Montgomery County's first choice for news since 1890
The Advocate has a story in this week's paper regarding an AG investigation involving the eligibility of school board member Lisa Walker. At the time we went to press today we had not received a statement from Walker regarding the matter. Walker shared this letter on her social media page a bit ago. Be sure to check out this week's issue as well as next week's for complete coverage!
We printed a day early due to the holiday! You can purchase this week's issue at the Advocate now!
We expect distribution to stores to begin around 4 p.m.
The Advocate will be closed Thursday, July 4, and Friday, July 5.
Have a happy, safe holiday weekend! 🎆
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Papers can now be purchased in the Advocate office!
Distribution to local stores will begin soon.
Don't miss this week's special section!!
Don't miss this week's issue for our special section!
Delivery of papers to stores has begun!
A healthy baby was recently lovingly surrendered by a mother in the Montgomery County Fire Safe Haven Baby Box, according to a release from Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
The location is brand new and a ceremony was held in early April of this year in recognition of its opening.
A press conference will be held today at 11:30 a.m. at the fire station at 521 E. High Street.
It is the 50th Safe Haven box surrender. The Safe Haven program allows for anonymous surrender, a release said.
Complete details in this week's Advocate.
Our latest issue is in house at the Advocate now for purchase!
Distribution to local stores will begin shortly (by 3:30!).
You don't want to miss this week's issue!
• Full graduation coverage 🧑🎓 👩🎓
• Well wishes to the Lady Indian 10th Region Champ Softball team from the community 🥎 🥎
• TONS of news coverage (school board meeting regarding teacher pay), breaking news and more!
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Congrats to the MCHS Lady Indians-the 10th Region champs!
The Advocate will publish special pages in next's week edition to wish the team luck in the state tournament.
Publish date is June 6.
Want to congratulate the team and wish them success in the state tourney?
Contact Sharon Manning as soon as possible at 859-498-2222.
The deadline to participate in this special piece is noon Monday, June 3.
Our latest issue can be purchased in the Advocate office building now!
Distribution to local stores is expected to begin by 3:30.
You don't want to miss this issue! It's packed from cover to cover with coverage of breaking news, local meetings, Memorial Day events and more!
We are hearing reports of downed trees from yesterday's storms. Share pics with us here ... be sure to include location.
Former Commonwealth Attorney Ronnie Goldy was sentenced to 41 months today by U.District Judge Danny C. Reeves.
He is to self report June 24.
The judge has recommended a federal facility in Ashland.
Complete details in next week's Advocate!
Update regarding fatal collision
By Tom Marshall and Jamie Vinson
The name of a victim involved in a local fatal collision Wednesday has been released.
The victim, according to a release from the Kentucky State Police, has been identified as Alavez Ojeda-Gonzalo.
According to the release, KSP, Morehead, received a call for assistance with a two-vehicle injury collision on Owingsville Road in Mt. Sterling. It happened just east of the new Dollar General Store.
The Montgomery County 911 Center said a vehicle vs. moped accident was reported at 4:46 a.m. Wednesday.
Coroner Jimmy Adams told the Advocate Ojeda-Gonzalo, 22, was pronounced dead at 5:04 a.m. at the scene. His body was sent to the state medical examiner's office in Frankfort for an autopsy.
Through the investigation, the KSP said it was determined that Andrew Romans, 37, of Clay City, was traveling east on Owingsville Road operating a Nissan Infiniti. Ojeda-Gonzalo was traveling west on Owingsville Road operating a moped.
Romans reportedly crossed the center line striking Ojeda-Gonzalo, according to the KSP. After striking the moped, Romans continued traveling east on Owingsville Road leaving the roadway.
The KSP was assisted by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County EMS, Montgomery County Coroner’s Office and Mt. Sterling Police Dept.
The collision remains under investigation by Kentucky State Police, Morehead.
The roadway was closed for a period of time Wednesday, but later reopened.
BREAKING NEWS: U.S. 60 accident results in fatality
By Tom Marshall and Jamie Vinson
Authorities are investigating an early morning accident today that claimed the life of a 23-year-old male along U.S. 60 just east of the new Dollar General Store.
Authorities were trying to locate the next of kin to inform them of the accident, Coroner Jimmy Adams said. The victim’s name had not been released as of this afternoon.
A vehicle vs. moped accident was reported at 4:46 a.m. today, according to the Montgomery County 911 Center.
The rider of the moped was pronounced dead at the scene, Adams said. His body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office for an autopsy.
Kentucky State Police are handling the investigation.
Scott Ferrell, public information officer for the KSP, Post 8, told the Advocate details were not available to release at the time of this posting.
The Advocate will update this post as additional details become available.
The roadway was closed earlier today, but has since reopened.
The Kentucky State Police have confirmed they are working a fatal traffic accident on U.S.60 just east of the new Dollar General Store.
The roadway in the area is currently shut down.
The Advocate will update its page as additional details are available.
Primary election results are in.
As of 7:23 p.m., in the local Board of Education race, with all precincts reporting, vote totals were:
Bill Morgan-198
Lisa Walker-338
This is for the second educational district to fill an unexpired term.
Election results are unofficial until verified by the state board of elections.
We will have full coverage in this week's Advocate of this race as well as statewide results in the presidential and congressional races.
We will update this post as more results come in!
Officials share details about gas spill
By Tom Marshall
Senior Advocate writer
Camargo Elementary School was closed Friday following a large gasoline spill Thursday at the gas pumps at Town and Country nearby, according to Emergency Management Director Greg Beam. Class for Christian Traditional School students at Camargo Church of God was also canceled Friday.
Nearly 500 gallons of fuel was believed to have spilled during the incident, Beam told the Advocate.
