6.22.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Now we turn to the reading of the Hazard Herald
for news of Hazard in Perry County. On Lee Townsend.
We begin with the online edition dated June nineteenth, twenty
twenty five. As a reminder radioizer reading service intended for
people who are blind or have other disabilities that make
it difficult to read printed material. Local residents join national

(00:23):
No King's Protest as part of a nationwide day of
demonstrations opposing the Trump administration's policies. About seventy five people
gathered in Hazard on June fourteenth for the No King's Protest.
The event coincided with President Trump's military parade and birthday celebration,
and participants said they aimed to defend constitutional rights and

(00:47):
call attention to what they described as dangerous executive overreach.
We're protesting the policies that this administration is placing illegally,
ignoring our constitutional rights that are targeting the pool were
the immigrants and the LGBTQ individuals, and every American is
under attack by reckless implementation of these human and civil

(01:10):
rights violations, said Genevieve Williams, one of the local organizers.
This president wants to make policies with the stroke of
a pen and executive actions as a king would do
instead of through legislative action. Williams said the turnout reflected
the community's deep concern for safeguarding democracy. We had seventy

(01:32):
five people come and peacefully and patriotically demonstrate their First
Amendment rights to speak truth to power.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
She said.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
Williams added that even in smaller conservative communities, people are
raising their voices in defense of core American values.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Our small towns in a.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
Red state have exhausted their efforts to save democracy, Williams said,
under disautocratic regime, some feel that our rising up with
hearts and voices are all that we have left. It's
crucial that we call our Congress to go against these
policies that are aiming at our sacred rights. We are

(02:10):
no longer free people if we ignore the careless tactics
this administration is forcing on our fellow Americans. Attendee Stacy
Fugott said she was heartened by the show of support.

Speaker 2 (02:21):
We were excited to.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
See just how big to turn out for No King's
Day protests work you get said. There are people in
deep red states doing the work to stand against what
is happening with our federal government, and that has always
cup filling. Recovery efforts continue from February flood by Justin Begley.
As Hazard and Perry County continue recovering from the February

(02:45):
fifteenth flood while still addressing damage from the twenty twenty
two disaster. Local officials say progress remained steady and momentum
on revitalization efforts is moving forward. We're recovering pretty well
right now, said Perry County Judge Executive Scott Alexander. Probably
not as quickly as we did in twenty twenty two

(03:08):
due to the fact we've continued to have a lot
of rain and weather since the February event, so it's
really hindered our efforts on the recovery this time.

Speaker 2 (03:18):
Alexander said.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
Federal reimbursement processes are presenting challenges as the community juggles
recovery from multiple disasters. Also, FEMA is a reimbursement program,
he said. A lot of people think we get money first,
but actually we get reimbursed for projects that we do.
So we're still in the recovery process from twenty twenty

(03:41):
two and we're probably eighty percent in having it completed.
Still waiting to receive funds for it in twenty twenty five,
so now we're having to navigate a couple of disasters
at once as we go out and do repairs. The
annual Perry County Fair drew crowds Thursday through Saturday, June

(04:02):
twelfth through fourteenth, with a.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Lineup of attractions and entertainment.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
Highlights included a dinosaur adventure, AMW wrestling, an action pack,
Lumberjack show, live musical performances, and a variety of family
friendly activities. Perie Board of Education adopts new communication policy
for staff and students. The Perry County Board of Education

(04:28):
approved of revised policy June seventeenth, aimed at tightening oversight
of communication between staff, students, and parents.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
The change comes.

Speaker 1 (04:37):
In response to State Bill one eighty one, which prohibits
school employees from having any electronic communication with students outside
of traceable systems. District officials say the move is designed
to protect students and encourage appropriate communication. Right now, we
only have two traceable communication systems in our distition, said

(05:00):
financial officer Jody Magrit.

Speaker 2 (05:03):
That is our.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
Email that we use and Google classroom that teachers use.
With these two communications systems, what's being said and shared
can be seen. Magrit explained that the policy will end
the use of unmonitored platforms such as group texts and
informal chat systems. This would eliminate group text or chat

(05:24):
systems that are currently being used because those aren't traceable
forms of communication, he said, State Bill one eighty one
requires us to meet this requirement. We're going to have
in a matter of days a meeting with a company
who will give us the opportunity to provide a platform
for an annual fee that will enable parents, teachers, and

(05:45):
staff to get into an app, and you would join
groups you needed to join. So if your child was
a Buckhorn basketball player, they would be in that group.
Football players would be in their group. Maggard said the
new platform would offer enhanced monitoring capabilities. We would use
this and all the messaging would be traceable and accounted for.

