Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Ashland Daily Independent - 4.15.26

Transcript

Ashland Daily Independent - 4.15.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

0:00
Speaker 1: We now turn to the Ashland Independent to bring you
0:03
news from in and around Ashland and Boyd County. Your
0:07
reader today is Jane. We begin with the addition dated
0:11
April fourteenth, twenty twenty six. As a reminder, Radio I
0:17
is a reading service intended for people who are blind
0:20
or have other disabilities that make it difficult to read
0:23
printed material. Our first article AMS presents Heritage on the
0:29
River by Aaron Snyder of the Daily Independent. Ashlan Middle
0:34
School's Heritage on the River over the weekend highlighted the
0:38
area's contribution to America's two hundred and fifty years of independence.
0:44
The event spanned about six hours and featured a student
0:49
performed walkthrough history, inductions into the Hall of Honor, live music,
0:55
student exhibits, community partner exhibits, history, school pictures and memorabilia,
1:02
a classic car show, tours of Putnam Stadium, and free
1:07
hot dogs to the first three hundred attendees. The inaugural
1:12
Hall of Honor induction celebrated contributions and accomplishments of school alumni.
1:19
Among inductees were Mayor Chuck Charles and Commissioner Sonny Martin.
1:24
Ashlan Middle School could not have done this without the
1:27
dedication of our students and teachers, and the generosity of
1:32
those in our community who chose to support this event,
1:36
said Stacy may Ams, social studies teacher. We were thankful
1:42
for the opportunity to celebrate Ashland's heritage and to continue
1:46
to honor the role that our community plays in the
1:49
story of America. Charles said he was overly impressed with
1:54
the presentation by students and staff. The walkthrough history, in particular,
2:00
shine a light on organizations and people who have shaped
2:04
the community. I was really proud of our middle school
2:07
students and the work they put in, Charles said. Not
2:11
only did they present to the community, they learned a
2:14
tremendous amount of history about Ashland and the surrounding community.
2:20
This worked in so well with our America two hundred
2:23
and fifty celebration. Senator Robin Webb of Grayson called the
2:28
event spectacular. The historical units for transportation, industry, sports, science, music,
2:38
and others were well researched and informative Web posted on
2:43
social media. The historic recollections of photos from early to
2:49
modern complete with the flood were numerous and moving. Web
2:55
said the most important takeaway from Saturday's event was the
2:58
young people that put their heart, soul, minds, and hands
3:03
to this project from the research organization Performance Art and
3:09
Beyond are the absolute best thanks to the administrators, teachers, staff,
3:16
volunteers and parents that support them. Web wrote, our future
3:22
is in good hands. Our next article sexually grooming children
3:28
now a crime in Kentucky, by Sarah Ladd of the
3:31
Kentucky Lantern. From required expulsions for violent students to safety
3:36
protocols around organ donation, Kentucky has several new laws. The
3:43
General Assembly broke for a veto period on April second,
3:47
a window during which Governor Andy Basher conveto legislation. Lawmakers
3:53
can override his pen when they return to Frankfort today
3:56
and Wednesday to wrap up the twenty twenty six regular session.
4:02
During this break, Basher has signed a slew of bills
4:05
into law, including several pieces of health and child welfare policy.
4:12
In a Tuesday statement, Basher said healthcare is a basic
4:16
human right, and there are so many areas we can
4:20
invest and improve to better support Kentuckians throughout their lifetime.
4:26
On Friday, he said, we have a sacred duty to
4:29
protect our fellow Kentuckians. Here are some of the health
4:33
and child welfare policies. Bashir has signed into law during
4:37
the veto period easier path to practice for foreign trained doctors.
4:44
Under Senate Bill one thirty seven, internationally trained doctors are
4:49
allowed to practice in Kentucky under a provisional medical license
4:54
without having to repeat residency if they have a sponsor
4:58
in an underserved area of the state and pass Kentucky
5:02
board exams, among other requirements. The sponsor pitched it as
5:08
a way to start addressing Kentucky's physician shortage and free
5:12
up residency slots for domestic students. On August twenty twenty five,
5:18
report from the Legislative Research Commission found that Kentucky will
5:23
have a shortage of nearly three thousand physicians by twenty thirty.
