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Now we turn to the reading of the Hazard Herald
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for news of hazard in Perry County. I'm Lou Townsend.
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We begin with the online edition dated October 14th, 2026.
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As a reminder, Radio Eye is a reading service intended
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for people who are blind or have other disabilities that
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make it difficult to read printed material. Supreme Court denies
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to hear Hazard Restaurant Tax Challenge. City cannot impose the tax.
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The Hazard City Commission's attempt to impose a restaurant tax
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officially ended last month after action by the Kentucky Supreme Court.
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According to the court documents, on September 16th, the Supreme
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Court denied discretionary review of the city's legal action challenging
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a decision by the Kentucky Court of Appeals, which found
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that under statute, the city could not impose the tax.
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Hazard City Attorney Denise Davidson said, The Supreme Court refused
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to take up the case on a constitutional issue, meaning
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the city cannot impose the tax. Hazard cannot charge a
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restaurant tax without a legislative change in the law, Davidson said.
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The restaurant tax was initially approved by the city in
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2004 with proceeds intended to fund the Hazard-Perry County Tourism Commission.
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The tax took effect January 1st. However, the city's authority
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to impose the tax was contested before it was enacted.
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Under legislation signed into law in 2014 by then-Governor Steve Meshear,
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certain city classifications were fixed for purposes of assessing with
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restaurant tax. Hazard was not included among the cities authorized
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to levy the tax. In 2023, the city of Hazard
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challenged its classification in Frankfurt Circuit Court and obtained a
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ruling that adjusted its status in a way that would
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have allowed the tax to be collected. That ruling was
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later appealed by Attorney General Russell Coleman to the Kentucky
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Supreme Court of Appeals. In October 2025, the Court of
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Appeals issued an opinion remanding the case back to Fayette
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Circuit Court with instructions to dismiss it. In its opinion,
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the Court of Appeals found that Franklin Circuit Court Judge
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Philip Shepard exceeded the court's authority. All parties acknowledged that
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Hazard had been misclassified, the opinion stated, but that error
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does not grant the judicial branch the authority to do
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what only the General Assembly can do under the 1891 Constitution.
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On December 30, 2025, the Hazard City Commission approved an
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ordinance formally repealing the tax. Davidson told the Hazard Herald
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that she is currently not aware of a plan for
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the distribution of the collected tax money, which officials have
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said is being held in escrow. The city knows which
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restaurants paid and the amounts, but the tax was paid
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by the customer, Davidson said. Man connected in Perry County
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murder dies on death row. A Perry County man who
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was convicted in a brutal murder and hazard in 1989
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has died awaiting execution on Kentucky's death row. According to
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the Lexington Herald-Leader, Donald Herb Johnson, 59, died on October
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1st of apparent suicide at the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville.
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According to court documents in the case, Johnson was convicted
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in connection with the murder of Helen Madden. According to
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Kentucky Supreme Court documents, in November 1989, Madden was beaten, stabbed, mutilated,
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and tortured to death in the supply storage room of
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the laundromat where she worked. Her body was so disfigured
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that a co-worker of 13 years was unable to identify,
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the filing said. The crime has stuck with Perry County
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Jailer Minor Allen, who responded in 1989 to a member
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of the Hazard Police Department. I had been on the
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force for about four years at the time, said Allen.
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Ken Duff was the case officer at the time, but
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unfortunately passed away earlier this year. I'm one of the
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few still around who was there that day. Allen said
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Madden was not discovered until the following day and described
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the scene as one that remained with
Load full transcript
him throughout his career.
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Madden wasn't found until the next day, said Allen. There
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were several officers on the scene by the time I arrived.
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It was a very brutal murder that had taken place.
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The victim was unclothed and had been stabbed multiple times.
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It was the most brutal thing I've ever witnessed in
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my life. It's something you never get out of your mind.