(06:07):
He said, there would be no private messaging or opportunity
for a kid to send something that's not traceable. We'll
be able to monitor the app and flag certain keywords,
so if that word is used during communication, it's flagged
and we are notified. Maggard emphasized that the goal is
the safeguard students while fostering positive interaction between.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
Teachers and families.

Speaker 1 (06:31):
We wanted to do something to avoid abuse of a situation,
Maggard said.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
I'm sure there will be some tweaks along the way.

Speaker 1 (06:39):
The idea behind this is we're trying to get rid
of bad players. What I mean by this is eliminating
teachers or staff that might do something inappropriate.

Speaker 2 (06:50):
This is a way of being able to do that.

Speaker 1 (06:52):
We want to encourage positive communication and eliminate misconduct. International
recording star Kieran al Hualia performs at levit Amp Whitesburg
June nineteenth. The Eku Steel Band is set to open
the evening of global music. Kieran's open hearted vocals have

(07:14):
established her as one of the globe's most compelling cross pollinators.
She writes songs of breakup and love with equal conviction and,
according to a statement from concert organizers, organically mixing Indian
music with West African blues and American jazz. It's a

(07:34):
combination of ethereal elegance and raw urgency. It's immediately welcoming
and ultimately universal, a sound quite unlike anything you've heard.
Her six piece band is led by Ace guitarist rez Abasi,
whose accolades include the Guggenheim Fellowship and frequent appearances in
the top ten guitarists of DownBeat's International Critics poll. Kieran

(07:57):
and Res are a real life couple, one born in India,
the other in Pakistan. Having grown up in the diaspora,
they cross ethnic and religious lines between their two warring
motherlands the forge of musical and life partnership. Over the
course of seven albums, Kieran has garnered numerous awards, including

(08:18):
two Juno's Canadian Grammys, and her work has featured collaborations
with leading musicians from the Celtic and FATO worlds, as
well as Malayan supergroup Tenararan. Her reworking of the classic
Koali tune must has amassed over three million views online,

(08:39):
and the inspiration that drove her to create it continues
to inform her music today. The Eastern Kentucky Steel Band
starts the show at six thirty pm. Kieran and the
band take the stage at seven point thirty. The Whitesburg
Farmers Market opens at four thirty pm. Family friendly, free
live musmusic at the Mountain Heritage Stage in downtown Whitesburg.

(09:03):
In case of rain, the show moves to the Apple
Shop Solar Pavilion. The levitt Amp Whitesburg Music Series is
a project of the Cowan Community Center and partners the
City of Whitesburg, the Mountain Heritage Festival Committee, Apple Shop,
Leccher Tourism, and Whitesburg Farmers Market. Apple Latchin Regional Healthcare

(09:26):
is the presenting sponsor of the series from the first show.
The Diamond sponsor is Double Kiwi Stores, and the Platinum
sponsors are Hunt Brothers Pizza, Partners for Rural Impact and
Appalachian Impact Fund. Driver charged after allegedly crashing into Shoe
show in reckless driving stunt. A peeringman has been charged

(09:49):
after the Hazard Police Department said they crashed their vehicle
into a storefront at the Daniel Boone Plaza and fled
the scene. On June seventeenth, The Hazard Police departm responded
to a report of a vehicle crashing into the the
Shoe Show storefront before fleeing the scene. Responding officers found

(10:09):
extensive damage to the storefront and the building had been
left unsecured, said Hazard Police Chief Zach Miller. After contacting
the storer's keyholder, officers canvassed the area for security camera footage.
Miller said two witnesses provided statements at the scene. Witnesses
stated that the vehicle had been driving recklessly and performing

(10:32):
doughnuts in the parking lot. Miller said the vehicle was
then seen traveling through the parking lot at a high
rate of speed before crashing into the shoe show storefront.

Speaker 2 (10:44):
Through security camera.

