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Indictments: 1/8/21

The following indictments were returned by the Grand Jury of the Carter Circuit Court on January 8, 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. 

  • Lois Blanton, 39, of Rush, on or about September 1, 2016 through November 30, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of flagrant non-support by failing to support her minor child, and accumulating an arrearage of $10,531.50, a Class D Felony. 
  • Jesse F. Brown, 31, of Vanceburg, on or about November 4, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of burglary in the first degree by knowingly and unlawfully entering a dwelling with the intent to commit a crime and while in the building or in the immediate flight therefrom, he or an other participant in the crime was armed with explosives or a deadly weapon, a Class B Felony.
  • Richard Carpenter Jr., 34, of Morehead, on or about July 1, 2011 through November 30, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor child, and accumulating an arrearage of $21,687.65, a Class D Felony. 
  • Michael Cochran, 45, of Hitchins, on or about August 1, 2019 through November 30, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor children, and accumulating an arrearage of $3,993.68, a Class D Felony. 
  • Larry Duncan Jr., 20, of Olive Hill, on or about October 1, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of assault in the first degree, by intentionally assaulting the victim with a deadly weapon casing them to suffer serious physical injury, a Class B Felony. 
  • Brittany Hamm, 29, of Olive Hill, on or about June 29, 2020, the defendant committed the offenses of receiving stolen property over $500 by being in possession of property belonging to another, knowing it to have been stolen, a Class D Felony; three counts of destruction of a VIN Number, by intentionally removing, defacing, covering, destroying, altering, or obscuring a VIN number without written authorization from the Department of Kentucky State Police, Class D Felonies; trafficking in stolen vehicles or vehicle parts by being in possession or control of two or more motor vehicles or trailers or their major component parts or assemblies that are stolen, or have their identity obscured, removed, or altered, except as an immediate result of final destruction, or having stolen parts on them, or are comprised of any combination of the above, a Class D Felony. 
  • Phillip Hampton, 28, of Olive Hill, on or about November 10, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of receiving stolen property over $500 by being in possession of property belonging to another, knowing it to have been stolen, a Class D felony; destruction of a VIN Number, by intentionally removing, defacing, covering, destroying, altering, or obscuring a VIN number without written authorization from the Department of Kentucky State Police, a Class D Felony. 
  • Gary Matthew Howerton, 34, of Olive Hill, , on or about June 29, 2020, the defendant committed the offenses of receiving stolen property over $500 by being in possession of property belonging to another, knowing it to have been stolen, a Class D Felony; three counts of destruction of a VIN Number, by intentionally removing, defacing, covering, destroying, altering, or obscuring a VIN number without written authorization from the Department of Kentucky State Police, Class D Felonies; trafficking in stolen vehicles or vehicle parts by being in possession or control of two or more motor vehicles or trailers or their major component parts or assemblies that are stolen, or have their identity obscured, removed, or altered, except as an immediate result of final destruction, or having stolen parts on them, or are comprised of any combination of the above, a Class D Felony. 
  • William Workman, 24, of Grayson, on or about 2016 through 2017, the defendant committed the offenses of rape, first degree, by having sexual intercourse with a child less than 12 years of age, a Class A Felony; sodomy, first degree, by having deviant sexual intercourse with a child less than 12 years of age, a Class A Felony; three counts of sexual abuse, first degree, by having sexual contact with a child less than 12 years of age, Class C Felonies; incest-victim under 12 years of age by having sexual intercourse and/or deviant sexual intercourse with (a relative) a child less than 12 years of age, a Class A Felony. 
  • Phillip Johnson, 43, of Grayson, on or about February 12, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one narcotic, heroin, a Class C Felony. 
  • Christopher Shawn Mabry, 42, of Olive Hill, on or about July 9, 2020, the defendant committed the offenses of possession of a controlled substance, first degree, second offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, with a prior conviction for the same, a Class D Felony; buying or possession of drug paraphernalia, when he unlawfully possessed drug paraphernalia with the intent to use it for the purpose of introducing into the human body an illegal or controlled substance, a Class A Misdemeanor. 
  • Christopher Shawn Mabry, 42, of Olive Hill, on or about October 3, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of receiving stolen property, over $10,000 by being in possession of property belonging to another valued at over $10,000 knowing it to have been stolen, a Class C Felony. 
  • James A Salyers, 29, of Sandy Hook, on or about January 2, 2021, the defendant committed the offenses of burglary in the third degree by unlawfully entering a building belonging to an individual with intent to commit a crime, a Class D Felony; criminal attempt of burglary third degree, by attempting to unlawfully enter a building belonging to National City Bank with intent to commit a crime, a Class A Misdemeanor; criminal attempt of burglary third degree, by attempting to unlawfully enter a building belonging to Family Dollar with intent to commit a crime, a Class A Misdemeanor; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony; buying or possession of drug paraphernalia, when he unlawfully possessed drug paraphernalia with the intent to use it for the purpose of introducing into the human body an illegal or controlled substance, a Class A Misdemeanor.
  • Robert Sheran, 39, of Pikeville, on or about September 1, 2017 through November 30, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor child, and accumulating an arrearage of $5,410, a Class D Felony. 

Livestock and Grain Market Report: 1/30/21

Extension Notes: Ways to improve hay quality

By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent

If you raise livestock, you know it is very important to feed your animals nutritious hay to keep them healthy. You can take many practical steps to improve your hay quality.

You must first get and maintain a good forage stand. Making sure your soil has adequate nutrients is key to getting good stands. A soil test is important, because it will let you know the nutrient levels in the soil, so you only apply what is needed. 

Your extension agent can help you learn how to effectively test your soil and can submit your samples to one of UK’s soil testing laboratories. Agents can also help you understand the results.

