By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
No one really believes in werewolves, right? It’s the stuff of folk tales and horror movies. Pulp novels and comic books. But it isn’t the type of thing that anyone takes seriously. Or is it?
People across the country report encountering upright, bipedal canid creatures. In some parts of the country they call them dogmen.
In Wisconsin it’s the Bray Road Beast.
But in the bayous and swamps of Louisiana, it’s the Rougarou. The Rougarou, whose name derives from the French Loup Garou (itself said to be a shortening of the phrase, “loup, gardez vous,” or “wolf, watch yourself”) is a uniquely southern werewolf. Tangled up in Native legends and French Catholic traditions, to some of the people who call these rural bayou communities home, the Rougarou is a real threat, and one that deserves respect.
In Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou The Small Town Monsters crew take a look at the various traditions and legends that come together to define this particular southern critter.
One supposedly native tradition tells of a band of Atakapa that turned to cannibalism as it battled other native tribes in the region, eventually becoming the monsters we know as Rougarou today as they turned to dark rituals to fight back against their enemies who banded together to defeat them.
While the film invokes the Skinwalker tradition in describing this legend, the Skinwalker was not a term in use by tribes of the region. The Skinwalker tradition, which also includes the use of dark magic for shapeshifting, is a legend of the Navajo and associated southwestern tribes. It wasn’t a term used historically by the people known as Atakapa (they referred to themselves as the Ishak) or other Louisiana tribes who would have been their enemies.
It has, however, come to be a popular term in recent years for unexplained creatures associated with any variety of high strangeness. In that sense, it’s a good fit for placing the Rougarou stories collected by director Seth Breedlove and crew into a context that casual fans of the paranormal and folklore can understand.
The main reason is because not all of these stories are just about the sighting of upright wolf men. That’s a big part of it, but purported Rougarou witnesses report a wider range of strange phenomenon, all tied up with religious convictions, racism, anxieties related to loss of place and identity with coastal erosion, and the fear of the dark and wild places that seems to come hardwired in all of us – a remnant of a time when the wolf really might step out of the dark and drag our livestock or our children away. Some of those experiences seem to have more to do with hauntings. Some with hexes and curses and the evil eye – for instance one way to cure a Rougarou is to take the curse on yourself for a set amount of time. Or until you can trick or coax another into taking on the affliction.
In other legends you can be cursed if you encounter a Rougarou and talk about it before a year and a day or other period of time has passed. But while these may not match up with our Hollywood expectations for the werewolf, they are all associated with the Rougarou in this part of the world.
Despite the anatopistic use of Skinwalker in the title – a move Breedlove confessed, in his Monsteropolis podcast, was driven by distributors who worried that the original Howl of the Rougarou titled wouldn’t sell films – the film does a fantastic job of capturing the sense of place and the people who call it home.
Skinwalker: The Howl of the Rougarou is available for purchase on DVD or Blu-ray, from the Small Town Monsters website at smalltownmonsters.com, or for download or streaming on your favorite streaming platforms.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
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.
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.
By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
In a compromise move, the Grayson Planning and Zoning Commission will rezone a portion of land along US 60 from Residential-1 to Highway Business, but they will stop short of the home of an impacted property owner, leaving his home and the office space past him in a residential area.
The Commission made the motion in a special meeting last Friday, following a public hearing earlier in the week.
The property prompting the debate is the old health department building, next to the current Agriculture Extension offices. Starlene Harris explained at the public hearing, and again at the commission meeting, that the Extension Service had purchased the property with the intent to remodel the facility for meeting space and as a commercial kitchen for the canning of local produce for sale. Estimates for the work required were more than the Extension anticipated, however.
The Dollar General organization had an option on the property though. That option is set to expire soon, and the corporation wishes to act on it before it does. If they are to build there, however, the land would need to be rezoned from a residential to a commercial or mixed-use area.
Code Enforcement officer Duane Suttles explained at both meetings that most of the properties in the proposed area were not residential properties. While there were two residences located in the original area slated for rezoning, the other properties included city owned Little League fields, Carter County Extension Service property, the old health department property, two churches, two residences, and a CPA office.
Suttles told city attorney Jason Greer in the September 13 hearing that he believed the rezoning would be more applicable and appropriate to the area.
Mindy Woods-Click also addressed that issue during the zoning commission’s Friday meeting.
“The original plan was residential,” she said. “But the new zoning is more reflective of the actual growth we’ve seen.”
Mr. Steven Skiles, who showed up at city council and at the public hearing to express his displeasure with having his property rezoned, was satisfied with the compromise, which stops the zone change at his property line.
Suttles explained that the new zoning map would impact 13 parcels, five belonging to the Extension, the city owned Little League fields, parcels owned by Ferrellgas, the health department building, the Church of God, and the Grayson Freewill Baptist Church, as well as two privately owned, non-residential parcels.
Commission member Mike Harper moved, and Woods-Click seconded, a motion that rezones the property up to the Freewill Baptist property line. That leaves the two private residences and the CPA office in a residential zone.
The commission also moved to accept the development plans for the Dollar General building.
The city planned the first reading of an ordinance related to the zoning change in a special session scheduled for Tuesday, September 21. They will approve the zoning change on second reading at a future meeting.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
What value does a library bring to a community? And how can it contribute to the community’s growth and prosperity?
