Ellie is a female husky, around two-years-old. She weighs 48 pounds and is good with other dogs, very friendly, and walks on a leash. Ellie has a free adoption to an approved home. All adoptions include spaying/neutering and vaccinations. Stop by the Carter County Animal Shelter and meet her or call 475-9771 for more information.
Shelter hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday by appointment.
By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Jim Plummer’s historical displays are nothing new. Plummer maintained a museum – mostly of Native Pre-Columbian artifacts – on the road to Carter Caves for many years. Since closing that location, he’s arranged displays for special occasions at the Olive Hill Center for Arts & Heritage. He even had one of the old classrooms in the center with a series of permanent displays. But now, Plummer has more than just a classroom. He has the entire top floor of the old high school, and space to showcase more of the amazing collection that he’s accrued over the years – an opportunity that opened up after the library vacated the space for a more accessible location in the elementary school building.
He’s arranging the bulk of the collection in chronological order for the holiday event, beginning with Pre-Columbian artifacts as you enter the main area, and working his way up through the earliest settlers, the Revolution, the first World War, and Matthew Sellers’ aviation achievements. There are other displays of more recent material too, displayed around the edges of the main room, including circus posters, pulp magazines of the 1940s and 50s, Olive Hill High School memorabilia, and other content.
“We’ll have probably a theater theme out in the hallway, the old Dixie Theater in Olive Hill. Then I’ve come here into the Baby Boom era… and probably by the Vietnam era, or somewhere about the time the school closed here, that’ll be about it.”
It’s an ambitious project, especially to be completed in time for the planned July 3 opening, but Plummer has the material to pull it off.
“I opened the shop at Carter Caves in 1972,” he explained. “So, it’s been 50 years now, 53 years.”
While he’s collected much of that himself over the years, the initial impetus came from his family collection of Pre-Columbian artifacts, many found in and around the Carter Caves area.
“The collection (of Native artifacts), that came down through my family, and I’ve added to it through the years,” Plummer explained. “I’ve always had a museum here in the county, since ’72, with my father.”
“But,” he continued, “my old building got in such shape, it was hard. The upkeep was hard. So, I talked with Linda Lowe (from the Center for Arts & Heritage.)”
Lowe was a longtime friend, Plummer explained, “a year behind me in school.”
Lowe and the Center for Arts & Heritage – previously the Olive Hill Historical Society – had space, but nothing to fill it with, he explained. He had a collection, but no place to display it. So, the first collaboration – a military display for the Homecoming weekend – was born. Since then they’ve put on a few other events and displays, but nothing of the scale this new endeavor represents.
Eventually, he said, he’d like the space to be open for school groups and others to tour by appointment. Another possibility they’ve discussed, he said, was a gift shop on the first floor, selling rocks, minerals, fossils, and jewelry. The first floor would also provide space for some of his larger displays that can’t be brought up the stairs or elevator to the top floor. Having a gift shop would enable Plummer to be on site for any impromptu requests for access to the museum as well; for instance, if someone visiting or passing through wanted to have a look.
“It’s going to be a little bit up to how many people we’re going to have available at any one time to watch (the space),” he explained. “It may be on a schedule from nine to ten, for a group to come in. We might have school buses and things like that with young people on field trips. They can go to Carter Caves and do the field trip down there and, if they have time, they can have a little field trip here too.”
Right now, tours will be by appointment, and for special events like Homecoming, he said, “and we’ll see how it all works out.”
Those interested in having their own look at Plummer’s collection will have their opportunity on July 3 and 4.
“Thursday and Friday we’re going to open around 10 o’clock in the morning,” Plummer said. “We’ll enter through the gym doors, come inside, and there’ll be someone to greet you there.”
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
The Northeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for Mi De Con at its location at East Park last week. The business, and the ribbon cutting, was the culmination of efforts by not only the business itself, but by area government officials to bring much needed jobs to the area. Greenup County Judge Executive Bobby Hall spoke at the ribbon cutting, welcoming the new business, and acknowledging the group effort required to bring new business and much needed jobs to the area.
“We started this journey back in 2023 when Ben Collier (Business Manager for UA Local 248) approached me and Judge Chaney, talking about Mathew Floyd,” Hall said. “We had no idea who Matthew Floyd was, but thirty days later, Elliot County Judge Executive Myron Lewis met us out here to discuss the future of Mi De Con.”
Mathew Floyd, they learned, was the president of Mi De Con, an Ironton, Ohio based company with an interest in establishing a business in Kentucky.
Hall told the crowd present for the event that what followed were numerous discussions between the parties involved. This, he said, impacted all five counties in the FIVCO District. The logistics of bringing together five judge executives, five fiscal courts, and fourteen cities – with fourteen mayors and their individual city councils – might seem daunting, but everyone worked together to make that happen.
“It took the entire group to get on the same page,” Hall said. “And everyone did.”
When all the cards were laid on the table, so to speak, Hall said that the attitude could best be summed up by what Carter County Judge Executive Brandon Burton said, which was simply, “Let’s do it.”
“When these five counties work together for the same purpose, you will see the true definition of progress,” Hall said of the results the ribbon cutting symbolized. “Regional economic development is on display today.”
