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Going where the grass is blue

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

My uncle and I have different political views. But we don’t let this divide us. Instead of talking politics, we talk about the things that unite us. With me and my uncle that usually includes hunting, fishing, murshroom foraging, and bluegrass music. 

There is a lot I could say about our relationship, but the point is family is more important than politics, and we’ve never let that one difference outweigh the many things we have in common. We’ve never let it outweigh how much we love one another. 

It’s been an important thing to keep in mind recently. We’ve gone through a divisive four years as a nation. And a year of pandemic that has made normal family relations difficult to impossible. My uncle, for instance, one of the most important people in my life, has never gotten to meet the most important person in my life – my son. 

See, my son turned a year old right in the heart of the pandemic. You can’t keep a mask on a kid, and my uncle has some serious health conditions and spent much of the first year of my son’s life in and out of the hospital himself. So, in the lost year that was 2020, all the holidays and celebrations where we would normally get together as family didn’t happen. 

It’s a shame because they are two of my favorite people in the whole world, and I can’t wait for them to meet. 

It’s a shame, too, because one of the deepest connections I share with my uncle, our love of music – particularly bluegrass music – is also one of the connections I have with my toddler. He loves to sing. He loves to play with my instruments. He regularly plays my dobro, upright on its stand, like a doghouse bass. And he loves to dance. I feel like his love of music is something deeper than the regular childhood love of music, but that may just be his daddy projecting. Regardless, it’s a way to bond. 

Last week I stopped in to visit my uncle for a minute, and we talked a little about my boy. We listened to some songs by the Grascals that he has been enjoying. I told him once we’re on the other side of this pandemic, I’m taking him and Harrison to a show or a festival together. It’s one of the things I was looking forward to once the baby was big enough, and now that he is I’m looking forward every day to a return to normal. 

Because there is a time to mourn, and a time to dance, as the scriptures say. We’ve spent the past year mourning all the opportunities we’ve lost. All the people we’ve lost. All the relationships we’ve lost. What comes next is a time to dance. And when it’s time, we’re going to dance to the banjo and the fiddle. It’s just the way my family does. 

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

Have you ever said ‘it is what it is’ to someone with a real problem?

By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times

If you used that phrase and said nothing else, you probably left the impression that you couldn’t care less about what had happened and that you were helpless to do anything in the unlikely event you actually did give a damn.

Workplace surveys have shown that phrase is highly disliked as being uncaring or callous and, in reality, has become a cop-out for those who don’t want to get involved with someone else’s problems, personal or otherwise.

I had a great boss in the newspaper business who was fond of that expression. But after a year of hearing him use it regularly in response to a variety of work-related issues, I challenged him to explain his reason for liking and using those frustrating, perhaps even hurtful, words.

To my mild surprise, he said he had learned that allowing someone to fret and worry over what had happened was a waste of time and ultimately made it harder for that person to accept the challenge of finding a timely solution or mitigation of the issue.

My limited research found that the origin of the phrase is unclear, as is exactly what it means in any given context. Some say it often is interpreted as a wisecrack or a means of telling someone to take their gloom and doom elsewhere.

A co-worker told me a few years ago that he didn’t like those five words used together because they could influence a less confident person to assume the immediate problem was unsolvable. 

A man writing on the subject in an obscure Internet blog described the phrase somewhat jovially as “a pronouncement of the man-in-charge that means the man-in-charge is giving up on a problem or situation.” 

He added that such an utterance from the top was a “prompt” for an ambitious lower status male to say he’d like to try “one more thing” for the good of the company, no doubt. 

That writer obviously is a prime candidate for sensitivity training on gender equity in the workplace. 

I wasn’t sure how to end this piece until I ran across the mournful, broken-hearted lyrics to the title track of an album released last year by musician-songwriter Stephen Bruner whose stage name is Thundercat.

Here’s what he said so profoundly in the third verse about “it is what it is”:

After all is said and done
And I’m all alone.
When I sit back and reflect
From a broken heart.
Sometimes there’s regret.
It is what it is.

Keith Kappes can be reached at keithkappes@gmail.com

AS WE SEE IT: Remembering MLK Jr.

Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. day, the federal holiday set to honor the life and legacy of the famed civil rights leader. 

King might be best known for his “I have a dream,” speech, a 1963 call for civil and economic rights and an end to institutionalized racism in the United States. It’s also considered to be among the most inspiring – and quite possibly the greatest – pieces of oratory in American history. 

