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Hazard Herald - 3.1.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the reading of the Hazzard Herald,
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the news of Hazzard and Perry County Humley townshend. We
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begin with an online edition dated February twenty fifth, twenty
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twenty six. As a reminder, radioized the reading service intended
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for people who are bling or have other disabilities that
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make it difficult to read prendit material. Mobilini Alexander outlined
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progress and priorities at chamber meeting by Justin Begley, Hazard,
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Mayor of Donald Happy Mobilini and Perry County Judge Executive
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Scott Alexander delivered their annual community Update Tuesday, February twenty
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fourth during the Hazard Perry County Chamber of Commerce meeting.
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They highlighted progress on water infrastructure, economic development, and regional
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collaboration while appointing the future initiatives on the horizon. Alexander
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opened by addressing one of the region's most persistent concerns,
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water reliability. We've talked about its since we've been here.
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I've been judged for eleven years. Happy he's been mayor
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for seven of those, Alexander said. When he first became mayor,
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the very first question he asked me was how do
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we solve the water. We had a plan in place
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on how to work and solve it, and we've continuously
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worked hard on that plan and we're sitting here today.
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He acknowledged the frustration residence field during outages while outlining
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the steps officials have taken. I know, when you go
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to turn your falset on and water doesn't come out,
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that's a problem, he said. We've worked out a plan
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and we started a new water plant at Buckhorn. People
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may ask what that does for Perry County. Right now,
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we're pulling from the car Creek Reservoir the Peerry County
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water system. A lot of people don't realize that Perry
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County used to have a little water system to be
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used by the city of Iaco. It was in trouble
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and we knew the value of water. So the period
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County Fiscal Court took over the Vaiko water system and
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that's tied directly into car Creek Reservoir. The City of
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Hazard has a plant on the North Fork. He continued.
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They're only allowed four to five million gallons of water
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a day, and one of the issues that happens in
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the wintertime is production goes down due to the weather,
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usage goes up and there's only so many gallons a
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day we can pull. Now we're building a new plant
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which will pull from Littlefork. So I'm going to say
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we're one of the few communities in America that will
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have three different plants to pull from. That will solve
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the water issue. A lot of people say nothing's being
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done about the water, but there is a plant in place,
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and it's working, and at any given time, we're feeding
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anywhere from five hundred to one thousand homes through interconnects.
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As well as bringing this water plant along, Alexander said,
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the expanded capacity is expected to strengthen economic recruitment efforts.
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This will also allow us to recruit companies that we've
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never been able to recruit before because we have the water,
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Alexander said, So then we'll be able to get one
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to two million extra gallons a day. He will take
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forty percent off hazard plant during the winter. But if
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we have fourteen or fifteen days below freezing, once it's
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playing is online, there will still be some problems. Anytime
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you have that kind of weather, you will have problems,
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but instead of it being a week long problem, it
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will be a day or two problem. He also clarified
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how grand funding supports major infrastructure work. People see that
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we get all these grand dollars, Alexander said, but we
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don't get all these grant dollars. We're winning grant dollars.
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Grants are going to fund the water treatment plant and
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transmission lines, but you don't actually get the money until
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the work is completed. You apply for the money right now,
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down to descent where the grant dollars go. As we
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build a plant, we get reimbursed as we go. Turning
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to broader economic goals, Alexander emphasized support for entrepreneurship when
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it comes to economic development. I want us to be
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the small business capital of America, said Alexander. I could
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ask you as a citizen to drive through our industrial
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park as well. It's amazing what's happening over there. We're
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always actively recruiting new things and projects to our community.
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We celebrate these wins and we're proud of everything that's
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come in and happening, but we know there's more to do.
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Mobilini echoed the focus on growth, highlighting recent retail recruitment efforts.
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One thing about us getting hobby lobby along with TJ
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Mix and stuff is Persistence is everything, he said. We try,
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we go after everything. We don't always win. A lot
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of times we get told no. We were told no
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on hobby lobby once before. This is really going to
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help the city and county in schools. The salaries at
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TJ Mix start out at fifty two thousand dollars a
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year in retail, and that's not counting hobby lobby or
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a dollar tree or five below. Will take one job
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or one hundred jobs. We will take every job we
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can get. He also discussed transportation improvements aimed at better connectivity.
