TRANSKRIPT 🔗
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:02.500
Now we turn to the reading of the Hazard Herald
2
00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.620
for news of hazard in Perry County. I'm Lou Townsend.
3
00:00:05.879 --> 00:00:09.960
We begin with the online edition dated October 14th, 2026.
4
00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:14.839
As a reminder, Radio Eye is a reading service intended
5
00:00:14.859 --> 00:00:17.760
for people who are blind or have other disabilities that
6
00:00:17.780 --> 00:00:22.559
make it difficult to read printed material. Supreme Court denies
7
00:00:22.579 --> 00:00:26.579
to hear Hazard Restaurant Tax Challenge. City cannot impose the tax.
8
00:00:27.600 --> 00:00:33.289
The Hazard City Commission's attempt to impose a restaurant tax
9
00:00:33.350 --> 00:00:37.609
officially ended last month after action by the Kentucky Supreme Court.
10
00:00:38.439 --> 00:00:42.119
According to the court documents, on September 16th, the Supreme
11
00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:46.380
Court denied discretionary review of the city's legal action challenging
12
00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:50.030
a decision by the Kentucky Court of Appeals, which found
13
00:00:50.090 --> 00:00:53.750
that under statute, the city could not impose the tax.
14
00:00:54.409 --> 00:00:58.329
Hazard City Attorney Denise Davidson said, The Supreme Court refused
15
00:00:58.350 --> 00:01:02.020
to take up the case on a constitutional issue, meaning
16
00:01:02.060 --> 00:01:06.219
the city cannot impose the tax. Hazard cannot charge a
17
00:01:06.280 --> 00:01:10.000
restaurant tax without a legislative change in the law, Davidson said.
18
00:01:10.030 --> 00:01:14.530
The restaurant tax was initially approved by the city in
19
00:01:14.530 --> 00:01:19.689
2004 with proceeds intended to fund the Hazard-Perry County Tourism Commission.
20
00:01:20.310 --> 00:01:25.219
The tax took effect January 1st. However, the city's authority
21
00:01:25.239 --> 00:01:28.250
to impose the tax was contested before it was enacted.
22
00:01:29.150 --> 00:01:34.049
Under legislation signed into law in 2014 by then-Governor Steve Meshear,
23
00:01:34.629 --> 00:01:38.379
certain city classifications were fixed for purposes of assessing with
24
00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:42.900
restaurant tax. Hazard was not included among the cities authorized
25
00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:47.170
to levy the tax. In 2023, the city of Hazard
26
00:01:47.219 --> 00:01:51.200
challenged its classification in Frankfurt Circuit Court and obtained a
27
00:01:51.260 --> 00:01:53.879
ruling that adjusted its status in a way that would
28
00:01:53.900 --> 00:01:57.799
have allowed the tax to be collected. That ruling was
29
00:01:57.920 --> 00:02:02.200
later appealed by Attorney General Russell Coleman to the Kentucky
30
00:02:02.269 --> 00:02:06.750
Supreme Court of Appeals. In October 2025, the Court of
31
00:02:06.829 --> 00:02:11.710
Appeals issued an opinion remanding the case back to Fayette
32
00:02:11.830 --> 00:02:16.319
Circuit Court with instructions to dismiss it. In its opinion,
33
00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:20.099
the Court of Appeals found that Franklin Circuit Court Judge
34
00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:25.080
Philip Shepard exceeded the court's authority. All parties acknowledged that
35
00:02:25.120 --> 00:02:29.620
Hazard had been misclassified, the opinion stated, but that error
36
00:02:29.659 --> 00:02:33.000
does not grant the judicial branch the authority to do
37
00:02:33.060 --> 00:02:35.909
what only the General Assembly can do under the 1891 Constitution.
38
00:02:35.930 --> 00:02:43.490
On December 30, 2025, the Hazard City Commission approved an
39
00:02:43.569 --> 00:02:48.189
ordinance formally repealing the tax. Davidson told the Hazard Herald
40
00:02:48.250 --> 00:02:51.210
that she is currently not aware of a plan for
41
00:02:51.229 --> 00:02:54.610
the distribution of the collected tax money, which officials have
42
00:02:54.650 --> 00:02:58.110
said is being held in escrow. The city knows which
43
00:02:58.169 --> 00:03:01.810
restaurants paid and the amounts, but the tax was paid
44
00:03:01.849 --> 00:03:07.129
by the customer, Davidson said. Man connected in Perry County
45
00:03:07.169 --> 00:03:10.710
murder dies on death row. A Perry County man who
46
00:03:10.729 --> 00:03:14.250
was convicted in a brutal murder and hazard in 1989
47
00:03:14.250 --> 00:03:18.960
has died awaiting execution on Kentucky's death row. According to
48
00:03:19.000 --> 00:03:23.740
the Lexington Herald-Leader, Donald Herb Johnson, 59, died on October
49
00:03:24.039 --> 00:03:28.780
1st of apparent suicide at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville.