In that speech, King famously proclaims that he has, “a dream.” 

“I still have a dream,” he said. “It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

“I have a dream that one day, on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. 

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. 

“I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists… one day right down in Alabama little black boys and little black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today.

“I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

“This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.” 

This is just a short segment of King’s remarks, of course, and nearly sixty years on from that date we would hope, like King, that we could being to “transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony.” 

We would hope that little black boys and girls born then grew up judged “by the content of their character” and not by the color of their skin. 

And while situations did undoubtedly improve a little in the intervening years – anti-miscegenation laws banning interracial marriage were declared unconstitutional in 1967 and some economic opportunities have improved – we still haven’t come nearly as far as we’d expect in that time frame. 

The time between 1963 and 2021, 58 years, is a literal lifetime, and yet black men are still incarcerated at a higher percentage that whites. Black people, especially black men, as a percentage of the population, are more likely to be shot by police responding to an incident. 

These aren’t indictments of the individuals who work as law enforcement officers or prosecutors in our individual communities. It’s an acknowledgment of a system and institutions that still have a long way to go to create that freedom and equality Dr. King called for. The equality our founding fathers held to be “self evident” truths. 

The sons of Georgia slaveowners and the sons of Georgia slaves may be able to sit down together in brotherhood, but when they get up from that “table of brotherhood” there are still some Americans who will refuse to see them as equals. We may pay lip service to the words of MLK Jr’s “dream,” especially on this holiday, but we’re still a long way from achieving the fullness of the dream. 

This week, we ask you to pledge to do more to keep that dream alive in your heart and in your actions, not just on Monday but throughout the year, so that next year, and every year after, we can make more of the progress it’s taken us nearly 60 years to achieve so far. And maybe make it a little faster. 

Uncle Jack Fultz’s Memories of Carter County: The Flying Fultz Family

Were there airplanes zipping around the skies of Carter County in 1905?

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

Everyone is familiar with the story of Orville and Wilbur Wright. They had their first powered airplane flight in 1903. By 1905 they had developed their Wright Flyer III, and in 1908 carried their first passenger. 

Folks in Carter County will also be familiar with Matthew B. Sellers II. The Olive Hill resident was an aviation pioneer, whose mother Angeline Lewis had Carter County roots and moved the family back there part time – at a mansion she named Blakemore – after the younger Matthew was born in Baltimore where the family located following the Civil War. It was there that Matthew began work in an air tunnel at the same time the Wright’s were doing their work in Ohio and Kitty Hawk, NC. 

It was also in Olive Hill that Sellers developed the first retractable landing gear, which he began developing in 1908 and patented in 1911, among other aviation innovations. 

Sellers is also widely credited with making the first powered flight in Kentucky, also in 1908 in his quadraplane (a four winged aircraft). 

But, if the Olive Hill Times articles collected by Jack Fultz are to be taken at face value, members of the Fultz family were making flying trips around the area as early as 1905. And apparently doing so with passengers, a full three years before the Wrights were credited with their first passenger flights. Items in the 1905 Olive Hill Times indicate that Bart Fultz (Fults) made a “flying trip” with Elmer Stallard to Brussia in August of that year. W.R. Fultz (Fults) is also said to have made a flying trip to Gates and “staid (sic) for two days,” around the same time. The Fultzes were also said to be making regular flights into Salt Lick and Olive Hill around the same time. 

By 1906 the flights appear to have either ceased, or become so commonplace they no longer warranted mention in the local press. Regardless of the reason, the small – almost throw away – notices of their flying trips in local press aren’t found in the paper after 1905, though for several months the paper was fairly peppered with stories of their “flying trips.” 

It’s an interesting bit of local history that seems to fly in the face of popular and official timelines, especially if further evidence of these flights could be corroborated by photograph or mention in other media. Regardless, it’s an intriguing thought to think of aeroplanes or gliders soaring over early Carter County, three years before the first accepted powered flights which we know have roots in the county. 

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

Pet of the Week: 1/20/21

Shiloh is a seven-week-old Great Pyrenees mix. He’s a very sweet, playful boy. Shiloh has a $75 adoption fee that includes rabies vaccination and being spayed. 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.

Indictments: 12/18/20

The following indictments were returned by the Grand Jury of the Carter Circuit Court on December 18, 2020. 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. 

