Only one Democrat will be seeking one of the two magisterial seats on the Clinton County Fiscal Court that is now being filled on a temporary basis until after the November general election. One Republican candidate will have the luxury of running unopposed this fall.

The aforementioned decisions were made last Thursday night, August 2 at a meeting of the newly elected Clinton County Democrat Party Executive Committee, which was chaired by new county chairman Steve Clark.

Approximately 25 people were on hand at the Clinton County Courthouse for the meeting to select the Democrat party nominees to seek the offices of magistrate in districts three and five. Of the total number present, most were newly appointed precinct committee members who were eligible to vote for the nominees.

Clark informed the members that Amanda Rich had been the only person to express an interest to run in the 3rd District, comprised of Piney Woods (her home precinct), Seventy Six and Nora. With no other persons interested in running, a motion was made and passed unanimously to approve Rich as the party’s nominee this fall.

Rich will face Republican candidate Terry Buster, who was chosen by his party a few months ago as the nominee in the 3rd District.

As far as the 5th District, Clark said no one had come forth to seek the nomination and a motion was made and passed to close the nominations, thus having no Democrat party candidate for that seat this fall.

The Fifth District is comprised of the Illwill and Speck precincts.

The absence of a Democrat candidate means the Republican nominee selected earlier in the year, Hershell Key, will be unopposed in November.

The vacancies on the court came about this past spring with the resignations of Willard Johnson, (3rd District) who took a position as bank president, and Charlotte Bernard, currently the Clinton County Schools’ Superintendent. Both were Republicans.

Those seats are currently being held by Democrats, Larry Hatfield in the Third District and Charlene King in the Fifth District. Both were past former county judge/executive’s and were appointed on a temporary basis by Gov. Steve Beshear.

Key and the winner of the race between Buster and Rich, will take office after the November general election and fill out the remaining two years on the unexpired terms.

Meanwhile, filing for local non-partisan races continues through the close of business day Tuesday, August 14. Over the past week, some additional candidates had filed in those races and a separate article on the candidates who filed can be found beginning on page 1 of this week’s Clinton County News.

Troxel formally sentenced; Dyer change of venue motion rescheduled for September — Front

A Clinton County man who pled guilty to reduced charges in relation to a shooting death that occurred just over a year ago has been formally sentenced by Clinton Circuit Judge Eddie C. Lovelace.

Anthony D. Troxel was sentenced last Wednesday, August 1 to 16 years imprisonment for his role in the shooting death of James Thomas Dyer, II, 31, of Albany on July 30 of 2011.

Troxel had originally been indicted for murder, as well as wanton endangerment, violation of a Kentucky EPO/DVO, convicted felon in possession of a firearm and two counts of second degree persistent felony offender.

The defendant, through his legal counsel, C.B. Bates, entered into a plea agreement with the Commonwealth on June 18 of this year.

Under the terms of the plea, Troxel pled guilty to a reduced charge of second degree manslaughter and a 10-year sentence and guilty to one count of persistent felony offender second degree, with a six year sentence to run consecutively for a total of 16 years.

Pursuant to the agreement, charges of first degree wanton endangerment, violation of a DVO and one count of persistent felony offender second degree were dismissed.

In an unrelated case involving a murder charge, during motion hour last Wednesday, Judge Lovelace set a date of September 7 to hear a motion for a change of venue in the case against Ira Boles Dyer, III, who is facing murder charges as well as wanton endangerment and persistent felony offender charges.

The defendant, through his attorney Angie Capps, is asking his trial be moved outside of Clinton County.

A hearing on the motion of the venue change was originally scheduled for July 5 but was postponed and has now been rescheduled for September 7 in Clinton Circuit Court.

Dyer is charged in relation to the death of 79-year-old Ina Edwards, who was killed in a vehicle accident on US 127 in April of last year. He is currently scheduled to stand trial on the charges October 2 of this year.