Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Hazard Herald - 3.29.26

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Hazard Herald - 3.29.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the reading of the Hazzard Herald,
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the news of Hazzard in Perry County, com Many Townshend.
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We begin with the online edition dated March twenty fifth,
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twenty twenty six, as a reminder, radioized of reading service
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intended for people who are blind or have other disabilities
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that make it difficult to read printed material. Perryman charged
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with murder in connection with teen's death in an ATV crash.
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A Perry County man has been arrested and charged with
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murder following a February twenty eight ATV crash on Bacco
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that resulted in the death of a sixteen year old girl,
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according to Perry County Sheriff Joe Ingle. According to Ingle,
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Noah Back, twenty six, of Iaco was arrested at approximately
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one thirty pm on March twenty first and lodged in
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the Kentucky River Regional Jail. After conferring with Commonwealth Attorney
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John Hanson, we've established that cause exists that the eye
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actions Noah Byck took on February twenty eight exhibited extreme
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indifference to human life, which resulted in the death of
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sixteen year old Miss Emmalyn Clark, said Ingle. Ingle said
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the incident occurred at approximately nine pm on February twenty eighth,
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when the Perry County Sheriff's Office received a call reputting
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an ATV crash on Oakwood Avenue in Bacco. According to
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the investigation, there were four individuals on the ATV at
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the time of the crash, two juvenile females, one of
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whom was operating the vehicle, and two adult males. Ingle
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said the sixteen year old driver lost control of the ATV,
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which went over an embankment, resulting in Clark's death. One
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of the male passengers was transported from the scene and
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treated for serious injuries. Ingle added the preliminary findings from
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the Perry County Corner's Office confirmed Clark was not under
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the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of
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the d death. As the investigation progressed, Ingle said Deputy's
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work to determine the circumstances leading up to the crash,
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including the role of alcohol. The sixteen year old juvenile
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driver gave a statement to Deputy Steve Average that she
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was driving the vehicle at the time of the crash.
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She said she was asked several times about this and
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also in the presence of her parents at the hospital
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and was persistent with Deputy Average that she was the driver.
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Deputy Average then proceeds and obtains a search warrant for
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blood test due to being a fatality and to conduct
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an investigation. Was obtained. After the search warrant and sent
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by mail to the KSP lab in London for testing.
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The sixteen year old juvenile was cited for DUI and
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released to her parents that night. Ingle said further investigation
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uncovered evidence that alcohol had been purchased and provided to
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the driver before the crash. The next few days, Deputy
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Average conducts investigations by gathering video footage from Raimi's gas
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station and Vaiko is showing Noah Back purchasing alcohol and
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on video is shown placing it in the possession of
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the sixteen year old juvenile. Receipts showing the purchase of
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alcohol and the video of him purchasing it were obtained.
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Ingle said charges were delayed while awaiting toxicology results from
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the Kentucky State Police laboratory. During the last several weeks,
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Deputy Average was held up from charging anyone with the
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death of Clark, so blood tests could be examined by KSP.
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These results usually take up to thirty days to receive.
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We could not place charges until we could verify by
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factual blood evidence that alcohol provided by by played a
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role in the death of Clark. These results Ingle said
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were expediti because of the fatality. This past Friday, KSP
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Lab in London called me with blood results because we
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asked if they could expedite the process due to the fatality,
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said ingall the preliminary alcohol blood tests revealed the sixteen
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year old charge with Dui was over the legal limit.
