Transcript

4.23.26 · The Mountain Eagle

0:01
Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Mountain Eagle to read news
0:04
from Whitesburg. Your reader today is Bill van Arsdal. We
0:08
will begin with the addition dated April twenty second, twenty
0:12
twenty six, which the publishers have donated to RADIOI as
0:17
a reminder. RADIOI is a reading service intended for people
0:20
who are blind or have other disabilities that make it
0:23
difficult to read printed material. The first item is a
0:27
photograph and the caption is still turning wrenches just on
0:32
his terms. Jim Croucher relaxes in his garage at Croucher
0:38
Service Center in Isom, where he has spent forty six
0:41
years working on vehicles. Now semi retired, he enjoys spring
0:46
days like those we've been having in Letcher County while
0:49
picking and choosing the jobs he still takes on. The
0:53
next story, is County officials urge PSC to take a
0:58
second look at Coucky Power. The Lectri Fiscal Court has
1:03
formally called on state regulators to increase oversight of Kentucky
1:07
Power Company and to reconsider a recently approved rate increase,
1:12
citing growing concerns over electric costs and management decisions affecting
1:17
eastern Kentucky. In a resolution adopted at its April meeting.
1:22
The Court expressed support for an ongoing management audit of
1:26
Kentucky Power ordered by the Kentucky Public Service Commission and
1:30
urged that its findings be made fully public. The resolution
1:34
also asks the PSC to suspend or revisit the nearly
1:39
six per cent rate increase approved earlier this year until
1:43
the audit is completed and its results are released. County
1:47
officials said the action reflects concerns from residents and businesses
1:52
struggling with rising electric bills and uncertainty about future costs.
1:57
The resolution notes that many electrical depend on Kentucky Power
2:02
for affordable and reliable service, and that decisions affecting the
2:06
utility have significant economic consequences for the region. It also
2:11
emphasizes the importance of transparency and public confidence in the
2:15
regulation of utilities, particularly as the PSC reviews major issues
2:21
involving the company's operations and long term planning. The Fiscal
2:26
Court specifically called for a thorough, independent and objective review
2:31
of Kentucky Power's management practices and urged regulators to consider
2:35
the broader economic impact of utility decisions on Appalachian communities.
2:41
The resolution comes as Kentucky Power is asking the PSC
2:45
to reconsider parts of its recent rate case decision, arguing
2:50
that changes ordered by regulators could affect its financial stability
2:54
and ability to maintain reliable service. That case involves disputes
2:59
over millions of dollars in costs, including tree trimming programs,
3:04
transmission expenses, and how the company will recover investments in
3:08
power plants such as the Mitchell Facility in West Virginia.
3:12
At the same time, the PSC has ordered a focused
3:15
management audit of Kentucky Power to examine its operations and
3:19
decision making. In its resolution, the Fiscal Court urged regulators
3:24
to ensure that the audit process remains transparent and accessible
3:28
to the public and to take any actions necessary to
3:31
protect ratepayers based on its findings. Copies of the resolution
3:37
are to be sent to the p SC, members of
3:39
the Kentucky General Assembly, Kentucky Power Leadership, the Governor's office,
3:45
and the State Attorney General for local residents and businesses.
3:49
The resolution represents one of the strongest public statements yet
3:53
from county officials as questions continue to grow over electric rates, reliability,
4:00
and the long term direction of the region's primary power provider.
4:05
The next headline is another dog shot prior suspect is
4:10
again under scrutiny in Jenkins. Jenkins City police are investigating
4:16
the shooting of another dog on Rocky Hollow and are
4:19
looking at the same person accused in a prior incident.
4:23
Police were called to the two hundred block of Rocky
4:26
Hollow on Monday and arrested Johnny Tennell, forty one, on
4:30
outstanding warrants for menacing, harboring a vicious animal, and having
4:35
false or altered vehicle registration plates. He was released on
4:39
bail later that night. According to area residents, the dog,
4:44
known as Rambo or Baby, was a friendly neighborhood pet.