Soil tests with adequate levels of phosphorus and nitrogen but low levels of potassium are becoming common across Kentucky hay fields. Inadequate potassium can increase the amount of broomsedge, a very undesirable forage. There may be a couple of reasons for low potassium levels. When you cut hay, potash is removed at nearly three times the amount that phosphorus is, and the soil is not able to replenish this nutrient to sufficient levels on its own. Repeatedly using only ‘balanced’ fertilizers like triple-19 (19-19-19) will deplete potassium in hayfields. In tight financial times, producers may skip potash applications to save money. 

Controlling weeds at the right time and using the right herbicide will help you improve hay quality. With many weeds, like buttercup, by the time you see the blooms, they are much harder to control. University of Kentucky has an extension publication, AGR-207: Broadleaf Weeds of Kentucky, that contains common pasture weeds, when to treat each and which herbicide you can use for effective control. This publication is available online at http://www2.ca.uky. edu/agcomm/pubs/AGR/ AGR207/AGR207.pdf. You can also get a paper copy at the Carter County Extension office. 

The stage of maturity when you cut your hay is the most important factor affecting quality. You must harvest at the right time, when the plant is switching from a vegetative to a reproductive (flowering) stage. Many times, this means cutting the hay earlier than normal. Of course, the challenge of cutting hay in the spring in Kentucky is our wet weather. However, we often get a string of days with good sun and dry weather in late April and early May. Being ready to cut early when the weather allows is extremely helpful. 

Using legumes, especially the tall ones like red clover and alfalfa, provide high yields and will add nitrogen to the soil over time. They are higher in protein and energy than grasses and continue to yield well in the summer when many of our cool-season grasses are suffering from the heat. Research shows that red clover, in particular, is good at minimizing the adverse effects animals get from consuming too much toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue. 

Tedding and raking hay are integral parts of harvesting. But if you ted or rake the hay when it is too dry, it can lead to leaf shatter. This hurts hay quality, because the high-quality nutrients are concentrated in the leaf. 

Making good hay means baling at the right moisture content and protecting hay from the weather. Proper moisture at baling will prevent heating and molding of stored hay. Covered storage structures are best for hay storage. If you don’t have covered storage space, breaking the contact between the bale and the ground is important, since most moisture enters the hay from soil contact. You can prevent moisture absorption by using materials, such as old tires and/or crushed rock, to elevate the hay off the ground. 

You can also wrap your hay in plastic, which will provide some protection from the rain. Hay should be as dry as possible before covering in plastic and should be fed out in the year it was made. 

After you have done a good job harvesting hay, remember to feed it efficiently to minimize losses. There are many methods of feeding hay, but the best ensure that there is minimal waste. Livestock tend to eat high quality hay quickly, which also lowers waste. 

More information on producing quality forages is available by contacting the Carter County office of the UK Cooperative Extension Service. Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate based on protected status. 

Late to the Game(s): Nintendo’s twisting road

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

Nintendo fans are a unique breed. That’s a good thing, I suppose, because Nintendo is a unique company. They’ve always done just fine following their own path. 

Up through the GameCube this included supporting and hosting the same sort of AAA titles from other publishers that could be found on their competitor’s consoles, as well as their own intellectual properties like the Mario and Zelda franchises. After the GameCube, though, Nintendo’s focus shifted. While you could still find some titles from other publishers on the Wii and WiiU, those console’s focus on motion controls, as well as slower processors than those found in the Xbox and PlayStation consoles, meant that a lot of the big third-party titles found on those consoles never came to Nintendo. Sometimes they came up with alternate games exclusively for the console, or went with scaled down versions, but mostly big publishers began to ignore the console. This left Nintendo and a few partners to fill out the library, which they did with no problem. 

Nintendo bet on the fact that their fans were more interested in their established franchises and gameplay styles than in online play and high resolution graphics. And, their core fans agreed. They also bet on gameplay being more important than chasing trophies or achievements that could be compared against a friend’s progress and – at least for their core fans – they were again correct. 

While Nintendo is drifting back closer to the mainstream with their Switch console, which is getting publishers to release Nintendo versions of some of their biggest hits from the last couple of console generations, they are still marching to the beat of their own drum. They still haven’t initiated any sort of achievement or trophy system, something that appeals to a lot of “hardcore” gamers. They also haven’t made it an especially easy process to connect with your friends online. It’s easier to connect with friends on Switch than it was on the Wii and WiiU, which required generating a complicated user code that you then had to share with friends, but it still isn’t as intuitive as just sharing your gamertag on Xbox. Despite all this, Nintendo fans love the console manufacturer and their original IPs like Mario and Link. 

This isn’t to say that Nintendo hasn’t made fans angry. There have been some serious issues with controller drift on the Switch. This drift, which causes the controller to register movement when the player isn’t touching it, has led to class action lawsuits and a program from Nintendo to replace or repair the Joy-Con controllers – though some of them continue to experience the problem even after repairs. 

They also upset a lot of classic game aficionados by suing those who provided backup copies of their game ROMs for the NES, SNES and older handheld consoles like Gameboy. Though it’s legal to make backups, or to download backups, of games that you already own, these ROM distribution sites were utilized for piracy by those who played the games through emulators. For Nintendo, with a vested interest in selling new versions of games some of their fans already owned, it made perfect sense to take these sites down. For fans who couldn’t find copies of rare games from third-party publishers it was a serious blow, and one that they felt wasn’t fan friendly.

Nintendo is notoriously touchy about their IPs in other areas too, going after those who share patterns for using their character’s likenesses on homemade items or who sell unauthorized fan made items like t-shirts and cases for game systems and cartridges.

They sell their own licensed toys and figurines, but unless you wanted to pay the Nintendo price, it’s been hard to get Nintendo collectibles. 

Despite all of this, fans are still eager to snatch up Nintendo gear (obviously, otherwise folks wouldn’t make unauthorized items). All of this is just to say, fans of Nintendo now have a new option for getting their hands on some toys and figures based on the company’s games. 

Nintendo, for the first time in years, has made a deal with a fast food place to put Nintendo toys into kids’ meals. Burger King will be featuring one of six different Nintendo toys in their kids’ meals through March. The Mario, Luigi, Splatoon, Animal Crossing and Legend of Zelda toys will be available at restaurants across the U.S. and Canada. Nintendo is also offering a sweepstakes for those who purchase a Mario Meal online or through the BK app. Sweepstakes winners can get games, or a Switch console, and all purchasers earn “platinum points” that can be redeemed for online gear. 

