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AS WE SEE IT: Why you should take the COVID vaccine

With Kentucky’s total number of COVID-19 cases surpassing 200,000 and the number of deaths in the state exceeding 2,000 last week, news from the Kentucky Office of Rural Health outlining plans for rolling out the initial round of COVID-19 vaccinations couldn’t be any more welcome. 

Governor Andy Beshear announced on Thursday that frontline healthcare workers at 11 hospitals will be among the first Kentuckians to receive those initial vaccine dosages, which are expected to arrive sometime this month and possibly as early as next week. The Commonwealth expects to receive around 38,000 doses of the vaccine in the first set of shipments, with the governor’s office reporting that about two-thirds of those will be reserved for nursing home staff and residents. The remaining doses – 12,675 – will be spread across health care staff at the 11 hospitals across the state. Pikeville Medical Center’s 975 doses are the closest those first round of vaccines will come to Carter County, unless local nursing homes are chosen to receive some of the remaining 25,325 doses earmarked for those facilities.

After healthcare workers, EMS workers and educators will be the next groups to be prioritized for receiving the vaccine when another batch is released. 

Eventually, though, additional doses will be manufactured and distributed, and made available to everyone. When they are, we urge every healthy and able-bodied Kentuckian to seriously consider being vaccinated against the coronavirus. Why, you may ask, should you get the vaccine if you’re already relatively healthy and more likely to survive the virus than those in vulnerable populations, like the elderly and immunocompromised? 

After all, for most people the coronavirus causes only mild to moderate symptoms that clear up within a week or two. For some folks there are no symptoms at all. 

The answer to that, like with masks, is to protect those vulnerable people around you. Like with any vaccine there will be some who are unable to take the COVID-19 vaccine for various reasons. Those people who can’t take vaccines tend to be in those vulnerable populations; immunocompromised individuals, or those with other underlying health problems. 

There will likely be some side effects associated with any of the three vaccines currently undergoing trials from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca. These can include mild symptoms as the body begins an inflammatory reaction to the vaccine and creates the antibodies that will protect you from future exposure to the virus. 

This doesn’t mean you are catching the virus from the vaccine; which health experts say is biologically impossible. It simply means the vaccine is working as it’s intended to. In the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines living or dead virus isn’t used at all. Instead messenger RNA is used to create the spike protein that gives coronavirus its name, so that the body can react to destroy the spikes and – if exposed – the virus. The AstraZeneca vaccine uses another virus, not COVID-19, to create the same reaction to spike protein that the messenger RNA does in the other two vaccines, without exposing the body to a weakened or inactive virus the way traditional vaccines do. 

By all accounts the vaccines are all perfectly safe, even if they can create some side effects that resemble illness for a day or two in some individuals.

We understand any trepidation about a new vaccine, especially one brought to market so quickly. But health experts agree that these vaccines are likely to be effective and safe, and once they pass FDA approval are the best way to slow the spread of a virus that has overwhelmed our healthcare systems, caused death and heart ache for families locally and across the state, and had a significant impact on the economy and small businesses. 

For the sake of your friends, neighbors, and family, we urge you to seriously consider being vaccinated once the FDA approvals are achieved and sufficient dosages are available for the vaccination of the general public. With deaths and infection reaching new record levels across Kentucky, it may be the best thing you can do for the people you love. 

Uncle Jack Fultz’s Memories of Carter County: In praise of selflessness

Neighbors helping neighbors during 1918 pandemic

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

We can’t help but compare the Carter County of 1918 to the Carter County of 2020 when we come across articles about the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic. Both illnesses made a huge impact on the county. Both impacted old and young, wealthy and poor. Both led to lost work and – in the most unfortunate of cases – death. But maybe we shouldn’t be too quick to compare. Medical science has advanced a great deal over the last 100 years and while each death from COVID has rocked the families and the community, those medical advances have no doubt helped keep the death toll much lower than it would have been had this coronavirus struck a century ago. 

While infection rates with COVID do continue to grow, shutting down schools and leading folks to work from home, the infection rate for the Spanish flu could have been as high as 75 percent. In the November 7, 1918 edition of the Carter County Herald, the editor estimated that as many as 3,000 of Olive Hill’s population of 4,000 contracted the disease. Some of those died so quickly, and in such high numbers, that they were buried before official death certificates could be issued and burial records could be recorded. 

