Home Blog Page 222

 County to receive opioid settlement: Funds may only be used for “opioid abatement” programs 

Judge Executive Mike Malone presides over a fiscal court meeting in this file photo. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

Carter County is set to get their share of opioid litigation money from a class action suit against “Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Participants” – around $1.4 million. They adopted a resolution in special session last week accepting the terms of the lawsuit and claiming their share. But they are limited in what they can do with those funds. The funds a must be used for one of a series of “approved purposes” identified as “opioid abatement strategies.” 

The attachment described as “Exhibit A” listing the full scope of approved purposes was not attached to the Memorandum of Understanding as provided to fiscal court, however. It was not readily available online, either.

However, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has explained in various press statements that the funds could be used for substance-abuse treatment, prevention, and other programs related to opioid abuse. 

The county’s next step is to figure out how they would like to spend their share of funds, and if they want to partner with other local communities to pool those funds for greater impact. Pooling funds was one of the recommendations put forward by Ronald Johnson, a representative of the body overseeing the opioid settlement, during a teleconference with fiscal court. Johnson explained that certain funds earmarked for local government will be made available only if the county can partner with their cities or other communities. If they do not partner, those extra funds will be distributed to other communities who have partnered, and the county and cities will receive only the funds already allocated to them. 

Carter County Attorney Brian Bayes said the county’s share of funds had already increased for just over $800,000 to a little more than $1.4 million between the last two allocation rounds.

Mike Malone noted that first responders – including the police departments in each city, the county sheriff’s department, emergency ambulance service, fire department, and the health department – had all been “run ragged” by overdoses and other drug related incidents. However, the money can’t be used to directly reimburse them for their past costs, because of the requirement related to opioid abatement. 

District 4 Magistrate Donnie Oppenheimer said he would like to see the funds used for drug enforcement programs. He expressed skepticism that drug treatment and education were sufficient alone, and suggested using funds to help law enforcement “get drugs off the street.” 

Judge Executive Mike Malone, however, was not so quick to dismiss the impact of treatment and prevention education. 

“You’ll never get it all off the street,” Malone said. 

He said prevention and treatment could be successful, but required strict adherence to a program. It also often required cutting all ties with your former associates, something that can be difficult in a small and close-knit community. 

Malone then shared an anecdote of an unnamed friend who moved to Grayson many years ago to escape his own addiction. This person, in need of a place to start over where his friends wouldn’t tempt him back into a lifestyle of drug use, came to Carter County after randomly sticking a pin in a map. Since moving here, Malone said, this person has married, raised a family, and been a successful and productive member of the community. 

So, while recovery isn’t impossible, he said, it may require some difficult choices. 

No matter what they end up doing with the funds, however, they all agree it won’t be enough to make up for everything that Carter County’s families have lost to the opioid epidemic. 

In other action the court returned from executive session, to discuss employment and pending litigation, and made a motion to employ an individual in the road department, with his previous vacation time from another county position carrying over. 

Malone also gave an update on the doughboy statue. The county was given a quote to repair the damage from the broken ankles that wasn’t any higher than the preservation quote they had previously received. Malone said the county has inquired about payment options and will pursue private donations as well as use available county funds to pay for the repairs to the statue. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com 

 Kentucky State Police Post 8 Traffic Checkpoint Announcements

 MOREHEAD – Kentucky State Police, Post 8 Morehead announces the final traffic and criminal activity report for October 2021. 

During October, Post 8 personnel issued 1,145 total citations. Of those citations, 21 were for DUI, 274 were for Speeding, 130 for No Seat Belt and 4 were for Child Restraint. In addition, there were 124 Courtesy Notices issued. Post 8 also investigated 54 Traffic Collisions, 645 Complaints, opened 52 Criminal Cases, and made 171 Criminal Arrests for the month of October. 

Additionally, Captain John Dowdy, Post Commander of the Kentucky State Police at Morehead, announces that Troopers of the Morehead Post will be conducting Safety Checkpoints in addition to Moving Patrols throughout the Post 8 area during the entire month of November, as well as the remainder of the year. Motorists are urged to be cautious and obey reduced speeds through road construction zones.

This concentrated enforcement effort will utilize Troopers and Detectives assigned to and working the Morehead Post area. Members of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) will also be utilized. They will focus on enforcing violations of Speeding, No Seat Belt, Child Restraint, Impaired Driving Laws, and Texting While Driving, as well as other violations of the Traffic Laws of Kentucky.

Inez Corrine Dailey Nolen

1931-2021

Inez Corrine Dailey Nolen, age 90, of Blueberry Ridge, Olive Hill, KY, went home to heaven on Saturday, October 30, 2021, at St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead.

She was born May 5, 1931, in Carter County, KY, one of five children born to the late Albert and Edith Wilburn Dailey.  In addition to her parents, Inez was preceded in death by her four older brothers and their wives: Walter (Adeline), Tyndall (Opal), Webster (Jackie), Roger (Margaret) Dailey. 

Millis Elwyn Nolen, her husband of 43 years, went to heaven on June 3, 1996. 

Inez is survived by two daughters, Brenda (Ernie) Gillum of Middletown, OH, and Melinda (Jack) Rodgers of Olive Hill, KY; three grandchildren, Jason (Kristy) Gillum of Nicholasville, KY, Jeremy (Christy) Rodgers of Olive Hill, KY, and Tabitha (Joey) Campbell of Mt. Sterling, KY.  She is also survived by three great-grandsons whom she adored, Tanner Campbell, Cooper Campbell, and Sawyer Rodgers; and bonus great-grandchildren, Garrett Campbell, Alex Campbell, Jessica Watkins, and Bailey Watkins.  She is also survived by special nephew, Todd Nolan, and a host of family and friends that will dearly miss her.

