Food insecurity is a major issue in our region and around the world. According to godspantry.org, “Nearly 265,000 people in Central and Eastern Kentucky are experiencing hunger, representing a 20 percent increase from last year’s data release. This includes 1 in 4 children who are not being nourished. These numbers represent real people who are going to bed unfed every night.”
The numbers represent a stark reality that our region – where the predominant household income is barely above the poverty level – is starving. And with a struggling economy being outpaced by inflation at every turn, many find it impossible to cover the basic necessities of life such as shelter and food. Added to this is the fact that those who suffer most, unfortunately, are those most at risk, such as the very young and the very old.
Marc Bentley, the President of the Carter County Kiwanis Club, said the Kiwanis are dedicated to doing something to change that.
“The Kiwanis Club is a service club,” Bentley said. “Its focus is on the youth of a community and their families. Investing in programs, sports teams, playgrounds, and whatever a community needs to fill gaps regarding young people and their wellbeing. That’s where the Kiwanis step in.”
Service can be direct service or fundraising for projects, Bentley explained.
The current project the Carter County Kiwanis Club is dedicated to is the Harvest Pack food program. Harvest Pack is a company, Bentley said, that specializes in packing nutrient rich meals for those in need.
“There are two options, and we are taking the option for oatmeal. So, we are going to get together on Tuesday, November 19, and all the volunteers are going to work in an ‘assembly line’ process,” he said.
The Kiwanis and volunteers will be packaging the nutrient rich oatmeal meals for distribution.
“But it’s not just oatmeal,” Bentley said. “There are vitamins and minerals that are necessary for a person’s life.”
Bentley said the company had been in contact with food pantries, and that those food pantries expressed a need for nutrient rich breakfasts, and Harvest Pack was their response to that need.
“So, we are going to get together and package these packages of oatmeal, and our goal is to have 30,000 bags.”
Each bag, he said, contains multiple meals, and the cost of each bag is 30 cents. Bentley said that the Kiwanis Club is working with other service clubs, churches, and community organizations to raise the $9,000 necessary to make the 30,000 goal a reality. The Kiwanis accept donations from individuals and even corporate sponsors, and all donations are tax deductible. In person donations can be made to Stephanie Kidd at City National Bank in Grayson.
Bentley said that some people might be hesitant simply because they are unable to donate a large amount of money.
“But the beauty of this is if you donate just ten dollars, that’s around 33 meals,” he explained.
Bentley said that just because you might not be able to give a lot, doesn’t mean that any donation you make doesn’t do a lot.
“And even if you can’t make a monetary donation, showing up to help is invaluable.” Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
The family of Conner Stafford say he left behind a wonderful legacy of caring and friendship – touching the lives of classmates and everyone he met. He was also curious, like many other kids his age. But his parents worry that curiosity may have contributed to his passing; and they don’t want it to happen to anyone else’s children.
That’s why they’re warning other parents to pay close attention to the content their children consume online, and asking Carter County coroner George Sparks to change what they see as the insensitive description of their son’s passing on his death certificate. It isn’t that they contest the facts presented in the coroner’s investigation. It’s that they feel the specific details are unnecessary and potentially dangerous for any classmates who, out of their own curiosity, might pay the minimal fee to obtain a copy of their son’s death certificate. This is on top of the pain and distress caused to the family any time they have to refer back to the documentation.
The official cause of Conner’s death, according to the autopsy conducted in Frankfort, was asphyxiation. The details of how that came to pass – which we will not discuss out of respect to the family – are relevant to the investigation and should be reflected on the death certificate according to Sparks. The family, however, disagrees.
They believe that Conner’s fascination with another young person’s death led him to engage in experiments, to try to make sense of how it could have come to pass. His mother said the 14-year-old found several videos about the death on TikTok, and would continually show them to her and discuss them.
“Leading up to the day Conner had passed, Conner was sitting on the couch, and he was showing me videos of this (name removed) girl that was all over TikTok,” his mother Patty explained. “She was all over everything. All over everything… and Conner was showing me all these little videos. Every so often he would show me.”
She explained how in one particular video, the mother of the young girl discussed the bullying her daughter had endured, including sharing videos the bullies had sent to the girl. Conner, who always stood up for the underdog according to his parents, couldn’t understand why they would do such a thing. He also didn’t understand how it could drive someone to take their own life. His mother, however, assured him that some people could be driven to desperation by such cruelty.
Conner was never bullied, according to his parents; quite the opposite in fact. He was a popular young man – tall and athletic and outgoing – and was known for taking up for those who suffered from bullying. If someone like Conner, a happy young man whose life was untouched by tragedy, could become so fascinated with a subject that he would engage in risky activities to try to understand it, they worry others could too. That’s one of the driving reasons behind their repeated requests to have Sparks amend the cause of death on the certificate.
Sparks explained that coroners are “compelled to do three things” when filling out a death certificate. Those things include determining the time of death, the manner of death (e.g. homicide, suicide, accident, or natural causes), and the cause of death.
According to the family – who do not dispute the time or manner of death currently listed on the certificate – asphyxia should be sufficient for the cause. The details of how that asphyxia occurred, while relevant to determining the manner of death and the full report, are not necessary for the death certificate. They said they’ve talked to other medical examiners, coroners, and funeral directors and were told that not only could Conner’s death have been ruled accidental, but that the coroner wasn’t required to include the details of how the asphyxiation occurred.
They claim that Sparks himself even acknowledged that in a phone call, but that he would not change the listed cause of death, except to append asphyxiation to the detailed description noted by his deputy.
Sparks said he was sympathetic to the family’s hurt, but that he stood behind his deputy’s report and would not make any further changes than the addition of asphyxia to the detailed description.
“It’s super tragic,” Sparks said, adding that the “mother was very emotional,” so his deputy, Ronnie Wallace, “got a statement from the boy’s father.”
The family notes that because of their long wait time for the deputy coroner, Patty was transported to the hospital before he arrived on scene. Ambulance personnel, the family said, were worried about her health as time passed, and recommended she be taken to the hospital for treatment.
Sparks said his office waited for the medical examiner’s finding before filling out the death certificate, and then they made an initial set of changes after it was pointed out to them they had the mother’s maiden name on the certificate instead of her married name. The time of death was also initially noted at the time the deputy arrived, rather than the time ambulances arrived on scene and failed to resuscitate Conner. But, he said, they won’t be making changes related to the cause of death as requested.
“Asphyxia is not a cause of death,” Sparks said.
Because of the family’s insistence, he said he would change it from the detailed description to, “asphyxia due to (detailed description).”
“I called the medical examiner and told him we have a distraught family, caught in the anger stage of grief,” he said. “He had no problem with asphyxia on the first line.”
Sparks said he had sent that amended copy to the family the day before our September conversation. However, the family said they still have not seen the amended copy, and that they would not be satisfied with any amendment that still included details.
They said that the insensitivity they feel Sparks continues to exhibit is just a continuation of the insensitivity displayed by his deputy on the night of their son’s death. This included failing to show up for more than an hour after being contacted, failing to get accurate statements, and making gross assumptions about the nature of the family and the situation surrounding the death.
