Cornish appoints Hanks as county clerk

Edith Hanks has been appointed as county clerk and will serve in that position until the general election in November, Judge-Executive Steve Cornish announced Thursday morning during a special-called meeting of the Anderson County Fiscal Court.

Hanks was the chief deputy in the county clerk's office under former county clerk Harold Ritchey, who died unexpectedly Monday night.

According to Kentucky Revised Statutes, a vacancy in the office of the county clerk is to be filled by an appointment from the county judge-executive.

Cornish said an appointment needed to be made quickly so that the clerk's office could reopen for business.

Any time a county clerk leaves office before the end of a term, the state closes that office to perform an audit. The office remains closed Thursday and will be closed Friday for Ritchey's funeral, which will be at Lawrenceburg First Baptist Church at 1 p.m. The clerk's office should reopen Monday, Cornish said.

A new county clerk will be elected in November and will serve out the remainder of Ritchey's term, according to the Kentucky Constitution.

A primary election is not needed to choose candidates who will run in the fall, Cornish said. Instead, the executive committees of each party will choose a candidate to run in the general election.

There could be three possible candidates in the fall - Democrat, Republican and Independent, Cornish said.