Those were a couple of the issues that Carter County Public Library director Matt Parsons discussed with the Olive Hill Chamber of Commerce during their regular September meeting last Thursday. Unlike the other businesses that make up the chamber, he explained, the library is not there to make a profit. If they bring in more money, he said, it should be reflected in more services provided to the community. Right now, finding the resources to bring all the services they would like to bring to the public is part of their challenge. Despite that, though, Parsons told the chamber he was not there to ask them to money. Rather, he was there to explain the value they add already, and what extra value they could add with better funding.
For instance, he noted, for various reasons broadband internet access is not available everywhere in the county. Even if you want to pay for it, you can’t always get it in every location. But the libraries can provide that access.
More importantly, he noted, they can help provide digital literacy in the same way libraries have provided literacy education for centuries. Parson noted he’s had one patron come in repeatedly for help with sending text messages on their smart phone. So, even with the entire world of knowledge available at his fingertips, Parsons explained, without help in learning how to access it, the patron is no better off than he was before he got his smartphone.
And though smartphones are practically everywhere now, not every family can afford to purchase cell phones for their children. Plus, there are the connectivity issues already mentioned.
Those things alone would make a library worthwhile, Parsons said, but the library also serves as so much more. It can be a place to gather for community groups, it can provide venue space for performances and events, and it can put on its own events – like reading groups for children – that can instill a love of reading and learning that can last a lifetime.
If connectivity isn’t a problem for a patron, but mobility is, the library has also received a grant from the Tri-State Foundation that allowed them to purchase some audio and video streaming equipment. They are using that equipment to livestream story time events and other library activities to the public.
Another activity they have been focused on recently, Parsons said, is resources for parents who are looking to homeschool their children. In addition to parents who homeschool for traditional reasons, he said, there has been an influx of parents who are homeschooling because of the inconsistency in the traditional school system around the pandemic. Some aren’t ready to send their children back to school in-person yet, he said. Others decided during online instruction last year that they would take over duties and keep their children at home this year. The reasons may be as varied as the families, but Parsons said the library strives to offer them all guidance and resources to meet their needs, no matter those needs or their motivations for homeschooling.
In other action, Chamber President Lisa Messer Conley announced that she will not be seeking re-election when her term as President expires at the end of this year. Conley said she would still be heavily involved in the Chamber and in supporting community events. She teased that whoever took over the role could expect her to check up on them regularly.
“The last three years as chamber president have been a rewarding experience,” Conley said. “Not only has it been the hardest job I’ve ever done, it’s also been my favorite one. I love Olive Hill and want to see it prosper, and I will continue working to do whatever I can to promote… Olive Hill.”
The Chamber also announced the schedule for their It’s Fall, Y’all event and held an organizational meeting for It’s Fall, Y’all after the regular Chamber meeting.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Middle school athletics and high school wrestling coaches are among those who will be impacted by a motion from the Carter County Board of Education on Monday evening to approve additional athletic coaching stipends. The motion came after director of personnel for the district, Ryan Tomolonis, told the board he had looked into the coaching stipends offered by other surrounding districts and found that the amount offered by Carter County for most positions compares favorably.
What Tomolonis did find, however, was that a number of sports – mostly at the middle school level – were not being compensated in a manner consistent with other districts.
Tomolonis recommended that high school wrestling, and middle school volleyball, baseball, softball, golf, and bass fishing be granted additional athletic coaching stipends.
The board moved unanimously to approve the action.
This move came after Cory Jones addressed the board asking for assistance for paid coaching positions for wrestling at East and West Carter high schools. West Carter currently has a wrestling program, with volunteer coaches, but East Carter does not. Wrestling is a new sport in the district, Jones said, but it’s one that has garnered a lot of interest and is one of the fastest growing sports in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. He said a number of students at East Carter are interested in the sport, but that it has been impossible to find coaches within the district. Coaches are available from outside the district, he said, but they aren’t necessarily willing to make the drive to Carter County for no compensation. He said the site based council at ECHS was ready to approve wrestling as a sport, but only if the district would fund a paid coaching position and the purchase of mats.
The board’s decision on athletic coaching stipends should open the way for the formation of an East Carter team. Once the team is established the board said they can then approve the purchase of mats and other required equipment.
In other action Mary Deharte, principal at the Carter County Career and Technical Center, came to the board to ask them to consider fully funding the building of a new CCCTC facility. Deharte explained that while they hoped to receive a grant for some of the construction costs, they were not awarded those funds. Because of that, she said, she was asking the board to fund the project at the original ask. She noted that the building, which was constructed in 1969, has four levels with no elevators or ramps, has no loading docks for material and insufficient truck access, and that it has no covered storage, meaning lumber and metal used in the carpentry and welding programs are stored exposed to the elements.
Veronica Flannery also spoke in favor of funding renovations at the CCCTC. Flannery, a teacher at the school, noted the district currently has a waiting list for welding, and that the addition of another 10 to 20 welding booths in a new facility could allow that many more students to participate in the program each year.
Board member Kirk Wilburn, district five, assured the CCCTC staff that the issues at the building were, “still on the radar.”
