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Pike Co. News - 5.4.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the reading of the Apalachian News
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Express for news in Pikeville and Pike County. As a reminder,
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Radio Eized reading service intended for people who are blind
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to have other disabilities that make it difficult to read
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printed material. The Apalachian News Express is donated to the
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Radio Eye by the publisher and your reader today's Eric Effett.
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When we will begin with the edition and dated May one,
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twenty twenty sixth and in our top story today. Two
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Pikeville firefighters were recognized for bravery during the April twenty
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seventh Pikeville City Commission meeting. Lieutenant Marcus Riddle and Firefighter E. M.
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T Evan Kimberlin received the City's Medal of Valor, along
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with proclamations and certificates their efforts in rescuing a man
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stranded in the Big Sandy River. On March seventeenth, the
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Pikeville Fire Department was dispatched to a medical water riscuing
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incident behind MacDonald's on Cassidy Boulevard involving a vehicle that
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had entered the river near Cassidy Boulevard bridge with the
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drivers still in the water. Emergency crews found the man
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clinging to a tree in near freezing river conditions, which
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presented an immediate threat to life. Those two men, without
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hesitation and with full disregard for their own safety, entered
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the frigid water to reach the victim. Pikeville Fire Chief
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Johnny Cole said this demonstrated extraordinary bravery, skill and commitment.
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Under the extreme and hazardous conditions. Riddle and Kimberland successfully
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secured the victim and brought him safely to shore, where
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he received prompt medical evaluations and was transported to Pikeville
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Medical Center for further care. These actions exemplify the highest
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standards of the fire service and reflect great creditor on themselves,
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the Pikeville Fire Department and City of Pikeville. Pipeville Mayor
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Jimmy Carter said the courage, professionalism, and dedication displayed by
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these individuals serve as an inspiration to all and reinforce
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the unwavering commitment of Pikeville's first responders to protect and
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serve the community. And In our next story, Hesterberg discusses
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political goals during forum. A candidate in the ninety fifth
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district Kentucky State House of Representatives race highlighted things he
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would like to see happen. During a public forum hosted
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by the Appalachian News Express if he is successful in
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upcoming elections, Tanner Hesterberg, a Pikeville attorney and Prestonburgh resident,
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emphasized the need to reverse Eastern Kentucky's population decline, protect
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coal jobs, expand the Commonwealth's economic concentive program, and improve
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healthcare reform. Both Heisterberg and his opponent, Will Crace Junior
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had committed to participate in the forum. However, only days
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before the event, Crase decided not to attend. Heisterberg is
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competing with Craise the Republican NOD during the May nineteenth
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primary election. The winner of the primary will face off
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against Democrat Johnny Ray Turner in the general election. Current
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ninety fifth District State Representative Ashley tack At Lafferty and
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d of Martin, decided not to seek re election. The
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ninety fifth district encompasses the entirety of Floyd County and
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a portion of Pike County, including pike Wille and Coal run.
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Heisterberg took several shots of Grace regarding Crace's decision not
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to attend the form. I think it is important for
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candidates to show up and show how they can answer question.
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Heisterberg said, my opponent dropped out of this debate several
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days before the debate, after we had both committed to
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it and added on our calendars for more than two months.
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Is a real shame because it is depriving the voters
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in this district of the opportunity to see us and
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Harris articulate our policy positions. Voters deserve to see how
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candidates are going to react in a forum like this,
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he continued. They need to be able to defend themselves
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in a position like this, because that is what they
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are going to be called on to do in Frankfort.
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We don't need someone who's going to go down and
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get steamrolled and not be able to effectively fight for
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us here and Pike in Floyd Counties. Heisterberg said that
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the two of Eastern Kentucky's biggest issues, the struggling economic
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landscape and the continuing out migration by the region's population,
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go hand in hand. He said the state's Economic Development
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Office needs to be more aggressive when it comes to
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recruiting new business and industries, especially in rural areas, to
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help with this. Heisterberg said He would support legislation that
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would expand the current two tier economic incentive program for
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economic recruitment and that would make the Commonwealth a major
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energy producer once again. Our coal industry has been decimated
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by democratic policies and the war on coal. He said.
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We are in an AI artificial intelligence race with China
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is going to take power to win. Then we have
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an abundance of this wonderful natural resource still in our
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hills that's capable of powering us to victory in the
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AI race, the same way coal powered us through victory
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in World War Two and powered us through the Industrial Revolution.
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He said, it is incumbent on the state to promote
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a friendly regulatory environment for coal industry. I also think
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we need to be more aggressive in how we recruit
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businesses here in Eastern Kentucky. Heisterberg said, it's all about
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creative solutions. If you do what you have always done,
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then you will always get what you've always gotten. Right now,
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we have a two tiered approach to handling out economic incentives.
