All good things must come to an end, and the West Carter High School football team’s winning streak is no exception. The Comets lost to Paintsville on Friday night, 12-34 in a game where the Tigers just weren’t willing to give any ground.
Both teams came into the match-up undefeated and the scores stayed close until the final quarter, when Paintsville kicked it into high gear, running in three touchdowns and connecting on two extra point kicks to run the score up by 20 points.
West Carter’s Leetavius Cline scored the first touchdown of the game on an 11 yard run with 6:18 left in the first quarter, but the Comets weren’t successful on their kick attempt. The Tigers then scored with just under 5 minutes left on the clock when Harris Phelps ran in a three yard touchdown and Braydon Combs made good on his kick, bringing the score to 6-7.
That trend continued in the second quarter with Jackson Bond scoring for West Carter on a five yard pass from quarterback Orry Perry. The Comets attempt to make up for that first missed kick with a two point conversion was unsuccessful when the pass failed to connect, however. Karsten Poe scored for the Tigers in the same quarter and Combs was good on another kick, taking the score to 12-14 leaving the first half.
Neither team scored in the third quarter, leaving the possibility open for a Comets comeback, but Paintsville rallied in the fourth, scoring three touchdowns and connecting on two of their extra point attempts. Jake Hyden scored for Paintsville twice, once on a two yard run and once on a single yard, with Combs’ kicks successful on both. The Tigers other six points came from a 94 yard interception on the return by Frederick James, with the kick from Combs blocked by the Comets.
West finished the game with 12 first downs to Paintsville’s 18, and six penalties to Paintsville’s nine, for 40 and 85 yards respectively. West rushed for 78 yards on 34 attempts to Paintsville’s 263 yards on 40 attempts. Both teams had turnovers on fumbles, with West having an additional turnover on the interception from James.
West passed for 81 yards to Paintsville’s 82, with both teams connecting on 7 of their pass attempts. Total yardage for West Carter was 159 yards on 56 plays, while total yardage for the Tigers was 345 on 51.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
Peyton Steagall (Photo by Mason Branham, Greenup Gazette)
By: Mason Branham for Carter County Times
LLOYD – After dropping the first two sets Tuesday, Oct 13, West Carter faced suffering one of the biggest upsets in the history of 16th Region volleyball. Instead, the Lady Comets fought off two match points and went on to beat Greenup County, 3-2 (22-25, 22-25, 29-27, 25-20, 15-12).
In the third set, Greenup County twice served for match point, but in each the Musketeers failed to get the ball over the net. The second mistake tied the game at 27 and a kill by Peyton Steagall gave West the lead. Hailey James then served an ace and the Lady Comets had won the set and were still alive.
West won the fourth set relatively easily. Back-to-back kills by Jenna James and Rebecca Stevens gave the Lady Comets a 10-point lead, 21-11.Greenup County rallied getting within four at 23-19, but a kill by Steagall stopped the run. Looking for set point, Greenup County broke West’s serve. However, another Steagall kill wrapped up the set and evened the match at 2-2
West was in trouble in the deciding fifth set. Greenup County scored the first four points. The Lady Comets caught up at seven. Greenup County went back in front on a kill by Makenna Munn. Steagall answered with two kills. A hitting error by Greenup County gave West a 10-8 lead.
As quickly as West took the lead, Greenup County regained the advantage. A kill each by Madison Wolfe and Jessie Zaph tied the game. A block by Caroline Adkins gave Greenup County an 11-10 lead, but another Greenup County serving error tied the game at 11.
James served back-to-back aces for the Lady Comets, and a Greenup County return sailed over the end line, giving West three match points.
The first went by the wayside on a service error. The Lady Comets didn’t waste the second. Steagall drove the ball to the floor off a pass from Madison Adkins for the win.
The Lady Comets got in trouble in the opening three sets by not keeping the ball on the court. They had a total of 29 kills in the three sets. However, they gave up 29 points by hitting kill attempts into the net or out of bounds.
They gave up another 10 points on serves they failed to put in play.
They cut those numbers drastically over the final two sets. They had just two hitting errors and only one service fault in the fifth set.
Greenup County was seeking it first win over a team other than 63rd District foes Raceland and Lewis County. They have beaten both of those teams twice
Contact the writer at masonbjr@yahoo.com
Peyton Steagall (Photo by Mason Branham, Greenup Gazette)
Hailey James (Photo by Mason Branham, Greenup Gazette)
Gage Erwin (11) of east Carter controls the ball in the second half in East’s 7-0 win over Greenup County in the finals of the 62nd District Tournament. (Photo by Mason Branham, Greenup Gazette)
By Jeremy D. Wells Carter County Times
Both the boys and girls East Carter soccer teams won their district championships last Wednesday, taking both teams into the 16th Regional tournament with strong records.
The East Carter High School boys won their district championship in a match against Greenup County that saw the team’s Ethan Miller break a nearly 30-year-old record for the region and goalie Trevor Cline take second place in all-time career shut-outs.
“It’s been a good season,” Raiders head coach Quinn Huddle told the Times.
The team has played 11 of the games on their schedule for the 62nd district, winning eight of those, and only one game canceled. With COVID-19 going around, Huddle said, they’ve been lucky.
“We’ve had three or four teams shut down (due to the virus),” Quinn said. “Luckily we’ve not been called yet.”
Of the eight games they’ve won, seven were shut-outs. That’s put Cline closer to overcoming the region’s record for shut-outs, but it was Miller who broke the record last Wednesday. Miller’s first goal tied the regional scoring record, and his second broke it, all in the first half of the game. Another goal before the game ended put Miller’s record even further out of reach for anyone chasing it.
“He now has 109 all time career goals,” Huddle explained. The record he broke was set in 1991 by Paul Blazer’s Stuart Smith.
