29th consecutive year of food basket project
RACELAND, Ky. – The Kiwanis Club of East Greenup County and its Key Clubs at Raceland-Worthington and Russell high schools set a new record Saturday by distributing 60 Thanksgiving food baskets to Greenup County families.
It was the 29th consecutive year for the project.
Kiwanis president Don Golightly and Joshua Joseph, chairman of the project, said 25 baskets were delivered in the Greenup County school district, while 15 were delivered in the Russell area and the remaining 20 in the Raceland area.
Food items in the baskets included cans of green beans and corn, fruit cocktail, instant potatoes and gravy, corn muffin mix, boxed macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce, jello, and peanut butter and jelly.
Kiwanis members along with their Key Club families provide all of those items, while the Kiwanis Club provided a boneless half ham, bread and a dessert.
Items in the baskets, including the ham, bread and dessert, cost an estimated $5,500, or $92 per basket. That was an increase over last year’s per basket cost of $64 when 55 baskets were distributed.
Over the 29 year history of the project, launched in 1995, the baskets have assisted 1,550 families at an estimated value of $62,600.
The Key Club members at Russell and Raceland check all the baskets to make sure they contain everything families will need for their Thanksgiving meal.
The family resource centers at the three school districts identify the families who will receive the baskets, which are then picked up at either McDowell Intermediate school in Russell, Raceland-Worthington High School in Raceland or McKell Middle School in South Shore.
The idea for the project originated with the Key Club at Raceland in 1995. That year 15 baskets were delivered. The numbers have increased over the years resulting in a new record this year.
Annual Bazaar to be held
The Ladies Fellowship at Raceland Christian Church, 210 Caroline Road, Raceland, Ky. will be having their annual Holiday Sweets & Treats Bazaar on Saturday, December 2, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM at the church . Lunch of Soup, Hot Dog, Cookie and Drink will be available for $5.00.
There will be a variety of homemade cakes, cookies, candy, cheese balls and more. Lots of gifts, gift baskets, novelty and unique containers filled with goodies. Sheet sets in King, Queen, Full and Twin will be available to purchase for $25.00 plus an auction table with more great items to bid on. We invite everyone to come have lunch and do some Christmas Shopping.
Flatwoods Christmas parade
Flatwoods Lions Club Christmas Parade will be Saturday, December 2nd, 2023, at 5:00 pm. (NOTICE THE TIME CHANGE). Theme for Parade will be “ PEACE ON EARTH “. Parade will begin at Beth Ann Drive-Argillite Road (Old General Heating). Lineup will be at 4:00 pm. Entries are invited. Information, call 571-1588.
Successful Health Sciences and Health Programs Career Fair at ACTC
ASHLAND, Ky. – Ashland Community and Technical College hosted a Health Sciences and Health Professions career fair on November 6 that sought to give ACTC students every opportunity to find a successful career.
The event was held at the College Drive Campus with 29 representatives in attendance from 17 employers. The career fair was able to reach 125 ACTC students and alumni.
“The second bi-annual Health Sciences & Health Professions Career fair was another huge success,” ACTC Career Services Director, Ashley Vanderpool, commented. “We are privileged to present our upcoming graduates with opportunities with some of our area’s premier employers.” She concluded.
The following employers attended the event:
Valley Health
Southern Ohio Medical Center
Marshall Health
Mountain Health Network
St Claire Healthcare
King’s Daughters Medical Center
Marshall University Human Resource Services
Encompass Rehab Hospital
Ramey-Estep/Re-group
Harbor Health Care
Bluegrass Consulting
Three Rivers Medical Center
Addiction Recovery Care Centers
Prestera Center for Mental Health Services
Legacy Riverview
Maxin Healthcare Services
Kentucky Army National Guard
ACTC offers multiple associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates for those interested in the healthcare field including Advanced Nursing Assistant, Health Science Technology, Medical Assisting, Medical Information Technology, Practical Nursing, Nursing (ADN), Radiography, Respiratory Care, Surgical Technology, Nurse Aide and Kentucky Medication Aide, Phlebotomy, ECG Tech, and Pharmacy Technician.
