Latest / Eastern Kentucky Newspapers / Licking Valley Courier - 9.25.26
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker 1: We now turn to the Licking Valley Courier to bring
- 0:03Speaker 1: you news from in and around West Liberty. Your reader
- 0:07Speaker 1: today is Janice. We begin with the edition dated Thursday,
- 0:11Speaker 1: September 24, 2026. As a reminder, Radio Eye is a
- 0:17Speaker 1: reading service intended for people who are blind or have
- 0:21Speaker 1: other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material.
- 0:25Speaker 1: Our first article is... Rotary Political Forum slated Thursday, October 1st.
- 0:32Speaker 1: West Liberty Rotary Club will host a political forum on Thursday,
- 0:36Speaker 1: October 1st, ahead of the general election. The event will
- 0:41Speaker 1: be in the auditorium at the Morgan County Board of
- 0:44Speaker 1: Education building. Registration will be at 5.30 p.m. and the
- 0:49Speaker 1: program will begin at 6 p.m. In addition to remarks
- 0:53Speaker 1: from the candidates, a cake pie auction will be hailed.
- 0:58Speaker 1: Proceeds from the auction will be used for local Rotary
- 1:02Speaker 1: service projects for our youth and elderly. The public is
- 1:06Speaker 1: invited to attend. For more additional information regarding this event,
- 1:11Speaker 1: contact Cheryl McGraw at 606-359-2719. Our next article is Freedom
- 1:16Speaker 1: Bench Dedicated October 17th Treadway Park. The Big Sandy Chapter
- 1:28Speaker 1: of the Sons of the American Revolution will host a
- 1:31Speaker 1: dedication ceremony for the Freedom Bench at the Treadway Park
- 1:36Speaker 1: on Saturday, October 17th at 11 a.m. This bench honors
- 1:41Speaker 1: the patriot men and women of the American Revolution, as
- 1:45Speaker 1: well as all veterans who sacrifice for our freedom. The
- 1:50Speaker 1: public is invited to attend this special event. Senior Commodities Giveaway,
- 1:56Speaker 1: October 7th. Commodities for Seniors from God's Pantry will be
- 2:04Speaker 1: given out on Wednesday, October 7th from 11 a.m. to
- 2:08Speaker 1: 3 p.m. at Index Community Center. Please bring a box
- 2:13Speaker 1: or tote when you come to pick up. For additional information,
- 2:17Speaker 1: call 606-522-3988 or 606- And there is a little note here.
- 2:37Speaker 1: Our next article is Upcoming Events at the Extension Office.
- 2:42Speaker 1: The following is a listing of upcoming events at the
- 2:46Speaker 1: Morgan County Extension Office. Fridays, September 25th through the 27th,
- 2:51Speaker 1: the Sargum Festival. 4-H Teen Club will set up selling
- 2:56Speaker 1: snacks and 4-H Shooting Sports will be selling parking spots.
- 3:00Speaker 1: Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. or sellout. Tuesday,
- 3:05Speaker 1: September 29th, Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday,
- 3:11Speaker 1: September 30th, piece by piece. Thursday, October 8th, Licking River
- 3:17Speaker 1: Homemakers Annual Meeting, 11 a.m. at Carlisle, Kentucky. Tuesday, October 13th,
- 3:26Speaker 1: Farmer's Appreciation Dinner, 7 p.m. at Woods Bend's Weddings and Event.
- 3:33Speaker 1: Our next article is Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Auctions set
- 3:37Speaker 1: for October 5th. KDFWR to auction off surplus and confiscated items. Frankfort, Kentucky,
- 3:47Speaker 1: September 21st. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
- 3:54Speaker 1: will host a live auction to sell surplus items and
- 3:58Speaker 1: confiscated hunting and fishing equipment on Monday, October 5th, at 2,026.
- 4:05Speaker 1: Registration opens at 7.30 a.m. Eastern Time and the auction
- 4:10Speaker 1: of surplus property and confiscated items will begin at 9.30
- 4:15Speaker 1: Eastern Time. The auction will be held outdoors, rain or shine,
- 4:21Speaker 1: on the department's headquarters campus at Sports Lane in Frankfort, Kentucky.
