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Licking Valley Courier - 5.1.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: We now turn to the Licking Valley Courier to bring
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you news from end and around West Liberty. Your reader
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today is Janis. We begin with the addition dated Thursday,
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April thirtieth, twenty twenty six. As a reminder, radiois a
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reading service intended for people who are blind or have
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other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
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Our first article today is Morgan County ATC students leave
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destruction in their path to win it all in a
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sport that demands high level engineering and design skills to
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build destructive and strong combat robots. Morgan County students endured
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and won three back to back battles that included college
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teams in a championship bracket Saturday, March twenty fifth, to
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win at all and be crowned state champions and season
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champions with a perfect seven to zero run. In the
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Robot Glue Gladiator League, Morgan County went into round one
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as the number one seed, taking on rival Rowan County
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for the second time this season in ending the battle
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with knockouts using their flipper robot Pink Panther and their
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vertical spinner wedge box links, flipping opponents on their tops
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and ripping parts out. The two halves combined lasted one
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minute two seconds with minimal damage taken from the first round,
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Morgan County went into the semifinal round against Jessman CTC.
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The semifinals required better driving and more strategy to pull
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off the wind in the first half, again using Pink
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Panther and Links. In the first half, Morgan County pile
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the opposing robots in the center of the arena on
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top of each other, requiring an official time out to
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separate them and continue the fight. At the restart went
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straight after its opponent and flipped the first bot through
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the air to land on its top in a ko
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while Pink Panther went to work on the opponent. Pink
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Panther in Lynx teamed up on the only remaining opponent,
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damaging it badly with a flip administered by Pink Panther,
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ending the first half in two minutes in forty three seconds.
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And the second half, Morgan made a change in its
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line up by removing Links and putting in the fan
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favorite heavy vertical spinner spike. At the onset of the half,
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spike laid a hard hit on its opponent, sending it
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reeling while Pink Panther took care of business and shoved
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the opponent's vertical spinner into a pit. Jessmin County rammed
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into Spike's blade, not allowing it to spin up, but
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the Morgan County robot drove out of it and backed
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Spiked into the to allow time to spin up. As
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as Spike holt the opponent, Pink Panther finished it off
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by flipping it on its top, running only one minute
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and fourteen seconds off the clock. The pit was then raised,
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allowing the opponent to resume battle, and as soon as
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they were reset, Spike chased the opponent to the corner
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and finished it off with a ko by hitting it
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with the blades so hard that it went into the
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air and landed on its top, ending the second half
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in two minutes and five seconds, advancing Morgan County to
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the championship round. In the championship fight, Morgan County would
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face a Somerset Community and Technical College team. Somerset, with
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a perfect regular seasoned record, enter the tournament ranked number two.
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The lineup for Morgan County would remain Spike in Pink
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Panther in the first half and Morgan made a quick
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of it in the first half, with Spike sending one
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of the opposing robots spiraling violently through the air to
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land on its top more than six feet away. Somerset
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attempted to intercept Spike with their custom made wedge bought,
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but Spike moved to the side as Pink Panther rammed
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the opponent, sending it into the air and flipping it over,
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ending the first half in thirty four seconds. The second
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half proved to be a different story that required endurance
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and cunning driving skills from the robot pilots. As the
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start of the half, Pink Panther quickly went to one
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of its battered opponents and flipped it on its top,
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leaving it too on one battle for the championship. Taking advantage,
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Spike laid several hard hits on the opponent that sent
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both robots reeling. Pink Panther and Spike were rentless, taking
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turns smashing the opponent and eventually finishing it on to
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win the title. Somerset did not go down easily, leaving
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a battered but victorious Spike. After a grueling duel, Spike
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scored one final hit with twenty pound blades spinning at
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nine thousands rpm that sent both robots backwards, but broke
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a bearing that disabled Spike's blades. Acting as a pushbot,
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Spike battled on but eventually took a hit that put
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it out of action for the remainder of the fight.
