Transcript

7.17.25 · The Mountain Eagle

0:01
Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Mountain Eagle to read use
0:04
from Whitesburg. Your reader today is Bill an Arsenal. We
0:09
will begin with the addition dated July sixteenth, twenty twenty five,
0:13
which the publishers have donated to a Radio Eye 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
0:28
photo deer love going downtown too. A pair of deer
0:34
was spotted in downtown Whitesburg on Monday morning, leisurely walking
0:38
past the Veterans Museum on the banks of the North
0:41
Fork of the Kentucky River. The first story is Whitehouse
0:47
claims more school dollars the government gives with one hand
0:52
and takes away with the other. Now Governor Andy Basheer
0:57
and twenty three other states and the District of Columbia
1:00
are suing the Trump administration for taking away six point
1:04
eight billion dollars from the nation's schools, ninety six million
1:08
dollars of which was to come to Kentucky. Two weeks
1:12
ago saw the release of about three million dollars the
1:15
Electric County Board of Education needed to pay for a
1:17
fleet of new school buses to replace those lost in
1:21
the twenty twenty two flood. But at the same time,
1:25
the US Department of Education announced that it will withhold
1:29
nearly seven billion dollars from district nationwide. That money was
1:34
supposed to fund after school programs, assist children who moved
1:38
from district to district, and train teachers. Nearly half a
1:42
million of that was for schools in Lectric County. We
1:47
heard about this about six o'clock on June thirtieth, and
1:50
the money was due to be released July first, said
1:54
Jennifer Jin, director of communications for the Kentucky Department of Education.
1:59
Given the change administrations, the department is reviewing the fiscal
2:03
year twenty twenty five funding for the Title one C,
2:06
two three, four four B grant programs, and decisions have
2:12
not yet been made concerning submissions and awards for this
2:16
upcoming academic year. The email to the state Department of
2:20
Education says accordingly, the department will not be issuing grant
2:25
award notifications obligating funds for these programs on July one,
2:30
prior to completing that review. The department remains committed to
2:34
ensuring taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the President's
2:38
priorities and the department's statutory responsibilities. The most recent cuts
2:44
affect the twenty first Century Learning Centers, Student Support and
2:48
Academic Excellence, supporting effective instruction, migrant education, and English language acquisition,
2:55
and will hit both Elector County Public Schools and the
2:58
Jenkins Independent Schools. The cuts are in addition to cuts
3:03
to Title five money, which falls under the Diversity Equity
3:07
and Inclusion is targeted specifically to rural schools. The state's
3:12
filed suit on Monday to reclaim the funds. This is
3:16
not about Democrat or Republican. These funds were appropriated by
3:20
Congress for the education of Kentucky's children, and it's my
3:24
job to ensure we get them. Governor Andy Burschuer said
3:27
in a news release. In Kentucky, ninety six million dollars
3:31
in federal education funds are at risk. Our kids and
3:35
our future depend on a strong education, and these funds
3:39
are essential to making sure our kids succeed. Josh Yance,
3:44
assistant superintendent of Electra County Public Schools, said cuts them
3:48
out to about three hundred and sixty four thousand dollars
3:51
in the Electric County schools. The district had budgeted just
3:55
three hundred dollars for English language acquisition. The bulk of
3:59
the money, one hundred ninety thousand dollars, was for supporting
4:03
effective instruction, with another one hundred fourteen thousand dollars for
4:07
student support and academic excellence. Sixty thousand dollars was to
4:12
be used for the Rural Educational Achievement Program. Jenkins's superintendent,
4:17
Damian Johnson, said the independent schools will lose about seventy
4:22
five thousand dollars that it had intended to use for salaries,
4:26
including the district's instructional supervisor. That just means most of
4:30
that money is going to come from other places. I'm
4:34
already set. I'm not going to change things, Johnson said.
4:37
We're lucky. We're at a time when financially things are
4:40
pretty good for us. I can eat it right now,
4:43
but four or five years ago it would have hurt
4:45
us tremendously. The notice of those cuts came the same
4:49
week used was to release Esseer funds that the Electric
4:55
County Public Schools had intended to spend for twenty new buses.
