20 years ago

(April 15 and April 17, 1992)

Prestonsburg may be willing to move a mountain to provide a home for harness racing in Floyd County. Mayor Ann Latta told city council, Monday evening, that she had met, Friday, with members of the state’s new racing commission to discuss a proposal for locating a track in Prestonsburg, and she expected to meet, Tuesday, with the full commission. Latta’s proposal calls for a dual-purpose development, which would provide a facility for the Kentucky Opry and a five-eighths mile track for harness racing…A Jacks Creek couple was arrested and charged with the illegal sale of alcohol, Sunday, after a Floyd County deputy sheriff allegedly purchased a case of beer at Hilltop Carry Out. Pearl Hall, 43, and Henry Hall, 63, were charged with selling the beverage, when the time of delivery or sale or malt beverages is prohibited; possession of a police radio; and trafficking in a schedule IV controlled substance. Mr. Hall was also charged with carrying a concealed weapon. Mrs. Hall was charged with two counts of possessing prescription drugs not in proper container…A retired Glasgow educator officially took over operation of the Floyd County School System, Monday, at a special board of educaiton meeting. Tuesday’s regularly scheduled board meeting was postponed until April 21. Eldon J. Smith, 59, a retired superintendent of the Glasgow Independent School District, is the interim superintendent, appointed to replace Floyd superintendent Ron Hager, who was suspended without pay from that position, Friday, by the State Board for Elementary and Secondary Education…Registered voters in Prestonsburg’s Richmond precinct will decide, in an April 25 election, whether or not the sale of alcoholic beverages will be permitted. The precinct is currently “dry.” Floyd County Court Clerk Carla Boyd received a petition with the required 55 signatures, February 21, asking that a wet/dry election be held in that precinct…Prestonsburg’s Main Street program received an economic boost last week from the Kentucky Heritage Council…The Main Street program received $170,000 to fund revitalizaiton of Prestonsburg’s downtown area. The money will be used to provide low interest rate loans which can be used for a general facelift of the area, said Henry Mayo, manager of the Main Street program…A 63-year-old Oil Springs man pleaded innocent, Thursday, to a capital murder charge in the March 18 shooting death of Johnson County Sheriff Cecil Eugene Cyrus. Flem Burchett, formerly of Banner, entered the innocent plea in Pike County Circuit Court at his arraignment. The hearing was delayed for approximately 30 minutes after Burchett complained of chest pains. He was taken to Pikeville Methodist Hospital where he underwent tests and was returned to the courtroom…Paintsville’s City Council voted 4-2, Tuesday evening, to authorize a best-use study of the Paintsville-Prestonsburg airport to determine what the future may hold for the site. The council’s vote, Tuesday, was a follow-up to a joint meeting last month of council members from Prestonsburg and Paintsville, and a reaction to a proposal made by the Big Sandy Area Development District….There died: Cordell H. Martin, 75, of Hindman, former Knott County Attorney and State Representative, Wednesday, at the University of Kentucky Medical Center; Fess Hogg Roark, 80, of Garrett, Saturday, at Salyersville Health Care Center; Ruby Evelyn Newman, 68, of Melvin, Friday, at McDowell Appalachian Regional Hospital; Anna Mae Justice, 77, of North Manchester, Indiana, formerly of Prestonsburg, Monday, at her residence; Mallie Marie Hicks, 78, of Kenton, Ohio, Sunday, at Hardin Memorial Hospital; Robert Glenn Johnson, 33, of Printer, formerly of Knott County, Friday, at Prestonsburg, from injuries sustained from an automobile accident; Dorthy Johnson, 72, of Salyersville, formerly of Knott County, Friday, at Highlands Regional Medical Center; Grace DeRossett George Ellis, 84, of Prestonsburg, Thursday, at Highlands Regional Medical Center; Dollie Handshoe, 71, of Hueysville, Saturday, at U.K. Medical Center; Delphia Burke, 86, of Kite, Saturday, at Hazard Appalachian Regional Hospital; Henry Fisher Frazier, 73, of Lady Lake, Florida, formerly of Floyd County, Friday, at Leesburg; Pluma Kendrick, 79, of Melvin, Thursday, at Highlands Regional Medical Center; Charles Russell Roberts, 65, at St. Joseph Hospital, Lexington; Hobert Sublett, 74, of Sitka, Sunday, at Salyersville Health Care; Joby Martin, 81, of Huntington, West Virginia, formerly of Printer, Friday, at his residence; Delmer Robinson, 75, of West Prestonsburg, Thursday, April 16, at Highlands Regional Medical Center; Hattie Thompson McCowan, 93, of McDowell, Thursday, at Salyersville Health Care Center; Edgar “Edd” Castle, 83, of Thealka, Friday, at Paul B. Hall Regional Medical Center; Nora Whitaker Murray, 86, of Whitehouse, Saturday, at Highlands Regional Medical Center; Ida Marie Pelphrey, 76, of Tutor Key, Tuesday, at Paul B. Hall Regional Medical Center; Chandis McKinney, 53, of Cicero, Ilinois, formerly of Galveston, died Sunday, at his residence.

