Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Ashland Daily Independent - 10.28.26

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Ashland Daily Independent - 10.28.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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  Speaker 1: We now turn to the Ashland Independent to bring you
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  Speaker 1: news from in and around Ashland and Boyd County. Your
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  Speaker 1: reader today is Jane. We begin with the edition dated
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  Speaker 1: October 27, 2026. As a reminder, Radio Eye is a
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  Speaker 1: reading service intended for people who are blind or have
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  Speaker 1: other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
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  Speaker 1: Their gain, our loss. Raceland City Administrator Takes Same Position
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  Speaker 1: in Calvert City by Aaron Snyder of the Daily Independent.
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  Speaker 1: Dustin Burchett is making a big move from small town
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  Speaker 1: to small town. Essentially a lifelong Raceland man, Burchett is
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  Speaker 1: relocating 360 miles away, but staying in the bluegrass. He
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  Speaker 1: has resigned as Raceland City Administrator to accept the same
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  Speaker 1: title in Calvert City. People packed Raceland's city building to
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  Speaker 1: bid farewell to Burchett with a going-away party Thursday, October 22nd.
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  Speaker 1: Raceland Mayor Tony Wilson, who was on the city council
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  Speaker 1: when Burchett was named to the brand-new position in 2021,
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  Speaker 1: described the 40-year-old as a go-getter who was worth his
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  Speaker 1: weight in gold. Because he cares, he interjects himself into
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  Speaker 1: a situation, takes the bull by the horns and gets
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  Speaker 1: the job done, and asks questions later, Wilson said. He's
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  Speaker 1: been a tremendous help for our city. Burchette's wife Tara
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  Speaker 1: and daughters Carmen and Serena will join him in a
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  Speaker 1: few months in Calvert City after Burchette gets acclimated to
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  Speaker 1: the Marshall County town of about 2,500. I'm extremely honored
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  Speaker 1: and humbled by the opportunity, Burchette said. Sometimes when an
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  Speaker 1: opportunity comes, it's hard to pass it up. Calvert City
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  Speaker 1: is an amazing community. They were just named by Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: League of Cities the City Government of the Year. John
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  Speaker 1: Ward retired as Calvert City's administrator after 22 years in
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  Speaker 1: the seat. I've always enjoyed my time here at Raceland,
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  Speaker 1: said the 2002 Raceland Worthington High School graduate. I'm looking
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  Speaker 1: forward to getting in there and bringing what I've learned
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  Speaker 1: here to them and also learning from them. Greenup County
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  Speaker 1: Judge Executive Bobby Hall said Burchette was a frequent visitor
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  Speaker 1: to his office after he was elected in November 2022.
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  Speaker 1: He was trying to figure out all the revenue streams
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  Speaker 1: for the city of Raceland, Hall said. Maybe he should
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  Speaker 1: have been in construction because he kept digging and digging
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  Speaker 1: and digging to figure out things no one had before.
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  Speaker 1: Burchett served on 14 different boards in Greenup County. Greenup
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  Speaker 1: County's losing a solid human being, Hall said. Their gain,
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  Speaker 1: our loss. Flatwoods Mayor Buford Hurley said Calvert City is
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  Speaker 1: receiving a gold nugget. Greenup Mayor Lundy Meadows proclaimed October
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  Speaker 1: 22nd Dustin Burchett Day in the city of Greenup. Wilson
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  Speaker 1: said Calvert City pursued Burchett. I don't blame him a
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  Speaker 1: bit for going, Wilson said. He's left us in good
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  Speaker 1: shape and I'm grateful for that. You have made a
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  Speaker 1: lasting impact on our community and will be greatly missed.