For instance, they said the first report they saw included erroneous details surrounding the death (which we will not repeat) that can be confirmed by security camera according to the family. While Sparks said this was not reflected in the final report, he said detectives had been asked to retrieve the video.
“I’ve read Ronnie’s report,” Sparks said, stating that it didn’t include the information the family claimed it did. “But that’s not going to change anything (about the listed cause).”
Sparks then confirmed that they “don’t have any evidence of (the particular detail in question).”
The family said they also initially had information in the report that the parents were separated, which they felt insinuated there were problems at home. Sparks acknowledge that this, along with the mother’s maiden name being listed, were “two mistakes” that were in the initial notes, but that otherwise he stood behind the work, and that none of those details were in the final report, “because evidently that was wrong information,” which he said he believed came from a deputy sheriff on the scene. He said none of those details were relevant to the information on the death certificate, however, and that he felt the family were still processing their grief.
“I’ve seen this before,” Sparks said. “We feel bad. It’s a tragedy. And we don’t want to antagonize the family any more than we have to, because (this type of death) is already difficult.”
The family, however, said Sparks and Wallace have been antagonistic, uncooperative, and unsympathetic from the outset, and continue to dismiss their legitimate concerns and heartfelt requests for sensitivity.
They aren’t the only family to issue complaints about Sparks office, either.
After hearing the Staffords’ complaints, Treyleigh Howard shared her family’s experiences with the coroner. When her uncle passed, she said the coroner was dismissive of the family, treated her uncle’s body roughly, and held the body for six weeks – delaying their ability to hold a memorial service. She said that while the death certificate listed the cause of death as an overdose, he had no heroin in his system.
Sparks, however, noted that the toxicology report did indicate that Howard’s uncle, Doug Evans, had methamphetamine in his system. Despite this finding, the family weren’t convinced overdose was the cause of death. They said there were many other people in the home at the time of Evans’ death, and that the scene was not properly secured. They also said they couldn’t be sure foul play wasn’t involved. Because of this, they asked for an independent autopsy, but said they were denied.
“Whenever George Sparks had to come out to do his job, he was just very unprofessional,” Howard said. “A complete lack of compassion, and then wouldn’t even allow us to have an autopsy, even after we offered to pay for it numerous times.”
Independent autopsies are allowed by Kentucky law, but they must be paid for by the family. It is not necessarily the role of the coroner to provide families with contact information or details of how to schedule an autopsy. According to funeral directors contacted for this story, it is a service typically coordinated by the family’s funeral director, who may also offer assistance with transport services.
But while the Staffords, like the Howards, allege that Sparks is “unprofessional” and lacks compassion, their biggest concern is still more related to the potential for copycats. They said they’ve learned about recent lawsuits alleging TikTok feeds “addictive” content to teens to keep them engaged and they agree it’s a problem. Especially for young people who don’t completely understand the consequences of all their actions.
But, they said, TikTok isn’t the only way information is spread among young people. That’s why they want the coroner to do what they feel is the responsible thing, and allow the family to keep the specific details of their son’s death private. Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
Conner Stafford (bottom center) is pictured with his brother, sister, and parents. (submitted photo)
Carter County coroner George Sparks. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
Kentucky Living Magazine’s John Whitt addresses the Grayson Chamber. (Photo by Charles Romans, Carter County Times)
By Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Grayson Chamber of Commerce reported another great month during their regular October meeting, and is now eight away from the 200 mark for members. New members welcomed to the chamber were Second Sister Studio web design, MCS Shipping, Healer’s Touch Holistic Massage, Cell Tech, Collins & Company, and Business Cultivation Foundation.
John Whitt of Kentucky Living Magazine was a guest speaker at the Chamber meeting.
“Our tag line is ‘Nobody covers Kentucky better’,” Whitt told the chamber. “And that is really the case. We have about 522,000 in circulation every month, and about 1.2 million readers. So, if you want to get a message out, we get the message out to the whole state of Kentucky.”
“Something a little different we do with Kentucky Living Magazine that no one else does is we provide three travel issues per year; April, June, and September,” Whitt added. “And in those issues, we partner around the state for a travel giveaway. And part of the advertiser’s portion of that is when people enter that program, you are listed. So, for example, Grayson could be listed and we take all the ‘clicks’ they take for information and provide that as direct leads back to you.”
Whitt said that to put that into perspective, in June Kentucky Living gave out over 28,000 leads.
“That might not seem like a lot,” Whitt told the chamber. “But I Googled today how much a lead would cost if you had to purchase it. It’s $106 dollars per lead. And for someone promoting Grayson, that’s a gold mine. We provided over three million dollars in leads just in June.”
Whitt told the chamber that it would be difficult to go out and buy that number of leads as a tourism entity.
“Another thing is that every day we do a thing called ‘Best of Kentucky.’ We have been doing it for about 15 years and it involves the whole state,” Whitt said adding examples. “So, in February, you can nominate your favorite hamburger, pizza, whatever you like by category. Then the top three vote getters go into the final, and after that you have all month to vote.”
Votes are tabulated after that, he said, and the results are announced in August.
“Then in September in our fall travel issue we post all the winners and all the information about them,” Whitt told the chamber.
“That’s just a couple of the things we do at Kentucky Living Magazine to promote communities across the state because we are East, West, North, and South. So, when we say no one covers Kentucky better, we mean it.”
Johnathan Lewis from Commercial Bank was also a guest speaker.
“This is something that is very near and dear to my heart,” Lewis told the chamber. “Communicating about the successes of not only Commercial Bank, but all of the activities throughout our market area.”
“Isn’t it frustrating?” Lewis asked. “When you hear about something after it happens, and people ask why weren’t you there? You hear about it too late to participate, and that is really frustrating.”
Lewis gave the example of someone saying it was ‘all over’ a certain media another individual might not follow, and pointed out that this particular instance highlights why a marketing strategy is so crucial in bringing businesses together with their potential clients.
“There are different channels available as a business that you can utilize for free or at a very limited cost,” Lewis said. “And this can be used to help your business with day-to-day operations and special events.”
Both guest speakers pointed out new avenues to grow and improve business, which is the overall goal of the Chamber of Commerce. Regularly connecting its members with knowledgeable and insightful speakers, as well as offering an ongoing support network to the business community, helps the chamber to fulfill that goal. Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
2 Timothy 3:1 says, “This know (it is mandatory to understand) also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”
According to Paul, the conduct of the people will create these perilous times. The translated word for “perilous” in 2 Timothy 3:1 is ‘chalepos’, which means troublesome, dangerous, harsh, fierce, full of risk, hazardous, harmful, dreadful, threatening.
Fierce – wild or violent, having or displaying an intense, ferocious aggressiveness. Psalm 11:5 says, “The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.”
Despisers of those that are good – all forms of lies, evil speaking against true believers and godliness. Romans 1:30 says, “Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.”
Traitors – a betrayer of trust. Acts 7:52 says, “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers.”
