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Pike Co. News - 2.23.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the reading of the Apalachanese Express
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for news in Pikeville and Pike County. As a reminder,
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Radio I is a reading service intended for people who
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are blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult
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to reprint a material. The Appalachian News Express is donated
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to Radio I by the publisher. Your reader to day
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is Darcy mac Ardell. We will begin with the e
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edition dated February twentieth through the twenty third of twenty
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twenty six. Our first article from the front page is
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Judge reduces bond for Pike man charged with manslaughter by
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Terry L. May News Editor, a request for bond reduction
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by a Meta resident charge of a second degree manslaughter
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in connection with the shooting death of a stopover man
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has been granted. Jonas Stevens, the attorney representing Paul David Coleman,
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fifty eight of Bent Branch Road, appeared before Pike Circuit
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Judge Eddie Coleman on December the seventeenth to argue the
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motion for bond reduction. However, at the time, Judge Coleman
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said he would consider the request an issue a written decision.
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The ruling on the request was returned by Eddie Coleman
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on February the seventeenth, lowering Paul Coleman's to one hundred
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thousand full cash or property. Originally, the bond had been
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set at two hundred and fifty thousand full cash. In
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addition to the financial requirement, Judge Coleman's ruling imposed several
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non financial conditions on the bond, including no contact with
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the victim's family and maintaining a two hundred and fifty
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foot distance from them. No further legal violations appear at
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all court proceedings, no possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages
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or drugs not prescribed by a position, having only one
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registered Kentucky family physician and pharmacy, and agreeing to random blood,
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breath or urine tests. The Pike County Grand Jury indicted
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Paul Coleman on November nineteenth for the shooting death of
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Greenley Brandon Bacon Hurley, thirty of Stopover, which occurred on
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April fifth. An indictment warrant was issued against Coleman, but
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was never executed because he voluntarily surrendered himself to police
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officials five days later. According to court records, He was
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subsequently booked into the Pike County Detention Center. Paul Coleman's
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voluntary surrender was one of the factor's defense. Attorney Jonah L.
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Stevens cited while asking for the bond reduction, the defendant
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believes the bond to be excessive Stephenson. During the hearing
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December seventeenth, He said the bond should to be a
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reasonable amount, more proportional to the defendant's economic means and
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corresponding to the level or class of allegations against him
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a Class C felony, it is clear that defendant is
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not a flight risk. Stephens continued. The defendant voluntarily submitted
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himself to the Pike County Sheriff's Office upon learning of
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the indictment, and before that time, the defendant had been
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very cooperative throughout the entire process with the Kentucky State
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Police Investigators. Special Prosecutor Tony Skenes, who was appointed to
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the case by Attorney General Russell Coleman at the request
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of Pike Commonwealth Attorney Bill Sloan, argued before the court
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and in a written motion to the court that Paul
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Coleman is both a flight risk and a danger to
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the community. He has family in Florida. S ken said
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that evening he was on his way to Florida when
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he made the decision to return and seek out this
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confrontation at two o'clock in the morning in a little
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Caesar's parking lot. Skenes also said that Paul Coleman's communications
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with Hurley's mother and other family members are intimidating and
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indicate that he presents a danger to the family. Mister
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Paul Coleman's brazen act and it is by far and
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away the most brazen act I have seen in almost
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thirty years of prosecution of a man who is under
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investigation for the murder of another, Skenes told the judge.
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Skeen said Paul Coleman, shortly before his indictment, sent Hurley's
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mother graphic photographs of him and the other witnesses in
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the case having sexual relations. He also alleged that Paul
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Coleman's aggressively confronted and insulted the family via social media platforms.
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The defendant is a risk to the community at large,
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specifically the family of the victims, Skenes continued. A statement
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from Kentucky State Police in April said the incident occurred
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in the parking lot of a business near the intersection
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of US one nineteen and Kentucky three nineteen in Toller,
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where Hurley and Paul Coleman became embroiled in an altercation
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leading to gunplay. Hurley suffered fatal gunshot. He was pronounced
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dead at the Tug Valley Arh Medical Center in South Williamson.
