a historic era of dedicated service and leadership that has catapulted Kentucky forward,' Rogers said. 'His deep-seated conservative values and unparalleled respect for our great nation's Constitution and the institutions of our democracy, have held our nation on the right path. Together, we have empowered Kentucky-focused legislation through the Senate and the House for many years, and I am grateful for his invaluable partnership over the years. I wish him the very best on his birthday today and in the years ahead.' Rogers' fellow U.S. Congressman Andy Barr from the 6th District also issued a statement, saying, 'Senator McConnell reshaped the federal judiciary, including the United States Supreme Court, to preserve the original meaning of our Constitution. (Wife) Davis and I thank him for his service to Kentucky, and our country, and extend our best wishes as he serves out his term in the Senate.' Republican Party of Kentucky Chair Robert Benvenuti stated that his organization 'offers its deepest gratitude to Sen. Mitch McConnell for his extraordinary and steadfast service to our state and nation. From his early days as county judge-executive, to becoming the longest-serving Senate party leader in history, he has faithfully served the people of Kentucky with integrity and dedication.'