  • Donald Elam, 36, of Grayson, on or about December 1, 2017 through November 30. 2020, flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor child and accumulating an arrearage of $4,514.00, a Class D Felony.
  • Johnny Ray Fields, 43, Greenup, on or about September 15, 2020 the defendant committed offenses of theft by deception, over $500, by obtaining property or services of another by deception with the intent to deprive the person thereof, a Class D Felony; obscuring the identity of a machine over $500, but under $10,000 by intentionally removing, defacing, covering, destroying, altering, or obscuring a manufacturer’s serial number or any other distinguishing identification number or mark with intent to render it or other property unidentifiable, a Class D Felony; with a persistent felony offender, first degree, enhancement. 
  • Vanessa Gollihue, 29, of Grayson, on or about March 19, 2020, the defendant committed the offenses of Assault, fourth degree, minor injury, by intentionally causing physical injury, a Class A Misdemeanor; buying or possession of drug paraphernalia, when she 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; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when she possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony.
  • Jacob Gray, 24, of Grayson, or on about August 28, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of assault in the first degree, by intentionally assaulting the victim and stabbing them with a deadly weapon, causing them to suffer serious physical injury, a Class B Felony. 
  • Glenn Russell, 33, of Hitchins, or about September 1, 2019 through November 30, 2020, flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor children, and accumulating an arrearage of $4,477.50, a Class D Felony. 
  • Melissa Shockey, 49, of Catlettsburg, on or about August 1, 2017 through November 30, 2020, flagrant non-support by failing to support her minor child, and accumulating an arrearage of $5,522.00, a Class D Felony. 
  • David Stafford, 55, of Olive Hill, on or about November 29, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of wanton endangerment, first degree, by wantonly engaging in conduct which created a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury, a Class D Felony. 
  • Wayne Treadway, 48, of Ashland, on or about June 1, 2017 through November 30, 2020, flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor child, and accumulating an arrearage of $4,572.20, a Class D Felony. 
  • Steven Worthen, 48, of Olive Hill, on or about November 25, 2020, the defendant committed the offense of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, by having possession of a handgun while having a prior felony conviction, a Class C Felony. 

Livestock and Grain Market Report: 1/16/21

Extension Notes: Extension office accepting plant orders

By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent

The Carter County Extension Office is currently accepting orders for apple and pear rootstock and strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry plants. 

Orders may be placed for M7A apple and pear rootstock for spring grafting. All rootstock is $1.50 each. Orders will be taken until February 1st or until sold out. 

Strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries orders must be placed by February 25. Strawberry variety options include Earliglow, FlavorFest, and Seascape and are $5.25- $5.75 per bundle of 25 plants. Prime Ark Freedom, a thornless blackberry, is available for $4.75 per plant. A red raspberry (Heritage) and black raspberry (Jewel) are available for $3.00 per plant.

Payment must be made at the time of ordering. Checks can be made payable to the Carter County Ag Council. 

Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability 

Late to the Games: Hunting the Witch of Hanoverton with STM

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

Most ghost hunting shows are pretty formulaic. They give you a brief background, with the most popular version of the story, a quick tour of the location, and then spend the rest of the episode chasing bumps and shadows. Occasionally they will debunk something, for credibility’s sake. So that you believe all the bumps and shadows and whispery EVPs are real. 

That’s not what you get with Small Town Monsters’ newest release, On the Trail of Hauntings. The latest in their On the Trail of… series, Hauntings first episode takes the crew to Hanoverton, Ohio where they explore legends and supposed hauntings surrounding the Grove Hill Cemetery. They discuss a few, but the main focus is the story of the “Witch of Hanoverton” Christina Sloan. Instead of the brief version of her legend, they give you three, starting with the “my friend told me about” version with confused details, an amateur ghost hunter and historian’s standard version of the legend, and a ghost tour guide’s more complex version, complete with alternate endings and sources of possible confusion and contradiction. 

After spending 15 minutes of the half-hour show hearing the stories, they spend the second half debunking, discussing and investigating the claims. Some of that time is dedicated to a review of video footage; a trope we’ve gotten used to in paranormal shows. But instead of claiming they’ve captured irrefutable evidence of a ghost, the STM investigators essentially say, “oh, that’s interesting,” and wrap up the show. 

The interesting thing they’ve captured – a light that doesn’t seem to correspond to any vehicles or reflections, which is what they’ve suggested to debunk other reported ghost lights seen in the cemetery – is left to stand on it’s own. 

