Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Ashland Daily Independent - 9.23.26

Transcript

Ashland Daily Independent - 9.23.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We now turn to the Ashland Independent to bring you
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: news from in and around Ashland and Boyd County. Your
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: reader today is Jane. We begin with the edition dated
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: September 22, 2026. As a reminder, Radio Eye is a
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: reading service intended for people who are blind or have
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: Our first article, Heart of America. Poppy Mountain Celebrates 34-Year
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: Tradition as Festival Looks Toward Future by Aidan Barker and
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: Taryn Hundley for the Trailblazer. The 34th Annual Poppy Mountain
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: Music Festival saw fans and artists alike from across the
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: nation Saturday following the week-long tradition of singing, dancing, and
• 0:55
  Speaker 1: easygoing fun. All the good music comes from out of
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: the mountains out here and the people, said Jake Worthington,
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: a Texas singer, who came to fame after appearing on
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: The Voice several years ago. It's the heart of America.
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: While organizers and vendors noted lower foot traffic, which they
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: attributed to economic woes, a dedicated audience of familiar faces remained. Honestly,
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: admissions are down, but there's a new crowd here, said
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: Marty Stevens, longtime owner of Poppy Mountain. We're satisfied, we
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: didn't lose any money, and we're on to do it
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: for 34 more years. Stevens also said that the festival
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: differentiates itself from similar events with a unique environment and atmosphere,
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: in addition to the musical lineup itself. We've got some
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: of the best stars in the nation, Stevens said. Shenandoah
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: and John Anderson were the main headliners Saturday, preceded by
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: artist Way Jennings, grandson of Waylon Jennings, Cord Bradley, and
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: the Bo Isaac Band, who played twice. Bo Isaac, the
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: band's namesake, said that the many fans actually come to
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: watch the informal jam sessions inside the satellite stages and
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: barns around Poppy Mountain. Sometimes you may not see anybody
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: at the stage area, but they'll be back there because
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: there's a good jams going on, Isaac said. While originally
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: centered around bluegrass music, Poppy Mountain has diverted some of
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: its focus toward contemporary country music to appeal to a wider,
• 2:44
  Speaker 1: younger audience. They have country bands now, Isaac said. I'm
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: for change if it's going to be better for business,
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: but I'd rather it just be bluegrass. The gradual shift
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: has evoked mixed reactions from fans and artists. Likely as
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: a result, they will host two festivals next year, Poppy
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: Mountain Bluegrass Festival and Poppy Mountain Music Festival. Poppy Mountain
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: Bluegrass Festival will be held June 25th through July 3rd, 2027.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: Poppy Mountain's 35th annual music festival will be held during
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: the third week of September 2027. I do believe with
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: all my heart there's not another festival in the United
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: States like Poppy Mountain, said the owner. In other news,
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: Porter Tire receives Northeast Kentucky's Small Business Legacy Award. Porter
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: Tire and Auto Service was recognized as the 2026 recipient
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: of the N.E.K.Y. Small Business Legacy Award during the Kentucky
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: Small Business Development Center's annual Award Breakfast Tuesday, September 1st.
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: The award recognizes a small business that has made a
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: lasting impact through its longevity, contributions, and commitment to its community.
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: For the Porter family, the recognition represents more than six
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: decades of hard work and dedication. We were very honored
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: to be recognized with the 2026 NEKY Small Business Legacy Award.
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: It was a welcome recognition for a lot of hard
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: work and determination that has come from three generations, said
• 4:34
  Speaker 1: Jennifer Harris, who operates Porter Tire alongside her brother, Scott Porter.
• 4:40
  Speaker 1: Porter Tire's story began in 1960 when Edward Porter and
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: his father Everett opened Porter Service Station, a gas station
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: that also provided mechanic work. As the business grew, the
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: Porters began selling new and used tires. In 1966, Ed
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: purchased his father's share of the business so Everett could retire.
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: Ed and his wife Hope continued to operate and grow
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: the business. In 1970, Ed and his brother-in-law Buck Stevens
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: opened B & S Retreading, which operated into the early 1980s.
• 5:20
  Speaker 1: Over the years, Porter Tire has continued to adapt to
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: changing times while maintaining the customer service that has been
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: central to the business since its beginning. This family-owned business
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: has been progressively changing with the times while keeping the
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: same quality, friendly customer service, Harris said. Ed is now
• 5:43
  Speaker 1: retired and Hope passed away in 2021. Today, the business
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: is operated by their son, Scott Porter, and daughter, Jennifer Harris.
