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Hazard Herald - 5.10.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the reading of the Hazard Herald
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for news of hazard in Perry County. I'm Lee Townshend.
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We begin with the online edition dated May sixth, twenty
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twenty six. As a reminder, radioizes or reading service intended
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for people who are blind or have other disabilities that
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make it difficult to read printed material. Perry man pleads
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guilty to transporting underage girl across state lines for sex.
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A Perry County man is pleaded guilty in a federal
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case in which he is charged with transporting an underage
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girl across state lines in order to engage in sexual activity.
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According to court documents, on May first, Noah Bick, twenty
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sixth of Lower Bible, Avenue, Viaco, pleaded guilty to a
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charge of transporting an individual under the age of eighteen
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with the intent of engaging in sexual activity, for which
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a person could be charged with a criminal offense, namely
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statutory rape under Georgia Criminal Code. The charge, according to
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court documents, carries a potential prison sentence of ten years
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to life, with a term of supervised release of five
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years to life to follow. According to an affidavid filed
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in the case by a special agent with the Federal
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Bureau of Investigation. In March, an interview was conducted with
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a girl who told investigators that Bike had initially contacted
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her when she was in junior high by message on
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social media. The girl, the affidavid said, told investigators she
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knew Back was older and thought he was about twenty
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years old. The girl disclosed that when she was fourteen,
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she and Bick began dating and engaged in sexual intercourse
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on multiple occasions. Back, the affidavit said, eventually started filming
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the sexual intercourse. During the course of the relationship, the
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affidavit said, Bike transported the girl to Lexington and Atlanta, Georgia,
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on different dates. Byke is facing a charge of murder
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in connection with the death of sixteen year old Emmelyn Clark,
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who investigators have said was the passenger in a February
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twenty eighth ATV crash. Back, according to court documents, provided
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alcohol to the sixteen year old girl who was driving
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the ATV. According to Perry County Sheriff Joe Ingle, the
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young lady was not to have been under the influence
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of alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash.
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The girl, who was allegedly driving Ingle told The Herald
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has been charged with DUI in connection with the crash.
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Sheriff's Office Investigator Lieutenant Steve Everidge testified in a preliminary
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hearing on March thirty first that the alleged driver of
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the ATV had a blood alcohol level of zero point five.
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Two bike remainin's lodge in the Laurel County Correction Center
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and is set to be sentenced on September two. Representatives
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with the Rising Center hosted their annual Honked In Sexual
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Violence event on Thursday, April thirtieth, bringing together community members, resources,
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and fundraising efforts in support of survivors. This is our
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annual Honk to End Sexual Violence event, have signs and
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food at different locations, as well as our pie, a
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local official fundraiser, just as a way to show support
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for survivors, said program director Jasmine Wilson McKenzie. We keep
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track of the count so far, we've already beat last
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year's count and we're almost to two thousand. We want
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to make noise to let the people in the community
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know that their voices can be heard. We have community
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partners set up so if anyone needs anything, it's all
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available in one spot. We're here to encourage the community
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to come out and see what we've got at all
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the services that are available. Officials announced opening dates of
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new retail stores by Justin Begley. Local officials ann OUN's
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the series of upcoming grand openings for several new retail
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stores as part of ongoing economic development in the area.
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City and county leaders say the additions reflect a broader
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wave of investment in collaboration, with multiple stores like Hobby
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Lobby and TJ Mix underway and more expected in the
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near future. Perry County Judge Executive Scott Alexander emphasized the
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significance of the announcements, noting the impact on both the
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local economy and community morale. It's another exciting day for
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Perry County for hazard in East Kentucky, said Alexander. We
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want to let the public know that on May seventeenth,
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TJ Mix will be having their grand opening and on
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May twenty second, five below will be having theirs. Two
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great retail stores are opening up, and we're so excited.
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A lot of people thought this couldn't happen, but it's
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happening right here in Perry County. They are happy. Mobilini
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highlighted the cooperative effort behind the developments, pointing to a
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partnership between city and county officials as a driving force
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in bringing new opportunities to the community. This is another
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example of the city, the city commissioners, the county judge,
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the magistrates all working together to make for a better
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Perry County, said Mobilani. On June eighth we have the
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grand opening of Hobby Lobby, and then on June eighteenth
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there will be the Dollar Tree grand opening. Just like
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Scott said, a lot of people didn't think this was possible,
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but you can drive up there and see the progress.