Maysville Driver Licensing Regional Office Move to Larger, More Efficient Location
New location will allow for more licensing stations, room for Kentucky State Police driver testing
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 16, 2023) – Gov. Andy Beshear’s administration announced today that the Driver Licensing Regional Office at Maysville has moved to a larger, more efficient location.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has designated the new location at 1918 Old Main Street in Maysville. It has five licensing stations, ample parking, plus space for the Kentucky State Police’s driver testing operation. The former office location, on Kenton Station Road in Maysville, was a temporary space with three licensing stations.
“We are always looking for opportunities to improve customer service,” said Commissioner Matt Cole of the KYTC Department of Vehicle Regulation.
The Maysville office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. Appointments can be scheduled online at drive.ky.gov, but the office also serves walk-in customers on a first-come, first-serve basis while slots are available.
Maysville is one of 32 regional offices around Kentucky, all of which can perform the full suite of driver licensing services. Kentuckians requiring in-person services can visit any regional office, regardless of county of residence. In addition, KYTC offers periodic “popup” licensing services in counties that do not have a regional office.
Kentuckians can “skip a trip” to an office by renewing or updating their present credential online or by mail. To date, more than a half million Kentuckians have used remote options to renew credentials or to update with name or address changes.
Driver testing is conducted by Kentucky State Police and must be completed before a permit or license can be requested. Testing appointments can be made online at https://www.kentuckystatepolice.ky.gov/driver-testing.
Kentucky Afield Outdoors – Late season fishing with live bait
Three productive options for colder weather
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 16, 2023) - Live bait isn’t just a technique for beginners. A fluttering minnow or chunk of nightcrawler at the end of the line can be one of the most effective means of fishing at this time of year.
“While an artificial bait passes through a fish’s strike zone quickly, live bait just sits there and gives off those subtle vibrations that draw fish,” said Mike Hardin, assistant director of Fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Live bait offers you a chance to catch fish when it’s too cold for other methods of fishing.”
With water temperatures at many Kentucky reservoirs falling into the high 50s, we are entering the time of year when live bait shines. Following are some excellent options for catching crappie, smallmouth bass and sunfish when the temperatures begin to drop.
Crappie:
Fall and winter are excellent times to chase crappie and it’s hard to beat a bait bucket full of live minnows. “Crappie like that cold water,” Hardin said. “They don’t care. Sometimes, a minnow is all they will hit when it is cold.”
While Taylorsville Lake’s proximity to Louisville generates crowds during the spring crappie spawn, you can practically have the lake to yourself in November and December. Fish live minnows beside the ample flooded timber in the lake. Look for the trees with the most branches, as these seem to hold more fish than trees that resemble toothpicks. Beech and Little Beech creeks are good places to try.
Kentucky Lake is another excellent place to toss live minnows for fall crappie. Secondary channels offshore in the mouth of Jonathan Creek as well as in the mouth of Pisgah Bay on the Land Between the Lakes side of the lake, hold crappie in fall.
Use your boat’s sonar unit to find sunken brush on lips of these channels and on the adjacent flats. Drop a live minnow on a size 4 baitholder hook into this cover; use a small split shot weight or two to keep your bait down in the strike zone. You can also use a slip bobber to target these fish as well.
Crappie will also gather beside bridge abutments in fall on Kentucky Lake. Target them by allowing a minnow to slowly fall through the water column beside the bridge abutment until you find the fish.
Black crappie, like their movement in spring, migrate back to pea gravel banks in fall. Productive areas at this time of year include the northern bank of Blood River and the western bank of the main lake north of Blood River. Smaller embayments on the eastern side of the lake, such as Vickers Bay, Barnett Bay and Sugar Bay, also draw black crappie in fall.
