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Non-partisan race filings released
By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Candidates running with one of the two major political parties had to be registered prior to the primary elections in May. But those running as an independent, or in one of the non-partisan races – like city council or mayor – had a little longer to file. That window has closed now too, and the final list of candidates running in the general election has been released.
“If they want to run now, it will have to be a write-in,” county clerk Mike Johnston said.
Joining Republican Brandon Burton and Democrat Dustin Howard in the race for Judge Executive is Grayson city clerk Duane Suttles. In addition to serving as the current city clerk for Grayson, Suttles served for several years as a Grayson city councilman, and in various administrative capacities and leadership roles for the Grayson Volunteer Fire Department.
City councilman Troy Combs has a challenger for the role of Grayson’s mayor too. Fred Miller has also registered to run for that office.
Whoever wins the race will be working with a mix of new and veteran city councilpersons. Running for that office are incumbents Terry Stamper, Sudy Walker, and Bradley Cotten, as well as former councilperson Jennifer Scott McGlone. They’re joined on the ballot by Michael Harper and Dustin Burchett.
Over in Olive Hill, city councilman Justin Dixon has filed to run against incumbent Jerry Callihan in the city’s mayoral race.
Even with Dixon hoping to move into the mayor’s seat, there is a real race for council in Olive Hill, with seven candidates filing to fill one of the six seats on council. Incumbents Wayne Russell, Eric Rayburn, Chris Bledsoe, Shannon Shutte, and Kirk Wilburn, who stepped in to fill an unexpired term last year, are joined on the ballot by Stevie Clay and Shane Tackett.
In the soil conservation district, voters will choose between Mike Sexton, of Willard, Lois Barber, of Grayson, and Barry Shaffer, also of Grayson.
In the school board races, Miranda Tussey is running unopposed in District 2 while Chris Perry is running unopposed in District 5. Both Tussey and Perry were appointed to fill unexpired terms, with Perry filling the seat vacated when Wilburn left the school board for the open city council seat.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
20 counties selected for KACo’s Opioid Solutions Network to help maximize opioid settlement funds
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
The Kentucky Association of Counties has selected representatives from 20 Kentucky counties to participate in the KACo Opioid Solutions Network (KOSN), a new association to help counties maximize opioid settlement funds, according to KACo’s March 26 newsletter.
The selected counties are: Boone, Breathitt, Carroll, Clark, Estill, Graves, Grayson, Hardin, Jessamine, Lewis, Magoffin, Marion, Mason, Owen, Powell, Todd, Trigg, Trimble, Wayne and Woodford.
“Each of these counties has demonstrated a strong commitment to supporting addiction recovery in their communities,” KACo Executive Director Jim Henderson said in the newsletter. “When equipped with the right tools and information, counties can make investments that create a positive ripple effect for generations to come.”
Opioid settlement funds are payments from drug manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies to resolve lawsuits to the opioid crisis. Distributions from these settlements began in 2022, with Kentucky expected to receive approximately $1 billion over the coming years.
Half of the settlement money goes to the state and the other half to local governments. The money must be used for opioid abatement efforts such as treatment, prevention and harm reduction.
The first KOSN meeting will happen this spring, where county leaders will participate in peer learning and get technical assistance on practical strategies to address the opioid crisis. They also will participate in regional site visits. The program will highlight approaches already working in Kentucky, particularly those supported by national opioid settlement funding, according to the newsletter.
As part of the network, participants will develop a project or strategy aimed at improving how opioid settlement funds are used locally and will present their work at the 52nd Annual KACo Conference in November.
KOSN is modeled after the National Association of Counties’ Opioid Solutions Leadership Network. KACo opioid settlement adviser Lauren Carr leads the new association.
Carr, along with Boone County Judge-Executive Gary Moore, Harlan County Judge-Executive Dan Mosley and Madison County Judge-Executive Reagan Taylor, previously served on the national leadership group that examined successful recovery strategies across the country.
“Seeing proven program models up close is often an aha moment for county leaders,” Carr said. “KACo’s Opioid Solutions Network builds on insights learned at the national level and creates opportunities for idea-sharing and collaboration in Kentucky.”Courtesty of Kentucky Health News
The strike of a match
By Robert Dean
Guest Columnist
“All you had to do was pay us enough to live.” The cry echoing across the internet.
Chamel Abdulkarim, a 29-year-old contractor at a Kimberly-Clark distribution center in Ontario, California, is accused of filming himself setting fire to multiple pallets of paper goods and posting the video to Instagram, saying, “all you had to do was pay us enough to live” and “there goes your inventory.”
The blaze destroyed a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse estimated to contain $500 million worth of product, with the building itself valued at another $150 million. Federal authorities say Abdulkarim appeared motivated by hostility toward corporations and allegedly compared himself to Luigi Mangione, who is currently facing felony murder charges in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. People across Reddit are already calling Abdulkarim “Warehouse Luigi.”
Over in San Francisco, a 20-year-old threw a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s house. Are these outliers? I don’t think so. This feels like the beginning of something, not the end. People are tired of feeling disposable.
Oracle recently cut tens of thousands of workers—not because it was losing money, but to free up cash to build AI data centers. Quarterly revenue hit $17.2 billion, up 22% year over year. They’re growing and firing at the same time. That’s the new economy hell we’re living in.
Worker productivity has surged more than 60 percent since the late ’70s, while wages have barely moved, rising maybe 15–20 percent. We’re producing more than ever and still falling behind. CEOs now make roughly 300–350 times what the average worker does. That used to be closer to 20 times. Somewhere along the way, the whole thing shattered.
It feels less like a functioning economy and more like something out of The Running Man or Demolition Man. We’re not at The Road—yet.
Republicans and Democrats alike are realizing that capitalism isn’t delivering on its promises. The people driving luxury cars and sitting on boards don’t know what trickle-down economics looks like for the rest of us—and they don’t care. They maximize profits while we put $20 in the tank and barely move the needle.
