Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Pike Co. News - 10.19.26

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Pike Co. News - 10.19.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Now, we turn to the reading of the Appalachian News
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Express for news in Pikeville and Pike County. As a reminder,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: Radio Eye is a reading service intended for people who
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  Speaker 1: are blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: to read printed material. The Appalachian News Express is donated
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: to Radio Eye by the publisher. Your reader today is Nya.
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  Speaker 1: We will begin with the edition dated October 16th through 19th, 2026.
• 0:33
  Speaker 1: And our first headline is entitled, Gala Raises Funds for
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Emergency Shelters. A sellout crowd gathered at the West Care
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: Perry Klein Emergency Shelter, quote, feed the need for change
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: for the gala, end quote, on October 9th. The gala
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: carried a roaring 20s theme in celebration of 2026. marking
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: 20 years since WestCare entered into a management agreement with
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: the City of Piteville for the operation of the Perry-Kwine
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: Emergency Shelter. The event, held on the University of Piteville campus,
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: featured food, a silent auction, speeches, and awards. Event organizers
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: called the gala an overwhelming success. This is the second
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: iteration of the gala, which serves as a fundraiser for
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: the shelter and increases public awareness of ongoing needs at
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: the shelter. Plans are already underway for a third installment
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: of the event next year. Our next headline is entitled,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: Pike Schools Rank High in State Assessment by Terry L.
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: May, News Editor.
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: The Kentucky Department of Education released its annual school assessment
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  Speaker 1: report on October 15th. and the Pike County Schools superintendents
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: said overall the district scored higher than ever. Superintendent Fred
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: Freddy Bowling said some individual schools had positive results. However,
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: he acknowledged that some schools need to make some changes. Quote,
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: Out of 171 school districts in the state, we have
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: the 11th highest elementary district, the 13th highest middle school district,
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  Speaker 1: and the 34th highest high school district, Bowling said.
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  Speaker 2: We are a big.
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: School district, and for us to beat all of those
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  Speaker 1: small districts is impressive, end quote. He said the county
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: has five high schools, 10 middle schools, and 11 elementary schools. Quote,
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  Speaker 1: I have been doing this a long time, and these
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: are the best test scores I have ever seen, Bowling
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: told the News Express. That tells me that we're on
• 2:48
  Speaker 1: the right track. During Tuesday, monthly Board of Education meeting,
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: he told members the district had good numbers, but he
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  Speaker 1: was not allowed to release them at the time.
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  Speaker 2: Quote, I can say that I'm.
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: Super proud of our students, he told Ford. We really
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: are blessed with great people, and they all work hard
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  Speaker 1: to make sure our kids are taken care of. Let's
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  Speaker 1: just say I am excited. You know, people talk about
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: having a good school system, he continued.
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  Speaker 2: With us, it is not just talk. We can back
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  Speaker 2: it up.
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  Speaker 1: We have the numbers.
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: We can prove it. End quote.
• 3:25
  Speaker 1: The KDE report shows that 24 out of 26 schools
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  Speaker 1: in the district rated green or high. The current model
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: employed by KDE uses a color-coded continuum. Red is the
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: lowest performance. Orange, yellow, which is the average performance. Green,
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: highest performance. And blue, the highest performance. to evaluate and
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  Speaker 1: rank schools. East Ridge High School, which was last year's
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: Cinderella School, with its ratings going from red to blue,
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  Speaker 1: was able to maintain that blue ranking for the second
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: year in a row. The other four high schools in
• 4:05
  Speaker 1: the county, Belfry, Phelps, Pike Central, and Shelby Valley, were
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: each rated green. Phelps High School fell to green from
• 4:13
  Speaker 1: its blue ranking last year, according to the KDE data.
• 4:18
  Speaker 1: while Belfry High rose from its yellow status to green.
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  Speaker 1: Two years ago, Belfry was a blue school. Shelby Valley
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  Speaker 1: achieved the green status for the third year in a row.
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  Speaker 1: Four years ago, it was the.
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  Speaker 2: District's only blue school.
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: Quote, I think that has to do with the way
• 4:37
  Speaker 1: we are scored, and it is called the change effect,
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: Elling said. This is the last year the states will
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: use the change effect, and I'm glad. Growth will still
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  Speaker 1: be calculated, but it will be done differently. The change
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  Speaker 1: effect in growth creates a rollercoaster effect for our schools.
