Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / (Whitesburg) Mountain Eagle - 4.9.26

Transcript

(Whitesburg) Mountain Eagle - 4.9.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

0:01
Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Mountain Eagle to read news
0:04
from Whitesburg.
0:06
Speaker 2: Your reader today is Bill van Arsdale. We will begin
0:09
with the.
0:10
Speaker 1: Edition dated April eighth, twenty twenty six, which the publishers
0:14
have donated to a RADIOI as a reminder. RADIOI is
0:19
a reading service intended for people who are blind or
0:21
have other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
0:27
The first item is a photograph and the caption is
0:30
Club helps move books into Fleming Neon Library. More than
0:37
a dozen members of the Neon Lions Club were at
0:40
the Fleming Neon Public Library to help move books into
0:44
the newly renovated building. The library took on more than
0:48
five feet of water during the flood of twenty twenty two,
0:52
destroying the interior and its contents. The library district has
0:57
been buying books and accepting donations, and then cataloging books
1:02
and storing them in the main Herey M. Caudle Library
1:05
in Wisburg while the design and construction of the Fleming
1:09
Neon renovations was underway. An opening date will be set
1:14
later for when librarians finish putting the more than ten
1:18
thousand volumes on the shelves. The next headline is road
1:24
plan calls for forty million dollars to be spent on
1:28
leisure projects. Letcher County is slated to receive more than
1:33
forty million dollars in highway improvements over the next three
1:37
years under Kentucky's newly approved six year road Plan, with
1:42
additional major projects lined up beyond twenty twenty eight. The
1:48
funding is part of House Bill five oh two, which
1:51
establishes the state's twenty twenty six twenty eight biennial highway
1:55
construction Plan, part of a broader transportation budget to totaling
2:00
about three point four to one billion dollars in fiscal
2:04
year twenty twenty six twenty seven and three point six
2:08
two billion dollars in twenty twenty seven twenty eight across
2:12
Kentucky's one hundred twenty counties. The plan combines large scale
2:18
highway improvements, bridge replacements, local road resourfacing, and safety upgrades,
2:24
many of them tied to recovery efforts following the July
2:27
twenty twenty two flood. US one nineteen dominates near term funding.
2:36
The largest share of funding in Lecture County is directed
2:39
toward improvements to US one nineteen. Projects include a ten
2:44
million dollar effort to improve sections of the highway through making,
2:49
along with additional work aimed at improving safety and traffic
2:53
flow between Pine Mountain and Whitesburg. In total, more than
2:58
twenty million dollars in the three year plan is tied
3:02
to US one nineteen improvements bridges, Jenkins access and safety
3:09
work included. The plan also funds two bridge projects, one
3:15
on Kentucky nine thirty one over the north fork of
3:18
the Kentucky River and another on Kentucky twenty thirty six
3:22
at Rockhouse Creek, totally nearly four million dollars combined. In Jenkins,
3:29
a one point twenty five million dollar project on Kentucky
3:32
eighth five is designed to ease congestion and bring the
3:37
roadway up to modern standards. In addition, dozens of guardrail
3:42
installation projects are scattered across the county on routes including
3:46
Kentucky seven, Kentucky three seventeen, Kentucky four sixty three, Kentucky
3:52
five eighty eight, Kentucky nine thirty one, and Kentucky eleven
3:56
O three. Many of those projects addressed damage or safety
4:01
concerns highlighted by the July twenty twenty two flood. Local
4:07
road funding included. Separate from major highway projects, Leccher County
4:13
will also receive funding through the Local Assistance Road Program
4:18
that includes four hundred thirty eight thousand dollars to resurface
4:22
the Southeast Road, a county road between Rock Sanna and
4:26
Line Fork, providing direct improvements to local infrastructure. More projects
4:33
planned beyond twenty twenty eight. State planners have also identified
4:38
major additional projects for Letcher County in the later years
4:42
of the six year plan and beyond. Those include potential
4:48
widening and reconstruction of US one nineteen, including new alignments,
4:54
additional improvements to Kentucky eighth five near Jenkins, safety and
4:59
visibility upgrades on Kentucky nine thirty two, and intersection improvements
5:04
and spot roadway upgrades. Some of those long range projects
5:10
carry projected costs in the tens of millions of dollars,
5:14
indicating continued investment in the county's transportation network. Multi year
5:20
investment funding for current projects is spread over three fiscal years,
5:27
about thirteen point four million dollars in twenty twenty six,
5:32
about ten point six million dollars in twenty twenty seven,
5:36
and about sixteen point seven million dollars in twenty twenty
5:40
eight Leser County Road projects at a glance. Major highway
5:47
work US one nineteen improvements making and surrounding areas ten
5:52
million dollars. Additional US one nineteen safety and widening projects
5:58
twenty plus million dollars. Bridge projects Kentucky nine thirty one
6:04
North Fork Kentucky River two point one million dollars. Kentucky
6:08
twenty thirty six, Rockhouse Creek one point seven nine million dollars.
