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Whitesburg Mountain Eagle - 7.16.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Mountain Eagle to read news
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from Wisberg. Your reader today is build an Arsenale. We
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will begin with the addition dated July fifteen, twenty twenty six,
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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 story is data center developer
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is eyeing tracked in Jenkins. Regional Economic Development officials are
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actively recruiting companies to build artificial intelligence data centers in
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Lectric County and neighbouring counties, and one company has already
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secured an option to purchase land at the Gateway Regional
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Business Park in Jenkins for a proposed natural gas fired
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power plant intended to support a future data center. Diversified
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Energy formerly known as e QT, obtained an option to
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purchase property in the Gateway Regional Business Part to support
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a data center development and where appropriate, work closely with
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local authorities to enhance industry, energy security, and sustainable growth
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for the community and the region. Artificial intelligence data centers
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have drawn increasing public attention across the country because of
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their large demands for electricity and water, as well as
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concerns about pollution associated with the power plants needed to
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serve them. The company first approached the Appalachian Industrial Authority
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in January through one East Kentucky, a nine county regional
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economic development organization representing many of Eastern Kentucky's largest businesses.
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The Appalachian Industrial Authority is governed by an eight member board,
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with two members appointed by the Judge executive of each
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of four counties. Letter not Floyd and Pike. In its
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initial proposal, Diversified requested a two year option on approximately
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one hundred acres, with the possibility of acquiring additional property later.
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The company also sought the right to renew the option
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for two additional years, a right of first refusal on
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other land within the industrial park, and a mutual non
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disclosure agreement. The letter was first posted publicly over the
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weekend by the Creeks Don't Rise Coalition, a group that
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opposes the proliferation of AI data centers but has expressed
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support for construction of a power plant dubbed Project Maverick.
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The agreement ultimately granted an eighteen month option renewable for
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two additional six month terms while Diversified and its partners
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ev evaluate construction of a one hundred megawat natural gas
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power plant on the site. A Diversified Energy spokesman could
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not be reached for comment this week. Jeffrey Justice, chief
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executive officer of Pine Mountain Partnership and chairman of the
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Appalachian Industrial Authority, emphasized that the proposal remains speculative and
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that no data center has committed to locating at Gateway.
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What they're working on is a power plant in case
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they can find somebody who wants to build a data center,
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Justice said. He said either the Industrial Authority or Project
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Maverick may terminate the option with one hundred twenty days notice,
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and the Authority may also decline to approve any option extensions. Jenkins,
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Mayor Todd de Priest, who was hospitalized when Diversified submitted
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its original proposal, said he knew discussions had centered on
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a power plant, but had not heard any mention of
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the data center. He said he attended the Authority's most
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recent meeting and did not recall any discussion of such
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a project. Letcher County Judge Executive Terry Adams said he
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was unaware of the proposal and did not know enough
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about AI data centers to either support or oppose one.
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Justice said Diversified already owns and operates a natural gas
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compressor station at the Gateway Industrial Park and has been
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searching for industries that could make use of the available
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gas supply. That could include AI data centers as well
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as manufacturers that use large amounts of natural gas, such
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as steel heat treating operations. They have an excess of
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natural gas and they want to sell it here rather
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than export it. Justice said. He stressed that the company
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is only conducting due diligence. There's no end user, there's
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no project. They're just doing diligence, he said. It is
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unclear whether Project Maverick is connected to the similarly named
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Maverick Project in neighboring Wise County, Virginia. Justice said he
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did not know whether the two projects were related. According
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to Baxtel, as an industry intelligence firm that tracks data
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center development, the Virginia project has signed a letter of
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intent with the Wise Innovation Hub for approximately four hundred
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fifty acres adjacent to Lonesome Pine Airport. That proposal also
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calls for a one hundred megawat natural gas fired power
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plant with the ability to expand to as much as
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six hundred megawats. For comparison, a one hundred megawat generating
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station could supply electricity to roughly fifty communities the size
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of Jenkins or Whitsburg, depending on demand. The Wise County
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Maverick project is owned by Texas based red Post Energy.
