Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Hazard Herald - 7.19.26

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Hazard Herald - 7.19.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the reading of the Hazzard Herald
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for news of Hazzard and Perry County Umiley Townshend. We
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begin with the online edition dated July fifteenth, twenty twenty six.
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As a reminder, radioizes a reading service intended for people
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who are blind or have other disabilities that make it
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difficult to read printing material. Community mourns the loss of
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John Stacy remembers a life devoted to sacrifice. The Perry
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County community is mourning the loss of John Walter Stacey,
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whose decades of public service, volunteerism, and quiet generosity left
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a lasting impact on countless lives. Stacy, sixty two, died
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on June thirtieth. Born June nineteenth, nineteen sixty four and Hazard.
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He was the son of the late Charley Stacy and
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the late Geraldine Stidham Stacy. Throughout his career, Stacy worked
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for Senator Brandon Smith, a Republican from Hazzard, alongside Martha
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Greer at her Realty company and most recently, at the
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Perry County Attorney's Office. Beyond his professional roles, he devoted
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much of his life to serving others through organizations, including
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the homeless Shelter, Perry County Senior Citizens, Hospice, Corner Haven,
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and community ministries. His dedication for volunteerism earned him the
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Hazard Perry County Civic knights Man of the Year honor
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in twenty sixteen. Following his passing, community leaders reflected on
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Stacy's legacy of service, friendship, and compassion. Smith said Stacy
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led not through recognition, but through selfless action. John Stacey
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was a leader by example, said Smith. He did not
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give in order to receive. He did not participate in
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order to be recognized. He gave his time and his
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talents to the causes that mattered most to him and
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made a lasting impact. Smith said the two shared a
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lifelong friendship that extended well beyond politics. I have a
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few memories that do not include John or JJ as
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I called him. He said, our dynamic was beyond measure,
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the gift of a lifetime. According to Smith, Stacy's influence
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could be found throughout the community in both civic and
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charitable efforts. Countless political campaigns, charities, clubs, or other social
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gatherings happened under John's general guidance. Smith said he could
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have lived a generation ago or a generation from now,
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but God chose to let him live with us. We
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are all truly the better for knowing him, albeit far
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too grief. As he reflected on his friend's passing, Smith said,
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Stacy's example will continue to guide those who knew him.
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My family and I are choosing to remember John and
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this time of sadness, he said, to honor John and
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all the happiness he spread his whole life, sharing his stories,
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donating our time and resources to helping others, and living
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in the faith in God John so embodied hazard Perry
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County Chamber of Commerce Executive director Betsy Clemens also remembered
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Stacy as one of the closest friends for more than
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two decades. It's hard to imagine the world without John Stacy.
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For more than twenty years, he was one of our
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dearest friends from the day my sisters and groups of
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friends met. A friendship was built on laughter, kindness, giving back,
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and always being there for another. Clemens said. Many of
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the shared memories centered around fundraising events that benefited charitable
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organizations throughout the community. Together, we hosted countless fundraisers featuring
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John's incredible, award winning recipes, raising thousands of dollars for
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local charities, whether it was a Christmas for charity, the
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Arts Alliance, or other causes close to our heart. John
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never hesitated to give his time, talent, and his heart.
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He believed in helping others, and he did it with
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such grace and generosity. She also recalled the humor that
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became a hallmark of their relationship. One of MY favorite
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memories was our running joke that I was the one
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who taught John how to cook everything he made. Clement said,
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everyone knew that wasn't true, especially John. Whenever someone would
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ask how one of his amazing dishes was made, I'd
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look at him and say, JJ, how did we make that?
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We'd laugh every time. Those moments of laughter are treasures.
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While Stacy was widely recognized for his culinary talents and
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community involvement, Clement said his greatest qualities were found in
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the way he treated others. What I love most about
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John wasn't just that he was an extraordinary chef, she said,
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it was the man he was. He was gentle, humble, caring,
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and genuinely had when he could make someone else's life
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a little brighter. He never sought recognition for the good
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he did. He simply gave of himself because that's who
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he was. He had a way of making everyone feel welcome, valued,
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and loved. Being around John made life better. Clemens said
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Stacy's absence will be deeply felt throughout Perry County, but
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his example of generosity and compassion will continue to inspire
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those who he touched. Hazardous Studios School of Music opens
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in downtown Hazard Residents gather alongside city officials and members
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of the Hazard Perry County Chamber of Commerce on July
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tenth to celebrate the opening of Hazardous Studios School of
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Music with a ribbon cutting ceremony at its due location,
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four hundred and thirty nine Main Street, Sweet Hay. Owned
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by teacher and composer Jonathan Barnett, the new facility features
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multiple recording rooms along with professional grade digital interfaces and
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music equipment designed to support music instruction and creative exploration.
