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Pike Co. News - 10.26.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Now, we turn to the reading of the Appalachian News
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Express for news in Pikeville and Pike County. As a reminder,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Radio Eye is a reading service intended for people who
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: are blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: to read printed material. The Appalachian News Express is donated
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: to Radio Eye by the publisher. Your reader today is Naya.
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  Speaker 1: We will begin with the edition dated October 23rd through
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  Speaker 1: 26th And our first headline is Two Sentenced to Five
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: Years in South Williamson Murder by Terry L. May, News Editor.
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Despite emotional pleas from the victim's family, a Pike Circuit
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  Speaker 1: judge upheld plea agreements giving two brothers five years each
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  Speaker 1: for a 2019 homicide that occurred in the South Williamson mini-park.
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  Speaker 1: On October 21st, Pike Circuit Judge Eddie Coleman sentenced Charles
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  Speaker 1: Ray Blevins, age 39, of Vincent Street, Williamson, West Virginia,
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  Speaker 1: to serve a total of five years in prison on
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: charges of second-degree manslaughter and possession of a handgun by
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: a convicted felon related to the 2019 shooting death of
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  Speaker 1: Adrian Smith. In addition, Coleman sentenced Blevins' brother Demetra Smith,
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: age 30, of Ben Street, Williamson, to serve five years
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: on a charge of reckless homicide related to Adrian Smith's death.
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  Speaker 1: Court records show that Blevins and Demetra Smith are brothers,
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  Speaker 1: even though they have different last names. However, Demetra Smith
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: and Adrian Smith are not related, but share a common surname.
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  Speaker 1: Pike County Commonwealth's attorney Bill Sloan's office recommended that Blevins
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  Speaker 1: serve five years in prison under the plea agreement. Also,
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  Speaker 1: The agreement recommended a five-year sentence for Blevins on the
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: handgun charge to be served concurrently with the manslaughter charge
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  Speaker 1: and dismisses the PFO charge against him. The recommendation for
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: Demetrius Smith under the agreement was also a five-year sentence
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: with 360 days of that to be served in jail
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  Speaker 1: and the balance probated for three years. Assistant Commonwealth's attorney,
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: Melissa Goodman, said Demetra Smith had already met the 360-day stipulation.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: He was released from the Pike County Detention Center after
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: the October 21st hearing to begin probation, according to court records.
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: Adrian Smith's family asked during the October 21st hearing for
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: the plea agreement to be invalidated. Quote, My son did
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  Speaker 1: not deserve to go there and get shot in the back.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: Adrian Smith's mother, Wendy Stevens, told the court, he was
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: cooking dinner for his kids when all this started. He
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: had a roast in the oven. He went there to
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: fist fight like a man. I don't know why they
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  Speaker 1: had to kill him, end quote. She told Coleman about
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  Speaker 1: his character and the good things Adrian Smith did in
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: the community. She admitted her son sold drugs, but said
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: he was trying to start a business, quote, to get
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  Speaker 1: out of that, end quote. He took care of everybody.
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: He was a good man, Stephen said. The only reason
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: why I was able to stay in the funeral was
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: so many people went up there and said how good
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  Speaker 1: he did. I don't think they should get no five years,
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  Speaker 1: she said. I think they should go to jail so
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  Speaker 1: they can understand what they did. Charles just did 17 years.
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: He was only six months out and killed someone else,
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  Speaker 1: end quote. In May 2009, Court records show that Blevins
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  Speaker 1: was sentenced to life in prison after a jury convicted
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  Speaker 1: him of first-degree murder related to the 2007 shooting death
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  Speaker 1: of Travis Huff in Cabell County. However, the murder charge
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  Speaker 1: was later amended to second-degree murder because of issues with
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  Speaker 1: Blevins' attorney at the time of his initial plea, and
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  Speaker 1: he was given a reduced sentence. He had been released
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  Speaker 1: on parole only a few months before the South Williamson shooting. Quote,
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  Speaker 1: My brother was the world to me. He was my everything.
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  Speaker 1: Janai Roberts, Adrienne Smith's sister, told Coleman, Today is one
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  Speaker 1: of the hardest moments in my life besides standing up
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  Speaker 1: and burying my brother. End quote. She said her brother
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  Speaker 1: was shot only two days after her birthday. Quote, He
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: was on his way to celebrate me, Roberts said through tears.
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  Speaker 1: The very next phone call was, Your brother is not breathing.
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  Speaker 1: I felt like I haven't been breathing ever since that happened.
