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(Whitesburg) Mountain Eagle - 1.15.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Mountain Eagle to read news
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from Whitesburg. Your reader today is Bill den Arsdale. We
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will begin with the addition dated January fourteenth, twenty twenty six,
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which the publishers have donated to RADIOI as a reminder.
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Radiois a reading service intended for people who are blind
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or have other disabilities that make it difficult to read
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printed material. The first item is a photograph and the
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caption is work progressing at Fleming Neon Library after being
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closed since it was badly damaged by flooding in July
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twenty twenty two. Reconstruction work is now underway on the
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Fleming Neon Public Library, which is nearer to reopening. The
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next story is co mayors will oversee Jenkins while mayor absent.
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The Jenkins City Council has voted to install two co
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mayors pro tem to make sure city projects don't get
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paused or fall through the cracks after Mayor Todd de
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Priest suffered a heart attack last week. De Priest is
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recovering after a heart attack January seventh at his home.
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An ambulance with a police and Fire department escort left
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the downtown area around five pm last Wednesday evening. De
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Priest was then flown to Pipeville Medical Center. Mary to
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Priest recently suffered a heart attack and is currently recovering.
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He is receiving excellent medical care and his condition is improving.
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The statement issued by the city said, at this time,
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mary to Priest is not receiving visitors. The family respectfully
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asks for privacy as he focuses on his recovery. We
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appreciate the community's thoughts, prayers, and continued support during this time.
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The council held a special meeting January twelfth and voted
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unanimously to appoint City Clerk April Moore and Finance Officer
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Robin Kincer as mayor pro temporary while de Priest is recovering.
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De Priest has been managing several multimillion dollar projects in
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the city since the twenty twenty two flood, including preparations
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for a three hundred home high ground subdivision, rebuilding the
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city's sewer collection system, and extending water and sewer lines
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to the proposed Raven Rock resort on top of Pound Gap.
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The city just finished a renovation of City Hall, adding
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an elevator and making the old office building handicapped accessible.
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The council appointed Moore and Kincer to prevent any of
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those projects from slipping through the cracks. They will have
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the same authority as DePriest to manage the projects and
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sign documents in his absence. De Priest is longtime Jenkins
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volunteer firefighter, former Electric County Deputy sheriff, and former Jenkins
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City manager. He took office as mayor of Jenkins in
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twenty fifteen and is now in his third term. The
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next story is grand jury declines to indict man charged
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with threatening doctor. A grand jury declined to indict Electric
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County man who had been arrested on charges that he
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threatened to kill a Whichburg doctor and strangled his girlfriend,
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who had notified the police about the threats. Richard Devon Wyatt,
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twenty six of thirty five Olive Road, Little dry Fork
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had been charged with one felony count of second degree
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strangulation domestic and for one misdemeanor count of third degree
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terroristic threatening for allegedly threatening to kill or seriously injured
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doctor Shane McDougall on multiple different days from November twenty
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fifth through December ninth. Grand jury proceedings are secret by law,
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so the evidence presented to the grand jury is not known.
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Authorities said Wyatt's girlfriend reported the threats to Whitesburg Police
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Assistant Chief Justin Hunsucker, who obtained a warrant for Wyatt's arrest,
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but Wyatt never made any threats directly to the doctor lecture.
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Commonwealth's Attorney Matt Butler said he will not pursue the
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charges after the grand jury's decision. He said, in cases
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like this one where charges were filed in district court
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prior to being presented to a grand jury, the district
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charges lay dormant until they die on the vine. The
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next headline is parent files suit after school ban. A
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lecture counting parent as filed a federal lawsuit against the
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Jenkins Independent School District alleging she was improperly banned from
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school property and school sponsored events without due process. Elizabeth Jones,
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a social media creator from Jenkins, filed the lawsuit in U. S.
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District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in London.