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We got that new trolley and we're looking at getting
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another one, he said. We want to run these trolleys
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all day to downtown to the hospital, at the lawmart.
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We want everyone to be a part of it. Mobilini's
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stress the cooperation among local entities has been the key
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to recent momentum. But one thing that as a town
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we have more than anything is unity between the city
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and the county. We really are on the same paid,
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said Mobilini. Some people like that and some people don't.
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One thing that we will always do is move the
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town together, and the school systems are a part of that.
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The school systems are really the best thing we've got
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going for us. They want to be a part of
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the town and part of the community. We really do
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have some amazing schools. He also emphasized business growth in
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downtown revitalization. We've had eighty six new businesses that have
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opened up, he said. That's huge in a small town.
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Some have gone under, but not many. Everything is coming back,
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and that's hard to do. There are used to be
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a lot of vacant buildings, and now most of places
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have businesses back in them. We have some really great
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people we work with when it comes to economic development.
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It's not just the magistrates or the council, it's everyone.
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It really starts with downtown and it's come a long way.
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We're growing and now we have working on a quality
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of life issues. We're making sure there's plenty to do
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for the families and people are coming to them. Local
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leaders and educators express concern about state House budget proposal
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by Justin Begley House Bill five hundred. The Kentucky House's
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proposed two year state budget aims to slow down spending
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growth while maintaining core services, legislators say, but it's drawn
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scrutiny for proposed cuts to higher education, reduction in school
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transportation funding, and the controversial cap on the state's contributions
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to employee health insurance. State Senator Brandon Smith, a Republican
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from Hazard, addressed growing concern about the bill and the
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public statement, saying he's been closely following feedback from constituents
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with HB five hundred rest assured. I've seen our emails,
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messages and appreciate your calls, Smith said, and a public statement,
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I've always stood with my teachers and state workers. This
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bill in its current form is a resounding no vote
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from me. Smith emphasized that the proposal remains early in
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the legislative process and still could change. The legislative process
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is a marathon, not a sprint. Smith said this bill
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currently sits in the House of Representatives as only introduced
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an assigned to a committee. It hasn't been heard, amended,
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voted on, or seen any movement. I don't anticipate it
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bill in its current form. He added that he will
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continue monitoring developments as the budget moves forward. I will
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watch this vigilantly as well as all budget matters pertaining
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to our educators, public workers, and retirees and keep you
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up today, he said. Continue to let your voices be heard.
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They are the reassuring sounds of democracy and action locally.
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Hazard Independent School Superintendent Sunder Homes said district leaders are
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paying close attention to the proposal and its potential impact
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on employees. Advocating for our schools and our employees is
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key to the success in our districts had comes. If
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HB five hundred passes in its current form, it could
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greatly impact educators and their families. There would be a
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shift and expenses among state employees in our district. If
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you consider the rising costs of health care, the project
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could be a dip and take home money up to
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five hundred dollars a month with higher premiums. We love
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our public schools and will continue to advocate for our
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district and our people. Six oh six Gala benefits ronaland'
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donell House Charities, Eastern Kentucky. Leaders, families and supporters gathered
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in Hazard in Valentine's Weekend for the inaugural six to
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six Gala out of evening dedicated to celebrating the strength
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of Appalachian communities and the growing network of support available
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to family leak spacing pediatric medical crisis. According to a
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statement hosted in support of Ronald McDonald House Charities of
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the Boograss, the event highlighted how compassion and collaboration across
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the region continue to open doors for children and families
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when they needed most. According to the statement, a defining
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moment of the evening came with a major philanthropic announcement
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from Craft Philanthropy, which shared a five million dollar gift
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in support of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the
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Bluegrass Capital Campaign project for an additional one hundred and
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twenty five thousand dollars pledge to the Care Mobile. The
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Care Mobile is a joint partnership between the Rotal McDonald House,
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Charities of the Bluegrass and UK North Fork Valley Community
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Health Center that delivers critical health services directly to communities
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across Eastern Kentucky. Our support was given in large part
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by the impact of Ronald McDonald House on families from
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Eastern Kentucky. Approximately ninety percent of the families served by
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Oreamate C of the boo Grass come from Eastern Kentucky communities.
