Louisa resident frustrated with homeless situation under Louisa/Fort Gay bridge

By Roberta Cantrell

BSN Editor

One Louisa woman says she is so frustrated at her less than scenic view of the Big Sandy River next to her home.

The Louisa-Fort Gay bridge is a historical bridge that has even mentioned in the Guiness Book of World Records is where homeless people have been setting up tents, tarps and whatever they can use to call “home” for several years.

Local governing officials have often said there is not a problem with homeless people in our city, however, residence tell another story about people showing up on their home security systems all hours of the day and night wearing backpacks, walking the streets and railroad tracks, hanging out at city parks and occasionally sitting at high traffic sites with signs asking for money.

Elaine C. Mabry, a long-time resident posted the following on social media and with her permission we reprinted it:

“How do you like my river view? This is where my neighbors live. I don’t really know them because it changes from day to day with a steady stream of visitors daily and at all hours. A lot of them are on meth and I get to watch them jerk, scream, holler and other things that I will not mention. I’m not trying to make fun of them because it is so pitiful that it’s heartbreaking as I sit up here in a nice warm house with a fully stocked kitchen. And believe me I’m not bragging about it because I thank God that I have it. But by the grace of God there go I.

But there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. And believe me I have tried! I have put up a fence, talked to everybody I can think of, called the police when something is going on that I can’t ignore, to get no real results.

Other people and organizations have tried. They have brought food to them, given them money, tried to find a place for them, given them clothes and tried to help them. And I am not blaming anyone in particular because nobody created this situation on purpose, it just happened for a lot of reasons, drug addiction, mental illness, losing family or a place to live, money and on and on. I don’t have the solution and obviously nobody else does either.

I know Louisa isn’t the only place where they are dealing with the same situations and as you can see it’s not just a city problem, it’s a national problem. Thanksgiving is coming up and my entire family will be here and will witness this tragedy. I hope and pray that it gets better, but to be honest I have given up.

I will just keep my river bank clean (I pay to have it mowed every summer). My neighbors and their visitors really like it because they don’t have to walk in the weeds. I love our river and love to look out and watch it so I try to ignore the mess beside me. I love my town and the good people in it. I was born and raised right here on the Big Sandy River just like my daddy and his siblings. I just hate what it has become.”

The Big Sandy News reached out to the Louisa Mayor’s Office and Lawrence County Judge Executive’s Office for comment, but received no response as of press time.