6:14
Jenkins Area, Kentucky eight five congestion and roadway improvements one
6:19
point twenty five million dollars. Local road funding, Southeast Road
6:26
resurfacing four hundred thirty eight thousand dollars. Safety improvements, guardrail
6:32
installation on multiple routes including Kentucky seven three, seventeen, four,
6:37
sixty three, five, eighty eight, nine thirty one, and eleven
6:41
o three. Future projects beyond twenty twenty eight. Major US
6:47
one nineteen widening and reconstruction projects, Additional Kentucky eight oh
6:52
five improvements Kentucky nine thirty two, safety upgrades, intersection and
6:58
spot improvements across the county. Total twenty twenty six to
7:03
twenty eight approximately forty million plus dollars. The next story
7:11
is Jenkins council cops can help ICE. The Jenkins City
7:18
Council has voted to sign a task force agreement with
7:22
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE, allowing Jakins City Police
7:27
to be deputized as federal immigration officers. ICE has also
7:33
approached the Lesser County Sheriff's office about joining the two
7:36
to eighty seven g program, but Sheriff Billy Jones said
7:40
the office is still reviewing the proposal. It is unknown
7:44
whether Fleming Neon has been approached. Wachburg Police received a
7:49
message about the program, but have no additional information. Assistant
7:53
Chief Justin Hunsucker said Prestonsburg, the Laurel County Sheriff's Office,
7:59
and several agencies in western Kentucky have already joined. The
8:04
council voted unanimously in favor of the agreement after Jenkins
8:09
Police Chief Jim Stevens said the program would provide funding,
8:13
including seven five hundred dollars for equipment and up to
8:17
one hundred thousand dollars for vehicles, as well as covering
8:20
officers' salaries and overtime related to ICE duties, including transporting
8:26
prisoners to London or assisting with operations if they call
8:31
and say hey, we need you to come to Carolina
8:33
and help us with a raid. They will pay my
8:36
salary while I'm gone. Stephen said, they'll cover the salary,
8:40
the benefits, and the overtime, so we don't actually owe anything.
8:45
I asked what the catch was, because it sounds pretty good.
8:48
Speaker 2: He said.
8:49
Speaker 1: The main issue is people hear ICE and think here
8:51
they go, They're going to start targeting everybody. That's not
8:55
what we're to do. Stephens said officers would not initiated
9:00
immigration enforcement actions on their own, but could check immigration
9:04
status when interacting with individuals for other reasons, such as
9:08
a dui stop. When a council member questioned how dui
9:13
stops would relate to ICE operations, Stephens said the department
9:17
could also be asked to assist ICE on operations such
9:21
as accompanying agents during a raid and a business where
9:25
undocumented workers are suspected. He emphasized that local officers would
9:30
not conduct independent immigration raids and would only assist ICE
9:35
when requested. Stephens said a regional ICE supervisor told him
9:41
officers would not be asked to approach businesses such as restaurants,
9:45
solely to check employees immigration status. Unfortunately, that's the way
9:50
it works for us as local law enforcement, Stephen said,
9:54
we can't just walk up to somebody and say, hey,
9:56
I need to see your immigration status. Nobody has their
10:00
own feelings about that, but my thought is if that's
10:04
another way to get somebody who is already committing crimes,
10:07
someone we've already caught, then that's something we can use
10:10
to hold them. Critics of the nine eighty seven G
10:15
program say it effectively turns local officers into immigration agents
10:21
and can include incentives tied to immigration arrests. Those arrests
10:26
are often based on administrative warrants issued by ICE, rather
10:30
than judicial warrants signed by a judge. City Attorney Calvin R.
