Transcript

8.14.25 · The Mountain Eagle

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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 billed an Arsenal. We
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will begin with the addition dated August thirteen, 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 headline is FEMA denies three
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million dollar payment for repairs to old WHS football field.
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Once again, the federal government is withholding money the Letcher
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County Board of Education had been depending on for a
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major project. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has now denied
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reimbursement for three million dollars spent on renovating the old
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Whitesburg High School football field, now used for middle school sports.
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Earlier this year, the US Department of Education clawed back
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three million dollars that the district had intended to use
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and had been approved to use for the purchase of
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twenty new school buses. That money was finally released to
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the district. It had also withheld six point eight billion
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dollars from schools nationwide, About three hundred sixty four thousand dollars,
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of which was intended for Lester County, and that was
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released after Kentucky and twenty three other states sued. The
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Federal Emergency Management Agency is now withholding public assistance money
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to fix the field. The field, which sits on the
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banks of the North Fork of the Kentucky River, suffered
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damage to its concession stand and field house during the
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twenty twenty two flood, as well as damage to the
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field itself. The district has spent about three million dollars
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building a new concession stand, field house, and bleachers on
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higher ground on the opposite side of the field. One
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appeal has already been denied by the FEMA regional office
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in Atlanta, and the second was filed in July. Aaron
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McAuley of er Assist said the district may have a
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long wait. Typically it takes about a year, she told
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the Board of Education. McCauley said this week that the
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money was never obligated, but the company and the board
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had been working with FEMA on things that needed to
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be done. Then came the determination letter telling the district no.
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One of the main concerns, McCauley said, was there were
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no architectural plans for the facilities that were destroyed. The
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board had to hire an architect to work with the
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engineer and local people to recreate a plan for the
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original building. Asked by board member Will Smith how this
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could have happened, McCauley said, FEMA is very agreeable when
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it comes to rebuilding schools, but it is much more
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difficult on recreational facilities. We're going into it saying we're
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doing everything correctly. We've submitted our documents, but going into
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it you just don't know, she said. Superintendent Denise Jance
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said on Monday that the district will have to be
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patient for the money it has spent on construction to
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be reimbursed. One thing we have learned in doing all
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of these is that FEMA doesn't get in a hurry,
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she said. Josh Yance, Assistant superintendent for finance, said the
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long delays can cause problems for the school district. At
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the end of July, the district had a bank balance
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of five point six million dollars, down from the usual
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eleven million to fifteen million dollars. In the next headline,
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steins to return to crime scene for hearing on bond request.
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Former sheriff Sean Mickey Steins, charged with murder in the
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twenty twenty four shooting of Judge Kevin R. Mullins, will
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be back in Electra County courtroom on Friday. Judge Christopher
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Coron of the Eighth Circuit in Warren and Edmondson Counties
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has been appointed special judge in the case. He has
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ordered the Kentucky State Police Special Response Team to transport
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Stein's from the Leslie County Detention Center to the Letcher
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County Courthouse for a status hearing, which is to begin
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at one pm in the Letcher Circuit Courtroom. The courtroom
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is upstairs from the District judges chambers, where Steins was
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captured on a security camera shooting Mullins eight times with
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his block service weapon. Snippets of videos have been leaked
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every few days showing Stein's before, during, and after the shooting.
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In one, he is seen leaving the courthouse after shooting Mullens,
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and in another he is shown seated in the hallway
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his hands cuffed behind him. In the video, Steins refuses
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to speak when asked about the shooting, but he repeatedly
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begs detectives and troopers don't care kill me and be
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fair with me. In part of the video, one detective
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looks questioningly at the others as the two repeatedly tell
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him they have no intention of hurting him. At the
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hearing Friday, the court will get an update from the
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defense and the prosecution on where the case stands, hear
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all pending pre trial motions or determine if a separate
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hearing will be needed for those motions. The defense has
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made motions to dismiss the indictment and to set bond,
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and has asked for an evidentiary hearing. In a motion
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filed August fifth, the defense attorney for Stein's asked that
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a psychological report on Stein's be unsealed before the hearing
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so it can use portions of the report at the
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hearing to support his defense and ensure the court has
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a full and fair understanding of the relevant facts. The
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next story is Letcher fire trucks are rolling again. Lets
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your volunteer fire Department has two fire trucks back in
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service after being shuttered earlier this year with the collapse
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of its ambulance service. Using grants and donations, the department
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paid insurance for a year in advance. Chief Wallace Spanky
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Bowling said the department still needs to restore its non
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profit status and has a tax expert working on that,
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Bowling and two board members said. Bowling said the department
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was never completely closed, but could not respond to fires
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with uninsured vehicles. We just went on stuff in our vehicles.