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As the investigation continued, Allen said, Hazard Police requested the
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assistance from the Kentucky State Police to process the scene
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and collect evidence. We contacted the Kentucky State Police and
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they brought a forensic team to the scene and helped
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process the crime scene, he said. Officers kept collecting evidence
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and soon developed a suspect that they were able to
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track his whereabouts that night. Allen said officers continued searching
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for Johnson throughout the day before eventually locating and arresting
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him near his residence. Officers stayed on the case the
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entire day, and he was taken into custody near the residence,
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and officers were able to recover the murder weapon, said Allen.
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We had pretty much every officer out searching for the
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whereabouts at the time. After he was apprehended, he spent
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time at what was then the Perry County Jail. He
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had multiple hearings lasting three or four years. Eventually, he
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got a change of venue, and it was moved to
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Floyd County, and that's when he received a sentence and
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was convicted. Johnson challenged his conviction and death sentence through
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multiple appeals, claiming that his guilty plea was induced by
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a secret deal for his belief in the existence of
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a secret deal, in which the trial judge indicated that
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he would not sentence Johnson to death if he entered
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a guilty plea. According to the Supreme Court filing, Johnson
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had claimed his plea was coerced by his lawyer's threat
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to withdraw from representing him if Johnson did not enter
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a guilty plea. However, in a 2013 ruling, the Supreme
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Court upheld a lower court decision finding that the proof
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did not support Johnson's claims. Perry County to receive FEMA
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reimbursement for 2025 flood repairs. The Perry County Fiscal Court
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will receive more than $ 215, 000 in federal emergency management agency
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reimbursements for road, culvert, and embankment repairs completed following the
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severe weather in 2025, according to Governor Andy Beshear's office.
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Beshear announced September 30th that his administration had secured more
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than $ 21. 9 million in FEMA disaster funding to reimburse Kentucky cities, counties,
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and utilities for expenses tied to severe weather events in 2019, 21, 25,
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and 26. The funding also includes reimbursement for a Bowling
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Green Hospital for protective measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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According to the announcement, Perry County will receive two reimbursements
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totaling $ 215, 954. 92 for road resurfacing, culvert work, and embankment repairs
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or replacement resulting from severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, landslides,
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and mudslides. President Donald Trump issued a major disaster declaration
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for Kentucky following the flooding, authorizing FEMA assistance for individuals
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and households in 16 counties, including Perry and several local
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governments in 66 counties. From federally declared disasters to the pandemic,
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Kentucky was owed millions of dollars to help support our
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communities and our people. and I am proud my administration
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was able to secure those funds so that we can
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continue to move forward together, Beshear said. This is federal
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support that's essential, and I will continue the work to
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ensure every dollar promised to our Commonwealth is delivered. According
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to the Perry County Fiscal Court, the reimbursements cover work
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completed in 2025, including covert replacement at Strong Branch and
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Lick Branch, and excavation and geotile work at Buffalo Run,
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culvert replacement at Jack's Branch, Beehive Road and lost work
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embankment restoration, culvert replacement and ditch restoration on Lower Pigeon
Roost,
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culvert replacement on Lick Fork Lane, and gravel roadway work
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at Ritchie Hollow. Perry County Judge Executive Scott Alexander said
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the funding will reimburse the county for work that has
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already been completed. These are reimbursements for projects that have
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already been completed, said Alexander. We're super thankful to getting
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some of the money back. This is $ 200, 000 we're getting
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back of about $ 18 million so far. As we start
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getting more of this money reimbursed, this will help us
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recover financially from the flooding disaster and lift us out
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of any financial crisis. So we're very thankful to be
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getting back some of this money. The annual Oktoberfest was
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held at the Forum at the Hal Rogers Center on
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October 10th after inclement weather forced the event to move
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from its usual Main Street location. The event featured vendors
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including Beery Me and Chocolate and This Is How We Roll,
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along with performances by Josh Craig, Emily Jamerson, Jordan Lee King,
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and Ian Ngo. The Perry County Conservation District celebrated 75
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years of service with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 6th,
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recognizing current and former members, community members, and local officials.