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When Eastern Kentucky families are supported during their most vulnerable moments.
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The ripple effects extend far beyond the hospital walls, strengthening
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the fabric of that region for years to come, said
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Judy Brady Knight, executive director of Craft Philanthropy. Keeping families
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together during a crisis is not just compassionate, it's transformational.
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It strengthens the emotional foundation children of law and as
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they heal. It protects parents from isolation, and it reinforces
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the very fabric of our community. The six oh six
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gala highlighted the theme Love opens Doors, bringing together community members,
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business leaders, and regional partners for an evening featuring food
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and drink payment, a silent option, and unique experiences including
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a rare bourbon poor and specialty cocktail offerings. According to
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the release, proceeds from the event directly support Ronald McDonald
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House Charities at the Bluegrass and its mission to provide
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a home away from home for families who must travel
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for their children's medical care. This evening represented far more
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than the celebration. It was a powerful reminder to families
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that they're scene supported and never alone, said CEO Nate Graham.
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The outpouring of support from hazard community and across the
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six h six region was incredible and were profoundly thankful
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to everyone who helped make this inaugural event possible. The
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Appalachian Arts Alliance will be hosting its sixth annual Saint
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Patrick's Day event at six thirty pm on March thirteenth.
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The event will feature music by hal At the Moon
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doing pianos. This is an age restricted event for individuals
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twenty one and older. Tickets are twenty dollars per person,
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with drinks being sold separately. The proceeds of this event
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go to the Triple A Scholarship Fund funding Futures with
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permission to make arts available to all individuals, regardless of
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income disparity. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has appointed Perry
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County Attorney Derek George Campbell a special prosecutor in a
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case involving an alleged threat against the sitting district county
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judge in Clay County, according to a statement from Campbell's office.
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According to the release, Kentucky State Police said that in November,
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Sander Mathis allegedly discussed a plan to conceal a knife
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during a schedule court appearance before Clay District Judge Henry
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Bailey Lewis and carry out a violent attack. The investigators
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alleged Matthews stated he would cutter guts out, and further
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information indicated the knowledge of the routes that Judge Bailey
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Lewis traveled to work and the estimated police response time
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to her residence. According to the release, given the close
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professional working relationship between local prosecutors and the alleged victim,
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Coleman determined that appointment of an outside prosecutor was necessary
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to ensure independence and maintain public confidence in the process.
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Clay County Attorney Joe White expressed appreciation for the appointment.
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When it became clear that our office could not prosecute
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this case, we needed someone with both the experience and
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the backbone to handle it appropriately. White said, Derek George
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built a reputation for being thoroughly prepared and unafraid to
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take on serious cases. He understands what's at stake when
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threats are made against our courts. I'm quite pleased with
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his appointment, and I'm confident this case will be prosecuted
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fairly and decisively. A Perry County man is facing several
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charges after he allegedly attempted to escape from a deputy
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who responded to a domestic incident, According to an arrest
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citation written by Perry County Sheriff's Deputy Daniel Miller, on
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February twenty first, the Perry County E nine to one
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one Center received a call from Erica Lane, a viper,
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reporting that Orville Shepherd, thirty five, was under the influence
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and had assaulted his father and damage of the residence
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he was at. Miller wrote that upon arrival at the scene,
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Shepherd fled on foot and ignored the deputy's commands to stop.
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The citation said Miller was able to catch up with
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Shepherd and detain him, noting that Sheppard appeared to be
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under the influence of a controlled substance. Shepard was lodged
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in the Kentucky River Regional Jail on charges of third
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degree escape, fourth degree assault, first degree fleeing or evading
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a police and third degree of fleeing, robating and resisting arrest.
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Kentucky Power said in a statement on February seventeenth that
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it's filed an application with the Kentucky Public Service Commission
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seeking approval to construct a new cooping tower at the
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Mitchell Plant in West Virginia. The statement said the project
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is necessary to ensure continued access to reliable base load
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energy at the lowest costs for customers. Kentucky Power, the
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statement said, will invest approximately ninety five point five million
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dollars to rebuild the coul In Tower. For the average
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residential customer, using twelve hundred and six kilowots per month,
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the monthly bill is expected to arise about two point
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three percent when the project is completed in twenty twenty nine.