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I would be in favor of expanding that to four
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or five tiers. He continued. The fours and fives would
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be your more economically dispressed communities. The ones and twos
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will be areas of the state that are doing quite
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well economically. That would make counties like Pike and Floyd,
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which are struggling, be able to offer more incentives to
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companies that are interested in locating in the state. He
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said that improving the economic outlook in eastern Kentucky would
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help to stop most of the out migration and even
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bring people back to the re agent Heisterberg said that
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he would also be in favor of new regulations that
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would crack down on medicaid fraud and waste, improve the
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state's educational system, and support small businesses. Next, the Farmers
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Market schedule's first pop up event. The Pikeville Farmers Market
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is gearing up for its twenty twenty sixth season with
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a series of pop up markets each Saturday in May,
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with a full opening in June. According to Pike County
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Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Agent Emily Davis, the Farmers
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Market will have around sixty new and returning vendors this year,
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with a variety of special events occurring throughout the season.
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The market offers a variety of resources to assist the
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market patrons with their purchases, including senior vouchers, the acceptance
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of WIC vouchers, and the double Dollars program. Items available
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at the Pipeville Farmers Market vary as the season progresses.
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Davis said, Early in the season, we'll have lots of
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plants and some produce from vendors that have high tunnels.
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She said, Then later in the year, there'll be tons
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of different kinds of fresh produce, fruits, vegetables. We have
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honey and baked goods including cakes, pies, treats, and anything
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sweet you can think of. We have several vendors that
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cater to dietary needs, such as sugar free, gluten free,
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and dairy free goods. Davis continued, this way, people with
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allergies or food restrictions can come and get baked goods
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and foods that are hard to find. Also, visitors will
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be able to find jams and jellies, homemade crafts, and quilts.
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Davis said, sometimes a vendor comes with a cut flowers,
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and as fall sets in, vendors will offer a variety
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of pumpkins, squashes, dried corn, fodder, shocks, and other items
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for harvest decorations, food safety. Anytime, a large variety of
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vendor offer food products, the question of food safety arises.
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Davis said that the patrons of the market can be
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assured that safety protocols are in place. All vendors are
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required to attend the safety educational seasons. She said, they
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take a lot of classes and participate in training sessions
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for food safety. People don't think about it, but in
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addition to the hardships that come along with being a farmer,
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they also have to get a lot of licenses and
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certificates for anything food related. They sit for hours for
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produce best practices classes. Davis continued, we do special training
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for anyone providing free samples and prepared items. Then we
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also train them if they are going to participate in
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the Senior Voucher and wick. Dates and times. The first
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pop up will be on May second and will feature
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a free paint and plant event sponsored by the Pike
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County Extension Services Division of Community Arts and Agriculture and
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Natural Resources. Beginning with the pop up markets and extending
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the pop ups in the fall, the Pikeeville Farmers Market
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will be opened from nine am to one pm every Saturday.
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As the market begins its regular season. It will also
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be opened from four to thirty pm to seven pm
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on Tuesday evenings. The Pikeville Farmers Market is located at
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one thirty Adams Lane in Pikeville, near the Community Trust
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head Bank Headquarters, adjacent to the Pikeville High School Athletic Complex,
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and now from the Pikeville Police Department. Pikeville man facing
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felony charges after pursuit. A Pikeville man is facing several
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felony charges after Pikeville police said he led officers on
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a vehicle pursuit before crashing a stolen car. According to
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an arrest citation written by Pikeville Police Department officer Justin Pratter,
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at approximately one for five a m. On April twenty eighth,
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he was pulling out of a parking lot of the
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Pikeville Police Department when a vehicle passing by this on
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Pike Street accelerated to a high rate of speed. The vehicle,
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Prather wrote, then went through the intersection of Pike Street
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and Second Street without making a stop, before traveling onto
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Main Street, where the driver began traveling in the wrong
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direction on a one way street. Pratter wrote that he
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began to chase the vehicle, traveling in fifty five miles
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an hour on Main Street and was unable to catch up.
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The citation said the vehicle then crossed Huffman Avenue and
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did not stop until striking a concrete pole and coming
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to her arrest. The driver, later identified as Jacob T. Wilson, eighteen,
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of South College Street, Pikeville, then got out of the
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vehicle and began to run on foot through the Pikeville
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City Park, the citation said. Prereder wrote that the Pipeville
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Police Department officer Brayden Huntered, was also responding and hydro
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planed as he approached the wrecked vehicle before his cruiser
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then struck a different concrete pole. According to the citations,
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officers located Wilson hiding behind the house on Cumberland Court
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and attained him. Prather wrote that Wilson appeared to be
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intoxicated and was found to be in possession of marijuana.