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Opponents of AI data centers site concerns about increased air
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pollution from fossil fuel fired power plants, as well as
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the heavy demands such facilities placed on electric, water and
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sewer systems. Modern data centers generally use closed loop cooling
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systems containing specialized coolants that significantly reduce water consumption compared
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with older designs. Economists remain divided over the industry's long
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term outlook. Some believe artificial intelligence will drive sustained demand
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for additional data centers, while others argue that the rapid
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pace of construction resembles previous speculative bubbles, including the dot
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com boom of the late nineteen nineties and the housing
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market expansion that preceded the Great Recession. There is indictment
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says man fired shot in domestic dispute three people, including
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a Jenkins man accused of firing a handgun during a
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domestic dispute and later threatening police officers, have been named
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in felony indictments returned by the Electra County Grand Jury.
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The indictments were returned July ninth before Electro Circuit Judge
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James W. Craft the Second. Jesse James Thacker, thirty nine,
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of two oh four Rocky Hollow, Jenkins, was indicted on
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two counts of first degree wanton endangerment, second degree terroristic threatening,
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third degree assault, and resisting arrest. Jenkins Police Chief Joshua
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Richardson testified before the grand jury. According to Richardson's account
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of the investigation, officers were dispatched after receiving a report
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that Thacker had fired a handgun into the u S
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air while arguing with another man. Investigators said Thacker allegedly
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drew a twenty two caliber handgun, threatened to shoot both
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the man and a woman who was present before killing himself,
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then pointed the gun in their direction and fired two
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shots over their shoulders. Police said Thacker left the scene,
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but was later located at his residence, where he allegedly
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refused commands to come outside and threatened to shoot responding
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officers before taking his own life. Officers said he resisted
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arrest by pulling away and kicking one of the officers
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in the leg. After being placed in a patrol vehicle,
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Thacker allegedly threatened to shoot the officers. Police said a
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handgun was later recovered from inside the residence. Although Thacker
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was originally charged with attempted murder and attempted first degree assault,
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the grand jury instead returned indictments charging two counts of
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first degree wanton endangerment, second degree terroristic threatening, third degree assault,
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and resisting arrest. The indictments also named Tara Velasco, forty five,
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of three to ten Raccoon Creek hazard, who was indicted
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on charges of second degree escape and second degree criminal mischief.
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Alena Hensley, Letter County's home incarceration coordinator, testified before the
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grand jury. Authorities alleged Velasco escaped from home incarceration in April,
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about a month after being charged with several traffic offenses
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and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. Kentucky
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State Police trooper Charles Moore reported that after stopping Velasco
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on Kentucky fifteen, he discovered she had an active warrant
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and prior felony convictions. According to Moore, velasco admitted the
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Ruger three eighty caliber pistol found beneath her legs belonged
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to her. Jeffrey Bryan Nichols, fifty three of one to
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fifty four chip Drive Thornton was indicted on charges of
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first degree possession of a controlled substance methem feedin first offense,
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and possession of drug paraphernalia. Kentucky State Police trooper Chase
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Lucas testified before the grand jury. Lucas arrested Nichols May
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eleventh after responding to a disturbance on Pine Creek Road
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at may King. The next line is no helicopter now
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on duty at county site. Jenkins Chief questions loss of
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air ambulance. Although Lecter County still has an air ambulance
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base complete with a helipad, hangar, crew quarters, and fueling facilities,
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it no longer has a medical helicopter station. There a change,
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Jenkins Fire Chief Corbett says is increasing response CODs times
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for critically ill and seriously injured patients. Corbett raised the
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issue during Monday night's Jenkins City Council meeting, saying many
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residents are unaware the helicopter, formerly based at the Gateway
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Business Park, now operates from Norton, Virginia. I don't think
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many know that we don't have a helicopter up here
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and the waketime is twenty five minutes or so. But
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yet they still come in here to do maintenance, Corbett said.
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But they're not staying up here, They're staying over in Norton.
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I don't know why we have a helipad here. The
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county constructed the Air Ambulance Base about two decades ago
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specifically to attract helicopter emergency medical service to Letcher County.
