WHERE THE VIEW IS ALWAYS SPECTACULAR



— This view of autumn leaves at Raven Rock at Kingdom Come State Park near the Letcher-Harlan county line is second to none. (Photo by Thomas Biggs)

Food stamp cuts will affect 43% of Letcher homes



Forty-three percent of the households in Letcher County will be affected by a decrease in monthly food stamps benefits that begins Friday, according to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS). Of 9,300 households in the county, 4,038 are enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to information from CHFS and the U.S. Census Bureau. […]

Jenkins board welcomes new member, dreads budget cuts



A former Jenkins Middle High School teacher is the newest member of the Jenkins Independent Board of Education. Jenkins Board Chairman Durward Narramore Jr. announced this week that Brenda DePriest has been appointed to fill the board position vacated when Laura Reevis resigned. DePriest was unable to attend the meeting because of a family illness, but Narramore said she would […]

Eolia man sentenced in Virginia robberies



A 28-year-old Eolia man has pleaded guilty to robbing two Virginia convenience stores last fall. Jonathan Dean Adams entered a guilty plea in Wise County Circuit Court on Oct. 16 and was sentenced the same day. “I must serve 15 years at 85 percent with an additional 20 years of probation once released,” wrote Adams in a letter to The […]

Your guide to the new health care law




Few laws have generated as much confusion, opposition or news coverage as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Despite the flood of news stories about the law widely known as Obamacare, there is still much confusion about it. That’s not surprising. The 906-page law is complex and is accompanied by 10,535 pages of regulations. This guide to the law […]

Man proves you can catch big fish at Fishpond Lake



James Potter, of Dunham, was among those fishermen who hadn’t had much luck at Fishpond Lake recently. In fact, Potter said catches have been so poor of late that the number of fishermen at the Payne Gap lake has been on a major decline. As word of Potter’s large catch Sunday night continues to circulate, the fishing action at Fishpond […]

Letcher school board asked to help popular archery team; 110 students have signed up



In the wake of the success of Letcher County Central High School’s archery team, an overwhelming number of students have expressed interest in joining the squad. LCC Archery Coach Mike Sexton told the Letcher County Board of Education Monday night that 110 students have signed up for archery. With about 60 students regularly showing up for practices in the old […]

Political Cartoon



Talk alone won’t fix region’s woes



Gov. Steve Beshear and 5th District U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers have joined hands in a bipartisan effort to find ways to bolster the economy of eastern Kentucky. With the loss of thousands of coal jobs and the planned 2015 closing of much of the Big Sandy Power Plant near Louisa, the timing could not be better for a renewed effort […]

Needed: Great plan, gumption, leadership



Harlan County Judge/Executive Joe Grieshop is right when he says that lots of local people should be involved in economic planning for eastern Kentucky. Grieshop also is right when he says the region’s “situation will not improve without a major overhaul.” If necessity is the mother of invention, desperation might finally be the progenitor of change in the mountains. Losing […]