Thursday, June 05, 2008

 

Kentucky Attorney General Treated And Released At Hospital.

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway was treated and released from a hospital Thursday after the 38 year old became ill during lunch.

Spokesperson Allison Martin says that Conway has had flu like symptoms this week.

Conway returned to work later in the day.

 

Kentucky Atorney General Anoounces New Cybercrime Division.

Attorney General Jack Conway today announced the creation of a new investigative division dedicated to cybercrimes and outlined the reorganization of his office to streamline priority operations while addressing budget cuts.

“This new cybercrimes unit fulfills my pledge to create a group of investigators that will focus its efforts on crimes that occur online or are committed by using new technology,” General Conway said.

The Cybercrimes Division will investigate predators who are trying to harm Kentucky kids and crack down on identity theft, the fastest-growing crime in America. The six investigators in the group will also pursue criminals who steal from consumers via Internet scams.

The unit will lead statewide efforts to train local law-enforcement officers in processing computer or digital forensics evidence. This week the Office of the Attorney General, in conjunction with the University of Louisville, is conducting digital forensics trainings in Frankfort and Hazard. Trainings will be conducted next week in Burlington and Paducah.

“I’m hearing from law-enforcement officers that 80 percent of crimes are committed using a computer and involve digital or computer forensics,” General Conway said. “It’s imperative that we reach out to investigators across Kentucky to make sure they are discovering and preserving crucial evidence that could lead to the successful prosecution of cybercriminals, and that we are expediting the turn-around time of processing digital evidence.”

In addition, Microsoft has chosen General Conway’s office as one of nine agencies in the nation to host cybercrimes training and data-collection seminars. Employees from Microsoft will conduct trainings for police officers and prosecutors from across the Commonwealth in September.

Reorganization of Attorney General’s Office
Investigators from the Cybercrimes Division will report to the Department of Criminal Investigations, formerly known as the Kentucky Bureau of Investigations (KBI). The DCI will also consist of the Drug Investigations Division that will bring renewed focus to fighting illegal drugs and combating prescription drug abuse. And public corruption investigators will report to the Special Investigations & Public Integrity Division of the DCI.
-more-

“Changing the name of this department does not and will not change the sworn law enforcement status of our
investigators,” General Conway said. “This structure gives our officers more support and allows us the flexibility to maximize available resources in difficult budget times, while maintaining uniform training and qualification guidelines for all sworn staff.”

The current Division of Administrative Hearings will become a branch of the Civil Division, allowing the office to consolidate operations and relinquish some office space in the East Office.

The Office of the Attorney General worked with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to consolidate child support staff into one division at the cabinet, which will maximize federal funding for child support efforts. The Child Support Enforcement Commission has been eliminated from the Attorney General’s Office because its function will be covered by the cabinet.

The reorganizational changes were made by executive order and are effective June 16, 2008.

Streamlining Office Operations
The Attorney General’s Office experienced a budget reduction of 3 percent in the current year, and a 12 percent cut per year of the upcoming biennium. The Office of the Attorney General was recently instructed to cut the 2009 budget by an additional 4.5 percent to meet requirements in the state budget that are the result of retiring employees and other cost-saving measures.

Attorney General Conway has instituted the following cost-saving measures:
Cut in vehicle expenditures
Reduction in grant expenditures
Reduction or elimination of travel
Vacancies only filled on emergency or net revenue generation basis
All comp time monitored to reduce block-50 payments
Block-50’s converted to sick time for merit attorneys

Since taking office, General Conway has reduced the number of non-merit staff from 36 to 24. He has secured language in the state budget to recover the reasonable costs of litigation and is seeking to secure additional government work that may currently be outsourced to private attorneys.

“I want to thank our staff for making my transition a smooth one and for helping streamline the functions of this office to meet our priorities and statutory obligations,” General Conway said. “The leadership team we’ve assembled in this office blends experience with new ideas, and I know that working together, we will continue providing excellent service to Kentuckians.”

 

Pike County Central Students Enjoy Recycling.

