A resolution to move forward with the project to replace the Freedom Bridge has been approved by the Wayne County Fiscal Court.

The court met on Thursday, April 9, and approved the resolution with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in regard to the project.

The state has agreed to pay 80 percent of the cost of the bridge project and the county will match that with 20 percent, which will mainly be with in-kind labor.

The state will pay up to $80,000, according to the resolution.

Officials are anticipating that the project to replace the bridge will begin quickly. District 3 Magistrate Dale Vaughn indicated that this is a much needed project because the old bridge has deteriorated.

A temporary crossing will be set up to allow travel through that area while construction is underway.

The court also approved an agreement with engineer Greg Eastham in regard to the project. Eastham has been involved in other bridge replacement projects in the county.

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Officials were continuing the search for an inmate who escaped from the Wayne County Detention Center on Monday, April 6.

According to Jailer Ronnie Ellis, Albert Young, 20, of Monticello, escaped from the facility through the stateside recreation yard at approximately 8:30 p.m. He indicated that Young pried the chain link fence loose at the corner of the building.

Ellis said Young was seen by a deputy jailer who was doing an outside perimeter check at the facility, but was unable to catch the escaped inmate as he ran toward Bypass 90.

Law enforcement officers had several agencies involved in the search for Young that evening, including the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and Monticello Police Department. They were joined in the search by guards from the Wayne County Detention Center.

Officials searched a large area in the northeastern side of Monticello and other locations throughout the night including several buildings and residences. The search failed to produce Young.

Young is 6 feet tall, and weighs approximately 190 pounds. He has brown hair, hazel eyes and multiple tattoos on his right and left forearms and one on his left hand.

According to Wayne County Sheriff Tim Catron, Young has ties to Pulaski County and also to the Lexington area.

Young was serving a five-year sentence at the detention center on the charge of third degree assault of a police officer or probation officer. He was a state inmate.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office at (606) 348-5416, the 911 dispatch center at (606) 348-9111 or Kentucky State Police, London Post at (606) 878-6622.

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A Wayne County man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Saturday, April 11, after he barricaded himself inside a rural residence in the Parmleysville area.

Deputies from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department and Kentucky State Police Troopers responded to the scene, after they were notified of several shots being fired on Hip Folk Way.

According to Wayne County Sheriff Tim Catron, multiple units were dispatched to the scene at approximately 3:08 p.m. Catron said the original call advised the shots being fired and striking the ground in front of another residence.

Upon arrival, officers learned that the suspect had shot from an upstairs window and had barricaded himself inside the residence with several firearms. Several attempts were made to get him to come outside. Deputies stated that the man presented himself in the window once and stated that this would be his last day on earth. Units continued attempts to talk with the suspect with no more response.

At approximately 6:10 p.m., deputies and troopers entered the home after hearing a gunshot being fired from inside the residence. They located the man dead inside the upstairs bedroom.

The death investigation was turned over to Kentucky State Police Trooper Matt Parmley and Wayne County Coroner Gordon Hicks for a continued investigation.

The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police were also assisted at the scene by Wayne County EMS.

The man’s identity had not been released at press time.

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The Monticello Utility Commission has authorized Manager Scott Upchurch to pay the monthly invoices to Weddle Enterprises, which is currently relocating utility lines for the road project on KY 90 in the Zollicoffer area.

During a telephone meeting held by the commission on Thursday, April 9, the group authorized Upchurch to proceed with paying approximately $200,000 to $350,000 in bills to the company. The MUC will be reimbursed by the state, which is actually paying for the relocation of the lines for the highway project.

Reimbursement will be made within 10 days of the payment, according to Upchurch.

Weddle Enterprises was awarded the bid several weeks ago to handle the relocation of utilities for the project, and Upchurch indicated the work is underway at this time.

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A man was stabbed in the leg during a domestic incident that occurred on Friday, April 10, according to Wayne County Sheriff Tim Catron.

Catron said that Deputy Joe Horne responded to a domestic complaint early that morning on Kelley Lane-Spann Hill Road.

Horne was dispatched to the scene at 7:10 a.m. Upon his arrival, he learned that a male subject had physically assaulted a female.

During the altercation, the female pulled a knife and stabbed the man in the leg in self-defense.

The male was transported to the Wayne County Hospital by EMS and was later transported to the University of Kentucky Hospital by PHI due to the seriousness of his injuries.

The investigation is continuing by Horne with pending charges for the male when he is released from the hospital.