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(Whitesburg) Mountain Eagle - 12.18.25 · 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 ven Arsdale. We
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will begin with the addition dated December seventeenth, twenty twenty five,
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which the publishers have donated to a RADIOI as a reminder.
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RADIOI is a reading service intended for people who are
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blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to
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read printed material. The first item is a photograph. The
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caption is first facelift in eighty nine years. A workman
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braved cold temperatures Monday as he repaired the bell tower
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of the Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church in Whitesburg. The bell tower,
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which like the rest of the church, was built by
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Italian Stonemasons in nineteen thirty nine, hasn't had major repairs
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until now. Seen from its east side in this photo,
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the church is one of Lee County's most recognizable landmarks.
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The next headline is four firms to study headwaters in
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effort to lessen flood risk here, the Letcher County Fiscal
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Court has hired four engineering firms to study the streams
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here and make recommendations for flood prevention. The court voted
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on Monday to hire the firms after a committee reviewed
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their qualifications and proposals. The work will be paid for
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by federal grants. We applied for a study of the
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three tributaries that come out of the county. Judge Executive
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Terry Adams said, we will have an engineer in each
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of those tributaries studying the water flow, the flood damage,
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and ways of mitigating that going forward. Adams, District for
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Magistrate Cheddy Smith, District I, Magistrate Jack Banks, Emergency Management
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Director Paul Miles, and Floodplain Coordinator and Coroner Perry Fowler
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made up the committee that reviewed the five proposals submitted.
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Letcher County is unique because no water flows into the county.
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All of the streams that flow through the county start here,
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and they belong to three different large river systems. The
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North Fork of the Kentucky River is the largest in
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the county, beginning on Pine Mountain at Payne Gap and
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exiting the county at the Perry County line near Lineford.
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That watershed includes rock House Creek, the largest creek in
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the county, which flows from rock House Mountain at Dean
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and joins the North Fork at Blackie. The second largest
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is the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River. That watershed
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runs from Flat Gap to the Harlan County line at Partridge.
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Notable streams in that watershed include Bad Branch, a Kentucky
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Wild River and recognized as one of the cleanest streams
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in the state. The smallest watershed of the three is
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the Levisa Fork of the Big Sandy River. Elkhorn Creek,
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which begins on Pine Mountain at Jenkins, is at the
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headquarters of the Levisa Fork and joins the Russell Fork
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just south of its confluence with the Levisa. The project
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was conceived after the July twenty twenty two flood in
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the North Fork Valley, which devastated Letcher and other counties
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along the Kentucky River. This project takes into consideration all
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the streams in the county, rather than just those affected
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by the twenty twenty two flood. Engineers selected for the
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watershed studies are Beaver Creek Hydrology of Lexington, Civil and
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Environmental Consultants, Incorporated, which is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and
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Resources Environmental Solutions, LLC, based in Houston, Tech but with
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offices in Frankfort and Louisville. The fourth firm selected for
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sites that need more attention is New River Engineers, Incorporated
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of Charleston, West Virginia. The next story is man is
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charged with threatening local physician. Electric County man is charged
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with threatening to kill a Whitesburg doctor and with strangling
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his girlfriend who had notified the police about the threats.
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Richard Devon Wyatt, twenty six of thirty five Olive Road,
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Little Drive Fork is charged with one felony account of
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second degree strangulation domestic for allegedly placing his hands around
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the neck of Jamie Caudle and causing an injury at
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her residence on Carnation Road. The incident allegedly occurred December eighth.
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Electra County Deputy Sheriff Mike Dingis responded to the call,
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but Wyatt was not there when he arrived. Wyatt is
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also charged with one misdemeanor count of third degree terroristic
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threatening for allegedly threatening to kill or seriously injure doctor
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Shane McDougall on multiple different days from November twenty fifth
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through December ninth. Caugle reported the threats to Whitesburg Police
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Assistant Chief Justin Hunsucker, who obtained a warrant for his arrest.
