20 years ago

(July 15-17, 1992)

Almost three hours of deliberations by a Floyd County jury, Monday, ended in a stalemate, when jurors were evenly split on a verdict in a first degree rape case. Floyd County Circuit Court Judge Harold Stumbo declared a mistrial in the case of the commonwealth versus Israel Tim Boyd. Boyd, who is from Coldwater at Betsy Layne, was indicted last year for first degree rape for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl in March 1991.

Fewer than half of the 579 registered voters in Allen-Dwale’s No. 44 voting precinct turned out for Saturday’s local option election, outlawing the continued sale of alcoholic beverages in the precinct, by a vote of 174-68. The precinct has been wet since the June 1982, election which legalized the sale of beer, wine and liquor in Floyd County.

A former Wayland police officer was found blameless by a U.S. District Court Jury, in Pikeville, Thursday, in a case alleging police brutality. Mack Stewart, now a Prestonsburg City police officer, was accused by Earl Ray Johnson, of using excessive force during Johnson’s arrest in 1989. Stewart’s brother, Jimmy, was also named in the civil suit in Pikeville.

There died: Foster Newsome, 61, of Melvin, Thursday, July 9, at Our Lady of the Way Hospital; James “Booker” Wright, 76, of Little Robinson Creek, Sunday, at St. Joseph Hospital in Ann Arbbor, Michigan; Arzora Tackett, 66, of Ecorse, Michigan, Saturday, at Riverside Hospital in Trenton, Michigan; Woodrow Stewart, 75, of Minnie, Sunday, at his residence; Ruba Conley, 68, of Garrett, Thursday, at Highlands Regional Medical Center; Anna Mae Neeley, 90, of Roundhead, Ohio, Friday, at Lima Memorial Hospital; Zella Myrtle Lucas, 93, of McDowell, Monday, at McDowell Appalachian Regional Hospital; Unia Bolen, 84, of Garrett, Saturday, at Riverview Manor Nursing Home; George Milburn France, 69, of Pikeville, Sunday; Milton Prater, 84, of Hueysville, Saturday, at Highlands Regional Medical Center; Willie Hamilton Jr., 67, of Dana, Sunday, at his residence; Jarrell Dean Belcher, 63, of Wheelwright, formerly of Elkhorn City, Monday, at Irvine, following an extended illness; Hassie Evelyn Titchenell, 86, of Morgantown, W. Va., Tuesday, at Monongalia General Hospital, Morgantown; Lewis E. Alexander, 92, of Hillsboro, Ohio, at Highland District Hospital, Hillsboro.

30 years ago

(July 21, 1982)

Price Hall, accused of slaying Ed Ray “Panhandle” Moore and wounding Moore’s two sons, James, 28, and Ricky, 21, in a blood fray, at McDowell, on June 14, was bound over to the grand jury with a $500,000 bond.

The Martin Housing Authority will get first option to purchase state property at the mouth of Stephens Branch, and that decision by the state transportation department means that the agency will be able to proceed with plans to build from 60 to 100 low-income housing units on the site.

The first raid on an illegal strip mine site under the new law, which became effective only last Thursday, was made in Knott County, Monday, and state and federal agents confiscated $350,000 worth of mining equipment, but the crackdown under the new law is not expected to affect Floyd County mining operations.

No county roads will be paved this fiscal year, that is, before July 1, 1983; Judge-Executive Jerry Lafferty Jr., told members of the fiscal court that some patching would be done, but that the county could not afford more extensive road work.

There died: Mary Tackett, 82, of Teaberry, Thursday, July 15 at her home; Martha B. Leake, 58, of Prestonsburg, Friday, July 16, at Riverview Manor Nursing Home; Laburn W. Burke, 70, of Catlettsburg, Monday, July 12, in Catlettsburg; Claudette M. Fairchild, 19, of Prestonsburg, Saturday, at Central Baptist Hospital; Ninnie Spears Endicott, 79, of Abbott Creek, Tuesday, July 6, at UK Medical Center; Earl Layne, 86, of Betsy Layne, Friday, at Pikeville Methodist Hospital; Nora Campbell Rose, 69, of Claypool, Indiana, Saturday, at her home; Barbara Hayton, 59, of Racoon, Thursday, July 15, at Pikeville Methodist Hospital; Hattie Barney, 79, of Wayland, Tuesday, July 6, at Highlands Regional Medical Center; Juanita Carroll, 44, of Craynor, Saturday, at Our Lady of the Way Hospital; Dortha W. Allen, 77, formerly of Floyd County, Sunday, in Texas; and Col. T.M. Montgomery, 48, of Prestonsburg, June 26, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

40 years ago

(July 19, 1972)

State Police, and ABC Agent Arvel Nelson, estimated, following a wholesale sweep of bootleg liquor outlets over the weekend, that they had confiscated $6,120 worth of illegal intoxicants.

Weeksbury and Auxier shared in the honors at the annual Awards Night held Saturday, at Ashland, by the Northeastern Kentucky Rural Community Development Association.

