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Hazard Herald - 1.11.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the reading of the Hazard Hell
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for news of Hazard in Berry County, hum Lee Townshend.
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We begin with the online edition dated January seventh, twenty
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twenty sixth. As a reminder, radiois a reading service intended
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for people who are blind or have other disabilities that
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make it difficult to read printed material. Hazard City Commission
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repeals restaurant tacks. The Hazard City Commission held the second
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reading and approved an ordinance repealing the city's three percent
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restaurant tax during a December thirtieth special meeting, formerly ending
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collection of the tax effective January first, twenty twenty six.
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The Commission approved the repeal anonymously, with Commissioners Paul Ollinger
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and Susan Brotherton absent. The city continues to appeal court
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rulings that determined Hazard could not collect the tax based
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on its classification under state law. City officials said the
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case will now be taken to the Kentucky Supreme Court
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for a final ruling. The restaurant tax was initially approved
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by the city in twenty twenty four, with proceeds intended
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to find the Hazard Perry County Tourism Commission. The tax
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took effect January first, However, the city's authority to impose
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the tax was contested before it was enacted. Under legislation
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signed into law in twenty fourteen by then Governor Steve Basheer,
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certain city classifications were fixed for purposes of assessing a
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restaurant tax. Hazard was not included among the cities authorized
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to levy the tax. In twenty twenty three, the City
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of Hazard challenged its classification in Franklin Circuit Court and
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obtained a ruling that adjusted its status in a way
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that could have allowed the tax to be collected. That
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ruling was later appealed by Attorney General Russell Cole to
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the Kentucky Court of Appeals. In October, the Court of
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Appeals issued an opinion remanding the case back to Franklin
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Circuit Court with instructions to dismiss it. In its opinion,
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the Court of Appeals found that Franklin County Circuit Court
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Judge Philip Shephard exceeded the court's authority. All parties acknowledged
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that Hazard had been misclassified, the opinion stated, but that
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error does not grant the judicial branch the authority to
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do what only the General Assembly can do under the
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eighteen ninety one Constitution. City officials said that if Kentucky
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Supreme Court rules against Hazard, the disposition of the funds
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already collected under the tax, which are currently being held
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in escrow, would be determined by the Commonwealth. If the
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city's appeal is successful, officials said Hazard would begin the
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process again to enact and implement the restaurant tax. Report
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shows high rate of speed a factor in crash involving
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KSP cruiser lawsuit file. High speed was a factor in
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a crash involving a Kentucky State Police cruiser in Nott County,
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according to a report from KSP. The Uniform Police traffic
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collision report, obtained by the Hazard Herald through an open
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records request, related to a December second crash on Kentucky
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eighty near Hynman, which involved a KSP Post thirteen cruiser.
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According to the report, the crash occurred as Anthony Versaglia
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of Kerry, a retired KSP Commercial vehicle officer, was driving
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the cruiser to his garage in not County to perform
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maintenance on it. According to the report, the cruiser collided
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with a passenger car driven by Deborah Wallen, in which
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her granddaughter was a passenger. Trooper. Colt Stumbo wrote in
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a report that when he arrived on the scene of
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the crash, she found the cruiser parked in the median
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of the high Stumbou wrote that Versaglia approached him and
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advised him that he didn't see the other vehicle and
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thought Wallen's car had pulled out in front of him. Versaglia,
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the report said, also advised that he knew he was
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speeding when the crash occurred. Stumbou wrote that he made
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contact with Wallen, who was looking through items in the vehicle,
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and although she advised she was okay and wasn't injured,
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Stumbo assisted her to a nearby ambulance. Wallin, the report said,
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stated that she was unsure what happened, but thought she
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was hit from behind and pushed off the road before
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the car rolled over. Both Wallen and her granddaughter were
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treated at hazard ARH Regional Medical Center and released. Stumbou
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wrote that on December third, he was able to view
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the video from the cruiser in car camera. The video,
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he wrote, showed the cruiser traveling eastbound that a high
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rate of speed in the left lane and approaching Wallen's vehicle,
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which was in the right lane. The cruiser of the
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trooper wrote then began to drift into the right lane,
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instruct the left back bumper of Wallin's vehicle. The report said.
