6 Tons of Trash Cleaned Up at Two Illegal Dump Sites

       Two more Buchanan County illegal dumps were cleaned up Friday as some 35 people turned out to help in Buchanan County’s Tri-County Illegal Dump Cleanup.
        The two areas cleaned last week included Rt. 680, Contrary Creek Road and Rt. 629, Rife Cemetery Road.
       According to Cumberland Plateau Regional Waste Management Authority Recycling Coordinator Toby Edwards, volunteer efforts went so well on Friday that two sites were cleaned on Rife Cemetery Road.
         By the end of the day, six tons of waste was cleaned up including five tons of litter and garbage and one ton of tires. Garden District Supervisor Buddy Fuller stopped by to lend his support to the clean-up effort to rid the hillsides of discarded materials.
         Fuller commended the volunteers and staff stating, he "appreciated those in attendance for helping make Buchanan County a cleaner place to live".
        Also on hand Friday was Earl Rife, Buchanan County director of public works, who provided staff and equipment for the event.
          Rife noted a lot of time and resources went into the cleanup effort and he added he hoped citizens will see that Buchanan County is a beautiful place to live and therefore not improperly throw their trash over the hill.
          Edwards pointed out citizens should not be illegally dumping today.
         "All three of the counties I work with have a great program for its citizens to properly dispose of their household waste," Edwards said. "In most cases, the counties have door-to-door garbage collection and sites for large appliances to be dropped off."
          Rife pointed out that citizens wishing to drop off large appliances may do so at the Hoot-Owl site (old landfill) and tires, he added, may be dropped off at the Transfer Station at Keen Mountain, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Last week’s clean-up event was part of the Tri-County Illegal Dump Cleanup -- a partnership of the Cumber-land Plateau Regional Waste Management Authority, Buchanan County Litter Control and Department of Sanitation, Dickenson County Litter Control, Russell County Litter Control and all three boards of supervisors in the three counties. by Prater School Board Member Bill Crigger.
           The vote was unanimous.

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 Twin Valley High Senior Dies in Kentucky Wreck

by Cathy St. Clair
News Editor
        A Twin Valley High School senior died in the early morning hours Sunday in a single vehicle accident in Kentucky.
       Clinton Cook, 17, of Webb Branch, died in the 1:57 a.m. crash which happened near the state line at Mouthcard, Ky.
        According to a news release issued by the Kentucky State Police, the accident occurred on South Levisa Road at Mouthcard.
        Cook was apparently operating a 1993 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at the time of the accident. The truck was traveling northbound on South Levisa Road, according to the news release prepared by KSP Trooper Scott Hop-kins. The accident was investigated by KSP Trooper Bryan Shepherd and the news release indicated investigation into the cause of the wreck is continuing.
        According to a summary statement on the wreck, the truck being operated by Cook "came around a curve at a high rate of speed and struck the guardrail. The truck overturned after striking the guardrail. The driver was ejected from the vehicle."
      Cook was transported to Pikeville Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
         Funeral arrangements for Cook were set for Wednesday in Abingdon.

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