Maybe not worth going out of your way for unless you’re a super Nintendo fan. But if you play games on the Switch anyway, and like a Whopper every now and then (the Mario Meal consists of a Whopper with a small fries and drink), it might be worth checking out. 

The sweepstakes runs from February 8 through February 22, while the figures are available through mid-March, or while supplies last. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes. com 

Keeping the utilities on: Fiscal court approves participation in grant program

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 Carter County Fiscal Court met in special session on Monday to approve participation in a CDBG utility grant that will help local people struggling to pay their utility bills during the pandemic and take pressure off local utility departments that aren’t being paid regularly for the services they provide. 

Malone explained to fiscal court that, under the program, each of the municipal water and sewage systems and the Rattlesnake Ridge water system in the county are eligible to request up to $200,000 each in grant assistance. That means up to $600,000 in utility relief for Carter County residents. Malone said FIVCO was urging all municipalities and county entities to work together to ensure all citizens receive needed utility relief. 

“Basically, what it boils down to, is eligible people who are behind… are eligible to receive grants to avoid cut-offs and pay up to six months (of water bills),” Malone said. 

To qualify homes must demonstrate an inability to pay, Malone explained. The money is then paid directly to the utility provider on their behalf. While Rattlesnake Ridge Water District provides service in the county, the municipal water systems in Olive Hill and Grayson provide water not only to city residents, but to county residents in the area surrounding the cities as well. Malone said the cities will have to file for the funds for their in-city municipal customers themselves, but that the county would file on behalf of Rattlesnake Ridge and those municipal customers who were located outside of city limits in the county. 

Malone said FIVCO was encouraging municipal and county systems to work together on the grant funds, and told the court he had spoken with FIVCO and assured them the “county will be glad to help the cities” on the utility relief. 

In other action the court moved to table a measure related to compensation for county employees quarantining due to COVID-19. Malone told court that the county had received a letter from FIVCO about county COVID quarantine pay policies, and noted that roughly half of the county’s road crew is currently quarantined due to virus exposure. Malone said while some counties are continuing to pay employees who are at home quarantining, in order to encourage folks to take quarantine seriously, others are not. He said Carter County needed to decide on a policy for their county employees who might have been exposed to the virus. 

Malone said the option he was leaning toward was to give everyone the opportunity to get vaccinated, when the vaccine was available to them, then to give them a set number of days to use for paid quarantine until they could be vaccinated. Under his suggested policy if they choose to forego the vaccine, he said, and were exposed they would then have to use their sick days to quarantine rather than being paid without loss of sick days. 

No matter what the court decides on, he said, he felt employees should be allowed to use their sick days to quarantine if necessary. 

“We need to think about what to do about it,” Malone said. 

He said that, until the court decides on a policy, he recommended continuing to pay those at home on quarantine in order to discourage the spread of the virus among healthy, unexposed employees. 

County Attorney Brian Bayes said he would look into what the state was recommending and what other counties were doing. Until then the court moved to table the issue, and to take it back up at their next regular February meeting. 

The court moved to accept Malone’s recommendation to continue paying employees currently quarantining until a policy is decided upon. 

The court also moved to table the County Clerk’s report until the regular meeting and approve the budget amendment on second reading. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

State road crews on alert as winter storms blanket area

Ice coats rock formations and trees following snow and severe winter storms across the area. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 When winter weather hits, it’s probably best to stay home and avoid the roads. Especially rural and secondary roads where hills can shade icy patches and prevent melt and state road crews don’t spread salt. 

But if you absolutely have to get out, and you can reach a state route, you can rest assured that state road crews have been vigilant in keeping those roads clear, even with the repeated snowfalls and freezing temperatures. 

Crews with District 9 of the Transportation Cabinet have been on alert for the last three weeks, starting with the snowstorms over the weekend of January 15, which resulted in several inches of accumulation over the weekend. 

Snow and ice removal crews were back on alert beginning last Wednesday when the National Weather Service expected another one to three inches of accumulation across the region. Crews work 12-hour shifts during snowstorm conditions, working to plow and salt state routes to keep them clear for motorists and emergency vehicles. 

They stayed on alert through this weekend, when another several inches of snow were expected, and high temperatures were still not expected to reach above freezing. 

Even with the crews on alert, however, the Transportation Cabinet advises that roads may not be clear until after the snow has passed. They advise any motorists who may have to be on the road, either during snow conditions or even following snow – when crews have been able to treat roads – to leave a “space cushion” between vehicles in case of the need to brake during icy conditions. They also remind motorists that bridges and overpasses can freeze before roadways do, and to be extra careful when driving across those roadway features during cold weather. 

They also advise drivers that “priority routes” such as interstates and roadways leading to hospitals will receive treatments first. Those roads will be followed by “priority B and C routes” which “include important but lesser-traveled state routes.” 

Over 75 snow plows, salt trucks, and other pieces of equipment are utilized by state crews in the district to keep over 2,000 miles of state highways passable. 

Road crews were expected to remain on duty through Monday evening and Tuesday morning as air and pavement temperatures remained below freezing and dropping temperatures – falling into the 20s – along with continued snow accumulation were expected to result in slushy and freezing conditions. 

You can find more information about snow removal efforts, including snow removal priority routes, online at http://SnowKY.ky.gov. You can also follow District 9 online on Twitter and Facebook at http://twitter.com/KYTCDistrict9 and http://facebook.com/KYTCDistrict9 for the latest updates and information on snow removal efforts. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Olive Hill man arrested in murder for hire plot: Reynolds accused of plotting to have mother murdered

Billy G. Reynolds (Photo courtesy of KSP)

 An Olive Hill man was arrested by Kentucky State Police (KSP) last week on charges that he conspired to pay another person to have his mother murdered. 

