6.29.25

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now. He turned to the reading of the Hazard Herald
for news of Hazzard and Perry County. I'm Lee Townshend.
We begin with the online edition dated June twenty sixth,
twenty twenty five. Senator Brandon Smith talks budget, AI and
education at Chamber legislative breakfast. The Hazard Perry County Chamber

(00:21):
of Commerce hosted a legislative breakfast on June twenty fourth,
featuring Senator Brandon Smith as the keynote speaker. Smith addressed
a range of topics including artificial intelligence, education, policy, housing,
and the state budget during the gathering. I want us
to keep thinking out of the box, said Smith. Right now,

(00:43):
we have a great leadership team. We haven't always in
the past. We've had times where our county and city
have not always gotten along together. But I will say
right now that Happy and Scott are doing a tremendous
job right now, which makes my job a lot easier
as to what to ask for. Smith noted that fiscal
restraint had been a priority in the current legislative cycle

(01:06):
as lawmakers prepared for the upcoming budget process. As we
get into this budget, we're strained. Is shown this year,
he said, I always argue every year that we should
not file as many bills as we do. The House
files fifteen hundred to two thousand bills. The Senate's right
behind at twelve hundred bills. It's impossible to get through

(01:28):
all of them. Smith emphasized the importance of prioritization when
it comes to legislative time and attention. You really take
important bills like children leukemia rates and the other making
the beagle the state dog, and we're going to get
the same amount of time. Smith said, I know they
are filing for their constituents at home, but I argue

(01:51):
every year that every member should be given seven bills
to file. Among the more controversial issues, Smith addressed the
bill concerning how teachers communicate with students, a topic that's
drawn public attention and concern. One of the bills I
want to address is one of the elephants in the room,
and that's the bill concerning teachers addressing students. He said,

(02:15):
I've had a lot of calls about this. I've been
going through the bill and I can already see there's
going to be a lot of changes suggested to it.
But I think all of us realize that it's improper
for some forms of communication. So I think that's why
our share goal is to find a traceable way of communication.

(02:35):
We don't want to get in anyone's privacy, but we
do need to know who the kids are talking to.
So I do think we'll see something come of that.
I do not think it was a nefarious Bill Smith
praised Kentucky's financial management in recent years, particularly in light
of economic uncertainty and natural disasters. It's not been easy

(02:59):
and there's a lot of fighting going on, but we've
been steady and building our rainy day fund, he said.
There has been a lot of planning in our last
three sessions. We've done our homework in advance, and that's
been needed because now it's allowed us to go back
to the pot and double the money we have available
for the flood. Housing also emerged as a key concern

(03:21):
in Smith's remarks. We have continued to do a better
job of housing. We all know we had a housing
crisis before this stuff started. It's far worse now, he said.
Those people leave, their kids, leave our schools, and the
effect goes on. So we need more housing, more affordable housing,
and that's going to be key for us to have families,

(03:43):
workers and things in our community. Turning to technology, Smith
smoke about the growing relevance of artificial intelligence and opportunities
it may present for the region. AI is a big issue,
he said. We're seeing more and more about it. We're
seeing the big data centers now and the confusion of

(04:05):
what with crypto mining, which are totally different worlds, But
it is fascinating to see what these big companies like
Amazon are doing across the US. We're arguing that our
region here could be right for that industry. Why not
bring some of those jobs in that tech here and
get our foot in the door with it. I want

(04:26):
to be clear, I'm talking about the repair side, not
anything crypto, but I do see that being something that
we can see them spend a fortune on in infrastructure
in some of the most rural areas I've ever seen.
Smith also spoke to the ongoing budget work related to education.
Education is obviously another big aspect of this budget, he said.