5:00
That money was also withheld the day before it was
5:03
to be awarded, leaving the district scrambling to rearrange its budget.
5:08
The decision to withhold the money was reversed last week.
5:12
At least nineteen States had sued u SED and Education
5:17
Secretary Linda McMahon over the e s SR funds, which
5:21
were originally intended for COVID recovery. The deadline to use
5:26
ees SR, which stands for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief,
5:31
was extended for school's hard hit in the flood of
5:34
two thousand twenty two, and Letcher County ordered twenty new
5:37
buses with the approval of u SED in two thousand
5:41
twenty three. Supply chain issues held up the manufacture of
5:46
the vehicles, which are made to order. The buses were
5:49
being delivered and the school district had been built when
5:52
Used sent an e mail late on a Friday evening,
5:56
cutting off the money. U SED notified the States on
6:00
June thirteen that the money would be returned. The district
6:04
submitted a request to the Kentucky Department of Education on
6:07
June thirtieth, and received the money the following day, Jin
6:12
said USED officials said the release was because of the
6:15
lawsuits filed by the States. It will definitely take a
6:19
big load off because we had written a check, Yachts said.
6:23
Bus drivers have threatened to park the new buses at
6:26
the district's central office on the opening day of school
6:29
and go on strike unless they receive a five percent raise,
6:33
for which they were told last year they were in line.
6:36
That raise would also go to other classified personnel. The
6:40
Board of Education told classified employees at its June meeting
6:44
that it would have to wait until after the end
6:46
of the fiscal year on June thirtieth to see if
6:49
it had enough money left for the raises, and that
6:52
the board would make a decision at the July meeting.
6:58
The next story is Dickens couple unhappy with police chief.
7:04
The Jenkins City Police Commission is expected to meet soon
7:07
with a Rocky Hollow couple who feel they are being
7:10
harassed by a police chief who refuses to take seriously
7:14
their complaints about a neighbour's behavior since he shot and
7:17
killed their family dog. The couple, Josh and Ashley Gibbs,
7:23
have been frustrated with the Jenkins Police Department since last
7:26
October thirty one over what they consider a refusal on
7:30
the part of the agency to enforce any one of
7:33
many city ordinances, they say the neighbor, Johnny Tennell, is violating.
7:39
While attending the council's July seventh meeting, concerns, the couple
7:43
grew angry after reading their copy of a monthly activity
7:46
report police Chief Jim Stevens provides to the council. In
7:50
the report, Stephens writes Rocky Hollow was patrolled and bodycammed
7:55
thirty times, during which he observed six dogs, none belonging
7:59
to the tenim eleven people, six vehicles, nine rabbits, three cats,
8:04
and one squirrel. I think the police report is highly ironic,
8:09
Ashley Gibbs told the council during a time set aside
8:12
for public comment. The reason why he mentioned that, I'm guessing,
8:16
and the reason why we're here is that one of
8:19
those eleven people is my wife, Josh Gibbs said, adding
8:23
that he had been trying to speak with city officials
8:26
since the dog was killed. We've had issues with dogs, neighbors,
8:31
and a few other things, mister Gibbs added, and not
8:34
once has Jim Stevens stopped and talked to us, even
8:37
though we have made a lot of reports. The gibbs
8:40
Is say that when Stevens does patrol Rocky Hollow. He
8:43
doesn't do anything about the large amount of litter and
8:46
junk they say has accumulated Antenell's property, or addressed any
8:50
other complaints they have. Rather, said mister Gibbs, Stevens stops
8:55
at the top of the couple's driveway and just sits there.
8:58
We're guessing it's because we've voiced our opinion that we've
9:01
not seen the police in Rocky Hollow, mister Gibbs continued, Now,
9:06
I've not said that since November. Probably. Mister Gibbs told
9:10
the council that other Jenkins residents have told him that
9:12
city police claim that we're making up lives about the
9:15
dogs in different situations like that. I've never once spoken
9:20
to a police officer with the City of Jenkins, except
9:22
for asking about an event relating to a fire. Mister Gibbs,
9:27
who works at an eyecare clinic, was a member of
9:30
the Jenkins City Council but resigned after the episode involving
9:34
his dog. According to missus Gibbs, who is a hairdresser,
9:39
Stevens shows up at her house every morning between nine
9:42
eleven and nine fourteen. Usually he stops in front of
9:46
my driveway and just sits there. I'm guessing he's recording me.
