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Manchester Enterprise - 7.24.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: That we turned to the Manchester Enterprise to read news
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and around Manchester. The reader today is Mike Keller. We
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will begin with the addition dated Friday, July the twenty fourth,
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as a reminder Radio Wized reading service intended for people
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who are blind or have other disabilities that make it
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difficult to read printed material. First, we'll read from the
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publisher's desk. The column proved the column a few weeks ago.
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This is from Mark Hoskins. A few weeks ago, I
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wrote a column about perception. The basic point was simple.
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Two people can read the exact same thing, witness the
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exact same event, or hear the exact same statement, and
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walk away with completely different opinions about what they just experienced.
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It wasn't a complicated concept. In fact, it's something we
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see every day. Ironically, after poaching that column online from
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Manchester Enterprise, the reaction to it became a perfect example
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of every point I was trying to make. Some readers
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interpreted the column as support for an individual accused of
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sexually assaulting a child. Let me be crystal clear, nothing
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could be further from the truth. I have never supported
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child abuse, sexual abuse, or anyone accused of harming a child.
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I never will the column wanting about that particular case.
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It wasn't about any case at all. It was a
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broader discussion about perception and how people often view the
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same information through completely different lenses. Yet some readers connected
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the two and reached the conclusion that was never intended.
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One of those readers happened to be a family member
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of the alleged victim. After seeing the reaction, I reached
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out directly to her. We exchanged several messages and talked
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through what I had written and what I had meant.
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By the end of the conversation, she understood that she
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had misinterpreted the column. To her credit, she publicly acknowledged
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that misunderstanding and made a post explaining herself. That deserves recognition.
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In today's world, admitting a mistake is rare. Social media
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has become a place where people up and double down
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rather than step back. Many would rather continue arguing that
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admit they may have misunderstood something. It takes humility and
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character to say I may have read that wrong. I
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genuinely respect her for doing that. Unfortunately, even after that clarification,
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others continued to push the narrative that the column was
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somehow deputing the hused or dismissing the seriousness of the allegations.
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That reaction only structuring the point I was trying to
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make in the first place. People didn't just interpret the
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column differently. Some continued believing in their interpretation even after
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additional contexts were provided. They saw what they expected to
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see rather than what was actually written. That's the power
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of perception. We all do it at times. We bring
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our own experiences, emotions, biases, assumptions into every conversation. Sometimes
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those things help us understand the situation. Other times they
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can cause us to see something that isn't really there.
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As a newspaper publisher, I understand that not everyone will
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agree with what I write. That's part of the job.
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Healthy disagreement is good. Different opinions are good. But before
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you react, before we share a post we accuse somewhat
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of something they never said, maybe we should all take
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a moment to ask a simple question, is that really
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what was written? Or is that what I assume was written.
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The truth is that the reaction to my perception column
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ended up being the greatest evidence that the column was
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right all along. Sometimes the best proof doesn't come from
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an argument. Sometimes it comes from watching your argument happen
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in real time. Now we have a column written Manchester
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receives clean audit, All financial reports now current. It's headlined
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in Manchester. City of Manchester has received a clean audit
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for the twenty twenty twenty five episcal year, marking a
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significant milestone after several years of working to bring the
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city's financial reporting up the date. During Monday Night's regular meeting,
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a CPA with admir and Cox PLLC presented the audit
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to the Manchester City Council. Abner told council members the
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city received a clean audit opinion and noted that all
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required city audits are now current. He also played city
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Hall staff for the cooperation throughout the process. I want
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to come in the stack of City Hall, Abner said,
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they have been very cooperative and helping us get these
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audits caught up and completed. When Mayor Steve Collins took
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office three years ago, the city was several years behind
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on mandatory financial audits. Colin said bringing the city's audits
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current and addressing any deficiencies identic by during the process
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became one of his administration's top priorities. This was something
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we knew had to be done. Colin said, we made
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a commitment to get every audit up to date, correct
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any deficiencies that were identical, and make sure the City
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of Manchester is operating with transparency and accountability. Receiving a
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cling audit is a testament to the hard work of
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our City Hall staff and everyone who helped make it happen.
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A clean audit indicates the city's financial statements fairly presented
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its financial position and complied with applical accounting standards. Now
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we have an article about Paige Robertson selected as new
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principal of Oneida Elementary Following an extensive selection process involving
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numerous qualified applicants, Paige Robertson has been named the new
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principal of Oneida Elementary School. The appointment was made jointly
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by Clay County School's Superintendent, William Sexton, and the Oneida
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Elementary Site based Decision Making Council. Robertson succeeds Thomas Hayden,
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who is retiring at your serving as a school's principal.
