Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Manchester Enterprise - 1.30.26

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Manchester Enterprise - 1.30.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to The Manchester Enterprise to read news
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from and around Manchester. Your reader today is Denise Woodside Murray.
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We will begin with the addition dated January twenty eight,
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twenty twenty six. As a reminder, RADIOI is a 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 is titled iced over thousands without power, businesses
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close as storm dumps half inch of ice by the
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staff of the Enterprise News. A winter storm that fell
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short of predicted snowfall totals still delivered a powerful and
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disruptive punch to Manchester and Clay County, as ice accumulation
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crippled power infrastructure, toppled trees, and left roadways dangerously slick
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across the region. While forecasters initially warned residents to prepare
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for heavy snow, the storm instead coated much of Clay
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County with a glaze of ice, in some areas measuring
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up to a half inch thick. The ice proved far
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more destructive than snow, snapping tree limbs, pulling down power lines,
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and knocking out electricity to thousands of customers served by
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Jackson Energy and Kentucky utilities. As of Monday morning, utility
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officials confirmed that thousands of residents remained without power, with
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some households experiencing outages lasting more than twenty four hours.
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Crews from both Jackson Energy and Kentucky Utilities worked continuously
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throughout the weekend, often battling impassable roads and hazardous conditions
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to reach damaged lines. County Judge executives Tommy Harmon said
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the storm tested both infrastructure and patients, but praised local
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crews and emergency responders for their around the clock efforts.
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This wasn't a snowstorm like we're used to. The ice
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is what did the damage, Harmon said. When you've got
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trees coming down and power lines snapping under that weight,
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it creates a dangerous situation for everyone involved. Our road crews,
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first responders, and utility workers have been out NonStop trying
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to keep people safe and get services restored. Despite the
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lower snowfall totals, road conditions deteriorated rapidly as temperatures plunged
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Sunday night, melting ice reef ros, turning highways, county roads,
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and city streets into sheets of solid ice. State Highway
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crews Clay County Road Department employees and City of Manchester
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crews worked throughout the storm, applying salt and clearing debris,
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but officials ignore knowledge that conditions became increasingly difficult as
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temperatures dropped into the teens. Manchester Mayor Steve Collins said
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city crews were stretched thin but remained committed to keeping
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main routes open. Our city workers were out all hours
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of the day and night. Collins said, once those temperatures
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dropped Sunday night, it didn't matter how much salt you
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put down. Roads froze back over almost instantly. We're asking
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people to stay home if they can and give crews
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room to work. Collins also expressed appreciation for residents patients
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during the prolonged power outages. We know it's frustrating, especially
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for families who've been without power for more than a day.
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He said. Utility crews are dealing with widespread damage, not
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just here but across the region. They're doing everything they
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can as fast and as safely as possible. Emergency management
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officials urged residents to use caution when using alternate of
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heating sources, reminding the public never to run generators indoors
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and to keep heaters away from flammable materials. Fire departments
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across the county reported an uptick in calls related to
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downed power lines and fallen trees. Schools and several government
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officers were impacted by the storm, with closures and delays
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issued due to unsafe road conditions and lack of power
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at some facilities. Officials warned that refreezing could continue to
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pose hazards overnight, even as temperatures slowly rebound later in
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the week. Judge Executive Harmon said recovery will continue even
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after power is restored. There's still clean up to be
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done fallen trees, damaged property, and road shoulders that took
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a beating, Harmon said, but Clay County always pulls through.
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This article is accompanied by two photos. The first caption
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reads this man pulls his groceries near the Clay Detention
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Center Saturday as the snow started to fall at the
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beginning of the storm. The picture shows a man dressed
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from head to toe in winter gear, pulling a cart
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with groceries in it through the snow fall. The second
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pictures caption reads Russell Jewell, Superintendent of the Clay State
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maintenance crew cleans town branch road, State, county and city
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road crews have worked around the clock to battle the
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snow and ice. In the picture, a white truck with
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a snowplow attached to the front is scraping snow down
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the road. Our next article is titled second Place in
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kPa Contest General Excellence Newspaper wins thirteen awards in state contest.
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This is also a staff report of the Enterprise News.
