Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Ashland Daily Independent - 8.26.26
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: We now turn to the Ashland Independent to bring you
- 0:03Speaker 1: news from in and around Ashland and Boyd County. Your
- 0:07Speaker 1: reader today is Jane. We begin with the edition dated
- 0:12Speaker 1: August 25, 2026. As a reminder, Radio Eye is a
- 0:17Speaker 1: reading service intended for people who are blind or have
- 0:20Speaker 1: other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
- 0:26Speaker 1: Our first article. article, Kentucky Road Projects Down by More
- 0:30Speaker 1: Than 50% This Summer, by Liam Niemeyer from the Kentucky Lantern.
- 0:36Speaker 1: State road projects across Kentucky have dropped dramatically this summer,
- 0:41Speaker 1: usually one of the busiest times for road crews. The
- 0:44Speaker 1: Kentucky Lantern analyzed monthly documents called Eligible Bidders List from
- 0:50Speaker 1: this summer and the previous two summers published by the
- 0:54Speaker 1: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and that show the various road projects
- 0:59Speaker 1: the cabinet is seeking bids for from asphalt paving and
- 1:03Speaker 1: construction companies. Much of the cabinet's summer work is asphalt resurfacing,
- 1:09Speaker 1: where road paving companies put a fresh layer of asphalt
- 1:12Speaker 1: on a road. The Lantern found that the cabinet has
- 1:16Speaker 1: listed dramatically fewer road projects in total this summer. Roughly
- 1:21Speaker 1: one-third of the projects it advertised during the summer of 2025.
- 1:26Speaker 1: Over June and July of 2025, the Cabinet listed 161
- 1:30Speaker 1: road projects that companies were bidding on. Over June and
- 1:36Speaker 1: July of this year, the Cabinet listed 16 projects. In
- 1:41Speaker 1: an emailed statement provided at the close of Business Friday,
- 1:45Speaker 1: Transportation Cabinet Spokesperson Natalie Desjardins said the Cabinet forecasts project
- 1:52Speaker 1: cash balances and prioritizes paying for ongoing projects or operational
- 1:58Speaker 1: obligations first before awarding new contracts. Our summer project advertisements
- 2:05Speaker 1: primarily featured projects already in the pipeline or with dedicated
- 2:10Speaker 1: federal or general funds that we could advance, Dibaginu said.
- 2:16Speaker 1: Additional resurfacing project advertisements were possible after in August based
- 2:21Speaker 1: on recent cash model projections, and we expect to advertise
- 2:25Speaker 1: and award more contracts in the coming months. The pulling
- 2:30Speaker 1: back of road work this summer has happened as the
- 2:32Speaker 1: GOP-controlled state legislature has sharpened criticism over a shortfall in
- 2:38Speaker 1: the state's road fund created in part by a temporary
- 2:41Speaker 1: gas tax holiday enacted in May by Democratic Governor Andy Beshear.
