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Hazard Herald - 2.8.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: Now we turn to the reading of the Hazard Herald.
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It is of Hazard in Perry County, Humley Townshend. We
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begin with the online edition dated February fourth, twenty twenty six.
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As a reminder, radioized a reading service intended for people
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who are blind or have other disabilities that make it
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difficult to read printed material. Primary Care Centers Martin recognized
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by Sower. Sewer recognized Barry Martin, CEO of Primary Care
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Centers of Eastern Kentucky, as Businessperson of the Year during
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its Inspires Awards event on January twenty ninth. The event
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drew community leaders, as well as local and state officials,
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who gathered to acknowledge Martin's leadership and commitment to expanding
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access to care throughout Eastern Kentucky. Sower Executive Director Reid
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Adkins said the event served as an opportunity to publicly
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recognize Martin's contributions to the region. We have several people
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here to speak today, and today is an opportunity to
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recognize Barry Martin, said Atkins. He's an outstanding businessman and
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does a super job for soul. Very proud to call
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him one of my friends. I want to recognize him
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he does a great job for Eastern Kentucky. Martin's work
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in health care and economic development was also highlighted by
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representatives from Kentucky's congressional delegation. This is pretty easy for
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us to stand on stage and talk about our longtime
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friend that we admire very much, very Martin, said Karen Kelly,
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chief staff for Congressman Hal Rogers. Barry is certainly a friend,
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and what he does for Eastern Kentucky and the heart
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that he has truly stands out. Not only has he
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built one of the top five largest rural health clinics
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in the United States, it's located right here in Hazard.
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It's not just about the employees and the four hundred
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and twenty people he employs, which is a huge economic driver,
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but the services that are delivered from the wound to
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the tomb. As I've heard him say many times, Kelly
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emphasized that Martin's impact extends beyond infrastructure and employment, Touching
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families at their most vulnerable moments, holding people's hands when
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they're getting ready to lose a child, holding people's hands
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at the end of their life, holding people's hands when
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they're really vulnerable and struggling with addiction, and they're afraid
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to take that next step. But they have hope because
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Barry and what his team's doing. She said, That's what
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means more to people in the mountains than anything hope.
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Greg Burke, Martin's brother in law and executive director of
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Deacons of Hope, spoke about Martin's character and leadership from
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a personal perspective. It's truly an honor to stand up
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here and say a few words about someone who means
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a great deal to me, said Burke. I've known very
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nearly forty years. I've known him a long time. He
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actually gave me my first job back when I was
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fourteen fifteen years old. Neither of us could have seen
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what this would be. Burke said, Martin's leadership has been
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defined by his willingness to stand alongside others during difficult times.
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I've had the privilege of working with him these last
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few years, and he's shown something special. He said. He
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has a rare ability. I've been all over the country
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and you don't see it very often. He knows how
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to lead people, but more importantly, he knows how to
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work beside people when things are uncertain. He believes in
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what's possible, even when they're not sure themselves. Burke added
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that Martin's decision to remain in eastern Kentucky has made
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a lasting difference for the region. He could have walked
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away many years ago. He could have sold retired early.
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He could have left Eastern Kentucky behind, like many others
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have chosen to do or been forced to do, Burke said,
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But he didn't. He stayed. He chose to stay and
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be a champion for the people who call Eastern Kentucky home.
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The event was sponsored by Kentucky Community and Technical College
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System and Community Trust Bank. Freezing temperatures disrupt local water
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service outages and advisories remain. Single digit temperatures and ongoing
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inclement weather have caused widespread issues for local water systems,
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leading to outages and boiled water advisories across several areas,
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according to public statements from the City of Hazzard and
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Hazard City Manager Tony Eversold. According to the city's statement,
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the water system is currently utilizing interconnects on Highways four,
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seventy six and five point fifty. Outages have been reported
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in the Gorman Ridge area, the Airport, and Stratton, while
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higher elevations may experience service disruptions due to low levels.