4:49
While not technically astray, it roamed the neighborhood and was
4:53
regularly fed by neighbors. The dog was in the yard
4:57
of Ashley and Josh Gibbs when it was shot. Home
5:01
Surveillance video shows the dog collapsing in the Gibbs driveway
5:05
before running from the area, yelping. Caitlin Eldridge, another neighbor,
5:10
said missus Gibbs called her mother just before dark Monday night,
5:14
believing the dog had been hit by a car. Eldridge
5:18
said she and her mother went to pick up the animal.
5:21
It's technically not our dog, but we take care of
5:24
it and feed it.
5:25
Speaker 2: Eldridge said.
5:26
Speaker 1: We started looking for where the blood was coming from
5:30
and noticed it had a large wound on its chest.
5:33
Eldridge said she and her mother cared for the dog
5:36
overnight until a veterinarian's office in Pike County opened Tuesday morning,
5:41
then took it there for treatment. They showed us the
5:44
X ray and the bullet had gone into its long.
5:47
Eldridge said its long was deflated, its heart was failing,
5:51
and there was a lot of blood around its heart.
5:54
Speaker 2: She said.
5:55
Speaker 1: The veterinarian recommended euthanasia, but the dog's owners arrived and
5:59
showed to take it home so their children could see it.
6:03
The dog was taken home with pain medication, Eldridge said,
6:06
and she and her mother paid the veterinary bill. It
6:10
lived in a house on our road, they claimed it,
6:13
but it ran around and mostly stated our house, she said.
6:17
Eldridge said the veterinarian believed the dog had been shot
6:21
with a twenty two caliber bullet. The Gibbs family filed
6:25
complaints with the city last year after accusing Tennell of
6:29
shooting their husky. In that incident, The dog reportedly ran
6:33
out of an automatic gait while chasing a rooster belonging
6:36
to Tennell. The Gibbs family said Tennell fired toward a
6:40
vehicle occupied by Missus Gibbs and her children and killed
6:44
the dog, shooting it multiple times. That incident occurred October
6:49
thirty first, twenty twenty four, and Tennell was not charged
6:53
by Jenkins police. The situation led to a dispute between
6:58
Josh Gibbs and the police department. Gibbs, who was serving
7:02
on the Jenkins City Council at the time, later resigned
7:05
to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest during
7:08
the disagreement with police Chief Jim Stevens. Jenkins Mayor Todd
7:13
de Priest said this week that he has directed police
7:16
to return to the neighborhood, collect statements from any one
7:20
with knowledge of the recent incident, and present the case
7:23
to a grand jury. Tinnall was also cited last week
7:27
for violating a burn ban. He was convicted in December
7:31
of third degree unlawful transaction with a miner, a charge
7:35
brought by the Jenkins Independent School District.
7:39
Speaker 2: He received a.
7:39
Speaker 1: Ten day suspended sentence was ordered to pay one hundred
7:43
forty dollars in court costs and was placed on one
7:46
year of supervised probation. The circumstances of that case were
7:51
not detailed in court records, but the charge can include
7:54
offenses such as encouraging truancy, encouraging a miner to commit
7:59
a crime, or providing alcohol to a minor. According to
8:03
court records, Tennell has five pending court dates in separate
8:07
misdemeanor and traffic cases. The next story is court upholds
8:13
judge for a second time in Stein's murder case. For
8:18
a second time, a court has refused to consider the
8:22
dismissal of Judge Koran from the trial involving the videotaped
8:27
shooting of Judge Mullins inside his chambers. Defense attorneys Jeremy
8:32
and Carrie Bartley argued that Koran should be removed because
8:36
he and Mullens attended a meeting of the Kentucky Judicial
8:40
Commission on Mental Health a week before the shooting. The
8:44
defense claimed Kuran sat inches away from Mullins and appeared
8:48
to nod in agreement during Mullens's presentation. However, video of
8:52
the meeting shows Koran arrived late and did not greet Mullens.
8:57
The two were seated with an empty chair between them.
9:00
Conley wrote that judges often attend professional conferences in the
9:04
same space as other judges and lawyers with whom they practice.
9:08
He said recusal is required only when there is a
9:11
personal bias or prejudice, or when a judge has personal
9:15
knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts or has expressed an opinion
9:19
on the merits of the case. Having established the standard
9:23
for disqualification, the question turns to whether the plaintiff had
9:27
established facts to warrant the appointment of a special judge.
