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Teen, unborn son killed by fallen tree laid to rest
Somerset — A teen and her unborn child who were killed last week by a falling tree in downtown Somerset were laid to rest.
On Monday, family and friends gathered to honor and remember Kaitlyn Griffin, 17, and her unborn son, Nicholas Ayden Steele nearly a week after the two were killed by a falling tree that was snapped in two by high winds.
Griffin, who was about six months pregnant at the time of the incident, was killed last Wednesday when she was struck by the large tree on Jasper Street while moving into an apartment in the Colonial Village area. Griffin’s cousin, 15-year-old Josh Thacker, was struck as well, but he survived.
Both Griffin and her son Nicholas were pronounced dead at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital about an hour apart from each other after medical workers tried to save Nicholas by emergency C-section.
Griffin, a student at Pulaski Central High School, had received her high school diploma only the day before she was killed, and she was planning to attend college.
Griffin and Nicholas’ funerals were held Monday afternoon at Science Hill United Methodist Church. Burials for both were in the Lakeside Memorial Gardens.
The community has been reeling from the sudden loss of several young people. In late November, the burned body of Kevin Price, 21, of Science Hill was discovered in a remote area off Strawberry Road in eastern Pulaski County. Price had been missing since Nov. 9 after he went missing after leaving his workplace.
An investigation into that case is continuing.
Last Sunday, Dec. 5, 16-year-old Bailey Haynes, also a student at Central, was killed in a two-vehicle car crash south of Burnside. She was laid to rest on Thursday.
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LCADTF could lose big bucks
Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force officials estimate that the City of Somerset’s lack of involvement in the task force could lead to a loss of some $250,000 in federal funding per year — a chunk which could easily force the task force to close its doors.
David Keller, deputy director of Appalachia HIDTA, a major funding source for the local drug task force and the reason why federal and state law enforcement officers are able to be a part of the agency, says the agency’s current situation is more serious than many people realize.
Keller says HIDTA has made a “huge investment” in the LCADTF, but that folks shouldn’t get too comfortable with the agency’s ability to obtain grant money at the federal or state level.
“This is not entitlement money. ... Our grant is performance driven, and it’s sought after by competitive forces,” Keller said. “If this agency doesn’t produce, they stand a risk of not having the task force funded. That money will go someplace else — to another county that would love to have it.” -
HOME STRETCH
Less than a decade ago, Pleasant Hill was a pastoral community. Modern homes were tucked among shaded lawns. Cattle grazed peacefully at day and fireflies blinked in darkness. The area was served by a friendly little road called Clifty.
Things have changed and are changing. In a relatively few days, huge electric bulbs will glow, turning night forever into day. Horseless carriages will trek in places where tailpipes have belched never before. -
Meth lab raided thanks to Cruise
Two Pulaski residents were arrested yesterday as a result of their involvement in a methamphetamine lab in the basement of an East Oak Street home.
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