|
Post by Local News on Jan 29, 2007 13:27:11 GMT -5
Youth Mentoring Program Continues To GrowReporter: Jenna EmenhiserWYMT first told you about the Bridge 41 program in Clay County just last week. Program coordinators say since WYMT spoke with them they have received a sizeable donation and now are looking to expand. Yancey White says after school programs like the Bridge 41 boxing and mentoring program are exactly what cities in eastern Kentucky need. "Kids don't have alternatives to seek out and go to, unfortunately that leads to situations where they have idle time on their hands and idle time leads to experimenting with drugs and alcohol," Yancey White said. That's why White says he donated $5,000 to Bridge 41. He say it is his way of preventing kids from making the same mistakes he made. "Being a recovering drug addict and alcoholic is something that not only touches me personally but touches the lives of probably almost every family in Clay County," White said. "We've always had the support but it's actually been through words, now it's through actions and that's been wonderful," Ellen Nicholson said. Now program directors say they hope to expand the program to neighboring counties and maybe even the whole region. "We actually spend quite a bit of time planning and doing the policies and procedures and really looking at a quality program," Nicholson said. Nicholson says the program is a success and if you don't believe her just look at the numbers. In just one week the number of kids enrolled in the program have nearly doubled and if you ask kids here they say they aren't surprised. "It keeps you not being out being bored, getting up wanting to do drugs and stuff," Chris Hubbard said. "You can be yourself and don't nobody come up here and try to beat nobody up or be better than nobody else. Everybody just works on the same level," Shane Beach said. Next in store for this group of young boxers is the chance to compete in their first amature match coming up in March. Bridge 41 meets Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4 to 6 pm. If you would like to get involved contact Ellen Nicholson at 606-813-1777. Read the entire story at....
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Jan 29, 2007 13:33:23 GMT -5
Hooked on Drugs for 20 Years... Now CleanReporter: Julie Maloney, wymtnews.com"An update on an Eastern Kentucky woman hooked on drugs for more than 20 years." We first introduced you to Tammy Boyd in November, when she graduated from drug court in Clay County. She spent more than a year under the guidance of counselors working to get off drugs. "I can stand up and say I'm a former addict. I've been there and I've done that." Tammy Boyd says that after more than twenty years of doing drugs, she's clean. "I've got a family to raise. I've got people in my life that are more important than the drugs." Boyd wound up in jail in 2005. And as she began drug counseling, she found out she was pregnant with her now 19-month old son, Hayden. "At first she was fighting and screaming a little bit," says Boyd's case specialist, Vickie Kelly. Kelly says Boyd first came to her in early 2005... "She had a lot of past history. She had no confidence. She didn't think she could get her G-E-D. She would come to me and say Vickie I just can't do it." It's been a battle and Boyd says she faces temptation to turn back to drugs every day. "The little one coming in here. That's my biggest inspiration." And now Boyd is trying to be an inspiration herself. "Keeping the kids, trying to get them to focus on boxing so they can get off drugs and stay off drugs." For the past few months Boyd has been helping local kids and her community through Bridge 41. It's a boxing program that gives both kids and adults a place to turn to stay busy. "I'm not perfect and I still have my flaws, but I know there's someone you can turn to, there's someone I can go to for help now." Boyd says anyone hooked on drugs should find a mentor who can serve as a guide in breaking the habit. Read the entire story at....
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Jan 30, 2007 16:03:35 GMT -5
Clay County Residents Demanding Safer RoadsReporter: Jon Sonnheim, wymtnews.comSeveral car accidents and a recent death have left one Clay County community demanding more safety on the roads around their homes. Now some residents say they're fighting to save lives. Every morning as he drives to work, Denver Barrett says he worries about traveling this stretch of Kentucky 11, from Oneida to Manchester. "I can't tell you all the people that went over that hill. But I have close friends that went over that hill, and one that lost his life," said Barrett Those who live around the highway, say the dangers of bad curves, steep drop-offs, and narrow roads are well known. They believe the solution is simple--guard rails. But officials at the Department of Highways, say it's not that easy. They say it takes traffic studies and accident statistics before guard rails are put up. That's all done with limited funding, so the worst usually get the money first. "In the past few years, we have increased the amount of funding for guard rails, but that's statewide. And as I said, we're competing with every county across the state," said Sandy Rudder, of the Department of Highways. Ultimately, both sides say they will continue to push for safety "We do everything we possibly can to make our roads as safe as possible for all of us to travel on," said Rudder. "We keep trying," Barrett says. "That's the only thing I know to do." Officials with the Department of Highways say they are working on a project to rebuild a cliff off of Kentucky 11, that they hope to have done sometime in 2008. Read the entire story at....