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We've got new flags up there, new polls, The mountainside
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has been cleaned off. Our shopping center is going to
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look as good as any shopping center in the state
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of Kentucky. Mobilini added the current wave of openings is
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only the beginning of continued retail expansion in the area.
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This is just the first that many retail stores we
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have in the pipeline that are coming Mobilane. He said,
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we'll have other stores and there's construction going on all
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the time. Downtown is also flourishing. We have a lot
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of momentum right now. And we want to keep it going.
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Alexander said the success of such projects is rooted in
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the community's collective effort. What makes this community work so
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well as the people who live here. He said, everyone
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is pulling together and working together to see projects like
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this come to life. Toothshore to establish new manufacturing facility
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in Perry County with seven point three million dollar investment,
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creating sixty jobs. Governor Andy Bisher announced in the statement
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April thirtieth, a new project for the state's manufacturing sector
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in eastern Kentucky as Toothshore, a provider of oral hygiene
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products designed for patients who face barriers to standard dental care,
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announced plans to establish a new operation in Perry County
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with a seven point three million dollar investment, creating sixty
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new full time jobs at a wage of fifty five
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dollars and twenty five cents per hour including benefits. The
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commonwealth surging economy is paving the way for investment and
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good paying job opportunities for Kentuckians in every corner of
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the state this year, said this is a welcome project
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for Perry County and the surrounding region, providing sixty new
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quality jobs and adding to the diverse range of companies
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that call Eastern Kentucky home. I want to thank Toothshore's
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leadership for believing in what the Commonwealth has to offer
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and look forward to their success to meet growing national
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demand for its products. The statement said, Toothshore's strategic expansion
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will consolidate and relocate the company's full supply chain operations
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into a single facility in Eastern Kentucky. This will reduce
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the company's dependence on out of state suppliers and expand
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production capacity with state of the art equipment, and increase
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manufacturing space for its Oral Vike and Oral vic Plus products.
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The statement said. The upgraded facility and infrastructure will also
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support tighter quality control standards to ensure healthcare providers and
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patients consistently receive products of the highest standard. The new
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facility will be the company's first in the Commonwealth, with
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construction expected to begin in January and be completed later
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that same year. Zike Lawrence, Executive director of Hazard Perry
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County Economic Development Alliance, noted the economic momentum the project
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will bring to the community. Today's announcement is a major
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win for Perry County and a testament to the kind
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of high tech, innovative industry HPC is working to attract.
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Lawrence said the creation of sixty high paying jobs by
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a local, forward thinking company represents real opportunities for our
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workforce and a stronger future here in Perry County. The
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statement said that to encourage investment and job growth in
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the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance author Authority preliminarily
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approved on April thirtieth, a fifteen year incentive agreement with
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the company under the Kentucky Business Investment Program. The performance
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based agreement can provide up to one point six million
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dollars in tax incentives based on the company's investment of
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seven point three million dollars and annual targets of creation
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and maintenance of sixty Kentucky resident full time jobs across
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fifteen years and paying an average hourly wage of fifty
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five dollars in twenty five since including benefits across those jobs. Additionally,
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the statement said KEDFA approved Toothshure for up to one
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hundred and fifty thousand dollars in tax incentives through the
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Kentucky Enterprise Initiative Act. KIA allows approved companies to recoup
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Kentucky sales and use tax on construction costs, building fixtures,
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equipment used in research and development, and electronic processing. In addition,
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the company can receive resources from Kentucky's workforce service providers.
