Transcript

11.20.25 · The Mountain Eagle

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Mountain Eagle to read news
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from Whitesburg. Your reader today is Bill an Arsenal. We
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will begin with the addition dated November nineteen, twenty twenty five,
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which the publishers have donated to a Radio I 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 headline is with
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winter on the way, how awful will our roads be
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by next spring? Potholes are plentiful in Lescher County, but
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pavement is hard to come by. The Lectri Fiscal Court
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voted this week to advertise for paving bids again, but
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with a change this year. If the winning bidder doesn't
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start work in ninety days, the county will find someone
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else to do the work. Mountain Enterprise is always dragging
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their feet and there are a couple of years behind
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on our roads. Judge Executive Terry Adams said the company
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has been a low bidder in the past, but Adams
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said there is so much work the company is doing
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for the state that it never seems to get around
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to the counties. Mountain Enterprises puts us off till last
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and then the weather gets bad. Adams said asphalt plants
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usually close around Thanksgiving and don't open up again until
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spring because asphalt will solidify in the trucks if they
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try to haul it in cold weather. And while Adams
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is concerned with county roads, he said after the meeting
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that the county roads may be better than the state
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roads here. State Transportation Cabinet figures may bear that. Out
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of the twenty largest road projects in Transportation District twelve
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this year, fifteen are in Pike and Floyd Counties, and
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at least thirteen are being done by Mountain Enterprises or
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Bizack Construction and Associated Company. Some of those are new
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construction projects, including US four sixty from US twenty three
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to the Virginia state line in Pike County and the
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Mountain Parkway extension between Campton and Prestonsburg, but some smaller
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projects in Letcher, not Martin and Lawrence Counties, many being
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done by other companies, are still lingering after years on
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the books. Blair Branch Road, a county road between Isisam
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and Jeremiah, was awarded to K and K Construction in
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May of twenty twenty four, but the state still lists
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it as ninety percent complete. Various Federal Emergency Management Agency
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flood repair projects in Letcher County, awarded to Netco Incorporated
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in twenty twenty three, are listed on the KYTC website
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as just fifty eight point three six percent complete. In
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Pike County, there are twelve projects that are zero percent complete,
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but all those were awarded last month. Residents here are
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complaining to local government, to the newspaper, to local business owners,
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and online that the bad roads are destroying their cars,
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and one business owner posted video of vehicles jumping the
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railroad crossing on Kentucky fifteen at Aisom after CSX created
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a large hump of asphalt on each side of the tracks.
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Its constant said, eighty three year old Owen Wright, who
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sells tires from his Western Auto Store on Main Street
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in Weisburg, to me, the potholes in eastern Kentucky are ridiculous.
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They ought to bring the governor and some of the
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legislators up here and take them for a ride in
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their limousines and knock the hell out of them on
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the potholes. Reached by email November thirteenth, a spokeswoman for
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the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District twelve said she was unavailable
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to speak, but would talk to a section engineer and
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get back to the Mountain Eagle. So far, the paper
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has received no other response. The next story is Kentucky
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Powers rates are up forty percent since twenty twenty. Kentucky
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Power's proposed rate increases will disproportionately affect small power users
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who can least afford it, according to data from the
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Appalachian Citizens Law Center. If approved by the Kentucky Public
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Service Commission, residential rates will increase an average of fourteen
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point nine percent. ACLC attorney Mary Cromer said at a
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public meeting in Fleming, Neon this week that the company's
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bills have increased nearly forty percent since twenty twenty. The
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company claims it needs the increase because the amount of
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power used by its customers is declining, impacting profits. Cromer
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said the new rate increase will likely affect those who
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are least able to afford it the most. The proposal
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sets a base rate of twenty six dollars per month
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for people who use up to two thousand killowot hours
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of electricity per month, up from twenty dollars currently and
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increases the base rate for two thousand and one kill
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a lot hours and up at forty dollars double the
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current base that's coupled with three percent higher rate per
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kill a lot hour for the lower tier. There's also
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a new generation rider to pay for the company's use
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of a power plant in West Virginia. That rider will
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add five dollars and nineteen cents for every one thousand
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kilowot hour of power used. Cromer said the rates will
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have a greater impact on people who have the least money.