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We've not been shut down shut down, but we've not
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been rolling anything fire wise, he said. Fire calls have
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been handled by sand Lick Volunteer Fire Department and Gordon
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Fire Department. Letcher will have one engine and one tanker
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in operation, while two trucks each at Campbell's Branch and
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Blackie substations will remain locked up. Bowling said those trucks
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may be repossessed because of a loan signed by Sean Gilly,
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who operated the ambulance service under contract to the fire department.
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Bowling said the board did not want to spend money
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to insure those vehicles when it could lose them. The
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department is also struggling to pay three thousand dollars in
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back power bills in those stations, which he said do
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not have electric heat and are unmanned. The department has
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also installed a propane tank and purchased a gas heater
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for the Jeremiah station to keep water from freezing in
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the trucks this winter. The next headline is King's creekman
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died of injuries he incurred in shooting incident. A King's
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creekman shot by police on July twenty sixth is dead.
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Julian Lee Smith, twenty four, died July twenty ninth at
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Johnson City Medical Center in Tennessee, three days after he
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was shot during an encounter with police. Police had said
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the day after the shooting that Smith was in stable
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condition and did not announce his death. His funeral was
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handled by Hinman Funeral Services, which did not send an
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obituary to the newspaper. Smith was shot at least four
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times on Saturday night, July twenty sixth, when police say
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he pointed a pistol and fired at them. Kentucky State
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Police had been dispatched to a domestic dispute at one
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one one two five, Kentucky one sixty on Kings Creek
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around seven thirty p m. That night involving Smith. A
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woman reported that the neighbors were shooting guns and causing
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a disturbance. Kentucky State Police Dispatch also sent a deputy
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to assist the trooper after learning there was an active
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warrant for Smith from an incident several days earlier, the
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trooper and Electric County Sheriff's deputy were sent to the
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area to look for Smith. The two officers reported that
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upon their arrival around eight p m. Gunshots were fired
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in their direction by a man they identified as Smith.
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The two officers returned fire, striking the suspect in the mouth, arm, pelvis,
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and buttocks. The officers located the wounded man in the
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woods nearby and rendered aid while waiting for emergency medical
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services personnel to arrive. He was later flown to Johnson
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City Medical Center. The Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response
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Team is investigating the incident, and Sheriff Billy Jones said
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he has been told the process could take months to complete.
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District two Magistrate Kenny Anderson has criticized the sheriff's department,
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first saying the deputy did not get out of the car,
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and then the deputy was untrained. He has also criticized
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the department for hiring young officers. All deputies and police
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officers are required by law to be at least twenty
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one years old. A court security officer was right with
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the deputy, but was not involved in the shooting and
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stayed in the police car. Under Kentucky law, court security
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officers only have police powers in the courthouse and the
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area immediately surrounding it, when transporting prisoners, or when serving
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an order when directed to do so by a judge.
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They must attend a two week academy within one year
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of being hired. Jones said. The deputy, who was placed
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on administrative leave after the shooting and has now returned
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to work, had attended five weeks of academy when he
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was injured. He was scheduled to return to academy in September.
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He had worked as a patrolman at Fleming, Neon and
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Jenkins police departments and had been scheduled to go to
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academy before joining the sheriff's department. Kentucky requires local police
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officers and deputy sheriffs to attend academy within one year
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of being hired. They must pass a police Officer's Professional
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Standards physical fitness test and receive a temporary certification before working.
