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Men facing additional charges in meth case
HAZARD – Two people arrested for allegedly operating a meth lab in Perry County will face additional charges once their cases go before the grand jury. Richard Combs, 59, of Bonnyman, and 51-year-old Daniel Combs, appeared in Perry District Court last week for preliminary hearings on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of meth precursors. Deputies with the Perry County Sheriff’s Off...
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County clerk, fiscal court reach settlement in lawsuit
HAZARD — A civil suit filed last year by the Perry County Fiscal Court against the county clerk to collect thousands of dollars to repay what the state auditor called “disallowed expenditures” from the clerk’s office over a three-year period has been settled. The suit was filed in June of last year, after Kentucky Auditor Adam Edelen released an audit in March of the 2010 financial statement for the county clerk’s office. The auditors found...
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<p>photos by Amelia Holliday | Hazard Herald</p><p>&#8220;PFC Billy Ray Patrick Memorial Highway&#8221; was officailly renamed in February after the House resolution passed.</p>
Highway renamed to honor fallen Vietnam veteran
A family in the Lost Creek community of Perry County paid tribute to one of their own who was lost in the Vietnam War by having the road where he was raised renamed in his honor. The Perry County Fiscal Court and the Kentucky General Assembly adopted resolutions this year to dedicate Kentucky Route 1146 in Perry County as the “PFC Billy Ray Patrick Memorial Highway.” Billy Ray was the son of Lula Patrick, who still lives on Route 1146. Pa...
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<p>photo by Cris Ritchie | Hazard Herald</p><p>Judge-Executive Denny Ray Noble proclaimed May as Drug Court Month. Pictured clockwise from the bottom left: Judge Noble, drug court Program Supervisor Billie Adams, Case Specialist Jennifer Erwin, and Circuit Judge William Engle.</p>
Judge proclaims Drug Court Month in Perry
Perry County Judge-Executive Denny Ray Noble on Monday proclaimed the month of May as Drug Court Month in Perry County. Judge Noble was joined for the proclamation signing by Billie Adams, the program supervisor for the local drug court, as well as Case Specialist Jennifer Erwin. Also on hand was Circuit Judge William Engle, who began the drug court program in Perry County following his initial election in 2004. Drug courts have been in o...
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<p>photo by Sabrina Ritchie</p><p>Customers lined up at the Apple Market in Hazard Saturday for Summit Church&#8217;s gas buy down.</p>
Church emphasizing community service with May projects
HAZARD – A local church in Perry County is setting aside the month of May as an opportunity to emphasize the notion of giving back to the community. Summit Church, which launched in Hazard in September 2011, recently began a sermon series that will run throughout May to illustrate how people can effect change in their community, noted Pastor Mark Combs. “Every week we’re talking about characteristics of a lifestyle that would change the w...
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County police get new vehicles
Anyone frequenting one of the county’s parks might notice a new law enforcement vehicle on patrol. The Perry County Police recently received two new Ford cruisers, purchased by the Perry County Fiscal Court through coal severance funds. Pictured above are Perry County Judge-Executive Denny Ray Noble (left) handing the keys to Perry County Police Chief Don Howard, who noted the department’s other vehicles had excessive mileage, and these new c...
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Former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao was the guest speaker during Thursday's Civic Night in Hazard. (photo by Cris Ritchie | Hazard Herald)
Chao headlines annual Civic Night in Hazard
HAZARD — Perry County’s chamber of commerce hosted its annual Civic Night Thursday, honoring several people and organizations who, for the past year, have worked to better the community. Former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao served as the guest speaker. Chao, who is also the wife of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, served as the secretary of labor under former President George W. Bush. She centered her remarks on reviving the national e...
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Accused murderer John C. Combs was led from a Prestonsburg courtroom in 2010 following a hearing to determine competency. He is now scheduled to go on trial July 22. (Herald file photo)
Trial delayed again for man accused of murdering Perry physician
HAZARD – The trial of a Knott County man who allegedly gunned down a physician in Perry County in 2009 was delayed again last week, and is now scheduled to begin this summer. John C. Combs, 49, has been in jail on a $1 million bond since the Dec. 8, 2009, shooting death of Dr. Dennis Sandlin at the Leatherwood-Blackey Clinic. Combs was alleged to have shot Dr. Sandlin inside the clinic after being refused pain medication. He was indicted th...
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Johnny Williams
Vicco man faces arson charges
VICCO — A Perry County man has been arrested and is facing charges related to an alleged arson spree on Tuesday. Johnny Williams, 48, of Vicco, was taken into custody at his niece’s residence in Vicco after allegedly setting fire to a mobile home and pick-up truck. Vicco City Police Chief Tony Vaughn said a vehicle fire was called in at 44 Green Bridge Bottom just before 4 p.m. After the vehicle fire was extinguished and police were talki...
