Photos submitted

Austin Dunn, above, was recently diagnosed with two types of cancer.  Friends and family have organized several fundraisers to help Austin make the trip to Boston or Texas, the only two places with facilities that treat his type of cancer. At right, Meredith Hardy and Alaina Thomas help with a road block.

By Susan Lynch

CV&T Contributor

A former Estill County Engineer Baseball player has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Estill County native Austin Dunn is currently battling not one but two types of cancer.

Dunn graduated from Estill County High School in 2017.  He is 18 years old.

What started out as a severe headache and vision issues quickly turned into a nightmare for Dunn and his friends and family. Doctors found tumors on Dunn’s brain in late May of this year.

Shortly after the discovery, another tumor was located in his nasal cavity. This tumor was identified as NUT Midline Carcinoma. NUT is a very aggressive cancer that most commonly occurs in the neck and head region. There are currently only two hospitals that specialize in the types of cancer Dunn is facing and they are in Boston and Texas.

The family is currently at U.K. hospital waiting for a transfer to one of these locations. The cost of staying in the hospital and traveling back and forth adds up quickly. Dunn’s family and friends have been working non-stop to ease that burden for Austin’s family.  His mother, Kim Dunn, was formerly a teacher in the Estill County school system.

Friends and Dunn’s former baseball teammates have already organized several fundraisers and a road block. T-shirts can also be purchased, thanks to photographer Nelson Benton.  Those can be ordered at Looking Fancy hair salon on Richmond Rd. from Kristi Crowe. Seven dollars from each shirt goes directly to the family.

The Citizens Guaranty Bank has an account set up in Autsin’s name for ayone who would like to donate.

Young athlete has big dreams

Photos by Lisa Bicknell

Eleven year-old Jayden Bingham, pictured above with his father Jay, will be playing in the AAU Nationals next weekend.

By LISA BICKNELL

CV&T News Editor

Not many 11 year-olds can say they don’t eat fast food or drink caffeine, haven’t been to McDonald’s in years, and work out on a regular basis, but that’s how serious Jayden Bingham is about his game.

Jayden has loved playing basketball since he could barely walk.  When he was “five or six,” he joined an Estill County youth league, and, at a time when many kids are still learning how to dribble, Jayden stood out as a natural talent.

In the third grade, Jayden typically led his youth league teams in scoring with 30 to 35 points.

Since then, Jayden’s dad, Jay Bingham, has devoted himself to helping develop his young son’s gift.  Jay calls it a “God-given talent,” not one that he inherited from him.

“He’s way better than I was at that age,” said Jay.

Jayden played with the KBA for a while, which is a Kentucky-based travel league, but he was soon invited to join the AAU circuit to play ball all over the eastern United States.

At the AAU level, small colleges begin to show up at games to watch developing players.  The competition is stiffer at this level, but Jayden is still scoring 20 to 30 points a game, his father says.

Jayden’s team recently won a tournament in Tennessee without losing a game. That victory qualified them to play in a national AAU tournament in Indianapolis, IN, “where the Indiana Pacers play.” The tournament lasts from July 13^th through the 15th.

Jayden has already drawn the attention of some big names in basketball who’ve seen him play in Youtube videos. One of those is Tyler Herro, recent Kentucky Wildcat recruit from Wisconsin, who contacted him and encouraged him to keep chasing his dream.

Jay said that Dominique Hawkins, former KY basketball star, told Jayden he’d better go to Madison Central to play when he gets to the high school level.

Jayden attends Kingston Elementary now, where as a 4^th grader, he was the starting point guard for a 6^th grade middle school team.  His dad says he leads the team in points, assists, and other statistics.

He’s a great student too, never bringing home anything less than an A on his report card.

With a room already overflowing with trophies, Jayden’s got goals for adding to his collection.

One of these days, he hope to play for a Division 1 team, and he dreams of eventually playing professional basketball, “even if it’s overseas.”

Jay says Jayden’s mother, Malissa, is equally dedicated to helping their son succeed.

He married his high school sweetheart, and the two also have a three year old daughter, Karmen, and a five year old son, Luke.

Jayden plays extra hard for his deceased “Poppy” (Rob Riddell) and great-grandfather Travis.

Sondra Chaney is Jayden’s paternal grandmother, and his great grandparents are Jerry and Sue Chaney.

Ailene Frymyer is maternal grandmother.

Jay also gives credit to coaches Woody Arvin, Danny Click, Skip Johnson, Brian Crowe, and Chris Winkler for helping develop Jayden’s talent and his own coaching style.

Local distiller comes home with gold

Kentucky Mountain Moonshine sent two entries to the SIP Awards, an international spirits competition in Irvine, California.  Both entries were awarded gold.

By LISA BICKNELL

CV&T News Editor

Rumor has it that Estill County is well known for its illegal moonshine, even beyond its borders.  One local distiller, however, is gaining a reputation with his legal “shine.”

Howard Arvin, owner of Kentucky Mountain Moonshine, bought a farm just outside of Ravenna a few years ago, which prompted him to give some serious thought to ways of making it productive.

In 2016, after jumping through all the legal hoops, he and his family decided to open a moonshine distillery, or a “still” on the farm.

The business had been open for a couple of years now, and Kentucky Mountain Moonshine is sold in six Kroger stores, several Liquor Barnes, and 50 other stores all around the Lexington and Richmond area.

Just recently, Arvin entered two of his products, an 80 proof clear moonshine and a 30 proof Smokey Cranberry Moonshine, in the international SIP competition in Irvine, California.  The competition includes categories for bourbon, gin and moonshine.

After being sampled by 150 consumer tasters, both his products won gold.

The competition draws entries from all around the country, as well as places such as Japan, Canada and England.

Kentucky Mountain Moonshine also makes a popular 30 proof Smokey Apple Pie moonshine.  The smokey flavor comes from the use of charred oak sticks, Arvin says, adding that he uses 100 percent juice and no artificial flavors in his shines.