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In the next headline Raising Roots Cradle to Confidence. The
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Appalachian Pregnancy Care Center offers services to pregnant women and
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their babies from birth to two years old. The services
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include peer counseling, baby clothing, baby supplies, referrals, resources, education,
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and grandparent guardian services. An ap c C event will
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be held from eleven a m. To two p m.
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September fourth at fifty Madison Avenue, Whitesburg. The event will
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include food and door prizes, wal Mart gift cards, Food
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City gift cards, gas gift cards, car seat diapers, wifes,
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pack and play, and a stroller. For more information called
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Stephanie watco At six O six six three four nine
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one o two or Angie Hampton six six sixty three
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four seven four one six. The next item is a
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photograph labeled remembering the fallen. Letcher County native Michael Blair,
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who now works as a police officer in London, has
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been raising money for a memorial to police and firefighters
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who died in the line of duty since twenty eighteen.
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The memorial finally became a reality as the monument was
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placed in front of the courthouse and the last of
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the names were added on August fourth. The memorial includes
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the names of twenty seven police officers from Letcher County
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who died in the line of duty and five firefighters.
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Blair said more names will be added only if the
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Commonwealth of Kentucky adds them to its memorial list. The
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current list begins with Deputy Sheriff william S Wright, killed
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by the Ku Klux Klan on January thirtieth, nineteen hundred.
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In the next story, twenty officials vote to switch paving contractors.
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Letter County Fiscal Court has pulled the plug on the
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state's largest paving contractor. After writing for two years for
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some projects to be completed. The Court voted at a
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special meeting last week to pull the contract from Mountain
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Enterprises and give it to Blue Rock LLC of Jackson,
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a Texas based heavy construction company. We've been since twenty
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three trying to get some of this paving done, Judge
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Executive Terry Adams said, I understand that Mountain is busy,
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but it's holding our projects up. Adams said much of
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the paving that needs to be done was a result
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of damage to roads by the flood of July twenty eighth,
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twenty twenty two. They've drug it out to where we
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need to get projects done, he said. The court voted
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unanimously to switch the contract to Blue Rock. Also at
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the meeting last week, the Court signed on the coastpondonsor
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for the Electra County Airport, which was approved last year
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for construction by the Federal Aviation Administration. Adams said the
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Court was required to sign on as co sponsor with
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the Electric County Airport Board. I feel like what I've
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put out to them is when it is built, it
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needs to include infrastructure for all this drone work that's
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coming in. Adam said. It should give us a leg
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up on other airports for economic development. In other business,
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the Court took the following actions. Approved a vote to
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accept a settlement against Purdue Pharma LP in a class
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action suit accusing the company of knowingly creating the conditions
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for widespread opioid addiction in Appalachia. Purdue has filed for bankruptcy,
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and states and localities will split approximately eight billion dollars.
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The Sackler family, which owned the company, will pay an
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additional one point five billion dollars. Electric County will receive
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a fraction of that settlement based on the number of
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governments that sued and accept the settlement. Voted to approve
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an assurance to the federal government that state and federal
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procurement procedures will be followed in spending Community Development Block
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grants for the construction of housing for which the county
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is partnering with the housing lender. FAHI voted to pay
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the bill for the fallen officer's memorial in front of
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the courthouse. The twenty five hundred dollars came from donations
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collected by Michael Blair, a former president of the Electric
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County Fraternal Order of Police. Blair is now a police
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officer in London. The next headline is work is beginning
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on the replacement of Red Star Bridge. The Kentucky Transportation
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Cabinet said it has closed one lane of the Red
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Star Bridge on Kentucky seven South in preparation for replacing
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the aging structure. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet issued a notice
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Tuesday afternoon that it will close one lane of the
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bridge as part of ongoing bridge replacement work. Key Tech,
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a subcontractor for Bush and Birchhet, will be working on
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a small hillside just beyond the bridge on the Perry
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County side. The bridge is located south of Blackie, about
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two point six miles north of the Perry County line.
