EKB News

A Lawrence County, Kentucky woman has been arrested and charged with 77 counts of obtaining controlled substances without a prescription. The accused is 29 year-old Carrie Jo Woods. Woods was an employee at a doctors office in Greenup County. Authorirties said the alleged illegal activity took place between Jan-July of 2008.

Pikeville, Ky.— Pike County Judge Executive Wayne T. Rutherford declared the month of January as “Radon Awareness Month,” yesterday at the Pike County Health Department.

“Pike County is pleased to join in the outreach efforts of the United States Environmental Protection Agency by declaring January to be Radon Awareness Month in the county,” Judge Rutherford said.

“Radon is currently the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, second only to smoking. That’s why it is so important for people to recognize the importance of radon testing in their homes,” said Pike County Health Department’s Senior Health Environmentalist Leslie Hamilton.

According to literature distributed by the health department, radon is a naturally-occurring radioactive soil gas that cannot be detected by sight, taste or smell. Through decay, radon breaks down into sticky, radioactive particles can be inhaled and get trapped in the lungs.

High levels of radon can enter into homes, schools and office buildings through cracks in the buildings’ basements or foundations, cracks in solid floors, construction joints, gaps around service pipes, cavities inside walls and the water supply. Living in homes with high radon levels can be equivalent to smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day. Those who smoke are at an extreme risk for developing lung cancer if their homes have high concentrations of the gas.

The radon levels in every home should be checked routinely. Testing kits may be purchased at home improvement stores, or they may be obtained for free at the Pike County Health Department, by calling (606) 437-5500.


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Two people were sentenced after pleading guilty in Pike County Circuit Court.

William Fuller of Talbote, Tennessee was sentenced to serve four years probation after pleading guilty to fleeing.

Ireland Slone of Pikeville will serve four years in prison after pleading guilty to theft, receiving stolen property and various drug charges.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (January 14, 2009) – Attorney General Jack Conway today announced the availability of the Child Victims’ Trust Fund’s Annual Regional Prevention Grant, which provides funding for regional sexual abuse prevention programs and projects to educate citizens about this horrendous crime. The Child Sexual Abuse Medical Reimbursement Examination Grant, open to Kentucky’s 15 regional child advocacy centers, and Discretionary Statewide Prevention Program Grant are also available.

“The consequences of child sexual abuse are significant and can last a lifetime,” said General Conway, who chairs the Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Prevention Board (CSAEP), which administers the regional prevention grant. “This grant helps ensure that citizens across the Commonwealth know how to protect our children and that our children are armed with knowledge to combat sexual abuse.”

Nationally, rates regarding child victims of rape or sexual assault range from 1.2 to 1.9 children per 1,000. According to statistics from Kentucky Youth Advocates’ Kids Count report, there were 3,548 investigations of child sexual abuse in Kentucky in 2007. Approximately one-third of all sexual assaults reported to law enforcement involved a victim under the age of 12 and it’s estimated that only one in 10 victims of sexual abuse ever discloses the abuse. There is also strong evidence that this horrific crime is directly tied to the growth of pornography on the Internet.

“Since the creation of our new cybercrimes unit, my office has seized more than 7,000 child porn images and is actively investigating nearly a dozen child pornography cases. Cracking down on online predators and those who want to harm Kentucky children remains my top priority.” said General Conway.

Revenue for all three grants comes from proceeds of the “I Care About Kids” special license plate, the Kentucky Income Tax Refund Check-Off and private donations.

The registration deadline for the Annual Regional Prevention Grant is February 27, 2009. For additional information or a grant application forms go to http://ag.ky.gov/criminal/victims/cvtf/ or call (800) 372-2551 or (502) 696-5312.

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An Equal Opportunity

Two supervisors and two troopers with the Kentucky State Police, Post 13 Hazard have been selected to participate in the 56th Presidential Inauguration in Washington D.C. from Sunday, January 18 to Wednesday, January 21, 2009. Lt. John Mcmahan is a 15-year veteran and Sgt. Raymond Engle is a 20-year veteran with the agency. Troopers Jonathan Hollon and Chris Frazier both joined the agency in 2003. The detail assignment will be to assist the Metropolitan Police Department with security.

A Mingo County magistrate accepted the request of prosecuting attorney Michael Sparks after a Williamson teen has been ruled incompetent after an evaluation.

19 year old Calvin Wilkerson was charged with five counts of assault on a police officer , fleeing and escape.

Wilkerson was in the office of Williamson attorney Chris Harris attending a mental hygiene hearing. Wilkerson’s mother requested that officers take off the handcuffs so her son could eat. After Wilkerson was finished a sheriff’s deputy was attempting to put the cuffs back on. A brief struggle between police and Wilkerson ensued. The aftermath left about $ 2,500 in damage to the office.

When Wilkerson was being processed at the WVSP post in Williamson authorities told us that the 19 year –old slipped the handcuffs to the front he then slipped out the back door. Authorities caught up to Wilkerson after releasing a trained police dog . Authorities told us that Wilkerson dragged the canine about 12 feet. It took about six officers to subdue him.