5:28
Most one hundred and seven of Kentucky's one hundred and
5:32
twenty counties are designated as health professional shortage areas. In
5:38
these areas, there are around thirty five hundred patients per provider,
5:43
according to a twenty twenty four analysis from the Cicero Institute,
5:50
Grooming children is a crime under House Bill four. Adults
5:54
who groom a minor for sex can be criminally charged.
5:58
Groomers face a Class misdemeanor charge unless the miner is
6:03
younger than twelve years old, in which case it is
6:06
a Class D felony. For perpetrators in trusted positions, grooming
6:12
a minor is a Class D felonly unless the miner
6:16
is younger than twelve, in which case it is a
6:18
Class C felony. Until now, law enforcement had to wait
6:24
to charge groomers until they have specifically solicited or assaulted
6:29
a child. Louis Kelly, the Commonwealth Attorney in Boone and
6:33
Gallatin Counties, previously said Bisher signed HB four, which was
6:40
a high priority for House Republicans, on April tenth. Support
6:45
for sexual assault nurse examiners House Built one thirty four
6:49
directs the Cabinet of Health and Family Services to hire
6:53
a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Coordinator in an effort to
6:57
increase access to highly trained nurse who administer rape kits.
7:04
Kentucky has a shortage of sexual assault nurse examiners who
7:08
have advanced training and collecting rape kits and offering trauma
7:12
in form care to sexual assault survivors. Additionally, one hundred
7:18
of Kentucky's one hundred and twenty counties do not have
7:22
a sane Ready hospital. Hospitals must have a sexual assault
7:27
nurse examiner on call twenty four to seven to qualify
7:31
for sane Ready certification, though state law requires emergency departments
7:36
to be able to examine, collect and report evidence of
7:40
sexual assault and treat victims. The Rape Abuse and Incest
7:46
National Network Helpline is eight hundred sixty five six four
7:53
six seventy three. Alternatives to detention pushed for by them
8:00
and Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky and others, Senate Bill
8:04
one twenty two would let judges consider a person's caretaking
8:08
status when deciding a sentence and refer them for alternatives
8:13
to detention, including substance use disorder treatment, parenting classes, family counseling,
8:20
and more. Under SB one twenty two, judges will consider
8:26
if the defendant has consistently assumed responsibility for the housing, health, education, safety,
8:34
or support of a dependent child, family member, or any
8:38
other person identified by the court as being reliant on
8:42
the defendant for support, or if the defendant is a
8:48
woman who has given birth to a child while awaiting
8:52
her sentencing hearing, or who remains pregnant while awaiting her
8:56
sentencing hearing. If a person meets those criteria, the court
9:01
can consider a sentence that keeps the family together. This
9:05
would not apply to people who have committed violent crimes,
9:08
including abusing a child. Coverage for eating disorders under House
9:14
Bill one sixty nine, state qualified health insurance cannot use
9:19
body mass index to deny coverage in the treatment of
9:23
eating disorders. Eating disorder experts ABMI when used as an
9:29
indicator of health on a personal basis rather than as
9:33
a population measure, is problematic. Cutting off treatment when a
9:37
person reaches a certain weight ignores the mental health component
9:41
of the disorder, experts have said. The National Eating Disorders
9:46
Association has resources and a free screening tool at www
9:53
dot National Eating Disorders dot org. Required ex students who
10:01
intentionally assault school employees will be expelled for a year
10:05
under Senate Bill one oh one, unless their actions were
10:09
a result of a disability. Advocates for children have criticized
10:14
the measure, saying it could set Kentucky kids back further educationally.