Inez worked as a chiropractic assistant for Dr. N.C. Marsh of Morehead, KY for 38 years.  She was a lifetime member of the First Christian Church of Olive Hill.  She enjoyed attending, watching, and cheering on her great-grandsons in their many activities. Inez was an avid UK basketball fan and never missed a chance to watch a game and to “coach” from her armchair.  

A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 2, 2021, at the First Christian Church in Olive Hill with Bro. Albert Ison and Bro. Adam Foster officiating.  Burial will follow in Olive Hill Memory Gardens.

 Pallbearers will be Jeremy Rodgers, Jason Gillum, Joey Campbell, Todd Nolan, Garrett Campbell, Tyler Greenhill, Trey Greenhill, Paul Tierney.   Honorary pallbearers will be Tanner Campbell, Cooper Campbell, Sawyer Rodgers. 

Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Monday, November 1, 2021, at the First Christian Church, 110 Caleb Powers Lane, Olive Hill, KY 41164. 

In lieu of flowers please make donations to First Christian Church Building Fund at P.O. Box 538 Olive Hill, KY 41164 or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

View memorial tribute or sign guestbook at www.northcuttandson.com

Magdalene Stamper Blizzard

1932-2021

Magdalene Stamper Blizzard, age 89 of Round Rock, Texas, formerly of Olive Hill, Kentucky passed away at her residence on Saturday, October 30, 2021. 

Magdalene was born October 27, 1932 in Carter County, Kentucky.  She was the daughter of the late Jefferson Wheeler and Letha Mae Fannin Stamper.  She grew up in Olive Hill and graduated from Olive Hill High School in 1950.  After graduation, she moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and began work as a bookkeeper.  She later returned to Olive Hill to live and continue her career in bookkeeping, working at Ashland Sales and Bill’s Mobile Homes.  Later in life, she moved to Columbus, Ohio, then Lexington, Kentucky, and then to Round Rock, Texas.  She loved watching sports, particularly University of Kentucky Basketball and Atlanta Braves Baseball, playing cards, and spending time with her family.

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband of 17 years, Elwood Blizzard, and husband of 19 years, Kit Karson Rose; three brothers, Teddy Stamper, Clayton Stamper, and James Stamper; one sister, Ruth Couch; one nephew Paul Stamper of Chicago, Illinois, and one nephew by marriage, Roy Clark of Taylor, Texas.

She is survived by one sister, Esther Rose of Taylor, Texas; a niece, Maggie Dameron Clark who was her caregiver; a great niece, Candy Clark; and great great nephew, James Clark-Lanning who were very close to her and helped to care for her.  She is also survived by her nieces and nephews, Ted Couch (Marti) of Milroy, Indiana, Leatha Quinlan (George) of Bassett, Virginia, Leona McKee (Dan) of Bloomington, Indiana, Roger Couch (Ronda) of Deputy, Indiana, Loretta Higgins (Gary) of Bloomfield, Indiana, Glen Stamper of Chicago, Illinois, Clayton Stamper, Jr. of Chicago, Illinois, and Jeanie Blumer (Phil) of Ft. Walton Beach, FL; and three cousins, Virginia Duncan of Olive Hill, Kentucky, Thelma Egner of Norwalk, Ohio, and Carl Stamper of Olive Hill, Kentucky.

Visitation will be 1-2 PM on Saturday, November 13, 2021 at Globe Funeral Chapel at 17277 West Highway US 60 in Olive Hill, Kentucky.  Funeral will follow immediately at 2 PM with Brother David Rayburn officiating.  Burial will follow in the Bethel Cemetery in Olive Hill, Kentucky.  Family and Friends will serve as pallbearers.

Mary Louise Tackett Binion

1937-2021

Mrs. Mary Louise Tackett Binion age 84 of Olive Hill, Kentucky passed away Monday, October 25, 2021 at St Claire Healthcare in Morehead, Kentucky.

She was born March 7, 1937 in Carter County, Kentucky a daughter of the late Andy and Olive Danner Tackett.

Louise was of the Pentecostal Faith. She enjoyed sewing, cooking, working in flowers, she loved her family and especially her grandchildren and her dog, Pepper.

In addition to her parents she is preceded in death by four brothers, Harold Tackett, Orville Tackett, Michael Wayne Butch Tackett and Larry Tackett, two sisters, Ruth Boggs and Joyce Waggoner, two grandsons, Nathan Binion and Matthew Hollingsworth.

She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Corbin Binion, three sons, Jimmie (Tia) Binion, Donnie Binion all of Olive Hill, Kentucky, Brian Randall Binion of Morehead, Kentucky, two daughters, Linda Binion of Morehead, Kentucky and Tammie Binion of Olive Hill, Kentucky, thirteen grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held 12 noon on Friday, October 29, 2021 at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky with Brother Jimmie Binion and Brother David Rayburn officiating. Burial will follow in the Bethel Cemetery.

Friends may visit from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky and after 9 a.m. on Friday at Globe Funeral Chapel 17277 West Highway US 60 in Olive Hill, Kentucky.

Jeremy Knipp, Dakota Knipp, Reece Knipp, Wyatt Blevins, Jakob Conn, Richard Conn and William Parish will serve as pallbearers.

Robbie Hollingsworth will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Globe Funeral Chapel is caring for all arrangements for Mrs. Mary Louise Tackett Binion.