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Named as defendants are the Jenkins Independent School District, Superintendent
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Damian Johnson, Assistant Superintendent Rondell Baker, all the members of
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the Jenkins School Board, the school resource officer who delivered
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the letter banning her, and the district's attorney. According to
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the complaint, Jones is the parent of children enrolled in
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the district and had regularly attended school activities and athletic
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events prior to December twenty twenty five. She alleged that
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on or about December seventeen, she was hand delivered a
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letter dated December fifteenth informing her that she was banned
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from all school property owned or leased by the district
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and from all school sponsored activities. Jones, who filed her
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lawsuit on January fifth, is represented by attorney Jennifer Tayor
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of Belfry in Pike County. Attached as an exhibit to
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her thirty two page complaint is a letter dated December fifteenth,
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twenty twenty five, in which Jenkins's school board attorney, Timothy Crawford,
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informed Elizabeth Jones that she was banned from all property
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owned or leased by the school district and from all
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school sponsored activities. Jones regularly attends basketball games and track
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of hims in which her two middle school aged sons participate.
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While at the games, Jones takes several photographs of players
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in action and shares them in postings on Facebook. The
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letter from school officials, however, says some of Jones's online
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activities appear to be harassment and have caused disruptions to
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the educational process in the school district. The letter says
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the district is concerned for the safety and well being
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of students, staff, visitors, and others who use school facilities
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or attend district activities. It further warns that if Jones
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is found on any district property or at any district
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sponsored activity, she will be removed by law enforcement and
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that the district will seek criminal trespass charges against her.
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The letter does not specify which social media posts prompted
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the ban, does not identify any individual students, does not
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cite any school board policy or law allegedly violated, and
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does not state whether the ban is temporary or permanent.
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It also does not reference any pro by which the
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band could be appealed or reviewed. The letter was signed
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by Crawford in his capacity as school board attorney and
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indicates that copies were provided to the superintendent, principals, and
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school resource officers. It also includes a certificate of service
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stating that the letter was hand delivered to Jones by
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a school resource officer. While the school board did not
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cite the incidents, it was referring to, parents posting online
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have complained about pictures Jones has taken of their children
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and comments they perceive as making fun of them. Among
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those that raised the most anger among parents were comments
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regarding a middle school basketball player from an opposing team
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who has a mustache. Parents explained the boy is a
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cancer survivor whose medication caused him to grow facial hair.
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When parents complained online, she responded by calling them drama
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queens spelled quee e e n s and telling them
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they should get a participation trophy. Looks like he really
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has some issues for such a contact sport. If he's
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so fragile, should he be playing whow get a grip, dude?
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Jones wrote. Jones claims in her lawsuit that the band
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was imposed immediately, applied district wide, and does not state
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whether it was temporary or permanent. She contends she was
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given no prior notice, no hearing, and no opportunity to
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respond before or after the band was imposed. She alleges
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the band has prevented her from attending school events involving
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her own children that remain open to other parents and
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members of the public. Jones claims the district's actions violated
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her rights under the First and fourteenth Amendments to the
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US Constitution. She argued vius that her online speech occurred
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off school property and is protected by the First Amendment,
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and that the ban was imposed in retaliation for that speech.
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She also alleges the district denied her due process by
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excluding her from school property and events without providing notice
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or an opportunity to be heard, and claims the ban
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was overly broad and arbitrary. The lawsuit asks the court
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to declare the ban unconstitutional, prohibit the district from enforcing it,
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and require the school system to adopt procedures governing how
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parents may be excluded from school property. Jones also seeks
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monetary damages and attorneys fees. As of press time, no
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response to the lawsuit had been filed in court. In
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addition to Superintendent Johnson, Assistant Superintendent Banker, and the school
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district itself, others named as defendants are School Resource Officer
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Officer Alicia Conleton, and board members Chris Bentley, Paulette Sexton,
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Sarah Brown, Charlotte Mullins, and Patrick Sturgel Crawford, the school
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board's attorney, is also named as a defendant. The Jenkins
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Independent Board of Education was expected to meet in special
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session January thirteenth to hold a closed session for discussing
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the suit. The next story is jury returns indictments in
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theft sex abuse cases. An Indiana man arrested after allegedly
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stealing Christmas packages from a vehicle on Main Street in
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Weisburg has been indicted on one felony charge and two misdemeanors.