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Line breaks have been identified in the Krypton area. City
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officials said water service is expected to return beginning in
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the portions of Grapevine and the airport area, with crews
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turning water on for Dollar General to the Breathatt County
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line excluding the airport. Residents are still advised to conserve
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water as much as possible. The statement added that ice
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build up has created ongoing challenges at the water plant,
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where crews are removing ice from intake systems every six
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to eight hours. Ice accumulation has interfered with water intake operations.
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Several areas remain under active boiled water advisories, including Highways seven, four,
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seventy six, and five fifty, Orchard Street and Neighborhoods, which
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is low Fare, Christopher, four Seam, Highway, fifteen, South College Tent,
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short Come Ins, Diesel, and cliff View. Extended areas affected
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include all three forks of Mace's Creek starting at the
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Park and Ride Hall, Mountain, Pratt Mountain, all of Highway seven, Leatherwood,
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and Cornetsville. Eversoul said some outages have persisted longer than
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others due to system specific issues. The airport is out,
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and Buckhorn is also out, said Eversoul. Buckhorn has their
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own system and they're trying to locate that and fix
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it immediately. We've got the meadow Brook area over in
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Krypton it's also out. The rest of the areas that
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are out are mostly the higher elevations due to the
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tank levels. Eversoul explained that gravity fed tanks make higher
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elevations more vulnerable during periods of heavy demand and low
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supply the tank's gravity feed, he said, and when the
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tank levels get low, the areas and higher elevations go
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out usually. Currently, the hospital is still on. That's our
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main priority. The veterans center, the nursing home, the dialysis center,
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all of that is still on. I don't know if
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people know this or not, but we've got the biggest
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dialysis center around over several counties and they handle a
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lot of patients there. Eversoul said. The extreme cold has
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led to infrastructure problems not previously encountered. We've had buildings
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and offices that we've never been aware of freezing up
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before have frozen up during this latest bit of weather,
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Eversol said. We have two tanks that are frozen and
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they can't distribute water. One out in Stratton and the
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other here in tow at the peak is frozen. That's
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why the mayor doesn't have water right now. He emphasized
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that increased water usage during freezing conditions places additional stream
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on an already limited system. Our system is tight to
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begin with, he said. When people leave their waterfalls, it's
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dripping or fill up their bathtubs. Just with five thousand customers,
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which is a low number, if they're running a quarter
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inch drain, there goes the water system. The population has
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grown and a lot of people leave their water running
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throughout the day and night, and it depletes the tanks.
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Ever So urged residents to take preventive measures to protect
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water lines while being mindful of overall usage. If people can,
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they should try securing their water lines, he said, using
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heat tape on the lines. If it's under a mobile
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home or in a cross space under a house, it
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makes a big difference. When you leave your water running
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in situations like this, you're taking from your neighbors. So
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we all have to be aware of our water use
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during times like this. City officials continue to provide regular
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updates as crew's work to restore service. We're averaging two
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updates a day right now, Eversola said. The airport has
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been out the longest. They've been out since Friday, and
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we're hoping to get them on as quickly as we can.
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We're getting lines turned on, and it takes time to
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get them filled and up and start getting the water
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pushed up into different sections. It's a slow but steady process.
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Pedestrian dies after being struck on Kentucky fifteen. A Jackson
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man died after being struck by a vehicle on Kentucky fifteen,
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according to the Perry County Sheriff's Office. According to the
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Sheriff's office, Virgil Lee Johnson, fifty seven, died of injuries
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suffered in the incident. According to a statement from Deputy
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Chris Jones, at approximately eleven forty six pm on January
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twenty seventh, the Hazard Police Department received a call We're
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reporting a man walking in the roadway near the Perry
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County Ambulance Service on Kentucky fifteen. Jones said in the
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statement that it was later reported that the man, identified
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as Johnson, had been struck by a vehicle outside the
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Hazard city limits. The Sheriff's Office. Investigation, Jones said, determined
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that Johnson was walking in the roadway on Kentucky fifteen,
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across from the Arco gas station when the driver of
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a vehicle approached and swerved in an attempt to miss Johnson,
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but struck him. An all Prety Police officer, Jones said,
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responded to control the scene, and while the officer was
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doing so, another vehicle came through and also struck Johnson.
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The Perry County Ambulance Service responded, Jones said, and requested
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that the Perry County Corner's Office respond. No foul play
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is suspected in the incident. The Hazard Police Department assisted
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in the response, according to Jones. Funeral services for Johnson
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were held February third breath at Funeral Hall. The incident
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remains under investigation. Democratic US Senate candidates address the crowd
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and Hazard meet the candidates for him at the Hazard
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Forum on January twenty ninth, gave Eastern Kentuckians the opportunity
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to hear directly from Democratic candidates or seeking a US
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Senate nomination, as well as from fifth Congressional District candidate
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Ned Pillersdorf, who organized the event. The forum brought together
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five of the six Democratic Senate candidates, with two participating
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in person and the remaining candidates joining by zoom. Pillersdorf
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said the event was intended to ensure that voters in
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Eastern Kentucky have a voice in a statewide race that
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is often viewed as being unwounable by Democrats. Pillersdorf said
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he believes it's critical for Senate candidates to campaign in
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eastern Kentucky and challenge long held assumptions about the region's
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political landscape. I've invited the US Senate candidates to be
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here today because I think it's important that Eastern Kentucky
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hear from them. He said. One of the things that's
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been grossly underreported and misunderstood is there's a really unfair
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perception that the Democrats can't win a Senate race in Kentucky.
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I think that's utter nonsense. If you've been paying attention
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to what's going on in this country in twenty twenty
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five to twenty twenty six, or a markable thing that's happening,
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I'm absolutely convinced there's not only going to be a
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blue wave, there's going to be a blue tsunami wave.
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Pillersdorf added the turnout an engagement in the fifth District
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congressional race could play a decisive role in the Democratic primary.
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My message to the Senate candidates is the Democratic primary
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may very well be decided here in the fifth Congressional District.
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We do not have an East Kentucky candidate, so I've
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urged all the candidates to come here and talk to
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the people. This election is very important. We are the
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poorest district in the country under the stewardship of Hal Rogers.
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Hal Rogers no longer makes public appearances and hasn't made
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one since August. He's driving us over the cliff. The
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Big Ugly Bill will be catastrophic for Kentucky. We're projected
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here in our district to lose more hospitals than anywhere
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in this country. This is the greatest shift of wealth
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with the Republicans in charge, from the wealthiest among us
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to the least of us. The bill guts the safety
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nets in countless ways. Why are they being so cruel
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and hard on the less fortunate US? Senate candidate Charles
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Booker opened his remarks by focusing on economic hardship and
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inequalities facing Kentuckians across the state. I thank God for
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the chance to stand alongside and serve all the hard
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working people across the Commonwealth who believe things can be done,
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said Booker in his opening statement. I know we're in
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a moment where so many people are hurting, and people
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are struggling to make ends meet, trying to figure out
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how to afford to keep the lights on, trying to
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afford taking care of their children and just be okay.
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At the same time, we're watching the government rig the system,
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with millionaires now on their way to becoming trillionaires, while
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we have loved ones who are sleeping in the streets.
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Booker said his personal background connects him to the struggles
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faced by Appalachian communities. I come from the struggle, he said,
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all of our loved ones across Appalachia who have felt
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ignored and been ignored. That's my story. I know what
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it feels like to see Paul psitions only come around
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during election time and don't care about our lives. I
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dare to believe that we can do something different. Although
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we've faced some dark times and Ms McConnell has been
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in office my entire life. He's been screwing us my
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entire life. I know that a lot of people think
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that things won't change, but change is possible. We are
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that change. He criticized both parties in Washington and said
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his campaign is rooted in addressing poverty and protecting human rights.
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As far as party politics go, we've been getting screwed
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by all of these folks in Washington, Bookers said, because
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of our commitment to regular people, to fighting and ending poverty,
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I entered this race with a lot of prayer because
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I never thought I'd run for anything. We have a
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chance to win this race based on the leadership that
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is committed to honoring human rights. Said his priorities include affordability,
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environmental health, and accountability to work in families. I want
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to make sure we fight to make sure we can
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afford our utilities and that our air and our water
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won't make us sick. He said that all of those
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who thought and toil for this country have a government
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that will have our bikes and won't sell us out
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to billionaires. Candidate Logan Foresight emphasized his decision to attend
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the forum in person and contrasted it with the absence
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of other candidates. For everyone that's in Eastern Kentucky or
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Western Kentucky or rural parts of the state where I'm from.