Likewise, the crew doesn’t deconstruct and pick apart the sometimes contradictory stories of Christina Sloan – the apparently shared name of George Sloan’s legitimate and illegitimate daughters. Was she accused or witchcraft and hanged after spurning the romantic advances of an overzealous clergyman? Accidentally, or intentionally, killed by men her biological father hired to intimidate her into silence after she approached him for assistance? Or did her own father accuse and have her hanged for witchcraft to keep word of his infidelity quiet? 

They aren’t making any claims of secret, psychic knowledge and leave it all there for the viewers to weigh for themselves. 

It’s a refreshing trend, and one I hope they stick with as they continue On the Trail of Hauntings, the first series to be introduced through their Small Town Monsters Squad subscription service. In addition to giving members access to new On the Trail of… series first, before they are released through streaming services and on physical media, it also gives them sneak previews and development diaries on other STM projects as they are in progress. Producer Seth Breedlove said there are already “dozens of hours” of content for Squad members. 

And what about the fabled medallions? One version of the story says the grave of the Hanoverton Witch was surrounded by protective medallions, and that when the last one fell she would return to exact her revenge. Chains and medallions actually encircled the entire Sloan family plot, where Christina may or may not be buried. (While a tombstone shows that legitimate Christina died at the age of 22 and 2 months, illegitimate Christina is also said to have been buried in an unmarked grave within the family plot.) The last of those reportedly fell in September of 2019.

Hanover Township, so far, hasn’t been overrun by paranormal activity. 

If it happens, though, I’m counting on the Small Town Monsters crew to pay another visit. 

For more information about On the Trail of Hauntings, the Small Town Monsters Squad subscription service, and all STM productions, check out smalltownmonsters.com. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Grayson approves CARES funds use: Police and fire to get new gear

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 The city of Grayson has been reimbursed the promised $87,600 in police related expenses like salary costs through CARES Act funds and, following the recommendations made in their December meeting, moved to approve the purchase of mobile computer units for department use. Those units, at a cost of $43,128, include a tablet and a docking station for each vehicle. 

Among the amenities of the new mobile system is a feature that immediately calls up all relevant info when an officer scans a driver’s license. This would include any outstanding warrants in addition to information about suspended driving privileges or other relevant information. Rather than calling in, reading off information, and waiting for someone else to do the search, officers could be alerted immediately. In addition to silently alerting them of potential issues the system will also help get drivers back on the road more quickly when they are pulled over for routine traffic violations, Chief Travis Steele explained during the December meeting. 

Council approved the use of another $35,000 from the reimbursement for the purchase of new turn-out gear for the fire department. 

Mayor George Steele said the remainder of the CARES funds would be put toward other line items in the city budget. 

Council also approved a motion to enter into an agreement with the state for Kentucky’s deferred compensation system. This voluntary system allows employees to set back $15 or more per pay period towards additional retirement funds. These funds don’t replace existing 401K or state retirement system funds, but serve as a supplement to those funds. 

“When you retire, and see your retirement may not be enough, it’s too late,” John Knausz, a spokesman for the system, told council. 

The minimum amount each employee must put aside if they choose to participate in the program is $15 per pay period. But, Knausz said, they may elect to set aside more. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Inspired reading: New organization to bring Dolly Parton program to Carter County

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is an amazing organization. It brings two age-appropriate books a month to children in participating communities, from birth until they start school, no matter their family income. Anyone can sign their child up, as long as there is a sponsoring organization in their community. 

Unfortunately there hasn’t been any sponsoring organization in Carter County. But, if Anna Chaffins has her way, her new organization – Inspired Reading – could change that and bring the book program to local children. 

Chaffins said she was inspired by reading with her child after work. 

“A while back I started my own business, Inspired Order of Grayson, an organizing and cleaning business,” she explained. After a day of working, she said, “I’d come home to my kid, who I don’t like to leave at all – she’s three – and she always wants to play, she always wants to do something. It’s hard after you come home to have time to do anything, but I try to make time, to set it aside as soon as I come home to do something special with her. So, I try to read with her, and I try to read with her throughout the evening.”

She explained it was important to her because reading was such an escape for her as a young woman, even with her dyslexia and dysgraphia, and it’s a love she wants to share with her daughter. She said if a child has an issue like she does, this kind of early reading can help them overcome it as she was able to. 

“You can’t take the disability away from your child if they do have it, but you can help your child learn to adapt to it,” she said. “So I’ve always tried to make that a priority with my daughter.” 