Last year, the business began partnering with Old Kentucky Chocolates to make moonshine truffles, which Arvin describes as much different from the ones made with bourbon.  He said a big part of the alcohol is burned off in the process of making the candy, so that it has a really mild flavor.

Arvin would like to one day be able to offer tours at his distillery and offer tastings, such as the bourbon distilleries do, but the county remains dry outside of Irvine.  He says he thinks it would bring a lot of tourism dollars to the area, adding that the Bourbon Trail brought in a million visitors to the Bluegrass area last year.

All Kentucky Mountain Moonshine is made, bottled, and labeled at his facility in Estill County.

Arvin purchases most of the corn used to make the moonshine from Kavendale Farms in Danville.  The corn is ground at the farm “to almost a powder,” which he explains is somewhat different from the way many moonshiners do it, because they use whole grain.

Another difference in his process is that the ground corn is used only once, creating a sweet mash.  Some moonshiners re-use their grain several times, Arvin says.

The used sweet mash doesn’t go to waste, because Arvin and his employees then feed it to the calves on the farm.  He laughs as he tells how his cattle come running when they see him coming on the tractor with a front end loader full of sweet mash.

Both Arvin and his wife Rachel are practicing dentists at the Veterans Hospital in Lexington, but he says he hopes to continue to grow the moonshine business “for his children to have something to fall back on.”

The Arvins have three children: John, Kristen and Trevor.  Both John and Kristen are heavily involved in the business, while Trevor is still in college.

Arvin is the son of Beverly and Lydia Ann Arvin and grew up in the Crooked Creek area.

Photo by  Lisa Bicknell

This rusty chunk of iron is the chassis of an historic steam engine that belonged to the Indiana Transportation Mueum.  After the city of Noblesville, Indiana evicted the museum, the engine was transported to Ravenna where it will be restored.

By LISA BICKNELL

CV&T News Editor

It was an eventful journey but, Nickel Plate 587 is parked safely in the Ravenna Rail yard awaiting restoration.

Moving the pieces of the 1918 steam locomotive in seven flat bed trailers proved to be quite a challenge.

One load, containing the chassis, got hung up on Hwy. 499, on the narrow curvy road at Panola where it blocked traffic from 11 a.m. last Tuesday until Wednesday morning.  The driver of the truck told local news outlets that he was just following the directions provided to him by the Department of Transportation.

Area residents got a kick out of the train being in the area.  Some recall that there was once a train station at Panola and trains rolled through on a regular basis.

While the Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation has plans to eventually restore steam engines in Ravenna, the decision to ship Nickel Plate 587 to Ravenna came about unexpectedly after a legal battle between Indiana Transportation Museum and the town of Noblesville, Ind., which resulted in the city evicting the museum from Forest Park in Noblesville.

After the engine is restored, it will likely be moved back to Indiana when the Indiana Transportation Museum finds a new home.

According to an article by Kevin Keefe on the Classic Trains website, the old locomotive once led the campaign train carrying vice-presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon in 1952.

Photo by Lisa Bicknell

That’s the question entering the minds of many who are driving by the activity at the junction of Ky. 52 and Hwy. 89.  According to  a spokesperson from the state highway department, work is being done by Shield Environmental Services and consists of “in situ

high pressure injections at the request of the Kentucky Division of Waste Management Underground Storage Tank Branch.” As of press time, a phone call to the director of the division had not been returned, so the reason for the injections is still a mystery.

By LISA BICKNELL

CV&T News Editor

The weather was fantastic and spirits were high, as the Estill Action Group hosted a “Weekend on the Water.”

The event included a “Float Fest” on Saturday at the Kentucky River Recreation Park, and “Speedy Spore” paddling events on Sunday that began at the Irvine bridge.

The weekend activities were not only an opportunity for local folks and visitors to enjoy the river and the surrounding countryside, but they were part of a required trial run for the Trail Town application.

The next part of the application process includes compiling data from surveys, finishing up paperwork and submitting it to the state by September 5th. From there, it will be evaluated by the state, and after that, if all the requirements have been met, a certification ceremony will be planned when Irvine and Ravenna will be named an official “Twin City Trail Town,” which will put them on Kentucky tourism websites.

Around 250 people attended the Weekend on the Water but not all came to paddle. Some came for the food, to shop vendor booths and to simply hang out and visit with friends.

Estill County Judge-executive Kevin Williams said, “It was a great weekend to welcome our own and greet visitors to Estill County from all over… the chatter, the positives and the vision of ‘we can do this’ was in the air.”

Williams said that he is looking forward to seeing Irvine and Ravenna obtain Trail Town certification, as well as continued development of the county park and the promotion of the Kentucky River for fishing, boating, floating, and kayaking.

On Saturday, dozens floated a section of the river at the Kentucky River Recreation Park, and on Sunday there were 44 paddlers, mostly kayakers, who participated in the fun paddle, which began under the Irvine bridge.

Six chose to compete in the races. The winners were:

6 mile: 2 person canoe team: 1st place- Fred Tuttle & James Hill

Fast Sea Kayak: 1st place – Kris Davis 2nd

12 mile: Fast Sea Kayak 1st place – George Hall

High performance: 1st place Hollie Hall

2nd place – Will Burkhart

The Estill Action Group has been leading the process for becoming a trail town for about three and a half years.

Jessica Aldridge, president of the Estill Action Group, said, “We are so grateful for the support we received this weekend. It was the culmination of three and a half years of work, and we are thrilled that we got to see so many people come out!”

“Estill Action Group could not have done this without our board, volunteers and committee members, or our amazing sponsors. This truly was a community event. Judge Williams, the Estill County Fiscal Court, Estill County Fire Department, Emergency Management, and the Hargett Fire Department were all an incredible help both during the event and in working so hard to get the park in top shape for the event.”

“We heard so many comments about what an outstanding facility the park is, and how many other communities would love to have something like it. We definitely agree and are so happy to be able to use it. This is definitely an event we want to see grow each year and becoming bigger and better!”