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The statement sudden. Paul Coleman's next scheduled hearing is set
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at one thirty on March the eighteenth. Our next article
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from the front page is judge Executive candidates talk about
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landfill issues with Terry Elm may News Editor. Candidates seeking
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the county's top administrative position are addressing their concerns about
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the Pike County Landfill and its uncertain future. The county's
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landfill and the potential construction of a new facility by
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a private contractor has become a hot button topic across
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Pike County over the past few weeks, as the issue
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has had a viral impact on social media. The Pike
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County Fiscal Court addressed the subject during a special meeting
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on February sixteenth. During the meeting, members of the court
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made a presentation focusing on the current landfill, its history,
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and the need for expansion are alternative options. However, public
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comment was not allowed during the meeting, which saw a
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standing room only crowd, with additional people spilling out onto
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the adjacent corridor. The problems with the landfill are ongoing,
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and the next Physical Court administration will most likely have
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to deal with it. The Apalachian News Express reached out
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to both candidates who are seeking the position of Pike
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County Judge Executive in the May nineteenth Republican primary, Brian
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Morris and Susie Gibson Shearer, one of whom will take
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office in January of twenty twenty seven. Both candidates say
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they became aware of the landfill issue about two weeks ago,
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at the same time as everyone else across the county,
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and have started researching the problems concerning it. While Shearer
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and Morris say they are gathering info about the situation,
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both are adamantly opposed to any landfill that would bring
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in toxic, wasteter hazards material into the county from other states.
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Sure about the land film, I, like most other citizens
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of Pike County know that we learned through the Fiscal
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Court meeting that I have learned through reading the most
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the host agreement. Shier sudden, what we know is very little.
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There is a lot of talk and speculation, but what
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we know is very little. Shierer said she believed the
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entire controversy could have been handled better and possibly even
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been avoided, had the Pike County Fiscal Court been more
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open and transparent about the proposed land film. I know
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Judge Ray Jones checked all the boxes he advertised it
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and did all the things legally required, she said, I
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don't doubt the Fiscal Court followed the letter of the law,
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but they certainly did not comply with the spirit of
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the law. I believe just allowing the public to have
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some of the knowledge it had could have alleviated and
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stopped all of this from ever happening. Schuer acknowledged the
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fact that some information is proprietary and not for public
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consumption while conducting negotiations. However, she believes more information concerning
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a possible private landfill could have been made available. If
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we are in such a dire situation, come to the people.
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Talk with the people, she said, give us the information
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we need to make an informed decision. Sharer said the
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issue will most likely be addressed by the next court.
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I will be seeking budgetary information and financial information from
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solid waste, Sharer said, if I am elected, I will
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be asking for a special audit of our solid waste
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department to see where we are financially. I am trying
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to plow through all of this to figure out exactly
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what the situation is. There are opportunities for different things.
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Shier said she would never sign the sitting ordinance for
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a landfillm bringing in toxic waste from out of state.
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Morris about the landfillm Morris said that in his position
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as jailor, he didn't have involvement in the actions or
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discussions leading up to the proposal. I have been I'm
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the county jailer for ten years, but I am not
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involved in any contracts, any negotiations, or anything the county
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Fiscal Court does. They don't run matters through the jail.
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Morris said, I was notified about the proposed landfill at
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the same time everyone else was. Problems with a landfill
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have been going on for twenty years and they cannot
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be fixed in two weeks. He continued, I am doing
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my homework on it. I will not support anything that
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is bad for Pike County or that would put our
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county at risk. He said the landfill will be a
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major concern for the next administration and he is already
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looking for solutions. However, any solution that arrives that he
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arrives that needs to move Pike County forward and not
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be based on what is determined to be politically correct.
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Morris said he is currently in the information gathering stage
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now and will look at the budget, look at the landfill,
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and talk to experts concerning the situation. I will address
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the issue and we will come together as a county
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and fix the pro them. Morris said, it's not about
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what Brian Morris wants, it is about what our community wants.
