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(Whitesburg) Mountain Eagle - 4.23.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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