Transcript

11.27.25 · The Mountain Eagle

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Mountain Eagle to read news
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from Weisberg. Your reader today is Bill van Arsdale. We
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will begin with the addition dated November twenty six, twenty
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twenty five, which the publishers have donated to RADIOI as
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a reminder. RADIOI is a reading service intended for people
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who are blind or have other disabilities that make it
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difficult to read printed material. The first story is volunteers
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feed Thanksgiving meals to over three hundred dogs and cats
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now living at Regions four County Animal shelter. A special
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Thanksgiving dinner for all the shelter animals at the Kentucky
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River Regional Animal Shelter in Hazard was funded by community donors, volunteers, businesses,
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and nonprofit organizations. The animals, including both cats and dogs,
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were treated to their special dinner this past Saturday. The
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shelter serves Letcher and three other counties, not Perry and Breathett.
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Only forty percent of the needed revenue is supplied by
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the four county governments. The remaining funding must come from donations, grants,
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and volunteers pitching in, as was the case in serving
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this special dinner for the over three hundred animals housed there.
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The dinner was funded by several anonymous residents of the
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region and Cane Kitchen in Whitchburg, which prepared, baked and
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donated over three hundred special dog bones and over one
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hundred tuna cat cookies. An anonymous donor in Hazard supplied
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over ninety cans of wet turkey cat food for the felines.
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Isom IgA prepared the meal for the dogs of turkey,
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mashed potatoes and gravy. The shelter was founded in nineteen
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eighty nine. According to those volunteering there, it is a
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constant battle to keep up with the demands required to
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keep the animals safe, healthy, and to find them off
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forever home. Basically, the shelter is underfunded and overcrowded. The
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facility is always in need of funds and donations of supplies,
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including food, garbage bags, paper towels, and paper feeding trays,
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among other items. In addition, there is the cost of
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insurance utilities, vaccines, medical supplies, cleaning supplies, vetting expenses, facility repairs,
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and staffing expenses. According to both shelter volunteers and board members,
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two of the biggest needs are additional funding as well
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as a much broader base of volunteers. The next headline
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is Rogers files bill to keep prison here. A bill
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currently in the U. S. House of Representatives would order
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the US Bureau of Prisons BOP to follow the recommendations
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of its own environmental impact statement and build the proposed
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federal prison at Roxanna. The provisions of the bill are
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buried in a committee report for the Appropriations Committee, on
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which U. S Representative Harold Hal Rogers is the longest
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serving member. The bill provides funding for the GOP and
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the U. S Marshals, but also includes provisions for the
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proposed prison, which the Trump administration attempted to kill. It
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also rejects omb's budget request to rescind funding for a
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new federal correctional institute in Lesher, Kentucky. The bill also
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increases funding for the United States Marshals Service by three
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hundred twenty five million, five hundred seventy eight thousand dollars
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above the fiscal year twenty twenty five in acted level,
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which is equal to the OMB budget request. The committee
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report says in a discussion of HR fifty three forty two,
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which is sponsored by Rogers, the bill itself does not
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explicitly mention funding for the proposed FCI lecture.
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Speaker 2: The county is mentioned.
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Speaker 1: By name and only a paragraph of the bill, which
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says the United States District Court for the Eastern District
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of Kentucky shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction over any
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claim arising from any actions taken by the Attorney General
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or the Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons that
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are necessary for the construction of the proposed Federal Bureau
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of Prisons facility in Letcher County, Kentucky. The prison was
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blocked in twenty nineteen when the Trump administration reached a
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settlement in a lawsuit filed by inmates across the country
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and the Abolitionist Law Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. That case
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was filed in U S District Court for the District
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of Columbia. The current bill was reported favorably by the
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Committee on Appropriations, but has not come to the floor
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for a vote. Karen Kelly, chief of staff for Congressman Rogers,
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said the bill has been off and on but is moving.
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We're hoping to make it happen by December nineteenth, Kelly
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said during a meeting in Jenkins Tuesday. The next story
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is five point two million dollars grant will fund water
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lines tank in Jenkins.
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Speaker 2: The City of Jenkins has been.
