Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Pike Co. News - 10.12.26
Transcript
- 0:01Speaker 1: Now, we turn to the reading of the Appalachian News
- 0:04Speaker 1: Express for news in Pikeville and Pike County. As a reminder,
- 0:10Speaker 1: Radio Eye is a reading service intended for people who
- 0:13Speaker 1: are blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult
- 0:17Speaker 1: to read printed material. The Appalachian News Express is donated
- 0:22Speaker 1: to Radio Eye by the publisher. Your reader today is Naya.
- 0:26Speaker 1: We will begin with the edition dated October 9th through 12th.
- 0:33Speaker 1: And our first headline is entitled, Two Plead Guilty in
- 0:37Speaker 1: South Williamson Murder Case, by Terry L. May, News Editor.
- 0:43Speaker 1: In July of 2019, a man was found murdered in
- 0:46Speaker 1: the South Williamson Mini Park, and the case is now
- 0:50Speaker 1: nearing an end as two Mingo County, West Virginia, men
- 0:55Speaker 1: entered pleas on various charges on October 7th. Charles Ray Blevins,
- 1:01Speaker 1: age 39, of Vinson Street, Williamson, West Virginia, entered a
- 1:07Speaker 1: guilty plea before Pike County Circuit Judge Eddie Coleman to
- 1:12Speaker 1: a charge of second-degree manslaughter. Blevins also entered a guilty
- 1:17Speaker 1: plea to an additional charge of possession of a handgun
- 1:21Speaker 1: by a convicted felon. Demetra Smith, age 30, of Ben Street, Williamson,
- 1:28Speaker 1: entered an Alford plea to a charge of reckless homicide,
- 1:32Speaker 1: a Class D felony. In an Alford plea, defendants do
- 1:37Speaker 1: not admit guilt to a specified charge. However, they believe
- 1:41Speaker 1: there is sufficient evidence for a jury to convict them.
- 1:46Speaker 1: The pair was indicted on April 17, 2025, on a
- 1:51Speaker 1: single count of capital offensive murder for the fatal shooting
- 1:55Speaker 1: death of Adrian Smith. Blevins was also indicted on charges
- 2:00Speaker 1: of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon with
- 2:03Speaker 1: a handgun and as a second-degree persistent felony offender. Court
- 2:09Speaker 1: records show that Blevins and Smith are brothers, even though
- 2:13Speaker 1: they have different last names. However, Demetra Smith and Adrian
- 2:18Speaker 1: Smith are not related but share a common surname. In
- 2:22Speaker 1: Pike County, Commonwealth's Attorney Office recommended that Blevins serve five
- 2:27Speaker 1: years in prison under the plea agreement. Also, the agreement
- 2:32Speaker 1: recommends a five-year sentence for Blevins on the handgun charge
- 2:36Speaker 1: to be served concurrently with the manslaughter charge and dismisses
- 2:40Speaker 1: the PFO charge against him. The recommendation for Smith, under
- 2:45Speaker 1: the agreement, was a five-year sentence with 360 days of incarceration.
- 2:51Speaker 1: with the balance probated for three years. Assistant Commonwealth's attorney,
- 2:56Speaker 1: Missy Goodman, said he had already met the 360-day stipulation.
- 3:02Speaker 1: Both men submitted waivers for a formal sentencing hearing. However,
- 3:07Speaker 1: Coleman denied those requests. He said he was not comfortable
- 3:11Speaker 1: with waiving pre-sentencing investigations in such a serious case. Sentencing
- 3:16Speaker 1: hearings for Blevins and Smith are scheduled for October 21st.
