1704 news

Fire departments respond to structure fire

Area firefighters responded to a mobile home fire last week in Vanceburg.
Fire Chief James "Bubbles" Switzer said the call was reported at about midnight Wednesday. He said the mobile home at 311 Stein Street in Vanceburg was reported on fire.

He said firefighters arrived to find the structure fully involved.

Switzer said the owner had stated he was asleep on the couch when he was awakened by his wife who reported that she smelled smoke.

He said the man discovered flames coming from around a circuit breaker box in a back bedroom.

The home and all of its contents were destroyed. Vanceburg firefighters were assisted by the Black Oak and Garrison fire departments. Firefighters were on the scene for about two hours.

Rayetta Angel/Lewis County Herald

This mobile home, on Stein Street in Vanceburg, and its contents were destroyed last week as a result of a fire, which is thought to have been caused by an electrical problem. Firefighters from Vanceburg, Black Oak and Garrison departments battled the blaze.

Bone marrow donor needed

This notice is being written on behalf of 18-year-old Freddie Bevins of Vanceburg.
Anyone knowing of any family members of the Bevins and Thurman families need to be contacted soon. Freddie needs a match for a bone marrow transplant and help is needed in notifying all relatives near and far to try to find a match.

The doctors have five possible matches in other countries but if Freddie has a mismatched transplant his body could reject the donor's marrow and he wouldn't survive.

Please help get word to more family members.

Freddie and his parents would appreciate any help anyone can give in contacting others and asking them to contact the Red Cross or the central Kentucky Blood Bank and ask for testing dates in their area and ask to be tested for Freddie Bevins' bone marrow.
Time may be running out for Freddie. The doctors informed the family that the transplant couldn't be put off much longer.

Also, we are still a long way from the $200,000.00 needed for the transplant. Any donations are welcome and can be sent to Freddie Bevins, HC 73 Box 3376, Vanceburg, KY 41179, or to the Bevins Transplant Fund in care of the Citizens Deposit Bank & Trust, 400 Second Street, Vanceburg, KY 41179.

Unemployment rate rises in Lewis County

Unemployment rates fell in 98 Kentucky counties between February 2003 and February 2004, rose in 20 and remained the same in Cumberland and Meade counties, according to the Kentucky Department for Employment Services in the Education Cabinet. In February 2004, 15 counties had jobless rates at or above 10 percent, and 38 counties recorded double-digit rates in February 2003.
Woodford County's 3 percent jobless rate was the lowest in the commonwealth. Other low rates were recorded in Oldham County, 3.1 percent; Fayette, Jessamine and Metcalfe counties, 3.5 percent each; Franklin County, 3.6 percent; Shelby County, 4 percent; Todd County, 4.2 percent; Scott County, 4.4 percent; and Marion County, 4.5 percent.

Magoffin County recorded the state's highest unemployment rate - 16.2 percent. It was followed by Lewis County, 15.2 percent; Carter County, 13.1 percent; Fulton County, 12.8 percent; Russell County, 12.2 percent; Morgan County, 11.8 percent; Elliott County, 11.7 percent; Breathitt and Powell counties, 11.1 percent each; Cumberland and Nicholas counties, 11 percent each.

Lewis County's unemployment rate increased from 14.7 percent in January to 15.2 percent in February, and from the 13.4 percent rate recorded a year ago. Of Lewis County's 4,393 civilian labor force, 667 were unemployed in February 2004.

Unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count people working. Civilian Labor force statistics include non-military workers and unemployed Kentuckians who are actively seeking work.

They do not include unemployed Kentuckians who have not looked for employment within the past four weeks. The statistics in this news release are not seasonally adjusted to allow for comparisons between United States, state and counties figures.

HOSA annual conference

Kentucky Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) held its annual conference March 16 -19 at the Executive West Hotel in Louisville.
Nine students from the Foster Meade CTC HOSA attended the convention.

Those students were Juanita Fite, Mindy Wright, Julie Griffitt, Felicia Dean, Kayla Slusher, Pam Sparks, Jessica Sparks, Ashley Prather, and Jennifer Cooper.

Jennifer Cooper, the daughter of George and Pamela Cooper of Garrison attended as a state officer candidate. Jennifer passed the officer's exam and was interviewed by the election committee.

She campaigned using the slogan "Rising to the Challenge." HOSA voting delegates elected Jennifer to the office of State Historian on March 18. Jennifer will serve as State Historian until March 2005.

Students attending HOSA State Conference Back: J. Fite, F. Dean, J. Griffitt, J. Cooper, and A. Prather. Front: K. Slusher, J. Sparks, P. Sparks, and M. Wright.

As State Historian she is responsible for maintaining the state scrapbook and preparing power point presentations. She will be representing Kentucky this June at the National HOSA Conference in Orlando, Florida.

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