Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Corbin Times Tribune - 9.22.26

Transcript

Corbin Times Tribune - 9.22.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Now we turn to the reading of the Times Tribune
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: for news in Corbin, Laurel, Whitley, and Knox Counties. Your
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: reader today is Janice. As a reminder, Radio Eye is
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: a reading service intended for people who are blind or
• 0:14
  Speaker 1: have other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: We'll begin with the e-edition dated September 17, 2026. Our
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: first article is Rural Mental Health Care Access Takes Center
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: Stage at VOA Event by Macy Swofford. London. Mental health professionals, advocates,
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: and community members gathering at the London Community Center last
• 0:42
  Speaker 1: Thursday for the second annual Voices in Vision event put
• 0:46
  Speaker 1: on by VOA MidStates in collaboration with the Whitney Strong
• 0:51
  Speaker 1: Organization that focused on suicide awareness and prevention. and the
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: challenges rural residents face when seeking mental health care. The
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: event brought together health care providers and mental health advocates
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: for discussions about barriers to mental health care and ways
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: communities can improve access to services. During a panel discussion
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: on expanding access to mental health care, Ashley Caudill, clinical
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: coordinator for the crisis unit at Cumberland River Behavioral Health,
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: discussed some several barriers facing rural residents, including affordability and transportation.
• 1:34
  Speaker 1: We still have barriers as far as affordability, gas money,
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: and to get to the appointment, Cottle said. She noted
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: that for some residents, even a small copay can become
• 1:47
  Speaker 1: a significant obstacle. If it comes down to a $ 20
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: copay or groceries bill, You're going to choose groceries, Cottle said.
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: Cottle also discussed the impact of workforce shortages and the
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: ways Cumberland River Behavioral Health has adapted to reach residents
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: who may otherwise struggle to access services. She highlighted the
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: organization's mobile crisis services, flexible scheduling, and telehealth options. Mobile
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: crisis has become a huge avenue for us, Cottle said.
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: Cottle described a recent case involving a woman in rural
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: Clay County who was experiencing grief and had limited support.
• 2:30
  Speaker 1: A mobile crisis team was able to visit her at
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: home and connect her with continued care. We were able
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: to send the mobile crisis team out with her, she said.
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: They spent some time with her, and before they left,
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: she was followed up with appointments into telehealth and with
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: the provider. Lee Richardson, Baptist Health System Behavioral Health Outreach Director,
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: discussed another resource available to individuals seeking help, Baptist Health
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Resource Connection. Richardson said the service provides assistance connecting people
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: with resources for needs such as food, shelter, and therapy.
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: It's an 800 number. And it's also an email, Richardson said.
• 3:22
  Speaker 1: You can email and ask them for any assistance, help
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: with available health needs. For those who aren't sure where
• 3:30
  Speaker 1: to start, they can reach out to the number 800-395-4435.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: That's 800-395-4435, which is dedicated to providing behavioral health resources
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: to residents in Kentucky. The line is open seven days
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Richardson emphasized
• 3:58
  Speaker 1: that the resource is intended to connect people with available services,
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: while individuals experiencing a suicide crisis should use the 988
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. She also acknowledged the difficulty some
• 4:14
  Speaker 1: people faced when they are ready to seek treatment but
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: encounter long wait times because of limited providers. Sadly, there
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: is a wait list and psychologists are really hard to find,
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: Richardson said. The panel discussion emphasized the need for rural
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: communities to continue developing flexible ways to connect residents with
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: mental health services, particularly as providers work to overcome transportation barriers,
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: workforce shortages, and affordability concerns. Both Cottle and Richardson pointed
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: to the collaboration and connecting residents with available resources as
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: important parts of improving access to care in rural Kentucky.
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: For more information on mental health resources in Kentucky, visit voa.org.
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: That's voa.org. And there is a picture below with people
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: in a panel, and the caption reads, Panelists with Cumberland
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: River Behavioral Health, Baptist Health, and more discuss strategies to
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: improve rural mental health care.
• 5:27
  Speaker 2: Our next article is, Cumberland Falls Uplifts Art, Culture, with
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: All-Inclusive Art in the Park by Madison Nance Corbin.
