COVINGTON— An 84-year-old Newport man died , apparently of a heart attack, during the Thanksgiving Day Race as it started out through Covington, authorities said.

        Clarence Miller was walking the race with his son when he fell to the ground.

        Richard Miller, 54, of Warren County's Maineville said his father used to run the Thanksgiving Day race from beginning to end, but about three years ago slowed to a walk because of his advancing age. The two decided this year to walk the race together.

        Richard Miller said his father's death was fitting for a man who loved life.

        “He liked to live life to the fullest, and he certainly proved that to the very end,” Richard Miller said.

        Clarence Miller was a retired business agent for the Stationary Firemen and Oilers union and had lived in Newport for about 20 years, his son said.

        Survivors include three children and 10 grandchildren. Radel Funeral Home of Newport was handling funeral arrangements.
       

Murder charged
in fatal collision

               LOUISVILLE — A 68-year-old man was charged with murder after his truck hit the back of a motorcycle on Wednesday, killing a woman.

        Charges were filed against James Sweeney of Louisville after the crash Wednesday, Detective Bill Keeling said. Mr. Sweeney was not hurt.

        Desiree Taryn Rowe, 22, died about 4:10 p.m. after the motorcycle she was riding was hit from behind near an intersection, Louisville police said. The motorcycle was driven by James Crenshaw, 23, of Louisville.
       

Thumbpicking fest
goes to Drakesboro

               DRAKESBORO, Ky. — A tribute to Merle Travis that is usually held in Central City will be in Drakesboro this year, closer to the birthplace of the guitar-playing style he made famous.

        Musicians will gather today to celebrate the birth and music of Mr. Travis, a Rosewood native credited with making thumbpicking widely popular. As many as 300 people usually turn out for the supper and jamboree that follows.

        The event is held annually on the Saturday after Thanksgiving because Travis was born Nov. 27, 1917. He died Oct. 20, 1983, and his ashes are buried near his childhood home in the Ebenezer community just west of Drakesboro.

        Central City played host to the tribute until this year when the past organizer declined to continue the event. Mary Rainwaters, a Drakesboro city councilwoman, agreed to fill in.

        The area around eastern and southeastern Muhlenberg County is considered the birthplace of thumbpicking, which began about the turn of the 20th century. The style involves using a thumb pick to play the bass and rhythm while the forefinger pick plays the melody.
       

Airport may get
a second firehouse

               HEBRON — A second firehouse might be built at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

        The existing firehouse on the airport's south side was built in 1990, before major airport expansion took place. It would not be close enough to a proposed north-south runway to meet federal regulations.

        The Federal Aviation Administration requires airport firefighters be able to reach the center of a runway within three minutes. That would not be possible with the proposed runway unless a firehouse is built on the airport's north side, airport officials said.

        The FAA has not approved construction of the runway. Its decision is expected next summer.

        A second firehouse also would reduce traffic on the airfield. Firefighters and airport paramedics have to drive across the east-west runway to respond to emergencies at the airline terminals. They would not have to cross a runway from a firehouse on the north side of the property.

        The Kenton County Airport Board, which runs the airport, this week agreed to pay up to $31,228 to PB Aviation for environmental studies of the firehouse, a proposed building for the electric department and a proposed extension of Loomis Road.

        Firehouse construction could start next year and end sometime in the year 2002, said Bill Martin, the airport's director of planning and development.
       

Fall from van kills
Mexican traveler

               GEORGETOWN — A traveler from Mexico was killed when he fell or jumped from a moving vehicle, Kentucky State Police said.

        Celso Gonzalez, 29, of Guatamala, Mexico, was riding in a van on the way to Tennessee after making arrangements with a travel service in Texas to take him, witnesses told police.

        The man apparently became distraught at the time it was taking the van to reach Tennessee and jumped or fell from the vehicle as it was traveling nearly 70 mph, witnesses said.

        Mr. Gonzalez died at 12:15 p.m. Thursday near the Scott-Fayette county line.
       

Auction house owner
accused of break-ins

               PORTLAND, Tenn. — The owner of an auction house in Tompkinsville, Ky., has been charged with breaking into numerous mini-storage facilities in two states.

        Darwin Sullivan, 41, is accused of selling the contents after stealing them.

        He faces charges in Dickson, Robertson, Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner, Trousdale and Macon counties in Tennessee and four counties in Kentucky, said Detective Lt. Bill Rush of the Portland Police Department. Portland police could not access a list of Kentucky counties involved on Friday.

        In Portland, police believe Sullivan broke into units and then put new locks on some of the doors. When arrested, he had several keys that matched locks replaced on some burglarized units, officers said.

        Mr. Sullivan was arrested the night of Oct. 6 while loading the contents of a unit at a storage facility into a trailer.
       

Homes evacuated
after gas rupture

               EVANSVILLE, Ind. — About 1,000 homes lost power Thursday and several families were evacuated after a natural gas line ruptured when a car struck a utility pole and a house.

        The driver of the car suffered no serious injuries, police said.

        Because of the gas leak, police evacuated homes within a block radius of the crash site.

        Southern Indiana Gas and Electric Co. crews were called to shut off the gas and repair the break. All evacuees were allowed to return home later Thursday.

        SIGECO spokeswoman Mary Beth Reece said 1,095 customers initially lost electrical power. About two-thirds of those customers had power restored by 3:30 p.m.

        Randall Thomas, who owns the house that was hit, was surprised to return from a family visit and find police and firefighters at his residence.

        Thomas said his home's siding and foundation were damaged, and because SIGECO crews had to dig in order to find the gas line, “we don't have a front yard any more.”

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