Meeting in regular session last week, the Vanceburg City Council heard good news from the certified public accountants firm of Smith, Goolsby, Artis & Reams in Ashland.

John Spears summarized the audit for the fiscal year from July 2, 1001, to June 30, 2002, and reported a clean audit.

Spears said that no items of non-compliance were found except one for internal controls that is found every year. The reportable condition is due to improper segregation of duties, a situation common to most small towns where one person performs many tasks. He explained that larger cities with bigger budgets can hire more personnel and don't have that problem.

Council approved the first reading of an ordinance authorizing and providing for the issuance and sale of $1.515 million in water and sewer, and revenue bonds. The money is part of the funding for the $4.177 million Southern Lewis County Water Project underway by the Electric Plant Board of the City of Vanceburg. The balance of the funds will come from grants in addition to $135,000 raised locally through tap on fees.

Special Meeting

Meeting in special session on Wednesday, the council passed a resolution accepting the bid from Rural Development of the US Department of Agriculture for the purchase of water and sewer revenue bonds totaling $1.515 million. The interest rate is not to exceed 4.5 percent per annum and is subject to the right of the city to request that all bonds will bear an interest rate at a lower rate if one is in effect for RD loans at the time of the delivery of the bonds.

Council also adopted a municipal order accepting the bid from Rural Development.

Council then passed another resolution approving and authorizing a loan agreement with the Kentucky Rural Water Finance Corporation. The corporation will act as the city's agency and instrumentality for the purpose of providing monies for the Southern Lewis County Water Project.

The department was notified of an apparent burglary at Quincy Grocery about 7:00 a.m. Friday. Store owner James Morgan was notified and reported to the store to work with deputies for several hours in determining what had been taken and what damage was done to the building and its contents.

The previous incident there happened about 12:45 p.m. Jan. 20 when a suspect entered the store, put a knife in Morgan's face and demanded money from the cash register and from Morgan's wallet.

He said there are suspects in the case and arrests are pending. He added that the church building had been vandalized in the week prior to the burglary, resulting in substantial damage.

Snedegar is also investigating the burglary of a residence on Ky. Rt. 1306, which was reported on Tuesday.

He said the burglar, or burglars, gained entry to the residence, owned by Deborah Stanley, through a back door and took valuables estimated to be worth about $2,800. Items reported taken included jewelry and old money.

Deputy Mark Snedegar said the first accident happened Thursday evening on the AA Highway near Vanceburg.

He said a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero, operated by Jennifer L. Dadosky of Wheelersburg, Ohio, was traveling east on the highway when she apparently lost control of the vehicle and began to spin in circles.

Snedegar said the auto went off the left side of the road, struck an embankment, and turned over coming to rest on its top. Dadosky and two passengers, Jon Johnson of Piketon, Ohio, and Joel Stanley of Portsmouth, Ohio, were wearing seat belts and were not injured.

Numerous accidents were investigated following heavy snow on Thursday night and into Friday. Several of the accidents were minor, according to a sheriff's department spokesman, and none resulted in serious injury.

One of the accidents occurred on Ky. Rt. 344 about 10 miles south of Vanceburg and happened as a tractor-trailer, operated by Keith Evans. 37, of Vanceburg, was traveling north.

Deputy Dwayne Stone said all of the logs rolled off the truck and off the main part of the highway, coming to rest against a guardrail.

Stone said a loader from Bolander Lumber Company was summoned to reload the logs and the scene was cleared at about 9:20 a.m. There were no injuries.

Deputy Snedegar is also investigating non-injury accident Friday in which the vehicle came to rest on its top.

He said the accident happened on Ky. Rt. 377 about 18 miles south of Vanceburg when a 1996 Pontiac Grand Am, operated by Susan J. Harrison, 21, of Vanceburg, was traveling south on the roadway when she lost control on the slick highway.

Snedegar said the vehicle went off the road, struck an embankment, flipped over on its top and traveled another 89 feet on its top before stopping. He said Harrison was visibly shaken by the incident but was not injured. She was wearing a seat belt when the accident occurred.