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  Speaker 1: I struggle every day. I barely sleep. You don't need
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  Speaker 1: to see the light of day, she said to Blevins
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  Speaker 1: and Demetra Smith. You don't need to walk around here.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: My brother can't walk around here. Goodman said there are
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  Speaker 1: only a few reasons to set aside a plea agreement,
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  Speaker 1: including the deal itself is not reasonable and if the
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  Speaker 1: family was not involved. She went on to explain that
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  Speaker 1: those resources did not apply in this case. Goodman said
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  Speaker 1: her office had lost contact with the family after having
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  Speaker 1: met with them in January. At the time, Adrian Smith's
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  Speaker 1: brother said he would represent the family. However, she said
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  Speaker 1: that after that day, she was unable to contact either
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  Speaker 1: the brother or the mother. Goodman listed a litany of
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  Speaker 1: dates throughout the year of attempts to make contact with
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  Speaker 1: the family that were made to no avail, even just
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  Speaker 1: days before the plea hearing. As for the strength of
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  Speaker 1: the case, Goodman said she had four witnesses. The only
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: credible one, she said, did not see the event happen
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  Speaker 1: but heard what sounded like firecrackers. She said two other witnesses,
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  Speaker 1: one of whom is a convicted felon, live out of
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  Speaker 1: state and a third witness is now dead. Goodman said
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  Speaker 1: both men also faced probation violation charges in West Virginia
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  Speaker 1: after entering the police, which she expects will add to
• 6:15
  Speaker 1: the actual jail time they will serve. Our next article
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  Speaker 1: is entitled Candidates for Pikeville Mayor's Seat Discuss Issues by
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: Gary Sloan, staff writer. With no contested mayoral race in
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  Speaker 1: the city of Pikeville since 2014, current mayor Jimmy Carter's
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  Speaker 1: announcement earlier this year that he would not seek another
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: term opened the field for a new administration. Two current
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: city commissioners, Bob Shurtleff and Steve Hartscock, Both announced their
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  Speaker 1: intentions to run for the open mayor seat. Both Shurliff
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  Speaker 1: and Hartsock have served 10 years each on the city
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  Speaker 1: commission and have several ideas on how the city of
• 6:59
  Speaker 1: Pikeville can continue to grow, some similar and some very different.
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  Speaker 1: Here are Bob Shurliff's ideas. Quote, I've thought about running
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  Speaker 1: for mayor for a number of years, and really this
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  Speaker 1: is the next natural step to take, Shurliff said. I
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  Speaker 1: ran for the city commission position because I wanted to
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  Speaker 1: have a voice, make an impact, and hopefully bring some
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  Speaker 1: tools to the table that I.
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  Speaker 2: Had and acquired over the years. I thought it was
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  Speaker 2: time if it's what the people want. In my previous
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  Speaker 2: career in external affairs and economics development, I saw, like
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  Speaker 2: everyone else did, the downturn in the coal economy, and
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  Speaker 2: we started remaking our economy several years ago, Sherliff explained.
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  Speaker 2: and I think that is something that is very pressing
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  Speaker 2: to continue. I see Pikeville continuing to grow, and hopefully in, say,
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  Speaker 2: seven years, we grow in population from the current 7,300
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  Speaker 2: people to perhaps 9,000 or 10,000 people, Sherliff said. We
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  Speaker 2: can't expand out too much because of the way the
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  Speaker 2: laws are written regarding annexation now, so we'll have to
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  Speaker 2: expand up. So it'll take a different way of thinking.
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  Speaker 2: about what we have to do with the land that
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  Speaker 2: we have.
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  Speaker 1: Shurliff addressed the issue of the proposed data center at
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  Speaker 1: the Kentucky Enterprise Industrial Park. I think, quote, I think
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  Speaker 1: a data center is like anything else, and we have
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  Speaker 1: to look at it and see what you have and
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  Speaker 1: make sure they fit into your mold, Shurliff said. Make
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  Speaker 1: sure we don't change our philosophy for them. The industrial
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  Speaker 1: park already has the capacity to handle 25 megawatts plug-and-play,
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  Speaker 1: and that's unusual in eastern Kentucky. There's a one-million-gallon water
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  Speaker 1: tank there. We've got fiber, sewer, water capacity already there
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  Speaker 1: on site, Sherlock continued. So if they can fit into
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  Speaker 1: our mold and say this is our cap on water
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  Speaker 1: and anything we go over we pay for the upgrades...