This appears to be what happened to the great grandfather of one Portsmouth, Ohio man with Carter County roots. A couple of years back he reached out to me for help locating his great grandfather. He began looking for his grave in 2018, on the centennial of his death, but has so far had no luck. What he knows for fact is that his maternal great grandfather, John Harvey Jarvis, died of the flu while working at the brickyard in Hitchins. His body was put on a train and brought back to the Soldier or Olive Hill area for burial, but he isn’t sure which cemetery he was buried in. At least one set of records has him buried in a Mauk cemetery, and maybe across the Elliott County line in a Mauk-Leadingham Cemetery, but so far efforts to locate the grave have been unsuccessful. 

He wasn’t the only one to die alone and away from family. In the November 7, 1918 article, “Influenza Epidemic Only History,” the Herald recorded the story of a young man, Harve Hilterbrand, boarding with another family who took ill just as they were leaving to visit relatives. He was brought to the home by others after falling ill and was heard moaning the next day by a passing physician, who broke down the door to attend to him. He left him in stable condition after undressing him and helping him back into bed. But the next day Hilterbrand was found dead, in the floor, with the cats licking his face. 

His death was one of several that led to the conversion of the Christian Church into a hospital and ultimately shut down the brick yards, which stayed closed for the duration of the pandemic due to lack of available workers and fear of spreading the illness. Doctors and nurses there and at the Industrial School building, which also served as a temporary hospital, were praised for caring for the “sick and distressed… in an amicable way.” 

It wasn’t just nurses and doctors who stepped up though. In the same week that the editor had to apologize for not putting a paper out the previous week due to his own illness, the Herald carried a story of “noble, Christian hearted John Knipp, of Barrett’s Creek.” Knipp, knowing that folks were out of work and too sick to shop, brought all the milk he could carry into town and distributed it to the hungry, ill, and out of work, refusing to take “one cent for his work or the milk either.” 

The editor asked in that October 24 issue – just a few short weeks before the numbers were estimated to rise from 2,500 sick to 3,000 – if everyone else in the community was prepared to do their duty as Knipp had to make sure those stricken by influenza didn’t die of something as avoidable as starvation. 

In the following week, November 14, the paper would run a list of those who fell victim to the flu during the previous month. The long list, which includes entries like, “Mr. and Mrs. Halsey Henderson’s child,” is a sobering reminder of just how deadly that pandemic was – and how deadly the COVID-19 crisis could have been without the preceding 100 years of medical advancement and knowledge. 

These stories are also a strong reminder of how important it is to take care of your community, whether that means checking in on the ill to make sure they have enough to eat and access to medicine and care, or just doing your part and wearing a mask to help curb the continued spread of the virus. 

Take care. Enjoy your holidays. And take a cue from Mr. Knipp and check on your neighbors in need this holiday season. We promise it will be as big a blessing for you as it is for them. 

Editor’s Note: This is the 22nd 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

Rattlesnake Ridge Water District Now Hiring

Carter County Extension Office seeking bids

Indictments: 10/30/20

The following indictments were returned by the Grand Jury of the Carter Circuit Court on October 30, 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. 