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These no cost recruitment and job placement services reduced costs,
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customized training and job training incentives. Aep CEO high spaid
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utility CEO in the country in twenty twenty five by
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Russ Cassiday. Bill Furman, CEO of Kentucky Power parent company
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American Electric Power, was the nation's highest compensated investor owned
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utility CEO in twenty twenty five. The report released by
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the Energy and Policy Institute said that Fairman's total pay
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in compensation of thirty six point six million dollars made
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him the highest paid utility CEO in the United States
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by a wide margin. Fairman's twenty twenty five pay was
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a twenty three point three million dollar increase over the
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previous year, driven by stock awards intended to motivate Fairman
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to create sustainable shareholder value, incentive focus on long term results,
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and reduced risk of CEO turnover. The report also noted
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that Fairman's leap in pay comes as an AEP customers
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are struggling to keep up with their electric bills. In February,
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the Kentucky Public Service Commission approved a rate increase for
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Kentucky Power that wire result in the average residential customer's
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power bill raising by six point sixty three percent over
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a two year period. Due to that order, according to
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a statement from the PSC, the average residential customer using
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twelve hundred and eight kilowat hours per month will see
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their bill increase from an average of one hundred and
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eighty three dollars and thirty seven cents to one hundred
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and ninety four dollars and thirteen cents and a statement
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Kentucky Power spokesman Sarah Lynch said that Kentucky Power's rates
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are set and approved by the Kentucky Public Service Commission
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based on the cost of providing service in Eastern Kentucky.
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Non executive compensation decisions made at AEP, Kentucky Power is
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allocated only a small portion of that compensation, and most
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of the financial performance metrics that make up the CEO
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salary are excluded from rates. Said weckonognize that many of
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our customers are struggling at the same time Kentucky powers
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costs have increased, just as they have for most things.
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Factors such as the loss of load and a smaller
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customer base to share those costs across the state play
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a significant role, as does overall customer energy usage are
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what actually drives customer bills, not executive compensation. The report
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shows that the next highest compensated utility CEO is Christopher
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Womuck of the Atlanta based Southern Company, whose compensation was
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twenty eight point two million dollars in twenty twenty five.
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Candidates for Hazard Mayor Perry Sheriff A ten forum. Candidates
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for Hazard Mayor and Perry County Sheriff shared their visions
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for the community during a public forum hosted at the
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Perry County Public Library on April twenty third, as voters
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prepare for the upcoming primary election on May nineteenth. The forum,
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sponsored in broadcast live by WSGS and Envisioned Hazard along
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with other local businesses, featured Democrat candidates for mayor and
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both Democrat and Republican candidates for sheriff, giving each an
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opportunity to present their platforms and answer questions from the public.
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Mayoral candidates addressed experience and priorities. Democratic Mayor ol candidate
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Donald Happy Mobolini, James Logan Fields, Christian mcgilton participated with
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candidate Howard Summer Absent, each receiving time to highlight key
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components of their campaigns. I've lived here in Hazard all
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my life, said Fields. I grew up in Walkertown and
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went to Walkertown School. I worked at WYMT in the
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fire department along with with the water plant. The Guilton
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focused on community centered initiatives and economic concerns. I'm originally
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from Thomasville, North Carolina, said mcguilton. The center points of
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my campaign focus on bringing community back into the center position.
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If I'm elected, I will donate twenty five percent of
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my annual income to charities, local projects, and other things
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to benefit the community. I will secure additional funding to
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end the utility crisis in the county. I will work
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to increase the pay a fire department to match their
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services to the community. I want to bring back community, people, policy,
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and progress. In that order, Mobilini emphasized ongoing projects and
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infrastructure improvements. I've lived in Hazard all of my life,
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except when I graduated from Union College in nineteen eighty four,
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said Mobilini. I grew up in Low Fair and graduated
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from Hazard High School in nineteen eighty. I've raised three
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kids here and I worked with the Hazard City Schools
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for thirty nine years. Had the best job anybody could
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ever have, because it's the best school anyone could work at.
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I'm running for re election because we have a ton
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of momentum going on right now with the city in County,
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with tons of projects, and we want to see them
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come to the finish line. Our main one is the
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Buckhorn water plant. We have water problems, but we have
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replaced forty eight thousand feet of water line and another
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one hundred and twenty thousand funded. We have two interconnects
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with k Not County, a water tank on Liberty Street
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now with three million gallons in storage. We've replaced forty
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nine thousand feet of sewer line and added industrial park,
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and that's just the tip of the iceberg. We have
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the train rolling and we want to keep it going.
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Candidates also responded to audience questions, including how they would
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support small businesses and attract new jobs. In the past
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six years, there's been seventy five new businesses created around
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downtown Hazard said MOBLINI those businesses helped create two hundred
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and fifty jobs, and most of those businesses are still open.