Cast a crappie minnow to these pea gravel banks, using just enough split shot weight to allow it to sink slowly. After the minnow has sunk a few feet deep, slowly reel it back. Black crappie will load up on this presentation. Some anglers believe black crappie fight harder than white crappie.
Smallmouth bass:
Casting medium-sized shiners or large crappie minnows in Dale Hollow Lake, Lake Cumberland and Laurel River Lake can bring trophy smallmouth bass to hand from Thanksgiving through March. Peak live bait fishing occurs in December.
A size 1 or 1/0 octopus-style hook works extremely well for casting shiners. Run the hook through the top of the shiner’s mouth and attach two BB-sized split shot weights about 18 inches above it. Use round split shot instead of the kind with wings built-in for easy removal. Round split shot doesn’t get hung up as often.
Cast the shiner to main lake points. This is the deep-water sanctuary that smallmouth bass use in late fall and winter. The light weight of the set-up enables the shiner to slowly sink, enticing smallmouth bass suspended in the water column. When the shiner reaches the bottom, retrieve it slowly back to you. It takes patience to fish a live shiner this way, but it can produce large smallmouth bass.
You sometimes can feel the shiner or crappie minnow wiggling on the end of your line. This is often a sign a smallmouth bass is stalking the bait. If you feel any thump or movement in the line after feeling a wiggle, set the hook.
On Lake Cumberland, the area from the Bugwood Narrows down lake to Wolf Creek Dam is an excellent area of the lake to search for fall and winter smallmouth bass. The lower sections of the Wolf River arm and Illwill Creek in Dale Hollow Lake and the Spruce Creek arm of Laurel River Lake are productive places to try on these reservoirs.
Sunfish in smaller lakes:
Many anglers associate bluegill and redear sunfish with spawning season in May and June. These species often go forgotten by this time of year.
Smaller, state-owned lakes are perfect spots for anglers pursuing panfish from shore, paddlecraft or a johnboat.
As the water temperatures drop into the 50s, the large bluegill and redear move into deeper water, anywhere from 8 to 15 feet or more, depending on the lake. Bluegill often form schools in fall, making them easy to find for boaters using sonar.
A slip bobber makes the task easier. A slip bobber uses a preset stop on the fishing line; the bobber stays close to the bait when cast but slips to the stop once it hits the water. This allows anglers to fish deeper with a bobber while maintaining castability.
Set the slip bobber to suspend a bait just above the bottom. For bluegill, try a wax worm, meal worm or redworm impaled on a size 6 or 8 Aberdeen-style hook. If you want to attract only large bluegill, use small live crappie minnows instead. You will also pick up crappie and largemouth bass with live minnows.
A drop shot rig – a size 4 or 6 baitholder hook tied 12 to 18 inches above a weight at the end of the line – also works. Impale a 1-inch piece of nightcrawler on the hook and let the weight at the bottom of the rig gently drag the bottom as you slowly retrieve it. This is especially deadly on big redear sunfish.
Bottom fishing redworms or small crappie minnows is the best presentation for anglers fishing from the bank.
Light line is imperative for fall fishing for sunfish; 4-pound fluorocarbon line works well. This should be paired to an ultra-light or light-powered rod to make good sport. Landing a trophy bluegill on an ultra-light rod is an absolute ball.
The 2023 Fishing Forecast highlights several smaller, state-owned lakes that hold good populations of bluegill and redear sunfish. Beaver Lake in Anderson County, tiny Briggs Lake in Logan County and Elmer Davis Lake in Owen County hold ample numbers of bluegill and redear sunfish. McNeely Lake in Jefferson County, Pennyrile Lake in Christian County and Spurlington Lake in Taylor County hold many healthy bluegill and redear sunfish as well.
Using live bait makes you a better angler because it teaches you where predator fish locate during the different seasons. Live bait also gives you confidence because nothing looks as much like the real thing as the real thing.
Get out this fall and catch some fat crappie, smallmouth bass and sunfish using baits the fish can’t resist.