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Weisburg City Police arrested Caleb Isaiah Ritchie, twenty of twelve
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thirty Euclid Avenue, Marion, Indiana, on December twentieth, in an
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unused basement space on Broadway. The grand jury has now
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charged him with theft of mail matter, a felony, for
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allegedly stealing packages from a UPS drop box in front
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of the Letcher County Courthouse. He is also charged with
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second degree criminal mischief for allegedly intentionally or wantonly damaging
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property belonging to Pete Mason, and third degree criminal trespassing
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for anningly, entering and staying in a building belonging to Childers,
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an apparent reference to one of two buildings purchased by
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Junior and Missy Childer's Matthews. Missy Matthews is chief executive
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officer of Children's Oil. Police received the call the night
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of December twentieth from Mason reporting someone was breaking into
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his truck, where he had Christmas presents on the seat.
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Police they saw a man running away and followed him
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to the back door of an unused basement on Broadway. Inside,
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officers say they found Richie stuffing packages into a space
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between an air conditioning unit and the wall. Police arrested
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him and allegedly found torn Christmas wrapping paper, a backpack,
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and other items in the basement. Assistant Police Chief Justin
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Hunsucker said at the time that Richie admitted to breaking
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into the locked basement and that he had been squatting there.
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He told the arresting officers that he had been selling
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the packages to buy food to survive. A wood Rock
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man was also indicted last week on a charge of
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first degree sexual abuse. Kevin Lee Sloane, thirty nine of
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five nine seven wood Rock Road. Blackie is accused of
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subjecting a fourteen year old girl to sexual contact. It
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is illegal for someone to have sex with a person
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under sixteen years of age in Kentucky. Sloane is also
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charged with being a first degree persistent felony offender, since
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he has at least five previous convictions to dating back
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to two thousand and six when he was nineteen years old.
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Ritchie and Sloan were among six people named in five
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indictments returned recently by the Letter County Grand Jury. The
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indictments were presented to Letter Circuit Judge James W. Craft.
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Joshua Milt Brock, thirty four of four hundred Daniels Branch, Whitesburg,
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was named in two indictments. In the first, Brock was
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charged with theft of services valued at more than one
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thousand but less than ten thousand dollars and second degree
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criminal mischief. The charges alleged that Brock removed a water
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meter and bypassed it by straight piping the water device.
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Jonathan Eisen testified in the case. In a second indictment,
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Brock was charged with first degree possession of a controlled
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substance methamphetemin first defense. Kentucky State Trooper David Banks testified
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in the case. Rebecca Collins sixty eight of PO Box
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eight four one pound, Virginia was charged with operating a
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motor vehicle under the influence of a substance, first degree
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possession of a control substance fentanyl, first degree possession of
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a control substance methamphetamine, and buying or possessing drug Paraphernaliam
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Kentucky State Trooper Chase Lucas testified in the case. Matthew
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Fraser fifty one of five eight five Sergeant Road Whitesburg
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was charged with first degree possession of a control substance,
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Metham Fetterman, first defense, and possession of marijuana. Letcher County
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Sheriff's Deputy Jackson Day testified in the case. Til This
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Ray Smith sixty five of eight O one five Millard Highway,
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Pikeville was charged with first degree possession of a controlled substance,
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Metham Feteman, first defense, and third degree criminal trespassing. Kentucky
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State Trooper Chase Lucas testified in the case. Indictments are
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formal charges filed by a grand jury. They indicate that
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a majority of the members of that jury believed there
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is enough evidence to warrant holding a trial, but are
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not an indication of guilt. The next story is candidates
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running in May are listed. With the filing deadline for
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the May primaries now closed, voters will have full ballots
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to choose from. Few races are unopposed and one. The U. S.
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Senate race has nineteen candidates registered, seven Democrats and twelve Republicans.
