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

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

Very few elected officials are so well thought of that they could be considered to be universally liked by the public that they serve. Carter County Clerk Mike Johnston was that rarity; an elected official who reached beyond every line – including party lines – to meet the public on their own terms with a healthy respect for their individual needs. Johnston was a man who generally liked people and always talked to them instead of in their general direction. It was said that he never met a stranger, or if he did then that stranger never remained that way more than a few minutes at most.

Sadly, the well-liked Johnston passed away last Sunday, at the age of 71, and his passing left a void both in his official position as county clerk, and in the hearts of those who knew him. Johnston served Carter County for 19 years, and in that capacity alone left a legacy of standing behind those who worked for him and supporting them to the best of his ability.

Carter County Elections Deputy and Bookkeeper Chelsey Buck said that Mike Johnston was an amazing person to work for, more mentor than employer.

“He was the best,” Buck said of Johnston. “He was a good boss. He loved you, but he also loved your family. So, if you needed anything, like if you had a sick kid, he didn’t care if you called in that morning. He understood things like that. And he just wanted us to be a family.”

“He made it feel like you were all family, not like a boss and employees,” Buck continued. “And he made everyone he came in contact with feel that way. He made everyone feel special and important, because to him they were. He was good to everyone he met. There wasn’t anyone like him.”

Buck said that Johnston had a knack for being direct and telling you, ‘like it is,’ but at the same time being friendly about it. A rare gift that not many people possess.

“He loved bluegrass music and the Kentucky Wildcats,” Buck said. “And the Cincinnati Reds. Those were his favorite things.”

Other things he enjoyed were raising goats and using his tractor, she said. And he always went to the livestock show at the fair.

“And he loved Carter County. He loved the people in it, and he loved this town. Mike was proud to be from Carter County, and he was thankful for the people of Carter County for voting for him all of these years and keeping him in office. He just wanted to do everything to the best of his ability,” Buck said. “He just wanted to make everybody happy, and that’s a hard task. But in the 11 years I worked for him he always tried his very best. And you can’t ask for more than that.”

Carter County Judge Executive Brandon Burton said that he not only lost a fine county clerk, but also a very close friend with whom he shared years in public service. Burton shared his thoughts about Jonston in a Facebook post, saying, “Our hearts are broken with the passing of our County Clerk, Mike Johnston. Mike was truly a remarkable man – one who carried both his faith and his responsibilities with humility, strength, and integrity. In his role as county clerk, he led not only with wisdom, but with a servant’s heart, always reflecting the character of a Godly man.”

Burton said that he considered, like so many others, that Johnston was not only a friend but a mentor as well.

“I cannot express my appreciation for him and our friendship. He truly cared about the people in this county. Mike has been a huge mentor to me in the past 3 years,” Burton wrote.

Johnston’s example, he said, will be remembered by the countless people he had touched during his private and professional life.

“His life was a testimony of faith in action. Whether through his leadership, his kindness, or the way he treated others with dignity and respect, he made a lasting impact on so many lives. It is clear that his legacy will live on not only in the work he accomplished, but in the countless people he inspired along the way,” Burton wrote. “Our hearts go out to Debbie, his family and all the office staff during this difficult time.”

Mike Johnston will be remembered for many things by many people. But the one thing everyone will remember about Johnston is that above all else he cared for the people he served.

Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com

Local resident and business owner Pam Howard said that Carter County, and the cities of Grayson and Olive Hill, have a rich history that can’t be allowed to slip into obscurity. Howard, who owns the businesses Bit ‘O Time and Walking on Sunshine, has always had a passion for local history. But many of the groups involved in preserving that history have unfortunately fallen by the wayside due to lack of support and, as is often the case, a lack of younger volunteers to continue what was established by the older founders of those organizations.

As something of a first step to encourage the preservation of local Carter County history, Howard will be hosting the Kentucky Appalachia Herb, Handcraft, and Heritage Festival. The festival began as the popular Lavendar Fest in downtown Grayson, then became the Appalachia Herb and Handcraft Festival, Howard said.

“But Appalachia is a really big region,” she said.

So, for this year, the festival will be focusing on the Appalachian region in Kentucky, and highlighting Kentucky heritage, she said.

“We want to bring all of the history of our culture into the festival this year,” Howard said. “And what sets it apart this year is that we have people from the Carter County Historical Society that will be setting up a table to showcase the things they have uncovered and have to offer the community. We also have a gentleman who will be presenting rocks and fossils he has found in Carter County.”

Along with these presenters, Howard said, there will also be someone discussing what Native American life was like in the earliest days of the county and even before Carter County was founded.

“There will also be someone there to talk about the EK Railway that used to go through the area,” Howard said. “There will also be discussion by Marvin McKinney about the old brick yard in Hitchins, Kentucky. At one time it was the largest brick manufacturer in the world.”

With all of the amazing history that Carter County has moved through, it is little wonder that Howard is so excited to be able to bring knowledgeable people to the festival to discuss it with current Carter County residents, many of whom share at least distant kinship to those who lived through such notable times.

Professor Gerald Dyson, acting President of the Carter County Historical Society, who helped found the society with Don Combs in 2022, said the society’s goals are to preserve and share all the information available about Carter County to its residents and others who might be interested in learning about the region. The society’s predecessor organization, Dyson said, had ceased to be an organization back in the 1990’s. But the new society, he said, hopes to not only fill that void but expand upon what is currently common knowledge about the county’s rich history.

Dyson said that for the last 25 years since the older society ceased to be functional, and for many years before that iteration came into existence, the preservation of Carter County history was lacking. That is one of the many reasons, he said, that the upcoming festival is a positive step forward for those who are interested in all the things that occurred to move Carter County forward to where it is today.

Dyson said he is of the opinion that there is a dire need for historical and cultural advocacy in Carter County. Such advocacy, he said, would aid in recognizing the historical significance of buildings, for instance, in the area and assist in their possible preservation.

“And we need a home for historical documents as well,” Dyson said. “It’s very easy for things to get flooded, or molded, or thrown away.”

“We have already lost a great deal of what we had,” he said. “And we need to work to preserve what is left, possibly even digitizing that information, and having another form of preservation.”

Both Howard and Dyson agree that the first step to preserving history is helping residents awaken or reawaken interest in what occurred in their home county long before not only themselves, but also their parents and grandparents, were born. Many of the skills showcased at the upcoming festival are skills that have been handed down through generations, or relearned as interest in their historical significance has been reawakened.

The Appalachia Kentucky Herb, Handcraft, and Heritage Festival will be held on Saturday, May 2, centered at Grayson City Park, from 9 am until 7 pm. There will be a variety of vendors offering handmade, homegrown, and handcrafted goods. Herbal products, natural remedies, and woodworking will be well represented as well. There will also be craft and skills demonstrations, workshops, and various classes (45-minute sessions), from educators and craftspeople. Everyone is invited to attend the event and learn about Carter County history and have a great time.

Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com