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  Speaker 1: Wilson had a giant gratitude card for folks who attended
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  Speaker 1: Thursday's party to sign for Burchett to transport with him
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  Speaker 1: to western Kentucky. Dustin has been a great attribute for
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  Speaker 1: this community, said Representative Aaron Thompson, Republican Greenup. The good
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  Speaker 1: thing about Dustin is he always advocated not just for Raceland,
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  Speaker 1: but the broader community as a whole. Burchett is a
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  Speaker 1: former AK Steel employee. He and his family moved to
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  Speaker 1: Florida after he was laid off. but returned to the
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  Speaker 1: area when a relative received a grim cancer diagnosis. When
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  Speaker 1: Raceland's council chose Burchett to become the city's first manager,
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  Speaker 1: Burchett said his original purpose was to upgrade facilities, improve infrastructure,
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  Speaker 1: create more funding by tapping into resources such as grant
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  Speaker 1: money and American Rescue Plan Act money. He spearheaded several water, sewer,
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  Speaker 1: and fire projects and played an instrumental role in bringing
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  Speaker 1: a splash pad to Raceland. Another quality-of-life project was helping
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  Speaker 1: Raceland open a popular dine-in and carry-out restaurant, The Roost.
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  Speaker 1: Government Business Review named Burchett a Top Ten City Administrator
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  Speaker 1: in 2026. It featured Burchett in an article entitled Building
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  Speaker 1: a Modern City Without a Blueprint. Burchett said one of
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  Speaker 1: his proudest accomplishments is partnering with former police chief Don
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  Speaker 1: Sammons to take the Holiday Heroes program to unprecedented success.
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  Speaker 1: Formerly known as the Shop with a Cop program, the
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  Speaker 1: event brings joy to hundreds of children at Christmastime. It's
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  Speaker 1: been a whirlwind, Burchett said, of the last five years.
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  Speaker 1: I have great relationships here, and many of them will continue.
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  Speaker 1: Raceland and Greenup County have a friend in the western
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  Speaker 1: part of the state. Wilson said he's enjoyed seeing Burchette
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  Speaker 1: spread his wings as he navigated adversity, such as turmoil
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  Speaker 1: within the fire department, and made Raceland a better place.
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  Speaker 1: He has the city running like a business, Wilson said.
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  Speaker 1: With his connections and the boards he was able to
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  Speaker 1: be on, he could give immediate attention to things that
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  Speaker 1: needed it. Government is a slow process, but he was
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  Speaker 1: able to speed things up because he was present all
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  Speaker 1: the time. He kept the machine rolling. He's super at
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  Speaker 1: building relationships and coordinating so everyone could work together. It's bittersweet,
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  Speaker 1: Wilson said. I'm happy for him and his family. I
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  Speaker 1: give him my blessing. I hate to lose him, but
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  Speaker 1: I'm happy for him, and it's kind of a fresh start.
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  Speaker 1: In other news, Bootyful Blowout, Halloween Town Hosts Thousands of
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  Speaker 1: Families with Cauldrons of Candy by Tammy Hetzer Womack for
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  Speaker 1: the Daily Independent. River Hazel spins his five-year-old web of laughter,
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  Speaker 1: enrapturing and seizing the colony of Russell City police officers' attention.
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  Speaker 1: Make no bones about it, even these burly, weapon-wielding gentlemen
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  Speaker 1: shudder at the look's of this eight-eyed, octo-legged wolf spider.
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  Speaker 1: Winsome eyes shine, peeking out through the hairy costume's peeper holes.
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  Speaker 1: The Raceland boy stalks the cops gathered in front of
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  Speaker 1: the Ness Day Spa, offering no aesthetic relaxation against the
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  Speaker 1: pseudo-spider's nightmarish gaze. Pouncing with a giggle, the policemen relax
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  Speaker 1: their aghast guard knowing they're safe against the glowing arachnoid.
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  Speaker 1: Then pause for a photo with River before continuing their
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  Speaker 1: Halloween town banter. River's mommy is thrilled by this interaction.
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  Speaker 1: I'm going to be their police chief when I grow up,
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  Speaker 1: announced River, either power hungry or considering a spidey snack.