50
00:03:30.199 --> 00:03:33.379
According to court documents in the case, Johnson was convicted
51
00:03:33.419 --> 00:03:36.770
in connection with the murder of Helen Madden. According to
52
00:03:36.789 --> 00:03:43.129
Kentucky Supreme Court documents, in November 1989, Madden was beaten, stabbed, mutilated,
53
00:03:43.210 --> 00:03:46.740
and tortured to death in the supply storage room of
54
00:03:46.780 --> 00:03:50.259
the laundromat where she worked. Her body was so disfigured
55
00:03:50.300 --> 00:03:53.680
that a co-worker of 13 years was unable to identify,
56
00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:58.180
the filing said. The crime has stuck with Perry County
57
00:03:58.240 --> 00:04:02.520
Jailer Minor Allen, who responded in 1989 to a member
58
00:04:02.560 --> 00:04:05.430
of the Hazard Police Department. I had been on the
59
00:04:05.469 --> 00:04:08.050
force for about four years at the time, said Allen.
60
00:04:08.569 --> 00:04:11.490
Ken Duff was the case officer at the time, but
61
00:04:11.550 --> 00:04:14.930
unfortunately passed away earlier this year. I'm one of the
62
00:04:14.990 --> 00:04:19.970
few still around who was there that day. Allen said
63
00:04:20.029 --> 00:04:23.350
Madden was not discovered until the following day and described
64
00:04:23.370 --> 00:04:27.110
the scene as one that remained with
Load full transcript
him throughout his career.
65
00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:32.180
Madden wasn't found until the next day, said Allen. There
66
00:04:32.220 --> 00:04:35.019
were several officers on the scene by the time I arrived.
67
00:04:35.560 --> 00:04:38.490
It was a very brutal murder that had taken place.
68
00:04:39.009 --> 00:04:42.069
The victim was unclothed and had been stabbed multiple times.
69
00:04:42.209 --> 00:04:44.550
It was the most brutal thing I've ever witnessed in
70
00:04:44.569 --> 00:04:47.810
my life. It's something you never get out of your mind.
71
00:04:49.509 --> 00:04:53.569
As the investigation continued, Allen said, Hazard Police requested the
72
00:04:53.629 --> 00:04:57.300
assistance from the Kentucky State Police to process the scene
73
00:04:57.360 --> 00:05:01.319
and collect evidence. We contacted the Kentucky State Police and
74
00:05:01.350 --> 00:05:04.189
they brought a forensic team to the scene and helped
75
00:05:04.230 --> 00:05:08.430
process the crime scene, he said. Officers kept collecting evidence
76
00:05:08.509 --> 00:05:10.879
and soon developed a suspect that they were able to
77
00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:16.060
track his whereabouts that night. Allen said officers continued searching
78
00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:19.620
for Johnson throughout the day before eventually locating and arresting
79
00:05:19.689 --> 00:05:23.759
him near his residence. Officers stayed on the case the
80
00:05:23.819 --> 00:05:27.519
entire day, and he was taken into custody near the residence,
81
00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:30.720
and officers were able to recover the murder weapon, said Allen.
82
00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:34.579
We had pretty much every officer out searching for the
83
00:05:34.660 --> 00:05:38.449
whereabouts at the time. After he was apprehended, he spent
84
00:05:38.529 --> 00:05:41.730
time at what was then the Perry County Jail. He
85
00:05:41.769 --> 00:05:45.709
had multiple hearings lasting three or four years. Eventually, he
86
00:05:45.750 --> 00:05:48.529
got a change of venue, and it was moved to
87
00:05:48.589 --> 00:05:51.920
Floyd County, and that's when he received a sentence and
88
00:05:51.959 --> 00:05:57.540
was convicted. Johnson challenged his conviction and death sentence through
89
00:05:57.579 --> 00:06:01.129
multiple appeals, claiming that his guilty plea was induced by
90
00:06:01.149 --> 00:06:04.310
a secret deal for his belief in the existence of
91
00:06:04.370 --> 00:06:08.569
a secret deal, in which the trial judge indicated that
92
00:06:08.629 --> 00:06:12.180
he would not sentence Johnson to death if he entered
93
00:06:12.220 --> 00:06:16.610
a guilty plea. According to the Supreme Court filing, Johnson
94
00:06:16.730 --> 00:06:19.949
had claimed his plea was coerced by his lawyer's threat
95
00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:23.819
to withdraw from representing him if Johnson did not enter
96
00:06:23.860 --> 00:06:28.139
a guilty plea. However, in a 2013 ruling, the Supreme
97
00:06:28.220 --> 00:06:31.639
Court upheld a lower court decision finding that the proof
98
00:06:31.740 --> 00:06:37.089
did not support Johnson's claims. Perry County to receive FEMA
99
00:06:37.129 --> 00:06:42.959
reimbursement for 2025 flood repairs. The Perry County Fiscal Court
100
00:06:43.019 --> 00:06:48.139
will receive more than $ 215, 000 in federal emergency management agency
101
00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:53.600
reimbursements for road, culvert, and embankment repairs completed following the
102
00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:58.620
severe weather in 2025, according to Governor Andy Beshear's office.