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Multiple officers gathered in a parking lot in West Witsburg
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Thursday night and went to Wyatt's home, but they learned
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from his father that he had gone to a store
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a short distance away, dinghis arrested Wyatt a short time
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later in a traffic stop near his home. Hunsucker said.
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And the next headline is magisterial districts are changing for
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many lecture voters. Here's how magisterial districts will look a
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little different beginning with this year election. Districts had remained
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the same for years, but shifts in population caused county
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officials to change some precincts after the twenty twenty census,
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the results of which were delayed by COVID nineteen. The
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new district lines mean District three and District I are
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smaller in geographic size, while District two and District three
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are larger. The sand Lick Precinct, long a part of
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District I, was moved to District two, joining Isisen, Baker
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and Coulson precincts. The Haymond Precinct was moved from District
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three to District five, making it the seventh precinct in
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that district. District four, which covers much of the western
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end of the county, remained the same. The following are
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the magisterial district's voters live in under the new map,
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and candidates who had filed as of Monday. The filing
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deadline is January ninth, twenty six. District one West Weisberg,
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East Weisberg, Collen, Eolia, Upper Cumberland, Dry Fork, Partridge, East Callen,
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East dry Fork candidates Rodney Gilly Republican, Troy Dingis Republican,
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Jack d Banks incumbent Republican, Tammy Elaine Trent Republican. District
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two Issam Colson Baker, sand Lake candidates Cherry K Sexton Democrat,
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Kenny Anderson incumbent Republican. District three Neon Thornton, may King,
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Sicco Millstone and Ermine candidates Jesse Mullins Democrat, Starla Dierdorf Republican,
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and Michael Pack Republican. District four Blackie Hallie Dolna, Sugar Grove,
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Roxanna candidates William Chady Smith incumbent Democrat, Christopher Jerome Hogg Republican.
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District five Burdane East Jenkins, West Jenkins, Donom McRoberts Fleming
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Haymond candidates Rodney Wayne Rose, Democrat. The next story is
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want to oppose Kentucky Powers request for a huge rate increase.
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You can ride free on bus to Hazard. Kentucky Power Company.
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Customers wanting to attend Thursday night's hearing on the proposed
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rate increase have been invited to ride a bus there
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for free. Letcher County attorney Tyler Ward chartered a fifty
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five passenger bus for the trip to pick up passengers
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at locations in Letcher and Perry County. Eastern Kentucky already
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pays the highest power bills in the state. Kentucky Powers
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rates are up forty percent since twenty twenty, and now
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they want to raise them again by fifteen percent. Ward said,
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if Kentucky Power's proposed rate increase goes through, it'll hit
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everyone homeowners, churches, local businesses, and community centers that are
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already doing everything they can to stay afloat. Ward said
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he saw this first hand when his church made energy
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upgrades through a local program and still got an alert
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that its bill could go up by two two hundred
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dollars per year if the rate increase is approved. Ward
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called it unacceptable and said that is why his law
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firm Ward and Associates has rented a bus to take
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people to Hazard for the Public Service Commission hearings scheduled
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for five p m. Thursday at the Perry County Courthouse.
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The bus was scheduled to make three stops to pick
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up passengers, pick up locations and departure times section three
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pm Lecture County Recreation Center, three thirty pm isum IgA,
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four pm vco happy IgA. In the next headline, occupational
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tax to increase in Jenkins January first, the occupational tax
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for the City of Jenkins will be going up beginning
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January first. The Council voted three to two to approve
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the second reading of the ordinance, which will increase the
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tax people currently pay to two per cent from the
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one point five per cent charged now. The amendment modifies
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Section one sixteen point oh three of the city Ordinances
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and stipulates that every person or business entity engaged in
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profit making activities within the city or required to file
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with the IRS or Kentucky Revenue must pay an occupational
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payroll tax. The key change is that this tax shall
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be made measured by two percent of all wages and
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compensation paid or payable in the city for work done
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or services performed by every resident and non resident employee.
