The McCreary County Coroner, who is the stepson of Pulaski County Magistrate Mike Wilson, was arrested on felony drug charges Saturday night.
Brandon New, 26, Stearns, was arrested and charged with numerous drug-related offenses after being stopped by a deputy of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, just days before he was supposed to go to trial in McCreary County on misdemeanor charges from a September incident.
New’s charges included first-degree driving under the influence first, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and having a prescription controlled substance not in its proper container.
According to the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, at 10:37 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29, Deputy Daryl Kegley responded to the Blue John Road area of Pulaski County in regards to a suspicious person complaint.
Kegley arrived to find a 1995 Chevrolet Suburban parked on the side of the road, still running with the vehicle engaged in reverse.
New was found slumped over the steering wheel of the Suburban, which is owned by McCreary County Fiscal Court, and was unresponsive with a syringe between his fingers. He was woken up by Deputy Kegley and determined to be under the influence of drugs.
During the on-scene investigation, a number of substances found in the vehicle and on New. Items recovered from the vehicle included six Xanax tablets, half an OxyContin pill, a soda can lid with white powder residue on it and a bag containing several syringes.
New was lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center. However, he quickly bonded out of jail about 11 hours later, when the bond, set at 10 percent of $5,000, was posted, according to a spokesperson for the Pulaski County Detention Center.
McCreary County Judge-Executive Blaine Phillips told the McCreary Record yesterday that New and his stepfather, Pulaski County Magistrate Mike Wilson, returned the Suburban to the local courthouse parking lot on Sunday.
Wilson was contacted by the Commonwealth Journal on Monday, but declined to comment.
New also serves with the North McCreary Volunteer Fire Department but has been taken off active duty until further notice.
At this time, no action has been taken regarding New’s status as coroner in McCreary County.
Phillips said there have been no complications with the coroners’ service as Deputy Coroner Daniel Ridner is on-call and every funeral home has a special volunteer.
New’s arraignment in Pulaski County will be at 9 a.m. on Dec. 8 in Pulaski District Court.
Assisting in New’s arrest was Deputy Adam Childress.
New was charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or first offense, failure to or improper signal and careless driving (all misdemeanors) from the Sept. 2 incident.
••• Janie Slaven contributed to the story •••
Local News
Related Photos
-
McCreary County Coroner Brandon New, 26, Stearns, was arrested and charged with numerous drug-related offenses Saturday after being stopped by a deputy of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department.
McCreary coroner arrested on drug charges
Brandon New is stepson of Pulaski magistrate Mike Wilson
- Local News
-
-
Hal Rogers defends Somerset’s Streetscape project
-
Survey may attract commercial passenger service
-
Somerset on verge of becoming natural gas hub
It sounds like a Buck Rogers fiction series, but it’s true. The city of Somerset is about to become the energy hub of Kentucky, maybe even regionally or nationally.
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler, gas company manager Dan Henderson and city engineer Reggie Chaney discussed the grandiose energy network this week with a reporter for the Commonwealth Journal. It’s more than a vision. City officials say it’s about to become reality. -
Old districts are back ... for now
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Such is the legislative redistricting debacle in Frankfort.
Judge Phillip Shepherd in Franklin Circuit Court on Tuesday tossed out the General Assembly’s controversial redistricting plans and reverted everything back to where it was before. -
Fast-moving blaze guts mobile home off Slate Branch Road
-
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.
-
SCS to host Medal of Honor recipient
The message is clear: There are heroes. Even here in our own hometowns.
That’s the idea organizers hope to get across Saturday night at Somerset Christian School, when Congressional Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Dakota Meter speaks to all who choose to attend.
For further questions, ticket purchases, and sponsorship opportunities please contact Susan Adams at (606) 875-0255. -
Newspaper veteran name Publisher of Commonwealth Journal
SOMERSET — A fourth generation newspaperman has been named publisher of the Commonwealth Journal.
Rob McCullough, 50, who started working in a newspaper mailroom when he was 15, officially assumes his duties today. He succeeds Jack McNeely who has accepted a position with the Daily Mountain Eagle in Jasper, Alabama.
-
Blakley receives worldwide honor
- More Local News Headlines
-
Obama Gives Education Waivers to 10 States
Giffords Aide to Run for Her Seat
LA School in Sex Abuse Scandal Reopens
Winter Slamming North Asia, Parts of Europe
Syrian Forces Renew Bombardment of Homs
States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-abuse Settlement
Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life
Greeks March; Angry Despite Debt Deal
Raw Video: U.S. Pullout Celebration
Raw Video: Annual Empire State Building Run-Up
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
