Wayne County Outlook

Posted July 21, 2011 at 5:00 am

A Richmond, Kentucky man died a week ago Saturday on Lake Cumberland, in an incident that is being investigated by the Wayne County Coroner’s Office.

Wayne County Coroner Forrest Hicks responded to the report of a fatality at Conley Bottom Resort on Saturday, July 9, at 5:55 p.m. John Bobbitt, 58, of Richmond, was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 6:20 p.m. by Hicks.

According to Hicks, the incident was reported to have occurred on Faubush Creek, as Bobbitt was trying to clear the propeller on his boat that had become tangled with a rope.

According to his wife, he was at the back of the boat working to clear the propeller when he shouted and then fell into the water.

While he was reported to be a very good swimmer, he did not appear to save himself or make any attempt to move after entering the water. She dove into the water to assist him, and people from other nearby boats also assisted.

Two off-duty emergency personnel began CPR. Wayne County EMS was called to the scene but rescue efforts were unsuccessful.

Hicks said the man was known to have heart related and other medical conditions.

A determination of the cause of death is still under investigation.

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A local man was arrested on Tuesday, July 5, after officials alleged he struck a Kentucky State Police Detective with his car and then fled on foot.

The incident began at approximately 12:13 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12. KSP Detective Doug Boyd was traveling on Main Street when he observed a white 2006 Cadillac being operated in a reckless manner.

Boyd initiated a traffic stop, which continued on Main Street and then turned on to Wayne Street before the driver stopped. Monticello Police Officer Tommy Stinson responded to the location to assist Boyd with the stop.

After making initial contact with the driver, identified as Dustin W. Lair, 27, of Monticello, Boyd was presented with a Federal Bureau of Prisons identification and the driver claimed to be a peace officer. Further investigation led officers to suspect the driver of driving under the influence.

Officers requested Lair to exit his vehicle, at which time he accelerated and steered to the left, striking Boyd with the vehicle. The detective sustained minor injuries.

Monticello Police initiated a vehicle pursuit, with Boyd and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department assisting, which traveled off the street into the yards of several homes. Lair then fled from his vehicle on foot and was apprehended a short distance away.

Boyd contacted the Federal Bureau of Prisons to verify Lair’s claims of being a federal corrections officer and learned that Lair was not currently employed but had been in the past.

Boyd charged Lair with reckless driving, fleeing or evading police first degree, no insurance, no registration receipt, criminal mischief third degree, resisting arrest, carrying a concealed deadly weapon, impersonating a peace officer and third degree assault.

The Monticello Police Department additionally charged Lair with driving under the influence. He was lodged in Wayne County Detention Center.

Lair has also been charged with promoting contraband first degree, according to Wayne County Jailer Ray Upchurch. Upchurch said that when Lair was brought into the Detention Center, a deputy jailer found three marijuana joints on him.

Upchurch said the marijuana has been turned over to the Monticello Police Department to be placed in lock up.

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Two people were arrested on July 1, after officials discovered a meth lab on Highway 3106.

According to Wayne County Sheriff Charles Boston, Dennis Dishman, 50, and Shane Dishman, 24, were arrested and charged with manufacturing methamphetamine first degree. Both men were lodged in Wayne County Detention Center.

Operation UNITE and the Monticello Police Department assisted the sheriff’s department at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected.

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It’s hard for Jeremy Catron to believe that it’s been more than 20 years since he participated in the production of “Borderlines,” a movie that was shot entirely in Wayne County. But the years have not diminished the experience for Catron, who was among four local children with speaking roles in the movie.

“Boy, does 20 years go fast,” said Catron. “To think that people still talk about ‘Borderlines’ and continue to show so much interest after all this time makes me feel like I am a part of something special. I thought that it was something that most people had forgotten about, but given all this interest 20 years later, it’s clear that it is an important part of our history.”