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Now one on one, the match came down to which
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was the better driver. Pink Panther pilot Seth Gibson stepped
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up to the occasion out maneuvered the opponent in almost
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every way, pinning its opponent bought twice, nearly flipping the
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bot over several times with Pink Panther's pneumatic flipper. Finally,
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Pink Panther managed to knock loose Somersets wiring and ending
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the fight with two seconds left on the clock, spoiling
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Somerset's ctc's perfect record in clinching the state championship and
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season champion title for Morgan County. The final tally for
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the KOs on the season is high sixteen KOs for
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Pink Panther, followed by Spike with eighteen KOs, then Links
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with three KOs. Our next article is TV Interview's fuel
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concerns about fire department funding, discussion of fire tax ensues
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after five nineteen West Liberty chief appears on w l EX.
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Magistrate judge issues statements by Miranda M. Cantrell. A television
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news report featuring local fire chiefs has sparked concerns regarding
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the future of area volunteer fire departments. W l EX
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Interview Highway five nineteen Volunteer Fire Department Chief Drexel Patrick
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appeared on w l EX on the evening of Friday,
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April twenty fourth, to discuss the potential closure of the
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Wrigley Fire Station. The regularly facility is part of Highway
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five nineteen Volunteer Fire Department, with Patrick managing both stations
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and pardoning and Patrick cited a lack of volunteers and
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indicated that the average age of firefighters is fifty, which
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is older than the national average cited by National Fire
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Protection Association. Additionally, Patrick and West Liberty Fire Department Chief
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Jamie Phipps noted rising equipment and insurance costs are all
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volunteer fire department. For all volunteer fire departments, Phipps told
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w LAX that while city, county, and state governments provide
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assistance to firefighters, funding falls short of covering all costs
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associated with operating a fire department. Patrick in particular spoke
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about the potential impact on homeowners insurance in the event
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of regally station closure. In the following excerpts from the interview,
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we spend a little over six thousand dollars to keep
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it open and that was just in our budget. We're
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going to have to quit, Patrick said if the regally
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volunteer fire department closes, nearby homeowners would feel it immediately
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through added response times and bigger bills. Patrick said, we
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shut that one down, the average person would be around
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three hundred dollars a year difference in their insurance. Patrick
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said the station could close as early as June thirtieth,
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and Patrick said that would put added pressure on neighboring stations.
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Patrick and Phipps concluded their remarks by stating that a
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fire tax would provide a reliable source of funding for
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volunteer fire departments. Following the WLAX interview, Howay five nineteen
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volunteer fire department members made the following post on their
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Facebook page. Thanks to everyone that took time out of
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your busy schedules yesterday to watch the segment on the
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financial needs of our county's fire departments. Your support and
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concern is much appreciated. Five nineteen volunteer Fire department is
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in no immediate danger of closing the regular station is.
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Other county fire departments struggle to We need our magistrates
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to vote for a fire tax. The City of West
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Liberty has insurance surcharge premium and receives a zero point
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zero zero three, but the county doesn't. Most counties in
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the state have a fire tax, but Morgan doesn't. They
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don't want to lose a vote. They're not looking at
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what would benefit everyone in reducing property pardon tax and
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for more fire coverage throughout the county. Drexel has lobbied
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through the last four magistrates to do this, but they refuse.