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For years, a medical helicopter was stationed there, but after
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mergers and ownership changes within the air ambulance industry, the
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aircraft was relocated. The facility remains in use for maintenance
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and refueling. Corbett said emergency radio traffic indicates response times
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have increased since the helicopter moved to Virginia, while weather
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premitted a helicopter from flying to a fatal crash on
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US twenty three last week. He said delays are especially
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troubling when patients are suffering medical emergencies such as strokes
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or heart attacks. When you have somebody having a stroke
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heart attack and you've got a patient and you're ready
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to go and you've got a wait twenty two to
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twenty five minutes, I'm hearing it throughout the county on
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the radios anymore, Corbett said. Mayor Todd De Priest said
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he plans to discuss the matter with Lecter County Judge
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Executive Terry Adams, because the county owns the facility. First
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they said it was because the weather up here was
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so bad. Well, it's the same weather in Norton, De
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Priests said. The discussion later turned to emergency services within
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the city. Corbett responded to questions about the number of
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volunteers and the Jenkins Volunteer Fire Department, saying the department
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is handling far more than traditional fire calls. In addition
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to responding to fires, firefighters assist motorists unlocked vehicles, help
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police with funeral escorts, answer many medical calls, assist residents
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who have fallen, perform building inspections and inspect fire hydrants.
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We're up to almost three hundred runs this year. Corbett said.
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The department's been doing a lot more than some of
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the paid departments are doing. Corbett also reported that three
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volunteers have earned Emergency Medical Technicians certifications this year, two
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more have completed EMT training under awaiting certification testing, and
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five volunteers have completed Kentucky Firefighter I certification. Council member
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Sean Callsier praised the volunteers for donating their time to
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serve the community. Anybody that's willing to take their time
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to do something and not get paid for it, that
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says a lot about them, Collier said. Councilman Rick Damren
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asked whether Jenkins could eventually have an ambulance based in
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the city. Corbett said he had previously been told an
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ambulance service would need about three thousand runs annually to
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be financially feasible, while the department handled roughly half that
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number when the issue was previously studied. The priests said
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the city will ask the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical
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Services to conduct another review of local ambulance runs to
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determine whether an ambulance could now be based in Jenkins.
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He said the service could potentially be operated by Neon
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Fire and Rescue, similar to the ambulance recently stationed at
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the Letcher Volunteer Fire Department. In the next story, man
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charged in Mcrobert's shooting. One man was shot and another
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was in jail after an incident on Shay's Fork Monday night,
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July sixth, Brian Lee of Pipefilm was taken to Whitesburg
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Appalachian Regional Hospital with a gunshot wound to his left
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chest shoulder. The incident occurred around four pm on Shay's Fork,
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a hollow on the edge of Fleming, Neon and McRoberts.
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According to a citation filed by Kentucky State Police trooper
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Chase Lucas Hybrid, Tackett, fifty three, of Shay's Fork, admitted
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to loading and pointing the gun at Lee. Mister Tackett
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stated that the firearm discharged, which caused mister Lee to
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be struck in the upper chest area. The citation says
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Tackett left the scene and was gone for about three
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hours before police located him. They finally found him and
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arrested him on Fish Pond's Drive at seven o two pm.
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According to the citation, Tackett also had admitted to throwing
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the gun in the creek in front of his home
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after the shooting. Tacket is charged with first degree assault
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and tampering with physical evidence. He was being held in
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the Letter County Jail in Weisburg. Lee's condition was not
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immediately known, but KSP Trooper Matt Gayheart, public information officer
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for Post thirteen in Hazard, said Monday night that Lee
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was in stable condition. Kentucky State Police Detective Nathan Rourke
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is investigating the incident. The next headline is county to
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do more in support of animal shelter. The Letter Fiscal
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Court will add another one thousand dollars per month to
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the amount that pays the Kentucky River Regional Animal Shelter
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after the shelter's board chair told members of the court
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it did not have enough money to pay its bills.
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The shelter, located off Kentucky eighty in Perry County, handles
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stray dogs cats from four counties and is currently keeping
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about two hundred dogs that were set out or surrendered
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by their owners. Because of inflation and the number of
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dogs and cats that they're keeping, they're having real difficulties
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in keeping up the power bill, and they're paying their help.