Reading with her daughter was already an established habit, but looking into resources for new books a while back, she explained, she came across information about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. She thought it was a fantastic program, but was distressed when she discovered it wasn’t available in Carter County. So, she set out to change that. 

Chaffins has already reached out to the national organization, and contacted the director over our area. She has another meeting planned with them later this month, to update them on her progress with the program, but she still has some milestones she needs to hit before they can begin offering books. 

Her first hurdle is finding a non-profit to partner with her on the program, as that’s one of the requirements. Next she needs to begin finding sources of funding for the program, which is only a couple of dollars per child per month. After that she can get access to the Imagination Library’s database and, after learning to use the database to access available books, she can begin registering children. Once she has enough children registered she’ll be able to launch the program locally. 

The organization likes to have around five percent of local children signed up for the program at the time of launch. 

Chaffins plans to cover Carter and Boyd Counties at launch, because she lives in Carter County but Boyd County is both nearby and the Boyd County Public Library has been a favorite place for her to find new books – something that can be hard for lower income parents. 

“New books are expensive!” she said. But, like Dolly, she doesn’t think that cost should be a barrier to families who want to give their kids an early introduction to the joy books can bring. 

If you are interested in working with Chaffins and Inspired Reading to bring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to Carter and Boyd Counties, either through your non-profit organization or as a financial supporter, you can reach her at inspiredreadingofcartercounty@gmail.com. 

You can find more information about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library online at https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Park board eyes spring for sprayground install: Plans for future expansion

Contractors work on finishing park buildings last fall in this file photo. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 Grayson Sports Park manager Grant Harper is hoping for an early spring installation of sprayground and playground equipment in the park, and is also planning ahead for future growth of the installations. 

Harper told the board he has settled on Landscape Structures for the playground equipment and installation. Harper explained that the park had already earned an $8,000 piece of playground equipment from the organization, even though they weren’t winners in the Kiwanis playground contest the company was part of. He said the design from the organization, which encompasses a 6,000 square foot playground, is broken down by age groups so that younger children aren’t competing with older children for equipment. 

He said he has also priced amenities for the sprayground and expects equipment to cost around $70,000. This cost includes a water manifold with extra units, so the sports park can add additional sprayground features in the future as more funding is available. Harper explained that, by adding a larger manifold at the beginning, the valves to any additional openings can be turned off and the openings plugged until needed, so new water features can be easily added or replaced.

While the park board currently has a $90,000 budget for the sprayground, Harper said installation is expected to cost as much as the equipment. Because of this he was recommending a budget of $150,000 and asking the board for an adjustment to the budget to meet this expected cost. 

“I think we can get something more significant, without a more significant cost, on the spraygound,” Harper said. 

The park board voted to recommend this budget change to the tourism board, and the tourism board moved later that evening to approve the change. 

Harper said the costs may end up being lower, and that he was organizing a meeting between the company and local concrete contractors to see if a local concrete company can meet the sprayground needs. If a local company can do the concrete work it could lower the costs a small amount. 

In other action the board heard news about the name of the road as it goes through the park. For purposes of E911 dispatching, the road as it runs through the park will be known as Sports Park Drive. 

The board also discussed pricing of facilities rentals for tournaments and events.

Harper told the board he has also received pricing quotes on a fence and front gate for the park. 

He said they have also recovered an over payment made to Allard Excavation and that the contractor is coming back to make some fixes to concrete laid at the park that wasn’t expected to meet the park’s needs. 

The next meeting of the park board is scheduled for 9 a.m. on February 11 at the IKORCC Union Hall on the Industrial Parkway. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Online school returns: Health Dept recommends change back to remote learning

Returning school board members Lisa Ramey-Easterling (left) and Rachel Fankell (center) were sworn in on Monday alongside newly elected board member Patrick Ferry (right). (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 Just when staff and students were getting used to Carter County’s hybrid model again, the school system has gone back to an entirely online virtual school schedule at the recommendation of the Carter County Health Department. 

Carter County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Ronnie Dotson, told the board on Monday night that beginning the next day (Tuesday) the system would be returning to the online model. He said he had let both parents and teachers know at the same time, and released the news “literally five minutes” after receiving the notice himself. He said he felt a responsibility to release the news as quickly as possible in case parents needed to make childcare arrangements. 

He said while he knew the school system would have some students and parents who would be “terribly disappointed” with the change – a feeling that had already been communicated to him – he said the district will, “have to trust that the health department is making decisions that will keep the community safe.” 

