Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Corbin Times-Tribune - 3.17.26

Transcript

Corbin Times-Tribune - 3.17.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

0:00
Speaker 1: Now return to the reading of the Times Tribune for
0:03
news in Corbin, Laurel, Whitley and Knox Counties. Your reader
0:07
today is Janice and as a reminder, RADIOI is a
0:11
reading service intended for people who are blind or have
0:14
other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
0:18
We'll begin with the e addition dated Thursday, March twelve,
0:25
twenty twenty six. Our first article is Williamsburg Mayor gives
0:30
update as Southern Kentucky Chamber Luncheon by Macy Swafford Williamsburg.
0:36
Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison provided updates on several city projects,
0:42
including the recovery from January's devastating downtown fire, during the
0:47
March luncheon of the Southern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. The
0:51
event was sponsored by Express Employment Professionals. Harrison started off
0:56
Tuesday by acknowledging the challenges the city has faced so
1:00
far in twenty twenty six. To say that twenty twenty
1:04
six has been an interesting time thus far to be
1:08
mayor in Williamsburg is probably a little bit of an understatement,
1:13
said Harrison. Despite the challenges, Harrison emphasized the city's resilience.
1:19
He spent much of his presentation discussing the January twentieth
1:23
downtown fire that destroyed or damaged multiple buildings from a
1:28
block along Main Street. Williamsburg has had a downtown fire
1:33
for four if it if we look through our history,
1:37
Harrison said, this is one that may go down as
1:40
probably one that caused the most disruption. According to Harrison,
1:44
the fire began around ten pm after smoke was reported
1:48
coming from a law office. Within minutes, smoke had spread
1:51
across much of the block. By the time I got
1:54
down there, smoke was coming out of the top of
1:57
all two thirds of that block. He said that it
2:00
looked like we were probably going to lose the whole thing.
2:04
Harrison said approximately thirteen fire departments more than one hundred
2:08
firefighters responded, battling the blaze for more than ten hours,
2:12
with over four hundred thousand gallons of water administered onto
2:16
the fire. With extreme coal that night opened up a
2:20
new set of challenges as the water froze once it
2:23
hit the ground. Seven businesses and six apartments were destroyed
2:28
or affected by the fire. Harrison said that two of
2:31
the apartments were not completely lost, and one tenant has
2:35
already returned. Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol to BACO
2:40
Firearms and Explosives ultimately determined the fire was accidental. ATF's
2:46
conclusion after about a week or so was that it
2:49
was just a terrible accident. No arson or human errow,
2:53
which is great, Harrison said. Both of them came back
2:57
and they feel like the first floor of all those
3:00
buildings can be salvaged. He added that owners are now
3:04
considering what is known as an investigative demo to determine
3:08
whether the structures can be rebuilt. No matter the challenges
3:13
faced that night and into the early morning hours, Harrison
3:17
ensured the crowd that the block would be back in
3:20
downtown Williamsburg. I can say this though, I'm moving forward,
3:24
Harrison said. We're going to do something and we're going
3:28
to make sure that block will be back. Harrison also
3:32
highlighted ongoing projects, including redevelopment efforts throughout downtown Williamsburg. Among
3:39
them is a continued restoration of the historic Lane Theater,
3:42
where owner Rocky Moses has been working to renovate the
3:46
building and host community events. He removed the old carpet,
3:51
major cleaning, deep cleaned, and restored all the original theater seats,
3:55
Harrison said, noting that lighting, plumbing upgrades, and other improveds
4:00
have also been completed. Events already held at the venue
4:04
have helped draw crowds back downtown. He already has had
4:09
several events that have brought good crowds to downtown, Harrison said,
4:14
adding that a recent wrestling event packed in the area,
4:17
the crowd and the parking on Main Street reminded me
4:20
so much of me growing up in Williamsburg. Additionally, downtown
4:25
housing developments are also underway, including new apartments planned on
4:30
Sycamore Street and near the city's riverfront entrance. Harrison also
4:34
shared updates on improvements at Kentucky Splash water Park, including
4:39
a new public splash pad that is expected to open
4:43
this summer. The splash pad is a total of ten
4:46
thousand square feet, he said, describing it as part of
4:49
an ongoing upgrades designed to enhance the park and attract visitors. Meanwhile,
4:55
business continues to grow at the Mint Gaming Hall, with
4:59
Harrison sharing that business is up twenty percent and the
5:03
facility is expanding its gaming area and will soon add
5:07
one hundred additional machines, bringing the total to five hundred
5:11
and fifty one. The expansion will also increase employment at
5:16
the facility to about one hundred eighty five workers. They're
5:19
good paying jobs and the type of jobs that you
5:22
can make a career. Harrison said, we don't want our
5:26
people leaving us, we want them here. After Mayor Harrison's speech,
5:31
the Chamber also welcomed new member at its March luncheon,
5:35
Graham Barnou with Barnou and Garza Elite Contracting LLC. Others
5:41
introduced as new members who weren't in attendance at the luncheon,
5:45
where Texas Roadhouse in London and VSL Locksmith and Security.