Heady – to be rash, reckless, or head strong. Proverbs 21:29a says, “A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.”
Highminded – those who are full of themselves, puffed-up. 1 Timothy 3:6 says, “Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he falls into the condemnation of the devil.”
Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God – all forms of immorality and ungodliness that satisfy the flesh. Philippians 3:19 says, “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.”
Being religious but not victorious above sin, outwardly looking good but inwardly rotten in unrighteousness. Matthew 23:27 says, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”
Scriptures admonish all believers living in the ‘last days’ to turn away from all ungodly practices in order not to be caught in the web of perilous times. 2 Timothy 3:5 says, “Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” As true believers, we must therefore receive the prophecies/warning and always be conscious of it.
We must separate from the company and fellowship of people with the characters listed above. We are living in perilous times. Every believer that wants to get to Heaven must heed the warning, careful to live a separate life from the world and false brethren to please God. Jesus is coming soon! Be ready! 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 6:30pm Thursdays. Radio Broadcast: WJSN 97.3 FM & WEKG 81.0 AM Sundays 1-2pm.
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.
Joseph Parsons, 24, of Olive Hill, arrested by Grayson PD, on charges of driving on a DUI suspended license – second offense, no registration receipt, no registration plates, failure to produce an insurance card, and three counts of failure to appear, arrested and booked October 13.
John Parsons, 29, of Olive Hill, arrested by Grayson PD, on charges of first degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) second offense, first degree possession of a controlled substance (carfentanil or fentanyl derivatives), possession of drug paraphernalia, and failure to appear, arrested and booked October 14.
Todd Tolliver, 31, of Grayson, arrested by Grayson PD, on charges of failure to or improper signal, disregarding traffic light or other control devices, failure to wear seat belts, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, arrested and booked October 14.
Ashley Tolliver, 37, of Grayson, arrested by Kentucky Department of Corrections, on a probation violation (for a technical violation), arrested and booked October 14.
Ashley O’Neil, 39, of Ashland, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on three counts of non-payment of court costs, fees, or fines, arrested and booked October 14.
Hunter Eldridge, 21, of Grayson, arrested by Grayson PD, on charges of theft of identity of another, theft by unlawful taking or disposition – shoplifting, and resisting arrest, arrested and booked October 15.
Sarah Terry, 42, of Olive Hill, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on a charge of first degree forgery, arrested and booked October 15.
Tasha Adkins, 39, of Huntington, WV, arrested by U.S. Marshal Service, charges unavailable, arrested and booked October 15.
Jacqueline James, 50, of Winchester, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a substance, careless driving, failure to wear seat belts, failure to produce an insurance card, no registration receipt, possession of drug paraphernalia, and third degree possession of a controlled substance – drug unspecified, arrested and booked October 16.
Sherri Mayle, 34, of Rush, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on a probation violation (for a felony offense), arrested and booked October 17.
Scotty Estepp, 57, of Barbourville, KY, arrested by Kentucky State Police, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 17.
Dylan Adams, 26, of Grayson, arrested by Grayson PD, for non-payment of court costs, fees, or fines, arrested and booked October 18.
Brayan Machado-Rodriguez, 26, of Louisville, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 18.
John O’Brien, 39, of Olive Hill, arrested by Kentucky State Police, for non-payment of court costs, fees, or fines, arrested and booked October 18.
Jeffrey Blankenship, 45, of Olive Hill, self-surrender, weekender, arrested and booked October 18.
Bryan Preston, 57, of , arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on a charge of fourth degree assault (child abuse), arrested and booked October 20.
Paul Mabry, 38, of Olive Hill, arrested by Olive Hill PD, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 21.
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: Patrick Flannery Representative, State of Kentucky
Lawmakers continued efforts to prepare for the upcoming session as eight legislative committees and task forces met to hear from stakeholders on issues ranging from the potential to establish a veterinary medicine school to how artificial intelligence can be used in education. Another way I am preparing for session is my legislative survey. This document includes basic information about the session and questions about how you as a constituent feel about the issues we may be considering and will mail in November. If you would like to receive a copy by mail or email, please reach out to me at 1-800-372-7181 or by emailing Patrick.Flannery@kylegislature.gov.
Now, for a brief summary of the week’s interim joint committee (IJC), task force, and statutory committee meetings:
Workforce Attraction and Retention Task Force: Lawmakers met with stakeholders invested in Kentucky’s workforce to discuss ways to improve retention rates across the state. The task force heard from Economic Leadership about the ‘Talent Wars’ and the increasing competition for skilled and motivated workers. Members also heard from the Greater LEX Talent Campaign on how to bring those skilled workers to Kentucky and how best to encourage them to stay. Live in Lou! testified about promoting Kentucky as an attractive place to start or advance a career. Lawmakers also heard from Kentucky State AFL-CIO and the Kentucky State Building and Construction Trades Council about the need for more access to vocational and trade schools across Kentucky.
Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee: Legislators reviewed several administrative regulations and discussed two in-depth. One administrative regulation that discussed related to adding educational licensing requirements for behavioral health associates. The administrative regulation that garnered the most discussion concerned the air emissions fee. The proposed amendment to the current administrative regulation would remove the fee exemption for certain types of emissions/pollutants. Distillers use certain fire suppression systems that emit regulated chemicals, meaning they would be subject to an emissions fee, even though the systems are only regularly used for annual testing. The regulation was deferred until next month’s meeting to give the parties involved an opportunity to come to a compromise.
Education Assessment and Accountability Review Subcommittee: Lawmakers heard from the Office of Educational Accountability (OEA). OEA presented an overview of their School District Governance Models and Interventions Report, which compares Kentucky’s school district structure to structures across the nation. Members also approved OEA’s 2025 Study Agenda.
IJC on Agriculture: Members received updates from the Kentucky Livestock Innovation Center. Its mission is to enhance Kentucky’s agricultural capital through industry collaboration, field demonstrations, and training sessions. The Murray State Hutson School of Agriculture shared an update on their upcoming School of Veterinary Medicine and the Veterinary Sciences building along with what opportunities they provide their students. Lastly, the Kentucky Agriculture Water Quality Authority presented a fiscal report and additional information for members to review, including the Statewide Agriculture Water Quality Plan.
IJC on Appropriations and Revenue: Legislators met to receive an update on tax expenditures, the current process for the position compression study by the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet, and to discuss the structure of fire departments. Presenters from the cabinet recommended a tiered approach to address compression. They believe that their approach is the best way to address the employee compression issue by capturing those years that they didn’t receive an annual increment. The committee also heard from local fire departments. Presenters proposed an initiative to increase the fire district tax rate. The current rate hasn’t increased since 1944, when most fire departments in the Commonwealth were volunteer-based.
IJC on Education: Members discussed assessment and accountability data, artificial intelligence, and educator placement services in the state. The Kentucky Department of Education presented data from the assessment and accountability datasets released to the public on October 3 of this year. The Southern Regional Education Board presented on the organization’s AI Commission. This commission, comprised of 68 members, is investigating the role of Artificial Intelligence in K-12 and postsecondary education. Finally, the Kentucky Department of Education discussed vacancy data for employment across school districts.