East and West bring home big wins: Both take home fourth seed in their districts

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

East Carter

East Carter had a big win against Russell on Friday night at home, ending the game with a score of 42-29 in their first victory over the Red Devils in recent years. 

The Raiders played a rushing game to bring home their win, with quarterback Kanron Kozee passing for only 80 yards, on six completions, including one touchdown pass to Connor Goodman. 

But Kozee earned a second touchdown for the Raiders on rushing, running the ball for a total of 52 yards over four attempts. 

Charlie Terry added another 214 yards, and three touchdowns, to the East Carter total with Isaac Boggs adding another touchdown and 49 yards to the Raiders 354 total rushing yards. 

Nikk Barnett added another 39 yards to that total. 

Terry, Kozee, and Barnett each added to the Raiders total with a two-point conversion run as well. 

Nikk Barnett had a single interception and Evan Goodman forced and recovered a single fumble for the Raiders. 

On defense, the Raiders had 22 solo tackles and 35 assists. 

Barnett led on tackles, with six solo and four assists, and two tackles for loss. Barnett was followed my Rylan Yoak, with two solo tackles and seven assists, for nine total tackles, including one tackle for loss and a defensive sack. 

Connor Goodman had three solo and two assisted tackles. Terry had two solo and three assists, with one tackle for loss. Zach Wellman had four assists. Bryson Kiser had three assists. Skyler McCormick had one solo and two assists. Evan Goodman, Kozee, and Izack Messer each had two solo and one assist, with Messer adding a tackle for loss. Boggs had three assists, Devin Carver and Garon Castle each had one solo and one assisted tackle, and Connor Skaggs and Mikey Hall each had one assist. 

This win places East Carter in fourth place in their class (3A) and district (7), with a 7-3 win/loss record. 

East Carter’s next game is October 29, at home, against Martin County, with the game beginning at 7:30 p.m. 

West Carter

West Carter is holding onto the fourth seed in their district (8) and class (2A) as well, with a huge 52-12 win against East Ridge on the road last Friday. 

Quarterback Eli Estepp passed for a total of 136 yards, with three touchdown pass completions and nine total completions on 15 attempts. 

Jackson Bond caught those three touchdown passes for the Comets, with eight total receptions for 119 yards. West Carter’s other 17 yards came courtesy of a reception for Timothy Fields. 

Bond also had a single rushing touchdown, for four total. Estepp had one rushing touchdown as well, though he didn’t add any to the Comets’ rushing yardage total. 

Most of those rushing yards, 343 of the 375 total, came courtesy of Cole Crampton, who added three rushing touchdowns to the West Carter total. 

Crampton also added a two-point conversion to the Comets’ final score and Isaac Bond added another two points on a pair of successful extra point kicks. 

Crampton had the Comets’ only fumble recovery on the evenging as well. 

On defense West Carter had 27 solo tackles, and 56 assists, with eight tackles for loss and two defensive sacks. 

Samuel Rayburn led the West Carter defense with six solo tackles and eight assists, for 14 total, five tackles for loss, and one defensive sack. 

Isaac Bond had three solo and nine assists, with one tackle for loss. Raymond Rayburn had one solo and ten assists, with one tackle for loss and one defensive sack. Neil Lusher had four solo and five assists. So did Kaden Wilson. Noah Orcutt had six assists. Bradyn Flener had three solo and two assists. Crampton had two solo and three assists, for five total tackles and one tackle for loss. Jake Barker had three solo and one assist. Sam Jones had three assists. Brent King had one solo tackle and one assist. Preston Nauman, Gavin Adams, and Kale Back each had an assisted tackle as well. 

West Carter faces off against Russell, on the road, next Friday. West Carter took home the win in their last face-off against the Red Devils, last season, their first victory against the team. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Uncle Jack Fultz’s Memories of Carter County: Toy guns and grown up violence 

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

It’s interesting to see how attitudes change over time. Today the right to keep and bear arms is considered sacrosanct among most of the folks in Carter County – Democrats and Republicans alike. Any politician who suggested any form of gun control probably wouldn’t last long on a ticket for local office. To suggest that we limit access even to toy guns would likely be laughed at. After all, most of us grew up playing cops and robbers, or pretending to be soldiers, with toy guns at our sides. And most of us never grew up to use a gun in violence against another person. 

Guns today are seen as useful tools – for hunting, for home and livestock protection – and shooting is seen as a legitimate recreational activity. 

But a century ago family feuds, the moonshine business, and other illegal activities colored the way the rest of the world saw Kentucky, and the way the rest of the state saw eastern Kentucky, and led to efforts to curb the public carrying of firearms. 

These efforts even extended to attitudes toward toy guns, with some folks – including the editors of the Carter County Herald – voicing their support for measures that would have prohibited the sale of toy guns in the state. 

When, in early 1924, the state senate voted down a measure supported by Governor William J. Fields – known throughout the state as “Honest Bill from Olive Hill” – which would have prohibited the sale of toy guns, the editor of the local paper opined that the action was taken, “before they had time to think, or at least a majority of them, for if ever there was a law needed to stop this habit it is now.” The paper went on to ask every “right thinking (man)” and “the good mothers” to “rally to the front” and change their Senators’ minds on the matter. 

“For the sake of the boys that are coming up,” the paper asked, “can’t we, somehow or other, learn them something better than to kill?” 

While acknowledging that parents have the largest role to play in determining their children’s actions and future, the paper was not shy about advocating for toy gun control. It’s an interesting take given that, even today, the focus of gun control is usually on the restriction of real guns, not toys. 

