Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Hazard Herald - 12.21.25

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Hazard Herald - 12.21.25 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turned to the reading of the Hazard Peril
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for the News of Hazard and Perry County Humley Townshend.
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We begin with the online edition dated December seventeenth, twenty
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twenty five. As a reminder, radioizer reading service intended for
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people who are blind or have other disabilities make it
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difficult to read printed material. Unlawful transaction with a minor
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case against Perry man diverted. An unlawful transaction with a
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minor case against a Perry County man has been diverted
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for a year after the alleged victim in the case
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said in an affidavit that she did not want him
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to be prosecuted. Johnny Yancy Amos, thirty six, of cam
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Johnson Branch Road, Buckhorn, was arrested in August after the
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family of a seventeen year old Perry County resident reported
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she was missing. Perry County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Stephen Everidge
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wrote in court documents that during the course of the investigation,
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he located the girl in a cabin with Amos on
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Amos's family's property. Average wrote in the arrest warrant that
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when Amos was asked to come out of the cabin.
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The deputy was able to see inside and saw the
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foot of a bed and two sets of feet beside
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each other. The man inside, later identified as Amos, was
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seen getting out of the bed and putting on a shirt,
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pants and shoes. Average rote that he asked did Amos
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send the girl out, but that he didn't have to
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come outside, and Amos sent her out. Average wrote that
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he interviewed the girl, who said no sexual activity had
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taken place, but said that she drank alcoholic beverages while
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in the cabin. The girl, the warrant said, told the
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deputy that Amos had given her the alcohol and that
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Amos knew how old she was. The girl, Average Roat
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told him she was at the cabin willingly. Amos was
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arrested August twenty second on a charge charge a third
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degree unlawful transaction with a minor and lodged in the
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Kentucky River Regional Jail. In an affidavit Foulum and Perry
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District Court on November twenty fifth, the alleged victim, who's
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now eighteen years old, stated she did not wish that
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they must be prosecuted. Further, the alleged victim stated in
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the affidavit, Amos did not provide her with alcohol and
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she intended to exercise for constitutional rights concerning his self
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incrimination should the case be presented at trial. According to
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court records, on November twenty fifth, Perry District Judge Cody
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Gearing ordered that the case be diverted for one year.
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According to court documents, the case was prosecuted by the
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office of Breathat County Attorney Brendan D. Miller, who was
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appointed as a special prosecutor. Hundreds gathered at Triangle Park
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for the annual Giving Tree ceremony in downtown Hazard on
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December twelfth. The holiday celebration filled Main Street not only
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with giving trees, but also free access to a petting zoo,
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with free training, trolley rides, ice skating inflatables, veestive vendors,
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and photo opportunities with Sannah and this Clause at the
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Grand The festivities continued into Saturday night, with residents lining
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main Street for the last night of Christmas at a
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small town to watch the light parade. A red spotted
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Newdowner completes debut book tour after months of preparation and
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years of lived experience distilled into the page red Spotted
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Newdowner and author Mandy Scheffel has completed her first book
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tour following the release of her debut memoir, The Nature
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of Pain, Roots and Recovery and Redemption amid the Opioid Crisis.
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The deeply personal work, shaped by tragedy and resilience, traces
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the lasting impact of the opioid epidemic in Ease, Kentucky
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through Scheffle's own recovery the loss of her cousin Eric Fuget,
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who was murdered in twenty thirteen as a result of
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his addiction. Scheffle made fourteen stops throughout the tour, beginning
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in her hometown of Hazard, where she had community support
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that set the tone for what followed. Of course, we
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kicked off in Hazard with the launch party, said Scheffle.
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I was really humbled and grateful for my community in Hazard.
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I don't have a headcount for how many people showed
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up that evening, but it was a perfect way to
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start this journey having all my community and Hazard support me.
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And I was so grateful to have that conversation with
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Robert Guy, who drew the map in the book and
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was instrumental in a lot of the early editing process.
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Balancing the demands of touring with her responsibilities as a
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small business owner and community leader, Scheffer said the pace
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of the past several months tested her physically and emotionally.
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I'm so deeply entrenched in the community and community events
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and the community efforts and small business ownership positioned at
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the foundation, and I jokingly said in the launch asking
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the community to give me some grace during the tour,
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and I had no idea how true that would ring,
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she said, because I haven't been able to be as
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involved in the community lately. I've worked at the store
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throughout the week, and most of my events were on
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the weekend, so I was going pretty much seven days
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a week since the beginning of October. Several stops along
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the tour, she said, allowed her to bring Appalachian stories
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to broader audiences and engage how readers outside the region
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received the book. I think some of the highlights for
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me was being able to be at the Louisville Book
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Festival the Kentucky Book Festival in Lexington, both just huge
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events that got me out of eastern Kentucky to see
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what reception was at Sheffel, and I was able to
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have great conversations there. I also traveled in North Carolina
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on two occasions, and I felt happy to be in
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the position to do that. I felt like people walked
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away with a greater sense of empathy for these topics,
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these forms of extraction, like with things like Purdue Pharma
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and mountaintop removal. I think people walked away with a
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better understanding of how the opioid epidemic started because a
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lot of people didn't in a lot of cases. Throughout
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the tour, Cheffel said she became increasingly aware of the
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responsibility that comes with sharing deeply personal experiences tied to
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a widespread crisis. I recognized the platform that I have
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and the history of how we got to where we
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are now, she said. As far as the opioid epidemic,
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throughout the tour, a lot of people who felt compelled
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to share their story worries. But because it's very difficult
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to find someone in Appalachia or really anywhere in the
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country who hasn't felt the impact from this in some way,
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there are few and far between. People felt compelled to
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share about their struggles and loss of loved ones, and
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that's heavy to hear These stories it's hard because there
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is no magic bullet to fix this. I can share
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my experience. I can share what I've done the course
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of twenty years to stay in recovery and how recovery
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looks different for everybody because I don't have the answers.
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Sheffel said. A recurring theme in her discussion centered on
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recovery and the unequal access to support systems following treatment.
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I tried to highlight this in every interview, in every conversation,
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every book tall to understand the place of privilege that
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I was in when I left treatment selfle shed. I
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was able to go home and my mom provided me
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a place to stay for the first year of my recovery,
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where essentially all I did was go to twelve step meetings.
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She afforded me that, and I was able to go
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home to a safe place where nobody was using and
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I really got that year to focus on recovery. And
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I really took at that as a privilege because that's
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not the case for so many people who battle this disease.
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They don't have the kind of support and a safe,
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stable environment to go to. Treatment is such a small
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part of this overall journey. When you think about the
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amount of days you spend in a treatment facility compared
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to having to be out in the world. It's such
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a small part of it. So the most critical part
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of it is the aftercare, which I see more emphasis
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on now, but there wasn't so much twenty years ago.
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Back then it was well, you spent your time in treatment,
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time to go by into the world, and that's really
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not how it works. So I really try to acknowledge
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and mention that year I had as a privilege not
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everyone has afforded that. One of the most meaningful stomps
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on the tour, Shuffle said, came at a gathering honor
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in Kentucky's literary legacy. I was also able to go
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to Kentucky Arts and Letters Day in Newcastle, which is
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the Berry Center, as in Kentucky author Wendeleberry. She said,
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they host this event every year, and it was really
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probably the highlight of my tour, just because of the
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respect I had for Wendell Berry, but also the legacy
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of Kentucky writers. So I was able to share the
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stage with Silas House and Kathleen Dreichel, Kentucky's poet laureate,
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and Wendell Berry, who's in his nineties at this point.
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So that was really a special day and I really
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appreciated that invitation. Despite the vunderability required a public a
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memoir rooted in family and community, Sheffel said, the response
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has been overwhelmingly affirming. Overall. I've had really good feedback.
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Sheffle said. It's scary when you write a memoir, one
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that sometimes involves your family or people in the community,
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and not really knowing what the feedback or backlash of
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that would be. But everyone's been super supportive of this journey,
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and I've got a lot of really good feedback, so
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that helps. I've done my part, and I really can't
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control the way it's been received, but a lot of
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really good people have reached out and have told me
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things that they liked or experiences that were similar to
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their own, things that people related to. The two are
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also intersected with loss, as Shefferer reflected on the death
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of influential Kentucky writer Gernie Norman, to whom the book
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is dedicated. We lost Gernie Norman in October, she said.
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My book was dedicated to him. It was a huge
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part of how and why I got into the writing community.
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I'm in. He passed away almost a week after the
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book came out. It was another part of this journey.
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I wanted to make sure I speak his name in
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places he was able to see the book, and I
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did send him a copy. They had his memorial service
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December sixth and seventh, and I was also able to
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read at that. It's another part of this journey that
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was very special to me. When asked about future writing project,
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Seffel said her focus remains on the work already released.
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I knew touring this book wasn't going to be easy,
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but this experience proved to me a lot more emotionally
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challenging than I thought it would be. The audience was
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most important to me from my l Appalachian writing community.
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It's challenging to write about this region and to do
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it in a way that's honest and authentic to my
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experience as your police Department. Sergeant Tyler Newberry was recognized
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December tenth with the Governor's Award for Impaired Driving Enforcement.
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According to a statement from HPD, Newberry received the award
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during the Kentucky Office of Highways Safety Awards banquet. Thank you,
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Sergeant Newberry. For your continued hard work and dedication. This
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is another testament to keeping our roadways and communities as
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safe as possible. Disability Resource Center holds Christmas Gala at
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country Club. The Disability Resource Center hosted a Christmas Gala
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at the Country Club on December ninth, bringing together community
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partners and supporters for an event focused on inclusion, generosity,
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and empowerment. According to Brendan Noble, Assistant director of the
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Disability Resource Center, the event served as both a holiday
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celebration and a reflection of the organization's mission. The Gala
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is a festive celebration of community partnership, generosity, and shared
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commitment to growing independence for individuals with disabilities. Nobles said
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this special evening brings together local businesses, organizations, and supporters
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whose Silent Auction donations and sponsorships reflected the power of
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collaboration in creating meaningful opportunities. Nobel said the events Silent
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Auction is a key component of the gala, directly supporting
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programs that serve individuals with disabilities throughout the community. Through
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the community support and partners, the solid auction plays a
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vital role in funding programs that promote independence, accessibility, and
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self advocacy. She said, the gala not only celebrates the
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spirit of the holiday season, but also show cases how
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working together strengthens services, removes barriers, and empowers individuals with
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disabilities to live full, self directed lives. Kentucky Voices for
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Health manual meeting focuses on looming changes to Medicaid program
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as Kentucky gears up to implement the changes to Medicaid
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brought about by Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Aiket. Kentucky
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Voices for Health convened health officials, consumers, and lawmakers at
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its annual meeting to discuss the act's impact and what
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happens next. Kentucky Health Secretary Doctor Stephen Styck opened the
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December ninth meeting in Lexington by voicing his concerns about
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the state's most vulnerable populations during these challenging times and
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encouraged everyone to act with empathy and kindness as the
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state works to implement new federal policies. So, while we
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will have difficult days ahead, whether it will be times
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where we see things differently or have disagreements, please folks,
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we never need to be disagreeable. When we disagree, we
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all make a decision what kind of culture society we
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live in, not because of just the people we elect
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or put in leadership, but by the individual choices we
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all make each individual day, he said. The Big Beautiful
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Bill Like also known as HR one, which was signed
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on the law by July fourth, makes significant cuts to
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the Medicaid spending more than nine hundred billion over ten years.
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It adds work community engagement requirements for some starting in
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twenty twenty seven, requires more frequent eligibility checks, produces retroactive coverage,
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adds a co payment requirement in October twenty twenty eight,
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and limits the state funding options. Also ends the Enhanced
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Affordable Care premium tax credits, and alters federal loan programs
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for medical students. Groups say continued reliance on coal natural
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gas more costly, less reliable. A group of organizations has
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released to report that they hope will help drive the
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state to adopt an energy policy that further moves away
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from coal and natural gas or energy generation. On December eleventh,
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the Kentucky Resources Council, Mountain Association, Metropolitan Housing Coalition, and
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Earth Justice released the results of the study, which they
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say found that replacing aging coal fired power plants with
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a mix of renewable energy, battery storage, and efficiency investments
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could save Kentuckians billions while maintaining reliability. From the Herald
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Opinion page, All Crap a call um by Jeff Vanderbeck.
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When I was younger working construction, I had a supervisor
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who told me it takes twenty ATA boys to erase
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one all crap. Hazard needs a lot of ADA boys.
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I work at four counties in eastern Kentucky and one
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in West Virginia. Perry County and Hazard are, in my opinion,
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the most efficient when it comes to working together to
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get things done. Mayors Obolini and Judge Executive Scott Alexander
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are constantly working together to bring commerce and better quality
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of life to the residents of Hazard in Perry County,
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which is rare because county and city officials don't usually
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work together. The city wanted to institute of restaurant tacks
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for various reasons. A lot of people didn't like the idea,
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but in the eyes of the elected officials, who apparently
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had some plan to use the extra money it was needed,
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voted on and approved. Of course, social media wins. As
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the current White House occupant filled with false information and
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spewing uneducated comments. Most cities see a value in a
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restaurant tax and have a plan to use the extra
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cash to bolster tourism. In theory, a restaurant tax is
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a steady stream of newfound income that can be used
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for tourism related projects. Improving tourism can provide a better
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quality of life and potential attracts more companies to relocate
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and create good, much needed jobs. When a tax is
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approved and instituted, a clear path of transparency should be
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communicated to the local community so the local residents know
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exactly where each penny is going. Our job is to
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show the public how much is generated and where the
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money goes. With the influx of retail outlets and shopping opportunities,
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I can only assume that the city leaders thought that
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outsiders who are coming into hazard to shop would help
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fuel the restaurant tax and help generate needed income. Local
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residents are not happy for several reasons. We are all
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getting hit with a proposed fourteen point nine percent increase
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to our power bills and water and sewer bills, arising.
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Our insurance bills are soon to increase because Congress is
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filled with a bunch of lazy brown nosing yes, people
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who are clueless as to the plight of all Americans.
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And now the city wants to add a small percentage
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to your fast food bill. The timing is awful, I admit.
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When a restaurant tax is set, local residents have choices.
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They can choose not to eat out as often as
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they did, which is bad because we need to be
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interacting with each other to avoid seclusion. We can bite
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the provincial bullet and have one percent added to a
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happy meal. We can find a new restaurant in the
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county where there is no tax, leaving the burden to
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generate extra tax money on the shoulders of visitors. All
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that is a mood point as the all crap moment
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has set in the city went through the proper channels
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to have the tax approved, but the Kentucky Court of
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Appeals denied the city could legally assess the tax. All crap.
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In haste, the city has already and possibly illegally, collected
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just about one million dollars in tax that they have
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to figure out how to offset the fact that they
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jump the gun. Oh crap again, I'm not sure of
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the city's immediate plan, but whatever it is, it will
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take a lot of ataboys to fix this issue. That
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money is currently sitting in escrow. My suggestion is to
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keep that money in escrow, reapply when they have the
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ability to do so, have a better plan on how
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to reinvest that money back into the community, and make
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sure that they don't start collecting before they're legally allowed
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to do so. At this time, we're not sure of
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the plan or if there is one at all, but
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keep reading because we keep the elected officials to account
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and will inform the public of any decisions made small
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businesses big importance. First, we would like to congratulate Community
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Trust Bank on recently earning the US Small Business Administration's
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Goal Lender Award for the seventeenth consecutive year. Community Trust
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Bank has grown from a small local bank to a
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regional banking power from its headquarters in Pikewell. We're not
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surprised that the company, with its roots in small town Appalachia,
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has remained dedicated to supporting small businesses here. Maybe the
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company is currently assisting a small business that will follow
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its trajectory into the future and become a regional or
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even national power house and As much as we congratulate
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Community Trust Bank, we are also very proud of what
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the ward says about what's happening here. For about the
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same period of time as a community Trust Bank has
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been recognized with the goal under award, the region's economy
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has struggled in the aftermath of the loss of the
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coal industry as a primary economic driver. During the ensuing years,
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many individuals and organizations have been searching for the silver
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bullet to restore the region's economy, but we've just not
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arrived at the answer to recreating those job numbers. Clearly,
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during the time, neither community bank trust nor small businesses
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have been waiting. They've been forging their own way and
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worked with big ideas and a collectively bigger impact, all
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with a smaller budget. We've not yet found a business
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to come in and employe thousands, but we've had a
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lot of small businesses that collectively create jobs and opportunities
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in an area that needs both. Will continue working to
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try to find the bigger businesses, but at the same time,
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it's entirely appropriate to take time to recognize and support
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those who are working to provide products and services, and
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perhaps just as importantly, jobs in our region. Small businesses
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can be a big risk, but the rewards for our
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community are priceless. So as we congratulate the Community Trust
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Bank and thank all those willing to take risks because
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it means a lot more than many realize, we want
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to take time to ask everyone to make an effort
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as we finish out the Christmas shop in season to
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patronize small businesses as much as possible. It means a
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lot to them and everyone else in the region as well.
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Here are the obituaries. Charles Eugene Tomes, the second thirty
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seven of Hazard died Thursday, December eleventh. Amanda Gail Fuget,
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forty five of Hazard died Wednesday, December tenth. Tony Gail
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if you get seventy fourth happy died Sunday, December seventh.
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Christine Eversoul Daniels ninety one died December eighth. Jimmy Field,
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sixty one of Hazard died Sunday, December seventh. Patricia Fuget
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sixty one of RI died Tuesday, December ninth. Marmel baypy
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Year passed away December sixth. Wallace McCrae died December fifth.
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Paul swamp Rat Smith sixty eight of Hazard died Monday,
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December eighth, and Billy Ray Stidham, seventy five of Slam
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died Friday, December twelfth. Bill Wesley files for State Senator.
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As a state representative, I've had the upper opportunity to
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already serve some of the counties in District thirty before
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it was redistricted, and I believe that my track graduate
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speaks for itself. I'm from Eastern Kentucky and love people.
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I will be a voice for them at our youth.
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I'm looking forward to serving them again, but on a
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new level, for the everyday people. U Pike celebrates newest
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nursing graduates in Penning ceremony. The University of Pikeville Elliott's
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School of Nursing held a Penning ceremony in Booth Auditorium
25:34
on December thirteenth, honoring seventeen Associative Science and Nursing graduates
25:40
as they receive their nursing tens. The ceremony, according to
25:44
a statement from U Pike, commemorated the student's successful completion
25:48
of their nursing coursework and clinical rotations. Karen Dammern, PhD.
25:54
Are in Dean of the College of Nursing and Human
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Services congratulated the graduates and we remarked on their readiness
26:02
to enter the nursing profession. From sports, the WYMT Food
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City Mountain Classic is a showcase for all the Mountain's
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best to put their talents on display. Hazard'sself Caudel got
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the memo. Caudle showed up and showed out to lead
26:21
the Bulldogs on a seventy six sixty five went over
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Paintsful in the Mountain Classic. The win got the Bulldogs
26:29
to the semifinals. Hazard couldn't find a way to make
26:33
it to the championship as the Bulldogs fell to North
26:36
Laurel fifty four to forty three. And girls Basketball, Hazard
26:41
made its way all the way to the WYMTO Food
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City Classic championship game. The Lady Bulldogs got there by
26:48
squeaking out a fifty seven to fifty six win over
26:51
Paintsvill then edged Clay County sixty six sixty three in
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the semifinals before falling to North Laurel sixty nine in
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the championship game. In the final first round game of
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the Girls Mountain Classic on Thursday, Perry Central faced off
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against Clay County Clay County, one sixty eight twenty four.
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This concludes the reading of the Hazard Herald. Please stay
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tuned for continued programming. Thank you for joining me and
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on behalf of everyone here at RADIOI. This is Lee Townsend,
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wishing you a good day.