IJC on Judiciary: Lawmakers met to discuss uniform law proposals and Medicaid for the incarcerated, as well as to receive an update on guardianship law. Presenters discussed five different types of uniform law proposals: the Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act, Uniform Directed Trust Act, Uniform Trust Decanting Act, Uniform Electronic Wills Act, and Kentucky Qualified Dispositions Trust Act. Committee members heard from three different departments on Kentucky’s opportunity to improve health care for incarcerated individuals and juvenile offenders. Finally, members discussed guardianship and conservatorship.
IJC on Natural Resources and Energy: Members received an update from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority regarding a new program lawmakers created earlier this year to provide relief to financially struggling water and wastewater systems. The committee also discussed the issues facing the state’s electric cooperatives and a report from the Public Service Commission on another legislative measure aimed at speeding up the delivery of broadband to Kentuckians in underserved and unserved areas.
As always, I can be reached anytime through the toll-free message line in Frankfort at 1-800-372-7181. You can also contact me via email at Patrick.Flannery@kylegislature.gov and keep track through the Kentucky legislature’s website at legislature.ky.gov.
Dale Lee “Hollywood” Hicks, age 77, of Globe, Kentucky, passed away Sunday, October 20, 2024, at Community Hospice Care Center in Ashland, Kentucky.
He was born Sunday, June 15, 1947, in Carter County, Kentucky, to the late Everett Anderson and Gertrude P’Simer Hicks.
Dale was preceded in death by his loving wife of 42 years, Connie Hamilton Hicks; four brothers, Tennyson Hicks, Chalmer Gene Hicks, Cleo Anderson Hicks, Ivan Hicks; five sisters, Thelma King Mitchell, Wanda Kegley, Carla Sue Bond, Bonnie Bond and Sharon Cutright.
Dale was a member of Globe Christian Church, and a member of Labors Local 1445 in Cattlesburg, Kentucky for 37 years and worked for Carter County Board of Education for 11 years He enjoyed history, reading and watching UK Basketball (the earlier years), discussing politics and spending time with his family.
Dale is survived by two sons Jerry Hicks (Jerry Neff) of Flemingsburg, Kentucky, J.D. (Leanne) Hicks of Ironton, Ohio; one daughter, Tania Lambert (Pat Ferry) of Upper Tygart, Kentucky; three grandchildren, Jessie Lambert, Chloe Lambert, Zaylin Willis (Meghan); one great-grandson Fischer Willis; one brother, Gary (Debbie) Hicks of Olive Hill, Kentucky; one sister, Rita (Joey) Bond of Olive Hill, Kentucky, along with many other family and friends who will sadly miss him.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m., Sunday, October 27, 2024, at Globe Funeral Chapel, 17277 West US Hwy 60, Olive Hill, Kentucky, with Brother Jared Salyers and Brother David Rayburn officiating. Burial will follow in Garvin Ridge Cemetery.
Friends may visit from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., Saturday, October 26, 2024, and after
1 p.m., Sunday, October 27, 2024, until the service hour at Globe Funeral Chapel.
C.E. Bond, B. J. Bond, Jared Salyers, Tyler Salyers, Logan Brummage and Jacob Shafer will serve as pallbearers.
In lieu of flowers, make all contributions to Community Hospice Care Center in Ashland, Kentucky.
Globe Funeral Chapel in Olive Hill, Kentucky is honored to serve the family of Dale Lee “Hollywood” Hicks.
Betty Ann Castle Hampton, age 82, of Rush, Kentucky, passed away Monday, October 14, 2024, at Kingsbrook Lifecare Center in Ashland, Kentucky.
She was born Wednesday, December 16, 1942, in Rush, Kentucky, a daughter of late Elmer and Juanita Dickens Castle.
Betty loved going to church, cooking, working in her flower garden and spending time with her family and friends, especially her grandchildren.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Donald Hampton; one daughter, Betty Jo Hampton Edwards and one brother, Willard Castle; two brothers-in-law, Tim Shaffer and Dennis Jackson.
Betty is survived by one son, Danny (Cathy) Hampton of La Salle Michigan; two grandchildren, Cody Harris of Ashland, Kentucky, Kelsey Hampton of Toledo, Ohio; two brothers, Fred (Penny) Castle of Clarkston, Michigan, Wayne (Shelia) Castle of Rush, Kentucky; two sisters, Janie Shaffer of Grayson, Judy Jackson of Helenwood, Indiana, along with many other family and friends who will sadly miss her.
Funeral services will be held 3 p.m., Wednesday, October 16, 2024, with Brother Roger Wireman officiating. Burial will follow in East Carter Memory Gardens in Grayson, Kentucky.
Friends may visit after 2 p.m., Wednesday, October 16, 2024, until the service hour at Grayson Funeral Home.
Grayson Funeral Home & Cremation Services is honored to serve the family of Betty Ann Castle Hampton.
Each fall, prussic acid poisoning is a real concern for Kentucky livestock producers, especially those who grow and graze their animals on sorghum-based forages like forage sorghum, sorghum-sudangrass, sudangrass and johnsongrass. By taking proper precautions, you can prevent prussic acid poisoning in your animals.
Prussic acid poisoning occurs when livestock graze sorghum-based pastures shortly after the field experiences a traumatic event, such as frost. These forages can accumulate high levels of cyanide-producing compounds in their outer cells. Further inside these plants are enzymes that can convert the compounds into the poison. Frosts cause plant cells to rupture, which allows cyanide-producing compounds and enzymes to mix. If consumed by livestock, the compounds will interfere with how their bodies use oxygen, and it can rapidly result in death. Ruminants are especially susceptible to prussic acid poisoning, because they have enzymes inside of their rumen that are also capable of converting the cyanogenic compounds into the poison.
Do not allow your animals to graze fields containing sorghum-based forages for five to seven days after a frost, even if it’s patchy. If a killing frost occurs, do not allow the animals to graze the pasture at least seven days following the frost. With time, the forage can dry down and prussic acid is reduced via volatilization.
You can cut sorghum-based forages for hay after a frost, but make sure the hay is properly cured before baling. During the curing process, prussic acid volatilizes and renders the forage safe for livestock feeding.
In most cases, you can ensile sorghum forages for baleage, because the ensiling process reduces cyanide compounds in the forage. Delay feeding the baleage six to eight weeks after ensiling to allow the fermentation process to finish and toxin levels time to decrease. If your forage has particularly high toxin levels at ensiling, you should have the baleage tested before feeding it to livestock.
Regularly test your soils and apply nutrients according to recommendations. Soils that are high in nitrogen and low in potassium and phosphorus have a higher potential of causing plants to produce prussic acid.
For more information of if you need to test your forages for cyanide content, contact the Carter County office of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expressions, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.
Upcoming Events:
The Grayson Farmer’s Market is open on Saturdays from 9:00 AM until noon. The market is in the shed behind the Extension Office. The Olive Hill Farmer’s Market is in the Save-a-Lot parking lot and is open on Saturdays and Wednesdays at 8:00 AM and Mondays at 3:00 PM until sell out each day.
