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Hindsight is 2020

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

There is an old saying that hindsight is 20/20. If you aren’t familiar with the phrase, what it means is in looking back on events that have already passed you can see things you might have missed the first time around. The 20/20, of course, is a reference to the term for perfect eyesight, being able at a distance of 20 feet to see what you should see at 20 feet. 

I think that when we look back on 2020, we’re going to see a lot of things clearly that may not have been so clear to us as they were happening. Let’s face it, 2020 was a tumultuous year for all of us. Some folks have done better this year. I have friends who, in looking back, are already thankful for the extra time they were able to spend at home with their children and their families. While it may have been stressful at the time, when they weren’t clear about what was going to happen with their careers, or when they would be able to return to work – or if they would be able to return to work – in hindsight they are able to count their blessings. 

I expect a lot more of that will occur as things slowly return to normal with the development of COVID-19 vaccines. It may not return to normal right away, and some things may not return to normal until 2022 or later. But, eventually, we will eradicate or learn to live with this virus. (Some experts are already saying that rather than eradicating the virus completely it may be something, like seasonal flus and colds, that we just have to learn to live with. I suppose we’ll see.)

It wasn’t just COVID-19 that made 2020 an eventful year. 

Black Lives Matter protests erupted all over the nation as people took to the streets once again to confront the pernicious issue of racism and race related police brutality. Even Carter County was not immune to this phenomenon. While it hasn’t had any of the minority related shooting deaths that we have seen in larger cities and communities, folks intent on making a statement about their support for racial equality felt compelled to take a stand. Others who took a different message from those statements, and who worried about the impact of such demonstrations on their communities also took to the streets. Both groups were well within their first amendment rights to make the statements they made. But I believe that in years to come we will all look back on these events with a different view of how things played out, and how we wish we had handled them, no matter what stance we took on these issues. 

Politics in the year 2020 were another area where I think that the advantage of distance, reflection and hindsight will give us greater understanding of not only what was going on – often at breakneck speeds that were difficult to keep up with – but of how we reacted. Partisan rancor on both sides of the political spectrum seemed to be the flavor of the day, and I think that, with time, many will find that we have much more in common than the events of the past year led us to believe in the moment. 

It’s been a heck of a year, but here’s to hoping that, in hindsight, 2020 will have taught us all to be more thoughtful, more careful, and more humble in our assertions that we were always in the right. 

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

Perhaps you should ignore advice about cheering up in bad times

By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times

It was just last month ago in this space that I cheerfully (and hopefully) wrote about my quest to sell the manuscript of my novel to a major publishing house, thereby adding to my limited fame as a professional author of books.

As a result of that misplaced optimism, I advise you to consider ignoring your well-intentioned friends and relatives who try to lift your spirits in bad times by saying:

“Cheer up. Things could be worse.”

Well, I cheered up and, sure enough, things got worse…much worse. 

Not only did one of the five largest publishers of fiction in the world reject my manuscript within a few days, they had the audacity to criticize my dramatic love story as not meeting their expectation of a “happy ever after” ending.

Further, adding insult to injury, they suggested I buy and read more of their books to become familiar with their style of writing. In short, they wanted me to write their book, not my own. 

The whole experience reminded me of the time that the mother of an old girlfriend told me to leave and never contact her daughter again – and then asked me if I would fix a flat tire on her car as I was leaving. I gracefully exited, never to return. 

Back to my manuscript, I found that some of the comments in the one-page critique were confusing, even to an old wordsmith like me. They wanted my secondary characters to add “richness and depth” to the central romance but I should always keep the focus firmly on my hero and heroine. 

They asked for lots of internal emotional conflict, turning points, serious barriers to happiness but I should always show readers that the main characters are constantly in control of their destinies. Who can ride a horse in two directions at the same time?

My wife said the comments made her think of a paint-by-numbers exercise, sort of like this section is marked 6 so it must be painted blue, etc. 

Stay tuned, readers. I haven’t given up. “In the Shadow of War” is a good story, waiting to be read. And sold!

Keith Kappes can be reached at keithkappes@gmail.com

AS WE SEE IT: Live and let live

Last week a Wisconsin pharmacist was charged with intentionally destroying 57 vials of a COVID-19 vaccine by removing them from refrigeration and letting them sit at room temperature in excess of the 12 hour window recommended by the manufacturer. The vials, which contained a total of 570 doses, were of the Moderna vaccine. That vaccine is one of the mRNA vaccines, which works by replicating the “protein spikes” that give the coronavirus its name without using any amount of an actual living or dead virus as traditional vaccines do. Once the body develops antibodies to attack those spikes from the vaccination they can then attack the spikes on the actual COVID-19 virus if the subject is exposed, killing the virus. 

The pharmacist, who described himself as a “conspiracy theorist,” stated he had concerns the mRNA vaccines could alter the DNA of those who received the vaccine – something that doctors and medical experts said is not possible. 

We understand why folks might have some trepidation about taking a new vaccine, especially one that was approved so quickly and employs such a novel approach to combating the virus. While the science behind it suggests the vaccine is both effective and harmless – an assertion which we accept – there have been other drugs that were deemed safe and later found to have unforeseen side effects. 

Ranitidine, an over the counter acid reflux, heartburn and sour stomach medication sold under the brand name Zantac, was deemed safe for years until the FDA issued a recall in late 2019 over concerns that one of the ingredients in the drug could cause cancer. 

More chilling than ranitidine was the drug thalidomide. While thalidomide is still used today for a number of indications including cancer, graft-versus-host disease, and skin conditions such as leprosy, it is used only with extraordinarily strong warnings. Both women and men taking the drug are required to use birth control and are encouraged to take other prophylactic measures to ensure pregnancy does not result while on the drug, as it effects male sperm cells as well as female ovum and can result in severe birth defects in children conceived while their parents are using the drug. It can also result in birth defects in the developing fetus if a woman takes the drug after she has become pregnant. 

This second part was the issue with a number of children born in the late 1950s and early 1960s when thalidomide, then available over the counter without a prescription, was marketed for anxiety, sleeplessness, tension, and morning sickness. Many expectant mothers, needing to go about their daily business and suffering from the nausea that some women experience in early pregnancy, took the drug for their morning sickness with no idea what it was doing to their developing children. When these children were born with abnormally stunted, flipper like, or missing arms and legs the cause was eventually traced to the drug that was marketed specifically to pregnant women. 