- 3:21Speaker 1: According to court records, a warrant was issued days after
- 3:25Speaker 1: the murder for Blevins, but police said he fled and
- 3:28Speaker 1: was ultimately arrested by U.S. Marshals in South Carolina, just
- 3:32Speaker 1: before he was elevated to the U.S. Marshal Service 15
- 3:36Speaker 1: Most Wanted Fugitive List. In May 2009, court records show,
- 3:41Speaker 1: Blevins was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole
- 3:46Speaker 1: after a jury convicted him of first-degree murder related to
- 3:50Speaker 1: the 2007 shooting death of Travis Huff in Cabell County,
- 3:54Speaker 1: West Virginia. However, the murder charge was later amended to
- 3:59Speaker 1: second-degree murder, according to court records, because of issues with
- 4:03Speaker 1: his attorney at the time of his initial plea, and
- 4:06Speaker 1: he was given a reduced sentence. He had been released
- 4:10Speaker 1: on parole only five months before the South Williamson shooting.
- 4:14Speaker 1: Our next headline is entitled Several Activities Planned in Colerun
- 4:19Speaker 1: by Gary Sloan, staff writer. Festivals and special events dominated
- 4:25Speaker 1: the October 1st special called Colerun City Commission Meeting. Quote,
- 4:31Speaker 1: We have several events coming up this month in the
- 4:35Speaker 1: city of Colerun, Mayor Andrew Scott said, with SOAR coming
- 4:40Speaker 1: up on our regular meeting time. We wanted to have
- 4:43Speaker 1: the opportunity to discuss these events prior to them occurring,
- 4:47Speaker 1: end quote. The Mountain Girl Experience was first discussed as
- 4:52Speaker 1: it will be held on October 16th and 17th in
- 4:56Speaker 1: the city park. Quote, There will be lots of music,
- 5:00Speaker 1: arts and crafts, workshops, and events for the kids to do.
- 5:05Speaker 1: Mountain Girl Experience co-organizer Chris Preston said, Quote, We want
- 5:10Speaker 1: to pass along to the younger generation the many things
- 5:14Speaker 1: that make the Appalachian region so unique. End quote. The
- 5:19Speaker 1: Mountain Girl experience will be held from 4 p.m. to
- 5:22Speaker 1: 10 p.m. on October 16th and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- 5:26Speaker 1: on October 17th. Mountain Girl, spelled G-R-R-L, experience will also
- 5:36Speaker 1: host two afternoon events, the front porch panel, followed by
- 5:41Speaker 1: an art exhibit and reception on the University of Pikeville
- 5:45Speaker 1: campus on Thursday, October 15th. Next was the Trunk or
- 5:50Speaker 1: Treat event with the Kentucky State Police. Quote, This year,
- 5:54Speaker 1: the Kentucky State Police has asked to join the City
- 5:58Speaker 1: of Colerun for their Trunk or Treat event and Fall Festival,
- 6:02Speaker 1: which will be held on October 27th, said Nick Hamilton,
- 6:06Speaker 1: event organizer. The KSP will be getting work done in
- 6:10Speaker 1: their parking lot and some remodeling done to their post,
- 6:14Speaker 1: so much of the event will be held in the
- 6:16Speaker 1: city park this year, end quote. According to Hamilton, children
- 6:20Speaker 1: will still be getting treats and will proceed down to
- 6:24Speaker 1: the city park with a movie night, a hayride, and
- 6:27Speaker 1: free hot dogs at the coal-run fire department. Quote, Also,
- 6:32Speaker 1: there will be an interactive mystery play to solve in
- 6:35Speaker 1: the coal-run community room. and that will be held by
- 6:39Speaker 1: the Artist Collaborative Theater, or ACT, City Commissioner Beverly Jo
- 6:45Speaker 1: Osborne said. We're expecting a couple thousand kids to come
- 6:49Speaker 1: and enjoy the evening, end quote. The KSP Trunk or
- 6:53Speaker 1: Treat in the City of Colerun Fall Festival will begin
- 6:57Speaker 1: at 5 p.m. on October 27th. Finally, the traditional Halloween
- 7:02Speaker 1: Trick or Treat Night will be held at City Hall,
- 7:05Speaker 1: from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on October 29th, with
- 7:08Speaker 1: candy and treats being handed out. The commission also discussed
- 7:13Speaker 1: the annual One Church of Eastern Kentucky free Thanksgiving dinners.