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That race was left wide open when Senator Mitch McConnell
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announced he would not run. The race includes several familiar names,
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with some running for a second time and others who
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hold other offices currently or have run in other races
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and lost taking another stab at it. Below is a
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complete list from the Kentucky Secretary of State's Office. U
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S Senator Democrats Joshua Blanton Senior Louisville, Charles Booker Louisville,
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Logan Forsyth, Eddieville, Amy McGrath, Lexington, Dale Lewis Romans Louisville,
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Pamela Stephenson Louisville, Vincent Anthony Thompson, Rineyville. Republicans Andy Barr Lexington,
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Daniel Cameron Lexington, Anissa Catlett, Frankfort, James Duncan, Midway, Michael
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James Ferris, Valerie, Doctor val Frederick, Jonathan M. Holliday, Harrisburg,
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Jimmy I. Leon Lexington, Nate Morris Newport, Andrew Nick Shelley,
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George Washington, Other, Donald windshel U s Representative Fifth District Democrat,
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Ned Pellersdorf Prestonsburg Republicans, Hal Rogers Somerset Incumbent Benjamin Hurley,
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Jerry Lee Shelton, crab Orchard, Brandon R. Mounholland, Kevin Smith
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London ride In, Billy Ray Wilson, State Representative ninety fourth
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District Republican mitcham Addison Whittaker Weisburg incumbent, County Judge Executive, Democrat,
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Deborah Parker Collier se Coe, Republicans Terry Adams Isisom Incumbent
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Wade Adams Payne Gap Joseph Banks Weisburg Magistrate, District one, Republicans,
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Troy dingus Eolia, Jack D. Banks Collan Incumbent, Tammy Elaine
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Trent Whitesburg, Rodney Gilley Weisberg Magistrate District two Democrat, Erry
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k Sexton Dean Republican Kenneth Kenny Anderson Magistrate District three, Democrats,
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Jesse Mullins Cicco, Terry l Adams Weisberger, Republicans, Michael pack Armine,
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Starla Deerdorf Neon, Edwin Narvelle Bentley Neon, William Billy Smallwood
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Neon Magistrate District four, Democrat, William Chady Smith Blackie, Republican,
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Christopher Jerome Hogg Magistrate District five, Democrats, Rodney Wayne Rose
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McRoberts Roy Triplett Jenkins County Clerk Democrat, Winston Meade Neon
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incumbent Republican, Colin Fultz, Forton Jaylor, Republicans, Brian K. Fields Whitesburg,
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Brian Anthony Sloane Premium incumbent Property Valuation Administrator, Democrat, Ricky
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Raymond Rose Cromona incumbent Coroner, Democrat, Tony Feugut may King, Republicans,
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Josh Lowe Weitsburg, Clifford Wade Fields, Blackie Sheriff, Democrat, Billy D.
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Jones Ermine incumbent Republicans, Codell Gibson Ermine, d L. Hammond's
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Neon County Attorney, Republican, Michael Watts Little Cowan County Surveyor, Democrat,
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Stephen Allen Dix Dean incumbent Constable District one, Republican Jordan
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Abshire Weisburg Constable District two, Republican Robert Tony Sturgell Dean
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incumbent Constable District three, Democrat Charles Eugene Polly may King
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incumbent Constable District four, Democrat Terry Perkins incumbent Premium Constable
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District five, Democrats John F. Wyatt, Jenkins, Eugene Williams McRoberts.
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In the next story, Jenkins to honor decades of Cavalier pride.
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Jenkins High School will turn back the clock and celebrate
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generations of Cavalier pride on Saturday, January seventeenth, when the
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school hosts one of the Glory Road Heritage Games organized
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by the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame. The
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event will recognize Jenkins High School's historic gymnasium and its
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role in shaping the rich tradition of Kentucky high school basketball.