Rent is still sky-high. Buying a house is out of reach for most people. Housing costs have outpaced wages by multiples over the last few decades. Groceries feel like highway robbery—food prices are up more than 25% since 2020. Kimberly-Clark made $19 billion last year, and most of us are still making the same wages, still wondering why we’re broke, still thinking about a side hustle even though one job is exhausting enough.
Savings account? Mine had eighty cents in it. I have a full-time job.
The state of the American economy isn’t a partisan issue. It’s a class issue. People are being squeezed from all sides, and more of them are realizing neither party is offering a real solution.
Jerry Murrell, CEO of Five Guys, once gave away a $1.5 million bonus to employees after a promotion overwhelmed staff. Why? “I didn’t want anybody shooting me in the back,” he joked. Even said in passing, it lands; executives are waking up to the reality that people are one missed paycheck away from making a life-altering choice.
The system feels rigged against us. The gap keeps widening—wealth consolidating at the top, debt piling up everywhere else. Without meaningful change, the anger doesn’t go away. It builds. And it starts to make sense why someone would strike the match.
Contact us or send submissions to news@cartercountytimes.com
Extension Notes: Study co-led by UK finds cover crops show the clearest gains in soil health across U.S. long-term trials
By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent
Farmers have long debated which practices do the most to keep their soil healthy. Now, after pulling data from 21 long-term field trials scattered across the United States, a multi-state research team has found cover crop use comes on top.
The study, published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, was co-led by researchers at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment thanks to a subaward from the University of Wisconsin. This study, led by the University of Wisconsin, included contributions from researchers at the University of Kentucky MGCAFE and several other universities across the nation.
The team examined trials ranging from four to 50 years old, all built around soybean-based cropping systems, and focused on the top 15 centimeters of soil. They compared four of the most common management decisions a farmer can make: crop rotation, tillage, cover cropping and artificial drainage. Then they measured a suite of soil-health indicators tied to everything from biological activity and soil structure to nutrient levels and pH.
When the numbers were pooled, cover crops were the practice most consistently linked to improvements — specifically, higher levels of mineralizable carbon and water-extractable organic carbon, two markers that tell scientists the soil’s microbial community is active and its carbon cycle is humming along.
“That was the part that really stood out,” said Hanna Poffenbarger, associate professor of soil nutrient management in the UK Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and a co-author on the paper. “The whole point was to take advantage of long-term trials that were already in the ground and ask, across a wide range of soils and climates, which practices are showing up in the soil-health numbers.”
Two-crop rotations also made a difference, at least for one metric: They were associated with higher soil-test phosphorus compared to continuous monoculture. But beyond that, rotation diversity, tillage method and drainage didn’t produce clear, consistent shifts in the indicators used — at least not when the results from all those different locations were combined.
One surprising result was that no-till was associated with more acidic soil (lower pH) than conventional tillage in the trials included in the dataset. Poffenbarger said that the trend aligns with a known challenge in some systems: Surface-applied fertilizers can concentrate acidity near the soil surface over time.
“That pH pattern can show up when inputs are staying near the surface,” Poffenbarger said. “It’s a reminder that conservation practices can come with tradeoffs that need management, like tracking pH and addressing lime needs.”
Poffenbarger also said the national scope of the project helps explain why some practices did not “pop” as strongly as many farmers might expect. No-till, for example, is widely promoted for protecting soil, but it does not behave the same way in every region.
“With a dataset this broad, you’re seeing a lot of soil types and climates,” Poffenbarger said. “No-till isn’t necessarily going to look the same everywhere. If some locations benefit and others don’t, that can wash out when you’re looking at the combined results.”
Poffenbarger’s own group contributed samples from a long-term rotation trial at UK — with treatments dating back to 1986. Field crews across participating institutions followed a shared sampling plan to make results comparable, which meant collecting standard soil cores alongside shovel-dug samples designed to keep soil aggregates intact for stability testing.
It’s worth noting what the study didn’t do. The researchers tracked soil-health indicators, not yield or profit. They couldn’t say directly whether the improvements they measured translate into better harvests or fatter bottom lines, though Poffenbarger pointed out that a growing body of parallel research is making that connection.
“This study helps tighten up the evidence on which practices are showing up in the soil tests across a lot of real, long-term systems,” Poffenbarger said. “Then the next step is pairing that with work that connects soil improvements to outcomes farmers care about day to day.”
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2023-67013-39817. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Department of Agriculture.
This article was written by Jordan Strickler (jstrickler@uky.edu ) and published on March 30, 2026 at https://news.mgcafe.uky.edu/. The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment is an Equal Opportunity Organization with respect to education and employment and authorization to provide research, education information and other services to individuals and institutions that provide equal opportunities for qualified persons in all aspects of institutional operations and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnic origin, religion, creed, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, uniformed service, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information or social or economic status.
Upcoming Events:
- Grazing School – April 21-22 @ Morehead State University Farm
- Fencing School – April 28 in Mason County
- Understanding Seed Packets & Beginning Gardening – April 29 @ Noon
The Mother Load: The Invisible Weight Behind Every Household
By: Tommy Druen
Guest Columnist
With the exception of news programming, The Tonight Show holds the distinction as the longest continuously aired program in the history of American network television. After more than 70 years on the air, its longevity is impressive but not mysterious. The show perfected the deceptively simple formula of comedic monologue, celebrity interviews, and musical guests that proved so effective it became the blueprint for virtually every late-night talk show that followed.
Some imitators thrived. David Letterman built an empire on the model. Arsenio Hall briefly turned late-night on its head in the early ’90s. Others crashed magnificently. Chevy Chase and Magic Johnson each hosted shows that seemingly failed before the credits ran.
The Tonight Show’s creator and original host was a young man named Steve Allen, whose résumé defies easy summary. Comedian, radio personality, author, musician, composer, television pioneer. Entire books have been written about his contributions to the medium, but one of my favorite bits he invented was the “Man on the Street” interview. Allen would simply step outside the studio and question ordinary New Yorkers, often with absurd or leading prompts designed to produce hilarious answers. The charm was its apparent spontaneity. Whether it was genuine hardly mattered. The format proved durable, resurfacing decades later in Jay Leno’s “Jaywalking” segments and Billy Eichner’s frantic “Billy on the Street.”