Northeast Area Livestock Association – Tuesday, October 29th @ 6:00 PM; Topic – Livestock Drinking Water; Speaker: Dr. Steve Higgins, UK Director of Environmental Compliance
In Greek mythology, the “sword of Damocles” represents an impending disaster. It never goes away, constantly waiting to drop.
That analogy aptly described the pressure for many years on the Kentucky General Assembly to find a solution to the state’s public pension crisis.
That problem reached the point that unfunded pension liabilities exceeded $30 billion and damaged the state’s credit rating.
But that worry apparently no longer exists, according to a glowing report on the first year of sports gambling taxes in Kentucky.
In what now appears to be akin to a stroke of genius, the Republican-dominated legislature followed the age-old tradition of sanitizing the state’s newest “sin tax” to guarantee the solvency of public pension systems.
A “sin tax” historically is applied to something the public wants but society might discourage, such as gambling on horse racing or the sale of tobacco products or the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages
Combined with the state’s healthy general fund surplus, the millions from sports gambling means that state and local government employees, including public school personnel, won’t have to worry if their pensions will be there when they retire.
Sports gambling in Kentucky exceeded $2 billion in its first year and the state’s share was $37 million in taxes, far more than the anticipated $23 million. A steady revenue stream from sports gambling should mean no future concerns about the fiscal health of public pensions.
That leaves us with the moral question of have we started something for a public purpose that may have a very negative private impact on Kentucky families, i.e., gambling addiction.
Nationally, directors of gambling addiction treatment groups are saying that calls to their helplines are dramatically increasing because of the legalization of sports betting and the growing popularity of sports betting apps.
“We believe, nationwide, the rate and severity of gambling problems have increased across the United States since 2018,” said Keith Whyte, executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, a non-profit organization devoted to minimizing the costs and harms of gambling addiction. The group operates the helpline 1-800-GAMBLER.
“We have every reason to believe the growth of online sports betting is a major contributing factor to the increase in gambling problems,” Whyte said.
Whether we consider addiction an unintended consequence or not, we should use part of that gambling tax windfall to help problem gamblers. Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com.
ScareFest Weekend returns to the Central Bank Center in Lexington this weekend, October 18-20. This year marks 16 years for the fan favorite convention that celebrates everything scary in film, print, and pretty much every other conceivable medium that delivers chills and the best sorts of night terrors. There will be photo ops, meet and greets, panels, and special events such as a whiskey tasting event with actor Matthew Lillard. And of course, vendors with popular and rare horror memorabilia.
Wes Forsythe, media manager and the ‘Face of ScareFest’ due in part to the extremely popular ScareFest Television Content Network, said that ScareFest is always working toward making the fan experience better. The convention has grown over the years and has built a reputation for booking great celebrities and celebrity ‘reunions’, where multiple actors from a popular movie or television franchise show up and give fans a group photo op. This year multiple celebrities from the movies Fright Night, Scream, Phantasm, and Children of the Corn will appear.
ScareFest also boasts rare appearances such as this year’s appearance by bestselling horror author Clive Barker, whose works of course are the basis for the popular Hellraiser movies. This year also brings together the three cast members of The Blair Witch Project, Heather Donahue, Joshua Leaonard, and Michael Williams. John Kassir, aka The Crypt Keeper, will be available all weekend as will Johnathan Breck, the Creeper from Jeepers Creepers. There will even be a celebrity ghost hunt with Dave Schrader and Rob Thompson.
“We never considered ourselves as just a convention,” Forsythe said of ScareFest. “We always wanted to be a vacation destination. And to do that, you have to give people something to do while they are there.”
“We have seminars, panels, and film festivals during the day,” he continued. “But after the convention doors close, we have entertainment like the Casual Friday live podcast with Kane Hodder, Felicia Rose, and Tiffany Shepis. Another podcast, Talk Scary to Me with Scout Taylor Compton and Danielle Harris and a dinner with Greg Nicotero. And the celebrity Ghost Hunt is a returning event everyone is excited about.”
Forsythe said that the Matthew Lillard whiskey tasting event this year has had a phenomenal response.
“Lillard contacted us well after he was booked to appear and asked about having a whiskey tasting,” Forsythe said.
Lillard, along with Justin Ware and Tim Sparapani, founded a whiskey company, and the actor wanted to share his whiskey with ScareFest fans.
“It’s another chance for his fans to meet Lillard, this time in a more personal setting with a limited crowd,” Forsythe added.
Over the past four years, especially, Forsythe said that ScareFest has grown to become one of, if not the, largest horror themed conventions in the country. He credits that in large part to having a phenomenal group of volunteers who work tirelessly to keep all of the convention’s moving parts working together and managing the organized chaos that all public events of that size share.
“We want you to have the best time, we want you to meet your favorite celebrities, and we want you to be able to browse through all the cool stuff our vendors have to offer,” Forsythe said. “So, we work really hard to make sure you don’t see any of the chaos. That’s our job. Yours is to have a really great weekend.” Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
On September 30, 2016, Ron Arnett received some devastating news. Arnett said that he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer, and that his urologist told him that he was in ‘really bad shape’.
“My PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) was 419.6 (anything over 4.0 being considered high), so I was off the charts,” Arnett said. “The cancer had metastasized throughout my body, but in my bones only. And now, in the ninth year, it’s still in my bones only.”
Arnett said that by the cancer being in his bones only, and not in any soft tissue, he still had a chance to fight it.
He immediately started treatment with his urologist in Ashland, Justin Dixon, whom he credits with giving him phenomenal care.
“He started me on some medicines to try and get my PSA down. I give him some credit,” Arnett said. “But I also have about 100,000 people praying for me every day. And between the medicine and God, my PSA went back to 0.0 – which is impossible.”
But possible or not, Arnett said, that is exactly what happened.
The miracle he experienced is no surprise to him. He said that he has always been a religious man who was supported by his faith, and he is certain God has taken care of him. He said that once he received the diagnosis, he was prepared for a two-year life expectancy if that was how it worked out. But after such a favorable initial response he changed his expectations.
“I told my doctor I was planning on another twenty years, and we’d go from there,” Arnett said. “And he told me he hoped I was closer to being right than he was.”
“So, here we are in year nine,” Arnett said with an optimism buoyed by his faith and the faith of those who support and pray for him.
“I have been to MD Anderson in Houston, Texas, I have been to the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center, and I’m still seeing Doctor Dixson in Ashland,” Arnett continued. “And I have gotten some of the best medical care available anywhere in the world. And everywhere I have been, I’ve been treated just right.”
Arnett said that he has been doing well and has not had a treatment since the spring of 2024.
“I tell people I am not cancer free, but treatment free,” he said. “My cancer is still present in my pelvis, and that’s the one place that it has never cleared up. The rest of my body did get clear for a couple of years,” he continued. “As of last week, my most recent scans, I still have no soft tissue involvement which is just a miracle.”