While we tend to think of the past as a more “conservative” time, it’s very interesting to see how some of the ideas that we’ve been debating at the state and federal level for the past several years – usually, but not always, under the guidance of more progressive liberal politicians – would not have been any more out of place in political debates of 1924 than they are today. 

While we’re skeptical that prohibiting the sale of toy guns would have done much to stop pretend shootouts – when we didn’t have toy guns as children it didn’t stop us from picking up curved sticks to continue our games after all – we’ll never know what impact 100 years of no toy guns might have had on the gun culture we know today. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Indictments 8/27/21

The following indictments were returned by the Grand Jury of the Carter Circuit Court on August 27, 2021. An indictment is not a determination of guilt or innocence. It is simply a charge that an offense has been committed and indicates that a case is pending on the charges listed. All defendants have the presumption of innocence until found guilty in a court of law. 

Though it is a part of the public record, the Carter County Times does not make a habit of printing the names of minor children or the victims of alleged crimes, except under exceptional circumstances. 

  • Dustin Young, 35, of Denton, on or about August 25, 2021, through July 31, 2021, committed the offense of flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor child, and accumulating an arrearage of $22, 517.41, a Class D Felony. 
  • Joseph T. Wiggs, 40, of Grayson, on or about April 12, 2021, committed the offenses of wanton endangerment, first degree, by wantonly engaging in conduct which created substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another, three counts, each a Class D Felony; and strangulation, first degree, by intentionally impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of another, by applying pressure on their throat or neck or blocking their nose or mouth without consent, a Class C Felony. 
  • Marilyn R. Smith, 45, of Grayson, on or about April 9, 2021, committed the offenses of possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony; and possession of drug paraphernalia, when he unlawfully possessed drug paraphernalia with intent to use, a Class A Misdemeanor. 
  • Charles Smith, 39, of Grayson, on or about May 30, 2021, committed the offenses of possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed heroin, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony; operating a motor vehicle under the influence, first offense, by operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway while intoxicated, a Class B Misdemeanor; expired registration, by having an expired registration receipt, in violation of the law; and failure to maintain required insurance, first offense, by driving a motor vehicle on a public roadway without valid insurance in effect on the vehicle, a Class B Misdemeanor. 
  • Charles Smith, 39, of Grayson, on or about February 2, 2021, committed the offense of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, by having possession of a handgun while having a prior felony conviction, a Class C Felony. 
  • Brian Romans, 42, of Grayson, on or about July 2, 2021, committed the offense of possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony. 
  • Travis Plumber, age illegible, of Olive Hill, on or about July 6, 2021, committed the offenses of assault in the first degree, by intentionally assaulting his victim with a deadly weapon, causing him to suffer serious physical injury, a Class B Felony; and tampering with physical evidence by destroying, mutilating, concealing, removing, or altering physical evidence which he believed would be in an official proceeding, a Class D Felony. 
  • John Pennington, 45, of Ashland, on or about April 1, 2020, through July 31, 2021, committed the offense of flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor child, and accumulating an arrearage of $3,304.00, a Class D Felony. 
  • Jonathan Nickols, 28, of Olive Hill, on or about April 12, 2021, committed the offense of possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony. 
  • Rachel Griffith Moore, 40, of Grayson, on or about May 5, 2021, committed the offense of theft by unlawful taking, auto, over $500 but under $10,000 by taking a Pontiac Grand Prix from another, with intent to permanently deprive the owner of their property, a Class D Felony. 
  • Virgil McDavid, 51, of Grayson, on or about July 13, 2021, committed the offenses of possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony; resisting arrest, by using physical force against a peace officer who was arresting him, a Class A Misdemeanor; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed an unspecified schedule one or schedule two narcotic, a Class D Felony; driving DUI while on a suspended license, second offense in ten years, by operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol and having a suspended license for a prior DUI within the last ten years, a Class D Felony; and tampering with physical evidence by destroying, mutilating, concealing, removing, or altering physical evidence he believed would be in an official proceeding, a Class D Felony. 
  • Brandon Hicks, 27, of Olive Hill, on or about April 8, 2020, through October 31, 2020, committed the offense of flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor children, and accumulating an arrearage of $3,039.00, a Class D Felony. 
  • Larry Davis, 41, of Grayson, on or about November 1, 2020, through July 13, 2021, committed the offense of flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor children, and accumulating an arrearage of $3,370.50, a Class D Felony.
  • Jason Cummings, 29, of Grayson, on or about June 26, 2021, committed the offenses of theft by unlawful taking, auto, over $500 but under $10,000 by taking a 2003 Honda CRV with intent to permanently deprive the owner of their property, a Class D Felony; and criminal mischief, first degree, by intentionally destroying property belonging to another, causing more than $1,000 damage, a Class D Felony. 
  • Christin Lynn Chapman, 38, of Milton, WV, on or about June 3, 2021, committed the offenses of possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed heroin, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony; and possession of a controlled substance, third degree, by knowingly and unlawfully possessing a controlled substance classified as a schedule four or schedule five drug, a Class A Misdemeanor. 
  • Travis Dale Carter, 29, of Olive Hill, on or about July 30, 2021, committed the offenses of terroristic threatening, third degree, by threatening to commit a crime against another likely to cause serious physical injury to them, three counts, each a Class A Misdemeanor; and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, by having possession of a handgun while having a prior felony conviction, a Class C Felony. 
  • Jesse F. Brown, on or about November 4, 2020, committed the offense of burglary in the first degree by knowingly and unlawfully entering the dwelling of another with intent to commit a crime and, while in the building or in the immediate flight therefrom, he or another participant in the crime was armed with explosives or a deadly weapon, a Class B Felony; with an enhancement from being a persistent felony offender first degree, by committing the felonious act set forth in this indictment while being convicted of two prior felonies. 