A few years back, Jimmy Kimmel adapted the concept for a Father’s Day segment called “Pop Quiz.” The premise was beautifully simple: fathers were asked basic questions about their own children. They struggled magnificently. They missed teachers’ names, schools, eye colors, and even birthdays. Then the mothers stepped in and answered every question correctly without missing a beat.
It was funny. And, if we’re being honest, a little sad.
I understand television magic. Producers may well have interviewed a hundred fathers to find a handful who appeared gloriously clueless. The whole segment could have been staged. But the reason the bit works, the reason we laugh, is that it doesn’t feel absurd. Most of us recognize the truth behind it. On average, mothers simply know more about the daily details of their children’s lives than fathers do.
And that reality points to something larger.
Our society expects an extraordinary amount from mothers. At any given moment, they are expected to know what supplies are needed for school, what’s happening in the classroom, when soccer practice starts, what the weekend looks like, which groceries are running low, when the laundry needs doing, and whether anyone has a doctor’s appointment coming up. That’s before we even get to their own careers, ambitions, and obligations.
I’m as guilty as anyone. When I ask my wife, “Honey, have you seen my keys?” it feels like an innocent question. In truth, it’s one more straw laid across a camel already staggering under the weight, especially if that’s the fortieth question she’s fielded in the past hour. And when one of my kids asks me something, it’s far too easy to shrug and say, “I don’t know. Go ask your mother.”
My wife has tried to explain this mental weight to me. Listening to the explanation alone is exhausting. I genuinely cannot imagine living with it every day.
In recent years, someone cleverly named this phenomenon the “mother load.” It refers to the invisible, relentless mental labor required to keep a family running smoothly. It’s a burden society quietly places on mothers, expecting them not only to respond to everyone’s needs but to anticipate them as well. They are expected to be kind, patient, thoughtful, and endlessly accommodating. All admirable qualities, of course. But they become a trap when someone feels personally responsible for the comfort and happiness of everyone around them.
Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise us that women are diagnosed with depression and anxiety at roughly twice the rate of men. Given the mental and emotional demands placed upon them, the real surprise may be that the number isn’t higher.
There’s an anonymous quote that captures this all with painful precision: “Motherhood is the exquisite inconvenience of being another person’s everything.”
I wish I had real answers. I try to carry more of this mental burden at home, though I fail at it more than Chevy Chase failed in his monologues. And even when I do manage to take something off my wife’s plate, she often struggles to relinquish it, not because she wants to carry it, but because after years of practice, it has simply become second nature and is now hardwired into her personality.
Maybe the least we can do is acknowledge that the mother load exists, and that it is a tremendous weight for any person to bear. Perhaps we can do a little more to help shoulder it. But even when we fall short, recognizing the burden might offer at least a small measure of comfort to the women who have been quietly carrying it all along.
Facing the backlash
By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Grayson Tourism Commission addressed a number of public concerns at their regularly scheduled April meeting last week. A number of those concerns voiced by various members of the Grayson community centered around vendors at the Grayson Sports Park; specifically, how it appeared as though some vendors had been ousted from the sports park and how others appeared to have been given preferential treatment.
Tourism Commission President Daniel White addressed those concerns at the beginning of the meeting, and allowed time for public comments about the issue.
“I’d like to address the Facebook post and do my best to explain it,” White said to those in attendance. “For the past several years tournament hosts have been permitted to bring in vendors to sell small craft items and 3D printed items. And they would also provide onsite screen printing of tournament specific t-shirts. That was the nature of those businesses.”
“In recent months sports park personnel became uncomfortable with some of the vendors,” he continued.
This, he said, was due to the interaction of the vendors in question with children and other individuals at the sports park. He said park personnel had communicated to him over the past several months that they felt this was creating an inappropriate and unsafe environment.
White said that the director of the park, Bert Bayes, on his own initiative identified two of the four vendors he felt were appropriate and through a verbal agreement he negotiated a deal with those two organizations. The deal was that instead of paying the tournament host a percentage of sales, a percentage of those sales instead would go to the sports park.
“That was a verbal agreement between Bert and those two individuals. Grayson Tourism Commission was not aware of that prior to the Facebook post on Thursday. Bert does not have the authority to enter into an agreement without (tourism) approval,” White explained. “He understands that now. Currently there is no agreement in place with any organization at the sports park.”
White said he was confident upon reviewing the two organizations in question that they would not be in direct conflict or competition with any local Grayson business selling the same types of items.
“With all of that said, we have a responsibility to address this as a commission,” White said. “There have been some conversations about this already and there will be more conversations in the future. I think it was regrettable what was posted, because it did not in any way convey what I just explained. Noone can change that post, but the people in this room can tell you what the intent really was.”
In the public comment portion of the meeting Grayson City Council member Dustin Burchett asked the commission for clarification concerning the issue of an inappropriate and unsafe environment. Burchett also said that he felt the entire issue could possibly have been prevented if the issue or concerns had at any time been brought before the council.
“It probably would have been a little easier on everyone if we had known that there were people there you felt uncomfortable with,” Burchett said.
Sports Park Director Bert Bayes answered Burchett’s questions by responding that he felt the inappropriateness was more general rudeness and bad interactions with the public than any more serious safety issues. Burchett said that he felt the Facebook post concerning the vendors would not have “exploded” as it did, and could have been resolved quicker or prevented entirely if a representative from the sports park regularly attended Grayson City Council meetings to keep the city updated on upcoming projects and concerns.
Grayson City Council member Jennifer McGlone was present at the Tourism meeting and agreed with Burchett’s statements and added to them.
“We have invited a representative to every meeting,” McGlone said. “Every single month we ask someone to be there. At least we did for a long time, but no one showed up. My personal problem with that is until last Thursday’s Facebook post a good percentage of them (social media commentors) were blaming the city council.”