UK King’s Daughters welcomes endocrinology practice to its network
ASHLAND, KY – UK King’s Daughters is pleased to welcome endocrinologists George Borst, M.D., Moussa Alhaj, M.D., and physician assistants Emily Mays, Marcie McGuffin, and Brittany Stewart to its provider network.
The new practice, King’s Daughters Regional Endocrine Associates, is located in Suite 340, Medical Plaza B, 613 23rd St., Ashland, on the campus of King’s Daughters Medical Center. Dr. Alhaj’s office, previously located at 1201 St. Christopher Drive, has been permanently closed. The new phone number for the practice is (606) 326-1101.
Endocrinologists diagnose and treat health conditions related to the endocrine system, including diabetes, osteoporosis, thyroid and metabolic disorders, and issues affecting the adrenal and pituitary glands.
“We view this transition with great excitement, as it will enable us to dedicate more of our time and resources to providing exceptional care to our valued patients,” Dr. Borst said, “while expanding our capacity to serve the growing population of patients dealing with diabetes and other endocrine disorders.”
New patients are welcome; a referral is not required. For more information, please call the practice at (606) 326-1101.
SOMC Announces Quarterly Grant Recipients
Southern Ohio Medical Center announced its latest quarterly grant recipients, with awards going to support Shawnee State University Campus Events, the Steven Hunter Hope Fund’s Power Packs, Mound Park Pickle Ball, the Continuing the Legacy Foundation’s Halloween Bash and the New Boston Police Department’s Child Safety Education Program.
The Shawnee State University Development Foundation received $10,000 to support a variety of events to be held on campus. These include Vern Riffe Center for the Arts and athletic events running until May, the President’s Gala in April, the Shawnee Game Conference in November, the Celebration of Scholarship in March and next year’s Hall of Fame Banquet. These annual events not only provide revelry for participants, but also raise valuable funds for the university.
The Steven Hunter Hope Fund receive $6,000 to support their mission of providing food insecure school children meals they can eat over the weekend. This helps protect students who may not have food on days when school lunch is not available against the devastating effects of childhood hunger, improving their overall health as well as their academic performance.
The Hilltop Initiative Neighborhood Association, meanwhile, received $5,000 to help fund the improvement of local pickleball and tennis courts in the Mound Park area. By providing for safe, outdoor recreation, the organization is encouraging citizens of all ages to become physically active. It also fosters a sense of community through shared interest in pickleball and tennis.
SOMC also supported the Continuing the Legacy Foundation by sponsoring the organization’s “All Hallow’s Eve Bash” for $1,500. Additionally, SOMC donated to the New Boston Police Department’s Child Safety Program, which educates children on dangers associated with drugs, stranger danger, internet safety and more.
To learn more about SOMC’s grant donation process, visit somc.org. To request that your organization be considered for support, visit https://www.somc.org/donations/somc-grant-request/.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission to hold meeting Dec. 1
Members of the public can view the meeting in person and online
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 22, 2023) – The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission has scheduled a meeting at 8:30 a.m. (EST) on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023.
The meeting will take place at the Administration Building on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources campus in Frankfort, and it is open to the public.
The meeting will be livestreamed and archived on the department’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/FishandWildlifeKY. A link to the livestream will be posted on the department’s homepage at fw.ky.gov before the start of the meeting.
Among the action items on the agenda the commission will consider are recommendations to amend elk hunting seasons and permits (301 KAR 2:132) for the 2024 season, and to modify regulations for commercial trotlines (301 KAR 1:146) and to modify water bodies open to commercial fishing (301 KAR 1:150).
The commission also plans to consider adding a new regulation requiring wildlife disease reporting to address wildlife disease concerns that impact conservation of wildlife populations, adding provisions for special hunting regulations on designated wildlife management areas, creating new special agency fundraising permits, and electing new commission officers.
The full meeting agenda can be found at fw.ky.gov. On the homepage, click on the “Commission Meetings/Agendas and Recaps” link.