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The Manchester Enterprise was recognized with numerous top awards, including
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multiple first placed finishes and a second place overall ranking
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in Weekly Class three during the annual statewide Newspaper competition
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honoring excellence in journalism. Weekly Class three represents the largest
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circulation category for weekly newspapers in Kentucky, placing The Manchester
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Enterprise among the top publications in the state based on
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overallall quality, consistency, and impact. The awards recognize work published
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over the past year and were judged by an independent
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panel of journalism professionals from outside the state. Publisher and
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editor Mark Hoskins earned first place in Best Feature Story,
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with judges praising the piece for its narrative, writing flow
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and cohesiveness, noting that its skillfully introduced readers to a
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compelling life story. Hoskins also so captured first place awards
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in Best Breaking News Picture, Best Editorial Page, and Best
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Front Page, showcasing strength across reporting, opinion, photography, and design.
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Judges described the breaking news photograph as capturing drama perfectly,
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citing it as a clear example of being in the
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right place at the right time. The editorial page was
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praised for effectively tying together the publisher's opinion with point
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and counterpoint commentary, while the front page was recognized for
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its crisp, clean design and strong headlines. Enterprise Sports editor
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Tanner Hoskins also received multiple top honors, earning first place
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awards in Best Sports Story, Best Sports Feature Story, and
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Best Sports Picture. Judges highlighted hoskins strong leads, engaging storytelling,
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and ability to capture intense, meaningful moments through photography. Additional
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honors included second place in Best Sports Story, second place
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in Best Ongoing Extended Coverage, second place in Best General
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News Picture, third place finishes in multiple Breaking News, General News,
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and picture essay categories. Judges consistently praised the newspaper's storytelling,
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visual impact, and overall presentation, citing strong composition, effective photography,
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and clear engaging writing throughout the entries. These awards reflect
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the dedication our staff has to serving Clay County with
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quality journalism every single week, Hoskins said. Finishing second in
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the state largest weekly newspaper class is something we're extremely
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proud of. The Manchester Enterprise competed against weekly newspapers from
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across Kentucky, making the breadth of awards and the high
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overall finish particularly noteworthy. Our next article is entitled City
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declar's golf course as surplus, bids will be accepted to
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purchase course improve it. This is also a staff report
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by The Enterprise News. The future of Big Hickory Golf
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Horse took center stage during Tuesday night's Manchester City Council meeting,
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as council members formerly declared the city owned course surplus
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property and approved a process that will allow the city
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to seek bids for its sale. The action clears the
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way for the city to advertise and accept bids on
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the golf course, which has been appraised at five hundred
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thirty thousand dollars, though city officials stressed that the highest
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dollar offer will not automatically determine the outcome. Mayor Steve
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Collins said the council's primary goal is ensuring Big Hickory
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continues to prosper and serve the community for years to come.
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We want the best bid with the best plan to
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improve Big Hickory to continue to serve our community, Collins said.
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We're doing this because we feel private ownership can improve
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the course by doing things we as a city simply cannot.
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Collins emphasized that the city is not obligated to sell
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the course if the proposals received do not meet expectations.
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If we don't receive the bids we think will improve
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the course, we won't sell it and will continue to
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operate it as is, he said. During the discussion, City
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Councilwoman Dorothy Sizemore and City Councilwoman Alma Fay Gregory both
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question the need to sell the golf course, noting that
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Big Hickory is currently operating in the black. If it's
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making money, why should we sell it, Gregory asked during
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the meeting. Mayor Collins responded that profitability alone does not
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guarantee long term success or growth. A private owner will
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have a vested interest in making it go Collins said
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private ownership allows flexibility and investment opportunities that the city
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just doesn't have. The council approved a resolution adopting written
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determinations pursuant to KRS eighty two point zero eight three
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allowing the disposition of certain city owned real property, followed
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by the first reading of an ordinance declaring Big Hickory
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Golf Course surplus property. Both actions were sponsored by Councilwoman
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Betty Meredith, who also provided updates on the course during
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the meeting. Other business in the agenda included infrastructure related
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approvals tied to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet funded projects, including relocation
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of utility lines and authorization to advertise for bids for
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river boring to accommodate an underground water line crossing. The
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council also discussed a proposed shelter at Rawlings and Stenson Park,
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city dog issues, and water meter concerns. Mayor Collins closed
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the discussion on Big Hickory by reiterating that the city's
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intent is not to abandon the course, but to secure
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its future. Our responsibility is to make sure Big Hickory
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remains an asset to this community. Collins said that's what
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will guide our decision. The city is expected to advertise
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for bids in the coming weeks. Any final sale would
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require additional council approval following review of submitted proposals. Our
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next article is titled house fire claims man near Clay Line.