“It’s a testament to them,” Huddle said. “This senior class had a lot of success (because)… they keep wanting to score.”
After clinching their 62nd district championship, East Carter drew the by in the first round of the 16th Regional tournament. Huddle explained they would play the winner of the Boyd County and Menifee County game.
Boyd County won that game this past Saturday, which means the Raiders were set to face-off against the Lions last night. That game had not been played yet at press time, but scores will be posted online.
The East Carter Girls soccer team also finished first in the 62nd district, with an undefeated record and one tie over eleven games – two were canceled due to COVID-19 concerns – and six shutouts, including the final game of the districts against West Carter, where they held the Lady Comets scoreless for a 4-0 victory.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
East’s Ethan Miller is presented the game ball at halftime of the championship game of the 62nd District Tournament. He became the career goal scoring leader in the 16th Region during the first half of the game against Greenup County. (Photo by Mason Branham, Greenup Gazette)
Gage Erwin (11) of east Carter controls the ball in the second half in East’s 7-0 win over Greenup County in the finals of the 62nd District Tournament. (Photo by Mason Branham, Greenup Gazette)
The Raider’s goalie Trevor Cline is now in second place in the region for all-time career shut-outs. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
East Carter’s Ethan Miller broke a 29-year-old record to claim the most career goals in the 16th Region during the Raiders win over Greenup County last week. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
FRANKFORT – Gov. Andy Beshear on Monday updated Kentuckians on the state’s continuing efforts to fight the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
“We’re going to get through this together, what appears to be our third escalation,” said Gov. Beshear. “We’ve got to come together to do what it takes to defeat this virus. As for me and my family, we are over a week into quarantine, trying to answer the call and set an example. That’s our duty as Kentuckians and as Americans.”
Gov. Beshear continues to conduct news conferences remotely as he and his family self-quarantine in the Governor’s Mansion after they were potentially exposed to COVID-19 on Oct. 10 by a member of the Governor’s security detail.
The Beshear family continues to test negative, feels well and will remain in quarantine until cleared by the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH).
‘The Fast 4 at 4’
Gov. Beshear on Monday highlighted a variety of issues of importance to Kentuckians and the commonwealth.
Charitable Giving Guide – The Governor is taking action to help protect Team Kentucky by publishing a Charitable Giving Guide that advises how to verify legitimate charities and avoid charity scams, which can increase during the Christmas season and as the tax year draws to an end. “As we have faced the greatest challenge of our generation with COVID-19, we have seen so many compassionate Kentuckians step up to help others,” Gov. Beshear said. “Team Kentucky always answers the call when another person needs assistance, which could make us a target for charity scams. Those happen year round, but tend to peak around the Thanksgiving and Christmas giving season. The Charitable Giving Guide will help Kentuckians ensure their hard-earned dollars are used to help their neighbors and are not stolen by scammers.”
Expansion Brings Jobs – Today, Gov. Beshear congratulated TOPY America Inc., a steel wheel manufacturer for the North American passenger car and light truck markets, on completing a $38 million renovation at its Frankfort operation, a project positioning the company and its employees for success in the years ahead. “For 35 years, TOPY America has been a vital part of the Frankfort community, providing stable jobs and quality products that families depend on,” Gov. Beshear said. “We are proud to see the company make this major reinvestment, take a big step forward in efficiency and modernization, and work to secure the future of its business and employees. Now more than ever, as we build a better Kentucky, companies need to reposition themselves for long-term success. I look forward to the years ahead for TOPY and the jobs, wages and families it supports here in Frankfort.”
Healthy at Home Utility Relief Fund – The Kentucky Public Service Commission is ending its moratorium on disconnections for nonpayment for the utilities it regulates on Oct. 20. To ensure there are protections when that begins, the Governor signed an executive order today that ends the statewide moratorium on disconnections for nonpayment on Nov. 6, but takes additional steps to help Kentuckians. The executive order designates $15 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds for the Healthy at Home Utility Relief Fund, which will provide relief for Kentuckians at risk of natural gas, water, wastewater or electric service disconnection. The order will also require utilities to create a payment plan for residential customers that runs no less than six months. It will continue to waive late fees on utility bills for residential customers through Dec. 31, 2020. “Customers will apply through Community Action of Kentucky, but the funds will go directly to the utility. Community Action administers the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP and is accustomed to assisting Kentuckians in paying their utility bills,” said Gov. Beshear. “While this is a difficult time for many Kentuckians, this is another resource for our families.”
Mask Up, Kentucky! – Gov. Beshear continued to emphasize the importance of everyone wearing face coverings, calling it the single most important thing all of us can do to fight COVID-19. Gov. Beshear also encouraged Kentuckians to spread the word on social media using #MaskUpKY and #MaskUpKentucky hashtags. Kentuckians who use the hashtags will receive a #TeamKY mask if their post is featured as part of the Governor’s daily 4 p.m. news conference.
Case Information Monday, Oct. 19
As of 4 p.m. Oct. 19, Gov. Beshear said there were at least 88,247 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 647 of which were newly reported Monday. There were 81 newly reported cases from children up through age 18, of which 18 were 5 and under. The youngest was just 4 months old.
“This is our highest number of cases that we’ve ever seen on a Monday,” said Gov. Beshear. “At a time when we need cases to be going down, when more people are going to be going inside, when our kids are going back or will be back in school, we need to do better. If we want to keep doing some of the activities that we’re doing now, we need to keep doing better.”
Unfortunately, Gov. Beshear reported nine new deaths Monday, raising the total to 1,326 Kentuckians lost to the virus.