He is still going to the University of Kentucky, he said, and will be returning in December to make plans for possible treatments into the future.
“During the time that I have been dealing with cancer, because of the efforts of the American Cancer Society, all the folks who help to raise money, and all the corporations that donate to cancer research, there have been new treatments available about every year,” Arnett said. “When I finish one, there is another one we can try.”
Arnett said that without the efforts of dedicated individuals who raise money and the American Cancer Society, he would not have had the opportunities for treatment that he has been able to make use of. So, he encourages everyone to take part in raising funds for cancer research. In Carter County, 2025 will mark thirty years of fundraising to fight cancer, Arnett said.
Arnett said that he and his wife are involved with Relay for Life and their fundraising efforts. Teams across Carter County compete to raise the most money for cancer research in honor of both those fighting cancer and those who unfortunately have passed. The organization typically does survivor walks to honor those battling cancers of all types, and this year the organization will also have a Survivor Dinner at Kentucky Christian University on Saturday, October 19, 2024.
“But anyone can donate anytime,” Arnett said. “Our committee puts together sponsorship booklets, and of lot of businesses and professional people buy those.”
Arnett said anyone wanting to donate to support cancer research can go online at relayforlife.org/carterky.
Gypsy is a 35 pound female boxer mix. She walks well on a leash, loves attention, and is up to date on all shots and already spayed. Gypsy has a free adoption to an approved home. 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.
One of the two constitutional amendments Kentucky voters will decide this November would prohibit people who are not citizens of the United States from voting in Kentucky elections — something that already does not happen.
The amendment’s sponsor, state Sen. Jason Howell, R-Murray, called it a “proactive” measure to protect election integrity. Others say the amendment could discourage immigrants who are citizens from exercising their right to vote and that Republicans are using it to fan anti-immigrant fears to turn out their base.
If approved, Amendment 1 would bar noncitizens from voting in Kentucky elections. Election officials, including Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams, told lawmakers this summer that the state already has safeguards in place to keep that from happening.
During the 2024 legislative session, Howell’s bill was one of two proposing to amend the state constitution to specifically prevent noncitizens from voting in Kentucky elections. Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, introduced the other bill, which gained support in the House.
Similar measures are on the ballot this fall in other states, including Idaho, Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin. In Congress, House Republicans have sought to push a provision to bar noncitizens from voting in federal elections, which is already unlawful.
Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee for president, has repeatedly falsely claimed that noncitizens voting are costing Republicans elections, a claim refuted by former Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson, a Republican, among many others.
Noncitizens voting in elections across the country is rare. Some state officials in Texas, Ohio, Alabama and Georgia have flagged some noncitizens who have registered to vote or did vote in an election. Some local governments in California, Maryland, Vermont and the District of Columbia allow noncitizens to vote in their elections, such as for school board or city council.
In an interview with the Lantern, Howell said if a local government in Kentucky allowed noncitizens to vote in a local election, “the administrative complexities associated with that, with our county clerks and secretary of state’s office, would be significant.”
“The reality of the situation — if a governmental entity decided to do this anywhere in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, a huge majority of our citizens would lose their minds over it, and I think rightly so,” the senator said.
Anti-immigrant sentiments
Some have criticized measures like Kentucky’s Amendment 1 as a ploy to churn anti-immigrant sentiments among GOP base voters.
Corey Shapiro, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky, called it “an attempt to divide and fearmonger more than anything else” as federal law already prohibits noncitizens from voting in federal elections.
Shapiro said the amendment will bring “additional attention to anybody who people think might not be a citizen” and could increase voter suppression among immigrants who have gained citizenship.
“We’re seeing attacks on immigrants all across the country, and this is yet another attack, and it’s unfortunate because people who are registered to vote in Kentucky have probably one of the fewest opportunities to vote compared to other states, and instead of working to actually improve our election laws, make it easier for people to access the ballot, we are spending time and money talking about … made-up problems and casting doubt on the legitimacy of our elections,” Shapiro said.
Kentucky has fewer days of early voting than most states. Voters also have fewer hours to get to the polls on Election Day in Kentucky, where polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., than in most states.
Shapiro said giving Kentucky voters “more access to the ballot and more ability to vote … would be a much better use of our politics.”
However, Howell said that he did not think the amendment could spur anti-immigrant sentiments among Kentuckians, but non-citizens voting in elections could.
“Sometimes, it’s very controversial when a particular immigrant community expands within a community,” Howell said. “And I can see anti-immigrant sentiment being stirred up against that particular immigrant community if they were given the opportunity to vote for their mayor, or their school board where their children are educated, or something like that. To me, that has a much greater risk of anti-immigrant backlash than this constitutional amendment ever could.”
The campaign for Amendment 1 has had a much lower profile than Amendment 2, which would give the General Assembly the ability to fund nonpublic schools if passed. Nine issue committees have registered with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance to spend dollars to support or oppose Amendment 2, but none have filed to campaign on Amendment 1.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Cherlynn Stevenson of Lexington said during a Kentucky Democratic Party press conference a couple of weeks ago that she does “absolutely believe that (Amendment 1) is probably on the ballot to help drive turnout” for the nonpublic schools amendment as voters who will support Amendment 1 will be encouraged to vote for Amendment 2.
“It is a solution in search of a problem that doesn’t exist because noncitizens can already not vote,” Stevenson said.
Howell said the amendments are “pretty mutually exclusive” as they deal with separate issues. He said he has not heard people talk about the amendments together. Originally published by the Kentucky Lantern.
Grayson council voted to forego annexation of the Horton Estates neighborhood during their regular meeting last week. Mayor Troy Combs suggested to the council that they strike the second reading of the annexation of the neighborhood. Combs said he and councilman Michael Harper had met with several residents of that area and heard their concerns about the proposed annexation.
“There were a variety of questions and concerns about the annexation,” Combs said. “And although we did our best to inform them, I think it would be prudent to postpone this reading and perhaps have a special meeting at a later time in a larger venue. That way we can answer all the questions as specifically as possible and ensure that everyone concerned is fully informed.”
The council voted to strike the second reading from the October meeting’s agenda.
Kentucky Christian University President Terry Alcorn addressed the council with an invitation.
“On November 8 we are hosting a gala,” Alcorn told the council. “We have invited Alan Robertson to come and speak, and I wanted to invite the council to attend on the University’s behalf.”
The gala event, Alcorn told the council, is to raise money for KCU student scholarships. President Alcorn also issued an open invitation to the council to make use of KCU facilities for any special meetings they might need to hold in a larger venue.
Mayor Combs then recognized members of the newly reconstituted Committee on Aging and Special Needs. The body was established on September 11, 2018, Mayor Combs said, and recently there have been informational meetings held and new officers have been appointed. Those present included Patty Martin, Lloyd Miller, Barbara Tackett, Randy Goff, Karen Biggs, and Mindy Fowl.
The committee members could not be sworn in at the meeting due to the city clerk being out on a medical emergency, and will be sworn in at a later date.