On Tuesday, Pike County Central High School became the first high school in the county to participate in recycling with the support of Central Appalachian Mining (CAM) and Pike County Solid Waste Department.
Pike Central’s National Honor Society collected over 500 lbs. of recyclable material that had been collected in recycling bags donated by CAM. Dale Dotson, Purchasing Manager with CAM, was on hand to represent the company.
“CAM appreciates the chance to give back to the community in a positive way,” says Dotson. “We want to be a good neighbor and do anything we can to educate youngsters on making our environment cleaner.”
The Pike County Solid Waste Department collected the materials and took them to the county recycling center located in Johns Creek.
Recycling has been a part of the Pike County School system at the grade school level for nearly a decade. The growth of this initiative to the high school level marks an increased interest by the county and schools in fostering favorable environmental behaviors.
Jamie Layne, a physical science teacher at Pike Central, understands the responsibility and significance of the effort set forth by the students.

 

Congressman Hal Rogers Announces Funding For Pike county Schools To Combat Alcohol Abuse.

U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-05) announced today that the Pike County Board of Education will receive nearly $250,000 to reduce alcohol abuse in area high schools, emphasizing its health effects and the dangers of binge drinking.
“As kids get to high school, alcohol becomes all too easily abused,” said Rogers. “While a lot of our focus is on illegal drug use, we must not forget that alcohol is legal for adults, widely available and is certainly a factor in what is called ‘substance abuse.’”

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

 

Two Pike County Employees Injured In Accident.

Two Pike County employees were injured when they were involved in a two vehicle accident on Rt 194 at Kimper.

Elvis Harden was transported to Holsten Valley Trauma Center in Kingsport, TN with a head injury.

Teddy Gooslin was transported to Pikeville Medical Center where he was treated for minor injuries.

County officials say the injuries are non life threatening.

A third person in another vehicle was uninjured.

Both Gooslin and Harden work for the road department in District 5.

 

Pike County Looking For Way To Solve Abandoned Mine Blowout Issue.

The threat of deep mine blowouts such as those recently occurring at Grapevine and in the Virgie area are taken seriously by the Pike County Fiscal Court.

This was proven during the court’s regular meeting on Tuesday, June 3, when Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford cited a proposed study that could see funding handed out for work in solving this volatile threat.

When coal is extracted from deep mines, the remaining voids often fill with water. One side of the mine naturally dip with geologic formations and the lower side collects substantial amounts of water. This water is under pressure created by the water stored at higher elevations. The “down dip” as it is referred to becomes saturated with water, the water pressure continues to build eventually leading to a blowout.

“As you know, we are prone to mine blowouts in this county,” Rutherford told concerned citizens attending Tuesday’s meeting. “This is nothing new. Millions of gallons have accumulated in deep mines and threaten the well-being of residents all across this county.”

Rutherford said that, with this in mind, a request for funding has already been proposed to identify major blowout threats and to then seek funding to eliminate these threats.

“We felt as a court we should seek this funding,” Rutherford continued. “We’re very hopeful that this will be made available and we can take care of this dangerous problem.”

The county’s proposal, which tags deep mine blowouts as “hidden threats,” was informally presented to concerned citizens during Tuesday’s meeting as residents of Grapevine urged the fiscal court members to take some action.

Rutherford assured the public that many steps have been taken in finding a solution. Among these steps have been letters seeking support sent from the county to Steve Hohmann, Director of Abandoned Mine Lands, U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers and Adam Edelen, Executive Director of the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security.

In addition to the letters, county officials have compiled a packet complete with photographs of both the Grapevine and Virgie deep mine blowouts and a three-phase proposed study, including estimated costs.

Phase 1 of the study would afford officials secure mapping of all underground mine works in the county seam at an estimated cost of $200,000.

Phase 2 would entail field surveys of the potential sites during which water samples would be collected at seeps and analyzed at a cost of $120,000.