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Some of the poorest Kentuckians pay the highest power bills
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because they're houses leak heat, she said. According to figures
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presented at the meeting Monday night, those using one hundred
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kilowot hours a month, such as outbuildings, will pay nearly
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thirty percent more, while those using four thousand, nine hundred
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kilowot hours will pay between five and ten percent more.
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A comparison of bills now and bills with under the
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proposed rates shows a customer using twelve hundred kilowot hours
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pays one hundred seventy three dollars and forty two cents
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now without riders. Adjustments, taxes and other add ons. The
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new bill for the same usage would be two hundred
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two dollars and thirty six cents, including the new rider
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that does not exist now. That's an increase of seventeen percent.
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A customer using three thousand, six hundred kilobot hours would
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pay four hundred eighty dollars and twenty six cents now,
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but would see their bill increase to five hundred three
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thirty one dollars and thirty six cents under the proposed rates,
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an increase of eleven percent. Audience members spoke up against
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the rate increase, noting the changes in their power bills
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over the past several years. Perry Fowler of Weisberg, who
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is currently Lectter County Coroner, said the chief executive officer
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of American Electric Power, Kentucky Power's parent company, was paid
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over thirteen million dollars last year, and he didn't start
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till later in the year. He said he understands the
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company has to answer to its shareholders, but asking for
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another one quarter percent profit is uncalled for. They haven't
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missed a dividend since nineteen ten, Fowler said. Ernie Bradley
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of Letcher said Kentucky Power revenue might be declining, but
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it still made thirty four million dollars in profits last year,
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and AEP made twenty seven billion dollars in profits. Fowler
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said the last quarterly dividend to shareholders was ninety five
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cents per share, with a stock value of two dollars
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and forty two cents. He noted the federal government refused
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last year to allow the company to be purchased by
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Liberty Electric. Federal regulators were afraid the rate would go
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up under Liberty, he said, that's about Colical. District three
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Magistrate deb Collure also spoke up against the increase, referencing
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the company's last attempt at an increase, in which the
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Public Service Commission gave it half the amount requested. Every
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time they go for a rate increase, they insult our
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intelligence by going for fifteen percent when they probably only
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wanted half that, she said. While the company is basing
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its rate request on population decline, the formula indicates that
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efforts by customers to conserve electricity and save money might
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cause additional increases in the future. One man said he
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and his wife from moving to Tennessee because they can't
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afford to live here anymore. If not a flat increase.
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It's a percentage and that percentage is compounding, he said.
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ACLC is urging people to attend public meetings this Thursday
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night in Pikeville, December and Hazard and January in Ashland,
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as well as writing letters and emails to the PSC.
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The meeting this week in Pikeville will be at five
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pm November twentieth at the Pike County Public Library. The
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Hazard meeting will be at five pm December eighteenth at
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the Perry County Courthouse. The final meeting will be at
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five pm January eighth at the Ashland Transportation Center, ninety
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nine fifteenth Street in Ashland. Letters referencing case number two
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two fivesh two five seven can be mailed to the
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PSC at Post Office Box six one, Frankfort, Kentucky four
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six two. Emails can be sent to PSC dot comment
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at dot gov. They should also include the case number.
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The next headline is residents urged to take part in
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Giving Tuesday. While the focus of much of the county
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is on Black Friday, the Electric County Community Foundation is
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focusing on Giving Tuesday. The foundation aims to inspire generosity
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by bringing people together for a common goal to help
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the Electric County Community Thrive using hashtag give app Ky
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Electric County on social media platforms. The goal is to
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show that generosity is alive and strong in this region.
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This is a chance to celebrate generosity, gratitude, and the
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powerful difference of community can make together. A news release
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about the effort says Giving Tuesday is a global generosity
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movement to help people and organizations transform their communities and
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the world. Giving Tuesday aims to inspire people to give
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back on December two, twenty twenty five, and throughout the year.