The deaths reported Monday include an 82-year-old man from Franklin County; a 73-year-old man from Jefferson County; a 58-year-old man from Lincoln County; a 73-year-old man from Marshall County; an 83-year-old woman from Mercer County; an 85-year-old man from Owen County; a 70-year-old woman and a 93-year-old man from Todd County; and a 72-year-old man from Wayne County.
“We do more work to confirm that COVID-19 was a contributing factor to these deaths than just about any other state. This disease is devastating to each and every one of these families,” said Gov. Beshear. “This virus is real and it is cruel.”
As of Monday, there have been at least 1,819,333 coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky. The positivity rate was 4.97%, and at least 17,229 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
Update from Dr. Stack
On Friday evening, the Kentucky Department for Public Health, an agency of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, announced an initial, comprehensive draft plan for distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to local health departments and health care organizations.
The first shipment of the vaccine is anticipated for delivery in late 2020 or early 2021 to Kentucky from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Department for Public Health, shared new details from that plan, including the phases for distribution outlined in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Framework for Equitable Allocation of COVID-19 Vaccine.
“Initially, we’ll have to target certain populations to get the vaccine out as quickly as possible to the people who need it most,” said Gov. Beshear. “As we go forward in months from there, we’ll have progressively larger quantities of vaccine, and then we’re cautiously hopeful that by the time we reach the end of next year, everybody who has wanted the vaccine will have had the chance to have one.
Gov. Beshear said the timetable for making a safe coronavirus vaccine available to Kentuckians ultimately is dependent on how quickly one is developed and mass produced for distribution.
Dr. Stack also reminded Kentuckians of the new way KDPH is calculating the state’s positivity rate.
“Remember, today we are changing to the calculation of laboratory positivity rate using electronic lab reports only,” said Gov. Beshear.
Finally, Dr. Stack updated Kentuckians on the KDPH’s travel advisory, which recommends that travelers quarantine for 14-days after visiting states with a positivity rate equal to or greater than 15%, including Iowa, Nevada, South Dakota, Idaho, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Utah.
Max is a three-year-old male pit mix. He’s a sweet, friendly boy that needs a home of his own. Max has a reduced adoption fee of $25 to an approved home. Stop by the Carter County Animal Shelter and meet him or call 475-9771 for more information.
Shelter hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday by appointment.
The Kentucky legislature voted to make the entire state dry in November 1919, a full two months before the Volstead Act led to nationwide prohibition in January 1920. But Kentucky was a patchwork of wet and dry counties before that, and in 1918 the state legislature made it illegal to carry alcohol into a dry county or city.
The August 1, 1918 edition of the Carter County Herald ran an article titled TRAFFIC OF WHISKEY TO STOP. In that article the paper noted that the Kentucky legislature had made it an offense punishable by fine to take alcohol into a dry territory. The article noted that “City Policeman A.M. Johnson and Deputy George Fraly have joined hands with Police Judge Albert J. Counts and ‘Squire I. F. Tyree” and had pledged to enforce the rule until it was ruled unconstitutional by a court of appeals.
Of course it wouldn’t be long until prohibition would become the law of the land. Those in favor of temperance laws pointed to spousal and child abuse associated with alcohol and with incidents like the one that occurred at an ice cream social several days before the August 1 story.
That July 27 article, “BAD ACTER” THAT COULD BE TAMED, related the story of an assault by “Henry Fannin from over the edge of Lewis County” who in a drunken state – or feigning inebriation – assaulted another man at an ice cream social fundraiser for the Red Cross, causing the victim to receive nine stitches over his eye to close the gash caused by the jug.
Today Olive Hill and Grayson are wet cities in an otherwise dry county, making Carter County “moist” by definition, but there is no fine for adults who wish to legally purchase alcohol in one of those cities and take it to their home in the otherwise dry county.
Editor’s Note: This is the 15th in a series of articles drawn from the historical newspaper clippings 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
I left Kentucky in my late 20s and stayed away until after I turned 40, living and working in major metropolitan areas for the better part of 13 years. It’s not often that I miss living in the city. I don’t miss the skylines or the night life too much. Family and quiet is more important to me now than bar rooms and rock n roll. I don’t miss the neighbors that know all your business, whether you want them to or not. I definitely don’t miss the traffic and the noise. When I do miss the city, though, it’s the food that I miss.
There is something to be said about having a good sushi place within walking distance, with authentic British fish n chips and meat pies right next door. Austin, Texas was especially good for Mexican food, and I’ve never quite gotten over my love affair with huevos con chorizo or breakfast tacos. If you live in Texas for any amount of time without finding a favorite brisket place, you aren’t doing Texas right. Denver introduced me to green chile. The thick, rich stew, with pork so tender it literally fell apart, went good on everything from french fries to omelettes with loads of melty cheddar and Monterey jack. Both cities have excellent Indian and Ethiopian restaurants too.
But as much as I might miss the restaurants, there are things I can get here that I couldn’t get in any of the cities I’ve lived in. If you could find morel mushrooms in the city, they were in a specialty grocery (i.e. very pricey) and usually dried instead of fresh. Chanterelle mushrooms, a summer and early fall favorite of mine, were only on the menu in the most expensive restaurants. Likewise for venison and other wild game. Blackberries are my all time favorite fruit, but the store bought berries – while larger than their wild cousins – lack the sweetness, tartness and general depth of flavor of foraged berries. If you don’t have to bleed a little to get them, they just aren’t the same. Don’t even get me started on biscuits and gravy; questionable if they aren’t made from scratch anyway, they were practically impossible to find unless I made them myself.
