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Ashland Daily Independent - 7.15.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: We now turn to The Ashland Independent to bring you
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news from inn and around Ashland in Boyd County. Your
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reader today is Jane. We begin with the addition dated
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July fourteenth, twenty twenty six, as a reminder Radioizer reading
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service intended for people who are blind or have other
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disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material. Our
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first article Rocking the County concert amps Boyd for third year,
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by Tammy Hetzer Woomack for the Daily Independent. Hailey Wiseman
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was dressed for Americana Night Friday, barefoot in the mud
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woodstock style. She waited on her favorite performer, Austin Snell.
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As the sun came out after the rain showers. Wiseman
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twenty three, bedecked in her weathered raveled LEVI cutoff, pointing
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out out the rest of her ensemble. Red for America,
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Cheetah for Deva, and of course boots which I'm not wearing.
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Of course, she said with a laugh. As the sundown
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approaches Addington Road hilltops, the crowd is filled with energy
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and anticipation for Southern rock icons. Leonard skinnered to the stage.
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Not so much for Carly At thirty plus weeks pregnant.
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She's mellow, taking a load off in the folding lawn
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chair as the twins kicking her belly almost in time
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with the drums. Look at her. She's good, doesn't she
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said her husband Devon Jarvis twenty one. The Ashland couple
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already have children, aged four and two, and despite impending
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labor and delivery, they wouldn't miss this night for the
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world a chance to see Lynyrd skinnerd the music. Carly's
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daddy introduced Turtu as a little girl. Something the couple
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is doing, repeating with the twins, who are almost kicking
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in her belly to the drum beat Above the crowd.
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On a tree lined ridge, emergency officials and firefighters keep
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watch with high powered binoculars maintaining safety of attendees. Tim England,
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director of Emergency Management, keeps watch over the concert with
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the help of his team. From this vantage point, they
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see impending scuffles, overly intoxicated and fans feeling effects of
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illness or heat exhaustion. Alcohol only exacerbates medical conditions, said England,
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adding extreme heat, dehydration and the rain make his job tougher.
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People are heating advice disseminated beforehand, preparing for Rock the
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Country in a safe way, said Boyd County EAMUS executive
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director Turvy. On Friday, his team tree to fifty six patients,
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transporting two to the hospital, down from over four hundred
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the event's first day last year. Back in the arena, Dirt,
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Sophie Jones, nine twirls her patriotic Tutu, the tiny ballerina,
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Jubilant for jelly Roll. I want to go up on stage,
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Jones said, I like these big crowds. This is where
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I make my friends. These are my people. Brittany Hasler,
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thirty five, of South Shore, spent the weekend camping for
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the concerts. Saturday was Girls' night as she cheered for
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Brantley Gilbert and Riley Green. It's very laid back and
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very organized, she said. As jelly Roll gathered the band
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for showtime, he invited Boyd County Sheriff Jamie Rays and
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his deputies onto the stage for his pre show prayer,
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with jelly Roll leading the handclasped invocation for blessing of
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a safe and god touched gig in Ashland. His keyboardist
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appeared on stage wearing a red and white Westwood Jersey.
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Westwood native Tom Hobbs gave him the jersey after running
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into him early in the week. Following a Christian contemporary
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faith filled musical medley proclaiming Jesus Christ his one reason
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for sobriety, Jelly Roll turned back to his early career
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as a rapper, playing a new Countrified rap collaboration with
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Gilbert soon to hit radio waves. He turned up the
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lights to read signs displayed Placard's announcing over eight hundred
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days sober, trumpeting, countless tales of beating addiction, proclamations paraded
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on foam board. I'm very thankful to work alongside my
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deputies and staff every day, shared rays speaking on Sunday.
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I'm especially proud of them for the hard work, sleepless
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nights and dedication, and they showed this weekend to keep
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not only Boyd County safe, but our guests and artists
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as well. We can't wait to see everyone next year.
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In other news, the Foundation for the Tri State Community
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Awards grants, staff report local generosity is helping strengthen communities
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across the Tri State. Once again, the Foundation for the
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Tri State awarded fifty five, four hundred and ten dollars
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through its Spring twenty twenty six community grants. The grants
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will support eight projects. The projects will expand access to services,
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create new recreational opportunities, strengthen educational programs, enhance community spaces,
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and image the lives of residents throughout the region. More
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than twenty applications requested over two hundred thousand dollars in funding.