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: Several extended family members have also worked at Porter Tire
• 5:56
  Speaker 1: throughout the years. For the next generation of the family,
• 6:01
  Speaker 1: Porter Tire was also a familiar part of childhood. Ed
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: and Hope's three granddaughters have fond memories of playing in
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: the office after school. The business has also expanded its
• 6:14
  Speaker 1: role in the community through tire recycling and reuse. In 1988,
• 6:19
  Speaker 1: Porter Tire began shredding and disposing of scrap tires. In 2008,
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: the business implemented equipment to recycle tires into tire-derived fuel chips,
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: which are used as fuel by power plants and other
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: industries across the country. In 2012, Porter Tire installed additional
• 6:42
  Speaker 1: equipment to process rubber into playground material and rubber mulch,
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: further expanding the ways the business can keep used tires
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: out of landfills and put the material into a reusable market.
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: Ed Porter summed up the company's evolution and the people
• 7:00
  Speaker 1: who have helped make its continued success possible. The business
• 7:05
  Speaker 1: has evolved over the years and has seen many changes,
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: he said. The Lord has blessed us with many wonderful
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: loyal customers as well as employees. We are very thankful
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: for each of them. That loyalty has extended across generations
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: of customers. Harris said many customers have shared memories of
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: visiting Porter Tire as children with their fathers or grandfathers
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: and have continued to bring their business to the family-owned company.
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: The Porter family hopes to continue that tradition of service
• 7:39
  Speaker 1: for years to come. We hope Porter Tire can continue
• 7:43
  Speaker 1: to service our community and provide the quality, friendly products
• 7:48
  Speaker 1: and service needed They have come to expect for many
• 7:51
  Speaker 1: years to come, Harris said. Next, gas leak in Worthington.
• 7:57
  Speaker 1: Precautionary evacuation order lifted. Road could be closed two to
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: three days. By Aaron Snyder of the Daily Independent. A
• 8:07
  Speaker 1: Columbia gas crew from Lexington is working to repair a
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: main line after a gas leak occurred in Worthington early
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: Monday morning. Garth Wireman, Greenup County Emergency Management Director, said
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: Columbia Gas initially began working on a leak in the
• 8:23
  Speaker 1: area of the Worthington under tunnel on Sunday afternoon. While
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: working in concrete to get the line exposed, a 10-inch
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: natural gas line came apart. Worthington Mayor Jackson Flocker issued
• 8:38
  Speaker 1: a precautionary evacuation order from Prospect Avenue to 4th Avenue
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: in Worthington. The city of Raceland issued a similar order
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: from the tunnels to U.S. 23. Raceland-Worthington schools called off
• 8:53
  Speaker 1: Monday due to the leak. Residents, if they chose to evacuate,
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: could have gone to Russell Senior Center, Flatwoods Community Center,
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: or the Greenup City Building, which were all opened as shelters.
• 9:08
  Speaker 1: We went door-to-door, plus sent information out on social media
• 9:12
  Speaker 1: and messaging programs. We told everybody it was recommended to
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: them to go to an evacuation center, but we didn't
• 9:21
  Speaker 1: make anybody leave, Wireman said. Being woken up early in
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: the morning and saying you need to evacuate is not
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: what you want to hear, but we want to look
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: out for the safety of everybody. Playing a role into
• 9:35
  Speaker 1: the precautionary order is the fact that these areas are
• 9:38
  Speaker 1: susceptible to fog, which may have slowed the dissipation rate
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: of the natural gas, according to Wireman. The evacuation order
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: was lifted by 1 p.m. Monday, but repairs are ongoing.
• 9:53
  Speaker 1: Columbia Gas notified the Kentucky Department of Highways that the
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: Raceland-CSX tunnel at mile-point point 3.5 on Kentucky 244 will
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: be closed for a major utility repair. The closure could
• 10:07
  Speaker 1: range from two to three days. Multiple agencies responded and
• 10:12
  Speaker 1: worked the scene, including Worthington Fire, Worthington Police, Russell Fire,
• 10:17
  Speaker 1: Russell Police, Raceland Fire, Raceland Police, Flatwoods Fire, Flatwoods Police,
• 10:24
  Speaker 1: Greenup Police, the Greenup County Ambulance Authority, Greenup County Public Safety,
• 10:31
  Speaker 1: Greenup County Emergency Management, and Columbia Gas. There was great
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: cooperation between all agencies involved, Wireman said. Our next article,
• 10:43
  Speaker 1: Bed for Every Head Coming to Boyd. A program providing
• 10:48
  Speaker 1: complete sleeping arrangements for children lacking beds is coming to
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: Boyd County. The Bed for Every Head program by Riverstone
• 10:56
  Speaker 1: Community Services is expanding services into the county, the first
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: in Kentucky. For the program, we'll start with a referral
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: program where participating local organizations will refer families to the program.
