Home Blog Page 41

Spreading Kindness, One Can at a Time

Alivia Wagoner proudly stands beside Faith’s Blessings the community food pantry she designed and built to serve Olive Hill residents in need. (Submitted photo)
Miranda H. Lewis

Carter County Times

In a small corner of Olive Hill, nestled between the city park and the utilities building, a simple wooden box stands tall with a powerful message: Take what you need, leave what you don’t. It’s called Faith’s Blessings, and it was built with heart, vision, and a deep desire to help by 17-year-old Alivia Wagoner, who will soon begin her senior year at West Carter High School.

Alivia’s passion project was born out of a long-held concern for the well-being of those in her community struggling with food insecurity.

“Growing up I never personally struggled with knowing where my next meal would come from, but I knew many people who did,” Alivia said. “Food bonds people, forms childhood memories, and reminds us of home. So, when I saw others struggle with access to food, it broke my heart. That concern drove me to look for a way to help, and I created Faith’s Blessings.”

The pantry’s location is no accident. Placed thoughtfully within a five-minute walk from a low-income housing community, it’s accessible to those who need it most. Its name carries a personal significance, too.

“I chose the name Faith’s Blessings from a mix of my own middle name, ‘Faith,’ and the intention of the project—to bless those in need,” Alivia shared.

The design and construction of the pantry was a family and community effort. Alivia credits her father, Jason Wagoner, with helping bring her vision to life.

“During the design and building process I had help from my dad, who guided me through the construction of the blessing box,” she said. “I also had help during the installation from David Skinner and Craig Utley.”

The project was funded through a combination of anonymous donations, a GoFundMe campaign, and building materials provided by generous local donors. With community backing from the start, it’s no surprise that the pantry has already begun to thrive.

“The community has been very responsive to the pantry—from those donating food to those in need using the pantry,” said Alivia. “It’s maintained by me and stocked with help from charitable donations from community members. Non-perishables are preferred, but fresh foods are also appreciated.”

The pantry operates on a simple yet powerful principle: take what you need, leave what you don’t. This exchange of generosity and dignity is exactly what Alivia hoped to inspire.

“The most rewarding moment for me was checking the pantry a few days after it was implemented and seeing new foods that had been placed inside, and others that had been there a few days before were gone,” she recalled. “To know that someone had taken and someone else had given warmed my heart. To see the cycle of kindness I hoped to start flourish in real time was such a rewarding moment.”

Faith’s Blessings is more than a food pantry. It’s a symbol of what one person can do when led by compassion and purpose. For Alivia, it’s also a way to encourage others to take action, no matter how small it may seem.

“I hope that this project encourages someone else to be the change that they want to see. Though it may feel small, those small changes add up to make a big difference.”

To Alivia, kindness is more than just a word, it’s a lifestyle.

“Kindness to me is thinking of others, lending a helping hand, and showing love to others,” she said. “Faith’s Blessings is the epitome of kindness to me—acknowledging the needs of those struggling and doing what we can to help them.”

Seeing the pantry being used and supported by her neighbors has been an affirming experience.

“When I see people in my community using or contributing to the pantry, it makes me proud to be from such a loving, kind community,” she said. “It also gives me hope that people are still kind in a world that often forgets about others.”

Looking ahead, Alivia plans to continue her journey of helping others through a career in healthcare.

“I plan to go to Morehead State, majoring in biology, and then pursuing further education in a career in medicine,” she said.

Alivia’s pantry may be small in size, but its impact is immeasurable. Faith’s Blessings stands as a beacon of generosity, a symbol of hope, and a reminder that true change begins with compassion—and the courage to act on it.

Contact the writer at miranda@cartercountytimes.com

Faith’s Blessings is a community food pantry, created by Alivia Wagoner, to serve residents in need in Olive Hill. (Submitted photo)

5/28/25 e22

5.28.25 e22Download

Streets and sirens

Barry Webb, of the Webbville Fire Department Board, addresses fiscal court concerning the emergency siren in Willard. (Photo by Charles Romans, Carter County Times)
By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times

The Carter County Fiscal Court voted to remove Gimlet Creek Road from the county maintenance schedule during their regular May meeting. FIVCO informed the court that the grant they had applied for, based on House Bill 723, had been awarded. The grant will pay the $500,000 matching funds for the EDA Grant for the Autism Center if the EDA Grant is awarded. The Genesis CBDG Grant was also discussed, and a public hearing will be held on June 2, 2025.

Barry Webb of the Webbville Fire Department discussed the emergency siren at Willard with the fiscal court, and shared concerns about its operations.

“The fire department used to test that siren every Wednesday to make sure it was working,” Webb said. “In the past little over a year the department was notified that the siren was put on a radio frequency and was tested by radio once per week. But that’s never happened there.”

Webb said he wasn’t sure if it was outdated or bad equipment, but even when the fire department responds to a call, he noted, it is difficult to get in contact with dispatch. He said that there are apps for the phones, which help with the initial response, but once the fire fighters are on a call they face challenges with enough service to communicate. There are instances, he said, where they can pick up another county’s dispatch then get transferred to Carter County.

Another issue Webb brought before the court was that Willard is in the Webbville fire district, which is based in Lawrence County, but covers Carter County down to the pallet mill at John’s Run.

“We have never received any funding from Carter County at all,” Webb said. “We were always told by the fire commission that we weren’t in Carter County, but we are now.”

Webb said they had recently set up administrative offices, a training center, and substation in Willard. He said roughly 30 percent of their calls went to Carter County. (Editor’s note: Carter County Fiscal Court has voted in past years to distribute funds to the Webbville FD, along with the other fire departments that operate within the county. Webb may have been discussing direct disbursements from the fire commission funds rather than county funds.)