- 4:26Speaker 1: A complete list of items available for sale is provided
- 4:31Speaker 1: at the department's surplus and confiscated items auction webpage, including
- 4:37Speaker 1: a large selection of boats, trailers, and motorsports. Titles and
- 4:41Speaker 1: registrations will be available on the day of the sale.
- 4:46Speaker 1: Items are sold as is and will not be available
- 4:49Speaker 1: for hands-on inspection prior to sale. Under the state law,
- 4:53Speaker 1: only qualified Kentucky residents may bid on confiscated items. Some
- 4:59Speaker 1: items will require a criminal background check. Accepted forms of
- 5:04Speaker 1: payment include cash, check, certified check, credit card, or debit card.
- 5:10Speaker 1: Final pricing will include a buyer's premium and a surcharge
- 5:14Speaker 1: for credit or debit card use. Checks over $ 5, 000 will
- 5:19Speaker 1: require a bank letter guaranteeing payment. Under state law, Kentucky
- 5:25Speaker 1: Fish and Wildlife may conduct auctions as necessary to sell
- 5:29Speaker 1: surplus and confiscated property. Surplus items include equipment and materials
- 5:36Speaker 1: no longer needed by the agency. All confiscated items are
- 5:41Speaker 1: obtained through court order and as a result, a violation
- 5:45Speaker 1: of fish and wildlife laws. By law, proceeds from the
- 5:50Speaker 1: Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Auctions are directed into the Department's
- 5:54Speaker 1: Fish and Game Fund and subject to auditing by the
- 5:58Speaker 1: State Auditor of Public Accounts. The fund is used for
- 6:02Speaker 1: the Department's normal operating expenses, including fish and wildlife conservation
- 6:08Speaker 1: and related recreation programs for the Commonwealth. Parking will be
- 6:13Speaker 1: limited to designated areas on the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Campus.
- 6:18Speaker 1: Game Farm Road west of the Upper and Lower Sportsman
- 6:22Speaker 1: Lakes will be restricted to residential traffic only on the
- 6:26Speaker 1: day of the auction. Portable restroom facilities will be available
- 6:31Speaker 1: to the public. For more information, visit the department's website
- 6:35Speaker 1: at fw.ky.gov or call 1-800- 8-5-8-15-49, 8 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
- 6:49Speaker 1: Eastern Time, weekdays excluding holidays. Our next article is Morgan
- 6:55Speaker 1: County Sheriff Warren's of Technology Drive by Alex Barber, September 18th.
- 7:02Speaker 1: Scams are becoming more common according to Sheriff Greg Motley,
- 7:07Speaker 1: who says advances in technology are making them harder to spot.
- 7:13Speaker 1: Scamming is just becoming more and more prevalent, Motley said.
- 7:17Speaker 1: Motley said that the scammers are targeting everyone. With more
- 7:21Speaker 1: than 30 years of law enforcement experience, technology has changed
- 7:25Speaker 1: the way scammers operate. He pointed to tactics such as
- 7:30Speaker 1: spoofing phone numbers, making calls from outside the country and
- 7:34Speaker 1: the potential for scammers to increasingly use artificial intelligence in
- 7:39Speaker 1: the future. I look to see a lot more scams
- 7:43Speaker 1: developed from that technology. The warning comes after a commercial
- 7:48Speaker 1: bank notified the sheriff's office about counterfeit $ 100 bills that
- 7:53Speaker 1: was identified by employees. According to Motley, it is the
- 7:58Speaker 1: only reported case in Morgan County so far, but bank
- 8:02Speaker 1: officials wanted to raise awareness before someone else unknowingly accepts
- 8:07Speaker 1: a fake bill. Brad Lemaster, who works at Commercial Bank,
- 8:11Speaker 1: said the counterfeit bill was convincing enough that many people
- 8:15Speaker 1: may not have recognized it as a fake. It's kind
- 8:19Speaker 1: of blended in, Lemaster said. So if you was, you know,
- 8:24Speaker 1: actually looking for the counterfeit $ 100 bill, you wouldn't have
- 8:28Speaker 1: noticed them. Motley said modern printing technology allows counterfeiters to
- 8:34Speaker 1: produce bills that look increasingly realistic. These printers are photo
- 8:40Speaker 1: quality so they can reproduce a bill and make it
- 8:44Speaker 1: look very real, Motley said. LeMaster said no one lost
- 8:49Speaker 1: any money in the incident, but counterfeit $ 100 bill can
- 8:54Speaker 1: have a significant impact on individuals and businesses. It's a
- 8:59Speaker 1: $ 100 bill. The day and time with prices, it's going
- 9:05Speaker 1: to affect you personally. and will affect your business as well,
- 9:09Speaker 1: LeMaster said. LeMaster and Motley said that advances in technology,
- 9:14Speaker 1: including AI and improving printing capabilities, continue to create new
- 9:20Speaker 1: challenges for banks and consumers trying to identify counterfeit currency.
- 9:27Speaker 1: Motley said that reality is one reason scams continue to
- 9:30Speaker 1: be successful. They try to scam 100 people in a day.
- 9:36Speaker 1: If they only get one person, then they're winning, Motley said.
- 9:39Speaker 1: The sheriffs encourage people to slow down, ask questions, and
- 9:44Speaker 1: verify information before accepting money, making purchases, or responding to
- 9:50Speaker 1: suspicious calls and messages. Motley added that anyone who believes
- 9:55Speaker 1: they may be the target of a scam should contact
- 9:58Speaker 1: their local sheriff's office. Alex Barber is committed to covering
- 10:03Speaker 1: stories in your community that matter to you. If you
- 10:06Speaker 1: have an idea, reach out to him at alex.barber at WLEX.TV.
- 10:15Speaker 1: Our next article is Sargham Queen Hopefuls Named Ahead of Festival.
- 10:21Speaker 1: Traditional Activities, Variety of Music on Tap for the 55th
- 10:25Speaker 1: Annual Event. Music Headliners are Don Rigsby, Friday, and Layla Spring, Saturday,
- 10:31Speaker 1: by Miranda M. Cantrell. Morgan County High School recently announced
- 10:37Speaker 1: this year's Sargham Queen candidates ahead of of the 55th
- 10:41Speaker 1: Annual Sargum Festival slated for September 25th, 26th, and 27th
- 10:47Speaker 1: in downtown West Liberty. Morgan County High School Sargum Queen
- 10:51Speaker 1: Candidates this year's Sargum Queen Candidates include the following, Aleha Holland,
- 10:57Speaker 1: daughter of Derek and Candace Holland, Adrienne Stacy, daughter of
- 11:02Speaker 1: Tommy and Brenda Keaton, Kinsley Potter, daughter of Brandon and
- 11:07Speaker 1: Sarah Potter, Roslyn Havens, daughter of Kurt and Lakhan Havens.
- 11:14Speaker 1: Danica Phipps, daughter of Cody and Hope Phipps. Morgan County
- 11:18Speaker 1: High School Sargam Queen will be crowned by popular student
- 11:22Speaker 1: body vote during the High School Sargam Bowl on Friday,
- 11:25Speaker 1: September 25th at the Don McKenzie Field with kickoff slated
- 11:30Speaker 1: for 7.30 p.m. The Morgan County High School Cougar football
- 11:34Speaker 1: team will play the Iroquois High School Raiders in the
- 11:38Speaker 1: Sargum Bowl. Junior High Sargum Court. Morgan County High School
- 11:44Speaker 1: also announced Junior High Sargum Court members. Keena Bowman, daughter
- 11:51Speaker 1: of Kelly and Miranda Bowman, 7th grade representative. Olivia Stacey,
- 11:58Speaker 1: daughter of Travis and Katie Stacey, 8th grade representative. Serenity
- 12:03Speaker 1: Roberts and daughter of Jonathan and Ashley Roberts, eighth grade representative.
- 12:09Speaker 1: Kenzie Buchulahimer, daughter of Chris and Kirsten Buchulahimer, eighth grade representative.
- 12:20Speaker 1: Perry Dagan, daughter of John and Chelsea Dagan, eighth grade representative.
- 12:25Speaker 1: Ellen Nickel, daughter of Brad and Sarah Nickel. Eighth grade
- 12:30Speaker 1: Sargon Princesses will be announced during halftime of the Junior
- 12:34Speaker 1: High Sargam Bowl on Thursday, September 24th at Don McKenzie Field.
- 12:40Speaker 1: The Sargam Parade will begin 1 p.m. Saturday, September 26th
- 12:45Speaker 1: with the lineup to begin at 11 a.m. in the
- 12:49Speaker 1: Line Apparel parking lot on Dogwood Lane. Sargam Festival committee
- 12:54Speaker 1: members recently announced the following parade guidelines. All persons driving
- 13:01Speaker 1: a motor vehicle or utility vehicle must be a licensed driver,
- 13:08Speaker 1: no exceptions. Current elected officials or those running for office
- 13:14Speaker 1: may participate. However, only your name can be visible on
- 13:19Speaker 1: your vehicle or utility vehicle. No elect or re-elect campaign
- 13:26Speaker 1: signage is permitted to be posted on the vehicle. Lineup
- 13:32Speaker 1: for the festival will begin at 11 a.m. in the
- 13:35Speaker 1: Lion Incorporated parking lot on Dogwood Lane. Please arrive in
- 13:41Speaker 1: plenty enough time to be placed in the lineup. Additionally,
- 13:46Speaker 1: judging for the floats will begin at 11.30 a.m. Prizes
- 13:51Speaker 1: for float winners will be as follows. First place, $ 1, 000.
- 13:54Speaker 1: Second place, $ 750. Third place, $ 350. The committee also noted
- 14:02Speaker 1: that veterans will be honored with a 21 gun salutes
- 14:06Speaker 1: during the parade. As part of our tribute to veterans,
- 14:10Speaker 1: there will be a 21 gun salute during the parade.
- 14:13Speaker 1: We want to make our community aware that this includes
- 14:16Speaker 1: loud gunfire sounds, which may be triggering for some veterans
- 14:22Speaker 1: and individuals with PTSD. Thank you for joining us in
- 14:27Speaker 1: honoring our heroes today. and please take precautions if you
- 14:31Speaker 1: are sensitive to loud sounds. 21 gun salutes are at
- 14:36Speaker 1: Treadway Park in front of the tank and the Doughboy
- 14:39Speaker 1: statue on the corner of Main Street and Court Street.
- 14:44Speaker 1: A sensory-friendly zone will be located along the Broadway-Court Street
- 14:50Speaker 1: portions of the parade route. For more information regarding the parade,
- 14:55Speaker 1: contact Sargham Festival Committee Chair Walker Crace at 606-359-0017. This
- 15:06Speaker 1: year's festival theme will be Taste the Past, Making Memories
- 15:10Speaker 1: that Last, and will include handmade crafts, food booths, children inflatables, activities,
- 15:18Speaker 1: meal-drawn sorghum, meal and live music. This year, entertainment headliners
- 15:24Speaker 1: will be acclaimed, bluegrass artist Don Rigsby of Isonville in
- 15:29Speaker 1: Elliott County on Friday, September 25th, and rising country music
- 15:34Speaker 1: artist and former American Idol contestant Layla Spring on Saturday,
- 15:39Speaker 1: September 26th. Don Rigsby has released numerous solo bluegrass albums
- 15:45Speaker 1: in addition to his work with J.D. Crowe and the
- 15:48Speaker 1: New South, the Lonesome River Band, Longview, Rock County, Midnight Call,
- 15:55Speaker 1: and Flashback. Additionally, Rigsby has received multiple International Bluegrass Music Awards,
- 16:02Speaker 1: as well as the Society for the Preservation of the
- 16:05Speaker 1: Bluegrass Music Song of the Year Award for his song
- 16:09Speaker 1: Empty Old Mailbox in 2001. Rigsby will be supported by
- 16:14Speaker 1: special guest Kevin Denny, a country and bluegrass artist from Monticello, Kentucky,
- 16:20Speaker 1: who has written songs for Craig Morgan, Eastern Corbin, Tracy Bird,
- 16:25Speaker 1: and also achieved his own Billboard Top 20 single with
- 16:30Speaker 1: That's Just Jessie in 2002. Rigsby and Denny's music can
- 16:35Speaker 1: be found on all streaming platforms. Layla Spring, a native
- 16:41Speaker 1: of Lebanon, Kentucky, was a finalist on the American Idol
- 16:45Speaker 1: in 2018 and was voted back on the show in 2020.
- 16:51Speaker 1: Throughout her career, Spring performed alongside several notable country artists,
- 16:56Speaker 1: including Sugarland, Leigh-Anne Rimes, Montgomery Gentry, Colt Ford, Easton Corbin, Exile,
- 17:04Speaker 1: and Terry Clark. Spring's single, Another You, can be found
- 17:09Speaker 1: on all streaming platforms. Event co-chair and music chair Grant
- 17:13Speaker 1: Sorrell said that all musical performances will be atop the
- 17:17Speaker 1: parking garage adjacent to the Commercial Bank this year. The
- 17:22Speaker 1: following is a complete listing of this year's music schedule. Friday,
- 17:28Speaker 1: September 25th, it's Bluegrass Friday. From 1 to 1.45 p.m.,
- 17:35Speaker 1: Lundy Wright Jamming to the Oldies. 2 to 3 p.m.,
- 17:40Speaker 1: Middle Run Grass. 3.30 to 4.30, Drayden, Gordon, and Ridge Runners.
- 17:45Speaker 1: 445 to 545, Blue Debut. 615 to 715, Silver Dollar.
- 17:53Speaker 1: 745 to 9 p.m., Don Rigsby and the Fly-By-Nights with
- 17:59Speaker 1: a very special guest, Kevin Denny. Saturday, September 26th from
- 18:05Speaker 1: 1030 to 1130 a.m., Randy Maloney and Friends. A break
- 18:11Speaker 1: for the parade. And then at 2.15 to 3 p.m.,
- 18:15Speaker 1: Justin Lee Harris. 3.15 to 4.15, Plum Rotten. 4.30 to 5.30,
- 18:23Speaker 1: Goble Cantrell. 5.30 to 7.35, Longshot. 8 to 9.30 p.m., Layla,
- 18:33Speaker 1: pardon me, Layla Spring, Rising Country Music Artist and American
- 18:38Speaker 1: Idol Contestant. Sunday, September 27th, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- 18:44Speaker 1: Gospel and worship music brought to you by the Morgan
- 18:48Speaker 1: County Ministerial Association. Official Sargum Festival t-shirts will be available
- 18:53Speaker 1: to purchase for $ 15 with the proceeds to go back
- 18:57Speaker 1: to the festival. Sargum Festival Committee Members Executive Committee Chairman
- 19:03Speaker 1: Walker Crace Co-Chair Grant Sorrell Treasurer Ashley Likens and Secretary
- 19:10Speaker 1: Christy Gullet Board members, Henrietta McKinney, Judy Townsend, and Leona Cantrell.
- 19:17Speaker 1: Chair members, Grant Sorrell for music, Liz Conley, advertising and Facebook,
- 19:24Speaker 1: Troy and Sandra Dye, food booths, Ashley Mason, crafters booth,
- 19:30Speaker 1: Troy Dye, porta-potties, Christy Gullet, souvenir booth, Danny Townsend, Sargum Sales,
- 19:38Speaker 1: Helen Lewis, country store, Walter Crace and Danielle McKinney-Parade, Kim Lane,
- 19:44Speaker 1: Food Preservation, Lacey May, Sargum Growers, Kyle Risner, City Representative,
- 19:52Speaker 1: Martha Lewis and Mary Sandiford, Hannah Likens, Youth Member, and
- 19:58Speaker 1: Brantley Gullet and Jackson Sorrell, Social Media. For additional information
- 20:03Speaker 1: regarding the Sargum Festival, contact City Hall at 606-743-7000. 3330,
- 20:09Speaker 1: or visit Morgan County Sargon Festival Facebook page or their website.