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  Speaker 1: And another thing is that the technology has changed so
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  Speaker 1: much in the past two years. And a lot of
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  Speaker 1: the information that's out there in the public is 10
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  Speaker 1: years old. So I think people are trying to tie
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  Speaker 1: old technology to a new installation, end quote. Another major
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  Speaker 1: project is the construction of a new Martin police station
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  Speaker 1: for the city of Pikeville. Quote, the current police station
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  Speaker 1: was designed for around 12 officers. We have around 22
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  Speaker 1: officers now, so they have outgrown the station, Cherloff said.
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  Speaker 1: I commend Mayor Carter for securing the funding to build
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  Speaker 1: a new station that will address the issues of maintaining
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  Speaker 1: evidence for a month longer time than before and have
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  Speaker 1: the necessary room for the various units within the department
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  Speaker 1: and bring our police department And now for Steve Hartsock's opinions. Quote,
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  Speaker 1: The commission plays an important role in this town, but
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  Speaker 1: I feel that I can bring something more to the
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  Speaker 1: table and in the role of mayor. I can do that,
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  Speaker 1: Hartstock said. But I only want the mayor's position if
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  Speaker 1: the people want me. One of the first things I
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  Speaker 1: want to do if I'm elected is to sit down
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  Speaker 1: with the city manager and the commissioners and go over
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  Speaker 1: our city ordinances, because I think some of our ordinances
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  Speaker 1: are what is holding us back in certain areas, Hartstock continued.
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  Speaker 1: We should unbox ourselves in, and we should look at
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  Speaker 1: the way ordinances are written and be sure we can
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  Speaker 1: be flexible so we can grow more effectively, end quote.
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  Speaker 1: Hartstock also addressed concerns about the proposed data center. Quote,
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  Speaker 1: On the issue of a data center, we've got all
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  Speaker 1: the infrastructure already in place for the data center or
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  Speaker 1: any other company that may want to build in the
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky Enterprise Industrial Park, Hartstock said. But, If it comes
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  Speaker 1: down to a data center, that would be huge. But
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  Speaker 1: they would have to meet every demand and expectation we set.
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  Speaker 1: If they can guarantee they can meet them, then fine.
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  Speaker 1: It would be a huge thing for the region. But
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  Speaker 1: if they can't, we move on to another potential company
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  Speaker 1: that may want to move in up there. End quote.
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  Speaker 3: The new police station was also something Hartsock talked about. Quote,
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  Speaker 3: this is a much needed... project and really long overdue
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  Speaker 3: as the police department has literally outgrown their current facility,
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  Speaker 3: Hartsock said. You mentioned evidence. You've got to maintain evidence
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  Speaker 3: so much longer now due to changes in laws. You
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  Speaker 3: can't have evidence located here and there. You've got to
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  Speaker 3: keep it in all one's secure location. This new police
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  Speaker 3: station will allow that. Strategic planning is so important to
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  Speaker 3: any company or government. We've been blessed to have done
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  Speaker 3: that Pikeville. Like, for example, police station. You can't build
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  Speaker 3: a new police station every three or four years. So
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  Speaker 3: planning is so important.
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  Speaker 1: And it's in the same for the entire city. Red
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  Speaker 1: Sock continued. We do look ahead. We're thankful for where
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  Speaker 1: we are now. But looking forward has always been the
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  Speaker 1: way the city has operated. And that is the way
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  Speaker 1: good decisions are made. End quote. In addition to the
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  Speaker 1: police department's growth, Hartsock also discussed the growth of the
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  Speaker 1: Pikeville Fire Department. Quote, just talking about strategic planning, look
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  Speaker 1: at what the fire department is doing, Hartsock said. Three
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  Speaker 1: stations manned 24-7. New apparatus, new ambulances, new equipment, and
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: now we have advanced EMS service with EMTs, AEMTs, and paramedics. Quote,
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  Speaker 1: who would have thought, say, 20 years ago, We would
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  Speaker 1: have paramedics in the city of Pikeville. But that's what
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  Speaker 1: strategic planning looked at several years ago. Now it has
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  Speaker 1: come to fruition, Hartstock continued. Just look at all the
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  Speaker 1: various units within the fire department there is now. Wildland crews,
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  Speaker 1: swift water rescue, trench rescue, paramedics, top-of-the-line equipment that is
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: currently available that comes from planning and lobbying for the
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  Speaker 1: funding to acquire all the equipment and training. So Strategic
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  Speaker 1: Plans covers all that and again, we've been blessed with
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  Speaker 1: the professionals who research grants and other avenues of funding,
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  Speaker 1: and we're now seeing the fruits of their work, end quote.