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I want you to think about one thing. How many
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solicitations have you seen from candidates who are not here
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tonight as foresight. Think about that and think about what's
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important to people when they're running for office. I'm not
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a politician and not seeking to become a career politician.
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Now if I win this race, i will become a politician.
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And I'm not motivated by self interest. I'm not motivated
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by anything other than the fact that in my whole life,
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we've never had a senator that has actually cared about Kentuckians.
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For Site, shared his upbringing in rural western Kentucky and
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said those experiences shape his campaign's focus. When I grew
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up in rural western Kentucky, raised by a single mother
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in poverty, we struggled, he said. We were on Medicaid,
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we were on food stamps, we were on all safety
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net programs that are being slashed. That story, unfortunately, as
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I go across Kentucky, is still the same story being
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lived and being told by many of us. If it's
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not you, then you definitely know somebody. We have family,
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and we have friends, people in our church and commune
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unity that we know are struggling. That's why my campaign
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from day one is different. It is something that I'm
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willing to shape in a certain way so that everyone
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understands that if elected, you're not going to get what
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you've always had. Candidate Dale Romans, who attended virtually, said
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he believes a Democrat can winsen at seat and make
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a difference. I believe that my life experiences can take
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me to Washington, DC and I can do a lot
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of good for the great state that's been so good
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to me, Romans said. Romans said he would like to
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focus on issues that seem smaller in Washington but are important.
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He said he was diagnosed as being severely dyslexic as
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a child and wants to see technology used to help
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breach children who struggle with issues such as he had.
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Kentucky would be a great place to start the reform
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of education for kids struggling like me, Roman said. Immigration,
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he said, is another issue he wants to work on,
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especially being aware of the issue from working in the
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horse industry. I understand the need for the immigrant workforce
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that we need in the United States, Roman said. I
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think that we can go in there and fix that system.
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Roman said he's also for campaign reform and term limits.
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Candidate Vincent Anthony Thompson, who attended in person, centered his
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remarks on healthcare access drawing from personal lass and professional experience.
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The last time I was down here, this area was
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dealing with a lot of flooding, said Thompson. I know
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that job that I have as chairman worked for the
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National Conservation Foundation. They did a lot of work down
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here to make sure that some of these homes that
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were taken out by the flood were worked on or
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removed to higher ground. The reason I'm standing here today
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is because my wife passed away in twenty twenty. She
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was dealing with congestive heart failure, diagnosed at twenty seven
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years old. The one thing that stood between my wife
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and her healing was insurance. Insurance told her she could
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not afford to go to Vanderbilt to get the heart
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transplant that she needed. Insurance told doctors they couldn't prescribe
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her the medications she needed to be given. Insurance should
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not stand in the way of health care. Legislators should
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not stand in the way of people's self care. That's
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why I'm standing here today. Amilis Stevenson, a twenty seven
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year veteran of the US Air Force who's currently serving
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in the Kentucky House, said she's running because the country
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is being shredded. America, Democracy, all of it is being shredded,
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said Stevenson, who attended, Virtually everything that you've worked for,
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that your grandparents work for, is being shredded. We can
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be leaders that this state is going to count on
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and this country is going to count on or not.
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Stephenson said the United States is the greatest country in
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the world, but it has to show it. We've got
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to get authority back in the world. She said America
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was responsible for world peace. Stephenson also said she believes
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in the importance of social programs such as social security
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and Medicare. Democratic candidate Joshua Blanton Senior did not attend
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the forum. The winner of the Democratic nomination in the
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May nineteenth primary will face the winner of the Republican primary.
