Transcript

8.7.25 · The Mountain Eagle

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Mountain Eagle to read news
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from Wisburg. Your reader today is Bill den Arsdale. We
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will begin with the edition dated August six, twenty twenty five,
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which the publishers have donated to RADIOI as a reminder.
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RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
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blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
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read printed material. The first headline is design work may
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soon begin on new resort at Raven Rock. The Eky
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Heritage Foundation has issued a request for qualifications for an
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architecture and engineering firm to design a lodge style convention
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center on top of Pine Mountain at Raven Rock, overlooking
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the city Jenkins. The advertisement in this week's newspaper is
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seeking someone to design the eight thousand, five hundred square
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foot lodge with a three thousand, five hundred square foot deck,
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a one hundred space parking lot, an access road, and
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five miles of soft surface hiking and biking trails. The
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design work will include all the infrastructure for the facility
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and a trailhead with a vaulted toilet similar to the
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one on Pine Mountain near Wisburg. I think plans could
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take up to six months. Once we hire an architect
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or engineer, said Jeffrey Justice, executive director of Pine Mountain Partnership,
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which is a partnership among e k Y Heritage Foundation,
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Lester County, and the cities of Whitsburg, Jenkins, and Fleming, Neon.
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It is an aml e R grant, so it might
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take a while for it to be completed. Aml E
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ER stands for Abandoned Mined Land's Economic Revitalization. The federal
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grant program was created as a pilot program during the
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last year of the Obama administration to improve the economy
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in coal counties that suffered job losses because of the
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downturn in the coal economy. The grant for Raven Rock
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is six point two million dollars and is a reimbursement grant.
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EKY Heritage Project manager Claude Little said that means the
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money isn't sitting in a bank account for the organization.
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EKY will have to spend money first then ask for
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reimbursements from the granting agency. Little said the exact location
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of the lodge will be determined by the engineers and architects,
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but will be off US twenty three just inside Kentucky.
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Visitors to the site from Virginia will turn right immediately
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after crossing the state line at Pound Gap and drive
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up the mountain to the lodge. Eky Heritage Foundation, a
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nonprofit company, bought more than eight hundred acres on the
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side of the mountain several years ago, including a raven Rock.
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It used a state appropriation earlier this year to hire
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trail planners for the initial design of the trails in
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the area, and an architect is currently working on designs
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for rental cabins that will be placed near the lodge.
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While the group is calling the building to be planned
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now a lodge, it will not include guest rooms. The
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building will include meeting space and possibly a restaurant. Raven
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Rock was at one time a recreational area owned by
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Beth Elkhorn Coal, and the road has been gated and
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the site posted no trespassing for years. The site is
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about a mile off the highway behind a Civil War memorial.
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The next story is Defense asks that Steins's site test
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be released before August fifteenth. A hearing has been set
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for Friday, August fifteenth for a judge to determine whether
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former Sheriff Mickey Stein's should be released on bond and
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whether the burder indictment against him should be dismissed. In
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a motion filed after Eagle press time on Tuesday, the
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defense attorney for Steins asked that a psychological report on
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Stein's be unsealed before the hearing so it can use
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portions of the report at the hearing to support his
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defense and ensure the court has a full and fair
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understanding of the relevant facts. Steins is facing a charge
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of murder in the shooting death of District Judge Kevin R.
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Mullins on September nineteenth, twenty twenty four in the judge's
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chambers in the Letcher County Courthouse. Judge Christopher Coran of
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the Eighth Circuit in Warren and Edmondson County has been
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appointed special judge in the case and has said he
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would hold any bond hearing in the case in Letcher County.
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While the hearing is on the docket for Letcher Circuit Court,
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there is no room assigned for it, and it was
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not clear whether the hearing will be conducted here or
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in Bowling Green. In the next headline, historical marker honoring
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early letters settler missing a second time in a county
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where a large part of the population can trace their
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lineage to veterans of Revolutionary War. One of the most
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disrespected men in these parts is a Revolutionary War veteran.
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It's not that he's disrespected by his descendants nor by history.
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In fact, he is revered as one of the founding
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fathers of Letcher County. But despite his status as one
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of the first permanent settlers in the area, Arcola's Craft
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just can't get a break. He was recognized on a
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historical marker near Craft's College for years as a veteran
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of the Battle of Hanging Rock and the Battle of
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Utah Springs, the last battle in the Carolinas during the Revolution.