Things like thalidomide – surely one of the worst case scenarios for adverse drug side-effects – have taught us to err on the side of caution and be skeptical of claims of safety from new drugs. That’s certainly an understandable stance to take, at least until the safety and efficacy of a drug is proven beyond shadow of doubt by widespread and long-term use. 

But vaccines are not the same as drugs like thalidomide and ranitidine – which are often taken daily and for issues unrelated to a viral disease. Vaccines like the polio vaccine have saved millions of people from the debilitating effects of that viral disease, and vaccines against measles, mumps, and rubella – all viral diseases – have spared the lives of thousands of children and kept them from experiencing the horrible effects of these once common childhood diseases. 

While we believe the science is sound and the new mRNA based coronavirus vaccines, like the one from Moderna, appear to be both safe and effective, we understand if some folks choose to forego the vaccine until more information is in. But even if you choose not to take the vaccine, there is no reason to stop others from making their own informed choice and taking the shot. Doing so, in the manner the Wisconsin pharmacist did, takes away the individual’s right to do as they see best for themselves and their family. 

We cannot condone his decision, no matter his personal convictions, and we hope he will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This virus has already disrupted too many lives and led to the deaths of too many loved ones. Taking away someone’s ability to protect themselves from it, without their consent, is the very definition of criminal. 

Uncle Jack Fultz’s Memories of Carter County: Smoky Valley feuding

One of the more interesting aspects of old newspapers are the types of notices that would not grace the papers of today. 

These include notices of visitations, both to communities and from communities to other locations, messages about who was calling on whom in order to court (dating in modern parlance, but much more formalized), and what sort of amusements young people were engaged in on a weekend evening. There was no little editorializing within the contents of those stories and notices either. If you want an unbiased view, you sometimes have to read between the lines. 

The most interesting items, though, are the types that might be considered gossip today. For instance, salesmen from outside the region peddling items of lesser quality at higher prices. Some of these might simply be an attempt by local vendors to maintain their customers, but it could also serve as a legitimate warning of “flimflam men” and con artists, and be considered a valuable public notice not to be taken in. 

Some of my favorite, though, have to be the stories about fights and disagreements, which were none to uncommon. 

And when you’re talking about fighting and quarreling, it seems Smoky Valley must have been the place for feuding back in the day. Not even church houses were immune to arguments that led to blows and fisticuffs. According to the Olive Hill Times of the week, on Sunday, August 27, 1905 an argument at church ended in a fist fight between Walter Lahorn and Elmer Stallard. It must have been quite the scrap, as the paper noted that “no one (was) fatally hurt.” 

The brief notice, tucked in between an announcement of the James family visiting with the J.W. Fults family (perhaps an alternative spelling of Fultz) and a notice of Ms. W.F. Fults’ recent illness, doesn’t state what caused the fray. We suppose those details are the kind of thing that would have been shared by word of mouth amongst those “in the know.” 

Another fight, the following day, gives us a little more information about the cause. Though sparse in additional details it does tell us the quarrel was the result of an “old grudge” between R.T. Kennard, professor of the Smoky Valley School, and J.M. Rose, professor of the common school at “the head of the Fork of Kinney.” Rose struck Kennard twice before the fight was broken up by mutual friends. Though it tells us there was an old grudge, it doesn’t state what that grudge was about. Again, 

One of the more interesting aspects of old newspapers are the types of notices that would not grace the papers of today. 

These include notices of visitations, both to communities and from communities to other locations, messages about who was calling on whom in order to court (dating in modern parlance, but much more formalized), and what sort of amusements young people were engaged in on a weekend evening. There was no little editorializing within the contents of those stories and notices either. If you want an unbiased view, you sometimes have to read between the lines. 

The most interesting items, though, are the types that might be considered gossip today. For instance, salesmen from outside the region peddling items of lesser quality at higher prices. Some of these might simply be an attempt by local vendors to maintain their customers, but it could also serve as a legitimate warning of “flimflam men” and con artists, and be considered a valuable public notice not to be taken in. 

Some of my favorite, though, have to be the stories about fights and disagreements, which were none to uncommon. 

And when you’re talking about fighting and quarreling, it seems Smoky Valley must have been the place for feuding back in the day. Not even church houses were immune to arguments that led to blows and fisticuffs. According to the Olive Hill Times of the week, on Sunday, August 27, 1905 an argument at church ended in a fist fight between Walter Lahorn and Elmer Stallard. It must have been quite the scrap, as the paper noted that “no one (was) fatally hurt.” 

The brief notice, tucked in between an announcement of the James family visiting with the J.W. Fults family (perhaps an alternative spelling of Fultz) and a notice of Ms. W.F. Fults’ recent illness, doesn’t state what caused the fray. We suppose those details are the kind of thing that would have been shared by word of mouth amongst those “in the know.” 

Another fight, the following day, gives us a little more information about the cause. Though sparse in additional details it does tell us the quarrel was the result of an “old grudge” between R.T. Kennard, professor of the Smoky Valley School, and J.M. Rose, professor of the common school at “the head of the Fork of Kinney.” Rose struck Kennard twice before the fight was broken up by mutual friends. Though it tells us there was an old grudge, it doesn’t state what that grudge was about. Again, it’s probably one of those items that led to a lot of whispered stories over back fences and along country lanes. 

It’s also interesting how similar this sort of content is to items that now often circulate about social media and – while less common today – was a huge part of early online messaging boards and social media such as the now defunct Topix site, a refuge for gossip, hear say, and wild conjecture that eventually met the fate of several other earlier social media sites with the rise of Facebook and Twitter. 

Some things, apparently, never change even if the outlet for sharing them does. 

Editor’s Note: This is the 26th 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

Indictments: 11/13/20 and 12/4/20

The following indictments were returned by the Grand Jury of the Carter Circuit Court on November 13 and December 4 of 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. 