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Big Creek Fire Department responds to scene of tragedy. This
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is another staff report of The Enterprise News. A structure
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fire near the Clay Leslie County Line claimed the life
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of a Bear Branch man Friday evening, according to Kentucky
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State Police. Kentucky State Police Post thirteen in Hazard was
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notified at approximately six fifty eight pm Friday, January twenty
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three of a residential fire on Turkey Foot Road in
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the Bear Branch community of Leslie County. The location is
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near the Clay County Line. Firefighters from Big Creek Fire Department,
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along with Leslie County Fire Services responded to the scene
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and worked to extinguish the blaze. The Leslie County Sheriff's
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Office in Kentucky State Police also responded. After the fire
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was brought under control, responders discovered the body of a
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deceased individual inside the residents Detectives were notified and immediately
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began an investigation. The deceased was later identified as Rex Smallwood,
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sixty eight, of Bear Branch, who was believed to have
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been the sole occupant and resident of the home. The
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Leslie County Corner's Office pronounced Smallwood deceased at the scene.
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Authorities say no foul play is suspected at this time.
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Smallwood's remains were transported to the Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office
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for an autopsy as part of standard procedure. The incident
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remains under investigation and is being handled by Kentucky State
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Police Detective Darryl Hicks. No further details were immediately available.
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Our next article is titled North shows why they are
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region's best. Konigin leads Jaguar attack with eighteen as wagers
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paces Tigers with twenty. This is by Tanner Hoskins of
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Enterprise Sports. North Laurel used balanced scoring in a strong
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second half performance to pull away from Clay County for
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sixty seven to fifty five road victory Friday night, strengthening
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its grip on the top spot in the forty ninth
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district standings. The win improved the Jaguars to sixteen and
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four overall and a perfect five and zero in district play,
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while Clay County slipped to thirteen and seven on the
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season and one and two against district opponents. North Laurel
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edged out to an eleven to nine lead at the
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end of the first quarter behind four points from Cooper
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Elsa and a three pointer by Jordan Rawlings. The Jaguars
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began to assert control in the second quarter, outscoring the
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Tigers seventeen to five to take a commanding twenty eight
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to fourteen halftime advantage. Cory Kunaghan led the Jaguars in
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the second period with six points, while Elza added five,
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including a three pointer. Rawlings and Caden Allen also knocked
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down shots from beyond the arc as North Laurel maintained control.
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Despite senior Rhys Davidson being held scoreless in the first
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half due to foul trouble, Clay County showed signs of
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life in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to forty
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seven to thirty five heading into the final period. Aiden
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Grubb sparked the Tigers with ten points in the quarter,
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while Aiden Wagers added eight. Davidson found his rhythm for
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the Jaguars, scoring thirteen points in the third to halt
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Clay County's momentum and keep North Laurel comfortably in front.
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The Jaguars put the game away in the fourth quarter
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with another balanced effort. Cunagan scored eight points in the
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final eight minutes, while Elza and Allen added four apiece
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as North Laurel pulled away down the stretch. Cnagan led
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North Laurel with eighteen points, followed closely by Elza with seventeen.
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Davidson finished with fifteen points and Allen added nine. In
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the victory, Clay County was led by Wagers with twenty points,
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while Grubb finished with fifteen. Jacob Rodgers scored eight points,
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Maxton Gray and Brody Hooker had five each, and Jay
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Nicholson added two. This article is accompanied by a photo.
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The caption reads Aiden Grubb slammed home two to ignite
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the crowd in the Tiger's loss to North Laurel. The
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photo shows Aiden wearing his Tigers number two jersey, hanging
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from the rim with both hands while three players look on.