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We have had a couple of judges for the tax,
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gayzy Began being one of them, but they can't implement
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it without the majority approval of the magistrates. Our magistrates
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refuse to vote on a fire tax. They would rather
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give us a few thousand dollars of some leftover money
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to shut us up. We need a substantial amount of
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revenue that we can depend on every year as Morgan
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County citizens. We need to put some pressure on our
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magistrates to do what is needed. Thank you. Magistrate Eric
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Pelfrey responded to Highway five nineteen Volunteer Fire Department post
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with the following Facebook statement. As one of the five
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magistrates opposed to raising taxes, I believe now more than ever,
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we must be mindful of the financial burden placed on
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our citizens in today's economy. Families are already stretched by
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raising costs for food, utilities and fuel. For that reason,
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I support adding another tax unless an existing county tax
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is reduced to offset that burden. I also believe it
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is important to share the facts through the Morgan County
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Fiscal Court. Each county fire department was allocated twenty five
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thousand dollars, with funds required to be spent by April fifteenth. Unfortunately,
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the five nineteen Slash Wrigley Fire Department spent zero dollars
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of that money. How can they advocate for additional funds
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when the funds were given were not spent. Our communities
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deserve transparency, accountability and responsibility stewardship of taxpayer dollars. My
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position remains simple. I will continue to stand for fiscal responsibility,
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lower tax burdens and fair treatment of all of Morgan
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County Magistrate Tommy Fannin also responded in the comments section
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of Highway five nineteen Volunteer Fire Department's post. Before anything
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can be voted on, it has to be put on
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the fiscal Court agenda. Fanning wrote, I made suggestions on
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how to do it without raising taxes. Highway five nineteen
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Volunteer Fire Department disputed famines comment and Pelfrey's statement regarding
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the fiscal Court funding and indicated that the deadline had
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been extended to June thirtieth, and wrote that members had
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bought a heater, ceiling, fans, and dehumidifier for their trucks
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parking area. Additionally, Highway five nineteen Fire Department Volunteer Fire
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Department stated that the department would pay approximately ten thousand
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dollars for insurance for two fire stations and a fleet
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of six trucks. Highway five nineteen Volunteer Fire Department Treasurer
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Jennifer Sheets, in a Facebook live video confirm that the
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twenty five thousand dollars was spent. I do feel like
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my integrity has been brought into question by individuals who
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don't know what our spending has been. Sheet said they
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have not asked me to see our checkbook, our bank statement,
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our check registry. Sheets further discussed the department's purchases with
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fiscal Court funds, and also outlined other regular costs associated
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with department operations, such as a training equipment and turnout gear.
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Please know there have been no funds that have not
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been used, She'd said, whether it was grants that we
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write and receive or whether it's the county's moneys, they
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are all being spent in accordance with their qualifying status.
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Sheets concluded her remarks by encouraging citizens to contact their
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home insurance providers to inquire about the impact of their
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neighborhood's fire class code, which is determined by an area's
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our protection coverage on insurance rates. The full Facebook live
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video posted by Sheets can be viewed on the Highway
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five nineteen Volunteer Firebook Pardon Me Highway five nineteen Volunteer
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Fire Department Facebook page. Public discussion ensued largely on the
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Facebook pages of Highway five nineteen Volunteer Fire Department and
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Magistrate Palfrey, with comments from residents expressing support and opposition
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to both sides of the conflict. Judge Gayzy issues statement.
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Judge Executive Jim Gaze issued an extensive statement to the
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Courier regarding volunteer fire department funding issues on April twenty seventh.
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To the citizens of Morgan County. Our volunteer fire departments
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have been the backbone of public safety in Morgan County
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for decades. The brave men and women who serve in
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our volunteer fi fire departments, often on their own time
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and with their own vehicles, respond to fires, car acts,
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medical calls, and every kind of an emergency that touches
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our families. We owe them a deep debt of gratitude,
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but we are now facing this serious reality. We have
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already lost the peddler's gap volunteer fire department. For years,
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our departments relied heavily on coal severance and economic development
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funds to buy equipment, maintain trucks, pay for training, and
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keep stations operating. With mining operations gone from Morgan County,
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those funds have dried up. At the same time, the
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cost of modern equipment, insurance, training, facility maintenance, and fuel
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continues to rise. We must find a way for our
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volunteer fire departments to have a sustainable funding source. Fundraising
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events occasional grants and even the twenty five thousand dollars
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of coal severance support currently provided by the Fiscal Court
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do not provide the reliable long term funding our department's need.
