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Ashland Daily Independent - 1.14.26 · 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 today is Jane. We begin with the addition dated
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January twelfth, twenty twenty six. As a reminder, RADIOI is
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a 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, Perry moves up in Parks Department, by
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Lee Ward of the Daily Independent. For fifty three years,
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Chris Perry has happily lived in Olive Hill in service
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to fellow Carter Counians. Despite his new job as Interim
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Deputy Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Parks, he will
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remain put. Perry was appointed on December twenty fourth by Tourism,
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Arts and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Lend D. Case Buyer. His
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job help oversee the daily operations of state parks, supporting
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park operations, leading strategic planning, and advancing statewide initiatives. One
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of those initiatives is the New Kentucky Home Initiative, which
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focuses on enhancing the visitor experience and preserving park resources.
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The nineteen ninety two West Carter High school graduate said
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pursuing a career with the park system was an easy decision.
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I realized parks would be my career from the very
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first day I set foot on the grounds at Carter Caves.
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While began as a lucky break helping with a golf tournament,
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quickly grew into a lifelong calling. He said. He worked
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at the park while earning a degree in public administration
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from Moorhead State University. He eventually became park manager. Perry
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said he will telecommute two days each week and spend
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a day in Frankfort, with two days spent traveling between
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the parks in his southwest district, including two parks on
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the Mississippi River that suits Perry fine. My love for
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Carter County comes from a lifetime of showing up and
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being acting actively involved in the community, from working with
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both the Olive Hill and Grayson Chambers of Commerce to
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volunteering at West Carter High School for thirty three years,
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whether driving buses, keeping stats, announcing games, or helping in
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any way I could to support our student athletes, and
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later serving on the Board of Education. It has always
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been about giving back to the place that gave me
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so much. He said, working at the park has only
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deepened his pride in his home. Meeting visitors from across
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the country opened my eyes to how truly special Carter
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County is. Whether I was working at the front desk,
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serving as park manager, or later overseeing parks across western Kentucky,
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every role centered on serving people and sharing places that
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create lasting memories. Thirty years later, it's still those guest
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interactions that make me proud to call this my life's work.
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Our next article Preston retires as ms U Ashland director
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by James Jewett for The Daily Independent. Doctor Nancy C.
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Preston retired at the end of twenty twenty five as
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director of Morehead State University at Ashland. But it isn't
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just a case of sitting back and relaxing and going
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on thumb vacations. For the new retiree has so many
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irons in the fire. It may not seem like retirement
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to most people, but that's the way she likes it.
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The next chapter for me will be busy. I will
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continue to be the pastor at the green Up First
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United Methodist Church, and I am committed volunteer at the
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Argyll Like Community Resource Center. Preston said, in the past,
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I have volunteered as a disaster mental health counselor for
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the American Red Cross, and I'm excited to return to
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that work. But there will be some fun vacations. I
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love to travel and am already planning some trips for
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next year. I'm also excited to be able to spend
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more time with our grandchildren, Preston said, before leaning into
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more work type things, of course, I'll continue to study
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right and maybe even teach on occasional class. I'm in
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my sixt year of appointment at Greenup. It's a great
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church that does so much outreach. I'm an ordaining clergywoman
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in the Kentucky Annual Conference. I mostly have done online
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work with survivors of disasters because my job didn't really
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leave me time to travel for weeks at a time,
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but now I'm looking forward to doing much more face
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to face work. Preston spacified that has always been her preference.
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I've always been an Appalachian scholar and have written and
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presented around the country and internationally. I'm ready to try
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my hand at writing in a less academic genre. She said.
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Perhaps some of Preston's skills may be in her DNA.
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My mother was a real storyteller and keeper of local history.
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I'd love to write some of her stories, she said.
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Preston is also interested in learning and writing about Appalachian religions.
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A family member who can maybe rival the busyness of
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Preston's schedule is her husband, Judge Jeffrey Preston. Judge Preston
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is a family court judge in Greenup and Lewis Counties,
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so he puts lots of miles on his car driving
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back and forth from courthouses in Greenup and Vanceburg. Of
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the couple's longtime romance, doctor Preston said, we did meet
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at MSU. We were both involved in student government and
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married our senior year of college. Before joining MSU at Ashland,
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Preston spent several years working just to hop and a
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skip away at Ashland Community and Technical College. Recently, several
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Farrant friends of doctor Preston got together with her to
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celebrate her retirement. Preston said people at the campus wanted
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to have a big retirement party, but she didn't want that.