It’s not like we live in a culinary wasteland either. Olive Hill has become a veritable mecca of food destinations. The town hasn’t been the same since the Drive In opened, and I have to resist the temptation to have one (or three) of the White Light sliders every time I’m in town. Though I haven’t had the chance to try them yet, I’m told Table 286 is worth the drive too. I had my first taste of Tre Fratelli the other day too, and while I can’t speak to the authenticity of the menu as a whole, the manicotti I had was excellent. In Grayson the Hogs Trough does good bbq, and I still miss the chicken and dumplings from the now closed Cafe 1947. I can even get amazingly fresh coffee locally, thanks to Goose Bridle.
All in all, it’s worth losing a favorite sushi place for.
Jeremy D. Wells can be reached at editor@cartercountytimes.com
The late Jesse Unruh, a legendary California politician, coined that phrase in 1966 and it has proven to be more prophetic in each election cycle, including last year’s governor’s race and this year’s presidential election.
My wife and I have lost count of the full-color, slickly-coated direct mail fundraising appeals – plus the countless e-mail messages from party leaders at all levels – that we have received in this election cycle.
Actually, I’ve been trying to entertain myself because the computer wizards who keep track of voters sometimes miss the mark. For example, one national group thinks my wife and I live in California instead of Kentucky.
They asked me for names of my neighbors here in the Sacramento (?) area so I sent them five fictitious names and addresses. Within a week, they messaged me that all five of my “neighbors” had contributed to their candidate and they were waiting for my donation. I chuckle each time I think about that prank.
Having both won and lost as a candidate, I know it takes money to reach voters with your exciting message. I’m proud of the fact that other folks helped me when I ran for public office and this year I’ve tried to do the same for candidates at the city, state legislative, U.S. Senate and White House levels.
And my wife reminds me each time that we are retired and living on state and federal pensions that may not last as long as we do.
But it is clear that many other voters are turned off by the constant fundraising bombardment from candidates at all levels.
I learned recently that some federal candidates have raised so much money that they are sharing it generously with state candidates because they may not be able to spend most of it by Election Day.
That is a direct result of the U. S. Supreme Court decision in 2010, Citizens United vs. FEC, that removed all limits on campaign gifts by corporations, political action committees and shadowy, anonymous organizations that don’t have to divulge the source of their “dark money”.
Sadly, that was the day our federal government was put up for sale.
We’ve been publishing the Carter County Times for just over four months now, with this issue marking the 19th edition of your source for local news. We’ve come a long way since that first edition was published. It’s been a lot of hard work for two people with a toddler. Sometimes it feels more like four years than four months, but the community response and support has been overwhelming. On weeks when we feel like packing it all in, it’s been that support that keeps us going. The letters and cards from people excited to hold a community newspaper in their hands again, the enthusiastic parents calling or emailing to request extra copies of an issue with their child’s photo in it, the smiling business owners cutting the ribbon to open a new shop; you’ve all kept us going when we’ve asked ourselves, “Why did we take on this massive and time consuming task?”
We count on the support of all of our readers, distributors, and advertisers to keep us going, but there are a few among you that deserve special recognition for your unyielding support right from the beginning.
First and foremost, we need to thank William Waddell and the staff of Globe Funeral Chapel and Grayson Funeral Home. William was one of the first to see the value in our product and to commit to purchasing advertisements in our paper and on our website. Bob Thomas and the staff of Malone Funeral Home have been great supporters as well, and, along with the other funeral homes in our communities, help keep you informed of lost friends and loved ones through the obituaries they share with us.
We can’t discuss supportive advertisers without also mentioning Kim Wilburn at Olive Hill Auto Plus. Kim isn’t just an advertiser, she’s been a vocal cheerleader and was an early subscriber. Stopping in to talk with her always leaves us with a spring in our step, and sometimes a new story idea in our notebook.
Sally James, at Sally’s Flowers, is another advertiser we developed a relationship with early on. Those conversations with her led to an opportunity to shine a spotlight on local history through the scrapbooks of her uncle, Jack Fultz. We’ve been honored to be entrusted with these historical clippings and the column that has grown out of that relationship continues to be a favorite among regular readers who appreciate those glimpses into the early 20th century.
Like Kim and Sally, Pam Howard with Walking on Sunshine Wellness Spa & Shoppe in Grayson is an advertiser who has also brought us several story ideas. Our relationship with Pam stretches back to when our editor worked for the previous county papers, and we always enjoy our conversations with her.
When we were flummoxed for a way to spread awareness of our paper, and grow our subscriptions, we were lucky to run into Dee Shufflebarger. Dee offered us an opportunity to work with WUGO and WGOH to spread news of the paper over the airwaves, and it’s no exaggeration to say that we wouldn’t have the circulation we have today without the assistance of the radio station.
Speaking of circulation, we also have to thank our distributors. There has been a lot of change in our distribution sites over these first four months but Upper Tygart Mini Mart, Globe Farm Supply, and the Olive Hill Save A Lot, have been instrumental in our rack sales from the very beginning. Jean Marie’s and Trinity Sisters, too, have both been working with us as distributors since they opened their doors.
On the other end of the county we can’t emphasize enough the impact Ralph’s FoodFair has had on our circulation. The Hitchins Food Mart in Hitchins, and Andy’s Market & Hardware and Bayes General Store in Willard, have helped keep our other communities on the east end in the loop, something that has been important to us as we strive to serve the entire county – not just the two incorporated cities.
It’s not often we’d thank a specific reader, because we value you all equally, and we’ve received nice letters from several of you (we still have your cards displayed in the office, Sherryl Wooten and Lillie Burton!), but feel compelled to give a special nod to Robert Caummisar. Bob has provided feedback and encouragement since the beginning, and we value his input immensely.
The contributions of Keith Kappes also need to be acknowledged. In addition to providing regular weekly columns, Keith brings unique insight and experience. It’s no exaggeration to say we wouldn’t have a paper today if it hadn’t been for Keith’s guidance.