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Four charged with fraud in obtaining public benefits
HAZARD – Four people were indicted in separate cases last month on allegations that they defrauded the government out of thousands of dollars in benefits. Reva S. Hall, 45, of Hazard, is charged with incorrectly reporting her household income in order to receive public benefits from December 2010 to January 2012. According to the indictment, Hall was overpaid more than $21,000 in monetary assistance during that time period. Her bail was set...
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These stills, taken from surveillance video of Wednesday's robbery at the Apple Market on East Main Street, show the perpetrator as he entered the store just before 4:30 a.m. The image on the right shows the man as he brandished a firearm. (Click the image to enlarge the photos.)
UPDATE: Man charged with early morning robbery
HAZARD – One person was arrested Wednesday and charged with the early morning robbery of a business on East Main Street. Authorities responded to the Apple Market after a call was made reporting the robbery at 4:30 a.m., noted Hazard Police Chief Minor Allen. The clerk on duty reported that a male subject had entered the store approximately five minutes before, demanded cash from the register and brandished a firearm. Allen said the man, de...
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Burglar breaks into restaurant, nothing taken
HAZARD – A fast food restaurant in Perry County was burglarized early this week, and police say the break-in could be related to others in the region. Officers with the Hazard Police Department responded to the Hardee’s on Highway 15 just past midnight on Tuesday, receiving the initial call at 12:39 a.m., said Captain Jason Duff. “Upon arrival, officers noticed some damage to the front door, and noticed that the telephone lines had been c...
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Man indicted on meth making charge
HAZARD – A Perry County man was indicted on charges that he was making methamphetamine after police say they found precursors and equipment to manufacture the drug inside his residence. Deputies arrested 49-year-old James Ritchie in March at his home in Slemp. According to the arrest citation, police responded to 22 Ritchie Hollow after receiving several complaints about possible meth making activity in the area. After given permission to s...
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<p>photo by Amelia Holliday | Hazard Herald</p><p>The Vicco Fire Department responded to the fire Tuesday afternoon, but were unable to save the residence.</p>
Flames destroy house near Vicco
A house fire in the Vicco community of Perry County left neighbors fearing for their own home. The Vicco Fire Department responded to the fire at 650 Montgomery Creek Rd. Tuesday afternoon, just before 2 p.m. The fire was fully involved, according to dispatchers. Neighbors said the house had not been lived in for about five years. The Herald will update this story as more information becomes available.
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Shirley Lewis (left) and Kim Lewis, both residents of Fort Branch in Perry County, say their community is in desperate need of city water. Shirley is pictured above holding a water filter from her home, clogged with sediment. Kim is holding a Mason jar filled with tap water from her sister's home. (photos by Cris Ritchie | Hazard Herald)
Perry community in need of city water
FUSONIA — Studies have shown for years that drinking water is good for a person. But what if drinking your water meant drinking water you wouldn’t even put in your dog’s bowl? This is what residents in a community in southern Perry County have had to contend with for the last three years. “We desperately need water,” said Tony Lewis, a resident of Fort Branch and the former Perry County PRIDE coordinator. Lewis, who suffers from asbesto...
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<p>Photo by Amelia Holliday</p><p>Sen. Mitch McConnell stopped at Whaynes Supply in Hazard on Monday afternoon to talk to supporters in the community about his plans to introduce The Coal Jobs Protection Act. Before taking the stage, McConnell spoke briefly with ARH President and CEO Jerry Haynes.</p>
McConnell makes stop in Hazard in support of coal
In the last year, coal jobs have been on the decline in the region. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stopped on Monday at Whayne Supply in Hazard to announce his plans to introduce The Coal Jobs Protection Act, legislation aiming to put a time limit on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for decisions on permit applications for coal mine operations. “This EPA has turned the coal permitting process into an illegitimate back-...
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On the record: Cases filed in Perry County
Contract Cases iRent vs. Glenda Martin iRent vs. Deborah L. Williams, et al Midland Funding, LLC vs. Jessica Walker Hazard Appalachian Regional Medical Center vs. Jimmy Ray Miller World Finance Corporation vs. Carol Ison World Finance Corporation vs. Marshall Herald LVNV Funding, LLC vs. Charley Jones First Financial Credit, Inc. vs. William Glen Fugate Capital One Bank vs. Melissa B. Knight Capital One Bank vs. Jennifer...
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<p>photo by Cris Ritchie | Hazard Herald</p><p>Perry County Deputy Elmer Fugate looks on as Deputy Kevin Day logs evidence seized during the bust of an alleged meth lab in Bonnyman on April 18.</p>
Officials seeing an uptick in meth production
HAZARD – Meth labs have been on the rise in Kentucky for the past three years, with more than 1,200 discovered by authorities in each of the past two. A very small amount of those illegal operations were found in Perry County, though this year could be different. As of April 30, police have already located at least five meth labs in Perry County, including two utilizing the so-called one-step method. “It was a lot more in the western coun...