McGlone said that she attempted on three different social media groups to tell concerned citizens as clearly as possible that the council had been unaware of the issue.
“This crystalizes my entire problem with this. And why it is important that when there is a million plus dollars going through an entity, that we know something because we (the council) are the ones collecting the money.”
Grayson Chamber of Commerce President Jill York also addressed the commission during the public comments section and said that she was pleased by the comments and the explanation White presented at the beginning of the meeting. York said she thought the issue came down to communication and it could be resolved and prevented in the future with better communication.
“When I first read the Facebook post I did not feel so grand about it,” York said. “And there are a couple of things that might help us in the future. If there were telephone numbers that folks could use to reach out to get answers it would make things a little easier. I believe the sports park website could use some updating,” York added.
“For us as a Chamber, it was hurtful to see what seemed to be a celebration of local dollars going out of not just town, but state,” York said of the recent issue.
York said she had a conversation with Sports Park Director Bert Bayes about how in the future the local businesses could be kept abreast of what might be going on.
“And it very well may be that they (local businesses) might have the wherewithal or ability to do or produce the items that are being sought,” York said. “But since we are all about local, and these local dollars that come from tourism, and a lot of them are coming from these local businesses, if we could just keep this circle of helpfulness going, we need to find ways to do that.”
Tourism Commission President White agreed that there was a communication breakdown that was exacerbated by the initial Facebook post.
“We absolutely, as a tourism commission, support local businesses,” White said. “And for anyone to suggest otherwise, it just isn’t true. We want every restaurant in Grayson to be successful; we want every business on Main Street to be successful. And that’s our goal.”
“But obviously we didn’t get it right,” White said, and stressed the need for better communication in the future.
Kentucky State Senator Robin Webb was also present at the tourism meeting, and offered her insights. Webb’s involvement with tourism goes back for many years, and the senator has also been a keynote speaker at the state level for tourism.
“My concerns go back way before the Facebook post,” Webb told the commission. “I deal with tourism commissions from all over the state. There is a lot of money that goes through now. When we did these laws and established the restaurant tax there wasn’t a lot of money. Now there are fourth and fifth class cities with a lot of money. Notwithstanding your status as a special governing unit, there are still ordinances and still accountability.”
Webb went on to tell the commission that there has to be more information provided to both the elected city officials and the public in general. There is also a need, she said, for that information to be made available to legislators who are responsible for making policy decisions.
“On the state level we are going to start having meetings on this. Stakeholder groups, county entities and city entities because the landscape has changed with the money. And there is not enough guidance for you as a commission,” Webb told the commission and those present at the meeting. “And there are just some concerns. When you are handling tax dollars, there is a lot that goes with it and it’s easy to get in trouble.”
Webb said these concerns implied to her that there should be some oversight on a state level in addition to the local level.
In other business, the tourism commission discussed a potential partnership agreement with Paramount Arts Center, Incorporated. The agreement being discussed concerns a proposed convention style center being established in Grayson, which PAC Incorporated desires tourism to fund. Information from the group presented at the meeting projected nearly a quarter of a million dollars in losses during the first year, but projected sustained growth and profitability in the second and third years. Further discussion is planned on the project, but no decisions have been made at this time.
The Tourism Commission also voted to pass their budget for the upcoming year, which will be presented to the Grayson City Council for approval.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
Pet of the Week: Meet Tammy
Tammy is a senior dog, still looking for her forever home. She’s very friendly, good with other dogs, and walks on a leash. Tammy also has a free adoption to an approved home. Stop by the Carter County Animal Shelter and meet her or call 475-9771 for more information.
Shelter hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday by appointment.
Main Street and Memories
By Brayleigh Boggs
Carter County Times
A half -century-old tradition is returning to Grayson Memorial Day weekend with Memory Days set to take place May 21-24.
The 55th annual festival will feature headliners including Sundy Best and Jason Crabb, along with a variety of entertainment and activities throughout the weekend.
“I am thankful that the Grayson Chamber of Commerce has put the trust of Memory Days planning in my hands,” said Michelle Boggs, who is serving her fifth year as the event’s coordinator.
“To say we are super excited about Sundy Best taking the stage this year would be an understatement,” she said.
To keep with the theme of remembrance, the chamber chose Linda Webb as Grand Marshall. Webb and her late husband, Doc Webb, were the founders of the renowned Camp Webb in Grayson.
The celebration also helps highlight and support small businesses in the area. Vendors will have the opportunity to showcase their products throughout the weekend, from handmade crafts to local food and drinks. Visitors can also enjoy live music performances, carnival games, and family-friendly activities.
The parade will march down Main Street on Saturday afternoon, featuring marching bands, local organizations and businesses. Families and residents regularly gather along the route each year to enjoy the atmosphere, drawing in thousands on one day alone.
“Lots of planning and preparation go into this amazing weekend,” Boggs added, “We cannot wait.”
For more information about the upcoming event, refer to the Grayson Memory Days Facebook page or http://www.graysonchamber.com.
Contact the writer at news@cartercountytimes.com
Voicing concerns about the sports park
The people of Grayson were promised a community park. They were promised public basketball courts, tennis courts, and an amphitheater. Those amenities were part of the vision presented to the public, and they helped justify support for this project. Yet none of them have been built.
Instead, the Grayson Sports Park has been centered almost entirely around travel baseball and softball.
That is a serious departure from what the public was told. Local taxpayers are helping fund this project through a restaurant tax, but the broad community space they were promised has not been delivered. What was introduced as a public asset for families, events, recreation, and community use has been narrowed into something that serves a far smaller purpose.
People in this community have every right to be angry. They were sold one vision and handed another. They were asked to support a park for the whole public, and what they have gotten is a project that looks increasingly commercial, increasingly exclusive, and far less rooted in the needs of everyday people in Grayson.
That frustration only deepens when this Commission chooses to partner with an out-of-state materials company instead of prioritizing local businesses. Local people are paying for this project. Local businesses should not be an afterthought.