30 years ago

(Wednesday, April 21, 1982)

A former Martin resident, Sherry Lynn Adams, 27, was one of four women stabbed to death in Georgia…A cheerleading controversy began after a 14-year-old, who was trying out for the Prestonsburg High School cheerleading squad, hit her head on the board, while trying to complete a round-off back handspring…Highlands Regional Medical Center nurses will vote, next week, whether to join a union or not…A Knott County deputy sheriff, Randall Cook, 28, of Topmost, was killed, when his vehicle collied with another at an intersection near Hindman…There died: Tressie Clevinger Collins, 71, of Drift, last Wednsday at U.K. Medical Center; Tom Calhoun, 70, of Prestonsburg, last Thursday at Highlands Regional Medical Center; Aggie Paige, 68, of McDowell, last Thursday, at McDowell Appalachian Regional Medical Center; Cecil M. Sturgill, 67, of Harold, Tuesday, at Our Lady of the Way Hospital; Lillian Pauline Craft, 52, of Estill, last Thursday, at Our Lady of the Way Hospital; Ouida Slone Johnson, 62, of Garrett, last Wednesday, at Louisville; Earl Prater, 62, of Hueysville, last Thursday, in Lexington Manor Nursing Home; Woodrow Boggs, 52, of Prestonsburg, last Wednesday, in Louisa; Fanny Catherine Ward Workman, of Allen, last Friday, at her residence; Mary Jane Hughes, 71, of Martin, Monday, at Riverview Manor Nursing Home; Ammie Johnson, 76, of Abbott Road, Monday, at HRMÇ; Roger Wayne Hall, 30, of Wheelwright, Sunday, in Lexington.

40 years ago

(April 20, 1972)

Last week’s flood damage to Floyd County roads and bridges alone was estimated, Monday, by County Judge Henry Stumbo and the county’s four magistrates, at $88,600…The only tangible clue to the shotgun assassination, last Wednesday night, of Deputy Sheriff Lawrence Conley, is an empty shotgun shell found at the slaying scene at Garrett…Named winner of the county spelling bee held here April 8, was Barbara Bradbury, 12-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Bradbury. Runnerup, Jackie D. Jarrell, is the nine-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Jarrell, of Dana, and brother of last year’s champion speller…Paul E. Hayes, 49, well-known Prestonsburg attorney, and former state representative, was killed, late Monday night, in an auto accident, three miles east of Salyersville…Miss Sally Music, senior at Prestonsburg High School, was presented the Good Citizenship pin by John Graham Chapter, D.A.R., April 11…Lt. Com. Bobby E. Stratton, a native of Betsy Layne, will be among those aboard the USS Ticonderoga, awaiting the splashdown of Apollo 16…Robert Hicks, Jr., formerly of Wayland, has been appointed Associate Administrator of Valley Doctors’ Hospital, North Hollywood, Calif…There died: Lonnie T. May, 75, father of Russell E. May, April 11, in Portsmouth, O.; Arvil Hall, 79, of Price, last Thursday, at the McDowell Hospital; Mrs. Sally Clifton Miller, 58, last Thursday, at the Prestonsburg General Hospital; Mrs. Lissie Samons, 80, of Martin, Wednesday, at a Martin hospital; Albert Hall, 75, formerly of Water Gap, Tuesday, April 11, at his home near Claypool, Ind.; Mrs. Louisa Marshall Whitaker, 96, of West Prestonsburg, last Tuesday, at the home of a daughter, Mrs. Oscar Richardson; Mrs. Dodie Rogers, 43, of Galveston, Wednesday, at the Methodist Hospital, Pikeville; Robert (Jack) Worland, of Montgomery, W.Va., formerly of Prestonsburg, Sunday.

