In spite of cold temperatures and falling snow, some folk still came to the Rebecca Ann Hampton Cancer Benefit Concert held at the Lewis County High School Auditorium on Saturday night, Jan. 18.

The auditorium was practically full and many of the people stayed until past midnight to enjoy the singing and the auction.

Tom Pierce, recently arrived from Nashville, Tennessee, began the concert playing his guitar and mostly singing some gospel songs he has composed. His mother, Garnet Pierce, followed using sound tracks and delighted the crowd with vintage southern and country gospel.

Anita McAdams sang next and stirred the faithful with her inimitable style. She also used sound tracks by putting a microphone next to her CD player.

At that point, four ushers cam forward with ice cream buckets and took up a voluntary offering.

Some businesses donated both products and services. The auction took so much time that a break was called for and that began the bluegrass music that is popular in this area.

The Schultz Creek Boys performed during the break and garnered a rousing reception.

Then the auction continued until its completion.

A newly formed group called New Ground performed next and thrilled the fans with their smooth bluegrass renditions.

Jimmy Lykins and the Bluegrass Strangers closed out the concert. Always the crowd pleaser, this group with some of the Schultz Creek Boys filling in for a missing regular or two, showed why they are so popular with bluegrass fans.

The offering for the evening came to $2,078, the auction netted $2,024 and, by closing time, the concessions had taken in $759. The grand total raised was $5,468.

Dr. Herb Bertram Jr. and Sam McEldowney spoke with Dave Shuffett, host of Kentucky Life, last summer about life on Kinney.

The program will air this Saturday, February 1, at 8:30 p.m. and on Sunday, February 2, at 4:30 p.m.

A department spokesman said the incident happened about 12:45 p.m. last Monday.

The spokesman said the suspect, wearing a ski mask, entered the store and put a knife in the face of owner James Morgan, and demanded money from the cash register and from Morgan's wallet. Morgan gave the suspect the money from the cash register and then told the suspect he had no money in his wallet.

The spokesman said the suspect then allegedly got into a light blue, late 1980s Chevrolet and went south on Briary Road.

The suspect is described as a white male in his late teens or early 20s, stocky build, between 5'6" and 5'10", and was last seen wearing khaki pants and a pullover sweater and ski mask.

The January session of the Lewis County Board of Education was held in the auditorium of Lewis County High School in order to make a special presentation to a veteran of WWII.

State Representative Robin Webb and State Senator Katie Stine of the 24^th District were on hand to present a WWII Veteran's Diploma to William Oscar Cooper. The presentation was preceded by the presentation of the colors by the Lewis County High School JROTC Color Guard and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.

Like many other young men of his day, Cooper sacrificed his high school education to serve the USA in combat in WWII.

Superintendent Maurice Reeder Jr. and member of the school board also presented Cooper with a diploma from Tollesboro High School.

He said those factors would be financially devastating to the local school system. Cutbacks are already marked if that occurs. Plans call for eliminating nine teachers, mostly through attrition. All 100-day employees, eight instructional assistants, one Central Office administrator, one alternative school program, two assistant principals, three custodians and the summer student work program would all be eliminated. Reductions would also be made on the use of field trips, the use of phones and in the number of assistant coaches.

If the crunch calls for more cutbacks, possibilities include no purchase of new buses, a reduction in the technical staff and reducing the nurses' staff. The DARE program, campus security guard and one school resource officer position could also be eliminated.