City seeking FEMA funds for landslide repair

The City of Ironton is waiting to hear if the Federal Emergency Management Agency will approve repairs for a landslide around one of its water tanks.

Mayor Rich Blankenship said the city has applied for funding from FEMA to fix the slide.

The problem was noticed in late April around the city’s older water tank, which is located below ground on a hill along U.S. 52 between the State Route 93 and the State Route 141 exits.

Recent rains have escalated the landslide, Blankenship said.

The mayor said city workers continue to monitor the problem and the slip will need to be fixed eventually.

The cost to fix the slip has not been determined.

— Lori Kersey

Man sentenced in Ky. abuse cases

GRAYSON, Ky. (AP) — An Ohio man has been sentenced to nine years in prison in the abuse of three mentally handicapped patients at an eastern Kentucky facility where he worked as a caregiver.

Carter County Circuit Judge Rebecca Phillips sentenced 55-year-old Robert Thompson of Ironton on Thursday, Attorney General Jack Conway said in a statement.

Thompson was found guilty in a trial in March in a case involving one patient of knowing abuse of a vulnerable adult, first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree unlawful imprisonment. He pleaded guilty earlier this month in three other abuse cases, one involving the same patient as the case that went to trial.

The incidents involved patients at Community Presence Inc. in Carter County between from September to November 2007.

Bluegrass Beats Hunger for River Cities Harvest

ASHLAND, Ky. — The Fuzzy Duck at 100 Center Street in Ironton will host a canned food drive this Saturday in an effort to help feed the hungry in our area.

The event, Bluegrass Beats Hunger came about in December of 2010 during the Rock Against Hunger event. Owner Kelly Grecco Smith came to River Cities Harvest and expressed her desire to host a similar event this spring.

When asked why the Fuzzy Duck wanted to host a food collection effort Smith said, “We wanted to get involved, and we thought the best way to do that was to provide these amazing musicians a platform to raise awareness and hopefully some food and money to help feed hungry people in our area.”

The event will feature live bluegrass music beginning at 2 p.m. and last until 8 p.m. on the outside patio along the Ohio River. Bands featured will be ETA, Poaceous Bluegrass, Dave Bond and Paul Wag, The Bluegrass Tomcats, and the Lawrence County Bluegrass Coalition.

Admission will be $5 at the door or a canned food donation — all the proceeds collected at the gate will benefit River Cities Harvest. There will also be a pair of weekend passes given away to the upcoming Appalachian Uprising bluegrass festival, June 2-4 in Scottown which were donated to help with the cause.

River Cities Harvest is a non-profit, volunteer-based agency whose purpose is to alleviate hunger in our area. RCH solicits surplus, perishable and non perishable food from restaurants, supermarkets, and other sources and distributes it to 17 social service agencies that feed hungry individuals and families. This practice is known as “food recovery”. RCH serves Boyd & Greenup counties in Kentucky and Lawrence County in Ohio and is celebrating the collection and distribution of 4 million pounds of food over the past 20 years.

To find out more about River Cities Harvest call (606) 324-3663. Or visit us on the web at: www.rivercitiesharvest.org

You can also “Friend” or “Like” River Cities Harvest on Facebook.