0606news

What the top stories were

By Dennis Brown
Plenty happened here in the Lewis County area in 2005.
Last month we asked you to look over the 52 issues of The Herald for 2005, several stories vied for inclusion I the top rankings. Many of you helped us rate the top stories for 2005.

What stories did our readers rank at the top of the list? The top voted story for last year was the purchase of the former shoe factory buildings by Northern Contours making the commitment that they will be here for along time as an employer.

The other stories, in order, receiving the most votes were: the Carrs area being under consideration by AEP to locate a power plant; the spikes in prices of heating fuel and gasoline; unemployment in Lewis County; the approval of a 20-year contract by the Vanceburg Electric Plant Board for an electric provider; Relay for Life raises $29,000; renovations at Tollesboro Elementary School; counterfeit money and scams in the area; the rifle corps at VFW Post 5438; and tensions over the Kentucky Outback Adventure Park.

Some readers brought attention to the numerous accidents and safety concerns on the AA Highway.
Other readers noted the numerous stories associated with the War in Iraq and its local connections, and efforts to increase tourism in the areas, including the renovations of the George Morgan Thomas House and the Cabin Creek Covered Bridge.
Some mentioned the Boys and Girls Club of Lewis County to add programs for the county's youth. Others mentioned the Lewis County Chamber of Commerce's awards to local businesses and individuals.
Other readers felt some of the soft news should ranked high on the list, such as Campbellsville University honoring Ronnie Hord, recognizing Amanda Ruark as a hero, the Churches by Candlelight tour, and the Saturday Morning Sports Show celebrating its 30th anniversary on WKKS.

Coach Prater retires after 27 years

By Monica Stafford
Coach Corky Prater will be retiring this year after serving the Lewis County school system for 27 years.
Prater has worked under the titles of head football coach, elementary football coordinator, PE teacher, driver's education teacher and assistant coach. He is also a member of both the Kentucky Football Association and the Kentucky Coaches Association.
He retires with a 1985 District Championship title and a 1988 Eastern Kentucky Conference title under his belt, as well as bragging rights for leading his football team to the state playoffs in 1993.
Prater is a 1975 Lewis County High School graduate, and earned a bachelor's degree in physical education at Eastern Kentucky University. He then earned a fifth year degree in secondary education at Morehead State University.
He began his teaching career at Lewis County Central Elementary, where he spent three years. Then he moved on to Lewis County High School and remained there for a devoted 24 years.

While teaching at LCHS, Prater was also head coach of the golf, baseball and track teams; not to mention working under the title of head coach for football, which he sustained for 22 years.
He also has served as assistant coach to both the freshman and junior varsity teams.
Associate Athletic Director Gary Kidwell remembers when Prater first started his athletic career.
"When I came back to Lewis County and started the football team, Coach Prater was in the fifth grade and I coached him until the eighth grade," Kidwell remembers. "Coach has done a great job with the youth of Lewis County, both on and off the field."
This closeness with his students and players is the reason Prater confided to his students and coaches about his retirement before making it public knowledge.
"The hardest part of retiring has been telling the kids," he says. "I've been doing this for so long and it's hard to walk away."

Woman charged after pills found

A Quincy woman was charged early Saturday after deputies found numerous prescription medications in her home and alleged that she had been selling them.
Deputy Dwayne Stone said deputies obtained information from a confidential informant concerning prescription medications being illegally sold at the woman's residence.

Stone said deputies received permission to search the residence and found 944 assorted pills including Oxycodone, Lorcet, Valium, Zanax, Disalcid and Some. He said deputies also recovered $926 in cash, a device he said was used as a pill crusher, and a device used for inhaling the crushed pills. .

Lisa G. Wallace, 29, was charged with first degree trafficking in a controlled substance and lodged in the Lewis County Detention Center.

Sheriff Bill Lewis complimented Deputies Bivens and Stone as well as Deputy Jason Hill for their work in the case and added that the deputies had worked throughout the night, most of it on their own time.

"We want the drug traffickers in Lewis County to know that we will work aggressively in putting a stop to this major scourge on our society," Lewis said, adding that illegally selling prescription medications, particularly Oxycodone, has been a growing problem in the entire area for some time.

Dwayne Stone/LCSO

Deputy Johnny Bivens looks over items confiscated from a Quincy home early Saturday. He estimated he prescription drugs had a street value of $10,000. Nearly $1,000 in cash and other items were also removed from the home.

Lewis said the arrest was part of a continuing effort to combat illegal drugs in Lewis County and urges anyone who has information concerning illegal drug activity to contact the Lewis County Sheriff's Office Tip Line at 606-796-0123 or email tips@lewiscountysheriff.org.

Fiscal Court holds special meeting

By Al Owens
Meeting in a special session last Monday, the Lewis County Fiscal Court moved to pay the bills relating to the construction of the Lewis County Health Department building project.
Apart from the administrative fees, the health department actually pays the bills but the fiscal court is acting as the applicant agent for the health department.

All financial transactions have to go through the court.
Before adjourning, Judge Executive Steve Applegate announced that the next regular meeting of the Lewis County Fiscal Court will be at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, February 13, in the third floor courtroom of the courthouse.

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