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According to the Electra County Community Foundation, Giving Tuesday is
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a chance to celebrate what makes the Appalachian region special.
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People caring for one another, stepping up in times of need,
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and investing in their own community. The Lectra County Community
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Foundation is an affiliate of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky,
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a nationally accredited community foundation located in and serving eastern Kentucky.
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Local Focus is the driving force of the Foundation for
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Appalachian Kentucky. By supporting the Electric County Community Foundation, donors
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are supporting the nonprofits in Electric County. The news release
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says Giving Tuesday was launched in twenty twelve as a
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simple idea to create a day that encourages people to
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do good. Over the past ten years, this idea has
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grown into a global movement that inspired hundreds of millions
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of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. People demonstrate
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generosity in many ways on Giving Tuesday. Whether it's helping
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a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue
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or people we care about, or giving to causes we
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care about, every act of generosity counts, the Foundation says
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in the release. On Giving Tuesday and twenty twenty four,
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a record breaking three point six billion dollars was donated
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in the US alone, which brings the sum of Giving
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Tuesday donations since its launch in twenty twelve to more
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than eighteen point five billion dollars. Giving Tuesday inspires people
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all around the world to embrace their power to drive
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progress around the causes they care about, not just on
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one day, but throughout the year, said Asher Kurran, Giving
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Tuesday's chief executive officer and co founder. With eighty country leaders,
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hundreds of community leaders, millions of organizations, and countless givers
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of all kinds, Giving Tuesday is creating a shared space
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where we can see the radical implications of a more
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generous world. The foundation is asking that as people plan
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end of year giving, they consider making a gift now
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through December second for Giving Tuesday and use hashtag give
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a p p K y Lectric County to spread the word.
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Those who are interested in joining the Letcher County Community
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Foundations Giving Tuesday initiative can visit Appalachianky dot o r G.
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Checks can also be mailed to the Lesser County Community
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Foundation Post Office box sixty three to two, Watchburg, Kentucky
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four to one eight five eight. In the next story,
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PSC's three commissioners will hold meetings in region. The Kentucky
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Public Service Commission PSC this week will hold the first
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of three public comment meetings to accept comments from the
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public regarding Kentucky Power's application to increase its monthly rates
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by nearly fifteen percent. Kentucky Power's application asks the PSC
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to green light its request to increase the company's electric
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base rate total revenue by ninety five million, five hundred
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fifty eight two hundred forty eight dollars. Residential customers would
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see an average monthly energy bill increase of twenty seven
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dollars and thirty cents to two hundred ten dollars and
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sixty seven cents, up from an average bill of one
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hundred eighty three three dollars thirty seven cents. This represents
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an increase of approximately fourteen point six two percent. The
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PSC's first public comment will be held at five pm Thursday,
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November twentieth at the Pike County Public Library, District one,
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twenty six Lee Avenue, Rooms three oh six three oh
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seven PIPEL. The second public comment hearing is scheduled for Thursday,
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December eighteenth, at the Perry County Courthouse, located at four
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to eighty one Main Street. Hazard It too will begin
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at five pm. The final hearing will be held in
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Ashland on January eighth, twenty twenty six, at the Ashland
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Transportation Center, ninety nine Fifteenth Street in Ashland, while no
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public hearing will be held in Letcher County or in
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any of the other sixteen counties with Kentucky Power customers.
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Customers concerned about the significant increase can submit written comments
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by email to PSC dot comment at ky dot gov
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or mailed to two eleven Sour Boulevard, Sweer, Frankfort, Kentucky
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four six one. All comments should include the commentator's name, address,
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and the case number, which is two two five two
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five seven. At a public informational meeting held in Neon
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earlier this week, attendees learned how costly the proposed rate
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increases would be to those who can least afford it.
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Wes Addington, and attorney at the Weisburg based Appalachian Citizens
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Law Center, said the rate increases appear to be more
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severe for people who use less power and less severe
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on large users. If you're a light user or a
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person on fixed income, this is going to be affecting
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you the most, he told The Mountain Eagle before the meeting.