50 years ago

(April 19, 1962)

Lowest of the two bids, offered Tuesday, by contractors on the low-rent housing project here was $520,000, submitted by the G. H. Hunter Company, of Betsy Layne…The First Presbyterian Church voted unanimously, Sunday, to purchase a parcel of land on the new Auxier road, just north of Prestonsburg, as the site of its proposed new church structure…Circuit Court Clerk Henry Stephens, dean of the Floyd County bar, was elected president of the Floyd County Bar Association at the association’s annual election of officers last Thursday. He succeeds Circuit Judge Edward P. Hill as head of that body…Born: to Mr. and Mrs. Gabriel Wallace, of Huntsville, Alabama, a daughter, Pamela Jane, April 4, at Huntsville…There died: Atlas Compton, last Tuesday, at his home at Cliff; Mrs. Ola Carr, 50, April 16, at Cabell-Huntington Hospital; Ernest Woods, 61, of Lackey, April 12, at Our Lady of the Way Hospital, Martin; Mrs. Mary Kidd, 61, of Grethel, Tuesday, at Methodist Hospital, Pikeville.

60 years ago

(April 19, 1952)

The Passion Pageant, at Martin, was halted by rain Sunday (Easter), and the event has been rescheduled for May 4…The Moore Funeral Home opened here Wednesday…Charles Adkins and Mrs. N.D. Howard were elected Wayland’s Man and Woman of the Year at the Lions Club meeting at Wayland, April 10…Ebenezer Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church elected at its closing sesson here, Wednesday morning, the Rev. Philip Bembower as its moderator…Jimmy Davis Clark, Auxier high school senior, last Tuesday, won the Floyd County oratorical contest for the second year in a row…There died: Wallace Gray Thornsbury, 75, last Thursday, at Sloan; T-Sgt. Harry Huff, formerly of Hueysville, March 1 on Okinawa; Rev. Silas Bayes, former Floyd Countian, April 8, at Adrian, Michigan; Mrs. Julian Carroll, 87, at Martin, April 14; Ben H. Cox, 62, owner of the Valley Motor Company here, Tuesday, in a Paintsville hospital; Evan Case, 49, of Jump, April 14, in a Lexington hospital; Former County Clerk Ivory A. Smiley, today (Thursday), at a Martin hospital; Cordelia M. Williamson, 77, of Coal Run, April 14, at a Martin hospital.

70 years ago

(April 16, 1942)

The first Floyd Countian to win his “Wings” in the U.S. air service is Lt. William Edward Sutton, of Langley…Breaks into the Purol Service Station and Morell’s Hardware Saturday, night, netted thieves at least $400 in cash and merchandise…J. R. Hurt, of Prestonsburg, has learned that his brother, Lieut. Com. David A. Hurt, 38, commander of the U. S. submarine Perch, is missing…Virginia Turner, who won the Floyd County oratorical contest here, Friday night, used her $15 cash award toward the purchase of a Defense Bond…John T. Foley, of Betsy Layne, was critically injured, last Thursday night, in a mine accident at Kopperston, West Virginia…There died: Henry Harris, 61, at his home at West Prestonsburg; Mrs. Lily Branham Harris, 58, native of this county, Saturday, at Lucasville, O.; Mrs. John Amburgy, 84, Monday, at her home at Maytown; Mrs. Hala May Prater, 33, of Hueysville, Wednesday; Joe Thompson, formerly of Wayland, Wednesday, at a Lexington hospital; Imogene Coyer, 4, Wednesday, at a Martin hospital.