  • Jason D. Adkins, 38, of Rush, on or about July 1, 2018 through September 30, 2020, flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor child and accumulating an arrearage of $4,671, a Class D Felony. 
  • Billy Barker, 44, of Olive Hill, on or about September 7, 2020, possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, when he possessed methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony. 
  • Christopher Barnett, 22, of Grayson, on or about September 17, 2020, theft by deception over $500, by obtaining property of another by deception with the intent to deprive the person thereof, a Class D Felony.
  • Jessica Bartlett, 40, of Grayson, on or about October 1, 2020, complicity to traffick in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, heroin, a schedule one narcotic, a Class C Felony; complicity to traffick in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, two grams or greater methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class C Felony. 
  • Kevin Carroll, 31, of Grayson, on or about September 20, 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; possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, drug unspecified, when they possessed a schedule one or schedule two narcotic, a Class D Felony. 
  • Mark Fannin, 55, of Olive Hill, on or about August 17, 2020, possession of a controlled substance, first degree, second offense, when he possessed heroin, a schedule one narcotic, while having a previous conviction for possession of a controlled substance, a Class D Felony; purchase or possession of drug paraphernalia, when he unlawfully possessed drug paraphernalia with intent to use for the purpose of introducing into the human body illegal or controlled substances, a Class A Misdemeanor. 
  • Brittany Gibson, 33, of Morehead, on or about September 12, 2020, receiving stolen property over $500 by being in possession of property valued at over $500 knowing it to have been stolen, 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, a Class A Misdemeanor; 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.
  • Brittany Hamm, 29, of Olive Hill, on or about October 2, 2020, custodial interference – felony by taking, enticing, or keeping from lawful custody a juvenile who by authority of law was entrusted the custody of another person or institution while knowing she had no legal right to do so and not voluntarily returning the juvenile to lawful custody, a Class D Felony. 
  • Tiffany Huff, 33, of Ashland, on or about June 1, 2019 through August 31, 2020, flagrant non-support by failing to support her minor children and accumulating an arrearage of $4,704.63, a Class D Felony.
  • Cornell Jackson, 28, of Frankfort, on or about September 7, 2020, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, a Class C Felony; possession of marijuana, a Class B Misdemeanor. 
  • Deanna J. LeMaster, 41, of Olive Hill, on or about March 1, 2012 through September 30, 2020, flagrant non-support by failing to support her minor children and accumulating an arrearage of $14,187.55, a Class D Felony. 
  • Anthony Light, 49, of Grayson, on or about April 1, 2018 through September 30, 2020, flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor child and accumulating an arrearage of $5,376.50, a Class D Felony. 
  • Michael Lindon, 46, of West Liberty, on or about October 1, 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; purchase or possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A Misdemeanor; trafficking in controlled substance, first degree, first offense, two or more grams of methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class C Felony; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, drug unspecified, ten or more dosage units, unlawfully trafficking in a schedule one or schedule two narcotic, a Class C Felony; no insurance, first offense, by driving a vehicle without an active insurance policy on said vehicle, a Class B Misdemeanor. 
  • John McGuire, 42, of Olive Hill, on or about September 12, 2020, receiving stolen property over $500 by being in possession of property valued at over $500, knowing it to have been stolen, a Class D Felony. 
  • Shawn Ogden, 24, of Frankfort, on or about September 7, 2020, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, a Class C Felony; possession of marijuana, a Class B Misdemeanor. 
  • William Parker, 30, of Olive Hill, on or about October 10, 2020, possession of a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class D Felony. 
  • Jeremy Renfroe, 35, of Olive Hill, on or about October 5, purchase or possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A Misdemeanor; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, second offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in heroin, a schedule one narcotic, while having a previous conviction for trafficking in a controlled substance, a Class B Felony; possession of Marijuana, a Class B Misdemeanor. 
  • Amos James Reynolds, 32, of Olive Hill, on or about August 23, 2020, offense of driving on DUI suspended license, first offense aggravating circumstances, by operating a motor vehicle while having a suspended license for a prior DUI within the last ten years under aggravating circumstances, a Class A Misdemeanor; wanton endangerment, first degree, by wantonly engaging in conduct which created a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to the passenger in the vehicle, a Class D Felony; leaving the scene of an accident/fail to render aid with death or serious physical injury by having an accident with an automobile and fleeing the scene without rendering aid, a Class D Felony; unauthorized use of automobile or other propelled vehicle by knowingly operating, exercising control over, or otherwise using such a vehicle without the consent of the owner, or a person having legal possession thereof, a Class A Misdemeanor. 
  • Austin Robinson, 32, of Ashland, on or about September 17, 2020 offense of strangulation, first degree, by intentionally impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood, by applying pressure on the throat or neck or blocking the nose or mouth without consent, a Class C Felony; assault fourth degree, minor injury, by intentionally causing physical injury, a Class A Misdemeanor. 
  • Tony Staggs, 48, of Olive Hill, on or about October 1, 2020, complicity to traffick in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, heroin, a schedule one narcotic, a Class C Felony; complicity to traffick in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, two grams or greater, methamphetamine, a schedule one narcotic, a Class C Felony.
  • Eric K. Swanigan, 35, Olive Hill, on or about May 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020, flagrant non-support by failing to support his minor child and accumulating an arrearage of $4,182, a Class D Felony. 

Complicity to trafficking is defined in the indictments as, “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,” the narcotic. 

Livestock Market and Grain Report: 12/4/20

Extension Notes: Gifts that brighten the dreariest day

By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent

Some of the most popular presents during this season of gifting and receiving are blooming houseplants. Not only are they economical, but they promise to brighten a dreary winter day.

A poinsettia is probably the first plant that comes to mind when we think of the holiday season. What we call “flowers” are really the poinsettia’s brightly colored, leaf-like bracts. The actual flowers are the small and unremarkable-looking reproductive parts in the center of the bracts. Poinsettias come in a wide variety of solid colors and marbled patterns.

A semi-tropical plant originating in Mexico, poinsettias are not fond of extreme temperatures. The best location in your home is away from heat registers, cold drafts and direct sunlight. Cooler home temperatures will prolong their color. Check their soil daily and water when it feels dry. Water sparingly, especially if the pot is enclosed in a wrapper and cannot freely drain. It is difficult to overwinter a poinsettia and bring it into flower next year. Sadly, it is best to dispose of these plants or compost them when flowers fade.

Christmas cacti, named for the season in which they bloom, are humidity loving plants, which reflects their Brazilian coast origins. Keeping the soil evenly moist and locating them with other plants, which raises humidity, will prolong bloom time. These plants prefer moderate light with a small amount of direct sun, so placing them near an east-facing window is ideal. Under these conditions, Christmas cacti will often continue growing and produce flowers next year, but the blooms may come anytime between November and February.

Another popular holiday plant is amaryllis. Its lush blooms come in solid white, red, pink or multi-colored. Amaryllis love light, so place them near a bright sunny window. Water thoroughly, but let the soil dry out between waterings. The act of flowering will deplete the energy of the bulb, but if you cut back each stalk when it’s finished blooming, the bulb will renew its energy stores through the leaves. When the weather turns warm and danger of frost is past, move the plants outdoors, first to dappled shade and gradually to brighter sun. In early fall, withhold water to encourage the plants to go dormant. Start watering again about six to eight weeks before you want blooms.

Not all plant gifts come in the form of colorful blooms. Rosemary, often trimmed into the shape of a small Christmas tree, is also a popular and practical gift at this time of year. Set it in a cool, sunny location and keep the soil moist but not saturated. Rosemary will fill your room with a fresh, woodsy scent as well as provide you with cuttings for your holiday cooking and beyond. You can also move rosemary outdoors to the garden in spring, but be sure to bring it back indoors before the first freeze.

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

Late to the Game(s): Pillars of Eternity

Modern old-school RPG free on Epic store this coming week

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

Obsidian entertainment are hardly neophytes in the gaming industry. The studio has worked on a number of licensed RPG (role-playing game) properties since opening its doors in 2003, including Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2, both sequels of BioWare games; Fallout: New Vegas, a spin-off of the Bethesda properties released between Fallout 3 and Fallout 4; and South Park: The Stick of Truth, an irreverent turn-based RPG title published by Ubisoft. 

In 2015, however, the studio was looking at developing its own original IP (intellectual property) and turned to Kickstarter to fund it. The resulting game – Pillars of Eternity – was a smash hit, earning a Metacritic score of 89 and spawning expansions and sequels of its own. The real-time turn based RPG, with its overhead isometric view and gameplay that allows you to pause the action while you issue individual orders to your party, is something of a love letter to old-school PC RPG players. 

If you’ve played any of the Neverwinter Nights games, Baldur’s Gate, or the first entry in BioWare’s Dragon Age series, Dragon Age: Origins, you should have a basic idea of how the gameplay works. Attacks are turn based, but take place in real time, with your party’s characters continuing to attack whatever enemy you have clicked on as their turn approaches unless you change their focus or their attack. The best way to do this is to pause the gameplay, which you can do by hitting your space bar, and issuing individual orders to each member of your party. 

Be careful, though, you can target your own party members too, and they can receive a nasty blow that was intended for the enemy. 

For those used to a modern, first-person view option in their games the gameplay might take some getting used to, even if you’ve played other party-based RPGs. Those who stick with it, though, or older gamers who have no problem with the view and controls, will be rewarded with a compelling story and a world rich in lore. Like any good RPG your stats can change the options available to you as you explore and talk to others, so think hard about how things like perception and innate knowledge of the game’s lore – and the advantages granted to different fantasy races – could benefit you as you create your character and craft their background. 

Or, you can rush through character creation, see what happens, and try again with a different character, class, and race with different stats to see how things play out differently on a second playthrough. That’s the beauty of a good RPG after all. 

Pillars of Eternity is free to claim and download from the Epic Games store, http://www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/, beginning this Thursday. The game is rated M for Mature 17+ by the ESRB. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Season’s greetings

Debbie Baker Harman leads Christmas carolers in Olive Hill last Friday. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
Debbie Baker Harman leads Christmas carolers in Olive Hill last Friday. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

Getting paid: Olive Hill City Council holds special meeting

Olive Hill Council met in special session on Monday night to approve a CARES Act resolution. (Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or CARES Act, provided over $2 trillion in economic stimulus in the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, including payments to individual Americans, unemployment funds, loans and aid to small and large businesses, and almost $340 billion in payments to state and local governments. 

These payments to local governments can be used to cover a wide variety of costs for the county and cities, including payroll for various essential government employees. But, before they can receive those funds, county and municipal governments have to adopt resolutions related to the CARES Act funds. 

That’s why the city of Olive Hill met in special session on Monday night. The meeting, held in a closed space with council members masked and socially distanced and broadcast over social media to comply with open meeting requirements, had only two items on the agenda – the CARES Act resolution and a request for disbursement number six in the city’s energy savings program. 

The resolution “authoriz(es) the filing of a coronavirus relief fund application for reimbursement of incurred expenses… authoriz(es) the mayor to execute any documents deemed necessary… and act as authorized correspondent… for reimbursement of expenses incurred.” 

The resolution further states that those requests for reimbursement must be related in some fashion to expenses incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The other item on the agenda was for disbursement number six for the energy savings program. That program, which includes updates to the city’s water system, including remote digital reading of water meters and water monitoring that helps the city pinpoint and repair leaks, also included new streetlights and other updates to the city’s water system, including a new processing plant. The changes to the water system are expected to save the city money on unbillable water losses as well as man hours used to find and repair broken lines as the monitoring program makes it easier to narrow down the area of leaks. 

Councilor Shannon Shutte and Mayor Jerry Callihan were both absent from the meeting. In Callihan’s absence council voted to have councilor Justin Dixon lead the meeting at the outset, before any other action was taken. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

More for the record book: West Carter adds to individual and team records with tenth win of season

Leetavious Cline lifts weights on the sideline after scoring a touchdown in this file photo. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 West Carter played their first game in regional competition last Friday, against Walter Verona, holding the visitors scoreless until the final quarter and winning the game 43-6 to advance to the next round of semi-finals. 

Leetavious Cline scored the first four touchdowns for the Comets, adding 23 carries and 180 yards to his record to become the career rushing yards leader, and edging closer to the career rushing attempts and career rushing touchdowns. 

Walter Verona took the opening kickoff and went three and out. After a bad snap on the punt Gavin Gibson tackled the punter for a 12-yard loss. West Carter took over the ball deep in Walter Verona territory and Cline scored the team’s first touchdown on an 11-yard run. Garrett Wolfe’s kick was good after the first touchdown, taking the score to 7-0 with 9:18 on the clock. 

Cline’s next TD came with 3:47 on the clock, on a 13-yard run, but the attempt to run the ball for two extra points was unsuccessful. 

The final touchdown of the quarter, also from Cline, came on a four-yard run with less than a minute left on the clock. Jackson Bond caught a 55-yard pass in the last minute, but slipped at the four yard line, opening the way for Cline’s third TD of the game. After a successful kick from Wolfe, West Carter ended the first quarter up by 20 points. 

Cline would score another eight points for West Carter in the second half, running 23 yards for the touchdown and successfully running the two-point conversion – with just over five minutes on the clock – to take the score to 28-0 at halftime. 

The Comets next two touchdowns came courtesy of Bond, in the third quarter. Bond scored his first on a 27-yard pass from quarterback Orry Perry, with Cline running the two-point conversion. That play took the score to 36-0, with 9:37 left in the quarter. 

Before the quarter ended West Carter would score once more, on a huge 95-yard pass from Perry to Bond. That play, and Wolfe’s kick, took the score to 43-0 with just under two minutes left in the third quarter. 

The score would stay there until the final seconds of the fourth quarter when Walter Verona’s Trey Ferguson connected on a 44-yard pass from Trey Hatmaker for a TD with just ten second left on the clock. Walter Verona’s pass on the two-point conversion attempt failed however, leaving the final score 43-6. 

West Carter had 16 first downs, six penalties for 65 yards, no turnovers, 212 rushing yards on 31 carries, 198 passing yards on six connections and seven attempts, and 410 total yards on 38 plays. 

Walton Verona had seven first downs, five penalties for 40 yards, one turnover on a fumble, 40 rushing yards on 27 carries, and 108 passing yards on four connections over 12 attempts, for a total of 148 yards and 39 plays. 

Cline had 23 carries for 180 yards and four touchdowns. That performance made him West Carter’s career rushing yards leader with 3,786 yards for his career, overtaking 2000 graduate Eric Berry’s twenty year old record of 3,750. Cline still trails Berry for career rushing attempts leader, though. He needs another 13 carries to break that record. He’s currently in second place for career rushing touchdowns with 54, one behind leader Peyton Brown, who graduated in 2018. He currently has 77 total career touchdowns, with 54 rushing, 13 receiving, three interception returns, one fumble return, four kickoff returns, and two punt returns. 

Bond’s 196 yards is a single game record, with his 95 yard pass – possibly the longest play in school history, though record keeper Zach Stevens couldn’t verify that – contributing significantly to that total. Bond has 40 receptions on the year and is tied for first for receptions in a season with teammate Blake McGlone’s 2019 record. He now has 616 receiving yards on the season, two yards from breaking the record set by Zach Walker in 2015. He is currently in second place in career receptions, with 96, second in career receiving yards at 1,493, and second in career receiving touchdowns with 22. 

Gibson also added to his career tackle for loss record, with 45.5 for his career. 

Wolfe added to his career record total for extra points, now at 84/104. He also holds the record for career makes and attempts and is the career leader for kicking points scored, with 84 extra points and two field goals, giving him 90 total kicking points for his career. 