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During the course of the chase. Prather wrote the officers
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were placed in grave risk of serious injury, and one
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of the officers, Patrick Coleman, injured his hand while pursuing
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Wilson on foot. The citation said that when the officers
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examined the vehicle, Wilson had been driving they found that
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the fuse panel had been pulled out and the car
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appeared to have been stolen Prather Road, that the vehicle
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owner told officers that Wilson did not have permission to
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be in the vehicle. After being medically cleared, Wilson was
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lodged in the Pike County Detention Center on charges of
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duy aggravating circumstances, first degree, fleeing or evading police motor vehicle,
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first degree fleeing and evating police on foot, first degree
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criminal mischief, second degree criminal mischief, first degree wanton, endangerment
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of a police officer, possession of marijuana, auto theft ten
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thousand dollars to one million dollars, menacing, and traffic charges.
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And he is just one of several lodged in the
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Pike County Detention Center. Several individuals were recently arrested and
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launched in the Pike County Detention Center. Those arrested, according
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to the booking log at the jail, included Monday, April
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twenty seventh, Seawn R. Gayheart, thirty seven, Falcon Road, Sailersville,
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prole violation, convicted felon in possession of a handgun, menacing,
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second degree fleeing or evading police on foot, resisting arrest,
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third degree assault police officer or probation officer, and first
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degree persistent felony offender. Leah Leshee P. Sargeant thirty five
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of industrial park hazard prole violation on Tuesday, April twenty eighth.
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Barbara C. Mayhew sixty nine, Peter Fork Road, maccarr DUI,
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first defense, first degree possession of a controlled substance methmphetamine,
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and possession of marijuana. Dakota L. Blankenship twenty five West
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Fifth Avenue, Williamson, West Virginia, second degree possession of a
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controlled substance public intoxication and third degree trespassing. Jacob D. Wilson,
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eighteen College Street, Pikeville, DUI. Aggravating circumstances, first offense, first
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degree fleeing oravating police in a motor vehicle, first degree
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criminal mischief, second degree criminal mischief, possession of marijuana, and
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traffic violations. Carter J. Ritchie sixty one, Lee's Lane Allen,
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Failure to appear for a traffic violation. Bradley as Penyon
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thirty two, Little Hackney Creek Mouthcard probation violation. James A. Nice,
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fifty six Forest Hills Road, Belfrey pro violation, Christ the
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Little twenty eight Penny Highway, Pipeville, contempt of court. Larry W.
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Kahn fifty Sycamore Road, ash Camp failure to appear. Brittany N.
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Rogers thirty one, Elkhorn Creek Road, Shelby Gap, fourth degree assault,
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probation violations on Wednesday, April twenty ninth, Dominique Saxton forty eight,
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correctional drive Wheelwright parole violation, Joshua Harris thirty five Keneewaw Road, Pipeville,
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first degree fleeing oravating police. Emily E. Kenney twenty ninth,
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Right Fork of Beaver Creek, Elkhorn City, probation violation, Dustin M.
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Cheeks forty eight, Daniels Branch, Pinteville, failure to appear. Justin
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Tyler Tackett thirty nine, Kentucky eight oh five Jenkins d
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Ui first defense, first degree possession of a controlled substance methmphetamine,
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first defense, third degree possession of a controlled substance, possession
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of drug paraphernalia, controls substance, prescription not an original container,
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and traffic violations. Van G. T. Thacker fifty two, Kentucky,
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two ninety two Belfrey, failure to appear, third degree burglary
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and non payment of fines. Angel A Kelly, thirty sixth
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Long Branch Road, Belfrey, public intoxication and possession of drug
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paraphernalia on Thursday, April thirtieth. Dominique A. Mitcham, forty one
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Anderson Street, Williamson, West Virginia. Third degree burglary, third degree
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fleeing O evading police, first degree trafficking in a controlled
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substance fentoml first defense, first degree trafficking in a controlled
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substance methanmphetamine, first defense, first degree promoting contraband, and failure
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to appear. And Judy Juliet D. Miller sixty addressed unavailable
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d U Y first offense and traffic violations. The Editor's note,
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The above list reflects people lodged in the Pike County
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Detention Center. The charges against them are merely accusations, and
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the defendants are presumed innocent and tell and if and
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when they are proven guilty or enter a guilty plea
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and now. In this week's obituaries. Paul Bennett, Junior Paul
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Henry Bennett, Junior, seventy six of Lorton, Virginia passed away
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peacefully at home on Saturday, April eleventh, twenty twenty six.