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The ordinance acknowledges that inflation and increased living costs have
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reduced the city's ability to provide basic services and respond
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to state and federal administrative burdens. Council members Ernestine Hill,
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Sean Collier, and Quinn Bowling voted in favor of the change.
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Council members Chuck Anderson and Rick Damren voted against it.
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In other business, the council held an executive session to
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discuss the sale of the old City Hall. After the session,
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the council voted to make a private sale. Doctor Heath
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Cook will purchase the building for one hundred fifty thousand
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dollars to expand his practice. The building was appraised at
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one hundred forty nine thousand dollars, Todd DePriest said. Also
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at the meeting, Abby Jones, a consultant for the city,
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said a draft report on the city's storm water study
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was due the following day. The study has analyzed flood
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events from twenty twenty two and twenty twenty five, creating
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a more accurate localized floodplain assessment that goes beyond the
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federal Emergency Management Agency's general computer algorithms by studying smaller
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watersheds and creeks, Jones said. The report identifies numerous projects
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based on flood zone mapping and public input, ranking them
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by criteria similar to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinets highway projects,
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considering cost benefit ratios, population impact, and property protection. The
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draft also includes recommendations for community protection, such as regulations
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against filly in creeks to prevent future problems. The draft
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will be available in various formats, paper, digital, PDF word
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document for council review, with adoption anticipated in January. In
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the next story, hearing is set in Mickey Stein's murder case.
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The special judge in the murder case against former sheriff
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shown Mickey Steins has set a status hearing in Whitesburg
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for tomorrow Thursday. Judge Christopher Koran set the hearing for
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one thirty p m. On December eighteenth to hear the
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status of the case from prosecutors and defense attorneys and
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to hear all pending motions that will likely include consideration
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of a bond for Stein's. Attorneys for the former sheriff
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asked for bond months ago, but the judge has not
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yet ruled on the issue. Koran requested that the Kentucky
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State Police Special Response Team transports Stein's from the Leslie
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County Jail to the hearing in Whitesburg. They were asked
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to have him at the Lescher County Jail by one pm.
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Steins is charged with murder in the September nineteen, twenty
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twenty four shooting of District Judge Kevin R. Mullins in
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Mullins's chambers in the Lescher County Courthouse. The next story
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is charges against Whitesburg man shows their innocence. Couple says
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a Weisburg man has been charged with three felony accounts
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each of terroristic threatening and wanton endangerment for allegedly brandishing
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a gun at the door of an apartment at the
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Wisburg Housing Authority. David Christopher Puckett thirty five of twenty
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three eighty Highway eleven forty eight. Isom was arrested in
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Whitesburg four days after he allegedly showed up at the
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apartment of Ashley Sexton with a firearm in his hands.
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Wetchburg Police Assistant Chief Justin Hunsucker served the warrant on
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December ninth. According to the warrant, Puckett came to the
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apartment twice that night. After leaving the first time, he
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allegedly returned fifteen minutes later with a gun in his hands.
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Sexton had three guests at the time. The warrants said
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that Miss Sexton and her guests pushed his hands down
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and pushed him out the door and hid in the hallway.
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He also allegedly threatened to kill and burn the apartment
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down while the four people were in it. He is
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charged with three counts of second degree terroristic threatening and
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three counts of first degree wanton endangerment. He was released
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on a twenty five thousand dollars surety bond. Puckett has
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been in the news several times, but he was previously
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the alleged victim in those cases. Former Electu County nurse
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Marty Baker was charged with second degree assault beating Pucket
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severely on August twenty first, twenty twenty two, but the
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charges were dropped when not District Judge Dennis Prayer dismissed
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the charge. Prayer ruled that fractures to the eye orbital
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bone were not serious enough to satisfy Kentucky's narrowly written
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second degree assault statute. The charge was dismissed without prejudice,
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meaning then Commonwealth's Attorney Edison Banks could have filed a
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misdemeanor assault charge later if he had chosen to do so. Baker,
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a former Lectter County coroner who has since moved to London,
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Kentucky with his wife, Ashley Bentley. Baker, told The Mountain
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Eagle last week that when he fought with Pucket, it
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was because Puckett was threatening his wife. This is who
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he is and what he does, Baker wrote in a
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Facebook Messenger post to the newspaper, and to think you
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the Eagle and that town tried to destroy my life
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over it. We got treated like trash and all Marty
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was doing was protecting us from Puckett. Ashley Baker wrote,
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I just want people to know what really happened at
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my house. It's not right the way we got treated.