November 13 indictments
  • Craig Baier, 28, of Grayson, on or about September 26, 2020, possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed heroin, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony. 
  • Angela Campbell, 55, of Grayson, on or about October 2, 2020, trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one narcotic, methamphetamine, more than two grams, a Class C Felony. 
  • Kevin Campbell, 54, of Grayson, on or about October 2, 2020, trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one narcotic, methamphetamine, more than two grams, a Class C Felony. 
  • Tracy Campbell, 55, of Grayson, on or about August 29, 2020, possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony. 
  • Brandi Dailey, 31, of Olive Hill, on or about October 18, 2020, 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; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one narcotic, methamphetamine, more than two grams, a Class C Felony; tampering with physical evidence by destroying, mutilating, concealing, removing or altering physical evidence which she believed would be in an official proceeding, a Class D Felony; possession of a controlled substance, second degree, by knowingly and unlawfully possessing a controlled substance classified as a schedule III drug, drug unspecified, a Class A Misdemeanor. 
  • David Aaron Gallion, 39, of Grayson, on or about October 6, 2020, 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; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one narcotic, heroin, a Class C Felony; tampering with physical evidence by destroying, mutilating, concealing, removing or altering physical evidence which he believed would be in an official proceeding, a Class D Felony. 
  • Paul Jordan, 46, of Olive Hill, on or about October 8, 2020, the offense of Strangulation, first degree by intentionally impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of his alleged victim, applying pressure on her throat or neck or blocking her nose or mouth without consent, a Class C Felony; the offense of assault, fourth degree, minor injury, by intentionally causing physical injury to his alleged victim, a Class A Misdemeanor. 
  • Jarrod Kelly, 37, of Grayson, on or about August 28, operating a motor vehicle under the influence, first offense, by operating a vehicle on a public roadway while intoxicated, a Class B Misdemeanor; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed heroin, 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.
  • Kara Kimmel, 35, of Grayson, on or about August 10, 2020, possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when she possessed heroin, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony.
  • Rosemary Kovi, 49, of Grayson, on or about October 1, 2020, complicity to traffick in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, heroin, by soliciting, commanding, or engaging in a conspiracy with another person to commit the offense, or aiding, counseling, or attempting to aid another person in the offense of knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a controlled substance by distributing, dispensing, selling, transferring, or possessing with intent to distribute, dispense or sell heroin, a schedule one narcotic, a Class C Felony; complicity to traffick in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, methamphetamine, by soliciting, commanding, or engaging in a conspiracy with another person to commit the offense, or aiding, counseling, or attempting to aid another person in the offense of knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a controlled substance by distributing, dispensing, selling, transferring, or possessing with intent to distribute, dispense or sell two or more grams of methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class C Felony.
  • Anthony Light, 49, of Grayson, on or about April 25, 2020, burglary in the second degree by knowingly and unlawfully entering the dwelling of another person with intent to commit a crime, a Class C Felony.
  • Paul Marcum, 41, of Grayson, on or about August 15, 2020, burglary in the third degree, by unlawfully entering a building belonging to another person with intent to commit a crime, a Class D Felony. 
  • Darryl Owens, 55, of Olive Hill, on or about September 5, 2020, possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed heroin, 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; possession of a controlled substance, second degree, by knowingly and unlawfully possessing suboxone, a controlled substance classified as a schedule III drug, a Class A misdemeanor. 
  • Mark Queen, 43, of Grayson, on or about October 1, 2020, trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, second offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one narcotic, methamphetamine, more than two grams, while having a previous conviction for trafficking in a controlled substance, a Class B Felony; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one narcotic, heroin, while having a previous conviction for trafficking in a controlled substance, a Class B Felony. 
December 4 indictments 
  • Scott Adkins, 53, of Grayson, on or about October 1, 2004 through October 3`, 2020, flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor child and accumulating an arrearage of $417,950.00, Class D Felony. 
  • Tina Davis, 37, of Olive Hill, on or about November 6, 2020, burglary in the third degree, by unlawfully entering a building belonging to another person with intent to commit a crime, a Class D Felony. 
  • Austin Kilgore, 18, address unknown, on or about November 6, 2020, burglary in the third degree, by unlawfully entering a building belonging to another person with intent to commit a crime, a Class D Felony. 
  • Phillip Roar, 42, of Grayson, on or about September 20, 2020, burglary in the third degree, by unlawfully entering a building belonging to another person with intent to commit a crime, a Class D Felony. 
  • Jacob Beam, 27, of Louisa, on or about November 6, 2020, wanton endangerment, first degree, by wantonly engaging in conduct which created a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another, a Class D Felony; failure of owner to maintain required insurance, first offense, by driving a motor vehicle on a public roadway without valid insurance in effect on the vehicle, a Class B Misdemeanor; fleeing and evading police, first degree motor vehicle with intent to elude, disregarding officer’s directions to stop, creating a substantial risk of serious physical injury or death to the officers, Class D Felony; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one narcotic, methamphetamine, more than two grams, a Class C Felony; driving with a DUI suspended license, second offense aggravating circumstances, by operating a motor vehicle while having a suspended license for a prior DUI within the last ten years, a Class A Misdemeanor. 
  • Brian K. Hall, 60, of Olive Hill, on or about October 10, 2020, 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; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one narcotic, heroin, a Class C Felony; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one narcotic, methamphetamine, more than two grams, a Class C Felony; possession of a controlled substance, second degree, by knowingly and unlawfully possessing suboxone, a controlled substance classified as a schedule III drug, a Class A Misdemeanor. 
  • Brandon McGlone, 34, of Olive Hill, on or about November 1, 2020 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; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony. 
  • Terry Roark, 33, of East Bernstadt, KY, on or about March 6, 2020, operating a motor vehicle under the influence, first offense, by operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway while intoxicated, a Class B Misdemeanor; 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; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony, possession of marijuana a Class B Misdemeanor. 
  • Coty Rodgers, 28, of Olive Hill, on or about November 1, 2020, 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; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony. 
  • Jeffery Willis, 51, of Granville, Ohio, on or about November 9, 2020, operating a motor vehicle under the influence, first offense, by operating a motor vehicle on a public roadway while intoxicated, a Class B Misdemeanor; 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; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony 

Extension Notes: Winter water reminders for livestock

By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent

As temperatures get colder, most producers begin to focus their attention on getting stored forages to their animals. It’s also a good time to remember available water for livestock in the winter is critical to health and survival.