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Sexton said, Robertson's experience in the classroom, instructional leadership, and
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literacy intervinsion made her the right choice to lead Oneida
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Elementary into the future. Missus Robertson distinguished herself throughout a
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very competitive interview process. Sexton said she has approven track
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record as an outstanding educator, a strong instructional leader, and
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someone who is passionate about helping students succeed. The Site
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makes Counsel and I believe she is the right person
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to build upon the excellent foundation mister Hayden leaves behind
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and we are excited to welcome her as the next
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Principle of Oneida Elementary. Robertson said she is honored by
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the opportunity and looks forward to becoming part of the
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Oneida school community. I am incredibly excited and humbled be
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selected as the next Principle of Oneida Elementary, Robertson said,
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I look forward to working alongside our outstanding teachers, staff, students,
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and families. Together we will continue building a positive school
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culture where every child is challenged, supported and given every
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opportunity to succeed. I'm grateful to Supertincent Sexton and Site
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Based Council for their confidence in me. I'm excited to
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begin this new chapter Robertson brings nearly a decade of
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classroom experience to the position, having taught students in grade
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K through six from twenty sixteen to twenty twenty four.
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Most recently, she served as to Save the Children Literacy
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Program Coordinator, where she oversaw both in school and after
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school literacy initiatives while supervising instructional staff. Her resume also
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includes is a district based mentor for Option six teachers,
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and leadership in developing data driven and structural practices to
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help improve student achievement. Robertson holds a bachelor's degree in
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elementary education and a master's degree in Libraries Incram Martin's
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Informatives and Technology and Education. She has earned Rank one
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certification and Educational Leadership Whole certification, is a school Media
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library and librarian and is sort of glad to teach
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instructural computer technology. She is also currently pursuing National Board
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certification in early middle childhood literacy, reading, language Arts. In
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her philosophy of education, Robertson emphasizes creating a school K
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culture where every student can thrive. Her vision out line
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during the selection process is to empower every student every
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day to achieve academic success for the present and future.
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She describes herself as a motivated and carrying educator committed
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to student well being, staff development, and building a school
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community that parents, students, and educators can be proud of.
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Robertson will assume her new duties as principal in time
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by the start of the twenty twenty six twenty seven
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school year, leading Ononda Elementary as it begins a new
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chapter following Haydn's retirement and now we have the city
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Council approves purchase of two key properties. The Manchester City
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Council unanimously approved the purchase of two strategically important properties
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Monday night, paving the way for a new city garage
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and City Hall while preserving the cities exists, steing fire station,
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and supporting future downtown redevelopment. During its regular monthly meeting,
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the Council authorized the purchase of the former White Chevrolet
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property for one point two million dollars. The site will
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become the future home of Manchester City Garage and City Hall.
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The council also approved the purchase to the properly property
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currently housing Manchester City Hall from the Clay County Board
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of Education for four hundred thousand dollars. City officials said
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the purchase of the White Chevrolet property is essential because
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the current city garage has deteriorated to the point that
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is nearly a condemnation. Relocating the city garage will also
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allow one Clay County to expand Rolling Stonson Park, another
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step in the ongoing revitalization of downtown Manchester. The White
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Chevrolet property is owned by the heirs of Jack and
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Doll White, both former mayors of Manchester. After the city
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was forced to relocate from its Memorial Drive offices because
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of the US WOAR twenty one expansion project, the Clay
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County Border Education offered its property to house City Hall
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under a ninety nine year lease for a dollar, while
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also constructing a new fire station on the site. By
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allowing the city to occupy the property, the Border Education
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eliminated the need from Manchester to lease private office spaces
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for approximately three thousand dollars a month, a saving city
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officials estimate totally three hundred thousand dollars over the past
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several years. Purchasing the property now gives the city permanent
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ownership of the facility that has served as City Hall.
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Originally City officials considered relocating the fire department to the
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former White Chevrolet property as part of the project Harber.
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Councilman Charles dobber Or Weaver said constructing a new fire
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station would have cost more than a million dollars. This way,
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we spend less than half that and keep our fire department,
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fire department plus valuable property we are currently utilizing, Weaver said.
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Mayor Steve Collins initially asked the council to postpone actually
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on purchasing the Board of Education property because council members
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Earl Owens and Mike Deaton were absent from Monday's meeting.
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I would really like to get their input on this also,
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Collins told the council. Following additional discussion, we were made
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the motion to proceed with the purchase, which passed unanimously
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among the members present. Funding for the acquisitions will come
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from one point two i'm sorry, one point five million
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dollars secured for the City of Manchester by Senate President
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Robert Steibers during the twenty twenty sixth General Assembly. Officials
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said those funds, along with approximately three hundred thousand dollars
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generated from the sale of the former Bick Big Hickory
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Golf Course will be used to purchase the properties and
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complete necessary renovations that will have a little sports news.