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  Speaker 1: Because of the way it is set up, it is
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  Speaker 1: difficult for schools with really high scores one year to
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  Speaker 1: maintain them next year, end quote. With the middle school,
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  Speaker 1: Beds Creek, Millard, and Elkhorn City, each have held on
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  Speaker 1: to their blue status for two testing cycles, with Millard
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  Speaker 1: being ranked as blue for three years. John Creek felt
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: fell to green from its previous two-year run as a
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: blue school. Mullins, Valley, Thornton, and Belfry middle schools have
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: green rankings. Phelps and Kemper received the only yellow rankings
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: for this year. Kemper fell from its green status last year,
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: while Phelps middle was ranked yellow and orange, respectively, for
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  Speaker 1: the previous two cycles. Elkhorn City, Meads Creek, Millard, Kemper,
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  Speaker 1: and Valley elementary schools each claimed a blue ranking. Beds
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  Speaker 1: Creek rose by two ranking positions from its yellow last year.
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: Millard and Valley have held blue rankings for the last
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: three years. Johns Creek, Phelps, Dorton, Mullins, Bevins, and Belfry
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: Elementary schools are green. The Kentucky Department of Education's assessment
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: data measures student performance in five subject areas, reading, math, science,
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: social studies, and combined writing. also known as on-demand writing
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: and editing slash mechanics. Also, college admission test scores are
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: factored into the rankings, with the results broken down by
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  Speaker 1: grade level. Students are then evaluated as novice, apprentice, proficient,
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  Speaker 1: or distinguished, lowest to highest. Quote, the test results tell
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  Speaker 1: me the practices and procedures we have in place are
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: having an effect, Bowling said. Of course, we've got to
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  Speaker 1: maintain those higher expectations. We have got to make sure
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  Speaker 1: the teachers have the resources they need for our students.
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  Speaker 1: We are not satisfied with good. We want to be great.
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  Speaker 1: My goal is for us to be a top 10 district,
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  Speaker 1: and we are almost there in two categories. It can
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  Speaker 1: be done.
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  Speaker 2: End quote.
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  Speaker 1: The final headline is entitled, Pikeville Independent Maintains High Rank
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: in Assessments by Olivia Morgan, staff writer. Pikeville Independent Schools
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  Speaker 1: Officials said the newly released Kentucky Summative Assessment results reflect
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  Speaker 1: great efforts made by the district's students, faculty, staff, and community.
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  Speaker 1: Data shows that on a scale classified from red, the
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  Speaker 1: lowest performance, to blue, the highest performance, Pikeville High School
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: and the middle school ranked at the blue level and
• 7:37
  Speaker 1: Pikeville Elementary School ranked in the green level, the level
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  Speaker 1: below blue on the scale. According to the results in
• 7:44
  Speaker 1: the categories of reading and mathematics, the high school ranked green,
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: the middle school ranked blue, and the elementary school ranked yellow.
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  Speaker 1: The results indicate that the high school, middle school, and
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  Speaker 1: elementary school students ranked in the blue performance level in science,
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  Speaker 1: social studies, and combined reading. District Assessment Coordinator Kathy Wells
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  Speaker 1: said that of the 171 districts in Kentucky, Pikeville Elementary
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  Speaker 1: School ranked in the 25th percentile in all content areas. Quote,
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  Speaker 1: in all of the content areas, third through sixth grade,
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  Speaker 1: we are within the top 25th percentile within the districts,
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  Speaker 1: she said. And some of those fall within the fifth
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  Speaker 1: and tenth percentile, end quote. Wells said Pikeville High School
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  Speaker 1: ranked first in all subject areas in the district, and
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  Speaker 1: ranked fourth in Kentucky among high school district rankings. Quote,
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  Speaker 1: our high school did fabulous, she said. They are remaining
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  Speaker 1: in the blue color, and we were first in the
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  Speaker 1: district in all subject areas, end quote. Wells said the
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  Speaker 1: district's middle school ranked fifth statewide among middle school district rankings.