President Mathew Floyd spoke at the event and said that he saw it as a positive step forward for not only his company but the region as well.
“When we approached this project, all the counties, Local 248, and us came together to form something that was a win for everyone,” Floyd said. “We’re putting local workers to work to serve customers in this area. And we think we can offer a really great service from this location,” Floyd continued. “So we are really excited to get started here.”
Boyd County Judge Executive Eric Chaney said that he has had the pleasure of working with Mi De Con at his other job at Marathon and looked forward to all the good things to come in the future. “This is what happens when you put politics aside,” Chaney said. “You do what’s right for the people. You work across county lines and city lines, and you do what needs to be done for your community. And all I have to say to Mi De Con is welcome home.”
Mi De Con is an industrial contractor that offers a wide array of services to support the millwright industry. The East Park location is primarily a pipe and fab shop, but has the capacity to grow into other services as well. President Floyd said that the location has the potential to generate over two dozen highly skilled jobs and impact numerous businesses in the area.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
By Pastor Naomi Mitchell
For Carter County Times
You may know this story about David from the Bible. 1 Samuel 30. He had been living with the Philistines because King Saul had continued to pursue and try to kill him. David was trusted by Achish, but not by the other Philistines. So, when they marched off to war, the Philistines said, “Get rid of David and his men. They can’t be trusted.”
David returned with his men to the Philistine city, Ziklag, where they had been living with their wives and children. To their horror, they found the city had been attacked, burned down, and their families kidnapped. Amid the story, these words (v. 6) are shared: “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.” David encouraged himself in the Lord. After getting refreshed by God, David was able to ask Him for guidance, and then “get on with business” again.
When you are sick, or just home from the hospital, where do you start to feel better? You certainly don’t hop out of bed and start trying to do jumping jacks or run a marathon. You gently, bit by bit, do small things and then larger things to recover.
The same thing is true when you’re deeply discouraged and feeling a lack of hope. You need to start out with small steps. In the story above about David, the Bible says that first, “David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.”
Remember God’s Faithfulness. Most people can look back over their life and see how the Lord has been faithful to them. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23. Take time to remember the Lord’s faithfulness to you.
Remember Past Victories. Moreover, David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:37. Remember that what He did once, He’ll do again. God always has victory for you!
Meditate on the Integrity of God’s Word. When you need encouragement, the best place to turn is to the Word of God. The Bible is full of promises, for every situation you could imagine. God’s Word is completely trustworthy. Meditate on the surety of God’s Word. It is unfailing.
Pray in Tongues. Speaking in tongues is an incredible gift that many people do not take advantage of. The Scripture says in 1 Corinthians 14:4, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself.” To edify means to build up. When you pray in tongues, you build yourself up. You encourage yourself. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, Jude 20. As you speak/pray in tongues, it allows the Holy Spirit to pray for exactly what you need. The Holy Spirit will bring things Jesus has said back to your remembrance. John 14:26.
Worship. Worship is one of the best ways to change your perspective. Worship forces you to put your focus on God and what you are thankful for. Even a few moments of worship can make a dramatic difference. Scripture says that when we worship, it silences the enemy. Praise releases strength and silences the enemy! Another way that worship is encouraging is in the fact that God inhabits the praises of His people. God’s presence is always encouraging. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3. If you want to feel the security, joy, and peace that comes with being in the presence of the Lord, spend some time in worship. Even when you don’t feel like it, just begin to praise Him and your emotions will soon follow.
Listen to People of Faith. There are certain people who walk by faith more than others. When you get around these types of people or listen to them, it ignites the spirit of faith on the inside of you. These are people with victorious mindsets. Spend time listening to them and allow their champion attitude to rub off on you.
Speak Life to Yourself and Your Situation. In Psalm 103, David instructed his own soul to bless the Lord. Again, in Psalm 62, he commands his soul to rest in God. You can speak to your own soul. Your soul is your mind, will, and emotions. Speaking the Word of God over yourself is so valuable. The Word is alive (Hebrews 4:12). It has the power to change situations and move mountains. Life and death are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). Speak life over yourself!
Look to Jesus. It sounds simple, but keeping yourself focused on Jesus will encourage you. He is the very author of encouragement and faith. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, Hebrews 12:2. The Word of God tells us to keep our eyes on things above rather than things on the earth.
Amen! So be it!
JOYFUL House of Prayer, 2519 Quicksand Road, (P.O. Box 856), Jackson, Kentucky 41339. Send Comments/Prayer Requests: Pastornaomi4god@gmail.com. FB: JoyfulHoprayer. Services: 10am Sunday and Joyful Kids Class at 10:30am, 6:30pm Thursdays. Radio Broadcast: WJSN 97.3 FM & WEKG 81.0 AM Sundays 1-2pm.
By Daryl Ashley
Confusion Solution
One of the hardest things to do is planning an organizing project around your already hectic schedule. You have the desire, but have difficulty creating time to accomplish unplanned goals. There are closets overflowing, drawers that need attention, cabinets that need rearranging, and it seems your whole house could use an overhaul.
Identifying what you want to do can be overwhelming and your current schedule simply doesn’t allow for additions. So, let’s take a look at some ideas that will help you manage your time for getting those extra things that have been weighing on you done.
The first thing you want to do is write down your organizing goals. This will give you a chance to really pull together all your random thoughts relieving the anxiety over what to do and giving you a plan to follow. Then on another sheet make a list of your daily commitments like work, school, shopping, errands, cooking, and chores and put the time and days of the week you need to fulfill those commitments.
Next, go back and prioritize your organizing goals. For instance, if you list projects like revamping closets, organizing your pantry, and downsizing your garage, think of the area that will have the most effect on improving your living space. Then break that goal down into smaller projects that can be completed in reasonable amounts of time. Analyze your commitment schedule to find times when you can devote an hour or two to that one project without compromising your regular schedule. Then after you have completed that project you can cross it off your list and repeat the same process for another project.
Taking the time to organize your thoughts first will make it much easier to tackle your organizing goals without taking valuable time away from your busy schedule. The smaller steps you take will actually allow you to make progress on all your projects; most of which you won’t have to revisit for a long time.
Your time is valuable and enjoying your living space is worth the time you take to take to manage your time.
It’s as simple as that!
Send your questions and comments to me at info@confusionsolution.com
The following individuals were arrested and booked into the Carter County Detention Center over the past week. This list includes local arrests only. It does not include federal inmates being housed at or transported through the detention center.
All of the charges listed are arrest charges only, and do not indicate an indictment or a conviction for the charges in question. All subjects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Information is compiled from publicly available sources, but may not be comprehensive.
By Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, Chair, National Newspaper Association
Publisher, The San Fernando Valley (California) Sun/El Sol Newspapers
The United States Postal Service is on the brink of a self-induced collapse. The failed policies of the Delivering for America Plan have driven away customers through a combination of sky-high rate increases and degraded service. David Steiner, who will take over as Postmaster General on July 14, 2025, has a tough job to do and little time to do it with some estimates indicating the USPS could be insolvent as soon as 2028.
Congress has a key role to play in helping him right the ship but must get off the sidelines and act. A useful step occurred earlier this week with a hearing before the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations. The National Newspaper Association (NNA) provided a statement for the hearing that lays out key actions Congress can take to help restore the USPS.
We emphasized that NNA members serve their communities, providing news on local events and civic matters that are not covered anywhere else, and that they depend on the USPS to get their papers to subscribers. The USPS — and by extension the small businesses in the communities they serve — faces an immediate and existential crisis. We urge Congress to act swiftly and compel meaningful reform at the USPS.
Here are three actions Congress can take right now to get the USPS back on track and keep commerce in America moving:
These are all commonsense steps Congress can take to address what has been clearly a failed approach by USPS management. Steiner has a huge job ahead of him and will need all the help he can get.
Congress must act now to make sure the nation’s next Postmaster General is not the last one.
Editor’s Note: Like many other local newspapers with small staffs and limited resources, we rely on the USPS for our subscription deliveries. Without the USPS, we couldn’t get the newspaper to our hundreds of local readers who rely on us for coverage of their local government and events, or to the dozens of out-of-state subscribers who are eager to keep up with the goings on in the communities they once called home.
We currently make very little on our home deliveries compared to our retail sales. Readers who opt for home delivery in county currently pay a subscription rate that is half the retail cost (a cost of 50 cents per paper, plus tax, versus one dollar per paper for retail sales), while out of region subscribers pay the same rate as those who pick us up on the newsstand.
In fact, once you factor in the shipping costs we currently pay, we are making pennies per paper from in-county subscribers, and actively losing money on our out-of-county subscriptions. Still, despite the thin margins we haven’t considered raising our costs, either for retail or for mailed subscriptions. But, if the situation with the USPS is not resolved, and shipping costs go up, we may have to increase our subscription rates.
It isn’t a decision we want to make, but we may have no other choice.
Marvin Elwood Stamper, 86, of Olive Hill, KY entered into rest Monday morning, June 9, 2025, at Muncie, IN. He was born September 2, 1938, in Carter County, KY, as a son of the late Jesse and Grace Brinegar Stamper.
Marvin, a Christian, attended James Chapel Community Holiness Church and First Baptist Church in Olive Hill, KY. He went to a one-room schoolhouse on Lower Trough Camp in his youth. After finishing his education, he worked and retired from Indiana Bell Telephone Company as a lineman and installation tech. He enjoyed fishing, Bluegrass music, and spending time with his family.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn Baker Stamper; one son, Mitchell Alan Stamper; two sisters, Arile Stamper, and Ola Mae Stamper; three brothers, James Stamper, Leonard Stamper, and Lenville Stamper; one nephew, Ronald Stamper; and his mother and father-in-law, James C. and Virginia Baker.
He is survived by three grandchildren, Meredith (Ross Carpenter) Stamper, of Yorktown, IN, and Mitchell Stamper of Muncie, IN; three great-grandchildren, Corbin Carpenter, Piper Carpenter, and Major Stamper; one sister, Dixie Singh; one sister-in-law, Debbie (Teddy) Harman of Olive Hill; and his daughter-in-law and caregiver, Myschael Heritage of Muncie, IN.
Funeral Services will be conducted at 11:00 AM, Saturday, July 5, 2025, at the Duvall & Moore Funeral Home & Cremation Service. Burial will follow in the Baker #2 Cemetery.
Visitation will be 9:00-11:00 AM, Saturday, July 5, 2025, at the Duvall & Moore Funeral Home & Cremation Service, 149 Whitt Street, Olive Hill, KY.
Friends and Family will serve as pallbearers.
Online condolences can be made at http://www.duvallandmoore.com
Carter County Times
While most high schoolers are focused on getting through classes or planning for college, 17-year-old Ryan Day, a rising senior, is busy growing a business built on passion, purpose, and pure flavor. As the founder of Day’s Seasoning, Day is making waves in his hometown of Olive Hill—proving that age is no barrier when it comes to entrepreneurship.
The idea for Day’s Seasoning was sparked during one of his favorite weekend traditions: grilling and smoking meat with his dad. In the summer of 2023, the pair created a barbecue rub together and used it on a rack of ribs. The results? Mouthwatering. That single moment inspired Day to begin crafting clean, flavorful seasonings; without the additives and chemicals commonly found in big-name brands.
“I just wanted to make something cleaner,” Day says. “What is contained in our products is pure flavor with nothing else added.”
He officially launched Day’s Seasoning in April 2024, using his family’s last name as the brand name, a nod to the personal roots of his venture. With support from his parents, extended family, and best friends, Day began selling his handcrafted seasonings and sauces locally. His blends are free from anti-caking agents, preservatives, and unnecessary fillers; just simple, high-quality ingredients that taste as good as they are clean.
Today, you can find Day’s Seasoning at two Olive Hill retailers: The Olive Branch Market and James’ Do It Best. He also takes direct orders through Facebook and Instagram, and even offered Father’s Day baskets featuring his original, spicy, barbecue, jalapeño rub, and a homemade barbecue sauce—all for just $20.
Day’s flavor development process is community-driven. He listens to customer feedback, explores market trends, and tests all new products with family and friends to perfect each recipe. His recent additions – Jalapeño Barbecue Rub and Barbecue Sauce – are already customer favorites, and he’s planning to release even more unique blends in the coming months.
Despite the demands of school, Day keeps things balanced.
“I put school and certain priorities first, but when I get home, I just fulfill whatever orders need to be completed,” he says.
His proudest achievement? Getting his products into two stores and sharing his passion with his community.
To other young entrepreneurs, Day offers a simple but powerful piece of advice:
“Be committed and have patience.”
He’s also learned just how quickly word-of-mouth can grow a business, and when challenges arise, he stays creative, always looking for new ways to share his products with more people.
While he’s taking things “one day at a time,” Day’s vision for the future is clear: expand into more retailers and continue growing a brand that values quality over shortcuts.
With determination, integrity, and a whole lot of flavor, Ryan Day is proving that great things really can come from humble beginnings—especially when they’re seasoned just right.
Contact the writer at miranda@cartercountytimes.com
A home garden filled with a variety of plants is not just beautiful—it’s smart! Having different types of plants growing together can help gardeners enjoy fresh food much of the year, help manage pests, promote pollinators and even improve the soil.
Let’s explore why a diverse garden is a great idea.
Seasonal Harvests: Fresh Food for Much of the Year
One of the best reasons to plant a mix of vegetables, fruits and herbs is that different plants grow best in different seasons. Some plants, like lettuce and spinach, thrive in cool weather and can be harvested in spring and fall. Others, like tomatoes and peppers, love the heat and grow best in summer. By planting a variety of crops, gardeners can enjoy fresh food throughout the year instead of just one season.
Intercropping: Making the Most of Space
Intercropping involves planting different vegetables side by side to take advantage of the different times of maturity, heights, spread or rooting depths. A classic example of intercropping involves corn, beans and squash. A few weeks after sowing corn seeds, you plant pole beans close to the corn rows to use the corn stalks for support. The squash is a vining plant and will spread between the rows of corn and beans. As another example, you can set tomato transplants between lettuce plants; the lettuce matures and is harvested before the tomato plants grow very large.
Natural Disease and Pest Control: Creating Healthier Plants
A diverse garden can also help keep insect pests under control. When a garden has only one type of plant, insects that like that plant can quickly take over. But when there are many different plants, pests have a harder time finding their favorite food. Beneficial insects such as natural pest predators may be attracted to different plants in the garden.
Just like insects, plant diseases spread more easily when there is only one type of plant in a garden. If a disease attacks one plant, it can quickly spread to all the others of the same kind. But in a diverse garden, diseases have a harder time spreading because different plants have different levels of resistance. This helps keep the garden healthy and productive.
Gardeners should also consider rearranging the placement of similar plants from year to year to prevent insect and disease build-up in the soil.