• 11:14
  Speaker 1: We want to build this in a way that Boyd
• 11:16
  Speaker 1: County can rely on, said Titus Swan, Chair and Chief
• 11:20
  Speaker 1: Executive Officer of West Virginia State Hospital Initiative Incorporated. We
• 11:26
  Speaker 1: have seen what Bed for Every Head can do in
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: West Virginia, but moving into another state must be done responsibly.
• 11:34
  Speaker 1: Starting with a referral model gives us time to understand
• 11:37
  Speaker 1: the need, build the funding behind it, and make sure
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: the program can support the families being sent our way.
• 11:45
  Speaker 1: During the first year, public applications will not be accepted.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: It will allow the organization time to establish the program,
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: track local demand, build funding, and determine sustainable services. We
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: already have the local relationship and the structure in place,
• 12:05
  Speaker 1: Swan said. Funding is what turns that structure into beds
• 12:09
  Speaker 1: and homes. If the support is there, we can get
• 12:12
  Speaker 1: the program operating, build it beyond the initial referral lane,
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: and eventually make it available more broadly in Boyd County.
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: If that foundation holds, we can look at where it
• 12:24
  Speaker 1: makes sense to go next in Kentucky. The program is
• 12:28
  Speaker 1: looking to build funding for Boyd County, including support from
• 12:32
  Speaker 1: local organizations, businesses, and partners. Riverstone Community Services is part
• 12:39
  Speaker 1: of West Virginia State Hospital Initiative Incorporated. The program began
• 12:43
  Speaker 1: in West Virginia in August 2025 and completed 84 placements
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: across 16 counties during its first year. The program plans
• 12:54
  Speaker 1: to expand referral access and eventually open applications directly to
• 12:58
  Speaker 1: Boyd County residents. With support, the program could expand to
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: other areas in Kentucky. For more information, visit wvshi.org. In
• 13:14
  Speaker 1: other news, Kentucky to receive millions in federal funding for
• 13:18
  Speaker 1: mental health services by Sarah Ladd of the Kentucky Lantern.
• 13:23
  Speaker 1: Kentucky will receive $ 17 million in federal funding from the
• 13:26
  Speaker 1: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Governor Andy Beshear
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: announced Monday. The money will be used to support the
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Youth Mental Health, Addiction Recovery, Doula Services,
• 13:43
  Speaker 1: and more. Mental health is just as important as physical health,
• 13:48
  Speaker 1: and devoting more resources to expand access and service capacity
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: for Kentuckians is important, Dr. Stephen Stack, the Secretary for
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said in a statement.
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: These dollars will help us strengthen our behavioral health capacity
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: within the state and in turn help more individuals thrive.
• 14:11
  Speaker 1: Here's how the grants will break down according to Beshear's office.
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: 988 Crisis Improvement Project, $ 7, 391, 219 to improve Kentucky's response to
• 14:19
  Speaker 1: all 988 contacts, including calls, chats, and texts. originating in
• 14:32
  Speaker 1: the state, and bolster service for populations at high risk
• 14:36
  Speaker 1: of suicide and overdose. Early identification and treatment for youth
• 14:41
  Speaker 1: experiencing psychosis, $ 2. 6 million to help identify youth and young adults,
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: ages 25 and younger, who are at clinical high risk
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: for psychosis. The initiative will provide support to prevent the
• 14:56
  Speaker 1: onset of psychosis or lessen the severity of of psychotic disorder.
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: Expansion of youth behavioral health mobile crisis teams, $ 3 million
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: to both create and enhance existing mobile crisis teams that
• 15:13
  Speaker 1: serve children, youth, and adults experiencing mental health and addiction crisis.
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: Through formal partnerships, grantees will divert crisis responses from law
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: enforcement only to the behavioral health crisis system. Doula Support
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: for Women with Addiction, $ 3, 238, 083 to strengthen and expand the
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: state's ability to provide integrated addiction and maternal mental health
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: services for pregnant and postpartum women and their families. School
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: Crisis Response Network, $ 600, 000 to support schools across Kentucky with
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: crisis preparedness, mental health awareness, and connections to care following
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: traumatic events such as disasters, suicide deaths, violence, and fatal accidents.