103
00:06:59.379 --> 00:07:03.569
Beshear announced September 30th that his administration had secured more
104
00:07:03.629 --> 00:07:10.449
than $ 21. 9 million in FEMA disaster funding to reimburse Kentucky cities, counties,
105
00:07:10.540 --> 00:07:18.480
and utilities for expenses tied to severe weather events in 2019, 21, 25,
106
00:07:18.480 --> 00:07:22.879
and 26. The funding also includes reimbursement for a Bowling
107
00:07:22.899 --> 00:07:28.100
Green Hospital for protective measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
108
00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:33.740
According to the announcement, Perry County will receive two reimbursements
109
00:07:33.860 --> 00:07:43.629
totaling $ 215, 954. 92 for road resurfacing, culvert work, and embankment repairs
110
00:07:43.730 --> 00:07:49.730
or replacement resulting from severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides,
111
00:07:49.790 --> 00:07:55.040
and mudslides. President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration
112
00:07:55.100 --> 00:08:00.120
for Kentucky following the flooding, authorizing FEMA assistance for individuals
113
00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:05.629
and households in 16 counties, including Perry and several local
114
00:08:05.689 --> 00:08:11.649
governments in 66 counties. From federally declared disasters to the pandemic,
115
00:08:11.730 --> 00:08:15.689
Kentucky was owed millions of dollars to help support our
116
00:08:16.069 --> 00:08:20.449
communities and our people. and I am proud my administration
117
00:08:20.550 --> 00:08:24.040
was able to secure those funds so that we can
118
00:08:24.180 --> 00:08:28.620
continue to move forward together, Beshear said. This is federal
119
00:08:28.660 --> 00:08:32.139
support that's essential, and I will continue the work to
120
00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:37.139
ensure every dollar promised to our Commonwealth is delivered. According
121
00:08:37.179 --> 00:08:40.389
to the Perry County Fiscal Court, the reimbursements cover work
122
00:08:40.450 --> 00:08:47.029
completed in 2025, including covert replacement at Strong Branch and
123
00:08:47.090 --> 00:08:51.779
Lick Branch, and excavation and geotile work at Buffalo Run,
124
00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:57.320
culvert replacement at Jack's Branch, Beehive Road and lost work
125
00:08:57.419 --> 00:09:03.340
embankment restoration, culvert replacement and ditch restoration on Lower Pigeon
Roost,
126
00:09:03.720 --> 00:09:07.990
culvert replacement on Lick Fork Lane, and gravel roadway work
127
00:09:08.110 --> 00:09:13.049
at Ritchie Hollow. Perry County Judge Executive Scott Alexander said
128
00:09:13.070 --> 00:09:16.289
the funding will reimburse the county for work that has
129
00:09:16.370 --> 00:09:20.509
already been completed. These are reimbursements for projects that have
130
00:09:20.570 --> 00:09:25.450
already been completed, said Alexander. We're super thankful to getting
131
00:09:25.669 --> 00:09:29.269
some of the money back. This is $ 200, 000 we're getting
132
00:09:29.350 --> 00:09:33.350
back of about $ 18 million so far. As we start
133
00:09:33.429 --> 00:09:37.070
getting more of this money reimbursed, this will help us
134
00:09:37.549 --> 00:09:41.429
recover financially from the flooding disaster and lift us out
135
00:09:41.480 --> 00:09:45.320
of any financial crisis. So we're very thankful to be
136
00:09:45.360 --> 00:09:50.000
getting back some of this money. The annual Oktoberfest was
137
00:09:50.039 --> 00:09:52.559
held at the Forum at the Hal Rogers Center on
138
00:09:52.659 --> 00:09:56.509
October 10th after inclement weather forced the event to move
139
00:09:56.570 --> 00:10:00.529
from its usual Main Street location. The event featured vendors
140
00:10:00.610 --> 00:10:04.360
including Beery Me and Chocolate and This Is How We Roll,
141
00:10:04.639 --> 00:10:09.799
along with performances by Josh Craig, Emily Jamerson, Jordan Lee King,
142
00:10:10.379 --> 00:10:16.320
and Ian Ngo. The Perry County Conservation District celebrated 75
143
00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:20.440
years of service with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 6th,
144
00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:26.210
recognizing current and former members, community members, and local officials.