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These grants are a powerful example of what happened when
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people choose to invest in the future of our community,
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said Catherine Lamp, President and CEO of the Foundation. The
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donors who created these funds may never meet every person
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impacted by their generosity, but their legacy will be felt
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through the stronger non profits, healthier communities, and new opportunities
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for people across our region. We are honored to help
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connect the generosity with meaningful community impact. The grants reflected
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both the creativity of local organizations and the growing needs
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they worked to address every day. According to Lamp, the
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grants are made possible through discretionary and field of interest
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funds established by individuals, families, businesses, and organizations who have
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entrusted the Foundation to respond to changing community needs. Through
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the grants, the Foundation seeks to support projects that strengthen
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nonprofit organizations, address important community challenges, and improve quality of
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life across the region. Grants of up to ten thousand
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dollars are awarded twice annually through a competitive application process.
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The next cycle will open September twenty first, and applications
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will be accepted through October thirtieth at five pm. For
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additional information about the Foundation's community grants or the Foundation
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for the Tri State Community, visit tri Statefoundation dot org
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or call area code six oh six three two four
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three eight eight eight or area code three oh four
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nine four two zero zero four six, or email info
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at Tri Statefoundation dot org. The Foundation's Spring twenty twenty
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six community grips recipients are Ashland Community Kitchen, Community Kitchen
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Improvement Project, Faith Health, Appalachia Care Trees, City of Ironton, Ohio,
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Ironton Municipal disc Golf Course, Aspire Conservatory of Fine and
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Performing Arts, loud and clear for all to hear, Huntington
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Addiction Wellness Center, Serve and recover pickleball courts at Huntington
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Addiction Wellness Center. Safe Harbor at Northeast Kentucky Safe Harbor,
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Marshall University Foundation, Marshall University Help Program, Third and Center
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Common Soil, Community Garden and Environmental Education Initiative. Our next
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article Miners in the Middle. Local leaders support boosting black
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lung benefits that consensus hasn't emerged in Congress. By Liam
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Neemier for Ohio County Judge Executive David Johnston, passing a
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resolution last year urging an increase in black lung disability
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benefits was a matter of principle. The last major coal
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mine in Ohio County, a part of the Western Kentucky
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coalfield region, closed years ago, but he said the former
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miners who have coal workers numacocal closis, known commonly as
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black lung disease, still rely on the federal monthly black
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lung disability payments. The Republican county leader said his uncle
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died of black lung disease and his father suffered from it.
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It's an occupational disease caused by breathing in dust that
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can cripple lung capacity and lead to death, and a
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surge of cases have been found in Appalachia in recent
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decades from exposure to silica dust. The government should have
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had workplace safety in place to protect them, and they didn't.
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Johnston said, these folks got sick. But those payments, first
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established through the Black Lung Benefits Act of nineteen sixty nine,
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have eroded over decades of inflation and only sporadic increases
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to the monthly rate. One analysis from the Letcher County
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based nonprofit Appalachian Citizens Law Center and the nonprofit Appalachian
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Voices found that the benefits received as of twenty twenty
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three are thirty percent less compared to what recipients were
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receiving in nineteen sixty nine. Recipients are currently eligible for
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a monthly benefit of seven hundred and ninety four dollars,
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while the analysis found it would be well over one
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thousand dollars if tracked with inflation. That's why dozens of
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county and city governments comprised both of Republican and Democratic
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leaders across multiple Appalachian states have passed resolutions to urgent
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increase in benefits to support the approximately twenty five thousand
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recipients of Black Lung Disability Benefits. Of all the states,
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Kentucky has the most active recipients, with more than four thousand,
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seven hundred as of twenty twenty five. West Virginia. Virginia
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and Pennsylvania also have significant shares. Todd de Priest, mayor
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of the Lecher County city of Jenkins in eastern Kentucky,
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views his city support for boosting black lung benefits through
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the historical legacy of what coal and coal miners did
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for the country, particularly during World War II. They mined
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the coal that made the steel that won the war,
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DePriest said, calling the amount of money it would take
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to boost benefits a drop in the bucket. Yet in Congress,
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the bipartisan consensus seen on the local level hasn't materialized.
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Bills filed over the past ten years to boost benefits
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and tie future benefit increases to the rate of inflation
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have only had Democratic or independent sponsors. The latest bill,
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introduced this month and co sponsored by Democratic U S Rep.
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Morgan McGarvey of Louisville, would seek to increase benefits all
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the way back to the same funding level relative to
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inflation as miners received in nineteen sixty nine. The bill,
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called the Support Our Miners Act, currently doesn't have the
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backing of any member of Kentucky's Republican Congressional delegation. Emails
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sent to press offices and spokespeople for Republican US Senators
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Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell and Republican US reps Jail Comber,
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Thomas Massey, Brett Guthrie, and Andy Barr. Requesting comment on
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raising black lung benefits were not returned with a response.