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The proposed project will undergo review by the Kentucky Public
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Service Commission. The West Virginia Public Service Commission will also
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review an issue of order on this project. Since the
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MITELL Quiet is jointly owned with Wheeland Power, Holocaust survivor
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of longtime civil and human rights activist John M. Rosenberg
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to receive the ABA Medal, and the American Bar Association
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announced the statement February twentieth that it will award John M. Rosenberg,
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the Executive Director emeritus of the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund,
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the twenty twenty six ABA Medal. Rosenberg will accept the
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award at the ABA Annual Conference in Chicago in August.
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The ABA Medal is bestowed upon a lawyer for exceptionally
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distinguished service to the American Jewish prudence. I'm really honored
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to receive this award, Rosenberg said. I would like to
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think that I'm representing the other public interest lawyers in
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this country, especially those who provide civil services to the
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poor and the public defenders and members of the private
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bar who volunteer to help with these cases. From escaping
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the Nazis and the Holocaust, to serving in the Department
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of Justice Civil Rights Division and prosecuting the klu klutz
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Klan to founding Apple Red Legal Aid in Kentucky. John
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Rosenberg has dedicated his life to fairness and equity. His
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commitment to access to justice and the rule of law
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has helped lay the foundation to make justice or reality
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for all, said ABA President Michelle A. Bink from the
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opinion page Setting the Future by rus Cassiday, You can't
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fix budget issues simply by cutting or spending the war alone.
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The problem with budgets is that they always represent a
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give and take situation. If you put more money into
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a particular initiative, it has to come from somewhere else,
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And if you cut spending in one area, there are
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costs both monetary and otherwise. The Kentucky legislature is currently
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in the process of setting its two year spending plan,
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and from what I can tell, at this point, no
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one's really happy. The legislators have been pushing over the
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past few years to reduce the state's personal income tax.
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It's a noble goal, and I'm generally supportive of tax reductions. However,
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part of the way for this been sold is the
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idea that don't worry about the revenue laws, We'll just
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make it up through sales taxes. As people spend all
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this new money, they're going to save on income taxes.
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The reality, though, is that the income tax cuts are
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coming in a minimal fashion to most average people's budgets.
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In order to see a substantial increase in sales tax
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there would have to be a big increase in spending
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on big ticket items. More likely, the income tax savings
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will just be sucked right out of the people's budgets
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to cover the increasing costs of groceries and daily life.
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The days of tax returns buying new TVs and appliances
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are not completely called, but it's certainly not what it
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used to be. As a result, standing will have to
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be reduced in several areas. If the current budget House
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to Bill five hundred is any indication, it appears to
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legislature has targeted items such as education and public employee
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benefits as sources for some of the savings, and that's
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a costly proposition. Cutting taxes is always a good idea,
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but it can't happen in isolation. It won't happen in
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isolation either, as the impacts of setting our priorities today
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will impact tomorrow. I've not heard anyone saying how the
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education cuts will improve Konpuchty's education system. And if one
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thing is happening without the other, then we're not budgeting,
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we're just politicking, and that's a costly proposition. So a
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letter to the editor disagrees with the proposed demolition of
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hc TC facility. I'm writing in regard to the decision
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of Hazard Community and Technical College to put Lee's College
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Jackson Hall, on slate for demolition, as printed in the
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article on the Jackson Times Voice in February fourth, twenty
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twenty six. I want to voice my extreme disappointment and
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disappointment with HCTC on how they've handled the situation in
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spite of the recent article and one that printed back
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in November twenty twenty four, there have been no official
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reports of the condition of the building, nor has there
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been any request of public opinion for solutions to save
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the building. As well, there's been zero news releases about
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the thought of demolition from their website or official social pages.