- 7:18Speaker 1: The city of Colerun has worked with One Church of
- 7:21Speaker 1: Eastern Kentucky each year since at least 2019, Mayor Scott said.
- 7:27Speaker 1: This group provides free Thanksgiving dinners to anyone, and they
- 7:31Speaker 1: work out of the Appalachian Wireless Arena, End quote. According
- 7:39Speaker 1: to one Church of Eastern Kentucky organizers, this marks 11
- 7:43Speaker 1: years that this event has taken place, with 12,200 dinners
- 7:48Speaker 1: being served throughout the region last year. This year, the
- 7:53Speaker 1: cost is estimated to be between $ 36, 000 to $ 39, 000. The
- 7:57Speaker 1: Thanksgiving dinner is the second largest all-volunteer community event in
- 8:03Speaker 1: the state. Quote, Well, the city of Colerun will continue
- 8:07Speaker 1: to partner with One Church of Eastern Kentucky financially to
- 8:11Speaker 1: help with the cost of this much-needed event, Gott said.
- 8:16Speaker 1: Given the hardships many families are facing this year, I
- 8:19Speaker 1: expect the need will be great. The next Colerun City
- 8:24Speaker 1: Commission meeting will be at 6 p.m. on November 12th.
- 8:28Speaker 1: Our last headline is entitled, Efforts Underway to Increase Awareness
- 8:33Speaker 1: of Domestic Violence. by Terry L. May, news editor. October
- 8:39Speaker 1: is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and several local officials and
- 8:44Speaker 1: organizations are promoting local efforts to raise the community's awareness
- 8:49Speaker 1: of the issue. According to Turning Point Domestic Violence Services
- 8:53Speaker 1: Director Elizabeth Fitch and Pike County Health Officer Tammy Riley,
- 8:59Speaker 1: Kentucky is seeing a rise both locally and statewide in
- 9:03Speaker 1: domestic violence. Quote, Kentucky has one of the highest levels
- 9:08Speaker 1: of domestic violence in the nation, and we certainly are
- 9:11Speaker 1: not immune here in eastern Kentucky and Pike. I don't
- 9:15Speaker 1: have the hard data, but anesthetically, we are seeing a
- 9:18Speaker 1: rise in domestic violence, end quote. Riley said domestic violence
- 9:24Speaker 1: transcends all social, economic, geographical, and gender barriers. Quote, can
- 9:30Speaker 1: happen to anyone, she said. one in four women will
- 9:34Speaker 1: experience intimate domestic violence in their lifetime. That is a
- 9:39Speaker 1: staggering statistic, but both males and females experience domestic violence.
- 9:44Speaker 1: It is a serious issue. Riley said the Pike County
- 9:49Speaker 1: Domestic Violence Coalition, which was created about three years ago,
- 9:54Speaker 1: is proving to be an asset for those affected by
- 9:56Speaker 1: domestic violence. She said it has created better communication and
- 10:01Speaker 1: organization across the many agencies and organizations that provide resources,
- 10:08Speaker 1: leading to the improved response to domestic violence cases. Both
- 10:13Speaker 1: Fitch and Riley addressed the Coalition's during its October 6th
- 10:18Speaker 1: meeting about activities throughout the month, including a county proclamation
- 10:22Speaker 1: concerning the Awareness Month, the Mountain Girl Experience Festival, the
- 10:28Speaker 1: Community Health Fair, and Community Trunk Retreat events. Kitsch said
- 10:33Speaker 1: October 22nd will be the National Purple Thursday, and people
- 10:37Speaker 1: are encouraged to wear purple clothing or ribbons to increase
- 10:41Speaker 1: public awareness of domestic violence. Fitch also talked about Turning
- 10:46Speaker 1: Point and its purposes. Quote, She added that October is
- 10:50Speaker 1: an important time for Turning Point. Quote, Violence against anybody
- 11:16Speaker 1: is wrong. This month gives victims a heads-up on resources
- 11:20Speaker 1: and safe places, how to find an advocate for them.