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I will listen to the community, I will educate myself
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and we will work together. I am one hundred percent
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against allowing toxic waste and hazardous materials from out of
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state coming into our county, he continued. On my watch,
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it will never happen. Sheer about the meeting, Shira said
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she has concerns about the way the February sixteenth meeting
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was conducted. What mister Jones saw from his perspective may
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have been a mob but what I saw was a
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group of people who came together for a singular purpose
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to confront their government about something that was done in
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the dark. Sheer said, I was proud of the way
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the people behaved, but they were treated with disrespect. Shira
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said she hopes to never be put in a situation
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such as the meeting this week because she would want
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her administration to be open to the public and to
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be transparent on issues. As Paul, she said, she would
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have allowed comments from the public to the degree possible.
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Sheer said two hundred to three hundred people could not speak,
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but there were representatives at the meeting who were prepared
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to speak for the group, and she would have allowed
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them to speak. Morris about the meeting in a Facebook
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post following the meeting earlier this week, Morris said he
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was disappointed that public comment was not allowed during Monday's meeting,
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and that he had been heading the meeting, representatives from
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the large crowd would have been allowed to speak. If
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I had been the county judge executive, the meeting never
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would have happened. Morris said, I would have had a
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community for him. I would have had the company there.
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The community would have already known what was going on
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and would have known about the project, it would not
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have gotten to this point. My last article from the
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front page is first bill to hit Governor's desk seeks
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to dilute power bill pain gas spike by Liam Neemier,
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Kentucky Lantern. The first bill to reach Kentucky Governor Andy
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Basher's desk in this legislative session is aimed at giving
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Kentuckians more time to pay utility bills expected to rise
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because of a spike in natural gas prices during the
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recent extreme cold. Senator Philip Wheeler, Republican Pikeville, told the
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lawmakers this week he filed Senate Bill one seventy two
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after hearing from utilities that their fuel costs could increase
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monthly residential utility bills by thirty dollars to one hundred
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dollars the spot price for natural gas during Winter Storm Fern,
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the unofficial name of the expanse of January winter storm
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that chilled North America as far south as northern Mexico
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searched to a new record am amid cold temperatures and
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high demand to fuel gas fired combustion turbines s B
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one seventy two would codify utilities ability to spread out
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over a long period, the billing of ratepayers for the
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higher fuel costs once the utilities receive approval from the
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Public Service Commission. The p s C already has the
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discretion to extend the time frame for collecting fuel costs
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from customers, a p s C spokesperson said. Wheeler, speaking
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to the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee, said this
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would simply just give the p s C another tool
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to help out consumers. Instead of having to collect that
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all at once in the month following the expenditure, this
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allows them to spread it out over a number of
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months so that you know it's not hitting them as
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hard in the pocket book. Representative Jim Gooch, Republican Providence,
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the chair of the committee, told fellow lawmakers that utilities
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would have to make the request pretty soon to cover
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the upcoming fuel costs. The bill has a emergency clause,
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meaning it would go into effect immediately if it becomes long.
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The bill has moved relatively clickly through the legislator since
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beginning since being filed on February the ninth, The Kentucky
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House of Representatives approved the bill Wednesday by a phote
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of ninety five to zero, sending it to the desk
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of Democratic Kentucky Governor Andy Basher for his consideration. A
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spokesperson for Bashir did not provide a response on whether
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the governor supported the bill. Fuel costs are collected by
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utilities through a mechanism called the Fuel Adjustment Clause, a
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provision that allows utilities to automatically pass through to ratepayers
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the changing costs of fuel, typically coal or natural gas.
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In Kentucky, utilities do not earn a profit from collective
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fuel costs. The PSC regularly reviews utilities used of the
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use of the fuel Adjustment Clause to make sure only
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reasonable costs are being passed on to ratepayers. The PSC
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can order a refund to taxpayers if it demonstrates a
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utility has overcharged for fuel. Sherry Mahan, a spokesperson for
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the Public Service Commission, told a lantern the regulator already
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has the discretion to extend the time frame over when
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the cost of fuel are collected through the fuel Adjustment claus.
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She said the Commission has not been consulted so far
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on Bill's file by the legislature that involve the regulator.
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Nick Comer, a spokesperson for electric utility Eastern Kentucky Power Cooperative,
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which generates power for a number of nonprofit electric distribution
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community cooperatives in the state is an emailed statement said
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in an email statement said natural gas prices often or
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very high during winter Storm Fern, a market price for
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gas about nineteen times higher than normal at one point.