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: Community members and travelers alike had the free opportunity Saturday
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: to visit various art forms come to life at the
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. The park hosted Art in
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: the Park, a family-friendly event intended to celebrate creativity in
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: all of its forms, featuring local artists, live performances and
• 6:03
  Speaker 1: readings and cultural experiences. It was held in partnership with
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: the Kentucky Arts Council. Despite a rainy forecast, the event
• 6:12
  Speaker 1: began that morning and spanned into the late afternoon, bringing
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: entertainment for guests of all ages. Kicking off the festivities
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: was Cheryl Pan with a Chinese dance performance, followed by
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: storytelling from Bob Martin's Old Cumberland. As they enjoyed the art,
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: attendees were encouraged to sift for minerals in the water,
• 6:38
  Speaker 1: and have picnics amongst themselves in the scenic setting of
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: the falls. Also at the event were local and regional
• 6:46
  Speaker 1: artists showcasing paintings and textiles from jewelry to pottery. Several authors,
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: including Gary Bryant and Ronnie Deaton of London, also had
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: booths in the park. The local authors promoted their works
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: and signed them for attendees. with Deaton having recently released
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: two novels, A Gathering of Kin and Watchers in Black.
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: Bringing the event to a close, the acoustic breakaways of
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: the Anvil community in Jackson County brought a lively performance
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: covering classic favorites ranging from bluegrass to country. As the
• 7:26
  Speaker 1: band performed, families were treated to funnel cake, deep-fried Oreos,
• 7:31
  Speaker 1: shaved ice, and more. This event was sponsored by the
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: Kentucky Arts Council, Kentucky State Parks, Team Kentucky, and New
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: Kentucky Home. To learn more about the Cumberland Falls, pardon me,
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: to learn more about Cumberland Falls State Resort Park and
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: its upcoming events, contact Park Manager Maggie Kreibel at 606-528-7000.
• 8:01
  Speaker 1: That's 606-528-4121. Or Maggie.Kriebel, and that's K-R-I-E-B-E-L, at KY.gov. Our
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: next article is A Woman Arrested Locally in Connection to
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: Bell County Murder Investigation by Macy Swofford. Corbin, a woman
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: wanted on a Bell County warrant charging her with complicity
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: to commit murder and tampering with physical evidence, was arrested
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: Friday in the Corbin area. According to a press release
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: from the Corbin Police Department, officers assisted the United States
• 8:50
  Speaker 1: Marshals Service on September 11th in locating and serving the
• 8:55
  Speaker 1: area warrant in the Knox County area of Corbin. Haley Gilbert, 22,
• 9:00
  Speaker 1: of Loyal, L-O-Y-A-L, was located by law enforcement and taken
• 9:07
  Speaker 1: into custody. Without incident, according to the release, the warrant
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: issued through the Bell County charges Gilbert in connection with
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: the death of a key witness tied to a high-profile
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: human trafficking and organized crime. Bobby Smith was found deceased
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: in late August. Gilbert is the sixth person arrested in
• 9:29
  Speaker 1: connection with the broader investigation. The department credited Corporal Chris Brown,
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: Patrolman First Class Jared Carr, and Patrolman Austin Weddle with
• 9:41
  Speaker 1: assisting in the arrest. Following her arrest, Gilbert was lodged
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: in the Knox County Detention Center. She was later transferred
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: to Bell County Detention Center in lieu of a $ 500, 000
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: bond and is scheduled to appear in Bell District Court
• 9:57
  Speaker 1: for a preliminary hearing next Tuesday. The Corbin Police Department
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: said it continues to work with local, state, and federal
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: law enforcement agencies to locate individuals with outstanding warrants. Our
• 10:13
  Speaker 1: next article is Whitley County Fiscal Court Approves Data Center Regulations.
• 10:19
  Speaker 1: By Macy Swofford. Williamsburg. The Whitley County Fiscal Court approved
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: the second reading of an ordinance Tuesday establishing a development
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: process for the possibility if a data center were to
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: come to the county. Ordinance 2026-07 pertaining to the data
• 10:41
  Speaker 1: center development process was approved unanimously following a second reading.
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: County Judge Executive Pat White Jr. said the ordinance was
• 10:51
  Speaker 1: developed in response to the growing discussion surrounding data center
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: development at both state and national levels. This is something
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: we talked about a bit last month. A lot of
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: discussion going on statewide, really nationwide, on data centers, White said.
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: According to White, the ordinance establishes a notice requirement for
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: anyone seeking to to develop a data center in the county.