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Wallin's vehicle then collided with an embankment beside the roadway
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before rolling over and coming to a rest on its top.
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According to the report, Psaglia's estimated travel speed at the
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time of the crash was between eighty eight and ninety
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five miles an hour. The report cited three human factors
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as being involved in the crash. Versaglia exceeded the stated
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speed limit, he failed to properly keep in his lane,
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and was inattentive. No human factors were identified on the
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part of Wallin, the report shows. According to court records,
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on December seventeenth, Wallin followed a lawsuit against Persaglia on
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her own behalf and on her granddaughter's behalf. In the suit,
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Whalin claimed she and her granddaughter suffered temporary and permanent
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injuries as a result of the crash. In the lawsuit,
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while and asked for a jury trial in compensatory and
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punitive damages. Clay County man arrested on attempted human trafficking
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and other charges. A Clay County man is facing charges
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including attempted human trafficking after allegedly attempting to meet a
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juvenile for sex. According to an arrest citation written by
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Perry County Sheriff Captain Jesse Day, on January fifth, he
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made contact with Gregory Sizemore, sixty three, of Paul Road, Manchester,
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during an investigation. Sizemore, the citation said, had been calling
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a juvenile with plans to meet the child and take
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the child to London with him. Day wrote that the
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juvenile had told the social worker that Sizemore told the
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child through messages that he wanted to have sex and
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would come to Hazard. Day wrote that he saw the
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message between juvenile and Sizemore in which Sizemore expressed that
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he wanted to give the child money for sexual activity.
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Sizemore was lodged in the Kentucky River Regional Jail on
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charges of attempted custodial interference, attempted procuring or promoting the
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use of a minor by electronic means, and attempted human
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trafficking commercial sexual activity. Concerns remained for recipients of SNAP
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and other programs. Included in these changes our expansion of
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the requirements for SNAP recipients. The Kentucky Lantern reported that
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under the new rules, which became affected in November first
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as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, veterans,
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the homeless, recent foster care youth, and adults ages fifty
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four to sixty four are no longer exempt from work
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requirements to receive food benefits. Changes in Medicaid could affect
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eligibility and some have said could result in impacts on
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rural healthcare providers. Individuals on the ground in Eastern Kentucky, however,
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say that uncertainty is causing fear and nervousness which may
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ultimately be found that its changes are instituted in these
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programs in the coming months at a time when needs
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are growing. Hunger food insecurity rising in eastern Kentucky between
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October and November. According to God's Pantry Food Bank President
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CEO Michael Halligan, the organization which provides food and other
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supports to food pantries throughout central and Eastern Kentucky, saw
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a twenty percent increase in people coming in for food,
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many of whom had never been to a food pantry before,
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and it's because they're uncertain about what their food reserves
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will look like in the coming months. Halligan said. Hunger
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food insecurity is higher than it's ever been, and that
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was before the shutdown. Now we know it's growing. Snap
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usage is widespread throughout Appalachian newspapers coverage area. In Pike County,
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according to Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services data
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in December, there were a total of six thousand, one
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hundred and forty five active SNAP accounts which were issued
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at an average of three hundred and eleven dollars. Floyd County,
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the data shows had a total of four thousand, three
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hundred ninety six households in SNAP in December, which received
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an average of three hundred and fifteen dollars, while Johnson
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County had a total of two thousand, three hundred and
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fifty four SNAP households which received an average of three
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hundred and eight dollars. Perry County, the data shows had
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a total of three thousand, four hundred and twenty three
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SNAP households in December, which received an average of three
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hundred and twenty one dollars. In total, the data shows
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just over five point one million dollars was directed to
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the four counties through SNAP distributions in December, Halligan said
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the impacts of the SNAP interruption during the shutdown are
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still being felt. We continue to see ripple effects of
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the loss of those SNAP benefits today, he said, we
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will continue to see ripple effects of the loss of
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SNAP in two twenty twenty six. However, the shutdown is
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not the only issue, Halligan said, pointing to the work
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requirements going into effect. Part of what was missing during
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that conversation in November was that work requirements are now
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elevated for folks who are eligible for a SNAP benefit.