Public comments for the meeting will be handled as follows:
In Person:
In-person attendees who would like to comment on “New Business Items” or “Discussion Items” on the agenda will be asked to sign up on the public comment request form on the table at the meeting room entrance by 9 a.m. (ET) on the day of the meeting, and specify their county and state of residence, organization represented and position held if applicable, and the specific agenda items they intend to address in their comments.
During the “Public Comments” time on the agenda, attendees who have signed up to comment will each have up to 3 minutes (total time per person) to offer comments about the “New Business” or “Discussion Items” that they have specified to address on the sign-up sheet.
Email:
People may email comments about “New Business Items” and “Discussion Items” on the agenda to FW.PublicAffairs@ky.gov through 5 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. Please include “commission meeting” in the email’s subject line. In the email, commenters should include their first and last name, county and state of residence, and organization represented with position held in the organization, if applicable.
Emailed comments will be distributed to all commission members at least 24 hours prior to the meeting for their review individually. Time permitting and at the discretion of the commission chair, emailed comments will be read by department staff for up to 3 minutes total per commenter during the “Public Comments” time on the agenda, provided the commenter does not speak during the public comments time during the meeting.
Anonymous comments submitted via email will be distributed to the commission members but may not be read during the meeting.
The commission will review all emailed comments, and questions will receive an email response.
Contact information is not required for emailed comments but will be necessary if information is requested, and other than name and affiliation that information will not be publicly disclosed if provided.
The commission chair reserves the right to not read publicly or allow any comments that are considered libelous, profane, derogatory of others, repetitive or not relevant to the new business or discussion items on the meeting agenda.
The commission is a nine-member board, comprised of volunteers who serve four-year terms. It recommends hunting, fishing and boating regulations to conserve fish and wildlife and support related outdoor recreation opportunities in the commonwealth.
The next quarterly meeting date following the December meeting is to be determined.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s main campus is located at 1 Sportsman’s Lane (formerly 1 Game Farm Road) in Frankfort, and its Administration Building is a large, two-story brick building about ½ mile north of the campus entrance. The entrance is located off U.S. 60, approximately 1½ miles west of U.S. 127.
ACTC welcomes new Kynector Coordinator
ASHLAND, Ky. – Ashland Community and Technical College has recently welcomed a new Kynector Coordinator, Tasha Enix. Enix is employed through Kentucky Primary Care Association (KPCA) and will be assisting ACTC students, staff, and community with health care resources. These resources include Medicaid, enrollment/renewals, Qualified Health Insurance Coverage, KHCIP, and other benefit programs.
“Our health is our most valuable asset,” Enix commented. “It is a privilege to be able to assist our community with securing those assets and allowing them to focus on building their future.”
Enix is a former graduate of ACTC and served as the Vice President for Phi Theta Kappa during her final semester in 2019. After receiving an Associate in Arts and an Associate in Science, she went on to obtain her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Shawne State University. Throughout her career she has worked in multiple social services roles and enjoys serving her community.
Enix shares that her goal is to decrease healthcare worries by educating and assisting the public on all the great healthcare resources that Kentucky has to offer.
“We are excited to share about this partnership between ACTC and Kentucky Primary Care Association,” Steve Woodburn, ACTC Chief Student Affairs Officer commented. “We believe in utilizing collaboration to bring about positive change within our community. We’re grateful to have an ACTC alumna back on campus and helping to provide our students with these resources and options to better their health.”
Enix’s office hours are 8:30-4:30pm on ACTC’s College Drive Campus. She is planning to be available at the Roberts Drive Campus by November 27th, and the Technology Drive Campus by December 4th.
Kentucky Power rate review settlement agreement supports reliability, reduces bill impacts and creates pathway for future
ASHLAND, Ky., November 20, 2023 – Kentucky Power, an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, filed a settlement agreement with the Kentucky Public Service Commission today in its ongoing base rate review.