The Kentucky State Police Post 14, in Ashland, issued a release on January 28 announcing the arrest of Billy G. Reynolds, 41, of Olive Hill, in the plot. The KSP were notified on January 15 on a complaint that Reynolds “had contacted an individual in regards to a murder for hire plot against his mother.” 

The state police announced that, after a “thorough investigation” KSP detectives with the Ashland Post, Ashland Police Department, and the FBI “were able to implicate and arrest” Reynolds for the offense of Solicitation of Murder. Solicitation of Murder is a Class B Felony. 

Reynolds is currently lodged in the Carter County Detention Center and the incident remains under investigation by Detective Kelley with the KSP. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Grayson man arrested on sexual abuse charges: Workman charged with multiple counts of abuse against minor

William Workman (Photo courtesy of KSP)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 The Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced last week that a Grayson man was arrested on multiple counts of sexual abuse and other sexual offenses in charges stretching back to 2016. 

The Kentucky State Police Post 14, in Ashland, announced on January 28 that William R. Workman, 24, of Grayson, had been arrested on multiple charges. These charges include rape, first degree, a Class A Felony; sodomy, first degree, a Class A Felony; incest – victim under 12 years of age, a Class A Felony; and three counts of sexual abuse, first degree, all Class C Felonies. 

The victim, a close relative of Workman’s, was under the age of 12 when the incidents occurred. The offenses occurred between 2016 and 2017 according to an indictment handed down by the Grand Jury of Carter County Circuit Court on January 8, 2021.

According to the Kentucky State Police the abuse was brought to the attention of KSP detectives by the victim. She indicated to detectives that the abuse “started when she was less than twelve years old,” according to a statement by the KSP. 

Evidence was collected and Workman was indicted by the Grand Jury after the case was presented to them last month. 

According to the release Workman “fled on foot” when officers with the KSP and the Carter County Sheriff’s Department approached him to make the arrest. However, he was apprehended a short time later and placed into custody. He is currently lodged in the Carter County Detention Center pending trial. The case remains under the investigation of Detective Boarman with the KSP. 

While the relationship of Workman to the victim is noted in the indictment, under the Class A Felony charge of incest – victim under 12 years of age, the Carter County Times has chosen not to divulge that relationship for the protection of the victim’s privacy. The Carter County Times does not release the names of victims, except under exceptional circumstances. This includes the initials of victims in cases involving minors, where the names are regularly withheld by the court, or other potentially identifying information. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Omer M. Masters

1921-2021

Omer M. Masters, 99 years of Bainbridge, OH., passed away Friday January 29, 2021 at the VA Medical Center in Chillicothe.

Omer was born November 5, 1921 in Carter County, KY., the son of the late Earl Vincent and Sara Kathaline (Reeder) Masters, Sr.. Beside his parents, Omer was preceded in death by his wife, Phyllis (Ingles) Masters on March 9, 2011; nephew, Danny Masters who Omer and Phyllis raised; three brothers, Joe, Ernest and Earl Masters, Jr.; one sister, Mavis Kegley.

Omer served his Country during W.W. II in the U.S. Air Force. Omer was a member of Local Union #83 in Portsmouth. He worked Construction for 20 years and 10 years at Rocky Fork State Park. Omer was a lifelong Farmer and Trader. After retiring, Omer was at the local Stockyards buying and selling livestock. If you had something to trade, Omer would trade with you, of course he would have to have boot.

Omer is survived by nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends.

Funeral services will be held 1:00 P.M. Thursday, February 4, 2021 at the Thompson Funeral Home in Hillsboro with Mike Whitley officiating.

Social distancing and masks will be required.

Burial will follow in the Roads Cemetery with Military Graveside Rites conducted by the Highland County Honor Guard.

Friends may call Thursday from 11:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. at the Thompson Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to the Sherman Terrace, c/o Chillicothe VA Medical Center, 17273 OH-104, Chillicothe, OH 45601

To sign our online quest book, please visit us at www.thompsonfuneralhomes.com

Jón Gwendolen Brown

1934-2021

Jón Gwendolen Brown went to be with her loving Lord, Jesus Christ on Wednesday, January 27, 2021, at the Carter County Nursing Home.

Jón was born July 15, 1934, in Fultz, Kentucky and the oldest daughter of 14 children. She was the daughter of the late Isaac C. and Gwendolen E. Littleton. 

Jón was a homemaker and worked at Baker’s Department Store in Grayson until it closed in 1993. Jón belonged and attended church as much as she could. She loved to play the piano, sing, pray and read her Bible as she served the Lord with her whole heart. 

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Douglas Brown, her brothers Don Douglas Littleton, Wade Lincoln Littleton, Samuel William Littleton, Phillip Paul Littleton and Benjamin Copen Littleton and her very best friend, Betty Glancy whom she loved dearly. 

Jón is survived by her son, Carlos Douglas Brown and his wife Debbie of Grayson; two granddaughters, Stacy Brown and Amanda Baier of Grayson. Four great grandchildren, Savannah, Jacquelyn, Preston and Addison. Two great-great grandchildren, Kamdyn and Reese. Jón is also survived by five of her sisters, Mary Laura Hicks and Patricia Pauline Griffin of Grayson; Jerusha Marie “Sharie” Dean of Farmington, New York; Donna Jean Moore of Richmond, Virginia, and Deborah Ann Leonhart of Greenup, Kentucky; three of her brothers, Clifford Everett “Kip” Littleton and Steve Douglas Littleton of Grayson and Roy Jacob Littleton of Baltimore, Ohio. Jón had two wonderful friends she worked with at Baker’s that she loved very much, Bena “Beannie” McGlone and Emily Gilbert, with a host of other family and friends who celebrate her life with us here on earth and her birth into the loving arms of Jesus Christ. 

Funeral service will be held at 12 noon Saturday, January 30, 2021, at Grayson Funeral Home & Cremation Services in Grayson, Kentucky, with Brother Rob Baier officiating. Burial will follow in the the Gregoryville Everman Cemetery, Gregoryville, Kentucky.