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  Speaker 1: He proceeds to produce a real humdinger of a police
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  Speaker 1: siren wail, running around Russell Independent School resource officer Bart Mills,
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  Speaker 1: hot pursuit of any naughty or ethereal being, creating downtown
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  Speaker 1: disturbance around the Halloween town party on Saturday night. Somebody's
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  Speaker 1: got to ghost bust. Might as well be River. River's uncle,
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  Speaker 1: his biggest role model in uniform, is currently deployed with
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  Speaker 1: Kentucky National Guard units serving overseas. Soldier Derek Clifton ain't
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  Speaker 1: afraid of no ghost. River misses him to the full
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  Speaker 1: harvest moon and back, but knows he's watching his nephew
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  Speaker 1: from far away. I'll see you guys real soon, hollers River,
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  Speaker 1: a big ado to his new police brothers, because I'm
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  Speaker 1: going to be your chief. Remember that. According to Wander
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  Speaker 1: Russell tourism officials, a spine-tingling trio who didn't let 10,000
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  Speaker 1: visitors put chills up their spines It was nothing but
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  Speaker 1: spells of good witches and smells of tasty fare, like
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  Speaker 1: spare ribs. Donning their matching skeletal onesies, these three women
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  Speaker 1: are truly grateful, even a bit dead as night falls.
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  Speaker 1: Despite exhaustion, Wander Russell remains an absolute thanksgiving for volunteers
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  Speaker 1: and community leaders who conjure magic to share their hearts annually.
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  Speaker 1: They all deserve skeleton keys to the city. Candy trails
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  Speaker 1: featured massive cauldrons of bonbons, lollipops, jawbreakers, midges, gummies, chocolate kisses,
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  Speaker 1: jelly beans, and nougats. A not-so-scary haunted tunnel awaited little ones.
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  Speaker 1: Jasmine Ritchie, 18, visited Halloween Town with her boyfriend, Kyler Sexton, 17.
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  Speaker 1: Ritchie's mother used to work at Community Trust Bank and
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  Speaker 1: recommended the experience for the young couple. a Saturday date
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  Speaker 1: night dressed as peanut butter and jelly, perfect unison. Richie,
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  Speaker 1: a Marshall University student, adored the haunted trail, pretty much
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  Speaker 1: a bunch of little kids just screaming at the top
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  Speaker 1: of their lungs, so cute, she forewarned with a chuckle,
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  Speaker 1: more mirth than misery. Sexton, A Spring Valley high school
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  Speaker 1: senior said it was a perfect couple's night with candy galore,
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  Speaker 1: their orange plastic buckets overflowing as they waited in queue
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  Speaker 1: for a warm beverage for the ride home to Huntington.
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  Speaker 1: Our next article, Boyd indictments include group of co-defendants accused
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  Speaker 1: of drug trafficking. Several individuals, including a large set of co-defendants,
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  Speaker 1: were indicted by a Boyd County grand jury this week.
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  Speaker 1: on charges mostly related to drug trafficking. Brittany Woodell, 31,
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  Speaker 1: and Justin Newman, 47, both of Katlitzburg, were indicted as
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  Speaker 1: co-defendants on three counts of fentanyl trafficking from the same
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  Speaker 1: address between March and April 2026. A separate group of
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  Speaker 1: four co-defendants was also indicted on various levels of trafficking
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  Speaker 1: or drug possession, including Jamie Brown, 51, of Ashland, was
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  Speaker 1: indicted on charges of criminal conspiracy to aggravated trafficking of
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  Speaker 1: greater than 28 grams of fentanyl and possession of fentanyl.
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  Speaker 1: John Richendoller, 39, of Ironton, was indicted on charges of
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  Speaker 1: trafficking greater than 2 grams of methamphetamine and one count
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  Speaker 1: of trafficking fentanyl. Kelsey Blackaby, 32, and Kyle Ruark, 37,
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  Speaker 1: both of Ashland, were indicted on charges of criminal conspiracy
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  Speaker 1: to aggravated trafficking of greater than 28 grams of fentanyl
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  Speaker 1: and tampering with physical evidence. An indictment is not an
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  Speaker 1: indication of guilt, but a grand jury determined sufficient evidence
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  Speaker 1: was present in order to move forward in the judicial process.
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  Speaker 1: Others indicted by the grand jury include James Norman Duyor, 58,
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  Speaker 1: of Louisville was indicted on two counts of third-degree assault
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  Speaker 1: on a correctional employee. David Jones, 73, of Ashland, was
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  Speaker 1: indicted on a sole count of failing to comply with
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  Speaker 1: Sex Offender Registry First Offense. James Edward Chadwell, 46, James
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  Speaker 1: Allen Collins, Jr., 29, and Tony Marcisco Ramos, 29, all
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  Speaker 1: of London, were indicted on charges of methamphetamine possession and
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  Speaker 1: possession of drug paraphernalia. Russell Grubb, 51, of Ashland, was
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  Speaker 1: indicted on assault count of trafficking fentanyl. Joshua Barnett, 34,
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  Speaker 1: of Ashland, was indicted on assault count of trafficking fentanyl.
