 Tonight on EKB Evening News at 6, a school board audit has tempers flaring. Good evening, I'm Gary Slough. A Pike County school board meeting last night was noteworthy for its convict. Preliminary findings of an ongoing forensic audit of the school district left some officials and citizens alike hot under the collar. EKB news reporter Courtney Levernett attended the meeting and brings us the details. Okay, did I say that? At the Pike County school board meeting yesterday evening, discussions were heated among board members, auditors and even some audience members because of a preliminary audit of the board. Baylock and Tambourie out of Jacksonville conducted the audit and it all began when treasurer Nancy Grubb mentioned her issues with the report. When we audit we use people who are experts in the area that they're auditing and I do not feel like these individuals who had no experience in the state of Kentucky and any type of auditing were experts to look at what we do or to make decisions on what we would be doing in the future. So I have a real concern about that. I have nothing to say against them. They may be fine people. I just, in the language that we speak they don't speak the same one. The audit was a forensic audit of the district and since January Baylock and Tambourie have been reporting their finds and the board says there are inaccuracies found in the report. I don't think we found any fraudulent issues or we didn't find anything that was done improperly. We found some things that weren't, procedures that weren't followed as closely as they should have been. I think we're better because of that. Along with the tensions between Grubb and the auditors. Why are you becoming so defensive? Because I'm having a deal. I live in this community. You don't. You'll go back to Florida when this is over. I won't. Board members argued among themselves and audience members became involved by making accusations against some of the board members. But I'm sitting here telling you, now you can call me a liar and you can think I'm a liar. Well that's fine. That's fine. Prove it to me. You prove it to me. I think it was a good board meeting and the fact that we actually had an opportunity and this was our first opportunity to talk with the auditors and they've been here for three and a half months. And I think it was a positive kind of dialogue in that we each have a better understanding of what we expect and the way we expect it to be done. The board is still waiting on a timeline for the audit to be finished. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Courtney Levin. The pilot is the only confirmed casualty of a plane crash in Perry County last night. The incident happened around 7 o'clock at Lost Creek near the Perry-Brethek County line. Officials have not yet been able to make positive identification of the body or the plane. Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board arrived on the scene today and are investigating. Well three years after it debuted, the Hatfields and McCoy's miniseries continues to spark interest in Appalachia's history and culture. And for a few, that curiosity leads to a visit to the area where the few took place. As EKB News reporter Shannon Deskins explains in this next report, that is paying dividends for Pike County tourism. With schools letting out in warmer weather on its way, tourism officials in Pike County are gearing up for visitors. Tony Tackett, Executive Director for Pike County Tourism says the area sees thousands of tourists visit every year curious about the Hatfield-McCoy feud. In fact, he told us there have been four motor coaches in town from several different states recently as well as conferences that have brought visitors to Pike County who would otherwise not have traveled here. Tackett said that translates into new money spent at local businesses. A motor coach can drop $10,000 in two nights in your city. A conference convention in two nights can drop $40,000 to $50,000 in your community. So going after those and making sure those people know that the East Kentucky Expo, the Hampton, the Hilton Inn, the Landmark, the Holiday Inn Express, they can house those people. We can also add conferences and conventions to those agendas to bring those people in. And it's all about heads to beds and fork to mouth. And although there are already some wonderful feud sites to see in Pike County, Tackett explained that there are still some new projects on his wish list. I'd love to see the old McCoy home place rebuilt that was burnt at New Year's Eve. Many of those seems to be challenges, but as you know, Pike County can face challenges, overcome those challenges and do better. And that's what we're doing as a group. We're making sure that every square inch of Pike County is recognized for what it has to offer to the tourist. Anyone wanting more information on tourist attractions in Pikeville, Pike County and surrounding counties is encouraged to stop in the Pike County Tourism Office, located adjacent to the Hampton Inn on Hambly Boulevard in downtown Pikeville. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Shannon Deskins. The Hatfield Fire Department in Pike County has been awarded an Assistance to Firefighters Grant. The AFG grant is for 18 sets of gear, 9 SCBA cylinders, extra gear and equipment. The cost is around $100,000. The gear and equipment will help to serve the Hatfield community, make for quicker response time, and the first responders will have better gear to wear and equipment to work with while responding to her call. Well coming up, local law enforcement will be keeping an eye out for motorists not wearing their seatbelts over the Memorial Day weekend. And summer entertainment staple makes a return tonight. We'll tell you more in two minutes. A summer attraction is gearing up tonight to kick off the Memorial Day weekend. The fourth annual Main Street Live will be featuring local artists tonight, as well as a variety of acts throughout the summer. EKB News reporter Shelby Steele spoke with Main Street Director Minta Trimble and brings us this report. For those who are in town celebrating the holiday weekend, tonight kicks off the fourth annual Main Street Live in downtown Pikeville at the Main Street Expo Plaza. Main Street Director Minta Trimble says this is an opportunity for family fun to start the Memorial Day weekend. We know a lot of people are staying at home and want something to do this weekend maybe, and it is. It's just to honor everybody that has passed and give everybody a chance to have a home experience. Main Street Live will be every other Friday night, starting tonight and lasting until October 16th. Being open for four years, Trimble says the kinks are worked out for the most part, and this year Main Street Live will offer new things. Because it's grown, we're looking at different ways to expand, so we are going to add more seating this year. We're going to take down the black fence at the Expo and kind of give the grassy area a little bit more exposure, and the special acts. That's another addition. Main Street Live will start at 7 o'clock tonight. Trimble says tonight's focus is local talent. Tonight we have those guys, local band, and they are also featuring Misty Daniels, another local gal that sinks, and we're really excited to kick off in May. The next Main Street Live will be June 5th and will feature country music. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Shelby Steele. If you often find yourself forgetting to buckle up when you get in your car, you just might get a costly reminder. Click it or ticket. The annual law enforcement action focusing on seatbelt usage is currently underway with particular emphasis during Memorial Day Holiday Weekend. State Police Trooper Steve Amount says troopers will be out in force across the state. Click it or ticket is a year long event. You should always wear your seatbelt. But we blitz it, we focus on it for these next two weeks, it goes on through the Memorial Day Weekend. It's when we're going to have saturation patrols through the area, that's what our patrols are going to be focusing on as well as we're going to be partnering with other agencies. I know we have details set up with Virginia law enforcement agencies, probably the state police there and I know the West Virginia state police. So we're going to be doing border to border traffic checkpoints. Officer Jamie Fields with Kentucky State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement says failure to wear the seatbelts is one problem, but failing to wear them correctly is another. It's still an ongoing issue as far as seatbelts. A lot of people do still forget to put it on. It does save lives, you know, seatbelts, it's guaranteed to save lives. One issue that we see also is individuals putting seatbelts on underneath their arm. It's incorrect way to put a seatbelt on. According to statistics provided by the State Transportation Cabinet, 86 percent of Kentucky drivers regularly use their seatbelts, just shy of the national average of 87 percent. Well, as we've noted, Monday marks Memorial Day when people get together for cookouts, celebrations, family time and things of that nature. What sometimes gets lost in the shuffle, however, is the holiday significance and remembering those who have died while serving in the country's armed forces. The holiday, which is observed every year on the last Monday of May, was formerly known as Decoration Day and originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the war. By the 20th century, Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who died while in military service. It typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear says we need to pause and honor those who have fought for their right to freedom. As much as we do for our veterans and our service folks, we can never repay the debt, that huge debt that we owe our servicemen and women. And we just need to think every day and thank them every day for their service because we have the freedoms we have today. We're able to do what we do here in America because they protect us. Beshear adds that the Kentucky has a large number of veterans in the state and the Commonwealth tries to take care of the veterans as well as it can. Beshear says Kentucky gives veterans preferences when it comes to state hiring, exempting national guard pay from Kentucky income tax, urging businesses to hire from the Kentucky Heroes program and maintaining veterans nursing homes. Well, coming up, the regional tournament pairings are final. Jamie Johnson will be in to tell us that. And first, the KB chief meteorologist Lathen Hopkins will have her holiday weekend