• 9:01
  Speaker 1: Superintendent David Trimble said the assessments reflect not only the
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  Speaker 1: students' hard work, but also the dedication of the district's faculty, staff,
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  Speaker 1: and community to their education. Quote, these test scores verify
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  Speaker 1: that when you put amazing people in front of kids
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  Speaker 1: who care about their education, whose families support their education,
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  Speaker 1: and whose community supports their education, kids are going to
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  Speaker 1: perform well, he said. I believe we're the true concept
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  Speaker 1: of a community school, end quote. Trimble said that although
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  Speaker 1: assessments important for analyzing growth, the district also prioritizes achievement
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  Speaker 1: and encourages students to strive toward reaching their full potential. Quote,
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  Speaker 1: we are doing a really good job, I believe, at
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  Speaker 1: helping kids to understand and see that every single one
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  Speaker 1: of them brings value, Trimble said. Trimble expressed concern about
• 9:58
  Speaker 1: the color classification system. and whether it accurately reflects individual
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: student growth. Quote, It all relates on how high that
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  Speaker 1: particular group of kids collectively test, and it doesn't just
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  Speaker 1: look at the individual child, he said. That said, it
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  Speaker 1: also measures achievement, and achievement is where we focus.
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  Speaker 2: End quote.
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  Speaker 1: Trimble noted there will be changes made to the assessment
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  Speaker 1: system in the next year that will focus more on
• 10:27
  Speaker 1: student growth. He said the changes will allow the district
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: to utilize assessment results in the most beneficial ways for students.
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: Our next article is entitled, E.C. Hires New Police Chief,
• 10:42
  Speaker 1: by Gary Sloan, staff writer. The Elkhorn City Council formerly
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  Speaker 1: hired Les Varney as police chief. at its regular meeting
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: on October 13th. Barney, a longtime law enforcement officer, once
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  Speaker 1: held the same position during the Hank Salyer administration, and
• 11:02
  Speaker 1: most recently has been with the Pike County Sheriff's Office. Quote,
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  Speaker 1: We are very blessed to have someone with the knowledge
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  Speaker 1: and experience that Les has to take over as.
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  Speaker 2: Chief of police. End quote. Elkhorn City Mayor Nathan Bryant said.
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  Speaker 1: Quote, With his knowledge of applying for grants, grant writing,
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  Speaker 1: and law enforcement experience, it was definitely a great choice
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  Speaker 1: for the city, end quote. Carney was sworn in after
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: the meeting adjourned and had assumed his duties. Carney replaces
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: Adam Graybiel, who resigned as chief to accept another position
• 11:40
  Speaker 1: with the Elizabethtown, Tennessee Police.
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: Department through the lateral entry program.
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: In other business before the council, bids were opened for
• 11:53
  Speaker 1: the Alcorn City Water Loss Reduction Project contract, one in
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: accordance with the model procedurement code. Three bids were received
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: for the project. MGM Contracting was awarded the contract with
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: the lowest bid of $ 536, 500. Quote, MGM Contracting has extensive
• 12:18
  Speaker 1: experience in water distribution system construction and meter installation, Mayor
• 12:23
  Speaker 1: Bryant said. This company is local to Elkhorn City and
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: has worked for the city numerous times, having successfully completed
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: the Elkhorn City Aging Main Replacement and Elkhorn HMGP Waterline Relocation,
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  Speaker 1: among other projects, end quote. MGM Contracting's bid bond was
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: issued by National American Insurance Company, which is one on
• 12:47
  Speaker 1: the list of certified companies in Kentucky. Mike Mullins with
• 12:52
  Speaker 1: Summit Engineering provided an update on the Stillhouse Water Tank project.
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: The project is now fully funded by USACE and the
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: state match funds based on the 2026 revised budget, Mullins said.
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: Summons is working on getting the geotechnical drilling scheduled, end quote.
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: No start date on the project has been set at
• 13:17
  Speaker 1: this time. The next regular meeting of the Elkhorn City
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: Council is set for 7 p.m. on November 10th at
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: City Hall. Our next article is entitled Local Hero Recognized
• 13:30
  Speaker 1: by Gary Sloan, staff writer. Hikeville firefighter and paramedic was
• 13:37
  Speaker 1: recognized during the October 12th meeting of the Pikeville City
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  Speaker 1: Commission for extraordinary service in a recent incident that saved
• 13:45
  Speaker 1: a life. Firefighter and paramedic Lucas Miller received the Life
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: Saving Award for actions he took after responding to a
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: vehicle crash on July 22nd. According to Pikeville Fire Chief
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: Johnny Cole, Miller responded to a critical medical emergency involving
• 14:05
  Speaker 1: a male subject in a motor vehicle collision. Quote, It
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: was through his prompt assessment and decisive actions, Miller initiated
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: and performed multiple life-saving interventions that were instrumental in preserving
• 14:20
  Speaker 1: the patient's life, Cole said. His ability to remain calm
• 14:25
  Speaker 1: under pressure, utilizing his advanced medical training, and provide effective
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: patient care exemplifies the highest standards of the Firefighter Paramedic Program.
