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Ashland Daily Independent - 2.25.26 · 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 in and around Ashland and Boyd County. Your
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reader to day is Jane. We begin with the edition
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dated February twenty fourth, twenty twenty six, as a reminder
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radioized reading service intended for people who are blind or
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have other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
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Our first article, Wonderful Feeling of Community Knuckles Museum dinner
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coincides with one hundred Years of Black History Month by
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Aaron Snyder of The Daily Independent. When Carter G. Woodson,
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who spent his formative years in nearby Huntington, founded Negro
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History Week in nineteen twenty six, perhaps he envisioned celebrations
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like Saturday Night in Ashland a century later. This is
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like a great, big family reunion, Bernice Henry said during
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the C. B. Nicholls Community Center and Black History Museum
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fundraising dinner that drew three hundred plus people to the
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Highlands Museum and Discovery Center. Henry and her nephew Darryl Smith,
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co founders of Ashland's museum, received keys to the city
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from Mayor Chuck Charles as people enjoyed dinner and dancing
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while honoring one hundred years of Black History Month. Charles
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also made a key presentation to Mary Bell, the widow
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of the late James W. Bell Senior. He was Ashland
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Police Department's first black officer. She came in from Lexington
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to attend. I hope this does your heart well, Charles
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told Bell. She was so thrilled, Smith said. James Bell
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joined the U. S. Marine Corps in July nineteen seventy
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and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. He received
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a National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with three Stars,
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a Combat Action Ribbon, Vietnam Campaign Medal, and Rifle Sharpshooter Badge.
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Bell joined APD in nineteen eighty at the age of thirty.
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He was assigned to the Patrol Division and was later
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a detective in criminal investigations. He also served in the
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local Drug Task Force. He retired in nineteen ninety one
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and passed away in March nineteen ninety three. James and
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Mary Bell had five children. They have eleven grandchildren, two
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great grandchildren and two more on the way. A Chattautiqua
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performance featured Kristin Martin s, Harriet Tubman, Leah Branch as
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Madame C. J. Walker and Norman branch As. Medgar Evans,
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a jazz band, and DJ Tanner Cantley provided music. Texas
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Roadhouse catered the dinner. Reverend Stanley McDonald led prayer prior
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to eating. Although the four hour event began at six pm,
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Smith's said attendees began filtering into the sixth floor of
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the Highlands early and often they just kept coming. Smith
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said it was a wonderful feeling of community, with white
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and black all getting together like this. Various exhibits from
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the Black History Museum were on display throughout the floor,
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including posters and art honoring the late Jerry Johnson. Volunteers
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from First Presbyterian Church and the Fairview High School Key
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Club were tremendously helpful. Smith said the church also helped
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the museum secure grants to help buy supplies and pay
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talent for the event. A silent auction featuring a slew
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of prizes highly contributed to fundraising as well. Smith mentioned
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a number of community members who tossed in a helping hand,
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from decorating to making signs, to hauling treasured items from
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the Knuckles Museum to the Highlands and more. Smith said
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his aunt Angel Hill was at the dinner Saturday. Hill
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has regularly donated to the museum from the beginning. Smith
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said he is grateful to the Highlands for hosting. He said,
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I think we pulled it off quite nicely. Smith said,
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I tried to up my game each year. Smith did
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not yet have a final tally on funds raised as
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of Monday, but he said he could comfortably label it
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a success. The family of Ceb Knuckles made a significant donation.
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Appalachian Community Fund did as well. Smith said. Mayor Charles
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had to call on Smith twice to come up and
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receive his key to the city. Come on, Darryl, the
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mayor said, with a laugh. I don't like patting myself
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on the back. Smith said, but I'm proud of the
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work we've done, and I'm proud of how successful the
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museum has become. The love and support and kindness I
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receive is incredible. Sponsors were as follows, Gold Level ACTC,
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Doctor Latasha Henry, Pathways Incorporated Regional Prevention Center, Silver Level,
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the Knuckles family, doctor Charles Roads and Missus Dorothy Rhoades,
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Doctor Michael D. Canty and Missus Connie y can'ty Uk
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KDMC Bronze Level a c l U of Kentucky, Advantage
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Plus Reality Advocates for Appalachia, Ashland Rotary Club, Ashland Credit Union,
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Ashland for Change, Association for Teaching Black History in Kentucky,
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Boyd Democratic Party, Christ Center, Ministries, City of Ashland, Clark's
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Pumpin Shop, Community Trust Bank, First Presbyterian Church, The Jackson Family,
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Kentucky Farmers Bank, Kentucky Power Marathon, Marine Marathon, Martin Wheeler
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and Vincent PSC, PNC Bank, Second Hand Rose Slash, Safe Harbor,
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Steam Funeral Home, Ashland Office Supply. Visit AKY one and
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Visit Aky two. Our next article Raving Gravy, seventh annual
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event helps Visit Aky put on community events by Aaron
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Snyder of The Daily Independent. More than two hundred hungry
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people and nine eager contestants showed up at the Ashland
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Transportation Center Saturday, and the rest was just gravy. The
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seventh annual Visit Aky Gravy Bowl featured a variety of
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styles of the main dish and a few fixins too.