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He said, there are households aged fifty five through sixty
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four that are now responsible for work requirements that they
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were not before. There are households that have children age
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fourteen days at eighteen that are now responsible for work
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requirements and they weren't before. People are fearful, Halligan said
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about the future. Folks who are experiencing hunger have shared
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with us all across our service area that they're nervous.
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They're fearful that they're going to need to rely on
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food pantries and meal programs more than they ever have
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Halligan said concerns go beyond SNAP. Genesee A kill goor Bowing,
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Chair of the School of Social Work and director of
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the Master of Social Work Program at the University of Pipwell,
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said she has been seeing that fear present among people
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who received the benefits. This one big, beautiful bill is
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causing lots of uncertainty and lots of fear, and it's
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just out and out fear from folks at kill Goarboan,
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who was speaking on our own behalf and not on
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behalf of the university. However, kill goverbo And said she's
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also concerned about the impacts of changes to healthcare, such
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as those that could be brought about in Medicaid. I
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think we're going to see a decrease in health because
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they're going to have less access to healthcare, so people
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are going to put off going to the doctor and
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as a result, the issues just get compounded. She said.
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SNAP was never intended to feed the family completely. It's
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supposed to be a supplement and it's already not a
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whole lot. She said for some families particularly, it's not
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a great deal. And the rising cost of groceries and
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they really have not come down We're going to see
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people getting less. That kill Gore Boeing said will lead
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to people buying cheaper, less healthy food. When they get less,
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they're going to purchase what they can, she said. However,
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Killgore Bowing said the impacts will also reach in the education.
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As children go hungry or are affected by diet driven
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health issues, they can't go to school and focus on learning,
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so academics are going to be impacted. She said. This
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is truly going to impact every aspect of our lives.
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Addiction will rise, she said, is a stress level, the
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drive for substance abuse in families. Communities can provide hope.
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Kilgore Boling believes that at this point, changes that come
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were likely to do so with little input from those
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most affected. However, she said, communities can help. I think
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this is the point there's going to be very little
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individuals can do to truly prepare because it's going to happen.
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It's going to happen, she said. What communities may need
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to do is to lend a little more support those
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who have the means and can need to lend a
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little more to support those food pantries, give donation to
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places like mud Creek Clinic, which offer a lot of
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free healthcare. Halligan said that during the shutdown, even among
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the negative effects, there was a positive scene. During the shutdown.
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We saw an amazing amount of support. Communities became very engaged,
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more than I've seen in my career. Kentuckians are resilient,
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and they're resilient because we care about one another, Halligan continued.
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Once the community understood the needs and number of people
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who received support from SNAP, Halligan said, there was a response.
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We've been able to keep pace because the community has
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leaned in. Financial donations are on the rise. It's more
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important than ever for financial support to be there. At
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God's Pantry Food Bank's website God'spantryfoodbank dot com, Halligan said
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people can find information on where they can go for
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help and how they can offer help, either by donating
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financially or finding volunteer opportunities at local food pantries. Kil
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Gore Bowling said she hopes that people will pay attention
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to what candidates are saying and doing, and what legislation
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is being discussed and enacted at the state and federal levels.
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We're just so far removed from legislative politics, especially in
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eastern Kentucky. Not only do we feel removed from it,
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but we are so far from Frankfort that we're not
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interacting with those people a lot, and they're not interacting
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with us, she said. Hazard Fire Department responds to High
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Street fire. The Hazard Fire Department responded to reports of
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a fire near a property off High Street on December
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thirty first, according to a public statement. In the statement,
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Hazard Fire Chief Robert Keith detailed the initial call and response.
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He noted that yesterday day evening, slightly before seven pm,
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Hazard Fire Department Assistant Chief Pratt took a call reporting
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a possible bonfire type fire being burnt near a property
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off High Street. Upon leaving the station to investigate, Chief
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Pratt noted heavy smoke in the area from headquarters and
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advised nine to Poet one to dispatch the Hazard Fire
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Department for a possible structure fire. On arrival to the scene,
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Shift two officers confirmed a working structure fire and began
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extinguishment operations, the statement said. The statement said firefighters quickly
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moved to suppress the blaze and protect nearby properties. The
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statement said that due to the number of homes surrounding
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the property in close Proximity Tanker III was dispatched to
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Broadway Street to begin efforts to protect exposures. According to
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the statement, no injuries were reported as a result of
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the fire. Hazard City Police assisted with the crowd and
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scene control, while AEP helped by turning off the power.