There’s also the Olive Hill and Grayson Chamber of Commerce and their members and so many, many more that we’re bound to leave someone out if we try to name them all.
There are no days off in the newspaper business, especially when you don’t have extra staff to share the burden, but you’ve all made it worthwhile. Thank you!
The following indictments were returned by the Grand Jury of the Carter Circuit Court on October 2, 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.
Bruce A Barnett, 49, of Grayson, on or about August 24, robbery first degree, by using physical force or threatening the immediate use of physical force while in the course of committing a theft with intent to accomplish that theft and causing physical injury to a person who was not a participant in the crime, or was armed with a deadly weapon, or used or threatened the immediate use of a dangerous instrument upon a person who was not a participant in the crime, a Class B Felony.
Michael Carter, 22, of Denton, on or about September 8, operating a motor vehicle under the influence, first offense, a Class B Misdemeanor; drug paraphernalia, buy or possess, when he unlawfully possessed drug paraphernalia with intent to use, a Class A Misdemeanor; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, two or more grams of methamphetamine by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a Schedule I narcotic, 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.
Brian Fannin, 52, of Ashland, on or about August 17, operating a motor vehicle under the influence, third offense aggravating circumstances, having two prior convictions for DUI in the last ten years, a Class A Misdemeanor; 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; drug paraphernalia, buy or possess, when he unlawfully possessed drug paraphernalia with intent to use, a Class A Misdemeanor; receiving stolen property over $500 by being in the possession of property valued at over $500 belonging to another, knowing it to have been stolen, a Class D Felony; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by distributing, dispensing, selling, transferring, or possessing with intent to distribute, dispense, or sell heroin, a Schedule I narcotic, a Class C Felony; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a Schedule I narcotic, methamphetamine more than two grams, a Class C Felony; possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, a Class C Felony; DUI while on a suspended license, first offense aggravating circumstances, by having a suspended license for a prior DUI within the last ten years, a Class D Felony.
Joshua Gilliam, 34, of Sandy Hook, on or about August 22, strangulation, second degree by wantonly impeding the normal breathing or circulation of the blood, applying pressure on the throat or neck or blocking nose or mouth without consent, a Class D Felony; assault in the third degree, by assaulting a State Police Trooper, a Class D Felony; assault fourth degree, minor injury, by intentionally causing physical injury, a Class A Misdemeanor; resisting arrest, by using physical force against a peace officer who was arresting him, a Class A Misdemeanor.
Christopher Pope, 36, of Grayson, on or about September 8, 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; unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A Misdemeanor; trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, second offense, by knowingly and unlawfully trafficking in a Schedule I narcotic, methamphetamine, more than two grams, while having a previous conviction for trafficking in a controlled substance, a Class B Felony; promoting contraband in the first degree by knowingly and unlawfully introducing or possessing methamphetamine, considered dangerous contraband, while being confined at the Carter County Detention Center, a Class D 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.
Arthur Russell, 55, of Grayson, on or about August 26, violation of sex offender registration act by failure to comply with the sex offender registration when he did not update his current address in accordance with KRS 17.510, a Class D Felony.
Carl W. Salyers, 34, of Grayson, robbery first degree, by using physical force or threatening the immediate use of physical force while in the course of committing a theft with intent to accomplish that theft and causing physical injury to a person who was not a participant in the crime, or was armed with a deadly weapon, or used or threatened the immediate use of a dangerous instrument upon a person who was not a participant in the crime, a Class B Felony.
Each fall, prussic acid poisoning is a real concern for Kentucky livestock producers, especially those who grow and graze their animals on sorghum-based forages like forage sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass, sudangrass and johnsongrass. By taking proper precautions, you can prevent prussic acid poisoning in your animals.
Prussic acid poisoning occurs when livestock graze sorghum-based pastures shortly after the field experiences a traumatic event, such as frost. These forages can accumulate high levels of cyanide-producing compounds in their outer cells. Further inside these plants are enzymes that can convert the compounds into the poison. Frosts cause plant cells to rupture, which allows cyanide-producing compounds and enzymes to mix. If consumed by livestock, the compounds will interfere with how their bodies use oxygen, and it can rapidly result in death. Ruminants are especially susceptible to prussic acid poisoning, because they have enzymes inside of their rumen that are also capable of converting the cyanogenic compounds into the poison.
Do not allow your animals to graze fields containing sorghum-based forages for five to seven days after a frost, even if it’s patchy. If a killing frost occurs, do not allow the animals to graze the pasture at least seven days following the frost. With time, the forage can dry down and prussic acid is reduced via volatilization.
You can cut sorghum-based forages for hay after a frost, but make sure the hay is properly cured before baling. During the curing process, prussic acid volatilizes and renders the forage safe for livestock feeding.
In most cases, you can ensile sorghum forages for baleage, because the ensiling process reduces cyanide compounds in the forage. Delay feeding the baleage six to eight weeks after ensiling to allow the fermentation process to finish and toxin levels time to decrease. If your forage has particularly high toxin levels at ensiling, you should have the baleage tested before feeding it to livestock.
Regularly test your soils and apply nutrients according to recommendations. Soils that are high in nitrogen and low in potassium and phosphorus have a higher potential of causing plants to produce prussic acid.
For more information or if you need to test your forages for cyanide content, contact the Carter County office of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Educational programs of the 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 expressions, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.