The Comets tenth win is a record for wins in a season. This is also their first regional championship in school history, and the school’s first time hosting a regional championship game. This is the school’s first semi-final appearance and first time hosting a semi-final appearance as well.

This year’s senior class, with 30 wins in their four years, is the most winning class in school history. Coach Daniel Barker, in his third year with the team, is already third in career head coaching wins with 25, one win behind second place. Kevin Brown is the school’s head coach with the most wins record, with 91 wins to his name. 

West Carter hosts Beechwood next week for semi-finals. This is the school’s second straight semi-final appearance since moving up to class 2A from Class 1A last year. Beechwood is a fourteen time Class 1A state champion, winning their last Class A title in 2018. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Decking the halls: City crews decorate for the holidays

The castle is a new fixture in Grayson, but it’s just one of several lighted decorations in the city. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

 You ever wonder what goes into decorating your town for the holidays? You may have seen a workman in a cherry-picker, hanging illuminated poinsettias or snowflakes from streetlights. It’s a bit more than just hanging decorations though. It’s a big job that can take a complete work crew several days to complete.

Damon Robinson, with the Grayson Street Department, said while the actual hanging of the lights goes rather quickly, the whole process takes about a week. That starts with pulling the lights out of storage. They take them off the trailer they are stored on, then plug them in to check if any bulbs need changed. After changing any dead bulbs and making any other repairs, they load the decorations back onto the trailer. They do this in a staggered order so they can easily alternate as they hang them. 

With 76 pole decoration, the process is a good day’s work, even with three men checking lights and changing any bad sockets. They add a fourth man to the crew when it’s time to put the decorations up. Robinson explained that one man drives the truck, while another works the bucket. A third man hands the decorations to the person waiting in the bucket of the lift. A fourth man will follow, to provide a safety buffer between the bucket truck and any other traffic. 

Grayson’s decorations go up the week of Thanksgiving and, because of timers and dusk to dawn sensors on the lights, can be set to turn on for the first time on the evening of Thanksgiving without requiring anyone to come in on the holiday. It also helps keep the city from wasting electricity by having the lights on during the day, or wasting man hours by running someone out to turn them on and off. 

They will be taken down the first workday after January 1, weather permitting. 

It isn’t just light poles they are decorating in Grayson. They have a large nativity set up in city park as well and this year – for the first time – they’ve set up a large castle and a couple of Christmas tree ground decorations. 

The castle was donated to the city, Robinson said, but it didn’t come with any instructions. Work crews had to figure out how to put it together on their own, he explained, but it eventually came together. The castle can be seen on the corner of Carol Malone Boulevard and Main Street, across Carol Malone from the city building. 

“It does take a lot of time,” Robinson said of planning and staging everything before they’re put up, as well as maintenance after they’re up. “Bub (Messer, head of the street department) is real particular.” 

He said Messer not only makes sure all the lights are working before the decorations go up. He goes out and re-checks lights once they are up and changes any blown bulbs regularly throughout the decoration season. 

It isn’t cheap doing all that maintenance either. Robinson said they put about $1,800 into replacement light bulbs and extension cords. One thing the city is looking at doing within the next year is trading out existing light systems with LEDs. This could save the city on the cost of replacement bulbs as well as energy costs. 

The new castle is lit with LEDs, Robinson said. 

It’s much the same story on the other end of the county. Taylor Duncan, with the Olive Hill utility department, also works with a four-man crew and goes through the city’s decorations checking and replacing any burned out bulbs. He said it only takes them about two days to get ready, and only a day to hang their approximately 50 pole decorations around town. But, he noted, they also decorate the caboose at Hop Brown Park and the exterior of the Depot building. 

Duncan estimates that, between checking all the lights, putting them up, taking them down, and storing them the city has around 3 weeks of time and 500 man-hours or more involved in their decoration efforts. 

Olive Hill is also looking at updating their light displays. Duncan said their current lights are around 20 years old. But, he said, it’s pricey to replace the displays. Costs can be anywhere from several hundred to several thousand dollars for each display. One option he said council might consider is purchasing a few new fixtures each month, so they could have all the new ones they need by holiday season next year. 

Robinson said the crew responsible for hanging the lights in Grayson included Messer, Chris Allen, David Parsons, and Timmy Heron. 

Duncan’s crew included Jesse Barber, Rodney Hall, and Derrick Carrol. 

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

  • The castle is a new fixture in Grayson, but it’s just one of several lighted decorations in the city. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
  • Taylor Duncan adjusts a bulb in a recently hung Christmas decoration. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

Freddie Ray Boggs, Sr.