10:20
Safer organ donation, House Bill five point ten requires all
10:24
organ harvesting happening after death to stop immediately if any
10:29
sign of life is detected. The Republican measure says the
10:34
success of the organ donation and transplant system depends upon
10:38
public trust, transparency, and strict adherence to ethical and clinical
10:43
standards that prioritize patient safety and human dignity. More reporting
10:50
on Alzheimer's House Bill three ninety three requires annual reporting
10:56
to the Legislative Research Commission on the Office of Dementia
11:00
Services in the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Advisory Council,
11:09
as well as a progress report on the Kentucky Alzheimer's
11:12
and Related Dementia's State Plan. House Build three ninety three
11:17
also requires the Council to set annual initiatives aimed at
11:22
reducing harmful impacts of dementia in Kentucky. These initiatives will
11:27
be pulled from Kentucky's twenty twenty five to twenty twenty
11:31
nine Dementia State Plan. Stalking definitions broaden. House Build five
11:38
twenty one broadens the definitions of stalking to include social media, texting,
11:44
Internet applications, and more, making it a felony. Protections for
11:50
foster kids House Built seven seven to eight bands in
11:54
a registered sex defender from being approved for foster or
11:58
fictive kin play. It also blocks placement of a child
12:03
into a home if anyone adult or miner living in
12:07
the home is registered as a sex offender. In other news,
12:13
Dotson Kneltner vy for Attorney by Alison Scott for the
12:18
Daily Independent. The race between two candidates for Boyd County
12:23
Attorney is nearly a month away from being decided. The
12:27
two Republican candidates, incumbent Curtis Dotson and Katie Kneltner, are
12:33
in the running for the position, as there are no
12:35
declared Democratic contenders in November's general election. The community has
12:41
entrusted me to lead this office for the past three years,
12:45
Dotson said, and that's one of the greatest honors of
12:48
my life. Before becoming the county attorney, Dotson practiced privately
12:54
in district and circuit courts across eastern Kentucky, with a
12:58
focus on employment, family injury, and disability law. With the
13:04
intent to build upon accomplishments made throughout his first term,
13:08
he decided to run again. Dotson said he has been
13:13
a good fit for the position, crediting his hands on
13:16
approach and ability to adapt to the county's needs. While
13:21
reflecting on his biggest accomplishments throughout his first term, he
13:25
pointed to launching the Kentucky County Attorney's Traffic Safety Program,
13:30
a voluntary diversionary program for drivers with minor moving violations,
13:36
and his efforts to assist family struggling with addiction through
13:40
Casey's Law. One stroke of a pen can change a
13:44
person's life, and that responsibility is not something I take lightly.
13:48
Dotson said, you have to have a steady hand to
13:52
have sound judgment and stability, and decisions must be deliberate
13:57
because what we do can affect a person's life. Life.
14:01
Candidate Kneltner said her decision to run came from a
14:04
determination to improve the office if elected. Kneltner's goals as
14:11
the county's attorney include increased communication with law enforcement, increasing
14:16
presence in the school system, and ensuring accurate child support
14:21
wage garnishments. Kneltner earned her law degree in twenty thirteen
14:26
and returned to the legal filled two years later as
14:30
a litigation paralegal. She became licensed in twenty eighteen and
14:35
worked for a plaintiff's firm before joining her current firm,
14:39
Oxley rich Salmon's Law firm as their senior associate. A
14:45
lot of people go to law school to make a
14:47
lot of money. Not realizing that there's tons of lawyers
14:50
out there that don't make a lot of money, Neltner said,
14:54
and I was one that decided to go to law
14:56
school because I thought I could make a difference. So
14:59
that's why what I feel like I'm doing in this
15:01
political race. Neltoner said she believes she would be a
15:06
good fit for the county. She pointed to her near
15:09
decade of coaching high school volleyball for Boyd County and
15:13
now Raceland. I think that my background with our youth
15:17
will support some of the vision that I have for
15:20
the county attorney and reaching out and dealing with some
15:23
of the problems that we see with our youth, Kneltner said.
15:29
Current obituaries Jennis Gray eighty eight of Ashland, Mike Fuget
15:36
seventy two of Union, Carol Saunders Young eighty one of Ironton,
15:43
Leslie Scott Meade fifty three of Richmond, Jenny Lew Adams
15:49
seventy four of Ashland, Edna vander hoof Dillo eighty seven
15:55
of Ironton. In other news, Gate City Crew Ins announced Katleitzburg.
16:03
Gate City Cruise ins are scheduled for the season at
16:05
the Boyd County Judicial Center at twenty eighth five Lewis Street.
16:11
The first event will be Friday. Others will be May fifteenth,
16:16
June nineteenth, July fourth, which is a special event, July seventeenth,
16:22
August twenty first, September eighteenth, and October sixteenth. The events
16:29
begin at five pm and continue until dark. Paint Party
16:34
for Parks and Reck Flatwoods, a paint party fundraiser will
16:39
be from eleven am to one pm April twenty fifth
16:43
at the Flatwoods Senior Center for Flatwoods Parks and Recreation.