9:30
Conley wrote, it stretches the imagination to believe that mere
9:35
joint attendance at a professional conference and the apparently random
9:39
decision of Judge Couron to sit near the victim would
9:43
cause a reasonable person to question his impartiality. Quoting a
9:47
twenty twelve judicial ethics opinion, Conley said relationships exist on
9:52
a continuum, ranging from complete unfamiliarity to close personal connection.
9:58
No evidence has been submitted suggesting Judge Couran's relationship with
10:02
Judge Mullins substantially departed from the complete unfamiliarity end of
10:07
the continuum. Conley wrote, the facts as alleged simply do
10:12
not support a conclusion that a reasonable person would question
10:16
Judge Koran's impartiality. The ruling states the court denied the motion,
10:22
but did not foreclose the defense from raising the issue
10:25
in any appeal filed after the case's tried. Having established
10:29
the standard for disqualification, the question turns to whether the
10:33
plaintiff has established facts to warrant the appointment of a
10:36
special judge. Conley wrote in the next headline, Whitesburg hires
10:42
architect for a hotel renovation phase. The City of Whitsburg
10:47
has approved a contract for an architect to design further
10:51
renovations of the Daniel Boone Hotel. Joseph and Joseph, architects
10:56
of Lexington, Louisville, and Nashville, will design the second phase
11:00
of the hotel. In preparation for a three million dollar
11:03
renovation of the lower floors of the building, The city
11:07
is seeking additional money to complete the top two floors.
11:11
I want activity in there. I want to get this done.
11:15
Mayor Tiffany Craft said this has been what twelve years
11:18
in the making.
11:20
Speaker 2: The city council approved.
11:21
Speaker 1: The contract during a zoom meeting last week. This is
11:25
the second time the city has voted to pick Joseph
11:28
and Joseph the first time. The decision of the committee
11:31
was required to go through state officials before the council
11:34
approved it. With that step completed, the council could vote again.
11:39
This phase is expected to include a complete renovation of
11:43
the basement and first floor of the hotel, all the
11:46
electrical and plumbing, and all.
11:48
Speaker 2: Windows and doors.
11:50
Speaker 1: The second and third floors are expected to be fifty
11:53
percent complete at the end of this phase. The Joseph
11:56
and Joseph contract will also include structural engineering SSS services.
12:01
Mike Jackson, special project's coordinator for the city said a
12:05
committee chose the architect based on qualifications submitted by several companies.
12:11
The nine thousand, two hundred twenty four square foot building
12:15
opened on Independence Day weekend in nineteen twenty and was
12:19
last used as a hotel in nineteen seventy four. Mountain
12:23
Comprehensive Health Corporation converted it into a clinic.
12:27
Speaker 2: And office space in nineteen seventy five.
12:30
Speaker 1: In the late nineteen nineties, it served as the temporary
12:34
Electra County Courthouse while the courthouse building down the street
12:37
was being renovated. The Dallhare family donated the building to
12:41
the City of Whitesburg in two thousand and nine after
12:44
it had set vacant and unused for about a decade.
12:48
The city has spent more than a decade planning and
12:51
seeking grant funding for the project, which is expected to
12:55
include retail and meeting space, as well as a boutique hotel.
13:00
Before renovation funding was secured, a leaking skylight caused the
13:04
roof to collapse, taking portions of all three floors below
13:08
with it. The city used a one point five million
13:12
dollar grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to remove the
13:15
damaged interior and construct a new roof and floors, but
13:20
no further work could be done until additional funding became available.
13:25
The new phase of work is being funded through a
13:27
three million dollar state earmark approved by the Kentucky General
13:31
Assembly more than a year ago. Joseph and Joseph Architects
13:36
has extensive experience in historic rehabilitation and community centered design.
13:42
The firm's projects include the Dream Hotel and Joe Lay
13:46
Hotel in Louisville, Angels In the Distillery in Louisville, New
13:51
Albany City Hall in Indiana, and Mixer's Fort Nelson Distillery.
13:56
Speaker 2: Also in Louisville.