In other business, Carter County Clerk Mike Johnston told the fiscal court that maintenance upgrades – which are good for around 5 years – were scheduled to update the drives in the county’s voting machines. The fiscal court voted to spend roughly $12,000 required to satisfy the recommended maintenance upgrades, going beyond the bare minimum (roughly $8,000) the county was required to perform in order to secure an accurate election process. County voting machines include a battery back up in the event of power failure.

Johnston also presented the fiscal court with a check for $42,000 for the balance of the clerk’s settlement. The settlement left roughly $2,000 in that particular account to satisfy any county bills that had not been satisfied.

County Judge Executive Brandon Burton suggested to the court that those particular funds be returned to the clerk’s office. The funds, he suggested, might be used for the clerk’s office to hire another staff member to assist in the office’s operation, especially in the Olive Hill office. The court voted to not accept the clerk’s settlement.

The fiscal court also voted to begin the process of extending Finch Lane (County Road 1540) 2.06 miles. A bid was also accepted for a Kubota Excavator from State Equipment in the amount of $97,800 with a four-year extended warranty, and including a trade in of the existing Kubota excavator being replaced by the county. The extended warranty adds $4,200 to the purchase price. The court also voted to accept road bids until June 9.

In a separate, special meeting, the court voted to approve the 2025 budget. The court also held the second reading of the 2026 budget. The 2026 budget can be voted on in the June 2025 meeting.

Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com

Are you a conservative writer?

close up photography of woman sitting beside table while using macbook
Photo by Andrew Neel on Pexels.com

By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times

Last week we put out a call – not for the first time – seeking submissions from moderate centrist and conservative columnists. We received several responses to our social media posts from folks expressing interests. But, unfortunately, that’s about as far as it went.

Some asked about the requirements, then never responded. Some provided promising samples, then thought better of attaching their name to anything political that could potentially impact future career or social interactions. Others lost interest as soon as they found out none of our columnists are paid positions.

That’s the thing about our columnists that we love, even (or especially) when we don’t agree with them; they’re passionate professionals in the writing field, and they’re sharing what they share out of a real love for our community, our society, and our state. Often, those opinions and passions aren’t even political. But when they are, it draws the attention of folks whose own partisan passions have been ignited by their rhetoric.

So, to balance our center left Independent contributor, and our regular contributor who openly identifies as a Democrat, we’re asking for contributors who identify as conservative, center-right, or centrists. It doesn’t have to be very often at all. Even one column per month would add some interesting perspective and alternate views. And it doesn’t always have to be political. In fact, it’s important to me, personally, that we have places outside politics to connect.
It’s the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down, so to speak.

So, this is our plea – once again – for someone to share this important point of view. To begin building bridges on our opinion page. To do, in print and in our communities, what we complain about folks failing to do in D.C. To engage, honestly and openly, and with respect; especially when we disagree.

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Love the people. Hate the game.

person holding clear drinking glass with beer
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com

By Robert Dean

Carter County Times

I’m in Barcelona for work this week, and everyone wants to talk about Trump. Last week it was Dublin, before that London. We’ve cut up chatting about music, hoisting drinks as musicians ripped through traditional ballads in Ireland, but the conversation always comes back to the same thing: “We used to look up to America.”

I met a guy who played the market in the Cobblestone in Dublin; he told me he was appalled at how the bond market was doing in between traditional Irish music. I met French folks in London who said they were scared to visit the U.S. because they didn’t know what would happen to them on our soil. And once my south side of Chicago accent comes out here in Barcelona, I have been asked what it’s like to live “there” – as if being an American is now a soiled enterprise.

For many of you, you’ll shrug: what does a snail-eating Frenchman matter? Or who cares what they believe in England? And for the most part, that assumption is correct; who cares? But it does tarnish the caveat, the cool of being an American, that the whole world is looking at us in revulsion. If you had to ask most folks, they’d rather have more friends than enemies, but lately, it feels like we cheer the opposite.

I haven’t seen rampant homelessness. I haven’t seen people complaining about going to the doctor because, for the most part, it’s free over here. And before you come at me with speculation on country size, yadda, yadda, none of these countries are financing two wars for other countries to feed a brutal machine that spits people out. I don’t know who I’ll meet next while over here. But when I tell them I’m a journalist, everyone has something to say to me. I’ve heard, “I love Americans. I hate your government.”

And you know what? That’s how most of us feel, too.

Contact us at news@cartercountytimes.com 

Ask Daryl – Your Professional Organizer: Gardening in the rain

selective focus photography of leaves with water due
Photo by Char on Pexels.com

By Daryl Ashley

Confusion Solution

So, you get up excited about pulling out the rakes, charging up your weed eater, and gathering soil and seeds, and then you look outside, and… it’s raining.

Yep, that seems to be the way things go these days. Now you have to take whatever time you have between storms to actually try to do some gardening. I have had the same issue this spring waiting for a sunny day to take out weeds and mow the lawn, but there are things you can do inside to prepare for planting while you wait for the weather to cooperate. These tips will help give you the satisfaction of working in your garden any time you want.

Set aside an area on a porch, or in a basement, or even space in your kitchen for having pots, potting soil, seeds, and plants. I realize this won’t get the yard ready for planting, but allowing seeds and plants to get started will make things much easier when going to plant them in the ground.

Use the internet to search out planting guides to give you the answers to what to plant and when.

Organize your garden tools. It’s important to look for a space where you can hang the right size hooks and shelves to help keep everything together and easy to access.