- 2:48Speaker 1: The overall amount of gas tax revenue collected by the
- 2:51Speaker 1: state has also fallen even before Beshear enacted a gas
- 2:56Speaker 1: tax break this year. DiGiubinu said the governor's executive order
- 3:04Speaker 1: enacting a gas tax holiday did not affect the cabinet's
- 3:07Speaker 1: ability to move forward with road projects and that primary
- 3:11Speaker 1: factors informing when to award projects have been budgetary, constrained
- 3:17Speaker 1: from the budgets enacted by the General Assembly. The executive
- 3:22Speaker 1: director of a group representing the road paving and construction
- 3:25Speaker 1: industry told the Lantern his industry is feeling the strain
- 3:30Speaker 1: from a lack of road work. The lack of work
- 3:33Speaker 1: is significantly impacting contractors and their ability to keep employees
- 3:38Speaker 1: working in Kentucky, said Chad LaRue, the executive director, of
- 3:44Speaker 1: the Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors. KAHC is working to
- 3:50Speaker 1: learn more about why project lettings have been reduced so significantly,
- 3:56Speaker 1: but we do believe that the state's highway construction needs
- 4:00Speaker 1: are overtaking the funding that is available, especially given inflationary pressures,
- 4:06Speaker 1: LaRue said. We look forward to working with KYTC and
- 4:11Speaker 1: our state policymakers to learn more and explore solutions that
- 4:16Speaker 1: will allow for continued economic growth, safe roads and bridges
- 4:20Speaker 1: for our citizens, and a means for contractors to continue
- 4:24Speaker 1: employing thousands of Kentuckians and contributing to their communities. Andrew McNeil,
- 4:31Speaker 1: the Executive Director of the free market-focused think tank, Kentucky
- 4:36Speaker 1: Forum for Rights, Economics and Education, who's been critical of
- 4:41Speaker 1: the cabinet awarding single-bid road work projects, told the Lantern
- 4:46Speaker 1: he believed the cabinet trying to make up for a
- 4:49Speaker 1: shortfall in the state's road fund by delaying road projects
- 4:53Speaker 1: is a drastic measure. They're using a hatchet to solve
- 4:58Speaker 1: a problem that, with proper management, could likely be handled
- 5:02Speaker 1: with a scalpel, McNeil said. I absolutely think that both
- 5:07Speaker 1: the cabinet and the governor are Oh, a more detailed
- 5:10Speaker 1: explanation to the taxpayers of this state. McNeil, who served
- 5:15Speaker 1: as a Deputy State Budget Director under former Governor Matt Bevin,
- 5:19Speaker 1: said there are thousands of miles of roads across the
- 5:22Speaker 1: state that, at best, are being delayed in their repairs,
- 5:27Speaker 1: in the repaving, in the installation of safety measures. Sean McKiernan,
- 5:33Speaker 1: the Executive Director of the Office of Budget and Fiscal
- 5:36Speaker 1: Management at in the Transportation Cabinet, told lawmakers in an
- 5:41Speaker 1: August 4th legislative meeting that revenue from motor fuel taxes,
- 5:47Speaker 1: the tax on the wholesale price of gasoline levied on
- 5:50Speaker 1: gasoline dealers and distributors, was down $ 45 million at the
- 5:56Speaker 1: end of the state's 2026 fiscal year. That represented a 5.5%
- 5:59Speaker 1: decrease in those revenues and the largest drop by dollar
- 6:08Speaker 1: amount of any road fund revenue source. McKiernan attributed about
- 6:14Speaker 1: $ 20 million of that shortfall to the Tencent gas tax
- 6:19Speaker 1: holiday enacted by Beshear. The state brought in $ 790. 7 million
- 6:24Speaker 1: in gas tax revenues over fiscal year 2026, contributing to
- 6:26Speaker 1: a 2.2% decrease in overall revenues going into the state's
- 6:38Speaker 1: road fund that sits at approximately $ 1. 8 billion. In a
- 6:44Speaker 1: separate meeting with lawmakers, State Budget Director John Hicks said
- 6:48Speaker 1: the road fund's overall shortfall was largely made up by
- 6:54Speaker 1: dropping revenue sharing of the gas tax with local counties
- 6:58Speaker 1: and cities. Gas tax revenues also saw a more than
- 7:02Speaker 1: 7% decrease between fiscal years 2024 and 2025. In that
- 7:09Speaker 1: August 4th legislative meeting, Representative John Blanton, Republican of Salyersville,
- 7:15Speaker 1: the co-chair of the Interim Joint Committee on Transportation, referenced
- 7:21Speaker 1: how the Cabinet had issued bidding on only eight projects
- 7:24Speaker 1: in July. Blanton pointed to Kentuckians driving more fuel-efficient vehicles
- 7:31Speaker 1: and therefore buying less fuel as a reason for the
- 7:34Speaker 1: loss of gas tax revenues. He also said road fund
- 7:38Speaker 1: revenues had flatlined while road construction costs have increased significantly.
- 7:45Speaker 1: He said the cabinet has fallen behind on projects including
- 7:48Speaker 1: road repaving work and the maintenance of secondary and rural roads.