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Clarence dots In Junior Clarence Dotson Junior, seventy four of
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Wellington left us Friday, April twenty fourth, twenty twenty sixth
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likely to go find George Jones sitting in his favorite
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rocking chair. Ruth Ferente Ruth Elaine Candra Ferente, seventy nine
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of Sarah Anne West, Virginia, passed from his earth flea
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life Thursday April twenty third, twenty twenty six, at the
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Pikeville Medical Center. Alan Gibson Alan Ray Gibson, seventy two
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of Hellure died Saturday April twenty fifth, twenty twenty six.
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Christopher Jesse Christopher David Jesse, fifty three passed away peacefully
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on Monday, April twenty seventh, twenty twenty six. Lowell Robinson
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Lowell Dean Robinson died peacefully at his residence on Sunday,
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April twenty sixth, twenty twenty six. And Sandra Lee Sexton
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Sandra Lee Sexton, fifty six of Mouthcard died Wednesday April
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twenty seven, twenty twenty six and in our next story,
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you Pike announces new Director of Instrumental Music special to
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Appalachian Newspapers. The University of Pikeville is pleased to announce
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the appointment of Kelly Ryan Taylor, DME as Director of
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Instrumental Music. Taylor, according to a statement from You Pike,
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brings nearly three decades of experience in music education, performance,
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and program leadership to up you Pike. In his new role,
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he will lead the university's instrumental music program, oversea band initiatives,
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and support the continued growth of music opportunities for students.
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Prior to joining EUPICHE, the statement said, Taylor served as
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music director with the Litchfield Public Schools in Minnesota, where
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he led band instrumentation for grades five through twelve, directed
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jazz and marking band ensembles, and developed innovative curriculum for
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young musicians. His career also includes leadership roles and public
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and private schools, as well as in competitive percussion and
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marching arts programs. Taylor earned a doctor degree of Music
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education with high Distinction from Liberty University, where his research
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focused on rural music, peteology, and teacher preparation. He also
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holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from
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Concordia University in Portland, a bachelor's degree of music education
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from Osberg College, and bachelor's degrees in mortuary science from
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the University of Minnesota. The statement read, Taylor has presented
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research at regional and national music education conferences and has
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focused much of his work on instrumental music education and
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rural communities. His experience as an educator, performer, an advocate
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for music education demonstrates his commitment to student success an
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artistic achievement. The statement said, I am honored to join
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the University of Pikeville and aim eager to begin this
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new chapter. Said, my focus will be on elevating the
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instrumental music program by building upon the foundations already in place,
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fostering a culture of excellence and artistry for our students.
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Humanity's Division Chair Summer in Bingham Music, PhD. The statement said,
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is grateful for the leadership of Associate Professor and Director
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of Choral and Commercial Vocal Music Studies, Eric Rutherford, DMA,
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who has stepped up to manage the extra responsibilities as
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the interim band director over the past year. Building on
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that Foundation. She is now thrilled to welcome Taylor to
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the team. The statement said, doctor Taylor brings a wealth
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of experience and specialized expertise in rural music peteology, making
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him an ideal leader to continue moving our program forward.
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Music said, understanding the cultural and educational strengths of our region,
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doctor Taylor's vision and talents will be an incredible asset.
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We look forward to seeing what our faculty and students
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will accomplish together. And finally, today, as a special to
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the Appalachian Newspaper, Elevate Kentucky twenty twenty six Class Leadership
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Kentucky announced in the statement April twentieth that members of
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the Elevate Kentucky Class of twenty twenty six. Launched in
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two thousand seventeen, Elevate Kentucky provides young professionals with an
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in depth personal and professional development program that fosters a
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better understanding of the challenges facing our communities. The class
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participates in three sessions taking place April through June and Pikeville, Owensboro,
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and Georgetown, Northern Kentucky. Class members will hear from the
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thought provoking Kentucky leaders, learn about issues and opportunities facing
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our state and gain insight about personal leadership abilities. Class
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members will also engage in panel discussions, participate in experiential
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learning opportunities, gained increased leadership skills, and receive both regional
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and statewide perspectives while traveling across Kentucky, the statement said,
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Elevate has really inspired me to be a part of
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that change that will continue to move this great state
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f forward for the future generations. Said josh Ryan, Elevate
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class of twenty twenty six. I am so proud to
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know now call this place home and call myself a Kentuckian.
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Participants of the Elevate Kentucky program return to their organizations
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and communities with more skills, knowledge, respectives, and a new
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statewide professional network, the statement said. These leaders, according to
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the statement, are better prepared to be catalysts in their
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communities to elevate Kentucky. This year's class includes twenty six
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participants from across the state, representing a variety of public
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and private sectors. Included in this year's participants is Brandy
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Kaiser Pike County Community Trust Bank, and I'm afraid that's
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all we have time for for to day. This concludes
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the day's reading of the Appalachian News Express. You're a
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reader today, hasmand Eric Everett and I thank you for
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joining me. Please stay tuned for more programming on the radio.
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