The Mountain Eagle

Not to be confused with the Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, The Mountain Eagle is a weekly newspaper based in Whitesburg, Kentucky. Serving as the primary publication for Letcher County and one of the key newspapers in Eastern Kentucky, it has a rich history. Established in 1907 by Nehemiah Webb, The Mountain Eagle has been under the ownership of the Gish family since 1956. Thomas E. Gish led the paper until his passing in November 2008, after which his son, Benjamin T. Gish, took over as editor. The newspaper has gained recognition for its in-depth reporting on issues such as strip mining and its environmental impact, as well as topics related to education and political corruption. Its memorable motto is "It Screams."

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‘Side-by-side’ measure is off for now after riders object

1 week ago | themountaineagle.com | Sam Adams

An ordinance that would allow side-by-sides and other “special purpose vehicles” to travel legally on two-lane highways in Letcher County has had a blowout. The Letcher Fiscal Court this week tabled the proposed ordinance to opt into a state law passed during the last session of the General Assembly. The law, known by its legislative bill number SB 63, would […]
Both cases involving ex-sheriff Stines still alive

2 weeks ago | themountaineagle.com | Sam Adams

Despite widespread rumors, there’s been no evidence presented showing the cases are connected A brief filed in the federal civil lawsuit against former sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines and other defendants has kept the case open for now, after Stines was dropped from it when he resigned from office following his arrest for murder in the shooting death of Letcher District Judge Kevin R. Mullins.
Letcher Fire, EMS goes broke, shuts down all services

3 weeks ago | themountaineagle.com | Sam Adams

Letcher Volunteer Fire Department and Letcher EMS are not operating after an apparent financial collapse of the organizations. Neon Fire and Rescue is covering emergency medical calls, and fire departments in the surrounding the area are handling any calls for fire service. The financially troubled ambulance service sparked the crisis when it laid off all employees last week and ambulances […]
Ex-star: Better defense a must at UK

3 weeks ago | themountaineagle.com | Larry Vaught

Vaught’s Views Sean Woods did not play with Mark Pope at Kentucky, but he knows plenty about Pope and closely watched his first season as UK’s head coach. Woods, one of “The Unforgettables” who played for Coach Rick Pitino, liked what Pope did to get UK to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with a new roster but he does think Pope has […]
He refused to shy from controversy

3 weeks ago | themountaineagle.com | Jadon Gibson

The controversial politician William G. Brownlow led Tennessee’s successful re-admission into the Union. It was the first state of the Confederacy to do so. The rough and ready period of American politics — war words, mud, fists and even bullets flew. The most contentious battles were over the course of American democracy and the question of slavery and its expansion. […]
Attorney seek a second deposition from Stines

1 month ago | themountaineagle.com | Sam Adams

The plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against former deputy sheriff Ben Fields are seeking to keep the discovery portion of the case open another six months and asked the judge to order another deposition with former sheriff Shawn Mickey Stines. The request is based on a state- ment the defense attorney in Stines’s murder case made on a tabloid TV […]
Bond set at $1 million for accused killer

1 month ago | themountaineagle.com | Sam Adams

A man charged in a year-old murder on Cowan is being held in the Letcher County Jail under a $1 million bond. Mark A. Miles, 65, of Cowan, who called 9-1-1 and told a dispatcher he found Angela Jeanette Roberts dead in her car at a Cowan cemetery in 2024, is now accused of killing her. A Letcher County Grand […]
White House denies request from Letcher schools

1 month ago | themountaineagle.com | Sam Adams

The Trump administration has denied the Letcher County School District’s request to reconsider taking away a $3 million federal grants that was already approved for the district and obligated to pay for 25 new school buses. “We were notified on Friday that our reapplication was denied,” Superintendent Denise Yonts said this week. “The state will appeal on our behalf.” The […]
When America’s First Lady went inside an underground coal mine

1 month ago | themountaineagle.com | Jadon Gibson

Ninety years ago today — on May 21, 1935 — First lady Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, toured the Hanna Coal Company mine at Willow Grove, Ohio. She was provided with a miner’s hard hat and a gray coat for the two-mile round trip through what was considered a model mine, “one of the safest in […]
Up to one-fourth of state’s coal miners have black lung, showing the need to maintain funding of federal agency

1 month ago | themountaineagle.com | Sam Adams

Between a fifth and a quarter of central Appalachian miners have complicated black lung, a study by the largest black lung clinic in Kentucky indicates, underlining the need to maintain funding for the National Institute of Safety and Health. NIOSH certifies “B Readers,” who examine miners for the disease, offers miners screening for black lung, researches the disease to set […]