10:36
Tackett asked Stephens how administrative warrants would interact.
10:40
Speaker 2: With existing criminal charges.
10:43
Speaker 1: Stephens said the department could choose to pursue state charges
10:46
first or allow immigration proceedings to take priority. He said
10:52
he sees no negative aspects of the program, aside from
10:55
potential public perception. Stevens added that participating in ICE operations
11:02
would not interfere with local policing duties. He said that,
11:06
as with other assignments outside the city, such as serving warrants,
11:11
in neighbouring counties, his shift would be covered if he
11:14
were asked to assist ice. In the next headline, ex
11:21
fire chief can't escape conviction, appeals court rules, the Kentucky
11:28
Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a former
11:32
Kings Creek fire chief who was sentenced to five years
11:35
in prison for first degree sexual abuse. Robert Wayne Mead,
11:42
also known as Bill Meade, was eighty one years old
11:45
when he was convicted on September nine, twenty twenty four.
11:50
Mead was the longtime chief of the King's Creek Volunteer
11:53
Fire Department, and some of the actions described in the
11:56
criminal case allegedly took place inside the same firehouse. According
12:02
to testimony, Mead took a fourteen year old girl to
12:06
a community dress giveaway to find a dress for her
12:09
eighth grade dance. She testified that on the way back,
12:13
Mead repeatedly placed his hand on her knee. She said
12:17
that when she told him to stop and said he
12:20
was making her uncomfortable, he began asking whether any one
12:23
in her family or any one else had ever touched
12:26
her before. When they arrived at the firehouse where she
12:30
was supposed to help, Mead's step son wash a fire
12:33
truck to earn money for the dance. She learned the
12:37
step son was in trouble and would not be there.
12:41
She turned on an audio recorder on her phone when
12:44
she arrived. According to the Court of Appeals ruling, the
12:48
audio is sometimes difficult to hear, but a man's voice
12:51
can be heard. After some rustling, the victim can be
12:55
heard exclaiming, don't touch my boobs, and the man responds okay.
13:00
The ruling states that the man then asked if she
13:03
wanted a doctor pepper. After she said no, she can
13:06
be heard talking to herself in a frightened tone before
13:10
realizing her phone was still recording. At trial, the victim
13:15
testified that during the recorded interaction, Mead had reached under
13:19
her shirt and touched her breasts. The victim said that
13:23
she was scared and confused by the encounter. The ruling says.
13:28
Mead appealed, arguing that the court aired in allowing the
13:32
recording because parts of the recording where Mead allegedly engaged
13:35
in sexual contact were not sufficiently comprehensible. The ruling noted
13:42
that the Kentucky Supreme Court has held that a judge
13:45
has discretion to decide whether an entire recording should be
13:49
excluded because portions are inaudible, depending on whether it is
13:53
sufficiently comprehensible. In this case, while we agree with Mead
13:58
that portions of the record are unclear due to background
14:02
noise and static, the portions revealing Meade's criminal conduct are not.
14:08
Speaker 2: The ruling states.
14:10
Speaker 1: The opinion notes that a man's voice on the recording
14:13
clearly says, come here now, baby, I won't hurt you,
14:16
I promise. The defense raised several additional arguments, including that
14:21
the victim's statements to herself on the recording constituted hearsay,
14:26
that she improperly interpreted the recording for the jury, and
14:30
that the prosecutor improperly suggested a pattern of behavior that
14:34
was not charged. The Court of Appeals rejected each of
14:38
those arguments. Mead's attorney also argued that the court aired
14:43
in allowing the victim to testify that Need touched her leg.