- 20:18Speaker 1: Our next article is from the West Liberty Police Department,
- 20:22Speaker 1: Attention Parents and Guardians. Dear parents, guardians, and visitors, at
- 20:28Speaker 1: this year's annual Sargon Festival, the West Liberty Police Department
- 20:32Speaker 1: will be providing free lost and found bracelets for child
- 20:36Speaker 1: identification purposes. and stickers for autism identification. Our officers and
- 20:42Speaker 1: local emergency personnel will have these bracelets and stickers with
- 20:47Speaker 1: them during the festival events. Just ask for one. Bracelets
- 20:52Speaker 1: and stickers will also be located at the festival committee
- 20:55Speaker 1: booth and ambulance locations around the festival tent. Our next
- 21:00Speaker 1: article is Artist Completes Mural Ahead of the Sargam Fest.
- 21:05Speaker 1: Artist Lacey Hale has completed a mural on the exterior
- 21:09Speaker 1: wall of City Hall ahead of the 55th Annual Sorghum Festival.
- 21:14Speaker 1: The West Liberty City Council approved the mural project in
- 21:20Speaker 1: 2025 following a presentation from West Liberty Tourism Commission member
- 21:25Speaker 1: Julie Ferguson. The 40-foot by 20-foot mural depicts a rusted
- 21:31Speaker 1: Appalachian foothill scene and pays tribute to Morgan County's Sargam
- 21:36Speaker 1: Festival with Sargam Kane framing the words, Welcome to West Liberty.
- 21:42Speaker 1: The scene was painted on a large mural cloth that
- 21:45Speaker 1: was applied to the surface of the building, which underwent
- 21:51Speaker 1: a washing and priming process ahead of the mural's installation. Hale,
- 21:57Speaker 1: an Eastern Kentucky native whose work has been exhibited throughout Kentucky,
- 22:01Speaker 1: and in New York City, offered special thanks to all
- 22:05Speaker 1: who assisted with the project in a September 21st Facebook post.
- 22:12Speaker 1: Two years of planning, designing, collaborating, working, and a week's
- 22:16Speaker 1: worth of installing and finding solutions to issues. It's done.
- 22:22Speaker 1: I want to thank Julie Nichol-Ferguson, Dylan and Zach with
- 22:27Speaker 1: the Street Cruise, Matt, at Kess Lions and West Liberty
- 22:33Speaker 1: Police Department, the city of West Liberty, for being so
- 22:37Speaker 1: kind and helpful and lovely. I also want to thank
- 22:40Speaker 1: my brother, Seth Hale, for being an incredible help. Couldn't
- 22:44Speaker 1: have done the installation without you. I still have to
- 22:47Speaker 1: come back in a couple of weeks to touch up
- 22:50Speaker 1: just a couple of extra spots and seal it, but
- 22:53Speaker 1: it's pretty much done and just in time for the
- 22:57Speaker 1: Sargum Festival. Yay! To learn more about Lacey Hale's art,
- 23:02Speaker 1: visit Art by Lacey Hale on Facebook. Our next article
- 23:07Speaker 1: is Morgan County High School honors one of its all-time
- 23:11Speaker 1: great teams, the 1973 Blue Devils, and there is a picture.
- 23:16Speaker 1: And underneath the picture says, Former players and coaches along
- 23:20Speaker 1: with family members from the 1973 Blue Devils were honored
- 23:25Speaker 1: by the Morgan County High School last Friday. It marked
- 23:28Speaker 1: the football team's first reunion in 53 years. Photo by
- 23:33Speaker 1: William LeMaster, the Cougar Nation Sports. By David Patrick. There's
- 23:41Speaker 1: been only three eight-win teams in the history of Morgan
- 23:45Speaker 1: County High School football, and only one of those squads
- 23:48Speaker 1: can claim to have the greatest defensive unit in the
- 23:51Speaker 1: program history, allowing a mere 69 points for the entire
- 23:56Speaker 1: 11-game season. After beating Will Wright 14-6 in the season opener,
- 24:04Speaker 1: the Blue Devils lost three of the next four games,
- 24:07Speaker 1: but then closed the campaign in dominant fashion. Morgan rolled
- 24:12Speaker 1: past Wes Carter 22-6, Leslie County 24-6, East Carter 40-6,
- 24:15Speaker 1: Phelps 40-0, Lewis County 41-8, and Rowan County 30-0, to
- 24:27Speaker 1: finish 8-3. Over the final half of the season, the
- 24:32Speaker 1: team outscored its opponents 197-26, an average of 28 points
- 24:41Speaker 1: per game. Six players, Hank Allen, Greg Wingo, Gerald Amix,
- 24:47Speaker 1: Mark Jackson, Steve O'Connor, and Greg Phillips were named to
- 24:51Speaker 1: the Courier-Journal or the Associated Press All-State teams. Members of
- 24:56Speaker 1: the 1973 Blue Devils, led by legendary coach John Reed,
- 25:01Speaker 1: gathered for a reunion at Commercial Bank before doing some
- 25:04Speaker 1: pregame tailgating at Don McKenzie Field last Friday. The former
- 25:10Speaker 1: players were then recognized during halftime of the Pineville-Morgan County game.