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Republican US rep. How Rogers of Eastern Kentucky, in a
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statement provided through a spokesperson, said Democrats talk openly about
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their desire to increase benefits, but aren't being transparent about
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their movement to destroy the Trust Fund through their targeted
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war on coal and sticking taxpayers with the bill. Johnston
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said he supports mcgarvey's bill, but he also said Republicans
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generally have a hard time, at least initially supporting legislation
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that would increase spending. He said Republicans usually will come
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around on important things, but issues such as boosting black
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lung benefits always are initiated and started it out with Democrats.
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We'll fire off letters and stuff to them, Johnston said
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the Kentucky delegation, we can influence them with resolutions and
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things like that. Trying to gain traction in Congress before
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the Support Our Miners Act Democratic members of Congress introduced
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the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act more than ten times
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between the US House of Representatives and the US Senate.
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That bill, among other provisions, would have allowed for a
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modest boost in benefits and track the rate of benefits
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to the rate of inflation. Those bills have never had
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a Republican co sponsor, and the bills have gained at
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most thirteen co sponsors total. Rebecca Shelton, director of policy
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for the Appalachian Citizens Law Center, said Republicans against the
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bills have often been centered around concerns over cost. When
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the US House of Education and Labor Committee issued reports
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on the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act in twenty twenty two,
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the minority Republicans argued the bill would increase the amount
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of benefits issued from the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund
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amid concerns about the fund solvency. That government trust fund
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pays out benefits when a responsible coal operator isn't identified
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in a black lung case or the identified operator doesn't
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pay and it gets revenue from attax on mined coal.
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That fund has taken on hundreds of millions of dollars
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of benefit liabilities because of coal mine bankruptcy's a larger
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trend seen with the rapid decline in the state's coal
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mining industry. Shelton argued the Trust Fund has essentially been
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in salt because of debt the fund took on in
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the twentieth century. She set arguments over the cost of
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raising benefits also sound hollow to her, given the relatively
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small amount of funding it could take. In analyzing the
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Black Lung Benefit Improvement Act, the Congressional Budget Office estimated
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in twenty twenty two that it would cost a little
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over five million dollars a year to provide a modest
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boost to benefits and track it with inflation. It has
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such a small cost impact that it really doesn't feel
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like a valid reason to not support this bill from
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my perspective, Shelton said, I cannot imagine anyone in Eastern Kentucky,
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you know, saying that it's a bad ideas just to
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support miners with this disability. It's just such a prevalent
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and well recognized problem. Rogers, the Republican congressman representing Eastern Kentucky,
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in his statement, said he voted for an eighteen million
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dollar increase to the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund in
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the most recent fiscal year budget and has case workers
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who work with miners to receive benefits. We all agree
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that the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund needs significant reform
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to ensure that our coal miners get their hard earned
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benefits before this painful disease robs them from seeing a dime.
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Rogers said, our local leaders are doing their part to
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advocate for our shared constituents as well. He also accused
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Democrats and passed Democratic administrations of trying to regulate coal
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mines out of business and wanting to bail out the
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trust fund that they nearly decimated by fast tracking coal
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operators into bankruptcy. Shelton, referring the resolutions passed by local
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governments in support of boosting benefits, said she believes local
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leaders have been more willing to show support because they're
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thinking less about partisan politics and more about what is
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best for the people here. I think there is a
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real sense of solidarity with minors locally and especially those
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who have black lung disease, Shelton said. Unfortunately, we have
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not been able to rally the same kind of support
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among members of Congress. In other news, one hundred and
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ninety new laws in Kentucky taking effect this week. By
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Tom Latick, Kentucky Today. This is a first in a
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series of stories on new laws. Many new laws enacted
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during the twenty twenty six Kentucky General Assembly session, including
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ones on gaming, first responders, schools, criminal justice, grooming, and
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concealed carey, take effect this week. More than one hundred
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and ninety bills passed during this year's sixty day session,
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in more than half take effect on Wednesday. The state
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constitution specifies that new laws take effect ninety days after
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the legislature adjourns, unless they have special effective dates, are
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general appropriation measures, or include emergency clauses that make them
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effective immediately upon becoming law. Lawmakers adjourned the twenty twenty
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six session on April fifteenth, making July fifteenth the effective
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date for most bills. Affordable housing House Bill three three
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three will allow faith based organizations to build small scale
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affordable housing units on property located near religious institutions. Alternative
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diplomas House Bill five two two will create a new
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alternative diploma option for high school students with intellectual disabilities,
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allowing the students to be considered graduates rather than dropouts.