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Crews will be cutting back the slope and removing trees
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to improve safety and visibility. For the safety of both
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workers and the traveling public. The travelway across the bridge
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has been narrowed to one lane in the construction zone.
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The work zone will be active on weekdays from seven
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am to five thirty pm. However, temporary traffic signals will
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control traffic twenty four hours a day, seven days a
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week until the lane restriction is lifted. Cones and barrels
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will also be used to help guide motorists through the area.
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No detours were a Motorists should expect minor delays, and
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the Transportation Cabinet is urging drivers to slow down, use caution,
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and obey all posted signs and signals when traveling through
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the work zone. The lane reduction will remain in effect
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until further notice. And In the next story, food pantry closed.
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Electric County Food Pantry at Ermine is closed until further
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notice because of mechanical problems. The food pantry will still
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have its monthly drive through the James Wileycraft Memorial Park
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in Wichburg. The next drive through event is scheduled to
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be held next Wednesday, August twentieth, The next article is
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Vaught's Views by Larry Vaught. Top recruit surprised many with
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UK pick. Cincinnati football baseball player Matt Ponitowski stunned many
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when he verbally committed to play football at Kentucky for
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Mark Stoops over Alabama, Oregon, Arkansas and many others. He
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will also play baseball, even though he's expected to be
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a high pick in the twenty twenty six Major League
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Baseball Draft. But here's a surprise. He handled his own
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recruiting process rather than depending on his parents or high
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school coaches at Cincinnati Molar. He handled it all. Ryan's father, Matt,
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said the first week he could get offers, he had
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offers for baseball from any school you could want, and
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he wanted to play baseball in the SEC. A handful
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of coaches asked to speak to us parents, but he
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basically handled it all himself. He did all his phone
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calls and getting back to people. Ponatuski, a four star quarterback,
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threw for four two hundred and seventeen yards and fifty
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seven touchdowns, both single season school records in twenty twenty
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four and led Mohler to its first Division War One
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state Championship game. Since twenty thirteen, he already has thrown
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for seven thousand, six hundred and fifty four yards and
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eighty seven touchdowns with just twelve interceptions. He hit four
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forty with seven doubles, four home runs, thirty eight RBIs
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and twelve stolen bases. Last season, the shortstop on max
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Preps All American has a four point fifteen batting average,
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five eighteen on base percentage and six twenty slugging percentage
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the last two seasons. He's very humble. He won't talk
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about a game or doing something crazy. He made second
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team All American for baseball and never said a word
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about it. He is just built different. The UK commits
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father Sid. He doesn't have a lot of nerves. He
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plays in front of ten thousand people and wishes it
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was twenty thousand or thirty thousand. He wants that and
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does not shy away from it. Now. It is not
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all perfect. He has his moments playing baseball. You learn
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how to fail some. He loves baseball because he has
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the ball in his hands and gets to be the
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decision maker. He's from an athletic family. His mother was
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a three sport athlete in high school, who is in
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several halls of fame. His father played and coached baseball
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at Northern Kentucky University. But the athlete of the family
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is our daughter, Kendall. She is fifteen and a very
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good softball player already, Matt Ponatowski said. Coach Mark Polpe
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believes that freshman Jasper Johnson was the most dangerous scorer
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in high school basketball last season and is counting on
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his three point range and shot creativity to help UK
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this season. However, Johnson knows it is not all about
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offense your whole life. You play a role, whether you
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know that or whether you don't. I know a lot
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of my role now is to score the ball. But
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first things first, I have to defend the six foot
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for freshman said, no matter where you play, your main
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role is to defend, guard the ball, guard your yard,
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things like that. That's what I'm really trying to work
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on and focus on right now, watching film, getting extra
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reps with guarding the ball. I know if I get
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acclimated to that, everything else will take care of itself.