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Speaker 1: Awarded a grant for five point two million dollars for
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water lines and a water storage tank moving the grand
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View high Ground Subdivision project for the USDA Rural Development
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grant was announced Tuesday at a meeting in Jenkins City Hall.
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Mayor Todd De Priest said when he was on the
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city council years ago, the city was losing most of
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the water retreated and the city embarked on a five
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phase project to improve its water system, stopping leeks and
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saving thousands of dollars a month. Today, this is phase
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six of those five phases. De Priest said. This gets
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the lines and the tank on the high ground site
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and across the site to where the houses will be.
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The subdivision was announced in October twenty twenty three as
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one of several high ground subdivisions planned by the state
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of Kentucky and intended to get residents out of the
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flood plain after the twenty twenty two flood. The Grand
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View site is expected to have about three hundred.
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Speaker 2: Homes when it is completed.
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Speaker 1: USDA Kentucky Director Travis Burton touted a new era of
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prosperity under President Donald Trump and said employees, including Letcher
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County native Connie Sturgel, are the ones who make the
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department run. The people work every day to move the
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needle for rural Kentucky Burton, said. Karen Kelly, chief of
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staff for US Representative Hal Rogers, said she knows Letcher
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County needs help and that officials here keep the Congressman's
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office aware of exactly what kind of help they need.
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She recalled the twenty twenty two flood and how people here,
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both officials and everyday citizens work together and how they
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continue to.
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Speaker 2: Now.
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Speaker 1: I remember some of the stories that came out of
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Letcher County and it was horrifying, terrifying, Kelly said. What
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was important was what happened the day after. The hard
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working people of this region put one foot in front
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of the other and got busy helping people. Kelly heaped
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praise on De Priest, state Senator Scott Maiden, Judge Executive
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Terry Adams, and Leccher County Tourism Commission Chair Missy Matthews.
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De Priest added Pine Mountain Partnership to the list. He
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said the city and county officials began working together on
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a long range plan during the flood and have continued
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to work together as part of PNP. That's a level
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of cooperation the county has never had.
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Speaker 2: He said, We're at the point.
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Speaker 1: If it's good for Whitesburg, it's good for Jenkins, If
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it's good for Neon, it's good for Jenkins. If it's
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good for Jenkins, it's good for Eleccher County, Dupriest said.
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In the next headline, several candidates have filed to run
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in races for local offices. Candidates are gearing up for
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next year's elections in Kentucky, with more than a month
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left for candidates to file to run in the May primary.
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Races next year will include offices from county constable to
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U S Senator. Some ballots are still blank, but others
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are filling up. Three candidates have filed to run for
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the seat that will be vacated when Senator Mitch McConnell
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retires at the end of his term. No one has
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filed for several constable offices, which had their law enforcement
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duties taken away by the state legislature in twenty twenty three. Locally,
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the races for a judge Executive and District one Magistrate
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have drawn the most candidates so far, with four candidates each,
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including the incumbents. Candidates who must run in the primary
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have until January ninth, twenty twenty six two file nomination papers.
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Independent and other political organizations and group candidates have until
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April first to file a statement of candidacy if they
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do not have to run in the primary. Voters who
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plan to vote in the primary have until December thirty
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first to change political parties in order to be eligible
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to vote in that party's primary, and new voters have
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until April twentieth to register. A List of offices and
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candidates who have filed to run for them is as follows. U. S.
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Senator Republicans Andy Barr Lexington, Jonathan M. Holliday Harrysburg, Jimmy I.
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Leon Lexington, US Representative fifth District Democrats, Ned Pillersdorf Prestonsburg Republicans,
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Hal Rogers Somerset incumbent State Representative ninety fourth District Republican
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mitcham Addison Whitaker Weisberg incumbent.
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Speaker 2: County Judge Executive.
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Speaker 1: Democrats, Deborah Parker Collier Cicco Republicans Terry Adams Isisam incumbent
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Wade Adams, Payne Gap, Joseph Banks Weisberg Magistrate District one, Republicans,
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Troy dingis Eolia, Jack D. Banks Callen incumbent, Tammy Elaine
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Trent Weisberg, Rodney Gilley Weisberg Magistrate District two, Democrats, Sherry
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k Sexton Dean Republicans, Kenneth Kenny Anderson Magistrate District three, Democrats,
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Jesse Mullins Cicco Republicans, Michael pack Ermine, Starla Dierdorf Neon
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Magistrate District four, Democrats, William Chatty Smith Blackie Magistrate District five.