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The overall cost of fuel was driven up by high
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natural gas prices, along with the extended periods over which
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EKPC operated its gas units to provide reliable power and
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keep heat flowing, Comber said. Comber said, in anticipation of
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SB one seventy two passage, EKPC is planning to cap
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the amount of fuel costs collected each month. He thanked Wheeler,
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the Legislatorure and the governor for their work to move
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the legislation. The balance of fuel costs will be collected
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in future months, helping residents and business owners better manage
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their monthly power bills. Comber sud Sarah Lynch, spokesperson for
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investor owned electric utility Kentucky Power, and an emailed statement,
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said the utility has asked the PSC for permission to
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defer five million in fuel costs from January to help
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manage impacts to utility bills. She said. The utility also
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saved four point eight million in fuel costs in January
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by having existing power plants ready and available. She said.
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Such tools, she said tools such as extended recovery periods,
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whether under existing authority or potential statutory changes, are designed
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to are designed to help reduce short term bill volatility
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for customers while ensuring fuel costs are reviewed through established
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regulatory oversight. The Kentucky Lanterner is an independent, nonpartisan of
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free news service and can be found at Kentucky lantern
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dot com. Our next article is p MC doctor discusses
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Cardiac disease Treatments Prevention by Terry L. May news editor.
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Recognizing February as National Heart Month, the director of Pikeville
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Medical Center's Heart and Vascular Institute spoke to the Pikeville
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Rotary Club about the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Kentucky.
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You all know that heart disease is the leading cause
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of death in the United States as well as globally.
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Doctor Chase Reynolds, a board certified cardiac electrophysiologist and the
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medical director of the Heart and Vascular Institute, said one
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in five deaths is secondary to heart disease and is
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the leading cause of death in women. He said Kentucky
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ranks eighth in the nation for heart disease. During his presentation,
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he highlighted the comprehensive cardiovascular care services the hospital provides
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and the Heart and Vascular Institute status across both Kentucky
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and the nation. Reynolds said that p MC was the
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fourth hospital in the nation to perform a pulse field
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ablation I think had been successfully used in Europe. When
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the procedure was brought to the United States. The Heart
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and Vascular Institute of Eastern Kentucky was one of only
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eight facilities in the nation included in the trials. He said,
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PMC offers a wide range of comprehensive cardiovascular care services,
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including general cardiology, cardiac physiology, cardiac surgery, and cardiac rehabilitation.
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Reynolds emphasized the importance of early prevention and intervention. Another
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thing he said that is critical to the successful outcome
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of cardiac events is that people know how to perform
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basic CPR. While talking about the rate of cardiac issues
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among children, Reynolds became very emotional and had to compose
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himself before continuing, So, about three hundred thousand people die
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each year outside of the hospital. What a lot of
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people don't realize is that twenty three thousand of these
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are kids, Reynald said, And kids about ten percent will
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se survive if there is not a bystander who knows CPR.
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We are talking about something that is very reversible. We
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just need to keep them alive until an ambulance or
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trained professionals arrive. I have not, as a medical professional,
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just as a bystander, been found in situations that have
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saved lives using CPR, he reported, not because I went
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to medical school, not because I did training, and not
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because of all of this stuff, but because I took
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a couple hours, took a CPR course, and knew what
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to do when someone suddenly collapsed. Following this, he also
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spoke about the need for emergency defibrillators in every school
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and at every sporting event. Reynolds highlighted a piece of
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national legislation that requires schools to have defibrillators. However, funding
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for that legislation does not exist. He said. P MC
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obtained a grant a few years ago to place these
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life saving devices in schools. Across Pike County. His prisonation
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to the local Club came just days before Rotary International
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celebrates at one hundred and twenty first anniversary on February
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the twenty third, the organization was The organization was founded
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in Chicago by Paul Harris. According to President Karen roberts Prater,
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the Pikeville Club received its charter more than one hundred
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years ago and will celebrate its anniversary in March. The
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local Club focuses on community service, youth and educational programs,
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and health and human services. She said. The Pikeville Club
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is known for its outreach services to veterans and the elderly,
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and for events such as Taste of the World, Pancake
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Day and Empowering Girls of Appalachia. Our next article is
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an Appalachian newspaper staff report officials Pike work release escapee
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caught in Mingo County, West Virginia. Mingo County, West Virginia
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officials said an inmate who escaped from the custody of
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the Pike County Detention Center was captured a day later.