5:51
Our next article is Corbin recognized in twenty twenty five
5:54
Governor Cup rankings by Macy Swafford Frankfort. The city of
5:59
Corbin has been recognized among Kentucky communities included in the
6:03
top metropolitan rankings of the twenty twenty five Governor's Cup
6:08
report released by Site Selection magazine and touted by Governor
6:12
Andy Brasher. According to the announcement, Kentucky once again placed
6:17
in the top five nationally for economic development projects per capita.
6:23
The Commonwealth has maintained a top five ranking for all
6:26
six years of the Basher administration. While the state received
6:30
national recognition overall, several individual communities were also highlighted for
6:37
their economic development success. In twenty twenty five, Corbyn was
6:42
among thirteen Kentucky communities that placed in Site Selection magazine
6:48
top metropolitan rankings based on the number of qualifying corporate
6:52
facility projects announced during the year. Other Kentucky communities included
6:59
in the rankings were Franklin, Glasgow, Richmond, Moorea, Campbellsville, Frankfort, Danville, Henderson, Madisonville, Maysville, Mayfield,
7:11
mount Sterling, Summerland, and Union, Tennessee that pardon me, Union
7:17
Tennessee area that includes Fulton County, Kentucky. Corbin Mayor Suzy
7:23
Ramis praised the recognition and the continued economic momentum in
7:28
the region. I am so happy for Corbin to be recognized.
7:32
We are working every day to keep the momentum going,
7:35
stated Ramis. Congratulations to all. The Governor's Cup rankings track
7:40
new and expanded corporate facilities announced each year and are
7:44
compiled using the Conway Project Database. The annual recognition is
7:49
widely viewed as corporate site selection professionals as a benchmark
7:54
of economic development performance. State officials also noted that Kentucky
7:58
performed well readtionally, placing second in the South Central region
8:03
for projects per capita and third for total projects with
8:06
one hundred and eighty two announcements that met the site's
8:10
selection criteria in twenty twenty five. Our next article is
8:16
Residents voice concern over Barberville property ordinance by Macy Swafford, Barberville.