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Rodney Wayne Rose McRoberts County Clerk, Winston Meade Neon incumbent.
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Speaker 2: County Jailor. Republicans, Brian K.
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Speaker 1: Fields Whitesburg, Brian Anthony Sloan Premium, incumbent Property Valuation Administrator, Democrats,
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Ricky Raymond Rose Cremona incumbent coroner, Democrats, Tony Fugut may King, Republicans,
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Josh Lowe Whitesburg, Clifford Wade Fields, Blackie, Sheriff, Democrats, Billy D.
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Jones Ermine, incumbent Republicans, Codell Gibson Ermine D. L. Hammond's
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Neon County Attorney, Republicans Michael Watts, Little Cowan Constable District I, Republicans,
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Jordan Abshire, Weisburg Constable District two Republicans Robert Tony Sturgell Dean.
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The next story is Lecchers School's win appeal will receive
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four million dollars for field rebuilt after flood. The Letcher
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County School District has won its appeal of the Federal
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Emergency Management Agency's denial of money to repair the middle
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school sports complex in West Weisburg. The district received the
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letter granting the appeal on Monday. Assistant Superintendent for Finance
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Josh Jhnce announced the result to the Electric County Board
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of Education on Monday night. That means the district is
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expected to recoup all or almost all of the approximately
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four million dollars spent to replace bleachers, the field house
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and concession stand, and restore the field and its fencing.
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The district had been denied the money twice before, but
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the latest letter from FEMA Director of Public Assistance Robert M.
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Pessipine reversed the earlier decisions. As explained in the enclosed analysis,
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I have determined that the claimed damage was the direct
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result of the disaster and the facilities are eligible for replacement. Accordingly,
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I am granting this appeal, Pessipaine said, by copy of
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this letter, I am requesting the Regional Administrator to take
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appropriate action to implement this determination. The delay was caused
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when the district demolished the structures before FEMA could physically
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inspect them. While the district provided more documentation of the
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damage with each appeal, the first two were not successful.
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The final appeal provided pictures taken both before and after
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the flooding and engineering drawings showing the flood plans for
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the old fieldhouse and concession stand before the flood. Pessifin's
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analysis showed the building had been submerged and the flooding
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caused significant structural damage to this cement block building. Photographs
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of the interior of the facilities show flood waters still
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within buildings, flood damage to the walls with heavy staining
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to the gable and suffix of a roof, displaced equipment,
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and significant interior damage to electrical components and fixtures. Consistent
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with the applicant's application, exterior photographs show scouring at the
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foundation and undermining of footings of the facilities. The predisaster
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images provided by the applicant show that the facilities were
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in good condition with no visible damage, in contrast to
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the damage clearly depicted in the post disaster photographs.
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Speaker 2: The report says.
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Speaker 1: FEMA is expected to pay what insurance did not pay,
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said Laurel Mathula, chief executive officer of er Assist, the
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Arkansas company assisting the county and the school district with
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flood recovery. The money for the repairs will go to
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Kentucky Emergency Management first, and that agency will pay the district.
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Even though this was successful, it might be three or
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four months before the schools see that money, Mathula said.
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The new complex, named for longtime school board member Will
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Smith and the field, named after late Wichburg High School
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coaches James Ghosts and Doug Chandler, includes a locker room
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and coaches office, a concession stand, press box, and two
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sets of bleachers. The structures were elevated above the level
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of the July twenty twenty two flood. Total costs are
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just under four billion dollars, but once we deduct what
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the insurance paid, it's between three and four Methula said
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the next story is city to revisit hotel work bid.
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The City of Watchburg will have to redo its vote
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on an architect for the forty two room Daniel Boone Hotel.