• 14:36
  Speaker 2: End quote.
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: Miller received a certificate and the Lifesaving Award Medal, while
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: receiving a standing ovation from all of those in attendance.
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: In another business, the.
• 14:48
  Speaker 1: Commission unanimously approved a contract with Muddy Boots for the
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: operation of the Horse Barn and River Trails. Quote, This
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: contract is a renewal for Muddy Boots, with a few
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: minor modifications. approved by both the City and Muddy Boots,
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: City Manager Reggie Hickman said. The Commission also approved an
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: up-to-90-day extension of the Memorandum of Understanding with MD2 Power
• 15:16
  Speaker 1: LLC regarding the property at the Kentucky Enterprise Industrial Park
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: and a proposed data center project. Quote, No further information
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: has been received by the City regarding this proposed project
• 15:30
  Speaker 1: at this time.
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: Hickman said.
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: They requested a 90-day extension as the current 60-day extension
• 15:38
  Speaker 1: comes to an end. Otherwise, no other information has been
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: forwarded to us. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: Pikeville City Commission is set for 6 p.m. October 26th
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: at City Hall. Our next article is entitled University of
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: Pikeville to hold an all-class reunion. by Olivia Morgan, staff writer.
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: The University of Pikeville is making efforts to increase engagement
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: among the UPike alumni by hosting an all-class reunion reception
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: and dinner during the homecoming weekend. According to Lisa Blackburn,
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: director of alumni relations, the reunion will be hosted by
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: UPike's Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations. She said this
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: will be the university's second all-class reunion. The reunion is
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: open to all UPike alumni, regardless of graduation year, Blackburn said.
• 16:39
  Speaker 1: President Dr. Burton Webb said the reunion serves as an
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: opportunity to reconnect with classmates, reflect on memories, and celebrate
• 16:49
  Speaker 1: being a UPike bear. Quote, UPikes alumni are an important
• 16:55
  Speaker 1: part of our university family. The connections formed here continue
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: long after graduation, Webb said. The all-class reunion is a
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: wonderful opportunity to celebrate those shared experiences, reconnect with friends,
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: and strengthen the bonds that make UPike special. We look
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: forward to welcoming our alumni, board of trustees members, and
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: alumni board members back together for this special occasion, end quote.
• 17:24
  Speaker 1: Blackburn said the university hopes to involve alumni more on
• 17:27
  Speaker 1: campus to encourage fellowship among the community. The UPike all-class
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: reunion reception and dinner will be held from 6 p.m.
• 17:36
  Speaker 1: to 8 p.m. on October 23rd on the 8th floor
• 17:40
  Speaker 1: of the Bears Tower. It is located at 849 Hambly
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: Boulevard in downtown Pikeville. There is a $ 10 fee per attendee.
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: If you are a UPike alum and are interested in attending,
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: You may register at www.upike.edu slash calendar event slash alumni
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: all class reunion. Our next article is entitled The APP
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: Presents Cult Classic Movie Series by Olivia Morgan, staff writer.
• 18:14
  Speaker 1: The Appalachian Center for the Arts is expanding its annual
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: tradition of showing the Rocky Horror Picture Show. by adding
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: several cult classic movies showings throughout October and early November.
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: The new cult.
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: Classic series, which is entitled Is It Cult Though?, will
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: feature five movie showings from October 17th to November 13th.
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: The movie show will be the Rocky Horror Picture Show,
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: Hocus Pocus, Repo, the Genetic Opera, The Princess Bride, and
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: The Nightmare Before Christmas. Executive director Shannon Daniels said that
• 18:55
  Speaker 1: after showing the Rocky Horror Picture Show for six years,
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: the theater decided to expand the tradition into a cult
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: classic movie series for its seventh year. Quote, We're in
• 19:07
  Speaker 1: our seventh year right now for the Rocky Horror Picture Show,
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: and that has been something that people come back for
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: every year, Daniels said. So we decided to kind of
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: expand it a little bit, and look into other cult
• 19:20
  Speaker 1: classic movies, end quote. Daniel said expanding the tradition into
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: a movie series gives people a chance to have fun
• 19:28
  Speaker 1: as a community and to see the classics on the
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: big screen. Quote, It's just an opportunity for people to
• 19:36
  Speaker 1: come out, have fun, and get to experience some of
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: their favorite Halloween movies, she said. It builds a lot
• 19:43
  Speaker 1: of community, end quote. The movies were selected based on
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: results from a social media survey. according to Daniels. Daniels
• 19:52
  Speaker 1: encouraged guests to dress up for each movie. Guests in
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: costume can participate in a costume contest at each showing.