The board also heard from a Mr. Sloan, who asked about funds for completing construction on a baseball field at East Carter Middle School. Sloan said the field was graded and drainage was installed, and that blocks were laid for the backstop, but no other work was complete. To be functional the field would need dugouts, lights, fencing, and grass on the field.
Finally, in public comments, Melissa Carter returned to the board to express her concerns with the district’s mandates regarding mask use in schools. Carter said she left the previous school board meeting she attended believing the district would not mandate masking. The self-identified mother and grandmother, who says she is a nurse with a background in respiratory therapy, reiterated claims that masks lead to students rebreathing toxins and increased CO2 levels. She also claimed that students were being “coerced into a medical experiment” by being required to wear masks and claimed that tests for detecting the COVID-19 virus were carcinogenic.
These claims have all been refuted by the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration. While some disinfectants, like ethylene dioxide, used to treat a broad array of medical equipment can be linked to some cancers, those cases are all related to direct inhalation of the gaseous substance in industrial facilities. It is not related to the use of ethylene dioxide as a medical disinfectant.
Carter was accompanied by Lana White, who identified herself as a “retired physician.” White decried the district’s mask policy, calling them “dirty,” “snotty,” and bacteria laden, among other colorful descriptors. She also compared the school board to Nazis and reiterated claims from Carter that masks mandates violated the conventions of the Nuremberg Code.
White is not from Carter County, and identified herself as President of the Boyd County Republican Women’s Club. She appears to be involved in social media groups protesting mask mandates across the region.
The district heard their concerns but did not directly reply.
The only mention of COVID from the board came from the report of interim superintendent Dr. Jake Bell. Bell noted that the district currently had 26 positive cases for COVID out of more than 4,000 students. That put the district’s infection rate at “.001percent,” he said. Bell praised school staff – particularly janitorial and support staff – for their attention to “taking care of the basics” in school sanitation.
He also noted the flexibility given to schools for NTI days with Senate Bill 1. He said districts can now move a single school to online instruction, and leave other schools to in-person instruction, if that is deemed to be in the best interest of the district. District NTI days will count the same whether they are used for a single school, or for the entire district.
In other action the board heard from instructional supervisor Erica Perkins on the districts Explicit Instruction programs to help kids catch up on instructional time lost to COVID last school year. They also approved a number of action by consent items, including memorandums of agreement with Kentucky Christian University and ACTC.
Board chair Lisa Ramey-Easterling also gave a special thanks to KDMC for their donation of two AED defibrillator devices to the district.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com.
Mr. Talmage Lee Reynolds, age 69, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, entered into rest Wednesday evening, September 15, 2021 at St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead, Kentucky.
He was born June 19, 1952 to Edgar and Peachie Middleton Reynolds in Carter County, Kentucky.
Talmage was a Christian, he was saved and baptized in the winter of 2016, he attended Providence Freewill Baptist Church in Olive Hill, Kentucky. Talmage was a lifelong tobacco and cattle farmer, he enjoyed using and collecting old time farm machinery, coon hunting, sitting around a campfire and listening to the fox hounds run. Talmage loved sitting in his swing, visiting with friends and being a grandfather.
In addition to his parents, Talmage is preceded in death by his son, Leslie Ray Reynolds; four brothers, Kenneth Reynolds, Charles Reynolds, Billy Reynolds and infant Leslie Reynolds.
He is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Linda Debord Reynolds; one daughter, Amy (Brett) Bowling; two grandsons, Nathan and Matthew; one granddaughter, Brooklyn Bowling all of Olive Hill, Kentucky; one daughter-in-law, Robin Reynolds; three brothers, Harold (Kathy) Reynolds, Terry Reynolds, both of Olive Hill, Kentucky and RD (Pamela) Reynolds of Flemingsburg, Kentucky; two sisters, Glenna Buckler and Virginia (Burt) Bocook, both of Olive Hill, Kentucky. He also leaves behind many other family members and friends who will sadly mourn his passing.
Graveside service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, September 25, 2021 at the Reynolds Family Cemetery in Olive Hill, Kentucky with Brother Ronnie Easterling and Brother Bobby day officiating. Funeral procession will leave 10 a.m. Saturday, September 25, 2021 going to the Reynolds Family Cemetery.
Friends may visit after 6 p.m. Friday, September 24, 2021 at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky.
Nathan Bowling, Matthew Bowling, Harold Reynolds, RD Reynolds, Terry Reynolds and Brett Bowling will serve as pallbearers.
Danny Carroll, Sam Thompson, David Harman, Mark Tackett, Leevon Bear, Paul Clay, Gary Clay, Sam Stevens, Denny Conley, Jim Clary and Wayne Reynolds will serve as honorary pallbears.
Mr. Arnold Ray Hedge age 82 of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away Friday, September 17, 2021 at his residence surrounded by his loving family.
He was born August 22, 1939 in Carter County, Kentucky a son of the late Roy and Elsie Baker Hedge.
Arnold was a member of Oakland Christian Church for 15 years. He worked 33 years as a Battery Machine Repairmen for General Motors Delco Battery. Arnold was a Mason and a Shriner. He loved riding horses, hunting, spending time with his family and friends and especially loved spending time with his grandchildren.