Friends may visit from 11 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday, January 30, 2021, at Grayson Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 49 McCoy Road, Grayson, Kentucky 41143.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.graysonfh.com.

Wanda L. James

1941-2021

Ms. Wanda L. James, age 79, of Glen St. Mary, Florida, formerly of Olive Hill, Kentucky, departed this lifeJanuary 20, 2021 at her residence. 

She was born March 9, 1941, in the Fultz region of Carter County, Kentucky, a daughter of the late Charlie Wayne and Noraine Hall Fultz.

She was a former member of the Olive Hill Church of the Nazarene, and held strong to her belief as a child of our Lord. She was retired from Ashland Oil, Inc. in Lexington, Kentucky, as a service manager. 

She was always ‘moovin’ and a groovin’ and kept a smile on her face. Bubbly and infectiously happy, she never met a stranger. Optimistic, outgoing, talkative, fiercely independent, inquisitive, selfless, spunky and strong are a few words to describe her and above all, loving, supportive and protective of those she loved. She was an avid sports fan. She loved cheering on her children in anything they did as well as watching the UK Wildcats or rooting for the ‘underdog’. Nothing ‘tickled’ her more than to have music playing and ‘dancing up a storm’, or popcorn and a Elvis movie, reading or a good conversation. She loved life, her family, and her friends, and you’d often hear her say ‘keep on smiling’.

Wanda is survived by three sons, Michael James (Robin) of Jacksonville, Florida, Scott James (Joan) of St. Augustine, Florida and Barry James of Westminster, Colorado; one daughter, Kelli McIntosh of Saint Augustine, Florida; five grandchildren and three great grandchildren; one brother, Jim Fultz (Judy) of Flatwoods, Kentucky; two sisters, Carolyn Sue Burton (Bill) of Lexington, Kentucky and Bonnie Hall (Allen) of Nicholasville, Kentucky. She also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss her. 

Funeral services will be held 12 noon Thursday, January 28, 2021, at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Brother Joe Foltz officiating. Interment will follow in the Olive Hill Memorial Park. 

Friends may visit from 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Thursday, January 28, 2021 Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky.

Pallbearers are Micky James, Scott James, Eric James, Chris James, Jim Fultz and Todd Liddick.

COVID -19 restrictions will be observed. Everyone is required to wear a mask.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.globbefc.com.

Touching hearts

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

Olive Hill and Carter County suffered a tremendous loss recently, with the untimely death of Ben Jordan. It’s tragic when anyone passes. Doubly so when they are so young. It’s a hard topic to broach. How do you balance respect for the grieving family with the community’s desire to know more? 

In our case, we decided to run the obituary submitted by the family and to run the call from the Chamber of Commerce for tributes on our sports page. Otherwise, we left it alone. 

I honestly didn’t really know Ben or his sports career. Though I’ve been covering Carter County for nearly four years – since 2017 – it’s only over the past seven months that I’ve been privileged to cover local sports. Since we’ve started the Carter County Times we’ve made an effort to cover local sports as much as possible. It’s been a challenge not only because of our small staff, but because of the weird sports schedule in the year of the COVID pandemic. 

However, you don’t have to be familiar with sports to see the oversized impact “Big Ben” had on the community he called home. 

All you’ve had to do in the weeks following his passing is drive around Olive Hill and look at the tributes to the beloved student athlete. It’s there in the ribbons on various storefronts all over town. In the big blue #3 painted on the window of Tackett’s Furniture. On the tributes of the electronic marquees of First Baptist Church and McDonald’s. 

More importantly, it’s in the stories shared by those who did know Ben. 

Stories from other news outlets noted his consummate sense of good sportsmanship. How, regardless of whether his team won or lost, he was the first to congratulate the other team on a game well played. And not just the perfunctory good game. Other coaches noted that his comments and critiques were sincere and heartfelt. 

On the Wednesday after the news came out, as I drove across the county delivering papers, I heard stories from person after person about the impact Ben had in their lives. Everyone talked about what a positive influence he was, on and off the field, and how he always had a positive thing to say and an ear to listen when it was needed. 

Mark Orcutt, at Upper Tygart Mini Mart, said that while he was known on the ball field as “Big Ben” he called him “the gentle giant” because of his calm, kind, and easy-going demeanor. 

Bob Taylor, at Pleasant Valley BP, may have said it best, though. 

“They called him ‘Big Ben’,” Taylor said. “But what made him big wasn’t on the outside. It was what was on the inside.” 

We can hardly think of a better tribute. Can anyone ask for more than to be remembered fondly, and as a positive influence on those who knew them? 

Jeremy D Wells can be reached at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Biden inaugural brings back memories of LBJ’s 1965 ceremony

By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times

Watching the Biden Inaugural on television last week was both entertaining and suspenseful but, most of all, it reminded me of the presidential inauguration I attended in January of 1965.

As a young reporter working for the Ashland Independent, I realized that the average American knew very little about the pomp and pageantry of our quadrennial ceremony to peacefully transfer power in the world’s oldest democracy.

I convinced my editor that I should go to Washington as an average citizen without press credentials and then write a first-person article about the experience. No one on the staff had ever been to that event.

Management agreed to pay for my meals and lodging but no hotel rooms were available. In addition, I wasn’t sure my old car could make it to Washington and back. 

It appeared my great idea was in trouble until I spotted a press release about the “LBJ Express” coming through Ashland en route to Washington as an excursion train paid for by the Kentucky Democratic Party. 

Attached to the press release was a complimentary ticket for a round-trip seat on the train. It would be an “up-and-back” journey with the train heading back to Kentucky a few hours after the swearing-in ceremony and the parade. 

That timetable also solved my housing problem because there would be no overnight stay in Washington. I could sleep on the train on the return trip after enjoying the food and drink provided for all of the happy Democrats aboard the “LBJ Special”.