1952-2020

Mr. Freddie Ray Boggs Sr., age 68, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away Monday morning, December 7, 2020, at his family home in Carter County, Kentucky.

He was born July 31, 1952, in Elliott County, Kentucky, a son of the late Leonidas and Irene Horton Boggs.

Freddie loved his cattle, farming, fishing, being outdoors and spending time with his family.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one son, Raymond Scott Boggs; one granddaughter, Makayla Boggs; one great granddaughter, Rayland Bush; two brothers, William Boggs and Russell Boggs; two sisters, Anna Walker and Betty Edison; and his cousin, Bill Horton, who was raised as his brother.

Freddie is survived by one son, Freddie Ray Boggs Jr. (Sara) of Olive Hill, Kentucky; one daughter, Sheila King (Clodes Jr.) of Grayson, Kentucky; eight grandchildren; one great grandchild on the way, Annalia Bush; three brothers, Robert Boggs and Tennyson Boggs, both of Olive Hill, Kentucky, and Ishmel Boggs (Shirley) of Grahn, Kentucky; four sisters, Mary Layne, Reva Whisman (Lynn), and Delma Nolen (David), all of Olive Hill, Kentucky, and Bonnie Burchett (John Paul) of Morehead, Kentucky; and the mother of his children, Patricia Boggs of Olive Hill, Kentucky. He also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss him.

A private graveside service will be held Friday, December 11, 2020, at the Boggs Family Cemetery in Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Brother Jason Lewis officiating.

Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.

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 Mr. Freddie Ray Boggs Sr. 

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

Audrey Mae Maggard Blankenship

1935-2020

Mrs. Audrey Mae Maggard Blankenship, age 85, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away Monday, November 30, 2020, at her residence.

She was born July 22, 1935, in Carter County, Kentucky, a daughter of the late John Maggard and Lena Frazier Maggard Clark.

Audrey was raised on a farm as a child and eventually attended business school in Ohio. Later she became vice president of Bills Mobile Home Sales for 30 years and owner of Blankenship Rental Park for 20 years. She loved living in Florida. Audrey was a member of Eastern Star Lodge in Olive Hill, Kentucky, and a Kentucky Colonel. She enjoyed visiting places such as Greece, Rome, Paris, and many other beautiful places. Her last wishes was to be taken care of by her family, which was carried out to its fullest. Even though she passed before Christmas, she still got to see her Christmas tree and lights. Audrey will be dearly missed.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one son, Michael Ed Blankenship.

Audrey is survived by one son, Mark Blankenship (Tina Stamper) of Olive Hill, Kentucky; six grandchildren, Crystal and Brad Kiser, Matthew and Esther Blankenship, Victoria and Jacob Bays, Robert Stamper, Kaiden Blankenship, and Don Blankenship; five great grandchildren, Hanalena and Willie Hill, Caleb James, Myka Blankenship, Abigail Kiser, and A.J. Blankenship; one great-great grandchild, Olivia Hill; and one brother, Wilson Maggard (Linda) of Olive Hill, Kentucky. She also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss her.

A private graveside service will be held Friday, December 4, 2020, at the Olive Hill Memorial Park in Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Brother Matt Blankenship officiating.

Audrey’s family 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 athttp://www.globefc.com.

Dennis Ray McCoy

1974-2020

Mr. Dennis Ray McCoy, age 45, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away Wednesday evening, December 2, 2020, at St. Claire Healthcare in Morehead, Kentucky from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

He was born December 12, 1974, in Rowan County, Kentucky, a son of Malinda Worthington McCoy and the late Clyde McCoy.

Dennis was a master logger and he enjoyed hunting, logging, fishing, riding four wheelers and spending time with his family.

In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by three infant children and one sister, Brenda Jane McCoy.

In addition to his mother, Dennis is survived by his loving wife of 26 years, Genevia McGlone McCoy; two sons, Erick Devin McCoy (Brittany Barker) and Leland Ray McCoy, all of Olive Hill, Kentucky; two brothers, Clyde McCoy Jr. (Connie) of Olive Hill, Kentucky, and Tim McCoy (Becky) of Greenup, Kentucky; and six sisters, Teresa McGlone of Olive Hill, Kentucky, Diane McCoy of Carter City, Kentucky and Debra (Ed) Potter of Greenup, Kentucky, Tina Evans (Bob) of Seymour, Indiana, Susan McCoy Williams (Chris) of Morehead, Kentucky, and Elaine McCoy (Sara Butterfield) of Tacoma, Washington. He also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss him.

A private service will be held Saturday, December 5, 2020, at the McGlone-McCoy Cemetery in Olive Hill, Kentukcy, with Brother Jr. Logan 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 Mr. Dennis Ray McCoy.