- 11:24Speaker 1: It lets them know they are not alone. Pike County
- 11:28Speaker 1: Judge-Executive Ray S. Jones II signed a proclamation recognizing October
- 11:33Speaker 1: as Domestic Awareness Month in Pike County. It is a
- 11:38Speaker 1: goal of this administration for our communities to be safe,
- 11:42Speaker 1: the proclamation states. Domestic violence is a serious crime and
- 11:47Speaker 1: affects people in our community every day. The impact of
- 11:51Speaker 1: domestic violence is wide-ranging, directly affecting individuals and society as
- 11:56Speaker 1: a whole here in this community and across the Commonwealth.
- 12:00Speaker 1: Domestic Violence Awareness Month provides an excellent opportunity for citizens
- 12:05Speaker 1: learning more about preventing domestic violence and to show support
- 12:09Speaker 1: for numerous organizations. and individuals who provide critical advocacy, services,
- 12:15Speaker 1: and assistance to victims, end quote. Our next article is entitled,
- 12:21Speaker 1: Chief Supreme Court Justice Speaks at Unite Pike by Olivia Morgan,
- 12:28Speaker 1: staff writer. Chief Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Deborah Hembree Lambert
- 12:34Speaker 1: of the Supreme Court of Kentucky addressed the Unite Pike
- 12:38Speaker 1: Coalition at its October 7th meeting. Operation Unlawful Narcotics Investigations, Treatment,
- 12:45Speaker 1: and Education, or UNITE, is a non-profit organization that serves
- 12:51Speaker 1: to combat substance abuse. According to Director Crystal Smallwood, the
- 12:56Speaker 1: UNITE Pike Coalition brings together representatives from across the county
- 13:02Speaker 1: to work towards strengthening the community. Lambert told the group that,
- 13:07Speaker 1: Responses to mental health play a significant role when it
- 13:10Speaker 1: comes to substance abuse. She says the Kentucky Judicial Commission
- 13:15Speaker 1: on Mental Health, or the KGCMH, works to improve how
- 13:20Speaker 1: the justice system responds to people struggling with substance abuse. Quote,
- 13:26Speaker 1: We're trying to change the way the justice system engages
- 13:29Speaker 1: not only with people who have substance use problems, but
- 13:34Speaker 1: veterans with trauma and mental health needs. She said, We're
- 13:38Speaker 1: trying to change the old assumption that accountability and compassion
- 13:42Speaker 1: can't go hand in hand. We don't want to ever
- 13:46Speaker 1: give up the accountability part, but we also don't want
- 13:50Speaker 1: to forego the compassion part either. Lambert said the incorporation
- 13:56Speaker 1: of specialty courts has helped support communities statewide. The work
- 14:02Speaker 1: that the Kentucky Judicial Commission on Mental Health is doing
- 14:05Speaker 1: is very vital. she said. If we can speak together
- 14:09Speaker 1: and work together, then we will improve as a state
- 14:12Speaker 1: at large, end quote. Our next article is entitled Thompson
- 14:18Speaker 1: Elected for Second Term as Chief Judge of Court of Appeals,
- 14:23Speaker 1: a special to the Appalachian newspapers. Chief Court of Appeals
- 14:28Speaker 1: Judge Larry E. Thompson of Pike County has been elected
- 14:32Speaker 1: by his fellow Court of Appeals, judges for a second
- 14:36Speaker 1: term as chief judge, the Kentucky Court of Appeals said
- 14:40Speaker 1: in a statement on October 7th. He will be sworn
- 14:43Speaker 1: in for his new four-year term in January. The chief
- 14:47Speaker 1: judge provides administrative oversight to the Court of Appeals, the
- 14:51Speaker 1: statement said. Quote, I am deeply grateful to my fellow
- 14:56Speaker 1: judges for the confidence they have placed in me by
- 14:59Speaker 1: re-electing me as chief judge, Thompson said. Thompson, according to
- 15:03Speaker 1: the statement, was sworn in for his first term as
- 15:05Speaker 1: Chief Justice in December 2022 by then Chief Justice of
- 15:09Speaker 1: the Commonwealth, Lawrence B. Van Meter. He began serving on
- 15:34Speaker 1: January 2, 2023. After 23 years as a trial court judge,
- 15:40Speaker 1: Larry E. Thompson was elected to the Kentucky Court of
- 15:43Speaker 1: Appeals in November 2018. He serves Division II of the
- 15:49Speaker 1: 7th Appellate District, which is made up of 33 counties
- 15:55Speaker 1: in eastern Kentucky, including Pike, Floyd, Johnson, and Perry. Judge
- 16:01Speaker 1: Thompson came to the Court of Appeals from Pike County
- 16:04Speaker 1: Circuit Court, where he was a circuit judge for the
- 16:07Speaker 1: Family Court Division from his election in 1999 until December 2018.
