Board Member may be in Trouble after Teen Field Party

This from the Springfield Sun:

KSP arrest juveniles for alcohol intoxication

Party was on property of school board member, police say

Kentucky State Police were called to Washington County shortly after midnight Friday to assist local authorities with a field party that was attended by nearly 100 juveniles, according to KSP Public Affairs Officer Dwaine Barnett with Post 15 in Columbia.

Deputies from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to an address about two miles out on Lincoln Park Road at 11:13 p.m., answering a call of an altercation, which was received from a cell phone, according to records at Washington County 911 Dispatch.

Deputies Wayne Bartley and Jackie Robinson answered the call, and Bartley said when he arrived at the scene, one of the parties in the alleged altercation was present, but the other was no longer on the scene. Records at the Washington County Emergency Medical Services indicate that an 18-year-old was transported from the scene at 11:35 p.m. and taken to Spring View Hospital in Lebanon. Bartley said no report was completed, but charges in the case would be a civil matter between the two individuals involved.

While on the scene, the deputies called for assistance due to a number of juveniles allegedly drinking alcohol. Barnett said he was told about 100 juveniles were at the scene when troopers were called at around midnight Friday.

Five of those juveniles were arrested and charged with alcohol intoxication and later released to their parents. In addition, two of the juveniles arrested were also charged with fleeing and evading, according to Barnett.

Washington County Sheriff Tommy Bartley said the property where the incidents took place belongs to Pat Clements, who is a member of the Washington County School Board. Bartley is looking into the incident, and said he will try to determine if the county’s social host ordinance, which was passed into law in May of 2007, will apply in this case, and if any charges will be filed against Clements. The ordinance was passed by the Washington County Fiscal Court to deter adults from enabling underage drinking by hosting or allowing the consumption of alcohol.

Clements said the party was intended to be a gathering for a small group, but got out of hand when the gathering grew.

“What was supposed to be a gathering, a bonfire and campout for 20 to 30 people, quickly got out of hand because of modern technology. I cooperated with authorities in dispersing those folks. I provided no beverages of any kind to anyone, and didn’t even leave a bottle of water over there,” Clements said.

“I want to say that deputies Wayne Bartley and Jackie Robinson acted in a very professional, compassionate and cooperative way. I was extremely impressed at
how efficiently and thoroughly they administered breathalyzers to the drivers there, and how quickly they were able to safely disperse these young adults.”

Teacher cuts loom in Washington County

Cuts may come to the Washington County school system next year, or they may not. That decision will come later based on additional funding that could come to local schools as "Section 7" money.

"I assure you we take no pleasure in the phone calls, e-mails and harassing comments about how we’re dealing with funds,” said Larry Graves, superintendent of Washington County Schools.

The Springfield Sun reports

(Story and Photo by Jeff Moreland):

A crowd of around 100 visitors turned out to address...the proposed cuts at all but one Washington County school, and they learned that if the cuts are not made, it will not be due to a board decision, but instead as a result of money labeled as Section 7 money. Superintendent of Washington County Schools Larry Graves said the board cannot make changes to allocations after March 1, but clarified that funding will go out to each school that the site based councils can use as they choose, including for teacher’s salaries.