- 7:53Speaker 1: because we don't have the revenues to do them. Blanton
- 7:58Speaker 1: said the gas tax, as currently formulated, is not working
- 8:02Speaker 1: for our system. If we don't address this very quickly,
- 8:06Speaker 1: it's going to cost more and more the longer we
- 8:08Speaker 1: delay this because they're going to get worse and worse,
- 8:12Speaker 1: Blanton said. We have to find a way to create
- 8:15Speaker 1: other revenues that's going to help with our road fund.
- 8:19Speaker 1: In an email statement provided Saturday through a spokesperson, Senator
- 8:24Speaker 1: Jimmy Higdon, Republican of Lebanon, the other co-chair of the committee,
- 8:29Speaker 1: said the Transportation Cabinet has cited the need to manage
- 8:34Speaker 1: available cash, meet obligations such as debt service and revenue sharing,
- 8:40Speaker 1: and pace projects accordingly to when they can responsibly be
- 8:45Speaker 1: funded and delivered. He said the legislature has used the
- 8:49Speaker 1: state's Budget Reserve Trust Fund to also known as the
- 8:53Speaker 1: state's Rainy Day Fund, to boost transportation funding given that
- 8:59Speaker 1: traditional road fund revenues have not kept pace with the
- 9:03Speaker 1: state's transportation needs. Our goal is to be honest with taxpayers,
- 9:09Speaker 1: prioritize projects that are ready to advance, and make sure
- 9:14Speaker 1: the commitments in Kentucky's road plan are deliverable, Higdon said.
- 9:20Speaker 1: In other news, Grayson Gallery to have last final Friday
- 9:25Speaker 1: of summer. The Grayson Gallery and Art Center will conclude
- 9:29Speaker 1: its summer programming on August 28th with its monthly final
- 9:33Speaker 1: Friday event from 6 to 9 p.m. The art exhibit
- 9:38Speaker 1: will feature the works of Laura Mole and Amy Rice,
- 9:43Speaker 1: two award-winning photographers. More than 60 of their pieces will
- 9:47Speaker 1: be on display along with various photo prints. Works will
- 9:52Speaker 1: be available for purchase. Mole, a PPA certified and master photographer,
- 9:59Speaker 1: is from Milton. West Virginia. She has been creating photographic
- 10:03Speaker 1: and scenic images since 1991, according to a news release. Also,
- 10:10Speaker 1: a Tamarack artist, Moll, has had work in galleries and
- 10:15Speaker 1: art exhibits across the tri-state area. Her portfolio includes publications, calendars,
- 10:23Speaker 1: and tourist brochures. She has participated in showing at galleries,
- 10:28Speaker 1: solo and group exhibits. Moll's photography has taken her to
- 10:34Speaker 1: all 50 states, six Canadian provinces, and four continents. Visit MollPhotography.com
- 10:43Speaker 1: for more information. Rice of Russell is a self-taught photographer.
- 10:49Speaker 1: nature lover, and visual artist. She said wildlife photography is
- 10:53Speaker 1: her first passion. According to the release, she enjoys capturing
- 10:58Speaker 1: the beauty of nature, landscapes, and architecture through her lens.
- 11:04Speaker 1: She has received the People's Choice Award from the Inspired
- 11:07Speaker 1: Opportunities Art Organization and has earned awards at the Grayson
- 11:12Speaker 1: Gallery and Art Center. Rice is an active member of
- 11:17Speaker 1: the Ashland, Kentucky Area Artist Group. Visit the Era Photography
- 11:22Speaker 1: and Art Facebook page for more information on Rice. Blue Sky,
- 11:28Speaker 1: featuring musicians Michael Allen, Tom Berry, Corbin Fitzpatrick, and Brent Jack,
- 11:36Speaker 1: will provide live entertainment. The classic rock band performs a
- 11:40Speaker 1: wide range of music from the 1960s to today's tunes.
- 11:45Speaker 1: Visit the Blue Sky The Band Facebook page for more information.