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I sold my house and moved he Pucket is on
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video doing the same thing he did at my house
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when him and Marty got into that fight. Marty Baker
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now works as a registered nurse at Saint Joseph Hospital
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in London, where he was recently honored as House Manager
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of the Year. Best move I ever made was getting
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out of that pathetic town, Baker wrote, referring to Weisberg.
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Puckett was also one of three people stabbed on New
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Year's Day twenty fourteen, when Michael Hogg was murdered behind
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the old Witchburg post office. Patrick Smith and James R. Huffman, fourth,
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both of Pipe County, were accused of stabbing Hog to
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death on Hayes Street in Wisburg, wounding Pucket and Stacy Phillips,
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cutting the tires of Hog's jeep, and attempting to break
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out the windows, preventing Samantha Mullins from driving Hog to
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the hospital. Both Smith and Huffman had faced complicity to
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murder and complicity to attempted murder charges, as well as
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charges of criminal mischief for damage to the jeep. Smith
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was also accused of cleaning the blood from the knives
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used in the killing and hiding them in his boot.
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Huffman went to trial and was convicted of the stabbings
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in December twenty seventeen. He is serving life in prison.
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Smith has been released. The next story is when milk
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and dairy are not an option. Consider the nutritional content
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of dairy alternatives. Cow's milk is a good source of
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important nutrients. It is naturally high in some and others
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are added to it to increase the nutritional value. Cow's
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milk is fortified, most commonly with vitamins A and D.
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The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends cow's milk, yogurt, and
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cheese make up the dairy group for a healthy dietary pattern.
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Some people may need to avoid cow's milk and opt
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for dairy alternatives for a variety of reasons, ranging from
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specific dairy related health concerns to personal beliefs. People with
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lactose intolerance don't produce enough of the enzymes needed to
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digest lactose, a sugar naturally found in cow's milk, and
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may experience symptoms like bloating and stomach pain from dairy products.
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People with milk allergies can experience potentially life threatening immune
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reactions to the proteins in cow's milk. For those with
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alpha gal syndrome, products from mammals, including dairy, can spark
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severe immune reactions. Milk alternatives have their own unique nutritional profiles.
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They often are fortified with nutrients to mimic the profile
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of traditional dairy or contribute to the recommended daily intake
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of several nutrients. Because of the processing required to make
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dairy alternatives from plant foods, they fit into the category
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of ultra processed foods. When choosing a dairy alternative, consider
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its nutrient profile to make the best choice for your
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personal needs. Look for important vitamins and minerals, including calcium
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and vitamin D for bone health, vitamin E for immune health,
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and vitamin B twelve for protein metabolism and to support
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the nervous system. The amount of carbohydrates, protein, and saturated
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and unsaturated fats provided in different plant based alternatives can
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also vary widely. Milk alternatives from plants may naturally have
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a higher amount of carbohydrates, which can affect those with diabetes,
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or they may be sweetened to make them appealing. Plant
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based milk like products are usually lower in saturated fats,
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which are linked to conditions like heart disease. Protein is
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vital in the body for many functions, including sell and
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muscle building, and cow's milk is a good source for
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it compared to plant based options. The next story is
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saving lives with the body check. One of the most
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valuable things you can do in the new year will
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be to check on your bodies, those you've served with,
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and those in your area, and make a regular routine
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of it. It's called buddy check, and you could be
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saving a life. A few stats, depending on the source
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you read, there are seventeen to twenty two veteran suicides
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per day. Yes, the numbers have decreased slightly over the years,
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but even one is too many. The rate of male
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veteran suicides is sixty percent higher than for non veterans.
