EKB News

Recently new playground equipment was installed for children at Feds Creek Park. County Parks& Recreation Director, Jannas Hatfield says that the new equipment features multiple slides, climb bars, and other fun adventures for kids. District Three Magistrate Leo Murphy said he encouraged parents to bring their children to the park and take advantage of having fun on the new equipment.

The 3rd Annual Eastern Kentucky Fair begins Thursday and will run through Saturday at the ThunderRidge Racing and Entertainment Complex located on Route 3 in Prestonsburg.

Admission is $10.00. Children three and under are admitted free. Gates open each day at 11:00am.the admission price allows patrons to ride all carnival rides, shows and events.

The fair will feature all three days, Amusement Park Games and Rides featuring Jules and Beck, also there will be a petting zoo and pony rides for the kids, also there will be plenty of food vendors and crafts .

The opening ceremony will be held Thursday evening at 6pm. Ms Alison Lovely-Ms. Kentucky Outstanding Teen will sing the National Anthem.

Here is the fair schedule for Thursday.

12:30-2:30 :Jenny Wiley Theatre “ 2007 Salute To Youth”

4pm :WDHR Sponsored Colgate Country Showdown Regional Finals. Emceed by AM Asylum Host Randy Jones.

Beginning at 5:30: will be the Scholarship Pageant. Local schools’ will have a representative competing.

Confederate Railroad will be performing at 8:30pm.

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Friday’s Special Events include;

Noon: assorted talent show

2:00: paint ball competition.

5:30: Up the Holler Bucking Bulls Bull Riding Competition.

6:30: performance from Southern Storm

8:30 : Concert by the Classic Rock Allstars.

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Saturday’s Special Events

11:am: Performance by local gymnasts, cheerleaders and dance teams

Noon: 4-H Dog Show.

12:30: Jenny Wiley Theatre ‘ 2007 Salute to Youth”

12:00: Invited local bands will be performing

1:00 : Kentucky Outlaw Truck Pull

2:30 : 4-H Rabbitt Show

3:00: BBW Wrestling

4:00: 4-H Goat Show

5:00: ATV Mud Bog Race

5:00: Colgate Country Showdown State Finals

8:00: Kentucky Opry Jr. Jamboree

9:00: Concert by Juice Newton.

For more info about the fair, check out their website at www.eastkentuckyfair.com

Pikeville physicians DR. R.V. Mettu and Dr. Joyti Mettu presented a check for $10,000 to the board of Judi’s Place for Kids, the Big Sandy Area Child Advocacy Center toward the purchase of a larger building.

Judi’s Place for Kids helps a child that suffers from sexual abuse or physical abuse to receiving multiple services such as interviewing services and medical examinations at no cost to the victim or the victim’s family. The center serves children in Pike, Floyd , Johnson, Martin and Magoffin Counties.

Dr. Jyothi Mettu states, “ We are happy to have the opportunity to support the Child Advocacy Center. Serving the children in eastern Kentucky has been my passion and my husband has always supported my work with children. We would like to think Mrs. Judi Patton and the board members for giving us the opportunity to support Judi’s Place for Kids”. When Judi Patton served as first lady she pushed for funding of children’s advocacy centers across Kentucky.

Executive Director Laura Kretzer states “ The generosity of our community, and in particular Drs. R.V. and Jyothi, is both humbling and inspiring to know that we are recognized in the community as valuable to children. This donation will allow us to more quickly meet our goal of expansion to serve children even better. A larger facility is an investment in our community to bring safety, healing and justice to the most vulnerable of our citizens-our children. We are good stewards of our current location . We have just outgrown it. A new center will allow for increased treatment and prevention services and enhanced collaboration with the community.”

Currently the center is located in a house located on Williamson Street in Pikeville. With the current donation, $22,000 has been raised toward the goal of $90,000.

Since July of 2006, the Center has advocated on behalf of more than 200 children.

Senator Ray S. Jones II, D- Pikeville has been selected by leaders of the State Senate to serve as a member of the special legislative working group to develop energy legislation. It is anticipated that the legislation will be voted on during the upcoming Special session scheduled for Aug. 13th.

The working group has already begun work to begin negotiating and drafting energy legislation intended to lure a $3 billion coal to natural gas plant to Kentucky. the bi-partisan group is composed of 12 members from both the House and Senate.

Officials from Pike and Greenup Counties are attempting to lure a CTL Plant.

An abandoned mine site located in Logan county is scheduled for reclamation. The Department of Environmental Protection’s Abandoned Mine Lands and Reclamation Office, has awarded $214,000 to a contractor out of McDowell County to work on the Stollings Draining Portal, which discharges mine drainage onto a residential property. The DEP says the underground impoundment floods the property during heavy rains.

The 32nd Annual West Virginia EMS/Firefighting Competition will be held Aug 3-5 at the Chief Logan State Park Lodge.

The annual competition brings together first responders from across the state. These responders compete in events representing water, fire and vehicular rescue. Other reenactments include Emergency Medical and structural disasters. The event is being hosted by the Logan Emergency Ambulance Authority and sponsored by Logan Regional Medical Center.

A body of a Virginia man was found Tuesday morning in the Kimper area. According to the KSP, the body of 56 year-old Wallace Chapman of Hurley, Virginia. was found in a remote area by a passerby on KY 3111. The KSP says that the cause of death appears to be a drug overdose. No foul play is suspected

A Johnson county man, died Monday night, after the ATV that he was operating flipped. The victim was identified as 49 year-old Dwight D. Ratliff. The accident ocurred on private property near Van Lear. Ratliff wasn't wearing a helmet. The KSP suspect alcohol was involved. Ratliff was pronounced dead at Highlands Regional Medical Center . This is the 18th ATV fatality in Kentucky this year.

An attempted sale of steel plates stolen from a Pike County Company has landed David Kiser of Pikeville, and Robert Fleming of Virgie behind bars. The men were arrested when they tried to sell the steel in Floyd County.

It's nothing but good news concerning converting coal to natural gas. Pike County officials announced that they had just returned from Noth Dakota where they witnessed a zero emission plant in operation. The zero emission refers to carbon dioxide, an unwanted byproduct of the coal to gas process. According to judge-Executive Wayne T. Rutherford, the carbon dioxide could be pumped back into eastern kentucky oil and gas wells to inhance their activity. There are over 6,000 oil and gas wells in Pike County. Currently Pike County produces 30 million tons of coal per year, 28 million tons would need to be produced annually to support a CTL Plant here. Energy Director ,Roger Ford, says that the county is currenty in the phase one stage at this time which is the site identification and engineering study. Three sites are being looked at for placing a CTL plant. The study is expected to take up to one year.

A Kentucky State Trooper from the Pikeville Detatchment has resigned. Jared Alfrey abruptly resigned Monday. The two-year veteran is under investigation. Alfrey is accused of beating Randall McCoy of Williamson,WV. Officials wouldn't elaborate why Alfrey resigned. Alfrey allegedly took McCoy to an old strip mining site at Turkey Creek and beat him. Alfrey was suspended with pay. McCoy spent eight days in a hospital from injuries that he susutained. Alfrey responded to a domestic call at the home of McCoy's girlfriend on the night of the alleged event.

A Mouthcard resident was sentenced to 5 to seven years behind bars for various drug charges. Hershel Baker pled guilty to one count each of first degree drug trafficking and first degree possession of drugs. Circuit Court Judge Eddy Coleman conducted the sentencing hearing.

A Pike County man was sentenced to 10 years of prison time by Circuit Court Judge Eddy Coleman. Herbert Courtney was convicted of second degree robbery by a jury. However he pled guilty to first degree robbery after he was facing a PFO ( persistant felony offender) charge. Courtney and two other co-defendants James Snell and Brian Stanley are already serving time in prison.

The trio back in November of 2005 went to a mine site to steal copper. The men were confronted by a security guard, they kidnapped the guard put him in the back of their truck, however the guard managed to escape after jumping out of the moving vehicle.

James Snell was convicted of kidnapping. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Brian Stanley pled guilty to theft of unlawful taking. Stanley was sentenced to five years in prison and five years probation. Stanley testified against both Courtney and Snell.

The $250,000 will go toward widening and removing the treacherous curves along the road between US 119 and I-64 in Lincoln, Logan and Wyoming Counties. The steep grade of the mountainous region has contributed to a high number of accidents and fatalities along Route 10, which has been named one of the country’s most dangerous roads by both USA Today and Readers Digest and Forbes.

A new Kentucky law says high school students must pass two thirds of their classes in order to keep their drivers license. The new law also states that students who drop out or have more than nine unexcused absences could lose their license or permit. The " No Pass, No Drive" goes into effect Wednesday.

Letcher County, Whitesburg and Jenkins were presented Friday with more than a million dollars for various projects. The monies are part of Transportation Cabinet funding across the Commonwealth. One of the projects in Letcher is a welcome center to be located along Route 23.

A smuggling ring attemting to smuggle marijuana and pain medication into the Pike County Detention Center was shortcircuited. Seven people including three inmates were arrested. Police were able to intercept the drugs before they reached the inmates. Authorities were tipped off when an inmate used a telephone from inside the facility to demand the drugs. One problem the phone was tapped.

Martin County officials are continuing to clean up a diesel spill on Big Creek that eventually made its way to the Tug Fork River. According to Chris Todd, Emergency Services Director, water intake valves were turned off for water companies affected by the spill. The diesel fuel came from tanks of an ICG coal plant along the Pike/Martin County lines. Martin County officials are assuring residents that their water is safe for use.