I had some funny situations in what turned out to be an exhilarating and exhausting experience. I slept for about 20 hours after returning, due mainly to the food and drink I enjoyed in the hospitality (dining) cars going up and coming back. It took me a couple of days to write my article. My editor liked it so much he put it on the front page. 

LBJ’s inaugural happened only 14 months after President Kennedy’s assassination. Security was heavy with sharpshooters on every rooftop. As the parade started, I was standing on the curb behind a rope on Pennsylvania Avenue where the motorcade would turn on its way to the White House.

I told a man standing beside me that I intended to duck under the rope and run into the street to get a close-up photo of President Johnson as his limousine turned the corner.

He quietly spoke against my plan, saying I would be shot dead by at least two rooftop snipers and that my fourth grade teacher would be on network television news that night saying she always knew I was a bad kid. 

I’m forever grateful for that good advice.

Keith Kappes can be reached at keithkappes@gmail.com

AS WE SEE IT: COVID care continues

Carter County’s COVID numbers on Monday were sitting at 1,735 positive cases for the county. Of those 1,498 had been released. Another 202 were isolating at their residence. Seven had been hospitalized. Two were in a nursing home. 

The county had 26 deaths of people who tested positive for COVID. 

For a county with a population of just under 27,000 that’s pretty significant. It means just under six and a half percent of the county has had COVID, though that number is probably higher since there are undoubtedly folks who became sick with a mild case of the virus and never got tested. 

The confirmed COVID deaths are a smaller number. A tenth of a percent. It isn’t a big number when you’re just doing the math. But for the families who have lost loved ones to the disease, the impact is incalculable. 

And with more than six percent of the population having had the virus at some point, it means your chances of encountering someone who has been infected – 6 out of every 100 people you come across – is fairly high. If you leave your house at all, chances are likely that at some point you’ve undoubtedly been in close contact with someone who had or has had the virus. 

The health department says with the rate of infection, Carter County is in the “red zone” for the past week.

Despite these numbers, which, granted, don’t tell you a lot about the real impact on real people and the real risks of an infection, you can still regularly see people out and about in our communities without masks or face shields. In the gas station, the dollar stores, at the grocery – even though they all have signs up saying masks are required – folks come and go without bothering to put on a mask. Even when masks are offered for free at the door, folks will come in without putting one on. 

This puts the burden on the employees to try to enforce the notices, and potentially get into an argument with a customer. This is unfair to them for various reasons.

None of us like wearing masks. They are uncomfortable. If you wear glasses they fog them up. For those who are hard of hearing – especially if they read lips – it makes it hard to understand folks. And it’s one more thing to have to remember before you head out to the store or the pharmacy or to pay bills. 

We all want a return to normal.

But the longer we all refuse to wear masks, the longer it is going to take to return to normal. 

The county is distributing vaccines as quickly as they can, but they only receive so many vials of vaccine each week. They will receive a big shipment of vaccines for teachers and other school employees soon, but that still leaves thousands of people to get the vaccine. Trying to vaccinate tens of thousands of people 100 doses at a time isn’t a quick process, no matter how you try to count it. 

We know masks aren’t a full proof way to avoid the virus. But if everyone wears one, the spread will be reduced simply because the droplets of saliva from talking and coughing and sneezing will be more contained. 

Remember you don’t necessarily wear the mask to keep from getting the virus. You wear the mask so that, if you have the virus and don’t know it, you don’t give it to others. 

So, we implore you, listen to the advice of the health department. Listen to the advice of our judge executive. Help us get back to normal and wear your masks. 

We’re tired of talking about this too. We want to write editorials about other things. We want the focus of our fiscal court stories to be on road repairs. We want the EMS stories to be about something other than how COVID is leading to out of control overtime costs. 

We want the county to get back to normal. And we don’t want any more families to have to worry about the costs that 26 of our families have already had to pay. 

But we can’t do it if everyone doesn’t do their part, put on their masks, and help the county slow the spread while we wait for more vaccines to be manufactured and distributed. 

So please, wear your mask. It’s a very simple thing you can do, if not for yourself, for the other people in your community. So that no other family has to go through the tragedy too many have already had to endure. 

Uncle Jack Fultz’s Memories of Carter County: Flying and the changing English language

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

Last week we talked about the “Flying Fultzes” and wondered if the term “flying trip” meant what it seemed to mean. If it did then it certainly didn’t match the history books, which show the first powered flight in Kentucky didn’t take place until 1908, when Olive Hill’s Matthew Sellers flew his quadplane for the first time. Turns out the term flying shouldn’t have been taken literally. 

While Carter County does deserve recognition for the pioneering aviation work done by Sellers – he not only made the first powered flight in Kentucky but designed the world’s first retractable landing gear – the Fultzes won’t be added to that list anytime soon. What we found in those pages of the old Olive Hill Times weren’t relics of unknown aviation pioneers, they were relics of a change in the English language! 

Local author and history buff Neal Salyers reached out to us to explain that “flying trip” in that day and age meant something completely different, more akin to what we would call a “day trip” today. 

“The best way to describe the terminology is if you use the word ‘dashing’ instead of the word ‘flying,’” Salyers explained. 

It was a quick trip made someplace, for a specific purpose, but wasn’t an extended or overnight trip. So, despite our fantasies of gliders or airplanes zipping over the Carter County skies of the early 20th century, that wasn’t the case at all. 

It also isn’t the only instance of obsolete or changing language found in the pages of the Olive Hill Times or its successor papers the Progressive and the Carter County Herald. 

For instance, when “Walden Fultz drove a drummer to several country stores,” (Olive Hill Times, 4-30-1906) he wasn’t driving a musician around. A drummer in that time was a term used for a traveling salesman. It could also be used to describe the type of wagon used by those traveling salesmen. 

The February 12, 1914 edition of the Progressive uses the term “idiot” in a different way than we use the term today. While it’s a common enough, if very impolite, insult for someone who doesn’t comprehend something today, it once had a specific legal connotation. In 1914 an “idiot” would be someone who, in modern terms, suffered an extreme cognitive disability that rendered them incapable of caring for themselves. 

