Citation to be issued in illegal dumping case

By Greg Bird
birdman@tmcvoice.com

McCreary County Emergency Management Director Stephen McKinney, who also serves as the County’s Code Enforcement Officer, announced last week that his office is prosecuting a case of illegal dumping, part of the County’s efforts to ramp up enforcement of the garbage ordinance.
Grant and Gina Hasty, operators of the Lord’s Café in Stearns, posted a series of photos on Facebook last month taken from security cameras showing two vehicles illegally dumping at least two large loads of refuse in the café’s dumpster – overflowing the unit.
While the photos were not able to clearly see a license plate number, McKinney said he opened an investigation and was able to obtain an identity of a suspect by evidence collected at the scene from the trash.
Working with County Attorney Austin Price’s office, McKinney was able to secure a citation for criminal littering, a class A misdemeanor, which can carry up to $500 in fines and/or up to 1 year in jail. The citation has yet to be served, but it is expected to be presented in the next few days.