Winter brings challenges of battling frozen waterers and frozen plumbing. Another factor is that animals may consume less water in the winter for a variety of reasons including environmental temperature, feed moisture, body size and level of milk production.

During cold weather, your animals’ energy requirements will increase so they can maintain their body temperature. To meet that extra demand, you will likely increase their dry matter intake, if they can physically consume more feed. Water intake will affect their dry matter intake. If water sources are limited or frozen, animals won’t be able to compensate for the colder temperatures.

You have several options to deliver clean, fresh water to livestock, even on the coldest days of the year. Think about your actual water source. Are you using natural surface water sources? Do you have waterers installed or are you thinking of installing them? Surface water presents challenges that will require more work. You have to make sure the water quality downstream is good and that streambank quality is preserved. You’ll also have to check them often to make sure the surface is not frozen.

Large storage tanks are an option, but they still require frequent checks for ice. You could install a continuous flow valve in a storage tank to prevent freezing, but you’ll have to have an overflow directing water away from the tank to prevent excessive mud.

If you have electricity available at the winter-feeding site, you have a great number of watering options. You can add an electric heater to almost any watering system.

If electricity is not available, you could research ways to harvest geothermal heat. A variety of watering systems on the market harvest geothermal heat from the ground below the tank, keeping water thawed and available to livestock even in the coldest of environments. Most of these waterers use heat tubes buried deep into the ground, allowing for geothermal heat to rise and keep water supply lines and the drinking trough thawed. While these systems do a good job of keeping pipes and floats from freezing, they are not ice-free. Depending on the amount of animal traffic using the waterer and environmental temperature, you may still need to remove a thin layer of ice over the drinking area on very cold days.

Regardless of the method you choose, your animals need clean, fresh and available water this winter.

For more information, contact the Carter County office of the UK Cooperative Extension Service. 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 Game(s): Beyond Games – Humble Bundles offer digital variety

The Humble Bundle offerings have expanded beyond games since their inception. (Screen capture, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

Back when the Humble Bundle site was first launched, they focused on games. Specifically, indie games, or games offered by developers working outside of the big studios and publishers. It was a great way for these indie developers to get attention and sales, and the Humble Bundle model – pay what you want, starting with a dollar and add to it to get more – attracted a lot of attention. Not only did the Humble Bundles, then and now, allow you to pay as little as a dollar for some interesting content, they also allowed you to choose where that money went. The site, then and now, employed sliders that purchasers could use to determine how much of their dollar went to the game developer, how much went to the charity the particular bundle supported, and how much went to Humble Bundle as a “tip” for hosting the sale and the content. 

While some of these games were offered as digital keys for redemption on Steam, Desura or other platforms, another feature that attracted a lot of folks was the ability to download versions directly from the Humble Bundle site without digital rights management (DRM), a system that requires online connectivity either at game install, game launch, or during gameplay to verify that the person playing the game has purchased the copy and is allowed to play it. While DRM is intended to stop the pirating of games – an understandable position for companies and developers who have poured vast amounts of time and money into a game and need it to make money so they can earn a living – it often resulted in games being unplayable if the owner of the game was on the road, attempting to play on a laptop in an airplane, or otherwise wanted to play somewhere without internet access. Some folks also complained that the DRM made the gameplay stutter or otherwise caused issues when internet connectivity was slow or spotty. Still others complained that some DRM limited the number of times a game could be installed, so if a user bought a new computer, they might not be able to install the game again without jumping through hoops to deauthorize it on their original machine. Some just thought they should be able to do whatever they liked with a game they purchased, even if that meant allowing a friend to install and play it. 

Nowadays, while Humble Bundle still offers games, and still offers the option to download some of those games directly from their site, they’ve branched out significantly. They’ve offered games from large publishers, including AAA titles for console games instead of the PC and mobile game markets they initially focused on. They also began offering audiobooks, music, and e-books. Now, in addition to those offerings, they regularly offer software, and digital assets for use by game makers like royalty free sound and music files, textures, maps, and pixel art. They also offer a lot of assets for tabletop gamers, from digital files for printing on 3D printers, like game pieces and terrain assets, to printable maps, to RPG campaigns and lore books as e-books. 

They also now offer a subscription service that – much like Xbox Live Gold for the Xbox console – allows subscribers to download a selection of games each month. They also sell individual titles directly from their digital storefront. It’s a big move from where the service started, but underneath it’s still the same beast. Just bigger and more evolved, like the final form of a Pokémon. 

And, if you choose to buy one of their bundles, you can still get a lot of good content for as little as a dollar, while supporting a charity and choosing exactly how those funds will be distributed. If you haven’t checked them out, or haven’t checked them out in a while, I highly recommend it. There are definitely worse ways to spend a dollar. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

The art of quilting: Appalachian Artisan Center announces call for artists

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 There are few heirloom items more treasured than a good, quality quilt. A good quilt doesn’t just keep you warm in the winter chill – though they do that spectacularly – they can also connect you to deep family roots and provide a sense of belonging and place that is often missing in the modern world. No matter where you go, a quilt can remind you where you’re from, and who you came from. 

Anyone from eastern Kentucky can tell you that a good quilt can be a work of art. But that’s something that the rest of the world has begun to recognize as well over the last several years. An upcoming exhibit by the Appalachian Artisan Center (AAC), in Hindman, Kentucky, seeks to highlight that role of quilt as art. Heirloom: Quilts à La Mode, will be on display at the center beginning February 15, but they are seeking textile artists – and others doing quilt related artwork – to make submissions to the show. The show, open to any artists from or associated with the eastern Kentucky Appalachian region, challenges artists “to use fabric and sewing in the discipline of quilting to make a small work for this group exhibition,” explained center director Yoko Nogami. 

“We are looking for original work, think outside of the usual quilt patterns,” Nogami said. “How can you convey your message using needle and thread?” 

The exhibition will feature “contemporary original designs,” Nogami explained, adding that instead of full sized quilts what the exhibit is looking for are “wall hanging small quilts or free standing 3D sculptural works.” 

