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Whitesburg Mountain Eagle - 7.30.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the Mountain Eagle to read news
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from Witzburg. Your reader today is Bill den Arsdale. We
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will begin with the addition dated July twenty ninth, twenty
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twenty six, which the publishers have donated to RADIOI as
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a reminder. RADIOI is a reading service intended for people
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who are blind or have other disabilities that make it
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difficult to read printed material. The first headline is security
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video sheds new light on the shooting at laundromat. Law
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enforcement sources say the son of a woman who was
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shot during a July eighteenth domestic violence attack at a
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Whisburg laundromat wrestled the gun away from his father after
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his mother was wounded. While the investigation remains open, law
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enforcement sources said Richard Wyatt Junior, twenty six, of Little
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Dry Fork, he is not expected to face criminal charges
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because security video indicates he was not involved in the
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shooting and instead helped prevent further violence. After disarming his father,
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Wyatt Junior ran inside the laundromat to check on his mother,
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leaving the weapon behind. According to updates posted by family
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members on social media. Sarah Wyatt, fifty four, of Whitesburg,
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continues to improve, but remains hospitalized. A gofund me account
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has also been established to help with medical expenses and
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housing after her release. Law enforcement officials said security cameras
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at the Washboard laundromat captured the shooting and the events
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leading up to and immediately following it. According to a
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law enforcement source, Richard Wyatt Junior and Richard Wyatt Senior,
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both of Little Dry Fork, stood outside the bill business
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talking with Sarah Pendleton Wyatt for several minutes before Richard
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Wyatt Senior returned to his vehicle. The source said security
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video shows him returning with a pistol and shooting Sarah
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Wyatt three times in the abdomen. At least one bullet
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shattered the glass entry door behind her before she made
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it back inside the business and collapsed on the floor.
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An employee of the launderman and Wyatt Junior wrestled began
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away from the older man. The employee remained outside with
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Richard Wyatt's senior while Wyatt Junior ran inside to check
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on his mother. A witness said the magazine from the
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semi automatic pistol and the pistol itself were lying on
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the floor as bystanders rushed to assist Sarah Wyatt. Richard
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Wyatt Senior then got back into his vehicle and drove
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to nearby Tunnel Hill, where he stopped behind the home
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of the late Lois Short, who died about a month earlier.
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Authorities said he and his son struggled over a second
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pistol before Richard Wyatt Senior fatally shot himself. The bullet
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passed through his head and struck his son in the shoulder.
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Richard Wyatt Junior then drove himself to Witsbourg Appalachian Regional Hospital.
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His father was pronounced dead at the scene. Richard Wyatt
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Junior and Sarah Wyatt were both flown to Pikeville Medical Center,
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where he was treated and released. The following day. Sarah
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Wyatt was transferred by medical helicopter to the University of
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Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington several days later.
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Court records show Sarah Wyatt filed for divorce in March,
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and the divorce was finalized in May. Records also show
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she obtained two emergency protective orders against Richard Wyatt Senior,
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including one issued just two days before the shooting that
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had not yet been served. In affidavits supporting the petitions,
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she wrote that she feared her ex husband and said
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he had threatened to kill both her and himself. The
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next item is the catch of a photograph morning visitors
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at Thornton. The calm of midsummer is evident in this
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trio of whitetailed deer photographed Tuesday morning at Thornton. The
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two bucks, their antlers still covered in velvet, are typical
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of the loose bachelor groups often seen in July before
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the approach of autumn causes bucks to separate, shed their
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velvet and prepare for the fall rut. The doe is
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likely taking advantage of abundant summer forage while continuing to
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care for one or more fawns hidden nearby. The next
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story is line Fork woman among the three killed in
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Leslie County crashes. A line Fork woman and two others
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were killed in two separate crashes Saturday afternoon and evening
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on the Hall Rogers Parkway in Leslie County. Penny Iisen,
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sixty four, of Kentucky eleven three, near the Campbelltown community
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at Linefork, was killed in the first crash. According to
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Kentucky State Police trooper Matt Gayheart. The collision occurred about