16:48
Cost is forty five dollars, which includes all supplies, step
16:52
by step instruction, and your completed Peace four design choices
16:57
are available include choice Wimbers registering by PayPal at Bluegrass
17:05
Mama or Venmo at Chelsea Dash Potter Dash nine. Rummage
17:13
bake Sale This weekend, the Flatwoods Free Will Baptist Church
17:17
will have a rummage sale and bake sale starting at
17:20
eight am Friday and Saturday. The church is at two
17:24
thousand Crescent Drive. Signal work at twelfth and Carter in
17:29
Central Starts. Signal work will begin at ten am today
17:35
at the intersection of Twelfth Street and Carter Avenue and
17:38
then onto Twelfth Street and Central Avenue. According to a
17:42
news release, watch for signal outages at each intersection as
17:47
AEP makes repairs. Traffic will be controlled by stop signs
17:52
on the side streets and flagmen. Visit go ky dot
17:58
ky dot gov online for Kentucky travel and traffic information,
18:04
or use the way's mobile application. Follow transportation Cabinet operations
18:10
in Northeast Kentucky on social media at KYTC District nine.
18:19
Moving on, Boyd County, indictments include rape charge by Matt
18:24
Jones of The Daily Independent Katlitzburg. A Boyd County grand
18:29
jury recently ended up indictments including child rape charges. Adam J. Kendall,
18:36
forty three of Hamilton, Ohio was charged with first degree
18:40
rape of a victim less than twelve years old and
18:43
procurement of a minor by electronic means. He is in
18:48
the Boyd County Detention Center on a five hundred thousand
18:51
dollars cash bond. An indictment is not necessarily an indication
18:57
of guilt. All individuals included in this round remain innocent
19:02
until proven guilty. Patricia A. Robinson, sixty four, of Ashland
19:07
was charged with first degree first defense possession of meth.
19:12
Melissa Stewart, fifty six, of Catletsburg was charged with first
19:17
degree first offense heroin possession. In sports news, back to
19:24
a familiar spot, Dogs returned to to a state stage
19:29
in Owensboro. After a historic postseason run last year. By
19:34
Matthew Sparks of a daily independent, Lawrence County Softball returned
19:39
to the state stage this week. The Bulldogs defeated Perry
19:44
County Central six to one in the Kentucky two A
19:48
Section eight final Thursday to advance to the state tournament
19:53
this weekend. It's their second trip in the last three seasons.
19:58
I think it's pretty good, Sparks said. It gives you
20:01
a goal to accomplish during the year. In our section,
20:05
it's one of the things that we gear toward every season.
20:09
We have great competition with Perry County Central, Johnson Central,
20:13
and Floyd Central. You are going to have to play
20:16
some good softball to advance. We have embraced it, he added.
20:21
We got beat by Johnson Central in the finals in
20:24
the Section tournament last year before. We were fortunate to
20:29
win it the year before. It's worked out well for us.
20:33
Lawrence County made school history last June when it reached
20:37
the KSAA State semifinals at John Crops Stadium in Lexington.
20:45
The postseason run added more motivation and a bigger spotlight
20:49
in the twenty twenty six campaign. Sparks sat his team's
20:53
mindset stays the same. The Bulldogs arrive at the field
20:57
determined to get better every day. Teams have really come
21:01
to us a little bit stronger, Sparks said. It is
21:06
a little different now in how other teams approach us.
21:09
The players who were returning have handled it really well.
21:13
They know that regardless of who we play, there are
21:16
certain things that we have to do. The Kentucky two
21:20
A tournament enters a sixth year of existence. The Bulldogs
21:25
reached the championship game in twenty twenty four, but fell
21:28
to Harrison County. Sparks feels the team arrives at Owen's
21:33
Borough with the experience to handle the abbreviated schedule. We
21:39
have a lot of the girls back, Sparks said. We
21:42
got beat in the finals by a really good Harrison
21:45
County team and they are back in the two A
21:48
this year. Trigg County is one of the top teams
21:51
in the tournament. North Oldham is one of the top
21:54
teams in the state as well. It's a competitive tournament.
21:59
Our girls got a taste of that tournament two years ago. Hopefully,
22:03
with that in our state tournament experience last year, we
22:07
can put some of that into play. I like their
22:10
state tournament format two in Owensboro, Sparks continued, it's not
22:15
single elimination. You go down there and you get three games.