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Mary Claire Collins, MSW, who spends two days weekly at
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MSU at asked Ashland concurred with that. Colin said she
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and doctor Tammy Martin organized the casual get together for Preston.
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Martin took over the in Preston's old position as director
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of MSU at Ashland on January fifth. They wanted to
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do more, but Preston is a humble woman. We had
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folks dropping by all day for a piece of cake
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and lots of storytelling. It was lots of fun. Most
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were from MSU, but there were some there that I
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taught at ACTC, MSU and at UK while they were
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completing their graduate programs. Preston said, students always came first
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for Preston. I had wonderful colleagues and community partners, but
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it will always be the student to stand out in
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my mind's eye. Preston said she is gratified to be
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working in a place that changes the lives of people
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for generations to come. She said that when she is
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local meetings that the leaders are often former students. I
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taught as part time graduate faculty for the University of
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Kentucky's College of Social Work for a number of years,
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and it was especially rewarding to watch how much students
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grew from their experiences at MSU. Several of our students
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have gone on to earn doctorate degrees, She said. The
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accolades are many for Preston, She's a legend. I loved
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working with her. We worked together for five and a
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half years. She helped our school social work program a lot.
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She was a great advocate for our students, a wealth
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of information all things education, Collins said, Nancy Preston has
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been a tremendous resource for our students and those for
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m s U for many years. She has done an
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amazing job as a leader and as a friend, said
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Larry Ferguson, pH d, whose office is just one building
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away from Preston's office at ACTC, where he is president
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and CEO. Doctor Preston has served more Head State with distinction,
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both as a faculty member and as director of her
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Ashland campus for years. She has been instrumental in our
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program development in the region and is to be commended
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for her service, said doctor J Morgan, President of m
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s U. There will be no short of job experience
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with Preston's replacement. Martin a familiar person in education in
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eastern Kentucky. I grew up in Greenop County and graduated
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from Greenop County High School, Martin said. After graduating from
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Berea College, Martin embarked on a solid career in education
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teaching in Greenop County. It was first at Sunshine Elementary,
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then at Michael Elementary. When schools were consolidated, I began
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my administrative career at Louisa Elementary as assistant to one
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of the most talented principles I have ever come across,
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Idris Humphrey, Martin said. After one year in Louisa, Martin
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was principal of Summit Elementary School for sixteen years and
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was assistant superintendent of Boyd County Schools for two years
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before retiring. I've been working for m s U since
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I retired from Boyd County Schools in twenty seventeen. Martin said.
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I began working as an adjunct the month following my
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retirement and was moved to full time the following semester.
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Martin taught her first seven years with MSU concurrently at
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MSU at Ashton and MSU at Prestonsburg through Interactive TV.
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Martin said she also sometimes had students at Hazard through
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ITV in those seven years. MSU also has a campus
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in Mount Sterling and offers classes at the University Center
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for the Mountains in Hazard. I am currently teaching of
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Foundations of Reading course via ITV at all four campuses,
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an online content area reading course, Martin said. Martin is
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especially busy as she is also supervising two student teachers.
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Martin earned a Master's of Arts in elementary Education from
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MSU and Doctorate of Education from MSU. In other news,
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area candidates five for office by Aaron Snyder of The
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Daily Independent, Ashland City and Boyd County Commissions drew notable
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interest before Friday's twenty twenty six candidate filing deadline, increasing
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the importance of the May primary election. Incumbents Martin, Goot
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Tim ren Fro and Dj Rimer will face six challengers,
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as four Ashland City Commission seats will be up for grabs.
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The field of nine will be trimmed to eight based
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on primary results in May. Former Commissioner Amanda Clark is
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back in the nonpartisan mix, along with potential newcomers Heather
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Hayes Socrates, Marudus Clayton Wills, Fred Unru and Jeremy Lawrence.
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David Salisbury has competition in Boyd County's first district as commissioner.
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Four fellow Republicans former Commissioner Keith Watts, John Michael Conley,
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Heather Moore, and James King, will along with Salisbury vy
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for the seat. It will be decided in may. Former
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Judge Executive Bud Stevens will challenge Randy Stapleton for a
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third district commissioner In Greenop County, Russell Mayor Ron Simpson
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has elected not to run for mayor. He put his
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name in the hat for Russell City Council to go
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up against nine others for six seats. Running for mayor
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are current commissioners Don Freeley and Ryan Biederman. Cheryl Moore
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is not running for re election as South Shore's mayor.