145
00:10:27.850 --> 00:10:31.169
Among those honored was retired Master Sergeant Bobby Brown, a
146
00:10:31.350 --> 00:10:36.470
Green Beret paratrooper and longtime conservationist, for 27 years of
147
00:10:36.529 --> 00:10:41.549
service and dedication to the community. Perry woman charged with
148
00:10:41.629 --> 00:10:45.909
sexual abuse of juvenile detention center inmate. A Perry County
149
00:10:45.929 --> 00:10:48.690
woman is pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexual
150
00:10:48.750 --> 00:10:52.889
abuse related to her former employment at Breathitt Regional Juvenile
151
00:10:53.210 --> 00:10:58.490
Detention Center. Rebecca Duff, 47, of Terry Drive, Bulin, was
152
00:10:58.850 --> 00:11:02.690
indicted on a Breathitt County grand jury on the charge
153
00:11:03.169 --> 00:11:07.759
on September 22nd and pleaded not guilty to at arraignment
154
00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:11.960
on October 9th, according to court documents. Breath of Circuit
155
00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:16.649
Judge Lisa H. Wiseman set a $ 10, 000 bond for the case.
156
00:11:17.330 --> 00:11:20.370
The Lexington Herald-Leader reported the charges were related to a
157
00:11:20.409 --> 00:11:23.700
series of kisses Duff shared with a teenage boy inside
158
00:11:23.740 --> 00:11:27.120
the facility while she was employed there as a licensed
159
00:11:27.220 --> 00:11:31.889
clinician social worker. Thus, Harrell later reported that a review
160
00:11:31.950 --> 00:11:36.190
of security video from the facility found 14 times Duff
161
00:11:36.230 --> 00:11:43.620
kissed the boy during December 2025 and January 2026. Duff
162
00:11:43.700 --> 00:11:46.879
is scheduled to be in court for a pretrial hearing
163
00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:50.960
on November 6th. Several honored with 2026 Soar Inspires Awards.
164
00:11:54.009 --> 00:11:58.529
Shaping our Appalachian region honored several Eastern Kentuckians during the
165
00:11:58.529 --> 00:12:04.019
2026 SOAR Inspires Award presented by the Kentucky Community and
166
00:12:04.059 --> 00:12:08.019
Technical College System at the Corbin Arena. According to a
167
00:12:08.039 --> 00:12:13.039
statement from SOAR, the award celebrated individuals and organizations who
168
00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:18.419
chose to lead, serve, build, teach, invest, innovate, and create
169
00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:22.210
opportunity in the communities they call home, and served as
170
00:12:22.269 --> 00:12:26.950
a kickoff for the organization's annual summit presented this year
171
00:12:26.990 --> 00:12:32.950
by Appalachian Wireless and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Throughout the evening,
172
00:12:33.289 --> 00:12:41.070
business leaders, educators, students, entrepreneurs, health care providers, workforce champions, innovators,
173
00:12:41.450 --> 00:12:45.789
and community servants took center stage, the statement said. Their
174
00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:49.399
work is different. Their stories are different, but they share
175
00:12:49.440 --> 00:12:52.960
something important. a belief in this region and the willingness
176
00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:57.870
to do the work required to move it forward. Individuals
177
00:12:57.929 --> 00:13:04.370
and organizations honored included community bank Rick Newsom, who was
178
00:13:04.409 --> 00:13:08.000
honored as Business Person of the Year. Throughout his career,
179
00:13:08.009 --> 00:13:12.980
Newsom has remained deeply connected to eastern Kentucky, investing his
180
00:13:13.039 --> 00:13:17.019
time and leadership in his community, church, and organizations working
181
00:13:17.080 --> 00:13:21.210
to move the region forward, the statement said. His career
182
00:13:21.250 --> 00:13:25.440
demonstrates that growing a successful business and investing in the
183
00:13:25.480 --> 00:13:29.220
place you call home don't have to be separate pursuits.
184
00:13:29.639 --> 00:13:34.580
They can strengthen one another. Mountain Association, which was recognized
185
00:13:34.639 --> 00:13:39.889
as Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Partner of the Year. Eastern Light Distilling,
186
00:13:39.970 --> 00:13:44.110
which was recognized as Startup of
the Year. Lynn Parrish,
187
00:13:44.149 --> 00:13:48.450
who was recognized with the Appalachian Innovator Award. As Eastern
188
00:13:48.470 --> 00:13:54.470
Kentucky and Cone County economy changed, Parrish recognized the problem-solving abilities,
189
00:13:54.809 --> 00:13:58.750
mechanical and technical skills, and work ethic that powered one
190
00:13:58.830 --> 00:14:02.870
industry could be applied to another. The idea was bold.