Carter County Quilts of Valor presented quilts to Willis Bond (left), of Elliott County, and Harry Thacker (right), from Olive Hill, at the Carter County Veteran’s Park in Grayson last week. Bond and Thacker served in both Korea and Vietnam. Bond is active in veterans’ affairs and Thacker serves as a volunteer chaplain with hospice in Ashland. (Submitted photos)
The Olive Hill Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting event for the opening of the Center 4 A Change location in Olive Hill on Saturday. The counseling center, with locations in Grayson, Ashland, and Morehead, was founded by Olive Hill native Kieara Judd-Irick and her mother Tonya Bond-Judd. Check back next week for a feature on the duo’s plans for their Olive Hill location and residential treatment center Jenkie’s Journey. (Submitted photo)
Fencing, gates, and grass are three of the top issues that Grayson Sports Park manager Grant Harper is working to address, but he promised Grayson Mayor George Steele the park would be ready to play ball on come next spring.
Steele visited the park board during their regular meeting last Thursday with questions about the fields and if they would be ready to open for play next spring. One question he had was about “sway” in the outfield of one of the baseball fields. Harper said there was a small dip in the outfield, but because of the generally flat nature of the park those dips, while not ideal, were intentional and necessary for proper drainage.
The other issue impacting the fields is grass. Harper discussed the grass issue the previous week, when meeting with the Grayson Tourism Commission, but said he now “feels better than I did about the grass three weeks ago.” Harper said he has been consulting with representatives from a grass program at the University of Kentucky that will help the park with building up the topsoil needed for healthy grass growth.
Harper told the board there is still an issue with rocks in the field, specifically gravel sized pieces of stone that are small and time consuming to pick up, but that it is impossible to tell where it came from and that Allard Excavation had done everything he requested of them to attempt to remove all the rocks they could. While the park board may still decide to ask Allard to resolve the issue or forfeit a portion of their fee for work on the park’s fields, Harper and project manager John Brammer didn’t feel the company would be willing to come back and do more work to remove the gravel.
Despite this, Harper said the only work he had concerns about approving is from Allard. He said that in addition to the gravel and lack of top soil called for in the contract with Allard, there were some issues with leveling, specifically low spots at the entrance.
“There are a few spots where we’re going to have to address drainage,” he said. But, he explained, when leveling the field, and adding dirt to low spots, this created new low spots. There is also an issue with the ditch around the park, along the road, but because that is a state highway the state needs to take action to clean that ditch. As for the other low spots, he said, it was either an issue with the design of the park or with the execution not meeting the design standards. He said he wasn’t sure where the issue lie, but that he would be having at least one more conversation with Allard before he made any decisions.
Harper also updated the board on picnic tables for the park, explaining that he was working with students at Carter Career and Technical Center and they had five picnic tables completed and ready for him to pick up. He said he also had approval on a gate for the park and was waiting on that to be installed.
Another issue on Harper’s list was the fencing around the park. He said the cost of board fencing was going to be cost prohibitive at this time. While the park is required to have a 50 foot barrier between the recreational areas and adjacent residential areas, and Harper said he “love(d) the idea of a three board or four board fence,” chain link would be more economical at this time. He said he doesn’t see there being any issue with meeting the 50 foot distancing requirements, however. There is already a utility easement between the home and park property lines that helps contribute to that buffer.
The board also approved the expenditure of funds for concrete sidewalks and a hard surface for handicapped parking spots. The park is required to have handicap parking and to provide access from that parking to the park with a hard surface. Access to rest rooms also has to be included with any sidewalks, for ADA compliance. The board voted to go with the handicapped parking spots as specced, on Harper’s and Brammer’s recommendation. Brammer said they are currently accepting quotes on a five foot wide sidewalk and that he expects the final cost to be from $25,000 to $30,000 for the concrete work.
Harper said he has plans to do parking lot paving and other hard surfaces in phases, as funds become available. This will also allow the lots to settle before paving.
On the playground end of things Harper told the board he expected to have designs from three different companies for the board to review at their next meeting. While the park did not win the Kiwanis grant, losing out to the next closest community by only 12 points Kiwanis president Willis Johnson told the board, Harper said the funds the park would have received from the grant were not necessary for the installation of playground equipment. That grant would have required the park to spend over $50,000 on playground equipment in order to qualify for $25,000 in funding.
In other action the board moved to extend every term on the board for another two years. Mindy Woods-Click will remain the park board chair, with Bradley Cherry as vice chair and Mark Strother as treasurer. The board also approved a security system for the maintenance building, so the park could begin storing equipment there; approved the purchase of a work site utility vehicle, with a bed for hauling grass seed, dirt and other items; and accepted a budget for the coming year.
Next steps for the park will include a planning session for a move from the construction phase to the operation phase.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
School board members Lisa Ramey-Easterling and Bryan Greenhill present a certificate to Carter City Elementary principal Jo Ashworth in recognition of the school being honored as a Blue Ribbon School. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
By Jeremy D. Wells Carter County Times
Contact tracing is working. That’s the takeaway from the recent news that some students at East Carter High School might have been exposed to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus. Superintendent of schools Dr. Ronnie Dotson told the board of education last week that of the 50 students initially quarantined due to possible COVID exposure, 18 have now been released. He said the school will continue to monitor student activities, continue to observe contact tracing protocols, and take any steps necessary to minimize the spread of the virus.
These steps, which include the quarantine of anyone who has had direct contact with someone who tests positive for the virus, continue to evolve as well. For instance, Dotson explained, the definition of direct contact has been changed by the state in recent days. The original definition of direct contact was spending 15 minutes or more with someone where you were less than six feet apart. While this continues to be the standard for middle and high school students, the state now considers handing out paper to students to be direct contact, even if the teacher spends less than 15 minutes with each student. This is because of the close contact teachers must have with students to distribute papers and because of the possibility of live virus being on the paper or the indirect spread of the virus from either teacher or student to the other.
At the middle or high school level this is less of an issue, Dotson said, because students at those grade levels can pick up papers themselves, eliminating the teacher as a potential vector of contamination. But those types of things can’t always be done at the elementary level, especially for younger children.