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  Speaker 1: Courtney Hill, 41, of Ashland, was indicted on assault count
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  Speaker 1: of possessing fentanyl. Fred Dowdy, Jr., 27, of Piketon, Ohio,
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  Speaker 1: was indicted on assault count of theft by unlawful taking
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  Speaker 1: of a motorized scooter valued between $ 10, 000 and $ 1, 000. Gabriel K. Batiste, 34,
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  Speaker 1: of Ashland, was indicted on two counts of first-degree promoting contraband.
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  Speaker 1: Today's obituaries, Carolyn Eagleston, 88, of Ashland, Woodrow L. Renfro, 83,
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  Speaker 1: from the Ashland area, Garnett E. Alley, 86, Doug Cole, 93,
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  Speaker 1: Brian Scott Clarendridge, 50, of Kentucky, Nancy Pennington, Charles, 83,
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  Speaker 1: formerly of Flatwoods, and Paul Brian Hanna, 55, of South Point, Ohio. Next,
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  Speaker 1: Human Trafficking Suspect to Face Additional Charges by Mary Jane
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  Speaker 1: Epling for The Daily Independent. A Russell man accused of
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  Speaker 1: a multitude of sex crimes is facing additional charges, according
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  Speaker 1: to his attorney. Austin Allen Little, 39, was indicted by
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  Speaker 1: a Boyd County grand jury in March 2025 on two
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  Speaker 1: counts of third-degree rape, third-degree sodomy, first-degree sexual abuse, human trafficking,
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  Speaker 1: six counts of procuring or promoting a minor by electronic means,
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  Speaker 1: and 10 counts of unlawful transaction with a minor. Prosecutors
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  Speaker 1: have previously said discovery or evidence in the case is substantial.
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  Speaker 1: As of Friday in Boyd County Circuit Court, Little's attorney,
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  Speaker 1: Robert Miller, said more charges had been added to the case,
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  Speaker 1: with court records showing Little now stands accused of 30
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  Speaker 1: counts related to sex crimes or inappropriate contact with a
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  Speaker 1: minor under the age of 18. The most substantial charges
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  Speaker 1: now include first degree rape, four counts of first degree sodomy,
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  Speaker 1: first degree strangulation, human trafficking, and two counts of first
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  Speaker 1: degree sexual abuse. Each of those charges carry a maximum
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  Speaker 1: sentencing range of decades in prison, respectively. Because substantial discovery,
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  Speaker 1: including evidence related to the new charges, is still to
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  Speaker 1: be delivered to the defense, Miller requested more time to
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  Speaker 1: review those materials before Little's next pretrial hearing. Boyd County
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  Speaker 1: Circuit Judge George Davis set Little to reappear on November 13th.
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  Speaker 1: Local news in brief, safe trick-or-treat at Camp Landing. Camp
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  Speaker 1: Landing Entertainment District will have a safe trick-or-treat event. on Tuesday,
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  Speaker 1: October 27th from 6 to 8 p.m. Next, Northeast Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: Community Action Agency opens location in Greenup. The Northeast Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday for the
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  Speaker 1: Northeast Kentucky Community Action Agency's new location in downtown Greenup.
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  Speaker 1: The location is at 614 Main Street. Executive Director Victoria
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  Speaker 1: Green explained at a recent Greenup County Fiscal Court meeting,
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  Speaker 1: the 61-year-old organization has served communities in Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Lawrence,
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  Speaker 1: and Greenup Counties since its inception, but a physical location
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  Speaker 1: in Greenup County is new. It will make it easier
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  Speaker 1: for residents to know where to go and how to
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  Speaker 1: assess the assistance already available, Green said. A few of
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  Speaker 1: the agency services include the Community Services Block Grant, Energy Assistance,
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  Speaker 1: Weatherization Assistance, and Assistance for AEP and Columbia Gas Customers.