9:50
I have video of it. Mister and missus Gibbs also
9:54
complained to the council about their inability to obtain bodycam
9:58
footage taken after Tennell shot their dog, which they said
10:02
will prove there is more evidence about the shooting than
10:05
what Stevens included in his report. At the time of
10:08
the incident. Stephens said Tennell could not be charged with
10:11
a crime because Tennell told him the dog had acted
10:14
in an aggressive manner towards himself and his daughter. Not
10:18
once has anybody reached out to me and said, hey,
10:21
we do some discrepancies in there, said mister Gibbs. Chief
10:26
Stevens told the council he didn't write his report with
10:28
any animosity towards the Gibbses, nor was he bodycamming for
10:33
any reason other than there were complaints that in that
10:35
particular area, I wasn't patrolling. The minute I hit the
10:39
bottom of the hill, I start bodycamming, so you all
10:42
see exactly what I see when I go through there.
10:45
Stevens told the council, if dogs, people and cars come
10:49
through after I leave, I cannot do anything about that.
10:54
Stephens told Ashley Gibbs that if she sees a city
10:57
ordinance or other law being violated, she needs to make
11:00
a statement that he can take to the county attorney
11:03
and they can take action. But I cannot do an
11:06
enforcement action without seeing it myself. Stephen said, you can, however,
11:11
by giving me a statement. Missus Gibbs is a lifelong
11:15
resident of Rocky Hollow. Her mother lives across the road
11:18
from her in the same hollow. The Nick Shedline is
11:23
wife of Marilyn Monroe. Helped inspire a young author to
11:26
write first book, Another under Way. Arwin Eldridge, a student
11:33
at Lecher Middle School, recently donated copies of her first
11:36
book to the Blackie Public Library and to the Hazard
11:40
Coffee Shop in downtown Weisberg. Already hard at work on
11:44
the second novel, she was interviewed recently by Lelah Smith,
11:48
who works with the Carcasson Community Center through the Partner's
11:51
for Rural Impact Program. Question can you introduce yourself? Answer?
11:57
My name is Arwin Eldridge and I live Blackie. Question
12:02
how did it come about that you wrote a book? Answer?
12:06
When I was in my sixth grade class, I finished
12:09
all my work and my Ela English Language arts teacher
12:14
gave me the prompt of a drama that inspired me
12:17
to write The Ballad of Madeleine Swan. Question what is
12:22
your book about? Answer? It's about a ballerina named Madeleine
12:26
Swan who falls off the stage. She lost her job
12:30
and had to move back in with her sister. Question
12:33
what inspired that? Answer? Various pop culture. A big inspiration
12:39
for Madeleine herself was Marilyn Monroe. Question how does it
12:44
feel to be a published author at such a young age? Answer?
12:49
It's my greatest achievement. Question any plans to write more? Answer?
12:54
I'm on my second book. Question How has Carcassan Community
12:59
Center influence Answer? I've basically been coming here my whole life.
13:04
The people have influenced me very positively, and I've learned
13:08
a lot about different types of dances. Question how did
13:12
you find the time to write during the school year? Answer?
13:17
During my free periods, I would go to mister Danny Riley.
13:21
I would show him what I'd written, We'd discuss it,
13:23
and it became a routine. Footnote. Danny Riley works with
13:28
the Letcher Promised Neighborhood, part of Partners for Rural Impact.
13:33
The organization's mission is for all rural students to succeed.
13:37
Arwin came to mister Riley in sixth grade, having already
13:40
started work on her book, prompting the Build a Book
13:44
program which was started to get young authors from eastern
13:47
Kentucky published. Question what or who was your inspiration for
13:53
writing this book? Answer? All my teachers, family and friends.