Site monitoring, instrumentation and dewatering plans make up the bulk of the Phase 3 stage. Sites that are determined to have a high potential for blowout will have instrumentation installed for monitoring outflow, according to the study. Costs for this phase are estimated at $170,000.

As recently as today, Wednesday, June 4, Rutherford has already been contacted back by Steve Hohmann with the Division of Abandoned Mine Lands.

“Mr. Hohmann has written us back with interest and asked that we plan a visit to further discuss options with him,” Rutherford said Wednesday. “So in the near future we will talk with Mr. Hohmann and have hopes that this meeting will further the success of seeing funding for this plan secured.”

 

Pike County Fiscal Court

The Pike County Fiscal Court approved $ 3,000 each to the City of Pikeville, Belfry Volunteer Fire Department and Elkhorn City to be used for there annual fireworks display.

 

Two Plead Guilty In Mingo County Circuit Court.

Two people pleaded guilty in Mingo County Circuit Court on various drug charges.

Cathy Butcher pleaded to one count of conspiracy to deliver Oxycodone.

Dustin Ray Waller admitted to being in possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

Circuit Court Judge Mike Thornsbury will sentence both defendants on July 15th.

 

Noted Historian To Speak At Hatfield McCoy Reunion Festival

On Friday, June 13, noted Kentucky historian Jim Prichard will visit during Pike County’s Hatfield-McCoy Weekend Festival to talk about the nationally known feud that has captured America’s attention for more than a century.

Prichard, the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives Research Room Supervisor, is one of the most highly regarded historians in the state, and a gift to those who will have a chance to hear him speak about Pike County’s famous feud, says local genealogy expert Betty Howard.

“I’ve heard Mr. Prichard speak on a number of occasions, and we couldn’t be more lucky to have him for this,” says Howard. “He’s probably the leading historian in the state at this point.”
Prichard will visit Pikeville to speak at length about the Hatfield-McCoy Feud, a subject that is unique in Kentucky’s

 

Former Governor Paul Patton Possibility For Higher Education Panel

There are three openings on the Kentucky Council On Postsecondary Eduation Panel, which serves as the coorinating bodty for Kentucky's public universities. Former Governor Paul Patton is among nine people whose names are on a list for consideration by Governor Steve Beshear.

The list was sent to the Governor yesterday (Tuesday). The Panel is responsibile for approving public universities' tuition rates, among other things.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

 

Logan County Woman Arrested After Allegedly Killing Pedestrian

Authorities in Logan have arrested Chawndale Vincent after she is accused of killing a pedestrian while operating a vehicle impaired.

The accident happened on Route 10 at Godby Heights.

The victim was walking across the road when he was hit.

The resident of Lake is charged with DUI causing death, driving with a suspended license second offense, no registration and no insurance.

Authorities have not released the name of the victim.

 

Williamson Mayor Released From Hospital.

Williamson Mayor Darrin McCormick is expected back at work today after he was hospitalized earlier in the week suffering from chest pains.

McCormick said several tests were run and nothing serious was found.

McCormick added that he is feeling much better.

 

ACS Relay For Life This Weekend In Logan

The Logan County American Cancer Society Relay for Life will take place this Saturday on Midelburg Island. Last years' event raised $ 50,000

 