EAG would like to thank the following sponsors: Big ‘E’ Insurance Services, Jackson Energy, Harvey R Little Jr Financial Services, The Skeeter Ranch Crew, Kentucky Utilities Co, Joyce Marcum Realty, Estill County Chiropractic, Snug Hollow Farm Bed and Breakfast, Rivertown Apparel, Estill County Fiscal Court, Hargett Volunteer Fire & Rescue, Anglers Outpost & Marine, Meades Do-It-Center, Ale-8-One, Ravenna Florist & Greenhouse, Ravenna Food Mart and Estill Development Alliance.

By LISA BICKNELL

CV&T News Editor

Photo by Lisa Bicknell

A section of the front wall at the Dollar General store beside Advance Auto is still boarded up after last week’s crash.

Employees of the Dollar General store at 917 Richmond Rd. got quite a shock last Wednesday night when a vehicle plowed through the front wall of the store, breaking the glass and narrowly missing an employee.

Sheriff’s deputy Russell “Doc” Morris was dispatched to the store after the incident.

When Morris arrived on the scene, he found John W. Tipton, 39, of 190 Tuggle Branch, Ravenna, was the operator of the vehicle.  Witnesses on the scene stated that Tipton pulled up and bumped the sidewalk in front of the store, then he backed up, and pulled forward, running through the front of the store.

A store employee was working in the front of the store and was knocked to the floor.  She was transported to Marcum and Wallace Memorial hospital for treatment of her injuries.

Tipton was also transported to the hospital.  According to the police report, he had blood shot eyes, slurred speech and said that he had taken his pain medicine.  He failed field sobriety tests. Morris stated that he did not ask Tipton to do some of the usual field sobriety tests because Tipton appeared to be very intoxicated. Tipton refused a blood test, and one of the store managers told police that the store had several thousand dollars worth of damage.

Tipton was charged with failure of a non-owner operator to maintain required insurance, first offense; driving on a DUI suspended license, first offense; operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, second offense; and first degree criminal mischief.  His bond was set at $5,000.

By Susan Luster Lynch

CV&T Staff Writer

Arthur Long left a large part of his estate to the city of Ravenna.  His lawyer recently sent a check for $383,762.92, which Long specified was to be used for the youth and needy seniors of Ravenna.

There were several items on the agenda last night at the Ravenna City Council meeting, but at the top of the list was the announcement of a sizable monetary donation to the city.

Arthur Long, a former Ravenna resident who passed away in 2017, left a large part of his estate to the city of Ravenna. A check for the amount of $383,762.92 was received from Long’s lawyer. The council voted last night on how to keep the money safe until a committee is established to distribute it.

In his will, Long specified he wanted his money to be used for Ravenna’s youth and needy seniors. A lawyer is currently working on the details as to how that will allow the money to be spent. Councilwoman Sharon Snowden spoke highly of Arthur Long, whom she considered a friend. She then made a motion that the council accept the generous donation to the city of Ravenna from Arthur Long. Snowden said that in her opinion the money should be deposited into a short-term interest-bearing account until the council has discussed how to disperse the money. All council members were in agreement.

William “Pig” VanCleve then asked mayor Tipton about the park. According to VanCleve, the Division of Waste Management released a 158 page report regarding the soil in the park in February of this year. The report allegedly says that there were nine heavy metals discovered in 29 holes that were dug in the park’s soil. Arsenic was said to be found in each hole. An acceptable level of 3 mg. of arsenic is found in most soil but the soil at the park had levels that far exceeded that number. The average was 18 mg. of arsenic in each sample.

Council Woman Sharon Snowden said she felt that the city council and the community should have been notified as soon as it was brought to the mayor’s attention.

Mayor Tipton assured everyone that she had spoken to both CSX and the Division of Waste Management and that there were no dangers evident on the grounds unless someone was living on the premises or working there 12 hours or more per day. CSX has also agreed to come to the grounds and pull off one foot of the old soil and replace it with new topsoil just as a precaution.

Before the meeting adjourned, City employee Ricky Williams asked if he could address the council. Williams stated he had an incident earlier that day concerning councilwoman Sharon Snowden. He also said he had already spoken to his lawyer. Williams told Snowden, “Don’t come back to where I am working and interrupt me again.” He also added, “That goes for Pig, too.” The issue was deemed as personal and said it should be discussed outside of the meeting.

The last thing mentioned was the park restrooms. Councilwoman Tina Johnson ask the mayor if they were out of order, because they were not unlocked on Sunday. Mayor Tipton said she honestly forgot to unlock them before church Sunday. The mayor also told the council that the vandalism in the bathrooms was under control now and she had plans of keeping them open every day from here on out.

The next Ravenna meeting will be on September 10 at 6 p.m. and all concerned Ravenna residents are welcome to attend.

The Estill County Soccer coach who was placed on paid leave pending an investigation last week has been arrested and lodged in the Madison County Detention Center.

Andrew J. Hatton, 28, of 1475 Blackburn Rd., Irvine,  is charged with five counts of rape, third degree, two counts of prohibited use of electronic communication device to procure a minor, two counts of possession of matter portraying sexual performance by a minor, and three counts of distribution of obscene matter to a minor.

Hatton was initially under investigation after one of his soccer players came forward and claimed he had sent her nude photographs, including images of his genitals, via the social media application, Snapchat. The same student also stated that Hatton had requested that she send nude photos of herself to him and that he had attempted to engage with her in conversations of a sexual nature. Later another player came forward and alleged that she and Hatton had engaged in intercourse as many as five times. The second student had also saved multiple of the images she had received via Snapchat. Both girls reported receiving a video of Hatton depicting his nude body and genitals.

Hatton entered a not guilty plea on all counts during his arraignment and was released on a $50,000 cash bond under the condition that he not have contact with the victims and that he submit to GPS monitoring. A preliminary hearing in court has been scheduled for August 22, 2018.