When there has been a break from the rain, I have been doing some weed whacking and even when it does get cloudy I look outside and see the blooms on my blackberry bush, on my Golden Gal, and that my Crepe Myrtle is actually growing into a tree.

It’s such a wonderful time of year, so play in some dirt, whether you are inside or out. It’s so amazingly liberating.

It’s as simple as that!

Send your questions and comments to me at info@confusionsolution.com

Ambulance board discusses rates and vehicles

Submitted photo
By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times

The Carter County Ambulance Board reported its income for the month of April at $368,75.94, which was $69,665.40 more than budgeted and $69,665.94 more than the same month of the previous (2024) year. Expenses for the month were reported as $348,068.46, and $71,267.46 more than budgeted and $55,882.68 more than the same month the previous year.

The monitors purchased by the ambulance board were $48,850, and that amount was included in the financial report. Payroll expenses represented 68 percent of expenses, or $245,280.51, which was $15,280.51 more than budgeted, and $18,614 more than the same period the previous year. Unscheduled overtime for the month of April was .84 percent, decreased from the previous month’s 1.59 percent. The year-to-date percentage of unscheduled overtime was 4.5 percent. This includes a correction in unscheduled overtime reported for the month of March 2025.

Director Tim Woods told the board that he had been presented with a great opportunity to purchase a vehicle for the ambulance service. Woods said that one of their part-time paramedics, who served as the Emergency Management contact in Boyd County, made him aware of some vehicles that department intended to eliminate. This gave Woods the opportunity to purchase a 2015 Interceptor that was in good condition with 86,000 miles on the odometer.

Woods told the board that the Explorer he drives daily has an odometer reading of 207,000 miles and the pickup driven by Mike Wears has 228,000 miles on its odometer.

“The vehicles are getting older,” Woods told the board. “One of the things I’m looking at is a possible restructure of how we do things. I’m seriously considering taking supervisors off the road and putting them in a supervisor’s vehicle.”

The vehicle in question is one currently driven by Boyd County Emergency Management, and Woods said that the vehicle was offered to him for $5,000.

“I think it would be a good addition,” Woods said.

The high mileage of the other two vehicles currently in use could result in engine failure at any time for either of those vehicles. Similar vehicles, based upon research by Wears, could have a price tag in excess of thirty thousand dollars.

Moving on to ambulances, Woods reported that the number seven vehicle had experienced engine failure. Woods said he had priced a replacement engine, but he thought the amount was exceedingly high.

“But even if we put an engine in it, that is the vehicle that has had problems with the AC and had been in the shop with those issues at least five times,” Woods said. “We do have a ‘bone yard.’ But putting an engine in with a lot of miles on a vehicle that has other problems doesn’t make much sense.”

“We looked at remounting,” Woods added.

The price on that would be about $185,000 or $234,00 depending upon which bid they accepted, if they chose to do so. Both bids included eliminating the top mounted AC system that had caused trouble and necessitated frequent repairs. Purchase of a new truck through Crestline would start at approximately $189,000 for a two-wheel drive or approximately $234,000 for a four-wheel drive.

The board also revisited the proposed increases in 911 billing rates. Director Woods said that 911 had suggested a raise in rates due to four separate raises in Medicare allowances. Woods was advised that if certain legislation passed in the State of Kentucky, and the board raised their prices by that full amount, it would be essentially raising rates from $850 to $1,800 and give customers a substantial ‘sticker shock.’ Woods said he didn’t want to be below the state average, but that he also didn’t want to increase the cost beyond what county residents could afford.

Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com

Roger Lee Carper

Roger Lee Carper, 71 of Grayson, Kentucky passed away on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at his residence.

Roger was born on Sunday, September 6, 1953 in Grayson, Kentucky, son of the late Frank Carper and Laura Messer Carper. In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by one sister, Janet Skaggs, Carter City, three brothers, James Carl Carper, Bill Carper, and John David Carper, one sister in law, Mary Carper and two brothers in law, Dallas Claxon and Robert Williams.

Roger is survived by his wife of 47 years, Pat Parker Carper, two sons, Zachary (Hannah) Carper of Ashland and Derrick (Kem) Carper of Columbus Ohio, three grandchildren, Laurie, Quinton and Kellen. Also surviving, two brothers, Lovell (Debbie) Carper, Michael (Elsie) Carper both of Grayson and one sister, Shirley Williams, Cannonsburg, Kentucky, one brother in law, Robert Skaggs and one sister in law, Dottie Carper.

Roger was retired from CSX Railroad, Russell, Kentucky. He was a member of the Carter Christian Church.

Roger enjoyed watching the Kentucky Wildcats in person or on TV but his biggest enjoyment was spending time with his grandchildren.

At his request a private memorial service will be held at a later time.

Donations may be made to Hospice Care Center, 1480 Carter Avenue, Ashland, Kentucky, 41101.

Grayson Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Roger Lee Carper.

Gary Phillip Hanshaw

Gary Phillip Hanshaw, age 76, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away Friday, May 23, 2025, at his residence, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born Thursday, July 22, 1948, in Carter County, Kentucky, a son of the late Stirl and Dorothy Bledsoe Hanshaw.

He enjoyed farming, taking care of all his farm animals and dogs, going to the beach, fishing, hunting, family get together’s and spending time with his children especially his grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 53 years, Ollie Janie Middleton Hanshaw; one brother, Donald Ray Hanshaw; three sisters, Lena Hanshaw, Jean Hanshaw and Audrey Hanshaw.