The works, she said, can employ various techniques, including appliqué, embroidery, beadwork or other embellishments. Because these quilts are for viewing rather than snuggling up in they may also make use of non-traditional materials such as metal or plastic, but they must be quilted and sewn together. Pieces may be hand or machine sewn, but all designs must be original.

Pieces submitted must also be family friendly and cannot depict extreme violence, profanity, nudity, or objectionable use of religious content, and the AAC reserves the right to reject any work that does not meet these criteria. 

Those interested in submitting work can contact Nogami at yoko.nogami@artisancenter.net for more information. Submitted work must include a title, and include information on the size and materials used. All work also needs to include a ring or loop for hanging. Artists must also submit a brief biography and an artist’s statement on the piece submitted. If the work is available for sale a price must also be included, or the piece may be marked NFS for “not for sale.” Nogami can also provide more information on loan agreements and submittal of a W9 tax document for the sale of any artwork. 

Artists should submit up to three digital images of the piece via email. Images should be titled with a format that includes the artists last name, first name, and the name of the piece separated by an underscore (lastname_firstname_title.jpg). Digital images, artist statements and biographies are due by January 22. Works are due at the gallery by February 1 for exhibition. The exhibition will open February 15 and run through April 9. 

For more information on the exhibit and submissions contact Nogami by email or visit the AAC page at www.artisancenter.net. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

So long and thanks from all the fish: KDFWR will recycle your old Christmas tree as fish habitat

Trees may be dropped off in the spillway area behind the Corps of Engineers office at the Grayson Lake boat launch. (Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 If you had a real Christmas tree this year, and you aren’t sure what to do with it now that the holidays are over, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) has a suggestion for you – give it to the fish. 

The US Army Corps of Engineers at Grayson Lake have put out a call on Facebook for the donation of Christmas trees, which can be dropped off behind the Corps of Engineers office at the Grayson Lake boat launch and marina. Trees should have all lights and decorations removed from them before they are donated. They can then be dropped off in the spillway – the large, flat area at the bottom of the hill behind the office, on the right as you head toward the boat launch. Trees may be dropped off through January 15, during daylight hours only, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The donated trees will then be sunk to replenish existing fish habitats or to create new fish habitats. 

“These brush reefs provide nesting and rearing habitat for gamefish as well as creating homes for invertebrates and smaller fishes that provide food for larger fish,” read a release from the KDFWR.

Sites where the trees are placed will be mapped so that anglers can make use of them when they start hitting the lakes again this spring and summer. KDFWR said they saw many more people taking to the water this past summer as they sought outdoor activities as a way to spend time with their families while also socially distancing from others. 

“Many people we talked to were on the water for the first time,” the release noted. “Deciding where to fish on lakes can be a daunting task for first-time anglers. That is why KDFWR creates fish attractors and provides maps to help people find these hotspots of fish activity.”

If you have suggestions for locations on public waters where the KDFWR should create new fish habitats they encourage you to reach out to their fisheries staff with that information. Carter County is located in the Northeastern District, and suggestions for locations in Carter and adjacent counties (Greenup, Lewis, Rowan, Elliott, and Boyd) should be sent to Tom Timmermann at Tom.Timmermann@ky.gov or by telephone at (606)783-8650. Suggestions for locations in Lawrence County should be sent to Kevin Frey in the Eastern District at Kevin.Frey@ky.gov or by telephone at (606)889-1705. 

If you choose to fish over one of the habitat sites mapped by the KDFWR they recommend using weedless presentations or weedless lures, to prevent snagging and loss of hooks, bait, and lures. 

For more information on fishing locations, licensing, and fishing guides you can visit the KDFWR online at https://fw.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

The changing face of paving: County road crews going all in on cold paving

Contractors work on filling potholes on a state route in this file photo. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 Carter County road crews are sold on cold paving, and they’re making changes to their equipment to accommodate the new method of paving roads and filling potholes. Road supervisor Jason Carroll brought a request to fiscal court to trade equipment that will enable the road department to be more productive with cold paving, while still allowing them to use hot mix pavement when necessary. 

The proposal by Carroll, which was approved by fiscal court during their final meeting of the year in special session last Wednesday, will trade a large reclaimer – also known as a milling machine – for a skid steer with various attachments such as a smaller planer, which is a reclaimer like attachment the road crew can use for potholes, as well as forks and a broom attachment for the skid steer. The trade also included a heavier roller, which is necessary for the cold paving mix. 

The reclaimer the county will be trading is two years old, and cost $250,000 when the county purchased it. Carroll estimated that the road department had only around 40 hours of time on that milling machine, which is too large to be useful for pothole repairs. The smaller planer/milling machine attachment they will receive in the trade will be more useful to the road department when filling potholes on county roads. 

Judge executive Mike Malone noted that it would be more cost effective for the county to make these trades and to rent the heavier equipment if it were needed, based on the number of hours the equipment has been used since purchase. The trade for the equipment is a straight trade, with no money changing hands. 

The county also discussed the state of gravel roads treated with claycrete products over the past year. Some roads have done better than others with the treatment, which the county expected, based on the amount of clay found in the local soils as well as the road crews experience with the product and with testing the composition of soil before beginning treatment. Malone cited Halfway Branch as “probably the best” as far as the claycrete holding up over time. The county plans to treat more gravel roads with the claycrete treatment in the coming year if the soil composition is conducive to the process. 

The claycrete product is a chemical that is mixed with water and applied to gravel roads where it binds with clay heavy soil to create a low dust surface that is similar in composition to concrete under ideal conditions. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Ambulance service to get $300K: Fiscal court approves distribution of CARES funds

Tyler Endicott, with Carter County Emergency Ambulance, receives a COVID-19 vaccination at the Carter County Health Department on Monday morning. (submitted photo)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 The Carter County emergency ambulance service has been hard hit by the COVID crisis. In addition to COVID protocols at area hospitals slowing their response time, ambulance staff are also taking extra time to sanitize trucks between runs to prevent the spread of the virus between patients. 

Even with those precautions, and staff wearing masks and gloves on every run, the service had seven staff members test positive for COVID over the last couple of months. EAS Director Rick Loperfido told the emergency ambulance board, during their December meeting, that five of those individuals were off for ten days before being released to return to work, and one was off for 20 days before they were allowed to return to work. The seventh individual had only recently been diagnosed at the time of the December meeting, but – like the others – their time off from work was expected to add to overtime costs for the service. 