Electric System Reliability Improving In Kentucky

Kentucky electric customers whose power goes out are seeing the lights come back on more quickly than in the past, according to data collected by the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC). While the frequency of outages, including those caused by severe weather, generally has not changed, utilities are doing a better job of restoring power quickly, the PSC found when it analyzed information from the 22 regulated utilities that retail electricity. As a result, most Kentucky customers can expect to have electric power better than 99.97 percent of the time. Other findings of the PSC’s report on electric distribution reliability include:* Most customers can expect between 1.1 and 1.7 power interruptions per year from routine causes such as equipment failures, animals getting into equipment, falling limbs or vehicle accidents.* When major storms or other unusual events are factored in, the expected total number of outages rises to between 1.3 and 2 per year.* The typical outage from normal causes lasts between 80 and 97 minutes, rising to 84 to 121 minutes when unusual events are factored in.* Most Kentucky electric customers can expect to be without power for between 49 and 135 minutes per year. The figures are contained in the first-ever annual electric distribution reliability report compiled by the PSC. The report includes data from 2007 and, for most utilities, the four preceding years as well. Data for the report were submitted in compliance with an order issued by the PSC on Oct. 26, 2007. The order required electric distribution utilities within the PSC’s jurisdiction to submit annual reliability reports. Utilities are required to report reliability using specific methodologies and indices that are standard in the electric industry. Reports also must include an analysis of the causes of outages in the previous year and how much each cause contributed to outages overall. Utilities are to identify the 10 worst-performing circuits for each outage index and identify the predominant cause of the reliability problems on that circuit. The reporting requirement was the end result of an investigation opened by the PSC in December 2006. The investigation stemmed from recommendations made in 2005 in a PSC report on Kentucky’s electric infrastructure. That report noted that utilities were not required to, and did not report, reliability data in a standard way. “This report marks the first step in establishing a record of how well Kentucky’s electric utilities are doing in providing reliable service to their customers,” PSC Chairman David Armstrong said. “Although reliability appears to be high, annual reporting will enable the PSC to identify any emerging problems,” Armstrong said. “We can then move to address those issues.” The 2007 reliability report is available on the PSC Web site, psc.ky.gov. The PSC is an independent agency attached for administrative purposes to the Department of Public Protection in the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet. It regulates more than 1,500 gas, water, sewer, electric and telecommunication utilities operating in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and has approximately 100 employees.

 

Rutherford Urges Louisville and Lexington To Follow Pike County's Lead In Cleaner Energy Efforts.

Pike County Judge/Executive Wayne T. Rutherford’s initial reaction to news that Lexington-Fayette County ranked as the largest emitters of carbon in America was that of shock.

“It was a shock to read the report,” Rutherford said, “while Pike County’s Comprehensive Energy program is looking at clean coal technologies and a means of operating in the future in a greener fashion.”

The report, issued by the Brookings Institution, offered a “carbon footprint” list of the 100 cities in America. Cities were listed from the number one (Honolulu), which has the lowest carbon emissions, to number 100 (Lexington), which has the highest.

Neighboring Louisville was cited at 96 on the list, according to the report.

Three main reasons were given for Lexington’s rank, according to Marilyn A. Brown of the Georgia Institute of Technology, the lead author of the study.

First is traffic, highlighted by Lexington’s sparse use of public transportation, along with inefficient home in relation to energy efficiency.

 

Governor Manchin Responds To Truckers Crisis

In response to soaring diesel fuel costs that are causing financial hardships on many in-state trucking companies, Gov. Joe Manchin has asked the commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles to grant truckers a two-month grace period beyond the standard July 1 expiration date to renew their truck registrations for the next fiscal year.
“The cost of gasoline has had a profound negative effect on our economy and is hitting everybody’s wallets,” Manchin said. “But for our truckers, the cost of diesel fuel is even higher and it’s directly affecting their ability to stay in business. From a state standpoint, there’s not much we can do about the cost of fuel, but we’re trying to find ways to help the trucking industry.
“I understand that the cost of diesel fuel has put our truckers in a real bind, and this two-month extension will offer additional time for them to renew their current registrations, and I hope in a small way to keep their businesses running.”
DMV Commissioner Joseph Cicchirillo announced that the state will extend the expiration for all Class B, apportioned Class BA and Class X motor vehicles for an additional two months. Those registrations that normally expire July 1, 2008, are automatically extended to Sept. 1, 2008. This grace period applies only to the payment for the renewal of Class B, apportioned Class BA and Class X truck registration for vehicles that carry a current vehicle registration.
All U.S. and Canadian law enforcement agencies and other commercial vehicle enforcement agencies will be notified of the extension and requested to honor all West Virginia Class B, apportioned Class BA and Class X motor vehicle cab cards or registration cards with a July 1, 2008, expiration date as a valid registration until Sept. 1, 2008.