Carter County Kiwanis Club President Marc Bentley also addressed the council, informing them of a fundraiser planned by the Kiwanis.
“The Kiwanis Club is a service club dedicated to investing in the community’s most precious resource, our young people and their families,” Bentley told the council.
Since its charter in 2017, the Kiwanis Club had been involved in the community during various events such as a Jeep Show during Memory Days. The club also installed a playground spinner at the Grayson Sports Park, donated two handicapped bicycles to the Carter County Board of Education, and donated over 100 computers and printers to the Carter County Board of Education. They are currently raising funds and hosting a food drive, The Harvest Pack Meal Packing Event, Bentley told the council.
The Harvest Pack event consists of packing meals intended for young people that can easily be prepared themselves, Bentley said. Sponsors are needed along with volunteers to pack the ingredients for the meals. The goal is to provide 30,000 meals. The event will take place on November 19, 2024, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Veterans Bingo Hall in Grayson .
Mayor Combs made the council aware that some Grayson restaurants had voiced the desire to ban food trucks in the city. One concern voiced, he told the council, was that restaurants thought the food trucks had an unfair advantage because they did not pay property taxes. Combs said the restaurant owners had been invited to the council meeting, but none were present. The council discussed the matter, but no action was taken. Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
Carter County fiscal court. (Photo by Charles Romans, Carter County Times)
By Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Carter County fiscal court met in regular session on Monday evening, with public comment dominating the meeting. Numerous members of the community brought concerns before the court about everything from right-of-way disputes to food insecurity.
Carter County Kiwanis Club President Marc Bentley spoke to the court about fundraising to support those in need in the community, and invited them to take part in the Harvest Pack food packing event to be held at the Veterans Bingo Hall in November.
Pam Wilburn addressed the court about The Grayson Freewill Baptist Church outreach ministry, where once a month they provide food and other essentials to approximately 300 families in the community. Wilburn said that the group Christian Appalachian Project currently supplies them with a semi load of food and other necessities every month, but if they had more storage space that amount could be tripled. Wilburn discussed the possibility of using the old county garage, but that solution was challenging for a number of reasons.
Amanda Gee, a community health worker from Primary Plus, is partnering with Wilburn and described for the court the impact that programs such as Wilburn’s have on the community.
“As a community health worker, I also get referrals to bridge needs,” Gee said. “Last month alone I had 67 patients in Carter County alone who needed food. The burden is great in our area. As inflation rises so does hardships on families.”
While the use of the maintenance garage could not be considered as a potential solution to the group’s need, county magistrates and the judge executive discussed alternatives such as the possibility of temporarily renting storage units to meet the need. Derrick McKinney of District 2 said that he would check into a potential storage rental, and that he personally would donate the cost of 12 month’s rental.
David Lewis and his sister Paulette Parker appeared on behalf of their 87-year-old mother and addressed the court regarding an ongoing dispute of right-of-way. The pair made a request for the court to try to remedy what Lewis described as a mistake made by a previous fiscal court. The problem, he said, began in 2008, when a neighbor attempted to prevent them from traveling an established right-of-way to access their mother’s property.
Lewis said that according to his research the right-of-way had never changed, but had been recorded improperly when many roads in the area were renamed to facilitate effective 911 service. He and his sister were requesting that the court fix this oversight.
The problem and the dispute with Lewis’ family and their neighbor has resulted in numerous instances of litigation and been ongoing for 17 years. The judge executive told Lewis that he would look into the matter and see what could be done moving forward.
No one appeared before the court to contest the removal of Buck Road from county maintenance, and the matter is slated for a public hearing on October 30, 2024. However, Buck Road resident Cynthia Anderson asked the court what she should do, because her neighbors have blocked the road near its end, and she is not able to get into her driveway. Anderson was wondering if, in the interim while awaiting the public hearing, the county would be able to remove the blockage and allow her access to her property.
Anderson said that she was unable to get into and out of her property without driving through what she termed a ‘mud pit’ and damaging her property further. According to her survey, Anderson said that she owns to the edge of one side of the road and her neighbors own to the other side, but the road itself was an access left by the individual who owned much of the area, and was left out of deeds so that he would have access to different plots of land. Her neighbors, she said, were taking unfair advantage of this and regularly causing damage to her property and making her life miserable due to the contention.
“The violence is worse,” Anderson told the court. “He was walking that road with an AK 47,” she said of her neighbor. “He was threatening me, and I couldn’t come out of the house. I used to be able to walk outside and take my dogs for a walk, and just have a nice life.”
Anderson said that her yard used to be nice, and she had planted saplings, but her neighbor destroyed those and all of that portion of her yard.
“And now he is walking up and down the road with a very large firearm, but he tells the police he doesn’t have anything like that. But this guy is dangerous,” she said. “He attacked my daughter, and he constantly presents himself nude anytime I come outside. He’s getting more verbally abusive and he’s threatening to shoot me, he’s threatening to shoot my dogs, and I am terrified because I don’t know what this person is capable of.”
The court set an open hearing for October 30, to remove Buck Road from county maintenance.
In other business the court, at the request of Linda Day from Safe Harbor, voted on a proclamation to set aside October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and County Judge Executive Brandon Burton read the proclamation to the court and those assembled. The court also voted to surplus a Timberwolf box trailer and accept bids until the next regularly scheduled meeting. Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
2 Timothy 3:1 says, “This know (it is mandatory to understand) also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.”
According to Paul, the conduct of the people will create the perilous times. The translated word for “perilous” in 2 Timothy 3:1 is ‘chalepos’, which means troublesome, dangerous, harsh, fierce, full of risk, hazardous, harmful, dreadful, threatening.
Lovers of their own selves – they will be self-centered. Philippians 2:21 says, “For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.”
Covetous – An insatiable desire for worldly gain, craziness for wealth and materialism. Luke 12:15 says “And he said unto them, take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”
Boasters – expressing vain glory. Psalm 10:3 says, “For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.”
Proud – valuing themselves above all others. Proverbs 21:4 says, “A high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.”
Blasphemers – those who speak immorally of God and sacred things. Mark 3:29 says, “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness but is in danger of eternal damnation.”
Disobedient to parents – disrespect and dishonoring parents both physically and spiritually. Ephesians 6:1-2 says, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise.”
Unthankful – not appreciating God and others for good deeds. Romans 1:21 says, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”
Unholy – not pleasing God. Jude 18 says, “How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.”
Without natural affection – no family affection and lack of tender love. Romans 1:31says, “Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.”
Trucebreakers – treacherous and betraying true friendship. Romans 1:31 says, “Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.”
False accusers – character assassination. Proverbs 10:18 says, “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.”
Incontinent – without self-control or unrestrained. 2 Peter 2:14 says, “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: a heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children.”
Scriptures admonish all believers living in this ‘last days’ to turn away from all ungodly practices in order not to be caught in the web of the perilous times. 2 Timothy 3:5 says, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” As true believers, we must therefore receive the prophecies/warning and always be conscious of it. We must separate from the company and fellowship of people with the characteristics above (2 Corinthians 6:14-17). AMEN. SO BE IT.