- 16:14Speaker 1: During that period, he served as chief circuit judge for
- 16:18Speaker 1: a time and was president of the Kentucky Circuit Judges
- 16:21Speaker 1: Association for two years, the statement said. Judge Thompson was
- 16:25Speaker 1: appointed vice chair of the newly created Kentucky Judicial Commission
- 16:30Speaker 1: on Mental Health in 2022 by Chief Justice of the
- 16:33Speaker 1: Commonwealth Deborah Hembree Lambert. He and Chief Justice Lambert lead
- 16:38Speaker 1: a large group of key stakeholders in a statewide effort
- 16:42Speaker 1: to improve how judicial processes affect cases where parties have
- 16:46Speaker 1: mental health, substance use, or intellectual disabilities, the statement said.
- 16:52Speaker 1: Thompson's career on the bench began in 1995 when he
- 16:56Speaker 1: was appointed to fill a vacancy on Pike County District Court,
- 17:00Speaker 1: holding that position until he was elected to circuit court
- 17:04Speaker 1: in 1999. While on the district court bench, he served
- 17:08Speaker 1: for a period as chief district judge. He was in
- 17:12Speaker 1: private practice from 1987 to 1995. Thompson, the statement said,
- 17:18Speaker 1: earned a bachelor's degree from Eastern Kentucky University in 1983
- 17:22Speaker 1: and a Juris Doctor degree from Northern Kentucky University's Salmon P.
- 17:29Speaker 1: Chase College of Law in 1986. He is a member
- 17:33Speaker 1: of the Kentucky Bar Association and the West Virginia Bar Association.
- 17:38Speaker 1: Our next article is entitled, Federal Offices Closed for Columbus Day,
- 17:44Speaker 1: a News Express staff report. In observance of the upcoming
- 17:49Speaker 1: Columbus Day holiday, all federal government offices will be closed Monday,
- 17:54Speaker 1: October 12th. Columbus Day is not an observed holiday in
- 17:58Speaker 1: Pike County, nor in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, so state
- 18:02Speaker 1: and county offices will operate on standard schedules, with the
- 18:06Speaker 1: administrative offices of the Pike County Fiscal Court within the
- 18:11Speaker 1: courthouse and Kentucky state government offices will be open. Offices
- 18:16Speaker 1: for the City of Colerun will be closed, however. Elkhorn
- 18:21Speaker 1: and Pikeville City Halls will be open. The United States
- 18:24Speaker 1: Postal Service will close its local post offices and suspend
- 18:28Speaker 1: deliveries on Monday. Standard operations will resume on Tuesday. All
- 18:34Speaker 1: banks in Pike County and each of their respective branches
- 18:37Speaker 1: will be closed on October 12th and will reopen on Tuesday.
- 18:42Speaker 1: All Pikeville and Pike County schools, as well as their
- 18:45Speaker 1: administrative offices, will be open. Trash collection in both Pikeville
- 18:51Speaker 1: and Pike County will follow standard collection route. Our next
- 18:55Speaker 1: article is entitled, Beshear Announces ARC Investments to Eastern Kentucky.