14:47
Because the incident allegedly occurred in a moving car, the
14:51
defense argued it could not be determined whether it took
14:53
place in Perry County or Electter County. A three judge
14:57
panel of the Court of Appeals unitedimously upheld the conviction.
15:03
The next story is Lady Cougar's pick up wins to
15:07
improve to seven and six softball mark. The Lecher County
15:13
Central Lady Cougar's fast pitched softball team improved to seven
15:18
and six on the season after picking up wins Monday
15:21
at Hazard and earlier in the week in Myrtle Beach,
15:24
South Carolina. Statistics for the Lady cougars five to four
15:29
win over Hazard were not available at press time. Letcher
15:33
Central also earned a decisive fifteen to nothing victory over
15:37
Lake Center Christian of Hartville, Ohio on April third during
15:42
play in the Ripken Classic. The Lady Cougars took control
15:46
early and never looked back, scoring fifteen runs on nine
15:50
hits in a dominant offensive performance. Scarlett Stamper led the
15:56
way at the plate, going two for three with two
15:58
RBIs and.
15:59
Speaker 2: Scored three runs.
16:01
Speaker 1: Katie Combs added two hits and an RBI while scoring
16:05
three runs, and Kaylee Bentley contributed a hit and drove
16:08
in a run. Several players added to the offensive effort,
16:13
including Lauren Richardson, Amira Cook, and Hayla Ambergy, each recording hits.
16:19
The Lady Cougars also showed aggressiveness on the base paths,
16:23
piling up thirteen stolen bases in the win. In the circle,
16:28
Stamper delivered a strong performance, tossing a three inning shutout
16:32
while allowing just one hit and striking out six. Letter
16:37
Central continues to build momentum as the season progresses and
16:41
will look to carry that success into upcoming games. And
16:46
the next headline is Lady Calves start strong. The Jingins
16:52
Lady Cavaliers fast pitched softball team is off to a
16:55
strong start, carrying a six to one record into Wednesday
16:59
night's home game against Hazard. Jenkins picked up two recent wins,
17:04
including an eleven to one victory in five innings over
17:07
Not County Central on April sixth Arianna Brown led the
17:11
Lady Calves at the plate, going two for four with
17:14
three RBIs, including a triple. Hailey Thacker added a perfect
17:19
day at the plate, going two for two with two RBIs,
17:23
while Addie Bailey and Ella Sutherland each collected two hits.
17:28
Johanna Banks also had two hits and drove in a run,
17:31
while Gracie Cornett and Isabella Holbrook contributed key hits in
17:36
a balanced offensive effort.
17:38
Speaker 2: That produced fifteen total hits.
17:41
Speaker 1: Banks was dominant in the circle, earning the win by
17:44
allowing just one run on three hits over five innings
17:48
while striking out six. The Lady Cavaliers also earned a
17:52
decisive fifteen to nothing win over Jackson City on April third.
17:58
Kaylee Sturgel paced Jenkins with three hits, while Isabella Holbrook
18:03
added two hits and an RBI, Arianna Brown went two
18:07
for two with an RBI, and Haley Thacker drove in
18:10
three runs. Elli Sutherland contributed a hit and three RBIs,
18:16
while several players added to the offensive surge. As Jenkins
18:20
finished with twelve hits, Banks was nearly untouchable in the circle,
18:25
tossing a five inning no hitter with eleven strikeouts and
18:29
just one walk. Jenkins has shown strength on both sides
18:34
of the ball, outscoring opponents twenty six to one in
18:37
its last two games while combining for twenty seven hits.
