The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

The way we were

Clips from Mountain Eagle front pages over the past 50 years



 

 

May 26, 1960

Letcher County’s eight magistrates may have to take a cut in pay as a result of the county’s loss in population as revealed in the 1960 census.

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Letcher Countians’ taxes for 1960 will be based on property valuation totaling $21,106,534, Commissioner Ottis Amburgey announced. This total is $919,846 over the valuation for 1959.

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Letcher County’s ailing public library got a shot in the arm this week which may start it toward recovery. The Louisville and Nashville Railroad signed a contract with the library’s board of directors renting the library the waiting room at the Whitesburg depot for $2 a year.

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Considerable damage to trees and buildings was reported over Letcher County as a result of the thunderstorm Tuesday night. The wind created strong twisting gusts but less than half an inch of rain was indicated.

May 28, 1970

The Whitesburg Veterans of Foreign Wars will hold Memorial Day services at cemeteries through Letcher County on Sunday, May 31.

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Letcher Fiscal Court again voiced opposition to the proposed Kingdom Come dam this week, but left the way open for consideration of other possible dam sites. The proposed dam would be located near Ulvah, close to the Letcher-Perry County line, and would back water up the main North Fork of the Kentucky River to Whitesburg’s city limits, and up Rockhouse Creek through Isom.

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U.S. Rep. Carl D. Perkins will speak Friday night at commencement exercises at Calvary College. The exercises will mark the graduation of Calvary’s first class.

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Beef rib steak is on sale for 98 cents a pound at the A&P food store in Whitesburg. Country hams are 99 cents a pound.

May 29, 1980

Kentucky’s first presidential primary produced the same voter turnout in Letcher County as in nearly all sections of the state — light. Only 1,749 of the 9,000 local residents eligible to vote in the county took part in the presidential primary. Democrat Jimmy Carter carried the county over Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy by a vote of 674 to 511. California Gov. Ronald Reagan received the most local Republican votes — 367 — followed by George Bush with 38.

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Jenkins parents have complained to the school board about the condition of the high school plant. Principal Halliburton Greer says the problem is the result of student vandalism and is not caused by poor maintenance.

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The grand opening of the new First Security Bank building at Fleming-Neon is set for this weekend.

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Letcher County ranks 69th in the amount of average salary earned by teachers in Kentucky this year. Letcher County teachers earn an average of $13,995. The state average is $14,520.

May 30, 1990

Dozen of workers have been laid off this month at coal mining operations in Letcher County. The largest layoff came last week at Blue Diamond Mining Co.’s Scotia operation, where 80 men were furloughed. Miners at South East Coal Co. have also been affected by the layoff s. Blue Diamond officials could not be reached for comment, but employees say the Knoxville-based company cited “low production and a depressed market” as reasons for the layoff .

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Letcher County officials are planning to use the money raised from selling junked cars collected by the state to buy new cars for the county’s litter control officers to use on patrol.

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The number of traffic accidents was high, but the number of drunk driving arrests was low around the Memorial Day holiday in Letcher County. Six accidents occurred during the last half of the week, before the holiday officially began.

May 31, 2000

Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation of Whitesburg has been honored as the nation’s Outstanding Rural Health Practice by the National Rural Health Association. NRHA officials said Mountain Comp was selected for the annual award because the company has “improved health care access to rural people through innovative, comprehensive approaches.”

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Golden Oak Mining Co. L.P. owes unsecured debts to more than 200 creditors, with more than $1.5 million owed to Letcher County businesses, filings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Lexington show. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on May 16. It has done no mining since September, when a dispute with employees led to a shutdown of its mining operations and layoff s of its employees.

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Jenkins police and fire officials evacuated residents from Cane Branch on May 25 after a piece of heavy equipment accidentally opened a sealed gas well. Jenkins Police Chief Bill Tackett said employees of TECO Coal were working with an excavator when they hit the 20-year-old sealed well and knocked the cap off .

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The Razzy-Dazzy Dance Co. will perform June 3-4 in the Appalachian Center Theater at Southeast Community College in Cumberland. The program will showcase the talent of area youth in “Broadway ReVue 2000.”

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