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It's at this time Friday, the twentieth of March, we
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were able to consult with Commonwealth's Attorney John Hanson on
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how to proceed with the charges since we now have
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the preliminary blood results. Following consultation with Hanson, Ingle said,
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investigators determined that Back's actions warranted a murder charge. Hanson
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advised that we proceeded with a charge of murder. He said,
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we and he believed there is probable cause that Noah
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Baick purchased alcohol for a child then allowed the intoxicated
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child to operate an ATV. She's in no way should
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have been allowed to operate intoxication and not being able
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to control the vehicle in the circumstances, we believe Back's
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actions created a situation that had exhibited extreme indifference to
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human life and resulted in the death of Clark. Back,
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being an adult, created the situation as the culpable person
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in the death of Clark. Ingle emphasized that investigators do
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not intend to pursue additional charges against the juvenile driver
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beyond the dui offense. Speaking to mister Hanson, he nor
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PSCO has any interest in charging the sixteen year old
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girl with anything other than ui of the vehicle. He
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said the Sheriff's office seized the driver as a victim
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of this crime as well. He added that additional charges
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may be forthcoming as the case moves forward. This arrest
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stems only from the accident. Angle said, we expect to
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add charges of unlawful transactions with a mind when the
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case is presented to the grand jury. Ingle also said
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further investigations are ongoing, including digital evidence and other potential
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aspects of the case. We also, during the first week
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of March, conducted a search warrant on the phone of
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Noah Back. He said, federal investigators upon request by Commonwealth's
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Attorney Hanson, have agreed to and have taken the phone
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into their possession for examination. I cannot comment on their investigation.
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The Sheriff's office also is investigating whether there was an
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inappropriate relationship between Back and the sixteen year old driver
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that we charged, said Ingle. That investigation will take some
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time and we will proceed with charges later if probable
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cause is determined that Kentucky law has been violated. Ingle said,
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additional agencies are also reviewing the case. To my knowledge,
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Search of Social Services are conducting their own independent investigation,
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as well as Perry County Schools. He said, We're waiting
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for the conclusion of their reports and investigations to see
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if they offer any more insight that we can use
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in the course of our investigations. Ingel noted that, based
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on the investigation, Bick was the only adult identified as
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purchasing and providing alcohol to the miners involved. KSP investigating
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fatal crash. The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team
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has been requested by KSP thirteen in Hazard to investigate
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a fatal crash that occurred shortly after eleven am Sunday,
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March twenty second, according to a public statement. According to
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the statement, a trooper from Post thirteen was responding to
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an emergency call for service in Nott County while traveling
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east on Kentucky eighty when another vehicle traveling west attempted
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to turn left on the Perrie Circle Road and traveled
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into the path of the troopers vehicle. The two vehicles
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collided in the intersection of Kentucky eighty and Prairie Circle Road,
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according to the statement. According to the statement, the troopers
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suffered serious but non life threatening injuries and was transported
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to Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center before being flown to
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UK Channeler Medical Center. The driver and passenger and the
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other vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene by the
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Perry County Corner's Office. According to the statement, KSP was
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assisted at the scene by the Hazard Police Department, Perry
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County Sheriff's Office, Perry County Ambulance Service, and the Hazard
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Fire Department. According to the statement, the investigation remains ongoing
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and is being led by a KSP Critical Incident Response Team.
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According to the statement, KSP stated its commitment to maintaining
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transparency while ensuring the integrity of the investigation in accordance
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with standard operating procedures. Specific details will not be stated
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until all witnesses have been interviewed and all pertinent facts
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have been gathered. The timeline for completing the investigation will
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depend on the complexity of the case. According to the statement,
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Hazard ARH opens new birthing suites to expand maternity care.
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Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center has completed the addition of
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six news, state of the art birthing suites, expanding maternity
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services and enhancing the birthing experience from others and families
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across the region, according to a statement from ARH. According
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to the statement, the new suites allow mothers to labor, deliver, recover,
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and receive postpartum care in the same private room whenever
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clinical appropriate, reducing the need for multiple room transfers and
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supporting a more comfortable, family centered experience. Previously, Hazard AIH
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operated with two labor and delivery rooms, but expanded the
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unit to increase capacity while offering larger, more modern suites
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designed for comfort, safety, and community of care. The suites
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provide private, spacious bathrooms and showers, allowing mothers to labor
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or a shower in their own room, as well as
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wireless speedle monitoring to eligible patients, enabling the mobility while
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remaining safely monitor according to the statement. According to the statement,
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the rooms also feature bedside charting capabilities, allowing nurses to
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spend more time with the patients, along with rooming care
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so infants can remain with their parents for all routine
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care in room. Refrigerators have also been added for convenience.
