Somerset —
As the three suspects accused of breaking into numerous churches await their date with the grand jury, local police continue to investigate any and all possibilities in the case. Police continue to investigate a rash of church burglaries that took place in the county within the last month — including the possibility that the suspects now in custody may be connected to incident that took place within the city. Kimberly Beth Flynn, 27, of Parvin Trailer Park, off of Ky. 2227, and Kyle S. Norling, 19, and John L. Lykins III, 19, both of Ky. 1674 in Somerset, appeared in Pulaski District Court for a second time last week for a preliminary hearing. The three were arrested Thursday, July 21 on criminal mischief, burglary and theft charges after an investigation by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department into the break-ins at least seven rural county churches led officials to Flynn’s home. During the month-long rash of incidents, which began on June 23 and lasted until July 21, according to police, items were taken from Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Sunrise Baptist Church, Ringgold Baptist Church and Hazelldell Church of Christ. Acts of vandalism were also reported at those churches. The suspects, later identified as Flynn, Norling and Lykins, also broke into the Union Church of Christ, Bethlehem Baptist Church — where the three allegedly broke into the building using tombstones from the cemetery on the property — and Pine Hill Baptist Church and carried out acts of vandalism at those buildings. Lt. Brett Whitaker with the sheriff’s department stated through an e-mail that Flynn, Lykins and Norling allegedly entered at least four of the churches twice. Lt. Philip Cross, with the sheriff’s department, determined, through the investigation, that Flynn may be involved in the break-ins, and he also discovered she had an active warrant as well for failure to appear in district court. Cross made a visit to Flynn’s residence on Thursday, July 22, and it was there he saw “in plain view,” several items that he had become “very familiar” with throughout his investigation into the burglaries. It was at Flynn’s residence at Parvin Trailer Park that police reportedly found speakers, a CD recorder, a laptop computer, first aid kits, a printer, a water hose and other smaller items. Several of those items were identified by police as belonging to Hazeldell Church, Sunrise Church, and Ringgold Church. Interviews with Flynn would later lead investigators to a residence on Ky. 1674, where Norling and Lykins were arrested. On Saturday, Whitaker said he and other investigators are working with the Somerset Police Department to determine whether the case is connected with any burglaries in the city limits. In the e-mail, he said there may be a possibility there’s a connection, but he deferred any comment about that part of the investigation to Lt. Shannon Smith with SPD. Smith declined to comment on the case, saying the investigation is continuing. On Thursday, Pulaski County District Judge Scott Lawless, presiding over the three’s preliminary hearing, ruled that enough evidence had been presented to send the case to the grand jury. Flynn was charged with three counts of third-degree complicity to commit burglary and three counts of theft by unlawful taking, connected with the break-ins at Sunrise, Hazeldell and Ringgold churches. Norling and Lykins were charged with three counts each of third-degree burglary and theft by unlawful taking in connection with the same three burglaries. A fourth individual, who was at Flynn’s residence when Cross discovered the items, was interviewed, and police are stating that person may be arrested as well. Flynn, Norling and Lykins remain in the Pulaski County Detention Center and the investigation is continuing.Local News
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Big Bang Theory
Pulaski County is not at war. The booming you may hear at dusk is mock cannon fire to scare away birds.
Stuart Spillman, environmental director for the Lake Cumberland Health Department, said at least three cannons are on loan from the department to residents who want to scare away swarms of starlings and blackbirds settling in to roost.
He said a cannon is being used by a resident on Laura Lane off Ky. 39; another is in the Oak Hill Road area and a third is on Ashurst Street in the eastern part of Somerset.
Spillman said a timer on each cannon allows it to “fire” at whatever frequency is desired. The cannons must be used as the birds circle before going to roost. “After they settle in, nothing will chase them out,” Spillman said.
The Health Department doesn’t operate the cannons unless there is a specific complaint in an area where there are lots of birds, Spillman noted. He said so far this year the birds are not as bad as in the past. -
Boil water advisory is lifted countywide
The water controversy that Pulaski County has been boiling over — so to speak — for the last week is finally over.
At 10 minutes after noon Wednesday, the “boil water” advisory for the Western Pulaski Water District was lifted — almost a full week after the problems began around 1 p.m. last Thursday.
Prior to that, the Somerset Water Service — along with the other water providers in its system, including Science Hill Water, Southeastern Water, and Eubank Water — lifted their advisories, with Somerset on Saturday afternoon and the last, Southeastern, by Monday morning. Western Pulaski was the last in the system to complete sample testing for potential contaminants, due to not being able to access its Pikeville-based testing lab until Monday.
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler thanked the public for its patience and understanding during the duration of the boil water advisory — put in place to keep citizens from drinking water that could have been contaminated after an accident last Thursday at the water plant site — and also thanked all the city employees for their hard work during this time.
“The boil water advisory went about as well as would be expected,” said Girdler.
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