The ambulance service will recoup some of those overtime related expenses, however, now that state CARES money has been released for them. 

In a special meeting on December 30, the Carter County fiscal court moved to approve the dispersal of $309,017.13 in CARES funds from the state to cover the ambulance service overtime. While the county had not received the money from the state yet at the time of the meeting, the overtime costs for the service had been approved by the state and would be paid in full, judge executive Mike Malone told the court. 

The court moved to approve allowing Malone’s office to write a check to the ambulance service for the entire amount when it came in.

The court also approved a request to pay Messer Electrical $618 for the cost of wiring the lighting on the new helipad in Grayson for the ambulance service. When a location was chosen for a helipad in or near Olive Hill the court would seek approval to cover any wiring related costs for lighting that helipad as well. 

In other COVID related news Malone and the court discussed the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in the county. While there are no hospitals in the county, Malone noted that vaccines would be distributed to nursing homes in the county as part of the first round of vaccines distributed throughout the state. He also said that, once medical staff, first responders and teachers were vaccinated, he encouraged county staff to take the vaccine. 

“I think we should all take the vaccine as soon as (it’s available),” Malone said. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Mary K. Kiser

1935-2021

 Mary K. Kiser, age 85, went to be with her Lord and Savior on January 2, 2021. She was born January 17, 1935 in Grayson Kentucky. The daughter of Everett and Zara (Rice) Damron. She attended the Heritage Nazarene Church of Circleville. She was retired from Fifth Third Bank after 18 years of service. 

She is preceded in death by her parents and brothers Harold, Marion and Paul Vernon. She is survived by her husband of 66 years Forrest Kiser; her sons Richard (Darlene) of Stoutsville, Dennis (Kelley) of Cleveland; daughters Deborah (Barry) Young of Tacoma WA and Pamela (Wayne) Rhoades of Circleville; grandchildren James (Bethany) Shaffer of Wilmington Oh, Justin Shaffer of Lockbourne Oh, Kyle (Shannon) Kiser of Lancaster Oh, Travis (Lisa) Kiser of California, Katherine (Mannie) Sargi of Cleveland; great-grandchildren Sawyer, Sophie and Jayde Shaffer, Teddy, Gwen and Auggie Kiser, and Enzo Sargi; sister-in-law Ruth Damron; nephews Lynn and Britt Damron; cousins Shrydan (Ruth) Huffman of Grayson Ky, Kenneth (Sue) Rice of Grayson Ky and Evelyn (Robert) Holbrook of Lexington Ky; and sister-in-law Moncie Kiser of Zephery Hills, Fl. 

Mary’s private funeral service will be held at Circleville Heritage Nazarene Church. Arrangements have been entrusted to Defenbaugh-Wise-Schoedinger funeral home.

Phyllis Tackett Boggs

1938-2021

Phyllis passed away at home on January 1, 2021 with loved ones at her side. She was born on February 28, 1938 to the late Vernon and Christine (Frazier) Tackett and grew up in Louisville and Olive Hill, Kentucky. She graduated from Morehead State College in 1959 and commenced her 30 year career as a business teacher. She served for many years as secretary of the South-Western Education Association. 

 A Valentine’s Day party in 1961 sparked a 59 year romance with her beloved husband Bob. They established their careers and grew their family in Grove City, Ohio eventually relocating to Southport, North Carolina where they celebrated many happy years of retirement. 

 In addition to her husband Bob, Phyllis also leaves behind her daughter, Lisa (Mark) Spitzer and her son, Craig Boggs. She is also survived by her sisters, Sue Tackett, Barbara (Charles) Eaton, Judy (Milton) Garner, Pam (Dave) Midkiff and was pre-deceased by her sister Jeanie (Tom) Halbrooks. She also leaves nieces, nephews and many dear friends.

 Due to current health and safety concerns, a celebration of life will be held in Chapel Hill, North Carolina at a later date.

Nell Edna Sawyer Counts

1929-2021

Mrs. Nell Edna Sawyer Counts, age 91, of Counts Lane in Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away, Sunday morning, January 3, 2021, in the Southern Ohio Medical Center Hospice in Portsmouth, Ohio.

She was born August 29, 1929, Alton, Illinois, a daughter of the late Ernest and Maude Lewis Sawyer.

Nell was of the Christian faith and she enjoyed traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Elsner Brintin Counts.

Nell is survived by two sons, Richard Spencer (Jane) of Tampa, Florida, and James Counts (Toby) of Olive Hill, Kentucky; one daughter, Brenda Kissinger of Olive Hill, Kentucky; 11 grandchildren; 18 great grandchildren; and three great-great grandchildren. She also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss her.

A graveside service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at Bowen Chapel Cemetery in Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Brother Mitch Roe officiating. 

Friends may visit from 12 noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, January 6, 2021, at Globe Funeral Chapel, 17277 West Highway US 60, Olive Hill, Kentucky 41164.

Bill Wilson, Jonathan Garvin, Josh Garvin, Chris Perry, Tyler McGlone and Derek Puckett 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.

Johnnie Cam Whitt

1945-2021

Johnnie Cam Whitt, of Olive Hill, KY, born on September 21st, 1945, passed away January 3rd, 2021 at the University of Kentucky Hospital at the age of 75. 

He worked at Rockwell International for 11 ½ years and Bacon Products Corporation for 33 years. 

On June 11th, 1977 he married his wife of 43 years, Sue Whitt. Mr. Whitt had two sons, Jason Eugene (Stephanie) Whitt, and John Isaac (Lauren) Whitt; and one step-son, Rodney Dale (Karen) Scott. He had six grandchildren, Brooke Means, Ryan Scott, Ashley Whitt, Bryce Whitt, Camden Whitt, and Caroline Whitt; and four great grandchildren. 

He was preceded in death by his father Bill Whitt and his mother Edra Whitt; two sisters, Madge Lambert, and Margaret Franklin; and one niece Ruth Ann Sloas. 

A funeral service will be held 12pm Thursday, January 7, at Winchester Church of God Cathedral. Burial will follow in Garvin Ridge Cemetery in Olive Hill, KY. Visitation will be Thursday from 10am-12pm at the church. 