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  Speaker 1: Both candidates address the tone of the race. Quote, you know,
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  Speaker 1: Bob and I have been friends for a long time,
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  Speaker 1: and regardless of the outcome of this race, we'll still
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  Speaker 1: be friends, Hartsock said. We both have some of the
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  Speaker 1: same ideas, but we differ on others, but in the
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  Speaker 1: end we both want want what is best for the
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  Speaker 1: city of Pikeville and to see Pikeville grow, end quote. Quote,
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  Speaker 1: Steve and I can't control what other people say or do,
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  Speaker 1: but for the two of us, we're friends, and we
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  Speaker 1: want to see Pikeville grow, Kirloff said. At the end
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  Speaker 1: of the day, it comes down to the voters and
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  Speaker 1: who they want to lead the city. If that's me, fine.
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  Speaker 1: And if it's Steve, fine. Because we both want the
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  Speaker 1: best for the city, end quote. Voters will have a
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: final say on which man will sit in the mayor's
• 14:44
  Speaker 1: chair with the upcoming general election. It will be held
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: on November 3rd, with early voting already underway. Our next
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: article is entitled, Study. Appalachian Wireless Arena Has Substantial Economic
• 15:00
  Speaker 1: Impact in Eastern Kentucky by Gary Sloan, staff writer. The
• 15:05
  Speaker 1: Appalachian Wireless Arena is adding more than $ 10. 5 million in
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: economic impact to the city of Pikeville, and just short
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: of the $ 14 million to its larger service region, according
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: to an estimated economic impact report prepared by the Kentucky
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: League of Cities, or KLC. The KLC use IAM plan
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: software which is an input-output modeling software that is a
• 15:34
  Speaker 1: standard choice in economic development planning. Quote, This information is
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: based on 2025 figures for the Appalachian Wireless Arena. Landry Miller,
• 15:47
  Speaker 1: Area General Manager, said, And while the impact of the
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: arena's total economic activities is definitely felt in the city
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: of Pikeville, it's also contributed to economic activity in the
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: surrounding cities and counties, end quote. According to the report,
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  Speaker 1: the impact on the city of Pikeville was impressive. The
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  Speaker 1: report shows 200 total employment added with $ 3, 129, 741 of labor
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: income added and total value added of $ 5, 000, 000 $ 989, 823 combined
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: for an overall output of $ 10, 556, 353. Quote, The general public
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: may not realize just how big of an economic footprint
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: the arena has, Miller said. It's not just ticket sales
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: to shows, but concession sales, which many times are split
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: with non-profits or school groups that work in the concessions.
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: Local restaurants, hotel rooms, and other lodging opportunities, tourism, gasoline sales,
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  Speaker 1: local retail shops all see revenue increases, which can be
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: directly attributed to the arena and the various acts that
• 17:03
  Speaker 1: are booked into the venue.
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  Speaker 3: End quote.
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  Speaker 1: Booking acts and performances into the arena is no small task,
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  Speaker 1: he said. Quote, During the past few years, my staff
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: and I have built great relationships in Nashville and Los Angeles.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: with promoters and talent agencies, to bring in top performers
• 17:23
  Speaker 1: into Pikeville, Miller said. Sometimes, especially in the late spring
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: and summer when outdoor festivals are being held, we book
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: in upcoming and rising acts so they can perfect their
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: stage setup with performances before they go out on tours.
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: These artists sometimes stay one or two weeks here, so
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: they and their crews work on every aspect of their performances,
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: Miller continued. This only adds to the economic impact for
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: the area, end quote. In addition to performances, the arena
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: offers catering and hosts various summits and conventions, adding to
• 18:01
  Speaker 1: the economic impact. Another section of the KLC Economic Impact
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: Study shows the regional impact of the arena. According to
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: the report, 219 total employment was added, labor income was
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: added $ 4, 170, 400, $ 147 total value, added of $ 7, 783, 336, with an
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: overall output created of $ 13, 883, 049. Quote, as you can see,
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: this study shows the impressive impact the arena has had
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: not only on the city of Pikeville, but to the
• 18:48
  Speaker 1: entire region of Floyd, Knott, Johnson, Letcher, Martin, and of course,
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: Pike counties. End quote, said Reggie Hickman, Pikeville City Manager
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: and CEO of the Appalachian Wireless Arena. Back in January
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: of this year, we sat down with the KLC to
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: create an economic impact study surrounding the economic activity generated
• 19:10
  Speaker 1: by the arena. In the meeting with the KLC, city
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: officials and community partners discussed We set the parameters of
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: the study to reflect the impact of the arena in 2025.
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: Haldeman continued, And I want to give great credit to
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: Larry and his staff for the phenomenal job they have
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: done over the past three years or so. Credit goes
• 19:32
  Speaker 1: to the city commissioners and mayor as well. End quote.