Gary is survived by one son, Phillip Dewayne (Lanny) Hanshaw of Olive Hill, Kentucky; one daughter, Audria Lynn Lewis of Olive Hill, Kentucky;

5 grandchildren, Zachary (Emily) Lewis, Shannon (Travis) Barker, Kayleigh (Brian) Wagoner, Nathaniel Hanshaw, Cade Oppenheimer; 8 great grandchildren, Landon, Allie, Emma and Willow Lewis; Raelynn, Layla, Ensley and Navey Barker special friends, John Paul and Ruby Middleton, along with many other family and friends who will sadly miss him.

Funeral services will be held 11 a.m., Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at Globe Funeral Chapel, 17277 West US Hwy 60, Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Brother Kenny Mauk and Brother Bobby Day officiating. Burial will follow in the Binion Cemetery, in Elliott County.

Friends may visit from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., Tuesday, May 27, 2025, and after 9 a.m., Wednesday, May 28, 2025, until the service hour at Globe Funeral Chapel.

Zachary Lewis, Cade Oppenheimer, Nate Hanshaw, Landon Lewis, Brian Wagoner, Travis Barker, Matthew Bowling and Billy “Pee-Wee” Williams will serve as pallbearers.

Jeff Layne, Dallas Middleton, Carlos Middleton and Larry Knipp will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky is honored to serve the family of Gary “Phillip” Hanshaw.

Garnet Louise Kilgore Butler

Garnet Louise Kilgore Butler, age 82, of Olive Hill, Kentucky, passed away Thursday, May 22, 2025, at Uk-St. Claire Healthcare Center in Morehead, Kentucky, surrounded by her loving family.

She was born Sunday, November 8, 1942, in Fitch, Kentucky, a daughter of the late Leonard and Eva Thomas Kilgore.

Garnet was a member of Rose Ridge Apostolic Church for 44 years and loved going to church. She enjoyed singing, going to yard sales and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Donald Ray Butler; one daughter, Brenda Alexander; one brother, Doug Kilgore; three sisters, Nanna Naomi Kilgore, Shirley Webb and Judy Mauk.

Garnet is survived by one son, Donald (Karen) Butler of Olive Hill, Kentucky; four grandchildren, Jeff (Jessica) Alexander, Tabitha (Winston) Grissam, David Stillwell, Eric Stillwell; six great-grandchildren; two brothers, Granville (Linda) Kilgore of Alger, Michigan, Ernie Kilgore of Camp Dix, Kentucky; two sisters, Jewell (Lowell) Webb and Sharon (Johnny) Pennington all of Olive Hill, Kentucky, along with many other family and friends who will sadly miss her.

Funeral services will be held 12 noon, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at Rose Ridge Apostolic Church, 1102 Rose Ridge, Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Brother Johnny Pennington officiating. Burial will follow in the Kilgore Cemetery, on Rose Ridge in Olive Hill, Kentucky.

Friends may visit after 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 27, 2025, until the service hour at Rose Ridge Apostolic Church.

James Perry, Davey Stillwell, Jeff Alexander, and Andrew Alexander will serve as pallbearers.

Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky is honored to serve the family of Garnet Kilgore Butler.

Duck, Duck, Jeep

A classic Jeep on display at last year's Kiwanis Jeep Show.
A classic Jeep on display at last year's Kiwanis Jeep Show. Photo by: Jeremy Wells
By: Charles Romans
Carter County Times

The Kiwanis Club Jeep Show returns to Memory Days this weekend in Grayson. Father Marc Bentley, President of the Carter County Kiwanis Club, said last year’s Jeep Show was such a success, and people enjoyed it so much, that the Kiwanis decided to bring it back yet again. The event, now in its fourth year, runs from 1 – 5:30 pm on Main Street, on Sunday, May 25, and allows Jeep owners to show off their own vehicle and enjoy swapping Jeep stories with each other, all while helping support local kids.

“Registration is thirty dollars,” Bentley said. “And pre-registration comes with a t-shirt.”

Jeep owners aren’t required to pre-register and can even register on the day of the event to be eligible for awards and other prizes. First place trophies will be awarded in each class, and categories for judging include  People’s Choice, Best of Show, Best Old School, YJ, TJ, JK, JL, XJ, Gladiator/JT, Non Wrangler, and Rat Rod.

“There is a real culture with Jeep Owners,” Bentley said, and pointed out that there is so much a person doesn’t know if they don’t own – or at least know someone who owns – a Jeep.

“I had never heard of ‘Ducking’,” Bentley said. “Where you leave a rubber duck on someone’s Jeep. So, we will be giving away a lot of those rubber ducks for just that reason during the Memorial Day Parade.”

“It’s pure Americana,” Bentley said of the connection between Jeep owners. “The Jeep is an iconic American car, and to have everyone’s Jeep on Main Street and everyone enjoying themselves is just wonderful. And they (Jeep Owners) do some really cool things with their Jeeps. Last year I saw one that was themed around the movie ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas.’ The creativity is just amazing.”

“Last year we saw people from many different places and of all ages come together over their shared love of Jeeps,” Bentley said. “Yes, they are competing against each other for prizes and trophies, but there is also a camaraderie there as well. A lot of times they know each other and are part of the same clubs, and have gone to the same shows. And they are so welcoming and inviting, and are excited to show off their hard work.”

“They spend a lot of time making their Jeeps really sparkle, sometimes literally,” Bentley said in appreciation. “And to let them showcase that on Main Street during Memorial Day is pure Americana.”

The Jeep Show is a Kiwanis Fundraiser, and all the proceeds go towards all of the things the club does to support the young people in the community. The Kiwanis Club has funded handicap accessible playground equipment at the Grayson Sports Park, the Harvest Pack food drive in the fall of the year, and is, as Bentley said, “Here in the community to help the young people and their families.”

“That’s our mission,” Bentley said. “And events like the Jeep Show help us to not only fulfill that mission, but have a wonderful time doing it.”