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But three years ago the bronze marker disappeared entirely, and
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now history repeats itself. It was gone after the flood,
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but it was put back up, and now it's gone again,
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said Richard Smith, one of many in Letcher County who
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can trace their family tree directly to Old Archolis. Both
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The Mountain Eagle and Smith called the Kentucky Department of
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Transportation to point out that Craft's marker is nowhere to
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be found, and they promised to put it back up
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a second time. The guy says, if it's not up
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by Friday, to call him back, and he would take action.
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Smith said. Born on Christmas Day seventeen forty nine on
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the Roanoke River in North Carolina, he served three tours
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in the North Carolina Militia during the Revolutionary War. In
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seventeen seventy eight, he fought the Indians who sided with
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the British, and in seventeen eighty he and his fellow
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North Carolina militiamen attacked the British at Hanging Rock, South Carolina,
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a blow that weakened the loyalists in the South. A
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little more than a year later, in September seventeen eighty one,
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they attacked the British forces again, this time at Utah Springs.
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With muskets, cannons, and bayonets. The militia of the Continental
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Line and even refugees from the Carolinas fought the British
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to a draw before both sides decided they'd had enough
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and retreated. Arcolus survived the battle and the war. In
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seventeen eighty five, he married Elizabeth Adams, and they had
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nine children together. They followed her father John and uncle
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Spencer from Wilkes County, North Carolina to Letcher County in
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eighteen o four, and they settled near may King. Arcolus
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started a plantation on what was once called Craft's Colony
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and is now called Craft's Collie. Arcolas Craft died there
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at the ripe old age one hundred three and was
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buried on his plantation. It's there that the disrespect began.
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Craft's grave and the graves of several relatives were peaceful
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until around sixty five years ago, when someone removed their gravestones,
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plowed their cemetery, and planted corn over their bodies. Now
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there is no indication of where the graves may actually
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be in the grassy fenced area. Like the marker beside
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Us one nineteen, the headstones and footstones are long gone.
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Only the cemetery is marked by a granite memorial placed
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next to the fence facing the road up the hollow,
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dedicated to Archillus Archylis Craft December twenty fifth, seventeen forty
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nine to November eighth, eighteen fifty three. The stone says
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Revolutionary War soldier Private of North Carolina and his wife
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Elizabeth Adams, buried one hundred fifty northeast of this location.
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It's a small notation compared to the historical marker that
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is now missing from the highway. The wording of that
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marker reads Arculus. Craft of Wilkes County, North Carolina was
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with small band of pioneers who immigrated to Upper Kentucky
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River Valley in eighteen o four. Born December twenty fifth,
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seventeen forty nine in Roanoke River area. Craft was a
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veteran of Revolutionary War. He fought in battles of Hanging
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Rock and Utah Springs. He died November eighth, eighteen fifty three.
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His unmarked grave is three miles north on Craft's Collie.
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The next story is man rents a Tesla is billed
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for six thousand, nine hundred twenty dollars. Needing to rent
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a car to get from a Florida airport to the
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nearby home of his daughter, Colin, Fultz decided to try
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out an electric vehicle for the first time. That decision
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turned into a nightmare when he returned to his home
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in Letcher County. After returning the Tesla to budget car
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rental at Saint Pete Clearwater International Airport this past Saturday,
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Fults and his wife flew from there to Lexington and
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drove back to eastern Kentucky to enjoy what they thought
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would be a quiet Saturday night, But then fALS decided
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to check his email. While looking to see if he
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needed to respond to any messages, he opened an email
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from Budget to find out his credit card had been
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charged an extra seven thousand, two hundred seven dollars and
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fifty cents before a six hundred forty two dollars and
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fifty five cent discount for nine thousand, six hundred ten miles.
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He didn't drive, and couldn't have if he'd wanted to
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during the six days he had the ev at his disposal.
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There is no way for me to have driven that
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Tesla that many miles, Fulks said, I told her a
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Budget representative, I would have had to drive from Clearwater
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to California, and from California back to Clearwater and to
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California again. Could have made two round trips from Clearwater
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to Los Angeles if the four hundred fifty miles he'd
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already paid for were added in. The distance between Clearwater
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and Los Angeles is two thousand, five hundred thirteen miles
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from Clearwater, and it takes the average driver thirty six
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hours and forty eight minutes to make that one way trip.
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That means Fults would have had to drive NonStop for
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more than six days without stopping to charge the tesla.