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Emergency Management also assisted the occupants by providing safe boarding
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for the night. Hazard City Commission approves pay raise for
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the mayor. The Hazard City Commission approved the pay increase
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for the position of mayor beginning in twenty twenty seven
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during a special meeting on January fifth. During the meeting,
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the Commission heard a second reading of an ordinance raising
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the pay for the position of mayor from fifty thousand
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dollars annually to sixty thousand dollars. The measure was approved
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by all commissioned members, with Mayor Donald Happy Mobilini abstaining
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from the vote. From the opinion page jumping begun by
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Jeff Vanderbeck. Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries
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in the Commonwealth. Kentucky and most areas are searching desperately
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for money to attract more visitors. Hazard is looking for
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ways of funding as well. Funding for tourism can be
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achieved in many ways, and in some cases the local
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residents are not affected. Oftentimes, attacks that specifically for tourism
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can be enacted with a hotel motel tax or what's
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called a bed tax. In that scenario, local residents are
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not affected. Another funding source can come from a restaurant tax,
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where a certain percentage of the total bill goes back
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to the city and is funneled to the local tourism
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board to be used in specifically enhancing and supporting tourism efforts.
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There are many stipulations surrounding restaurant tax, and the only
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way local residents are affected is if they eat at
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local restaurants. The theory behind a restaurant tax is that
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tourists and local residents, should they choose to, will fund
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tourism efforts through the tax. In some cases, the tax
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is small enough that most people may not feel the
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effects of the increase. One of the stipulations for a
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city to collect a restaurant tax is its classification. As
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it stands now, the City of Hazard is not in
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the classification to collect or in act a restaurant tax.
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The city was misclassified during the Steve Basher administration. The
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city had the ability to lobby at state officials to
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have Hazard reclassified so it could collect a restaurant tax
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should the needs arise. Well, the need has clearly arisen
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and the reclassification has never been addressed. The City of
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Hazard went through the proper channels to locally start the
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process of collecting the tax. They had their required readings
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and passed whatever ordinance they needed, and even had a
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plan as to how the money was to be spent.
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All the boxes were checked except for the state's approval.
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In twenty twenty four, the city made a plead of
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the state in support of the tax. The Court of
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Appeals cited in their objections and ruled against the city
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and denied their requests because of the city's classification. The
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city stated their requests that they would immediately institute attacks
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and incurred debt based on anticipated revenue. In the ruling,
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the CoA said there was highly speculative. The ruling also stated,
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as the City of Hazard acknowledged in its response, if
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it passes an ordinance creating a restaurant tax during the
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dependency of disappeal, it does so at its own peril.
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The city passed the ordinance through without the state's approval
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and started collecting the tax and has about one million
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dollars citty in escrow for tourism that is in purgatory.
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The final decision is with the state's Supreme Court because
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the city was not approved to collect the tax. The
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city voted last week to rescind the restaurant tax, while
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the state Supreme Court is offering a final decision. If
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it rules in favor of Hazard, they will have to
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go through the local process once again to have the
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ordinance approved locally. If it rules against the city, there
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is no clear understanding as to what happens to the
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billion dollars the city has already collected. MLAs column I
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suggested that the tax already collected may have been illegally collected,
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and that's set off a firestorm among local officials. What
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they didn't understand is that I also said that I
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deal with a lot of communities, and Hazard is the
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best place in which ideal the mayor and judge executive
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agree on making the county and city prosperous, and they
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work well together. They have congruent goals, and together they
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put the city in county first, which is refreshing. I
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have always gotten along with the mayor, and I think
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he does a great job. But the reality is they
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made a mistake. Commissioner Fritz Steel, when he had the
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ability to address legislator about the city's classification, didn't not,
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and the city gambled on the state, going against the
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constitution and loss. The mayor, who had a clear vision,
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clearly wanted to fund tourism and rightfully so, but jumped
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the gun and started collecting attacks that the city was
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not entitled to collect. The city even knew that they
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would be collecting that tax at its own peril. For
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the record, I'm in favor of any city, including hazard,
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trying anything that's legally available to boost tourism. If it's
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a restaurant tax, so be it. I can choose where
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I eat, and if eating at the local restaurant helps
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boost the local economy, it's good for all. I may
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ask the mayor and Steal to join me if they're
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not too mad. Don't shoot the messenger. I'm just stating
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opinions based on facts. Kentucky's super majority can break Washington's stranglehold.