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Even the eight CTC Board of Directors meeting have no
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mentioning of the status of Jackson Hall in the past
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several years. It's disrespect to the people in this area
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and the alumni of the former college that outdates its
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parent company by eighty five years, especially considering the history
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of the building and its campus, and the people of
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Jackson campaign sorays fifty thousand dollars to build it. Thus,
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the Board of LEES decided to name it after the
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people who helped make that possible, Jackson. The letters from
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Brandon Gross of Jackson and a guest column Kentuckians are
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working harder but falling further behind. By Chad Hall and
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Andriel Camille state representatives, Right to work isn't working in Kentucky.
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Kentuckians are struggling to keep up with rising costs, and
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it's not hard to see workers' wages are not keeping
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up with basic needs such as housing, groceries, healthcare, and childcare.
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Some people need multiple jobs just to feed their families.
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A hard working Kentucky king struggle. The wealthy and well
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connected continue to receive tax breaks and special treatments from
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politicians in Frankfort and in Washington. This didn't happen by accident.
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This was by design. In twenty seventeen, we saw a
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dramatic shift against working families. The first order of business
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for the new Republican majority in the Kentucky House was
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passing so called right to work legislation House Bill One.
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This legislation weeken unions and led to lower pay for workers.
23:33
Nearly a decade has passed and the workers are not
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driving in Kentucky like they should be. Big business has
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virtually no limits on their influence in Frankfort. They spend
23:47
exceedingly large amounts of money on lobbying the Kentucky's super
23:51
majority to shape laws to further enrich themselves. When workers
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try to organize demand fair wages, safe workplaces, and decent benefits,
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big business uses the profits they've gathered off the bocks
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of working people to directly advocate against them. Some wealthy
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business interests claim right to work has contributed to the
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state's economic growth over the past several years, but whose
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growth is it? Really? The fact of the matter is
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corporate profits are soaring and executives are cashing in while
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families are left scraping by. From the obituaries page, Sandy
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Angel eighty one of Hazard died December twenty ninth. Richard
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called the eighty seven of Vipra died Friday, February twentieth.
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Lawrence B. Patrick seventy eight of Hazard, died Thursday, February nineteenth.
24:46
Joey Campbell fifty four of Avalon died Sunday, February fifteenth.
24:53
Robbie Hurt sixty six of Lower Second Creek died Thursday,
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February nineteenth in LaTosha. Maria Linden, forty five, died on
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February thirteenth. The University of Pipewo announced in a statement
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of February twentieth that has been selected as a recipient
25:16
of the twenty twenty six John W. Nason Award for
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Board Leadership by the Association of Governing Boards and Universities
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and Colleges, presented annually by the AGB. The Nason Award,
25:30
established in nineteen ninety two, recognizes higher education governing boards
25:35
that demonstrate exceptional leadership, foresight, and initiative in advancing institutional
25:41
mission and impact. The statement said, each year, AGB selects
25:46
Nason Award recipients from a highly competitive pool of nominations
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representing four year public and private colleges and universities from
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the Kentucky Leonard. Kentucky children are increasingly ingesting and overdosing
26:03
on unsafe substances like cannabinoids and fentanyl, with the rate
26:08
increasing by more than one hundred percent in the last
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five years. A new report shows the annual report from
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Kentucky's Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel shows
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an increase in physical child abuse as well as among
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the seventy two child fatalities and one hundred seventy six
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near fatalities in physical year twenty twenty four. The panel
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only reviews fatal and near fatal cases. There were nearly
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fifteen thousand cases of child mal treatment in Kentucky in
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twenty twenty four, according to the federal report released in January,
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finding show a lack of parental and caregiver education around
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the dangers of routine medications, as well as system failures,
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including packaging of cannabinoids that failed to adequately communicate the
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risks these products posed to children, and mistakes made by
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the state in investigating allegations. The rate of cannabinoid exposure
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to children in Kentucky has increased seven hundred and twenty
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percent in the last five years. In twenty twenty, there
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were five cases of cannabinoid ingestion or overdose. In twenty
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twenty four, there were forty one. This concludes the reading
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of the Hazard Herald. Please stay tuned for continued programming.
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Thank you for joining me and on behalf of everyone
27:34
here at Radio HI. This is Lee Townshend, wishing you
27:37
a good day.