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Fults said the longest distance he drove the tesla was
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the one hundred fifty two mile round trip from clear
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Water to his daughter's home in Venice. When Fults contacted
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the Budget representative, she said the large discrepancy in the
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charge for mileage would have to be handled by someone
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else in the corporation. As of press time Tuesday, Fults
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had not heard anything back from Budget via email or telephone.
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Falts said he's going to tell people how important it
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is these days to check their receipts and credit card bills.
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He said it could have been several days before he
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noticed it if he hadn't decided to check his computer
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and saw the new email from Budget. The next story
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is drug dealer Andra Smith gets over twelve year federal
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prison term. Electric Counting woman who was a major supplier
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of the illegal drugs methamphetamine and Fentanhill between Louisville and
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the state of Virginia, has been sentenced to serve more
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than twelve years in federal prison. Federal prosecutors say Andra
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Lee Smith, sixty two of Bottom Fork, a community located
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between may King and Kona, conspired with others to traffic
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over twenty kilograms or nearly forty five pounds of metham
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fetemine and fentanyl in the state of Virginia alone. The sentencing,
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handed down in U S District Court in Abington, Virginia,
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comes after she entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy
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to distribute and possessed with the intent to distribute five
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hundred grams seventeen point six ounces or more of metham
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fedemine and one count of distribution of fifty grams one
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point seven six ounces or more of metham fetomine. She
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was sentenced to one hundred forty five months in federal prison.
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The Federal Bureau of Prison's website says Smith has been
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assigned inmate number three two five two zero five one one,
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but is not yet in federal custody. In this case
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that led to the sentencing, Smith conspired with nine others,
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including Eric Coffee forty nine of Lexington, North Carolina, and
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Virginia residence, Daniel Hafmeister forty two of Roanoke, and pound
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residents Michael Hicks thirty six, Cody Allen Rose thirty five,
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and Ashley Beverly Junior fifty one to distribute large amounts
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of Metham fetterman and fentanviylle in southwest Virginia. Most of
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Smith's distributions to drug dealers in Virginia took place at
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her home on Kentucky three four six, where she kept
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multiple pounds of metham fetamine and fentanhill and distributed ounce
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plus quantities at a time to her customers. Smith also
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delivered drugs to Virginia and routinely traveled to Louisville to
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obtain quantities of xylosine and fentanhyl black for distribution. Smith
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is the partner of Robert Daniel Danny Bob Collins, who
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pleaded guilty to possessing nearly four pounds of metham fettermine
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at the couple's Bottom Fork home. Collins worked as in
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February twenty nineteen, nearly a year after the Letcher County
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Sheriff's Department raided the house and premises. She was a
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teacher at Norton Elementary School and John I. Burton High
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School in Norton, Virginia for fifteen years before committing the
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crimes for which she was sentenced late in July. In
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February twenty twenty one, began investigating Smith after the the
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body of an ex husband, Ricky L. Crawford, sixty one
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of pound, was found lying in the front yard of
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the home at Bottom Fork. Crawford was known by authorities
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to have previously trafficked in methamphetamine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
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Firearms and Explosives atf Southwest Drug Task Force, Kentucky State Police,
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and Wise County Sheriff's Office investigated the case, which led
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to the recent sentencing of Andorra Smith. Assistant US Attorney
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Lena Busher prosecuted the case for the United States. In
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the next headline myth charges dominate Grand jury action. Thirteen
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people have been indicted in Lenter Circuit Court. They are
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Cody Tucker thirty two, seventeen Loves branch Weisberg, who is
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charged with first degree criminal abuse child under twelve. Kentucky
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State Police detective Anthony Trotter testified in the US case.
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Sandra Donnelly thirty nine, thirty three brass Drive Ermine, who
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is charged with illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia,
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first degree possession of a controlled substance heroin first defense,
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and secondary possession of a controlled substance drug unspecified first defense.
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In a second indictment, Donnelly is charged with resisting arrest,
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giving officer false identifying information, and first degree possession of
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a controlled substance Metham fetemin first defense. Wisburg Police officer
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James Norris testified in the cases de Wayne E. Cliff
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Sloan fifty eight twelve eighty two Dairy Hollow Jenkins, who
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is charged with no registration plates, no registration receipt, operating
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a vehicle on a suspended or revoked operator's license, failure
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of owner to maintain required insurance security first defense, failure
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to produce insurance card, first degree possession of a control
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substance Metham fetamine first defense, and buy or possessed drug paraphernalia.