The settlement agreement paves the way for Kentucky Power to enhance reliability through expanded vegetation management and other distribution programs while reducing customer bill impacts initially proposed. The agreement also includes commitments, such as more than doubling the number of customers eligible for programs designed to assist low-income residential customers. Several groups representing customers worked with Kentucky Power to reach the agreement.
“Kentucky Power customers will benefit from this agreement which will allow us to provide additional services for our most vulnerable customers and improve reliability,” said Cindy Wiseman, Kentucky Power president and COO. “The agreement represents a constructive and positive step forward for our customers that was accomplished through a meaningful collaboration between the company and key customer groups. It provides us with a pathway for investing in eastern Kentucky.”
Kentucky Power had proposed several customer programs in its initial filing, and additional programs were incorporated into the settlement agreement. The agreement includes:
Doubling the company’s contribution to its residential energy assistance program to expand the number of customers helped from approximately 3,700 under the company’s initial proposal to 5,700 customers per year. The company’s current residential energy assistance program currently assists approximately 2,700 customer per year.
More assistance for the most vulnerable residential customers, including dedicating 21% of future energy efficiency programs to low-income customers.
An optional seasonal tariff to assist customers in addressing high usage during winter months.
Increased reliability projects, including an expanded rights-of-way widening project, to address the fact that half of outages are caused by trees falling outside of the company’s rights-of-way.
Extending bill due dates from 15 to 21 days.
Securitization, which is a financial tool that will lower bill impacts related to certain existing costs for all customers.
The settlement agreement requests Commission approval for new rates to be effective in mid-January. The agreement reduces the overall rate impact to residential customers to less than 11%.
In addition, as part of the proposal, the company would suspend recovery of the Decommissioning Rider and portions of the Purchase Power Adjustment tariff until those costs are financed through securitization. Securitization lowers financing costs and extends the length of time over which Kentucky Power will recover these costs, which helps keep monthly bills lower than they would be under the current recovery process.
Parties to the settlement include the Kentucky Attorney General, Kentucky Industrial Utility Customers, Walmart, Steel of West Virginia Kentucky; and a group comprised of consumer advocate groups, such as Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, the Mountain Association, Appalachian Law Center and Kentucky Resources Council. All parties participated in settlement negotiations and signed the agreement, with the Attorney General and Steel of West Virginia signing as non-opposing parties.
The settlement is subject to review and approval by the Kentucky Public Service Commission.
Kentucky Power, with headquarters in Ashland, provides electric service to about 163,000 customers in 20 eastern Kentucky counties, including Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Clay, Elliott, Floyd, Greenup, Johnson, Knott, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, Martin, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike and Rowan. Kentucky Power is an operating company in the American Electric Power (AEP) system. For more information, visit kentuckypower.com.
At American Electric Power, based in Columbus, Ohio, we understand that our customers and communities depend on safe, reliable and affordable power. Our nearly 17,000 employees operate and maintain more than 40,000 miles of transmission lines, the nation’s largest electric transmission system, and more than 225,000 miles of distribution lines to deliver power to 5.6 million customers in 11 states. AEP also is one of the nation’s largest electricity producers with nearly 29,000 megawatts of diverse generating capacity, including approximately 6,100 megawatts of renewable energy. AEP is investing $43 billion over the next five years to make the electric grid cleaner and more reliable. We are on track to reach an 80% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from 2005 levels by 2030 and have a goal to achieve net zero by 2045. AEP is recognized consistently for its focus on sustainability, community engagement and inclusion. AEP’s family of companies includes utilities AEP Ohio, AEP Texas, Appalachian Power (in Virginia and West Virginia), AEP Appalachian Power (in Tennessee), Indiana Michigan Power, Kentucky Power, Public Service Company of Oklahoma, and Southwestern Electric Power Company (in Arkansas, Louisiana, east Texas and the Texas Panhandle). AEP also owns AEP Energy, which provides innovative competitive energy solutions nationwide. For more information, visit aep.com.