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Jan 31, 2007 16:39:56 GMT -5
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Is Changing CareersJulie Maloney, wymtnews.comAn army brigade out of Lexington has been put on alert for possible deployment. An eastern kentucky man, who's an assistant commonwealth's attorney, is packing up his things as he leaves his law office for basic training in Oklahoma. WYMT's Julie Maloney spoke with the soldier who says this career change is a dream come true. Richie Couch has been a lawyer at the Gary Gregory Law Office, in Clay County, for the past six years, but on Tuesday he told WYMT that he is leaving as a soldier. "I guess I was born a patriot. Anything possible to serve my country. It's just one of those things," Richard Couch, 1st Lieutenant, 138th Brigade. Last week President Bush said in his state of the union address that he plans to increase the number of troops in Iraq. Couch is leaving for basic training in Oklahoma on Wednesday and could be deployed this summer. "It's hard on the families, but you're making such a contribution to your country and in this time of terrorism, I'm proud to do this," Richard Couch said. On Tuesday Couch cleaned out his office at the law firm. He says his career-change is a dream come true. "We're going to miss him, but I have all the confidence that through his training, he will be alright," Jeff Couch said. "He's taking that step forward to agree to support the United States in Iraq and I think it's an honorable thing for him to do," Tim Couch said. Couch is carrying on a family tradition. His father and two of his uncle's were in the army and if he's deployed this summer, he will be joining his cousin, Chris Couch, who was deployed with the Mountain Warriors in 2006. "The hardest part is leaving my family. If we do in fact have to be deployed-- that's the hardest part," Richard Couch said. Couch says he will be able to come home some weekends to visit his wife and four month old daughter. His unit could be deployed to Iraq late this summer. Read the entire story at....
|
|
|
Post by Kentucky News on Jan 31, 2007 20:04:46 GMT -5
Clay County has second highest jobless rate in KentuckyJackson County recorded the state’s highestUnemployment rates fell in 114 Kentucky counties between December 2005 and December 2006, rose in three counties and stayed the same in three counties, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment and Training in the Education Cabinet. In December 2006, two counties had a jobless rate at or above 10 percent compared to five counties that recorded double-digit rates in December 2005. Woodford County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the commonwealth at 3.5 percent. Other counties with low unemployment rates were Fayette and Oldham counties, 3.6 percent each; Scott County, 3.7 percent; Boone and Madison counties, 3.8 percent; and Bourbon, Gallatin, Jessamine and Warren counties, 3.9 percent each. Jackson County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate — 12.2 percent. It was followed by Clay County, 10.3 percent; Wolfe County, 9.9 percent; Magoffin County, 9.7 percent; McCreary County, 9.3 percent; Owsley County, 8.9 percent; Muhlenberg County, 8.7 percent; Leslie County, 8.5 percent; and Menifee and Morgan counties, 8 percent each. 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. Learn more about the Office of Employment and Training at workforce.ky.gov. The preceding was a press release from....
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Feb 4, 2007 22:15:59 GMT -5
Norman Pickel Sentenced to Life in PrisonCaught Through DNA, Arrested in ManchesterPhoto and story courtesty of CBS4.COMNorman Ray Pickel, 36, who was arrested in November 2005 for the burglary, kidnapping and sexual battery of an 11 year old Fort Lauderdale (Florida) girl in August 2004. The girl was snatched out her bedroom window in the middle of the night and sexually battered. DNA was collected from the crime scene and on November 10, 2005, an arrest warrant was prepared, and after a short time, Pickel was located in Manchester, Kentucky, where he was arrested and later extradited to the Broward County (Flordia) Main Jail on November 25, 2005. Additional DNA tests were performed giving police a second confirmation of the DNA match. Pickel was held without bond until he was found guilty on January 5, 2007 of sexual battery of a child under 13, kidnapping and burglary. He was sentenced to life on January 11, 2007. He is now serving a life sentence in Flordia. Norman Ray PickelPhoto from the Flordia Department of CorrectionsAccording to information at the Flordia Department of Corrections website he has also goes by the names: John Smith, Norman Ray Picknel, Norman Macina and James Robinson. He has previous convictions in Florida for: Grand theft, robbery, cocaine sales and cocaine possession.