Letter to the Editor: A response to “Our juvenile justice system is a disgrace. It must be reformed.”

I read Keith Kappes’s article in the Sept. 24th issue of the Carter County Times and I have a few comments.

First, I don’t believe Cheves, the Lexington newspaper man, has ever worked a day as a corrections offer in any kind of facility and I doubt if Keith Kappes has. I worked in corrections as an officer for over 13 years so I know a little more about the job than they do. Don’t judge people who work a job too harshly if you have never worked the job yourself. The “children” that hte newspaper man feel so sorry for are not in the Juvenile Corrections Complex (JCC) for stealing a candy bar. Our system gives problem children and other offenders lots of breaks and lots of chances to straighten their lives up. Most people in prison or JCC have pretty thick rap sheets. Most of them have committed numerous crimes or something very bad like murder or rape. 

Next, you mentioned “troubled youths.” Just because someone has a rough childhood does not give them a right to victimize the people around them. They should follow the laws just like everyone else. I am sure it was the “trouble youths” who told the newspaper man all about their troubled childhood. We had a saying in corrections – “If you can’t believe a convicted felon, who can you believe.” Criminals, no matter what their age, will manipulate and use anybody, including newspaper men. I know of at least one corrections officer who was fired from JCC because he “took an inmate down too hard after being attacked by the inmate.” What are you supposed to do when attacked?

We, as a nation, have babied and mollycoddled criminals for at least 30 years now and it hasn’t helped. Crime rates are higher than ever before. We need to change, alright. We need to toughen up, not slack off.

— Randall McGlone
Retired Corrections Officer

Editor’s Note: Keith’s column “Our juvenile justice system is a disgrace. It must be reformed.” ran in the October 13, 2021 edition of the Carter County Times.

Response from the author:
I appreciate the dangerous work that Mr. McGlone and other correctional officers have performed over the years and continue to do so today. However, it is my understanding that the rule of law allows the court system to determine the punishment for lawbreakers, regardless of age, and the state assumes responsibility for making sure the criminals serve their sentences. Nowhere does it say that prison authorities have the right to brutalize inmates as additional punishment for those crimes. The Herald-Leader articles were not based on first graders complaining to their parents about being put in time-out. Those articles were based on 116 documented cases of excessive force against incarcerated juvenile offenders, including sexual assault.

— Keith Kappes

Do the cynics among us know more than we do?

By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times

“No good deed goes unpunished.”

That cynical expression has always intrigued me, and I admit to using it too often, especially as I’ve seen so much of life on my journey to senior citizenship.

I believe the most frequent use of the phrase happens when you incur someone else’s anger because you genuinely tried to do a good deed for them, but it somehow injured their pride or self-esteem.

How or why does a person get to the point in life that they have no faith in the sincerity of human motives?

All too often, what starts as an obvious lack of appreciation explodes into outright hostility, sometimes even violence. 

By the way, the initial authorship of that expression of no good deed going unpunished has been attributed to several individuals, including Walter Winchell, John P. Grier, Oscar Wilde and Clare Boothe Luce.

I learned it from my father who explained that it is a cynical twist on the common notion that good deeds by kind folks always bring praise and/or gratitude.

In life, we too often find a different reality that leaves some of us distrustful of selflessness in others.

That contempt can grow to the point that we suspect that most, if not all, acts of goodness are selfish, intended only to bring us the accolades of others.

One of my readers asked me a few years ago if all journalists really believe the worst of others, particularly those in public life, and that honesty and morality are obsolete. 

That question came back as I read a letter to the editor of another newspaper where the writer praised a prominent man for his many acts of kindness to him and others less fortunate. 

The man being complimented for his acts of humanity is facing several criminal indictments. Some suggested it was part of a letter-writing campaign to get him a lighter sentence.

My theory is that we are becoming more cynical because of the toxic political atmosphere in our world, nation, state and, currently, in our communities.

We may think that being cynical about today and pessimistic about tomorrow can protect us psychologically, but it likely won’t make us happier or help make or keep friendships. 

Despite the dire predictions about higher prices for everything in the coming months, I invite you to join me today in becoming more optimistic and grateful and to keep doing good things for others.

Keith Kappes can be reached at keithkappes@gmail.com

AS WE SEE IT: A kinder kitty community

The city of Grayson recently recommitted themselves to dealing with feral and stray animals in their community. They’ve discussed, and began advertising for, someone to work as a part time animal control officer under the office of code enforcement. 

This person will be responsible for rounding up dogs who pose a danger to the community, through aggressive behavior, or to themselves by wandering into traffic or other dangerous situations. 

They will also be responsible for helping trap stray cats as part of the city’s spay-neuter-release program. 

This program, like similar programs in other cities across the nation, helps deal with the growth of feral cat colonies by capturing the cats in live catch traps. These captured cats are then spayed or neutered, given rabies vaccinations, and released back in the same area where they were captured. 

Cats that have been captured and sterilized previously are identified by distinctive ear notches given to the cats when they are under anesthesia for their sterilization surgery. These notches cause no long-term issues for the cats and allow those running the programs to identify animals that can be released immediately back into the community. 