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The gym brought home judges choice with its high protein gravy,
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while Sandy's Racing and Gaming collected the People's Choice Award
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with its country gravy. It was a really good, very
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chill atmosphere, said Celes Coon's visit Akwy's director. Everybody came
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and had a good time. It could even be bigger.
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I think it was a great event. Coon said. The
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event made money that will be utilized for community events
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throughout the year. We had to do some tweaking that
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we needed to make it. We needed to to make
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it financially viable so we can utilize it for First
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Fridays and things like that. Coon said, we have to
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be able to make money for that. Aside from the winners,
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contestants were butter Boy, the two twenty twenty five winner,
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a Pig's Blanket, Crescent Moon Properties, Breaky Boys, Bluegrass Collectors,
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Carter County Tourism, and Ashland Fire Department. Each offered a
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different flavor. We had some really great gravy and some
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awesome memo like gravy, Coon said. Catherine Dingis, visit Aki's
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assistant director, posted a video on the visit aky Facebook
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page highlighting each contestants. AfD brought the heat, dinghas said
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with two entries with a kick at Chorzo gravy and
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traditional sausage. Breaky Boys also made Choreso gravy to go
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with some other ingredients like pico de gallo and cheese.
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Butter Boy and Crescent Moon made country gravy. A Pig's
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Blanket offered up sausage gravy. Devonia Hall of Blueglass Collectors
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fried fresh bacon on the spot to sample alongside their gravy.
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Carter County Tourism cooked fried apples to compliment its dish.
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Coon said she loved seeing an entry from Carter County.
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We're working that ability to have a regional pool so
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we can work together as a team. Coon said there
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shouldn't be any competition that way. Attendees paid twenty dollars
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per ticket. Judges were Bill Cornwell and Big John from
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twenty three point seven The Dog, Drew Clark, Commissioner, Tim Renfrow,
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and Gary Harrison. Sponsors were US Follows, Marathon, Petroleum, UK,
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King's Daughters, Desco, Federal Credit, Union, Community Trust, Bank, City
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National Bank, Texas road House, ACTC, Workforce Solutions, McDonald's and
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the City of Ashland. We are beyond blessed to kick
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off this year's event season in such a big way.
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Visit Aky posted on social media. In other news, fundraiser
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to aid local bluegrass figure by Lee Ward of the
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Daily Independent, a bluegrass staple in the area facing trying
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times is getting a little help from his friends. An event,
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Bluegrass for the Bowman, will be at two pm March
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twenty eighth at Boyd County High School. It aims to
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raise money for the radio programmer, host and festival mc
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who is facing cancer and chemotherapy. I was shocked, McCarty
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said of when he learned about the fundraiser. When Grammy
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Award winner winning Don Rigsby reached out when I was
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going through all this chemo, he said, I don't want
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to be nosy about finances, but he wanted to know
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if McCarty would have to miss or quit working. At first,
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McCarty thought he would continue to work, and his employer
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said he could work when he felt like it. He
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was to take chemotherapy for six weeks starting February fifth.
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His cancer started as a malignant melanoma. A pet scan
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showed Don Hodgkins's slow growth lymphoma, and later a more
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aggressive form showed up. Doctor stopped the chemo temporarily to
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start him on a different treatment plan set to begin
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on Thursday and continue for six weeks. MacCarty lost his
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sister to cancer and has since participated in fundraising to
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fight the disease. One of the musicians scheduled to perform,
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Draden Gordon, said McCarty has been a great friend to
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him and to bluegrass music. He has always promoted and
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encouraged new talent the same as season pros, and I
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think that's very admirable, especially in this business, Gordon said.
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But above all, he is a genuinely great guy who
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has always gone above and beyond for everyone. This is
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our chance to return the favor and show him a
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lot of love. The event will include bluegrass music, raffles,
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auctions and food. Sound will be donated by sound Wave
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Productions with Keith Poca's Kieran and Jerry bub Porter Junior.