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The council voted on November eleventh to award the contract
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to design the next phase of the old hotel project,
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but Mayor Tiffany Craft said the vote will have to
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be redone that vote was premature. Craft said, we have
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to vote with the board we created for the Daniel Boone.
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The city took the first vote based solely on scoring
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proposals from three companies, but Kraft said the companies have
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to be interviewed as well before the contract is awarded.
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The initial vote was for BRNS Design of East Lake, Texas,
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which did the updates to the Health Department building to
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turn it into headquarters for Double Quick. They're very familiar
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with our town, Kraft told the council at the meeting
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earlier this month. Built in nineteen nineteen to nineteen twenty,
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much of the building's roof and about the first third
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of all three floors collapsed into the basement. In twenty eighteen,
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the city received a one million dollar grant from the
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Appalachian Regional Commission to repair that damage and begin renovations. SSRG,
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a Cincinnati firm that did the work on hundreds of
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buildings in the Over the Rhyine History Art District there,
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removed the debris from the collapse, stabilized what was left,
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and built back the sub floors and bearing walls. The
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first phase, designed by now retired architect Bill Richardson, was
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completed in February twenty twenty, but the COVID nineteen pandemic
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began the same month and shut down much of government,
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and the largest flood in the county's history hit in
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twenty twenty two. The city had been unable to get
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a grant for the building until the Kentucky General Assembly
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passed a special appropriation of three million dollars in twenty
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twenty four. That money has now been sent to the county,
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which will pay the bills while the city oversees the project.
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The money is not expected to be enough to complete
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the building, but city officials were hoping to have electrical
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and plumbing work completed, replace windows, and possibly complete a
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retail space on the first floor. Once the new architects
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finish their work, the city will apply for more money
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to complete the basement and top two floors of the building.
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Speaker 2: The next headline is.
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Speaker 1: Development group opens new office here. Eastern Kentucky can't afford
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to continue losing population, and a new SOAR SORE office
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in Whitchburg hopes to reverse the trend by connecting people
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in this region to good paying jobs. Josh Ball, chief
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operating officer of Shaping our Appalachian Region, said the organization's
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new office in Whitchburg, which takes up the entire third
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floor of Whittaker Bank, will be available for training, conferences,
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and other meetings related to improving job opportunities here. It's
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here for your use, Ball said. You can see it's
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spacious for any kind of meeting you want to have.
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The remarks came as SORE and local officials cut the
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ribbon on its new office last week. After the ceremonies,
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Ball said, with so many people working online and internet
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connectivity here improving employees can live anywhere and commute without
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ever leaving their homes. Why not come here and live,
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he said. Ball said in the past few months, SORE
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has moved sixty families from twenty eight states into twenty
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six Eastern Kentucky. Counties, and those families have annual incomes
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averaging one hundred thirty thousand dollars a year. The reason
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is the quality of life here compared to large cities.
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The office in Whitsburg will employ four people, with others
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coming in on a weekly schedule. The next story is
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grand jury charges nine in indictments handed up to Craft.
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Nine people have been named in indictments returned by the
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Letcher County Grand Jury. Those charged in the true bills
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handed up to Lecher's Circuit Judge James W.
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Speaker 2: Craft.
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Speaker 1: The second are Kyler Sullivan twenty five thirteen sixty five
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Highway four ninety East, Bernstadt, who is charged in two indictments.
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The charges in one indictment are possession of marijuana, first degree,
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possession of controlled substance methem fetterman, first offense, tampering with
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physical evidence, and being a second degree persistent felony offender.
