EKB News

Nearly 600 area citizens turned out Thursday (12-13) evening to celebrate the Christmas season. The Mountain Sing-A-Long was held in the East Kentucky Expo Center.

Several area businesses sponsored the event, which was broadcast on the stations of East Kentucky Broadcasting. Those in attendance raised their voices in song...singing several of the all-time Christmas favorites.

Non-perishable food and clothing were collected for the area's needy families. Plans are already underway for next year's event.

U. S. News and World Report magazine has listed nearly two dozen Kentucky schools as some of the tops in the country.

Two of those singled out for attention are here in Pike County. Phelps High School and Pikeville High School both received high ratings.

Kentucky Representative Tom Burch of Louisville has filed a bill for consideration during the 2008 session of the General Assembly. It would ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving.

The bill would make it a secondary offense, meaning a person would have to be pulled for another violation before they could be ticketed for talking on the phone while driving.

A hands-free device would still be permitted. Emergency calls would also be exempt.

Floyd County Emergency and Rescue Squad will be awarded the 2007 National Service Award next week in Washington, D. C.

The squad was formed after a bus accident that killed 27 people on Feb, 28th, 1958.

The rescue squad was formed by Graham Burchett and James B. Goble.

Captain Timothy Cooley will accept the award on behalf of the squad.

Pike County earned a second place trophy in the fifth annual Roadside PRIDE competition, an anti-litter campaign sponsored by PRIDE.

The Roadside PRIDE Awards were presented at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset. Trophies went to communities that earned the most points for recruiting volunteers, cleaning road miles, and collecting trash .

Pike County recruited 171 volunteers, who spent 346 hours picking up litter along 329 miles of roadway during the last two weeks of October. The county's cleanup effort netted 2,246 bags of trash, 50 tires and 11 appliances. The first place winner was Pulaski County.

A Johnson County man shot in the chest by a Kentucky State Police Trooper died Wednesday in a Huntington , West Virginia hospital.

46 year-old Randy Baldwin was shot Tuesday, by Trooper Byron Hansford. The 17 year veteran of the KSP found Baldwin beside the guardrail intoxicated at the intersection of Highway 40 and 580 in Oil Springs. After an altercation, the suspect pulled a weapon , which led Trooper Hansford to fire his weapon at the suspect.

Baldwin’s body has been taken for an autopsy.

Trooper Hansford has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.

Michael Kirk was the General Manager at Luv Homes in Floyd County until one night in 2005, when he shot and killed a man breaking into the business.

Police ruled the shooting self-defense, but he was fired from his job. Kirk filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination and claimed Luv's action kept him from getting another job.

Monday, a jury agreed and awarded Kirk more than $700,000 for lost wages and emotional distress.

The last day to submit an application for the Subsidy phase of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will be Friday, December 14.

The program is intended to help eligible low-income consumers pay utility bill during the winter months when energy costs typically are higher.

Unite Pike will be sponsoring Santa'a Wish... Be Drug Free. Santa Claus will be in the Pikeville City Park on Dec, 22nd, from 5-7pm. Children will be able to have there picture taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Hot chocolate and cookies will also be provided .

Santa will be joined by the East Kentucky Miners's Diamond Girls and others with the Miners organization

The City of Pikeville recently purchased the Ross Harris House which is located beisde the city park.

City commissioners have decided to make the 5,000 ft structure a part of the park.

City manager Donovan Blackburn says that the city will renovate the first floor and convert it into a community center in which residents can hold gatherings and weddings.

Blackburn says that commissioners have spent over $ 850,000 in the past few years in improving the park.

It's now officially Governor Steve Beshear as a result of a swearing in ceremony held Monday night at midnight...or, should we say one minute after midnight.

Beshear will publicly take the oath of office at 2:00pm Tuesday afternoon.

Monday's meeting between Appalachian Regional Healthcare officials and the Kentucky/West Virgina Nurses' Associations brought "no resolution". West Virginia Governor Manchin's plan to get the nurses back to work under the old contract was rejected...by both the ARH and the nurses. No further talks are scheduled.

A portion of US 23 that was closed in Lawrence County for nearly seven hours is now open .

Lawrence County Sheriff Garrett Roberts told us that a pickup truck made a left hand turn from Route 32 onto US 23 and struck a diesel tanker traveling south.

The driver of the truck was transported to Three rivers Medical Center in Louisa where she was later transported to a unknown hospital. A spokeswoman with Three Rivers told us that the driver was in stable condition.

Approximately 1,450 to 1,500 gallons of diesel leaked out of the tanker.

Some of the diesel made its way into a nearby stream. a hazmat crew used a dike to contain the diesel. They were able to get most of the fuel out of the stream.