• 16:09
  Speaker 1: To our fellow Kentuckians who are struggling with mental health
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: or addiction, please remember that it's okay to not be okay,
• 16:18
  Speaker 1: Beshear said in a statement. There is help available, and
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: Team Kentucky will never stop working to make sure you
• 16:25
  Speaker 1: have access to the support you need. Recent obituaries, Barbara, Carol,
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: Champer Cook, A.D. of Ironton, Donna Mae Prince, 35, of Ironton,
• 16:41
  Speaker 1: and Wade David Pennington, 76, of Hanging Rock. Our next article,
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: American Revolution Experience at Highlands, by Aaron Snyder of the
• 16:52
  Speaker 1: Daily Independent. The Pogue chapter of the Daughters of the
• 16:56
  Speaker 1: American Revolution announced the opening of the American Revolution Experience
• 17:01
  Speaker 1: at the Highlands Dozeum, scheduled for Tuesday, September 22nd. It
• 17:06
  Speaker 1: will run through Saturday, September 26th. The pop-up exhibition includes
• 17:12
  Speaker 1: display panels and interactive digital kiosks that use storytelling, illustration, technology,
• 17:21
  Speaker 1: and primary accounts to connect modern audiences with people and
• 17:25
  Speaker 1: places who shaped the birth of the United States, according
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: to a news release. The American Revolution Experience is inviting
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: visitors to consider the choice faced by members of the
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: revolutionary generation as tensions mounted in 1770s, such as risking
• 17:45
  Speaker 1: their lives in the pursuit of liberty or remaining loyal
• 17:48
  Speaker 1: to British rule. The traveling exhibit, which is coming to
• 17:52
  Speaker 1: Ashland from Carlisle, showcases diverse viewpoints and experiences of patriots
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: and loyalists, men and women, black and native populations, and
• 18:05
  Speaker 1: international allies. It chronicles through seven or eight regular people
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: of the time instead of the founding fathers, said Teresa
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: Hardesty of POGUE DAR. I'm really excited for that. I
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: really like that it shows the viewpoint of the average
• 18:24
  Speaker 1: American at the time. It's less common history, not what
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: everybody has already learned about. The National Society Daughters of
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: the American Revolution and American Battlefield Trust collaborated on the exhibit.
• 18:41
  Speaker 1: The National Park Service's American Battlefield Protection Program Battlefield Interpretation
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: Grants made generous matching funds according to the release. The
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: Pogue Chapter and Highlands will have an opening reception on Tuesday,
• 18:57
  Speaker 1: September 22nd from 5 to 6.30 p.m. Light refreshments will
• 19:02
  Speaker 1: be served. The free event will feature a presentation by
• 19:06
  Speaker 1: Corporal P.J. Davis of Portsmouth. Davis is a Revolutionary War
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: reenactor who will discuss what life was like for a
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: soldier in the war. Hardesty said she saw Davis at
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: a DAR event in Portsmouth and at the C.B. Nichols
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: Black History Museum in Ashland. She said he will bring
• 19:26
  Speaker 1: his soldier's kit, which will fill up two tables of
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: items the public can touch, pick up, and feel. You'll
• 19:34
  Speaker 1: see what daily life was like, and he'll talk about
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: what they ate, living conditions, what a day consisted of,
• 19:41
  Speaker 1: things like that, Hardesty said. Davis operates a Revolutionary War
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: reenacting Facebook page. Highlands is at 1620 Winchester Avenue. It
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: can be reached at area code 606-329-8888. It is open
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $ 10 for
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: children and adults. Discounts are available for senior citizens and
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: military members and veterans. Visit battlefields.org for more details about
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: the American Battlefield Trust. In other news, microburst storm does
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: damage in South Ashland by Aaron Snyder of the Daily Independent.