(04:50):
Our teachers and principles have been asking for years, and
we've done some tweaks for them in the budget. The
Southeast Kentucky African America Museum and Cultural Center hosted a
series of downtown events June nineteenth and twentieth to celebrate
June teenth and Hazard, including an art exhibition in partnership

(05:11):
with the Appalachian Arts Alliance, where community members shared stories
and family history alongside their artwork. The celebration also featured
the History Speak Summer Camp with Kelley Jolly at the
BOBBB Davis Museum in Park and concluded with a reception
at the Art Station. Despite rising costs, Hazard proposes to

(05:33):
keep the tax rate the same. The City of Hazard
Commission held its first reading of the twenty twenty five
twenty six budget and tax rate Ordinance during its June
twenty third meeting, reflecting an expectation of overall growth in
spending alongside targeted reductions and several funds compared to the

(05:53):
previous financial year. The city's property tax rate will remain
set three one point one cents per one hundred dollars
of assessed property value, unchanged from last year. According to
bunch of documents, the city's general fund is expected to
experience a six point seven three percent increase in expenditures

(06:16):
over what was proposed for the current year, rising by
more than half a million dollars from seven point nine
million in twenty twenty four to twenty five to eight
point four million. For the upcoming year, utilities are also
expected to cost the city more, with the gas fund
projected to grow four point twenty five percent to two

(06:37):
point seven million and the garbage fund expected to grow
by five point five seven percent to two point one
million dollars. The Water fund expenditures are expected to rise
slightly by two point one percent to six point one
million dollars, while the pavilion fund is budgeted to grow
by six point five two percent to nearly four hundred

(07:00):
and ninety nine thousand dollars. The overall budget is similar
to last year, said Carlos Campbell, the city's chief financial officer.
Campbell pointed to utility funds as the key components of
the budget. If you look at the gas, the budget
is two point seven million, one point eight million of
that is actually purchasing the gas, he said. He also

(07:24):
highlighted increased costs tied to the Water Fund. The biggest
change on the Waterfund was the increased debt service. Campbell
said there's roughly one hundred and fifty thousand dollars increase
in debt service for the waterfund. Regarding the sewer fund,
Campbell said its structure has remained relatively stable but continues
to present challenges. The sewer fund is similar to last year.

(07:46):
He said. The sewer fund is one of the ones
we have trouble with because we really don't have enough
customers to cover what we need and rates are pretty low.
Some funds are expected to see notable reduction. The LGA
Gold Coal Severance Tax Fund is expected to fall fourteen
point twenty nine percent to one hundred and fifty thousand dollars,

(08:10):
and the Mayor Commissioner Recreation Fund will be eliminated entirely,
down from two thousand, five hundred dollars. Other reductions included
the ABC fund, which is expected to decrease nine point
three eight percent to one hundred and forty five thousand dollars,
and the pension fund, which is expected to follow by

(08:31):
three point five seven percent to three hundred ninety thousand,
five hundred ninety dollars. The ABC fund dropped this year,
Campbell said, we had two licensees transferred from the city
to the county, so we lost revenue on both of those. Meanwhile,
some funds remain level, including the Fire Department and asset

(08:51):
four Pitcher funds, both of which stayed at twenty five
thousand dollars. Looking ahead, Mayor Donald happy Mobilini emphasized the
city's commitment to long term infrastructure projects. We're building the
water plant in Buckhorn and that's twenty million dollars alone,
Mobilini said. The transmission lines are another twenty three million,

(09:13):
but all of this is through grants. Firefighters acknowledged with
Life Saving Award after a kayaking accident. Hazard Fire Department
Chief Robert Keith presented the Life Saver Awards to firefighters
Anthony Turner and scholar Warrick during this Hazard City Commission
meeting Monday, June twenty third, for their heroic actions in

(09:36):
rescuing a person from a kayaking accident. The individual had
been swept into the undertow while crossing a low head
dam near Woodland Park Bridge. On June seventh, Jamison family
donates the hospice pantry and memory of loved one. For
the fifth consecutive year, Theresa Jamison and her family made

(09:57):
food donations to the pantry at the Greg and Doreen
Wells Hospice Center, continuing a tradition that began in memory
of her late husband Marvin Jamison's cancer journey. My husband
battle with cancer for a long time, said Theresa. When
he used to go for his treatments, after his blood
work would come back, he would send me shopping to

(10:18):
by snakes and stuff like that for the cancer center.
I usually donate there, but there were good on supplies
at the moment, so I came over to the hospice
to see if I could donate there. Teresa said. The
event is typically held in April, but natural disasters delayed
this year's donation. This is my fifth year doing this,

(10:39):
she said. I didn't think it would have this good
a turnout. I usually do it in April, but because
of the flood, I didn't feel right at the time,
then the tornadoes in London. Now we still had a
great response through our outreach. Theresa and the donations wouldn't
be possible without the continued support of friends and family