Preliminary statistics show that twelve people died last week on Kentucky’s roadways

Ten of the fatalities were traveling in motor vehicles and four of the victims were not wearing seat belts. Two of the fatalities were pedestrians . Two of the fatalities were the result of crashes involving alcohol.

809 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways this year. This is 51 fewer than reported for this time period in 2006.

A non- profit organization has a new building to call home.

The Belfry HOPE _( Helping Our Poor Exist ), recently moved into a new building located at Compton Bottom near Belfry High School. The new structure is a 32x72.

President David Varney says that they now have more space to store products. They had been operating out of a single wide trailer at Hardy for the last nine years.

HOPE delivered food to 252 families in November. The amount could reach 300 this month. The organization on the average services 197 families per month this year.

The Mountain Santa Claus returns for the 31st year. Marlow Tackett has announced that he will be having his annual Christmas program on Sunday, Dec, 23rd beginning at noon from the Damron Furniture Warehouse located at Robinson Creek.

Tackett says that he appreciates the Damron Family for allowing him to use there facility to hold the program.

Tackett says that he is accepting the following donations: food, clothing, toys and furniture.

Last years’ event attracted over 7,000 people from Pike, Letcher, Floyd, Johnson, Martin. Lawrence, Clay and Mingo Counties.

Tackett says that he would like to continue to have the event for a long time to come.

To contact Tackett contact 606-639-2056

19 people were recently indicted by a Pike County Grand Jury. The indictments were released by the Pike County Commonwealth Attorney Office.

An indictment is only an accusation.

Kristi A. Brown ,29, Neon : Theft by Deception ( Class D Felony ), Forgery, Second Degree ( Class D Felony).

Marvin Wolford , 47, Phelps : First Degree Promoting Contraband ( Class D Felony ).

Joseph Simms, 19, Elkhorn City : Setting Fire on the Lands of Another ( Class D. Felony).

Billy Michael Raines, 31 : Failing to Properly Register to Sexual Offense ( Class D Felony )

Timothy Sammons , : Pikeville : Theft by Deception (Class D Felony)

Julie Easton, 37, Raccoon : Theft by Unlawful Taking ( Class D Felony )

Ival Hart Rose, 55, Betsy Layne, :Theft by Unlawful Taking ( Class D Felony)

William Bonds Jr, 37 : Canada, Theft by Unlawful Taking ( Class D Felony)

Ricky Smith, 42, Canada : Theft by Unlawful Taking ( Class D Felony )

Charles Erick Tubbs, 35, Warren, PA: Flagrant Nonsupport (Class D Felony). Tubbs is accused of not paying child support for the last six months.

Louie Gauze, 36, Rawl,WV : Receiving Stolen Property ( Class C Felony)

Melissa Williamson 30, Meta : Receiving Stolen Property ( Class D Felony )

Brian Pennington , 34, Hardy : Receiving Stolen Property (Class D Felony)

Chester Lester, 45, Freeburn : First Degree Trafficking In Controlled Substance, Third Degree Trafficking In Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphenalia, Trafficking In Marijuana.

Tabitha Ray, 23, Jamboree : Trafficking In Controlled Substance First Degree, Third Degree In Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphenalia, Trafficking In Marijuana

Steven McBrayer, 50, Charleston, WV : Two Counts First Degree Mischief ( Class D Felony)

John Elkins, Greensboro, TN : Theft by Unlawful Taking ( Class A Misdemeanor ), Theft by Unlawful Taking ( Class D Felony)

Gilbert Malone : First Degree Wanton Endangerment ( Class D Felony)

Kristie D. Taylor, 31, Hellier : 4th Offense DUI (Class D Felony), Giving Peace Officer False Name (Class B Misdemeanor) and Operating Motor Vehicle Without an Operators’ License ( Class B Misdemeanor)

Firefighters from the Inez Volunteer Fire Department worked three separate fires over the weekend.

The first fire occurred Saturday night at a mobile home located at Collins Creek. A father and his daughter were able to escape without injury. The mobile home was a total loss.

A second house fire occurred early Sunday night at a two story home located on Moore Branch Road. No one was injured , but the home was a total loss.

Firefighters also responded to a car fire.

A press release from the Kentucky State Police identified the victim as 55 year-old Melissa Meadows. The Stone resident was found in an upstairs bedroom.

Authorities responded to the two story dwelling at 2:00 a.m .

The Upper Pond Creek and Belfry Volunteer Fire Departments worked the scene.

The fire is being investigated by the Kentucky State Fire Marshal’s Office. Foul play isn’t expected.

Kentucky's 58th inauguration will include an important first...the first time the governor and lieutenant governor will both be publicly sworn in by women.

Supreme Court Justice Mary C. Noble will conduct the oath of office for Governor Steve Beshear, and Chief court of Appeals Judge Sara Walter Combs will do the honors for Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo.