Larue Country Rocked by Corruption, Scandals

There is something desperately wrong in Larue County, as corruption at the highest levels in the recent past, as well as the scandals surrounding the LCHS Principal and high school and middle school girls' basketball teams calls to our attention the need for a moral assessment of the people of Larue County itself, of which I am one, and those vetting candidates for positions that can have a profound effect on the children of Larue County.


The first thing we need to do is to call upon God for repentance for our failures, and from there examine what we must do to turn this despicable situation around.

Simon Ford

It's outrageous that we vote in or appoint these types of people to lead in some capacity in our County, and if the corruption or scandals aren't enough to do some soul searching before God, then we'll deserve the type of people we allow to influence our local government and children.

As for the moral failure surrounding the school system, parents should seriously consider taking their children out of it. For many years it has taught that which opposes the Bible and our Christian faith, and the recent outrageous events confirm not only the reality of that worldview, but that those embracing it are getting bolder and bolder in acting it out before our eyes.

What will it take to turn this situation around? It needs a dramatic reversal of how we view the leaders we put in place, and call upon God in Jesus Christ to help us find those that are representative of His laws and serve the God of the Bible. Anything less than that is too little. It's obvious that it's already too late.

There is also the need to examine closely those, in the case of being hired by the school district, as to why the vetting of these people is missing so much of who they are.

The best thing to do with school is to remove our children from the system that opposed our world view and train them ourselves, or get together and create an alternative to the school system which will train our children up according to the Word of God.

If you don't think the Larue Count school system is in opposition to the teachings of the Bible, you need to go through the books and computers used to train the children up. I've done it. They don't represent the Holy Scriptures.

As usual the response of many will be there are some good Christian people teaching in the school system. And that is true. But that has nothing to do with what our children are being taught as a whole, and the types of people that are being placed in authority over them.

If the corruption and scandals don't move you to action, then Larue County is already lost. 

DeVore Takes Over as Mayor as Cruse Tossed Out

Mayor Kenny DeVore

Embattled Hodgenville Mayor Terry Cruse was removed from office by a 9-0 vote of the city council, after allegations he and City Clerk Madonna Hornback spent thousands of dollars for personal reasons.

The council voted in Kenny DeVore as interim mayor. He will serve until an election in November to determine who the new mayor will be. Anyone interested in running will have until August to declare their intentions.

When asked about the situation before the decision to oust Cruse was made, Hodgenville Police Chief Steven Johnson said he believed the council should have waited until after the criminal case was decided.

He does have a point there. What happens if Cruse is exonerated from wrong-doing, and was removed on the assumption he was guilty?

Cruse and Hornbach were indicted by a grand jury in December, with both being accused of using fuel credit cards issued by the city to make personal purchases. The total between the two that was alleged to have been spent comes to over $30,000.

Part of the hearing with the council were allegations of nepotism, relating to Cruse having his son hired for a job he wasn't qualified for, and that Hornbach's son was also hired by the city. The city of Hodgenville has a nepotism policy in place, which Council member Jim Phelps says was violated by Cruse and Hornbach.

According to Cruse, the hearing to remove him was a political one. He claims all the city council members have agendas.

Cruse is also running for LaRue County Sheriff. The primary election is scheduled to be held on Tuesday.

Whatever follows for Cruse and Hornbach, and whether or not politics eventually came into the picture, some of the decisions that were made were poor ones, and in that regard they have no one to blame but themselves for ending up in the position they are in.

 The pair will face criminal charges in June.

Cruse, Hornback Face 69 Counts

There is more clarity on the indictments against Hodgenville Mayor Terry L. Cruse and city clerk Madonna Hornback, whom face a combined 69 counts.

Cruse's charges include 2 counts of forgery, 9 counts of abuse of public trust, one count of theft by unlawful taking, and two counts for not reporting campaign contributions.

Madonna Hornback faces one count theft of unlawful taking, and 54 counts for abuse of public trust.

The pair were both accused of making personal purchases with a credit card issued by the city and also for stealing money from Hodgenville.

Kentucky State Police raided the office in June, shutting it down while they confiscated computers and other materials as evidence. That came after residents of Larue County made complaints about the alleged abuses.

Hodgenville Mayor Terry L. Cruse Indicted on 14 Counts

Mayor Terry L. Cruse, 56, of Hodgenville, along with City Clerk MaDonna Hornback, 52, were indicted Monday by a LaRue County grand jury.

The Mayor is facing nine counts of abuse of public trust; one count of theft by unlawful taking; two counts of campaign contribution restrictions/expense limits; and two counts of forgery.

For Hornback, she was charged with 54 counts of abuse of public trust; and one count of theft by unlawful taking.

A bond of $9,500 cash or property was set. The two should be in court sometime in January 2014.

The alleged abuse of city gas cards is the reason behind the charges.

More will be reported as the story unfolds.