(11:00):
apply many items each year. A man sought for his
alleged involvement, and an arson was arrested by police on
a further felony burglary charge recently in According to court documents,
on June nineteenth, Perry County Sheriff's Deputy Chris Jones was
contacted by Captain Jesse Day and advised that James Willham,

(11:24):
thirty of Ingall Branch Road, Hazard, was at a residence
at Georges Branch Road without permission. Jones wrote that he
responded along with Kentucky State Police troopers and knocked on
the door announcing he was coming in several times. However,
the citation said no one would come to the door.
Jones wrote that he made entry and placed two individuals

(11:46):
under arrest, Wilhem and Brittany Creech twenty five of Study
Branch Road, Mico, both of whom were lodged in the
Kentucky River Regional Jail on a charge of second degree Burglary.
Was also served with a warrant charging him with theft,
first degree wanton, endangerment, and first degree arson linked to

(12:07):
a June fifth incident in which Willem allegedly set fire
to an apartment at which he was staying while a
resident was taking a nap, endangering the resident's life. Caleb Beverly,
a part time firefighter with the Hazard Fire Department, was
promoted to full time firefighter on the recommendation of Robert Keith.

(12:28):
The Chief during the Hazard City Commission meeting on June
twenty three. From the Herald opinion page, deja Vu by
Russ Cassaday. One of the benefits, or maybe it's a curse,
of growing older, is being able to see the ebb
and flow of historical events. Often the sense of deja

(12:48):
vu on experiences looking back is unnerving. In August two
thousand and two, The Guardian carried an interesting report regarding
Israeli U US relations, and specifically Israel's decision to put
public pressure on President George Bush to go ahead with
a military attack on Iraq. With foreign policy experts in

(13:12):
Washington coming increasingly critical of the wisdom of a military
strike and European governments showing no willingness to support an attack,
the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon wants to make it
clear that the US President's most reliable ally. The report said,
any postponement of an attack on Iraq at this stage

(13:35):
will serve no purpose. When I Gristen, a senior Sharon
adviser told the Associated Press, it will only give Saddam
Hussein more of an opportunity to accelerate his program of
weapons of mass destruction. Ah the so called weapons of
mass destruction, the drum beat behind which we sent US

(13:55):
soldiers to Iraq beginning in March two thousand and three,
launching the second of two forever wars my generation has experienced.
At the end of the conflict, nearly a decade later,
no stockpiles of WMD's were found. However, nearly forty five
one hundred US soldiers, including a classmate of mine, were dead,

(14:19):
along with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. The US military
was stretched so solid that our seeming vulnerability coming out
of the Cold War was deeply damaged. In the words
of the late Greig Jogibera, it's deja vu all over again.
Here it is twenty twenty five in israelis stirring up
a war over weapons that may or may not exist.

(14:42):
This time we're talking Iran, and the alleged weapons are
clemical or biological, but nuclear. Listen, I don't know for
sure if Iran has nuclear capabilities. Maybe I'm naive in
that I believe that nuclear weapons are unlikely to be
used by nearly any nation, because I believe the idea

(15:02):
of mutually assured destruction to be the likely outcome of
any nuclear contact. Under the idea of mutually assured destruction,
it's assumed that the launching of nuclear weapons by one
nation against another would ensure that both would be wiped
off the map. There's no winner. The fear about nations

(15:25):
like Iran is that they espouse ideas about martyrdom by
military suicide. Again, I can't say for sure whether Iran
has nuclear weapons or whether they'd use them, but I
do know and many people in the United States right
now have zero inclination to send our sons and daughters

(15:46):
to desert lands to join in a fight picked by Israel.
Maybe the actions taken by our nation over the weekend
will be enough. Maybe we won't hear of calls for
further intervention. At least I pray that it is over.
Of course, it wouldn't be the first time. If the
past is any indication, it won't be the last that

(16:07):
our ally in the Middle East pushes us toward conflict,
even when there's an administration in charge that pledge to
end the forever wars. The guest's column from Zike Hall.
Zich Hall is a former teacher and candidate for Kentucky's
House District forty District eighty four. The future of the