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Doctor link the Perry Peel pipeline sentenced to two years
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in prison. An Illinois doctor who pleaded guilty to being
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involved in a pill pipeline that brought drugs into Perry
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County has been sentenced to serve more than two years
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in prison, according to a statement from the office of
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First Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky,
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Paul McCaffrey. On March seventeenth, U S District Judge Claria
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horn Boom sentenced Ranjit singh Wayhe seventy eight, to serve
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twenty nine months on a charge of conspiracy to distribute
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oxycodone and methodone. According to his plea agreement beginning in
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twenty nineteen and continuing through twenty twenty two, while he
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conspired with others to dispense control of substances, including oxycodone
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and methodone, outside the scope of professional practice and not
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for a legitimate medical purpose as part of the conspiracy.
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The statement said why he employed Judith Harkski as a
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receptionist in Midwest Physician Payne Center while He's pain clinic
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in Chicago during the conspiracy time period, patients regularly traveled
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to this clinic and, without seeing Wahee or any doctor,
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paid Harshty cash in exchange for prescriptions that were previously
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signed by Wyhee for oxycodone, methodone and other control substances.
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The agreement said numerous Perry Counting patients regularly traveled to
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the clinic and, without seeing Wahee or any other doctor,
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paid Harksey cash copay, and received prescriptions previously signed by
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Wyhee for oxycodone and methodone. Harsty, the agreement said, never
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possessed a prescribing authority and why he either knew or
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deliberately ignored a high probability that the manner in which
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he agreed to operate Midwest Physician Pain Center with calls
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for federal law unauthorized controls substance prescriptions to be issued.
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Harsky was sentenced to thirty six months in prison for
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her role in the pill pipeline. According to the US
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Bureau of Prisons records, was released in February under federal law.
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While he must serve eighty five percent of his sentence.
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Upon release from prison, he will be under the supervision
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of the US Probation Office for one year. McCaffrey and
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Jim Scott, Special Agent in charge DEA Ruisville Field Office,
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jointly announced the sentence. The statement said the investigation was
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conducted by the DEA Assistant US Attorney Pierce Nez, but
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is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Hazard Fire leaves one HFD firefighter injured. HFD units have
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cleared the scene of a large structure fire in a
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commercial garage located at Jones Lane off Dwayne Mountain, said
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Hazard Fire Chief Robert Keith in a statement. Tanker two
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and a crew of HFD units responded to the scene
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to assist Jake's Branch Fire Department with manpower and water supply.
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The statement said extensive fire conditions were found on arrival,
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but cruised battle to prevent further growth and sustained the blaze.
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The fire is out at this time. One firefighter was
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transferred to Hazard Regional Hospital for injuries sustained while on
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the fire. Multiple other fire departments from the area were
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called to assist. Prairie County Emergency Management and AEP assisted
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on the scene. Prairie County Ambulance transported one firefighter to
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Hazard ARAH from the scene. The statement said. The Hazard
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City Commission approved two promotions within the fire department on
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March twenty third. At the recommendation of Fire Chief Robert
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Keith Raven Ritchie along with Timothy Allen, were promoted from
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part time to recruit fireman. High priority anti grooming bill
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advances in Kentucky legislature. A Kentucky Republican bill to criminalize
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the sexual grooming of minors cleared another legislative hurdle Thursday.
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The Senate Judiciary Committee passed House Bill four, which is
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a high priority for House Republicans. The bill needs approval
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from the full House and a signature from the governor
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to become law. HB four, which has forty two sponsors,
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would add a punishment for when adults groom children for sex,
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filling a gap in Kentucky law. We've got an increasing
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problem across our commonwealth, one in ten children are sexually abused,
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and the ones that those are the ones we know about.
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Primary sponsor Representative Mary Anne Proctor, or Republican from Union,
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told this to the committee. Grooming is the intention, manipulative
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and deceptive process where a predator developed a relationship with
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a child to prepare them for future acts of sexual abuse.
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What this bill seeks to do is stop that behavior
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before it's progressive to sexual assault. HB four would add
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a Class A misdemeanor charge for grooming, unless the miner
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is younger than twelve years old, in which case it's
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a Class D felony. According to the bill, for those
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in trusted positions, grooming a minor is a Class D
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felony unless the miner is younger than twelve, in which
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the case it is a Class C felony. The bill
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lays out exemptions for lawful or legitimate communications, including teaching.