According to Doug Tackett Emergency Services Director for Pike County. Authorities are working two seperate accidents at this current time.

One accident involving a tanker truck has overturned leaving one person dead. The accident occurred on Rte 468 near the Big Creek Freewill Baptist Church. The tanker is empty. Motorists traveling in this area need to seek an alternate route.

Another accident involving a tractor-trailer has happened on the Right Fork of Cow Pin. No injures are reported. The commercial vehicle is caryying sugar.

Two Mingo County residents were sentenced earlier this week in Mingo County Circuit Court on drug charges.

37 year-old Bill Lockard and 34 year-old Kim Johnson both of Wharncliffe were sentenced to one to five years and fined $ 1,000. The defendants admitted that they conspird to distribute Morphine.

Twenty-nine year old Joshua Ridings of Owensboro was sentenced Monday to 40 years in prison and agreed to supervised release for the rest of his life. He pleaded guilty in October to a federal charge of crossing a state line with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a person under the age of twelve. Authorities say Ridings abducted an eleven year old girl from Wheeling, West Virginia in February 2007, took her into Belmont County, Ohio and sexually assaulted her. State charges of kidnapping, first-degree sexual assault and second-degree sexual assault are pending.

Pike County officials say, as President-Elect Obama is working on another stimulus package, they want money in eastern Kentucky. City and county agencies are working together to create a stimulus plan to submit to him when he takes office next week. Part of the plan includes money for projects to create jobs along with funds for projects already designed and road projects ready to start construction. Pikeville City Manager Donovan Blackburn says the package will be dispersed to make sure eastern Kentucky isn't forgotten.

Trial got underway Monday for former East Ridge High School teacher Lincoln Bentley. He's charged with official misconduct after a female student accused him of offering to exchange a better grade for a look at her breasts. Opening statements and testimony for the prosecution began while the defense decided to present opening statements when they present their case. The trial continues Tuesday.

SALYERSVILLE A Magoffin County man opted to accept a 10-year prison sentence instead of a jury trial in Magoffin Circuit Court on Monday, January 12.
Just as Circuit Judge Kim Childers was preparing to seat a jury, 27-year-old Joshua Rudd, of Will May Branch Road, Salyersville, notified special prosecutor Tony Skeens of his desire to accept a plea agreement to one count of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
The plea recommends Rudd be sentenced to 10 years in jail. Judge Childers set final sentencing for Thursday, February 5.
Rudd was arrested on January 29, 2008, by the Magoffin County Sheriff¹s Office following a joint investigation with Operation UNITE.
Sheriff Bob Jordan¹s office had set up a controlled drug buy on Rockhouse Road using a confidential witness. Shortly after Rudd sold the witness five OxyContin pills, deputies attempted to stop his vehicle but Rudd attempted to elude police.
Following a several mile chase police were able to stop Rudd.
Officers were able to locate 120 OxyContin pills and approximately $400 in cash that Rudd discarded during the pursuit.

A Pike County man remains lodged in the Southwestern Regional Jail at Logan on a $ 225,000 bond. The West Virginia State Police told that that 32 year-old Eric Jason Linkenhoker is facing several felony and misdemeanor charges after he led authorities on a wild goose chase through Williamson early Sunday morning.

WVSP was responding to domestic call at the Williamson Moose Club. When authorities from the WVSP and Williamson PD were interviewing a witness they noticed that the alleged suspect driving away. Linkenhoker allegedy led authorities throughout various portions of the city. Linkenhoker allegedly rammed his vehicle into a WVSP and WPD police cruisers. The chase came to an end on Harvey Street after the suspect lost control and struck a sidewalk and a light pole.

FRANKFORT – Senator Johnny Ray Turner, D-Drift, has co-sponsored legislation that would allow arrested drug addicts to receive immediate assistance, resulting in the savings of millions of dollars in treatment costs to the state.
The bill outlines the development of a substance abuse recovery program to house and care for persons suffering from substance abuse who are charged with felony offenses. If they complete the program successfully, these offenders may be eligible for entry into a pretrial diversion program.
“This bill would allow drug offenders to enter the program voluntarily for immediate drug abuse treatment,” Senator Turner said. “That treatment would begin before they even go to trial. The goal is to help addicts get off drugs and stay off drugs, and to get them out of the jails and back into society to lead productive lives.
“It is essential that we reach these offenders to keep them from repeating crimes and from returning to our already overcrowded jails and prisons,” he added. “Although the program is designed for a minimum of 200 beds, the savings to the state would be enormous. For 200 beds, the state could save up to $40 million, an average of $200,000 for each bed.”
Senator Turner said the program could prove to be very successful, allowing the state to build upon it for additional assistance for drug abuse offenders.
“We think this will be a wise investment,” Senator Turner explained. “We have too many people with drug problems repeating crimes and filling up our jails and prisons. We need to rehabilitate them so that they can return to normal lives and be contributing members of society, rather than repeatedly draining our revenues.”
The General Assembly will take up the bill during the 2009 legislative session.
Senator Turner represents the 29th district, which includes Breathitt, Floyd, Knott and Letcher counties.