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Three filled for the three filed for the spot Jeffrey Vansickle,
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Devon van Bibber and Bob Lester. Moving on, we can't
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stay quiet. Citizens express outrage at proposed power rate hike.
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By Aaron Snyder of The Daily Independent, Kentucky Power's latest
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rate hike proposal has sparked a massive reaction across its
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twenty county service area, as evidenced by a turnout of
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nearly two hundred people for a public hearing regarding the matter. Thursday,
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the Kentucky Public Service Commission conducted the meeting, the last
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of three of its kind, at the Ashland Transportation Center.
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Linda Bridwell, Kentucky PSC's executive director, said changing utility rates
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is a legal process. She said Kentucky Power, a subsidiary
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of American Electric Power that serves one hundred and sixty
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two thousand customers, has applied for a base rate increase
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that will result in ninety five million dollars in additional revenues.
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The proposed average monthly residential electric bill would jump by
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twenty seven dollars a month, or fourteen point nine percent,
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according to the application. The request for increase is primarily
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driven by allowing the company to operate successfully, maintain financial integrity,
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attract capital, cover fuel costs, and support investments from the
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Mitchell Plant, Bridwell said. She said the entire case is
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available for viewing online at PSC dot ky dot goov.
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Video of Thursday's meeting is included in the case. Bridwell
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said a panel of three PSC members were present to
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listen to the public's concerns. Kentucky Power representatives in attendance
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were not required to identify themselves, but Michael Schuler raised
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his hand and acknowledged he was there as Kentucky Powers
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Corporation Council. The event lasted about three hours. By statute,
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the utility must be able to provide adequate service, maintain
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financial integrity, and attract investors, particularly in favorable loan terms.
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Bridwell said the Commission and its staff are looking at
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a fair and just reasonable solution. She said. A hearing
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in Frankfort is scheduled to begin Tuesday, January thirteenth, at
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nine a m. The Attorney General's Office is the advocate
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on behalf of consumers. The hearing is expected to last
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about four days. Suzanne Griffith is a Boyd County resident
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who has persistently expressed position to Kentucky Power's proposed hike.
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She spoke at the PSC's meeting in Hazard, Pikeville, and
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now Ashland. She said she plans to be in Frankfort
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for the public comment portion of that hearing on Tuesday.
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I've talked all about the program, and now I'm concentrating
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on the solution, Griffith said. The solution to all of
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this is economic development. Griffith distributed fact sheets to most
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in attendance Thursday. Among those facts are the following. Kentucky
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Power's rates have gone up seventy four percent from twenty
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ten to twenty twenty five. The new rate would result
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in one hundred percent rate hike since twenty ten, despite
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Kentucky Power customers using twenty two percent less electric electricity
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than they did in twenty ten. Kentucky Power decommissioned coalburning
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Big Sandy two in Louisa in twenty fifteen, while purchasing
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half of the Mitchell plant in West Virginia. Wheeling Power
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owns the other half. In twenty fifteen, the average residential
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bill raised eleven dollars monthly. In twenty twenty one, residents
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saw a fifteen point five percent average increase on their bills.
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Three years later, it went up another five point seven
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percent after an eighteen point three percent request. Poverty rates
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among the twenty counties Kentucky Power serves ranges between fifteen
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to thirty three percent, with Macgoffin being the highest at
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thirty three point four percent. Griffith and Paula Bowling co
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wrote anop ed piece that appeared in multiple media outlets
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recently regarding the proposal. I've been attending these meetings for years,
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Bowling said Friday in the past, thirty people would have
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been a huge turnout. To see over one hundred and
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fifty people in attendance last night is testimony to how
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many are feeling the squeeze of higher power bills. Victor
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Wilson of Ashland spoke from his seat Thursday, saying this
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is how Kentucky Power can just suck it to the poor,
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prompting another community member to display her sign indicating corporate
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greed as a reason for the rate adjustment. Harold Sloane,
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mayor of Louisa, said his approach was how this increase
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would impact water and sewer facilities in cities. Public utilities
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can't absorb a nearly fifteen percent increase in electric rates.
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Sloan said, those costs flow straight through to water and
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wait icewater bills, placing additional strain on the same customers
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we're all trying to protect. For many families, sinny and
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small businesses, that compounding effect is a real concern. Griffith
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said the One East Kentucky Plan could be an appropriate solution.