14:00
To say a special thank you to my teachers at
14:02
Lecher Middle School, Mister Meeks, Miss Caggle, and Miss Stewart
14:06
for their encouragement. Thanks to missus Caggle our principle, and
14:10
especially Miss Hall and mister Riley for believing in me
14:14
and all the help they gave to me. The next
14:18
story is health insurance cost may rise by seventy five percent.
14:25
Kentucky residents who think the Medicaid cuts won't affect them
14:28
are in for a not so pleasant surprise come December.
14:33
In addition to nearly one trillion dollars cut from Medicaid
14:36
funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress
14:39
on July third and signed by the President on July fourth,
14:43
Congress also removed the tax credit that pays part of
14:47
the insurance premium for those who signed up through the
14:50
state health insurance marketplaces. That change will cost people on
14:54
the state program hundreds of dollars a month as advanced
14:58
tax credits disappear at the end of day this year
15:00
and premiums skyrocket. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the
15:06
cuts could cause premiums to increase by seventy five percent
15:10
and cause more than four million people to lose coverage
15:14
addressing the Medicaid cuts alone. Kentucky Governor Andy Basher told
15:19
Kristen Welker on Meet the Press that the bill could
15:22
cause two hundred thousand people to lose their health coverage
15:25
in Kentucky, many simply because of increased paperwork and work requirements.
15:31
Twenty thousand healthcare workers are going to get fired because
15:34
of this bill, and thirty five rural hospitals each the
15:38
second largest employer in their county, may close. What that
15:42
means is fewer people getting that tax break, Fewer people
15:45
going to the local restaurants, fewer people going to the
15:47
local bank. This is going to hit rural America to
15:51
give a tax break mainly to wealthy people who live
15:53
in urban areas. It's going to hit all over the
15:56
United States. It's a betrayal of rural America. Bisher said
16:01
the cuts to ACA alone affect more than ninety two
16:05
thousand people across Kentucky. The Affordable Care Act provides a
16:09
tax credit that is paid in advance to reduce monthly
16:13
insurance premiums for middle income working people. Medicaid covers ten thousand,
16:18
forty six people in the county. When the Medicaid expansion
16:22
is taken into account, the programs cover twelve thousand, five
16:25
hundred thirty two Lecture County ins more than half the population.
16:30
About sixty eight percent of people on Medicaid work but
16:33
don't earn enough money to disqualify them from Medicaid. And
16:38
while the cuts will hurt Medicaid and ACA recipients most immediately,
16:43
opponents of the law say everyone will suffer together as
16:46
hospitals and doctor's offices close. According to the chet's Center
16:51
for Health Service Research at the University of North Carolina,
16:54
thirty five rural hospitals in Kentucky could be forced to
16:58
close because of the laws of Medicaid reimbursements. That's the
17:02
largest number of any state. Appalachian Regional Healthcare Incorporated, which
17:07
runs fourteen hospitals, including those in Weisburg and Harlan receives
17:12
two hundred fifty seven million dollars in medical payments in
17:15
twenty twenty four and stands to lose four of those
17:18
hospitals as a result of the bill, known officially as
17:22
the One Big Beautiful Bill. Weisburg Arch Hospital alone employs
17:27
several hundred people. Overall, the chain employs six thousand, seven
17:32
hundred people, has an annual payroll of four hundred seventy
17:35
four million dollars, and a network of thirteen hundred healthcare providers.