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Our next article is titled Lady Tigers drop two in
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a row. Clay falls to North Laurel seventy four to
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fifty five. Pulaski County by eleven. This is by Tanner
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Hoskins of Enterprise Sports. North Laurel continued its long standing
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dominance in forty ninth district play Tuesday night, rolling past
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Clay County seventy four to fifty five to extend its
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district winning streak to an impressive fifty seven consecutive games.
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The victory improved the Lady Jaguars to thirteen and five
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overall and three and zero in district action, while Clay
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County dropped to ten and ten on the season and
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zero to two against district opponents. North Laurel held a
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slim thirteen to eleven advantage after the first quarter before
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taking control in the second. The Lady Jaguars poured in
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twenty points in the period while holding Clay County to eight,
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opening up a thirty three to nineteen lead at the half.
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As the game progressed, North Laurel's defensive pressure began to
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dictate the pace. As the night went on and our
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defense began to settle in. We were able to speed
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things up, create opportunities in transition, and that really helped
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get our guards more involved offensively. Mayon said the Lady
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Jaguars continued to build on their lead in the second half,
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outscoring Clay County twenty three to twenty in the third
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quarter and eighteen to six in the fourth to secure
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the nineteen point victory. Mary Ella Claybrook turned in another
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dominant all around performance for North Laurel, finishing with thirty
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three points, sixteen rebounds, three steals, and a blocked shot.
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Paisley Kilburn added ten points, while Leiley Phillips and Hailey
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Combs scored nine points apiece. Belle Lewis chipped in five.
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North Laurel finished twenty eight of fifty six shooting from
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the floor and controlled the paint throughout the night, outscoring
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Clay County forty six to twenty inside and holding a
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thirty seven to twenty one rebounding advantage. Clay County was
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led by Macy White with seventeen points, while Madison Pendlan
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added fifteen and Lauren Sizemore finished with eleven. Pulaski County
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sixty eight Lady Tigers fifty seven. Carley Fultz and Macey
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White paced the Lady Tigers with fourteen points each in
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the loss. Lauren Sizemore added eleven, Taylor Grub eight Madison
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Penland five, and Harper Rice five. This article is accompanied
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by a photo. The caption reads Taylor Grubb scored eight
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points in the loss to Pulaski County. The photo shows
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Taylor Grubb with the basketball in her hands against a
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backdrop of the fans in the stands. The next article
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is titled Tiger's blowout Barrea. Nearly the entire roster scored
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in the tigers eighty three to twenty two win over Berea.
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Clay dominated from start to finish in this one to
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pick up their thirteenth win of the season. The Tigers
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were led in scoring by Aiden Grubb at seventeen points,
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followed by Aiden Wagers with sixteen. Brody Hooker chipped in nine,
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Skyler Sizemore eight, Jacob Rogers six, Writer Smith six, Maxton
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Gray five, Tyler Centers five, Jay Nicholson four, Alex Gray three,
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Noah Jackson two, and Logan Desarn two. Now we will
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turn to the obituaries. We read only the name, age,
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at location of the deceased. If you would like more
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information on any of these listings, please call Radio I
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at eight five nine four two two six three nine
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zero and we will be happy to read it to
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you in its entirety. The first obituary is of John
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Philip Sorg eighty seven of Charlottesville, Virginia. Next is Ralph
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Wayne Crawford, aged fifty nine, of Barberville, Kentucky. Next is
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Velma Hoskins, age sixty eight, who passed away at her home.
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Next is a column Down Home with Melissa by Melissa
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Garrison titled we Are Manchester. In my case, we are
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Oneida because that's technically where I live, but I work
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in Manchester and do a lot of business there, so
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I'm team Onita and Manchester. Both places feel like home
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to me. Let's talk about some of the things our
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area is known for, just the ones that come to
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my mind. Mennonite doughnuts or the bakery in general are
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famous in our small town. C M R. Or if
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you were cruising back in the day like me, it
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will always be. Stuiver's Chevron is another staple. Their hot
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dogs and chili are still my go to. Then there's Pats.
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Growing up, Pats was a cheap meal with a good
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greasy burger. It's a little pricier now, but it's still
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a good greasy burger and still very much a local favorite.
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We're also a trail town and that's something to be
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proud of. We host rides and it's exciting to see
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them at any given time. My little o town area
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is a great place to take ATV and jeep rides.
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We have many trails and they bring people here. But
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let's talk about what we don't have a coffee shop.