In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by two sons, John George and David George, one grandson, William R. Whicker, two brothers, Rev. Paul Hedge and Van Hedge.
He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Deloris Weaver Hedge, three sons, Jeff Hedge of Olive Hill, Kentucky, Greg Hedge of Mansfield, Ohio and Richard Hedge of Olive Hill, Kentucky, five daughters, Debra O’Mullane of Washington, Indiana, Jerrie Ann Servidio of Richmond, Kentucky, Melissa Miller of Yorktown, Indiana, Shirley Kissel of Cleveland, Ohio and Sandy George of Dunkirk, Indiana, one brother, RC Hedge of Olive Hill, Kentucky, four sisters, Wilma Johnigean of Jacksonville, Florida, Bonnie Dailey, Judy Schnuerer and Julie Norman all of Mansfield, Ohio.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Thursday, September 23, 2021, at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky with Brother Haskel Dailey and Brother Adam Hedge officiating. Burial will follow in the Hedge Cemetery on Prater Road in Olive Hill, Kentucky.
Friends may visit after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 and after 9 a.m. on Thursday until there service hour at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky.
Jeff Hedge, Greg Hedge, Richard Hedge, Zack Hedge, Brad Hedge and Terry Miller will serve as pallbearers.
Due to COVID-19 regulations, we ask that everyone wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.globefc.com
Mr. Bobby Littleton, age 67, of Vanceburg, Kentucky passed away Friday, September 17, 2021 surrounded by his family at Kings Daughters Medical Center in Ashland, Kentucky.
He was born August 24, 1954 in Lewis County, Kentucky a son of the late Tom and Lydia Brickles Littleton.
Bobby was of the Christian Holiness Faith and retired from the Saw Mill. He loved going to church, spending time with his children, grandchildren, granddogs and his dog, Tootles. He also enjoyed traveling, especially his trip to Montana. He enjoyed digging ginseng, playing mini golf, riding go-carts, going to wrestling events and watching westerns.
In addition to his parents he is preceded in death by one daughter, Ashley Rae Littleton, one brother, Richard Littleton, one sister, Linda Carroll.
He is survived by his loving wife of 43 years, Barbara Sue Rose Littleton, one son, Bobby Jarrod Littleton of Louisville, Kentucky, six daughters, Rhonda (Jarrod) Gilliam of Olive Hill, Kentucky, Stacy (Rickie) McDonie of Kitts Hill, Ohio, Erin Littleton of Vanceburg, Kentucky, Tessa (Duran) Bradley, Amanda Kirby, Kelsey Littleton all of Morehead, Kentucky, eight grandchildren, one grandson on the way, four brothers, Avery Littleton of Emerson, Kentucky, Homer Littleton of Morehead, Kentucky, Ralph Littleton and Kenneth Littleton both of Emerson, Kentucky.
Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 22, 2021, at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky with Brother Randy Binion and Brother Ed Porter officiating. Burial will follow in the Stamper Cemetery on Rayburn Fork in Lewis County, Kentucky.
Friends may visit from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky.
Jarrod Littleton, Rickie McDonie, Jarrod Gilliam, Duran Bradley, Jonathan Rosbrook, Bo Heddleston will serve as pallbearers.
Due to COVID-19 regulations, we ask that everyone wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.globefc.com.
Mr. Clifton Hobert Dean, age 78, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away, Thursday, September 16, 2021 at St. Claire Medical Center in Morehead, Kentucky.
He was born July 21, 1943, in Carter County, Kentucky a son of the late Raymond and Grace Stevens Dean.
Hobert was a member of the Upper Tygart Freewill Baptist Church. He loved going to church, fishing, woodworking and spending time with his family and friends. He was retired from Marathon.
He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Sonja Bond Dean; one son Clifton Thomas Dean (Renita) of Grove City, Ohio, one daughter, Linda Lou Maddix (Rick) of Pickerington, Ohio, three grandchildren, Tyler Dean, Hayden Dean and Heather Young (Tim) two brothers, Daniel Dean (Connie) of Tecumseh, Michigan and Ronald Dean (Alice) of Fort Wayne, Indiana, one sister, Linda Johnson (Keen) of Elliott County, Kentucky, along with a host of nieces and nephews who will sadly mourn his loss.
Funeral services will be held at 11a.m. Tuesday, September 21, 2021, at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky with Brother Steve Mabry and Brother Gary Sparks officiating. Burial will follow in the Garvin Ridge Cemetery in Olive Hill, Kentucky.
Friends may visit Monday, September 20, 2021 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky.
Full Military Honors will be conducted at the Graveside by Olive Hill American Legion Post 138.
Tyler Dean, Hayden Dean, Tony Bond, Jeff Bond, Keen Johnson, Brandon Logan, Tim Prichard, Greg Prichard and Steve Porter will serve as pallbearers.
Willis Bond, Donnie Parker, Don Wilfong, Caroll Bryant and Wendell Logan will serve as honorary pallbearers.
Due to COVID-19 regulations, we ask that everyone wear a mask and practice social distancing. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.globefc.com.