Superintendent of Estill County Schools, Jeff Saylor released a statement Wednesday, August 15 stating how saddened the Estill County School Community is by the recent events. He also wished to assure the students, parents, and community that the board of education followed all policies and procedures established by the board and Kentucky Revised Statues. Mr Hatton’s employment by the Estill County School System has been terminated.

“We are now in the process of implementing a plan to address the needs of our students and their parents.  All of our players are experiencing a difficult time trying to deal with feelings and emotions that have been brought about by this situation.  The district will continue to provide support to these students and families for as long as needed,” Saylor said in his press release.

Superintendent Saylor also asked that if anyone has any first hand knowledge of the ongoing Hatton investigation to please contact his office at (606) 723-2181 or the Kentucky State Police, Post 7 at (859) 623-2404. Detective Charles Brandenburg is conducting the ongoing investigation.

By SUSAN LYNCH

CV&T Contributor

The United Methodist Opportunity Store invites everyone to the store on Sept. 5th as they celebrate 75 years of blessings.

Seventy-five years ago a young Methodist minister by the name of Rev. John Lewis had a vision. This vision was to help the people of rural mountain towns in Eastern Kentucky by providing affordable clothing, shoes, and household items.

Lewis had seen firsthand the needs of others being met by the Save the Children Federation and felt that the Methodist Churches of Kentucky could do something similar to help even more people.

In 1943, this vision came to life!

Following the philosophy that “It is better to charge a moderate price than to give items away, as sometimes a gift of such is demeaning; and being able to pay a small price for the merchandise reflects pride of ownership,” Lewis set out to make a change for the better of the people in the mountains.

His vision flourished! Not only did the Methodist Opportunity Stores begin helping others in need of items but employment opportunities began to open up as well. People were needed to pick up items, wash clothing, sort items, and also box them. Lewis’s vision grew into the mission that we see today.

Today there are eight Mission Stores in operation. Along with the Irvine store which was opened in 1994, there are also locations in Barbourville, Harlan, Hazard, Jackson/Breathitt, Pineville, West Liberty, and Burkesville. Between the stores and the processing plant the Mission provides a source of employment for around 70 families.

The Mission’s decisions are filtered through a board of around 20 individuals. Director Karen Bunn, who began working with the mission in 2000, and her husband Pastor John Bunn do an amazing job keeping Lewis’s vision alive.  John also pastors two of the missions’ supporting churches; Hampton United Methodist and Wolverine United Methodist, both in Breathitt County.

Thanks to the dedication of some amazing people the small operation that began in 1943 now has over 900 churches located in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania that contribute materials to help the mission operate.

Norma Strong has been employed by the mission for 37 years.  She said the mission has grown in operation tremendously in the last 37 years, especially in the processing and plant areas.

“They have become so much more efficient and effective,” she said.

“I really do love my job,” said Strong. “I was so desperate when I came to the mission. Coal was booming and my husband was running a strip job, but we needed the money. I came to the mission for the money, but I stayed for the people.”

When the Mission began its work 75 years ago, Rev. Lewis started with no support except that of God Almighty, and no salary. Today, through the generosity of God’s people, the support of the store sales, and other donations, God’s Mission continues to thrive.  God has provided graciously and abundantly in the past and the Mission trusts in His guidance and blessings for the present and the future.

To learn more about the Mission or to schedule a tour of the main facility, call 606-666-7795 and speak to Andy.

The Irvine Opportunity Store also invites everyone to the store on Sept. 5th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. as they celebrate 75 years of blessings. Refreshments will be offered and door prizes will be awarded throughout the day.

Photos by Lisa Bicknell

With a noticable police presence in town on a muggy Saturday night, the pace of this year’s Revive  River Drive event was pretty sedate.  Irvine Police Chief Brand Smith said “99 percent” of people behaved themselves. A good time appeared to have been had by all.

By LISA BICKNELL

CV&T News Editor

Photo by Lisa Bicknell

Kathy Samples grew up in the Cobb Hill area.  She attended a one room school for seven years and says she never dreamed she would become president of a bank one day.

Never in her wildest dreams did the girl raised on Cobb Hill ever imagine that one day she would be the Chief Executive Officer of a bank.

Kathy Samples began working for the Citizen Guaranty Bank in the bookkeeping department in December of 1977, nearly 41 years ago.  After “two or three” years, she started on the teller line where, one day a week, she would pay the bank’s bills.

“That’s a huge job now,” Kathy said.

In those days, everything was done by hand.  She still remembers the account number of one of her earliest frequent customers.  She recalls the process of making a house payment in the early days of her career.  The teller had to go to the vault, get the ledger, calculate the interest and take the payment.

“When we got our first computer, we were thrilled,” said Kathy.

In 1982, Kathy became branch manager of the West Irvine branch of the CGB.

In July of 1985, she was hired as a junior loan officer, and in September of that year, she completed consumer lending school in Ann Arbor, MI.

She experienced her first plane ride on the  trip to Michigan for that training.

“I was scared to death,” said Samples.  She kept thinking of a disastrous Delta plane crash that happened earlier in that year.

Kathy worked as a lender, or loan officer, for about 12 years.  Six of those years she was doing double duty as the human resources director, responsible for maintaining benefits and salaries, the performance review program, screening applicants and assisting in the hiring process.

In 1995, she graduated from the Louisiana State University School of Banking, after three years of course work, completed while she worked as a loan officer and human resources director.

Kathy was promoted to Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President in 1998.  She assisted with the re-organization of the bank in 2001.

In 2002, Kathy became President of the CGB, where she took on the even greater responsibility of overseeing bank operations.

After the death of CEO John M. St. Clair in 2008, Kathy was appointed Chief Executive Officer, where she is responsible for the administration of programs and services of the bank, and reports to the board of directors.  The bank now has six locations.

Kathy continues in that position, and just this year was appointed the chairperson of the board of directors.