8:23
A number of property owners and residents attended last Thursday's
8:27
regular meeting of the Barberville City Council to voice concerns
8:31
about the proposed ordinance that would establish a code enforcement
8:35
board and allow the city to penalize property owners for
8:39
repeating criminal activity oncurring on their properties. Ordinance twenty twenty
8:45
six day showed three outlines the provisions that would allow
8:49
certain criminal offenses to be classified as criminal activity nuisances
8:54
if they occur multiple times at the same property within
8:58
a one year period. The ordinance list offensious offenses such
9:03
as prostitution, controlled substance violation, alcohol intoxication, menacing, assault, terroristic threatening,
9:11
resisting the rest, disorderly conduct, outdoor gambling, and violation of
9:16
KRIS Chapter five twenty seven among those that could trigger
9:20
nuisance designation If a property were determined to meet the
9:25
threshold for nuisance, the city would pursue civil penalties against
9:29
the property owner. The ordinance establishes escalating funds to be
9:35
at two thousand, five hundred dollars for level one violation,
9:38
increasing to five thousand dollars for level two violation and
9:43
ten thousand dollars for each level three violation. Additional enforcement actions,
9:49
including leans against properties, could also be pursued through the
9:53
Code Enforcement Board. Several landlords in attendance question how the
9:59
ordnance would be applied and expressed concern about being held
10:03
financially responsible for criminal behavior committed a tenants. One property
10:08
owner raised concerns about the legal risk landlords could face
10:12
if they attempted to evict tenants based on an arrest
10:15
that did not ultimately result in a conviction. I can't
10:19
evict somebody for something that they be not found guilty
10:26
and then be liable for the eviction. So who's going
10:29
to pay that cost for the eviction when somebody gets
10:31
arrested but don't get sentenced to anything. A concerned property
10:36
owner in the audience question, so am I, as a
10:39
landlord held responsible for that? Because I'm going to be sued.
10:44
I can tell you that right now, I'll be sued
10:47
if I a victim and they are found innocent. Mayor
10:51
David Thompson and members of the council acknowledged the concerns
10:54
and attempted to clarify how the ordinance would function. Point
10:59
of confusion involved how violations would be counted if different
11:04
tenants at the same property were involved in separate incidents.
11:08
Thompson explained that violations would not accumulate against the property
11:12
owner if multiple tenants were evicted for the same type
11:16
of offense. We're not doing it to cost the landlord
11:20
twenty five hundred dollars. We have some from Corbin and
11:24
some from other counties that own properties, said Thompson. A
11:28
letter would be delivered to the landlord, but most likely
11:31
if it's somebody local, a police officer will bring it
11:35
by so it's legal. Thompson also noted that the ordinance
11:40
had been reviewed by the Kentucky League of Cities, which
11:43
he said did not identify any issues with the proposal.
11:47
Council members were also asked whether similar ordinances were being
11:52
used in other nearby communities. Thompson said he had shared
11:57
ordinance with two neighboring cities, but neither had adopted it.
12:01
Some citizens expressed support for addressing criminal activity, but question
12:06
whether placing penalties on the landlords was an appropriate approach.
12:11
I don't want drug dealers in my city. I don't
12:13
want people who have terroristic, threatening or threatening behaviors. But
12:18
you all know as well as I do, there are
12:20
people who have domestic situations, people who get depressed and
12:25
do something stupid, said a citizen. They go get drunk,
12:29
they pardon, they go take a drug, and God forbid
12:33
that happens. But it does happen. Good people do stupid stuff.
12:38
The same speaker added that if the city intends to
12:41
combat drug activity and criminal behavior, those efforts should be
12:46
directed by the individuals committing the crimes rather than the
12:50
property owners. Following discussion in public comment, the council voted
12:55
to table the second reading of the ordinance in order
12:58
to review the proposal further. According to a report from
13:03
The Mountain Advocate, Thompson later confirmed the day after the
13:07
meeting that the ordinance would be permanently tabled following public
13:10
criticism and opposition for members of the community. Several other
13:16
items of business were addressed by the Barberville City Council
13:20
during the meeting, including action on ordinances, appointments, and equipment requests.
13:25
Council members conducted the second reading of Ordnance twenty six
13:30
Dash one, which adopts a soplemental update to the City
13:34
of Barberville's Code of Ordinances. In an other action, the
13:39
council approved Resolution twenty twenty six y two authorizing the
13:43
Mayor to cemit an application for Kentucky Office of Homeland
13:47
Security grant. If awarded, the funding would be used by
13:51
the Barberville Police Department to purchase new tasers. Council members
13:56
approved a request from the Barberville Police Department to declare
14:00
declare several vehicles as surplus property. The vehicles, three Chivrolet
14:06
Tahoes and two Dodged Durgos will be made available for
14:10
sale to other government agencies. A bid for the vehicles
14:14
were approved by the council, with the Baultman Auto Groups
14:19
submitting the only bid of one hundred sixteen thousand, nine
14:23
hundred and thirteen dollars for three Chivrolet Tahoes, while two
14:27
Dodged Durragos received bids of forty two thousand, eight hundred
14:31
and ninety eight each. Additionally, the Council also approved the
14:36
reappointment of JM. Hall and Joe N. May Brier to
14:40
the Barberville Code Enforcement Board. Their new terms will run
14:44
through January eighth, twenty twenty nine. Our next article is
14:48
Whitley County conducts Annual k Count to assess homelessness by
14:53
Macy Swafford. Whitley County. Officials in Whitley County recently conducted
14:58
Annual k Count, a state wide effort aimed at identifying
15:02
and counting individuals experiencing homelessness, a process that helps determine
15:07
how federal housing resources are distributed to communities across Kentucky.
15:12
The K count in Kentucky is Kentucky's version of the
15:17
federally required point ten time count mandated by the US
15:22
Department of Housing in the Urban Development HUD. The count
15:26
provides a snapshot of homelessness on a single night and
15:30
helps god funding for housing assistance programs. Whitley County Health
15:35
Department Director Marcy Rain said the count is an important
15:38
tool for ensuring rural communities like Whitley County are accurately
15:43
represented when funding decisions are made. KAY Count is an
15:47
annual counting of people experiencing homelessness. Rain explained is actually
15:53
dictated by the federal HUD program, and HUD says that
15:56
states have to count every two years. Kentucky chooses to
16:00
count every year, said Rains. Usually it's the last Wednesday
16:04
of January, but because of the bad weather, they postponed
16:07
it until the end of February this year. Rain said.
16:11
The primary purpose of the count is to help determine
16:14
where housing and homelessness assistance funded is directed. The Whitley
16:19
County Health Department began conducting its own count in twenty
16:23
twenty two after local officials in the county realized homelessness
16:28
was not being consistently measured. We realized in twenty twenty
16:32
two that no one was really counting in Whitley County.
16:36
Rain said. We worked with our partners and we all
16:38
agreed that, yeah, we were experiencing homelessness and that was
16:42
potentially not being counted, and we wanted to make sure
16:46
that we were able to drive resources to the community.
16:49
For the twenty twenty six count Health Department staff partnered
16:54
with local organizations to identify individuals who met the federal
16:58
definition of homelessness. The process began in Corbon during a
17:04
dinner service hosted by the White Flag Ministry where volunteers
17:08
interviewed attendees to determine whether they qualified to be counted.
17:13
The White Flag Ministry in Corbin provides a warm meal
17:16
for those in need from Monday through Friday at four
17:19
to five pm. Information on shelter nights and when they
17:23
occur can be found on the Ministry's Facebook page. After
17:28
the dinner service concluded, teams spread out across the county
17:31
to locate individuals stay in places not intended for human habitation.
17:37
When the dinner was over, we split up into two teams.
17:40
One team took the north half of Whitley County and
17:43
the other team took the south half. Rain said. During
17:48
the outreach, staff located individuals in several areas, including parts
17:53
of Corbon and near the Kentucky Tennessee state line. The
17:57
Health Department staff encounter twenty individuals who met criteria to
18:02
be counted during the outreach portion of the effort. That
18:06
number does not include individuals who may have been staying
18:09
in shelters, which report their own numbers separately. For the
18:14
k count Specifically, it represents only a snapshot of homelessness
18:19
at a specific moment. This is a point in time,
18:23
she said. We know that different times of the year
18:26
we experience ebbs and flows, whether and all those things
18:30
have a lot to do with it. Once local counts
18:33
are completed, the information is submitted to the state, which
18:36
verifies and complies the data before releasing official totals later
18:42
in the year. While the count focuses on Whitley County,
18:46
Rain noted that homelessness often crosses county lines, particularly in
18:52
areas like Corbin, where several services and shelters are located
18:56
in neighboring counties. For those experiencing homeless business locally, Rain said,
19:02
several organizations provide support and resources. White Flag Ministry serves
19:07
mills during the winter months and also provides access to
19:10
case management services through jay Solutions, allowing individuals to connect
19:16
with housing assistance and other support programs. Emergency Christian Ministries
19:22
in Williamsburg also offers bed and assistance for individuals working
19:26
to overcome barriers such as transportation challenges, criminal history, or
19:31
substance abuse. Rain said the Health Department also serves as
19:35
a connection point for individuals seeking help. The Health Department
19:40
doesn't provide all services, but we try to know where
19:44
in the community those services might be available. She said,
19:49
Even if someone says I don't even know what I need,
19:52
we can help guide them and get them in a
19:55
direction to get started. Rain also highlighted resources available for
20:00
children experiencing housing instability through local schools. The federal McKenny
20:06
Vento program provides assistance to students experiencing homelessness or unstable
20:12
housing situations, helping ensure children can continue attending school and
20:18
accessing needed services. Schools have what are called McKenny Vento
20:24
and it's very specifically for kids experiencing homelessness or housing instability.
20:30
Rain said they just want to help families get what
20:33
they need so that the kids can get to school.
20:36
Rain said the most important message for families facing housing
20:39
instability is to seek assistance when they need it and
20:43
never be afraid to ask for help. To contact the
20:47
Whitley County Health Department for more information and resources. They
20:51
can be reached at six O six five four nine
20:57
three three eight zero. Next our is protecting Disguise through
21:01
drone detection research at EKU Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, as
21:07
drone usage among professionals and hobbyists becomes more common, Concerns
21:12
about flights in restricted airspace continue to grow. When a
21:17
drone unexpectably appears near a sporting event, parade, or any
21:21
large crowd, it can cause safety risk, delays, or even evacuations.
21:27
The Federal Aviation Administration FAA estimates eight hundred twenty two thousand,
21:33
thirty nine drones registered as of July twenty twenty five.
21:38
According to the FAA, reports of unmanned aircraft system UAS
21:45
sightings from pilots, citizens and law enforcement remain high, with
21:49
more than one hundred reported each month near airports. At
21:53
Eastern Kentucky University EKU, doctor Derek Paulson, dean of the
21:58
College of Justice, Safety and Military Science, leads drone detection
22:03
research to strengthen public safety Through collaborative research, Our renowned
22:09
programs in aviation, justice, and safety come together to make
22:13
a real impact for Kentucky, enhancing public safety and serving communities,
22:18
said EKU President David McFadden. As the only university based
22:23
flight school in the state, EKU Aviation is on the
22:27
cusp of innovation with our USA program and in advancing
22:33
solutions within emerging fields. Paulson first recognized the need for
22:38
this research through long standing relationships with public public safety agencies,
22:43
including two decades of collaboration with the Lexington Police Department.
22:48
As many agencies look to expand their use of drones,
22:52
the question remains about how they identify potential harmful aircraft.
