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Pike Co. News - 3.23.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the reading of the Appalachian News
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Express for News and Pikeville in Pike County. As a reminder,
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RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
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blind or have other difficult disabilities that make it difficult
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to read printed material. The Apalachian News Express is donated
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to RADIOI by the publisher. Your reader today is Darcy Macardell.
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We will begin with the e edition dated March the
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twentieth through the twenty third of twenty twenty six. Our
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first article from the front page is Fiscal Court sets
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increased salaries for County Attorney Coroner by Terry L. May,
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News Editor. The Pike County Fiscal Court voted to increase
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the salaries for the County Attorney and County Coroner. The
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races will be effective following the current election cycle in
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January of twenty twenty seven. The new pay scale will
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give the County Attorney current officeholder Paul Howard, is unchallenged
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in the election, a significant rays of roughly ten thousand
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dollars and was passed unanimously by the court. However, the
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decision over the amount to give the incoming coroner took
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more discussion and ultimately ended in a compromised by the
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court which more than doubles the current salary. The office
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is held currently by Kevin Hall, who is challenged in
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the Republican primary by Brenda Johnson. The action came after
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Assistant Pike County Attorney Roy Downey, who serves as the
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Fiscal Court's legal adviser, said the Court is statutorily required
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to set the salaries of those two offices. He explained
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it is similar to the requirement it had complied with
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last month to set the salaries for incoming magistrates. Downey
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said the salaries must be set before the primary election,
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therefore making it a time sensitive matter. Pike County jo
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Much Executive Ray S. Jones, said he would be out
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of town for the first April Fiscal Court because of
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family obligations. He suggested calling a special meeting to set
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the salaries or wait until the second meeting later in April. However,
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the commissioners agreed to take up the request during the
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meeting on a March seventeenth, even though the item was
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not on the agenda, but was addressed under the County
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Attorney's comments portion of the agenda. The current salary paid
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to the county attorney is roughly about fifty five thousand,
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which is behind schedule because of several reasons, Downey said
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to the court, for years, the county attorney's salary hasn't
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been adjusted. He said, the current state guidelines are that
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county attorneys should be paid a minimum of sixty five
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two fifty eight friends for the county attorney's salary came
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from a cost sharing formula, with this state paying sixty
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percent of the amount and the county being responsible for
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the remaining forty percent. The Court voted to fund forty
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percent of the state's minimum recommendation. The coroner is a
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little bit different, Downey said, we don't have the same
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guidance they set a maximum. He explained, the Pike County
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Coroner's office does a lot of work, especially when contrasted
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to other counties similar to Pike County, yet the salary
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for that office is below what others receive if you
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do comparable counties with comparable populations, and that is kind
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of off because we have the largest hospital east of Lexington,
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and we also have ar Ah. Our current coroner is
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woefully underpaid. Downy said. He is in the neighborhood of
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thirty four thousand. Jen's agreed with Downey. I can say
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this Davis County, which has a bit more population, but
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I'm not sure has any more calls, is eighty six
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thousand dollars, Jen said. M Krakan County, which is about
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our size, is seventy five thousand, and these are twenty
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twenty three numbers. Following a discussion concerning the coroner's salary,
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District one Commissioner Ronald Scott made a motion to set
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the new salary at sixty five k. However, Jones countered
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with emotion to make the salary seventy five. Scott stated
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that he stood behind his original motion. The court remained
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in silence for a few moments. Reflexing on the impasse,
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the court eventually voted ford to zero to set the
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incoming coroner's salary at a compromise level of seventy thousand.
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Our next article from the front page is pikefel Rotary
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host annual seminar for young women by Terry L. Main,
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News Editor. The Pikeville Rotary Club marked a milestone on
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March twelfth, as its Empowering Girls of Appalachia marked its
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fifth year. The symposium which was held on the University
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of Pikeville campus, is a signature youth leadership in career
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exposure program hosted by the local club. It is also
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part of the Global Rotary International Empowering Girls Initiative, which
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is encouraging clubs to create programs that help girls gain confidence,
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education and leadership opportunities. According to Pikeville Rotary President Karen
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roberts Prater, it is designed to inspire an empower high
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school girls in Pike County by connecting them with successful
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women from across Appalachian She said. The local event was
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founded by Pikeville physician doctor Sima Suchtieva, who is a
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past District governor of Rotary International District sixty seven forty
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Pikeville Women of Rotary exposes our young Pike County students
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to true role models of strong, spirited, well educated, and
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successful Appalachian women such Diva. Tuus said the program was
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equally swift, split between speakers in a circuit of stations
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where participants were exposed to hands on experience with diverse vocations.