She also sits on the boards of several prominent organizations, including serving as chair of the Banker’s Bank of Kentucky.  She has served as a board member of Hospice Care Plus, is past treasurer of Leadership Leap, and is a member of the Irvine-Ravenna Kiwanis Club.

So, how did a girl raised in a holler become so successful?

She attended a one room school through the seventh grade at Cobb Hill and graduated from Estill County High School in 1972.

Kathy considers her mother as her most important mentor.  Ann Patrick Rogers was the postmaster at Cobb Hill, where she also ran a small general store.

She learned the value of looking out for the community by watching her mother deliver milk or baby aspirin to someone in need who might not have transportation.

She learned to do business fairly by watching her mom treat all her customers the same, whether they were family or not.

It was her mother who encouraged her to apply for a job at the bank in the first place.   Kathy was working as an aide at the nursing home with plans for becoming a nurse, when her mom talked her into applying for a job at the bank so she wouldn’t have to be out at night.

She was hired by Curtis Davis, and a lifelong career blossomed.

Kathy has always been an eager learner. When she was growing up, her family didn’t have a TV, but they listened to a lot of programs on the radio, and Kathy learned to love to read.

“I love books,” she said. “I’ve got tons of books.”

Not only does she read novels, but she enjoys reading about history and the autobiographies of famous people. She’s a bit of a political junkie and loves watching presidential inaugurations.

She’s a big fan of leadership books, particularly those by Jim Collins.

Cowboy Ethics, by James Owens, is one of her favorite books, and the bank has used it in training sessions.

“I’ve even read it to my grandkids,” she said.

She also abides by the philosophy that employees should be considered assets and not a liability.

“Train them well, and appreciate them,” she said.

While her mother and previous co-workers and employers have all shaped her life, she also has a celebrity role model.

Kathy is a big fan of Dolly Parton and has seen her in concert several times. But it’s not just her music she admires.  She considers Dolly “a genuine person-maybe not in her looks, but in her heart,” and she loves how Dolly is generous and eager to give back to her community.

In her spare time, Kathy enjoys cooking and traveling.  She and her husband recently returned from “a trip of a lifetime” to Alaska.  The experience was very humbling, she says, to see towns with only a few hundred residents thriving.

Kathy and her husband Charles were married when he was 19, and she was 17, and they have been married for 46 years. They have a son Jason.  He and his wife Judy have four children, Chyna, Piper, Gryphon and Kanyon.

Photos by Lisa Bicknell

The annual Ravenna Railrad Festival drew a crowd on Saturday despite overcast skies. Several vendors came out to display their wares, and several entertainers serenaded the festival attendees throughout the day.

The Kentucky Steam  Heritage Corporation displayed a model of how the Kentucky Rail Heritage Center will look when it is complete.

Congressman Andy Barr stopped by while on the campaign trail and said he is hopeful that the Appalachian Regional Commission will award grant funds to KSHC.

At left, a visitor takes a look around the KSHC booth.

By LISA BICKNELL

CV&T News Editor

Photos by Lisa Bicknell

From left to right: Sharon Snowden, candidate for mayor of Ravenna, Joe Crawford, co-moderator of the candidate forum; Estine Tipton, incumbent candidate for mayor of Ravenna, and Lindsey Rogers, co-moderator of the forum.

The first of the fall political candidate forums was held on Monday night at the Estill County High School.

Both candidates for Ravenna mayor (Sharon Snowden and Estine Tipton) participated in the forum, as well as four candidates for the cities of Irvine and Ravenna council seats.

Valerie Henderson Flinchum was the only one of the candidates for Ravenna city council to participate.

Ernest Lee Farmer, Derrick Muncie and Janice Bush were the three Irvine mayoral candidates who took part in the forum.

Valerie Flinchum was the first candidate to introduce herself.  She said she has never lived anywhere else but Estill County, 41 of those years in Ravenna.

Flinchum expressed her view that elected officials are “servants…obligated to spend wisely, and efficiently…” She also said she is a proponent of transparency in government, and she would like to see the city send out a statement once or twice a year with the city’s financial report.

Flinchum said the year 2020 will mark 100 years since Ravenna was incorporated.  She would like to see a commemorative event coordinated with sister city Ravenna, Italy.

Ernest Lee Farmer introduced himself as former mayor of Irvine for eight years, and prior to that, a city council member for two years.

He said that when he was mayor of Irvine, he told the city that they shouldn’t make a habit of borrowing money to run the city.  After his first year as mayor, he said, the city did not borrow money to operate the city for seven years.

“We learned how to live within our means,” he said.

Farmer was also proud that a $1 million facility was built at a cost of only $250,000 to the city, and an $11 million water treatment plant at a cost of less than five million to the city, with the help of grants.

“I love the people here, and can’t think of anywhere I’d rather raise a family,” Farmer said.

Derrick Muncie said he feels that his four years in the Air Force and four years in the Air Force Reserves, as well as many years of public service with the fire department qualify him to serve as  councilman for the city of Irvine.

He wants to be available and approachable to the public and to the city’s workers, and not just show up on meeting nights.

One of his goals as mayor would be to improve employee retention and benefits, and find out why businesses are leaving the city and if there is a way to keep them, by possibly offering tax breaks. He too says he is in favor of a more open and transparent government.

Janice Bush related to the audience how she left Estill County to teach fifth grade in Lebanon, Ohio.  She married Eugene Bush while in Ohio, and they both “quit two good jobs with benefits” to return to Estill County.

“There is nothing like coming home,” she said. After retiring from 30 years of teaching, she decided “maybe I can help Estill County.”

“I hate to cook and sew…,” she said, “…but I’m real nosy.”  She said that she has made it her business to find out what’s going on in her community.

Bush says the “saddest thing to every happen in Estill County” is the drug epidemic.

Incumbent Ravenna mayor Estine Tipton said she has lived in Ravenna all her life, and she has served as mayor since 2013.  Prior to that, she served on the council for several years.

Her main goals as mayor are to serve others, to treat employees as assets and not liabilities, and to treat every citizen with respect.