The public deserves an honest answer to this question. Where is the community park they were promised? Where are the courts, the fields, and the amphitheater? At what point does this Commission intend to answer for the gap between what was sold and what was actually built?
Right now, this does not look like accountable public investment. It looks like a broken promise funded by local tax dollars.
– McClain Dyer | Concerned Graysonite
Joyful Noise: Look up!
By Pastor Naomi Mitchell
For Carter County Times
In the Old Testament we read where God is described as the maker of Heaven and Earth. The Old Testament saints believed from the scriptures that their God was the maker of all things and trusted that He had the power and the strength to meet all their needs. It was part of the confession they kept before them. It reminded them that nothing was too hard for God.
The Bible says God created all things, and by Him all things were created and held together. If God created the universe and He is holding it all together, then can’t we assume that He can hold the different aspects of our lives together as well? He created us for this journey called life and He certainly will sustain us through the entire journey as well.
Some days on this journey you might reach a point where you don’t know what to do except to cry out, “Lord, I need you!” Remember the one you are crying out to is the one who made Heaven and Earth. He created you and He can help you. The God who created us for life is the one who can help us with life. That is a fact, Jack! With God nothing will be impossible. (Luke 1:37)
There is a little story about a man who saw a Little League baseball game one afternoon while walking through a park. He stopped and asked a little boy in the dugout what the score was. The little boy replied, “eighteen to nothing, we are behind.” The man said, “I bet you are discouraged.” The little boy replied, “why should I be discouraged, we haven’t even gotten up to bat yet.”
So, an optimistic attitude makes a difference on this journey of life. We are blessed to know that we win – in eternal life with our Lord. But along this journey we will face many discouragements. Job 16:5 says, “But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.”
Remember God is our great encourager. So many scriptures remind us that with His help, anything is possible when we look up to the maker of Heaven and Earth. David Jeremiah said, “it is a matter of perspective that determines the productivity of our actions.” Jesus said we are to have childlike faith.
The Lord is faithful to provide what you have need of even before you ask, because He already knows. Be enthused for life. God wants you to trust Him in all things. Have childlike faith that your Heavenly Father is waiting to bless you as you reach out to Him in all things. The Bible says to make your prayer requests and supplications known to God with thanksgiving. With God, all things are possible to those who will believe!
Amen! So be it! JOYFUL House of Prayer, 2519 Quicksand Road, (P.O. Box 856), Jackson, Kentucky 41339. Send Comments/Prayer Requests: Pastornaomi4god@gmail.com. FB: JoyfulHoprayer. Services: 10am Sunday and Joyful Kids Class at 10:30am, 6:30pm Thursdays. Radio Broadcast: WJSN 97.3 FM & WEKG 81.0 AM Sundays 1-2pm.
Fiscal court discusses grant for fire department
By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Carter County Fiscal Court opened their regular monthly meeting on Monday night with public comments. These included comments from Lashawna Miller, the Associate Director of Community & Economic Development Planner and Project Administrator for FIVCO, who spoke to the court about CBDG (Civic Development Block Grants) for the City of Olive Hill and Hitchins fire departments.
“The CDBG Development Block Grant window is open from April 1 and will run until September,” Miller told the court. “For a CDBG the government entities can apply. We have had two fire departments in the county request remodeling through the public facilities or community projects with CDBG. That’s Hitchins and Olive Hill.”
“Normally, where Olive Hill is an incorporated city, they could apply,” Miller continued. “But they are out of compliance with the Department of Local Government right now, so the city isn’t eligible.”
Miller said she believed the city was out of compliance due to being several years behind on audits.
The last audit publicly available for the City of Olive Hill is for their fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. This audit was completed by the accounting firm of Kelley, Galloway, Smith, Goolsby, PSC (KGSG) and returned in December of 2025. Though KGSG stated in their report, “We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinions,” they go on to note that the City of Olive Hill did not provide all the supplemental information and documentation required by statute. For instance, the report notes, “Management has omitted the Management’s Discussion and Analysis that accounting principles generally accepted in the United State of America require to be presented to supplement the basic financial statements.” It goes on to note that while not a part of the basic financial statement, it is required by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, and considered “an essential part of financial reporting,” for proper context. The city also omitted or failed to provide “the Schedule of City’s Proportionate Share of the Net Pension and OPEB Liability and the Schedule of Pension and OPEB Contributions.” Because of this, the accounting firm noted, “We do not express an opinion or provide any assurance on the information because the limited procedures do not provide us with sufficient evidence to express an opinion or provide any assurance.”
Because of these issues with the city’s audits, the Olive Hill Fire Department was looking to the county as their pass-through on the grant. But that means the county has to make a decision, Miller explained.
“So, if the fiscal court would like to apply for one of the fire departments, there is a decision to make. They both want to remodel. The CDBG amount this year is $850,000,” Miller told the court. “There is $46,750 of that which goes for administration cost and there is a match required, and that would be $85,000. That amount is usually between the applicant and the subrecipient.”
“I just wanted to let the court know that they are both requesting,” she continued, “and FIVCO doesn’t care to do either one. We just have to do whatever the will of the county is.”
Miller explained to the court that if they chose one of the departments and applied for the CDBG grant they could apply for the other fire department after the first project was completed 85 percent.
“So, on the next application cycle you could apply for a grant for the other one,” she said. “But it is up to you how you would like to handle it.”
Miller told the court that given that they would be the ones applying in the situation, they could choose to fund one or neither.
No representatives from either of the fire departments were in attendance at the fiscal court meeting and were not available to present their individual needs for which they desired the grants. Miller told the court that a decision would not need to be reached immediately because the grant cycle closing was in September, though if the county decided to move forward FIVCO would like to be made aware within the next two months. The environmental review process would have to be gone through, she said, which would take 30 days.
In other business, the court voted to set their regularly scheduled meeting in the month of May to the third Monday (May 18) at 6 pm rather than the normal second Monday of the month. A Public Hearing was also scheduled for the same date for the removal of WC Gilbert Road.
