Friday, June 24, 2011
EKB Capsule News...Kentucky...6-25-'11
- Investigators had planned to search CAM Mining's No. 28 mine on June 17th after receiving a tip about miners smoking underground at the Pikeville mine which has a history of methane gas leaks. U.S. Labor Department officials say in a court action filed Thursday that miners were warned in advance of the search by the coal operator despite attempts by investigators "to reach the working places without detection." The legal action was filed under a little-used provision in federal mine safety law that allows regulators to seek an injunction from a federal judge against a mine operator.
- On Sunday June 19, 2011 at 7:34 PM, Post 9 Pikeville received a call of a robbery at Subway in Coal Run. The unknown male handed a note to the clerk demanding money and left the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash. Through the course of the investigation KSP Detective Jimmy Anderson obtained an arrest warrant for 39 year old Mark Watson of Pikeville. Watson was arrested and lodged in the Pike County Detention Center. He was also arrested and charged on an investigation conducted by Coal Run Police Department.
- KY 1426 at Banner will be closed from 8:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M. Monday, June 27th, so that CSX workers can make improvements to the railroad crossing. Once the crossing is torn out, there is no way to allow traffic through. Motorists should plan with this in mind and allow time to travel 1426 in the other direction to US 23 or to KY 2030, depending on their destination.
- Less than one month after being designated for Individual Assistance, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Commonwealth of Kentucky have approved more than $7.6 million in assistance to Kentucky residents affected by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding from April 12th to May 20th. Approved funds help residents repair their damaged homes, replace uninsured personal property and find temporary housing following the disaster. Individual aassistance is available in 22 Kentucky counties: Ballard, Boyd, Carlisle, Carroll, Crittenden, Daviess, Floyd, Fulton, Graves, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Livingston, Marshall, McCracken, McLean, Pike, Union and Webster. To date, 1,767 Kentuckians in designated counties have registered for FEMA assistance. Aid has already been approved for 988 applicants. FEMA housing inspectors have conducted 1,441 inspections of damaged properties, including 99 in the last seven days. FEMA has approved $7,659,009 in Individual Assistance. This includes $6,879,407 in Housing Assistance: money for temporary housing for individuals whose homes were severely damaged and uninhabitable. It also includes funds for repairs to damaged homes. In addition to the Housing Assistance funds, FEMA has approved $779,602 in Other Needs Assistance. These funds help affected residents replace damaged or destroyed personal property, cover transportation expenses, and any medical or dental costs resulting from the disaster.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:57 PM 