1947-2021
Mrs. Patricia Derosett, age 73, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away Monday, September 13, 2021 at Vanceburg Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Vanceburg, Kentucky.
She was born October 19, 1947 in Pike County, Kentucky to the late Buster and Necie Adkins Derosett.
Patricia was of the Baptist faith and was a homemaker. She enjoyed shopping, working her flowers and spending time with family and friends.
Patricia is survived by one son, Joshua Mosier of Olive Hill, Kentucky and a special cousin, Tara Allen of Columbus Ohio, along with a host of other family members and friends who will sadly mourn her passing.
Graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, September 18, 2021, at the Adkins Cemetery on Highway 986 in Olive Hill, Kentucky with Brother Brother Gary Lambert officiating.
Juanita Justine Davis Flannery, age 78, of Olive Hill Kentucky, passed away peacefully at her home Thursday, September 9, 2021.
Juanita was born February 16, 1943 in Carter County Kentucky, the daughter of the late Norma Mae Davis and Earl Davis of Olive Hill, KY. She was the loving wife of the late Benny Lee Flannery, and is survived by one son, Rick Flannery, one daughter, Diana Flannery-Giese (Markus), and Five grandchildren, Christopher Giese (Tiffany), Natasha Giese, Andrew Giese (Sarah), TaRicka Flannery-Coburn (Matthew), Tyler Flannery (Allison).
Juanita was a devoted Christian, Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Friend. She was a member of the Christian Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses for over 60 years. She loved reading & studying God’s Word, the Bible. She also volunteered countless hours to help others, and was best known for her love of God & her neighbors.
Juanita and her late husband were the owners of the business they built, Smokey Valley Truck Stop, for over 38 years. Throughout her career, she was admired and loved in the community for her genuinely positive attitude and generosity.
Juanita courageously fought a nine-year battle with cancer. Throughout that battle and her treatments, she never complained. She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.
A graveside service was held Saturday, September 11, 2021, at Tick Ridge Fork Cemetery in Olive Hill KY, with Markus Giese officiating. Family and friends served as pallbearers. For the safety of all during the Pandemic, a remote Memorial Service will be held online via Zoom at 3:00 pm on September 25, 2021. For further information, contact (606)286-8734
By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
The Rattlesnake Ridge Community Center decided last week to push their opening show back from the September date to an October date. Because of surging COVID-19 cases, the club said, the Hammertowne show scheduled for September 25 would be moved to October.
It was “tentatively rescheduled for October 23,” community member Gary Jones told the Times after the meeting on Tuesday night. But, he said, if COVID numbers didn’t improve, they might have to cancel.
“If things don’t improve dramatically, we probably will be down until next spring,” Jones said.
The spectre of cancellation was confirmed on Sunday when show organizer Chad Gilbert contacted the Times to confirm part of Jones’ concerns.
“We are canceling our fall shows due to the uptick in COVID cases in the area,” Gilbert said.
Gilbert couldn’t say if that would include the December Christmas themed show with Don Rigsby, but it did include Hammertowne, and the Larry Sparks show originally scheduled for November.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
There are currently five lemons on our lemon tree, and a couple more in the refrigerator.
I don’t really use a lot of lemon, but it’s nice to have them here. Mostly, I just enjoy the option of having fresh lemon juice or zest if I wanted it, and I enjoy having the tree.
Trees have always been my favorite thing to grow.
I don’t remember when I planted my first tree, a sugar maple, but I do remember when my aunt cut it down. It broke my heart.
I also still mourn the peach trees I planted with my mother that had to be taken out for necessary repairs to our basement, which was slowly being caved in by the pressure of the hillside. That entire hillside had to be taken out, including the trees, so the house could be put on support beams and the exterior basement wall replaced.
Unlike the cutting of the maple tree, it was necessary to save the house. But 30 some odd years later, the loss of those peach trees is still a vivid childhood memory.
Trees require land, though. If you want them, you have to put down roots.
Or you learn bonsai.
When I was young and nomadic, I toyed with bonsai; both purchasing already potted plants and training my own from seedling.
It wasn’t until after I turned 30 that I thought of putting down roots again. That’s when I bought my first lemon tree. I had been living in the same home for several years, and was considering trying to purchase it someday. So, one day, on a whim, I purchased a lime tree and a lemon tree while strolling through the farmers market. They were small, but grafted, so already bearing fruit.
I wasn’t necessarily ready to put them in the ground yet, but they were in really small containers. I already had some terra cotta planters several sizes larger I could transplant them to until I was ready. So, I did. And they flourished. With regular watering, and the abundant Texas sunlight, they brightened our back porch and produced beautiful fruit.
They were soon joined by a pair of fig trees, a pomegranate, and several small avocado trees. Though not really trees in a true sense, I also eventually added banana, papaya, and pineapple plants to the mix too. They required a little extra care on the colder days, but Austin winters are generally mild. I was really looking forward to having a diverse little urban orchard someday.
Then, things changed. Partly a maple tree situation, partly a peach tree, we moved. Then moved again. I gave several trees away, so they could finally put down roots. Others had trouble acclimating and died.
But the lemon tree did surprisingly well indoors. It continued to give me fruit, to perfume my air with its blossoms, and to brighten my home during the dismal Denver winters. But it did not come home with me to Kentucky. My life then was too unpredictable, so it stayed where it was thriving.