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Barnett said the school's primary mission is to provide quality
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music education to students of all ages while offering instruction
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across a wide range of instruments. The primary function for
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this place will be for experiencing and music lessons. We
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have big classrooms built for that. We offer lessons to
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all ages for piano, synthesizers, drums, guitar, bass, guitar, vocal lessons,
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and classical strings such as violin and cello, along with
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bass and woodwind lessons as well. Four of our instructures
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are certified music educators, all graduates of Warhead State University,
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and they're handling our classical strings and woodwind lessons. Barnett
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said introducing students to music at an early age can
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create educational opportunities that extend well beyond the classroom. Music
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is important to every culture that's ever existed. He said,
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Every culture in recorded history has had some type of music,
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and it's important. Some children need to find that later.
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Some children don't start until around their freshman year, and
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that's honestly too late for scholarships. Only two percent of
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high school athletes will be eligible for scholarships for college.
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That statistic is the exact opposite for music students. Up
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to ninety eight percent of music students, according to the
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latest statistics I read, will be eligible for some type
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of college scholarship. Well, scholarships can be an important benefit,
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Barnett said, the value of the music reaches far beyond
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financial opportunities. Music is about expression it forms communities. He said,
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music education is just as important as STEM. It used
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to be STEM and had the arts involved. Now we
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focus on STEM, but the art are still just as important.
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Barnett encouraged families interested in music instruction to visit the
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school and learn more about its programs. If people want
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to get their kids involved, we're here Monday through Thursday
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from four pm to eight pm, and people can always
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stop in. Facebook is also a great way to get
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people signed up. Transfer station reopens at Hazard Garbage Facility.
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Community leaders joined members of the Hazard Perry County Chamber
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of Commerce on July ninth to celebrate the reopening of
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the transfer station at the Hazard Garbage Facility with a
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ribbon cutting ceremony. The reopened transfer station will once again
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provide residents with a location to dispose of large household items,
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a service local official safe plays an important role in
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keeping the community clean. The station was closed earlier this
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year after violations were cited by the US Environment On
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Protection Agency. Perry County JESS Executive Scott Alexander said the
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reopening marks another step forward in ongoing efforts to improve
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the county. Eleven years ago when we started this we
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really got cleaned up, said Alexander. This is here to
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serve the people and we've got it back open better
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than it was, and we're very excited. It's a great
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benefit to the citizens of the community to have a
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place for people to bring their large items to get
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rid of on behalf of the physical court. This is
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another great day of progress for our community. We're going
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to continue to work on this to help clean up
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our community. Hazard Mayor Donald Happy Mobilini credited the collaborative
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efforts of county officials for bringing the project to completion.
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It's a great day, said Mobilini. The magistrates and Scott
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worked tirelessly to get this thing back up and running.
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North Fork Music Festival returns to downtown this week. The
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north Fork Music Festival is returning to downtown Hazard on
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July seventeenth and eighteenth, bringing two days of live music,
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family friendly activities, food and community entertainment along with the
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north Fork on Main Street. According to downtown coordinator Joey Jones,
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this year's festival will feature performances by local and regional
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artists while offering activities for families and soccer fans throughout
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the weekend. We're excited to welcome everyone back downtown Hazard
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for the north Fork Music Festival, said Jones. It's shaping
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up to be a great weekend with live, good food,
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family activities, and plenty to enjoy along the north Fork,
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Jones said attendees can expect a diverse lineup of performers
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across both days of the festival. This year's lineup includes
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the Academy of Rock, SDS South of eighty and Freebirg
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Kentuck Key on Friday, followed by The Mountain Laurels, Corina Grove,
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Ben Fugett and Saturday Nights headliner Mitchell Ferguson. Jones said,
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we're proud to bring together a variety of talented artists
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and provide a great stage for both local and regional musicians.
