Man arrested on arson charge stemming from downtown Monticello fire

A Somerset man has been charged after making a shooting threat against the University of the Cumberlands Tuesday afternoon. Dustin Collins Burchett, age 35, was arrested by Kentucky State Police and the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement said a man, later identified as Burchett, placed a call to...

A contraband and drug trafficking investigation by the Columbia Police Department in neighboring Adair County came to an end on Monday. The investigation began back on May 4th of this year when officers were notified by Adair County Regional Jail after suspected narcotics were found by deputy jailers there. After...

The Russell County Sheriff’s Office has released its monthly report for the month of July. Last month, the sheriff’s office received 387 calls for service, performed 13 arrests, nine mental health transports, and had 48 court papers received. Court security officers drove more than 5,000 court security miles,...

Following the swearing in of two new police officers in Vance Davis and Greg Brown last week, Russell Springs Mayor Eddie Thomas swore in another new officer, Blake Adamson, to the expanding Russell Springs Police Department on Monday afternoon. Adamson has been serving as a patrol safety officer for the...

The price of gas in Russell County is now sitting at $3.49, according to the AAA price tracker. That represents a 45-cent drop from July 21, when the average price of gas was at $3.94. Looking at neighboring counties that are lower than Russell, Casey County is at $3.43 and...

The Kentucky Department for Public Health reported 53 new COVID-19 cases in Russell County last week. That number is down from the last two weeks, in which 57 cases were reported the week prior and 82 were reported the last week of July. Neighboring Pulaski County reported 91 new cases,...

A portion of KY 70 in neighboring Casey County will be temporarily closed today as transportation cabinet crews replace a cross drain beneath the roadway. KY 70 will be closed to through traffic between the intersection of KY 206 and V. Goode Road and motorists will detour via KY 206.

With Russell County Schools set to get back into session in less than a week, Kentucky State Police are providing some safety reminders to citizens and motorists. As students return to school there will be an increased presence of law enforcement in the school zones enforcing the reduced speed limits. Officers say to be mindful of these school zones and reduce speed as appropriate while driving by any school.

In an uplifting update to a story we brought you on local news last week, Ben Jones, a 15-year-old Russell County High School sophomore who organized a gift card drive for flood victims in hard-hit Floyd County in eastern Kentucky, will deliver $4,500 in gift cards to the area this week.

The Russell Springs City Council will hold its regular monthly meeting this evening. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at City Hall on Main Street. The council is expected to discuss an addition to the fire department, along with improvements at the community center and cemetery, along with other business items.

The Lake Cumberland Tourist Commission meets today at 12:30 p.m. in a special-called meeting at the Russell County Tourist Office. The meeting takes the place of this month’s regular meeting as Tourist Director Danielle Wilson will be out of town, working at the Kentucky State Fair during that time.

Semifinalists for the Kentucky Teacher of the Year award have been announced and includes a teacher from Clinton County Middle School in nearby Albany. Danielle Hicks, an 8th grade ELA teacher at CCMS, joins 10 others contending in the elementary, middle and high school categories. One of the teachers will be selected as Teacher of the Year in a ceremony scheduled for September 20th.

A new report by the Kentucky State Data Center projects Russell County’s population to continue to grow by 2025, eventually crossing 18,000 population before declining again. The data center released a report last week detailing population projections for each of Kentucky’s 120 counties from present to the year 2050....

Open House events at each of the local elementary schools will be today. Open House events at Jamestown, Russell Springs, and Salem Elementary schools will be from 5-7 p.m. this evening. Russell County Schools will be collecting gift card donations and cash during these open house events. Suggested gift cards...

Online applications are being accepted through Friday, August 12 at fw.ky.gov for special mentor-youth dove hunts offered by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. The department offers these hunts to allow adults to provide youths with a quality dove hunting experience. Participation is limited to avoid crowding of...

The Laker Golf team came away with a victory over Wayne County in a match held at Lakewood Country Club on Tuesday. The Lakers finished with a team score of 166, coming away with a four-stroke victory over the Cardinals. Daylon Blevins led the way for Russell County with a...

Open House events at Russell County Middle School and Russell County High School will be held tonight. Middle school open house will be from 4-6 p.m. and the high school will be open from 5-7 p.m. Russell County Schools will be collecting gift card donations and cash during these open...

Russell County Judge Executive Gary Robertson announced appointments to two local boards Monday night. Robertson appointed Brittany Meece-Stephens to the Library Board to replace outgoing member Stephanie McGowan. Stephens’ term will end June 30, 2023. On the tourism board, Robertson appointed Jared Popplewell to replace Anissa Hammond, who stepped...

The Russell County Fiscal Court voted to approve a measure Monday night that would lower the county’s tax rate on real property for the first time since 1994. The county took the compensating rate, which lowered the rate from 6.7 cents per $100 of assessed value to 6.5 cents.