Speaker 1 (10:45):
Footage, officers were able to identify the suspect. After several hours,
the suspect turned himself in at the Kentucky State Police
Post and was taken to the Hazard Police Department for questioning.
Miller said the suspect was later trained exported to the
Kentucky River Regional Jail in charge with first degree criminal mischief,
reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident. While

(11:09):
police did not initially identify the subject, court documents showed
the accused to be Ace Vaughan, Ernest Miller, twenty of
Stables Lane and Viper Patrolman Arley Messer as the case officer,
assisted by Lieutenant Daniel Gross and Sergeant Daniel Miller. From
the opinion page, vaporous words by Russ Cassiday I said

(11:34):
for years to President Donald Trump, if nothing else, is
the ultimate pragmatist, and understanding that I believe is key
to understanding the times and also key to bringing just
a little more peace to our increasingly fraught political discourse.
When the administration came into office this time, much of
the focus was on unfolding an immigration policy that was

(11:57):
hard line. If you weren't a natural boy or citizen,
or if you didn't have a solid foot in the
immigration process, you were going to be deported. Now I'm
not sure the process is so hard line after all.
On June twelfth, the President signaled in a social media
post that he was willing to exempt the agriculture and

(12:18):
hotel industries from the crackdown, according to report from NBC News.

Speaker 2 (12:24):
The next day, it.

Speaker 1 (12:25):
Was reported by The New York Times that a senior
Ice official had ordered a pause and immigration raids at
agricultural businesses, meatpacking plants, restaurants and motels.

Speaker 2 (12:37):
So what happened.

Speaker 1 (12:39):
Did reality set in that getting rid of every illegal
immigrant was an unreachable goal. Did the President have a
change of heart or a concern about the state of
his bank account, or did it simply become more workable
to let off the pedal a bit. Did he accomplish
the goals he was seeking to accomplish.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
It's all a bit of a mystery.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
I would never begrudge someone changing their mind based on
changing information.

Speaker 2 (13:06):
That's the way it's supposed to work.

Speaker 1 (13:08):
But there's an awful lot of people who buy into
the president's hardline rhetoric without a hint of understanding that
the president will turn on a down Just ask Elaw
and Musk. Dosee was going to be transformative. It was
going to change the face of government forever, reducing its
size and costs significantly. At first, it seen the recommendations

(13:30):
coming out of the Musk led think tank were going
to become the law of the land. Cuts were going
to go into effect left and right. The national deficit
was going to become a memory.

Speaker 2 (13:41):
Then all of a.

Speaker 1 (13:41):
Sudden, Dosee cuts became welcome recommendations.

Speaker 2 (13:44):
But we'll just take a look down the road. Thank
you very much. Again. People can and should change their
minds when they.

Speaker 1 (13:52):
Have more information available, or learn their beliefs or wrong.

Speaker 2 (13:56):
But lashing on to President Trump's words.

Speaker 1 (13:59):
As if what he says today is the gospel for
tomorrow is unrealistic.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
It causes the hardline supporters.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
To be willing to live and die based on words
that are as solid as smoke and give opponents the
ability to immediately go to the worst case scenario in
every situation. So the next time the president makes some
grand pronouncement, don't ignore it. If you agree with it,
work to support it. If you don't agree it's a
good move, work against it. But stop going so ballistic

(14:30):
over words that don't mean as much to the speaker
as they do to the hear that's folly, that's the
path of danger. And the guests column. Nonprofits are essential
to Kentucky and they need our help. By Danielle Thark, Klore,
Kentucky Nonprofit Network. When tornadoes strike or floodwaters rise in Kentucky,

(14:53):
it's local charitable nonprofits that mobilize early to provide relief,
working hand in hand with the first responders to help
neighbors in crisis. Within hours, nonprofits and volunteers are clearing debris,
offering shelter, and serving hot meals from a kitchen. Beyond
disaster response, nonprofits are our champions, our neighbors, quietly stepping

(15:18):
in to bridge a critical and often urgent gap among
public systems They provide shelter to women and children escaping
domestic violence. They mentor rural students in stem in the arts,
They deliver meals to seniors. They provide quality after school
in summer youth programs. They connect families with vital services.

(15:41):
Nonprofits provide calm and the chaos, hope in times of hopelessness,
and opportunity and joy in moments of despair. Yet, despite
their incredible impact and critical roles, some Americans question whether
nonprofits are truly essential. That's because when profits are doing
their jobs well, they can be nearly invisible. They quietly

(16:05):
fill critical service gaps with urgency and professionalism. Regardless of
politics or recognition, nonprofits are indeed essential, and make no mistake,
their impact is anything but small. Today, the impact of
charitable nonprofits is under threat. Recent federal funding cuts and
uncertain future fundings are straining many nonprofits. Now, Congress is

(16:30):
advancing tax legislation that could make matters worse for nonprofits
in Kentucky and across the nation, and more importantly, for
the people nonprofits serve. The bill would increase taxes on
foundations and nonprofits and disincentivize charitable giving, diverting critical resources
away from the very organizations our communities rely on.