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The headline is Tiger Softball has a bright future, fresh
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hourcal appearance in the thirteenth Region Tournament semi finals. The
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Clay County Lady Tiger's softball team returns almost everyone next season.
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In what should be a spectacular upcoming season. Clay County
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graduates starting center fielder Sidney Stewart, a primarier presidence in
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the outfield who will no doubt be missed. Sydney played
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her hardest every time she stepped on the field, said
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coach Jason Rice. Her bright smile and effort on the
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field will be missed dearly. The future extingtly bright in
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Clay County for the upcoming twenty twenty seventh season. As
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basically the entire lineup returns, the Lady Tigers will be
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loaded to the brim with a talented senior class featuring
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Madison Sizemore, Casey Lust, and Olivia Hoskins. Sizemore finished this
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season batting three point fifteen and provided strong play at
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third base. Lust than her first year as a Lady
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Tiger batted two seventy five with home run with a
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home run and seventeen RBIs and will look to build
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on that next year. Hoskins, who batted three eighty four
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with five home runs, will look to not only continue
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a stellar career in the batter's box, but also a
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strong career in the pitching circle. Coach Christ has high
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expectations for the underclassmen as well as Emmy Reynolds highlights
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the junior class, followed by our plus talented sophomores. Riley Chestnut,
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Maddy Craft, Holly Hacker, Ella Samples and Anna Samples are
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all staples in the lineup who will be expected to
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strike beer into Clay County opponents. Anna Samples qush one
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season saw her bet two seventy five with four home runs,
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while her sister Ella added three home runs with a
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two to eighty seven average. It's safe to say the
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Tiger lineup is in good hands. Coach Christ also gets
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to see his talented eighth grader turned freshman, Annabel love It,
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continue her growth in the pitching circle. Lovett provided Clay
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County with another steady arm this season, giving them one
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of the deepest pitching rosters in the thirteenth region. It's
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a benequate for sure, said Rice. We feel very competent
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in both Olivia and Annabel and either are capable of
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going the distance against. And now we have a little
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Kentucky Baseball an article about them mountain rivals five nights
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in Morgantown. Some rivalries are built by geography, others are
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built by history. The best ones are built by competition.
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After standing the last five nights in Western Virginia at
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the NCAA Baseball Morgantown Regional, I have become convinced that
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Kentucky and West Virginia Baseball need to play every year.
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I'm sorry. This article is by doctor John Young, not occasionally,
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not when the NCUBA Tournament bracket happens to thrown them
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together every single year. Make It Home and Home altered
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its sites, midweek weekend series. Honestly, don't cow care how
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they do it. They just happened. For a second kentuckutive season,
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Kentucky and westwogion in your cross paths in the postseason.
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For the second consecutive season, the games delivered enough drama
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to build an entire Netflix series. This year's regional felt
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less like a baseball tournament more like an emotional stress test.
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Kentucky was just three outs away from hosting a super
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regional mcore. West Virginia, who got to for five runs
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in the ninth inning, just stealed an eleven nine victory.
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The following night, the Mountaineers appeared comfortably in control with
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a five to one league before back to back home
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runs by Hudson Brown and Ethan Hindle fueled a Kentucky
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comeback to tie the game. West Virginia ultimately walked it
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off six to five of the tenth inning, ending the
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Wildcat season and sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
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We saw it all, momentum, swings, comeback victories, blown leads,
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late inning heroics, and enough stress to shorten the lifespan
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of both fan bases for several months. The atmosphere felt
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different from a typical regional, more personal, more meaningful, like
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two proud programs refusing to give an inch. Maybe that's
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because these schools have more in common than people realize.
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Neither program enjoys the advantage of the traditional warm weather
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baseball powers, Neither carries the national cachet of an LSU
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or Texas. Both have had to earn their way into relevance.
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Both are exceptionally well coached, Both have developed identities built
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on toughness, culture and finding ways to win, and both
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fan bases care a lot more than outsider world probably understand.
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I was especially struck by the number of Kentucky fans
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who made the five hoyer drive to Morgantown. Has expected
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West Virginia fans piled Kindred Family Ballpark, Kentucky Glands Harborough
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showed up right alongside them. The result was an atmosphere
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that felt far bigger that a typical college baseball game.
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That's what college sports is supposed to be. As I
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walked around Morgantown, I couldn't help but notice how much
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the communities resemble each other. Both are bierfully loyal to
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the universities, Both carry a bit of an underdog chip
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on their shoulder. Both believe outsiders junquel don't fully appreciate
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what makes their programs special, and both fan bases seem
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perfectly willing to defend that honor at a moment's notice.