He said they would reevaluate the decision with the health department after two weeks of online instruction. 

Dotson also said the district would continue to look at restarting small group instruction while following all guidelines necessary to keep students safe.

This news came as the school district was holding their first in-person meeting, rather than an online meeting, in several months. 

The meeting, held at Carter City Elementary, was used as an opportunity to once again congratulate the school on their achievement in being recognized as an Exemplary High Performing National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. 

Dotson told the staff and principal Jo Ashworth that while celebration of the recognition had been “kind of lost in the pandemic,” he wanted the school to know that the district “recognizes the excellence.” 

Dotson presented Ashworth with certificates for the staff and told her that the district would be distributing lapel pins later this week when they arrived. The lapel pins are distributed by the Department of Education and are only available to school staff who have been identified as part of a Blue Ribbon School. 

He told Ashworth the district was “thankful you are here leading this school,” and said that even if it was “a year after the fact” once the pandemic would allow they want to have a large celebration of the recognition with the community invited to attend. 

“I want the community to realize the pride they should have (in the school),” he said. 

He said he had recently talked to realtors who said Carter County was getting noticed by home buyers who are moving into the county specifically because of the school system. In addition to Carter City Elementary, Star Elementary has been recognized as a Blue Ribbon School, and both East and West Carter High School have received state recognition for academic achievements. 

The district also heard a presentation on “Whole Child” initiatives, which focus on school nutrition as a part of the program. While things have been different this year, with the district allowed to follow guidelines normally reserved for summer feeding programs, they have still been above the national average for “smart snacks” and school nutrition in general. 

The school is now delivering five breakfast and lunch meals at a time to students via school bus to make sure all students are able to have at least those two balanced meals a day. So far this year they have delivered over 105,000 lunches and breakfasts by school bus. The district wished to express their thanks to the bus staff for help in distributing the meals and kitchen staff “who became our essential workers” this year. 

Though the Monday night meeting was held in-person at a remote site, with re-elected board members Rachel Fankell and Lisa Ramey-Easterling sworn in alongside newly elected board member Patrick Ferry prior to the meeting, the remainder of the school board meetings for this school year will take place at the school district’s central office in Grayson. Using the board office for meetings is expected to continue at least until school resumes for the next school year in the fall. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

  • Carter City Elementary principal Jo Ashworth poses with a plaque sent by the U.S. Department of Education in honor of Carter City’s recognition as an Exemplary High Performing National Blue Ribbon School. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
  • Returning school board members Lisa Ramey-Easterling (left) and Rachel Fankell (center) were sworn in on Monday alongside newly elected board member Patrick Ferry (right). (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

Faye Kiser Crawford

1924-2021

Mrs. Faye Kiser Crawford, age 96, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away Friday evening, January 15, 2021, at Trinity Station in Flatwoods, Kentucky.

She was born December 12, 1924, in Carter County, Kentucky, a daughter of the late Tom and Carrie Erwin Kiser.

Faye was a member of the Three Pine Freewill Baptist Church and she retired from the Carter County Board of Education as a librarian at the Olive Hill Elementary School. She enjoyed collecting antiques, quilting and spending time with her family.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Hubert V. Crawford; two sons, David Timothy Crawford and Stephen Eric Crawford; four brothers, Bert Kiser, Vernon Kiser, Paul Kiser and Gerald Kiser; and three sisters, Stella Kiser Fultz, Zella Kiser Snyder and Olive Kiser Erwin.

Faye is survived by one daughter, Theresa Lyons of Russell, Kentucky; one grandchild, Tiffany Bennett (Jeff); three great grandchildren, Rhiannon Ritchie, Shandi Griffith and Isaac Bennett; one brother-in-law, Claude Erwin of Globe, Kentucky; and one sister-in-law, Barbara Ruley Boggs of Olive Hill, Kentucky. She also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss her.

A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, January 20, 2021, at the Garvin Ridge Cemetery in Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Pastor Gary Sparks officiating. 

Due to COVID-19 regulations, we ask that everyone wear a mask and practice social distancing.

Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky, is caring for all arrangements for Mrs. Faye Kiser Crawford. 

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

Thomas Gladden

1937-2021

Mr. Thomas Gladden, age 83, of Holly Fork, Road, Morehead, Kentucky, formerly of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family, listening to the church songs him and his wife would sing, Saturday morning, January 16, 2021, at his residence.

