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Kentucky’s fight against substance abuse
Few challenges have weighed more heavily on Kentucky families and communities than substance abuse. Addiction has touched every county, every community, every school district, and countless homes across the Commonwealth. It tears apart families, burdens our health care and justice systems, and cruelly steals both lives and livelihoods. However, there is hope. Each September we…
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Scots-Irish ancestry big part of our culture
There is no doubt that the immigrants from Scotland and Ireland had a huge impact on our culture in Appalachia. One of my wife Vicki’s favorite television series (mine too) in the last few years is “Outlander.” The show starts in Scotland but the characters end up in the Appalachian region of the United States.…
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Please, conversation not assassination
Charlie Kirk was a man who had opinions and vocalized them. He believed in free speech. He also believed in the right of free speech for those who disagreed with him. In his Turning Point rallies, he gave untold numbers of people the opportunity to express their opinions and to debate him. He respectfully gave…
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The power of prayer
BY VICKI LOVERN I recently experienced a cancer scare. The Big ‘C.’ If you haven’t experienced it yourself, you probably know someone who has. My dear mom and two uncles died of this devastating disease. It is a scary diagnosis. And regardless of how much you’re told that it’s not a definitive diagnosis. All you…
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Your relationships and second chances
Do you give people a second chance? The joy of life is usually found in our relationships. Family, friends, co-workers, business partners, military comrades, fellow Republicans or Democrats, fellow church members, recreational buddies, teammates and more. These are the people we know. We spend our time with them. These relationships engulf our lives. We work,…
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Lucky to have four seasons
The unseasonable fall-like temperatures we had last week were enjoyable. This comes after a very hot summer, during which the heat index hit 100 degrees several days in July and August. The humidity was extremely high, making it sticky and stuffy on many days. As we get older it seems like it is tougher to…
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School killings: We need more than prayer
Satan will do anything. He knows no boundaries. He will do anything to kill or wound you or the most innocent, vulnerable people. Little children sat in their school mass last week in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The students were at Annunciation Catholic Church which is also home to an elementary school. A shooter fired through stained…
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Banning cellphones in school a good idea
This might not be a popular view for the younger readers, but I think it is a great idea for education officials to ban cellphones in schools. It must be a distraction. This is just logical. I use myself as an example. If I had had a device like a cellphone, where I could surf…
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Will you turn to AI for companionship?
Artificial intelligence, AI, is a wonderful tool for research and information. However, I do not want my deepest relationship to be with a Chatbot, ChatGPT, robot or anything related to AI. There is a mega-billion-dollar AI movement that is connecting people with their own personal AI bot that will be their dearest and best friend.…
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The boy was trapped in a well; Mingo County made national news
It was in the “dog days” of summer when young Leonard Boyce was hired by a neighbor to clean out an old-fashioned water well. The property was located at Parsley Bottom near Lenore, West Virginia. It was Aug. 14, 1967, and the 15-year-old Boyce was trying to raise money to buy some new school clothing.…
