Volunteers needed to clean up roads

        BURLINGTON — The Boone County Public Works Department and several civic agencies will be cleaning up various roads from 9 a.m.-noon April 21.

        Here is the schedule:

        • Florence: Boy Scouts and other volunteers meet at city's Public Services Maintenance Facility, 7850 Tanners Lane. Information: (859) 647-5416.

        • Union: Volunteers meet at Erpenbeck Elementary School, 9001 Wetherington Blvd., Florence; New Haven Elementary, 10854 U.S. 42; Ryle High School, 10379 U.S. 42; and Gray Middle School, 10400 U.S. 42. Information: (859) 384-1511.

        • Walton: Volunteers meet at City Hall, Main and Church streets. Information: (859) 485-4383.

        • Rural Boone County: Volunteers meet at the Dinsmore Homestead on Burlington Pike, the Rabbit Hash General Store and Big Bone Lick State Park. Information: (859) 334-3151.
       

Construction begins on office building

        BURLINGTON — Construction has started on a 2-story office building on Ky. 237 next to Stephens Elementary School.

        Sugarcamp Properties of Burlington and Century Construction of Erlanger are building the 26,350-square foot structure. Century vice president John Hodge said work began last month and would be finished by August.

        Mr. Hodge also said doctors and other professionals would be leasing space.
       

Manager pleads guilty to fraud charge

        LEXINGTON — A regional manager for a Kentucky company that specializes in selling life insurance policies to third parties pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud.

        Charles “Chuck” Cole, who worked as the Northern California regional manager for Genesis Viatical, was indicted earlier Thursday by a federal grand jury. Hours later, he entered the plea in U.S. District Court and agreed to cooperate with federal and state investigators.

        The indictment alleged Mr. Cole submitted more than $8 million in life insurance policies for purchase by another viatical settlement company between Oct. 1, 1997, and Feb. 1, 1999.

        According to the indictment, Mr. Cole allegedly referred people with terminal illnesses, primarily AIDS, to insurance agents who then would obtain new life insurance policies through “clean sheeting.”

        Clean sheeting is the practice of making material misrepresentations on an insurance application regarding one's health status or medical treatment so the insurance will be issued. Once the policies were issued, they were quickly sold to viatical companies, investigators said.
       

Remains believed to be missing man

        WILDER — The bones found in an overgrown area near the Interstate 275 and AA Highway interchange are believed to be the remains of John Sirois, a 51-year-old father of three who has been missing since December.

Sirois

        Authorities say it appears Mr. Sirois committed suicide. There was a single gunshot wound to the man's head, and a gun was found at the scene.

        Fort Wright police asked in March for help in locating Mr. Sirois, who was in the process of separating from his wife when he disappeared.

        Mr. Sirois' driver's license and other personal items were found at the property off Vine Street. His company car was parked at nearby Key Storage, where his company rented space.
       

Columnist speaks at U of L Monday

        LOUISVILLE — Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will is scheduled to speak at the University of Louisville on Monday.

        Mr. Will's appearance, which is being sponsored by the McConnell Center for Political Leadership, will begin at 10 a.m. in Bigelow Hall at the Miller Information Technology Building at the Belknap Campus.

        Mr. Will, who won the 1976 Pulitzer Prize for commentary for his newspaper columns, writes a syndicated column that appears in about 450 newspapers. He is also a contributing analyst with ABC News and has written five books, including The Woven Figure: Conservatism and America's Fabric, 1994-1997.

        The lecture is free and open to the public.
       

Grand jury indicts 28 on drug trafficking

        MONTICELLO — A Wayne County grand jury has indicted 28 people on 85 counts of drug trafficking.

        The Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force was rounding up suspects Thursday. The sealed indictments were returned on March 20.

        The indictments and arrests followed a six-month investigation, authorities said.

        Seventy of the counts were for assorted prescription drugs including Oxycontin.

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