He was born May 31, 1937, in Richland County, Ohio, a son of the late Ivan and Wilma Schmidt Gladden.

Thomas was of the Christian faith. He was an avid fisherman and hunter, but he loved a good game of golf. 

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Emilie Oakley Gladden; one brother, Daniel Gladden; and one sister-in-law, Barb Gladden.

Thomas is survived by two sons, Titus Smith (Tracie) of Mansfield, Ohio, and Estill Smith (Buffy) of Bellville, Ohio; one daughter, Starla Smith of Morehead, Kentucky; eight grandchildren; several great grandchildren; and one brother, Douglas Gladden (Maria) of Las Vegas, Nevada. He also leaves many other family members, golf buds and friends who will sadly mourn his passing.

Funeral services will be held at 12 noon Thursday, January 21, 2021, at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Brother Bobby Day officiating. Interment will follow in the Oakley Cemetery in Carter County, Kentucky.

Friends may visit from 11 a.m. to 12 noon, Thursday, January 21, 2021, at Globe Funeral Chapel, 17277 West US Highway 60, Olive Hill, Kentucky 41164.

Kyle, Titus, Estill, Robert, John and Duane 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.

Traffic Advisory: Daytime closures begin next week on KY 1444 in Carter County

For drainage pipe replacement

FLEMINGSBURG – Daytime closures of KY 1444 in Carter County will take place this month as Kentucky Department of Highways crews replace several drainage pipes underneath the highway.

Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 19, crews will close KY 1444 on its KY 7 end to replace pipes. Work and road closures will continue daily, about 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Jan. 27 as crews work along KY 1444 toward its intersection with KY 773.

Message boards will be used to note where daily road closures will occur and to communicate any schedule changes. When the road is closed, motorists may detour through Grayson using KY 7 and KY 773.

Road work schedules are subject to change depending on weather conditions. Motorists are asked to heed all warning signs, slow down in work zones and remain aware of workers and construction equipment when traveling.

Ella Lee Johnson Bowling

1934-2021

Mrs. Ella Lee Johnson Bowling, age 86, of Mansfield, Ohio, formerly of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away Monday afternoon, January 11, 2021, at Ohio Health Mansfield Hospital in Mansfield, Ohio.

She was born April 26, 1934, in Elliott County, Kentucky, a daughter of the late Robert Phillip and Lizzie Holbook Johnson.

Ella was a faithful member of the Providence Freewill Baptist Church in Olive Hill, Kentucky, which she attended until she became ill. She loved the Lord with all her heart and read her Bible faithfully until she was unable too. Ella loved gospel singing, quilting, painting and taking long walks in the woods to stare at all the beauties the Lord had created. She was and avid traveler, she loved to jump in her car and travel across the United States by herself and see all the beauties the Lord had made. Ella was a hard worker who retired from Justices IGA in Grayson, Kentucky. She loved her family, grandchildren, and her great grandchildren. Her heart’s desire was to see her family give their lives to the Lord. Ella left a great testimony to her children before she left she went to sleep in the arms of the Lord, as the song I’ve got a mansion just over the hill top played and the angels came and carried her home.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, John Bowling and one sister, Hattie Pauline Bear. 

Ella is survived by two sons, Johnny Ray Callihan of Warren, Ohio, and Curtis Wayne Callihan (Susan) of Las Vegas, Nevada; one daughter, Evelyn Dianne Barker of Mansfield, Ohio; seven grandchildren; three great grandchildren; two great-great grandchildren; and one sister, Dixie Stacy of Mansfield, Ohio. She also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss her.

Funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 16, 2021, at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Brother Bobby Day officiating. Burial will follow in the Holbrook Cemetery on Bear Ridge in Elliott County, Kentucky.

Friends may visit from 11:30 to 1 p.m. Saturday, January 16, 2021, at Globe Funeral Chapel, 17277 West Highway US 60, Olive Hill, Kentucky 41164.

Family and friends 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.

Community mourns Comets and Wildcats athlete

The Olive Hill Chamber of Commerce is sad to report that Ben “Big Ben” Jordan, a former West Carter Comets and UK Wildcats basketball and baseball player, has passed away.

In support of the Jordan family they are asking the community to please hang a blue ribbon at their home and/or their place of business. If possible please add a number “3” to the ribbon. They ask that you keep his family in your thoughts and prayers at this time.

Friends may visit Wednesday and Thursday at Globe Funeral Chapel.

A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, at the Olive Hill Memorial Park (see obituary for more information).