While there are some who question whether trap-neuter-release programs are more humane than euthanasia – cats that are released back into the wild still have to deal with living lives as wild animals and all the challenges that comes with that – there is no question that most of the truly wild animals captured in these programs are not suitable for rehoming as pets. 

They have never been pets. They are not used to being around humans. And they will never acclimate to a life as a loving pet. 

Rehoming them is not an option. 

That brings the options down to a trap-neuter-release program or euthanasia. 

While we could argue about what is more humane for the individual animal, especially for older animals that may have other underlying health issues, there is no doubt that the trap and release programs make living with feral cat colonies much easier for their human neighbors. 

For one thing, the size of the feral cat population steadily declines in areas where trap-neuter-release is practiced. The reason is that while cats may not be breeding anymore, they are still territorial. This means no new breeding cats are coming in to fill the niche left when other breeding cats are removed from the community. Instead, the population shrinks as no new kittens are born into the feral colony. 

Neutering or spaying the animals also helps eliminate one of the most common complaints human residents have about their feline neighbors – the fighting, yowling, and other late night noise that accompanies breeding activity. 

When they aren’t competing over the affections of a female, male cats are less likely to engage in aggressive and noisy displays or get into fights. Likewise, the trademark caterwauling that accompanies kitty courtship becomes a thing of the past when cats are no longer reproducing. As a result, humans can enjoy the benefits of their alley cat neighbors, such as keeping rodent populations down, with fewer of the downsides. 

It isn’t a perfect solution, by any means. Feral cat colonies still have an outsized impact on wildlife populations, especially songbirds, and trap-neuter-release programs don’t do much to address that (though it could be argued that by reducing the size of colonies over time, the impact on bird populations is also reduced). 

But we must remember that most of these cats will be too wild to ever be rehomed with a human family. Even if the county animal shelter did accept kittens or released pet cats that could be rehomed – which they currently do not – this would be a minority of the total number of feral cats living in a community like Grayson. 

The best the community can hope for, in the short term, is to reduce friction between the city’s human and feline residents. Trap-neuter-release programs achieve this by both reducing the number of new kittens born and reducing the noisy night-time courtship activities that lead to their birth and lead to the majority of feral cat complaints. 

Maybe someday Grayson and Carter County can establish a feral cat sanctuary, where cats who can’t be rehomed can live out their lives in peace and comfort, free of disease and parasites, and without making any impact on songbird populations. Until then, trap-neuter-release is the best option, and we commend the city of Grayson for bringing the program back. 

Carter County EAS supports breast cancer awareness month

The Carter County Emergency Ambulance Service is working to increase breast cancer awareness and support breast cancer awareness month with new magnetic decals on their trucks. (submitted photo)
The Carter County Emergency Ambulance Service is working to increase breast cancer awareness and support breast cancer awareness month with new magnetic decals on their trucks. (submitted photo)

Pet of the Week: 10/27/21

Hank and Henry are one-year-old male beagle mixes. These boys are quiet, sweet, and get along well with other dogs. Hank and Henry’s adoption fee is a donation of dog food! They will also be neutered and vaccinated. Stop by the Carter County Animal Shelter and meet them, or call 475-9771 for more information. 

Shelter hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday by appointment. 

Livestock and Grain Market Report: 10/23/21

Extension Notes: Care of mums will make them last longer

Photo by saifullah hafeel from Pexels
By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent

When buying a mum for fall color, look for the plant with tight buds that haven’t flowered yet. Choose the variety you want based on the ones close to it that have already bloomed. This will help you have flowers for at least a month after you bring your mum home.

Another key to making your mum last longer is keeping it watered. You can place the mum in a larger pot once you bring it home. This will help it retain more water. If you leave it in its original container, check the soil at least every other day by simply putting a finger into the soil, at least to the first knuckle. If the soil is dry, your mum needs water.

When you water your mum, make sure the water gets good contact with plant roots and the soil. Either water bottom-up in a pan or pail of water, or from the sides of the pot with a watering can or garden hose. Watering overhead on the leaves or buds of the mum will cause them to deteriorate more quickly. Also, don’t allow your mum to stand in water very long, as this can cause problems such as root rot. Once flowers begin to fade, “deadhead” or pick off the fading blooms, which will promote new growth and make the plant look healthier, helping to prolong the plant’s beauty.

More information on fall gardening, is available at the Carter County office of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. 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.

Upcoming Ag Extension Events

  • Monday, November 1st @ 6:00 PM @ Carter County Extension Office – Ag Advancement Council 
  • Monday, November 1st @ 7:00 PM @ Carter County Extension Office – Ag Development Board 
  • Tuesday, November 9th @ 6:00 PM @ Wolfe County Extension Office – East KY Hay Contest Awards 
  • Saturday, November 13th @ 9:00 AM @ Morehead State Farm – Yak Research Husbandry Conference 
  • Thursday, November 18th @ 6:00 PM @ Carter County Extension Office – Northeast Area Livestock Association 

King’s Daughters offering walk-in flu shot clinics

Adults

King’s Daughters is hosting upcoming walk-in flu vaccine clinics at King’s Daughters Primary Care Flatwoods, 2420 Argillite Road and King’s Daughters Family Care Center Grayson, 100 Bellefonte Drive.

“This year is more important than ever to be protected from the flu,” said Lisa Ashley, director of primary care practices at King’s Daughters. “These walk-in clinics will help ensure our communities have the protection they need.”

Upcoming walk-in flu vaccine clinics are scheduled on the following dates:

3 to 7 p.m. every Thursday at KD Family Care Center Grayson

For pediatric and high-dose vaccinations please contact your provider or visit one of King’s Daughter’s pediatric flu-shot clinics.