191
00:14:03.429 --> 00:14:08.289
Go from mining coal to mining code. That vision helped
192
00:14:08.350 --> 00:14:14.629
create BitSource in Pikeville, opening pathways into technology careers and
193
00:14:14.710 --> 00:14:17.950
demonstrating that those jobs could be created right here in
194
00:14:18.009 --> 00:14:23.519
eastern Kentucky. The Appalachian Leadership Award was presented to Rich Pruitt.
195
00:14:24.940 --> 00:14:28.639
Martin County was recognized as Community of the Year. Dr.
196
00:14:28.700 --> 00:14:32.820
Keela Miller, Vice Chancellor of Workforce Solutions at Hazard Community
197
00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:37.480
and Technical College, was recognized as the Appalachian Workforce Champion.
198
00:14:38.230 --> 00:14:41.730
Miller has brought employers directly to students, including a recent
199
00:14:41.789 --> 00:14:46.929
career expo connecting more than 200 students with 40 local employers,
200
00:14:46.990 --> 00:14:51.730
the statement said. She worked closely with SOAR to develop
201
00:14:51.850 --> 00:14:56.419
nuclear force training and helped expand access to cybersecurity and
202
00:14:56.480 --> 00:15:01.419
other technology training. Her work also reaches individuals in recovery,
203
00:15:02.700 --> 00:15:08.110
creating pathways into careers ranging from peer support and fiber
204
00:15:08.230 --> 00:15:13.870
optics to advanced manufacturing. Jeffrey Clare and Professor Carlton Hughes
205
00:15:13.909 --> 00:15:17.330
were recognized as Teachers of the Year, Harlem High School
206
00:15:17.350 --> 00:15:22.340
Senior Engineers, Natasha Harris was recognized as Student of the Year.
207
00:15:23.340 --> 00:15:28.100
Corbin High School Senior Trey Pearson was recognized as Male
208
00:15:28.139 --> 00:15:32.519
Student Athlete of the Year. Paintsville High School Senior Kylie
209
00:15:32.580 --> 00:15:36.330
Kenner was recognized as Female Student Athlete of the Year.
210
00:15:37.110 --> 00:15:41.250
Backroads of Appalachia was recognized with Tourism Organization of the
211
00:15:41.289 --> 00:15:45.269
Year Award. The Center for Rural Development received the Connect
212
00:15:45.350 --> 00:15:49.389
Appalachian Awards. Beacons of Hope, with locations in Perry and
213
00:15:49.409 --> 00:15:55.460
Knott counties, was recognized with the Appalachian Recovery Award. Baptist
214
00:15:55.480 --> 00:16:01.139
Health Corbin received the Healthy Communities Award. Woodley Judge Executive
215
00:16:01.639 --> 00:16:07.440
Pat White was given the Appalachian Humanitarian Award. Senate President
216
00:16:07.500 --> 00:16:12.350
Robert Stivers, a Republican from Manchester, received the inaugural Appalachian
217
00:16:12.389 --> 00:16:15.509
Film and Arts Award, which will carry his name in
218
00:16:15.610 --> 00:16:21.620
future years. Iowa Gets Steel, Appalachia Gets the Shaft by
219
00:16:21.899 --> 00:16:26.320
Jeff Vanderbeck. Last week, President Trump announced that America is
220
00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:30.139
getting back in the steel business. Not in Pittsburgh or Bethlehem,
221
00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:33.519
where steel is coded into their DNA, but in Iowa.
222
00:16:34.179 --> 00:16:37.330
The Hawkeye State, you know, that pesky state where Republican
223
00:16:37.350 --> 00:16:41.509
Senators' shift failed miserably at his gotcha attempt during the
224
00:16:41.570 --> 00:16:44.950
Jack Smith hearing as he confused the Hawkeyes with the Hawks.
225
00:16:45.960 --> 00:16:49.879
there are plans for a company to build a $ 15
226
00:16:49.279 --> 00:16:54.100
billion steel complex in hopes of producing 10 million tons
227
00:16:54.139 --> 00:16:59.820
of steel per year, creating more than 1,500 full-time permanent jobs,
228
00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:05.000
good for Iowa. The timing raises questions. Is it just
229
00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:09.000
a coincidence that the announcement came in Iowa, a battleground
230
00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:14.049
state just before midterms? Announcements for manufacturing plants like this
231
00:17:14.170 --> 00:17:19.029
take many years of planning A multi-billion dollar steel complex
232
00:17:19.109 --> 00:17:23.650
does not suddenly appear just because someone noticed the calendar. But,
233
00:17:23.809 --> 00:17:26.970
as you see all over the place, this great country,
234
00:17:27.150 --> 00:17:31.339
politics and ribbon cuttings make good bet fellows. Iowa is
235
00:17:31.400 --> 00:17:35.220
important as it sets the tone for the upcoming elections.
