3102 news

Fire claims life of Joe McCane

By Dennis Brown
Officials Monday were attempting to determine the cause of a fire that resulted in the death of Vanceburg businessman Joseph A. McCane.

Firefighters were notified about 4:30 p.m. of a fire in the building at the corner of Main and Railroad Streets in Vanceburg.

McCane's Variety was located in the first floor of the building and McCane and his long-time companion, Jill Litteral, resided in a second floor apartment in the building.

Firefighters from Vanceburg, Black Oak, Garrison, Tollesboro and Camp Dix responded to the initial call. Ladder trucks from the Olive Hill and Grayson Fire Departments were later summoned, an effort to keep the fire from spreading through the roof and to adjacent buildings.

A firefighter from the Vanceburg Fire Department said the fire appeared to have been very hot at the rear of the building near where electric service connects to the building. That is also where the only entrance for McCane's apartment is located.

A spokesman with the Morehead Post of the Kentucky State Police said a firefighter discovered McCane's body in the apartment. An autopsy was scheduled for Monday at the State Medical Examiner's Office in Northern Kentucky.

McCane, 52, and his father, Hank McCane, operated the variety store in the first floor of the building. The store sustained damage from the fire as well as water and smoke damage. McCane's apartment, located on the second floor at the rear of the building, also sustained extensive damage. An apartment on the second floor in front of the building sustained smoke and water damage.

Dennis Brown/Lewis County Herald

Firefighers worked to control a fire Sunday afternoon at the intersection of Main and Railroad Streets in Vanceburg. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Litteral said she had stepped out a few minutes to take out the trash and noticed the fire near the door as she tried to re-enter the building. She said Joe McCane was asleep on the couch when she stepped out.

A firefighter said McCane ahs apparently tried to summon help on the telephone before being overtaken by the smoke.

Smoke also entered Tolle's Barber Shop and J.C. Video located adjacent to McCane's Variety. Judy Carpenter owns the building where McCane's Variety was located, along with the building housing the video rental store.

Thurman pleads guilty in Prater death

By Dennis Brown
The fourth person charged in connection with the robbery and beating death of Marvin "Charlie" Prater has pleaded guilty. Under a plea agreement, David Thurman, 25, will serve life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years.

Thurman, who was wearing an orange inmates uniform with is hands and legs in chains, told Circuit Judge Lewis Nicholls Wednesday that he used an aluminum baseball bat to strike Prater, 33, and then rob him.

In addition to first degree murder, Thurman also pled guilty to first degree robbery and tampering with physical evidence.

Special Prosecutor Thom A. Marshall of the Kentucky Attorney General's Office said two counts of tampering with physical evidence were dropped as part of the plea agreement.

Nicholls scheduled formal sentencing for Thurman on September 20 at 1:00 p.m. Sarah Smith, 25, Ricky Dale Switzer Jr., 22, and Tabatha Thurman, 22, had previously pled guilty in connection with the incident and will also be formally sentenced September 20.
Smith pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with physical evidence and agreed to a sentence of five years. Tabatha Thurman pleaded guilty to facilitation to first degree robbery and tampering with physical evidence. Her plea agreement calls for a seven year sentence.

Switzer, who was originally charged with the same crimes as David Thurman, pleaded guilty to criminal facilitation to commit murder, first degree robbery and tampering with physical evidence. His recommended sentence is 27 years.

Marshall said prosecutors would take no position on the matter of shock probation for Smith, Tabatha Thurman or Switzer. "We will leave that matter for the courts to decide," he said.

9-1-1 service in operation

Emergency assistance is now only three digits away in Lewis County. Dial 9-1-1 for emergency assistance.
Judge Executive George Plummer said the service is available for Lewis Countians needing emergency assistance. The calls all go into the emergency dispatch center located at the Lewis County Detention Center.

The dispatch center was already handling calls for Vanceburg Police, Lewis County Sheriff and several fire departments.

Emergency Management Director Carl Chaney said the number should be used for emergency assistance only. For non-emergency calls the regular number of the agency you need to contact should be utilized.

Emergency situations, Chaney said, include reporting a crime, a fire, a heart attack or serious injury requiring immediate response. "Don't be afraid to call if you don't know for sure," he said. "If it could be an emergency, dial 9-1-1. The service is also available to the hearing impaired (TDD)."
Be prepared to give the operator the telephone number you are calling from, your name and address and what the problem is. Chaney said it is important to remain calm and speak clearly and to remain on the line, if possible, to answer any questions the operator may have.

Chaney said you should not call 9-1-1 just to see if it works or as a joke, for any non-emergency situations, for road or weather information, or to make a minor complaint. The number also should not be called to ask for telephone numbers or for advice.

Grand Jury indicts one

A Tollesboro man has been named in a three-count indictment handed up by the Lewis County Grand Jury last week.
The charges include cultivating marijuana, trafficking in marijuana, both Class D felonies, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor.

According to the indictment, David Allen Ritchie, 52, allegedly planted, cultivated or harvested 320 marijuana plants with the intent to sell or transfer.

He also allegedly possessed more than eight ounces of marijuana with the intent to sell or transfer, and possessed lights, tools and implements used for growing marijuana.

On May 20, acting on a tip, Lewis County Sheriff's Deputies obtained a search warrant for Ritchie's residence and a nearby building. Sheriff Bill Lewis said 320 plants in various stages of growth were seized along with equipment utilized in the operation.

Questions or comments? E-mail Us:
Lewis County Herald ( heraldadvertising@yahoo.com )

This site developed and maintained by Paula Franke.

© Copyright 2002, Lewis County Herald Publishing Co., Inc. The content of these pages is for the information of our visitors and may not be reproduced without written permission. To request permission, contact Dennis Brown at 606-796-2331.