- 11:51Speaker 1: Catering by Sheila Marie will provide refreshments. A referral from
- 11:57Speaker 1: the Anglian family, the Doug Anglin Memorial Student Art Program,
- 12:03Speaker 1: Leslie and Julie Anglin, made this show possible according to
- 12:07Speaker 1: the gallery. Funds were granted by the KAC via a
- 12:11Speaker 1: new Kentucky Arts Rising grant. a program created to support small,
- 12:17Speaker 1: community-based arts and cultural organizations that provide year-round arts programming
- 12:24Speaker 1: for Kentuckians. Friday's opening reception for artists and the public
- 12:28Speaker 1: is free. The Grayson Gallery and Arts Center is at
- 12:33Speaker 1: 301 East 3rd Street. Next, races to resume at Sandy Ridge.
- 12:41Speaker 1: After three race days last week, Quarter horse races will
- 12:45Speaker 1: resume at Sandy Ridge Racing this week. Post times will
- 12:49Speaker 1: be 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at the racetrack,
- 12:54Speaker 1: which is at 11000 Paul Coffey Boulevard. From Old U.S. 60,
- 13:01Speaker 1: follow signs to the track. Each day has a theme.
- 13:06Speaker 1: Legislature Day Wednesday. Retro Throwback Day Thursday and Military Day Friday.
- 13:14Speaker 1: Honey Hill Farm Petting Zoo will be on site Thursday.
- 13:18Speaker 1: Entry is free for all ages. Food and drinks are
- 13:22Speaker 1: available for purchase. VIP boxes are available for purchase. If interested,
- 13:29Speaker 1: contact Sam at sandysgaming.com. There are two race days scheduled
- 13:35Speaker 1: in September, Saturday the 5th and Sunday the 6th, beginning
- 13:41Speaker 1: at 1.30 p.m. Our next article, Big Bang Concert Labor
- 13:46Speaker 1: Day Weekend. The 38th Annual Reunion Big Bang Concert will
- 13:51Speaker 1: be at Tracy Park on Sunday, September 6th, in Portsmouth,
- 13:56Speaker 1: beginning at 7 p.m. A full 18-piece band comprised of
- 14:01Speaker 1: professional musicians from Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and Illinois will
- 14:07Speaker 1: will perform two hours of class American music from the
- 14:11Speaker 1: 1940 era of big bands. The band leader is Gary Billups.
- 14:17Speaker 1: Ann Stevens is the vocalist. The free outdoor concert is
- 14:21Speaker 1: open to the public. Bring a camp chair or blanket.
- 14:25Speaker 1: An alternate location in case of rain is American Legion
- 14:28Speaker 1: 471 at 950 Gallia Street in Portsmouth, Ohio. In other news,
- 14:36Speaker 1: Tara Wolf commits to Beshear's data center requirements by Liam
- 14:40Speaker 1: Neimeyer for the Kentucky Lantern. An investor-owned developer looking to
- 14:46Speaker 1: build a hyperscale data center at an idled Hancock County
- 14:50Speaker 1: aluminum smelter says it's committing to the governor's requirements to
- 14:55Speaker 1: pay its share of taxes, follow environmental laws, and build
- 15:00Speaker 1: a meaningful relationship with the community. That's according to an
- 15:04Speaker 1: energy plan that Tara Wolf filed before the State Utility
- 15:08Speaker 1: Regulator Kentucky Public Service Commission on August 14th. Developer Tara
- 15:15Speaker 1: Wolf said the plan is a part of complying with
- 15:18Speaker 1: an executive order issued by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. The
- 15:24Speaker 1: governor said his executive order would implement an array of
- 15:27Speaker 1: protections against the potential impacts of data centers, though some
- 15:32Speaker 1: experts have questioned how much legal teeth his order has
- 15:36Speaker 1: without the backing of specific state laws addressing data centers. Still,
- 15:43Speaker 1: Tara Wolf wrote in its August 14th filing, it was
- 15:46Speaker 1: committing to the governor's demands laid out in the order.
- 15:50Speaker 1: Tara Wolf is committed to invest billions of dollars in
- 15:53Speaker 1: Kentucky to construct a state-of-the-art data center which will provide
- 15:58Speaker 1: significant economic benefits to Hancock County and its school system,
- 16:04Speaker 1: the company wrote in its plan. Tara Wolf takes Governor
- 16:09Speaker 1: Beshear's executive order, the commission approval process, its commitment to
- 16:14Speaker 1: the local community, and its commitment to the Commonwealth very seriously.