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By Tanner Willis, Republican supermajority has the power to do
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what Congress won't force a national reckoning on term limits.
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With an eighty to twenty control in the House and
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thirty one to seven in the Senate, Kentucky's legislature can
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act decisively without fear of ubernatorial veto. That kind of
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political muscle is rare, and it creates an opportunity to
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lead on an issue where nearly nine to ten Americans
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agree but Washington refuses to eye. The question isn't whether
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Kentuckians want term limits. Eighty four percent of Kentucky voters
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support a constitutional amendment limiting congressional terms, with broad backing
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across all political and demographic groups. The question is whether
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Kentucky's leaders will use their supermajority to force the issue.
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Trustworthy Heroes by Russ Cassaday. Trust is difficult to establish,
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an even harder to maintain. Once trust is lost, it's
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an uphill battle to restore it. That's especially dangerous in
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situations like the US Republic, where the trust in the
24:09
system is integral to its operation. The people have to trust,
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at least to a small extent, that the system will
24:17
ultimately come down in their best interests. However, I believe
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we're at a point where that trust is at an
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extremely low point. Maybe it's not the lowest it's ever been,
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but I can say with little reservation that it's definitely
24:31
the lowest it's been in my lifetime. I believe the
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closest comparison exists in the nation between Kennedy's assassination and Watergate,
24:42
with Vietnam in between, leading to a low period of
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trust in the system. The signs of this are all
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around us. People are losing trust, whether completely founded in
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the facts and the political system, the justice system, in
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our coulture as a whole. It's no longer assured that
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the system has our best interest as its central goal,
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and it's incredibly uncertain that the primary means of ensuring
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it keeps that focus, voting, will actually do anything to
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help the situation. It not only leads to a general
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malaise that I think most of us are experiencing. Have
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you ever been this tired? But it also can lead
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to some really bad conclusions about how things could get better.
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We the people really want change, whether you're an incumbent
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or a newcomer, People in Eastern Kentucky want to see
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some progress toward what we truly believe our region can
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be People throughout the state are expecting to see the
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Commonwealth's people and not just its veneer shine. This nation
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is broken beyond belief right now. We're divided and broke
25:57
while nursing the wounds from the broken promises of our leaders.
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With all the bad, this is also the best time
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for heroes, for real agents of positive change to step
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up and take the reins of our communities. Some of
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those agents are already in office, some are not. But
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we expect all who are willing to try to be
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a leader to be sincere and dedicated. Is that really
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too much to ask? Here are the obituaries. Namous Lee
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Campbell seventy six of Bodyman died January second. Long Calltal
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eighty nine of Hazard died Sunday, December twenty eighth. Services
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were held December thirty first for Lillian Hill. Teresa Laine
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Collins seventy three of Hazard died Saturday, December twenty seventh.
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Derek Shaan Hall of Shelbyville died Thursday, January second, Derek
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Ryan ever Sold thirty seven Hazard died Friday, January second,
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and Luzette melt In eighty two of Hazard died Saturday,
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January third, Small business spotlight the Threads of Love. Looking
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for the perfect gift or a special treat for yourself,
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look no further than Threads of Love, located at twenty
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nine seventy eight North Main Street in Hazard. Owner Rachel
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Beverly welcomes you to shop with her and find the
27:31
perfect item that speaks to your heart. Don't forget to
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follow them on Facebook as exclusive discounts and live events
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are announced. This concludes the reading of the Hazard Herald.
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Please stay tuned for continued programming. Thank you for joining
27:46
me and on behalf of everyone here Brady Oi. This
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is Lee Townsend wishing you a good day.