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From the front page:

Isaiah House Offers Second Chance to Family
By Aaron Burch
Herald Staff

The sign on the lawn of Willisburg’s Isaiah House reads “Real hope for addiction” in light blue letters. The front residential building is pale and tall, with blue paint rising in columns on each side. That building remains mostly quiet, though people come and go from the second main office building frequently. These two buildings, sitting quietly on Main Street, are where Jacob Carr has spent the last six months of his life trying to rid his mind and body of heroin addiction.

When his father, William, moved to Anderson County to work as an engineer, Carr traveled from Little Rock, Ark. to the Isaiah House voluntarily in an effort to reclaim his life. Though Carr had tried to quit using drugs numerous times before, nothing had stuck. Isaiah House represented a second chance.

Fair Expands To Two Weeks This Summer
By Rianna Robinson
Herald Staff

The annual Mercer County Fair and Horse Show will expand to two weeks this year, offering more rides, attractions and entertainment than ever before.

“We’re really excited about this change,” said Dr. LeMayne Ellis, president of the Mercer County Fair Board. “The fair board thought long and hard last fall about how to make this event bigger and better, and this is the solution we came up with.”

Prescription Pills Are Biggest Problem For Local Police
By Jared Holt
Herald Staff

With all the coverage of methamphetamine labs being busted and actions taken by the government to make obtaining the ingredients for producing meth more difficult, many people may assume that it’s the biggest problem for the Harrodsburg Police Department. That just isn’t the case, according to Harrodsburg Det. Brian Allen.

“Because of all the attention paid to methamphetamine by the news, people think that’s what we deal with the most here at the police department. While meth is a problem, we actually deal with prescription narcotics on a much more regular basis,” said Allen. “Out of every 10 cases we cover, eight or nine have to do with some type of narcotic related incident. Out of those eight or nine, six or seven have to do with prescription narcotics.”

Grand Jury Indicts 16 On Felony Charges
By Rianna Robinson
Herald Staff

The Mercer County Grand Jury indicted 16 people Jan. 25 on charges ranging from public assistance fraud to burglary and drug charges.

Gateway Drugs Can Lead to Addiction
By Rianna Robinson
Herald Staff

The use and abuse of substances can sometimes lead down the road to addiction, and anti-drug abuse advocates in Mercer County say the drugs that get people started down that road can be unexpected.

Jack Coleman, president of Mercer Transformation, said these drugs, called “gateway drugs,” can lead to the use of more powerful and dangerous drugs in the future. “A lot of people consider marijuana a gateway drug, but cigarettes can be a gateway to that,” Coleman said. “I think these kids start smoking cigarettes, and then if marijuana is around, they’ll smoke that, too. You just keep stepping up from level to level.”

Burgin Council Approves Fire Truck Purchase
By Rianna Robinson
Herald Staff

The City of Burgin could be getting a new fire truck after a vote at Monday night’s special city council meeting.

Fire Chief Bill Marks requested the meeting because he had researched and found a used fire truck to replace the city’s current, ailing vehicle. The council discussed the issue previously, giving Marks permission to begin searching for a truck.

Renovations Started On Harrodsburg Post Office
By Rianna Robinson
Herald Staff

Harrodsburg Postmaster Brian Jacques said crews have started on several much needed renovations at the post office.

A portion of the parapet on the building was damaged in August, sending bricks crashing down onto the handicapped access ramp below. The railings on the ramp were seriously damaged, and Jacques said he is looking forward to reopening that entrance to the building. “It’s really a welcome relief,” he said. “Our handicapped entrance has been blocked since the parapet came down, and we are glad we’ll be able to open that entrance again soon.” Jacques added crews are working to prepare the bricks that fell to be reinstalled on the parapet and work is expected to begin sometime this week. Crews will also replace the roof on the building, which Jacques said has some fairly severe leaks.

YMCA To Hold Annual Valentine's Dinner Feb. 10
By Rianna Robinson
Herald Staff

YMCA will hold its third annual Valentine’s Dinner on Friday, Feb. 10 at 6:30 p.m. in Grow Hall on the campus of the Kentucky School for the Deaf in Danville.

The event will begin with a ribeye steak dinner catered by Dunn’s Barbecue and Catering. After the dinner will be the annual reverse raffle, and YMCA Executive Director Mark Fryer said every couple will win a prize. “We’ve got over 150 different prizes, and there’s a little something for everyone,” he said. Some of the items in the reverse raffle include a Fossil brand University of Kentucky speciality watch, a $100 gift certificate to the Beaumont Inn, a Bright Leaf Golf Resort golf package and a Sharp 46 inch flat screen TV. WHBN Radio’s Charlie Perry will serve as emcee for the event.