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

Dwight Dee Rodgers

1959-2020

Mr. Dwight Dee Rodgers, age 51, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away Tuesday, December 1, 2020, at his residence.

He was born April 26, 1969, in Boyd County, Kentucky, a son of the late Franklin Dee and Dazel Carroll Rodgers.

Dwight was employed as a lineman and he enjoyed riding horses, working and telling stories and was known as the “Story Teller”.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one sister Cheryl Lynn Rodgers.

Dwight is survived by one son, Coty Rodgers of Olive Hill, Kentucky; one daughter, Adawnya Rodgers of Olive Hill, Kentucky; two grandchildren, Laurel Langstaff and Aubree Rose Rodgers; the mother and “GiGi” of his children and grandchildren, Diane Rodgers; and many other family members. He also leaves many friends who will sadly mourn his passing.

A private graveside service will be held Saturday at the Olive Hill Memorial Park in Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Jessie Oney speaking.

Coty Rodgers, Jeff P’Simer, Jerry Moore and Glen Hedge will serve as pallbearers.

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 Mr. Dwight Dee Rodgers.

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

Temporary Closure of KY 2 in Carter County Thursday for Utility Work

Closed 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Bethel Hill

FLEMINGSBURG – Grayson RECC has notified the Kentucky Department of Highways that utility work will require the temporary closure of KY 2 in Carter County on Thursday, Dec. 3.

Between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday, crews will close KY 2 for several hours at the 6-7 mile marker around Bethel Hill for utility pole replacement. During the closure, through traffic may detour using KY 182 and US 60 through Olive Hill.

Sprucing up Olive Hill

 Jacob Thompson works painting a building on Railroad Street in Olive Hill on Sunday, part of a much needed downtown revitalization effort. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

West Carter Homecoming

Rickalyn Rayburn was crowned the 2020 West Carter High School Homecoming Queen on Friday. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
  • Rickalyn Rayburn was crowned the 2020 West Carter High School Homecoming Queen on Friday. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

Rock down to Electric Ave

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

A couple of years back, I took a big tumble into Tygart Creek. In a desperate bid to save my phone – and the interviews recorded on it – and worried dropping it in a bag of rice wasn’t enough, I went in search of an industrial grade desiccant. Tony James, at James Do-It-Best Hardware in Olive Hill, did his best to help me out, digging deep into his storeroom to find me a product and giving it to me at no charge. It was a bright spot on what had become a bad day with the tumble. A simple act of kindness that I really appreciated. 

Though the desiccant ultimately wasn’t enough to save my phone, I swore to myself that whenever possible I’d patronize his store for my hardware needs. It’s a promise that, with a few exceptions, I’ve stuck to. Some recent events have made that a little more difficult for me, though. Not because of anything Tony or his staff did, but because of my own sense of embarrassment. 

Humility is a virtue though, or so I’ve heard, so let me go ahead and humiliate myself. 

We recently had an outlet go bad in the kitchen. Simple fix, right? I thought so, and went into James Do-It-Best to grab a GFCI outlet replacement. The staff helped me find what I needed. I purchased it. I went home. And… I got the wrong color. I grabbed “ivory” instead of “white.” I was going to go ahead and use it, but that move was vetoed by my better (smarter) partner. So, it was back to the store for an exchange. 

This is where things got interesting. The right color in hand, I flipped the breaker labeled “kitchen outlets above counter,” but I learned a long time ago not to trust other folks’ labeling. I clipped one end of my circuit tester to the hot wire, and touched the end of the probe to the other wire. Not only was it still hot, it was carrying enough juice to blow the light bulb in my circuit tester. I wasn’t going to be using that again. But after Nicole flipped the other breaker labeled for kitchen outlets, I went ahead with my repair. That wasn’t the correct breaker either though. So, hooking the outlet to hot wires, I blew out the brand new outlet and received a nasty shock in the process. 

Back to the hardware store I went, to purchase yet another outlet. In a rush to get out of the store and on to my next assignment though, I didn’t pay close enough attention and – wouldn’t you know it – I not only grabbed the wrong color again, I grabbed the wrong amperage. I didn’t discover this, though, until I’d disconnected everything again and pulled the outlet out of the box. 

Now I need to go back to Tony’s store again, and exchange yet another outlet because I grabbed the wrong color. It’s frustrating, and more than a little embarrassing. And humbling. 

I’m beginning to understand why folks less pig-headed, and more intelligent, than me hire this kind of work out. But third time’s the charm, right? I sure hope so. 

If not, though, I know the folks at James Do-It-Best have me covered. (I just hope they aren’t laughing too much at me behind my back.) 

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

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