Speaker 2 (16:55):
The bill also.

Speaker 1 (16:56):
Threatens critical seeking net programs for Kentucky's most vulnerable. A
recent impact report from Kentucky Nonprofit Network, the state's association
of charitable nonprofits, highlights what to its state. Nearly half
of Kentucky nonprofit partner with federal, state, or local governments
to deliver services that help communities thrive. Nonprofit government partnerships

(17:22):
help Kentucky tackle our most pressing challenges and opportunities. When
resources and partnerships are cut, delayed, or withdrawn, it's.

Speaker 2 (17:32):
Not just a financial issue.

Speaker 1 (17:34):
It's a crisis that impacts families, communities, and local economies
across the commonwealth. A rural food pantry may not be
able to feed hungry families. A veterans organization may not
make payroll. A community theater may shut its doors and
close a vital aspect of local tourism. A domestic violence

(17:56):
shelter could turn away families in desperate need because they
don't don't have enough staff. Even nonprofits not directly impacted,
like the animal shelter where you adopted your pet, fuel
the ripple effects. These aren't hypotheticals. They're happening right now.
And this isn't just a nonprofit problem. It's a community problem.

(18:19):
It's our problem, yours A nine. Nonprofits are our neighbors,
working alongside the government and businesses to build healthy and
safe communities, a strong workforce, and a vibrant economy. When
they're underfunded and threatened, we all lose. We're calling on
legislators to recognize the nonprofit sector as the indispensable partner

(18:42):
it is. Specifically, we're calling on Kentucky's senators to work
to remove harmful provisions from the federal tax bill and
instead bolster support for nonprofits by expanding incentives for charitable
giving and ensuring funding priorities that reflect the critical role

(19:04):
of nonprofits in Kentucky communities.

Speaker 2 (19:08):
Your voice matters.

Speaker 1 (19:09):
Lawmakers try constituent input, and when enough people speak up,
they listen. Your outreach helps shape priorities, elevate community impact,
and whole leaders accountable. Nonprofits show up for us every day, quietly, compassionately,
and consistently. Now they need us to show up for them.

(19:33):
Stand with Kentucky's nonprofits and help them keep building a stronger,
safer commonwealth for all of us. Canna Dogs make a difference.
Backyard Banner by Jeff Vanderbeck. Serendipity is looking for a
needle in a haystack and finding the farmer's daughter. Well, Barra,

(19:53):
a stray husky, not only found the farmer's daughter, but
he may have forever changed the outcome for at the
Floyd County Animal Shelter. Man's best friend has been just
that for many years. A dog is a wonderful companion.
They're loyal, never get hiked off because you were late
coming home, and don't care if you kiss another dog.

Speaker 2 (20:15):
They just want to please their owner.

Speaker 1 (20:17):
My late father in law once ask me how I
knew my dog loves me.

Speaker 2 (20:21):
More than my wife his daughter in front of her.

Speaker 1 (20:24):
I froze and knew that any answer would put me
in the doghouse. He said, lock them both in the
trunk for eight hours and see which one is happy
to see you. I chuckled and was unscathed. Pets are
like family and should be traded as such, so it's
unconscionable that people mistreat animals the way they sometimes do.

(20:46):
What's worse is it isn't until recently that cruelty to
animals became a serious crime. In my opinion, if you're
cruel to an animal, you deserve to get beaten with
a sock full of nickels.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
But that's just my.

Speaker 1 (21:01):
Recently, one of the corporate executives from Appalachian Marreless I'll
call him Mike because it's his real name, but to
protect him, I'll just call him exec had a stray
dog find its way to the exact home.

Speaker 2 (21:15):
The exact has many dogs.

Speaker 1 (21:16):
Already, so he took Baron to the shelter to see
if he could find Baron a home. The shelter was full,
and since it's a no kills shelter, they have a
limited capacity and were unable to take Baron. The Appalachian
Marless Exact was perplexed and saddened on many levels. He
had a meeting with the shelter employees and solved the
need for additional funding for food, personnel, shelter, and supplies

(21:41):
in addition to finding homes for the stray animals.

Speaker 2 (21:45):
What came from that meeting was a partnership.

Speaker 1 (21:47):
Between Appalachian Marless and the Floyd County Animal Shelter. Every
county has a shelter, Some have put down animals and
some are no killed Since the Floyd County Animal Shelter
is a no kill shelter, they get unindicated with strays
locally and from other counties and are often at capacity.