Several years ago, though, my partner bought me a new lemon tree. It’s been a learning curve growing it in this new space. Finding enough light in our old, small home. Keeping the baby and animals out of it after we moved into a bigger space with better windows. At first I moved it outdoors during the late spring, and back in as the weather grew cold. But this year, I think we’ve found his long term, if not permanent, spot. We’ve had some dead limbs. He has some shoots coming up from his root stock that need pruned. But he gets the southern sun. He has new shoots coming out from the tips of his branches. And he currently has five, bright yellow lemons hanging from the end of his limbs.
I think he’ll do well.
Jeremy D. Wells can be reached at editor@cartercountytimes.com
The Republican supermajority in the Kentucky General Assembly apparently overlooked two famous sayings when they planned and executed the recent special legislative session
The first one is “don’t wish for things you don’t really want” and the second is “hope is not a strategy”.
To their credit, the Senate and House did sidestep the Florida quicksand position which forbids mask mandates by anyone.
Yes, they outlawed Gov. Andy Beshear’s statewide mask order but passed the buck to local school boards to decide for themselves to mask or not, depending on how many local folks are getting sick, going to the hospital, and dying.
They also gave local districts some maneuvering room on attendance and funding regulations. Thank goodness they had the sense to kill a Senate bill to advocate horse de-wormer as a treatment for COVID.
It was clear that stripping the governor of his emergency authority and making it more difficult for him to lead state government’s response to the pandemic likely was the GOP’s primary intent from the beginning.
Republican pretenders to the governor’s office already are lining up to keep Beshear from a second term in 2023. By that time, Kentucky voters will know if the GOP-dominated General Assembly failed or succeeded in protecting us from this disease which already has killed 8,000 in the Commonwealth.
As for administrators, teachers, and students in the public schools, they remain trapped in the middle of this power struggle. Depending on the strength of the anti-vaxx influence, as well as local opposition to masks in various parts of this state, it may come down to praying, home schooling and remote learning.
We were struck by the irony of Republican leadership criticizing the governor for talking too much about vaccinations. Nearly a year later, the GOP has placed itself in charge of encouraging more vaccinations by giving away pizza and using sound bites from local officials.
For those who are hoping for the best outcome without doing anything to protect themselves and their families, I hope you remember what I wrote today about hope not being a strategy.
Keith Kappes can be reached at keithkappes@gmail.com
The move by President Joe Biden to not only continue the pullout coordinated by outgoing President Donald Trump, but to accelerate it, was not the best move. We didn’t even need the benefit of hindsight to see it was the wrong move. We could see it was the wrong move in real time, as it played out and the Taliban retook control of the nation as quickly as America withdrew.
And, now, despite their promises to the Trump administration, the Taliban appears to be again limiting the freedom of women and those who don’t subscribe to their brand of conservative religious ideology.
The move to leave Afghanistan the way we did was wrong. It was wrong of the Trump administration to trust the Taliban. It was wrong of the Biden administration to continue with that plan knowing the Taliban couldn’t be trusted.
And it was practically criminal to accelerate the withdrawal when we didn’t have a solid plan in place to help every Afghan who put their lives on the line to help our men and women in uniform achieve their mission.
That is a legacy that Biden will have to live with. Being commander-in-chief doesn’t absolve him of the criticism of or the responsibility for his actions.
But it shouldn’t come as any surprise.
Joe Biden has always felt the mission in Afghanistan should have been a limited one.
He was one of the few members of the Obama administration who openly disagreed with the President’s plans for nation building, holding that America’s only goal in Afghanistan should be to root out al Qaeda and bring Osama bin Laden to justice.
Once that goal was accomplished, the then Vice President believed, Americans had no business staying in Afghanistan.
But he didn’t have the power to make that decision as Vice President.
As President, he does.
So, we find ourselves where we are today. The Taliban are back in control of the nation. Many of our allies have shamefully been left behind and face the possibility of death, or imprisonment, or worse.
And, ironically, all the conditions are met for Afghanistan to once again become a safe haven for groups like al Qaeda. There is the possibility, and the hope, that international pressure and a desire for some sort of legitimacy can keep the Taliban from allowing that to happen again. But if that happens, it won’t be due to the actions of the Biden administration. It will be thanks to our European and Asian allies, and their hard work and diplomacy.
The Biden administration still has the opportunity to do good work. The infrastructure plan his administration has championed promises to help revitalize American communities, and make them safer. He still has three years to make significant impacts to climate policy, and he’s already begun repairing overseas relationships strained by four years of Trump policy.
But the Afghanistan fiasco could very well be the defining moment of his presidency.
We’re not international policy experts. Maybe what Biden did is the best option, and America shouldn’t be in the business of nation building. There was undoubtedly corruption in the Afghan government, after all. Maybe we shouldn’t have propped it up.
But America need not “nation build” to maintain a presence and provide stability. World War II ended more than 75 years ago, yet America still has military bases in both Germany and Japan. The Korean War ended 68 years ago, but America still has a presence there as well.