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In addition to live entertainment, organizers of planned activities designed
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to appeal to visitors of all ages. Beyond the music,
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We'll have inflatables set up on the grand for kids
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throughout the weekend and will also be showing FIFA World
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Cup matches on the big screen, giving soccer fans another
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reason to come downtown and enjoy the festival atmosphere, he said.
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Jones said, The festival is intended to do more than
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provide entertainment, serving as an opportunity to showcase downtown Hazard
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while supporting local businesses. The north Fork Music Festival is
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about more than entertainment, said Jones. It's another opportunity to
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bring people together, support our local business, and show visitors
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what Hazard has to offer. We hope people will grab dinner,
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shop at a local store, and spend the weekend enjoying
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everything happen in downtown. Events like this help create energy
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in our community and continue building on the positive momentum
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we've seen over the last several years. Jones encouraged residents
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and visitors alike to spend the weekend downtown and take
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advantage of everything the festival has to offer. We invite
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everyone to bring a chair, enjoy the music, catch a
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World Cup match, and spend the evening with us. Whether
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you're from Hazard or just visting, we think you'll have
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a great time. We look forward to seeing our community
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come together once again and making this year's Northfolk Music
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Festival one to remember. Perry County Public Library hosted it's
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Christmas in July Craft Show on July tenth, showcasting local
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artisans and vendors, while giving community members the opportunity to
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shop for handcrafted gifts and unique creations from across the region.
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Fiscal Court seeks funding for Leatherwood wastewater project that Perry
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County Fiscal Court approved two resolutions during its meeting Tuesday,
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July seventh, authorizing the submission of funding applications through the
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Kentucky Water and Wastewater Assistance for Troubled or Economically Restrained
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Systems Program for the proposed Leatherwood Wastewater Plant project. County
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officials said the project is intended to support continued tourism
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and economic development in the Leatherwood area by expanding wastewater
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infrastructure as new attractions continue to grow. Perry County Judge
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Executive Scott Alexander said the county is working proactively to
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prepare for the future development. The Leatherwood off Road Park
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is already taking off, and we got the Appalachian Horse
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Center up there, and along with the Battle of Leatherwood
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some trails, and we see the need and growth that's
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coming here, Alexander said, we're trying to get out in
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front of it with the wastewater treatment facility so we
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can add additional space and rooms and grow to that area.
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The Kentucky River Regional Animal Shelter will host Mother Goose
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Day from noon to three pm on July eighteenth, and
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is inviting families to enjoy a day of crafts, games,
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and community activities. The event will feature children's crafts, refreshments, music,
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interactive story time, and a community raffle in which twenty
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participants will have the opportunity to win spay and neuter's certificates.
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A delivery driver is facing felony charges after an incident
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occurred while he was making a delivery in Perry County,
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according to the Perry County Sheriff's Office. According to a
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warrant written by Perry County Sheriff's Deputy Keith Gwynn, on
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July sixth, he responded to a hit and run sident
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on Bessie Lane. Upon arrival, Gren wrote he made contact
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with the victims, who stated that a door Dash delivery
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driver later identified as Brandon Davis, thirty, affurnished road Stanton,
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backed into the residence swimming pool while attempting to turn around,
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causing an estimated fourteen hundred dollars in damage. Winn wrote
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that when Davis was informed he had struck the pool
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and told was told that the deputies had been contacted.
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Davis drove into the neighboring driveway, turned around, and appeared
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to be leading the area. The victim, Gwen wrote, moved
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his vehicle into a position to prevent Davis from leading,
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at which time Davis drove around the vehicle, then through
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a neighboring yard in an attempt to get away. The
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warrant said. The victim then attempted to block Davis, at
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which time Davis struck the victim's vehicle while the victim
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was inside, and drove through a flower bed before fleeing
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the area. Court documents showed that Davis was arrested on
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July ninth on charges of first degree wanton dangerment, first
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degree criminal mischief, and leading the scene of an accident.