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Legitimate teaching includes sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases, age, appropriate
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conversations about puberty and sexuality between the child and their parent,
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reguardian and more. This Kelly, the Commonwealth's attorney in Boon
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and Gallatin County, said that Thursday. The bill was carefully
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crafted to protect people who have good faith communications with youth.
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This is an intent statute. We have to prove not
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only that they committed certain objective functions, but they also
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did so with ill intent. It's an incredibly difficult barrier
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to do as a prosecutor. Kelly said, I think the
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only way we're going to be able to prosecute people
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for this is when the intent is so manifest from
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what they're doing. KYTC non official signs prohibited on state
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highway rights of way, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said in
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a statement in March twentieth, it's reminding political candidates and
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property owners that campaign, yard, sale, business and other non
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official signs are prohibited on state highway rights of way.
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Our primary concern is safety for drivers, as well as
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for our employees and contractors who work to maintain the
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state's roadways, said Chief District Engineer Mary westfall Homebrook of
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Kentucky Department of Highways District twelve. Illegally placed signs or
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a distraction and can be a safety issue for motorists
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when blocking the view of oncoming vehicles. They can also
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endanger mowing crews or pose a hazardous drivers who run
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off the roadway, particularly when installed with large wooden or
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metal stakes. DEA answers called to band designer xenas nationwide.
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Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced in a statement March
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eighteenth that the Trump administration acted on his request to
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create a nationwide band on a drug that contributed to
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the deaths of nearly fifty Kentuckians. The US Drug Enforcement
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Administration formally added bromazolam to the Federal Schedule of Controlled Substances,
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A Schedule one drug designation in powers law enforcement across
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the country to crack down on romazolam while increasing the
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awareness of the drug's potentially deadly effects. Last year, the
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statement said, Coleman led a twenty one state coalition calling
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on the DEA to schedule the drug called designer xanax.
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Bromazolam is passed off as prescription pills commonly used to
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create to treat conditions such as anxiety disorders, insomnia, and seizures.
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The statement said. Sold on the streets and online, bromazolam
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has proven to be highly potent and even lethal, especially
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when combined with opioids or other central nervous system depressants.
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The statement said from the opinion page Empty Year Cassidy.
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I was a teenager when I first turned my radio
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dial far to the left and lanned it on Whitzburg
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based eighty eight point seven WMMT. For those unfamiliar, WMMT
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is part of Apple Shop that's manned almost totally by
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volunteer DJs. As such, it's quite a bit more musically
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diverse than your typical commercial radio station. WMMT has long
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been a part of my life, as I've listened at
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various times, sometimes because I was limited to only having
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a radio in the vehicle, sometimes just because I recently
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canceled my satellite radio subscription for a lot of different reasons,
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including podcast apps, streaming music services, and the fact that
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I have nearly my entire collection of CDs on my
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phone now. Sometimes, however, you just want to get into
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your car and go, and that's where WMMT is coming
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for me as of late. And I'm glad to say
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that WMMT is still the mastion of musical diversity and
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weirdness that it always was, thank God. While I haven't
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really expressed it as much in my adulthood. I've always
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been musically inclined, playing several instruments in high school and
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playing the guitar after, though I've kind of left that
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behind as I've gotten older. WMMT played a role in
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that and introducing me to an incredible range of music
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in my formative years, from punk, metal and alternative music
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that were my favorites in youth, to other forms such
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as jazz, world music, and especially the roots, country, blues,
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and bluegrass. I was closely connected to them in the
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region I call home. I blamed WMMT for the fact
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that even now, the aforementioned CD collection on my phone,
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when placed on random jumps from Mickey's Gags to Guerrilza
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to led Zeppelin to Fugazy to Felonious Monk and beyond.