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: The notice would give county officials time to review a
• 11:24
  Speaker 1: proposed project and consider its potential effects on the community.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: It gives us notice provisions that if someone does come
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: to try to do a data center development, that they
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: would have to give us an appropriate amount of notice
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: to study the project, White said. The ordinance also requires
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: a statement addressing community impacts, White said, giving the fiscal
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: court additional information before a project moves forward. They would
• 11:56
  Speaker 1: have to give us a statement of community impacts, White said,
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: myself and these court members, so that we could have
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: adequate time to pass regulations to see that it doesn't
• 12:08
  Speaker 1: harmfully impact Also during Tuesday's meeting, the fiscal court discussed
• 12:16
  Speaker 1: 2026 tax rates for taxing districts throughout the county, excluding schools.
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: The good news, I think all the tax rates in
• 12:25
  Speaker 1: the county either stayed at the same or even some
• 12:29
  Speaker 1: went down, said White. I think that's a positive statement
• 12:33
  Speaker 1: that we were able to keep taxes the same or lower,
• 12:37
  Speaker 1: said White. The court also accepted a petition to concerning
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: the widening of Angel Road. White said the project had
• 12:44
  Speaker 1: been discussed with county road officials and would benefit the
• 12:48
  Speaker 1: surrounding community. The petition also received many signatures from the
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: surrounding residents. During discussion, he noted that the road experiences
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: significant traffic. Fiscal Court voted unanimously to accept the petition
• 13:08
  Speaker 1: to widen the county road. Our next article is Williamsburg
• 13:12
  Speaker 1: celebrates 43rd annual old-fashioned trading days. Williamsburg. Williamsburg celebrated its
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: 43rd annual old-fashioned trading days last week, bringing residents and
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: visitors downtown for three days of vendors, live entertainment, and
• 13:29
  Speaker 1: handmade goods, and much more. This year, the event featured
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: live performances from local schools, such as Williamsburg and Whitley
• 13:38
  Speaker 1: County High School bands, gospel music and popular local bands
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: such as Pistol Whip and Paint Creek. Rainy weather on
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: Saturday forced the cancellation of the annual beauty pageant, but
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: the most activities continued as scheduled. To keep up to
• 13:56
  Speaker 1: date with the City of Williamsburg events, follow their Facebook
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: page or go to their website to view the 2026
• 14:03
  Speaker 1: Community Calendar. And there's a couple of pictures. And under
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: the first picture, it says, Paint Creek closed the 2026
• 14:13
  Speaker 1: Old Fashioned Trading Days with a rousing performance Saturday night.
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: And then another one, it says, many attendees browse through
• 14:23
  Speaker 1: the local vendors. And it is a couple with a
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: child in between them, and they're walking in a crowd.
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: And the next one is three children, and it looks
• 14:33
  Speaker 1: like they're writing something. and it says three children are
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: pictured enjoying a train ride throughout downtown Williamsburg during old-fashioned
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: trading days. And the last picture is of a woman
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: and a child, and I don't know whether they're dancing
• 14:49
  Speaker 1: or what, but underneath it says, Paint Creek got some
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: fans on their feet for a whirl. Photos by Carrie Madeline.
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: Our next article is, Events continue to bring tourism funds
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: to Corbin area by Nita Johnson. Corbin. As the summer
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: winds down and fall season begins, the Corbin Tourism Commission
• 15:14
  Speaker 1: has had a successful event season and looks to more
• 15:17
  Speaker 1: visitors during the remaining of the year. CorbinCon held on
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: September 5th was a huge success which brought in over 4,300
• 15:26
  Speaker 1: people according to tourism director Emily Roberts. I did go
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: there and talked with different people, Roberts said. They were
• 15:37
  Speaker 1: people from London, Corbin, Somerset, Hazard, Mount Sterling, and Pineville.
• 15:43
  Speaker 1: Some people drove two hours just to come. I talked
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: to others from Ohio and Indiana who came for it.
• 15:50
  Speaker 1: We had people come to Corbin from lots of different areas.