More Pollinators: Helping Bees and Butterflies
A garden with many types of flowers and vegetables attracts helpful insects like bees and butterflies. These pollinators help plants produce fruit and seeds by spreading pollen from flower to flower. Without pollinators, many fruits and vegetables wouldn’t grow well. By planting a mix of flowers and food plants, gardeners can support pollinators and enjoy bigger harvests.
Better Soil Health: Building Stronger Plants
Different plants use different nutrients from the soil. If a garden only has one type of plant, the soil can lose important nutrients quickly. However, when a variety of plants grow together, they help balance the nutrients they take from the soil. Some plants, like beans and peas, even add nitrogen back into the soil, making it healthier for future crops.
A home garden with a variety of plants is stronger, healthier and more productive. By planting different crops, gardeners can enjoy fresh food much of the year, reduce pests naturally, improve soil health, attract pollinators, and prevent diseases. Whether growing vegetables, herbs or flowers, diversity makes a garden better in every way.
So, next time you plan your garden, think about adding a mix of plants—it’s a simple way to make your garden thrive! ID-128: Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky is available online at https://publications.ca.uky.edu/files/ID128.pdf and is a great gardening resource.
Contact your local Carter County Extension office for more information on garden planning, crop rotation, and suggested vegetables to plant together. 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.
Upcoming Events:
By Pastor Naomi Mitchell
For Carter County Times
Fanny Crosby was a prolific Christian songwriter who wrote over 8,000 hymns during her lifetime. She was born in New York on March 24, 1820, into a family with a strong Puritan heritage. As an infant, she suffered an eye infection that left her blind for life.
In the summer of 1873, Crosby visited her friend, Phoebe Knapp, who was a gifted musician and composer. One day, Knapp played a melody on her piano and asked Crosby what she thought of it. As soon as Crosby heard the tune, she exclaimed, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!” and began to compose the lyrics on the spot. Within an hour, the hymn was complete, and Blessed Assurance was born.
The lyrics of Blessed Assurance are a powerful incredible testimony to Fanny Crosby’s faith in Jesus Christ and her unwavering confidence in His salvation. The opening lines declare, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!” The hymn goes on to affirm the believer’s security in Christ, their victory over sin and death, and their hope of eternal life.
We are all on a journey in this life and we all have an incredible story of where we have come from and where we are going. The journey will be much easier when we keep our “eyes” on Jesus.
There’s no doubt that the “dash” called life will be tested and tried. It will make us or break us. Fanny made a choice to turn each of her difficulties over to the Lord. She became a woman of astounding faith. Her faith in an unwavering Lord with all her heart was filled with many challenges, I am sure. Out of her difficulties came a wonderful hymn within an hour that has been a great encouragement to thousands for a hundred and fifty-one years.
The ultimate victory in our stories will come from relying totally on the truth from the Word of God. We don’t deny the “facts” of what we are facing or going through. However, we need to know what the “truth” of the matter is. Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE.”
Some days we may feel like a warrior, and we are winning the battle no matter what comes our way. Other days we may feel like a broken mess. But no matter what, we talk to the Savior with childlike faith. Trusting and believing and standing on HIS promises. The promises that will not fail.
However, the story behind Blessed Assurance is more than just a moment of inspiration and musical genius. Crosby’s blindness, while a physical limitation, never hindered her ability to see and experience the beauty and majesty of God’s love. Her powerful testimony reminds us of the Bible verse “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).
God’s promise that “I will never leave you nor forsake you” is found in multiple books of the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. With these promises, we are assured He is with us always.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “You would not pray if you did not have trouble. It is a blessing to be stung to your Faither’s feet. My dear friend, when grief presses you to the dust, worship there. It is a blessed thing when the waves of affliction wash us upon the rock of confidence in God alone.”
Your story is important to walk it out in faith, hope and love. God does not waste anything test or trial in our lives. Keep the faith and stay close to the Lord. He is your strength, and your health. Get into the scriptures and glean from every promise that is for you. Jesus knows all about it and you are never alone! You too, can sing, “This is my story, this is my song. Praising my Savior, all the day long.” Amen! So be it!
JOYFUL House of Prayer, 2519 Quicksand Road, (P.O. Box 856), Jackson, Kentucky 41339. Send Comments/Prayer Requests: Pastornaomi4god@gmail.com. FB: JoyfulHoprayer. Services: 10am Sunday and Joyful Kids Class at 10:30am, 6:30pm Thursdays. Radio Broadcast: WJSN 97.3 FM & WEKG 81.0 AM Sundays 1-2pm.
Local businessman Chris Rice, who operates a towing business and a car lot in Grayson, addressed Grayson City Council about parking issues at the council’s regular meeting on June 10. Rice said that since the issues had been brought to his attention, he had tried to make sure that any vehicles on his property were completely off the roadway. This was difficult, Rice said, when cars were being unloaded.
“When we come in to unload cars. I have to unload cars off the road,” Rice said, “But on the shoulder.”
Rice told the council that he had a towing business he operated on one end of his property, but the other end of his property was where his car repair facility was located.
“Sometimes customers pull in wherever they want,” Rice told the council.
Rice’s property is located where Randy’s Roadside Market was once located, Rice told the council, and that business was a combination gas station and produce stand that operated for over 30 years.