Zach Adams, a captain with the Montgomery County Fire Dept., said the call came in at 10:23 a.m. May 2 and firefighters arrived nine minutes later. He said the exact number of gallons involved came to 469.
Beam said the spill reportedly occurred when a gas tanker was offloading some fuel into the underground tanker and a line ruptured.
The store and adjacent lumber business were both evacuated and closed until cleanup could occur and fumes could dissipate, he said.
The convenience store reopened about 6 p.m. Thursday but the lumber business, where most of the spill occurred, was still closed Friday.
Store employees put out sand immediately to try and mop up the fuel until Pecco, an environmental cleanup crew, could arrive, Beam said.
Pecco is used frequently for spills from semi trucks on the interstate, he explained.
In response to the spill, Camargo Elementary School was placed under a shelter in place order, which was also the case for Christian Traditional School students, Beam said.
Out out of an abundance of caution, recess was held indoors at Camargo Elementary School so students would not be exposed to any potential fumes outdoors, Superintendent Matt Thompson told the Advocate.
“Furthermore, again out of caution, the fire marshal along with the Kentucky Dept. of Environmental Protection performed air quality checks both outside and inside Camargo,” Thompson said. “There were no indications of any residual fumes using their meters. We dismissed as normal.”
After further discussions, the Dept. of Environmental Protection informed the school district it wanted to monitor conditions into Friday due to the potential for weather changes overnight and rain coming in, which while unlikely was possible to change readings, Thompson said.
“Given the information provided by the Kentucky Dept. of Environmental Protection, it was decided to cancel school for Camargo (Friday) to allow any additional cleanup and monitoring to occur,” Thompson said early Friday. “All other schools in the district are in session and on a normal schedule.”
We have full prom coverage in this week's issue, which is on stands now!
Advocate joining Nolan Group Media
The Advocate is excited to announce that beginning May 1 it becomes part of Nolan Group Media.
Advocate Publisher Matt Hall said, “The Advocate has undergone many changes since its beginnings in 1890 to bring the best news and advertising products to Mt. Sterling-Montgomery County. With new resources available to us through this change, we will continue to provide and improve upon the news and advertising products our customers and readers are traditionally accustomed to receiving each week.”
Jay Nolan, president of Nolan Group Media, said when asked about the deal, “We are excited about this opportunity. Our plan is to work with Matt, who will remain as publisher, and we have offered to keep all of his talented, experienced local staff employed. Our strategy is to add more local news and advertising products in the coming weeks so we can better serve our readers and advertisers throughout the area.”
The Nolan Group has eight other newspapers, a 25,000-plus square foot commercial printing plant, an office machine company as well as a Kentucky Sign Center—a visual communications company with offices in London and Columbia, Ky.
Due to the severe weather that is coming through our area, All county offices will be closing at 1:00 pm today.
Everyone remember to stay weather aware in the next few hours and be safe.
We are hearing reports of local storm damage from this morning. Please share photos with us here (include location taken), we will have full coverage in this week's paper!
Yesterday, 3/29/24, at approximately 4:09 pm a portion of the floor at the warehouse located at the intersection of Fogg Pike and Levee Road collapsed. During this event one individual lost his life, everyone else present at the time of the collapse walked away unharmed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim and his family.
Crews were on the scene from approximately 4:15 pm until after 2:00 am. I do want to thank all the men and women that came from other counties to assist in the recovery efforts and securing the scene.
Other agencies assisting with the scene:
Lexington Fire Department
Wi******er Fire Department
Jessamine County Fire Department
Rowan Co EM
State Emergency Management
Local agencies on scene:
Montgomery Co. Fire and EMS
Montgomery Co. Sheriff’s Office
Montgomery Co Emergency Management
Montgomery Co Coroner
Montgomery Co Building Inspector
Montgomery Co Road Dept
Mount Sterling Police Department
Montgomery Co 911 Center
These men and women are true professionals and our heartfelt thanks goes out to each of them.
*** UPDATE ***
Roadway is open
Levee Road at the By-Pass is closed until further notice. Please use alternate routes.
The Advocate has learned of a workplace fatality at the warehouse on Levee Road, according to Sheriff David Charles.
Emergency responders are on scene now. Additional details cannot be released at this time.
See next week's paper for full coverage.
***PRESS RELEASE***
On 03/28/24 at 2040HRS (8:40pm), officers were dispatched to 213 Harrison Ave, in reference to a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located an individual on the sidewalk suffering from 2 gunshot wounds to the chest and neck. The victim was transported by MOCO Fire/EC to St. Joseph Hospital, where he was then life flighted to UK Trauma.
Within several minutes, officers and detectives identified a suspect. A few hours later, and with the help of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office - Kentucky, FLOCK cameras and cell phone pings, the suspect was located and arrested on Mccormick Rd, in Camargo w/ out incident.
The suspect is identified as:
Kendall Daughtery (22 YOA)
1x of Att. Murder
The victim is still in critical condition at this time. If you know anything or have any helpful information in relation to this case, please PM us or call (859) 498-8899. This case is still on going and more information will be released when it is available.
We would like to thank the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office - Kentucky for all of their assistance last night.
The Advocate is closed today. We will reopen Monday. Have a wonderful Easter weekend!
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Don't miss this week's special section! Our latest issue is on stands now!
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Mount Sterling, KY
40353
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This is footage from Save-A-Lot's parking lot May 25. If you have information regarding the suspects pictured and the vehicle, please contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. An Advocate newspaper box was stolen from outside the business.
Funeral procession for Dewon Wells. RIP <3
Procession for Dewon Wells. ❤ RIP