236
00:17:35.880 --> 00:17:39.559
An announcement like this tells voters that manufacturing is coming
237
00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:45.329
back and that Washington and corporate America are watching. It
238
00:17:45.410 --> 00:17:50.079
gives Trump a powerful backdrop, American-made steel creating jobs in
239
00:17:50.119 --> 00:17:54.700
the heart of America. Loaders, however, should be able to
240
00:17:54.759 --> 00:17:58.160
see the difference between an announcement and a completed mill.
241
00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:01.839
In 2015, we were promised coal mining would come back,
242
00:18:02.240 --> 00:18:06.730
which didn't happen. What bothers me is the announcement of
243
00:18:06.809 --> 00:18:10.029
resurrecting an industry in an area where that industry has
244
00:18:10.089 --> 00:18:14.430
no previous track record. Iowa and steel are not synonymous.
245
00:18:15.069 --> 00:18:19.829
They shouldn't plan to mine coal in downtown Cincinnati. Communities
246
00:18:19.950 --> 00:18:25.230
built around steel, like Pittsburgh and
Bethlehem, have rail services, rivers,
247
00:18:25.390 --> 00:18:29.890
generations of knowledge, and a strong workforce. Not saying Iowa
248
00:18:29.930 --> 00:18:34.079
doesn't possess that, but why? It follows the same thinking
249
00:18:34.190 --> 00:18:37.259
as the attempt to remodel your bathroom, but instead you
250
00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:41.099
build a whole new house. Here's the kicker for us
251
00:18:41.160 --> 00:18:45.819
in Appalachia. The proposed Iowa plant is expected to use
252
00:18:46.500 --> 00:18:50.869
furnaces processing iron ore and scrapped steel in their manufacturing.
253
00:18:51.809 --> 00:18:56.089
That means it will not rely on coke, therefore metallurgical coal,
254
00:18:56.369 --> 00:19:00.339
the way traditional blast furnaces that built Pittsburgh and Bethlehem did,
255
00:19:00.839 --> 00:19:06.079
further slapping Appalachia in the face. Electric furnaces are not energy-free.
256
00:19:06.730 --> 00:19:10.549
They require enormous amounts of electricity, and this plant could
257
00:19:10.569 --> 00:19:13.009
put a huge demand on a power grid that in
258
00:19:13.069 --> 00:19:18.710
some cases is already at capacity. When large data centers
259
00:19:18.789 --> 00:19:22.670
are proposed, which use large amounts of electricity, communities go
260
00:19:22.730 --> 00:19:26.650
crazy and the people demand that no data centers be built,
261
00:19:26.829 --> 00:19:30.690
just like landfills. So if data centers are a major
262
00:19:30.750 --> 00:19:35.140
concern to residents about rising power rates, Will the residents
263
00:19:35.160 --> 00:19:38.119
of Iowa revolt as well over the massive amount of
264
00:19:38.200 --> 00:19:42.150
electricity needed to run the new steel plant? Will there
265
00:19:42.190 --> 00:19:46.609
be transparency? And why not use met coal and put
266
00:19:46.650 --> 00:19:51.269
American coal back in circulation? For years, we mined met coal,
267
00:19:51.369 --> 00:19:54.759
shipped it overseas only to buy cheap steel from China
268
00:19:55.079 --> 00:19:59.619
and Europe. How stupid is that? We export more met
269
00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:03.339
coal than we use domestically, and with this announcement, that
270
00:20:03.400 --> 00:20:06.400
pattern may not change, and there will not be a
271
00:20:06.460 --> 00:20:10.309
need to mine more met coal. Now we're asked to
272
00:20:10.349 --> 00:20:14.410
celebrate the return of steelmaking while using resources other than
273
00:20:15.089 --> 00:20:18.490
met coal, which was a staple of steelmaking back in
274
00:20:18.509 --> 00:20:22.349
the day. Progress has a strange sense of humor, a
275
00:20:22.470 --> 00:20:27.049
utility bill and job loss in Appalachia. If the future
276
00:20:27.109 --> 00:20:31.869
of steel depends on electricity, Appalachia should be competing to
277
00:20:32.069 --> 00:20:36.410
supply that power and build infrastructure around it. Why should
278
00:20:36.430 --> 00:20:40.769
the next generation of energy-intensive manufacturing go to places other
279
00:20:40.809 --> 00:20:46.259
than where it's got a proven track record? The elephant
280
00:20:46.299 --> 00:20:49.220
in the room? All this steel will not be used
281
00:20:49.299 --> 00:20:52.819
in the United States. America is not an island, and
282
00:20:52.859 --> 00:20:57.240
it depends on other countries to help support our domestic economy.
