Local News

Although members of the Owen County Fiscal Court recently voted to raise the county’s property tax to 11.8 from last year’s 11.7, some tangible or personal property tax rates have been lowered.

The 2009 watercraft and motor-vehicle tax rate will stay the same as last year’s 14.8. The aircraft and personal property rates have been lowered from 15 to 14.2.

Owen County Judge-Executive Carolyn Keith said any time the real estate rate goes up, the tangible rates come down.

The Kentucky State Police and the Owen County Sheriff’s department conducted a marijuana eradication detail Aug. 19 in southern Owen County.

Two large plots, containing 225 plants, were spotted in southeast Owen County by police aircraft. The surveillance.

According to Kevin Woosley of the Kentucky State Police, depending on the quality of buds, the plants could fetch up to $1,000 per plant in the illegal drug trade.

At 1:30 a.m., a week ago last Saturday, Mike Rollins was driving to work on Hwy. 1883 when he spotted a very unusual animal. Rollins said when he realized he had seen something out of the ordinary, he stopped his truck and backed up.

“I’ve seen a lot of exotic animals,” Rollins said. “I’d never seen a kangaroo before though.”

The animal “was standing alongside a fence row with several deer,” Rollins said. “He didn’t seem too scared because once I stopped I sat and stared at it for a while.”

Fire claimed a home belonging to Monterey Mayor Dennis Atha.

Some people say the home had the distinction as being one of the oldest – if not the oldest – homes in Owen County.

Firefighters said the blaze began early Saturday morning and was still smoking late into the evening. Firefighters stayed at the site Saturday and most of Sunday to make sure the blaze didn’t reignite.

Bee Spicer, columnist for the News-Herald, told firefighters her family once lived in the home, and it was the oldest in the county and once served as a trading post.