“My record speaks for itself,” she said. Tipton said she is really excited about the Steam Engine museum coming to Ravenna.  Some things she is currently working on as mayor is improving streets and addressing the abandoned properties issue.

“I make mistakes, but you learn from your mistakes,” she said.

Sharon Snowden, also a candidate for Ravenna mayor, remembers traveling through Estill County to visit her grandparents and reading the graffiti on the tunnel outside of Ravenna.  She has served four years on the council and is owner of Ravenna Drug Store.  She named other successful businesses she has owned, and she said she keeps her real estate license current.

Snowden sees the city of Ravenna’s main problem is its “financial deficit” of around $25,000.

Ways to reverse that deficit, she says, are to bring in more revenue, pay out less, or a combination of the two.  She also said she thinks that the city council meetings are currently too short, and said “there is nothing we can accomplish,” in such a short amount of time.

Each of the candidates were then given the opportunity to say how they think city governments should respond to the opioid crisis.  Estine Tipton said it is important to instill in children to never start taking drugs in the first place.

Sharon Snowden said that early education in the home and in schools is important, as well as having open arms and hearts and helping the programs that are coming into the area to help.

The candidates were asked their thoughts on economic development.

Ernest Farmer said it is important to shop at home and eat at home as much as possible to support local businesses.

Derrick Muncie echoed those thoughts, and he spoke of several events now happening in town.  The problem is getting people to come out to do those activities, he said.

When the candidates were asked about the biggest complaints they hear about their city, most of them agreed that the condition of the streets and abandoned properties are the issues people complain about most.

Sharon Snowden said that a lack of police presence in town is what she hears complaints about, and she said people want assurance that they are there.

“What are the biggest challenges facing your city?”

That was one of the last questions asked of the candidates on Monday night.

Estine Tipton said she wants to see Ravenna be a beautiful city, but said that getting everybody on board is a challenge.

Sharon Snowden said that getting the city’s financial house in order is the biggest challenge.

Valerie Flinchum said that knowing the Kentucky Revised Statutes and the Ravenna by-laws is important.  “There’s not a lot of gray there,” she said.

Ernest Farmer also said that getting finances back in order is important because income is limited.

Derrick Muncie said the biggest challenge is surviving.  He said that most things coming to the city is through grants.

Janice Bush said that finding ways to increase revenue is a challenge, but the city of Irvine is currently going after property owners who are 8 to 10 years behind on paying their taxes.

The forum was broadcast on local radio stations and Facebook, and can be viewed again on Facebook on the Estill Action Group page and the Estill County Public Library Page.

The forum was moderated by Lindsey Rogers with the Estill Action Group,  Joe Crawford with the Estill Development Alliance, and Kelby Rose.  Rose is a senior at Powell County High School.

Photo submitted

The Marching Engineer’s Color Guard earned Best Overall at Madison Central’s Tournament of the Bands competition last weekend.  The band was named reserve grand champion and beat Adair County for the first time ever.

by Jason Bowles

ECHS Band Director

This past weekend, the Marching Engineers traveled to Richmond to compete in the Madison Central Tournament of Bands.

During the week’s rehearsals, the band was finally able to put the entire show on the field. This would be debuted at a contest full of former state finalists and state champions. This would also be the first time this season that the band would compete against class rival and reigning class AA state champion Adair County.

After another strong preliminary performance, the band received best color guard and first place in class AA. Another milestone had been reached in this band’s history as Estill had never beaten an Adair County band.

Once the preliminary scores were released, Estill learned that they were also sitting in first place of the entire competition, ahead of powerhouse programs such as Paul Laurence Dunbar, Bourbon County, Harrison County, and Beechwood, among others. Estill drew the 10th performance spot (out of 12) for finals. The band turned in another great performance in finals competition.

As the finals results were being announced, Estill’s Color Guard was named “Best Overall Guard” of the entire competition. The band tied Bourbon County for the overall highest music score, and tied South Laurel for the overall visual score.

As the final placements were announced, Estill was named Reserve Grand Champion placing second to Bourbon County by a fraction of a point.  Bourbon’s final score was 80.55, and Estill’s was 80.45. Adair scored 79.25.

Next week the band will travel to Louisville Male to face another class rival and state finalists Larue County.

Photo submitted

Jailer Bo Morris stands besides one of the bays in the county’s transport van.  Up to five inmates can be transported on one side of the van.  The inmate population continues to explode, and county officials say that even if the jail were open, most of the inmates would still have to be transported elsewhere because the local jail could not hold them all.

By LISA BICKNELL

CV&T News Editor

“How did that happen?” is the question being asked of Jailer Bo Morris since an inmate ran away from the courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 10 as staff escorted inmates into the county’s transport van.

Morris said that Casey Myers and others were transported to the Estill County Courthouse last Wednesday for a court appearance. They arrived around 9 or 9:15 a.m. and were taken upstairs for court.

Around 3:30 p.m., the inmates were being loaded up to take them back to Three Forks Regional Jail in Beattyville.

Morris said four females were already loaded in the transport van which was parked only a few feet away from the courthouse door, and five males were being escorted out, when Myers suddenly bent over and threw off the shackles on his ankles that apparently had already been loosened by himself or someone else.  Myers then sprinted away, still in handcuffs.

Local officials then released an alert to the public that Myers escaped from the courthouse and ran off into the woods on Church Street.

He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and orange pants.  Myers is tall and thin and also has multiple tattoos on his neck.

Police have responded to several tips about Myers whereabouts, but he still had not been found at press time.

According to one tip, a pair of orange pants was found by the road in South Irvine, but Morris could not say for sure if they were Myers’.

Myers was arrested on Sept. 13 and charged with second degree burglary and being a persistent felony offender after he was allegedly captured on a surveillance camera stealing an Echo weed eater and a Stanley battery charger from the garage area of a residence.  Myers was identified by a tattoo on his neck.