For more information, or to pre-register, Bentley said to contact Jami Horton at Jami.horton@bankatcity.com, or call 606-474-7802Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com

Joyful Noise: Be Still and Let God Fight for You

woman wearing black bra and white tank top raising both hands on top
Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom on Pexels.com

By Pastor Naomi Mitchell

For Carter County Times

Exodus 14:14 says, “The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”

Be still. God knows you’re tired. He knows you’re doing your best. He knows you’re unsure of what the future holds. But He sees you. He sees that you haven’t given up. He will fight for you. Be still… God is winning battles for you that you don’t even know about. If you still trust God through it all you are walking by faith and not by sight.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God!” 

Being still means being willing to wait. It means we put our agenda aside and allow God to work on His perfect plan. Will it be easy? No. But while we’re waiting, we can spend time in His presence learning more about Him.

Here are some things we must do to learn how to stand still and let God fight for us!

1. Trust God. This seems like a no-brainer but trusting God takes effort. It takes faith. It takes faith to allow the Lord to fight your battles. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Trust and have confidence in what he’s already prepared for us.

2. Repent of sin. Here’s the truth: sin separates us from God. When we have sin weighing us down, the enemy likes to convince us that there’s nothing we can do to get right with God. That’s a lie from the pit of Hell. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.1 John 1:9. Unconfessed sin builds a wall between you and God. Unconfessed sin gives the enemy a foothold in your life. Confess your sins, sit still before God and watch Him fight your battles.

3. Practice obedience. As Christians, we are called to walk in obedience. When we are being obedient, it is easier for us to remain still in God’s presence.

4. Find Scriptures that remind you how to wait. The Bible has a lot to say on several topics including being able to wait. Spend some time reading, studying, and praying over scripture about waiting.

5. Find a support group. Surround yourself with people who love God and want to pursue Him. Learn from others who have learned to be still. Spend time with those who have learned how to let God fight their battles.

6. Use your gifts to serve others. One of the best things we can do when we’re waiting on God to fight for us is to serve other people. Devote some of your energy, effort, and time to help other people. Maybe you will be the tool God uses to fight someone else’s battle.

7. Practice patience. You’ve probably heard it said before, patience is a virtue. But if you struggle in this area as I do sometimes, you may find it necessary to practice patience. When you find yourself becoming impatient, remind yourself that God’s timing is best. Remind yourself that the Lord will fight for you if you’ll only be still long enough.

And then remind yourself that when God fights for you there’s no repercussions or fallout. Everything is done perfectly with no consequences for anyone. Practice being still.

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.

Mulch, Mold and Fungi

hand of a person planting seeds on the ground
Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com
By: Rebecca Konopka
Carter County Extension Agent

Mulch can be beneficial in many ways on plant beds, around foundation shrubs and other gardening locations in your yard, but mold can threaten its benefits.

In landscape beds and gardens, mulch helps control weeds, prevent extreme soil temperature fluctuation, decrease water evaporation and improve drainage. Mulch also reduces mower and string trimmer damage on shrubs and trees by suppressing vegetation near their trunks. As it decomposes, mulch produces organic materials to improve soil and otherwise benefit plants.

You need to periodically re-apply mulch to continually get these benefits.

Nuisance fungi occasionally grow on mulch. They include shotgun fungus, slime molds, stinkhorns, earthstars and toadstools.

The shotgun fungus shoots masses of tiny black spore structures onto adjacent surfaces such as vehicles and home siding. 

Slime molds are more unsightly than harmful. They don’t cause plant diseases and aren’t parasitic. Slime mold spores usually appear from late spring to fall. Abundant wet weather stimulates above-ground appearance of these fungi that initially appear slimy but quickly become dry and powdery when converting into spore masses. You’ll often see slime molds quickly appear and usually disappear in one to two weeks. They tend to reproduce in the same location every year.  Fungicide use isn’t recommended because slime molds aren’t harmful.

When mulch hasn’t been composted, it might contain fungi that cause plant diseases. This situation is rare, however, and only occurs in non-composted mulch. Plant material fertility problems can arise when fungi in decomposing mulch remove nitrogen from the soil.

Insufficient moisture problems can develop when fungi permeate thick layers of dry mulch creating a surface that’s difficult for water to penetrate.

To gain the most benefit, you should use composted mulch with a high bark content and little wood material. Avoid finely ground, woody products that haven’t been composted.

If you buy fresh wood chips from a tree-maintenance firm, add water to the chips and allow them to partially compost for about six weeks. If this material doesn’t have fresh leaves, you can add some nitrogen to speed up the process. Avoid using fresh or partially composted wood chips near the house foundation because they can provide a food source for termites.

Immediately after you put mulch around plants or trees, soak it with water to enhance bacterial activity to initiate decomposition. Periodically wet mulch during the growing season.

Avoid soured mulch because it tends to injure plants. You can spot sour mulch by its acrid odor.

For more information, contact your Carter County 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.           