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Hundreds of customers have already filed written comments with the
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PSC opposing Kentucky Power's latest request to increase rates, which
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comes just three months after the PSC gave the company
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permission to raise rates six point three seven percent to
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pay off bonds. If the new rate is approved, increases
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this year alone will amount to more than twenty percent.
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This comes after a five point sixty six percent rate
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increase in twenty twenty four and an eleven percent increase
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in twenty twenty three, While there was no rate increase
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in twenty twenty two. The company admitted to overcharging its
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one hundred and sixty thousand customers by three million dollars
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in January of that year. Addington sent emails and letters
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to the PSC are imperative. If people want to stop
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the rate increase, It's incredibly important for people to talk
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to the Public Service Commission, he said. Residents can also
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file responses to the rate application on the internet at
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PSC dot Ky dot gov. The p s C, created
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by state law in nineteen thirty four, is a state
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administrative agency with approximately ninety employees. It is directed by
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three commissioners and regulates more than one thousand, one hundred gas, water, sewer, electric,
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and telecommunication utilities operating in Kentucky. The p s C
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is currently chaired by Angie Hatton of Whitsburg, formerly the
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state representative for the ninety fourth district. Also serving on
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the commission are Mary pat Reagan, a former executive with
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AT and T who lives in the Louisville suburb of
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Saint Matthew's. And Andrew W. Wood, an attorney from Maysville
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who was serving on the Maysville City Commission at the
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time Governor Andy Basheer appointed him to the p s
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C this past July. According to the p s c's website,
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it regulates the intrastate rates and services of investor owned electric,
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natural gas, telephone, water and sewage utilities, customer owned electric
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and telephone cooperatives, water districts and associations, and certain aspects
19:09
of gas pipelines. Kentucky Power, a subsidiary of American Electric Power,
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generates and purchases electricity that it distributes and sells at
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retail to approximately one hundred sixty two thousand, five hundred
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eleven customers located in all or portions of Letcher and
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nineteen other counties in eastern Kentucky, Boyd, Breathet, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Floyd, Greenup, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Leslie, Lewis, Macgoffin, Martin, Morgan, Alsley, Perry, Pike,
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and Rowan. The next story is will hire garbage tipping
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fees hurt people here? Increasing garbage disposal bills could hit
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Lectric County and its solid waste system customers where it hurts.
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County Treasurer DJ Fraser told the Electrifiscal Court this week
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that it still has not received a bill from the
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company that hauls and disposes of its garbage now, making
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it nearly five months since the county was billed. We've
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not received a bill in July, August, September, or October,
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Fraser says. But unfortunately that doesn't mean the county doesn't
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owe anything. It means it will likely all come due
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at one time. The county just raised rates on customers
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last year and now it expects another increase from the
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disposal company in addition to all the bills arriving at once.
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The company hauls garbage from the county transfer station at
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Millstone to a landfill in Laurel County, pays the dumping fees,
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and then the county pays it. But with the bills
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not arriving, Fraser and members of the court are afraid
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the county will be hit with a bill it can't
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pay because of increased fees at the landfill. District two
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Magistrate Kenny Anderson questioned if a trucking company with coal
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trailers could haul the garbage, but Judge Executive Terry Adams
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said that would be less expensive than buying three trailers
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built for garbage, but the landfill won't allow coal trailers
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to haul under their property because of how they don't.
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They're worried about the trailers turning over on their lot.
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He said. Trailers built expressly for garbage cost about one
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hundred and fifty thousand dollars each, Adams said, making it
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unlikely that someone not already in the business would buy
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three of them and start hauling for the county. It's
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a big risk for someone to try to get into,
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he said. Is it possible to haul it ourselves? District
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three Magistrate deb Collier asked. Adams said the county could
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get a truck, but would need at least three trailers. Also,
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what if we get that digester, We're not going to
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need three trailers and a truck, Anderson said. Adams agreed,
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but said he said there is no good solution. They
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gave us three million dollars to start building a digester
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with and is probably a seven or eight million dollar project.