In other action the board heard from Mrs. Samantha Thompson, at West Carter Middle School, on instructional updates. Thompson shared a video of the “talk show” she did to coincide with her lessons. The clips from Midmorning with Mrs. Thompson that were shown to the board included clips of Thompson pulling pranks on other faculty members alongside Edgar Allen Poe, who had been Thompson’s guest on her show the previous week. You can find copies of those videos on YouTube, by searching for Midmorning with Mrs. Thompson.
The board also heard about a $1.2 million grant the school system had received for Reading Initiatives between 2017 and 2020. The school system used $30,000 of those funds to help support the early learning literacy program, Building Blocks. Another $35,000 was donated directly to the Carter County Public Library, and $234,566 was used for professional development through the Kentucky Reading Project. Other funds were used for the Kentucky Literacy Project (KLIP) at the middle and high school levels, and to pay for substitutes so teachers could attend professional development academies. Another $37,775 was used for National Board Certification, with 34 participating teachers, $64,300 for Chromebook Carts, and $407,767 for various educational resources.
Dotson also gave the board an update on plans to use the Carter County Board of Education as a pass through to order Chromebooks for the Carter Christian Academy. Dotson said the board was given notice that, due to a lawsuit that prevented the use of Title I money for private schools, the district had to cancel those orders.
“I know their children need Chromebooks too, especially now,” Dotson said, but because those funds are based on free lunch counts at public schools, CCA, which is a private religious school, cannot benefit from those programs.
The board also held a public hearing on the school district facilities plan and moved to accept the hearing officer’s report at the conclusion of the hearing.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
Trish Brammell wants your vote as a write-in candidate for school board in the Third Educational District. (Photo by Jeremy D.Wells, Carter County Times)
By Jeremy D. Wells Carter County Times
“I don’t think our people are being represented very well,” explained Trish Brammell when asked what motivated her to run for Carter County Board of Education as a write-in candidate.
Brammell, who has a daughter with special needs in the school system, decided to run as a write-in candidate for the Third Educational District after approaching the board with suggestions for a staggered return schedule that she felt the board rejected out of hand.
“Their minds were already made up,” she said.
It was too late to get her name on the ballot at that point, but there is always a place on the ballot where voters can write in a candidate’s name, and Brammell is hoping that she can get enough of those write-in votes to replace the current board member for her district, Lisa Ramey-Easterling.
The plan Brammell approached the board with would have called for a staggered return to school. Students would have been divided based on the first letter of their last name, with half the students going to school on Mondays and Tuesdays and half on Thursdays and Fridays. Wednesdays under her plan would have been reserved for cleaning and sanitizing classrooms, providing tutoring, and course work for special needs students. All students would have participated in online classroom activities on the days they were not in the building. But, she explained, if a student came to school infected with COVID-19, her plan would have cut the risk to other students in half.
In addition to the board, who would have had final word on any policy, Brammell wanted the concerns of teachers and parents to be taken into account. While the board heard from her during a regular meeting before school resumed, she didn’t feel they gave the plan any serious consideration before proceeding.
She felt they were ignoring her request as a parent, and failing to represent the desires other parents and teachers.
“If our representatives aren’t representing us, who are they representing?” she asked.
While the board’s plan did allow any family not comfortable with returning to school to continue with online education for a period of time, Brammell said she felt the district needed a middle ground to limit exposure as they began returning to school.
“There are so many factors in our decisions,” she said. “So many kids are being raised by grandparents (who may be immunocompromised), and we already have a substitute shortage.”
“There were other options that weren’t considered,” she continued. “They didn’t even care enough to consider the A & B schedule (her staggered return plan). Now we have had to quarantine. I think it would have been less severe (with the A & B schedule).”
“I’m not saying do the A & B schedule forever, just to start out.”
But lest you think she’s a one issue candidate, Brammell isn’t running solely on the coronavirus and the board’s response to it. The former teachers’ aide and substitute teacher also feels like there is too much emphasis on test scores and not enough on the children. She prefers a more holistic approach, that looks at the whole child rather than how they score on tests.
“I would like to see the focus be on kids first, test scores second,” she said. “When I worked at Prichard, when I left at the end of the day, I never wondered how they scored. I wondered if they had electricity through the winter. I wondered if they had food to eat. I think we place too much emphasis on test scores.”
She noted that children like her daughter are never going to score highly on standardized tests because of their disabilities, and while that is accounted for in the school’s testing process, it doesn’t take into account children who score poorly because they are hungry, or worried about things like rent that children shouldn’t need to concern themselves with but do. Even among neurotypical students, she noted, every child has different talents and different ways of approaching and understanding their lessons.
In her home, she said, “we celebrate every single victory,” and that way of thinking has changed her perspective on how standardized tests should be administered and how education should be approached.
“Not every child is going to be distinguished (in their standardized test scores) and that’s ok,” she said.
Those students who don’t do well on tests may learn in a different way, she said. They may excel at carpentry or welding or in electrical work – necessary skills that require their own intelligence that doesn’t necessarily translate well to testing. Or they may excel in the arts or music.
“I think of that quote attributed to Albert Einstein, if you judge every animal based on their ability to climb a tree, the fish is always going to feel stupid, no matter how well it swims,” she said.
In addition to those different ways of approaching problems and different innate talents, she said, there are home factors to consider. She shared a story of one child who was having a hard time focusing on her homework because her home electricity had been shut of during the winter. While the school resource centers do a good job of helping a lot of those children and their families, she said, they don’t always catch every situation. In the case she mentioned she noted that the teachers took up a collection to help get the family’s electricity turned back on. But, she said, that one act didn’t fix all their problems or undo the lost study time the student had suffered.