“I’m not trying to block the road or put anyone in danger,” Rice told the council. “But I pulled in my parking lot about two weeks ago to give some parts to my employees. I was there with my flashers on, and my doors open for less than five minutes, when a policeman showed up to write me a ticket for parking on the shoulder.”
Rice told the council this surprised him because he felt that what he did was no different than what a pizza delivery person or a Fed Ex delivery truck does, and they were not threatened with tickets.
Rice told the council that he was not trying to start trouble but would like to be afforded a reasonable amount of time to unload when necessary. He also informed the council that he had been told previously that as long as he was not parking in such a manner permanently that he could load/unload cars when necessary.
Grayson Mayor Troy Combs thanked Rice for sharing his concerns, but informed the businessman that it was a violation of Kentucky State Statues to park on the shoulder of the road, and if someone adjoining his property was attempting to access US 60 then the obstruction could pose a safety hazard and become a liability to Rice himself if an accident were caused due to the obstruction. Mayor Combs said that he was sympathetic, but the City of Grayson was responsible for enforcing the law in the matter.
In other business, Gerald Haney of the Utility Commission presented an updated schedule to the council for the current project of replacing old city water lines. Haney provided the council with an updated map of the project that began in February of 2025.
“The map illustrates what has been done to date,” Haney told the council.
He receives daily progress updates which help him to track the project, he told the council, and shows what has been accomplished each week.
“Currently Second Street is finished,” Haney said, “and the crews are back on Landsdowne.”
Haney said the crews were saving one block of Second Street toward Landsdowne and US 60 by Spark’s Funeral Home for last.
“That area is a little more complicated, and they will have to drill under US 60, so that will be the last segment they do. Right now, as its stands there is about 1500 feet of pipe that has to be put in there. Landsdowne has about 1,500 feet and then all the pipe will be in.”
“A big portion of this has already been charged up and customers are using the new lines,” Haney continued. “That’s how we were able to blacktop it before Memorial Day.”
Haney said as more segments are completed, they will be able to take the old lines out of service.
“It’s moving along really well, and they are way ahead of schedule,” Haney told the council.
He also told the council that he was posting updates on the Emergency Management Facebook page and the city pages so that residents can stay as up to date as possible with the repairs and any potential delays to their travel.
Haney said that there have been some outages due to many of the old shutoff valves being nonfunctioning. The new system allows for newer valves and a better way of shutting off affected areas without having to shut off large sections of water to complete repairs. The new system also includes the replacement of 14 fire hydrants, and Haney said the project is still expected to be completed by September of 2025.
Grayson City Police Chief Tony Cantrell brought before the council the necessity of opening a separate bank account to deposit funds seized by the police department.
“Any money that we get during a case is considered evidence and we have to keep that money until the case is disposed of,” Cantrell told the council. “We were supposed to have an account just for that, but we have not had that, and we need to.”
Cantrell explained that just like any other account the police department might open, it must first go through the city council and be added into the minutes of that meeting.
“We need to create the account and have at least two to three people on that account,” Cantrell said. Any time money would be taken out of the account it would require two signatures whether the funds were ultimately returned to the individual or forfeited to the police department.
Seized money would consist of any money connected to the case at the time of arrest, including money that might be on the individual’s person. Whether such seized funds are returned or forfeited would be a decision for the court and not the police department. The council voted unanimously to establish the proposed account.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
Greg Shaffer with the Hitchins Fire Department addressed the Carter County Fiscal Court at their regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, June 9, concerning emergency coverage of Willard. Shaffer said that he was at the meeting because someone from Webbville Fire Department had opened the discussion about that coverage.
“They (Webbville) ended up in this county by a handshake,” Shaffer told the court. “Me and Buzz Johnson, Jim French, and Jim Slone were in that group.”
“They wanted to come down into Carter County to cover some of the area,” Shaffer said of the Webbville Fire Department, which is actually part of Lawrence County. “We agreed to, with a handshake, to cover down to 1496 and out to 486 when it first started,” Shaffer continued. “But there is no written agreement stating that they (Webbville) can do this.”
Shaffer said that he was at the meeting to provide the court with information.
“A handshake, if it’s not written up in KRS, won’t stand up in a court of law,” Shaffer said. “So, in this handshake was also an agreement with all four of us standing there, that if we didn’t like it we could put them back across into Lawrence County at any given time. I’ve tried before, but it takes someone else to do it,” Shaffer added.
“Most of the time it’s the fiscal court. Whether you do it or not is up to you,” he told the court, “But what I’m asking for is that I won’t have to come to every fiscal court meeting to keep them from attacking my department.”
Shaffer provided additional information to the court, stating that last year Webbville only responded to 22 calls in the Willard area, five of which the Hitchins Fire Department was also present for. He also discussed the ISO, or the rating from the Insurance Services Office, which assesses fire department capabilities to determine a community’s fire protection rating (PPC). This rating impacts insurance premiums and is based on various factors like training, equipment, communications, and water supply.