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Dying for the GOP nod our Andy Barr, Daniel Cameron
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on this catlet, James D. Duncan, Michael James Ferris, Valerie
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Doctor Vale, Frederick Jonathan m Holiday, Jimmy I. Leon Nate Morris,
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Nick Shelley, George Washington, and Donald windsl Here are the obituaries.
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Carl Akers seventy six died Friday, January twenty third. Furman
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bones Otis Eversole sixty five of Big Creek died Sunday,
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January twenty fifth. Lowell David Eversoll sixty nine of Hazard
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died Sunday, January twenty fifth. Janda Campbell ninety four, formerly
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of Hazard, died Thursday January twenty second. Kevin Haskell Oliver
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Junior fifty died Saturday, January twenty fourth, and Maryland Warfield
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seventy two of Hazard died Sunday, January twenty fifth. Then
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Hurley Napier, fifty four of Hazard died Wednesday, January twenty eighth.
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The opinion pay to the letter to the editor Affordable
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housing needed. I read the January twenty eighth article on
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the Skyview housing project, and I appreciate the honesty of it.
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It acknowledged something many people here already know that a
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lot of flood survivors, especially seniors, people on Social Security, renters,
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and folks living paycheck to paycheck, simply can't afford to
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live in the housing being built in the name of recovery.
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That's hard to hear because the disaster recovery is supposed
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to be about helping people who were hurt the most.
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When the answer becomes they wouldn't be able to afford
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the bills anyway, it feels like we're blaming people for
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being poor instead of asking whether the system was designed
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to truly help them. The truth is many of these
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families were making it before the flood. The flood didn't
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make them irresponsible. It took away what little they had.
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If the help being offered is still out of reach,
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that something is missing. There are other ways these funds
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could be used fixing existing houses, helping renters, supporting seniors
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or on fixed incomes, or offering deeper affordability. These choices
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reflect our values. Acknowledging the gap as a start showing
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compassion by closing it should be the goal. No one's
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hands were tied here. The law allows more help for
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the poorest. It comes down to what choices were made
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and who was spoken up for. Sign angela Hattan Hazard.
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The Guest's Column, Week four of the twenty twenty sixth
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legislative session, by Brandon Smith's state Senator thirtieth district. Week
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four of the legislative session had a tough start for
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a lot of folks. By come, Eastern Kentucky got hammered
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by winter weather last weekend. At one point, I think
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more than eighty thousand Kentuckians were without power and many
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are still without water. Roads were slick, trees were down,
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and it was cold, real cold. I thanks to utility crews,
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first responders, and road workers, but in true Kentucky fashion,
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folks stepped up. I want to personally thank the contractors,
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local responders, and utility crews who work through ice, wind
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and long nights to get people back online and able
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to travel safer if they needed to. Within just a
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couple of days, power outages were down to around ten
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thousand and dropping. That kind of commitment reminds us that's
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what service looks like. These men and women left their
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families to protect hours, and I'm proud to stand with them.
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When we talk about infrastructure and reliability. This is what
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we mean. It's not just numbers in a budget or
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lines on a map. It's real people with real needs
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who count on things working under all circumstances. All keep
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pushing to make sure Eastern Kentucky is an overlooked when
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it comes to emergency response and long term investment. Energy
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reliability and costs will also remain a part of my
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work as Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee Chair. A
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key to having reliable energy is having reliable housing. We're
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all aware of the negative impacts of inflation and the
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availability of affordable homes. There's also a lack of a
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supply of housing to meet demand. On Friday, I propose
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one thing we can do to help, and that is
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address abandoned homes and how we can better repair and
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prepare them for families to call them theirs. In week four,
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I filed Senate Bill one for two, which takes a
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strategic swing at Kentucky's affordable housing shortage. In many of
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our communities, homes sit vacant and follow in the park
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while working families struggle to find safe, affordable places to live.
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This bill establishes the Abandoned Home Pool Fund to help
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convert long empty houses into livable, rentable homes. This concludes
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the reading of the Hazard Herald. Please stay tuned for
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continued programming. Thank you for joining me and on behalf
27:22
of everyone here at RADIOI. This is Lee Townshend, wishing
27:26
you a good day.