625 T^te^tfut^i^eot^ St. 743-42r0 Insurance Agency, Inc. Lltde Caesars For All Your Life Insurance Needs! GIVE US A CALL 606-743-4472 facebook Thursday, February 21, 2013 $25.50 Year In County Vol. 102 - No. 17 SPEAKING OF AND FOR MORGAN, THE BLUEGRASS COUNTY OF THE MOUNTAINS 50*^ $28.00 Year In Kentucky $30.00 Year Outside Kentucky School board faces unfavorable budget projections next yr. Federal education cuts Deatrah Bamett said the board continues to address these is- anticipated; KSBIT sues in hopes of preventing announces assessment employment cuts. "We had tried to plan for the By Miranda M. Cantrell reduction in state and funeral funds," Bamett said. "But no The Morgan County Board one could have planned for the of Education anticipates a devastating loss of property that significant reduction in federal came on Feb. 29 and March funding for the 2013 school 2, 2012. We are working diligent- year following a Jan. 28 budget ly and looking at every possible update from the district finance scenario to be able to keep all team. our staff members next year." The projected budget shows At the Jan. 28 meeting, an increase in expenditures board members heard an in- a decrease in as and revenue depth breakdown of projected Pictured above are Citizens Bank employees Alice Gevedon, Angle Gibbs, Branch Manager Prater, Sha- result cut to Cody a of a 10 percent expenditures for the 2013- their St. federal if rina Ferguson and Shanna Barker inside newly-constructed building at 335 Prestonsburg The new bank programs Congress 2014 school year, including a not reach a opened for business on Tuesday. Bank officials are currently planning a grand opening event for Saturday, April 6. does compromise $600,000 payroll increase. in regard to raising tlie federal The board attributes the in- debt ceiling by as out- March crease to the following: lined in the Budget Control Act VAn increase in the district's of 2011. New Citizens Bank facility is contribution to the state em- State officials estimate that ployee pension program. federal school funding would VThe 1 percent pay increase cut million be by $61 annu- for district employees approved ally over the next decade to officially for business on Nov. 8. open affect more than 1 ,350 jobs and VA $ 1 per hour pay increase nearly 130,000 students. for the lowest-paid district Grand opening event began last September. County are tremendous people. investment in our community. Federal grants currently employees. Branch Manager Cody Prat- God bless them." This is another great day for is tentatively scheduled fund 24 teaching and 2.5 sup- The salary step increase - Morgan County." V er said the new facility which Judge Executive Tim Conley port staff positions in the local for all employees next year. for Saturday, April 6th Prater said that he and his is significantly larger than the lauded Citizens Bank officials school district. - KSBIT Assessment previous structure - promotes for their commitment to Mor- staff members who had op- In addition, local revenue Miranda Cantrell Another unanticipated ex- By M. erated inside IGA since the customer convenience. gan County. is also expected to decrease penditure is the a as- Citizens Bank officials cel- tornado - look forward to serv- $501,545 "Parking will definitely be "This facility will be a cor- due to the 2012 tornadoes' de- sessment figure resulting from ebrated the opening of their ing customers from their new more convenient," Prater said. nerstone showplace for West struction of private and public new Alpha M. Hutchinson the disbandment of the Ken- "There will be a three-lane Liberty," Conley said. "Citi- property. branch on Tuesday, Feb. 19, drive-thru with ATM machines zens Bank is making a lifetime See BANK, Page 6 Superintendent of Schools See BUDGET, Page at their 335 Prestonsburg St. and drop boxes. We will also location following the 2012 have new technology inside the tornado's destruction of the bank that will make transac- original building. tions faster for customers." The previous Citizens Bank Citizens Bank President and - Rooster Antiques returns to building which sustained Red CEO Bob Neff- son-in-law of severe tornado damage - was the late Citizens Bank President razed to make room for a larger Alpha Hutchinson - expressed and more modem facility on the his commitment to Morgan renovated Main Street building bank's original lot and adjacent County during a ground break- Tommy's Market property. ing ceremony last fall. Grand opening begins The Pennsylvania-based "There was never any ques- construction management firm tion that Citizens Bank would today and will run of P.W. Campbell oversaw the rebuild in West Liberty," Neff through Saturday erection of the building, which