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ARH, union reach tentative contract agreement
HAZARD — A potential strike of more than 2,000 employees with Appalachian Regional Healthcare could be averted as the company and a union representing the employees have reached a tentative contract agreement. Negotiations between ARH and the United Steelworkers union have been ongoing for weeks, with the union just last week declaring the negotiations stalled while filing a 10-day strike notice. The major unresolved issues between the unio...
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Perry man arrested on meth charges
SLEMP — A Perry County man is facing charges after police allegedly found methamphetamine at his residence over the weekend. James D. Ritchie, 49, of Slemp, was arrested on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine and unlawful possession of meth precursor, both first offenses. According to the arrest citation, Perry County Sheriff’s Deputy Jerry Burns responded to a call Saturday afternoon to 22 Ritchie Hollow after several complaints had...
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Sen. Smith: Region’s coalfields have lost 312 mines
Senate Majority Whip Brandon Smith spoke on several issues last week involving coal during the Bell County Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The most shocking news, according to Smith, involved the amount of coal mine closures in the region. Smith, of Hazard, said Eastern Kentucky has always mined the majority of coal in Kentucky. He said the eastern part of the state typically mines 75 percent of the coal in Kentucky, while 25 percent is mined...
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School board partners with Teach for America, hears restraint policy
HAZARD — The Hazard Independent school board met Thursday evening to discuss construction updates, have a first reading of a physical restraint and seclusion regulation, and review last school year’s nutrition and physical activity report card. The board approved two pay applications to McKnight and Associates for the work that has been done so far on Hazard Middle School and Roy G. Eversole Elementary School. The board also approved change...
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Vicco gets new commissioner; hears reading on new laws
VICCO – A new city commissioner in Vicco was sworn in Monday before the commission heard the first reading of three new ordinances, and also received an update on a piece of blighted property within city limits. Lula Gibson had previously served on the city commission during former Mayor Harry Ward’s administration, and was recently appointed to serve again following the resignation of Commissioner Tim Engle last month. She said after Mon...
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School board delays vote on facilities plan
HAZARD – The Perry County Board of Education on Thursday delayed a vote to prioritize future construction projects in the district, including the proposed consolidation of three elementary schools and the replacement of another. The board’s members met at its central office before a packed board room, and was set to vote on a district facilities plan finalized by the district’s local planning committee earlier this year. The plan calls for ...
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<p>Donald Combs</p>
UPDATE: Man charged with murder agrees to plea deal
HAZARD – A Knott County man set to go on trial for murder this week could now serve up to eight years after pleading guilty to an amended charge Monday morning. Donald Combs, 35, of Fisty, was charged in May 2012 after he was alleged to have been under the influence when he drove a vehicle over an embankment in Lost Creek, resulting in the death of a passenger in the car identified as 51-year-old Burly R. Combs, also of Fisty. Donald Comb...
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Perry man 1 of 7 killed on Ky. roadways last week
Preliminary statistics indicate that seven people died in six separate crashes on Kentucky’s roadways from Monday, Mar. 18 through Sunday, Mar. 24, 2013. One double-fatality, motor vehicle crash occurred in Estill County. One single-fatality, motor vehicle crash occurred in each of the following counties: Jefferson, Knox and Perry. The victim in the Perry County crash was not wearing a seat belt. One single-fatality motorcycle crash occ...
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United Steelworkers union files strike notice with ARH
HAZARD — Over 2,000 employees with Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) could be facing a strike in the coming weeks as negotiations with their union and the organization have come to a halt. In a letter to ARH employees on Wednesday, ARH President and CEO Jerry Haynes explained the situation. “It is with regret that I must inform you that late yesterday afternoon the United Steelworkers (USW) union issued an ‘intent to strike’ notice. I...
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<p>A man was killed and another injured Friday morning when a Ford collided with a GMC pickup on Highway 7 in Perry County. (photos by Cris Ritchie | Hazard Herald)</p>
UPDATE: Collision kills 1 on Highway 7
FUSONIA — One person was killed early Friday morning and another injured in a two-vehicle collision in Perry County. The crash happened at approximately 7 a.m. near the nine-mile marker on Highway 7 when a GMC pickup bring operated by 25-year-old Jordan Shepherd, of Jeff, apparently crossed the center line, colliding with a Ford truck driven by 59-year-old Dwight Eversole, according to a release from Kentucky State Police. Eversole, of Ye...
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City commission approves grant money for water project
The Hazard City Commission met Monday night to discuss Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, open bidding for the solid waste transfer project, and promote Hazard City Police officers. The commissioners passed two resolutions concerning CDBG funds. The city’s water system rehabilitation project is using funds from the CDBG, which, according to the CDBG’s website, is a grant meant to be used to benefit low- and moderate-income pers...
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Fire breaks out at former Trus Joist plant
Firefighters with the Grapevine-Chavies and Hazard fire departments responded to a fire inside the former Trus Joist building Wednesday at the Coalfields Industrial Park. Officials on the scene said the fire started as workers were disassembling pieces inside the building, though firefighters were able to get the fire under control without injuries shortly after arriving. Photo by Cris Ritchie | Hazard Herald
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Health rankings reveal Perry as second unhealthiest county
HAZARD — This year’s “County Health Rankings” have been released, and once again Perry County ranks as one of the least healthy counties in the state. Out of 120 counties, Perry has taken the 119th spot with Floyd County beating it out for the least healthy county in Kentucky. This is the fourth year the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute have conducted this report, which ranks the ove...
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<p>photo by Cris Ritchie | Herald file</p><p>Former Magistrate Randy Bailey, pictured above at left during a fiscal court meeting in 2006, was hired by the fiscal court as the county&#8217;s pro tem on Tuesday.</p>
Former magistrate named county’s judge pro tem
HAZARD – The Perry County Fiscal Court this week appointed former Magistrate Randy Bailey as the county’s new pro tem judge. Judge-Executive Denny Ray Noble had intended to appoint his wife, Brenda, to the position of pro tem, but noted during a meeting of the fiscal court on Tuesday the county ethics commission ruled against Mrs. Noble’s appointment, a ruling he said was fair considering the county’s ethics ordinance which states that coun...
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Grand jury returns indictments against 25
HAZARD — A Perry County woman was indicted this month on allegations that she took money from the Hazard nursing home. Deborah Joseph, 39 of Sassafras, was indicted on one count of theft by failure to make required disposition of property. Joseph allegedly retained refund money for purchases made for the Hazard Nursing Home for her own personal use on January 17 of last year. Her bail was set for $20,000. Jessica Noble, 24, of Booneville,...
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