“How dare we have the audacity to demand they score the same on tests!” she said of students like the one in her story.
She said that every teacher she knows has bought things out of their own pockets to help students like the one in her story, and while it’s commendable and means a lot to the students, teachers can’t maintain that level of stress for extended periods any more than anyone else.
“Our teachers are so overwhelmed and I don’t know how much more they can handle before they reach a breaking point,” she said. “Teachers are so much more than teachers. They are therapists. They are friends. They are mentors. And often they are mommy and dad.”
She knows that as a lone voice on the school board she can’t fix all of these societal issues on her own. But she wants to be a part of helping fix it.
“As a mommy, I want to fix things,” she said. “I want everyone to know that I’ll fight for them… to take their concerns and frustrations to heart.”
And she wants it to be about the kids first.
“I want our leadership to be just as excited about the kids who get an internship as the kid who gets a full ride to UK,” she said. “Every kid out there has potential.”
If the board can support teachers in developing that potential, she said, all those kids can succeed in their own way. Then, she said, the test scores will follow.
“If people feel valued and appreciated, they will work harder,” she said, noting that it goes for students and teachers alike.
“I know a lot of that pressure (to perform well on tests) comes from the state,” she said. “But it doesn’t have to be the main focus.”
It puts a lot of unnecessary stress on teachers and students, she said, adding, “it’s time to start trusting (teachers), their experience and their professionalism.”
“These kids have the weight of the world on their shoulders… and it rips your heart out,” she said of children with less than ideal home situations.
“I want people to know… I’ll fight for their babies just like I fight for mine,” she added. “I hope people will vote for me because I absolutely adore their children.”
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
Trish Brammell and her daughter Macy work together on a tablet. (Photo by Jeremy D.Wells, Carter County Times)
Trish Brammell wants your vote as a write-in candidate for school board in the Third Educational District. (Photo by Jeremy D.Wells, Carter County Times)
Mrs. Patricia Mae Bryant Knipp, age 67, of Grayson, Kentucky, passed away Monday, October 19, 2020, at her residence.
She was born September 11, 1953, in Carter County, Kentucky, a daughter of the late Arthur Bryant and Emily Barker Bryant Stevens.
Patricia was a member of the Grahn Hill Freewill Baptist Church and she was a caregiver for many of her family members. She enjoyed going to church and spending time with her family.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by five brothers, Bill Bryant, Bobby Bryant, Jessie Bryant, Earl Bryant, and George Bryant, and six sisters, Lorraine Miller, Ruby Dickson, Rosa Knipp, Pearline Bledsoe, Maxine Boggs, and Juanita Carroll.
Patricia is survived by her husband of 51 years, Gary E. Knipp; two daughters, Melissa Gillum (Greg) of Grayson, Kentucky, and Paula Evans (Tony) of Maysville, Kentucky; seven grandchildren, Travis Knipp (Brittany), Trevor Gillum (Alyssa), Sara Lee (Jeremy), Andrew Evans (Myleka), Isabella Evans, Rebeka Evans, and Brittany Vaughn; 13 great grandchildren, Gary Knipp, Trenton Gillum; Hudson Knipp, Corbyn Archey, Benjamin Lee, Elias Vaughn, Layla Mitchell, Riley Mitchell, Kylyn Evans, Kahleah Evans, Andrew Evans, Alijah Evans and Ryker Evans; and a special nephew, John Carroll (Ann) of Olive Hill, Kentucky. She also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss her.
Funeral services will be held 12 noon Thursday, October 22, 2020, at Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Brother John Carroll and Brother Jimmy Barker officiating. Burial will follow in the Jessie Lee Bryant Cemetery in Olive Hill, Kentucky.
Friends may visit from 11 a.m. to 12 noon Thursday, October 22, 2020, at Globe Funeral Chapel, 17277 West Highway US 60, Olive Hill, Kentucky 41164.
Travis Knipp, Trevor Gillum, Jeremy Lee, Steve Knipp, Josh Wicker, and Randy McDaniel will serve as pallbearers.
The Knipp family would like to extend a special thank you to Community Hospice.
Due to COVID-19 regulations, we ask that everyone wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Mrs. Debra Colegrove Gordon, age 60, of Grayson, Kentucky, passed away Wednesday, October 14, 2020, at her residence.
She was born October 21, 1959, in Muncie, Indiana, a daughter of Virgie Prichard Colegrove of Grayson, Kentucky, and the late Paul Ray Colegrove.
Debra enjoyed doing crafts, planting flowers, and she loved buying Christmas decor.
In addition to her mother, she is survived by her husband of 16 years, Zachary Wayne Gordon; one son, Dreyden Gordon of Grayson, Kentucky; one daughter, Ashley Jones of Muncie, Indiana; and one grandchild, Brinkley Snider. She also leaves many other family members and friends who will sadly miss her.
At the family’s request there will be no visitation or funeral service.
Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky, is caring for all arrangements for Mrs. Debra Colegrove Gordon.
The Raiders took their second loss of the season at Ashland Paul Blazer last Friday, with the Tomcats winning over East Carter 54-7.
Blazer scored 5 rushing touchdowns and had two touchdown pass receptions, rushing for a total of 325 yards and passing for 140. Blazer also scored two field goals and were good on six of their extra point attempts. Blazer had 59 total tackles in the game, with 41 of those solo tackles and 18 assists.
This is East Carter’s second loss of the season, leaving the team at 3-2 in five outings.
Further numbers for East Carter were not available at press time.
UPDATE: Carter County Public Schools have reported that contact tracing shows the Raiders football team was exposed to COVID-19, and at least one Raider team member has now tested positive for the virus.
The team will not practice or play any games for at least the next two weeks as they adhere to quarantine protocols.