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Judged Secutive Terry Adams said Adams, who visits the animal
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shelter often, said the county currently gives around eight hundred
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dollars per month for the shelter, which also gets funding
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from Perry, not and Breathitt Counties. The cost of taking
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care of the dogs and cats, you know, it's expensive
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and they're overwhelmed, he said. They are full to capacity
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and then some right now, and we're required to be
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a part of an animal shelter and they just need
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our help. He said. Perry County has increased the amount
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it pays by a little more than one thousand dollars,
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but not in Breathit have not yet acted. The shelter
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doesn't take all of the animals from the county, While
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county Attorney Jamie Hatton said he believes the county should
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have some assurance that the shelter will take all of
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the animals from here if the price is increased, Adam
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said the shelter is already over capacity. Dana Outlaw, a
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long time animal rescue advocate, said she got a call
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about a dog last week that was trying to give
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birth under someone's house and the owner couldn't afford to
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take it to a vet. She said the veterinarian bill
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was seven hundred dollars and only the mother dog survived.
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It's not just a monthly thing, it's constant, she said.
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She advocated a shelter here and having rescue organizations in
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other states take them with us paying the regional shelter
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that much money. Could we not keep that money here
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in the county that we can keep our animals here,
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she said, we can care for them. We can, you know,
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we can get rescues for them. Asked by Magistrate Jack Banks,
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how many people work at the shelter, Donna Singleton, chair
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of the Regional Animal Shelter Board, had a blunt answer,
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not enough. We truly work on bare minimum. I mean
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I am a retired school teacher and I spend most
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of my days, she said. I was there until twelve
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last night. Sometimes it's till two in the morning. She said.
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The key to solving the straight problem is spaying and
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neutering pets and getting people to have a different mindset
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on caring for their animals. I understand your feelings about
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the shelter here too, because you know you can work
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in your own county and if you can have the
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resources and network and have the support of the fiscal
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Court and the county and stuff. It makes a huge,
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a huge, huge difference, Singleton said. And I will tell
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you that there's a lot of things involved that people
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don't realize that goes into running a shelter and providing
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for the animals. Even if you don't get them out
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to rescue, you have the intake with the vaccines, You
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have all the thing things that keep them safe and
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that require money, and everything goes up. She said. She
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and another staffer stopped on the way to the court
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meeting and bought thirty dollars worth of paper bowls for
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the animals, and two days ago she bought two hundred
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dollars worth of paper pads. And this is out of
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my own pocket. And these are little things, but they
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all add up, Singleton said. Asked by Magistrate Benny McCall
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about the shelter's monthly expenses, Singleton said they are about
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eighteen thousand dollars a month. In response to a question
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by a Magistrate Deb Colure, Singleton confirmed that all counties
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haven't always paid what they should, but are now. Even
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with all counties paying, it only amounts to about eleven
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thousand dollars in monthly payments from Letcher, not Perriy and
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Brett Counties. Letcher County, she said, does pay the two
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eight hundred and fifty dollars a month required by its contract.
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Rescue organismsations from other states also contribute to help pay
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the shelter's expenses. They also use grants and worker programs
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to add to the workforce. We have four counties that
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have the same problems, and Judge Adams has worked really,
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really hard in supporting the animals and supporting the people,
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and he's doing such good things, Singleton said. Anything that
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we can do to help, with whatever choices you all make,
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we want to help. Singleton did dispute the claims that
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only twenty five dogs a month are being accepted from
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Letcher County, and I don't want to give a number,
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but I know that there is twofold threefold of that
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in the last couple of months that have come out
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from Lectric County that we've taken and either we're able
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to get to a rescue by passing the shelter or
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going into the shelter and then getting into rescue, she said.
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Singleton said payroll for the seven employees is normally the
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highest expense, but the power bill for the shelter can
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be as high as five thousand dollars a month. She said,
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at any given time, the shelter may have two hundred
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dogs to feed and care for, in addition to approving
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an extra one thousand dollars a month. The court agreed
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with a suggestion by McCall to examine the cost of
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running its own animal shelter and another from Collier that
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the county see if the state opioid fund money can
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be used to pay people in recovery to work at
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the shelter. The court asked the shelter to submit a
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proposal for the opioid fund so the county officials can
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take it to the state office that controls the fund
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and make sure it can be used for that purpose.