283
00:20:58.910 --> 00:21:02.589
That means domestic steel needs to be affordable in countries
284
00:21:02.650 --> 00:21:06.990
like Canada and Mexico. with whom we have obliterated relationships,
285
00:21:07.549 --> 00:21:10.450
need to be on the buy list. We need to
286
00:21:10.529 --> 00:21:13.789
make nice with a whole lot of countries if America's
287
00:21:14.289 --> 00:21:18.589
steel is to survive. That is, unless the plan is
288
00:21:18.609 --> 00:21:21.190
to bomb the crap out of countries like Iran and
289
00:21:21.410 --> 00:21:26.029
force them to buy American-made Iowa steel to rebuild their countries.
290
00:21:26.690 --> 00:21:30.390
If that's the case, then that plan is brilliant. If
291
00:21:30.450 --> 00:21:33.769
the goal is to produce a stronger manufacturing economy with
292
00:21:33.829 --> 00:21:37.650
American steel, we can't hide behind a wall of tariffs
293
00:21:37.769 --> 00:21:40.500
and be told that the tariffs are good for our economy.
294
00:21:41.220 --> 00:21:44.920
We are being fed lies about this economy. A steel
295
00:21:44.980 --> 00:21:50.900
mill needs predictable resources that include reliable power, workforce, and
296
00:21:50.940 --> 00:21:54.940
affordable foreign trade, and the republic should not be expected
297
00:21:55.319 --> 00:21:59.650
to foot that bill. On the surface, this seems like
298
00:21:59.690 --> 00:22:04.140
patriotic rhetoric in an effort to keep power. And if
299
00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:07.319
the steel mill is ever built, it does not do
300
00:22:07.480 --> 00:22:10.599
one damn thing to revitalize the coal industry like we
301
00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:14.420
were promised in the first go-around that also never happened.
302
00:22:15.809 --> 00:22:18.730
Made in America sounds great at the podium, but there
303
00:22:18.869 --> 00:22:22.170
are too many obstacles that we the public are not
304
00:22:22.230 --> 00:22:25.730
being told about for this to become a reality. If
305
00:22:25.750 --> 00:22:28.990
the midterms were not this year, would this announcement have
306
00:22:29.029 --> 00:22:32.789
been made? If America is to be first, we need
307
00:22:32.809 --> 00:22:36.930
to start acting like we deserve that ranking with truth, transparency,
308
00:22:37.430 --> 00:22:42.009
and real plans that build global relationships while all hardworking
309
00:22:42.069 --> 00:22:47.470
Americans prosper, not just the uber-wealthy. Thanks for reading The
310
00:22:47.509 --> 00:22:54.380
Hazard Herald. Action or Empty Promises by Russ Cassaday Ah,
311
00:22:54.559 --> 00:22:58.920
October in an election year. Among the preparations for Halloween
312
00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:02.730
and the changing leaves, there's an undercurrent that's impossible to ignore.
313
00:23:03.490 --> 00:23:06.670
It's the steady stream of promises candidates are making in
314
00:23:06.710 --> 00:23:10.450
an attempt to secure your vote. There seems to be
315
00:23:10.549 --> 00:23:14.349
nothing off limits when it comes to campaign promises, and
316
00:23:14.509 --> 00:23:17.170
some will offer you the world to get you and
317
00:23:17.190 --> 00:23:20.859
hopefully your family and friends to vote for them. But
318
00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:24.819
the problem with some of the more extravagant campaign promises
319
00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:28.859
is they're in the worst-case scenario a lie and in
320
00:23:28.920 --> 00:23:32.900
the best-case scenario made without full knowledge of what's involved
321
00:23:32.960 --> 00:23:37.180
in actual fulfilling them. There are so many topics that
322
00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:40.799
are the focus of promises, but here in eastern Kentucky
323
00:23:40.880 --> 00:23:45.529
and central Appalachia, the key promises often are on infrastructure
324
00:23:45.630 --> 00:23:50.119
such as roads or, more often, water and sewers. The
325
00:23:50.180 --> 00:23:53.279
problem with infrastructure, however, is that it's a far more
326
00:23:53.339 --> 00:23:59.000
complicated issue than many, including many of those seeking public office, understand.