18:42
The Lady Cavaliers will travel to Pipe County on Thursday
18:45
to face east Ridge High School, followed by a trip
18:49
to Ewing, Virginia on Friday for games against Thomas Walker
18:53
High School and Farragut, Tennessee. Jenkins will return home next
18:58
week for consecutive games against Leslie County and Prestonsburg on
19:02
Monday and Tuesday. First pitch for both games is set
19:06
for six pm. And in the next story, LCC Boys
19:11
improved to eight and five. The Letcher County Central Cougar's
19:16
baseball team picked up back to back wins to improve
19:20
to eight and five on the season. The Cougars, coached
19:24
by Chris Ambervie, opened their forty game schedule on March twentieth,
19:29
and have gained momentum with recent victories over Powell County
19:32
and mcgoffin County. Lecher Central's latest win came Monday at
19:37
Alice Lloyd College in Peppa Passes, where the Cougars defeated
19:40
the mcgoffin County Hornets six to two. Jaden Ambervie led
19:45
the Cougars at the plate, going two for three with
19:48
an RBI. Kolby Watts added a hit and drove in
19:52
two runs, while Dylan Eldridge and Jayden Wright each contributed
19:56
hits and RBIs. On the mound, Mason b earned the win,
20:01
allowing two runs on three hits over four innings while
20:05
striking out three. Eldridge closed out the game with three
20:09
scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and striking out one.
20:14
On Saturday, April fourth, the Cougars earned a high scoring
20:18
fourteen to eleven win over host Powell County. Dylan Eldridge
20:23
had a big day offensively, going four for four with
20:26
three RBIs. Mason Boggs added three hits and two RBIs,
20:31
while Colby Watts contributed two hits and an RBI. Davin
20:36
Ratliffe also added a hit and drove in a run,
20:39
and several Cougars contributed to a balanced offensive effort that
20:43
produced fifteen hits. Wright and Colton Mullins handle pitching duties.
20:49
Wright worked four innings, allowing six hits and four runs
20:52
while striking out two. Mullins pitched three innings, giving up
20:57
seven hits and four earned runs while striking out. As
21:02
a team, the Cougars showed strong offensive production in both games,
21:06
combining for twenty runs and twenty hits. Lecher Central returns
21:11
to action Friday on the road at Lawrence County. The
21:15
Cougars will then host Hazard at six pm on Monday,
21:18
April thirteen, before traveling to Pikeville for a six pm
21:22
game Tuesday. The next story is award winning science teacher
21:29
is remembered for her work in lecture. A celebration of
21:34
the life of Regina Donawer will be held this weekend
21:37
in Samantha, Alabama. A celebration of the life for former
21:43
Lectra County School teacher Regina Donahour will be held April
21:46
eleventh at the North Side Lions Club in Samantha, Alabama.
21:52
Miss Donour, aged seventy, passed away on March tenth after
21:56
a courageous six year battle with erdheim Schester disease. Miss
22:01
Donaer dedicated over twenty years of her life to teaching science,
22:06
most of them at Letcher County Central High School, where
22:09
she profoundly impacted the lives of countless students. Known for
22:14
her innovative, hands on approach to education, she brought learning
22:18
to life through field work, experiential projects, and programs that
22:23
earned recognition and support beyond her classroom. Her passion for
22:28
discovery extended far beyond the classroom, and she delighted in
22:32
sharing that curiosity with others. An avid traveler, Regina shared
22:38
her love of the world with both her children and
22:40
her students, leading summer trips to Europe that created lasting
22:45
memories and broadened perspectives. Regina was a woman of curiosity, generosity,
22:52
and quiet strength, instilling in those around her a deep
22:56
appreciation for education, exploration, and adventure. In November two thousand seven,
23:03
Miss Donauer was named High School Science Teacher of the
23:06
Year at the Kentucky Science Teachers Association Annual Awards program
23:11
in Lexington. She received a Bachelor of Science in biology
23:16
from the University of Alabama, a Master of Art degree
23:20
in secondary education from Moorhead State University, and a Master
23:24
of Science degree in Natural science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
23:30
She also had a National Board certification in Adolescents and
23:33
Young Adulthood Science. Miss Donauer was also named the Kentucky
23:38
Association of Environmental Educations two thousand and five Kentucky Environmental
23:43
Educator of the Year. In addition to serving as Lecter
23:48
Central's academic coach, she was an adjunct chemistry professor at
23:53
Southeast Community College, a member of the Teacher Advisory Board
23:57
for the National Energy Education Development, a member of the
24:01
management team for the National Science Foundation, the Kentucky Science
24:05
Teachers Association, the National Science Teachers Association, and the Kentucky
24:10
Association of Environmental educators. She is survived by her siblings,
24:16
Denise and w c, her children Owen, Donauer and Meg,
24:21
and her beloved grandchildren Beverly, Remy, Catherine, Penelope and Zaid.