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Feb 6, 2007 18:03:53 GMT -5
Former Manchester mayor pleads not guilty to drug charges911 official cuts deal, implicates former mayorBy Bill Estep, SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAUA longtime Eastern Kentucky mayor helped hire a drug dealer to burn down a vacant house on property the city wanted, then provided the arsonist with drugs and protection, according to a man who admitted involvement in the scheme. A federal grand jury charged the former mayor of Manchester, Daugh K. White, with being part of a conspiracy to distribute prescription pain pills, methadone and five kilograms or more of cocaine from mid-1999 to May 2005, during his last two terms in office. White lost his bid for an eighth term in November. The indictment naming White is the latest shoe to drop in federal investigations that have resulted in drug or corruption charges against several public figures in Manchester and Clay County in the last 18 months. The prosecutor in the case, Stephen C. Smith, yesterday asked that White be kept in jail until his trial. "This is a very serious allegation," Smith said. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Wier scheduled a hearing Wednesday on whether to detain White, 73, who faces a minimum 10-year sentence if convicted. White's attorney, John Kevin West, entered a not-guilty plea for him yesterday in federal court in London. White has been jailed since Friday and came to court in handcuffs; he spoke only to acknowledge he understood the charges.West said White plans a vigorous fight against the charges. "I believe he's a very good man," West said. A Lexington grand jury indicted White on Thursday but the charges were sealed until yesterday. The indictment charges that White took part in the conspiracy with Todd Roberts, assistant police chief in Manchester during the alleged scheme; Vernon Hacker, who was head of the city-county 911 system and also a Manchester City Council member; and Bobby Joe "Fabio" Curry, 56, a well-known drug dealer before he experienced a religious conversion in 2005. The indictment includes a forfeiture count seeking to collect $1 million from White, Roberts and Hacker. That represents the alleged gross proceeds of the drug conspiracy. Hacker, 54, pleaded guilty yesterday a few minutes before White's arraignment, giving potentially d**ning information against the former mayor and Roberts. Hacker said that in 1999, the city started the process of building a new police station and 911 center. A snag came up because one man who owned a vacant, dilapidated house behind the proposed building site refused to sell, according to the statement. Hacker said White then schemed with him and Roberts to find someone to burn down the house. James Arkus Hibbard, a city employee who has since died, suggested Curry would do the job, Hacker said. Hacker said he, White and Roberts approached Curry. Curry was reluctant to burn the house, but the three assured him no one would get in trouble, Hacker said. "White promised Curry he would protect and take care of Curry in the future if he would do the arson," according to Hacker's plea statement. Late on June 30, 1999, Roberts and Hacker picked up Curry in a city police cruiser and dropped him off with some gas at the vacant house, Hacker said. Curry lit the fire but it went out. Hacker and Roberts told him to break out the windows, letting in air to feed the fire. The structure burned after that, Hacker said. Roberts, Hacker and Curry were there when firefighters showed up. Roberts noticed Curry smelled like gas and told him to leave, Hacker said. A few days later, Hibbard, the city employee, took Curry 22 grams of cocaine "as Curry's payment from the mayor for the arson," according to the plea agreement. The city built the new 911 and police center and named it for White. Hacker said he and Roberts later got in deeper with Curry. The drug dealer provided entertainment for Hacker and Roberts that included strip acts, out-of-town trips in a limousine and frequent parties at his house or hotels, Hacker said. Curry also sold Hacker and Roberts 25 or 30 guns he took in as payment for drugs. Hacker is a gun enthusiast and Roberts owns a gun store. Hacker said he and Roberts sometimes saw drug deals when they were at Curry's house. For their part, he and Roberts tipped off Curry about police activity in the area "to fulfill the promise of the mayor" to protect Curry. Hacker said he called 10 times himself. In one case in April 2003, Hacker said, he warned Curry a city police officer had gotten a warrant to search Curry's house. When Curry later came to the police station to demand the return of $1,047 police had confiscated, Roberts was reluctant, but Curry reminded him of White's promise of protection and threatened to call federal authorities, said Hacker, who was there. Roberts ordered Officer George Stewart to return the money, Hacker said. In another case, Hacker said, he alerted Curry that officers from neighboring Laurel County were coming to search his house. The charges against Hacker carry a minimum 10-year sentence, but he will probably get less time because of his agreement to help the FBI and prosecutors.The 911 board fired Hacker after he was charged. Roberts, who also is charged with stealing more than $5,000 police had seized