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Neon Police Chief Dustin Jackson testified in the case Christopher D.
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Bentley thirty four two seventy six Buster Road Millstone, who
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is charged with first degree possession of control substance Metham
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feedomin first defense. Wisburg Police officer Justin Hunsucker testified in
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the case Tabitha Christine Bentley forty nine nine four to
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two for North Highway one nineteen Jenkins, who is charged
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with second degree criminal trespassing, second degree burglary, buy or
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possessed drug paraphernalia, and first degree possession of control substance
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Metham fetomin first defense. Neon Police Chief Dustin Jackson testified
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in the case. Andrew Cook forty two three fifty five Bartesta, Whitesburg,
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who is charged with real license not illuminated by or
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possessed drug paraphernalia and first degree possession of controlled substance heroin,
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first offense. Lecher County Sheriff's Deputy James Norris testified in
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the case. Alison Johnson twenty four five two six Highway
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US forty one, South Dixon, who is charged with leaving
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scene of accident, failure to render aid or assistance, resisting arrest,
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and third degree assault inmate, assault on corrections employee. Neon
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Police Chief Dustin Jackson testified in the case. Jennifer Jones
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forty one eight seven three six Highway five eighty two,
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Pine Top, who is charged with theft by unlawful taking
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or disposition valued at more than one thousand dollars and
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less than ten thousand dollars. Kentucky State Police Trooper Jarrett
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Fields testified in the case Braxton Racky eighteen two thirty
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nine Cherokee Lane Blackie, who is charged with theft by
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unlawful transaction or disposition firearm. Kentucky State Police Trooper Jarrett
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Fields testified the case Bill P. Sturgell fifty nine nine
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oh one Highway fourteen ten, Wichberg, who is charged with
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obscuring the identity of a machine by destroying the then
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number of a side by side. In a second indictment,
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Sturgil is charged with first degree trafficking in control substance
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metham feedomin first defense, buy or possessed drug paraphernalia, first
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degree trafficking in control substance cocaine, first defense, trafficking in
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marijuana less than eight ounces, first defense, and endangering the
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welfare of a miner. Sturgill was charged in a third
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indictment with possession of a handgun via a convicted felon.
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Kentucky State Trooper Brandon Watts testified in the cases Dalton
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Sturgel twenty four eight five three eight Highway nine thirty
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one South Weisberg, who is charged with first degree trafficking
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in a control substance Metham Fetoman first defense. Kentucky State
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Police Detective Joshua Richardson testified in the s case Christopher
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Todd Mullens forty four one forty eight Doctors Hill McRoberts,
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who is charged in five indictments with first degree bail
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jumping for a failure to appear for motion hour five
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times in Letcher Circuit Court. Deputy Clerk Sandra Wright testified
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in the cases Laqwata Brusher forty nine sixty two Old
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Dixon Road Blackie, who is charged with first degree bail
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jumping for a failure to appear for motion hour in
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Lectro Circuit Court. Deputy Clerk Sandra Wright testified in the case.
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The next story is Gabby's Fishing Fever by Greg Gabby Caudle.
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Croppy go deep in the summer heat. Some fish prefer
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the cooler water over the hot summer temperatures. Fish such
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as trout, smallmouth bass, and croppie are more active and
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catchable in cooler water conditions. Now, while the surface temperatures
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at most area lakes are in the eighty five to
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ninety degree range, that will move these fish to the
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cooler areas. The most common areas for summertime croppy to
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move is deeper water. At this time of year, the
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deeper you go down in the water, the cooler it
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will get. Water lies in layers controlled by temperatures, just
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like the air is for us. The cooler water also
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has more dissolved oxygen levels, which make it more suitable
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for bait fish and croppy. The fish or less stressed
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and will be more active. I love to night fish
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for croppy in summer with minnows and small jigs and
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tube baits. My favorite cover is wood, like a big
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fallen tree or stumps, or my best steak beds. I
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will fish under a black light or a lantern, usually
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around eight feet deep. I like to use a small
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floater to keep the bait a certain depth and to
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detect strikes. I have fish this way for years and
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always love it. I think this time of year the
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best croppy fishing is going to be deeper on cover
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of some type. Also look for areas where fresh water
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comes into the lake. These type areas are rich with
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oxygen and nutrients. Some new food may also come in.
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These areas can be a very good place to fish
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for summer cropping. The current in the moving water will
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be cooler and more oxygen rich. If you find this
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type of area, look for cover to make it even better.