- 19:01Speaker 1: A special to the News Express. Governor Andy Beshear announced
- 19:08Speaker 1: on October 7th that Kentucky received a record increase $ 78. 8
- 19:13Speaker 1: million from the Appalachian Regional Commission, or ARC, in fiscal
- 19:18Speaker 1: year 2026. According to a statement from the governor's office,
- 19:24Speaker 1: the money will go toward 67 projects across eastern Kentucky
- 19:28Speaker 1: to support the everyday needs of Kentuckians by helping establish
- 19:33Speaker 1: a health care training center, improving and replacing outdated water
- 19:37Speaker 1: and wasteware treating equipment, and supporting Team Kentucky's High Ground Initiative,
- 19:43Speaker 1: which is moving flood survivors out of the floodplain. Quote,
- 19:49Speaker 1: These people of eastern Kentucky power the United States into
- 19:52Speaker 1: the global leader it is today, and they deserve to
- 19:56Speaker 1: be treated as a priority, which this record-breaking investment does,
- 20:00Speaker 1: said Governor Beshear. This funding will fuel projects that deliver
- 20:05Speaker 1: clean water, increase access to health care, and address the
- 20:09Speaker 1: everyday needs hardworking families are focused on. Team Kentucky thanks
- 20:14Speaker 1: ARC federal co-chair Gail Manchin for being a friend to
- 20:18Speaker 1: Kentucky and the entire Appalachian region. End quote. This breaks
- 20:23Speaker 1: the prior record for ARC funding to Kentucky, which was
- 20:27Speaker 1: set in fiscal year 2023 at $ 59. 2 million, the statement said.
- 20:29Speaker 1: In 2023, Governor Beshear served as the state's co-chair of
- 20:38Speaker 1: the ARC alongside federal co-chair Gail Manchin, the statement said. Quote,
- 20:44Speaker 1: ARC's investments in Kentucky reflect our commitment to supporting the communities, workers,
- 20:50Speaker 1: and families who are helping grow a strong Appalachian economy,
- 20:54Speaker 1: Manchin said. Through these projects, ARC is helping address critical
- 21:00Speaker 1: infrastructure needs, strengthen workforce development, and improve the quality of
- 21:04Speaker 1: life across eastern Kentucky. We are proud to work alongside
- 21:08Speaker 1: Governor Beshear, state and local leaders, and community partners to
- 21:13Speaker 1: advance investments that create greater opportunity and lay the foundation
- 21:17Speaker 1: for long-term economic growth throughout the region. Local governments and
- 21:23Speaker 1: organizations typically rely on these grants to cover funding gaps
- 21:28Speaker 1: while investing matching funds to cover remaining costs. according to
- 21:32Speaker 1: the statement. These matching funds sometimes are other grants or
- 21:37Speaker 1: can be state dollars. These 67 projects are being matched
- 21:41Speaker 1: by nearly $ 93. 8 million from these local governments and organizations.