said. "The citizens of Morgan By Miranda M. Cantrell Two Main Street shopkeep- ers are hosting a grand opening Elliott County woman is event today, Thursday. Feb. 21, through Saturday, Feb. 23, hurt in Ky. 7 collision to celebrate the completion of extensive post-tomado repairs A Sandy Hook woman was 2008 Chevrolet Impala col- to their store. hospitalized Monday with inju- lided with a 2002 Intemational Red Rooster Antiques own- ries sustained in a collision on rollback operated by Sammy ers Eddie and Sherri Granger Ky. 7 near Wrigley. rebuilt their 527 Main St. shop Lewis, 61 , of West Liberty. State Police at Morehead Police said Lewis was at- with items salvaged from vari- said Betty Salyers, 59, of Sandy ous sites throughout the down- Hook was injured when her See WRECK, Page 3 town disaster area last spring. "It was a massive cleanup ef- fort," Sherri Granger said. "We wanted to keep the old stnictiire Tornado memorial service and work with what was left after the tomado, but probably Pictured above is the front of the Red Rooster Antiques building renovated by store is scheduled March 2 80 percent of our store is refur- Sherri is with variety of high- bished with recycled items. We owners Eddie and Granger. The shop stocked a wide There will be a county-wide service to commemo- collected wood flooring, tin and end and primitive antique items, and includes a sitting area with wi-fi service. A granc rate the one-year anniversary ofthe 2012 tornado other items from several dam- opening event will begin today and run through Saturday. on Saturday, March 2, on Main Street. The event aged buildings in West Liberty. will include entertainment, refreshments and a As antique dealers, we see this antiques. items in Eastem Kentucky. We McCall's and Primitive Glow memorial service at 5:47 p.m. Memory lanterns as an opportunity to preserve "We have been buying an- travel from Florida to Chicago candles and framed photo- local history." tiques during the rebuilding and everywhere in between graphs from the Morgan Coun- will be released in honor of the seven tornado The Grangers lost much of process," Eddie Granger said. looking for items." ty Photography Club. victims. Look further details in next week's for their inventory to the tomado, "We have high-end fumiture, In addition to antiques, "We also have a sitting area edition of The Licking Valley Courier. but have since re-stocked the primitive pieces and possibly the Grangers will also offer store with a wide variety of the largest selection of glass Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. See OPENING, Page 3 Wise businessmen and women linow what Tfte Pfeza P/acg malces great advertising O 764MainSt. 74J-Jfl54 4||i That's what West Liberty-area businesses get when they advertise their 11 a.m. to 2 p.ni. Monday-Friday, ^ merchandise and services in their hometown newspaper . Any Sub Platter vy Y( The Licking Valley Courier $5*99 Plus Tax They know The Licking Valley Courier is in- (For Qualified Buyers) 4|P vited into more than 3/)00 Morgan County households this week, every week. They know Wednesdays - Any Large Pizm that Morgan Countians depend on The Courier ^ trecai/se it speaks exclusively for and about Call Us Anytime -(606) 743-4402 Morgan County and its people and promotes its 1/2 Price institutions and its businesses. Sales Dept. -(606) 743-3116 200% Chevrolet V \ Thai's why more than 3.000 Morgan County - families pay harfl cash this week, every week to Parts & Service Dept. (606) 743-3153 Cobalt buy a copy of Tlie Courier at a local news Large 3 Topping Pizza stand or to haye a copy mailed to their homes. Body Shop -(606) 743-3153 Q It's also why more than 1^00 former Morgan I Countians (who. incidentally, like to frequent Pius Tax hometown merchants when they're back in Ol' ^9»99 Morgan visiting homefolks) are faithful sub- scribers to The Licking Valley Courier. See All Our Vehicles At www.morgantirecenter. After 4:00 p.m. Except Wednesdays'^ MORGAN COUNTY Over 3,000 Morgan County Morgan Tire Center, Inc. Saturdays - Large Pizza Families Buy A Copy AUTO & FINANCE (3 Toppings) With Medium Breadsticks Every 1592 West Main street « 1289 Ul. main Street • lUesI Liberty KV West Liberty, Kentucky Week! ^18 • 99 Tax 606-743-3116 Phone: 606/743-7350 Or 606/743-4663 ^ ^T^Jsm>^^^ . PAGE TWO Thursday, February 21, 2013 The Licking Valley Courier Ky. 172 realignment and modernization underway in Morgan; two other sectors set for start in 2014 The first of four separate projects to realign and modernize Ky. 172 between West Liberty and Paintsville is changing the landscape between milepoint 10.4 at Elkfork and milepoint 1 3 .0 near Crockett in eastern Morgan County (see map below) Frederick & May Construction Co.