(16:29):
Democratic Party looks Appalachian. For months now, people have been
putting the parties past under the microscope, trying to understand
what's muddled the Democratic message in places like Hazard, Hopkinsville,
and Harlan. But Kentucky just gave the world a good
look at what's happening for the party now and what's
happening next. And I believe in both the state and

(16:52):
national levels, rural Kentuckians will be leading the way. I
spent Saturday, June fourteenth with fellows at the Kentucky Democrat
Party's state convention in Orleensboro, as Republicans wasted TV airtime
to say Democrats are death rattling in rural Kentucky. We

(17:13):
broke attendance records outside of the blue dots of the
Louisville and Lexington. It was the KDP's biggest event in
more than a decade, and many in the crowd that
day and at the previous days forward together dinner or
first time attendees, including Democrat National Committee Chair Ken Martin.

(17:34):
That's more like a rallying cry than a death rattle.
It proves Kentucky Democrats are not dying out. They're building
up and at the foundation of both the KDP and
the DNC is a family focused mindset. You could have
mine from our Commonwealth's great mountains. Take the education issue.

(17:56):
As a former public school student and teacher myself, I
can testify to the effects of chronic underfunding under Republican leadership.
Our rural schools already struggle to hire and retain teachers.
Eastern Kentucky students are forced to go without resources available
in big cities, resources Democrats know students in every Kentucky

(18:18):
zip code deserve. While Democrats push for teacher raises and
pre k for all, Republicans are letting ultra wealthy walk
all over education. Look at the federal budget. Our GOP
congressmen are cheering as President Trump orders lawmakers to shrink
belgrants and in other programs that empower some of the

(18:40):
most underserved students in the country to make it from
high school to college or a career. Medicaid helps nearly
half of Kentucky's fifth Congressional District residents get the care
and medications they need to survive. While Democrats fight to
protect and improve the program, Republicans doing everything they can

(19:01):
to slash it, forcing their constituents to cover billionaire tax
breaks with their lives. In short, while Appalachians try to
pull themselves up by their bootstraps, Republicans keep taking their
boots and take He deserves lawmakers who can balance a
budget without costing millions of dollars and people of sealth care.

(19:23):
We deserve a party that will fight to give low
income students more options after high school, not fewer. We
deserve leaders who will lead instead of running from their constituents.
Governor Basher and Lieutenant Governor Coleman one re election in
twenty twenty three with stronger margins than they did in
twenty nineteen because they focus on people and the issues

(19:48):
that affect them every day. That focus is what makes
the Democratic Party the only party working to uplift all families,
not just city folk and people with six or seven
figures incomes. We know, after years of GOP distractions and
fear mongering, we have our work cut out for us.
But hard work built Appalachia and as rebuilding it right now.

(20:11):
In the wake of generational poverty, abused by big corporations
and deadly floods and tornadoes, Mountain people aren't afraid of
a fight. That's why the future of Democratic Party is Appalachian,
and the future of Appalachian is the Democratic Party. Here
are the obituaries. John Rudd Candle fifty seven of Hazard

(20:34):
died Saturday, June twenty first. Everett Kelly seventy nine of
Slimp died Wednesday, June eighteenth. Jeanette Jones ninety one of
Hazard died Monday, June twenty third. Juanda Mobilini eighty at
Richmond died Thursday June nineteenth. James Smiley Woohom eighty six

(20:57):
of Bonnyman died Monday, June sixteenth. Jeddie Gayheart sixty seven
of Lotch Creek died Monday, June twenty third. Karen Deadon
sixty eight of Hazard died Monday June twenty third. Al
Mkelly seventy nine died Tuesday June twenty fourth. Eddie Bear

(21:18):
Sizemore seventy six of Wooton died Friday, June twentieth eight.
C TC recognizes three employees at retirement. Hazard Community and
Technical College recently recognized the retirement of three longtime employees
after thirty eight years of dedicated service. Tod AD CTC

(21:39):
Bobby Collins is retiring from his role as a Career
Services Counselor. Director of Marketing and Communications, Delse Combs is
retiring after more than three decades of service to the college.
And Chief Human Resources Officer Vicky Combs is retiring after
more than four decades of service to h CTC. From

(22:02):
the sports page, the Hazard Perry County All Stars have
advanced the Kentucky Little League Under eight Coach Pitch Baseball
State Tournament. Casey Huff wasn't looking to fill anybody's shoes.
He focused on making his own way. Huff was recently
hired as a new boys basketball coach at Hazard. The