• 20:01
  Speaker 1: The theater lobby will also be uniquely decorated for each show,
• 20:05
  Speaker 1: and guests can play trivia before the showing. Daniels said
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: the Rocky Horror Picture Show showing will remain the same
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: as previous years. She said guests can enjoy specialty drinks,
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: play games before the showing, and watch the actors perform
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: a shadow cast during the film. Showtimes for the Rocky
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: Horror Picture Show will be at 7.30pm and 10pm on
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: October 17th. Hocus Pocus will be shown at 7.30pm on
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: October 23rd. The Nightmare Before Christmas will be shown at 7.30 p.m.
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: on October 24th.
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: Repo!
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: The Genetic Opera will be shown at 7.30 p.m. on
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: October 31st. And The Princess Bride will be shown at 7.30 p.m.
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: on November 6th. Tickets can be purchased on the APP's website, www.theapppark.org.
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: Our next article is entitled, Pike County School Rankings. a
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: News Express staff report. The following is the ranking list
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: of all schools in both Pike County School District and
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: Pikeville Independent School District. Schools are listed alphabetically by color designation. Red,
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: the lowest performance. Orange, yellow, the average performance. Green and blue,
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: the highest performance. For the high schools, East Ridge, ranked blue.
• 21:32
  Speaker 2: Belfry, green. Phelps, green.
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: Pike Central, green, and Shelby Valley, also green. For the
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: middle schools, Elkhorn City ranked blue, Feds Creek also ranked blue,
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: Millard ranked blue, Belfry, green, Gorton, green, Johns Creek, green, Mullins, green, Valley, green, Kemper, yellow,
• 22:02
  Speaker 1: and Phelps, also yellow. For the elementary schools, Elkhorn City
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: ranked blue, Feds Creek, blue, Kemper, blue, Millard, blue, Valley, blue, Belfry, Evans, Dorton,
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: Johns Creek, Mullins, and Phelps all ranked green. And for
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: the Pikeville Independent School District rankings, Pikeville High ranked blue,
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: Pikeville Middle also ranked blue, and Pikeville Elementary ranked green.
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: Our next article is entitled, Kentucky Power Rebuilding Pike Transmission Line,
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: a special to the News Express. Kentucky Power representatives are
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: upgrading the transmission system in Pike County, Kentucky, according to
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: a recent statement from the company. The project involves rebuilding
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: approximately 10 miles of 69 kilovolt, or kV, transmission line
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: in New Right-of-Way, and removing approximately 10 miles of 69KV
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: transmission line. The statement details the project and methods to
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: obtain information and give feedback, including the upgrades replacing aging
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: equipment from the 1960s with modern steel infrastructure, improving system
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: reliability and reducing the likelihood of extended outages for customers
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: in the area. Residents may visit KentuckyPower.com slash Coleman Stone
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: to access a virtual open house and submit comments online.
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: Landowners in the study area will receive mailed information packets
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: that include additional details and opportunities to provide feedback by Friday,
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: October 30th. Quote, This project is part of Kentucky Power's
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: ongoing efforts to strengthen the electric grid and improve service
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: reliability for area customers, said Sarah Lynch, Kentucky Power spokesperson.
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: By upgrading aging equipment, we are working to deliver safe,
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: dependable service for our neighbors and reduce the potential for
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: extended power outages, end quote. The project team expects to
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: select a proposed route in late 2026. Company representatives plan
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: to file an application with the Kentucky Public Service Commission
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: in summer 2027, the statement explained. If the project receives approval,
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: the company expects construction to begin as early as fall
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: 2028 and conclude by fall 2029. Kentucky Power, according to
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: the statement, regularly receives reviews its transmission infrastructure to identify
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: areas where aging equipment may be needed to be replaced
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: as part of responsible long-term system planning. Kentucky Power, with
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: headquarters in Ashland, provides service to about 162,000 customers in
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: 20 eastern Kentucky counties, the statement said. This concludes today's
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: reading of the Appalachian News Express. Your reader today has
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: been Nya. Thank you for joining me, and now, please
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: stay tuned for more programming from Radio Eye.