forecast. We'll be back in two minutes. Well, Lathen, it was a beautiful day today. Is this any indication of what the rest of holiday weekend looks like? Actually, the only difference will be the temperatures will be going up as we head into the long holiday weekend. By the time we get into Monday, we're talking highs back in the upper 80s. We'll go through all that here in just a little bit. First, the Doppler radar across the region. A beautiful evening across the area. A lot of folks cloud free and I can actually show you that this is looking live over downtown Pikeville. The bypass you see some traffic there temperature 73 degrees little breeze out there. Yes, it is absolutely beautiful out there this evening. Now, if you're heading 119 or 23 south toward Jenkins, hey, 68 degrees again with sunny skies. And then we'll take you to Jackson in Brethat County. Temperature right now 69 degrees officially at the National Weather Service office in Jackson elsewhere. Temperatures across the region 74 in Williamson. We have 73 in Prestonsburg 71 from Saliersville to Painesville 79 as in Logan couple of sixties down to the south. We have 68 in Dorton and wise and 69 right now in Whitesburg. And that was actually the official high temperature today at the National Weather Service. The official low 43 still a little cooler than where we should be this time of the year. But boy, that will be changing as we head into the holiday weekend. Sunrise tomorrow morning. If you plan on getting up early early tomorrow morning, what about 618 sunset 842 as those days get longer and longer for another old 30 days or so? Yes, we are now within a month of the official kickoff of summer. Hard to believe, but that is indeed the case. Satellite and radar composite high pressure in control. And you can see from Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia all the way down toward Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama. Hard to find a cloud in the sky. But just to the west, you'll notice more in the way a cloud cover from Saint Louis, Chicago back to Oklahoma City and Dallas. Some of these clouds will filter in here during the overnight hours tonight and through the day tomorrow. But not expecting anything to fall from those clouds. No wearing expected at least through Monday. So that is definitely good news. But with that nice weather on the way, the pollen count, which is always sponsored by Faith Pharmacy, Adams Plaza in Pikeville, that pollen count will be increasing each and every day Saturday 7.8, which is in the high category. But bad news. If you suffer from those allergies Sunday 10.1, which is in the extreme category and not much better by Monday still at 10, which again is in the extreme category. Seven day forecast time Saturday overnight lows tonight. Tomorrow morning near 50. Some of those valley locations will again drop off into the 40s. But near 80 tomorrow, 83 on Sunday, that 30% chance of rain back by Monday. Temperature 87 degrees. Better chance of rain that will hold off until Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of next week. And that will cool us back down into the low 80s. But it's hard to really complain about the weather for two out of three days looking totally dry and just a pop up shower possible as we make our way into the day on Monday. So it's not looking bad. Well, that's good. And of course, if you need another look at your forecast, you can check out tomorrow's edition of the Appalachian News Express. Very good. Thank you. Well, many in the region are familiar. We're looking out over the Russell Fort Gorge from the overlook at Breaks Interstate Park. But tonight in our outdoor adventures weekly feature, videographers Ronnie Hilton and Charles Mims takes us down camp branch trail to give us a different perspective on the Grand Canyon of the south. This week we traveled to the Breaks Interstate Park to hike the camp branch trail. The camp branch trail is located on Garden Whole Road, which is a mile past the park's main entrance if you're traveling from Kentucky. Beginning off of Garden Whole Road, the camp branch trail will take you three quarters of a mile along Camp Branch Creek until you reach the Russell Fort River. This is not a loop trail. So the total hike to the river and back is close to one and a half miles. The trail remains fairly level for the first half of the hike, taking you through a dense forest filled with poplars, hemlocks, rhododendron and ferns. Most of the trees along the trail are mature and they give the forest a vast open field. The second half of the trail takes you downhill along Camp Branch Creek towards the Russell Fort River. Large boulders and bluffs begin to ascend over the trail, overshadowing the hiker as they descend down to the river. The gentle sounds of Camp Branch Creek are soon drowned out by the roar of the Russell Fort River. The trail will take a drastic change as you walk out of the forest and into the sheer vastness of the Russell Fort Gorge. The backside of the towers rock formation looms overhead, leaving the hiker in awe. Enormous boulders and rock formations line the banks and the river roars in between the mountains. It's truly challenging to capture the magnitude of this area with a camera. There are no special inches to recreate the feeling of standing by the river as it rumbles