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The Cavaliers will welcome longtime rivals Buckhorn High School for
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both girls and boys contests, with Buckhorn competing under the
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historic name of Witherspoon High School in honor of the
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region's basketball heritage. The roar of the crowd, the squeak
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of sneakers on the hardwood, and the unmistakable spirit of
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green and White are returning to the mountains, said Ashley Addington,
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athletics director at Jenkins High School. We are officially inviting
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all alumni of Jenkins High School to join us for
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a historic night as we celebrate our heritage at the
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Glory Road Basketball Game. Addington emphasized that the evening is
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about far more than wins and losses. This isn't just
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another game on the schedule. It's a tribute to the
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generations of athletes and fans who have worn the jay
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with pride, she said. We are calling on every former player,
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cheero leader, band member, and student to fill the stands
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once more. The Glory Road Heritage Games Project highlights gymnasiums
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and matchups across the Commonwealth that carry deep historical and
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cultural significance, honoring the communities where high school basketball has
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long been a centerpiece of local identity. Glory Road Celebration
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Official event itinerary Saturday, January seventeenth, Jenkins High Gymnasium. Evening
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Schedule of honors. Five pm Opening Ceremony, Welcome Prayer and
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National Anthem performed by the Jenkins High School Alumni and
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current band. Five point fifteen pm Strike Up the Band
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recognition of all banded alumni, Special celebration of Buster Brown
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and Karen Corbett. Five twenty pm Lady cav Legends Part One,
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recognition of Lady Cavalier teams from r the nineteen sixties,
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nineteen seventies, and nineteen eighties. Five thirty pm Lady cav
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Legends Part Two, recognition of nineteen nineties teams and a
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special tribute to coach Teresa Bentley. Five forty five pm
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Spirit of Jenkins recognition of all cheerleading alumni. Five point
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fifty pm The two Thousands and Beyond, honoring the two
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thousand and one District champions and coach Jerry Bentley. Special
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recognition of scoring legend Whitney Creech. Six ten pm Legends
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of the Bench honoring Coach Teresa Bentley and Coach Harvey Tackett,
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featuring a special light show in memory of past teams.
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Six thirty pm The Witherspoon Connection, recognition of the Buckhorn
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High School community and its historical significance. Six thirty five
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pm Championship Court Recognition of the tenty sixteen volleyball All
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A State Championship team and all volleyball alumni. Six forty
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five pm Boys Basketball Heritage Recognition of teams from the
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nineteen fifties, nineteen sixties, and nineteen seventies. Six fifty PM.
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The Tacket Era recognition of nineteen eighties and nineteen nineties
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boys teams and coach Harvey Tackett. Six fifty five PM.
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Cavalier Superlatives honors for the oldest Letterman jacket, the alumni
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who traveled the farthest, and the oldest alum in attendance.
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Seven PM. The Modern Era recognition of teams from the
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two thousands, twenty tens, and twenty twenties, including a special
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tribute to the twenty twenty five District champions post game
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grand Finale. The evening will conclude with the Jenkins High
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School Fight Song perform by a combined alumni and current
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band alumni. Reminders. Band alumni arrive at three p m
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for warm up and rehearsal cheer Alumni open practice will
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be held Thursday, January fifteenth at six thirty p m.
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All alumni where Cavalier Green and White or your vintage
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Letterman jackets. The Glory Road designation places Jenkins among an
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elite group of Kentucky communities whose gyms and teams helped
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define the state's basketball culture. On January seventeenth, that legacy
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will be celebrated where it has always lived, on the hardwood,
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in the stands, and in the hearts of Cavalier fans
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past and present. Our next story is Gabby's Fishing Fever
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by Greg Gabby Caudle. Changes in weather affect how fish bite.
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There are some things in the sport of fishing that
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are always going to be affected by Mother Nature, things
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that are in control of the Good Lord, like changes
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in the weather. At this time of year and in
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early spring, the weather changes can be very sudden and drastic.
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A good example is the weather we've had here recently.
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Last week, we had a very nice, warm week with
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temperatures reaching the low seventies. We were even using the
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air conditioner in the car. But as I write this,
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the temperature has dropped to the freezing mark and we've
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had snow. These changes in the weather have a big
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effect on fishing this time of year because this is
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when the biggest temperature changes can happen. The key to
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finding the best times to go fishing is to understand
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how a cold front or a warming trend makes the
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fishing better. When a cold front arrives you will have
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a big drop in temperature on the first day of
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the front. However, you can tell the drop is coming
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a few days in advance. During the day leading up
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to the arrival of the front. Fish can sense this
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and will feed more actively before the colder temperatures hit.
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When you're fishing during a warming trend, over several days
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around the third day of the warm up will bring
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with it the best fishing as the feeding activity picks
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back up. So if you're fishing during a cold front
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or a warming trend, use these tips for your best
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chance to find heating fish. And this concludes the reading
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of the Mountain Eagle. Your reader has been Bilvin Arsdale.
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Now please stay tuned for continued programming on behalf of
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everyone here at Radio I. Thank you for listening and
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have a good day.