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two fifty four pm Saturday, July twenty fifth, near Big
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Creek in Leslie County. A Kentucky State Police trooper was
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patrolling the Hall Rogers Parkway when he came upon a
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two vehicle collision near the thirty seven mile marker. The
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preliminary investigation indicates that a red Nissan Juke operated by
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Tagan Moseley, seventeen of Hyden, was traveling westbound toward Manchester when,
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for reasons still under investigate, it crossed the center line
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into the eastbound lane and collided head on with a
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Ford Expedition. The driver of the Ford Expedition, Bobby Eisen,
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sixty nine, who has a Cornetsville mailing address but lives
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at Linefork, and a juvenile passenger sustained serious injuries and
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were airlifted to the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler
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Hospital in Lexington for treatment. Penny Eisen, a passenger in
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the Ford Expedition, was taken by ambulance to Mary Breckinridge
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Hospital in Haydn where she died of her injuries. She
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was pronounced dead by the Leslie County Coroner's office. Moseley
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was pronounced dead at the scene by the Leslie County
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Coroner's Office. While emergency personnel and investigators were processing the
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initial crash, A second fatal collision occurred in the same
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area at approximately seven forty three pm. While the roadway
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remained closed to traffic. A gray Chevrolet Traverse operated by
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Tracy whitteymore forty two, of London, drove through the established
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road closure and collided with the rear of a parked
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commercial vehicle. Whittimore was pronounced dead at the scene by
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the Leslie County Coroner's Office. Kentucky State Police said toxicology
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testing is pending in both collisions. No autopsies will be conducted.
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Both crashes remain under investigation. Collision reconstruction is being conducted
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by Detective Scott Caudle. Funeral arrangements for missus Ysen will
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not be announced until mister Ysen is released from the hospital,
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according to Lecher Funeral Home in Whitesburg. The next story
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is large Social media sites bring flood of criticism to Eagle,
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a controversy that began with an anonymous reader comment in
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The Mountain Eagle's long running speaker piece feature quickly grew
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into a national social media firestorm July twenty third, generating
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hundreds of angry phone calls, emails, and online messages directed
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at the newspaper and its employees. The controversy centered on
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a comment published in the newspaper's July twenty second edition
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criticizing President Donald Trump that included violent rhetoric, which editor
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Ben Gish said should have been edited more carefully before publication.
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On the afternoon of July twenty third, the social media
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account Libs of TikTok, a nationally known conservative account on
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x with more than four million followers, posted images of
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the comment and accused The Mountain Eagle of publishing and
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promoting direct threats against President Trump, members of his administration,
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and his supporters. The post tagged the FBI and the
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U S Secret Service. A second post highlighted another anonymous
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comment that had appeared on the newspaper's website and called
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for the newspaper to be investigated. The controversy was later
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amplified by the conservative news and opinion website town Hall.
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Within hours, telephones at the Mountain Eagle's office in downtown
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Whizburg began ringing almost continuously. The newspaper also received hundreds
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of emails and online messages from around the country. Many
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people criticized the newspaper's decision to publish the comment. Others
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directed profanity and personal attacks at newspaper employees, accused staff
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members of supporting political violence, and called for The Mountain
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Eagle to be investigated or shut down. One employee who
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became the target of online abuse had no role in
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editing the speaker piece. Gish said the newspaper made an
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editorial mistake in allowing the comment to appear unedited, but
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rejected accusations that The Mountain Eagle advocates or promotes violence.
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I made an editing mistake. Gish said that responsibility belongs
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to me, but this newspaper does not endorse violence against anyone.
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Gish also said neither libs of TikTok nor town Hall
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contacted him before publishing accusations against the newspaper. No one
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called to ask what Speak Your Piece is, how it works,
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or whether the newspaper stood behind the comment. He said,
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a simple phone call would have allowed us to explain
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our editorial process and the history of the feature before
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conclusions were reached. Speak Your Piece, which debuted in December
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nineteen eighty two. Is an anonymous public forum that all
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allows readers to express opinions on local, state, and national issues.