JOYFUL House of Prayer, 2519 Quicksand Road, (P.O. Box 856), Jackson, Kentucky 41339.
Governor Andy Beshear addresses a crowd that included high school students who plan to make a career in the trades. (Photo by Jeremy D. Wells, Carter County Times)
By Jeremy D. Wells Carter County Times
It wasn’t even two years ago, Governor Andy Beshear noted, that he was in Grayson attending the groundbreaking for a new IKORCC (Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights) training facility. Now, a year and a half later, the governor was back for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the newly opened Jerry Burke Memorial Training Center.
“I was here, last April, for the groundbreaking, and now we get to see the result of y’all’s hard work,” Beshear told the crowd of IKORCC union members, leadership, and students. “This $5 million, 15,000 square foot expansion is going to help our carpenters, millwrights, and welders take advantage of new, great job opportunities building world-class facilities from the ground up.”
Beshear noted that many of those facilities could be right here in the Commonwealth – meaning good jobs at home for not only those building the facilities, but those who would be working there to power the next generation of energy jobs in industries like battery production for electrical vehicles and solar power storage.
Beshear noted his support of union tradespeople, as well as his administration’s support and investment in training for the next generation of skilled tradespeople.
“We’ve now invested over $245 million in career and technical training in our high schools,” he said. “We recognize that there are good jobs waiting out there for people, and that our kids should be able to choose whatever path they want, and we should make sure they’re successful in whatever path they choose.”
It’s a tune that IKORCC assistant director for Kentucky, and former Grayson councilman, Jerry Yates has been singing for some time. In his previous role as the head of the local union hall, and as a councilman, Yates focused on bringing training and job opportunities closer to home. This included the drafting of fair bidder legislation for the city and county, to make sure contractors and subcontractors working on municipal or county funded projects were adequately protected and fairly compensated, and that contractors were adhering to all appropriate safety and tax regulations.
In advocating for those regulations and others that benefit locals working in the trades, Yates has often noted that he wants young people to be able to earn a good living without having to leave the region – a break from the old “three Rs” of reading, ‘riting, and Route 23 out of here. It’s a mission and philosophy that the new training center will help the union realize.
But while it’s a path to success that the union can help young men and women achieve, it’s one that often starts with vocational training well before they enter the workforce. For instance, Shawn Bocook, carpentry instructor at the Carter County Career and Technical Center, explained how students who do well in his program, and test at the appropriate level, can cut up to two years off their union apprenticeship. “Once they get in this program, there’s a certain set of coursework that’s provided through the IKORCC that (the union) wants to see done,” Bocook explained.
That coursework, or track, includes both shop and test related items that students must demonstrate competency in, he noted.
“It’s a two year course,” Bocook continued. “Once they complete all those requirements, and they’re able to demonstrate the necessary skills and test scores, then they’re able to go into their apprenticeship as a second year apprentice.”
This includes starting work at a higher pay scale.
Students must demonstrate those skills while also meeting the requirements of their high school and career tech education, Bocook said, as well as within the scope of the classroom projects.
The requirements, he explained, are, “really a bunch of projects, set up in stages.”
“So, what we have is the option to take those projects that we see, and manipulate it to fit what we’re doing out here.”
It demonstrates the same skillset, Bocook said, even if it’s on completely different projects. For instance, one of the projects they’re currently working on is a tiny house. While it’s much smaller in scale than something like a new manufacturing facility, the rules about proper measurement and alignment still apply. In this way, he said, they can take on the projects that people reach out to the school to have completed, while still adhering to the required curriculum and the union’s advancement track.
Their classroom experience does more than get them ready to enter the union as an apprentice, though. It also helps the students begin understanding where they will fit on a job site and in the workplace dynamic as well.
“They get in these groups, and they figure out; Am I a leader? Where do I fit in this dynamic? And you work to their strengths… So, they start figuring out who they are as an individual, really. And where they fit in this. Then, when they get out here in the ‘real world’ as we want to call it, they’re going to be able to speak for themselves.”
One of the students who hopes to take advantage of the track offered by the IKORCC is senior Sylas Bentley. Bentley, whose grandfather and father have both worked as union carpenters, said he wants to take advantage of the benefits he’s seen the union offer his family.
“I started doing construction when I was about 15,” Bentley said. “I started working with this guy, and when I became a junior (in high school) I got interested in it because it’s something that I’ve already had a little bit of experience with.”
His father worked with the union for “about 15 years,” before changing careers, Bentley noted. But his grandfather retired from the union, he said, and the pension he receives is just one of the strong incentives that he’d like to take advantage of as he grows and advances in his career.
“My pap, he went all the way to 65, and retired from it, and still gets a retirement check. I just think there’s a lot of good benefits with it. You can retire when you’re 55. You can get a lot of good insurance… good pay too.”
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.
Ashley Baier, 31, of Grayson, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on charges of operating a motor vehicle on a suspended or revoked operator’s license, no registration receipt, no registration plates, failure to produce an insurance card, and failure to appear, arrested and booked October 7.
Ashley King, 38, of Olive Hill, arrested by Carter County Sheriff, on a charge of third degree burglary, arrested and booked October 8.
James Johnson, 55, of Grayson, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on a charge of trafficking in a controlled substance (carfentanil or fentanyl derivatives), arrested and booked October 8.
Mark Queen, 47, of Grayson, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on a charge of second degree hindering prosecution or apprehension, arrested and booked October 8.
Joe Sammons, Jr., 33, of Grayson, arrested by Kentucky State Police, serving a warrant for a parole violation, and on charges of theft by unlawful taking or disposition of items valued at more than $1,000 but less than $10,000, and second degree burglary, arrested and booked October 8.
Michael Cox, 54, of Grayson, arrested by Kentucky State Police, serving a warrant for a parole violation, arrested and booked October 10.
Lashanna Snowden, 34, of Olive Hill, arrested by Kentucky State Police, for non-payment of court costs, fees, or fines, arrested and booked October 10.
Stephanie Vannatter, 40, of Grayson, arrested by Grayson PD, on a charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance, arrested and booked October 11.
Dionisio Bucio, 41, address unavailable, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on charges of speeding 5 MPH over limit, license not in possession, reckless driving, careless driving, failure to produce insurance card, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, arrested and booked October 11.
Angela Barker, 42, of Ashland, arresting agency unavailable, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 11.
Jeffrey Blankenship, 45, of Carter City, self-surrender, weekender, arrested and booked October 11.
Nicholas Russell, 43, of Catlettsburg, arrested by Carter County Detention Center, charges unavailable, arrested and booked
Glen Wallace, 50, of Georgetown, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on a charge of alcohol intoxication in a public place, and four counts of failure to appear, arrested and booked October 12.
Robert Wells, 35, of Greenup, arrested by Grayson PD, for failure to appear, arrested and booked October 12.
Nathan Navarre, 35, of Richmond, arrested by Kentucky State Police, on charges of speeding 26 MPH or more over speed limit, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, arrested and booked October 13.
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.