- 16:20Speaker 1: Tara Wolf wants to build a 482-megawatt hyperscale data center
- 16:26Speaker 1: at the site of the former Century Aluminum Smelter facility
- 16:30Speaker 1: that halted operations in 2022, a project that has the
- 16:35Speaker 1: backing of artificial intelligence company Anthropic. It also wants to
- 16:40Speaker 1: build another hyperscale data center at an eastern Kentucky industrial park,
- 16:45Speaker 1: telling investors recently it wants to expand the size of it.
- 16:50Speaker 1: The Kentucky Public Service Commission is considering whether to approve
- 16:54Speaker 1: a special electricity contract for the Hancock County project with
- 16:58Speaker 1: electric utility Big Rivers Electric Corporation. Hancock County residents have
- 17:05Speaker 1: voiced strong concerns to the commission about, among other issues,
- 17:10Speaker 1: the potential local environmental impacts of the data center. Beshear's
- 17:16Speaker 1: executive order seeks to implement a number of protections against
- 17:19Speaker 1: the impacts of data centers by requiring them to commit
- 17:24Speaker 1: to paying their full and fair share of state and
- 17:27Speaker 1: local taxes and to engage in fully transparent and public
- 17:32Speaker 1: discussions with a community where the developer wants to locate. Additionally,
- 17:39Speaker 1: the order requires data center developers to submit an energy
- 17:43Speaker 1: plan to the Kentucky Energy Commission and Environment Cabinet, the
- 17:47Speaker 1: state's environmental regulator, explaining how the developer would source its
- 17:52Speaker 1: electricity and protect residential ratepayers from being burdened with costs.
- 17:59Speaker 1: Tara Wolf wrote it had also submitted a copy of
- 18:01Speaker 1: its energy plan to the cabinet. Addressing the commitments in
- 18:07Speaker 1: the executive order, Tara Wolf wrote it would get its
- 18:10Speaker 1: electricity from the MISO Regional Energy Grid through a carefully
- 18:16Speaker 1: structured contract with the Big Rivers Electric Corporation. The company
- 18:23Speaker 1: also wrote that its operations would generate tens of millions
- 18:27Speaker 1: of local tax revenue. In an August 7th comment filed
- 18:32Speaker 1: to the Public Service Commission, an attorney for an environmental
- 18:36Speaker 1: legal group raised several concerns he had about uncertainties with
- 18:41Speaker 1: a proposed special contract for Terrawolf though he didn't weigh
- 18:46Speaker 1: in on whether the commission should approve the contract. Kentucky
- 18:50Speaker 1: Resources Council attorney Byron Gary, who also filed his comment
- 18:56Speaker 1: on behalf of the advocacy nonprofit Kentuckians for the Commonwealth,
- 19:02Speaker 1: wrote that neither Terrawolf nor the Big Rivers Electric Corporation
- 19:07Speaker 1: had conducted an independent economic analysis of the proposed project.
- 19:12Speaker 1: He also asked the commission to examine the allocation of
- 19:16Speaker 1: costs of regional electricity transmission upgrades and whether other rate
- 19:22Speaker 1: payers would pay for it spurred by the project. Included
- 19:26Speaker 1: with Tara Wolf's plan is an August 13th letter from
- 19:30Speaker 1: Hancock County Judge Executive Johnny Roberts, where he writes to
- 19:35Speaker 1: the Energy and Environment Cabinet in the commission that the
- 19:38Speaker 1: company has demonstrated transparency in open communication, and genuine community engagement.
- 19:47Speaker 1: While every large infrastructure project deserves careful evaluation, I believe
- 19:52Speaker 1: Tara Wolf has demonstrated the character, transparency, and commitment that
- 19:57Speaker 1: is required by the executive order and that Kentucky should
- 20:01Speaker 1: encourage the same for other data center projects. Roberts wrote
- 20:06Speaker 1: in the provided letter, They have earned my confidence through
- 20:10Speaker 1: their actions, and we are excited about the opportunity to
- 20:14Speaker 1: welcome them into our community. Moving on, Ashland man indicted
- 20:20Speaker 1: on sex-related charges by Aaron Snyder of the Daily Independent.