Interim County Clerk Debbie Johnston presented the court with the 2025 excess fees in the amount of $184,711.47. Zachary Tackett from Creek Don’t Rise Coalition addressed the court about adopting a resolution against raising electric rates in addition to a letter already sent by the fiscal court. The fiscal court recommended that the county attorney look over any potential resolution before making a decision.
The fiscal court also voted to purchase a mobile command post for Carter County EMS from William Waddell in the amount of $13,500, and the purchase of a trailer for the county road department from Red Dog Trailers in the amount of $11,200.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
Council responds to tourism controversy
By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times
In a special April meeting the Grayson City Council voted to pass a budget memorandum. The memorandum would require the Grayson Tourism Commission to follow guidelines already in place, but formalized those requests.
“The tourism commission will submit to us what is known as a Request for Funding,” Grayson Mayor Troy Combs explained to the council.
“They have to pass an annual budget, but they have not passed their annual budget yet,” Combs continued. “The city council budget you passed expires on July 1, so if they do not pass a budget before then, we cannot pass our budget. And if we go past the time we normally approve a budget, we are in a continuation budget. There are no strict deadline times. But we can set deadlines for them.”
Combs said the memorandum he prepared and provided to council members was designed to make the tourism commission aware of the council’s objectives. One objective was the desire to see a four-year plan from the commission to be provided within six months. Another objective was that the commission submit budget records that reflect all debts and revenue generated.
Combs said the memorandum is designed to facilitate the flow of information in a more timely manner so that the city council can effectively vote on whether or not to approve the tourism commission’s budget. Council member Jennifer McGlone said in the meeting that more transparency is needed to protect all parties involved. Council member Dustin Burchett said that information, including answering questions and clarifying what was presented, would help the council to not be “working in the dark.”
The council voted unanimously to approve the memorandum, and Combs said that he would make sure each member of the tourism commission was presented with a copy of the memorandum before the commission’s next scheduled meeting.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
Ask Daryl – Your Professional Organizer: The pros and cons of recycling
By Daryl Ashley
Confusion Solution
Recycling plants are designed specifically to collect items that can be transformed into products we use everyday or materials that can be used to produce new products. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had the ability to recycle instead of continuing to add to our landfills? Unfortunately, there aren’t many places nearby where we can drop off recyclables like; cardboard, documents, aluminum cans, bottles, appliances, metals, and vehicles, just to name a few. But with a bit of research we can locate where they are, what they will take, and when they are open.
I have put together the following information to help understand the pros and cons of recycling so that we can make informed decisions and perhaps create a wider awareness.
PROS
The benefits, for recycling, are that our items are reused or turned into some other type of product and most importantly they protect our environment by staying out of our landfills. Ask what can be donated before beginning to collect. Some centers will actually pay for our donations.
There are recyclers for many household items like; paper, cardboard, cans, appliances, metals, and vehicles.
Even clothing can be turned in to organizations who donate to other countries.
Document shredding is a great way to securely reduce the amount of paper in our homes. Large companies will shred on-site at our location so security can be monitored. There are even places where we can drop off paper into recycling bins at some print shops and office supply stores.
Metal recycling can bring in some extra cash and there are a variety of metals that can be recycled.
Old vehicles can be used for parts, or donated for a tax write-off and companies will pick up your vehicles.
CONS
We may just have to drive to get to a recycling center. Because these places are not close, we have to accumulate recyclables to make the trip worthwhile, which can lead us to throw them away instead of cluttering our homes.
Not everything can be recycled, so it’s important to call ahead to find out what items they will take.
There are sone restrictions regarding recycling clothing, so ask questions.
Some of these shredding services charge for pickup unless we drive to their location.
Be sure to pay close attention to the metals you are able to recycle so you don’t end up storing what can’t be reused.
When trying to get rid of an old car, truck, or boat, be sure they will tow them to avoid having to pay for the service. We should not have to pay to donate.
If you want to know more about what you can recycle and where, search online for the following:
Document shredding
Metal recycling
Vehicle recycling
Cardboard recycling
Clothing donations for charities
Aluminum can recycling
Glass recycling
Maybe considering the need to recycle might even lead to having local drop-offs. Maybe we can start a conversation. Just maybe.
It’s as simple as that!
Send your questions and comments to me at info@confusionsolution.com
Weekly Arrests: 4/15/26
The following individuals were arrested and booked into the Carter County Detention Center over the past week. This list includes local arrests only. It does not include federal inmates being housed at or transported through the detention center.
- Joseph Jordan, 33, of Ashland, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on a charge of public intoxication on a controlled substance (excludes alcohol), arrested and booked April 7.
- Robert Griffith, 73, of Grayson, arrested by Kentucky State Police, for failure to appear on a citation for a misdemeanor, arrested and booked April 7.
- Stephen Middleton, 51, of Olive Hill, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on a hold for court, arrested and booked April 7.
- Billy Jordan, 44, of Grayson, arrested by Kentucky Department of Corrections, on a probation violation (for a technical violation), arrested and booked April 8.
- Nathan Campbell, 28, of Grayson, arrested by Grayson PD, fugitive – warrant not required, arrested and booked April 8.
- Parish Hamm, 31, of Morehead, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on a hold for drug court, arrested and booked April 8.
- Terry Sublett, 60, of Olive Hill, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on a charge of violating a Kentucky emergency protection order/domestic violence order, arrested and booked April 9.
- Jesse Wilson, 43, of Olive Hill, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, for failure to appear on a citation for a misdemeanor, arrested and booked April 9.
- Willis Underwood, 34, of Olive Hill, arrested by Olive Hill PD, for failure to appear on a citation for a misdemeanor, arrested and booked April 9.
- Bruce Barnett, 55, of Grayson, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, for failure to appear on a citation for a misdemeanor, arrested and booked April 10.
- Jonathan Hamm, 38, of Morehead, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on charges of careless driving, driving on a DUI suspended license, possession of an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle, failure to wear seat belts, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, and non-payment of court costs, fees, or fines, arrested and booked April 10.