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We lost a few during the last flood, but we've
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gained new ones. We have a downtown incentive program called HDP,
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the Hazard Downtown and Centive Program. We've distributed one hundred
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and six four hundred and eighty dollars, so we're always
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tried to help small businesses. If you drove through downtown
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seven years ago and look now, you'd see how we've
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invested in downtown. Like Scott, Alexander and I have a
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plan to make Hazard and Perry County the small business
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capital of the world, and we're right on track. The
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Guilden offered a different approach, focusing on larger scale investment.
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I think the first step toward bringing sustainable industry to
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Hazard is not focusing on tourism, said Mclinton, which the
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downtown Incentive program has been a good program. I don't
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think tearing down tourism is the answer, but I think
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we need to look for securing the three point eight
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billion dollars the state of Kentucky has in savings to
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go toward the twenty seven water projects going on in
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Perry County, many of which are still ongoing. Many people,
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about one third children, About one third of Hazard is
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in poverty. We need to bring high wage jobs in
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industry so people don't move away. Fields emphasized the need
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for higher paying employment opportunities. My theory is a little
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bit different, said Fields. The small businesses don't really do
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much for us. We need jobs that pay good money.
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We need jobs that pay twenty to twenty two dollars
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an hour. Everyone can't live off a small wage. Hobby
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lobby and TJ mix will bring some revenue, but it's
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going to kill the town. Sheriff candidates highlight experience. Candidates
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for Perry County Sheriff also addressed the audience, with Democrat
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candidates Sean White and Jessee Day in attendance, and candidates
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James Jewell, Terry Brewer, Vanessa Combs, and Shannon Woods absent.
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White pointed to his decades of law enforcement experience in
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service within the community. I have twenty seven years of
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law enforcement experience, said White. I was born and raised
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in Perry County. I started my career in October of
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nineteen ninety nine with the City of Hazard, went through
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the years until two thousand and eight and was hired
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through the Sheriff's Department. For the past eleven years, I've
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had the opportunity to protect the kids of Perry County
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as a school resource officer and hope to continue to
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protect them as sheriff. His current role. In preparation for
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the position, I'm from Chavs, said Day. My current role
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at Perry County Sheriff's Office right now as captain, I'm
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a range master. I'm over vehicle supplies. I didn't wake
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up one morning and decide to be sheriff. This is
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something I've been working on for three years. I've been
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studying the payroll. Right now, we have a projected budget
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and that's one thing I focus on as a frontline supervisor,
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not just for the men, but for the public and
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if made sureff, the men and women will be held
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to a higher standard on and off duty. When ask
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about their qualifications, both candidates pointing to experience and training.
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One of my first qualifications to be sheriff is I'm
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a frontline supervisor, said Day. This is something I've been
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working on for over three years. I'm over maintenance. I've
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been through many training sessions and feel very qualified. White
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sized his leadership roles and commitment to the community. I
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have many years of law enforcement experience, having started my
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career at the Hazard City Police White. In that time,
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I was promoted to supervisor over several shifts. Over the years,
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I've had several training sessions. One of my first duties
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I had was the Oxyfest. I saw that OXY had
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done to our community and hurt our young kids, our families,
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and had pushed me more to work than police work.