An enduring American presence isn’t unheard of, and a remnant of American forces – even a small one – stationed in Afghanistan at the end of formal conflict might have made the difference between Afghan forces maintaining control of the nation or laying down their arms and walking away as they did.
Or, maybe not. We can’t say for sure.
What we can say is the pullout led to Taliban control, and the timetable that Biden committed to made it impossible to do right by our allies in country.
That was wrong, and the President will have to own that, no matter what the future ultimately holds for Afghanistan and her people.
By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Anyone who underestimated the West Carter Comets team was in for a surprise on Friday when they faced off against the undefeated East Carter Raiders for the annual Battle for the Barrel showdown.
But the Comets, who started their season with a 21-23 loss to Rowan County (East Carter beat Rowan handily, 28-8, in their match-up the following week), showed that their 6-0 win against Fleming County the following week was no fluke. They kept that momentum going through a down week and right on into their match-up with East Carter, going home with the barrel on a 22-16 win over the Raiders.
The Carter County rivals held each other scoreless through the entire first quarter of the game, and most of the second. There were less than five minutes left in the half when Cole Crampton broke out for a long run down the West Carter sideline, and a first down at the 12 yard line, setting himself up for a touchdown and a 7-0 West Carter lead.
East fought back, attempting to make up the difference and advancing to scoring position. But they couldn’t overcome the Comet defense, with West Carter’s Isaac Bond slapping down a scoring pass from the five yard line with four seconds left in the half.
West Carter started the second half with a first down on the 46 on reception, with Sam Jones and Black McGlone receiving for yardage, and quarterback Eli Estepp advancing the ball to the 20 yard line before turning over possession to East. The ball traded sides twice more, with Nikk Barnett and Kanyon Kozee adding yards for the Raiders, but both sides staying scoreless through the third quarter.
Going into the final quarter the score was still at 7-0, with the Comets in possession of the ball, but East would gain possession again before West Carter got the ball back and McGlone scored, halfway through the quarter, taking the score to 13-0 before Estepp made good on the extra point kick to take the Comets to 14-0.
But East Carter wasn’t giving up just yet. They continued to gain yardage on a series of short but complete passes and rushing attempts to advance the ball to the nine yard line on a third down before Kanyon Kozee scored a touchdown for the Raiders and Charlie Terry made good on a two point conversion, putting the score at 14-8 with 3:32 left in the game.
West wasted no time in broadening that gap again though. After taking possession on East’s 48 yard line, McGlone rushed for 35 yards, taking the ball to the 13 yard line and setting up West for another touchdown, by Crampton, and two point conversion from Sam Jones, to put the score at 22-8 with 1:22 left on the clock.
Even though there wasn’t much time, East wasn’t ready to give up. They fought back hard, with quarterback Kozee connecting on a pass to Connor Goodman for first and 10 on the three yard line and setting East up for a Barnett touchdown and two point conversion with just 53 seconds on the clock, taking the score to 16-22.
Another touchdown could have tied the game, and an extra point could have won it for the Raiders. But there just wasn’t enough time left on the clock to take the ball back from West and fight through their defense to score before the clock ran out.
West Carter coach Daniel Barker, who acknowledged his team struggled in their first outing, said he, “could not be more proud,” of the hard work and practice his team have put in to turn things around in their second and third outings.
“We never wavered on these kids,” Barker said. “We had no doubts they’d continue to improve each week.”
That includes quarterback Eli Estepp, who Barker said has really stepped into his new role and continues to show growth and leadership.
“He’s a first year starting quarterback, and stepping up and doing a great job,” Barker said. “I thought he was so gutsy. You know, we’re running those run-pass options, and so he’s reading and, down
the stretch, it’d be easy to just hand it off, and, you know, he made throws. He made great throws.”
He said Estepp knows he has some big shoes to fill, but that hasn’t stopped him from stepping up.
“You know, you think about this. You’re a first time starting quarterback, and the guy you’re replacing has every school record. (But) he’s more than living up to the challenge, and we’re excited to see what he does the next few years.”
Estepp finished the night with nine pass completions on 13 attempts, for 103 passing yards, and kicked both of West’s extra points.
Crampton scored two rushing touchdowns for the Comets, and McGlone scored on a reception, with Jones giving the team their only two-point conversion on the night.
Crampton had his legs on Friday night, rushing for 118 yards over 24 attempts, though rushing losses put the team total at 107 yards.
In addition to his touchdown pass, McGlone connected on three other passes, for four receptions and 78 receiving yards. Jackson Bond caught two passes for 40 yards, and Kaden Wilson and Jones caught one pass each to add eight and six yards, respectively, to the Comets total.
On defense Isaac Bond had two solo tackles and 12 assists to lead the team with 14 total tackles. Conner Greene had one solo tackle and 11 assists, Neil Lusher had three and eight, Bradyn Flener four and four, McGlone one and six, Jones had seven assists, Samuel Rayburn had six assists, and Gavin Adams had four assists. Jackson Kidwell has two solo tackles and one assist, Preston Nauman had one solo and two assists, Ethan Bledsoe had one assist, Cade Oppenheimer, Crampton, and Jackson Bond had one solo tackle each, and Noah Orcutt had one tackle assist, giving the Comets 17 solo tackles, 63 assisted tackles, and 80 total for the evening, with one defensive sack shared between Jones and Rayburn.