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It also calls for the state Department of Workforce Development
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to create a one stop shop that identifies all employers
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in Kentucky that will recognize the new alternative diploma as
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a valid high school diploma. Alternative sentencing. Much of Senate
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Bill one twenty two will not take effect until later
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this year. However, several provisions that aim to keep families
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intact when a parent is convicted of a felony will
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take effect. They require Kentucky courts to consider alternative sentences
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for certain nonviolent felony convictions when the defendant is a
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primary caretaker of a dependent child. Campaign finance House Bill
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one thirty six will allow the use of campaign funds
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to pay for the reasonable costs of security measures for candidates, officeholders,
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and family members. Child pornography House Bill three sixty six
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will expand child pornography prohibitions to include computer generated images
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of a minor. It will also require someone convicted of
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possessing or viewing child pornography to serve at least eighty
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five percent of their criminal sentence. And last. Child welfare.
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House Bill seven seven eight changes Kentucky law related to
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child welfare. It seeks to assure safe and adequate foster
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care placements and that children in foster care are not
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placed with someone on the sex offender registry. Also, under
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House Bill seven seven eight, child injuries caused by ingestion
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or inhalation of a controlled substance will be included in
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the definition of neglect and neglect will be added to
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the Child Abuse Statute. Recent obituaries Teddy Shannon Adkins eighty
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six of Ashland, Larry Scott eighty five of Raceland, Judith
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Morton ninety nine of South Shore, Marley Gray Kenny nineteen
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of Cannonsburg, Phyllis J. Brady Nipp seventy nine. Moving on,
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This is an American Thing exhibit highlights Black history in
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Revolutionary War. By Alison Scott for The Daily Independent. A
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new historical exhibit is making its way to the Highlands Museum.
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African Americans in the Revolutionary War is an exhibit made
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by Darryl Smith, co founder of the C. B. Knuckles
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Community Center and Black History Museum in Ashland, that launched
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this weekend. I like to bring out things that aren't
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talked about. That's big for me, Smith said, people, especially
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black people, have not been recognized for the things that
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they've done. So when you go and look at the exhibit,
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you will see a lot of things. It'll tell the
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story from the beginning. The exhibit will highlight the stories
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of black figures in the Revolutionary War, including Peter Salem,
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who fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill and is
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credited with firing the shot that kill British Marine Major
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John Pictarn and Crispus Attics, an escaped slave and Sons
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of Liberty member recognized as the first casualty of the
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American Revolution during Boston Massacre in seventeen seventy. The exhibit
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will feature bay cutouts, images and more to correspond with
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each story. As a member of Ashland's America two fifty committee,
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Smith said this exhibit is his contribution to America's anniversary.
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Smith was inspired to do the exhibit last winter when
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he was stuck inside researching for three days and piecing
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the exhibit together. I do feel pride every time I
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do something regarding the museum. I'm proud of it because
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I'm trying to bring out more and more things that
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have been put away. In a sense, Smith said. Anne Perkins,
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board member of the CB Knuckles Community Center and Black
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History Museum and Smith agreed that they hope people that
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come to the exhibit leave knowing a little more about
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their history. I'm hoping that it will help break down
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some of those barriers that I think so many of
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our African American people have exp experienced over the years
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and show their importance in this war. Perkins said, That's
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what I'm hoping will come out of it. Reverend Stanley McDonald,
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fellow board member and pastor of New Hope Missionary Church,
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said he hopes people take away the idea of oneness.
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My prayer is that when people look at this exhibit
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that it won't just be this is a black thing.
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My prayer is that it would be this is an
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American thing. This is a part of our history, our
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heritage as a nation, and we can get beyond black
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and white and just say this is our people, said McDonald.
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The exhibit will be set up until the end of
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September next Former city manager dies TDI Editorial Board. Former
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Ashland City manager William Faut died earlier this month. Fault
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was city manager during the late nineteen seventies. He is
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remembered for fostering a strong city staff. Fault hired then
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Economic Development Director Gene Ward, who developed a strong working
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relationship with the Chamber of Commerce. He also hired Ron Abshire,
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who was strong on stretching use of tax dollars. Generally speaking,
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city managers don't stay in one place too long. He
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made good use of his time here, such as planting
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the seeds for a county wide nine one one dispatching
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system when Boyd Counties nine one one started in nineteen
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eighty one. It was the first county wide dispatching system
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in Kentucky. The Arkansas native made a difference in his
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time in Ashland. Letters Invited. The Daily Independent invites readers
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to submit in your view letters on public issues. Letters
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must not exceed three hundred words and must include the name, address,
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and telephone number of the author. This concludes excerpts from
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recent editions of The Ashland Daily Independent. Your reader, husband
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Jane on behalf of everyone here at radio. I thank
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you for listening, Keep on listening and have a good day.