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Such Diva and Praeters said that each year, the Pikeful
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Rotary Club invites all ninth grade girls from each of
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the Pike County's six high schools Belfrey, east Ridge, Phelps,
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Pike Central, Pikeville, and Shelby Valley to attend the symposium
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is no cost. The event featured the Pike County Central
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High School Choir under the direction of Jacob Thacker, and
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presentations by such Diva, doctor Genesi, Kilgore Bowling, doctor Kay Webb,
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Angela Lockhart, and Laura Danren. Activities included inspirational programs from
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women who are leaders in business, healthcare, and education. Career
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explorations stations that allowed participants to rotate through hands on
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experiences with professions such as healthcare, communications, military service, arts, education, banking,
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and engineering, among others. Shadowing opportunities with female rotarians and
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community press professionals to experience real workplaces. Students are led
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through affirmation activities focused on recognizing their worth, value, voice,
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and limitless possibilities. Such divas in Kilgore Bowling encouraged the
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girls to dream beyond the boundaries and limitations often imposed
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on Appalachium, while reminding them that their roots and home
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are sources of strength they can carry anywhere. Demmard encourage
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attendees to rethink what leadership truly means. Such Divas continued.
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She emphasized that leadership isn't defined by popularity or a title,
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but by the ability to positively influence othership. It begins
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with the small choices people make each day and the
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courage to use their voices to lift others and to
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stand up for what is right. Web Lockert introduced students
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to the Japanese concept of ikey guy, which translates to
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a reason of being or finding one line's purpose. Such
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Diva said. The information stations offered included eight circuits by
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Pikeville Medical Center. Big Sandy Community and Technical College was
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represented by its biology program and cyber security department. Also
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present were Gallon College of Nursing, American National University, Appalachian
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Center for the Arts, Community Trust Bank, and recruiters from
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the US Army. The University of Pikeville featured its Schools
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of Social Work in Nursing, College of Nursing, Office of
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Recruitment and Ambissions k y Com. Such Diva said, Female
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Rotarians and Friends of Rotary offer experiential shadowing opportunities for
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students during the summer break. She said, the students were
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also given a light breakfast, a full lunch and time
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for fellowship with students from other high schools. The Empowering
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Girls of Appalachia Symposium was organized by Committee Chairwoman Sachsteva Praeter,
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Pikeville Rotary President Elect Shelley Justice Fouts, James Glass, Kilgore Bowling,
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Stephanie Abshier, and Terry Walters and Webb. The event was
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sponsored by Rotary Foundation Districts sixty seven forty Grant, Pikeville
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Rotary Club, Community Trust Bank, Pikeville Medical Center, University of Pikeville,
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and pikevillel Women's Club. Our next article from the front
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page is p f D conducts water rescue. A News
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Express staff report a car went into the Big Sandy
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River near the Cast City Boulevard McDonald's on the evening
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of March seventeenth. The incident resulted in a water rescue
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conducted by the Pikefulle Fire Department. The call was originally
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dispatched as a single vehicle that had entered the river
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near the Cassie Boulevard bridge, with the mail operators still
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in the water. According to PFD Chief Johnny Cole. Upon arrival,
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Cruz located a male subject clinging to a tree in
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the river in near freezing conditions without hesitation. Two of
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our members, Lieutenant Marcus Riddle and Ffemt. Evan Kimberland, entered
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the water and made a cross to the victim, demonstrating
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exceptional courage and commitment under extreme conditions. Cole said his
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department arrived on the scene around seven thirty pm that
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evening and remained on site till about eleven thirty pm.
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He said his department was assisted by the Central I'm Sorry,
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the Pikeville Police Department, by County Emergency Management and Road
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Tested Wrecker Service PFD personnel successfully secured the individual and
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brought him safely to shore, where he was immediately assessed
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and transported to Pipfel Medical Center. Cole said. He said
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the man who was pulled from the about ten feet
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into the water, was exhibiting signs of hypothermium despite being
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in about ten feet of fridgid water. Members of the
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fire department conducting the rescue efforts sufvered no effects during
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the accident. The incident highlights the bravery and training and
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dedication or personnel who are always ready to act when
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lives are at risk, no matter the conditions. Cole said,
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We are proud of the quick actions taken by our
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members and remained committed to protecting and serving our community.
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Our final article from the front page of the Appalachian
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News Express is this hill Billy Day's Fast Approaching by
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Gary Sloan's staff writer. Pikeville is about to transition to
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a festival city as the forty ninth annual Hill Billy
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Day's Festival begins April sixteenth and runs through April eighteenth.