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The Fiscal Court General's budget cannot sustain additional support funding
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the jail bill. Keeping the Wellness Center and transfer station open,
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along with other essential county services, already stretches our resources
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to the limit. We are coming to a situation where
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we must decide how our volunteer fire departments can continue
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to serve their communities effectively. Right now, each of our
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departments operate as an independent five oh one C three nonprofit.
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They do an excellent job with limited resources, but several
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are struggling. For example, Route five nineteen volunteer Fire Department
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can no longer afford to keep its regular station open,
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and recruiting enough local volunteers there has become nearly impossible.
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Across the county, we see the same pressures older volunteers,
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difficulty attracting new ones and outdated equipment, and the longer
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sponsory times. Sponsory times in our large rural area. If
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our volunteer fire departments are forced to close or cut
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services further, The impact on citizens would be severe, longer
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emergency response times, greater risk of property loss and injury
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in fires or accidents, higher homeowners insurance rates, and added
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danger for our families, especially in remote areas and near
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schools like Wrigley Elementary. These problems are not unique to
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Morgan County. They are happening in rural communities all across
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Kentucky and Appalachia. The Fiscal Court must meet with the
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fire chiefs to look at every option and to explore
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some of the following disibilities. Creating a single county wide
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fire protection district under Kentucky law, with one overall chief
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in captains at each existing station. Providing small stipends or
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gas mileage reimbursement to volunteers who use their personal vehicles
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so they are not paying out a pocket, sharing resources,
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and reducing duplicated costs across stations to make operations more efficient.
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Implementing volunteer membership fees or fire dues that residents could
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choose to pay for fire protection services. Establishing a stable
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funding source, such as a fire tax, that gives our
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departments the reliability they need. The goal is not to
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close more stations or end volunteer service. The goal is
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to make the service stronger and more sustainable for the
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long term. I personally think in the near term our
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best option is voluntary membership fees collected through the Sheriff's
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office with property taxes. A fifty dollars membership fee would
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provide the departments a stable revenue for day to day operations.
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Couple that with the stipends such as twenty dollars for
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being present at a fire or an RS mileage fee
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for gas used to get to fires or trainings would
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help current volunteers and potentially attract new volunteers. No decisions
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have been made. Any change would require public meetings, input
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from volunteers and residents, and approval by the Fiscal Court.
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We will protect local community identity and make sure each
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community still has a station in local leadership. Our volunteer
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fire departments have never asked for much, only the tools
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they need to protect us. Losing Peddler's Gap has shown
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us what happens if we do nothing. As Judge Executive,
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I am committed to finding the path forward so our
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remaining departments can keep doing that job for the next generation.
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I encourage every citizens to attend the upcoming public meetings
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and share your thoughts, your ideas, and supports that will
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help shape the decision that affects Morgan County. Every home
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and family in Morgan County. Thank you for continued support
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for our fire fighters. Respectfully, Jim Gazy, Morgan County Judge Executive.
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Our next article is Sheriff's Office investigating mailbox explosions. The
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Morgan County Sheriff's Office is currently investigating multiple mailbox explosions
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in the Moon community of eastern Morgan County. Sheriff Greg
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Motley reports that West Liberty Police Department dispatchers received a
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nine to one one call at approximately twelve thirty am
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on Saturday, April twenty fifth, advising of an explosion near
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the one fifty nine eighteen Highway one seventy two residents
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of Leyman Williams. Dispatchers received a second call at twelve
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forty six regarding an explosion at the one four five
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seven eight Highway one seventy two residents of Natasha Holbrook,
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with the caller also reporting that their mailbox was in
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pieces on Highway one seventy two. Deputy Colt Bowman of
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the Morgan County Sheriff's office responded to the calls along
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with members of the Highway one seventy two Fire Department,
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who located a brushfire near the Williams Residence. Highway one
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seventy two Fire Department Chief John Coffee said that the
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firefighters extinguished the fire without further incident. Sheriff Motley shared
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a brief investigation update with the Courier on April twenty seven. Primarily,
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investigation indicates that some type of explosives was placed in
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the mailbox, As Motley said, it was also learned that
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a mailbox at the home of Danny Gillam on Rosebery
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Road was destroyed by similar means one week prior. The
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sheriff also stated that Deputy Moment has collected evidence amid
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the ongoing probe. Anyone with information or camery footage to
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relate it to the incidents is urged to contact Morgan
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County Sheriff's Office at seven four three thirty six thirteen
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or the West Liberty Police Department. Our next article is
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Commodities give away for Senior Citizens schedule for May six.