According to a report from the Irvine Police Department, Myers pawned the items above at Dan’s Discount in Richmond, where the business paid him $65 for the items. Myer’s appearance in court on Wednesday was at least the second since his arrest.

Jailer Morris said on Friday that keeping an eye on inmates is sometimes difficult.  He said they will sometimes try to bend over and pick up cigarette butts by the trash can on their way out of the courthouse.

He also said that he has seen inmates pick open handcuffs with a paper clip or stiff wire “faster than I can get them open with a key.”   

Deputy Jailer Chad Smith expressed frustration that being short on staff sometimes makes it hard to carefully watch the inmates. Besides Jailer Morris, there are three full time deputies, one for each shift, and two part time deputies.  Inmates must also be escorted to and from the restroom and taken to lunch in a holding room inside the space formerly operated as the jail.

Anyone with any information about Myers is urged to call 911.

Cutline: The transport van holds up to three people in the front cage, and five on each side in the back of the van.

Jason Riley

By LISA BICKNELL

CV&T News Editor

The fourth candidate forum presented by the Estill County Library, the Estill Action Group, 104.9 Pickup Country, and the Estill County Board of Education was held on Monday night at the high school auditorium.

The first candidate to be introduced was 6th Congressional district incumbent Andy Barr.  His opponent, Democratic candidate Amy McGrath, had a prior engagement and did not attend the forum.

“We are getting results,” said Barr in his introductory remarks.  He listed several local projects for which he takes partial credit for securing funds, including an ARC grant for the hospital, a Brownfield grant for clean-up at the Mack theater, and several others.   

Barr was asked some tough questions about how the tax cuts benefitting the “wealthy and ultra rich” would affect Social Security.  Barr said “the premise of the question” was wrong, and that the tax cuts benefit everyone, including the middle class. He said that because more people are working, the solvency of programs such as Social Security is increasing.

Candidates for State Representative in the 91^st district, Cluster Howard and incumbent Toby Herald,  were also on hand to present their best ideas for office.  This is the third time the two have run against each other.  Herald held the office in 2013-14 but was upset by Howard in a close race in 2014.  Herald ran against him again and reclaimed the seat in 2016.

Howard spoke of the need to work together and to promote “an American agenda” instead of a party agenda.  He pledged to “walk across the aisle” to get things done.

Some issues Howard wants to focus on is better funding of education, providing economic and social opportunity for young folks so they will not move away, and the opioid crisis.

Herald spoke of the “great things” being done under the present administration such as the increase in jobs and said, “It is like a light has been turned on.”

He credited the past administration for closing the Lee Adjustment Center which is now back open, as he said, “We don’t want to go back.”

Deborah Hembree Lambert, candidate for the Kentucky Supreme Court Justice for the 3^rd district, introduced herself and expressed her appreciation for the large number of votes she received in the primary election.

Lambert currently serves as one of fourteen state Court of Appeals Judges. A graduate of the University of Kentucky’s School of Law, she has served as an assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney and City Attorney for Mount Vernon. She was also elected as circuit court judge in the family division in Pulaski, Lincoln and Rockcastle Counties, where she developed the first drug court in that region.

Her opponent is Dan Ballou, and he did not attend the forum.

The final two candidates to take the stage were those for County Attorney, Jason Riley and incumbent Rodney Davis.

Riley introduced himself as a graduate of Estill County High, EKU, and Indiana University-Bloomington’s School of Law.  He said he has practiced law for 14 years, four and a half of those as an assistant county attorney in Fayette County where he worked on a wide variety of cases including child support, criminal prosecutions, appeals. He also helped implement an e-warrant system there that is now widely used.

Rodney Davis introduced himself as the candidate with 14 years of experience as county attorney, and two as assistant county attorney in Jackson County.  He spoke of the “seismic shift” about to occur in Estill County politics, as a new county clerk, a new sheriff, a new judge executive and three new magistrates will take office in January. He said they will need an experienced county attorney to advise them.

He also stated that he believes he has the experience needed as the county continues in litigation against the landfill and in the multi-district opioid case.

The last of the political candidate forums will take place on October 25^th at 6 p.m at the Estill County High School auditorium.  It will feature candidates for magistrate and the county judge executive.

Casey Myers

Casey Myers, the inmate who escaped custody while being transported from the Estill County Courthouse on October 10, has been captured.

Meyers was originally arrested on September 13 and charged with burglary and being a persistent felony offender after allegedly being caught on surveillance stealing an Echo weed eater and a Stanley battery charger from the garage of a private residence. In the video Myers was identified by his neck tattoos.

According to police reports, Myers pawned the stolen items at Dan’s Discount in Richmond where he was given $65. Myers had already made several court appearances before his escape. On the afternoon of October 10, after three o’clock Myers and four other male inmates were being escorted from the back door of the courthouse to the detention transport vehicle. During the short walk Myers reached down, threw off his leg shackles and ran, disappearing into the thick trees near Church Street. That night was a tense one in the county as the IPD asked residents of Court Street, Sweet Lick, and North Madison remain indoors and to lock their doors and windows

Myers was captured at 4:24 am November 2 on Primrose Circle in Madison County after three weeks at large. According to Sara Kuhl, of the Richmond Register, officers were called to Primrose Circle in response to a suspicious person in the area. Upon arrival they found Myers walking towards Kerns Way. He was dressed in camouflage and carrying a black bag. When the officers tried to speak to him he ran through the backyard of a residence on Primrose Circle where he fell. The officers then tried to arrest Myers. He resisted, locking his hands beneath his body and trying to pull away. At the time of his arrest officers found several burglary tools in the black bag Myers had been carrying including pliers, wire cutters, a knife and a ski mask. He was charged with second degree fleeing police, resisting arrest and possession of burglary tools in addition to second degree escape, a class D felony. Myer’s bond is set at $50,000 cash. His arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday, November 7.

Photo by Brandon Tipton

Local officials and Friends of the Library met for a ground-breaking ceremony on Broadway at the site of the future home of the Estill County Public Library.  Sara Noland, with the first shovel on the left, was the ECPL’s first librarian.  She is 98 years old.