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It's all because of a condition I'm proud to have
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that I turned empty ear get it MMT ear because
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of my chronic case of empty ear. I simply love
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music of all kinds, and that's what makes it so
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important to our region and our people, even its tastes
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move away from radio as a go to medium. Appalachia
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is a much more culturally diverse place than people give
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it credit for when it comes to things like music,
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we have to be with limited access. You have to
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be willing to give other types of art a chance.
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It was even more that way when I was younger,
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when you had a very limited number of places from
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which you could buy music. In that WMMT isn't just
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creating a cultural standard, it's an expression of the very
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nature of the region it calls home. I'm grateful that
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WMMT existed then and exists now, giving not only listeners
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an opportunity to hear some great music, but also giving
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those DJs an opportunity to share it. It's truly a
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community effort. While I enjoyed satellite radio for the years
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I had it, it still doesn't quite feel the same
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as turning on possum radio or real people radio or
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whatever you want to call it. And I'm glad that
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canceling satellite radio has given me an opportunity to reconnect
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with WMMT. It feels like home. So if you're looking
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for DIVERSI val you're listening and unpluged from the World
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Wide Web for a while, just go to the left
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of the dial and tune in eighty eight point seven.
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All of It may not be your vibe, and you
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may get a little static interference the further you get
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from Whitesburg, but it still sounds a lot better than
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most everything else out there. Who knows, maybe you'll also
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develop empty year, and if you do, your life will
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be much richer for it. Yes, col On Week eleven
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of the twenty twenty sixth Legislative Session by Brand and Smith,
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State Senator. To begin with, I want to express my
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deep sadness at the loss of Technical Sergeant Ashley B. Pruitt,
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a proud Kentuckian from Bargetown, who made the ultimate sacrifice
24:29
while serving our country overseas at just thirty four years old.
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Crew had exemplified the courage and dedication of our armed forces.
24:39
She was among six airmen killed on March twelfth when
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a Case one th five STRAT tanker crashed in western
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Iraq during a mission supporting Operation Atic Fury. I want
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to send a big congratulations to the Hazard Bulldogs for
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a wonderful season as they reached the Boys Sweet sixteen.
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One of the numerous bills approved in the Senate this
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week was Senate Bill twenty to eighty nine, which I
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was proud to co sponsor. The bill is known as
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Winner's Law. It expands the criteria for issuing an Amber alert,
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including when a child is identified as missing by law enforcement,
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when the disappearance may not have been voluntary and the
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child's safety is at risk, and when the child is
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abducted or missing well in custody of the Juvenile Justice,
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Tabinet for Health and Family Services, or another placement from
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the obituaries page. Michael Mickey Bailey sixty seven died Monday
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March sixteenth. Dane Eugene Feltner seventy three, if Java's died Sunday,
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March fifteenth. Blake Hurt died Friday March twentieth. Crystal Elvidge
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forty three died Saturday March twenty first. April and Grubs
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fifty four of Hazzard died Monday March sixteenth. Latanya Mullins
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Langdon fifty three, formerly of Perry County died Sunday March fifteenth.
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Eva Lamone Bolan eighty three of Hazard died Saturday March fourteenth.
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Joyce Marie McDaniel Stidham Gabbard eighty six died Tuesday March seventeenth.
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Gary Eugene Jones seventy one of Hazard by Thursday, March nineteenth,
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and Linda Sue called the peace died March fifteenth from
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the sports page the Bulldog's end season at grub Hazard's
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Trace Taste, Concaid knocked down a three to Ope in
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the fourth quarter. The three helped the Bulldog's cut Butler's
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lead to thirty eight thirty five with seven twenty eight left.
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The Bulldogs had all the momentum right at the moment, yes,
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but it didn't last long. On Butler's next possession, Braden
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Wilkins answered with the three to put the lead back
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to six at forty one thirty five with six minutes
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and forty two seconds left. This concludes the reading of
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the Hazard Herald. Please stay tuned for continuing programming. Thank
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you for joining me and on behalf of everyone here
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at Radioile. This is Lee Townshend, wishing you a good day. Finteen.
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Mullens turned in a stellar performance, striking out eight of
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the nine batters she faced and claiming to win in
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the circle. The Perry County Central pitcher through thirty four pitches,
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twenty eight of which were strikes.