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On its website One East ky dot com, the organization
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states Kentucky currently has a two tier system for economic
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development tax incentives. If it expands to a four tier model,
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it can better allocate resources to the counties that need
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resources most. Griffith said she appreciated Kentucky PSC for having
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these meetings. Ashland's event drew the largest turnout. She said,
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I think the ps he really wants to hear from us.
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Griffith said, they've made that clear over and over again.
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They need to hear from the consumers. If we stay quiet,
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then we obviously lose our voice in all this. We
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can't stay quiet. The case number is two zero two
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five zero zero two five seven. Those interested in submitting
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a comment about the case may email PSC dot comment
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at ky dot gov, include the case number, or send
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a letter to two one one Sour Boulevard, Frankfort, Kentucky
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four zero six zero one Our next article. Part of
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twenty ninth Street to close for project. Ashland's Street Department
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will assis sewer and water with a road closure on
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twenty ninth Street beginning Monday, January twelfth, extending from Lexington
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Avenue to Winchester Avenue. The project may last up to
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two weeks. Local and business traffic will be permitted, but
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no through traffic will be allowed in the construction area.
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According to the City of Ashland, Kentucky government facebook page,
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all truck traffic must detour to twenty fifth Street. The
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traffic signal at twenty ninth Street and Lexington Avenue will
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be placed on flash and operate as a three way stop.
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Emergency access will be maintained. Detour signage will be posted
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to guide traffic. Some congestion is anticipated. Drivers are encouraged
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to plan alternate routes when possible. The detour map is
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available on the City of Ashland, Kentucky government facebook page.
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In other news, Wortland Union having coat drive. Wortland Union
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Church and Meeting House Incorporated is conducting a community coat
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drive this month. The donation drive is scheduled for every
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Saturday in January, January seventeenth, January twenty fourth, and January
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thirty first, from ten am to two pm at the
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Historical Building at three twenty five Wortland Avenue in Wortland.
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Kim Harris. The drives organizers said they are accepting boots, scarves, gloves,
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thermal clothing, coats and other winter attire and will begin
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distributing the items by late January or early February in
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our community, we don't know what families may be needing,
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Harris said. We also want to make sure to equip
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emergency response vehicles with these items. Wortland Union will supply
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to first responders such as the Greenop County Ambulance of Authority.
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I'm hoping we get to do this every year, Harris said.
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We have already started gathering things and we're happy to
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distribute all of it. If there's more need than supply,
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we'll make sure we get the supply, she said. Workload
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Union is a five OHO one C three C organization,
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so donations will be tax deductible. In other news, free
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health screenings in Greenop County, the Greenop County Health Department
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will have a free health screening from eight am to
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noon February ninth. Participants will receive biometric screenings including blood pressure,
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weight and BMI, blood sugar and lipid profile. A registered
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dietitian will be available to talk one on one about
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your personal health and wellness goals and answer nutrition related questions.
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Those with insurance are asked to bring their card. Fasting
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is preferred for the most accurate screening results. The department
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is at eight o six Seaton Avenue. Stuart Little Auditions Set.
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Auditions for Stuart Little will be at one pm January
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thirty first at Alchemy. Theater. Director is Becky McClelland the
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theater is at sixty eight Holly Avenue. Moving on, UK
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Healthcare highlights time with UK Saint Clair after more than
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six decades of collaboration. In eighteen months as part of
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UK Healthcare, UK Saint Clair's integration into the University of
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Kentucky Health System continues to expand access to care, strengthen
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the healthcare workforce, and help family across Eastern Kentucky receive
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high quality care close to home over the past three years,
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which includes significant growth during the last eighteen months. According
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to a press release, UK Saint Clair has recruited forty
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three physicians and added nine specialty service lines in the
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eight county primary market. News services include introchronology, infectious disease, nephrology, neurology,
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orthopedic spine surgery, plastic and hand surgery, and vascular surgery.
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Through the Kentucky Council on post Secondary Education's health Care
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Workforce Investment Fund, UK Healthcare and UK Saint Clair have
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supported approximately one point five to three million dollars in
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post secondary workforce investments, including training for nursing, imaging, and
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physician assistant programs, and a recent three hundred thousand dollars
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Doctor of Physical Therapy Award. The award supports University of
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Kentucky Doctor of Physical Therapy students who commit to serving
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patients locally after graduation. This concludes excerpts from recent editions
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of the Ashland Daily Independent. Your reader has been Jane
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On behalf of everyone here at radio. I thank you
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for listening, Keep on listening and have a good day.