(22:23):
man sitting at the seat before him won over eight
hundred career games, not all at Hazard, and plenty of
district and regional championships. It's a very prominent job, Huff said.
It's very humbling to get the opportunity to coach here.
I'm really grateful for the opportunity. I was always told,
don't take a job where the bill statues to the

(22:45):
previous coach. Al Holland is great in deserving a statue.
Those aren't shoes anybody can fill. We're not able to
do that. So for us, it's just about maintaining that tradition,
ushering in a new era and doing things our way.
Huff is a young coach, but he isn't new to coaching.
He started coaching Prestonsburg and has been coaching Not Central since.

(23:11):
Huff coached Not Central from twenty twenty two through twenty
twenty five. The process is the same everywhere, said Huff.
We always say progress is a process. It takes time.
It's a dawning task. Anytime you take over a program,
even if it's already in good shape, and Al Holland
left this program in excellent shape, it's still tough to

(23:34):
get things off the ground and create new habits that
fit your philosophy. We have great people around. Our coaching
staff is great. I'm very high on the guys that
we have on the staff. We have the right people
in the right place to ensure we do things the
right way. During his three years with Not Central, he

(23:54):
was fifty six and thirty nine during his three seasons
as Patriots coach. Huff's season at Not Central was twenty
twenty three to twenty four, when you led the Patriots
to a twenty four to nine record and the fifty
third district title. He coached one season at Prestonsburg as
head coach. I've said the black Caps finished the twenty

(24:16):
twenty one twenty two season with a five and twenty
three record. I've talked about the work the Bulldogs have
in front of them before the season starts. You just
caught me after a game where I just watched the
most atrocious play of defense that I've ever seen. I've said,
if anybody knows me, they know I'm a defense minded coach.

(24:37):
We have a lot to do and a lot to
work on. Philosophy wise, we have a lot to work on,
like understanding effort and that every rep matters. When every
rep doesn't matter, it's compromising the integrity of the game.
These guys have to get that we're not good enough
to just show up. We have a long way to go,

(24:58):
but we're up to the challenge. I think the guys
are too. Then we'll figure it out. Hazard will return.
Seth Caudle called as a big guard who can do
a little bit of everything. Since the season ended, he's
been putting the work in on and off the court.
Seth has due a massive senior year. Huff said, he's
probably put on fifteen pounds of muscle. If you saw

(25:21):
him out there, it's evident, you can just see it.
He looks good, he's healthy, and I really like his game.
I got the break down his highlight film a couple
of weeks ago and get a better feel of what
we need to work on to add to his bag
in terms of reeds and stuff. If he's going to
be an elite point guard at the next level, which

(25:41):
he will be. Besides called the Huff likes Bulldog's roster,
we have Tucker Johnson from last year. He gives us
a presence inside. He has a high motor. He's just
a really great team guy. Then you've add on the
roster Tell and Osburn, who in my opinion, is probably
the best athlete in the region. He's a great two

(26:03):
way player. You have Michael Gibson, who's a physical presence.
He's going to play hard and do what the team
needs to do to win. The guy we don't have
today is Trace Kinkad. He's just a stick of dynamite.
He's an energy guy. He can knock down shots, he
can guard. He's going to be in your ear, which
I'm about I always tell them to play with emotion,

(26:25):
but don't be emotional and there's a difference. Period. Central
Softball stand out a list of Dixon competed in the
twenty twenty five East West All Star Series. Dixon is
holding a plaque for being named First Team All State.
The KHSAA summer dead period this year. It started Wednesday,

(26:45):
June twenty fifth. High school athletes and athletics will shut
down for the mandatory two week dead period. No school
related athletic contests can take place during that time. No
summer ball, no practices, nothing. The kids get time to
rest before the new school year kicks off. Oklahoma City

(27:07):
SGA win NBA Championships. That did the wrong team win?
Oklahoma City picked up a one hundred three to ninety
one win over the Indiana Pacers Sunday night in Game
seven that gave the Thunder the NBA Championship. This concludes
the reading of the hazard Herol. Please stay tuned for

(27:28):
continued programming. Thank you for joining me and on behalf
of everyone here at Radio Live. This is Lee Townshend,
wishing you a good day.