Pediatrics

Flu shots are recommended for ages 6 months to 18 years. 

“We are proud to offer this service to our local children,” said Kayla Murphy, director of pediatric practices at King’s Daughters. “It’s very important that our little ones have protection from the flu this year.” 

Walk-in pediatric flu shot clinics are scheduled on the following dates:

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6 at KD Bellefonte Primary Care and Pediatrics, 1000 Ashland Drive, Suite 102, Ashland

For both the adult and pediatric flu shot clinics, no appointment is needed. Individuals do not need to be patients in the practice to receive the vaccination during scheduled times. Masks are required and social distancing will be enforced.

Flu vaccination cost will be billed to insurance. Cost for self-pay patients is $27; cash, checks and credit cards welcome.

For more information, go to www.KingsDaughtersHealth.com/flu

ACTC to host stand-up comedy show

ASHLAND – Ashland Community and Technical College is excited to announce the college will be hosting a stand-up comedy show on Thursday, November 4.

The event will take place at the Technology Drive Campus from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M in the Rocky Adkins Pavilion.

The event is free and open to students, faculty, staff and the community.

“We decided to have this event because with the pandemic we lost interaction with students, employees, and the community,” said Orlando Currie, Student Activities Coordinator at ACTC. “They say that laughter is the best medicine, and one thing I love about comedy is that it can bring so many different races, genders, and personalities together to enjoy and interact with one another.”

Scheduled comedians include Damon Darling, Xavier Dunson, Shaena Rabbini, Ryan Voorhees and Christopher Toyloy.

Due to the mature nature of some of the show’s content, Currie advises that attendees be ages 13 and up.

For more information, email Currie at ocurriejr0001@kctcs.edu.

 Weekly arrests report: 10/27/21

 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. 

  • James Stevens, 44, of Grayson, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on three counts of failure to appear, arrested and booked October 19. 
  • Melissa Shockey, 50, of Grayson, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on charges of flagrant non-support, and two counts of failure to appear, arrested and booked October 19. 
  • Michael Cox, 51, of Grayson, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, for probation violation for a felony offense, and failure to appear, arrested and booked October 19.
  • Theodore Toney, 20, of Grayson, arrested by Grayson PD, on a charge of public intoxication – controlled substance excluding alcohol, arrested and booked October 19. 
  • Seria McDowell, 20, of Grayson, arrested by Grayson PD, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 19. 
  • Carrie O’Kelley, 37, of Olive Hill, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, for violation of a Kentucky Emergency Protection Order/Domestic Violence Order, arrested and booked October 19. 
  • Dale Hamm, 46, of Olive Hill, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 19. 
  • Kade Lewis, 27, of Ashland, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on a charge of first degree possession of a controlled substance – methamphetamine, arrested and booked October 20. 
  • Aaron Montgomery, 31, of New Boston, Ohio, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on a charge of third degree terroristic threatening, arrested and booked October 20. 
  • Aaron Twinam, 32, of Catlettsburg, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 20. 
  • Joyce Holbrook, 39, of Morehead, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on charges of flagrant non-support, and failure to appear, arrested and booked October 20. 
  • Candy Arthurs, 50, of Olive Hill, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 20. 
  • Steven Pack, 51, of Cynthiana, arrested by Kentucky Department of Corrections, serving a warrant for another police agency, arrested and booked October 21. 
  • Anna Gillispie, 32, of Olive Hill, arrested by Boyd County Jail, on three counts of failure to appear, arrested and booked October 21. 
  • Keshea Zirkle, 29, of Grayson, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on charges of first degree criminal abuse of a child 12 or under, and failure to appear, arrested and booked October 22. 
  • Daniel Bowling, 58, of Sandy Hook, arrested by Carter County Jail, charges unavailable, arrested and booked October 22. 
  • David Harlow, 43, of Grayson, arrested by Carter County Jail, charges unavailable, arrested and booked October 22. 
  • Kamren Porter, 27, of Proctorville, Ohio, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on charges of alcohol intoxication in a public place, arrested and booked October 23. 
  • Danny Kelley, 24, of Grayson, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 23. 
  • Brianna Littleton, 28, of Olive Hill, arrested by Olive Hill PD, for non-payment of court costs, fees, or fines, two counts of failure to appear, and a charge of resisting arrest, arrested and booked October 23. 
  • Michael Gage, 30, of Huntington, WV, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on charges of speeding 19 MPH over limit, failure to wear seat belts, no registration receipt, failure to produce insurance card, operating on a suspended or revoked operator’s license, possession of marijuana, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance, and failure to notify the department of transportation of an address change, arrested and booked October 23. 
  • Jimmy Littleton, 35, of Olive Hill, arrested by Olive Hill PD, on two counts of contempt of court/libel/slander/resistance to order, and failure to appear, arrested and booked October 23. 
  • Tabitha Shenett, 34, of Hitchins, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, first degree trafficking in a controlled substance – methamphetamine, and non-payment of court costs, fees, or fines, arrested and booked October 24. 
  • Jaclynn Ruth, 23, of Grayson, arrested by Grayson PD, on a charge of contempt of court/libel/ slander/resistance to order, arrested and booked October 24. 
  • Laken Johnson, 28, of Grayson, arrested by Grayson PD, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 24. 
  • Austin Kilgore, 19, of Olive Hill, arrested by Kentucky State Police, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 24. 
  • Ricky Rose, 45, of Olive Hill, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on charges of no registration plates, no registration receipt, failure to maintain required insurance, failure to wear seat belts, driving on a DUI suspended license, and on a warrant for parole violation, arrested and booked October 24. 