Monday, June 02, 2008

 

Kentucky Fatality Report

Preliminary statistics* indicate that six people died in six separate crashes on Kentucky's roadways from Tuesday, May 27 - June 1, 2008. All of the fatalities involved motor vehicles and four of those victims were not wearing seat belts. The motor vehicle crashes occurred in Allen, Barren, Bourbon, Floyd, Metcalfe and Whitley counties. Alcohol was the suspected factor in two of the crashes.

Through June 1, preliminary statistics* indicate that 299 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways during 2008. This is 48 fewer than reported for this time period in 2007.

 

Kentucky Attorney General Selects Six Counties For Post Election Audit.

FRANKFORT, KY (June 2, 2008) – Attorney General Jack Conway announced that six Kentucky counties were chosen in a random drawing this morning to undergo independent inquiries for any potential irregularities that may have occurred during the primary election on Tuesday, May 20. The counties are:
1. Butler
2. Calloway
3. Letcher
4. Perry
5. Trimble
6. Webster
“These audits ensure a fair and equitable election process in Kentucky and supplement the work our investigators did leading up to and during the primary election,” General Conway said.
The post-election audits, which are required by law (KRS 15.243), will be conducted by the Office of the Attorney General. Pursuant to KRS 15.243 (3),(a), the Kentucky Attorney General is required to conduct a post-election audit investigation in no fewer than 5 percent of Kentucky's counties following each primary and general election. The counties are selected in a public drawing and must be done within 20 days of the election.
In each county, these routine inquiries will include checking election forms and interviewing county officials. The selection of these counties does not imply that irregularities are suspected.

 

Operation UNITE Basketball Camp

PAINTSVILLE Johnson County will play host to the first of six regional Operation UNITE Shoot Hoops Not Drugs basketball camps to be held this summer.
Presented by Phoenix Products, the free three-hour clinics teach school-age youth fundamental basketball skills while emphasizing the importance for them to stay drug-free.
³Success on the court, just like success in life, means developing the right skills and making the right choices,² said Jeff Sheppard, a former University of Kentucky basketball star who will conduct these camps for the third year.
The Shoot Hoops Not Drugs camp begins at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 12, at Johnson Central High School, 257 North Mayo Trail, Paintsville. Please plan to arrive about 30 minutes early to register.
All participants will receive a specially-designed event T-shirt, regulation autographed Shoot Hoops Not Drugs basketball, and be entered into a drawing for portable basketball goals to be given away at each location. Hot dogs and drinks will be provided.
Participants are asked not to wear open-toe shoes or sandals.

 

Coal/Coke Plant Possibility For Eastern Kentucky

Judge Executive Wayne T. Rutherford recently returned from Knoxville, where he met with Sun Coke Energy officials to discuss the possibility of bringing a coal/coke plant to our region.

The mountains are full of metallurgical coal, a more pure, harder type of coal with higher BTU levels, more efficient than other types and is used to make steel.

Pike County officials say they're finishing a coal-to-liquid fuel plant study with hopes of bringing a new plant to the area soon. Sun Coke Energy is owned by Sunoco.

Sunday, June 01, 2008

 

High Gas Prices Keeping Folks Close To Home.

Kentucky State Resort Parks got off to a good start with the 2008 travel season, equaling last year’s occupancy rate for the Memorial Day weekend.

The 17 resort parks had an occupancy rate of 88 percent for the three nights of the holiday weekend. Last year’s rate was 88.1 percent.

 

Dawahare's Announces Plan To Close Nine Stores.

The president of Dawahare’s announced late last week that the Lexington based company has filed for bankruptcy and it will close nine of the company’s 31 stores.


The Pikeville and South Williamson stores will remain open.

Harding Dawahare says that 100 jobs will be eliminated at the nine stores, plus seven jobs at headquarters.

Dawahare says that the company won’t reduce staff at the stores that are remaining open

Dawahare says that the company has filed a Chapter 11 the first hearing in the case will be heard at 9 a.m. Thursday.