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Davis was lodged in the Kentucky River Regional Jail. Local
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leaders support boosting black loan benefits. That consensus hasn't emerged
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in Congress. For Ohio County Judge Executive David Johnston passing
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a resolution last year urging an increase in block long
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disability benefits was a matter of principle. The last major
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coal mine in Ohio County, a part of the western
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Kentucky coalfield region, closed years ago, but he said the
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former miners who have co workers newmoiosis, known commonly as
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black Long disease, will rely on the federal monthly Black
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Long disability payments. The Republican County leader said his uncle
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died of black Long disease and his father so differed
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from it. It's an occupational disease caused by breathing in
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dust that can cripple lung capacity and lead to death,
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and a surge of cases have been found in Appalachia
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in recent decades from exposure to silica dust. The government
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should have have a workplace safety in place to prevent them,
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and it didn't. Those folks got sick. But those payments,
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first established through the Black Lung Benefits Act of nineteen
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sixty nine, have eroded over decades of inflation and only
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sporadic increases in the monthly rate. One analysis from Lecher
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County based nonprofit Appalachian Citizens Law Center and non profit
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Appalachian Voices found that the benefits received as of twenty
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twenty three are thirty percent less compared to what recipients
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were receiving in nineteen sixty nine. Recipients are currently eligible
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for a monthly benefit of seven hundred ninety four dollars.
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The analysis found that would be well over one thousand
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dollars if track with inflation. That's why dozens of county
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and city governments comprised of both Republican and Democratic leaders
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across multiple Appalachian states have passed resolutions to urge an
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increase in benefits to support the approximately twenty five thousand
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recipients of black long disability benefits. Of all the states,
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Kentucky has the most active recipients, with more than forty
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seven hundred as of twenty twenty five. West Virginia, Virginia,
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and Pennsylvania also have significant shares. Todd, the priest mayor
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of the Lecher County city of Jenkins in eastern Kentucky,
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views his city's support for boosting black loan benefits through
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the historical legacy of what coal and coal miners did
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for the country, particularly during World War Two. They mined
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the coro that made the steal that won the war,
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the priest said, calling the amount of money it would
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take the boost benefits a drop in the bucket. Yet
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in Congress, the bipartisan consensus seen on the local level
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hasn't materialized. Bills filed over the past ten years to
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boost benefits and tip future benefit increases to the rate
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of inflation have only had Democrat or independent sponsors. The
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latest bill, introduced this month by and co sponsored by
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Democratic US Representative Morgan McGarvey of Louisville, would seek to
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increase benefits all the way back to the same funding
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level relative to inflation as miners received in nineteen sixty nine.
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The bill, called to support Our Miners Like currently doesn't
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have the viking of any member of Kentucky's Republican congressional district.
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Rebecca Shelton, director of policy for the Appalachian Citizens Law Center,
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said Republican critiques against the bills have often been centered
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around concerns over costs. When the US House Education and
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Labor Committee issued reports on the Black Loan Benefits Improvement
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Act on twenty twenty two, the minority Republicans argued the
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bill would increase the amount of benefits issued from the
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Black Loan Disability Trust Fund amid concerns about the fund solvency.
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The government trust fund pays out benefits when a responsible
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co operator isn't identified in a black loan case, or
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the identified operator doesn't pay and it gets revenue from
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a tax on mine coal. That fund has taken on
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hundreds of millions of dollars of benefit liabilities because of
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mine bankruptcies, a larger trend seen with the rapid decline
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in the state's coal mining industry. From the opinion page,
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A welcome reminder by Russ Cassiday. I recently received a
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call from a reader who expressed concerned that my columns,
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which they believed had previously been unbiased, began to show
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some bias towards sympathy for the Democratic Party. I was
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just as surprised as anyone reading this, but I was
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also ultimately grateful after our conversation concluded, it's so easy
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to go into our bunkers and develop tunnel vision, rendering
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us unable to see the forest for the trees. My
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easiest answer for that reader and myself is that I'll
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always be harsher on whoever's in power, regardless of whether
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that's a Democrat or Republican. And I've been harsh on
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the administration of President Donald Trump, as the president's failures
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to keep his promises if piled up. But he's not
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the only one who deserves criticism. In fact, it's hard
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not to get so cynical about the whole of American
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politics that you just want to give up these days.