All of the charges listed are arrest charges only, and do not indicate an indictment or a conviction for the charges in question. All subjects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Information is compiled from publicly available sources, but may not be comprehensive.
Special Olympics Area 3&9 Track and Field Meet Returns to Paintsville Saturday
Paintsville, Ky. – The Special Olympics Kentucky Area 3&9 Track and Field Meet returned to Johnson Central High School in Paintsville on Saturday, April 11. The Area 3&9 Meet included more than 150 athletes from Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Fleming, Floyd, Johnson, Knott, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, Martin, Mason, Perry, and Rowan Counties. The event got underway with Opening Ceremonies at 9:45 a.m., and competition began at 10:00 a.m.
This was the first of three weekends of the Special Olympics Area Track and Field season, which will conclude May 9 in Louisville.
The Area 3&9 Track and Field Meet was one of eight regional meets held statewide this year. In all, more than 1,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities throughout the state were expected to participate in area track and field competitions this year.
Participants in the Area 3&9 Track and Field Meet competed for the opportunity to advance to the Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games, which will be held June 5–7 at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.
The Special Olympics Kentucky track and field season was made possible by the support of Year-Round Partners Jersey Mike’s, Texas Roadhouse, and Toyota.
For more information about the Area 3&9 Track and Field Meet or the Special Olympics track and field program, contact Special Olympics Kentucky Sports Program Manager Kathy Marshall at 502-695-8222 or via email at kmarshall@soky.org.
Special Olympics is the world’s largest program of sports training and competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Participation in competitive events is open to all individuals eight years of age or older. Training and competition in local, area, state, and national programs is offered year-round in Kentucky in 15 sports. In addition to its traditional sports competitions, Special Olympics also offers early childhood programming through the Young Athletes Program and medical screenings through the Healthy Athletes Initiative. Special Olympics Kentucky began as a one-day event in Louisville in 1970 and has expanded to serve nearly 11,000 athletes statewide annually. Special Olympics celebrated the 55th anniversary of the global movement in 2023.
UK King’s Daughters offering free sports physicals
ASHLAND, Ky. – UK King’s Daughters Orthopedics and Sports Medicine is pleased to offer free sports physicals for student athletes ages 13 to 19 starting this month.
Sports physicals will be available at area schools on the following dates:
- Ashland Paul Blazer High School, 12:30 to 2 p.m. Friday, April 24
- Boyd County High School, 12:45 to 2:30 p.m. Monday, May 18
- East Carter High School, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 15
- Elliott County High School, 9 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 28
- Fairview High School, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 24
- Greenup County High School, 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, May 7
- Russell High School, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 1
- West Carter High School, 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, May 15
Athletes may only receive physicals at their own school.
A makeup day will be available 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, July 10, at UK King’s Daughters Pavilion, 2000 Ashland Drive, Russell.
Sports physical forms must be completed in ink before arrival with a parent or guardian signature. Forms are available at KingsDaughtersHealth.com/SportsPhysicals.
Physicals will be performed by athletic trainers and orthopedic staff/providers. No appointment is needed. For more information, call (606) 327-0036.
Sports physicals are not intended to replace your child’s annual wellness exam, which includes a more thorough evaluation of your child’s overall health. These exams are covered by most insurers at 100%. The sports physical can be performed in conjunction with the annual wellness exam at no extra charge. To schedule an annual wellness exam, call (606) 408-8999.
Carter County EMS secures grant funding for safety improvements
Contact: Tim Woods
Grayson, Ky – Carter County EMS has been awarded a Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo) Insurance Grant to support projects that improve safety, reduce accidents, and help protect taxpayer-funded facilities, equipment, and services.
The grant funding was announced today by Carter County EMS Director Tim Woods and will be used toward the purchase of Stryker Power-Load Systems for ambulances to reduce liability while decreasing workers injuries.
The Stryker Power-LOAD system is designed to significantly reduce injuries, especially back and spinal injuries among emergency medical service (EMS) personnel by automating the most physically demanding parts of patient transport, loading and unloading stretchers to/from ambulances. The power loads are also statistically proven to maintain patient safety greatly minimizing dropped patients.
“The KACo Insurance Grant will help us take proactive steps to prevent injuries, reduce costly damage, and make our county safer for both employees and the public,” Woods said. “By addressing risks before something goes wrong, we’re helping our community and protecting taxpayer dollars.”
KACo Executive Director Jim Henderson said the grant program helps counties invest in practical, preventative solutions that reduce insurance claims and long-term costs.
“These grants support real-world improvements that make county operations safer and more efficient,” Henderson said. “KACo is proud to support counties and our members by providing valuable resources, helping them better serve their communities.”
About the KACo Insurance Grant Program
The KACo Insurance Grant Program assists counties and other political subdivisions in funding projects and purchases intended to reduce slip-and-fall accidents, injuries, cybersecurity threats, property damage and other insurance risks.
Since 2019, the program has invested nearly $1.4 million in more than 200 projects statewide, helping counties proactively reduce risks and protect public resources. This year, 42 projects were approved for the KACo Insurance Grant.
Grants provide up to $10,000, covering up to 80% of a project’s cost, with a minimum 20% local match. Funds may be used for future purchases, including property improvements, equipment or training that reduce the risk of injury, property damage or financial losses. By investing in prevention, the program helps counties strengthen public safety, protect employees, and reduce long-term insurance costs.
Founded in 1974, KACo is dedicated to serving as the unified voice of county governments in Kentucky. KACo represents more than 1,500 elected county officials – including judge/executives, magistrates and commissioners, sheriffs, jailers, county clerks, circuit court clerks, county attorneys, commonwealth’s attorneys, property valuation administrators and coroners – in all 120 Kentucky counties.
