EKB News

Republicans in Eastern Kentucky and in Washington, D.C., are hailing the selection of Inez banker Robert "Mike" Duncan this week as chairman of the Republican National Committee. US Senator Mitch McConnell said that quite simply, the RNC could not have selected a more talented man to serve as chairman. If the 168-member RNC approves President Bush's selections in January, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez of Florida will be the public face of the party and its chief fund-raiser, and Duncan will run its day-to-day operations. The Republicans are looking to replace current Chairman Ken Mehlman, who is not seeking re-election possibly after comedian Bill Mahr outted him as gay on a recent edition of Larry King Live .

An Elkhorn man is now behind bars after being arrested on numerous charges stemming from the alleged theft of a woman’s identity. According to the arrest warrant, 26 year old Ermel Wolford allegedly took a wallet from the victim’s vehicle, used their bank card to wire money to himself and made four different purchases resulting in four counts of Theft by unlawful taking, four counts of forgery and one count of theft of identity. Wolford is being lodged at the Pike County detention center on a $2,000 full cash bond and will appear again in court on November 21st for a preliminary hearing.

On Monday evening Police Chief Jimmy Dean Adkins stood proudly in front of the Pikeville City Commission as he presented the four newest officers to join the cities police force, fresh out of their 14 weeks in the academy.
We spoke with Chief Adkins who detailed what’s next for the police department’s fresh faces. “We’ve got the 16 week training program where they ride with another officer; during that time they’ll be learning the policies and procedures and how we do things.”
Adkins went on to talk about how well the officers performed at the academy, where several received awards for their outstanding efforts. “I’m extremely proud of these guys; they did really well at the academy.”

Patrolman Scotty Hamilton spoke with EKB news, telling us about his first days on the job. “It’s just a huge learning phase just taking it all in trying to learn all I can so I can prepare myself when I’m riding alone.”
We then asked Hamilton what he’d like to say to our readers and listeners as he prepares to serve them as one of Pikeville’s finest.
“Feel safer sleeping at night, we’ve got extra officers out there patrolling the neighborhoods.”

Two of Kentucky's top Democrats declared yesterday that they would not challenge Gov. Ernie Fletcher in next year's governor's race, leaving the party without a named opponent to the incumbent. Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson and State Auditor Crit Luallen both took their names out of contention as candidates in the 2007 governor's race. Both had been considering a run atop the Democratic slate against Fletcher, a Republican, who has been politically weakened by a lengthy hiring investigation.

Two boys are in custody after deputies in Johnson County say they stole items from a church. Officers say they found one boy pushing a wheelbarrow full of electrical equipment. Another was discovered hiding in a creek near an abandoned mobile home full of more stolen items, which they believe were taken from the Boonescamp church of God. Deputies say both juveniles are charged with receiving stolen property and are being held in the Boyd County Juvenile Detention Center.

Seeing an American Flag wafting in the breeze, causing it to fly majestically through the sky, cutting through the air as a bastion of liberty and freedom, is enough to make any Americans heart swell with pride; remembering those who lost their lives so that citizens have the right to fly that very flag.
But the sight of an American Flag engulfed in flames; a group igniting the red, white and blue fabric; burning the very vein of America’s pride would be disheartening.
However, once time has taken its inevitable toll on a flag, it becomes necessary to put that flag to rest, paying it its' proper respects.
About once a year the Johns Creek Chapter of Disabled American Veterans hold a Flag Retirement Ceremony illustrating the proper way to dispose of a tattered flag.
First the stripes are torn apart so that the flag is merely fabric. Then the pieces are put into a pile and set ablaze with those in attendance giving one final salute followed by the proper send off for a patriot who has served their country well, a 21 gun salute.
The group representing the DAV met this past Friday, November 10, and did just that, saluting old glory complete with the traditional playing of taps.
Chapter 166 of the DAV encourages those with a tattered flag to bring them to Wal-Mart so that once a year they can make sure that old glory is paid its proper respects.

Two fatal shootings within a half-mile of each other in Eastern Kentucky appear to be a murder-suicide, state police said. Police first found 27 year old Jordan Justice, dead from a gunshot wound shortly after 10:30 a.m. Sunday at his home in Road Creek, about 7 miles west of Elkhorn City in Pike County. Nearly three hours later, they were summoned to a home along the same road to find Gary King, 50, also dead from a gunshot wound. Authorities were awaiting results from autopsies performed Monday morning. Detective Mitchell Adkins said Justice and King likely were killed by the same weapon, a .22-caliber gun. Witnesses told police that the shootings followed an argument the men had earlier in the day.

A bomb Threat on Saturday had Prestonsburg police combing the campus of Big Sandy Community and Technical College. According to Police around 8:30 Saturday morning the Prestonsburg 911 center received a call from a female saying that there was a bomb in the Morehead Building of BSCTC. Fire and Police officials were dispatched, evacuating the building for nearly two hours. The incident ended with police arresting 33 year old Stacy El Harrab of Thelma and charging her with Terroristic Threatening, a felony charge. The incident remains under investigation by the Prestonsburg Fire Department.

Following months of return flights to Fort Campbell, a base official said the goal is to have the last of the deployed soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division home nearly a month before Christmas. Cathy Gramling spokeswoman for Fort Campbell says they’re expecting redeployment to wrap up before the end of November. So far, nearly 17,000 soldiers have returned from their yearlong deployment overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan and another 3,000 remain. Three more returning flights are scheduled for Tuesday.

Police are still on the hunt this morning for an inmate who escaped Thursday afternoon while on work detail near Pike County Central High School. Just past one o’clock Thursday Pike County jailer Rodney Scott received a call from one of the guards supervising the work release inmates. Two of them had escaped while clearing brush.

Police then went to work looking for the pair, but found out latter, that they hadn’t left Pike Central Empty Handed. They had stolen one of the teacher’s cars and the teacher was unaware of the situation until she ready to leave school.
Police were able to track down one of the inmates, William Leaper, who was being held on charges of Contempt of Court and Failure to appear and is now being charged with escape and has other charges pending in regards to the stolen car. Police are still searching for the other inmate; however Jailor Rodney Scott says he is not considered dangerous.
“They were state inmates in here on non-violent crimes which was why they were allowed to be out on work release” said Scott.

19 year old Joseph Edmonds who is described as-
5’5”
130 lbs
Brown hair
Green eyes

If you have any information in regards to Edmonds you are urged to contact State Police immediately.