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: Roberts explained that Corbin Conn is organized by Tanya ridner
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: would but that the corbin tourism is a financial contributor
• 16:06
  Speaker 1: as a financial sponsor we had a 10 by 10
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: tent with information about other events in corbin robert said
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: our mission is for corbin to be a destination where
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: people can come to events eat in our restaurants stay
• 16:24
  Speaker 1: in our hotels and enjoy our retail businesses while they
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: are here This tourism initiative will continue through the fall
• 16:32
  Speaker 1: season with other events. The Corbin Pride Rally is scheduled
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: for September 26 at 4 p.m. at Sanders Park. Roberts
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: told tourism board members during September 8th monthly meeting after
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: that we have had Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 10th. Roberts
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: later explained that Oktoberfest will be held along Main Street
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: with Gordon Hill to 7th Street being blocked off for
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: the event. We will have arts and craft booths, food,
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: the park where the kids can play, inflatables, a petting zoo, games,
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: and other activities, she said. The Cumberland Valley Cruisers Club
• 17:15
  Speaker 1: and the Whitley County Farmers Market will also be there,
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: and we will have a DJ playing music, so there
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: will be lots of things for everyone to do. The
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: car shows are a continuing source of entertainment for the area,
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: with the Cumberland Valley crews in hosting the car show
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: one Saturday in May through August. Although their official season
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: has come to a close, the impact on the city
• 17:43
  Speaker 1: results in a large crowds that continue to grow each year.
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: This year, the Corbin Tourism Commission gave a $ 4, 000 financial sponsorship.
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: Kristen Smith, Secretary-Treasurer of the Commission said the Commission sponsored
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: the event financially for a few years, and then they
• 18:03
  Speaker 1: build up, and then they build up. Now they have
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: their own group. Roberts also mentioned the SOAR Summit set
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: for October 7-9 at the Corbin Arena. This event brings
• 18:20
  Speaker 1: leaders from across Southeastern region together. to learn more about
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: growth opportunities for businesses and individuals, as well as hosting
• 18:30
  Speaker 1: workshops for attendees and demonstrations from students from around the region.
• 18:37
  Speaker 1: Roberts asked for volunteers for that event to assist in
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: the initial setup and programs offered. Commissioners also discussed the
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: Corbin Film Ready program that was inspired by the Kentucky
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: Film Commission recently established. Roberts said that actors, directors, and
• 18:56
  Speaker 1: set designers and property usage were some of the issues
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: to be discussed. The commission will attract studies to see
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: what filmmakers are wanting and what Corbin has to offer,
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: she said, adding, There is no permanent project coming to
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: Corbin at this time. We are just preparing it, if
• 19:17
  Speaker 1: it does. Events such as those have proven successful financially
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: for the commission. Brian Gay, a financial advisor, told commissioners
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: that revenues from both the transient tax for hotel and
• 19:31
  Speaker 1: short-term rentals and restaurant tax were higher than in the
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: past years. Through August, there was $ 14, 477 over last year
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: in restaurant tax and a $ 19, 175 more over last year
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: in restaurant tax and a $ 19, 175 more over last year
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: in the transient tax. Gay said that's the highest amount
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: for both in the last four fiscal years. Commissioners voted
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: two table, two items, Passage Creative and Placer AI until
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: the next meeting. which will be held on October 13th
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: at 4.30 p.m. in the Corbin Tourist Commission office on
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: Depot Street. Our next article is Kentucky 312 Bridge Reopens.
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: Staff Report, Corbin. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced Tuesday that
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: Kentucky 312 Bridge over Interstate 75 in Whitley County has
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: reopened to traffic. The bridge had been closed as crews
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: continued to work associated with the ongoing I-75 widening project
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: between Exit 25 and Exit 29 in Laurel and Whitley counties.
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: The Kentucky 312 bridge was replaced to meet current design
• 20:52
  Speaker 1: standards and accommodate the future widening interstate, pardon me, Let
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: me just reread that. The Kentucky 312 Bridge was replaced
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: to meet current design standards and accommodate the future widened interstate.
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: Our next article is Rotary Club Learns About Alzheimer's Warning
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: Signs and Brain Health by Macy Swofford. London, Kara Hawk,
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: Walk Manager for the Alzheimer's Association for Southeast Kentucky Region,
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: spoke to members of the London Rotary Club last Wednesday
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: about Alzheimer's disease dementia, early detection, and ways individuals can
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: take steps to support brain health. Hawke said Alzheimer's is
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: the most common form of dementia, but emphasized that the
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: term should not be used interchangeably. All Alzheimer's is dementia,
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: but not all dementia is Alzheimer's, Hawke explained. She said
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: dementia is is an umbrella term that includes several conditions,
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: including vascular dementia, Lewy body dementia, frontal temporal dementia, while
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: occasionally memory lapses can be a normal part of aging.