• 20:33
  Speaker 1: A microburst storm pounded an area of Boyd County, specifically
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: South Ashland, on Thursday afternoon resulting in an injury. According
• 20:43
  Speaker 1: to Tim England, Boyd County Emergency Management Director, a man
• 20:48
  Speaker 1: was injured when a tree fell and struck him on
• 20:50
  Speaker 1: Lawrence Avenue. England did not know the extent of his
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: injuries as of Thursday around 4 p.m. England said he
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: has spoken to the National Weather Service multiple times. and
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: from their data, the evidence of the damage, NWS believes
• 21:08
  Speaker 1: it was a localized microburst. Fallen trees inflicted damage in
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: multiple parts of South Ashland, England said, including Nolte Street,
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: Prospect Avenue, Beach Street, Chute Street, and Lawrence Avenue. Thursdays,
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: Ashland Russell girls battled Boy's soccer doubleheader was moved to
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: Russell due to storm damage on campus, according to Ashland
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: Blazer Athletics on Facebook. Power outages, including one affecting traffic
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: lights at Boy Scout Road and 13th Street, were also reported. Next,
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: former cheer coach pleads not guilty to theft charges by
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: Aaron Snyder of the Daily Independent. A former college and
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: high school cheerleading coach has pleaded not guilty to two
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: counts of second-degree forgery and one charge of theft by
• 22:03
  Speaker 1: unlawful taking between $ 10, 000 and $ 1 million. Misty Pack, 44,
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: of Raceland, was indicted and arrested on the charges last week. Pack,
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: who was bonded out of jail, appeared for arraignment in
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: Greenham County Circuit Court on Thursday in front of Judge
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: Brian McLeod. Pack is the former cheer coach at Raceland
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: Worthington High School. She was in charge of the program
• 22:30
  Speaker 1: for six years. Raceland Superintendent Larry Coldren confirmed last week
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: Pack is no longer leading the cheering squad. The district
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: had announced on August 10th it had become aware of
• 22:43
  Speaker 1: a potential financial discrepancy within the cheer program. Coldren said,
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: Then the matter was referred to appropriate law enforcement authorities
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: for investigation. Raceland-Worthington announced Friday, September 18, the district, along
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: with the high school, would like to make the community
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: aware that full restitution regarding the cheerleading program has been
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: made to the district. Any further action will take place
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: within the criminal justice system. Pack had been named Kentucky
• 23:17
  Speaker 1: Christian University's cheer coach in May 2026. According to KCU officials,
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: she resigned over the summer. Standing alongside Pack attorney David Mussetter,
• 23:31
  Speaker 1: waived formal reading of the charges during Pack's arraignment Thursday
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: and entered a not guilty plea. Pack is due back
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: in court on Thursday, October 15th for a pretrial conference.
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: Moving on, man gets five years for dealing meth by
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: Aaron Snyder of the Daily Independent. A Flatwoods man pleaded
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: guilty and accepted a five-year sentence Thursday in Greenup County
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: Circuit Court on a meth trafficking charge. Michael Abrams pleaded
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: guilty Thursday in front of Judge Brian McLeod to trafficking
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: two grams or more of meth on or around August 15, 2026.
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: Abrams was represented by Public Defense Attorney Charles Oppenheimer. Flatwoods
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: Police announced in mid-August it had arrested Abrams after a
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: vehicle crossed a solid yellow line while turning from Belfonte Road.
• 24:28
  Speaker 1: The FPD conducted a traffic stop on Craft Street. During
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: the investigation, K9 Max gave a positive alert on the vehicle,
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: according to Flatwoods Police. Abrams told officers, Then, that meth
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: was inside a backpack in the vehicle. Officers seized a
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: large quantity of meth, according to police press release. Abrams
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: appeared in court as a Greenup County Detention Center inmate.
• 24:59
  Speaker 1: News in Brief Medicare Ship Program Free The Medicare Ship
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: Program Free which assists people age 60 and over and
• 25:09
  Speaker 1: any person with Medicare with their government benefit issues, is
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: a free service provided within the legal aid of the
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: Bluegrass according to a release. Legal aid assists folks with
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: comparing and enrolling into Medicare prescription drug plans and help
• 25:26
  Speaker 1: with enrolling into money-saving programs that can improve quality of life,
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: the release stated. It provides education on benefit changes and
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: help people to make informed decisions about health care and
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: other health insurance needs according to the organization. The Medicare
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: open enrollment period is October 15th through December 7th. The
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: Medicare SHIP program supplies comparison assistance at no charge. It
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: does not sell or endorse any insurance company according to
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: the release. Call the Medicare SHIP program at 1-866-516-3051 or
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: visit lablaw.org backslash Medicare for more details. Keeney's Kitchen to
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: Cut Ribbon Keeney's Kitchen will have a Northeast Kentucky ribbon
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: cutting ceremony on Monday, September 21st at 10 a.m. at
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: the Ashland Area YMCA. This will mark its sixth retail location.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: According to information on a Chamber of Commerce flyer, Keeney's
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: Kitchen is a healthy, convenient option designed to reduce stress
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: and facilitate wellness through real, portion-controlled food. Letters invited the
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: Daily Independent advice readers to submit in-your-view letters on public issues.
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: Letters must not exceed 300 words and must include the name, address,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: and telephone number of the author. Words of thanks letters
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: are limited to no more than 150 words. The Daily
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: Independent cannot guarantee a day of publication for letters, but
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: makes an effort to publish letters in a timely manner.
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: The newspaper is not obligated to print every letter it receives.
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: This concludes excerpts from recent editions of the Ashland Daily Independent.
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: Your reader has been Jane. On behalf of everyone here
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: at Radio Eye, thank you for listening. Keep on listening
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: and have a good day.