LAKER BAND EXCELS IN NASHVILLE
The Calloway County High School Laker Band competed in the Music City Invitational (MCI) marching band festival Saturday. The Laker Band was awarded Second Place in Class AAA and Superior Ratings for Band and Guard. Calloway County High School was also selected for finals competition and tied for fourth place overall. Twenty-three bands from Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee traveled to Nashville to participate in the annual event hosted by McGavock High School.

ARREST IN TRIGG COUNTY MURDERS
A man charged with killing two sisters and their young brother at their home last week has made a court appearance by video in western Kentucky. Kevin Wayne Dunlap of Hopkinsville appeared before a Trigg County judge Monday by video from jail and did not enter a plea. He is represented by a public defender. Dunlap faces murder and other charges in the deaths of 17-year-old Kayla Williams, 14-year-old Kortney Frensley and 5-year-old Ethan Frensley. Their mother was wounded but survived. Dunlap was arrested Saturday. Officials in the Cadiz courtroom for Dunlap's appearance said surviving family members were in attendance but did not wish to comment to reporters. The Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville cites divorce records that show the 36-year-old Dunlap is a married father of young children and an Army veteran. Another hearing in the case has been set for Friday

HELP FOR FARMERS
Farmers in 33 counties are eligible for federal disaster assistance, including low interest emergency loans from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency provided eligibility requirement are met. On Oct. 9, President Bush declared 33 Kentucky counties as disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a severe windstorm associated with Tropical Depression Ike that occurred on Sept. 4-15. Those counties include Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken and Trigg. Loan applications for physical and production losses will be received through June 9, 2009, and applications pending on that date may be processed and completed. Farmers interested in applying for assistance should contact their local FSA county office.

GRAHAM SENTANCED
A jury has recommended a 40-year sentence for a southwestern Kentucky man found guilty of attacking and murdering a woman in 1980. The recommendation came Friday, just hours after the jury found 63-year-old Norman Graham guilty of killing Janice Kaye Williams on June 29, 1980. Under guidelines in place at the time the crime was committed, Graham is eligible for parole after serving 20 percent of his sentence, or in eight years, the Kentucky New Era reported. Graham was convicted of killing Williams, his girlfriend of about six months, in his second trial in the case.

SPEED REDUCED ALONG PORTION OF I-24
That area of reduced traffic speed along Interstated 24 will resume at about 8:00 a.m. today. Motorists traveling along I-24 in Western Kentucky can expect to encounter slowing traffic between the 21 and 22 mile marker in both directions over the next week. TVA is replacing overhead utility lines through Marshall County and McCracken County.. The utility work requires placement of cranes and other lift equipment along the shoulder and in the median of I-24. Motorists should be alert for message boards and other signage on I-24 providing advance warning of this utility line work. TVA police, Kentucky State Police and other police agencies will be on site to enforce this work zone speed reduction. Again, this work zone will be in place Monday between about 8::00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., CT, between the 21 and 22 mile marker. Motorists should be alert for equipment and utility workers along the roadway in close proximity to passing traffic. These brief traffic slow downs for TVA power line upgrades will create some temporary inconvenience. However, they are necessary to help maintain the reliability of the region’s electric distribution system. Several such utility improvement projects are scheduld in the area. Additional slow downs and brief closures will be scheduled along I-24, US 62, US 60, and other secondary highways through Marshall County and McCracken County. Specifics on the additional work locations will be provided as they are scheduled in coming weeks.

LBL ALTERS SCHEDULES
Visitor facilities at Land Between The Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area will begin their late fall and winter operation schedules in November. The Homeplace and Woodlands Nature Station will be open Wednesday - Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during November. The Homeplace, Nature Station, and the North and South Welcome Stations will be closed Thanksgiving Day, and all of December, January, and February. However, The Homeplace and Nature Station will offer various guided programs, including the popular Bald Eagle Van Tours and Boat Excursions. The Golden Pond Planetarium will operate Wednesday-Sunday, Nov. 1-30 with the exception of Thanksgiving Day. The holiday favorite, "'Tis the Season," will be offered at the Planetarium December 4-21. After this program, it will be closed through the end of February. Planetarium shows are presented in breathtaking, full dome views of the simulated night skies and celestial events using the latest in digital imaging technology. The Elk & Bison Prairie remains open year-round, as does the Golden Pond Visitor Center (with the exceptions of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day). The winter months offer the best chance of viewing elk, as the colder and shorter days draw the elk out later in the morning and earlier in the afternoon to feed. While the developed campgrounds Hillman Ferry, Piney, and Energy Lake will be closed beginning December 1, 2008, campers will find all six fee lake access camping areas and all backcountry areas open throughout the winter. Wranglers Campground and Turkey Bay OHV Area, as well as the hiking and biking trails, will also remain open throughout the winter unless inclement weather causes the facilities to be closed.

HOWL-O-WEEN COMING TO LBL
Celebrate the lives of some of our favorite Nocturnal Neighbors on Saturday at the fourteenth Annual Howl-O-Ween children’s program at the Golden Pond Visitor Center in Land Between The Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area. Enjoy the non-scary side of Halloween with this kid-friendly evening program. Dress in your favorite costume and take a guided hike along our lantern-lit character trail where the animals of the forest will "come alive" before your eyes. Meet friendly Gretta the Great Horned Owl and Scarlet O’Spider who will entertain you with their woodsy wisdom and wit. Howl-O-Ween provides a great chance for children to enjoy a night of outdoor fun and entertainment while learning about some of our misunderstood nighttime animals. You can warm up with hot chocolate and enjoy crafts, face painting, and a live animal demonstration. Admission to Howl-O-Ween is $4 per person. Tours begin at 6 p.m. with the final tour leaving at 8:30 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to dress for the weather and bring a flashlight and an umbrella in case of rain. Costumes are welcome and encouraged.