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Jimmy Kinney, son of one of the event founders, Grady Kinney,
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said Hillbilly Days kicks off the festival season in the region.
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When Dad Anne Howard Dirty ear Stratton sat down at
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the kitchen table some fifty years ago to begin discussing
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creating an event, they wanted this festival to be the
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first Shriner's festival of the year. Kenny said, they know
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all the Shriners had been cooped up all winter and
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they were ready to let loose and have fun. And
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having fun is certainly the theme of the now three
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day event. It started with just a parade forty nine
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years ago and it has grown into this massive three
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days of fun, food and music. Kenney said it's the
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second largest festival in the state, second only to the
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Kentucky Derby, and that's a five day event. The event
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began as a Shriner's event, but was grown so large
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that additional help in coordinating the event was sought. Hillbilly
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Days just kept growing, so Dad and Howard got into
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got with the Pike County Chamber of Commerce for help,
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Kenney said. Now the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and
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Pike County Tourism Commission, the Hillbilly Planning Committee all help
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Hillbilly Clan Number one, an outhouse iiO Shriners in putting
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this festival on. Vendors of all types of food line
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the streets while clorofft vendors set up on the bottom
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floor of the parking garage. Music of various types can
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be found in the city park, a stage in front
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of the Appalachian Wireless Arena, and at other courthouse steps.
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According to information I've received, we can expect around two
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hundred and fifty vendors for this year's festival, Kenney said,
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and that's not final, so we could have more. Kenny
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also expressed appreciation to the first responders. You know, we
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have the best in police and fire departments. Kenney said
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the Pike Police and Fire departments do such a wonderful job,
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along with other volunteer fire departments who help, and the
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Pike County Sheriff's Department and Kentucky State Police all help
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in keeping everyone safe during the event. We really appreciate
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all of them. I can't forget to thank you MG
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and all the city employees to Kenney said, the service
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they do can't really be appreciated enough. And if you
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happen to be in Pikeville on Sunday morning going to church,
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you would never guess a three day event had just
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wrapped up because the streets are cleaned and barricades are drawn.
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They just do a fantastic job. Drivers are reminded that
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beginning at five pm April fifteenth, downtown Pikeeoel will begin
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shutting down to allow vendors to come in and set
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up for the event. Our next article is pikeman sentenced
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to four years in prison for threat against judge executive.
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A News Express staff report a Pike County man has
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been sentenced to serve more than four years in prison
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on a charge of threatening Pike Judge executive Ray S. Jones.
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The second, according to court documents. On March sixteenth, US
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Chief District Judge David L. Bunning sentenced Ronald Ferguson, forty eight,
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of Marrowbone Creek Road, to serve fifty months in prison,
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to be followed by three years of supervised release, on
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a charge of interstate threat to injure. Ferguson pleaded guilty
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to the charge in November sorry in December, according to
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a proposed plea agreement filed December fifth in the case,
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on February twenty seventh, Ferguson publicly posted to Facebook threats
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to kill and injure Jones. In one post, the agreement said,
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Ferguson accused Jones of killing one of his dogs and
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goes on to say you were going to pay Ray
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Jones and every explicative one of you. Explicative. The agreement
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quotes Ferguson is saying in the post, Tomorrow's your blank day, bitch. TikTok,
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you done, run out of time. Explicative. Other videos Ferguson
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posted to Facebook, according to the agreement, included I will
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hunt you down. I may just do it on the courthouse.
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Explicative steps, maybe in the explicative lobby, in all your
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infinite wisdom. You got taken down by me, flat smoked Ray.
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You've been wanting your name to go down in the
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history books. Oh buddy, your name is going to go
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down in the history books. Here, Judge Ray Jones for
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a long time coming. You're dead. You want to be famous.
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I'll make you famous. Ferguson is being held in the
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Boyd County Detention Center in Katlitzburg. Our next article is
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Riley takes command at KSP Post nine. Specialist to Appalachian Newspapers.
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Kentucky State Police Post nine in Pikeville has welcomed Captain
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Brad Riley as its new post commander effect of March
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the sixteenth. Riley began his career with the Kentucky State
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Police as a member of Cadet Class eighty seven and
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graduated from the KSP Academy on June the twelfth of
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two thousand and nine, According to a statement from KSP
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Post nine Public Affairs Officer, Trooper Coleman. Following graduation, he
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was signed assigned to Post four in Elizabethtown, where he
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served this is a trooper until November of twenty fifteen.