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Over more than four decades, it has published thousands of
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comments reflecting a wide range of political viewpoints. Editors routinely
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edit or reject submissions containing profanity, libelist statements, personal identifying information,
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or other material considered unsuitable for publication. Gish said the
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controversy has prompted the newspaper to strengthen its editorial review
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of anonymous political submissions. While spirited political debate will continue
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to be welcomed and speak your piece, he said, anonymous
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comments containing factual claims about candidates, elections, government actions, or
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other matters of public concern will receive closer editorial scrutiny
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before publication. Opinions are welcomed, Gish said, Knowingly false or
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misleading factual claims are not. Gish said the new standard
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will apply equally regardless of political viewpoint. The same editorial
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standards will govern comments whether they praise or criticize President Trump,
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Governor Andy Basheer, members of Congress, or local officials, he said.
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In the next story. No arrests yet in May King shooting.
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Nor rests had been made in the wounding of a
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may King man last week. According to law enforcement, a
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man took himself to the emergency room at Whitsburg Appalachian
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Regional Hospital about eight thirty five pm on Sunday, July nineteenth,
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complaining that he had been shot with a twelve gage
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shotgun by a man whose name he gave only as Lonnie.
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The man had multiple bird shot pellets from his legs
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to his back, none of which were life threatening. Troopers
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with the Kentucky State Police searched the area of around
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the Mountain Road where the shooting was reported to have
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occurred and Pine Creek, where the assailant was reported to live,
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but found no one. The only description given was that
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Lonnie had long blonde hair and was wearing blue jean shorts.
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The next story is public is invited to free defense
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course at library for people of all ages. A free
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personal defense course will be offered to the public from
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five point thirty to nine pm Friday, August seventh. The
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class will be presented by Larry Adams Martial Arts and
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sponsored by the Harry M. Caudle Memorial Library. It is
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open free of charge to Library patrons and other members
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of the community, with no limit on class size. Organizers
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say the course will focus on practical skills that can
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be learned in a few hours, including rec ignizing danger early,
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de escalating threatening situations, managing fear, and physically defending oneself
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when necessary. The class, which will be held at the Library,
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is open to participants of all ages. Those younger than
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eighteen must have a parent or guardian sign a waiver.
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A parent must accompany and participate with anyone younger than sixteen.
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The course is intended for anyone interested in improving personal safety,
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including high school seniors preparing to leave for college. For
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more information, called Jenna at six oh six six three
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four seven, eight eight seven or the Library at six
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oh six six three three seven five four seven. The
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next story is new scholarship offered. Northern Kentucky University is
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partnering with the Center for Rural Development to offer a
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new scholarship for graduates of the Rogers scholars Program, expanding
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educational opportunities for student leaders from southern and eastern Kentucky
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Beginning with the spring of twenty twenty seven. Entering class
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students who successfully complete the Rogers Scholars Program and enroll
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at NKU will be eligible to receive the Rogers Scholars
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Housing Scholarship of two thousand dollars. The award recognizes students
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who have demonstrated exceptional leadership potential and a commitment to
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serving their communities. The Rogers Scholars Program is the Center
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for Rural Development's flagship youth leadership initiative. Each year, high
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school sophomores from southern and eastern Kentucky compete for selection
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into the program, which prepares students for future leadership through
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an intensive, week long residential experience. The next headline is
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student enrollment of some at schools across county. Enrollment and
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Electric County Schools and Jenkins Independent Schools is up slightly
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over the end of last year, but it is still
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far below levels from previous years. Lectri County School Superintendent
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Josh Jahnce told the Board of Education Monday that pre
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enrollment at Electric County Central High School was up to
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six hundred forty seven that morning and midday Tuesday, Director
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of Pupil Personnel Karen Baker said the figure was six
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hundred and fifty one. That's up from six hundred nine
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at the end of last year. Total pre enrollment for
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Electric County School is two thy two hundred, up from
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twenty one hundred and ninety at the end of last
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school year. School begins in about two weeks. On August thirteenth.