Catron had a chance to reflect about his experiences on the set recently, as preparations are made for a local screening of the 20th anniversary DVD edition of “Borderlines.” The movie will be shown at the historic Wayne Theatre on Saturday, July 23 at 6 p.m. Director Ron Schildknecht will be present at the screening.

Schildknecht became very familiar with Wayne County back in 1990, as he and crew members came here to shoot the movie. And it was big news in Monticello as well, with The Outlook covering various aspects of the production. Stories covered everything from casting to the action at each film location.

Besides the major roles played by local children, there were also many local folks who were extras for the movie. And local musicians Clyde and Marie Denney provided music for “Borderlines.”

Set against a background of farming, saw milling and moonshining activities during the Depression, the 48-minute dramatic film focuses on a small portion of the Cumberland Plateau along the Kentucky-Tennessee border. Local historical and social conditions, beginning with the Civil War, had created an atmosphere in which violence became an acceptable method of handling disagreements.

But to an outsider, school teacher Larlee Sanders sent in from the county seat, the deadly behavior could only be considered murder. Although Larlee gradually solidifies relationships with members of the community–including Cilla Hatcher, her landlady, Calvin Jones, a sawmill worker, and her quiet pupil Ought Dobbs–she is reluctant to accept their community’s way of living and dying.

One night at a box supper, the familiar combination of moonshine, weapons, and violent tempers erupt, and Larlee finds herself in the middle. She is forced to accept, reject, or in some way attempt to change a deep embedded social behavior.

Filming was done in May of 1990 in various communities, including Cooper, Slickford and Jennings Hollow. But before the cameras rolled, local auditions were held at Monticello School, where about 40 children participated.

Catron, who was 13 at the time, was one of the few chosen for a speaking role. He played the part of Truman Dillard.

“The experience itself was anxiety-provoking initially, but after we had all been there it just seemed normal like we’d been doing it for years. Not that I’m saying I was good at it,” said Catron.

Catron said this was one of the most educational events of his life.

“Getting to see the process of making a movie and how they developed the scenes is a once in a lifetime experience. The cast and crew were great about sharing tips and tricks of the trade. We had a lot of fun.”

Catron recalls that Jeremy Lomas, also known as Doc, was really funny, and was among cast members who helped keep the children entertained while they waited for the next scene.

“I can honestly say that I was always interested in what was going on and there was never a dull moment. We would either be acting, watching the scenes we weren’t in or sitting around talking and joking,” stated Catron.

Catron said he and other cast members were given a VHS copy of the movie and he has watched it a few times. He said he probably hasn’t seen it in 10 years or so, but he is looking forward to the screening this weekend, which he and his wife will attend.

Schildknecht said that the DVD is the perfect medium for re-releasing “Borderlines.”

“The digital age of film making has allowed us to do a number of enhancements to the film,” he said. “First, we had both the picture and sound completely remastered digitally. Although this is a costly process, the improvement in quality over the previous VHS release is tremendous.”

He continued, “We also added more music to the soundtrack, courtesy of Clyde and Marie Denney. Second, DVD’s allow you to enhance the viewing experience with the addition of special features, such as photographs, other related short films, commentary, music, newspaper articles, and story boards, just to name a few. The film was so embraced by the local community that we wanted the DVD to be a celebration of our time together 20 years ago.

Special features of the DVD include English subtitles for the hearing impaired, audio commentary and a director interview and notes, and an interview with Linwood Montell, who rote “Killings” which inspired the movie. It also includes multiple recordings of the song, “Borderlines” by Howard Perdue, as well as recordings by the Troxell Brothers; Bobby Clark and Clyde and Marie Denney.

There is a slide show and still photos of the children’s casting, location scouting, on the set, as well as newspaper articles and movie stills. Some of the content requires a computer with a DVD drive to access. DVD’s will be available for purchase at the screening and online at ronschildknecht.com.

The screening is free and open to the public, however tickets are required. They are available at any Monticello Banking Company location.