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: Improvements have taken place in the arena, and more are planned,
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: including a new stage setup that will accommodate bigger shows
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: and their required needs. Quote, We are constantly looking for
• 19:48
  Speaker 1: ways to improve the arena, not only for the acts
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: we book, but for our patrons as well, Miller said.
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: We've made some improvements already in electrical and water needs,
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: but more improvements will be forthcoming.
• 20:02
  Speaker 3: End quote.
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: Our final article is entitled Former Pike County Clerk, Incumbent,
• 20:08
  Speaker 1: seeking election to office in general election. An Appalachian newspaper
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: staff report. Incumbent Republican Daryl Pugh and former clerk Democrat
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: Rhonda Taylor are running for the Pike County clerk seat
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: in general election. In their responses to questionnaires sent by
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: the Appalachian News Express, both candidates said serving Pike County
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: responsibly and efficiently is a top priority. Hugh owned and
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: operated Castles Jewelry and Gifts from 1986 to 2022. In
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: addition to his real estate experience, he is also a
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: member of the Pikeville Rotary Club and Thomas C. Cecil
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: Lodge No. 375. Quote, Having 36 years of experience owning
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: and operating Castle Jewelry and Gifts and having an extensive
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: real estate background no doubt offers a unique perspective, Hugh said.
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: Conducting the day-to-day business in the Pike County clerk's office,
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: as well as being responsible for the safekeeping of wills
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: and deeds for all Pike counticians, is something the staff
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: and I have taken seriously. Hugh said that, in addition
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: to reliably serving Pike County, he plans to pursue the
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: possibility of opening a drive-thru and updating space in the
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: clerk's office to accommodate office equipment. Pugh said he has
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: made several improvements to his daily operations during his tenure
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: as Pike County Clerk, including opening five new early voting centers,
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: offering free title watch, deed fraud protection, for all Pike
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: County property owners, applying for and receiving multiple grants, and
• 21:53
  Speaker 1: providing a sufficient number of trained staff to eliminate long
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: wait times for titling and registering vehicles. According to Pugh,
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: Clerk's office used to be used the grants to purchase
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: new equipment and meet digital record requirements. Taylor has 20
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: years of public service experience. During her tenure as Pike
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: County Clerk, she completed more than 350 hours in Kentucky
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: County Clerk training, maintained strict bookkeeping standards, and sustained exemplary
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: audit records. With 20 years of experience as a public servant,
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: I bring a unique perspective that consists of accountability, fairness,
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: and a commitment to serving the people. Taylor said. My
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: experience has taught me that public service does not end
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: when the office closes. It is about being accessible, listening
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: to concerns, and making sure that people feel that their
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: government is working for them. End quote. Taylor said that
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: during her tenure as Pike County Clerk, she introduced a
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: number ticketing system to streamline customer lines and reduce wait times,
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: while also helping implement credit card payment systems in all
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: satellite offices. She also worked with the state during the
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: height of the COVID-19 pandemic to establish several voting centers.
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: Taylor said that as court, she plans to focus on fairness,
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: stronger customer service, and ensuring all staff are properly trained.
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: To improve daily operations, the county clerk needs to be
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: present in the office, actively leading staff and serving the
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: public rather than being elsewhere, she said. I would like
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: to see a stronger emphasis on customer service and a
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: clear expectation for telephone coverage and accountability. Quote, End quote,
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: she continued. Taylor said she is running for re-election to
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: give back to her community. Quote, I am running again
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: because I believe public service means removing barriers, Taylor said.
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: I want to bring that same fairness, convenience, compassion, and
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: complete dedication back to Pike County. End quote. General election
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: voting will be held from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: on November 3rd, with early voting already underway. Our final
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: little mini article is entitled, We Want to Hear From You.
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: The City of Pikeville is holding a public meeting to
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: discuss repairs to the kayak launch located on the river
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: at 1978 South Mayo Trail. The public is invited to
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: attend the meeting and voice their opinions on the proposed
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: activities and potential impacts of the project. Anyone wishing to
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: support or oppose the project may also submit written comments
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: to the Director of Grants at the email listed below.
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: or send a letter to the City of Pikeville by
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: October 28, 2026. The summit takes place on October 26,
• 25:02
  Speaker 1: 2026 at 6 o'clock p.m. at Pikeville City Hall, 2nd Floor,
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: 243 Main Street. This concludes today's reading of the Appalachian
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: News Express. Your reader has been Naya. Thank you for
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: joining me, and now, please stay tuned for more programming
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: on Radio Eye.