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  Speaker 1: NKCAA also offers non-emergency transportation options for seniors and disabled
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  Speaker 1: individuals to get to medical appointments. Visit nkcsa-nkcsa.org. connect.com, the
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  Speaker 1: Northeast Kentucky Community Action Agency Facebook page, or call area
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  Speaker 1: code 606-286-4443 for more information. In other news, City Tables
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  Speaker 1: Paramount Financing Decision by Mary Jane Epling for the Daily Independent.
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  Speaker 1: Ashland City Commissioners voted to table a decision surrounding a
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  Speaker 1: funding request from AP3 Venue Works for the Paramount Arts
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  Speaker 1: Center's operational costs during Thursday's regular meeting. Despite this week's
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  Speaker 1: City Commission meeting being the last regularly scheduled before the
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  Speaker 1: upcoming general election on November 3rd, City Attorney Andrew Wheeler
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  Speaker 1: said it was at the request of City staff to
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  Speaker 1: defer the Paramount's $ 100, 000 operational expense item until Tuesday's work
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  Speaker 1: session for further discussion. According to the consent agenda, the
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  Speaker 1: item reached the $ 100, 000 request would be for the second
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  Speaker 1: quarter of the 2027 fiscal year for operating expenses covering
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  Speaker 1: October 1st through December 31st, 2026. If approved, the City's
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  Speaker 1: contribution for first and second quarter direct operating support to
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  Speaker 1: the Paramount would total $ 260, 000, approximately 80% of the $ 324, 000
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  Speaker 1: earmarked from the City's general fund. The remaining $ 64, 000 would
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  Speaker 1: not include utilities that could exceed $ 90, 000 set aside for
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  Speaker 1: utilities in the City's Paramount Theater Fund Budget. If utility
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  Speaker 1: expenditures reach the budgeted $ 90, 000, combined direct operating support requested
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  Speaker 1: to date and utilities would total $ 350, 000, exceeding the budgeted
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  Speaker 1: general fund transfer by $ 26, 000. The agenda reads, unless offset
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  Speaker 1: by other revenues or expenditure savings within the Paramount Theater
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  Speaker 1: Fund Additional general fund support would likely be necessary. Next,
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  Speaker 1: Leadership Kentucky accepting Elevate applications. Leadership Kentucky, one of the
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  Speaker 1: oldest and most prestigious statewide leadership development programs in the
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  Speaker 1: United States, is now accepting applications for the Elevate Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: Class of 2027 according to a press release. Elevate Kentucky
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  Speaker 1: is a three-session program that offers young professionals average age
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  Speaker 1: 25 to 35 in-depth personal and professional development while fostering
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  Speaker 1: a better understanding of the strengths and challenges facing the Commonwealth.
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  Speaker 1: Elevate participants return to their organizations with newly developed skills, knowledge, perspective,
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  Speaker 1: and a new statewide professional network. The release stated, program
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  Speaker 1: graduates are better prepared to be catalysts in their organizations
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  Speaker 1: and communities to elevate Kentucky. During each of the three-day sessions,
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  Speaker 1: class members will hear from thought-provoking Kentucky leaders, learn about
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  Speaker 1: challenges and opportunities facing our state, while they gain insights
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  Speaker 1: about their personal leadership abilities. In addition, participants will attend
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  Speaker 1: panel discussions, participate in experimental learning opportunities, and gain increased
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  Speaker 1: regional and statewide perspective while visiting different regions in Kentucky.
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  Speaker 1: Sessions will be held in Pikeville, Owensboro, and Central Northern Kentucky,
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  Speaker 1: running from April through June in 2027. Applications for the
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  Speaker 1: Class of 2027 will be available online until December 11th
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: at leadershipky.org. Next, Veterans Day at Keith Albee. The Keith
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  Speaker 1: Albee Performing Arts Center will host a special screening of
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  Speaker 1: Saving Private Ryan on Wednesday, November 11th at 7 p.m.
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  Speaker 1: The screening is hosted by American Legion Post 23 of Portsmouth.