Jack of all trades, master of none

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

There’s something to be said for being a generalist. 

In the plant and animal kingdoms it’s the specialists who suffer when an ecosystem is out of balance. They may thrive when conditions are favorable, but take away that one food source they rely on, or that insect they’ve evolved to use as a pollinator, and it’s the end of the road. The decline of a bug leads to the extinction of a plant leads to the death of the mammal that feeds only on those leaves. 

Meanwhile the crocodile that eats anything it can fit in its mouth continues on, as unchanged as it has been since the time of the dinosaur. 

The same holds true for technology. At one time a working knowledge of BASIC was all you needed to work in the computer industry. Today that knowledge gets you nothing but the ability to revive an obsolete Radio Shack TRS80. If you didn’t go on to learn PHP, COBOL, C++, Java, Ruby, or Python, you were left behind. Even those languages are used for very specialized tasks, which means the person who knows them can earn a very comfortable living. But when that eventually changes – and the only constant in technology is change – the specialist needs to evolve or move on. 

The newspaper industry is much the same. Once every newspaper employed at least one full time photographer. That was their only job. They shot photos while the reporter conducted interviews. Then they came back to the dark room to develop negatives and prints. Prints were passed to layout people who pasted them up and got them to the plate makers and the press to make the days papers. 

They did this every day. 

I actually got my first newspaper job because I could develop film. We had a machine that did all the real work for us, but I knew how to open a film canister and spool undeveloped film onto a reel in complete darkness, so, between school board meetings and science fairs, I could do that while the photographer went on to another shoot. In my first editor job (speaking of specialization, I was the entertainment editor) those skills helped out again. Our overworked photographer hadn’t had a weekend off in nearly two years. The fact that I could shoot my own photos, and come in early on a Saturday to develop film shot by the sports reporters, meant I had an advantage over the other folks who applied for the position, so I got the job.

It wouldn’t be long, though, before digital cameras caught up with the resolution offered by film and the need for those skills became as obsolete as a working knowledge of BASIC is in the computer world. 

Today reporters are often expected to write, shoot photos, layout pages and proof each other’s work, usurping roles that used to be held by photographers, layout designers, and copy editors. If you think this extra responsibility means they are paid more for the extra value they bring, though, you’d be sorely mistaken. If anything the compensation, in terms of buying power, is less than it was for any one of those specialists in times past. 

But, at least we can still smile our crocodile smiles – all the way to whatever is on the buffet table of the event we’ve come to cover.

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

How different will our world be when the pandemic goes away?

By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times

At the risk of being accused of pretending to be a forecaster or prognosticator, I’m ready to make some predictions based on my nine-plus months of watching, reading about, and trying to survive this deadly pandemic.

Many learned folks have beaten me to the punch with their own lists of how our daily lives will change when the coronavirus finally becomes a painful footnote to history.

I’ll try not to bore you with a ton of statistical research but each item on my list of seven permanent changes is based on what has already been happening to us since last March.

TELEWORKING – This phenomena has revolutionized the workplace. Employees have more time with their families, commuting time is greatly reduced and corporate owners like the cost savings from reduced rental of workspaces. 

GROCERY SHOPPING – Online grocery buying has more than doubled during the pandemic and many shoppers say they will continue doing so. Curbside pickup or delivery is here to stay.

MASKING UP – Despite becoming a political football this year, the wearing of face coverings likely will be with us long after the pandemic. 

SEEING THE DOCTOR – Before the pandemic, it is estimated that less than 10 percent of us were even aware of “telemedicine” and “telehealth”. Showing your physician where it hurts, even on a video screen, is here to stay. 

COMMUNICATING – My 96-year-old father-in-law uses Zoom for meetings and video chats and loves it. We did part of our holiday visiting on Google Meet last week with no complaints.

MOVIE GOING – Theatrical movies have been declining in attendance for decades. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and others have captured that market. Don’t be surprised if many movie houses never reopen. 

AIR TRAVEL – Gone are the days when airlines could deep clean their aircraft every 18 months. Cleanliness already is more important than ticket prices.

Smaller airlines may not survive post-pandemic, even with government help.

As for good advice, Norah O’Donnell of CBS News may have said it best with:

“Stay positive, test negative.”

Keith Kappes can be reached at keithkappes@gmail.com

AS WE SEE IT: If you drink this holiday, please don’t drive

For the past several weeks we’ve been running ads from the Grayson ABC office about the dangers of drinking and driving. With New Years Eve coming up, we’d like to reinforce that message, and ask you to be sure and designate a driver this New Years Eve if you plan on drinking. Or, if you have no driver, be sure you have a plan for a place to sleep until the next morning. 

According to the National Safety Council, nearly 40 percent of holiday traffic fatalities involve drivers who are impaired by alcohol. They estimate that, this year, as many as 384 people – possibly as many as 467 people based on their 90 percent “confidence interval” – may die in traffic related incidents during this winter holiday period. The reason for these high numbers is that, with New Years Day falling on a Friday, the holiday period could last up to three days, increasing the possibilities of celebratory drinking and drinking related crashes. 

While numbers may actually be down this year, because of COVID-19 restrictions and concerns keeping bars closed and parties from being organized, there is still a very real risk associated with drunk driving. Even if you don’t drink yourself, your chances of being in an accident with someone who has been drinking are increased around any holiday, but especially the New Years holiday. 

If you do have a drink, you should know that it can take up to an hour or more per drink to metabolize the alcohol. It can take anywhere from an hour to three hours for the effects of consuming a drink to wear off. One drink typically means one twelve ounce glass of five percent alcohol beer, one five ounce glass of wine, or a one and a half ounce shot of 80 proof (40 percent alcohol) liquor. But because the alcoholic content of beers, wines, and liquor can vary, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Other factors, like weight and amount of body fat can also impact how quickly you metabolize liquor. If you’ve drank to the point you’re considered drunk, it can take anywhere from six to eight hours to be fully sober once again. (Figures taken from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.) But even one drink can begin to cause impairment, and the effects can begin in as little as ten minutes according the NIAAA. 

Even if you don’t drink to the point of inebriation, having a single drink begins to impact your reaction time and so – as the saying goes – even buzzed driving is drunk driving. Because of this, if you don’t have a designated driver, it’s probably best to make arrangements to sleep over somewhere if you’re planning on having any drinks. 

Let’s be clear here; there is nothing wrong with having a drink to celebrate and toast the New Year. But if you do have that drink, you need to be sure to give yourself plenty of time to sober up or – better yet – ask someone who isn’t drinking to take control of your keys and make sure everyone who does have a drink gets home safe. 

If you’re hosting a get-together, please make sure you have a place for any of your drinking guests to sleep. You might not just be keeping them out of jail, or saving their lives. You could be saving the lives of other people on the road too. 

Here’s to a happy, and safe, New Year. 

Uncle Jack Fultz’s Memories of Carter County: Continuing a long tradition – Thank you for allowing us to be your news source

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

The local news business has never been an easy, or especially profitable, endeavor. Those who publish papers don’t have any illusions about growing fat off their subscribers and advertisers. But they try their best to meet the needs of the communities they serve, and to keep them well informed of what their city and county government are doing, while earning a meager living. As we enter the New Year, we looked back at the first of Uncle Jack Fultz’s scrapbooks, hoping to find one or more compelling New Years stories from days gone by. 

Instead, though, we were struck by just how many papers have come and gone over the years. We knew a little of this from looking through old newspapers in the collection of the former Olive Hill Times and Grayson Journal-Enquirer. The now defunct Grayson paper earned its hyphenated name from the merger of two predecessor papers, the Grayson Journal and the Sandy Valley Enquirer. The Olive Hill Times, meanwhile had a history that stretched back over 100 years, though that wasn’t 100 years of continuous publication. 

What Uncle Jack’s scrapbook showed us was that the first press in Olive Hill was the Dispatch, published by H.T. Graham on each Thursday, beginning in February of 1902. Graham bragged “with no little pride” of being the “first press in town,” when he began publication on Thursday, February 20, 1902. Graham hoped to stay in business for some time, writing, “We have set the press in motion at Olive Hill. May its music never cease.” 

By 1905, however, the Dispatch was replaced by the Olive Hill Times, which was publishing at least as early as January of that year (W.F. Fultz would later write in the Carter County Herald that the paper – which published continuously under various names – was founded by Len Maddox in 1903), mailing copies on Friday and advising subscribers that, if they “fail(ed) to receive a copy by (the) following Monday,” to contact the office for a replacement. 

J.L. Maddix was the editor of this first incarnation of the Times, published by Maddix Printing & Publishing Co. By August of 1906, though, the Olive Hill Times was being published by The Times Publishing Company, with D.M. Maynard serving as editor. The Olive Hill Times published news relevant to Olive Hill and the western end of the county, including regular features from Smoky Valley (such as visitations and fights after church). 

Still publishing in 1907 as the Times, by August of that year Maynard had been replaced by Chas. Sanders as editor and publisher. By Christmas Eve 1908 J.L. – or another with his initials – was back at the helm as editor, this time spelling his last name Maddox, though the postal permit, “entered at the Olive Hill Post Office January 20, 1905” indicated it was still a continuously publishing paper through those years. 

By 1912, however, the Progressive was publishing in Olive Hill, under the leadership of Geo. B. Terrell as editor, publisher and owner. An October 17, 1912 issue showed Terrell as the sole proprietor, but the January 9, 1913 edition of the Progressive, which showed their mailing permit had been established on September 27, 1912, was under the ownership of editor and publisher J.L. Maddox, the same name we’ve seen associated with the Olive Hill Times under that spelling and the Maddix spelling. 

The Progressive continued to publish under Maddox until May 7 of 1914. In the April 30, 1914 issue Maddox wrote that he had sold the paper to “the Republicans… (who) have been threatening to get their feet wet in the newspaper business in Carter.” 

W.F. Fultz wrote in the May 7, 1914 edition that he was seeking correspondents from “each post office” and offering “writing paper, stamps and (to) send the paper to you free” for anyone seeking to contribute. 

The paper wouldn’t keep the Progressive name though. By the end of the month Fultz, as the editor and business manager, was running his paper as “The Carter County Herald – Successor to Olive Hill Times.” 

Fultz would continue to run the paper as the Herald through the first World War and into the 1920s, claiming in the December 29, 1921 issue that, despite the regular name changes, the paper had published continuously for 18 years, beginning publication on December 29 of 1903. 

As he entered into the new year, Fultz promised that in 1922 he was determined to “(print) such a good newspaper that it will be sought after by every home in Carter county.” 

As we enter the New Year, we too hope to continue in this grand tradition and to print a paper covering content “sought after by every home in Carter County.” While we can’t proclaim the unbroken line from the original Olive Hill Times that Fultz did, nor from the original Grayson Journal, we are proud to do our part to pick up where those two papers left off and keep “the press in motion” for Carter County. 

“May its music never cease.” 

Editor’s Note: This is the 25th 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 

Extension Notes: Order apple and pear rootstock now from the extension office

By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent

Most fruit trees that can be grown in Kentucky do not come true from seed. For example, a tree grown from a Golden Delicious apple seed will produce an apple tree, but the fruit will have different characteristics than Golden Delicious in color, taste, and shape. This is why fruit trees are reproduced by asexual propagation, such as budding and grafting. The desired cultivar, Golden Delicious in the example above, is budded or grafted onto a rootstock, a close genetic relative suitable for the graft. Rootstocks are selected to impart special traits—including dwarfing, disease resistance, and insect resistance. The grafted tree consists of the scion (e.g., Golden Delicious apple) and the rootstock (e.g., B.9). In most nursery catalogs, it would be listed as Golden Delicious/B.9. 

Extension Offices in eastern Kentucky participate in an annual group rootstock order and now is the time to order pear and M7A apple rootstock for spring grafting. This program allows small fruit producers to group orders and purchase the rootstock at a cheaper price. Grafting demonstration sessions or videos will be held to help those who order learn to graft their own rootstock. 

Orders will be taken until February 1st or until sold out. All rootstock is $1.50 each. Checks can be made payable to and mailed to the Carter County Extension Office at 94 Fairground Drive Grayson, KY 41143. 

For more information, contact the Carter County office of the UK Cooperative Extension Service. 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. 

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