22:20
You don't have to travel all the way across the
22:23
state and then lose one and go back home. It
22:26
lets you know where you are against really good teams.
22:31
Lawrence County collected ten hits against the Commodores in the
22:35
Section eight championship. Jada Patten, Emma Lynn Kits, Adeline Woods,
22:41
and Ellis Smith each had a pair of hits. Woods
22:45
and Kit's blasted home runs. The Bulldogs have senior leadership
22:51
and Patton, Woods, Kits, and Lexi Crumb are part of
22:55
a stellar sophomore group that tops the stat sheet. It's
22:59
helped tremendously, Sparks said. You have Jada, Adelin, Emmelyn and
23:05
Lexi who are sophomores who have played in some formats
23:09
since their seventh grade year. It's their fourth year of
23:12
varsity play and you would expect them to do well,
23:16
and they are. We are excited about their start. Paton
23:20
and kids played basketball and we didn't get them until late.
23:25
They've picked up where they left off. The same can
23:28
be said about Taylor Blevins in the circle. The senior
23:32
has eighty one strikeouts and only three walks and sixty
23:35
one innings. She has a one point three er and
23:41
leads a team in batting with a point four five
23:44
seven batting average. She's the epitome of the team mantra
23:49
no deposit, no return. A team needs a strong pitcher
23:53
if it plans all winning three games in twenty four
23:56
hours to earn a state titled trophy. Work so hard
24:00
in the off season, Sparks said, she's a pitcher that
24:04
some of these schools are missing out on by not
24:06
recruiting her heavily. She works so hard in the fall too.
24:11
She's getting paid for that work right now. She gives
24:14
us a chance to win every time she pitches. She's
24:18
done a great job and we hope she stays healthy
24:21
and continues to do that. Lawrence County, with a record
24:25
of ten to three, meets North Oldham with a record
24:29
five to four In the two A State quarterfinals at
24:33
Jack Fisher Park in Owensboro Friday. The semi finals are
24:38
played the same day and the championship game takes place
24:41
on Saturday at two. Boyd County softball and baseball compete
24:46
for the Section sixth title this week. The Lions softball
24:50
team played Bath County Monday night in the final. The
24:54
game ended too late for this edition. The baseball team
24:58
played Fleming County last night. If the Lions win, they
25:01
move on to the championship game tonight at Estell County.
25:07
In other news, murder suspect appears in court by Matt
25:11
Jones of the Daily Independent. A man charged with murder
25:15
appeared in Boyd County Circuit Court Thursday. Jeffrey Sexton, fifty nine,
25:20
of no known address, made his first court appearance in
25:24
the murder case of Tammy Moran. Sexton is charged in
25:28
the March stabbing death of more in forty three in Ashland.
25:33
He is also charged with tampering with physical evidence. Sexton,
25:37
appearing by video conference from the Boyd County Detention Center,
25:42
entered a not guilty plea to all charges. A pre
25:46
trial conference was set for May seventh. Sexton was arrested
25:51
on Tuesday, March twenty fourth, eight days after Moran's body
25:55
was found near thirty four hundred Front Street. Mon stab
26:00
multiple times, according to reports by the Ashland Police Department.
26:05
Sexton is currently being held on a five hundred thousand
26:08
dollars bond. Sexton also faces chargers in Carter County, including
26:13
second degree fleeing, evading police on foot, no registration plates,
26:19
no registration receipt, and third degree criminal trespassing. In other news,
26:26
mobile home park to be rezoned residents speaks out against
26:31
the landlord developer by Matt Jones of The Daily Independent.
26:36
A mobile home park in Ashland being rezoned into a
26:39
planned unit development passed a first reading at Ashland City
26:43
Council Thursday night, but not without a tenant, raising concerns
26:47
about the current landlord and developer. What was the recommendation
26:52
from the zoning committee, DJ Rimer said. Donald Yates, who
26:57
represents the developer, said the staff recommended the change for development.
27:02
This concludes excerpts from recent editions of the Ashland Daily Independent.
27:07
Your reader, husband Jane on behalf of everyone here at radio.
27:11
I thank you for listening, Keep on listening and have
27:14
a good day.