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Johnson joined his UK teammates a bit late this summer
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because he won a gold medal with USA Basketball a
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minor ankle injury playing for USA made his transition to
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college defense more challenging, but he knows adjusting and showing
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he can play defense has to be a priority. The
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only thing I'm really trying to adjust to now is
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the physicality and learning all the new terminologies in our system,
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Johnson said, I know Coach Pope wants us to be
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precise with our answers and be quick thinkers. That's really
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the main focus right now. The next story is Social
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Security is turning ninety. As Social Security prepares to celebrate
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its ninetieth birthday Thursday, the AARP offers this look back
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at the evolution of this vital government program as it
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enters its tenth decade. Social Security was born in August
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nineteen thirty five. Over the decades, it has matured into
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a vital source of inflation adjusted income for retirees, people
22:27
with disabilities, and their dependents and survivors. In March twenty
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twenty five, the program paid nearly one hundred thirty nine
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billion dollars in benefits to seventy three point six million Americans,
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more than one fifth of the population. Here's a timeline
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of significant events in the history of social Security. June eighth,
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nineteen thirty four, In a message to Congress, President Franklin D.
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Roosevelt outlines his goal to establish a national social insurance
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program featuring guaranteed benefits for retired workers. Three weeks later,
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he creates the Committee on Economic Security, composed of top
23:10
Cabinet members to develop the program. January seventeenth, nineteen thirty five,
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after receiving the Committee on Economic Securities Report, FDR introduces
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the Economic Security Act, which would become the Social Security Act.
23:26
August ninth, nineteen thirty five. Congress passes the Social Security Act.
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August fourteenth, nineteen thirty five. President Roosevelt signs the Social
23:37
Security Act into law. October nineteen thirty six, the Social
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Security Board, precursor to today's Social Security Administration SSA, moves into
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its first headquarters, the Candler Building, a former Coca Cola
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bottling plant on the Baltimore waterfront. No building available in Washington,
23:57
d C. Could meet the programs in US enormous space
24:00
requirements for paperwork and filing cabinets. November nineteen thirty six,
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the first Social Security cards are issued, as the program
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is just beginning to open local offices. Nationwide. Cards are
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initially distributed through post offices. January first, nineteen thirty seven,
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the first Social Security benefits are issued as one time
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lump sum payments. August tenth, nineteen thirty nine, the program
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is broadened to include benefits for workers, dependents, and survivors.
24:35
January thirty first, nineteen forty Iva M. Fuller receives the
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first monthly Social Security benefit. Her first check is for
24:44
twenty two dollars and fifty four cents, the inflation adjusted
24:48
equivalent of about five hundred nineteen dollars today. Fuller lived
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to the age of one hundred October nineteen fifty after
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a decade plus of BIS benefit amounts remaining. The same
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Congress authorizes the first Social Security Cost of Living Adjustment COLA,
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an increase of seventy seven percent. August first, nineteen fifty six,
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the Social Security Act is amended to provide benefits to
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workers with disabilities ages fifty to sixty four, and to
25:20
adults with disabilities dating to childhood. Another amendment allows women
25:25
to claim Social Security as early as sixty two, albeit
25:29
with a reduced benefit. Previously, no one could claim retirement
25:33
benefits until age sixty five. January nineteen sixty, the SSA
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opens its new headquarters in Woodlawn, Maryland, just west of Baltimore.
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The sprawling suburban complex remains Social Security's main campus. September
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nineteen sixty President Dwight Eisenhower signs legislation expanding eligibility for
25:56
Social Security disability benefits can now go to workers of
26:01
any age with disabilities and to their dependents. June thirtieth,
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nineteen sixty one, the Social Security Act is amended to
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reduce the minimum eligibility age for retirement benefits to sixty
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two for all workers, regardless of gender. July thirtieth, nineteen
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sixty five, President Lyndon Johnson signs Medicare into law. The
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SSA is put in charge of administering enrollment for the
26:28
National Health Insurance Program serving Americans ages sixty five and older,
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and later expanded to cover younger people with disabilities. 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
26:46
programming on behalf of everyone here at Radio I thank
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you for listening, and have a good day.