17:41
According to the Ship's Center, ARH hospitals in Wisburg, Harlan,
17:46
South Williamson, McDowell, Prestonsburg, and Barberville are at risk of
17:51
closing because of the Medicaid cuts. Alone, ARH does not
17:55
have a telephone number listed for its headquarters. However, a
17:59
written statement on its website says the company has no
18:02
immediate plans to close hospitals. The statement says, Appalachian Regional
18:07
health Care ARH is deeply disappointed by the passage of
18:11
President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, which now heads to the
18:14
President for signature. While we support efforts to strengthen Medicaid
18:19
for the long term, this legislation falls short in addressing
18:23
the real needs of rural health care providers and the
18:26
large percentage of patients covered by Medicaid who depend on
18:30
us to care for them and their families. The changes
18:33
made to Medicaid supplemental funding will significantly reduce the stable
18:38
state directed payments that sustain hospitals like ours, replacing them
18:43
with an underfunded and unpredictable rural Health Transformation fund that
18:48
must be spread thinly across all rural providers nationwide. Unlike
18:53
many standalone rural hospitals facing these same funding threads, ARH
18:59
is fortunate to have the benefit and strength of being
19:01
a large, integrated health care system with a solid foundation
19:05
built through years of careful planning. While these changes bring
19:09
about an increased level of uncertainty, we want to resure
19:13
our patients and communities that we have no immediate plans
19:16
to close any ARH hospital and remain committed to protecting
19:20
the care they rely on each day. We will do
19:24
everything in our power to protect the care they have
19:27
become accustomed to receiving, as well as arh's legacy as
19:31
the region's largest provider of care. We will navigate these
19:35
challenges while continuing to provide high quality care close to
19:39
home for the people of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia.
19:45
The bill approved by Congress creates a fifty billion dollar
19:48
emergency fund for rural hospitals, but with a cut of
19:52
one trillion dollars. Governor Busheer said that amount will run
19:56
out quickly. The reason it won't work is math Kisheer
20:00
said on amanpuring company that is grossly insufficient. The next
20:05
story is Leccher Central earns Cognia accreditation. Lecher County Central
20:12
High School has earned Cognia accreditation. Cognia is a nonprofit
20:17
organization that provides quality assurance for schools, school districts, and
20:22
education service providers. Cognia recognizes schools that meet rigorous standards
20:28
focused on productive learning environments, equitable resource allocation, and effective leadership.
20:34
To earn Cognia accreditation, a school must submit to internal
20:39
and external review. Earning accreditation from the Cognia Global Accreditation
20:44
Commission means that the school meets Cognia performance standards and
20:49
maintains a commitment to continuous improvement. Schools in good standing
20:53
can maintain their accreditation for a six year term. The
20:58
next head line is eight's first legal pot now growing.
21:04
Governor Andy Basher announced this week that Kentucky's medical cannabis
21:08
program has reached another milestone as Armory Kentucky, LLC, a
21:14
Tier two cultivator based in Mayfield, introduced the first medical
21:18
cannabis inventory in Kentucky history. Cultivation at the Graves County
21:23
site began on July eleventh, following approval of the facility
21:27
inspection by the Kentucky Office of Medical Cannabis. This administration
21:32
made a commitment to Kentuckians suffering from cancer, PTSD, multiple sclorosis,
21:38
and other eligible conditions, and I am proud we are
21:41
making progress to deliver safe, affordable access to medical cannabis,
21:46
said Basher. Through work with the General Assembly to move
21:50
up business licensing by six full months and providing licensees
21:54
with the tools they need to get up and running,
21:57
we are closer than ever to providing Kentuckians with life
22:00
changing relief. To date, Kentucky has licensed eighty one businesses
22:05
and registered over four hundred medical cannabis practitioners. For more
22:10
on Kentucky's medical cannabis program, visit kyme, dcn dot ky
22:17
dot gov. The next story is Wild Edibles Workshop. A
22:23
workshop on wild edibles will take place July twenty second
22:27
at the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. The workshop
22:31
will begin at noon. To register, call sixty three three
22:35
two three sixty two. The nextoricle contains historical research by
22:40
Jaden Gibson. The name is Civil War Reaches Paduca. A
22:47
large percentage of Paduca residents sided with the South during
22:50
the Civil War. Before the war ended, practically the entire
22:54
town was at war with the Federalists. Residents of the
22:59
town in far away Kentucky didn't think the war would last.