Upcoming Events:

  • Senior Farmer’s Market Vouchers – Call 474-6686 on May 28th to schedule an appointment to pick up your card.  To register for a card you’ll need to provide name, address, birthday, and income information. 
  • Ag Advancement Council – June 2nd @ 6:00 PM
  • Little Sandy Beekeepers Association – June 3rd @ 6:30 PM; Topic – Making Chapstick from Beeswax; Speaker: Morgan Murphy

Op-Ed: Why Cutting LIHEAP Is a Deadly Blow to Eastern Kentucky

gray house with fireplace surrounded by grass under white and gray cloudy sky
Photo by Sebastian Sørensen on Pexels.com

By any measure, the economy of Eastern Kentucky and the wider Appalachian region is struggling. The collapse of the coal industry, the opioid crisis, and the recurring natural disasters have left scars that are slow to heal. Families and individual households trying to make ends meet rely on an array of federal assistance. Recently, there have been cuts or threats to these assistance programs, including a proposed total elimination of a vital energy assistance program that supports 6 million low-income households each year across the country.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is zeroed out in the proposed federal budget for the fiscal year that begins in September 2025. LIHEAP provides life-saving aid to millions of Americans by helping them afford their heating and cooling bills. For many, it is the difference between choosing food or heat, medicine or air conditioning. In 2024 alone, the program was utilized more than 219,000 times by Kentucky households. These are small disbursements – a max of $250 per season – that function as safety nets for working families, elderly residents, and people with disabilities who are trying to survive on limited incomes in one of the most energy-burdened regions in the country.

Despite this need, the Trump administration’s 2026 budget proposes defunding LIHEAP entirely. Their reasoning is that lower energy prices are on the horizon thanks to a move toward American energy dominance and the America First platform. But here in Kentucky, the future hasn’t arrived yet. Energy bills are still going up, not down.

In some Eastern Kentucky counties, low-income families pay up to 14.5% of their income on utility bills—more than double the 6% threshold that experts define as a “high” energy burden. Rural residents, especially those living in older, less energy-efficient homes, feel this pain the most. Rural areas often pay disproportionately high electricity costs due to utilities charging higher rates, in part due to infrastructure costs utilities incur covering more miles of transmission lines, etc., and in part due to utilities being owned by investors who are guaranteed a certain rate of return on their investment.

And while some cities have access to local programs that might soften the blow of high bills, rural communities often don’t. That’s where LIHEAP comes in. It funds weatherization improvements that make homes more efficient — reducing future energy costs and minimizing the need for repeated emergency assistance. In fiscal year 2023, the program weatherized more than 60,000 homes nationwide and helped prevent countless power disconnections.

The federal government allocated approximately $54 million in LIHEAP funds to Kentucky in fiscal year 2025. To access these funds, individuals must meet certain requirements and provide documentation showing their need for assistance. These requirements are designed to support Kentucky’s most vulnerable residents and some examples include households where someone has a health condition or disability (verified by a doctor’s note), someone is 65 or older, or a child under the age of 6 is present. This money is especially important during the extreme summer and winter temperatures Kentucky experiences. Kentucky is one of just 10 states where utility shutoffs due to nonpayment are allowed even during dangerous weather events. Sometimes families are cut off because they owe as little as $6.

Cutting LIHEAP cannot just be a budget decision — this is an issue that needs to consider the survival of our most vulnerable neighbors. Because it’s so critical, the program is housed under the Department of Health and Human Services and has received bipartisan support for nearly 45 years.

The Trump administration recently acknowledged that Appalachia is at a disadvantage due to loss of coal jobs and the opioid crisis, and because of that, they were leaving funding for another program in the budget that benefits this area. We argue that many low-income communities across the country face similar systemic challenges that have them needing a little extra help to stay and revitalize these areas of the United States.

If you have an experience to share about how LIHEAP has impacted you or your community in a time of need, now is the time to share your story.

Chris Woolery is the Energy Projects Coordinator at Mountain Association. Over his career, Chris has helped deliver residential energy efficiency upgrades to more than 800 households. He can be reached at chris@mtassociation.org.

Can and will No. 47 stay on the high road with No. 46 who is facing cancer?

By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times

Former President Joe Biden ordinarily would have been out of the line of fire for nearly a year since giving up his reelection bid last July.

            Yet, he continued to be criticized by President Trump during the balance of the 2024 campaign and almost on a daily basis since the new administration took office on Jan. 20.

            To his credit and my mild surprise, President Trump and his wife sent well wishes to the Bidens, along with other of the former president’s political allies and rivals alike on Sunday following news of the cancer diagnosis. 

No. 47 is known to be harsh, even cruel at times, in his public statements and online posts when responding to his critics. The news of Biden’s health challenges came at a time when new questions are being asked about his decision to run for a second term despite concern about his mental sharpness.

Much of that chatter came from Democrats who said he should have dropped out earlier. Also, several prominent members of his party were frustrated by the former president’s return to the media spotlight to challenge those assertions.

But compassion won out over politics on Sunday as Democrats and Republicans — including some of his most outspoken critics — chose to take the respectful high road by praising his four decades of service to America and wishing him well in his battle against prostate cancer, the second deadliest form of the disease in men.

The Trumps extended their “warmest and best wishes” to Biden for a full recovery. In my opinion, it might have been Mr. Trump’s most presidential act since starting a second term in the White House.  

 Ironically, Mr. Biden had a painful personal connection to cancer well before the diagnosis, having lost his son Beau to brain cancer.  As a senator, vice president and president, he was a strong advocate for cancer research and early detection.

It is sad that his legacy of public service will be tarnished by suspicions that his closest advisers may have concealed his cognitive decline during his time in the White House. 

I commend President Trump for realizing that an opponent’s cancer diagnosis is not the time for politics as usual. I hope he can stay on that noble path.

Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com.

Playing in the band

Violinist and music teacher Elaine Swinney Brunelle talks with students during her introductory community orchestra lesson. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Jeremy D. Wells

Carter County Times

Standing outside the classroom, after the first meeting of the Olive Hill Community Orchestra, violinist Elaine Swinney Brunelle talked with a student about all the places that music can take them, and the opportunities it can provide.

“I mean, I know people all over the country. I’ve played a lot of places. And there’s no way I would’ve had the experiences, outside of music, that I’ve had,” Brunelle noted. “I mean it’s amazing!”