during investigations, is suspended with pay pending the outcome of the case. Roberts maintains he is innocent, his attorney has said. The charges against White are a significant development in the case. White, who once operated a car dealership, was a powerful politician for years and had family ties to other officeholders. Longtime Manchester council member Penny Robinson said that while she does not condone the acts alleged in the indictment and is not defending White, the city saw progress while he was mayor, including improvements in water and sewer service. White was civic-minded and supported youth sports, Robinson said. An audit concluded that the city paved dozens of private driveways in White's last term, however. And in an aggressive campaign last year, Carmen Lewis charged that White had run the city like his own fiefdom at times, buying city vehicles from his car lot, hiring his son for a city job without posting the position, hiring his daughter-in-law and brushing aside criticism. "It was almost like the city was his business," said Lewis, who unseated White. CLICK HERE to read the story at kentucky.comCLICK HERE to see video from WYMT-TV
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Feb 7, 2007 14:04:21 GMT -5
Classmates, Community Members Remember Third Student LostJon Sonnheim, wymtnews.comIt's been a tough school year for students at one Eastern Kentucky high school, after a weekend accident takes the life of a third classmate. The hits on 16 year old Shawn Barrett's MySpace page continue to mount as word of his weekend ATV crash and death spreads to his friends. "He was a great guy," says Barrett's cousin Jessica Smith. "He went to church. He hung out with everybody. He tried to be friends with everybody. He was really nice to be around." The school that Shawn, a sophomore, attended continues to take their own kind of hits as Shawn was the third student killed in unrelated accidents. "It's just unreal that this could happen this many times, to one school, in one place, in one school year," says Clay County High School Principal Michael White. "It's just hard to believe." And while classes were called off at Clay County High School Monday, due to weather... the empty hallways spoke for themselves. As the deaths of freshman Trenton Thompson and senior Francheska Smith are still fresh with students... "Anytime students need to speak with a counselor, we have those available," says White. "But more than anything else, teenagers are a great support group among themselves." Which is why, with school called off, students gathered to lend support online... missing another friend...and surviving the school year. CLICK HERE to see the video at WYMT-TV
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Feb 7, 2007 23:22:43 GMT -5
Prosecutor asks former Manchester mayor be held without bondBy Bill Estep, SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAUFormer Manchester Mayor Daugh K. White had sex with teen girls during his tenure and has plenty of money he could use to flee if released from jail on federal drug charges, a prosecutor argued yesterday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen C. Smith raised the sexual allegations and White's resources in arguing that White shouldn't be released on bond because he would be a danger to the community or a flight risk. Testimony by an FBI agent who said White asked who gave evidence against him also shows he might try to intimidate witnesses, Smith said. "That goes toward his dangerousness if released," Smith told U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Wier. White's attorney, Kevin West, argued that the former mayor would not be a flight risk or a danger to anyone if released. White, 74, was charged last week with being part of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and pain pills from mid-1999 until May 2005, during his last two terms in office. He lost re-election in November after 28 years as mayor. White allegedly helped hire a drug dealer to burn down a vacant house in Manchester in order to clear the way for construction of a 911 dispatch center and police station, then provided protection for the man's drug trafficking. The others named in the alleged scheme are Todd Roberts, assistant police chief in Manchester; Vernon Hacker, who was 911 director during the conspiracy and a city council member; and Bobby Joe Curry, once a significant drug dealer in the county. Hacker and Curry have pleaded guilty. FBI Agent Timothy Briggs arrested White last Friday and he's been jailed since. At a hearing yesterday, Smith cited a federal law which creates a presumption that people charged with certain crimes are a risk to flee or are potentially dangerous to the community, and so should be jailed pending trial. White's case qualifies because he faces a sentence of at least 10 years if convicted, Smith said. Briggs testified one witness said White paid her $800 a week for sex beginning when she was 16. The girl said White had also had sex with a girl who apparently was about 14, Briggs testified. Smith offered that testimony as evidence of White's potential danger to the community. White has not been charged with any crime related to allegedly having sex with the girls. Briggs said that, when he and another officer went to arrest White, they found him in his Ford Bronco by the