A & S Proteins, the animal rendering plant located in northern Russell County, has apparently been sent a letter from the legal department of the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

The letter, dated March 12, 2014, is addressed to A & S Livestock, Inc., the parent company of A & S Proteins, and Mark Antle, A & S Livestock’s registered owner, and reads as follows:

“Pursuant to KRS 263.010.990, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) is tasked with the responsibility to certify, license and inspect dead animal collection and processing businesses such as yours. Due to the number of complaints made to the KDA, State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Stout and Agriculture  Inspector Bart Branstetter visited your facility for an inspection pursuant to KRS 263.110 and found violations of the aforementioned statues, including the following:

1) The floors of your facility were wet and dirty and appeared to lack “adequate drainage” in violation of KRS 263.080.

2) Dr. Stout and Mr. Branstetter smelled an odor in your building that was so foul that it resulted in a gag reflex, and thus found that your building was not in a reasonable condition in violation of KRS 263.080.

3) Your unloading facility was still under construction and your scrubber” equipment was not yet operational and therefore your facility was not “adapted to carry on the business of dead animal collection in violation of KRS 263.080.

4) Dr. Stout and Mr. Branstetter found that the dead animal carcasses and offal were dumped in a pile outside the plant rather than being delivered “to the  plant,” and Inspector Branstetter has witnessed offal in a pit outside the plant which has been noted on multiple inspection reports. This violates KRS 263.090(1), which mandates that the bodies be delivered to the plant. In addition this violates KRS 263.40, which requires concrete construction for “loading platforms, which are defined in KRS 263.0105) as any place operated by a license holder where dead animals are collected for loading onto trucks which will take the dead animals to the  rendering plant.”

5) Dr. Stout and Dr.Branstetter (and numerous local residents) report that the steam from your facility creates an “unnecessary nuisance” in violation of KRS 263.0903).

Finally, it has come to the attention of KKDA counsel that your facility was operating prior to the  issuance of your license, which means your facility never met the statutory requirements mandated by 263.030=050 and your license was improperly issued. Therefore, this letter is formal notification that your business is not a legally licensed business under KRS Chapter 263, and if you continue to operate this business, the  KDA will be forced to impose a monetary fine upon you according to the law.”

The copy of this letter obtained by the Times Journal/News-Register is not signed but indicates it is composed by Luke Morgan, counsel for KDA.

Russell County Sheriff Lee Smith indicated that the  business operation continues under the jurisdiction of KDA, but noted, “We will be seeing that they are complying . “If they are not we will notify the Department of Agriculture, the regulatory oversight authority in this.”

—————————–

A scam where people are posing as Publishers Clearing House representatives has made its rounds locally in recent weeks, according to the Lake Cumberland Community Action Outreach Office in Jamestown.

Several clients with the outreach office have been targeted and have received calls, being told they won a prize, according to the outreach office representative.

The posing Publishers Clearing House representatives say that all they need to do is send their tax refunds by Green Dot Money Pak so that their winnings can be released.

One big tip, unless you entered the  Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, you can’t win the prize.

Outreach representatives say this scam is concerning as the  scammers are targeting the older population.

The Better Business Bureau listed the scam in its most recent list of potential scams of 2014.

The BBB is warning consumers to be on the lookout for these calls that claim that you have been selected as a winner of their lottery and then require you to send payment in order to receive your prizes.

Publishers Cleaning House states on its web site that the winning is always free and you never have to pay to claim a prize award.

If someone contacts you claiming to be from PCH and tells you that you’ve won a prize award–then asks you to send a payment or money card in order to claim the prize — STOP! You have not heard from the real PCH, it says on their site.

The BBB has also learned from Publishers Clearing House that they do not call anyone to notify them that they’ve won money. You can reach the PCH fraud hotline at 800-392-4190 if you receive a suspicious call from anyone purporting to be with their company.

Always, you can contact the BBB as well to report this scam or other suspicious phone calls at 256-850-0719.