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Other performers will include Southern Legacy, Kevin Denny, Caleb Daltrey
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and Neo Grass, Hammertown, Chris Davis Band, Step into the Blue,
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Blue Debut, Rob mcnerlan and String Therapy. The school is
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at one four, three, seven five Lions Lane. McCarty said
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he didn't expect such support. I've been helping people out
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any way I can, and I never would have dreamed
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they would do one for me, he said. There also
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is a gofunding campaign for donations. Moving On Community Kitchen
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Seeking Spare Change by Lee Ward of the Daily Independent.
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With March as National Nutrition Month, Ashland Community Kitchen is
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having its second fundraiser asking for spare change. Those who
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wish to participate may come to the kitchen in request
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to take out box throughout March, just adds spare change
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and return it to the kitchen at the end of
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the month. TJ. Torgersen, executive directors, said, we got the
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idea from another nonprofit in town. Torgerson said Two Hearts
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Pregnancy Center does it with baby bottles. Last year we
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did it in February, but with March being National Nutrition Month,
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we decided to do it then. The kitchen has about
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two hundred boxes. Torgersen said if organizations request several, he
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can deliver then. Last year the campaign raised more than
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one thousand dollars. Increased grocery prices have prompted the kitchen
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to seek additional sources of revenue. Food is so so
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expensive and of course we don't charge people, so we
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have to find a way to purchase the food toward.
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Torgersen said, we are getting less from the pantries because
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the demand is so high everywhere, so they have to
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kind of ration it out. There are other expenses many
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don't think of, like plastic flatware. More have sought food
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from the kitchen too. Torgersen said on Thursday they fed
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seventy five at lunch time. Many days the lunch crowd
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numbers thirty or forty. He said that day Giovanni sponsored
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lunch and provided pizza for diners. Last year, the kitchen
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provided nearly forty nine thousand meals. The kitchen also distributes
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one hundred food boxes per month. In other news, Walmart
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recognizes pair at Ashlands Store, Ashley. Walmart recognized apparel associate
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Ann Brooks and coach for Neeehitchcock at the Ashland Supercenter
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as my Local Social Star Champion Award winners for their
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outstanding efforts engaging customers through their store social media channels.
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According to a news release, through creativity, authenticity, and consistency,
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Brooks and Hitchcock have built a strong online presence that
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resonates far beyond their local community. The release stated their
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posts regularly generate thousands of views, reaching audiences across the
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country and even internationally, helping showcase the energy of their store,
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highlight great fines, and strengthen customer connections. Their work exemplifies
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how associates can make a meaningful impact both in store
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and online. According to the release, news in brief, Indooryard
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Sale to benefit theater a fifty plus family Indooryard cell
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will be from eight am to noon Saturday at Grace
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Nazarene Church at twenty four thirteen South twenty ninth Street.
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Available items include gently used clothing, home goods, toys, sporting
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equipment and furniture. Cash and card payments will be accepted.
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The event will benefit Aspire Conservatory's Theatre Works program. Luminary
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Quilt Instruction offered. A Luminary quilt class is scheduled for
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noon to four pm Saturday at Best Friends, Fabric and
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More at two thousand seven Carter Avenue. Luminary is a
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fast and easy quilt for beginners using the easy strip
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quilting method. Only three scenes must be matched. Class fee
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is twenty five dollars and registration is required RSVP by
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stopping at the shop or call area code six oh
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six three nine three three nine nine four. Attendees are
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asked to bring a sewing machine and basic kits tools.
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Fabric requirements are fat eight bundle of at least eighteen
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fabrics or jelly roll with at least thirty strips or
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layer cake with at least forty squares. You may need
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a few extra strips if your wiffs tend to be
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on the smaller side. Batground fabric two yards forty four
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inches wide Longaburger Bingo Special Vintage Longeburger Basket Bingo. A
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fundraiser for the Boyd County Homemaker's community projects, will be
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March fifth at the Boyd County Existension Office. Two baskets
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will be awarded for each game. Doors will open at
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five thirty pm and games will start at six pm.
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Participants will pay at the door twenty games for twenty dollars.
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Door prizes, raffle baskets, and fifty to fifty refreshments will
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be available for purchase. The office is at twenty four
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to twenty Center Street. In other news, sister Act in Ashland,
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Dandelion Patch Boutique cuts ribbon downtown by Aaron Snyder of
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The Daily Independent On a day that felt like early spring,
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the Dandelion Patch boutique bloomed in downtown Ashland. The Northeast
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Kentucky Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony for
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the Women's Clothing shop at fifteen thirty six Winchester Avenue
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at the front of the Comeo Arcade Friday morning. This
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was Eastern Kentucky's first indoor mall. Commissioner Marty Goot said
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of the arcade, he displayed photographs from the nineteen forties
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of a bustling downtown. The town was really crowded at
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that time, and we want to see that again. You're
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helping us achieve that goal with your investment. Sisters Susan
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McGinnis Callahan and Mary Kay McGinnis rourke own and operate
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the shop, which relocated from Russell to Ashland. When I
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moved home eight years ago, I wanted to do this
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and I was too scared to do it, Callahan said.