13:58
Speaker 1: The firm also designed the famous Brown Hotel in Louisville
14:02
and the remodeling of an old Louisville church into what
14:05
now serves as the twenty thousand square foot centerpiece of
14:09
Heaven's Door, the bourbon brand of singer songwriter Bob Dylan.
14:15
Wisburg officials said the Daniel Boone hotel project is expected
14:19
to create new lodging and retail opportunities while preserving the
14:24
character and legacy of one of Whichburg's most iconic buildings.
14:29
The city will have to seek additional money to complete
14:31
the top two floors, which are expected to include about
14:34
forty hotel rooms. That number could change with the new architects.
14:40
Wisburg architect Bill Richardson did the initial design for the reconstruction,
14:44
but he has since retired. The hotel renovation is one
14:48
component of a proposed two hundred seven point six million
14:52
dollars long term tourism development plan for Electric County. That plan,
14:58
presented to the public in Ruary twenty twenty four, includes
15:02
proposed resorts, hiking and mountain biking trails, all terrain vehicle trails,
15:08
and camping facilities. For more examples of the work, of
15:12
Joseph and Joseph. You can visit their website at Josephan
15:15
Joseph dot net. The next headline is new Blackee Community
15:21
Center is moving toward construction. Lector County Fiscal Court has
15:26
approved the design for the new Blacke Community Center. Construction
15:31
is expected to begin a few weeks after approval by
15:34
State Building Inspectors. Zach Duncan of Trace Creek Construction told
15:39
the court this week that the project will be advertised
15:42
for twenty one days, with construction beginning soon afterward. Some
15:47
work can begin immediately demolition and anything that doesn't involve
15:52
structural changes, said Charlie Robinson, an architect with Summit Engineering
15:57
and Architects. The community center will be built in the
16:01
former water treatment plant at Blackie. The previous center was
16:05
demolished after it suffered heavy damage in the twenty twenty
16:08
two flood and could not be elevated above the flood plain.
16:13
We were able to come back with a solid community
16:15
and event space that should work well for the Blacky area.
16:19
Robinson said. The kitchen and restroom areas will be upgraded,
16:24
and the stage will be connected to the building. The
16:27
building will include a wheelchair ramp, a widened front porch,
16:31
a new facade, updated interior and exterior finishes, new floors
16:36
and ceilings, and restrooms accessible from the outside. It will
16:41
also feature an exterior electrical panel so vendors at outdoor
16:45
events can plug in trailers. The site will be surrounded
16:49
by a park area for outdoor use. Some Blackie residents
16:54
have questioned the decision to locate the center in the
16:57
former water plant, but Magistrate Chases Smith and Electra County
17:01
Judge Executive Terry Adams said they believe the finished product
17:05
will be a strong addition to the community. That building
17:09
is going to have a brand new face. Adams said,
17:11
it's going to be nice. Outdoor water treatment equipment has
17:16
already been removed from the area beside the building. The
17:20
next story is court gives fifty thousand dollars more for
17:24
drug treatment device. The Lectri County Fiscal Court voted to
17:29
go ahead with giving an additional fifty thousand dollars in
17:32
opioid settlement money to Net Recovery to treat ten more
17:36
patients with an electrical device it claims reduces drug withdrawal
17:41
symptoms by eighty eight point four to five percent. The
17:44
vote came a month after the court delayed fulfilling the
17:47
request because the company had not submitted required reports on
17:51
the success rate of the device. To support its request,
17:55
the company gave the court a one page report, some
17:58
marketing materials, and a letter to the editor of The
18:01
Mountain Eagle complaining about a story in the paper last month.
18:06
An employee of Net Recovery and a minister who has
18:09
been pushing for funding for the device spoke to the
18:12
court this week. I've been with net Recovery for about
18:15
a year now, and the changes that I've seen and
18:18
the lives that I've seen change with this program is
18:21
just amazing, said Heather West, who said she has been
18:25
on medically assisted recovery personally. I've been on maintenance for
18:30
thirteen plus years, you know, and I have nothing against
18:33
anybody that wants to be on medically assisted treatment, but
18:37
someone being on it for thirteen years or more, that's
18:40
not what this was intended for. And you know, the
18:44
NET device is one of the rare treatments that's able
18:46
to help take those cravings away, help take those withdrawal
18:50
symptoms away. NET device is approved by the Federal Drug
18:55
Administration for reduction of withdrawal symptoms, but it is being
19:00
marketed to local governments as an alternative to medically assisted recovery.