loading dock at a former grocery store in Manchester. White said he had pulled over there to drink; he smelled strongly of alcohol and there were two fifths of vodka in the truck, one unopened and one half empty, Briggs said. Briggs said White also had a bottle of prescription pain pills. The medicine was prescribed to him; based on the date of the prescription and the dosage, there should have been 42 pills in the bottle, but there were only two, Briggs said. Smith suggested White abused the pills. Briggs testified that White has interests in hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of property and oil and gas leases, so he would have "the means with which to get out of town" if released, Smith said West, White's attorney, said White knew before he was indicted that it was likely he would be charged, and yet he didn't flee. The former mayor has lived in Clay County all his life, except while he was in college and the Army; has extensive family ties and no criminal record; and has some health problems -- all factors that argue against his being a flight risk, West said. It was a natural reaction for White to ask who was responsible for the charges against him, not an indication he might try to intimidate witnesses, West said. And West said any alleged sexual contact with teen girls occurred at least 18 months ago. "I think it's clear that he is not a threat to the community," West said. Wier said he would decide soon on whether to release White before his trial. The trial for White and Roberts is scheduled Feb. 26 but could be delayed because White was added to the case so recently. Read the entire article at....
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Feb 11, 2007 13:58:08 GMT -5
Teachers told to recognize own biasBy Bill Robinson, Register News WriterDr. Aaron Thompson, associate vice president for academic affairs at Eastern Kentucky University, is an articulate scholar with nationally recognized credentials in education and sociology. With no photo of him accompanying this story, how many readers would expect him to be black?
Who would believe he grew up in Crawfish Hollow, an isolated community in Clay County?
Would anyone suspect that his father was an illiterate coal miner and part-time sharecropper?Thompson once asked a group of health care professionals he addressed at the University of Missouri, where he earned a master’s degree in sociology, where they thought he was from. Most could not believe he was from the South, from Kentucky and from central Appalachia. “Most people don’t think blacks live in Appalachia,” he said. Everyone carries biases of race, class and culture without realizing it, Thompson said Thursday morning as he addressed a group of public school teachers and administrators attending EKU’s annual Diversity Conference.To help students achieve their potential, teachers must recognize their biases. Teachers also need to understand students’ cultural backgrounds, including the youth subculture they may be a part of, he said. The four keys to students’ educational success are family support, community involvement, school quality and individual effort, Thompson said. If the institutions of home, school or community do not provide the support that children need, they will seek out “informal institutions” such as gangs to take their place, he told the educators. Young people join gangs or a subculture, such as a Gothic a group, because “They are looking for a critical mass in which to express their individuality,” Thompson said. “We as teachers need to understand the elements of whatever culture students are in to help them get to where they need to go,” he said. richmondregister.com
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Feb 13, 2007 22:45:59 GMT -5
Bond gets mayor out of jailBy Bill Estep, SOUTH-CENTRAL KENTUCKY BUREAUThe former mayor of Manchester has been released on bond that includes stringent conditions. Daugh K. White had to post a bond of $100,000, U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves ruled. White will be on home incarceration with electronic monitoring and can leave only for medical appointments or court proceedings. He can't have contact with local police, except in an emergency, or with current or former city employees. White, 74, is accused of being part of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine and pain pills from mid-1999 until May 2005, during his last two terms in office. He lost re-election in November after 28 years as mayor. The prosecutor asked that White be detained without bond until his trial because he's a danger to the community and because of the risk he'll flee. Letting White out of jail on bond was a close call, Reeves said. He decided the issue after the prosecution appealed an earlier ruling by Magistrate Judge Robert Wier, who'd initially set conditions Friday for White's release from jail on bond. White's attorney, Kevin West, argued that the former mayor would not be a flight risk or a danger to anyone if released. The others named in the alleged drug scheme with White are Todd Roberts, assistant police chief in Manchester; Vernon Hacker, who was 911 director during the alleged conspiracy and a city council member; and Bobby Joe Curry, once a significant drug dealer in the county. Hacker and Curry have pleaded guilty. Read the entire article at....