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According to a statement from the Mingo County Sheriff's Office,
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on February nineteenth, Sergeant N. Mines. Corporal M. Lendeio and
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Deputies T. Lane and J. D. Tincher captured Whitney L. Hurley,
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thirty six, of Freeburn after a brief pursuit in Rawal,
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West Virginia. Hurley was charged with being a fugitive from justice,
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fleeing with reckless indifference, and fleeing on foot. Kentucky State
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Police sent a statement on February eighteenth on Hurley's escape
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asking for the public's help. According to a statement from
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the Pike County Detention Center, Hurley walked away from a
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work release site. Hurley, the pc DC statement said, had
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been granted work release because of not having any violent
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criminal history. A second woman, Lenna Ray Gen Cantrell, of Mattawan,
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West Virginia, was also arrested and charged with aiding and
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a betting in a jail escape. According to the Mingo
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County Sheriff's Office. Records show Hurley was booked into the
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Pike County Detention Center on February tenth on charges including
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failure to appear in court and bail jumping. Our next
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article is Coal Run Commission dedicates bench by Gary Sloan's
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staff writer. The Coal Run City Commission expressed its condolences
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to Commissioner Mike Steele on the passing of his son,
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Joe Steele, during its February twelfth meeting. Joe Steele died
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February seventh following a battle against cancer. I never met
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a person who always had a smile and always saw
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the good in everyone he met. Mayor Andrew Scott said,
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I spoke with the other commissioners and we want to
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remember Joe in some way, and we decided to dedicate
23:48
a bench in the City Park in his honor. Joe
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always enjoyed coming to the park. Commissioner Mike Steele said,
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I appreciate this recognition and remembrance. I want to thank
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everyone who has reached out to me and my wife
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during this time. The motion passed unanimously, with Commissioner Steel abstaining.
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In other business, the Commission heard the second readings related
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to the tax levee, which will remain the same as
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last year, and setting a regular meeting time and day
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which will remain the same as well, with the Commission
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meeting at six p m. On the second Thursday of
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each month in City Home. The Commission unanimously approved both ordinances.
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Last month, the Commission voted to retain Joe Adkins as
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Mayor pro tim and approve the supervisory control of city
24:35
departments the same, with Adkins supervising the Police Department, Commissioner
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Tray Deskin's supervising public Works, Steel supervising Finance, and Commissioner
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Beverly Joe Osborne supervising the Park Department. It's been several
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years since the Police department had new weapons, Commissioner Adkins said,
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if we approve this purchase, the department will be getting
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four blocks, lights, holsters, sites, and other items. It came
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to nine thy, one hundred dollars, but with the department
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trading in its current weapons for three thousand, five hundred
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and fifty dollars, brings a total to approximately five thousand,
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six hundred dollars, which is a good deal. The next
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meeting of the coal run City Commission is set for
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six pm on March the twelfth in the City Hall.
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Our final article is Pike man charged with sex abuse
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of a minor. A News Express staff report a Pike
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County man has been arrested on a charge of sexual
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abuse against a child less than twelve years old. George W. Adkins,
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Junior thirty nine of Newsom Branch. Fergie was booked into
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the Pike County Detention Center on February the eighteenth, record
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show related to a November case investigated by Kentucky State Police.
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According to a warrant taken out by Trooper Isaiah Dotson,
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he received evidence and victim statements from a forensic inns
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conducted at the Big Sandy Child Advocacy Center Judy's Place
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for Kids that Adkins had sexually abused the child. When
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Adkins learned the allegations would be reported to authorities, the
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warrant said, he fled Kentucky and was believed at the
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time the warrant was issued to be residing in Tennessee.
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According to jail records, Adkins was ordered held in the
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jail on a hundred thousand dollars bond, with home incarceration
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required if he is released. This concludes today's reading of
26:30
the Appalachian News Express. Your reader has been Darcy Macgartol.
26:34
Thank you for joining me, and please stay tuned for
26:36
continued programming from Radio I