Of course, the papers of that time were much more casual in their language too. Just look at items like the brief piece in the Herald from December of 1914 admonishing those who borrowed their neighbor’s papers to go ahead and subscribe. 

Four years later the Herald was still at it, being much more casual with calling out “a certain business man (sic)” for his insults to the paper as well as those who did printing business outside of town instead of patronizing local businesses. While the Carter County Times has ran editorials calling for the support of locally owned businesses as well, we haven’t had the audacity to be quite as blunt as the Herald was in their column. Or, maybe, it just seems blunt by today’s standards. Regardless, it’s interesting to see how language and acceptable standards have changed over the last century. 

Also of note is that, while the 1908 Seller’s flight was surely newsworthy, and likely covered by the paper of the time, Uncle Jack apparently did not include a clipping of it in his scrapbooks. We can’t say why, but it’s interesting in its omission. 

Editor’s Note: This is the 28th in a series of articles drawn from the historical newspaper clippings and documents in the scrapbooks of Jack Fultz. We thank Sally James of Sally’s Flowers in Olive Hill for sharing her uncle’s collected clippings with us and the community. – Jeremy D. Wells, editor, Carter County Times

Upward Bound program seeking summer instructors

The Upward Bound Programs at Morehead State University are seeking applications for Morning Core, Afternoon Elective, & Evening instructors for its Summer Academy. 

Morning Core instructors will teach English, math or science to area high school students within a 17-county region of the MSU campus. Class size ranges from 25 – 30 students. 

Afternoon Elective instructors will teach elective classes to area high school students within a 17 county region of the MSU campus. Class size ranges from 10 – 20 students. 

Evening instructors will teach Research Night events on Tuesdays from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm to area high school students within a 17 county region of the MSU campus. Class size ranges from 10 – 20 students. All curriculum for evening instructors will be provided.

Primary responsibility is instruction in the assigned discipline(s). Additional duties include teaching and mentoring students; developing a syllabus for each course and executing approved lesson plans, and completion of other paperwork by assigned deadlines. 

Morning Core instructors are responsible to teach approximately four hours per day (Monday through Friday) for four-weeks with additional mandatory training prior to the Summer Academy. The salary for instructors varies, and can be found on the FAQ page at jobs.moreheadub.org. 

Afternoon Elective instructors are expected to teach approximately one to three hours per day (Monday through Thursday) – it will depend on the number of electives they teach – for four weeks with additional mandatory training prior to the Summer Academy. The salary for instructors varies, and can be found at jobs.moreheadub.org.

Summer Academy dates for instructors are June 7 to July 2. A mandatory training will be held on April 13. 

Applicants must hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree; must be organized as well as possess good oral and written communication skills; must be able to meet deadlines; must have a strong knowledge base in the subject they are teaching and the ability to present that knowledge to high school students in a hands-on learning environment. Teaching experience and/or experience working with teenagers is preferred but not required. 

Applications must be submitted online at jobs.moreheadub.org.

The deadline for applications is March 12.

Additional information is available by contacting Ashley Cooper at (606) 783-9301.

Livestock and Grain Market Report: 1/23/21

Extension Notes: Online learning opportunities abound

By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent

The Cooperative Extension Service is continuing to provide numerous opportunities for farmers, gardeners, and homeowners to learn new knowledge and skills. The offerings may not be the traditional field days, meetings, and events that we are used to, but now you can watch the virtual offerings for free from the comfort of your couch. You’ll just need a computer, smartphone, or tablet with an internet connection. 

The District 1 counties, which includes Carter County, will be hosting two series of zoom meetings – Master Haymaker and the Unexpected Pleasures of Gardening. The Master Haymaker program will occur on Monday evenings from 6:00-8:00 from February 1 – March 15. Topics will include Weed Control for Forages, How to Make High Quality Hay, Warm & Cool Season Forages, Soil & Soil Fertility, Marketing High Quality Hay, Machinery for Hay Production, and Baleage Production. The Gardening series will occur on Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:00 from February 25 – March 11. The topics will include Conventional Home Gardening, Production of Small Fruit in the Home Landscape, and Annual & Perennial Flowers for the Home Landscape. Carter County participants of the Gardening Series will receive free seeds. 

Free seeds are also available to those who watch the Ready, Set, Grow: The Seed Series videos on the Carter County Agriculture Extension Service Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CCESAG) on Tuesdays at noon in March. Topics will include herbs, sunflowers, hummingbirds, catnip, and watermelons. 

Additional state wide online webinars include a Backyard Poultry Series (second and fourth Thursdays in February & March at 7:00 PM), From the Woods Today (Wednesdays at 11:00 AM), Horticulture Webinars (Wednesdays at 12:30 PM), and the Beef Webinars (first and third Tuesday at 8:00 PM). 

Contact the Extension Office at 474-6686 to register or receive the links for any of these webinars. Like us on Facebook to find out about more upcoming virtual events and view past videos. For more information, contact the Carter County office of the UK Cooperative Extension Service. 

Late to the Game(s): Up, up, down, down…

Reflecting on the impact of Konami and their code

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

If you played games in the 80s, or if you spent any time really geeking out about gaming at all, you’re probably familiar with the Konami code. The code – up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, Start (or Select) – is practically shorthand for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) generation of video game consoles that ushered in gaming as we know it today. The code, and variations on it, has been used as a “cheat” in multiple games since it first showed up in Konami games on the NES. 

I first used the Konami code on Contra, where it granted you 30 lives right at the start of the game. With that cheat in hand my cousin and I fought our way through level after level of human enemies, tanks, and aliens to beat the game. Without the cheat (I honestly needed it worse than my cousin did) we’d have never been able to progress all the way through the game. With it, even less talented gamers like me could feel invincible. 

Though I first used it on Contra, the code actually originated with a port of the arcade shooter Gradius. The developer working on the port found it too difficult to play the game during testing without all of the power-ups so he inserted the code as a pause screen option, choosing a series of inputs that would have been impossible to randomly achieve, that gave him all of the bells and whistles. 