19:05
The medical community generally considers medically assisted therapy as the
19:09
first blind treatment for opioid abuse. It uses drugs such
19:14
as suboxone or methadone, which attached to the opioid receptors
19:19
to prevent patients from getting the high they would from
19:22
pain pills or heroine. Merle Caudle, a minister, decried adverse
19:27
publicity about the NET device, which uses an electrode behind
19:31
a person's ear to target parts of the brain and
19:35
turn off the sickness and pain associated with withdrawal. Medically
19:40
assisted treatment, as I understand it is supposed to get
19:43
people off of opioids, Caudle said, but said most people
19:47
consider that to be clean, even though they are still
19:50
using medicine to fight the cravings. We're very contentious about that.
19:55
We don't consider that to be clean. In the next headline,
20:00
trail growth brings questions answers in Lettriter County. Electric County
20:06
is experiencing some growing pains as it works to expand
20:10
its trail system. Some property owners have opposed plans over
20:14
concerns about all terrain vehicles crossing their land, but county
20:18
officials say they have no intention of building trails where
20:21
landowners don't want them. That message appears to be getting
20:25
through First Frontier Appalachian Trails, a regional trail authority that
20:31
Lectric County has joined, signed a new agreement Monday, opening
20:35
more acreage to add to the twenty eight miles of
20:38
trails already in Little Laurel Park near Fish Pond.
20:41
Speaker 2: Lake.
20:42
Speaker 1: Landowners in other areas where trails are eventually planned have
20:46
dropped their objections after learning the proposed routes won't cross
20:50
their property or bring unwanted traffic in front of their homes.
20:55
Some people were worried about Goose Creek, which of course
20:58
is something we would like to get a trail to
21:00
if there was anything done up there, said Timothy Whitehead,
21:04
community trail coordinator with First Frontier.
21:07
Speaker 2: He said residents were.
21:08
Speaker 1: Concerned about trucks with campers and ATV trailers traveling along
21:13
the narrow road. The county already decided they weren't going
21:17
to do that. Lecher County Judge Executive Terry Adams said
21:21
the county already owns property at Goose Creek, where a
21:25
proposed trail and RV park could be located, but it
21:29
cannot be used for that purpose without an alternate access
21:32
route to the mountaintop.
21:34
Speaker 2: We have to get an.
21:34
Speaker 1: Access road coming off the state highway so it doesn't
21:37
go past all those people's houses, Adams said, it would
21:41
be a traffic nightmare. There is currently no funding for
21:45
that trail, so no work can be done unless the
21:48
county secures a grant for an access road, Whitehead said.
21:52
Speaker 2: For now, work is.
21:53
Speaker 1: Focused on the ATV trail at Fish Pond Lake, which
21:58
Whitehead described as dilapidated when when he first saw it.
22:01
He said one hundred and seventy four trees had fallen
22:04
across the trail, but those.
22:06
Speaker 2: Have since been cleared.
22:08
Speaker 1: Members of Pine Mountain Search and Rescue also removed trash
22:12
and cleared autumn olive brush. First Frontier has hired a
22:16
local contractor to bulldoze a trail across county property connecting
22:20
to Webb Branch. A helicopter landing zone and emergency exits
22:25
have also been constructed, Whitehead said. He said the improvements
22:29
have turned the trail into a multi use route open
22:32
to more than just ATVs. You can drive a jeep
22:36
on our trail motorbike side by side. Whitehead said, we
22:41
don't want people driving their cars or pickup trucks up there. Whitehead,
22:46
who lives in Harlan County, works across a nine county
22:50
region stretching from Letcher County to rock Castle County. Pike
22:54
and Harlan Counties, both of which already have large ATV
22:58
trail systems, are not mets of First Frontier. However, Whitehead said,
23:03
Pike and Electra Counties hope to connect the Fish Pond
23:06
Trail to Pike County's Hillbilly Trails. Harlland County is also
23:11
interested in connecting Black Mountain off Road Adventure Area with
23:15
the Leatherwood ATV park in Perry County. Whitehead said First
23:19
Frontier is exploring those possibilities. Each county in First Frontier
23:24
owns and operates its own trails with assistance from the organization,
23:29
which helps negotiate land use agreements and provides insurance and
23:33
technical support. First Frontier recently joined a group of investors
23:38
in purchasing a trail system and is now part owner
23:41
of Hollerwood off Road Adventure Park in Powell County. The
23:46
next story is LCC Softball surges behind big bats, strong pitching.