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: Hawks said persistent cognitive decline is different. True cognitive decline
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: just keeps getting worse, she said. Hawks stressed the importance
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: of recognizing changes early, because some of the newest treatments
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: for Alzheimer's are most effective during the early stages of
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: the disease. She said symptoms can sometimes appear years before
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: a person receives a formal diagnosis, making it important for
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: family members and friends to pay attention to changes in
• 22:45
  Speaker 1: loved ones and encourage them to seek medical advice. There
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: are things that we can proactively do for ourselves that
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: can change the trajectory, Hawks said. Some risk factors for
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: Alzheimer's cannot be changed, including age, genetics, and family history. However,
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: other factors can be addressed, including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, smoking,
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: physical inactivity, and poor sleep. She encouraged attendees to follow
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: the Alzheimer's Association's identifies as its 10 healthy habits for
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: brain health, including protecting the head, staying smoke-free, taking care
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: of cardiovascular health, exercising, challenging the mind, control blood pressure,
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: managing diabetes, getting adequate sleep, staying engaged in learning and
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: eating a healthy diet. Hawk referenced research from the Alzheimer's
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: Association U.S. Pointer Study, which examined lifestyle interventions that may
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. She recommended that
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: regular moderate physical activities, saying even some as simple as
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: walking with a friend can provide both physical exercise and
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: social engagement. Hawk also encouraged people to establish a relationship
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: with a primary care physician who knows them and can
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: recognize changes in their health over time. Be your own
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: best advocate, she said. Hawk also invited the community to
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: participate in the Walk to End Alzheimer's, which is scheduled
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: for October 3rd at Town Center Park in London. The
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: annual event brings together people of all ages and abilities
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer's care, support,
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: and research. The Alzheimer's Association says it's walk to end.
• 24:52
  Speaker 1: Alzheimer's is held in more than 600 communities nationwide. Residents
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: can participate by registering individually, forming a team, joining an
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: existing team, or supporting participants through fundraising by visiting act.alz.org.
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: Our next article is After 84 years, TEC-4 Reuben Smitty Jr.
• 25:23
  Speaker 1: comes home by Macy Swafford, East Bernstadt. After more than
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: eight decades away from home, U.S. Army technician, fourth grade
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: Reuben Todd Smitty Jr. was finally laid to rest at
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: Andes Cemetery in East Bernstadt. Smitty, who was born October 15, 1908,
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: in Campbell County, Tennessee, served in the United States Army
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: during World War II. He enlisted from Kentucky in June
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: 1937 and eventually deployed to the Philippines, where he was
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: stationed in the 17th Ordnance Company. Following the fall of
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: the Philippines in 1942, Smitty became a prisoner of war
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: and was held at Camp O'Donnell. On May 21, 1942,
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: he was among a group of prisoners conscripted conscripted to
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: the Tobias Road Project near Kailaluke, Kezen Province. According to records,
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: the men were already suffering from severe illness when they
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: arrived at the Billy Bidd Prison on May 23, 1942.
• 26:36
  Speaker 1: The group traveled by truck and railroad flat cars, eventually
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: on foot through difficult jungle terrain. Unfortunately, Smitty died of
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: dysentery on June 1, 1942. Military records at that time
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: listed that he was buried along a riverbank near a
• 26:56
  Speaker 1: Japanese-built bridge. Following the liberation of the Philippines, General Douglas
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: MacArthur ordered the exhumation of those buried at the site.
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: Smitty's remains were among those recovered today. and later buried
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: at an unknown for an American military cemetery in Manila.
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: For decades, his identity remained unknown. That changed in 2020
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: when the U.S. military contacted members of Smitty's family as
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: part of an effort to identify American service members whose
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: remains had not been accounted for. Family members provided DNA samples,
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: including Smitty's great-grandfather, great niece, Deborah Elam, and her uncle
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: and a cousin. This spring, the family received word that
• 27:48
  Speaker 1: Smitty's remains had been positively identified. For 84 years, Elam said,
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: emphasizing the significance of a long wait. Elam traveled from
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: Michigan for Smitty's return and funeral service. She said her
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: family had maintained an interest in Smitty through genealogy and
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: with her great-grandmother being his sister. It's just amazing, in
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: a way, Kentucky has embraced us, Elam said, and everything
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: they've done for him and us while we're here, and
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: the military too. It's just amazing. The journey home began
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: with a procession from Louisville, where the family and community
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: members watched as Smitty was escorted back toward Laurel County.
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: This concludes the reading of the Times Tribune. Please stay
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: tuned for continued programming. Thank you for joining me. And
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: on behalf of everyone here at Radio Eye, this is
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: Janice wishing you a very good day.