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Mary Kay encouraged me and helped me just do it,
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do it. She said. This new location is here because
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of Mary Kay. I'm so incredibly proud to be your sister.
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You have a good heart and you love people. The
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store follows the principles of three seas chic, class, and comfort.
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Callahan said. Chic so it's trendy, cute, you're gonna like
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wearing it. Classic, it's going to last a while. Not
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cheap fashion, fast fashion, and comfort because who doesn't want
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comfortable clothes, Callahan said. Callahan said the goal, aside from
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women walking out with a new wardrobe, is to bring
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that community spirit back. My favorite things are when people
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come in and chat and talk. They see what we
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have here and reminisce with me, talk about old times
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and make new memories, Callahan said. Rourke and Callahan thanks
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supportive family, friends, employees, landlords, and past, present and future customers.
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Thank you to God who makes all good things possible
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in our lives, Callahan said. Rourke offered a piece of advice.
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If your sister asked you to go into business, do it.
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She said, it's fun. We have a really good time.
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Come shop with us, please, Callahan said, We want you
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to love everything you wear from the Dandelion Patch. The
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Dandelion Patches open ten am to six pm Tuesday through
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Friday and ten am to four pm Saturday. The store
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is closed Sunday and Monday. Our next article Ams wins
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Governor's Cup Region title. By Aaron Snyder of The Daily Independent.
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Ashland ran away with the Governor's Cup Region eighteen middle
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school title in a recent academic competition. Ashland finished with
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sixty points, thirty seven points ahead of second place Russell
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and third place Boyd County. Ashland Middle was first in
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Quick Recall and Future Problem Solving individually. Ashland's Adrian Mattingley
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comfortably cleared the competition in both mathematics and science, scoring
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forty five and forty eight points in those respective categories.
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Kenden Palmer, Tristian Barnett, and Langdon Sarah represented Ashland as
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first place finishers in Social Studies, Language, Arts and Arts
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and Humanities respectively. Russell's Piper Darneil earned the top spot
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in composition. The KAAC Middle School Governor's Cup State Finals
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are scheduled for March twentieth through the twenty third at
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the Gault House in Louisville. In other news, area schools
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sever ties with suspend lifetouch services by Aaron Snyder of
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The Daily Independent. Several schools districts in Northeast Kentucky joined
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numerous across the nation in either disassociating with or reconsidering lifetouch,
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the largest nation's largest school photography company. Leon Black, who
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was an associate of convicted sex offender jeff Jeffrey Epstein,
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is the former CEO of Apollo Global Management. Apollo is
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an investment fund that brought volts Shutterfly, life Touch's parent
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company in September twenty nineteen. This link to the Epstein
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files has prompted many school districts to break away from Lifetouch.
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Carter County Schools announced Monday, February sixteenth it does not
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have a contract with any school photography company. The district
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posted on social media. No school in its district will
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be using Lifetouch do to the safety and security concerns
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that have been shared about that national company. Local schools
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have choice in the photographer selected for school pictures, but
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again it will not be Lifetouch. Raceland Worthington posted Thursday
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it has suspended photography services provided by Lifetouch. This decision
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was made out of an abundance of caution due to
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the concerns that have recently come to our attention. The
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district posted Ashland Independent also announced the suspension of services
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from Lifetouch Thursday. Greenop County School District followed suit Thursday,
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temporarily pausing the use of life Touch services while we
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conduct a review and gather additional information. Boyd County Public
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Schools did the same. We will be working to find
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an alternative photographer for our graduation and spring pictures and
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will announce it new picture date as soon as we
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secure that. The district posted Russell Independent announced Friday it
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is suspending future photography sessions with Lifetouch. We understand the
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concerns this is raised in our community, said Superintendent Doctor
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Sean Horn. District leaders are in communication with the Kentucky
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Educational Development Corporation and are reviewing all available information. Library
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patron graduates from a high school Excel program Alexis Smith
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earns degree through program by Boyd County Public Library. Boyd
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County resident Alexis Smith earned her Excel Adult High School
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diploma through a free and accredited program offered at the
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Boyd County Public Library. The program facilitates the ability for
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residents interested in completing their high school degree. This concludes
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excerpts from recent editions of the Ashland Daily Independent. Your
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reader has been Jane on behalf of everyone here at radio.
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I thank you for listening, keep on listening, and have
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a good day.