But Brunelle – who has played with Kansas, YES, the Moody Blues, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, among others in the pop and classical world over the course of her career – said she, like many others, started playing music just to spend time with friends.

“I started just like everyone else,” she remembered. “I was just a little nine-year-old fourth grader. I didn’t even know what a violin was. I come from a very athletic family. My father said he played the radio. That was his music.”

Her mother and the rest of the family were similarly inclined, she explained. So, when her best friend said she wanted to play, Elaine’s first response was a question.

“What? Why do you want to do that?” she remembered asking.

“But,” she continued, “if she was going to do it, I was going to do it. She wasn’t doing something that I wasn’t doing. That’s how it started, and I just kept it going.”

She said until that point she had been “pretty scattered” as a child. Playing violin, though, “was the first time for me, anyway, that I could focus.”

And even before it became her career, it gave her an opportunity to travel, to compete, to collaborate, and to make new friends.

Those are the sorts of opportunities she said she hopes to offer her private class students as well as the members of the newly formed community orchestra, which meets every Saturday, at the Olive Hill Center for Arts & Heritage (OHCFAH).

She understands that the folks participating in the orchestra – the group is open to anyone age nine or older – will all come with different levels of experience, from advanced students to complete beginners. But she believes the orchestra can be fun and rewarding for all participants, regardless of their background or experience level. Some might make music their career someday, like she has. But, she noted, she has had several students who went on to work in different fields.

“One is a computer scientist who works for Google. Another one is a physician. There are several of them. They’ve gone into different fields. But guess what? They play in an orchestra! They play in their community orchestra, or they’re semi-pro. Music is still a big part of their lives.”

That kind of fulfillment, and the ability to convey both beauty and heartache without the use of words, is something that can be rewarding for anyone, no matter their age or station in life, Brunelle explained.

“That’s why this orchestra is open to anybody, with or without experience,” Brunelle said. “We’re starting fresh. It’s going to take a little time. There’s going to be some bumps, and it’s going to take a little bit of time to get to where we need to be to call ourselves a community orchestra.”

But, she added, “You’ve just got to start somewhere, right?”

For Brunelle and the OHCFAH, that somewhere is here, and the time is now.

The community string orchestra meets on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. at the OHCFAH, 120 Comet Drive in Olive Hill. Positions are available for violin, viola, cello, and bass players. While participants are responsible for their own instruments, a limited number of beginner instruments are available thanks to a donation from Old Town Violin in Lexington. For more information, email EStudioViolin@yahoo.com or call the Center at (606)207-1480.

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com

Laurels and Lavender

Jeremiah Littleton addresses Grayson Tourism Commission about Lavender Fest 2025. (Photo by Charles Romans, Carter County Times)

The Grayson Tourism Commission met on May 15 for their monthly meeting, with two members joining the meeting remotely. In reviewing the financial statement for the previous month of April, Commission Chair Daniel White informed the commission that the transient room tax continued to perform well. April was at $5,600.00, and $71,000 year to date from last July through April 2025. White said that in spite of a more “flat” month in May 2025, overall, the report was positive.

Former sports park manager Grant Harper attended the meeting both in an ongoing effort to assist in the transition of the new employees at the park who were hired to fill his vacant position and to formally introduce the new sports park maintenance director Tommy Roe.

“As expected, he has jumped in with both feet,” Harper told the commission. “And maintenance-wise, we haven’t missed a beat.”

Roe, Harper told the commission, has been involved at the park through an independent contractor for nearly three years.

“We did hire two high school students that will work evenings and weekends to help with weed eating and mowing,” Harper said. “Tommy is already working on walking trail maintenance and other projects, and once he is paired up with someone on the business side (i.e. a park business manager) we should be doing great.”

On the subject of a business manager for the park, Harper presented the commission with a list of qualifications and duties that he felt would be beneficial in a business manager. Harper’s recommendation will be reviewed by the commission, then combined with other qualifications the commission deems necessary, and officially posted at a later date. White said that most likely the commission would want a July 1 start date for the position.

There were also several guests present at the commission meeting. Sabrina McWhorter told the commission that she had spoken with Grant Harper several times about more activities for children at the Grayson Sports Park. She said she had been doing a program for a couple of years with home schooled children called Wonder Kids.

“It’s basically getting kids out in nature with forest projects and things like that,” she explained.

Working with Harper, she said they had recently held their first event at the sports park with 39 kids in attendance.

“We posted about it at the end of April, and by May we had 39 kids show up,” McWhorter said.

The group was composed of children aged 2 to 5, and she described it as “wild,” but wonderful. It was a free, two-hour event with open registration. It included a nature scavenger hunt, story time, and crayon leaf tracing. The children who participated were from four different counties, Boyd, Carter, Greenup, and Lawrence. And 38 percent of those who attended had never been to the sports park before. Future events will be held on May 21 and May 26.

McWhorter said that her efforts are funded through donations, and that she can be reached through email at wonderkidswander@gmail.com. Donations don’t have to be cash, either.

“You can donate an old quilt you might have laying around for the kids to sit on,” McWhorter said. “We are working on a Facebook page so people can follow us and stay connected. And we plan on having more events in June. And we are planning more activities like bird houses, more leaf tracing, and a focus on local insects.”

Business Cultivation Foundation (BCF) reported to the commission that their community garden at the cabin was doing well. Flags have been added to show all the local businesses that have sponsored the garden, and there has even been interest from an individual about having a wedding there. On May 24, after the Memory Days Parade, BCF will be hosting ‘Picking on the Porch’, and will be having a Grand Opening with a green ribbon to celebrate the garden.