Lady Comets dominate Fairview: 59-22 win gives West Carter a 2-1 season

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

The West Carter Lady Comets were on fire Saturday, dominating the Fairview Lady Eagles in a game that had them up by 28 at the end of the first half and finished with a score of 59-22.

The West Carter girls played a fast, passing game that frustrated the Fariview team while they built an impressive lead.

Beth Middleton was the top scorer for the Lady Comets, with 14 points on six two-pointers and two free throws. Middleton also had five rebounds, four offensive and one defensive.

Allie Stone was close behind Middleton on points, with 12 points on six field goals, and 11 total rebounds, five offensive and six defensive, and four assists.

Kara Jordan scored nine points for West, on four field goals and a free throw, Kylie Gilliam and Millie Henderson had six points each, on two field goals and two free throws each. Hannah Henderson had three points on a single three pointer. Lexie Bond had four points on two field goals, two rebounds and one assist. Makenna Nichols scored a three pointer as well, and Peyton Steagall had two points on a field goal.

Camryn Burton had four rebounds for the Lady Comets and one assist, Kaylee Kinney and Destiny Davis had a rebound each. Millie Henderson had seven total rebounds, five offensive and two defensive and one assist. Gilliam had seven rebounds as well, four offensive and three defensive, and three assists. Jordan had four offensive rebounds. Hannah Henderson had four rebounds, two and two, and one assist. Kayleigh Rayburn had three assists. Steagall had five defensive rebounds.

The Lady Comets won their first game against Rowan County, 61-46. They have one loss, to Johnson Central, 51-62.

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Comets win over Fairview: Team is 3 for 4 on the season

Gage Leadingham, back from a serious football injury, scored 11 points for the Comets. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

The West Carter Comets played their third game of a fast paced basketball season on Saturday, triumphing over the Fairview Eagles 54 to 47. It was the Comets second victory after starting the season with a 51-77 loss to Shelby Valley.

West Carter ended the first half 17 up over Fairview, with a score of 27-10, and though the Eagles tried hard to come back in the second half, they never quite caught the Comets, who played good team ball with a solid passing game.

The Comets’ Jackson Bond scored four field goals on Saturday, all two pointers, and six free throws for a total of 14 points. Bond also had six rebounds, three offensive and three defensive.

Tyson Webb scored 13 points for the Comets, with two two-point field goals, one three-pointer and six free throws, and four defensive rebounds.

Trevor Callahan had seven points on three field goals and a free throw, Landon Nichols five points on two field goals and a free throw, Sam Jones two points on a field goal and Logan Berry two points on free throws.
Callahan had ten total rebounds, nine defensive and one offensive. Nichols had two, Jones one, and Berry six, and Brycen Boggs one.

On assists Bond and Callahan had two each, while Gage Leadingham, Webb, Nichols, and Jones had one each.

Leadingham was the third highest scoring player for the Comets on Saturday, with 11 points on four field goals and three free throws and one defensive rebound. Leadingham, who came back from a serious injury at the end of the Comets football season where he broke several ribs and punctured a lung, said he still had some aches from the injury, but felt like he was almost back to 100 percent.

“I’m starting to get there,” he said. “There’s a little pain every now and then. Just soreness and getting back into conditioning and everything, but overall yeah, I think I’m getting back to 100 percent. I’m getting in shape again.”

The punctured lung he suffered in that game was, “terrible,” he said.

“It was probably the worst pain I ever felt.”

But his recovery has been quick, surprising even himself.

“Yeah. I didn’t think I’d be able to get released that soon, but everything healed great,” Leadingham said. “I didn’t have to get a chest tube or anything, so everything went great.”

The Comets also had wins over the Magoffin County Hornets on Wednesday, January 6, beating them 69-62 and won against Menifee County on Monday night, 78-48, giving them a record of 3-1 so far.

They play again on Thursday, at 7 p.m. against a team to be announced in the 16th Region All “A” Classic, and square off against Rowan County at home on Saturday, at 7:30 p.m.

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

  • Logan Berry goes in for a rebound. Berry had six total rebounds on Saturday. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
  • Jackson Bond was the top scorer on Saturday, with 14 points and six rebounds. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
  • Gage Leadingham, back from a serious football injury, scored 11 points for the Comets. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
  • Gage Leadingham, back from a serious football injury, scored 11 points for the Comets. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
  • Jackson Bond was the top scorer on Saturday, with 14 points and six rebounds. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
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