24:28
The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to all who supported
24:31
her throughout her illness. In lieu of flowers, Those wishing
24:36
to honor Regina's memory may make a donation to the
24:39
Erntheim Chester Disease Global Alliance. The next story is defense
24:46
has renewed effort to oust judge in Stein's case. The
24:52
murder case against former Electric County Sheriff Sean Mickey Steins
24:56
is continuing as his attorneys make another effort to remove
25:01
Special Lecturer Circuit Judge Christopher Koran from the case. The
25:05
latest filing includes language an entical to a previously filed
25:09
motion seeking Koran's disqualification, but this time is submitted as
25:14
an affidavit initialed by Steins. Koran, who serves as a
25:19
circuit judge in Bulling Green, was appointed to the case
25:22
after Lecturer Circuit Judge James W. Craft stepped down. Steins
25:27
is accused of firing at least eight shots into District
25:31
Judge Kevin Mullins as Mullins sat at his desk one
25:35
floor below Craft's office. Koran is the third judge assigned
25:40
to the case. Retired Judge Rupert Wilhoyt of Carter County
25:45
presided over Steines's initial appearance, followed by retired Fayette County
25:50
Judge Julia Adams. The affidavit filed by Steins's defense argues
25:57
that Koran should be removed because he and Mullins both
26:00
served on the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health. It
26:04
claims the two sat inches apart during a meeting of
26:08
the seventy five member commission, and that Koran appears to
26:11
nod in approval of a point in Mullens's report. Video
26:16
from that meeting shows Koran entered more than an hour
26:19
after Mullins and sat two chairs away from him at
26:22
a long table. The two do not appear to acknowledge
26:25
one another. The Kentucky Supreme Court previously rejected the motion
26:31
and returned the matter to Koran for a ruin. Koran
26:34
denied their request on March sixth, stating he could not
26:38
recall any formal or informal professional or personal interaction with
26:42
Judge Mullins on any occasion, I fully believe that sharing
26:47
no more than the same area at a professional meeting
26:50
with dozens of other individuals in attendance, no one would
26:54
reasonably consider it relevant to a possible motion for disqualification,
26:58
Koran wrote. The affidavit filed last week contains the same
27:03
arguments included in the earlier motion. The next headline is
27:09
Letcher Schools start nationwide superintendent search. The Letcher County Board
27:15
of Education has begun a nationwide search for a new
27:18
superintendent following the announcement by Denise Yance that she will
27:23
retire at the end of June. The board began advertising
27:27
the position through the Kentucky School Boards Association this week
27:31
and will pay the k s B a seven thousand
27:33
dollars plus mileage to handle the logistics of the search.
27:39
Tim Eaton of the k SBA, who has assisted the
27:42
district with superintendent searches twice before, told the board Thursday
27:47
that a six member screening committee will be formed. The
27:51
committee will include a board member, a principal elected by
27:54
principals in the district, two teachers selected by the Kentucky
27:58
Education Association of affiliate it, a parent from a school
28:02
with a parent teacher organization and a classified employee. The
28:07
screening Committee will review applications and recommend the candidates it
28:11
considers most qualified. The Board will interview those candidates, along
28:16
with any applicants from Letcher County who are not selected
28:19
by the committee. This concludes the reading of the Mountain Eagle.
28:26
Your reader has been Bill then Arsenale. Now please stay
28:30
tuned for continued programming on behalf of everyone here at Radio.
28:34
Speaker 2: I thank you for listening, and have a good day.