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I want to help the people of Ferry County by
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being their sheriff. The James Baker Hall Foundation has announced
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it will host a stop of its twenty twenty six
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Kentucky Writers on the Road tour in Hazzard on May sixteenth,
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bringing featured Kentucky author Willie Davis to the community as
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part of its mission to support and mentor writers across
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the Commonwealth. From the opinion page Who's an Expert by
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us GAS Today. If you spent any time in the
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depths of social media comments sections, I'm sure you've run
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across the term Dunning Kruger effect. But what is the
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Dunning Kruger effect. According to Psychology Today, the Dunning Kruger
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effect is based on a nineteen ninety nine paper by
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Cornell University psychologists David Dunning and Justin Krueger. The pair
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tested participants on their logic, grammar, and sense of humor,
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and found that those who performed in the bottom quartrial
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rated their skills far above average according to Psychology Today,
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for example, those in the twelfth percentile ranked their expertise
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to be on average. In the sixty second percentile according
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to Psychology Today, those who like meta cognition, the ability
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to step back and objectively examine themselves, were more likely
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to overestimate their abilities. And fortunately, unfortunately, I think that's
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part of the problem in today's world. We're often painting
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as experts people who aren't really good at what they do,
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but they don't realize that, and they're often good at
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making others think they know what's going on and what
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they're doing. It's truly the blind leading the blind, but
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neither party realizes that the one in charge isn't able
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to see. These days, it's common for those that are
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entrusted with the duty of guiding public discourse are not
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really guiding it in good and positive directions. Instead, they're
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guiding it in ways that distract and move us away
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from dealing with the issues we're really facing, and those
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in charge, those who know better at least, are weaponizing
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this epidemic of faith, information, and expertise. The beauty of
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social media and the Internet is that it gives everybody
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of voice. The downside, however, is that different voices carry
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different weights, and we've somewhat lost sight of that, and
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we're in the same time, the very foundations of our
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shared belief in even the very nature of reality are
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being shaken. At the very least, we're coming as a
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society to a greater understanding of the dark corners that
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we didn't know about before, or didn't acknowledge before in
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the underpinnings of our government and our culture. Being set
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adrift like that can cause people to scramble for any
24:35
seemingly firm place on which to stand, but it can
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also make it difficult to acknowledge that the foundation beneath
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that firmament is eroded or hollow hazard writing its next
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chapter on its own terms. A once bustling town with
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its guts wrenched out. Young people with drug dyes leaned
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against boarded up walls on desolate streets that was one
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national account describing Hazard a decade ago, a place defined
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by what had been lost, a coal town struggling to
25:10
find its footing in a changing economy. Eastern Kentucky has
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long been cast as the backdrop for a national narrative
25:18
about the decline of Appalachian From the War on Poverty
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to headlines asking what's the matter with Eastern Kentucky, The
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story told to the rest of the country has too
25:28
often been one dimensional. Those snapshots may capture moments in time,
25:34
but they fall short of telling the full story. Written
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by Tony Pipe and Luke Glasser, here are the obituaries.
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Janie Carroll Couch seventy nine of Hazard died Tuesday April
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twenty eighth. Billy Joe Napier seventy seven of Wellington died Friday,
25:56
May first, Bobby D. Shepard seventy three of died Monday,
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April twenty seventh. Theresa Wilson fifty eight died Wednesday April
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twenty ninth, Calvin McLean Hagen sixty six of Hazard died
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Wednesday April twenty ninth, and Eugene Thomas Crank died Friday
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April twenty fourth. Judge Executive candidates discuss issues for them.
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Candidates for Perry County Judge Executive from both Democrat and
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Republican parties outlined their priorities and visions for the county
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during a public forum held at Perry County Library on
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April twenty eighth. The event, sponsored by WSGS and in
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Envision Hazard, along with several local businesses, brought together candidates
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to discuss key issues facing the community. Among Democrat candidates,
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in coming, Scott Alexander and Challenger Harlan Campbell were in attendance,
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while Ellis Hall did not participate. Alexander emphasized his record
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in office and the community's response to recent challenges. I'm
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seeking re elections at Alexander. I want to brag on
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my team tonight. We have went through fourteen disasters and
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two major flood events, which is historic, and the team
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that we put together has done an amazing job at
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getting this community back on its feet as well as
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getting positive growth. This community has become so supportive. This
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community is back. It's come together as good as any
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community could come together. This concludes the reading of the
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Hazard Herald. Please stay tuned for continued programming. Thank you
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for joining me. And on behalf of everyone here at
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Radio HI. This is Lee Townsend wishing you a good day.
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I volunteer, and I did a lot of work volunteering
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during the flooding, and I just liked this opportunity to
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serve the community. Candidates also address tourism and economic development,
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with a focus on the future of Buckhorn Lake and
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other local attractions. Alexander pointed to ongoing efforts to restore
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and expand tourism ass sets in the county. It was
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a state run park and it got closed down, and
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we've actively worked with the state to try to get
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the marina parking lot, tennis court, and playgrounds back into
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the Perry County Physical Court where we can open them up.
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We have a great history running eagles landing. It floods
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once sometimes multiple times a year. We continuously have it
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open to the public each and every year. Our team
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sees the value in what Buckhorn Lake rings