- 20:26Speaker 1: A Boyd County grand jury recently handed up an indictment
- 20:29Speaker 1: on an Ashland man for a few sex-related charges. Jonathan A. Arendando, 26,
- 20:37Speaker 1: of Ashland, was indicted on charges of video voyeurism, possession
- 20:43Speaker 1: viewing of matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor
- 20:46Speaker 1: under 12, tampering with physical evidence, and promoting a sexual
- 20:51Speaker 1: performance by a minor under 18. Arendando was booked into
- 20:58Speaker 1: the Boyd County Detention Center on a $ 200, 000 cash bond.
- 21:03Speaker 1: An indictment is not necessarily an indication of guilt. A
- 21:07Speaker 1: grand jury found enough evidence to continue felony prosecution. The
- 21:13Speaker 1: above and following individuals are innocent unless proven guilty. Daryl
- 21:18Speaker 1: Lee Smith, 39, of Ashland, was indicted on charges of
- 21:21Speaker 1: second-degree escape, tampering with a prisoner monitoring device, and theft
- 21:27Speaker 1: by unlawful taking, disposition between $ 1, 000 and $ 10, 000. Thomas Rouse, 49,
- 21:34Speaker 1: of Ashland, was indicted on these charges. Second-degree escape, tampering
- 21:39Speaker 1: with prison monitoring device and theft by unlawful taking, disposition,
- 21:44Speaker 1: between $ 1, 000 and $ 10, 000. Larisha Nelson, 38, of Ashland, was
- 21:50Speaker 1: indicted on a meth trafficking charge greater or equal to
- 21:54Speaker 1: 2 grams. Richard F. Anderson, 62, of Paintsville, was indicted
- 21:59Speaker 1: on charges of trafficking in an unspecified drug and marijuana possession.
- 22:05Speaker 1: Anthony C. Haney, a.k.a. Chuck Haney, 25, of Ashland, was
- 22:10Speaker 1: indicted on the following charges. Trafficking in cocaine greater or
- 22:14Speaker 1: equal to 4 grams and 2 counts of cocaine trafficking
- 22:19Speaker 1: less than 4 grams. Chase Brumfield, 27, of Ashland, was
- 22:23Speaker 1: indicted on three counts of trafficking in cocaine, less than
- 22:27Speaker 1: four grams. Justin A. Whitaker, 38, of Ashland, was indicted
- 22:33Speaker 1: on a charge of first-degree strangulation, domestic violence. Ricky A. Scarfall, 33,
- 22:42Speaker 1: of Ashland, was indicted on a first-degree strangulation, domestic violence charge.
- 22:47Speaker 1: Travis Klein, 32, of Ashland, was indicted on a charge
- 22:50Speaker 1: of possession of a handgun by a convicted felon. Hady Estes, 28,
- 22:57Speaker 1: of Ashland, was indicted on charges of second-degree burglary and
- 23:02Speaker 1: fourth-degree assault. Dwayne Miller, 29, of Lexington, was indicted on
- 23:07Speaker 1: a charge of third-degree inmate assault on correctional employee. Jasmine D. Hale, 24,
- 23:14Speaker 1: of Louisa, was indicted on these charges. second-degree escape, tampering
- 23:19Speaker 1: with prison monitoring device, two counts of first-degree fentanyl possession,
- 23:24Speaker 1: first-degree possession of an unspecified drug and drug paraphernalia to
- 23:28Speaker 1: buy or possess. Robert Stevenson, 47, of Russell, was indicted
- 23:33Speaker 1: on the following charges, first-degree criminal mischief resisting arrest, third-degree
- 23:39Speaker 1: assault of police probation officers, second-degree disorderly conduct, marijuana possession
- 23:45Speaker 1: and drug paraphernalia by possess. Jason A. Hunt, 45, of Ashland,
- 23:51Speaker 1: was indicted on the following charges, marijuana trafficking less than
- 23:55Speaker 1: eight ounces, first-degree meth possession, third or greater offense, and
- 24:00Speaker 1: drug paraphernalia to by possess. William C. Salyers, 42, of Catlettsburg,
- 24:06Speaker 1: was indicted on charges of third-degree burglary and second-degree criminal trespassings.
