WKDP – WCTT Local News

An insurance company is offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest after a second suspicious fire broke out Monday at a Lincoln County lumber yard.

The fire was the second in two weeks at East Anderson Hardwood, causing more than $1.5 million in damage.

 The company’s insurer is offering the reward in addition to the $1,000 reward offered by the Kentucky Arson Task Force for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

Officials believe the fires may be connected to another fire that destroyed the nearby Eubank High School over the weekend.

The historic school, located near the lumber yard, was gutted due to the fire.  The structure, which was built in the 1920’s, hadn’t been used in decades but was considered a landmark in the city.

Anyone with information about the fires should call the arson task force at 1-800-27-ARSON.

One of the most popular gifts this past Christmas was guns, especially in Kentucky.

The FBI reported record breaking firearms sales in the days leading up to the holiday, with more than 100,000 background checks ordered on Dec. 23, making it the second all-time busiest day for gun buying.

The busiest day was Black Friday, where nearly 130,000 requests were made the Friday after the Thanksgiving holiday.

Kentucky led the nation with firearm sales in 2011 with more than 2 million background checks, double the No. 2 gun-check state, Texas.

The Bluegrass state has been tops in background checks for the past 5 years, according to the FBI, and has had the most checks of any state since 1998.

The #1 selling item was the handgun.

Experts say the rise in firearms sales could be attributed to concerns about self-defense in a crumbling economy as well as a rising interest in sport shooting.