According to Shaffer, Hitchins provides savings on insurance within five miles of their station. These savings to residents do not extend to Willard, and cannot be provided to residents by Webbville because ISO does not recognize that department as covering that area. Shaffer said that although people might think there is a Willard Fire Department, there actually is not. He told the court that had Hitchins been able to secure the First National Bank building he would have been able to station a fire truck there, effectively becoming the state recognized fire department for Willard.
The fiscal court determined that more research was required before making a decision on the matter, and all affected parties would be invited to be present to make their individual cases in determining the boundaries of fire coverage.
In other business, the fiscal court examined bids for materials such as gravel, pipe, and paving. Bids were accepted from Mountain Enterprises, and Hudson Materials. All bids to supply the county with gravel were rejected and would necessitate a rebidding process. A motion also passed to sell a chip spreader to Lawrence County for $10,000.
The fiscal court also discussed Senate Bill 63, concerning the ATV Ordinance. The court will take time to look over the ordinance, but hopefully have the first reading before the end of the month, and have the second reading at the next scheduled meeting in July, Judge Executive Brandon Burton said.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
By Robert Dean
Guest Columnist
Sitting in the Midas waiting room is an experience in observation. One minute, a homeless guy wants a free bottle of water after blowing up the bathroom but is too rude to get what he’s after. Then there’s the older lady whose car needed $600 worth of work. She couldn’t afford it, so she drove off; despite the workers warning her that a misfiring engine wasn’t something you ignore.
People came and went. Some needed an alignment, others an oil change. I sat, waiting on new back shocks before piling my two kids, our dog, and my girlfriend into the car for a long road trip to Chicago.
Places like this are a petri dish of American life. A mechanic shop is one of those equalizers; like the doctor’s office or jury duty. Everyone ends up here eventually. What stood out this time was the guy working the counter. We got to talking, like I tend to do, given this is what I do for a living. I told him about just getting back from Europe. He told me he’s never left the state. Hell, never even been on a plane. Never left this town.
We talked about food, about raising kids, about politics because nobody can escape that anymore. But when we got to road trips, his dream wasn’t Paris or Rome. It was Florida. He just wants to fish. Said whenever he gets a chance, he loads up his canoe and heads for the water. That’s where he finds his peace, casting a line, away from the noise.
But that dream felt impossibly far.
He explained what was going on at home. His grandma, some cousins, even his granddad, they’re not legal. His grandfather still works. His grandma? She’s been here fifty years, trying to finish the citizenship process. But she’s afraid to leave the house, scared that walking into a government building might get her deported to a country she hasn’t seen since disco was new.
This isn’t cable news fodder. This Midas is two miles from my house.
I’ve got friends in construction and restaurant kitchens saying the same thing: people aren’t showing up because they’re scared. Job sites are going quiet, kitchens are short-staffed. And nobody’s lining up to fill the gap. We built a system addicted to cheap labor, and now that labor’s drying up, we act surprised.
A living wage is an afterthought. That’s not a left or right issue. It’s universal.
You don’t have to love how someone got here to understand they’re trying to earn a living; just like the guy laying drywall or busting rusted bolts off my shocks. We say, “America First,” but we still expect someone else to wash the dishes, pick the strawberries, and hold the ladder while we shout from the rooftop.
What kind of town are we trying to be?
This country used to be a place people dreamed of. Now it’s all infighting and bad faith dressed up as principle. Somewhere in the noise, we lost the thread. Most of our families came here with nothing but a prayer and a work ethic. Easy to forget, until it’s someone else’s grandma being pulled out of line at the DMV.
The guy fixing your brakes shouldn’t be too scared to show up. Because when he doesn’t, the whole machine starts to rattle.
Contact us at news@cartercountytimes.com
By Daryl Ashley
Confusion Solution
There are so many things we need to store in our home, but we often ignore our cell phone and computer storage until we have no room to work or play efficiently.
Probably top of our list of things to think about is backing up your data. However, make sure you run a virus scan to avoid transferring corrupt files to backed up media storage; and before you begin to delete anything to save space, backing up your system and files will prevent you from losing critical information.
There are many options for this. There is the cloud, which can be an excellent method. Whether you are backing up your phone or your computer, there is a cloud option you can access from your browser (watch to be sure there is no fee associated with saving data to the cloud), or through your cell provider. Or you can use an external drive.
External drives come in a variety of options, as well. Depending on how much data you need to backup, there are flash drives which range in their capability to easily save your data at a relatively low cost. Then there are external hard drives capable of storing large amounts of data at a higher cost. Either of these options provide a secure way to store files, should saving to the cloud cause concern; and unlike a subscription service in the cloud, the cost to buy an external drive is a one-time purchase.
Once you’ve backed up your data, then it will be safe to organize files. This can mean deleting emails, messages, or any data that you no longer need immediately so you can free up space. Keep in mind that these files are not always backed up unless you have specifically assigned them to the cloud or an external drive. So, be careful what you delete. When in doubt, create a file folder specifically for those items and move the folder to your backup system.
Continue to clean up your data by setting up folders to consolidate room from your desktop or storage on your phone. By creating folders, you are identifying placement for files that are relative to their topics. For instance, specific photos of your travels could be filed in a folder titled Family Travel or Business Travel with sub folders marked Kentucky or Clients. How you organize your files is totally up to you. The point is locating the information you store and making it easier to manage future file clean-ups.