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Commodities will be given out on Wednesday, May sixth from
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eleven am to four pm. For the active and waiting list.
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It will be at Index Community Church Community Center, one
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seven four nine West Main Street. Please bring a note
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or a basket. No, I'm sorry, Please bring a tote
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or a basket with your name on it. If you
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have any questions or concerns, call six oh six five
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two two thirty nine eighty eight or six oh six
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four nine five fifty six thirty one. Our next article
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is Representative Richard White at Fiscal Court meeting to announce
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funds new Waterboard members sworn in bids awarded. County attorney
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asked apartment. County attorney asked court for raise again at
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April twenty third meeting by Miranda M. Cantrell. State Representative
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Richard White attended the regular April twenty third meeting of
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the Morgan County Fiscal Court to announce funding allocated to
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Morgan County during the recent legislative session. Judge Executive Jim
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Gaze introduced Representative White, who told the court members that
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funding was approved for all roads and that they had
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submitted to legislators prior to the General Assembly. I was shocked,
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Judge Gaizy said to Representative White, usually we get one
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or two roads. But we got every road this year.
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I appreciate that, and you carrying forward for US Representative
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White presented symbolic checks totaling more than one, I mean
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more than eleven point three million dollars for the following
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investments in Morgan County check number one one million, twenty
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four thousand dollars. The monies are allocated through the House
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Joint Resolution seventy six, which funds the Local Assistance Road
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Plan LARP or LARP with projects dedicated to the county
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and city road resurfacing projects. Roads included are Ryan Road
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fifty eight thousand dollars, Centerville Road one hundred and thirty
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nine thousand dollars, Big Mandy Road to one hundred and
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fifty eight thousand dollars, Pleasant Run Road two hundred and
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sixty seven thousand dollars in Lick Branch Road one hundred
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ninety eight thousand dollars Check number two eight million, seven
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hundred and ninety thousand. These moneys are allocated through House
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Bill five oh two Improvements Kentucky twenty four ninety eight
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Liberty Road from US four sixty to Morgan County ARH
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to promote immediate access and safer travel to the hospital
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check number three one million, five hundred thousand dollars. These
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moneys are allowed through House Bill nine hundred, a measure
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that includes one point five million in funding to Gateway
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Area Development District GAD to support an economic development funding
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initiative in Morgan County. Judge gay Ze further commented on
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the economic development funds after expressing his gratitude to Representative White.
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We ask for a number of things, and I really
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thought this was a long shot. Gaisey said. This money
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will come through Gateway ADD when we need it and
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it will be released to us. In twenty twenty seven
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there will be five hundred thousand dollars and in twenty
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twenty eight there will be one million dollars. This is
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for economic development to bring a company in, but there's
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more to do on that and we'll be working with
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Gateway ADD on it. Representative White thank Judge gay Z
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and the magistrets. Before concluding his presentation, I appreciate everybody
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in Morgan County, White said, I'm always available to anybody
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who needs to get a hold of me. Feel free
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to call me. This concludes excerpts from recent edition of
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the Lincoln Valley Courier. Your reader has been janis on
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behalf of everyone here at radio. I thank you for listening,
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keep on listening, and I hope you have a very
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good day.