down the gorge, completely dwarfed by the mountains overhead. Many people visit the overlooks at the brakes in their steak park every year, but for a truly different perspective of the brakes, hike down the Camp Branch Trail and view it from the river looking up. This is the only thing you get an idea of just how amazing this area is. For EKB Evening News at 6th, I'm Ronnie Hilton. Absolutely beautiful and we'll be back with sports in two minutes. Well, Jamie, district play is over and now it's on to the regionals. Yes, drawings, pairings all held today and we'll get underway on Memorial Day Monday and weather forecast sounded pretty good. So hopefully it gets all going without a hitch. Absolutely. The pairings for the 15th region, baseball and softball tournaments were determined earlier today as eight teams at each field from 12 respective schools will be vying for their chance to play for a state championship. Preston's Bird Sports Park at Stonecrest will play host to all the action beginning Memorial Day Monday. Let's take a look at those matchups baseball action beginning with the 60th district champion Lawrence County Bulldogs facing Eastridge 11 a.m. followed by 57th district champion paintsville taking on Allen Central at 130. The best opening round match up features 59th district champion Pikeville facing Johnson Central at five followed by host Preston's Bird Meeting Belfry at 7 30. So my final play is scheduled for this coming Tuesday at 6 and 8 30 p.m. followed by the championship game to be played on Wednesday at 7 30. All the coverage can be heard on 93.1 WDHR. Now softball play will begin on Monday 11 a.m. with the 60th district champion Lawrence County taking on Johnson Central followed by 58th district champion South Floyd taking on Pikeville at 130. Action picks back up at four with the 57th district champion McGuffin County against Pike Central and finally the 59th district champion Eastridge will face Betsy Lame. So my final play in softball is also scheduled for Tuesday. The championship set for Wednesday on the coverage on ESPN 95 9 and 104.5 at Ville. The UK softball team is in Gainesville, Florida for the NCAA Super Regionals getting ready to face the Gators tomorrow in the best of three series beginning with game one set for a 1 p.m. start. Kentucky came up short against Florida earlier this season, dropping all three matchups with the Gators. Kentucky will embrace the role of underdog while looking to upset the defending national champions. Well, we already faced them this year and so we know they're like the environment of the fans and we have a lot of experience with that, but they're a very great team. We're going to have to be on our A game to come out of there with two wins. So three is we could be probably number five in the country and we're not expected to go down and win. So that that's something that we've always been used to. This is our 7th straight post season. Every year we seem to be the underdog. So that's a role we're used to. Florida is a very good team. It's different from the standpoint is we're both very familiar with each other playing in SEC teams. A lot difference than going out of conference. So it is a similar scenario in that we're the underdog and we're going to have to do something pretty exceptional to win. Now that the NBA draft lottery is complete and the selection order has been determined, most draft analysts are predicting that up to four Kentucky Wildcats could wind up as lottery picks. Eight of the 10 major mock drafts online, including ESPN and CBS Sports, are predicting that Carl Anthony Towns will be chosen as the top pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves on June 25th. Most feel that Willie Coley-Stein will fall to the Sacramento Kings with the 6th pick overall. Devon Booker is generally viewed as an 8 to 10 pick between Detroit, Charlotte or Miami. Trey Liles could fall a little farther to Atlanta, Boston or Milwaukee, but staying inside those lottery picks. The Kari Johnson is considered a late first round draft choice while the Harrison Twins, if picked at all, would be somewhere in the second round. And of course that'll be June 25th. There'll be more banter between now and then when it comes to where guys could land and where they could not land. Okay, sounds like a busy sports day on Memorial Day. Yes, it will be, definitely. We'll have it covered, WDHR and also ESPN radio. Okay, very good, Jamie. Thank you. And we'll be back in two minutes. Looking good for the weekend, Latham? Absolutely. Today is nice weather, carrying right over during the day tomorrow. High temperatures, a little warmer back near 80 degrees and then into the low 80s by Sunday. 30% chance of rain on Monday. Big events going on across the region, including regional tournaments. Temperatures though, 87 degrees. So it's gonna be a scorcher. Oh, that's good. And Jamie, do you like Westerns? Well, not Easterns, Westerns. That's what we got tonight here on EKB TV. Okay, thank you. Well, that will do it for tonight's EKB Evening News. Remember, you can get more local news anytime by listening to the radio stations of East Kentucky Broadcasting. You can also follow EKB News and EKB TV on Facebook and Twitter. We leave you tonight with this time-lapse video of night falling in the mountains. Good night and thanks for watching.