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Among those honored was retired Master Sergeant Bobby Brown, a
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Green Beret paratrooper and longtime conservationist, for 27 years of
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service and dedication to the community. Perry woman charged with
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sexual abuse of juvenile detention center inmate. A Perry County
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woman is pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexual
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abuse related to her former employment at Breathitt Regional Juvenile
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Detention Center. Rebecca Duff, 47, of Terry Drive, Bulin, was
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indicted on a Breathitt County grand jury on the charge
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on September 22nd and pleaded not guilty to at arraignment
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on October 9th, according to court documents. Breath of Circuit
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Judge Lisa H. Wiseman set a $ 10, 000 bond for the case.
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The Lexington Herald-Leader reported the charges were related to a
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series of kisses Duff shared with a teenage boy inside
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the facility while she was employed there as a licensed
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clinician social worker. Thus, Harrell later reported that a review
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of security video from the facility found 14 times Duff
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kissed the boy during December 2025 and January 2026. Duff
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is scheduled to be in court for a pretrial hearing
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on November 6th. Several honored with 2026 Soar Inspires Awards.
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Shaping our Appalachian region honored several Eastern Kentuckians during the
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2026 SOAR Inspires Award presented by the Kentucky Community and
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Technical College System at the Corbin Arena. According to a
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statement from SOAR, the award celebrated individuals and organizations who
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chose to lead, serve, build, teach, invest, innovate, and create
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opportunity in the communities they call home, and served as
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a kickoff for the organization's annual summit presented this year
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by Appalachian Wireless and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Throughout the evening,
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business leaders, educators, students, entrepreneurs, health care providers, workforce champions, innovators,
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and community servants took center stage, the statement said. Their
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work is different. Their stories are different, but they share
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something important. a belief in this region and the willingness
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to do the work required to move it forward. Individuals
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and organizations honored included community bank Rick Newsom, who was
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honored as Business Person of the Year. Throughout his career,
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Newsom has remained deeply connected to eastern Kentucky, investing his
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time and leadership in his community, church, and organizations working
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to move the region forward, the statement said. His career
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demonstrates that growing a successful business and investing in the
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place you call home don't have to be separate pursuits.
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They can strengthen one another. Mountain Association, which was recognized
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as Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Partner of the Year. Eastern Light Distilling,
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which was recognized as Startup of
the Year. Lynn Parrish,
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who was recognized with the Appalachian Innovator Award. As Eastern
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Kentucky and Cone County economy changed, Parrish recognized the problem-solving abilities,
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mechanical and technical skills, and work ethic that powered one
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industry could be applied to another. The idea was bold.
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Go from mining coal to mining code. That vision helped
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create BitSource in Pikeville, opening pathways into technology careers and
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demonstrating that those jobs could be created right here in
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eastern Kentucky. The Appalachian Leadership Award was presented to Rich Pruitt.
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Martin County was recognized as Community of the Year. Dr.
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Keela Miller, Vice Chancellor of Workforce Solutions at Hazard Community
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and Technical College, was recognized as the Appalachian Workforce Champion.
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Miller has brought employers directly to students, including a recent
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career expo connecting more than 200 students with 40 local employers,
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the statement said. She worked closely with SOAR to develop
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nuclear force training and helped expand access to cybersecurity and
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other technology training. Her work also reaches individuals in recovery,
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creating pathways into careers ranging from peer support and fiber
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optics to advanced manufacturing. Jeffrey Clare and Professor Carlton Hughes
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were recognized as Teachers of the Year, Harlem High School
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Senior Engineers, Natasha Harris was recognized as Student of the Year.
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Corbin High School Senior Trey Pearson was recognized as Male
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Student Athlete of the Year. Paintsville High School Senior Kylie
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Kenner was recognized as Female Student Athlete of the Year.
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Backroads of Appalachia was recognized with Tourism Organization of the
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Year Award. The Center for Rural Development received the Connect
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Appalachian Awards. Beacons of Hope, with locations in Perry and
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Knott counties, was recognized with the Appalachian Recovery Award. Baptist
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Health Corbin received the Healthy Communities Award. Woodley Judge Executive
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Pat White was given the Appalachian Humanitarian Award. Senate President
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Robert Stivers, a Republican from Manchester, received the inaugural Appalachian
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Film and Arts Award, which will carry his name in
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future years. Iowa Gets Steel, Appalachia Gets the Shaft by
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Jeff Vanderbeck. Last week, President Trump announced that America is
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getting back in the steel business. Not in Pittsburgh or Bethlehem,
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where steel is coded into their DNA, but in Iowa.