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For women veterans, the numbers are even higher. The reasons
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vary between needing to adjust to civilian life, homelessness, isolation,
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not wanting to ask for help, and PTSD. Many of
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our buddies are in trouble, especially if brain injury, even
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mild TBI is part of the equation. This is where
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you come in with buddy check. Go online to VA
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dot gov and search for veteran buddy checks. Click on
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the fact packed twenty minute training video and learn how
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you can help. Become familiar with the SAVEE acronym, know
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the signs, ask the right questions, value their life, and
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enlist help then take the pledge to check on ten
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veteran buddies. Your best source to locate other veterans is
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the Together We Served website. To access the database, you'll
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need to enter your name, email address, and branch of service.
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If you want, you can add a few details about yourself.
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Once on the site, you'll find a unit directory and
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over two million veterans who've signed up. You can start
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with their Facebook page Together We Served. Look at the
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American Legion Buddy Check. Go to Legion dot org and
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search for buddy Check. Learn about their program, and download
23:50
the toolkit. If you are the one who needs help,
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don't wait, don't hesitate. Help is only a phone call
23:58
away day or night at the Veterans Crisis Line by
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a nine eight eight and press one or text to
24:07
eight three eight two five five for confidential support for
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a family member or friend. See Veterans Crisis Line dot
24:16
ne e T. The next story is Gabby's Fishing Fever
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by Greg Gabby Caudle best baits for catching fish during
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this season. Car Creek Lake looks good right now and
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has a very healthy looking color to it. The lake
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had been turning over for a few weeks, but that
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is all done and the lake is now at winter pool,
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its water clear and stable. What that means is that
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some of the best fishing of the year for croppie
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and largemouth bass is now here. As soon as the
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lake is settled and cleared for the winter season, fish
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like bass move into their late fall pattern and hold
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there for most all winter unless there is extremely cold weather.
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Even when the water temperature hovers around the fifty degree range.
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Bass will hold on this type of cover and feed
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in certain areas, including the deep side of Maine lake points.
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They will also suspend around vertical cover like standing timber
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along the edges of drop offs and channel edges. The
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key to this pattern is deeper banks and structure found
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close to deeper water and creek channels that run through
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certain areas during this time of year. The schools of
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bait fish also use the same areas to hold in
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the winter months. If you find an area that has
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all this to offer, it should be a top place
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to fish for bass all winter. I have fished for
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bass and croppie at car Creek Lake since it was built,
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and this pattern works As far as my favorite bait.
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I like to use artificial baits I fish shad colored
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tube baits and curly tailed jigs, all in shad color
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patterns like white or silver. I also fish small shad
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pattern crank baits by casting them around the standing timber
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and working them back slowly. But my favorite way is
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to fish live minnows on a slip floater close to
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the cover. Give these tips a try for some good
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late fall bass fishing. And the next article is Strutting
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Time by Steve Brewer. It's the time he gives all
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his attention to Santa as we close out another chapter
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we call life. I want you to know that I
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love every one of you. My Santa visits our top
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priority this time of year, so I will say to
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my strutton time readers, this year has been fun, and
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I will see you in January with fresh stories of
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hunting adventures. I travel many miles to make children happy
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during this time of year by allowing the little children
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to set on this jolly ol flap to talk to
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Santa and forget about everything else in life. This Santa
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will be in Letcher County on December nineteenth at Watchburg
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City Hall from one p m. Until closing. Until then
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I will say see you in twenty twenty six for
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strutting time and for the kids who want to see Santa.
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I will see you in Watchburg later this month. Until then,
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let's love each other as Jesus has loved us. This
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concludes the reading of The Mountain Eagle. Your reader has
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been billed and arsenal. Now please stay tuned for continued
27:49
programming on behalf of everyone here at Radio I thank
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you for listening, and have a good day.