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In a second indictment, Sullivan is charged with possession of
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a handgun by a convicted felon. Kentucky State Trooper Charles
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Moore testified in the cases John Keighley forty one eighty
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four to sixty five North Highway seven Weisberg, who is
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charged in two indictments. The charges in the first indictment
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are theft by unlawful taking or disposition auto valued at
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more than ten thousand dollars in less than one million dollars,
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and being a first degree persistent felony offender. Kentucky State
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Police Trooper Charles Moore testified in the case. In a
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second indictment, Keithley is charged with first degree trafficking in
23:22
a controlled substance, first defense possession of marijuana, and being
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a first degree persistent felony offender. Wichburg Police officer Seth
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Whittaker testified in the case John Paul Gibson, forty, who
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is charged with first degree fleeing or evading police on foot,
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third degree escape, first degree wanton endangerment police officer, and
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third degree burglary. Kentucky State Police Trooper Marcus Prater testified
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in the case Michele Denise Gibson, forty one, who is
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charged with third degree burglary. Kentucky State Police Trooper Chase
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Lucas testified in the case Paul Helton thirty five two
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to eighty one Goose Creek Road neon, who is charged
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with first degree criminal complicity in trafficking and a control
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substance two Graham's methamphetamine and Class D firearm enhancement, Criminal
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complicity in trafficking and a control substance first offense fentanyl, car,
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fentanyl or fentanyl derivatives, First degree criminal complicity in trafficking
24:32
and a control substance drug unspecified, Second or more offenses,
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criminal complicity to buy, possess drug paraphernalia, criminal complicity to
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trafficking in marijuana first defense less than eight ounces, second
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degree possession of a control substance anabolic steroid.
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Speaker 2: Neon.
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Speaker 1: Police Chief Dustin Jackson testified in the case. Rachel King,
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also known as Rachel Gibson and Rachel Caudle two to
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eighty one Goose Creek Road neon, who is charged with
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first degree criminal complicity in trafficking and a control substance
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two grams methanphetamine and Class D firearm enhancement, Criminal complicity
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in trafficking and a control substance first defense, car fentanyl
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or fentanyl derivatives, Second degree criminal complicity in trafficking and
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a control substance drug unspecified, Criminal complicity to buy possess
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drug paraphernalia, and criminal complicity to trafficking in marijuana first
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defense less than eight ounces. Neon Police Chief Dustin Jackson
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testified in the case Michael Mays twenty five five eighteen
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Around the Mountain Road, Wichberg, who is charged with buy
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possessed drug paraphernalia and receiving stolen property valued at ten
25:55
thousand dollars or more. Lectra County Sheriff Billy Jones testified
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in the case Rodney Webb fifty eight ad GW Drive, Whitsburg,
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who is charged with being a second degree persistent felony offender.
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Sandra Wright, Deputy Clerk, Lectra County Circuit Court Clerk's Office,
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testified in the case Seth Williams thirty six, forty eight
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Forest View Road, Eolia, who is charged with first degree stalking,
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first degree wanton endangement, discharge of firearm operator's license not
26:33
in possession, failure of non owner operator to maintain required
26:38
insurance security. Kentucky State Police Trooper Marcus Prater testified in
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the case. The next story is Gabby's Fishing Fever by
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Greg Gabby Caudle. It takes time work to learn about
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cover in the sport of fishing. Knowing and understand standing
27:00
all you can about the habits of fish will help
27:03
you greatly in being able to pick out the best
27:05
cover to fish in and around and understand why. This
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type of knowledge is gained by one way, and that
27:12
is by putting time in on the water and fishing
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during every season and weather condition, and building a memory
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of all this and applying it again when you are
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faced with it on your next trip. One of the
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biggest tips I can give you to grow as a
27:27
fisherman is to learn how different fish relate to different
27:31
forms of cover during different times of the year.
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Speaker 2: Then you will learn that each type of.
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Speaker 1: Cover has its best way to approach and fish for
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the best success. Most of all game fish are structure
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and cover users. They will hold around most forms of
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cover for reasons like safety or to wait for food
27:51
to come along. So to use this to help you
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find and catch more fish, you need to learn some
27:57
things about cover to make your fishing more productive. Fish
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are not always present in all cover. Some forms of
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cover will outfish others at times, and some cover will
28:10
always be more productive because of several other factors. First
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factor is location of the cover. Also, the size and
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form of the cover matters, as does whether it has
28:22
deeper and shallow water close by. Find a creek channel
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for deeper water or a flat area close by for
28:29
more shallow water, and be certain to check if schools
28:33
of bait fish are in the area around the cover.
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This concludes the reading of the Mountain Eagle. Your reader
28:42
has been built an arsenal. Now please stay tuned for
28:45
continued programming on behalf of everyone here at Radio I.
28:50
Thank you for listening, and have a good day.