Leocadia blog

Thrifty Ky. sheriff receives secondhand guns, cars

When Colan Harrell took over the Whitley County sheriff's office amid accusations his predecessor stole more than $200,000 from the agency, he barely had enough guns, ammo and police cruisers to patrol the Appalachian area.

So he did what any lawman in distress would do — he called on colleagues and the community for help.

Harrell first received Glock pistols, bullets and flashlights from a sporting goods store in a nearby county. Then came the used cruisers, computers and stun guns. Three months after taking office, Harrell now has an arsenal large enough to fight the prescription pill and meth problem in the county of 38,000.

"We may be smoking under the hood when we get there, but we will make it to the calls," said Harrell, 61. "That's a guarantee."

The problems began during ex-Sheriff Lawrence Hodge's tenure. Hodge was indicted late last year on 18 counts of abuse of public trust and three counts of tampering with evidence, charges related to allegations of missing funds and seized weapons. Hodge didn't immediately return calls seeking comment.

Harrell blamed the former sheriff for a lack of accountability. He beat Hodge in the primary and ran unopposed in the November election.

At first, he said it was a struggle just to meet payroll, and early on, he had to pay for gas out of his own pocket.

"The first two months of this administration, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy," Harrell said.

Harrell's plea for help was finally heard. Sheriffs in Jefferson and Hardin counties in central Kentucky donated two vehicles apiece. Police in nearby Corbin offered up three cars, and local Williamsburg police donated another vehicle. Most of the cruisers had many miles and would've been sold for just a couple of hundred dollars.

Nearby Wynn Fire Equipment donated graphics and decals to be stamped on about 10 of the "new" cruisers. A local tire plant donated new rubber and a bank sent the sheriff's office a check.

All of these came even as sheriffs and businesses faced their own budget problems.

"I figured, the gentleman has nothing, we'll help him out what we can," said Rockcastle County Sheriff Mike Peters, whose office donated nine shotguns after his deputies got newer weapons.

Before Harrell took office, the department had just nine handguns, one rifle and three stun guns — an arsenal he called inadequate. Now, each deputy is assigned a shotgun and most deputies have agency-issued pistols, though two still carry their own sidearms.

"I knew the sheriff's department was in bad shape, but I didn't ever dream it was at this level," Harrell said in his cramped office tucked away in the corner of a courthouse, where secondhand computers were stacked on filing cabinets, waiting to be installed.

Harrell removed most of the old guard when he took charge. He oversees 18 employees, including a chief deputy, seven full-time deputies and other officers, bailiffs and clerks.

"We knew they were financially strapped," said Charles Wynn, owner of Wynn Fire Equipment, which donated the decals. "We're just trying to help them get on their feet."

The tight-knit community, known as the gateway to Cumberland falls, river and lake, is home to a Baptist-affiliated college by the same name (University of the Cumberlands). And like many rural areas, downtown Williamson is lined with mom-and-pop stores.

One of them, Community Trust Bank, made a $1,000 donation.

"Right now, it's a pretty sad state of affairs having to be responsible for a county this size and having no tools to work with," said bank president, Holbert Hodges Jr.

Firestone Industrial Products donated 32 tires, valued at $5,000.

"The expectation is high that things are on the right path," plant manager Lynn Taylor said.

Harrell wasn't able to rely solely on the hand-me-downs. He also took out a $280,000 state loan to keep his office afloat until new revenues come in.

Harrison County Sheriff Bruce Hampton, president of the Kentucky Sheriff's Association, said it's common for sheriff's offices to obtain zero-interest state loans to help cover expenses early in the year. Sheriffs often repay the loans once more revenue starts flowing later on.

Besides taxpayer support, sheriff's offices also receive fees for serving warrants and subpoenas, for transporting prisoners and they collect a portion of local property taxes.

While things have improved, the Whitley County department still has needs, especially newer vehicles. He said if General Motors or Ford had any samples in the back lot, he would take them. "No matter how ugly they are," Harrell said, laughing.

___

Barrouquere reported from Louisville, Ky.

Saudi tries 5,080 'terror' suspects: prosecutor

A total of 5,080 "terror" suspects are being tried or have already been sentenced in Saudi Arabia, which battled a wave of Al-Qaeda attacks in 2003-2006, the kingdom's prosecutor said Saturday.