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I don't want to give the impression that it's just
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the Republican Party, MAGA or whatever that has failed the
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American people. In fact, I'd say there's plenty of blame
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to be passed around. The Democratic Party and Independence have
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an opportunity right now to actually do something to effect
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change that improves people's lives, and they keep saying they're
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going to do just that. But the proof is in
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the pudding, and right now it's looking more like gruel
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than dessert. The problem is not a party or a politician.
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The problem is a system with good foundations, but which
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has become rotten due to human greed, pride, and malice.
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To use religious wording at the risk of alienating non
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religious readers, it's a sin, that's the problem. I know
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we've gotten used to seeing sin and secular scientific terms,
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but that's not how I see it. You see, I
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was careful with my wording, and if a few paragraphs ago,
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I said that the course of corruption is human greed, pride,
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and malice, not greedy, prideful, and malicious human beings. If
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you're non religious, please bear with me again. But I
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believe that human beings is created by God are good. However,
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that goodness is muted due to sin. We cannot heal
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the spiritual illness through the exercise of power. Some offer
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political ideologies such as socialism or communism as a solution.
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Others propose fascism or other dictatorial forms of government as affixed.
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All those forms of political solutions, though, seek to control
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humans while ignoring the fact that the sin is driven
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by powers and principalities beyond the control of our human institutions. Instead,
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we need to do a better job of attempting to
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stamp out the sin in our own lives, being ruthless
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in our self examination while being more gracious to others.
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You must be more open to political and social proposals
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that attempt to dig through the muck of sin and
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get more to the human beings beneath it. We must
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also be resistant to the temptation to demonize individuals instead
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of holding them unaccountable for their actions and helping to
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educate and guide them toward a better way. This doesn't
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require everyone to join a particular religion, or even any religion.
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It requires mainly that people recognize each other's humanity and
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the value that human life is flourishing. I don't like
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particular political leaders. In fact, I pray for them to
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be blessed, but also that their hearts be open to
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the responsibility they hold for their fellow man. Furthermore, I
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pray that the exercise of power granted to them in
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a way that helps more than it harms. I appreciate
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this reader's in it more than he may know, but
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I also want to assure him and anyone else reading this,
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that my leanings are more toward a desire to see
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my neighbors lifted up than toward any particular political ideology.
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It never hurts to be checked, though. Guest column Eastern
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Kentucky's showing the country what rural renewal actually looks like.
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For years too much of the national conversation about a
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rural America has focused on what's been lost. Factories closed,
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cold jobs disappeared, young people moved away. As two leaders
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from different parts of rural America want a Democrat US
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senator from North Dakota. The other, a Republican and President
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of the Kentucky State Senate. We know these challenges are regal,
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but after spending two days traveling through communities across eastern
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Kentucky with the Brookings AEI Commission on US Rural Prosperity,
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we came away convinced the country is still missing the
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bigger story. The Commission, a bipartisan body examining a policy
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solution for a rural economic decline, visited the region as
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part of the National Services of field hearings on what
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is and isn't working in rural communities. From Manchester using
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its parentage and swinging bridges to attract tourists to downtown Hazard,
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where artists and entrepreneurs are writing a new chapter for
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a town long defined by coal, Eastern Kentucky stands as
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an example of how rural America is not standing still.
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Over two days, the Commission heard from local leaders in housing,
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higher education, healthcare, and philanthropy, as well as job creators,
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local officials, and nonprofit organizations. Despite differing perspectives, several key
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themes surfaced repeatedly retaining talent, driving targeted comic investment, and
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confronting the substance abuse crisis. To save lives and keep
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people healing is the key to changing the Eastern Kentucky landscape.
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Here are the obituaries. Wayne Kagle eighty two died Thursday
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July third. Ruth Katherine Clemens ninety six of Hazard died Sunday,
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July fifth. Annie Lee Gibson sixty three died Monday July sixth.
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Edna Macintosh seventy nine of Hazard died Thursday July ninth.
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Connie Sue Smith seventy two of Viper died Thursday July ninth.
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Charles Williams Scyles of Hazard died Monday July sixth. TENA
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mcgreener seventy five of Hazard died Tuesday July seventh. Irene
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Eldridge caught on seventy six of Viper died Friday July tenth.
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Rufus Lynne Creech fifty one died Tuesday June thirtieth. And
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Cassie Shepherd eighty three of Velthia died Friday July tenth,