Ky. Company Gives $500,000 to Support Treatment, Drug Courts

Addicted individuals in Kentucky coal country will be able to get treatment vouchers and a shot at treatment rather than prison thanks to a donation from a local coal company.

The Associated Press reported Feb. 3 that Kentucky River Properties LLC, which leases land to coal-mining companies, has pledged $500,000 to Operation UNITE, a treatment and prevention program that also investigates drug trafficking. The donation is the single largest gift ever received by the group.

The money will fund treatment vouchers for low-income residents of Perry, Knott, Leslie and Letcher counties, as well as helping to fund local drug courts.