A court specialised in "terror crimes" has issued its verdicts in the case of 1,612 people, while 603 other cases are still being examined, the Bureau of Investigation and Prosecution said in a statement carried by SPA state news agency.

Prosecutors were also preparing charges against 934 suspects, while still investigating the cases of 1,931 others before referring them to the court, it said.

"The total number of terror suspects... is 5,080," said the statement.

The Riyadh court, which operates secretly, was set up to try those suspected of links to Al-Qaeda jihadist network.

The government has arrested scores of people for alleged involvement in Al-Qaeda attacks or plots inside Saudi Arabia, especially between 2003 and 2006.

In a May 2009 petition to King Abdullah, 77 reform advocates criticised the secrecy of the trials and said any judgements reached by the "ad hoc security courts" would be questionable.

Hershiser, Valentine reunite on Sunday night games

or, perhaps, broadcasting.

Hershiser would ask why the Mets were playing the infield in at a particular time. Or why they weren't holding the runner on first. Or why they weren't playing a "no doubles" defense.

"The great thing about baseball is there are so many different ways to skin a cat," Hershiser said.

ESPN hopes those old dugout debates translate well to the air, a former pitcher and an ex-manager offering different perspectives while dissecting the intricacies of strategy.

"We can even disagree when it's time to disagree and know it's not personal," Valentine said.

The former Mets and Rangers manager became a studio analyst for ESPN last year. He managed the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Pacific League from 2004-09.

Shulman, perhaps best known for calling college basketball with Dick Vitale, has served as a regular play-by-play voice for baseball games on ESPN since 2002.

The network is making another major alteration to its Sunday night coverage, moving "Baseball Tonight" to the site of the game. Drake insisted the changes didn't reflect any concern about the state of the franchises.

"The time to change is not when you're playing from behind," he said. "It's when you're in the lead."

Nobody leaves any doubt the Sunday night game — as a high-profile, nationally televised matchup with no other games on at the same time — is considered different from the contests aired on other days. Expect a bit more big-picture conversation about what's going on around the league.

"We'd like to tie a bow on the week that was and open up the box on the week that will be," Shulman said.

NCAA Final Four: 2011 unlike any other year

s 'March Madness'

The 2011 National Championship will be awarded to the last team standing in an unprecedented and unconventional group of title-seekers Butler, Virginia Commonwealth, Connecticut or Kentucky.

BUTLER

Just one year ago, Butler was everyones favorite underdog. A true surprise in the 2010 Tournament, the Bulldogs were a miraculous story sent to the Dance straight from the movie Hoosiers. Butler, a No. 8 seed, proved themselves not just an inspiring team, but also a true competitor when the 2010 title was determined in Dukes favor by a Bulldog 3-point attempt that missed by mere inches.

No one expected the Bulldogs to make that run in 2010, and even fewer expected Brad Stevens and his team to repeat it. But here they are. Although Butlers regular season was flagged with losses to teams like Youngstown State and Milwaukee, the Bulldogs thrived in NCAA Tournament competition. Even when Floridas trip to the Final Four looked like a lock twice, no less Butler came back and found a way to stay in the game and eventually advance. Theres something about this team that manages to find momentum right when it counts.

VCU

VC who? The eleventh-seeded Rams are this years Bulldogs. A backlash of criticism flooded the media after Selection Sunday, and VCU was believed not worthy of even the newly created First Four. And here they are now entering the Final Four.

Playing with the classic chip-on-their-shoulder mentality has proven widely successful for the team that proved little during the regular season. After an impressive run to the Elite Eight, the Rams stunned Kansas with a 71-61 victory. VCU continues to thrive on plenty of the swag that head coach Shaka Smarts team seems to know and care so much about.

UCONN

Undoubtedly two words come to mind for the Huskies postseason dominance of late Kemba Walker. The national-standout guard simply dominates Connecticuts offense. Walker propelled UConn, a No. 3 seed, past a host of late conference losses to the likes of Notre Dame, Louisville and more. The Big East Tournament sparked a revived team. Let the offensive frenzy begin.