327
00:23:59.960 --> 00:24:02.599
With water and sewer, for example, it's not just a
328
00:24:02.640 --> 00:24:05.369
matter of finding a community that needs them and running
329
00:24:05.400 --> 00:24:09.349
the lines and maintaining the infrastructure. There's no doubt that
330
00:24:09.369 --> 00:24:12.730
the quality of life here and the equality of the
331
00:24:12.829 --> 00:24:16.849
environment would be vastly improved by running water and sewer
332
00:24:16.890 --> 00:24:21.180
service in every holland. but when you look below the surface,
333
00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:25.150
there's more to it. Often the focus is on getting
334
00:24:25.210 --> 00:24:29.970
funding to install the infrastructure, and that's understandable and important.
335
00:24:30.710 --> 00:24:35.769
Sometimes that can be obtained through grant funding. However, there's
336
00:24:35.809 --> 00:24:39.230
something that a lot of people don't consider. It's more
337
00:24:39.289 --> 00:24:44.279
expensive and difficult to install and maintain infrastructure here. There
338
00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:47.539
are a lot of reasons for that, including the topography,
339
00:24:47.980 --> 00:24:51.029
the makeup of the soil and often rock that has
340
00:24:51.069 --> 00:24:55.529
to be moved, the location of housing and other factors,
341
00:24:55.869 --> 00:24:59.769
so they're automatically at a disadvantage for seeking funding for
342
00:24:59.829 --> 00:25:04.220
these kinds of projects. Once you install an infrastructure, it
343
00:25:04.299 --> 00:25:08.039
creates a whole host of new costs. Not only does
344
00:25:08.079 --> 00:25:12.099
the equipment have to be replaced and repaired often, resulting
345
00:25:12.180 --> 00:25:17.859
in material costs, but it also requires human beings qualified, capable,
346
00:25:17.940 --> 00:25:21.980
and committed workers to maintain it. Heck, it can even
347
00:25:22.039 --> 00:25:25.779
result in a need for more workers to simply track
348
00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:30.839
and bill for new customers. Local government utility services are
349
00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:35.220
already stretched thin and often find their employers poached by
350
00:25:35.329 --> 00:25:38.950
for-profit entities that can afford to pay them better for
351
00:25:38.990 --> 00:25:45.019
their expertise and abilities. Any new service results in a
352
00:25:45.059 --> 00:25:48.220
new cost for residents of the area. Some people can
353
00:25:48.259 --> 00:25:52.440
afford the new bill. Many cannot. That means that before
354
00:25:52.500 --> 00:25:55.519
the first foot of dirt is turned, utilities have to
355
00:25:55.559 --> 00:25:58.519
do surveys in communities to make sure that people are
356
00:25:58.640 --> 00:26:02.880
actually willing to pay the increased costs for receiving the service.
357
00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:07.400
On November 3rd, it's incumbent upon us to weed through
358
00:26:07.440 --> 00:26:11.470
the promises and choose those individuals who will try not
359
00:26:11.509 --> 00:26:13.569
those who are good at telling us what we want
360
00:26:13.589 --> 00:26:18.130
to hear. Reality often sinks in only after the ballot
361
00:26:18.190 --> 00:26:22.779
is cast. Make sure that when the campaign hangover sets in,
362
00:26:22.819 --> 00:26:25.299
you're not left with a sinking feeling that you were
363
00:26:25.319 --> 00:26:30.900
swayed by empty words and left wanting for action. Here
364
00:26:30.960 --> 00:26:36.609
are the obituaries. Larry Baker, 64, of Gays Creek, died Monday,
365
00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:43.119
October 5th. Peggy Hall, 79, of Viper, died Saturday, October 3rd.
366
00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:48.089
Jimmy Lee Miller, 34, of Hazard, died Monday, October 5th.
367
00:26:48.950 --> 00:26:55.349
Pat Lewis, 75, of Hazard, died Sunday, October 11th. Shaping
368
00:26:55.490 --> 00:26:59.430
our Appalachian region became the latest Kentucky organization to join
369
00:26:59.490 --> 00:27:03.960
the University of Kentucky's Advancing Kentucky Together Network at the
370
00:27:04.019 --> 00:27:09.289
SOAR Summit on October 8th in Corbin. This formalized relationship,
371
00:27:09.349 --> 00:27:12.670
the statement said, will create a more intentional connection between
372
00:27:12.789 --> 00:27:19.599
UK statewide education, research, health care and outreach missions. This
373
00:27:19.640 --> 00:27:22.019
concludes the reading of the Hazard Herald. Thank you for
374
00:27:22.059 --> 00:27:24.960
joining me. On behalf of everyone here at Radio Eye,
375
00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:27.829
this is Lee Townsend wishing you a good day.