- 24:12Speaker 1: Dennis R. Rigsby Sr., 65, of Catlettsburg, was indicted on
- 24:17Speaker 1: charges of third-degree burglary and second-degree criminal trespassing. Thomas Jenkins, 39,
- 24:23Speaker 1: of Ironton, was indicted on a charge of first-degree promoting contraband.
- 24:29Speaker 1: Sean J. Burdett, 49, of Ironton, was indicted on a
- 24:33Speaker 1: charge of theft of motor vehicle registration plate decal. Zachary Fox, 30,
- 24:39Speaker 1: of Ironton, was indicted on a first-degree promoting contraband charge.
- 24:45Speaker 1: Jamie Ray Douglas, 48, of Ironton, was indicted on a
- 24:48Speaker 1: first-degree meth possession charge. Recent obituaries. David Allen Robinson, 85,
- 24:56Speaker 1: of Raceland. Stephen Todd. Steve Relaford, 63, of Ashland. Daniel
- 25:05Speaker 1: Lynn Atkinson. Apple White, 48, formerly Kentucky resident. Thelma Jewel Pierce, 87,
- 25:12Speaker 1: of Ashland. Gary Wayne Wright, 84, of Ashland. Paul Edward
- 25:19Speaker 1: Puck Murnahan, 88, of Ashland. Dora Sarah Dawn Dalks, 92,
- 25:28Speaker 1: of Lexington. Deborah Rose Byrne, 76, of Ashland. Next, Pathways
- 25:37Speaker 1: 988 Day event in September. Pathways will celebrate 988 Day
- 25:44Speaker 1: on Tuesday, September 8th from 4 to 7 p.m. with
- 25:48Speaker 1: a community awareness event at 1300 Central Avenue. Pathways is
- 25:54Speaker 1: a certified community behavioral health clinic serving 10 counties in
- 25:59Speaker 1: Northeast Kentucky. According to the release, Ashland Mayor Chuck Charles
- 26:03Speaker 1: will sign a proclamation during the August 27th meeting of
- 26:08Speaker 1: the Board of City Commissioners declaring September 8th as 988 Day.
- 26:14Speaker 1: The theme for this year's 988 Day is 988 Reasons
- 26:18Speaker 1: Your Reason is Enough. According to Pathways, this theme highlights
- 26:22Speaker 1: the many reasons people may need support, such as a
- 26:26Speaker 1: difficult moment, a behavioral health challenge, or a concern for
- 26:30Speaker 1: someone else and provides a 24-7 resource to help with
- 26:34Speaker 1: those needs. The 988 Lifeline, which was launched nationally in
- 26:39Speaker 1: July 2022, has received more than 26 million contacts via phone, text,
- 26:46Speaker 1: and online chat, the release stated. Pathways is proud to
- 26:51Speaker 1: participate along with organizations across the country by hosting a
- 26:55Speaker 1: 988 Day event in Ashland, said Jennifer Willis, RN, PMHBC
- 27:01Speaker 1: Chief Executive Officer. The Pathways 988 Day celebration will feature food, games,
- 27:08Speaker 1: face painting, and activities, but more importantly provide 988 and
- 27:14Speaker 1: other resources to community members. Pathways offers a 24-7 helpline
- 27:23Speaker 1: at 1-800-562-8909. Call 988 for suicide and crisis services. This
- 27:31Speaker 1: concludes excerpts from recent editions of the Ashland Daily Independent.
- 27:35Speaker 1: Your reader has been Jane. On behalf of everyone here
- 27:39Speaker 1: at Radio Eye, thank you for listening. Keep on listening
- 27:42Speaker 1: and have a good day.