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Reached by phone on Tuesday, Jenkins Independent School Superintendent Damian
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Johnson said enrollment there is up twenty five over the
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end of last year to four hundred and fifty five
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students in the district. Figures from both districts are far
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lower than in the past. In the two thousand six
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two thousand seven school year, Letcher County enrollment was three thousand,
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two hundred eighty one, nearly thirteen percent larger than now,
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and Jenkins Independent School's enrollment was six hundred four the
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same year. The district enrollment has been falling for each
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year as the jobs have disappeared and the county population
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has fallen. In the mid nineteen sixties, the enrollment in
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Electric County schools was around six thousand. Also on Monday,
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the Letcher County Board of Education voted to add an
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assistant principal position at West Whitesburg Elementary School on the
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request of principal Stacey Engel. Yachts said he was concerned
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about the financial aspects of creating a new job with
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an increase in pay, but said the district would be
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able to handle a full time top level teachers pay
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with a one hundred and ninety five day contract instead
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of the normal one hundred and eighty five days that
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classroom teachers work full time. Principles work under a two
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hundred and twenty five day contract. Ynce left it to
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the board to decide, but suggested it would be helpful
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considering that that particular school also has the district's special
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education unit. But he said, I think it's a tough position.
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I've been a principal. Some board members were hesitant about
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approving a new position now, and Yans said he could
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go through the finances again and bring it back to
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the board in August. He said the district has lost
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about one point three million dollars in local tax revenue
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from twenty twenty five to twenty six, but some of
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that will be replaced by state money because of improved enrollment.
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Longtime board member Will Smith, however, said he would prefer
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that it start before the beginning of the school year.
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I actually think if we do it, we should just
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do it he said. Board chairman Robert Kaiser said he
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was worried about it because it is over the school's
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allocation for this year. When mister Tony Sturgel took over
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the district a few years ago, that was one of
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the problems we had, and he worked really hard to
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get everything within the allocation, he said. Board members Ray
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Collins and Angie Holbrook were hesitant, but agreed it would
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be better to start the position before the school year.
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If we're going to do it, we need to have
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it in place, Holbrook said. In the end, the four
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board members present voted unanimously to add the position at
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one hundred and ninety five days at the top pay
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for teachers. The next headline is PSC utility must pay
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first two million dollars in storm costs. Kentucky Power customers
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will not be asked to pay the full cost of
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repairing damage from January's storm Fern under an order issued
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by the Kentucky Public Service Commission, which ruled the utility
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must first use two million dollars in storm related expenses
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already built into customers electric rates before seeking to recover
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any additional costs. The Commission agreed that the January twenty
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fifth storm qualified as an extraordinary event and allowed Kentucky
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Power to establish a special accounting category known as a
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regulatory asset for certain storm repair expenses. However, the PSC
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said the company cannot place all of its storm costs
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into that account because customers are already paying for two
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million dollars a year in storm expenses through rates approved
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earlier this year. The order represents a partial victory for
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both the utility and its customers. Kentucky Power had argued
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that the two million dollars included in its base electric
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rates was intended to cover only routine in storms and
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should not apply to a major weather event such as
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Winter Storm Fern. The PSC rejected that argument, ruling the
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annual amount applies to both major and non major storm expenses.
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According to the Commission, Kentucky Power reported that Winter Storm
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Fern resulted in approximately three point sixty nine million dollars
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in restoration costs, including about two point three eight million
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dollars in operation and maintenance expenses above normal operating costs.
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The company sought permission to defer those incremental expenses for
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possible recovery in a future rate case. Instead, the PSC
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ruled that Kentucky Power may defer only those qualifying storm
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expenses that exceed the two million dollars already included in
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current electric rates. The PSC emphasized that last week's order
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does not authorize Kentucky Power to collect any storm call
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costs from customers. Instead, the order deals only with how
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the company accounts for those expenses. Whether any portion of
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the deferred costs can eventually be recovered through electric rates
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will not be decided until Kentucky Power files its next
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general rate case. At that time, the utility would have
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to demonstrate that the expenses were prudent and necessary before
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the Commission could approve any recovery. According to Kentucky Power,
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winter storm Fern struck its twenty county Eastern Kentucky service
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territory on January twenty fifth, bringing freezing rain and snow
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that damaged fifteen transformers, twenty two utility polls, twenty five
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sets of cross arms, and two hundred seven spans of
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electric conductor. Nearly five thousand customers lost power at the
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height of the storm, and approximately nine hundred twenty five
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company and contract employees participated in restoration efforts. Electric service
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was fully restored by the afternoon of January twenty eighth.
