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BOE approves budget
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Board of Education approved the 2024-2025 tentative budget and heard an update from finance officer Earnest Hale in a special meeting May 28. “Good news,” Hale announced. “We had an increase in SEEK [Support Education Excellence in Kentucky] funding due to the fact that [the…
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Collier Center rolls out new chiller ahead of summer heat
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Public Library/Collier Center is experiencing a significant drop in temperature following the installation of a new air-conditioning system last week, library officials announced. During a special board meeting May 29, member Barry Webb provided an update from a representative of Elliott Contracting, the Pikeville-based company…
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Martin County seeks grant for regional sewer treatment plant
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — The Martin County Fiscal Court in a special session Friday authorized Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty to execute application documents for Government Resources Accelerating Needed Transformation grants. This funding will support the expansion of the Honey Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant’s capacity from 1 million gallons per day to 2 million…
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Sewer line repaired after polluting creek in Inez
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Alliance Water Resources was prompted to expedite the repair of a sewer line after raw sewage was found leaking into Rockcastle Creek in the Beatrice Loop area on Old Route 3. The leakage was initially discovered by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, drawing attention to potential negligence at…
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Community discussion to focus on ecological restoration at The Wilds of Emily Creek
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — On June 3, the Martin County Extension Office will host a public discussion dedicated to exploring the ecological restoration efforts at The Wilds of Emily Creek. Scheduled from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the event will feature representatives from The Wilds of Emily Creek, Renew Appalachia, Appalachian Legacy Initiative, and…
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McCoy participates in major NATO exercises in Europe
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN CZECHIA — Kentucky National Guard Spc Brittni McCoy, a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Specialist assigned to 577th Sapper Company, recently traveled to Europe to participate in multinational NATO training exercises. McCoy, the daughter of Dana and Charlotte McCoy of Martin County, joined the National Guard in 2012 as…
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Martin County sets financial direction for FY 2025
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Martin County Fiscal Court set the financial direction for the coming year with the first reading of its proposed $11,765,079 Fiscal Year 2025 budget in a meeting May 1. Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty commended the finance office staff and others who worked to prepare the budget. “We appreciate everyone’s…
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Early voting underway in Kermit election
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN KERMIT, W.Va. — Early voting kicks off Wednesday (May 29) in the Town of Kermit election. Ballots can be cast daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through June 8, including both Saturdays, officials announced in a council meeting May 20. On Election Day, June 11, polling stations will be…
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Diversion over incarceration: Maynard discusses drug court’s role in justice system
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN INEZ — Case specialist Tim Maynard shined a light on drug court during the Kiwanis Club luncheon Thursday at Masterpiece Kitchen & Café in Inez. He has worked at the Kentucky Department of Specialty Courts for six years, serving Martin, Johnson and Lawrence counties. Maynard explained that drug court diverts…
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Lady Cards fall short in Final Four
BY ROGER SMITH MOUNTAIN CITIZEN RUSSELL — After heavy rainfall delayed the Ohio Valley Conference tournament for a week, the Martin County Middle School Lady Cards took the field to face Russell in the semifinals, falling short 3-0 to end their season. Martin County defeated East Carter 2-0 in the opening round of the tournament.…