23:53
The Letcher County Central Lady Cougars put together an impressive
23:57
five game winning streak last week, improving their season record
24:01
to thirteen and six with a series of dominant performances
24:05
at the plate and in the circle. Letter Central opened
24:08
the run with a twelve to nothing victory over Nott
24:11
County Central on April thirteenth. Kelsey Bentley led the offense
24:15
with four hits and four rbs, while Scarlett Stamper added
24:20
three hits and two RBIs. Anna Hatton also contributed three
24:24
hits as the Lady Cougars piled up fifteen hits in
24:28
the shutout win. Stamper was dominant in the circle, striking
24:32
out thirteen and allowing just two hits. The Lady Cougers
24:36
followed with an eighteen.
24:38
Speaker 2: To three win over Wolf.
24:39
Speaker 1: County in a three inning game on April sixteenth. The
24:44
offense stayed hot, producing eighteen hits, with Kelsey and Kaylee
24:48
Bentley each collecting three hits. Katie Combs drove in four runs,
24:53
while Stamper, Addison Collier, and Hatton each added multiple RBIs
24:58
in a balanced attack. Kelsey Bentley earned the win in
25:02
the circle, allowing just one hit. Letcher Central kept rolling
25:06
April eighteenth with a ten to nothing win over Shelby
25:09
Valley in five innings. Combs and Kaylee Bentley each had
25:14
two hits and two RBIs, while Kelsey Bentley added two
25:17
hits and three rb eyes. Stamper struck out nine in
25:21
four innings of work, and Bentley closed out the.
25:24
Speaker 2: Game to preserve the shutout.
25:27
Speaker 1: Later that day, the Lady Cougars defeated Belfry twelve to
25:30
three behind another strong offensive showing. Kelsey Bentley went a
25:35
perfect three for three at the plate, while Combs and
25:38
America Cook each had two hits. Kaylee Bentley and Stamper
25:42
also drove in two runs. Apiece Stamper pitched a complete game,
25:47
striking out nine and allowing just two earned runs. Letcher
25:52
Central capped the streak with a second win over Not
25:54
County Central thirteen to nothing. On April twentieth, The Lady
25:59
Cougar's again dominating offensively, collecting thirteen hits. Multiple players contributed,
26:05
including the Bentley sisters, Combs, and Cook, as Letcher Central
26:09
controlled the game from the start. Over the five game stretch,
26:13
the Lady Cougar showcased oppotent offense and strong pitching, outscoring
26:18
opponents sixty five to six, and in the next story,
26:23
Cougar's win one lose three. The Letter County Central Cougars
26:29
split their last four games, picking up a decisive win
26:32
over Buckhorn before dropping three straight contests to Perry County Central,
26:37
Boyd County, and Wolf County. Lectri Central opened the stretch
26:41
with a dominant fifteen to nothing win over Buckhorn in
26:44
a three inning game on April fifteenth. The Cougars pounded
26:48
out eleven hits and took advantage of strong pitching to
26:51
end the game early. The Cougars were shut out in
26:54
their next game, falling twelve to nothing in five innings
26:57
to Perry County Central on April seventeenth. Letcher Central returned
27:02
home April eighteenth, but dropped a nine to one decision
27:06
to Boyd County despite collecting seven hits. The Cougars wrapped
27:10
up the stretch with a thirteen to four loss to
27:13
Wolfe County on April twentieth. Letcher Central now stands at
27:17
nine and eleven on the season and will look to
27:20
get back on track Thursday night, when the Cougar's host
27:23
Breathitt County. And this concludes the reading of the Mountain Eagle.
27:29
Your reader has been billed in Arsdale. Now please stay
27:32
tuned for continued programming on behalf of every One here
27:36
at Radio I thank you for listening, and have a
27:39
good day.