Jeremiah Littleton also spoke to the commission about the upcoming Lavendar Fest. Lavender Fest was a success last year, and Littleton and wife Cindy Littleton said they hoped to expand upon it in 2025. The event was held last year in local businesswoman Pam Wilburn’s parking lot, and Littleton said they set up a processing exhibition under a small tent.

“Our processing requires the use of a copper still,” Littleton said. “We processed our lavender and had a lot of local vendors in attendance. Everyone had a great time at a very low cost.”

Littleton said that cost was one often prohibitive factor for local, smaller vendors, who must sell a lot simply to pay for their setup fee at events.

“We love to set up something where they (vendors) can come for a very low – or no – cost. So, we just opened up the parking lot and had a good time.”

Littleton told the commission that they would like to set up in the park this year, where people can enjoy the green space, and in the case of temperatures shaded areas that are much more comfortable than an open parking lot. He also joked that he didn’t want to look too much like a “Hillbilly couple setting up a copper still in a parking lot.” He said the park would also make it much easier for people to visit vendor tables and that the parking would facilitate food trucks. The event is scheduled for September 20, from 9 am to 7 pm. Details and updates can be found on Facebook.

Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com

Pet of the Week: Meet Oliver

Oliver is a male mixed breed, believed to be between one and two years old, and currently the longest resident at the shelter. This good boy is very friendly, gets along well with other dogs, and walks on a leash. He’s already neutered, up to date on all shots, and has a free adoption to an approved home. Stop by the Carter County Animal Shelter today and meet him or call 475-9771 for more information.

Shelter hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday by appointment.

Call for work: Pride in the ARTS 2025

man singing
Photo by Aleksandr Neplokhov on Pexels.com

By Dan Click

Grayson Gallery

Summertime is near! It’s also the time of year for our annual show: Pride in the ARTS. Again this year, simply inclusion, diversity and love for all will be the theme. Artists are invited to share their original artwork this month at the Grayson Gallery for this annual event with a fun evening planned. Can you say GARAOKE? Yes, we’ll have unique entertainment as well as offering up your favorite karaoke and sing-along tunes! Artists and the public, with a special invitation to those in the Community, are all invited to attend the Opening Reception on June 27 from 6 – 9 pm.

Artists may submit up to three pieces, in any medium and include any subject (each submission will be accepted, regardless of theme or subject matter), with submissions set for two dates:

Saturday, June 21 and/or Monday, June 23 from 10am to 2pm each day at the Gallery (301 E Third St, Grayson).

There is no entry fee. Works must have artist name, title, medium and price on the back (or tagged for 3D pieces) with wire hangers or other means of hanging. All work on hand may also be picked up during the above dates!

You may contact us for a form to be completed prior to the drop-off dates, but it is available in-house as well.

Four cash awards of $50 each (plus a blue ribbon!) will be given for People’s Choice, by popular vote; GGAC Board Choice; the Pen Lady choice – or purchase; and the Brandon Click Art Memorial Award, given by our family.

Please Note: Due to the large number of pieces and artist turnout expected, dates will not be extended in order to have the exhibit ready for the opening.

Sold works only have a 20% Commission to the GGAC

Contact the writer at graysongallery@gmail.com

Grayson council discusses paving

Mayor Troy Combs (File photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)

By Charles Romans

Carter County Times

Grayson City Council started off their regular monthly meeting last week by hearing from a local resident who told the council that items removed by a contractor during a city project had not been replaced. Specifically, the resident noted, fencing and bushes had not been replaced that had been taken down by contractors during the city’s sidewalk project that began last August. The council listened to the resident’s complaint, and Mayor Troy Combs said he would look into the issue to determine why the promised replacement had not been resolved.

The council also heard the audit from Bobby Cox representing Kelly, Galloway, Smith, and Goolsby. The audit is standard practice and required for the city, and Cox reported that there were no irregularities in the audit and that it was ‘clean.’

The mayor told the council that he had been given an update concerning road paving by utilities commission superintendent Gerald Haney. The paving is being done to repair areas of roadway disturbed by line replacement within the city.

“The replacement of lines on various roads has begun,” Combs told the council.

Combs said that as the work progresses, Haney has been going door to door, letting residents know about the work being conducted.

“At this point they (utilities commission) are ready to begin paving over the parts that had been dug up,” Combs said.

The ’spot paving,’ Combs reminded the council, was temporary until the utilities commission was able to pave the entire roadways in affected areas. That work should take place in August or September according to their schedule.

“But what has been dug up will be paved by Memorial Day Weekend,” Combs told the council.

The utilities commission posts updates to their paving schedule on their website as well as on various other local government websites.

The council discussed issues with a derelict house located at 408 E. Fifth Street. City Attorney Jason Greer told council that the building was in much worse condition than it was initially thought to be and was not fit for habitation. Greer said it would need to be inspected by a qualified inspector, but if the city council moved to condemn the building, then the city could prevent anyone from entering the building for their own safety.

In other business, tourism director Lana Axtell told council that she had been working with Memory Days, but that the Memory Days Committee had things under control. Axtell also told the council she had been working with the street department to get the skating rink out of storage at the Blue Goose building and set up to be used during Memory Days.

The Blue Goose is scheduled to be demolished in the near future but is being used until after the Memory Days event. The Grayson Tourism Commission is the corporate sponsor for Memory Days, having donated labor, marketing materials, and in monetary fashion.

Mayor Combs made the council aware that several members of the tourism commission were up for reappointment, and one commissioner would need to be appointed due to the recent resignation of a commissioner. Combs also requested a budget workshop for May 27 at 5:30 pm.

Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com

1...404142...289Page 41 of 289