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The next story is p s C orders audit of
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Kentucky Power Management. The Kentucky Public Service Commission has ordered
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an independent audit of Kentucky Power Companies management and operations,
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saying concerns raised during the Utilities two thousand, twenty five
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twenty six rate case warrant a comprehensive review of how
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the company is being run. The audit will examine Kentucky
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Power's managerial and operating practices and will be conducted by
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an independent firm selected under state law. Kentucky Power, not taxpayers,
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will pay the cost of the audit. The PSC opened
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Case number twenty twenty six zero zero one five nine
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on July second, saying questions raised during Kentucky Power's seven
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month long base rate case led to the decision that
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a management audit should be performed. The rate case began
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August twenty ninth, twenty twenty five, when Kentucky Power gave
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official notice of its intent to seek a fourteen point
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nine percent rate increase. While that rate case was under way,
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lawyers with the state Attorney General's Office of Rate Intervention
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raised what the PSC's latest order says were a number
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of concerns regarding whether the utility is managing its system appropriately.
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On February twenty eighth, twenty twenty six, the PSC issued
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an order rejecting the fourteen point nine percent increase, but
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approving a rate hike of twelve point eight percent to
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be spread over twenty twenty six in twenty twenty seven.
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The order also included a statement from the Commission saying
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it recognized when discussing the Attorney General's concerns. This is
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not the first time the Attorney General or the Commission
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have been critical of the management and planning decisions made
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by Kentucky Power. The management audit will not determine whether
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electric rates should be increased. Instead, the PSC said, the
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investigation will examine Kentucky Power's management and operational efficiency, including
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the company's failure to provide thorough and rigorous analysis when
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making large financial decisions. The PSC also points to several
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Kentucky Powers applications filed during the past two and a
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half years that raised serious questions about the company's judgment
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and planning decisions and how those decisions have potentially impacted ratepayers.
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The July second order specifically refers to the Commission's December
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twenty twenty five decision allowing Kentucky Power to continue purchasing
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power from the Mitchell Generating Station in West Virginia after
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twenty twenty eight. At that time, commissioners said they approved
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the proposal because it represented the least bad option available
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for customers, given Kentucky Powers planning and the alternatives before
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the Commission. Since last year, The Mountain Eagle has reported
25:45
extensively on Kentucky Power proceedings involving electric rate increases, continued
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operation of the Mitchell Generating Station in West Virginia, storm
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cost recovery, securitization of certain utility costs, and the company's
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proposal to construct a new in state generating resource. The
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PSC said the management audit is authorized under Kentucky law,
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which permits the Commission to investigate the management and operating
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procedures of utilities under its jurisdiction. Once completed, the audit
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report will become part of the public record, and the
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Commission said it could open additional proceedings if the audit
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identifies issues requiring further action. The Kentucky Attorney General's Office
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has now asked to formally participate in the case as
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an intervener representing the interests of residential and business customers.
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In its motion to intervene filed July seventh, the Attorney
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General's Office said state law authorizes it to appear before
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regulatory agencies whenever it determines intervention is necessary to protect
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consumer's interests. Kentucky Power, subsidiary of Columbus, Ohio based AEP,
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has also filed notices of appearance for attorneys Kenneth J.
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Gish Junior and Harley P. Havens of the Leshington law
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firm Stits and Harveston, who will represent the company during
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the audit proceedings. The management audit is separate from several
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other Kentucky Power cases currently pending before the PSC, including
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the company's request for approval to construct a new in
27:26
state generating resource and proceedings involving storm related costs and
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other regulatory matters. In the next day line, Kings Creek
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firemen hurt on the job after pickup fire spreads. Electric
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County fireman was injured Monday, July sixth fighting a fire
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in the kings Creek Rock Santa area. Kings Creek Volunteer
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Fire Department was paged out shortly before three pm for
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a pickup truck on fire on Kentucky five eighty eight.
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Firefighters from Colson, sand Lick, Letcher and other departments also responded.
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The truck was parked near a camping trailer and set
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it on fire as well. Coulson Volunteer Fire Chief David Bentley,
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who is also a state Fire and Rescue instructor, was
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injured while fighting the fire. According to other firefighters on
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the scene, Bentley was taken by ambulance to the hospital.
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The severity of his injuries was not confirmed at press time,
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though fire departments and individual firefighters in the county were
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posting support for him and requests for prayer on their
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social media pages. This concludes the reading of The Mountain Eagle.
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Your reader has been billed an arsenale. Now please stay
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tuned for continued programming on behalf of everyone here at Ratio.
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I thank you for listening, and have a good day.