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LKLP cuts programs as sequester rears its ugly head
HAZARD — The dirtiest four-letter word an American could utter just a few months ago was actually a nine-letter word that merely meant cutting government spending. However, since the end of March, many seem to have forgotten about the impending doom felt after the federal sequester cuts were announced. This month, the LKLP Community Action Council, a non-profit organization serving Leslie, Knott, Letcher, and Perry counties that seeks to be...
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Flood washes out water line at Big Creek
As residents in Big Creek continue the cleanup following Monday’s flood, workers with the city of Hazard are also in the area attempting to repair a broken water line. City Manager Carlos Combs on Wednesday issued a boil water advisory for the Whitaker Fork section of Big Creek, which affects approximately 50 customers of the city’s water system. Combs said a line running across the creek was broken when the area received heavy rainfall Mon...
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Oil and gas looking up in state, association director says
The oil and natural gas industry in Kentucky could see a rebound in the next year or two, according to industry officials, as companies seem to be showing a renewed interest in the state’s natural resources. A new report released by the Kentucky Oil and Gas Association shows the economic impact of the oil and gas industry in Kentucky, which in 2011 contributed more than $34 million in severance taxes. Perry County, where more than 1 million...
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Flood waters washed these two vehicles against a bridge in the Big Creek community this week. (photo by Cris Ritchie | Hazard Herald)
Residents in Big Creek cleaning up after flood
Residents in the Big Creek community began a frustrating clean-up after a flash flood hit the area late Monday night, flooding the local elementary school, homes, and vehicles, while other property in the area also sustained significant damage. Pleas Spicer, a resident on Big Creek, said it was approximately 9:30 p.m. when the storm hit, and it didn’t take long for the water to flood his yard. “Like four minutes,” Spicer said. “It came up in f...
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<p>photos by Amelia Holliday</p><p>The Hazard Independent Board of Education met Thursday evening at Roy G. Eversole Elementary for their monthly meeting.</p>
Hazard BOE takes tour of renovated school, discusses lunch costs
HAZARD — Sitting at a three-foot-high table surrounded by colorful posters touting messages such as “Reading Takes You Places” is not the usual setting for the Hazard Independent School Board meetings, though this was exactly how the meeting was conducted in Roy G. Eversole Elementary’s soon-to-be old library last week. Board members met at the elementary school, which is set to be completely renovated in the coming weeks, Thursday evening ...
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City commissioners approve budget, talk liquor sales
The Hazard City Commission held their monthly meeting Monday evening at Hazard City Hall, with its agenda full of resolutions and ordinances — including one in reference to the change in state law concerning liquor sales on election days. In May, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 13, allowing alcohol sales during elections in places where alcohol would otherwise be sold. The commission has until June 25 to amend the city’s ordinance r...
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Hazard girls’ basketball program faces budget concerns
HAZARD — The girls’ basketball team at Hazard High School has had a tough ending to their year, losing their head coach, ending the season with a 15-14 record after a loss in the opening round in the district tournament, and now facing a budget that is very much in the red. At the Hazard Independent School Board meeting last week, Harold Brashear, Hazard’s new head girls’ basketball coach, presented a loan request for the program in the amo...
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<p>Stephon Slone</p>
Man gets 20-year sentence on rape charge
HAZARD — A Scuddy man was sentenced to serve up to 20 years in prison for the 2011 rape of a 14-year-old girl. Stephon Slone, 31, appeared in Perry Circuit Court on Thursday for sentencing on charges of first-degree rape and persistent felony offender. Slone was convicted in April following a week-long jury trial in which he faced allegations of raping his then girlfriend’s teenage daughter. Slone adamantly denied the allegations, and his...
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Man gets four years in child porn case
HAZARD – A Perry County man will serve four years in prison for the possession and distribution of child pornography. Detectives with the Kentucky State Police arrested 24-year-old Craig A. Bailey in May 2012 following an investigation that culminated with the execution of a search warrant at Bailey’s Krypton residence. Authorities reported seizing several pieces of evidence, including electronic equipment that was used to distribute child ...