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. Individuals who are released or post bail shortly after arrest may not be listed. 

 Kid Spot Center offers pediatric therapy services: Behavior, speech, and occupational therapy offered

Members of the Grayson Chamber of Commerce and the Kid Spot Center staff hold a ribbon cutting at the Grayson site. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 Demand for the services offered by the Kid Spot Center – a children’s therapy center and pediatric outpatient clinic offering options like occupational, behavioral and speech therapy, as well as targeted case management – are growing. So much so that the Kid Spot Center has vacated their offices outside Olive Hill for a new location in Grayson. But even that spot probably won’t last them long. Even as they held a ribbon cutting at their new Grayson site earlier this month, they were already planning for a future move into a larger facility to meet the demand for the support they offer. 

It’s an issue that the Kid Spot Center founders, occupational therapist Brandy Close and speech and language pathologist Jennifer Houk, never expected when they left their jobs as school-based therapists to open their first location in Campbellsville. 

They offer more services at their other clinics, including counseling services and social skills groups, but the Grayson offices is currently limited to a few types of therapy and targeted case management, which is a more complex service which aims to help families with other stressors that could make therapy difficult. 

“(Targeted Case Management) is for families who need help finding resources for their families,” Close explained. “So, if your family needs help finding a way to get food, we try to go out in the community and find (the resources that are needed).” 

This can be help with navigating the social services environment for EBT cards, help securing reliable transportation to doctor appointments, and any other external stressors that might make it more difficult for a child and their family to succeed in their therapy. 

“We’re here to provide full support,” Houk added. “If they need somebody present for an ARC meeting at school, we try to have somebody present, to get the families that help.” 

“We just started the targeted case management service here in September,” Close continued. “So, it’s a very new service.” 

Getting hooked-up with the school resource centers to make sure they can work with them is a goal, though, she said. But it wasn’t something they needed to do until the added the targeted case management. At their old location, in Olive Hill, they offered therapy services only. 

“We opened in Olive Hill in June of last year,” Houk explained. “That location didn’t work out for us, so we moved to Grayson in June of this year. So, we’ve been in this area for 15 months or so.” 

They had planned to open even earlier, in March, but COVID-related delays pushed that back and have put a throttle on growth since, but as things return to normal, so has the expected growth for the Kid Spot Center. 

If parents are currently taking their children out of town or out of county for services like speech or occupational therapy, and they would like to move their appointments closer to home, they can start by reaching out to the Grayson center. 

“They would initially need to contact Donna (Bentley, Patient Services Coordinator) and she would let you know which documents you would need to obtain for us to get authorization from your insurance,” Close explained. 

Basically the same process you would follow if contacting a new doctor. 

The Grayson office can be reached by telephone at (270)283-3845. You can also find them online at thekidspotcenter.com. 

The duo hopes that their Grayson location can be of benefit to those local parents who haven’t had these sort of counseling and therapy resources close-by. 

“You asked what this means for Grayson, and we hope it means a lot. Grayson meant a lot to us, when we got out in this area, because it reminds us a lot of the Campbellsville area, which is our home town,” Houk said. 

“The reason we started the Kid Spot – we were school therapists before – and we had kids that were driving from Campbellsville to Lexington, which is about the same distance from here to Lexington, and we started the Kid Spot Center to help those families out, in hopes that if one of those kids were our kid somebody would be there to support them, and we hope for this area it means the same. That it will relieve family stress and free up time, finances, and having to take a day off work. We’re right in your back yard and can provide that same level of care.” 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes. com 

 Come together: Grayson and Olive Hill Chambers encourage local holiday shopping

Jill York and Betsy Fannin discuss the “Merry & Bright Light Trail” with the Olive Hill Chamber. The light trail is a joint venture of the Olive Hill and Grayson Chambers. (Photo by Lisa Messer-Conley, Olive Hill Chamber of Commerce)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 The Grayson and Olive Hill Chambers are working together this holiday season to encourage you to keep your Christmas shopping dollars circulating within Carter County. 

One of the events the two chambers are working on together is the “Merry & Bright Light Trail,” which will encourage holiday shoppers to get out, enjoy holiday displays at businesses and homes across the county, and while doing so to check out the holiday gift options offered by local merchants. Jill York and Betsy Fannin, with the Grayson Chamber of Commerce, addressed the Olive Hill Chamber on the project during their last regular meeting. 

Olive Hill Chamber President Lisa Messer-Conley, in an email to chamber members, emphasized the impact the joint event could have on local business owners. 

“Let me say this in advance,” Conley wrote in her email. “Get those Christmas lights out, checked, and get ready to decorate! This event will be a chance to advertise your business in a huge way, all while keeping Christmas spending right here in Carter County.” 

“We appreciate the Grayson Chamber of Commerce for inviting us to be a part of this,” she added. 

It’s part of a recent push by the Grayson and Olive Hill chambers to work more closely and share resources for the benefit of both groups’ members. 

The Grayson Chamber issued a release on the Christmas Light Trail later in the week noting that more than 90 homes and businesses participated in the 2020 Light Trail, reaching more than 25,000 people over social media and getting more than 4,800 Light Trail Map clicks. This year they hope to double that number with the longer route. 

Cash prizes will be awarded to winning homes and local shopping events and promotions will coincide with the event. 

For more information, check out graysonchamber.com online. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

1...221222223...289Page 222 of 289