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The Hawkeye State, you know, that pesky state where Republican
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Senators' shift failed miserably at his gotcha attempt during the
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Jack Smith hearing as he confused the Hawkeyes with the Hawks.
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there are plans for a company to build a $ 15
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billion steel complex in hopes of producing 10 million tons
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of steel per year, creating more than 1,500 full-time permanent jobs,
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good for Iowa. The timing raises questions. Is it just
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a coincidence that the announcement came in Iowa, a battleground
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state just before midterms? Announcements for manufacturing plants like this
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take many years of planning A multi-billion dollar steel complex
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does not suddenly appear just because someone noticed the calendar. But,
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as you see all over the place, this great country,
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politics and ribbon cuttings make good bet fellows. Iowa is
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important as it sets the tone for the upcoming elections.
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An announcement like this tells voters that manufacturing is coming
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back and that Washington and corporate America are watching. It
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gives Trump a powerful backdrop, American-made steel creating jobs in
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the heart of America. Loaders, however, should be able to
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see the difference between an announcement and a completed mill.
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In 2015, we were promised coal mining would come back,
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which didn't happen. What bothers me is the announcement of
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resurrecting an industry in an area where that industry has
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no previous track record. Iowa and steel are not synonymous.
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They shouldn't plan to mine coal in downtown Cincinnati. Communities
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built around steel, like Pittsburgh and
Bethlehem, have rail services, rivers,
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generations of knowledge, and a strong workforce. Not saying Iowa
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doesn't possess that, but why? It follows the same thinking
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as the attempt to remodel your bathroom, but instead you
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build a whole new house. Here's the kicker for us
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in Appalachia. The proposed Iowa plant is expected to use
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furnaces processing iron ore and scrapped steel in their manufacturing.
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That means it will not rely on coke, therefore metallurgical coal,
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the way traditional blast furnaces that built Pittsburgh and Bethlehem did,
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further slapping Appalachia in the face. Electric furnaces are not energy-free.
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They require enormous amounts of electricity, and this plant could
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put a huge demand on a power grid that in
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some cases is already at capacity. When large data centers
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are proposed, which use large amounts of electricity, communities go
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crazy and the people demand that no data centers be built,
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just like landfills. So if data centers are a major
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concern to residents about rising power rates, Will the residents
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of Iowa revolt as well over the massive amount of
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electricity needed to run the new steel plant? Will there
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be transparency? And why not use met coal and put
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American coal back in circulation? For years, we mined met coal,
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shipped it overseas only to buy cheap steel from China
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and Europe. How stupid is that? We export more met
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coal than we use domestically, and with this announcement, that
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pattern may not change, and there will not be a
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need to mine more met coal. Now we're asked to
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celebrate the return of steelmaking while using resources other than
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met coal, which was a staple of steelmaking back in
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the day. Progress has a strange sense of humor, a
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utility bill and job loss in Appalachia. If the future
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of steel depends on electricity, Appalachia should be competing to
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supply that power and build infrastructure around it. Why should
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the next generation of energy-intensive manufacturing go to places other
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than where it's got a proven track record? The elephant
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in the room? All this steel will not be used
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in the United States. America is not an island, and
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it depends on other countries to help support our domestic economy.
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That means domestic steel needs to be affordable in countries
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like Canada and Mexico. with whom we have obliterated relationships,
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need to be on the buy list. We need to
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make nice with a whole lot of countries if America's
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steel is to survive. That is, unless the plan is
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to bomb the crap out of countries like Iran and
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force them to buy American-made Iowa steel to rebuild their countries.
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If that's the case, then that plan is brilliant. If
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the goal is to produce a stronger manufacturing economy with
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American steel, we can't hide behind a wall of tariffs
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and be told that the tariffs are good for our economy.