- 25:16Speaker 1: It's been very special to come back together with all
- 25:19Speaker 1: the players. Coach Reed and the families of those players
- 25:23Speaker 1: that we lost too soon, said Hank Allen, one of
- 25:26Speaker 1: Kentucky's best high school quarterbacks in the early 1970s. It's
- 25:32Speaker 1: been good to commemorate and recognize those who weren't able
- 25:35Speaker 1: to be here. It's really a beautiful day, and I
- 25:39Speaker 1: appreciate everyone's involvement. Allen was one of the several former
- 25:44Speaker 1: standout players in attendance, including Greg Phipps, who attributed many
- 25:50Speaker 1: of his life's blessings to association with the outstanding teammates
- 25:54Speaker 1: and coaches. Any success that I've had in my life
- 25:58Speaker 1: is in large part due to the fact that I
- 26:01Speaker 1: played football. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be
- 26:05Speaker 1: part of a talented team that I loved. It meant
- 26:09Speaker 1: the world to me. As for Dr. Kim Likens, a
- 26:13Speaker 1: former Blue Devil who went on to become a preferred
- 26:16Speaker 1: walk-on at the University of Kentucky for Coach Fran Curie,
- 26:21Speaker 1: is currently an urgent care physician at Duke University. He
- 26:25Speaker 1: says West Liberty will forever hold a special place in
- 26:29Speaker 1: his art. I can't think of a better place to
- 26:32Speaker 1: grow up with all the experiences I had. Football teaches
- 26:37Speaker 1: you to work as a team and be persistent. You
- 26:42Speaker 1: learn so many lessons that you take with you and
- 26:45Speaker 1: for your life and career. Randy Risner, a former offensive
- 26:50Speaker 1: and defensive lineman, attributes the Blue Devils' success to a
- 26:55Speaker 1: group of young boys who stuck together from grade school
- 26:58Speaker 1: through graduation. We'd all played together since the fifth grade,
- 27:03Speaker 1: so when we got to our senior season, we'd known
- 27:06Speaker 1: each other for many years. Combine that with having great
- 27:11Speaker 1: coach and everything simply came together. We all knew how
- 27:15Speaker 1: to play football. The reunion was organized and hosted by
- 27:20Speaker 1: Spree TV's Chris Trustee, Perry Allen, with the latter also
- 27:24Speaker 1: being a Star Cougar quarterback from the 1970s. Trustee says
- 27:29Speaker 1: honoring the 73 team ranks as one of the top
- 27:33Speaker 1: events he's ever been associated with. To see the joys
- 27:37Speaker 1: on these guys coming back together after 53 years made
- 27:41Speaker 1: me feel so excited for them. They were such a
- 27:44Speaker 1: special team. and certainly special people. This group loved Morgan
- 27:49Speaker 1: County and the community. This concludes excerpts from recent editions
- 27:54Speaker 1: of the Licking Valley Courier. Your reader has been Janice.
- 27:58Speaker 1: On behalf of everyone here at Radio Eye, thank you
- 28:01Speaker 1: for listening. Keep on listening, and I hope you have
- 28:04Speaker 1: a very good day.