Preliminary statistics* indicate that twelve people died in eleven separate crashes on Kentucky roadways from Monday, January 5 through Sunday, January 11, 2009.

Eleven of the fatal crashes involved motor vehicles and six of those victims were not wearing seat belts. Single-vehicle crashes occurred in Adair, Floyd, Greenup, Harrison, Jefferson (2), Laurel, Oldham, and Union counties. Two of the crashes involved the suspected use of alcohol.

A double-fatality occurred in Ballard county. Upon KSP arrival, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames. After extinguishing the fire, an adult and child were found deceased in the passenger compartment. Preliminary investigation revealed that the vehicle traveled off of the right side of the roadway and struck a tree.

One pedestrian fatality occurred in Green county.
Through January 11th, preliminary statistics* indicate that 17 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways during 2009. This is 10 fewer than reported for this time period in 2008. Of the 15 motor vehicle fatalities, 9 victims were not wearing seat belts. One pedestrian has been killed. A total of 5 fatalities have resulted from crashes involving the suspected use of alcohol.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (January 12, 2009) – Attorney General Jack Conway, along with the attorneys general of 33 other states, announced today an agreement with Dell, Inc. and its subsidiary, Dell Financial Services, LLC, resolving an investigation into financing promotions, rebate offers, technical support and repair policies.
Under the agreement filed in Franklin Circuit Court, Dell and Dell Financial Services admit no wrongdoing but agree to pay $1.5 million in restitution to eligible consumers who file claims postmarked by April 13, 2009. Dell will also pay an additional $1.85 million to the states for reimbursement of legal costs and other expenses, of which Kentucky will receive $46,667. Dell cooperated fully with the attorneys general during their investigation.
"This agreement will provide restitution to consumers who were promised one price and charged another and it will ensure that Dell delivers on promises to provide quality customer service," General Conway said.
"The agreement also requires prompt distribution of promised rebates and timely disclosures to customers about their computer purchase financing, so they will know the exact terms of the deal."
The multistate investigation looked into Dell’s sales practices after customers complained about an array of issues. Some applied for zero-percent financing, then were charged higher interest rates. Others had trouble obtaining warranty service on their Dell computers, or said they never received promised rebates.
Under the settlement, Dell agreed to the following:
FINANCING AND CREDIT OFFERS
•Clearly inform customers about the terms of credit offers, and that applying for credit does not guarantee qualification for a financing promotion.
•Clearly disclose at the time of approval for financing a purchase, whether the customer qualified for a financing promotion and that the customer has a three-day right to cancel the order.
•Set up procedures for making timely refunds and credits on returned items.
WARRANTIES AND SERVICES
•Tell customers whether telephone troubleshooting or remote diagnosis is required before they can get on-site or warranty service.
•Take care of warranty work within 30 days of a warranty claim.
REBATES
•Give customers all required rebate documentation at the time of delivery or providing the service, and pay rebates on time (either by the time shown in the rebate offer, or 30 days if no time is specified).
ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES AND POLICIES
•Quickly respond to the states when they forward customer complaints to Dell, and keep records of those complaints for three years.
•Substantiate claims Dell makes about the quality of customer service (such as "award-winning").
The following states participated in the settlement: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
CONSUMER REFUND REQUESTS:
It’s not yet known how many consumers in Kentucky or nationwide may be entitled to refunds under the settlement. Consumers may be eligible for refunds only for verifiable out-of-pocket losses on issues covered by the agreement (financing promotions, rebates, and warranty service concerning a product or service bought between April 1, 2005, and April 13, 2009.)
The deadline to submit claims is April 13, 2009. Claims not postmarked by April 13, 2009, will not be eligible. The amount of money issued to individual consumers depends on the number of eligible recipients and the total amount claimed.
Kentucky residents may download a claim form at http://www.ag.ky.gov/dell or may call 1-888-432-9257 to request a claim form by mail.

Two female employees that work at a Rite Aid Store at Man were shocked recently when a man walked into the store and attempted to steal a package of razor blades. When the workers asked 45 year-old Joseph Osbourne to put the merchandise back, well this is where thaings got mighty strange. Osbourne allegedly dropped his pants exposed himself to the workers and then fled the store. Authorities saw the performance on surveillance tape and arrested Osbourne a short time later.

Williamson resident Sam Kapourales was recently named Potentate of the Beni Kedem Temple in Charleston. The 73 year-old has been a Shriner for 46 years. They are 10 active shrine clubs in West Virginia with approximately 3,000 members. Kapourlaes a longtime member of the Tug Valley Shrine Club says that members work diligently year round to raise money so they can transport children and there families to Shriners hospitals in Lexington and Cincinnati.

Volunteer fire departments and search and rescue teams have spent several hours combing the waters and banks of the Big Sandy River. Late last week police found the hat of 19-year old Joshua Tessmer on the bank of the Levisa Fork near his home in the Green Meadows area.

Authorities found where he had fallen along the edge of the water, but, there were no tracks coming back out. The say, if he got into the swift part of the river, his body could be a good distance away.