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I learned that lesson First Town. On Day one of
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the tournament, I posted on social media about one of
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my favorite teachers of the Kentucky Proud Park, the three
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hundred and sixty degree concourse that allows fans to walk
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completely around the stadium while still following the game. I
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casually noted that West Virginia's otherwise beautiful Kendrick Family Ballpark
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doesn't have one. You would have thought I insulted somebody's mother.
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The reaction was immediate and passionate. Apparently, in Morgantown, criticizing
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a stadium feature is as gregious as questioning Pepperoni roles. Frankly,
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I loved every second of it. People don't get that
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worked up over schools that don't care about Nobody launches
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a multi state defense of a ballpark against Directional State University.
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They do it when pride is involved. They do it
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when the opponent matters. That's why this matchup works. The
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geography makes sense, the baseball is outstanding, and the fan
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bases travel. The games have been dramatic enough to league.
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Both sides are mostly exhausted. Good players also love playing
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against other good players. Kentucky's Nick Mangione in West Virginia
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still I'm sorry. West Virginia Steve Sabans both came from
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Mbury Riddle University. Throughout the weekend. There was obvious mutual
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respect between the two. They competed fiercely without acting like
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professional wrestlers trying to sell a pay per view or event.
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The game supplied all the drama anyone needed. Sabans seemed
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open to the idea of annual series, noting that trying
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to play good opponents regional opponents is always a good thing,
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that his stack was constantly searching for quality competition. The
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biggest obstacles, he explained, are weather concerns and schedules often
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finalized years in advance. Maine June was more guarded, pointing
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instead the Kentucky's scheduling formula that has helped produce one
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of the nation's strongest average RPI's over the last three seasons.
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That's understandable, coaches are paid to make scheduling decisions with
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their heads, not their hearts. Still, after two years of
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unforgettable postseason baseball feels like both programs may have stumbled
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onto something worth exploring. Kentucky's rivalry with Louisville will always
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have history, it will always be matter for fans, but
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from a pure baseball standpoint, Kentucky versus West Virginia currently
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appears like a more natural fit. Honestly, it feels more organic.
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Most importantly, neither team appears capable of playing a boring
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game against the other. In today's college baseball landscape, where
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every non conference game is scrutinized through the lens of
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postseason selection, playing quality opponents shouldn't be viewed as a risk.
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It should be viewed as an investment. Kentucky helps West
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Virginia's resume. Western Virginia helps Kentucky's resume. Both programs benequit
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from playing meaningful game in front of meaningful crowds. College
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athletics often spends too much time chasing baseball contracts, conference
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realignment maps, and corporate buzzwords while overlooking the simple things
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Fans actually enjoy. Good teams, competitive atmospheres, and meaningful games.
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Kentucky and West Virginia check every box. Look. Sometimes the
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best ideas aren't complicated. Sometimes they're sitting right in front
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of you. This is one of them. Pick up the phone,
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find an open weekend, and sign a five year contract.
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Give the fans a memorable road trip, Give both programs
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a quality opponent, then let the mountains decided. Every spring
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and now we have Eastern Kentucky. This is an opinion column.
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Eastern Kentucky is showing the country what rural renewal actually
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looks like. And this is from City President Robert Steibers
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and Heidi height Camp. For years too much of national
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conversation about rural America has focused on what has been lost.
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Factories closed, cold jobs disappeared, young people moved away. As
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two leaders from different parts of rural America, one a
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former Democratic US Senator called North Dakota, the other Republican
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and president of Kentucky State Senate, we know these challenges
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are real. But after spending two days traveling through communities
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across the Eastern Kentucky with the Brookings AEI Commission on
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US Rural Prosperity, we came away convince of the country
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as still missing the bigger story. The Commission, a partisan
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body examining policy solutions to rural economic development are an
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economic decline, visited the region as part of a national
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series appealed hearings on what is and isn't worked Rural
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communities from Manchester using its heritage and swinging bridges to
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attract core tourists to downtown Hazard, where artists and entrepreneurs
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are writing a new chapter for a town long defined
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by coal. Eastern Kentucky stands an example of how rural
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America is still standing. Over two days, the Commission heard
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from local leaders in housing, higher education, healthcare, and philanth repeed,
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as well as job creators, local officials, and non profit
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organizations to spy dippering perspectives. Several key themes surclus repeatedly
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retaining talent, driving targeted economic investment, and confronting the substance
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used crisis to save lives and help people heal are
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key to changing the Eastern Kentucky landscape. While these priorities
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may look like separate policy buckets, the strongest consensus centered
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on people and the recognition that the economic renewal is
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fundamentally tied to taking care of the residents who power
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these communities. This concludes the reading of the Manchester Enterprise.
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Your reader has been Mike Keller. Now please stay tuned
27:24
for continued programming and I'm be happy of everyone here
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at RADIOI thank you for listening, and we hope you
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have a good day.