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Local government meeting schedule: What Martin County residents should know
CITIZEN STAFF REPORT MARTIN COUNTY — From the Fiscal Court to government boards and authorities, several public entities serve Martin County and are registered with the Kentucky Department for Local Government. Two additional entities serve the cities of Inez and Warfield. Together, these bodies form the framework of local government that oversees essential services, programs,
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Martin County votes down street legal UTV ordinance
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Fiscal Court voted unanimously Thursday against an ordinance that would have allowed residents to register and legally operate UTVs on public roads. The decision came after a meeting in which residents and trail advocates spoke their opinions of the measure. The ordinance stemmed from Senate
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Residents plead for help getting access to cemeteries blocked by gates
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — A group of Martin County residents pressed the Fiscal Court on Thursday to intervene in what they say is an unlawful closure of the only road to multiple family cemeteries on a reclaimed strip mine in Pilgrim. Minnie Maynard of Pilgrim told magistrates that she had spent months
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Kermit in line for $5K from Lipitor settlement
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN KERMIT, W.Va. — The Town of Kermit will be receiving $5,000 as part of an antitrust lawsuit filed by West Virginia against two pharmaceutical companies. Mayor Charles Sparks announced the news at a Jan. 13 council meeting. The mayor detailed the backstory: a $17 million settlement stemming from claims that Pfizer
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Lottery system will determine who gets 48 licenses for retailers and 10 for processors of medical cannabis in 11 Kentucky regions
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS Gov. Andy Beshear gave an update on the medical cannabis licensing program Thursday after signing this year’s medical cannabis bill into law the day before. “We have worked hard to create a safe system that limits or eliminates abuse while still providing relief to that veteran suffering from PTSD
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Solid waste board holds inaugural meeting in Inez
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Solid Waste Board held its first-ever meeting April 3 at the government center in Inez, marking a step toward the county’s environmental management. The meeting was a blend of official procedures and heartfelt introductions, laying the groundwork for the board’s future activities. In a unanimous
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Eastern Kentucky towns fight to recover from opioid epidemic, with help from newcomers and recovering addicts, national author reports
BY SAM QUINONES REPUBLISHED BY KHN FROM THE FREE PRESS In early 2020, Mandi Fugate Sheffel, 42, opened a tiny bookstore in her hometown of Hazard. Everyone thought she was crazy. Downtown Hazard was a forbidding place to start any business, much less a bookstore. Most coal mines that once supported the area had closed.