Announce-ment by Congressman Carl D. Perkins that the Appalachian Regional Commission has approved a grant of $264,000 for enlargement of the Garth Vocational School was made, Friday.

The Department of Economic Security announced, last week, that during May, 9,034 low-income persons in Floyd County received food stamps valued at $230,726.

Round steak was 98 cents a pound; you could get four loaves of bread for $1.00, or a two-year-old Volkswagen Bug for $1,495.

Born: a son, Derrik Michael, to Mr. and Mrs. Greene Edgar Tussey, of Cincinnati, formerly of Prestonsburg, on July 5.

There died: Ronald Kelson (Ronnie) Harris, 25, of Ypsilanti, Mich., formerly of Prestonsburg, last Friday, in an auto mishap at Ann Arbor, Mich.; Floyd D. Sexton, 66, of Ormond Beach, Fla., formerly of Wayland, June 30, in Daytona Beach, Fla.; Elizabeth Cope Allen, 82, of Ashland, formerly of Prestonsburg, Wednesday at King’s Daughters’ Nursing Home in Ashland; Miss Delphia Bailey, 68, of Handshoe, Saturday, at Mountain Manor Nursing Home here; Mrs. Letha Patton Layne, 47, of East Point, July 9, at the Prestonsburg General Hospital; Mrs. Corinne R. Jackson, 73, of Betsy Layne, Tuesday evening, at her home; Martin Case, 88, of Garrett, Monday, at the McDowell Hospital; Mrs. Cassie Hale, 70, of Manton, July 7, at the McDowell Hospital; Henry Moore, 69, well-known East McDowell merchant, Monday afternoon, at Central Baptist Hospital, Lexington; Anton Slone, 62, of Dema, Sunday; Curtis Haywood, of Columbus, O., formerly of the Prestonsburg area, Tuesday morning, in Columbus.

50 years ago

(July 19, 1962)

A bridge spanning the Big Sandy River at Knotley Hollow, three miles south of here, partially collapsed, Monday, spilling onto its top an auto, and crushing to death, three of its four passengers. The dead: Mrs. Clora Goble Stephenson, 62, her son-in-law, Phenious Van Horn, 33, and his wife, Mrs. Naomi Stephenson Van Horn, all of Lancer. Injured, but expected to recover, was Debra, 6-year-old daughter of the Van Horns.

Six Floyd Countians and two from Magoffin, all charged with moonshining, will be given trial in U.S. district court at Pikeville, October 8, it was said.

The Kentucky Railroad Commission, last week, postponed until September, a decision on the petition filed by the C.&O. Railway Company to be permitted to discontinue its last two passenger trains serving the Big Sandy Valley.

The adult education program, organized in this county two years ago on a pilot basis, is being discontinued by the state, Superintendent Charles F. Clark has been notified.

There died: Mrs. Sallie S. Arnett, 50, of David, Sunday, at Lexington; Rev. Garland Smiley, 42, of Betsy Layne, Sunday, at Huntington, W.Va.; Grant Parsons, 63, of Allen, last Thursday, at the McDowell Memorial Hospital.

60 years ago

(July 17, 1952)

The bridge spanning the Big Sandy, and connecting Prestonsburg and West Prestonsburg, was closed today to all heavy trucks.

James Tackett, 19, of Salyersville, Tuesday afternoon, became the fifth victim of Dewey Lake since its impoundment two years ago.

The Boy Scout camp on Dewey Lake was dedicated Friday…U.S. 23 relocation via Auxier was being studied this week.

Hollie Conley, of Eastern, and a graduate of Duke, will begin the practice of law here this week. He will be in the office of Ex-Congressman, A.J. May for the present.

There died: Samuel G. Ousley, 91, former Floyd Tax Commissioner, Saturday, at his home at Dock; Mrs. Mollie Adams Clay, 63, Friday, at her home in West Prestonsburg; Mrs. Hester Scalf Hunter, 69, at Pikeville, July 10; Mrs. Clara Jones Hall, 19, Friday, at her home at Beaver.

70 years ago

(July 16, 1942)

Investigation of an alleged wartime labor racket at Morganfield’s Camp Breckinridge, last week, resulted in the questioning of Floyd Countians who have been employed there.

The Red Cross estimates 300 homes were damaged by last Wednesday’s flash flood.

The Floyd Fiscal Court, Wednesday, voted to rescind its previous order renouncing its sponsorship of WPA projects in the county.

W. G. Africa, of Prestonsburg, was elected commander of 24-year-old Floyd Post, American Legion, Saturday. He succeeds W. I. Myers, of Drift.

There died: Mrs. Edith George Ward, 86, Wednesday, of last week at West Prestonsburg; C. C. Rucker, father of Mrs. James Roark, of Prestonsburg, at Van Lear, last Wednesday; Sidney Allen, 26, Saturday, at Martin; Jesse S. Hatfield, 62, of Bull Creek, Saturday, at a Paintsville hospital; Mrs. Fannie E. Mitchell, of Prestonsburg, Sunday, at a Grayson hospital.