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I'm seeing so much improvement in our town. It's honestly
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crazy how nice downtown is looking. I'd love to see
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every single one of those buildings filled with reasons to
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be downtown. And a coffee shop is so needed, preferably
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with a drive through. I hear some talk about needing
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a big Walmart, and I disagree. We don't need a
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bigger Walmart. And let's be honest about adding more restaurants.
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Until we can get more people to work. We can't
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handle more restaurants. That's a sad truth. I'd love to
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see more locally owned restaurants. I've said it a million times,
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give us spent Spencer's in Manchester, but once again, a
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family would have to dedicate themselves to running it. I'll
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admit it. I take my grocery money to London sometimes
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prices are more expensive here, though I do shop at
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Save a Lot. I can travel, but not everyone can,
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and that leads me to this thought. Prices should be
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affordable for everyone everywhere. I love seeing local businesses helping
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out local people. That's actually the thing that makes me
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choose to do business with them. It's hard to thrive
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in the economy right now. One hundred thousand dollars a
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year isn't what it used to be years ago. If
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you were bringing home fifty thousand dollars to sixty thousand
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dollars a year, you were big time. Today's economy says,
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that wouldn't be very comfortable. Crazy talk people, Why is
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the cost of living so expensive? And will it ever change?
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If you could decide on a new business to come to town,
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what would it be. I'd like to hear your answers.
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Most people say restaurants, But look at the small businesses
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we already have and maybe need more of. Food trucks
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seem to thrive. Car cleaning businesses are in demand. Pet
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grooming is another. I used to take my dogs to London,
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but I found someone local now and I'm one hundred
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percent satisfied. What about catering, a bed and breakfast, a photographer,
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lawn care, tutoring, house cleaning, landscaping, and yes, you know
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I'm going to say it, a coffee shop with a
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drive through. I'm excited that someone has made the effort
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to open a kid's zone with activities for children. Much
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needed praise to Blaster's. I wish you all great success.
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Maybe our area is waiting on you to bring your
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idea to life. You have to start somewhere, and I
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know it's not easy to run your own business, but
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in a small town it's more important than you might think. Friends,
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We've got snow outside this morning, and we've been cooped
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up inside all weekend. I'm ready to plant some flowers
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and see some sunshine. But until then I'll just keep
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as warm as I can and write to you all
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about it. Have a great week, and support your locals
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when you can. There's a quote, wouldn't trade this holler
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for a stone cold million dollars. My green all comes
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blue collar, and I'm all good with that. This world's
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been changing, but these folks round here, they ain't been.
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They all still windshield wavin' when they slow rowland passed.
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That's from Morgan Wallen. The next article is titled Tiger's
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travel to Jackson host Clinton County Tuesday. It will be
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a battle for second place supremacy in the forty ninth
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district as the Tigers travel to Jackson County Friday night.
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The Generals are fourteen and six on the season, with
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only one home loss of forty seven forty one defeat
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to Barberville on December eighteenth. The Generals have four players
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averaging in double figures, with Brennan Comb's at twelve points
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per game, Wyatt Gray, Tanson Truett and Juna Home at
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ten points per game each. They have a very balanced
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scoring attack, as you won't see many teams with four
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players averaging in double figures. Jones said. Game time is
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set for seven thirty pm Clinton County. It's a big
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match up for the Tigers on Tuesday as they host
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the second ranked team in the fourth region, Clinton County.
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The Bulldogs are eighteen and three on this season and
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are coming off a loss to Caverna in the All
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A Classic second round forty eight forty six. Their two
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earlier losses were the second and third games of the season,
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falling to Marshall County eighty one to forty two and
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Monroe County fifty eight to forty eight. Coach Nick Erwin's
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squad reeled off seventeen wins in a row before falling
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in the All A. The senior duo of William Batty
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twenty points per game and Jackson Mason seventeen points per
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game lead the high octane Bulldog Attack. The tip off
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is set for seven thirty pm at Bobby Keith Gymnasium.
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This concludes the reading of the Manchester Enterprise. Your reader
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has been Denise Woodside Murray. Now please stay tuned for
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continued programming and on behalf of everyone here at Radio.
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I thank you for listening and we hope you have
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a good day.