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In November of twenty fifteen, Coleman said, Riley transferred to
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Executive Secretary, where he served as a trooper and was
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later promoted to sergeant in September of twenty sixteen. The
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following January, he transferred to Post three in Bowling Green
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and served as a squad sergeant, and later that year,
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Riley was assigned to the Division of Special Enforcement and
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Investigations DIESI West Criminal Interdiction Unit, where he continued serving
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as a squad sergeant until June of twenty twenty. Riley
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then transferred back to Post four in Elizabethtown, where he
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served as the Operations lieutenant after being promoted to lieutenant
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in September twenty twenty. According to Coleman, in June twenty
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twenty five, Riley was promoted to captain and transferred to
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the Inspections and Evaluations Branch, and that September he was
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reassigned to the Critical Incident Response Sponge. It is an
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honor to serve as a commander at Post nine, Riley said,
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I look forward to working alongside the dedicated troopers and
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staff while serving the citizens throughout the communities we represent.
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During his career, Riley has received numerous recognitions, including being
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named Post level Trooper of the Year at Post four
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in Elizabethtown in twenty eleven and twenty fifteen. Coleman said
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he has also received the Post Level Duy Enforcement Award
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on two occasions. Briley served as a member of the
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Kentucky State Police Honor Guard for six years and is
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a certified collision reconstructionist. Throughout his career, Riley has incorporated
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numerous high profile operational details, including Fender over Louville, the
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Kentucky Derby, and the Kentucky State Fair. Captain Riley is
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a native of Grayson County and brings more than sixteen
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years of experience in leadership to Post nine and Pikeville,
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Coleman said. Our next article is another News Express staff report.
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Pikeman faces possible twenty years in prison after guilty plea
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in child porn case. A Pike County man has pleaded
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guilty to a child pornography possession charge, according to court documents,
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on March the sixteenth, Michael Wayne Hillary, fifty eight, of
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Board Fork Macarr, entered the plea before Chief District Judge
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Executive L. Bunning. According to an to the conducted a
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search of Hillary's residence and sees several Electronic Sex Act
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on a toddler aged child. State court documents said that
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Hillary admitted to downloading the images, admitted that the computer
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belonged to him, and gave investigators the password to the device.
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According to the agreement, Hillary faces a maximum of princeon
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sentence of twenty years and a period of supervised release
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of between five years to life. Sentencing in the case
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is set for July thirty first, and Hillary is being
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held in the Boyd County Detention Center. You will end
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this week as we do most weeks, with our community calendar.
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March twenty second, the Christian Life Fellowship Church will hold
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a Spring Revival during its ten thirty a m. And
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six pm worship services with various speakers and special singers.
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The church is located on Damaran Lane at six one
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five five North Mayo Trail Pike. Film for more information
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called six zero six four seven eight Life. March the
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twenty fifth, Cornerstone Christian Church will host its annual Kids
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Easter Egg Hunt at six pm. The event will feature
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food and fellowship for the whole community. April the twenty eighth,
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I'm Sorry. March the twenty eighth through April the fifth,
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the Caney Creek Free Will Baptist Church will also present
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a play entitled Easter Story as The church located at
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one seventy five Booker Fork, approximately four miles from Shelby
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Valley High School via US twenty three South. The production
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began at six pm on Saturday and Sunday each weekend
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March the thirty first, First Christian Church of Pikeville will
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provide hot meals and groceries from four thirty pm to
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six pm. This is a drive through event. Volunteers will
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load your itemis. The church is located at three one
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three Chloe Road near Pikeville Elementary School. Upcoming at the
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local Pie County libraries on the twenty third, which is today,
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we have music theory at two pm, teen Time at
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four and the adult a guitar class at four thirty.
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Tuesday book Club five pm, Intermittent sign Language class five pm,
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and Portraits with Peter Rabbit five pm. Twenty fifth, adult
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guitar classes two pm and teen classes is at four
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thirty pm. The twenty six we have story Time at
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eleven and two, teen guitar class at four five, and
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then Dungeons and Dragons at five. On the twenty seventh.
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There's a abet's prevention program starting at ten thirty on
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the Sunday. The twenty eighth story Time at eleven and
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quilters at eleven, the thirtieth Music Theory at two, adult
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guitar classes at four thirty, Alibis at the book Club
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five pm. The thirty first Intermediate Language Language Class, Kids
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Cooking Workshop. If you have any American questions or would
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like to get another reading of the list, you can
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contact six zero six four to three seven six zero
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zero one. They are open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday nine
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to six, and Twoday through Thursday ten to seven. This
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concludes today's reading of the Appalachian News Express your reader
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husband Darcy macartyl, Thank you for joining me, and please
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stay tuned for continued programming from RADIOI