Man sentenced here to 22 years for his role in murder by torture



A Floyd County man has been formally sentenced in Letcher Circuit Court after pleading guilty to torturing and murdering a friend of his late daughter. At a sentencing hearing on January 11, Letcher Circuit Judge Sam Wright ordered that 49-year-old Billy Joe Johnson must serve at least 22 years in prison for orchestrating the crucifixion and murder of 27- year-old […]

Grand jury indicts 29



Twenty-four people are named in 29 indictments returned last week by the Letcher Grand Jury. Those named in the indictments handed up January 10 to Letcher Circuit Judge Sam Wright and the charges against them are: • Mary Ann Fugate – first-degree promoting contraband and being a persistent felony offender. The grand jury charged Fugate, 42, of 497 Great Oak […]

Breakfast to honor Martin Luther King



Letcher Countians will celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of a colorless society at the annual MLK Day Breakfast on Monday. The breakfast will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Letcher County Central High School, and will include a meal, viewing of student projects on King, and recognition of past and present members of Foster Grandparents, Americorps […]

Students participate in ceremony



Falon Louise King and Joshua Smallwood, first-year students at the University of Appalachia College of Pharmacy in Buchanan County, Va., recently participated in the annual white coat ceremony where each new pharmacy student accepted into the professional program is presented with a white lab coat and recites the “Oath of a Pharmacist”. She is the daughter of Thomas King of […]

Larry Cordle to perform at WMMT’s Bluegrass Express



Award-winning singersongwriter Larry Cordle and his band, Lonesome Standard Time, will perform in concert at WMMT’s “Bluegrass Express Live”, Thursday, Jan. 17, at the Appalshop Theater in Whitesburg. Cordle grew up on a farm in Lawrence County, and his name was recently added to the county’s section of the Country Music Highway, US 23. Known primarily as a bluegrass artist, […]

Arts supporters to meet



Arts Kentucky, the statewide arts advocacy and service organization and Appalshop are hosting “The Election Connection”, an arts advocacy workshop related to the 2008 Kentucky General Assembly. The free workshop will address how to advocate for arts issues, how to get your arts message across, and an “ask” to your state legislators to support the state’s art agency, the Kentucky […]

High school seniors should apply now for financial aid



High school seniors who are planning to go to college or trade school this fall are encouraged to gather the information required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the form students fill out to see if they qualify for federal and state grants and loans. Financial aid professionals advise students to send […]

Radiography program has been reaccredited



The radiography program operated by Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College has been reaccreditation by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology, (JRCERT). The program has been reaccredited for eight years. The evaluation and study of the program was conducted in a peer review process followed by a two-day visit of a three-person team which came to the […]

UVA Dean’s List



Four Letcher County students have been named to the Dean’s List for the fall semester at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. The students are: Ashtan Lynn McCullum and Casey Laine Pennell, both of Jenkins; McKenzie Beth Williams, Mayking; and Karen Elaine Boggs, Whitesburg. Students named to the Dean’s List must earn a grade point average of 3.5.

Pre-graduation conference set



Letcher County Central High School will hold a pre-graduation conference at the school on January 24 for seniors and their parents. The event will begin with refreshments and entertainment at 5:30 p.m. After a discussion of items including the senior trip, baccalaureate, and graduation, teachers will be available for a question-and-answer session.