- 21:47Speaker 1: In total, these projects represent more than $ 172. 5 million in
- 21:51Speaker 1: investment across Appalachian, Kentucky. 51 of these projects are receiving
- 21:59Speaker 1: a total of over $ 62. 3 million from the ARC's Area
- 22:04Speaker 1: Development Program, the statement said. This is the highest funding
- 22:09Speaker 1: total from this program in Kentucky's history. McGee recommended these
- 22:14Speaker 1: projects to Manchin, who gave the final approval. Kentucky recorded
- 22:19Speaker 1: its prior ARC Area Development Program investment record from the
- 22:23Speaker 1: Area Development Program in fiscal year 2023. at $ 47. 7 million,
- 22:29Speaker 1: the statement said. Two local projects were approved for funding
- 22:33Speaker 1: based on Governor Brashear's recommendation, according to the statement, including
- 22:38Speaker 1: a $ 40, 000 award to expand the teaching capacity of its
- 22:43Speaker 1: Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, or KYCOM, by acquiring advanced
- 22:49Speaker 1: simulation equipment for its simulation laboratory. This project suggested supports
- 22:56Speaker 1: KYCOM's planned expansion in 2028, increasing class sizes from 135
- 23:03Speaker 1: to 200 students per cohort and total enrollment from 581
- 23:09Speaker 1: to 800 by the graduating class of 2032. The project
- 23:13Speaker 1: will fund the purchase of the state-of-the-art simulation equipment to
- 23:17Speaker 1: enhance instructions in baractrix, nursing, trauma, critical care, cardiovascular and
- 23:24Speaker 1: respiratory care, surgery, anesthesia, and emergency response. ARC funds will
- 23:31Speaker 1: support the purchase of simulation equipment and related supplies necessary
- 23:35Speaker 1: to expand the lab's instructional capacity. The project will strengthen
- 23:39Speaker 1: KYCOM's ability to prepare students for clinical practice through realistic,
- 23:44Speaker 1: hands-on training. The other project is a $ 25, 000 grant to
- 23:50Speaker 1: the Appalachian Center for the Arts to recruit and hire
- 23:53Speaker 1: an operations and administrative support coordinator to strengthen daily organizational operations.
- 24:01Speaker 1: This position will support programming that serves its patrons throughout
- 24:04Speaker 1: Eastern Kentucky. The coordinator will coordinate logistics for artists and instructors,
- 24:10Speaker 1: maintain contracts and compliance documentation, and support communication with volunteers,
- 24:16Speaker 1: community partners, and visiting performers. By implementing improved administrative workflows,
- 24:23Speaker 1: digital scheduling tools, and organized documentation systems, the coordinator will
- 24:29Speaker 1: ensure smoother day-to-day operations and greater responsiveness to community programming needs. Additionally,
- 24:37Speaker 1: leadership of the organization and board members will participate in
- 24:41Speaker 1: professional fundraising training through the Do Good University, designed to
- 24:46Speaker 1: strengthen internal development capacity and build a more sustainable funding model.
- 24:52Speaker 1: Our next article is entitled, University of Pikeville to Honor
- 24:57Speaker 1: 2026 Distinguished Educators. Special to the News Express. The University
- 25:04Speaker 1: of Pikeville said in a statement on October 7th that
- 25:08Speaker 1: educators who have had a profound influence on their students'
- 25:13Speaker 1: lives are celebrated each year through the Distinguished Educators Hall
- 25:17Speaker 1: of Fame. This ceremony, the statement said, recognizes educators whose
- 25:23Speaker 1: careers reflect an exceptional commitment to the students and the
- 25:27Speaker 1: communities that they serve. Selected through nominations from colleagues, former students,
- 25:33Speaker 1: and community members, this year's honorees will be formally inducted
- 25:38Speaker 1: during a ceremony at 6 p.m. on October 20th in
- 25:41Speaker 1: Booth Auditorium. This year's inductees include Cleopatra Fields of Pikeville,
- 25:47Speaker 1: Tabitha Halcombe of Hindman, Carlos Haywood, posthumously, Sally Hubbard of Pound, Virginia,
- 25:55Speaker 1: Andrea Humphries of Pikeville, Cynthia Johnson of Virgie, Helia Varney
- 26:00Speaker 1: of Belfry, Toby Wagner of Pikeville, Annette Ward of Forest Hills,
- 26:05Speaker 1: and Claire West of Raccoon. UPike encourages the campus and
- 26:09Speaker 1: the community to join in celebrating this year's inductees. If
- 26:13Speaker 1: unable to attend, Visit www.youtube.com slash at upikebears slash streams
- 26:20Speaker 1: to view the ceremony. This concludes today's reading of the
- 26:24Speaker 1: Appalachian News Express. Your reader has been Naya. Thank you
- 26:28Speaker 1: for joining me, and now, please stay tuned for more
- 26:31Speaker 1: programming at Radio Eye.