22:57
We saw an area where we can provide us assistant,
23:00
said Paulsen. These agencies don't have the time or the
23:03
resources to do this, and this is one of those
23:06
ways we could help. It is part of our mission
23:10
to answer the questions public safety agencies have. Research grants
23:14
allowed Paulson to secure a drone tag, a device that
23:18
protects or detacts and identifies nearby aircraft. Paulson and Aaron Cooster,
23:25
professor of Assistant Professor at eku's School of Aviation, teamed
23:30
up with students at the Eku Police Department to test
23:34
the device with hands on exercise in a ravine. The
23:39
simulated event evolved students spreading out across campus and flying
23:44
drones toward the ravine as EKU police monitored the airspace
23:49
with drone tag. The exercise was considered a success. The
23:54
EKU Police could pinpoint each student's drone. Students are actively
23:59
seeing the impact of their work, said Couster. They get
24:03
to network with individuals, talk to the subject matter experts,
24:07
and they learn by doing. Jackson Beardsley, a junior majoring
24:12
in UAS from Richmond, said the project helped me gain
24:16
experience operating the UAS, experience working and communicating with visual
24:22
observer and other teams, and knowledge on how some counter
24:27
UAS operations work. Paulson says the next phase of the
24:31
research involves putting the drone tag through more hands on
24:35
exercises and partnering with more agencies, including Lexington and the
24:40
University of Kentucky police departments. And there is a picture
24:44
of two men and a drone, And underneath that picture,
24:47
it says eku's Bachelor of Science and Aviation, the only
24:52
program available of its kind in Kentucky, offers concentration in
24:56
aerial space Management, aerospace technology, professional flight, and UAS. The
25:03
next article is Steivers Senate Bill six proposes one hundred
25:06
million dollars cash I mean one hundred million dollars for
25:10
research Kentucky Office of the State President Frankfort Senate President
25:15
Robert Steivers, Republican Manchester, is urging state representatives to approve
25:21
Senate Bill six upon its passage off the Senate floor Tuesday.
25:27
Senate Bill six proposes a historic one hundred and fifty
25:30
million dollars investment in a Kentucky's research infrastructure. The bill,
25:35
if passed, would allocate general fund dollars for the fiscal
25:39
year twenty twenty seven to the Endowed Research Fund established
25:44
under KRS one sixty four point zero three eight, reinforcing
25:50
the legislature's commitment to innovation, higher education, and long term
25:55
economic growth. The funding will be distributed evenly across the
26:00
research consortium accounts authorized by statute. Each account supports a
26:06
unique research partnership among Kentucky's public universities selected by the
26:11
Council on post Secondary Education CPE based on collaborative proposals
26:17
under the law. Each research consortium receives funding for a
26:22
five year term. Senate Bill six builds on the framework
26:26
established by Senate Bill one from the twenty twenty four
26:29
regular Session, which created the Endowed Research Fund and directed
26:33
the CPE to select and support five high impact research consorta.
26:39
That legislation laid the groundwork for long term collaboration among
26:44
public universities. Senate Bill six now provides the necessary funding
26:49
to activate that vision and move research efforts forward across
26:55
the Commonwealth. We built the framework for the collaboration two
26:59
years ago, and this year I am seeking the funding
27:02
needed to invest in this high quality research, Steivers said.
27:06
Senate Bill six creates a long term opportunity that will
27:10
be felt for generations to come. This bill will be
27:13
about bringing research here to Kentucky, research that could one
27:17
day directly impact your life or the life of someone
27:21
you dearly love. CPE is responsible for soliciting and reviewing
27:26
applications submitted jointly by two or more public universities. Applications
27:31
are evaluated using established criteria and selected crochoortionum are assigned
27:37
to dedicated accounts within the endowed Research fund. Working together,
27:43
our universities can drive innovation, attract top peer talent strength
27:47
in Kentucky's economy, and keep our institutions competitive nationwide, Divers said.
27:54
In addition to advancing Kentucky's research capacities, Senate Bill six
27:58
ensures that any unspent funds will carry forward into the
28:02
next fiscal year. This flexibility allows institutions to plan strategically
28:09
and maximize the long term impact of each investment. Because
28:13
of the bill's importance to the state economies and educational future.
28:17
The legislation carries an emergency provision, meaning it would take
28:22
an effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State's office.
28:27
I am hoping the House will pick up Senate Bill
28:29
six and vote it out immediately. Kentucky needs this for
28:33
our future, Stuivers said. This concludes the reading of the
28:37
Times Tribune. Please stay tuned for continued programming. Thank you
28:42
for joining me on behalf of everyone here at radiois.
28:45
This is Janice, wishing you a very good day.