23:03
Why a Southerner could best ten Yankees by himself. They
23:06
thought Southerners regularly dealt with shootings, outdoors, endeavors, and such,
23:12
while the Northerners were citified dwellers of the indoors. Most
23:17
all the young men of Paduca were early recruits of
23:20
the Confederacy, with nearly the whole town towing the waterfront
23:23
to see them off near the confluence of the Tennessee
23:26
and Ohio rivers. Those remaining prepared their arms so they
23:30
would be ready to step forward in defense of their
23:33
town when they were needed. Shortly two Yankee gunboats, the
23:38
Tyler and Conestoga, were spied nearing the city, and residents
23:42
assumed they were coming to occupy the town. Every man
23:46
who owned or could borrow a gun arrived at the
23:49
waterfront and entered the Magnolia Saloon, where they had a
23:52
drink to bolster their nerves. The Home Guard made a
23:56
show of their presence on the levee, and the gunboats
23:58
left without coming ashore. It was only a matter of
24:02
days before others came calling. The W B Terry, one
24:07
of several boats that made regular runs on the Tennessee River,
24:11
was moored on the Paduca waterfront when a Yankee gunboat
24:15
ran alongside her and began casting off her lines. Johnson,
24:19
the captain of the terry, fired at one of the enemies,
24:22
but somehow, in the confusion in the darkness, shot himself
24:26
in the foot. George Alderson, a member of the Home Guard,
24:30
fired at and wounded a man he thought was tossing
24:32
off lines to take possession of the terry. They soon
24:36
learned he was a crewman of the terry who was
24:38
only securing the rope to prevent the Yankees from taking
24:41
the boat. After their first fight, the Home Guard had
24:46
two wounded and lost the terry. The Paduca residents soon
24:51
had an opportunity to redeem themselves with the arrival of
24:54
the steamboat Samuel Or, a ship that transported passengers and mail.
25:00
Awarded and took possession of her. Upon her docking, the
25:03
Samuel Orr was taken up the Tennessee River to Fort
25:06
Henry and turned over to the Confederates. After the capture
25:10
of the Samuel Orr, our soldiers had a long rest. J. V. Grief,
25:15
one of General Nathan Forrest's troopers, wrote, we only did
25:19
guard duty at night, as we felt the only way
25:21
they could take the town would be to catch us unawar.
25:24
All we wanted was a few minutes to gather our forces,
25:27
and we could resist any force they could bring against us.
25:31
Grief was on duty the night of September sixth, eighteen
25:34
sixty one, and was among those expecting the town to
25:37
be attacked. I was stationed in the southern part of
25:40
the town. Grief began, everything was quiet. I knew that
25:44
any attack would come from Caro. I petitioned to be
25:48
allowed to exchange to the north part of town so
25:50
I could be in the battle. From the beginning, we
25:53
all knew any battle would be over before those in
25:56
the South would get involved. They wouldn't get any of
25:58
the chicken pie. Federal forces did not come that night.
26:03
After daybreak, the home guard went off duty and returned
26:06
to their homes and beds. Grief continued. The Federals arrived
26:10
on steamboats, gunboats, packets, et cetera, and had possession of
26:14
the town before the citizens were aware of it. It
26:18
was too late to fight them, so we just let
26:20
them stay. It surprised us when even General U. S.
26:24
Grant appeared. He said they were taking possession of the
26:28
town to protect it from the Confederates. Some of our
26:31
soldiers would not stay and witness the disgrace. We gathered
26:35
up our arms and took a southward bearing through the woods.
26:38
The build up of Yankee troops in Paducah continued until
26:42
there were several thousand Union soldiers in town. They built
26:46
a stockade on the southwest part of town and several
26:49
small forts. It was felt the Confederates would fight to
26:53
retake the town of Paduca, so the women, elder folks,
26:57
and children were evacuated to keep them from being killed.
27:01
A curiosity was an old man and his son among
27:03
the group the son, who was in better health, was
27:06
outdistancing his father. Finally, somewhat frustrated, the old man chided
27:11
his son, saying, hold on there, son, you darned coward,
27:15
what are you running for? Grief said. There were other
27:18
similar outbursts that brought chuckles and made the emotionally painful
27:22
event for them more bearable. They returned later when it
27:26
didn't seem that a battle was imminent. This concludes the
27:31
reading of The Mountain Eagle. Your reader has been billvin Arsdale.
27:35
Now please stay tuned for continued programming on behalf of
27:39
every one here at Radio Eye. Thank you for listening,
27:42
and have a good day.