Remember that everything you watch or create takes up space and that periodically storing or removing files will make your devices run more efficiently and give you peace of mind.
It’s as simple as that!
Send your questions and comments to me at info@confusionsolution.com
The following individuals were arrested and booked into the Carter County Detention Center over the past week. This list includes local arrests only. It does not include federal inmates being housed at or transported through the detention center.
All of the charges listed are arrest charges only, and do not indicate an indictment or a conviction for the charges in question. All subjects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Information is compiled from publicly available sources, but may not be comprehensive.
By Jonathan Schaafsma, LtCol USMC (Ret.),
What do a runway, a data center, and pickleball courts have in common? In Kentucky, the answer is secrecy and a troubling disregard for taxpayer voices.
In Bourbon County, we recently witnessed the unraveling of the controversial Bluegrass Station Airport proposal—a $300 million-plus project that would have used eminent domain to seize private citizens’ land for the benefit of private corporations. Worse, it was quietly slipped into the state budget without any public input. It was only thanks to a vigilant citizen who uncovered the plan that the project came to light, sparking a wave of public outrage.
Eventually, lawmakers removed it from the 2024 budget, but the damage was done. The proposal exposed a deep and growing problem in our government: a culture of secrecy around how taxpayer dollars are spent and who really benefits.
One might assume that the outcry surrounding this fiasco would serve as a wake-up call for lawmakers. Surely, after such backlash, they’d take public input more seriously and rethink how projects involving eminent domain and public funds are handled. Unfortunately, they’ve done just the opposite.
In the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers quietly expanded a lucrative tax credit for data centers—facilities that typically create very few jobs while consuming enormous amounts of electricity and water. These resources, by the way, are becoming more scarce and costly for everyday Kentuckians. The public didn’t get a say. In fact, they didn’t even get a heads-up.
Case in point: Oldham County’s massive “Project Lincoln.” A $6 billion data center project, the proposal was revealed only after the Legislature had adjourned—perfect timing to avoid legislative or public scrutiny. Planned for farmland, the project would have required major infrastructure investment and significant land use changes, including the likely use of eminent domain. Local taxpayers would foot the bill in the form of infrastructure costs, while the private entity behind the project reaped the rewards.
Meanwhile, in Louisville, a beloved public park became the target of yet another behind-closed-doors public-private partnership. Like the airport project, this deal had been in the works for years before the public found out. And just like before, elected officials acted shocked—insisting they knew nothing, even as documents and timelines suggested otherwise.
These are not isolated incidents. They represent a pattern—a troubling trend toward secrecy, backroom deals, and a fundamental erosion of public trust. In each case, the process has been the same: a major project with significant public impact is discussed and advanced in private, then revealed only after key decisions have been made. Public input is treated as an obstacle, not a requirement.
To be clear, no Kentuckian should be against economic development or sound financial planning. Kentucky should absolutely be investing in its future, and has already spent hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars in recent years developing industrial parks across the state more suited for these types of projects.
But the current model—where public money, eminent domain, and local communities are leveraged to benefit private corporate interests behind closed doors—isn’t economic development. It’s crony capitalism.
The rise of lobbying in Frankfort only reinforces this concern. Lobbying expenditures are at a record high. As concerned citizens, we were advised to hire our own lobbyists just to make sure our voices could be heard in the halls of government, because our grassroots outreach wasn’t enough. That’s not how democracy is supposed to work.
Constituent voices should be the priority—not an afterthought that must compete with corporate dollars.
Transparency isn’t optional. When taxpayer dollars are involved—whether through public-private partnerships, tax incentives, or infrastructure projects—there must be full disclosure and public engagement. This is especially true when projects require eminent domain or result in permanent changes to communities and landscapes.
It’s time for Kentuckians to demand better. We must hold our elected officials accountable. We must insist on transparency, public participation, and responsible stewardship of our resources. Whether the issue is a runway in Bourbon County, a data center in Oldham, or pickleball courts in Louisville, the principle is the same: public decisions must involve the public.
Silence and secrecy erode trust. It’s time to restore it.
Donna Sue Withrow, age 71, of Grayson, Kentucky, passed away Thursday, June 5, 2025, at her residence.
She was born March 10, 1954, in Ashland, Kentucky, a daughter of the late Elmer and Opal Melvin Menshouse.
She enjoyed cooking and spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandchildren.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her loving husband, Douglas Lenard Withrow and one sister, Carolyn Faye Boll.
Donna is survived by two daughters, Angelia (Bobby) Goble, Julie (Jamey) Walburn all of Grayson, Kentucky; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchilden; one brother, Elmer Menshouse Jr. of Muncie, Indiana; one sister, Davonna Kaye Ross of Muncie, Indiana along with many other family and friends who will sadly miss her.
Grayson Funeral Home and Cremation Services is honored to serve the family of Donna Sue Withrow.
The Carter County Times is a weekly newspaper serving Carter County, Kentucky, since June 2020.
Contact us: editor@cartercountytimes.com
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