The company which has served Kentucky for 101 years lists $ 10 million in assets and $ 9.3 million in liabilities.

The stores that will close are Owensboro, Bowling Green, Paducah , Glasgow, Maysville, Mount Sterling, Campbellsville, Newport and Bluefield , West Virginia.

The company says that the move is necessary because of the slow national economy and competition from other retailers.

Dawahare is confident that the reorganization will work and it will make the business more successful

 

Floyd County Board of Education Changes Coaching Policy

Last week the Floyd County Board of Education voted to allow school administrators and department heads to coach athletic teams.

The policy was put in place last year so school administrators could focus more on school academic achievement.

Floyd County Superintendent Henry Webb says that the policy needed to be changed because of the difficulty in obtaining qualified personnel to fill the positions and also the budgetary concerns of having to hire someone from outside the system.

 

Body Found In Boone County

Authorities in Boone County confirm that the remains of a female was found Saturday night behind Scott High School. The only information that police are giving is that the remains were found behind the tennis courts. The discovery was made around 5:30 p.m.

 

Mingo County Deputy Files New Civil Action Complaint Against Sheriff.

WILLIAMSON – A two-year battle of back-and-forth legal actions by a Mingo County sheriff’s deputy and his superior, the sheriff, continues with the filing of a new complaint in what has been compared to a tug-of-war.The plaintiff, Roy Glenn Messer of Kermit, filed a new civil action earlier this month in Mingo Circuit Court, seeking damages for alleged discrimination, retaliation, harassment and intimidation.Named as defendants are Greg Smith, John Mark Hubbard and David Baisden, in their capacities as the elected membership of the Mingo County Commission, and Lonnie Hannah, in his capacity as sheriff of Mingo County.The suit was filed on Messer’s behalf by Williamson Attorney C. Christopher Younger. It claims the action arises out of violations of the provisions of the Constitutions of the United States and the state of West Virginia.
Messer was hired by the Mingo County Sheriff’s Department on April 1, 1996. He complains that during the tenure of Hannah as sheriff, he has been subjected to various on-the-job forms of discrimination, starting with the promotion of another individual to the rank of lieutenant about Feb. 8, 2006 without properly considering the rules, regulations and statutes of the state of West Virginia, and without properly considering the superior qualifications of the plaintiff.Å grievance was filed by Messer with the Mingo County Deputy Sheriff’s Civil Service Commission on Feb. 17, 2006, regarding actions of the sheriff and his failure to promote the plaintiff. That same month, the sheriff changed Messer’s work schedule, the first of five such changes during the course of the problems between the deputy and the sheriff.During the more than two years’ duration of the differences between the two litigants, Messer received three suspensions but the first suspension on March 20, 2006 was rescinded. His second suspension, without pay, came on May 11, 2006, based on the sheriff’s requested investigation of the plaintiff for allegedly billing the Sheriff's Department for overtime for which he allegedly did not accrue.Meanwhile, Messer received a letter informing him that his application to the West Virginia State Police 57th Cadet Class would receive no further consideration. Plaintiff claimed that action was based on his previous suspensions by the sheriff in March and in May 2006.A lengthy hearing on plaintiff’s May 2006 suspension led to a Final Order by the Mingo County Commission on Sept. 19, 2006, ruling in favor of the plaintiff and finding that the sheriff did not have just cause for an indefinite suspension without pay. The Commission further ruled that Messer was to be reinstated to his former rank and position with full pay and that no charges were to be recorded against him. The sheriff appealed that order Nov. 2, 2006.The six-page complaint of Messer outlines other grievances during the period ending in February of this year. The complaint states that the plaintiff received a letter Jan. 5, 2007, advising him to turn in any equipment or items associated with the Special Response Team, as his position on said team had been vacated. Meanwhile, the sheriff appealed the Commission’s Sept. 19 order and a hearing was held in Circuit Court.On Jan. 23, 2007, the Sheriff’s office, in a letter to the plaintiff, accused him of using a county vehicle when working as security at Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College. The deputy was required to write a letter explaining why he was using a county cruiser for private work without permission.A Circuit Court Final Order on Jan. 30, 2007 denied the sheriff’s appeal of the Commission’s Final order of Sept. 19, 2006 that reinstated Messer to his former rank and position with full pay.The sheriff continued to seek criminal prosecution of the deputy and the matter found its way to the Mingo County Grand Jury, but no true bill was reported and no criminal charges were brought against the plaintiff.During ensuing months, plaintiff sought payment for mileage for the use of his personal vehicle because his cruiser was not being used due to mechanical problems, but reimbursement was denied. The deputy also sought overtime pay for duties in Magistrate Court but did not receive it, and later received a letter from the sheriff’s office, asking explanation of the request for overtime.At one point, plaintiff was suspended for alleged insubordination and refusing to obey orders, and on April 5, 2007, was informed by a letter from the sheriff that his employment had been terminated on the same charges contained in a March letter of suspension. The Commission upheld the 10-day suspension without pay but refused plaintiff’s termination and ordered the sheriff to allow him to return to work.Other grievances filed by the plaintiff featured the more than two years of his differences with the sheriff. Although the Commission ordered Messer to be paid for an additional 10 days he missed from work between his April 5, 2007 termination and his April 20 reinstatement, and later ordered that the plaintiff be paid holiday pay for five holidays he missed during his May 12, 2006 suspension, the three county commissioners now find themselves listed as defendants in the latest complaint filed by Messer.The complaint alleges that all of the acts that took place during the two-year period beginning Feb. 8, 2006, took place with the knowledge and acquiescence or failure to act on the part of the Mingo County Commission.Meanwhile, the sheriff’s appeal of the Mingo County Court’s Final Order of May 29, 2007, denying the County Commission’s ruling favoring reinstatement of Messer with full pay, was heard by the West Virginia Supreme Court on Feb. 12, 2008. A decision by the high court is still pending.The plaintiff claims to have been severely damaged in a number of ways, including but not limited to, loss of employment with the West Virginia State Police, loss of income and enjoyment of life, severe emotional district, which continues, and severe embarrassment and degradation, which continue. The plaintiff seeks awards of compensatory and punitive damages, costs incurred in prosecution of the action and any and other relief the court might deem appropriate.