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Feb 14, 2007 6:45:52 GMT -5
Kentucky.com Black history marker challengeHow well do you know Kentucky’s black history?The Bert Combs historical marker at Beech Creek has been featured in the Kentucky.com Black history marker challenge. The question is: "The Clay County native credited with the desegregation of public facilities in Kentucky was a senior partner at this still existing law firm." By following the directions you can find the answer at history.ky.gov. Bert T. Combs (1911-1991) Marker Number 1929 in Clay County: The marker is located at Beech Creek Community center near Manchester, KY 3432. The marker reads: "Born in Clay Co., future gov. Combs practiced law in Manchester and Prestonsburg. A captain in World War II, he helped prepare evidence against Japanese war criminals. On Ky. Court of Appeals, 1951-55. Gov. of Ky., 1959-63. Federal Court of Appeals judge, 1967-70. A senior partner in Wyatt, Tarrant, & Combs, he won ruling that led to landmark school reform legislation, 1990." "Gov. Bert T. Combs (1959-1963) - Accomplishments during Combs's administration included highways connecting eastern and western Ky., expansion of state parks system, a statutory merit system for state employees, an end to segregation in public facilities, increased funding for teachers' salaries and state universities, 3% sales tax, and Ky. Educational Television." Presented by Friends of Bert Combs & the K.J.H.S.For more information on the black history marker challenge go to kentucky.com.
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Feb 16, 2007 7:10:28 GMT -5
Manchester 911 Center No Longer Holds Former Mayors NameThe 911 center in Manchester will no longer hold the name of the former mayor. The new mayor of Manchester says the 911 board voted to remove Former Mayor Daugh White's name from the 911 center even though he has not been convicted on any federal charges. He's accused of paying a drug dealer to burn down a home that used to sit on the property, so the center could be built there. The federal trial for White and Former Assistant Chief of Police Todd Roberts is set for May 29th. Read the entire story at....
|
|
|
Post by Local News on Feb 16, 2007 7:16:17 GMT -5
Big Creek native did homework before starting magazineBy Bill Wolfe, courier-journal.comJason Sizemore believes there's a future in science fiction. In late 2004, at a time when many argued that "the form, the art was dying" in short-story magazines, the Kentuckian was inspired to launch Apex Science Fiction and Horror Digest. "I wanted to take on the challenge to prove the people wrong, that there was still a reasonable demand for science fiction in the short form," Sizemore said. Now, almost two years since the publication of the first issue, Lexington-based Apex appears to be on solid ground, he said. With a circulation of about 2,500, including a subscriber base of 500, the publication is still relatively small compared with the top science-fiction magazines, Analog, Asimov's Science Fiction or The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Sizemore said. Still, Apex made a profit in its second year, "which totally blows my mind," he said. "Usually, these things take three to five years" Apex got a vote of confidence -- and a boost in sales -- from noted science-fiction writer and editor Ben Bova, who has contributed two stories. Science-fiction publications "come and go, but I think Apex has a good chance" of making a long run, said Bova, of Naples, Fla. "I like the quality of the stories," he said, adding that the magazine has gotten off to a good start under Sizemore. "I think he's got a good head on his shoulders. "The real determination of whether it succeeds will be the distribution," Bova said. Sizemore signed a deal early on with Ingram Periodicals, a Tennessee company that handles specialty retail and general-interest magazines and books. Apex is available nationwide through large bookstore chains, such as Barnes & Noble, Hastings, Joseph-Beth and Books-A-Million, as well as smaller stores and independents, such as Carmichael's Bookstores in Louisville. The magazine costs $6. A four-issue annual subscription is $20. Sizemore, originally from Big Creek in Clay County, knew little about publishing before starting Apex. "I did a fair amount of research online of some of the pitfalls of publishing," he said. He rejected the idea of starting an Internet-only magazine -- partly because writers prefer contributing to print publications, but also because he wanted to pay professional rates for stories. "That's really hard to do if you just run a Web site, because you are not bringing revenue" for free sites, he said. "And subscriptions and purchase-based business models online have yet to perform." Before he started Apex, "I actually had a real business plan, which is something most people who try to start up a magazine don't have," Sizemore said. That "helped me land some advertisers right from the start, which