An impressive run and a conference championship later, the Huskies have carried that momentum into the Tournament and taken off with it. Connecticut is rolling on Walkers continuously impressive stat lines and his supporting cast of a young and talented group of freshmen. Downing San Diego State and an Arizona team fresh from upsetting Duke, UConn is the lone surviving face of the Big East.

KENTUCKY

Similar to the Huskies, it seems like the fourth-seeded Wildcats and their center Josh Harrellson are finding their rhythm at exactly the right time. Kentucky started its title quest with an assertive romp over the favored Florida Gators in the SEC Championship and found success to earn a narrow yet impressive victory against top-seeded Ohio State.

While Kentucky has an 84-67 loss at the hands of the Huskies on their schedule from November, keep in mind the growth that this team has experienced. This team has proven redemptive already. Just two games after that UConn matchup, the Wildcats fell to the Tar Heels the same UNC team that Kentucky topped to find its way into the Final Four.

NCAA basketball tournament: Pop quiz about men's 'March Madness'

Obama faces challenge of defining Libya strategy

President Barack Obama faces the challenge on Monday of convincing Americans he has clear aims and an exit strategy for U.S. forces in the Libya conflict as he seeks to counter growing criticism from Congress.

Obama, accused by many lawmakers of failing to explain the U.S. role in the Western air campaign against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and his loyalists, will try to define the mission's purpose and scope in a televised address at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT).

Coalition allies will also be listening closely. The speech comes on the eve of a 35-nation conference in London billed as a discussion of political strategies to end Gaddafi's 41-year rule of his oil-exporting North African nation.

Obama's task has been made easier by NATO's agreement to assume full responsibility for military operations in Libya, ending uncertainty about who will take over the lead from U.S. forces.

Obama is expected to hail the alliance's decision as proof he is making good on his pledge that the United States -- with its forces entangled in Iraq and Afghanistan -- will play only a limited role in a war in a third Muslim country.

The White House also hopes he can score political points at home by underlining gains on the battlefield by Libyan rebels emboldened Western-led airstrikes.

But Obama still must reassure an American public preoccupied with domestic economic concerns that intervention in Libya serves U.S. national interests and must overcome doubts whether he has a plan for an end game.

Obama, asked about Libya at a "town hall" public meeting on education on Monday, said the U.S. involvement would be "limited both in time and in scope."

CRITICISM

Obama's address to the American people marks his boldest move to seize back control of the Libya debate in Washington.

Republicans have been the most outspoken in their complaints that he has failed to communicate thoroughly the mission's goals, and some have chided him for not seeking congressional approval. While most fellow Democrats are still backing him, some see a lack of a coherent exit plan.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell urged Obama to use his speech for an "overdue" explanation of his Libya policy and warned that any escalation of the U.S. military role would require prior consultation with Congress.

"If the American people are uncertain as to our military objectives in Libya, it's with good cause," he said on the Senate floor.

White House officials defend Obama's cautious approach as necessary to forge a coalition, including Arab support, and deny any failure to articulate U.S. objectives.

Obama has said the purpose of the U.N.-approved military action was to protect civilians, not to oust Gaddafi. However, he has made no secret of his desire to see Gaddafi go.

What remains unclear, however, is what happens if Gaddafi stays in power despite a no-fly zone and air strikes.

Obama has yet to address that scenario -- aside from reiterating that U.S. ground forces would not be used -- and it was not known how far he would go in his speech at the military's National Defense University in Washington.

Though allied bombing of Gaddafi's forces has helped Libya's rebel army reverse the military losses of their five-week-old insurgency, analysts see the risk of a bloody stalemate that could prolong Western military support.

Despite that, Defense Secretary Bob Gates told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday the United States would begin reducing its role in the Libya no-fly zone in the next week or so.

Recent polls show more Americans backing Obama's use of air power in Libya than those opposing it. But experts say unless the United States finds a quick exit, Obama could see Libya emerge as an issue in his 2012 re-election campaign.

Obama is struggling to balance his handling of world crises with his domestic priorities of jobs and the economy, considered crucial to his re-election chances.

(Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle, Arshad Mohammed and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Eric Beech and Cynthia Osterman)