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We are being fed lies about this economy. A steel
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mill needs predictable resources that include reliable power, workforce, and
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affordable foreign trade, and the republic should not be expected
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to foot that bill. On the surface, this seems like
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patriotic rhetoric in an effort to keep power. And if
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the steel mill is ever built, it does not do
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one damn thing to revitalize the coal industry like we
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were promised in the first go-around that also never happened.
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Made in America sounds great at the podium, but there
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are too many obstacles that we the public are not
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being told about for this to become a reality. If
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the midterms were not this year, would this announcement have
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been made? If America is to be first, we need
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to start acting like we deserve that ranking with truth, transparency,
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and real plans that build global relationships while all hardworking
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Americans prosper, not just the uber-wealthy. Thanks for reading The
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Hazard Herald. Action or Empty Promises by Russ Cassaday Ah,
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October in an election year. Among the preparations for Halloween
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and the changing leaves, there's an undercurrent that's impossible to ignore.
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It's the steady stream of promises candidates are making in
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an attempt to secure your vote. There seems to be
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nothing off limits when it comes to campaign promises, and
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some will offer you the world to get you and
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hopefully your family and friends to vote for them. But
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the problem with some of the more extravagant campaign promises
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is they're in the worst-case scenario a lie and in
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the best-case scenario made without full knowledge of what's involved
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in actual fulfilling them. There are so many topics that
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are the focus of promises, but here in eastern Kentucky
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and central Appalachia, the key promises often are on infrastructure
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such as roads or, more often, water and sewers. The
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problem with infrastructure, however, is that it's a far more
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complicated issue than many, including many of those seeking public office, understand.
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With water and sewer, for example, it's not just a
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matter of finding a community that needs them and running
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the lines and maintaining the infrastructure. There's no doubt that
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the quality of life here and the equality of the
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environment would be vastly improved by running water and sewer
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service in every holland. but when you look below the surface,
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there's more to it. Often the focus is on getting
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funding to install the infrastructure, and that's understandable and important.
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Sometimes that can be obtained through grant funding. However, there's
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something that a lot of people don't consider. It's more
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expensive and difficult to install and maintain infrastructure here. There
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are a lot of reasons for that, including the topography,
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the makeup of the soil and often rock that has
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to be moved, the location of housing and other factors,
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so they're automatically at a disadvantage for seeking funding for
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these kinds of projects. Once you install an infrastructure, it
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creates a whole host of new costs. Not only does
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the equipment have to be replaced and repaired often, resulting
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in material costs, but it also requires human beings qualified, capable,
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and committed workers to maintain it. Heck, it can even
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result in a need for more workers to simply track
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and bill for new customers. Local government utility services are
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already stretched thin and often find their employers poached by
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for-profit entities that can afford to pay them better for
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their expertise and abilities. Any new service results in a
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new cost for residents of the area. Some people can
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afford the new bill. Many cannot. That means that before
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the first foot of dirt is turned, utilities have to
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do surveys in communities to make sure that people are
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actually willing to pay the increased costs for receiving the service.
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On November 3rd, it's incumbent upon us to weed through
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the promises and choose those individuals who will try not
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those who are good at telling us what we want
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to hear. Reality often sinks in only after the ballot
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is cast. Make sure that when the campaign hangover sets in,
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you're not left with a sinking feeling that you were
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swayed by empty words and left wanting for action. Here
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are the obituaries. Larry Baker, 64, of Gays Creek, died Monday,
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October 5th. Peggy Hall, 79, of Viper, died Saturday, October 3rd.
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Jimmy Lee Miller, 34, of Hazard, died Monday, October 5th.
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Pat Lewis, 75, of Hazard, died Sunday, October 11th. Shaping
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our Appalachian region became the latest Kentucky organization to join
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the University of Kentucky's Advancing Kentucky Together Network at the
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SOAR Summit on October 8th in Corbin. This formalized relationship,
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the statement said, will create a more intentional connection between
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UK statewide education, research, health care and outreach missions. This
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concludes the reading of the Hazard Herald. Thank you for
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00:27:22.059 --> 00:27:24.960
joining me. On behalf of everyone here at Radio Eye,
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this is Lee Townsend wishing you a good day.