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Job fair for out-of-work miners, spouses set for May 3
Out-of-work coal miners and their spouses will have the opportunity to apply for jobs and connect in-person with more than a dozen area employers at a regional job fair coming to Hazard. Hiring Our Miners Everyday—the H.O.M.E. program—will host a job fair on Friday, May 3 starting at 9 a.m. at the Kentucky Career Center Perry County JobSight, located at 412 Roy Campbell Drive in Hazard just past Whayne Supply. A variety of employers will ...
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Court presented with budget for next fiscal year
HAZARD — The Perry County Fiscal Court held a special called meeting Wednesday afternoon for the presentation of the next fiscal year’s budget. Perry County’s budget for the 2013-2014 fiscal year includes road, jail, general, and several other county items. According to the budget, the county has borrowed no money for the for the coming fiscal year, and will, therefore, have nothing to pay back. Appropriations for the budget are listed as...
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<p>Photo by Amelia Holliday</p><p>Attorney General Jack Conway spoke to freshmen and sophomore students at PCC on Thursday as part of hi Keep Kentucky Kids Safe program, warning of the dangers of prescription drug abuse.</p>
Conway warns of prescription drug abuse to keep kids safe
HAZARD — As part of his Keep Kentucky Kids Safe program, Attorney General Jack Conway talked to students in Perry and Pike counties on Wednesday and Thursday about the dangers of abusing prescription drugs. Joined by Dan Smoot, vice president of Operation UNITE, a non-profit corporation that educates the community about and helps fight the drug epidemic in Kentucky, Conway shared stories with the students from parents who had lost their chi...
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Cause of death ruled homicide in structure fire
BUSY — The deaths of two people found in a house fire in the Busy community of Perry County last week have been ruled a double homicide by the state medical examiner’s office. The Avawam Fire Department responded to the fire in the early evening of April 19 on Couchtown Road, later contacting Kentucky State Police (KSP) after two bodies were found at the scene. Both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene by the Perry County Coroner’s ...
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The Roy G. Eversole School on Broadway. (photo by Cris Ritchie | Herald file)
Police give the all clear after school placed on lockdown
HAZARD – An elementary school in Hazard was temporarily placed on lockdown Friday morning after a man was reported nearby carrying what appeared to be a firearm. Police have since given the all clear after the firearm was determined to be an air gun. Deputy Chief Joe Engle said the Hazard Police Department received a call at 7:50 Friday morning from a parent reporting that the man, later identified as 19-year-old Joshua Turner of Hazard, wa...
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Men enter pleas for Huddle House theft
HAZARD – Two men originally charged with robbery pleaded guilty to lesser charges this week during an appearance in circuit court. Brandon D. Combs, 31, of Red Fox, and 25-year-old Randall K. Mullins, of Hazard, were indicted in September 2012 on allegations that they threatened an employee of the Huddle House in Hazard during the course of a theft on June 5, 2012. According to police at the time, Combs and Mullins were eating at the rest...
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<p>photo by Cris Ritchie | Hazard Herald</p><p>Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Grimes led a roundtable discussion in Hazard Wednesday on civic engagement. Pictured from left to right: Rep. John Short, Secretary Grimes, Rep. Fitz Steele, and Sen. Johnny Ray Turner.</p>
Grimes holds discussion on civic engagement
HAZARD – Civic engagement represents an important aspect of building a better future, and Kentucky has some work to do in that regard, according to Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Grimes. Secretary Grimes led a roundtable discussion Wednesday at Hazard Community and Technical College, which included a panel of several local leaders in politics and community development. According to a recent report her office issued on the civic health o...
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McConnell to discuss coal legislation during Hazard visit
HAZARD — Senator Mitch McConnell will visit Pike and Perry counties next week in order to bring awareness to the loss of coal mining jobs in Kentucky. McConnell will introduce the Coal Jobs Protection Act, which is aimed at what he called the Environmental Protection Agency’s burdensome regulations. The legislation, sponsored by Ohio Rep. Bill Johnson and officially called the Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Prote...
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Kentucky Power's Big Sandy plant near Louisa. (photo by Cris Ritchie | Herald file photo)
PSC will take comments on retirement of Big Sandy plant
HAZARD – The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) will host a public meeting in Hazard next month regarding Kentucky Power Company’s proposal to retire its Big Sandy generating plant in Louisa. The meeting will allow the public an opportunity to comment on the proposal, which would result in Kentucky Power purchasing a 50 percent interest in Ohio Power Company’s Mitchell power plant in West Virginia for approximately $536 million. The e...
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