He planned to remove the cheat before the game was shipped, but didn’t do so. Worried that removing it at the last minute could lead to game-breaking bugs, they decided to leave it in. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Versions of the code have been in various Gradius games, as well as the Contra, Castlevania, Silent Hill, and Metal Gear series, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, and other Konami produced games. It’s become so iconic it’s also been used elsewhere by other game and tech companies. 

So, you can understand the dismay of gamers when earlier this month it was announced that Konami – known in the west for video games but a multi faceted company in Asia with properties ranging from anime to trading cards to pachinko and even fitness – was shutting down its video gaming divisions. Gamers were shocked and dismayed. Some of Konami’s properties, like Castlevania and Metal Gear, have still been producing games in their series regularly over the years – at least until the last generation – and still have huge followings. 

Thankfully, though, it turns out the claims of gaming division closures were just rumors. While the company is going through some reorganization and restructuring, which included the closure and merger of three existing gaming divisions, the company has assured fans that the statement released to investors does not mean that the company is closing their video game division. 

While we haven’t seen any of those iconic Metal Gear, Castlevania, Contra or Silent Hill games so beloved by fans of the company since the PS3/Xbox 360 era, with Konami focusing mostly on Pro Evolution Soccer and Yuh-Gi-Oh over the past generation, the possible return of those franchises in the PS5/Xbox Series X era – and the well known cheat code with them – isn’t off the table after all. 

That’s something we can all “up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-B-A” cheer about. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Board of Adjustment grants variances: Commercial and residential projects approved, with stipulations

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 The Grayson Board of Adjustment met on Monday night to hear requests for variances on three different proposed projects – one residential, one commercial, and one related to a county E911 project. 

The first was a residential building project at a property along U.S. 60 within city limits. The owner of that property, Brenda Sexton, wishes to build a two car garage on the site. But, because of the layout of the lot, the only way to adhere to the 30 foot setback requirement would be to dig into the hillside and put in a retaining wall. This would add significantly to the cost of the improvement. Because of this the owner was asking for a variance to the 30 foot setback, and asking that she be allowed a 15 foot setback instead. 

Mindy Woods-Click, with the Planning and Zoning Board, noted at the beginning of the meeting that one of the reasons for allowing variances was due to lot layout or dimensions impeding the ability to adhere strictly to the zoning requirements. 

Grayson code enforcement officer Duane Suttles told the board that he had spoken to neighbors, who had no issues with granting the variance, and that it would still place the front of the garage outside of the 55 foot right-of-way required from the center of U.S. 60. 

The second request heard by the Board of Adjustment was from E911 director Joseph Lambert. Lambert explained that he would like to have a new entryway built onto the E911 center. He said it would be necessary before the E911 office could receive a National Crime Information Computer (NCIC). This computer, he explained, could provide the E911 office with information on potential criminals that they currently have to call state police to receive, and could help local law enforcement act more quickly and decisively if they were in contact with a potentially dangerous individual. 

But, he said, because of the sensitive information that can be accessed through the computer system the E911 center needs to install an extra layer of security in the form of an extra locked door between the entry to the building and the interior offices where the computer will be located. Until they have this extra layer of security, they will not be granted the NCIC system. 

He said the extra layer of security would also help keep E911 personnel safe in the event someone attempted to force their way into the center. This was an issue the center had to deal with recently. While the individual was unsuccessful at getting through the exterior doors, the extra layer of security provided by an extra locked door would add to the peace of mind for E911 employees. 

Lambert said there was “no room” to add another door inside the center, explaining this was why the service wanted to add an extension to the entryway. 

Suttles said the only potential issues he could see with the project would be the possible location of sewage, water, or gas lines under the area where the entryway would be built. If there were any of those infrastructure features under the area, he said, future repairs might require the demolition of the new entryway. He said he would reach out to utilities departments to make sure this would not be an issue. 

He added that while the E911 office was technically in the central business district, which allows building right up to the right-of-way without need of a variance, because the E911 office also abuts a residential area it is bound by the stricter residential rules unless the variance is granted. 

The final request came from JMK Electric. The company, which is also located in a residential zoned area, currently has two trailers that are being used for storage. These trailers, however, are in a state of disrepair. Because of this they aren’t functional as storage. Though they have items currently stored in them, the company doesn’t allow employees to go into the trailers to retrieve the materials because of potential safety issues related to decaying floors. The trailers are also not aesthetically pleasing in their current state. 

JMK wishes to replace these two trailers with a storage building that would be more functional and would be more aesthetically pleasing. While the company is fairly sure they would be within their rights to replace the trailers without requesting a variance, they wanted to approach the board to make sure they were following all rules. 

After hearing from each of the properties seeking variance, the board entered regular session to discuss each property and vote on the variances. 

They moved the grant the Sexton variance as requested. In the other two cases they moved to grant the requests with stipulations. 

The E911 variance was granted contingent on the approval of utilities and confirmation that the new entryway would not impact access to utility lines.

In the JMK request the board agreed that the request would definitely create an aesthetic improvement at the property, and noted that – though it was in a residential area – they didn’t foresee a change in usage anytime soon. While they initially discussed tabling the discussion and asking the representative back, because the property is currently a non-conforming usage in a residential zoned area. While they could have looked at changing the zoning, they decided they didn’t want to hold up any improvements. 

Woods-Click said while the planning and zoning commission could look at changing the zoning – which would allow the change even if it meant a possible increase in traffic if the storage space also became office space at some point in the future – she added she felt it would “seem a shame not to allow them to improve” the property for their own benefit as well as that of their neighbors. 

The board moved to offer granting the variance if they moved the front of the proposed building back 30 feet from the property line, as required in a residential area, rather than the current 20 feet of the trailers. 

Suttles, as code enforcement officers, was tasked with informing each of the requesters of the boards decisions. He said he would notify Sexton and JMK of the board’s decisions right away, and would inform Lambert and E911 as soon as the location of any possible gas, water or sewage lines were verified. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

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