Breaking the Cycle of Child Abuse Starts Earlier Than We Think
Paula Garner, CEO, Maryhurst
In Kentucky, more than 14 of every 1,000 children will suffer abuse each year, nearly double the national average. While that number is alarming, we are making progress, lowering it by nearly a quarter in recent years. As Kentucky’s oldest child welfare nonprofit, I want to mark National Child Abuse Prevention Month by sharing what is working and how you can help.
Not long ago, a young child in one of our partner schools was on the verge of being expelled from kindergarten. She was acting out in ways that frightened her classmates and concerned her teachers. She struggled to regulate her emotions, had frequent outbursts, and often withdrew from her peers.
Those behaviors weren’t just disruptions in the classroom. They were warning signs of trauma and possible abuse or neglect that could have been ignored until the situation became more serious.
It would have been easy to label her as a problem. It would have been easy to give up.
Instead, someone made the intentional choice to step in.
Through Maryhurst’s Renewal program, our team worked closely with that child and her family, helping them access support, build trust, and restore stability at home. Several months later, that same child stood proudly in front of her class holding a certificate for Student of the Week.
That moment may seem small on the surface, but it represents something powerful. It shows what happens when a child is seen, supported, and given a chance to succeed. It’s why the work of Maryhurst and organizations like ours matters.
At Maryhurst, our Residential program cares for some of the most vulnerable young women in our community. Many arrive after years of instability, loss, and trauma. When they walk through our doors, we see survivors and fighters. We see resilience and strength. We see young people in dire need of building a better future for themselves.
And they deserve a community that fights for them just as hard.
The consequences of unmet needs show up in ways that shake an entire community. There are always warning signs, opportunities to intervene earlier, and adults who can step in to change the outcome.
That’s why prevention and early intervention are at the heart of everything we do. Maryhurst is proud to serve as a trusted partner in keeping children and families safe across our community and Commonwealth. But this work depends on people who are willing to get involved by volunteering, advocating for families, and supporting the programs that keep children safe.
That kind of community support provides the foundation for prevention.
One of the most important lessons I’ve learned in more than three decades of this work is that children are incredibly resilient. Even after trauma that no child should endure, they continue to hope, try, and look for someone who will believe in them.
But resilience doesn’t happen alone.
It’s built through trusted relationships with adults and communities who show up, stay involved, and support children when they need it most.
And that brings me back to the young child I mentioned at the beginning of this story.
Today, she’s no longer on the verge of being expelled. She’s learning, growing, and building confidence in herself. She has support around her. She has stability at home. And she has a future that looks quite different than it did just a short time ago.
That outcome didn’t happen by accident.
Adults paid attention.
The community stepped in.
Someone chose to act.
Breaking the cycle of abuse requires all of us to show up.
Will you join us in this work?
You can make a difference by volunteering your time, advocating for children and families, or supporting the programs that help keep kids safe. Learn more about how to get involved at Maryhurst.org.
Extension Notes: Spring Extension Programs Offer Practical Training for Kentucky Farmers
By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent
Kentucky producers will have several opportunities this spring to sharpen their grazing, fencing, and forage‑selection skills through upcoming University of Kentucky Extension programs.
The Beginning Grazing School, set for April 21–22 at the Morehead State University Farm, will provide new and experienced farmers with hands‑on instruction in rotational grazing, forage management, and livestock performance. Enrollment is limited to 35 participants, and registration closes April 14.
Producers looking to upgrade or repair farm infrastructure can attend the Spring Fencing School on April 28 in Mason County. The one‑day program covers fence construction, electric fencing systems, Kentucky fence law, and includes an afternoon of hands‑on building demonstrations.
Rounding out the spring lineup, the UK North Farm Forage Variety Trial Tour will take place May 1 in Lexington, offering farmers a chance to walk research plots and compare forage varieties under real‑world conditions.
The Variety Trial Tour is free, but there are registration fees for the Grazing & Fencing Schools. The Carter County Ag Advancement Council will provide half scholarships for the first 10 people that request them for both programs. Scholarships will reimburse producers after attendance is confirmed. For more information and to register visit https://carter.mgcafe.uky.edu/anr.
A van will depart from the Carter County Extension Office for those needing transportation for the Fencing School and Variety Trail Tour. Call 474-6686 to register to ride in the van.
Together, these events provide timely, research‑based guidance as producers prepare for the growing season. Early registration is encouraged due to limited space for all programs.
Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.
Other Upcoming Events:
- Produce Best Practices Training – April 14th @ 4:30 PM – Call 474-6686 to register.
What became of that campaign promise of no more forever wars?
By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
Yes, hearing criticism of the Trump Administration would be commonplace at a public demonstration like the “No Kings” events. And it no doubts happens constantly at bars and restaurants and even in homes where citizens like to argue about politics and politicians.
But likely seldom heard in an historic, revered House of the Lord where critical words spoken from the pulpit on Easter Sunday were greeted with shouts of “amen” and sustained applause.
Specifically, the criticism was directed at President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for describing the attack on Iran as something like a Holy War, followed by praying for our bombs and other weapons to kill as many Iranians as possible.
Appropriately, in my opinion, those war mongering words were described by the minister as “blasphemy” and an egregious insult to the Lord on the day set aside to celebrate his death and resurrection for the benefit of all of us.
As my friend and I sat there in 170-year-old Union Church in the middle of the Berea College campus, we found ourselves reacting spontaneously by joining other worshippers with applause and “amens.”
I recall saying “amen” two of three times and having each rekindle warm memories of growing up in the Presbyterian Church in Hitchins where my dear mother wouldn’t let me or my brother say it aloud, even during a revival.
I hope Mom will forgive me for that breach of her church etiquette but I believe in my heart that she would be outraged at how Christianity is being hijacked by the white male nationalists who have swarmed into the MAGA movement.
Could it be that President Trump is not aware of what happened to King Richard I of England who died broke and disgraced when he failed in the Third Crusade warmaking to take back the Holy Land from the Muslims.
Perhaps his Cabinet should advise him that Richard failed about 1,000 years ago and that their common “enemy” in the Middle East today owns or controls even more of the land, all of the Strait of Hormuz and most of the oil.
Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com
