A Russell County man who went missing Wednesday, July 4 after going Ginseng hunting died of natural causes with heat as a possible contributing factor, according to Kentucky State Police Detective Russell Decker.

James Luttrell, 67, of Beckham Ridge Road in Russell Springs left his home around 7:30 a.m. on Independence Day and when he didn’t return that evening family members reported him as missing to the Russell County Sheriff’s Office.

Members of the Russell County Rescue Squad and volunteers searched until early Thursday morning, July 5 before suspending their search until daylight.

His body was found just before 7 p.m. July 5 in a field off of Sano Mt. Olive Road by a Russell County Rescue Squad search team member and he was pronounced dead by Russell County Coroner Troy Harris.

A preliminary autopsy report at the State Medical Examiner’s Office showed natural causes, including heat exposure, was to blame for Luttrell’s death, according to state police. The investigation continues by state and local authorities.

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A one-vehicle wreck on Hale’s Highway just after 7 p.m. Saturday, July 7, killed a Russell County man, according to Russell County Deputy Sheriff Nick Bertram.

Bertram said the victim was Ricky D. McWhorter, 47, of Russell Springs. McWhorter died at the scene of the accident, just south of J & H Implement.

McWhorter had been traveling south on Ky. 379 in his 2002 Buick car when he apparently lost control, left the roadway and overturned at least one time, according to Bertram.

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Work release inmates from the Russell County Detention Center have saved the county and cities nearly $200,000 over the previous fiscal year, ending June 30.

At last Monday night’s regular monthly meeting of the fiscal court, Jailer Bobby Dunbar read a prepared statement in which it highlighted the program and its benefits to the county over the last 12 months.

“You’ll find the total to be $191,398 and there is also some work that was done on nights and Saturdays that was not accounted for such as cleanup of all home varsity football games, all home varsity basketball games and the campus of Russell County High School,” Dunbar said. He said that various level one and two inmates also worked on various projects at the Laker baseball and softball fields and cleanup after local Little League games and the Russell County Jaycees Fair.

These inmates have also helped build a large storage building at the county road department building, raised a garden on the detention center premises, worked on upkeep of the courthouse, among various other projects.

A total of 15 inmates have also received their GED since the jail opened early last year, Dunbar said.

“I feel the work release program is working out good,” he said. “It has been a benefit to Russell County, you can tell by looking at the numbers.”