was big." In magazine publishing, "you've got to lay down a lot of money up front, but don't expect to make anything back for six to nine months," he said. Before he had received anything beyond revenues from single-copy sales, he had sunk about $12,000 into printing costs and payments to artists and writers. If you can survive until money starts flowing back into the business, Sizemore said, "you've got a pretty decent shot of making it." Last month, the magazine doubled its pay scale for writers to 2 cents per word -- a rate that will net the author of a 5,000-word story $100. But the relatively modest payout hasn't discouraged submissions. The quarterly magazine receives about 300 stories a month. About three stories are chosen after scrutiny from a team of editors. "Apex is very international. My senior editor is from England. I have a submissions editor who lives in Canada" and another submissions editor who lives in Lexington, Sizemore said. "I think having that broad international scope has really helped the type of stuff that gets in the magazine and gives it a broader appeal." Apex focuses on stories that blend science fiction and horror -- edgy works that show "how technology brings the darker side of humanity," Sizemore said. "Right now on the horror side, it's booming. "I know horror has always kind of been seen as the slums of literature, but some of the stuff getting created now is excellent," he said. Apex has also branched into publishing limited-edition hardcovers, which Sizemore hopes will help his company grow and give him the freedom to quit his job designing software for a Lexington company. Publishing has been "a good learn-as-you-go experience," Sizemore said. "But right from the start, since I knew I didn't have the experience, I knew that I would make mistakes, and so I wouldn't let them get me down too much." One problem for magazines like Apex is that their audience "hasn't grown very much" over the years, Bova said. "But they are very loyal readers and very avid readers." Sizemore found out just how loyal late last summer, when he considered putting Apex production on hold. Sizemore was supporting himself and bankrolling the magazine by working full time. But he left one position in the spring and didn't find a new job until the fall. By then, his printing company was demanding a $10,000 catch-up payment before it would produce the next issue. It appeared that the magazine might be put in mothballs. Instead, fans of Apex came to the rescue. Loyal readers and writers began a subscription campaign and fund-raising raffle to save the magazine. They "ended up making the $10,000. It was craziness," Sizemore said. He credited Apex contributor Mary Robinette Kowal for spearheading the effort. Kowal, an Oregon writer and puppeteer, said she came to the rescue when she heard about the magazine's troubles partly "because Jason's a nice guy," but more because "he is trying to put out a really quality product, with a large distribution, and that's the sort of market that you don't want to see go under. "There are three big magazines" publishing science fiction, "and Jason is looking to make Apex Digest the fourth," Kowal said. "And I think he's got an excellent chance of getting it done." Read the entire article at....
|
|
|
Post by Kentucky News on Apr 9, 2007 15:55:51 GMT -5
Gabbard Arrested at London Assisted Living FacilityAttorney General Greg Stumbo announced the arrest of Charles R. Gabbard, age 23, for allegedly abusing a 41-year-old resident of a London, Kentucky assisted living facility by tackling him to the ground in front of the facility, fracturing the victim’s left arm. Gabbard is a caretaker at the “Bush House, in London, Kentucky, a community assisted living facility operated by New Foundations, which also runs 17 similar houses in the area. Charles R. Gabbard, age 23Gabbard, of Manchester, Kentucky, is charged with Knowingly Abusing a Vulnerable Adult, a Class C Felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. The incident is reported to have taken place on August 17, 2005 after Gabbard became angry with the victim. “My Office will not tolerate such cowardly abuse,” said Attorney General Stumbo. “This man was supposed to be caring for the resident and instead forced him to the ground and injured him. We will continue to see that such victims get justice.” Kentucky Bureau of Investigation agent John Dudinskie worked closely with the London Police Department and the Laurel County Adult Protective Services in this investigation. KBI Agents arrested Gabbard without incident this morning. He is being held in the Laurel County Jail on $50,000 bond. Other investigations are currently ongoing at New Foundations. No further information regarding those investigations can be made public at this time. However, anyone with information on incidents of abuse that have occurred at any New Foundation location is encouraged to contact Agent Dudinskie at (502) 696-5405. The preceding was a press release from....
|
|