By Brandon Tipton

CV&T Staff Writer

The Estill County Public Library had a ground breaking ceremony Wednesday at their future location in the old Kroger building on Broadway. Despite a little drizzle, representatives from numerous groups were there to see the project underway.

There were members of the Estill County Historical and Genealogical Society, ladies from the “I’d Rather Be Quilting” Club, musicians from the Dulcimer Club, some of the library’s youngest patrons as well as ECPL’s first librarian, Sara Nolan.

Representatives from local government were also there to commemorate the occasion. Kevin Williams, the current Estill County judge-executive; James Gross, Mayor of Irvine; Estine Tipton, Mayor of Ravenna and Jeffrey Saylor, Superintendent of Estill County Schools were all present.

The building, which operated as Wolfinbarger’s Auto Supply for years, is certainly nothing to look at at the moment. The exterior is old and tattered, with weeds and trees growing from the foundation. The parking lot, which runs from Citizen Guaranty Banks to Broadway, is cracked and covered in craters. The interior is dark and empty with remnants from the auto parts store scattered about, but the ECPL Board of Directors, Anthony Werhle and Harold Worthington of Central Kentucky Architecture and Dewayne May of May Construction have big plans to turn it around.

The new building will have four meeting rooms to accommodate library programming and groups that wish to convene there. The current building only has one meeting room and there have, at times,  been scheduling conflicts and overflow. The larger building will mean room for more public computers and more space to add new books and movies to the collection. A maker space, where patrons can learn to operate sewing machines, laser cutters and 3D printers, will also be a feature of the new location.

Comfort will be a major feature as well as there will be dedicated spaces for children and families, a teen area, a local history room for researchers and seating for people who simply wish to sit and read.

This new building will be the fourth location of the Estill County Public Library. The first was in the basement of the Courthouse in the sixties, the second was in one of the now empty storefronts on Main Street across from La Cabana. Their current location opened to patrons in 1976 and was dedicated a year later. It has held up well over the past forty years, but as a community grows so must its resources, and the library is a very important resource for everyone in the county.

Photos by Lisa Bicknell’

Above, Kiwanis President Jeff Hix with Heritage Farmer “Dink” Dixon; above right, Heritage Farmer Jason Smith, and Heritage Business Owner Jim Hayes.

Two farmers and a business owner were recognized during the well atttended annual Kiwanis Club’s Heritage Farm-City Banquet last Thursday night.

Roy ‘Dink’ Dixon and Jason Smith were the farmers recognized, and Jim Hayes, owner of Irvine Community Television, was the business owner recognized.

Hayes also said he has a farming background, having graduated high school from Bourbon County. He raised tobacco to pay college tuition, and graduated in 1971 from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.

“Anybody that can make a living as a farmer is a good person,” he said, adding that he had a cattle herd for 49 years but gave it up when it became “too much for one man.”

He served three years in the military, so he had to put his engineering career on hold for a while.  He started working at the cable company as a temporary employee before he was called to active duty in late 1971, just as the US was pulling out of Vietnam.  In 1972, he was sent to the Army reserves, and he came back to the cable company pending a job search-then forgot to leave!

Hayes has been married to his wife Pam since 1975.  He is the past president of Kentucky Cable Television Association, has been on the Kentucky Cable Board since 1974, served as vice-president of Southern Cable Association, and served as vice-chairman of CATA National Association of Small Operators.

Hayes feels that customer service is the most important key to a businesses’ success.  He also said he has tried to be innovative as a business, and his was the second company in the state to offer broadband.  The current broadband width his company offers is “about as good as you can get anywhere,” he said.

Jeff Hix, president of the Kiwanis Club, praised Hayes for his company’s assistance with the technology side of the annual Kiwanis auction.

Roy Dixon, most commonly known by his many friends and Wagersville neighbors as Dink, was honored as one of the Heritage Farmers this year.

Dink started farming at about the age of 14, and when he was 16, he traveled to the bluegrass farms to work in tobacco.  In 1953, he went to the Army, and he served as part of the 82^nd Airborne Division.  He married Alma Jean Miller in 1960, and they raised three children: Teresa, Marvin and Judy.

Dink said, “I want to give her [his wife] most of the credit,” adding “she raised the kids while I worked.”

“We never had any trouble out of our kids,” he said. Alma also helped around the farm, in addition to taking care of the home and the family.  She passed away from cancer in 2000.

Dink bought his first farm in 1970, and he raised and leased tobacco, while raising cattle, horses and hogs.  He also worked a “public” job with the Kentucky Department of Transportation, from which he retired.

Dink said he is fortunate to have good neighbors on all sides, and “a hillside behind me.”

He closed his acceptance remarks by saying, “I thank all of you, and wish you good health.”

Jason Smith was honored as a heritage farmer also.  He devotes full time to farming on 900 acres, raising corn, soybeans and hay, as well as cattle.

Smith is a graduate of EKU with a degree in Agriculture Business.

Smith’s remarks were brief, as he thanked the Kiwanis Club for their support, and said “We need all the help we can get.”  He also said he doesn’t think he deserves the award, as he thanked his wife and parents for their support.

Smith said he thinks Estill County farmers are in a “good place,” as far as the support they get from the extension office and the FSA office.

He is married to Brandi, and they have a daughter, Abby.

Cutlines: Joe Riddell, president of the Estill County High School chapter of the Future Farmers of America, addressed those at the banquet Thursday night.

Jim Daues, manager with the Bluegrass Stockyards, gave a talk explaining some of the amenities at the new Bluegrass Regional Marketplace that opened in 2017. It was built to replace the one that burned in January of 2016.  The new marketplace contains much more than stockyards, including shops, a restaurant, a farrier supply, an agricultural museum and more.  Bluegrass Stockyards sells in seven locations throughout the state, as well as on the internet.  Daues said they conduct 11 sales a week.  They even host Cowboy Church there each week.