The Comets play again on Friday, at home, versus Raceland. East Carter faces off against Fleming County, in an away game. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
ASHLAND, Ky. – Ashland Community and Technical College would like to congratulate Coy Hall, Associate Professor of History, on the release of his first novel, Grimoire of the Four Imposters.
According to Hall, Grimoire of the Four Impostors is a collection of six horror tales that take place in the 17th century. The presence of a real grimoire, or spell book, links all the stories, so there is an overarching story to be told through them. The book starts with an English lord searching the Hungarian countryside for the real grimoire. Once he finds it, it leads the reader into the four-impostor tales that make up the core of the book: “The Orb of Wasp and Fly, Being a Psalm of the Malformed Mind,” “The Nightshade Garden,” “The Brine and Bone Alchemy,” and “Sire of the Hatchet.”
Hall says the book then moves into the catacombs beneath Nottingham with its closing tale, where the reader finds out the results of deciphering a code hidden in the real grimoire. There are a variety of characters involved, including occult scholars, French adventurers, and German executioners. The book takes the reader all around the world, from a Hungarian village to an English manor to an island in the Caribbean.
“In each tale, horror builds to a crescendo, so I want to warn that some readers may find the book frightening and disturbing,” said Hall.
Hall, who has written fiction since he was a teenager, has often placed his stories in the past.
“This was the first time I placed my stories in the 1600s, which, as a historian, is a favorite era of mine to study and teach. I thought that era would be a good niche for me,” he said. “A lot of people write stories set in Victorian times, but stories set in the 17th century are rare.”
Hall has published around 40 short stories in magazines and anthologies, but this is his first book to see publication. His second and third books, a crime novel and a western, will release in 2022. He also has two additional novels, crime and horror, releasing in 2023.
“This book can stand alone, but I have a sequel planned that would feature six linked stories set in Europe following World War I,” Hall said. “I have a great interest in 1920s Germany, revolutionary Hungary, and especially the film industry in those nations. A tentative title is Visions of Cheops, which would tie in the book with the German occultist Albin Grau. The ‘real grimoire’ here would be films rather than texts.”
He added, “Although the stories are fictional, the places, events, and ideas found in Grimoire of the Four Impostors are real, and I hope that adds another layer to the book.”
Grimoire of the Four Impostors can be purchased anywhere online, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Nosetouch Press released the book in hardcover, paperback, and ebook on September 7.
Hall says he will be doing appearances and book signings in the coming months and will be selling copies on those occasions. Events include West Virginia Book Festival in Charleston on October 23 and the Haunted Majestic in Huntington on October 30.
“I’ll also be doing something with the book to coincide with my second annual Halloween Horrors: Journeys into the Macabre series with the ACTC Library, as well,” he said.
Visit www.coyhall.com for more information about Hall’s books and stories.
By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
School last year wasn’t what we were used to. While the district is trying to get back to something normal, this year has already had its fair share of days that were less than traditional. NTI (non-traditional instruction) is here to stay in some form or fashion – either as take home assignments or online work, or both – at least for days when COVID exposure leads to classroom quarantine.
With the growth of online learning, even if school never transitions completely to online, there could be a day in the future where there are no more snow days or rain days. Instead, kids will log on during these weather events and attend classes virtually, just as they did last year for COVID.
It definitely won’t be what we remembered growing up. But then, what we remember differed slightly from what our parents remember. And significantly more from what their parents remembered. Depending on how old you are, a parent or grandparent may have even gone to a one-room schoolhouse where students of several different ages and ability levels all learned together.
The modern school, as we envision it today, isn’t really more than 100 years old in some parts of our region.
The Olive Hill Public School first opened its doors in September of 1921, and the Carter County Herald took it upon themselves to remind readers that it was their duty to encourage scholarship – and not to belittle schools, teachers, or curriculum in the presence of their children, lest they negatively influence their attitude toward school. If they had issues with any aspect of their child’s education, the Herald encouraged them to, “go to the school authority and state your criticisms,” directly, rather than “poison (a child’s) mind against his friends and help him to despise the thing he most needs.”
They also reminded parents that they needed to take attendance seriously, and provide excuses for any absences, so that teachers could comply with state laws regarding truancy and attendance.
On the opening day of The Olive Hill Graded Public School they had “about 400 pupils” enrolled, “the largest ever on a first day,” owing in great deal to state laws that made it compulsory for all children between the ages of seven and 16 to attend school.
So, while school today, and in the future, might not look the same as our schooling did, schooling as we know it is fairly new in the grand scheme of history. Who knows what tomorrow may bring to education? One thing is certain, though, education is still key to our children’s success, and parents need to do well not to “poison (their) minds” against it.
W.F. Fultz and the Herald had that one right.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
Eddie is a one-year-old male Malinois mix. He’s a friendly, happy boy who would love to come home with you. Eddie’s $75 adoption fee includes rabies vaccination and being neutered. Stop by the Carter County Animal Shelter and meet him or call 475-9771 for more information.
Shelter hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday by appointment.
The Carter County Times is a weekly newspaper serving Carter County, Kentucky, since June 2020.
Contact us: editor@cartercountytimes.com
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