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He said. The digester would be modeled on the system
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Severe County, Tennessee, uses to dispose of trash from Gatlinburg,
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Pigeon Forge, and Severeville. The system there handles four hundred
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seventy five tons of garbage per day, while Letter County
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only disposes of forty eight tons. The digester is a
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series of tubes about sixteen feet in diameter and two
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hundred sixty five feet long. Severe County has five of them.
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Letcher County wants three, which should handle around one hundred
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tons a day. Garbage would go in one end and
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three days later dirt will come out the other. Anything
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that can't be composted would be recycled and sent to
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the landfill. Severe County uses food waste from factories, chewing gum, sugar,
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tomato paste, ketchup, and other items to create the bacteria
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needed for disposal. The factories pay them to dispose of it.
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Sewage sludge can be used also, and the county could
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turn the system into a regional project to make some
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money rather than spending money in trucking and tipping fees
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at landfills. The next story is SORE is opening new
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office in Wisburg on Thursday. SORE, an economic development agency
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that covers the Appalachian Regional Commission counties in Kentucky, has
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a new office in Wisburg and will hold its open
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house and ribbon cutting this week. SORE Shaping our Appalachian
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Region is on the third floor of the Whitaker Bank
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building on Main Street. Corey Harris will be the community liaison.
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The office will hold a ribbon cutting at noon November
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twentieth and will have an open house until four p m. SORE,
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based in Pikeville, is a non profit formed to address
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population retention and growth in the fifty four Eastern Kentucky
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counties that are part of the Appalachian Regional Commission. Sore's
24:25
plan will advance local industries, small business support, and job
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placement for people in recovery, former coal workers, and others
24:34
across twelve counties Bell, Floyd, Harlan Johnson, Knott, Knox, Leslie, Letcher, Magoffin, Martin, Perry,
24:44
and Pike. The plan is to grow employment in remote
24:48
jobs and expand pathways into higher paying careers, especially in
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the healthcare, energy, and technology sectors. The group announced in
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August twenty twenty four that it would open an office
25:02
here as part of a five year, forty million dollar
25:04
grant from the Federal Economic Development Administration to connect Eastern
25:10
Kentucky residents to resources and training for good jobs. The
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program targets economically distressed areas where prime age twenty five
25:20
to fifty four employment is significantly lower than the national average,
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with the goal of closing this gap through flexible, locally
25:29
driven investments and the next article is Gabby's Fishing Fever
25:35
by Greg Gabby Caudle. Seasonal changes still going on at
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local lakes. It is a different time at most lakes
25:45
right now, and there are several reasons why the lakes
25:50
are being drawn down to winter pool, which takes several
25:53
weeks and to drop the water level by several feet.
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This causes shallow and backwater areas is to dry up
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and fish will begin to move toward the deeper main
26:04
lake areas to find more stable water levels. Schools of
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bakefish also move to these areas and fish like bass
26:12
and crappie falla to feed on. Another large factor going
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on at area h now is the turnover, where the
26:20
warmer surface water and the cooler deeper water trade places.
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This causes a mess and can make fishing real tough.
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This is when the water gets a brownish stained color
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and has an odd smell. With all this going on
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at one time, it can be very tough to fish.
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But the good thing about all this is that once
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the lake reaches winter pool and becomes stable and clears up,
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this can be a time for some very good fishing.
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As bait fish schools move around and settle in certain areas,
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the bigger feeding fish will not be far away. This
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is the time of year and other fish are chasing
27:01
the shed when it comes to bait. This is when
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I love to fish live minnows in and around main
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lake cover and close to the shore. In deeper water,
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fish will suspend a shallow on vertical cover and feed
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on minnows. So after all these things get in place,
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get out and enjoy some good fishing. This concludes the
27:26
reading of the Mountain Eagle. Your reader has been build
27:30
an arsenale. Now please stay tuned for continued programming on
27:35
behalf of everyone here at Radio. I thank you for listening,
27:38
and have a good day.