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<p>Timothy Sizemore</p>
Sizemore pleads to 10 years for fatal shooting
HAZARD – A Perry County man originally charged with murder could serve a decade in prison after pleading to a lesser charge. Timothy Ryan Sizemore appeared in Perry Circuit Court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to an amended charge of first-degree manslaughter stemming from an incident that left 31-year-old Samuel Louive dead. Sizemore, 29, was alleged to have shot Louive several times at a residence in Combs on Nov. 5, 2011. Kentucky...
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Board approves four-year contract for superintendent
HAZARD – The Perry County Board of Education this month approved a contract for newly-hired Superintendent Jonathan Jett which contains some notable differences from that of his predecessor, longtime Superintendent John Paul Amis. The board approved Jett’s hire during a special-called meeting on May 24, and voted 4-0 on his contract during a subsequent meeting on June 5. The contract will be effective as of July 1 for a period of four years...
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Charges filed against alleged Allais shooter
HAZARD — A Perry County man arrested after allegedly shooting a firearm in his residence earlier this month has been charged with multiple felony counts of wanton endangerment. Thirty-five-year-old Jimmy Wayne Sizemore, Jr., of Hazard, was taken into custody on June 5 and taken to the Hazard ARH psychiatric center after reportedly firing a shotgun through the roof of his residence at 39 Walker Branch Rd. in the Allais community the day befo...
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Big Creek man charged with making meth
HAZARD — The number of meth making cases in Perry County continue to rise after deputies with the sheriff’s office arrested a Big Creek man earlier this week. Deputies arrived at 1309 Big Creek Road Tuesday afternoon after receiving a complaint that 34-year-old Robert Shockey was manufacturing methamphetamine inside the residence. According to the arrest citation filed by Deputy Jerry Burns, Shockey had active warrants at the time, and gave...
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Over 800 power outages reported after storms hit Perry
Perry County braced for severe weather and storms this week, these coming just after a stretch of warm, dry weather had hit the region. Severe thunderstorm warnings and watches were declared by the National Weather Service (NWS) for most of Eastern Kentucky, including a warning for Perry, Knott, Letcher, and Harlan counties which ended at 2 p.m. on Thursday. More than 3,300 Kentucky Power customers have reported outages as of 2 p.m. Thursda...
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County budget gets cut compared to last year
Editor’s note: This story’s original post included the salary for the county road supervisors, which did not take into account that the budgeted figure is for two employees. The story below has been corrected. HAZARD — The Perry County Fiscal Court met last month to approve the first reading of the county’s budget — one that seems to have been cut drastically since last year to accommodate a lack of federal and state funds. The budget...
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Three indicted for meth making
HAZARD – Three people were indicted by the grand jury this month on meth-related charges after police said they found an active meth lab at a home in Bonnyman. Daniel Combs, 50, Larry Jason Combs, 36, and 58-year-old Richard Combs were each indicted on specific charges of manufacturing meth, unlawful possession of a meth precursor, and first-degree possession of a controlled substance. Richard and Daniel Combs were arrested on April 17 af...
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Groundbreaking ceremony set for sewage plant
CHAVIES – Officials are set to break ground for a sewer treatment plant that for one local community has been a long time coming. The groundbreaking ceremony for the Chavies Wastewater Treatment Plant is scheduled for next week, and Bobby Brown, chairman of the Perry County Sanitation District 1, said he is excited to see the project finally get off the ground. Bringing a treatment plant to the Chavies community has been an effort at leas...
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<p>photo by Cris Ritchie | Herald file</p><p>Pat Wooton is pictured above during the 2011 Civic Night in Hazard. He was recently appointed as the new mayor of Buckhorn.</p>
City council appoints new mayor in Buckhorn
BUCKHORN – A new mayor has taken office in the city of Buckhorn. It was last month when former Mayor Veda Wooton opted to resign as the city’s mayor, a position which she had held for several years. Her vacancy was filled when the council voted to appoint her husband, Pat Wooton, who was elected to the council last year, as the new mayor. Veda Wooton, subsequently, was expected to be appointed to the council during a special called meeting ...
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Vicco man could face 50 years in arson case
HAZARD — A Perry County man has been indicted this month after allegedly setting fire to a house and vehicle in April. Vicco City Police Chief Tony Vaughn said a vehicle fire was called in at 44 Green Bridge Bottom just before 4 p.m. on April 30. After the fire was extinguished, witnesses reported smoke coming from the mobile home at the address where the truck had been parked. “We actually had to break into the trailer to see if anybody ...