(22:08):
The exact and his employees at Appalachian Wireless decided to
take the partnership to the next level and hold a
golf outing to raise money for the shelter. The golf
outing was last week at Stonecress Golf Course. Not only
was the tournament at capacity, many vendors pitched in money
to help the cause, which is to raise much needed funds.

Speaker 2 (22:30):
For the shelter.

Speaker 1 (22:31):
I don't have the totals for the shelter, but I'm
sure it was a significant amount, and according to shelter employees.

Speaker 2 (22:38):
Every nime helps.

Speaker 1 (22:40):
I spoke to representatives from Appalachian Wireless and they hope
that this event brings much needed awareness to not only
the Floyd County Animal Shelter, but also all animal shelters
in the region. Shelter employees are the most compassionate people
and have a mission to find loving homes were every

(23:01):
stray and when animals are mistreated, it becomes a heartbreaking ordeal.

Speaker 2 (23:06):
Every day they're faced with loving animals that just want
there to be loved and placed with an owner. Pets
are long commitments.

Speaker 1 (23:15):
If you can't make that commitment, don't get a pet
that you will give up in a month. And if
you have a pet, please, for crying out loud, get
it fixed. We don't need any more professional breeders who
think they have a litter that will make extra money.
That mentality just overcrowds shelters. While the Appalachian wireless golf

(23:38):
outing was by all means a great success and a
very kind gesture of great partnership, more help is needed.
If you can donate money or food to your local shelter,
please do. If you want to volunteer, go ask what
you can do to help. If you want a loving
pet that will have only one goal to please their owner,

(23:59):
then don't walk run to your shelter and adopt a pet.
One dog or cat can change your life, and too,
you can change theirs. Consider adopting a pet from your
local shelter. Baron could be the underdog that gave life
to other strays.

Speaker 2 (24:18):
Here are the obituaries.

Speaker 1 (24:19):
Johnny Ambrose, seventy five, of Hazard, died Tuesday, June tenth
Sherrie Huff formerly of Leatherwood died Friday.

Speaker 2 (24:28):
June thirteenth.

Speaker 1 (24:30):
Lois Jene Tucker eighty two of Jeffersonville, Indiana died Wednesday,
June eleventh. Aubrey Dwayne Hamlin, sixty eight of lost Crete
died Friday, June thirteenth. Ellen Jones Coots arm seventy five
died Tuesday June tenth, and Saying Billy Shannon Lewis, eleven

(24:53):
of Bulan died Sunday, June eighth. UK Extension launches Strike Teams,
a new response and recovery initiative to weather disasters. Kentuckians
have experienced several recent weather related disasters, causing significant damage
to infrastructure and communities across the commonwealth. Kentucky has experienced

(25:16):
an increase in billion dollar weather disasters, a total of
ninety two impacting the area since nineteen eighty, with seven
of those devastating events occurring in twenty twenty four alone,
said University of Kentucky meteorologist Matt Dillon. Kayla Watts, who
was previously an Extension agent in Breathitt County, remembers watching

(25:38):
the North Fork Kentucky River in Jackson in twenty twenty two.

Speaker 2 (25:43):
Continued to rise.

Speaker 1 (25:44):
As flooding began to make its way into town, it
looked like a wall of water. It was scary because
we didn't know how high it would get, and part
of the town was evacuated due to the rising water.
The UK Cooperative Extent Service at the Martin Gatton College
of Agriculture, Food and Environment, in collaboration with Kentucky State,

(26:06):
has launched a new initiative to help advance the state's
disaster preparedness and recovery capabilities, directing strike teams to better
respond and reduce the impact of disasters through research based education.
After the recent flooding in Nelson County and April of
twenty twenty five, the Flood clean Up Bucket Project was

(26:29):
assembled with a help of four h volunteers. Specialized strike
teams composed of trained county agents and staff in Kentucky
will provide critical on the ground support to communities impacted
by disasters. Three attorneys, including Glenn Martin Hammond and Pikewell,

(26:52):
have been accused in a lawsuit of engaging in a
scheme to swindle the three M Company through lawsuits filed
regarding them of these dust masks. According to the lawsuit
filed June thirteenth, Hammond Michael B. Martin of Texas and
John Johnny Gibbns of Mississippi banded together with others to
form an unlawful enterprise to cheat three M, exploit coal miners,

(27:17):
and burden the courts with cases that should never have
been filed in the first place. This concludes the reading
of the Hazard Herald. Please stay tuned for continued programming.
Thank you for joining me and on behalf of everyone
here at RADIOH.

Speaker 2 (27:32):
This is Lee Townshend, wishing you a good day.