0904 news

Band director Dan Prickett dies at age 58

Danny Prickett, band director in Lewis County in the early 1970s, died at his home in Carter County on Wednesday as the result of an apparent heart attack.
Pricket, whom friends and colleagues classified as a great promoter and showman, began his directing Lewis County school bands in 1969 and continued in Lewis County until 1973.

Through contact with students and the community, Prickett promoted the bands and choruses, and termed the Lewis County High School band as the Million Dollar Band.

Prickett promoted music in Lewis County and built participation in the band and chorus involving students from throughout the system and participation and support from area businesses and residents.

Although former band members said Prickett was a strict disciplinarian, they noted that he was greatly respected for urging his students to perform to their full potential.

Pricket and many of his students formed strong friendships, which continued after he left Lewis County.

Prickett was also well known in pageant circles, having been involved with the Miss American Organization from 1964 to 1996, serving in many roles including producer/director of the Miss Kentucky Scholarship Pageant and numerous roles with the Miss Ohio Pageant.
He was a music major at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Morehead State University, and had been active in musical theatre. He had taught private piano/organ and voice lessons.

He had assisted in the past few years with producing the pageants for the Lewis County School and Agricultural Fair and had also assisted in promoting and announcing for the Appalachian Wrestling Federation.

Prickett was most recently working in the Carter County School System as a computer lab instructor.

He was born in Georgetown, Ohio, and resided at Flat Fork Road in Olive Hill with his wife, Margorie Kegley Prickett. He is also survived by two daughters, a sister, a brother and three grandchildren. Services were held Saturday at Oney-Henderson Funeral Home in Olive Hill.

One injured in ATV accident

A man was seriously injured Sunday afternoon in an ATV accident near the Lewis-Mason County line.
Rescue personnel were called early Sunday afternoon to a railroad bridge over Crooked Creek after an ATV rider reportedly fell from the trestle some 30 feet onto the ground below.

Rescue personnel and deputies from Lewis and Mason Counties responded to the call and a medical helicopter was also summoned.

A spokesman said authorities were notified via cell phone.

Portsmouth ambulance personnel had to cross the railroad trestle on foot to reach the victim after they arrived at the scene on Sand Hill Road.

Other rescuers, approaching the scene from the Mason County side, arrived on Springdale Road near the former Dravo Lime Company.
The victim was located and removed from the scene to a waiting ambulance with the aid of a Stokes baskets and ropes.

The victim, whose identity wasn't released by press time, was transported to University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington.

Those responding to the call included the Tollesboro Volunteer Fire Department, Lewis County Sheriff's Department, Portsmouth Ambulance, Orangeburg Fire Department, Mason County EMS and Mason County Sheriff's Department.

Fire season underway

Firefighters were out in force over the weekend with fires reported across the Commonwealth as well as in Lewis County.
Firefighters were battling grass and brush fires near Petersville, and at the Lewis County-Greenup County line on Sunday as the dry, windy conditions contributed to favor the fires.

Residents are reminded that Spring Fire Season is underway. Through April 30 it is illegal to do any burning within 150 feet of any woodland or brushland except between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and all fired must be supervised until completely extinguished.

Conditions in the spring and fall are favorable for fires to easily get out of control.
Dry breezy conditions of the previous few days, along with warm temperatures that prompt residents to get outside and burn brush, create conditions in which small controlled fires can easily get out of control.

Officials warn that those burning illegally will be cited.

Photo Catch

possum0904.jpg (129985 bytes)

Kaitlin Brown/Lewis County Herald

MEOW . . . This opossum has been a regular visitor at the home of Louie and Ramona McKibben recently. The critter make night time visits to dine on cat food and makes little effort to retreat when confronted.

Tiffany Stamper/Lewis County Herald

Vanceburg Volunteer Fire Department's new fire truck arrived at the station on February 20. The truck cost $144,000 but the added equipment the value of the vehicle is approximately $150,000. The truck was purchased with state aid money along with $75,000 from the City of Vanceburg from Finley Fire Equipment in McConnelsville, Ohio. The importance of this fire truck is that it will allow Vanceburg to increase to a Class 5 ISO rating, which can reduce the cost of home insurance to homeowners in the city.

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