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Perry man charged in pot growing case
HAZARD — A Perry County man arrested last week after marijuana plants were allegedly found at his residence has been charged in relation to the find. Alfred Derrick Francis, 31, of Ary, was arrested on June 4 after police followed up on a tip that Francis might have been growing marijuana plants at his residence, which he and his mother were renting. Deputy Elmer Fugate said he was preparing to serve an arrest warrant on Francis at 237 Cr...
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Boil water advisories lifted
HAZARD – Two boil water advisories issued last week in Perry County have been lifted. Hazard City Manager Carlos Combs issued the first advisory on June 3 after a tractor-trailer overturned along Route 7 near Viper and ruptured a waterline buried beside the road. A second, unrelated line break was reported near Highway 15 in Hazard, leading to a second advisory on the same day. Combs issued a release on Monday noting the boil water adviso...
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Man indicted for gas station robbery
HAZARD – A man accused of robbing an area gas station at gunpoint was indicted this month by the grand jury in Perry County. Police were called to the Apple Market on East Main Street in the early morning hours of May 1 after a male subject walked into the business, brandished a firearm and demanded money from the clerk. The man, whom police later identified as 45-year-old Richie Slone of Hazard, allegedly left the store with an undetermine...
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<p>photo by Cris Ritchie | Hazard Herald</p><p>Officials at the scene of a fatal crash in Perry County on Monday say wet roads may have been a contributing factor.</p>
Woman killed in crash on Highway 15
GRAPEVINE – One person was killed in a head-on collision Monday morning in Perry County, and officials say weather may have been a contributing factor. Perry County Deputy Ruey Couch said the crash happened along Highway 15 in the Grapevine community when a Lexus passenger car apparently crossed the center line and collided head-on with a Chevrolet Avalanche. No other vehicles were involved. The driver of the Lexus, identified as 65-year-...
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Endangerment charges dismissed in drunk driving case
HAZARD – Two felony counts filed against a Pike County man were dismissed this week after the alleged victim in the case expressed her desire to see the charges dropped. Jimmy Hopkins, 52, of Elkhorn City, was indicted in March 2012 on charges of DUI first offense and two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment. He was alleged to have been driving under the influence on Nov. 9, 2011, when he crashed into another vehicle occupied by two p...
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Arch Coal's tipple in Perry County. (photo by Bailey Richards)
Arch Coal announces reduction of 100 jobs
HAZARD — Arch Coal, a mining company that employs around 6,400 employees in 10 different states, announced on Thursday the immediate layoff of roughly 100 of those employees from its two mines in Kentucky. Kim Link, spokeswoman for Arch Coal, said the reduction will be in coal production and personnel “due to weak coal market conditions.” “The Hazard Mining complex in Perry County, Ky., will idle one loader spread, resulting in the reduct...
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<p>photo by Amelia Holliday</p><p>The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky awarded Teach for America-Appalachia an $18,000 grant Friday morning to help fund six positions in Perry County’s two school districts. Pictured left to right: Deloris Justice, treasurer for the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky; Danny Maggard, chair for the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky; Will Nash, executive director for Teach for America-Appalachia; Perry County Superintendent Jonathan Jett; and Perry County Assistant Superintendent Johnny Wooton</p>
Teach for America receives grant to help local schools
HAZARD — Teach for America came to Central Appalachia three years ago, aiming to help school districts in the region find qualified applicants for hard-to-fill positions, and the organization is continuing to achieve this goal by helping two local school districts this year. The Perry County and Hazard Independent school districts partnered with Teach for America (TFA) this year, in hopes of getting help in finding applicants for math and s...
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Bond reduction denied in rape case
HAZARD – A Perry County man charged with incest and rape will not be released from jail to await trial after a judge denied a request to reduce his bond. Johnny Melton, 42, was arraigned in Perry Circuit Court on Thursday where he pleaded not guilty to allegations that he had sex with a juvenile family member on more than one occasion between April 17 and April 19. Melton was allegedly with the female while he was arrested in Winchester o...
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