 Tonight on EKB Evening News at 6, raising awareness about stroke in eastern Kentucky. Good evening. I'm Gary Slung. And I'm Jill Fraley-Dotzen. We'll bring you the stroke awareness story in just a moment, but first, EKB News has learned that a number of social security disability recipients in eastern Kentucky and the surrounding area have been told that their checks are being cut off pending further review of their cases. According to one of the letters obtained by EKB News, the Social Security Administration is reviewing the status of recipients whose cases were handled by Stanville Attorney Eric Seacon and were based on evidence handled by one of four physicians, Dr. Bradley Adkins, Dr. Serinova Somersetti, Dr. Frederick Huffnagle, or Dr. David P. Hurr. The letter further states that the Office of the Inspector General has determined that fraud played a role in some of those cases and medical evidence from those doctors and submitted by Khan or his associates must be disregarded. EKB spoke to Khan's attorney, Kent Wicker, who said his client is innocent of allegations of wrongdoing and expects the suspensions to be brief setbacks for his clients. For over 20 years, Eric Khan has been representing thousands of clients with great skill and great integrity. A multi-year investigation of the practice has concluded without any finding of fraud or other misconduct. The Social Security Administration has, however, directed that some cases should be returned to the administrative law judge for further review, and that was the cause of the letters that went out. But we expect that the review will result in the same decision as before. Wicker went on to say that he believes the letters are the result of political pressure. There was a lot of political influence trying to create a criminal prosecution of Mr. Khan. That went nowhere. And I imagine the Social Security Administration is feeling political pressure to take a closer look at some of the cases. Wicker said Khan's office has received phone calls from several dozen clients who received the letters, and EKB has spoken with other attorneys who have spoken with dozens more. Wicker said Khan is referring all of the clients to other attorneys to handle the redetermination process. EKB News is continuing to investigate the situation and, of course, will bring you more details as the story develops. Crowds of people were in downtown Pikeville this morning learning about stroke and being screened for their risk of suffering one. EKB News reporter Shannon Deskins went to the event to learn more about this often overlooked killer. May is American Stroke Month and Pikeville Medical Center held its third annual Stroke Awareness Day today outside the East Kentucky Expo Center. People of all ages were encouraged to come by and meet with members of the PMC stroke team to see if they were at risk. Today we're promoting stroke awareness and letting people see if they're at risk for a stroke. So we're doing screenings today. We're doing free cholesterol screenings, blood sugar checks, blood pressure checks and your BMI. And then I have part of my stroke team here today that have stroke risk cards and they'll take all of those numbers and calculate all of your screenings for you and tell you what risk you are. In the United States someone has a stroke every 40 seconds. The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association say that knowing the signs of a stroke can literally mean the difference in life and death. But Pikeville Medical Center neurologist Dr. Naveed Ahmed says that people must also be aware of risk factors that increase the likelihood of a stroke. The biggest risk factor for strokes is A the H and two is hypertension. The best way to control hypertension is to decrease our salt intake. About 1500 milligrams a day is the average requirement. We in America consume about 4,000, more than two to three times more. We should enjoy life, but in moderation. Stephanie Turner also told us that the PMC stroke team travels throughout the region on a regular basis to conduct free screenings and promote stroke awareness. We go out and do free screenings around the region and so you can call Pikeville Medical Center and see where we will be at. We try to go out monthly, out into different communities and do free screenings. And so they could find us at another location after today. Anyone wanting more information or to get the location of upcoming stroke screenings can give them a call at 606-218-3554. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Shannon Deskins. Last week we brought you the report of baby Clay Allen who after successfully battling one type of cancer was diagnosed with leukemia caused by chemotherapy. On Friday, Elkhorn City held a bone marrow drive and supported baby Clay. The EKB news reporter Shelby Steele attended and brings us this report. 22-month-old baby Clay Allen of Elkhorn City has been fighting many battles for the past year. Hopefully that will end soon. Friday evening, Elkhorn City held a bone marrow drive at Elkhorn City Hall in the hopes of finding a bone marrow match for baby Clay, which is crucial because if he goes into remission without a donor, he will quickly be diagnosed again. Elkhorn City Mayor Mike Taylor hopes that doesn't happen. He is doing everything he can to support baby Clay. If anybody that's hearing this right now, if they've got a church, they want me to come and sit and do this, I'll be there. Just make a date and give me a time and I'll be there. Tanya Taylor says if she was in the Allen family's position, she would hope the community would rally for her. I know Trista and he's a baby and I would hope somebody would want to do that for my baby. Trista Allen, baby Clay's mother says she's overwhelmed by the support from her community. I have said this one day. One word cannot express the appreciation that we have for覃光, for Elkhorn, for the surrounding areas. I mean it's just like I said I can't, I mean I can sit here and I can say over and over and over how fact-fying for it that those words do not even touch the The emotion and the feeling and the appreciation that we really have for our hometown. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Shelby Steele. While one defendant in a Pike County Railroad Tunnel arson case remains free while waiting for his case to go to trial, another learned today that he will remain behind bars while his case is pending. A detention hearing was held in U.S. District Court in Pipeville today for 32-year-old Harlan K. Dameron. Dameron is charged with conspiracy and arson for a fire in a Robinson Creek Railroad Tunnel last year that caused $8 million in damage. Dameron's attorney argued that his client should be allowed to remain free pending trial, the same as co-defendant Ricky D. Johnson, who faces the same charges. However, magistrate Judge Edward B. Atkins ordered Dameron to remain in jail based on his more extensive criminal record, past history of not showing up for court dates and a demonstrated propensity for violence in the past. Dameron and Jackson are scheduled to go on trial July 28th. Criminal charges have been filed against a man following a steamroller accident last week. As we reported yesterday, an employee of Kimberly Paving was injured when the roller he was operating lost traction and went over an abatement, pinning him under the roller and against a house. During the rescue effort, authorities obtained permission from the landlord to go inside the house in order to gain access to the man. However, the renter, 35-year-old John Cheney Jr., came inside the home and told the rescue workers to leave. A state trooper told Cheney to leave while they rescued the employee. Once the man was freed, the officer attempted to go back into the house, but Cheney allegedly locked the door. The trooper forced his way inside where he was allegedly confronted by Cheney in a pit bull. He was arrested and charged with obstructing governmental operations. The employee was freed and suffered no major injuries, although he was transported to the hospital for treatment of a suspected broken leg. Well coming up, Williamson residents have one last option to cool off when the summer heat strikes. And fresh local foods and crafts are once again available in downtown Pikeville. We'll be back in two minutes. One for the summer will be scarce in the Williamson community. The Williamson Park Board has said that it's unlikely the Williamson community pool will open for the summer. Due to a pump issue, the pool will not be able to open until the end of July, if at all. EKB News reporter Shelby Steele talked to the Williamson Park Board to hash out the details and get to the bottom of the problem. She brings us this report. All day typically kicks off the summer season, which is the time to hit the pool. Unfortunately for Williamson, West Virginia and the Mego County area, that more than likely won't happen this summer. The Williamson community pool has a special made pump that was made in 1971. Since that time, the company is now out of business. The pump has been reliable every year until now, and the Williamson Park Commission hopes to find a company to make a custom pump for the Williamson pool. The original pump is a 1971 model. It was customized for that pool exactly, so the problem is finding the exact pump to go back in and the bolt patterns to go right back into place. We've sent it off to six different places and still waiting to hear back from a couple, so hopefully we can find out something soon. The Williamson Park Commission doesn't have high hopes that the pool will be able to open this summer due to the complications from the pump. It's very doubtful this summer because even if they do find one, they'll probably have to manufacture it because the company that made that motor is out of business. So they, and again it was specially built for the pool, they'd have to make this again. And by the time they make it and get it to us, it's going to be the middle of the summer, maybe the latter part of the summer, so there's no way we could do it. Ball adds that closing the pool, even just for one summer, is something even the park board is upset about. The last thing we want to do is to close the pool down, me, myself and my family attend every year, so we're working every angle to try to avoid that, so things can't be helped. Witt explains that the park board has to pull money from its pocket every summer in order for the pool to run properly. In a normal year, it takes about $68,000 to $70,000 to prep it due to the general maintenance, painting, cleaning, and buying the chemicals. But due to the fact that there is such limited amount of recreation in Mingo County, Pike, and Martin County, the park board through the years has eaten that and tried to survive with going ahead and opening the pool. Of course, if somebody had to pull, they would automatically shut it down because you couldn't afford to do it. If you would like to make a donation for the Williamson Pool, you can do so by sending it to the address on the screen with attention, Pierce Witt Pool. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Shelby Steele. Saturday saw a soft opening for the Pikeville Farmer's Market. The day featured the Pikeville Arts community and offering included pimento cheese, jams, jellies, fresh eggs, and salad greens. Some fruits and vegetables were also available as well as different crafts from local vendors. This is the 10th year for the Pikeville Farmer's Market and it grows each summer. Local grower, Kathy Raymeyer, says it's important to participants and farmers markets in order to give to your community as well as eat fresh fruit. It's important for people to participate in local farmer's markets because these are your neighbors and we need to support our neighbors in helping them make a living. It also benefits the individual because they're getting the best tasting, the freshest food that's available to them and usually your small family farms as well are growing food more sustainably. The grand opening for the Pikeville Farmer's Market is set for June 13th. The market is located at the Cooperative Extension Office in downtown Pikeville. Very nice. Visit to the Farmer's Market on Saturday. Coming up next, Jamie Johnson will be in to fill us in on the rest of the first round results from the 15th Region Baseball and Softball Tournaments. The first EKB Chief Meteorologist Lathen Hopkins will be in with the latest on the weather. We'll be right back. Well, that was a nice day in parts of our area. Not too bad, but I understand some storms are on the area happening now. We've had a few stronger storms move through parts of the big sandy for employed County all the way into Johnson County. Doppler radar is showing what's left of the storms making their way out of Johnson County now and into Lawrence and Martin counties. And this is just the start of things to come here, I think, throughout the evening. We will zoom in here a little closer to some of these storms that you see moving right up US 23 near Ulysses and also some rain near Ines and Crumb as you head over into parts of West Virginia. Paintsville starting to dry out now, but like I said, don't be surprised to pick up a little more rain a little bit later on tonight. A couple of spotty showers stretching near Pikeville and also near Wayland over in Floyd County. And then one other stop will take us into southern parts of Letcher County. And this is near Whitesburg, Cumberland, right along 119. You can see a few showers making their way through the region. We're going to broaden the picture with the Doppler radar. And here's why we have a lot of showers to our south. That's what we have to watch from Middlesbrough as I mentioned over toward Cumberland, over toward Whitesburg. This is what we'll have to watch as it makes its way to the north and to the east. As far as temperatures are concerned, well rain cooled in Prestonsburg, still very muggy, 74 degrees, Prestonsburg, 75 Paintsville, still 85 in Pikeville, 88 in Williamson, 88 right now in Logan, where we have yet to pick up a drop of rain. But that could be changing. Notice this big time storm system making its way across the region. Severe weather to the north, severe weather to the south. But this is all rotating around an area of low pressure that will continue to throw in these little hit and miss showers and thunderstorms not only today, not only tonight, but actually over the next several days, as a matter of fact, and that's going to bring some big changes to the forecast. And I'll show you that with a seven day here in just a little bit. As far as the pollen count, it's concerned sponsored by Faith Pharmacy, Adams Plaza in Pikeville into the high category for Wednesday, Thursday, and even into the day on Friday. A seven day forecast looks like this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, each and every day, a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, temperatures in the mid and upper 80s, and then that will continue even into early next week. We can't get a break. Are you sure you didn't make a top out there? Yeah. Each? I mean, I'm just guessing. Hoping. And every day, that shower thread is going to be with us. Keep your umbrellas, rainboats, raincoats handy. Get the umbrella handy, especially afternoon and evening. And of course, you can catch the latest forecast in tomorrow's edition of the Appalachian News Express. All right, Latham. Thank you. Well, community gathered together and participated in a softball tournament Saturday to help remember a loved one who had passed away in December. EKB news reporter Shelby Steele attended the tournament and spoke with some family and friends of that loved one. She brings us this report. Pray out loud. That was the message Saturday at the Memorial softball game held in memory of Tyler Williams of Stone, Kentucky. 21-year-old Tyler Williams passed away on December 14, 2014 due to complications after a UTV accident. Williams was presently a student at the University of Pikeville where he was a pitcher for the baseball team. He was a 2012 graduate of Belfrey High School where he was a member of the football and baseball teams. Williams was also an assistant coach for the Belfrey Middle School football team. Community members, teammates, friends and family joined together Saturday to show their love for Williams and to support his parents, Mark and Marsha, who feel honored and proud that so many people showed up to support them. We're overwhelmed by the support that we've gotten from the community so early in the morning. We're honored and we're proud. We're proud not just of Tyler, but our whole community. We hope that today, like they said, that somebody out here may get something out of it more than just a win-in-a-ball game. Ackon says Williams was a special person who shared a special message. It was just he wanted to let his family and friends know that he had made the right decision by picking up the cross and going, Jesus is his way, and he just wanted everybody in his family to come together, come together as one, not only as a family, but a family of Christ. Friends and teammates of Williams agreed that this was the best way to celebrate Williams