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God bless you all be safe this summer and good fishing.
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And The next article by Greg Gabby Caudal is productive
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lures for deeper water. As we talked about last week,
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these dog days of summer can get very hot, with
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the temperatures in the nineties almost every day. This will
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heat the shallow and surface areas of lakes to eighty
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five degrees or higher. When this happens, bass, croppie and
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many other fish move to deeper cooler water. However, deeper
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water can be a few feet or several feet on
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some lakes. A lot of the times it is based
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on the type of cover or structure you are fishing.
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A shallow, flat bank will require fish to move out
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to the first primary drop off to find cooler water,
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but bass holding on a steep dropping bank or a
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point with a drop off close by will only need
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to move down the cover to find cooler water. By
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knowing this, there are lures that work well in each
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situation for the bass holding on the shallow water area. Edges,
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plastic worms and jigs worked slowly as close as possible
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to the drop off area is good. You can also
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use a shallow running crankbait or slow rolled spinner bait
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cast upon the shallow water and work it back into
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the deeper water to draw Lipless. Crank baits work very
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well for this and I have done well with them.
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If you're fishing the deeper water cover several baits work well.
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My go to bait is a worm or jig. They
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always work for me. Also, a tube bait or grub
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rigged on a jighead is good. A Carolina rig is
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great for deep water. So if you're out this summer,
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use these tips to improve your fishing action. The next
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headline is not County records its second ATV fatality in
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a week. Another off road vehicle accident has claimed a
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life in not County. Kentucky. State Police Post thirteen in
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Hazard received a nine to one one call about two
24:34
fifty one pm Saturday, August second, reporting a single vehicle
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utility terrain vehicle UTV collision on starfire Hall Road in
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the Taalcom community of Not County, Kentucky. State Police, troopers
24:49
and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene. Preliminary investigation
24:54
indicates that Michael Miller, forty three years old, a vest
24:58
was operating a UTV when he lost control of the vehicle,
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causing it to overturn. Mister Miller was ejected during the
25:06
incident and sustained fatal injuries. He was pronounced dead at
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the scene by the Knot County Coroner's Office. An autopsy
25:14
has been scheduled and toxicology results are penning him. Investigators
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determined that neither a seat belt nor a helmet was
25:21
in use at the time of the crash. Trooper Kyle
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Ambergy is in charge of the investigation. The fatality is
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the second in the area in less than a week.
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An eleven year old boy was killed at Emmelina on
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July thirtieth when the ATV he was riding flipped multiple times.
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Kentucky State Police said he was riding at high speed
25:44
on the surface mine at Sylvester Branch when the accident
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occurred about two twenty seven p m. He was also
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not wearing a helmet. Another Knot County in was killed
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about two forty nine p m. July twenty ninth in
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a riding lawnmower accident. Police said Thomas J. Johnson, sixty four,
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of Kite, lost control of his mower and ran over
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an embankment, where he was trapped under the mower and died.
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Those accidents follow another U t V accident that occurred
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about eleven fifty five p m. July twenty sixth near
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the Knot and Breathitt County line on the Old Star
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fire Mine site during the Knot County Trail ride. A
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man in the side by side was not seriously injured,
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but a woman was flown out for treatment. No other
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information was available, and the next story is four men
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are sentenced here. Four men have entered guilty pleas to
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charges in Lector Circuit Court. They are Travis Yeery forty
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four two seventy six Buster Road Millstone, who pleaded guilty
26:51
to first degree trafficking in control substance two Graham's methamphetamine.
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Eyerie was sentenced to six years in prison. Cameron C.
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Dixon twenty nine ninety nine Marble Drive Weisberg, who pleaded
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guilty to first degree robbery. Dixon was sentenced to ten
27:09
years in prison, probated for five years Joshua Lee Pike
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forty three, who pleaded guilty to first degree possession of
27:17
control substance heroin first defense. Pike was sentenced to three
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years in prison, probated for three years. Adam Sturgel thirty
27:26
five one eight Butler Drive Weisberg, who pleaded guilty to
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first degree possession of control substance metham fetomin first offense.
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Sturgil was sentenced to three years in prison, probated for
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three years. This concludes the reading of The Mountain Eagle.
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Your reader has been Bill of an Arsdale. Now please
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stay tuned for continued programming on behalf of everyone here
27:52
at Radio I thank you for listening and have a
27:54
good day.