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The PSC also reaffirmed procedures requiring Kentucky Power to notify
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the Commission whenever it establishes a regulatory asset for future
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major storms, and to file a formal application within ninety
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days seeking approval of that accounting treatment. The case is
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now closed. Why it matters this order does not increase
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electric rates. The Public Service Commission's decision concerns accounting, not
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customer bills. Kentucky Power must first use the two million
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dollars already built into existing electric rates to pay for
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storm restoration before setting aside any additional qualifying expenses for
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possible future recovery. If the utility later wants customers to
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pay any of those deferred costs, it must file another
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general rate case and convinced the PSC that the expenses
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were reasonable and necessary before any charges could be added
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to electric bills. In the next headline, Kentucky Power pledges
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to shield customers from data center costs, Kentucky Power has
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joined utilities across the country in signing a White House
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pledge stating that existing residential and business customers should not
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bear the costs of providing electric service to new large
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energy users, such as data centers. The company announced July
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twenty three that it had signed the Voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge,
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saying the commitment reflects its existing policy that growth should
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pay for growth. The announcement comes as Kentucky Power has
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acknowledged interest in attracting large industrial electric customers to eastern Kentucky,
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including data centers. A proposed data center at the Gateway
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Industrial Park near Jenkins has generated public discussion because of
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questions about its potential effect on electric rates, the power grid,
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and future economic development. Under the pledge, Kentucky Power says
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large customers should pay for the electric infrastructure needed to
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serve them, make long term financial commitments for the electricity
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they use, and not shift those costs to existing residential
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and business customers. Kentucky Power President and Chief operating Officer
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Cindy Wiseman said the company remains committed to protecting existing
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customers while supporting economic development in eastern Kentucky. The White
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House announced July twenty second that at least fifty five
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electric utilities, twenty seven data center developers, and more than
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twenty governors have signed the voluntary pledge. Major utilities signing
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include American Electric Power, Kentucky Power's parent company, along with
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Duke Energy, Southern Company, Next Era Energy, and Pacific Gas
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and Electric. Although President Donald Trump said the pledge would
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help lower electric bills, it is voluntary and does not
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itself change electric rates or require utilities to follow any
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specific pricing formula. Consumer advocates have questioned whether the pledge
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alone will prevent higher electric bills as electricity demand grows nationwide.
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Kentucky already regulates utility rates through the Public Service Commission,
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which must approve major rate changes proposed by investor owned
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utilities such as Kentucky Power. Why it matters? Many Mountain
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Eagle readers have asked whether a large data center proposed
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for the Jenkins area could increase their electric bills. Kentucky
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Power says it believes new industrial customers should pay the
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costs of serving their own electric needs, rather than passing
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those costs on to existing customers. The White House Pledge
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is voluntary, however, and does not by itself change Kentucky
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utility rates. Any future Kentucky Power request to recover costs
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from customers would still require approval by the Kentucky Public
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Service Commission. The next story is Letcher County native is
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Kentucky's only woman now on death row, while Benny Lee
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Hodge remains the only person under a death sentence for
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a murder committed in Letcher County. Another person with close
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ties to the county also remains on Kentucky's death row.
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Virginia Susan Caudle, sixty five, a native of Whitco, is
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the Commonwealth's only female death row inmate. She is housed
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at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women in Ewee Valley.
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Caudle and Jonathan Wayne Goforth were convicted in the March fifteenth,
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nineteen ninety eight robbery and murder of seventy three year
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old Lonetta White of Lexington. White was the mother of
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Cardle's former boyfriend. According to court records, White was beaten
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to death in her home after refusing to lend Caudle
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money to buy cocaine. Caudle has lost numerous appeals, including
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challenges in federal court, but remains on death row because
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of the same statewide litigation that has prevented Kentucky from
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carrying out an execution since two thousand and eight. This
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concludes the reading of the Mountain Eagle, your reader has
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been billed an Arsenal. Now please stay tuned for continued
28:50
programming on behalf of everyone here at Radio I thank
28:54
you for listening, and have a good day.