on Memorial Day, coming together to do something he loved. I think it's a great thing because Tyler touched all these people's lives. He touched my life personally, and he's just a great guy. Played a lot of ball with a lot of these guys, and I just think it's a good thing to do for him and for his family. And I think it's a good way to show support for him and carry on his memory. Here's your honor, one of my best friends, a lot of other people's good friend, Tyler Williams. He's just an incredibly young man. I mean, grew up with him all my life, played ball, cut grass, anything you can think of what he's doing. Just great to honor somebody who's such a good kid and it's just hard to talk about him. Mark and Marsha have set up a scholarship fund to be given each year in Tyler's name. It will go to a Belfry student. Right now we personally know the kids, so this year's recipients, we've kind of handpicked them, you know, next few years, probably getting help from the school. Mark and Marsha only wanted one message to be shared on Saturday, and it's what Williams is most remembered for. It's pretty out loud. Pretty out loud. For EKB Evening News at 6, I'm Shelby Steele. What a wonderful way for the community to come together. Absolutely. Great way to honor his memory. That's right. Pretty out loud. Important words to look by. And we'll be right back with sports. Well, Jamie, 15th Region Action continues. Yes, it does, and we had a little delay this evening, but action is underway right now. We're going to tell you about it. But first quarterfinal round action of the 15th Region Baseball tournament wrapped up at Prestonburg Sports Park at Stonecrest last night with the host Black Gats taking on an old rival in the Belfry Pirates, a team that Prestonburg has faced the past three years in region tournament play. Prestonburg defeated Belfry for the 2013 Region title. Belfry returned the favor last year in opening round play. Last night would be the rubber game. Bottom of the first, Belfry pitcher Keaton Taylor with control problems. Recessing goes walking after midnight. Next batter, Jaren Hall, now walked the line. Grant Martin just walked away. Renee, bases loaded on walks for Jared Jiro doing the walk of life. Prestonburg takes a one-nothing lead, and then John Cooksey has to go and break up the walk party with this smack the third. The bobble and the pick up another run crosses for Prestonburg. Black Gats came out on top 11-4. Some final action is set for this evening, as we said Lawrence County and Paceville just under way. And later tonight, Frosty Davis and myself will have the call of Johnson Central and Prestonburg at 8.30, the action on 93.1 WDHR. Softball action, the Eastridge Lady Warriors were in search of their first region win in the tournament since finishing as runners up to Johnson Central back in 2012, standing in their way, the Betsy Lane Lady Cats, trailing four at three in the bottom of the sixth, runners on first and second. Lady Warriors with this knock. Eastridge with the rally to tie the game at 4-4. Saw for more, Kaley Sloan was in two more, Lady Warriors home. Eastridge up 6-4. Sloan will wind up at second base with the two-bagger. But not for long, though. This hit will for Eastridge. One more insurance run. Lady Warriors will complete the rally here. They'll beat Betsy Lane, 7-4, the final score. Some of my final action tonight, already under way as well. Johnson Central taking on Pikeville, followed by McGuffin County and Eastridge, J.D. Hughes, and Royce Mayo have the call right now on ESPN 959104.5FL. The Reds dropped their ninth straight game yesterday, falling to the visiting Colorado Rockies. Yet, the team received some good news today. A starter, Johnny Cueto, underwent an MRI on his elbow after being scratched from his start on Sunday. The verdict? A clean bill of health. The Reds will re-evaluate Cueto before moving forward. Meanwhile, manager Brian Price made no excuses after the team dropped their ninth straight yesterday. You know, levity is a great thing and people want to see you guys serious. And it is important. We're all taken at home at night. It stinks to play this way and to lose as many as we have. So maybe some levity would be a good thing. But it's hard because it's just manufacturing. You have to manufacture it. It really isn't. Life or death, but it just feels like it, you know? And, you know, so we're all taken at home. Reds are back at action tonight at home for the second of a three-game series with the Rockies. Game time is 7-10 on Hit City USA 98.1104.3FL. Can the Reds get things straight tonight? Hopefully not 10 straight, it'd be amazing. Gotta get things in order. And baseball action still continues tonight. Hopefully the rain will hold off. Hopefully it will or it will be there all night. You will be. Yeah, I hope not. Right, Jamie, thank you. We'll be back in two minutes. Well, Nathan, chance of showers on and off, right? Over the next several days, as a matter of fact, mid-60s overnight tonight, that 40% chance of rain carries us through the rest of the week, and then rain chance will actually increase as we head into the weekend and early next week, each and every day, temperatures in the 80s. That rain could cause some serious issues for our friend, Jamie Johnson. It could, hopefully, a pop-up shower will stay away tonight, and in Prestonsbury, we can continue on with the baseball complete coverage on EKB 93.1WDHR and ESPN Radio as we speak. All right. Well, that will do it for this evening's EKB Evening News. Remember, you can get more local news anytime by listening to the radio stations of East Kentucky Broadcasting. And you can also follow EKB News and EKB TV on Facebook and on Twitter. Good night, and thanks for watching.