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  Speaker 1: The purpose of the event is to offer the community
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  Speaker 1: an opportunity to come together and remember the service and
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  Speaker 1: sacrifice of those who have served the United States. Admission
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  Speaker 1: is $ 5. Admissions for veterans is free. Tractor supply to
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  Speaker 1: honor veterans. Tractor supply company is honoring service members, veterans,
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  Speaker 1: and first responders on Saturday. November 7th with National Hometown
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  Speaker 1: Heroes Day. Each store, including Tractor Supply in Russell, will
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  Speaker 1: make a direct $ 250 to a selected area military, veteran,
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  Speaker 1: or first responder organization. In-store activities include touch a truck
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  Speaker 1: with local fire, police, and emergency vehicles on site for
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  Speaker 1: interactive community and family demonstrations. Thank a hero letter writing
• 22:59
  Speaker 1: stations for neighbors to share personal notes of appreciation for
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: active duty personnel, veterans, and emergency responders. In our view, congrats,
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  Speaker 1: Chief Kenney. At a recent Greenup County Fiscal Court meeting,
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  Speaker 1: Judge Executive Bobby Hall congratulated South Shore Volunteer Fire Department
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: Chief Kenney Taylor. Taylor has served on the fire department
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  Speaker 1: since 1962 and been chief since 1976. That's a remarkable
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: record of public service. Volunteer fire departments are having a
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  Speaker 1: difficult time recruiting new firefighters. There's no better way to
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  Speaker 1: serve your rural community than helping residents in their most
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  Speaker 1: difficult time of need. Kenny Taylor deserves any praise thrown
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  Speaker 1: his way for a lifetime of community support and trust.
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  Speaker 1: He is a great mentor. In other news, the Mead
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  Speaker 1: Station Church of God is having a turkey dinner fundraiser
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  Speaker 1: on November 7th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The
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  Speaker 1: cost is $ 14 for adults and $ 8 for children 10
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  Speaker 1: and under. The menu will be turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy,
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  Speaker 1: green beans, cranberry salad, and dessert. The church is at
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  Speaker 1: 10255 Cedar Hill Drive in Ashland. In Our View, new
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: assisted living facility. Community crossings make sense. Good news for
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: our area. Community Hospice is building a $ 50 million assisted
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: living and memory care facility. It'll be located on State
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  Speaker 1: Route 5 just off US 23. Phase 1 will be
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  Speaker 1: 60 assisted living residences and 30 memory care residences. Phase
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  Speaker 1: 1 is scheduled to be open in 2028. It will
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  Speaker 1: include around 50 new health care jobs. The number of
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  Speaker 1: construction jobs for the facility is not yet known. The
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  Speaker 1: facility will be called Community Crossings. The property has been
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  Speaker 1: vacant for several years. It is centrally located between Ashland, Belfonte,
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  Speaker 1: and Greenup County. It will be a gated community. Our
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  Speaker 1: area desperately needs facilities like this. Let's face it, none
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  Speaker 1: of us are getting any younger, and we're living longer.
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  Speaker 1: Nursing homes are always an option, but there's a substantial
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  Speaker 1: part of the population who need help in their latter years,
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  Speaker 1: but not ready to enter a nursing home. There's a
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  Speaker 1: sharp demographic shift in America as baby boomers are approaching
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: age 80 and older. The demographics in our region show
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: our area with a higher median age than the rest
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: of the country. Community Hospice Community Horizon Health has been
• 26:09
  Speaker 1: around here nearly 50 years. They've often expanded their services
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: because of the need of expanded care. For example, Community
• 26:18
  Speaker 1: Hospice built its care facility on Pollard Road some 25
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: years ago. We embrace this project. In the big picture,
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: it could create a better life for our area residents
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: who are in the autumn of their lives. Letters Invited
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: The Daily Independent invites readers to submit In Your View
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: letters on public issues. Letters must not exceed 300 words
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: and must include the name, address, and telephone number of
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: the author. Words of thanks letters are limited to no
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: more than 150 words. The Daily Independent cannot guarantee a
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: day of publication for letters, but makes an effort to
• 27:02
  Speaker 1: publish letters in a timely manner. The newspaper is not
• 27:06
  Speaker 1: obligated to print every letter it receives. This concludes excerpts
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: from recent editions of the Ashland Daily Independent. Your reader
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: has been Jane. On behalf of everyone here at Radio Eye,
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: thank you for listening. Keep on listening and have a
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: good day.