Courtesy : Charlotte Sanders of Williamson Daily News.

 

West Virginia Senate Majority Leader Requesting Governor To Freeze State Gas tax.

West Virginia’s Senate Majority Leader H Truman Chafin says that motorists in West Virginia are feeling the pinch of rising fuel costs.

Chafin says that he’ll present a letter to Governor Joe Manchin requesting him to freeze the state gas tax .

Chafin says that action needs to be taken now to ease the burden on state residents.

The Mingo County Democrat says that commercial truck drivers are the ones that are really suffering. Several truckers have parked there trucks in recent weeks due to the increase cost of diesel.

The price for regular unleaded in Mingo and Logan counties range from $ 3.99 to $ 4.18 per gallon.

The price for diesel is anywhere from $ 4.79 to $ 4.90 per gallon.

 

Unemployment Rates Drop In Eastern Kentucky.

According to Workforce Kentucky the unemployment rate for Pike and surrounding counties dropped dramatically in the month of April.

Pike County’s jobless rate was 5.3 percent that is a decrease of six tenths of a percentage point from the previous month.

Both Floyd and Johnson reported rates of 6.0 percent that is a decline of 1 percent.

Martin County’s numbers fell by eight tenths of a percent to 7.3 .

Letcher County reported a jobless rate of 6.3 that is down seven tenths.

Magoffin County still has the third highest rate in Kentucky at 9.3 percent , however that is down by one and a half percent from the previous month.

Jobless figures declines in 67 counties throughout the commonwealth.

The commonwealth’s unemployment rate came in at 5.5 percent that is down six tenths of a percent.

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