-
Volunteer firefighters deserve praise
Volunteer firefighters play a crucial role in most communities, often stepping up to protect their neighbors without expecting anything in return. Hopefully you will never need them. But if you do, they are there 24 hours a day and 365 days per year. They not only fight fires at homes, but also businesses. About 70%…
-
Martin County’s fight for safe drinking water deserves state support
Martin County’s plea for water and sewer funding has never been more urgent, and the county’s pursuit of state assistance through the Kentucky Water and Wastewater Assistance for Troubled or Economically Restrained Systems program is justified. For decades, residents have endured a failing water and sewer system—an issue that not only threatens public health but…
-
Vice President Harris: ‘I did not ban fracking, nor will I’
Vice President Kamala Harris recently interviewed with Dana Bash on CNN. In that interview Harris made sure that Bash and the country understood that she had not banned fracking during her term as vice president, nor would she ban fracking as president. Harris made it clear that she has been in charge all along. She…
-
Do not let election year turn friends into enemies
Some of you may be conservative and some of you may be liberal. Some of you may be middle of the road or moderate. Regardless of which way you lean politically, we are all Americans. Election year, especially one with a hotly contested presidential race can be a heated time for our citizens. Throw in…
-
Blazing trails in Inez
On Sept. 14, Inez will host a parade and a celebration of the thrilling promise of a new chapter in Eastern Kentucky’s outdoor adventure scene. The First Frontier Appalachian Trails (FFAT) is set to open its first adventure trail in Martin County. The Fall Hill Crawl and the Martin County Harvest Fest will help to…
-
Enjoy Labor Day, America, and keep working
Labor Day weekend is upon us. Let’s celebrate the laborers. The willing workers of America have been the backbone to making our country the greatest nation in the world. People from all over the world have come here in search of a better life by having the opportunity and the freedom to work hard in…
-
Remembering some of the schools from the past
I recently attended my 50th high school reunion. I graduated from Williamson High School way back in 1974, and like so many other schools, it no longer exists. In fact, my former grade schools at Nolan and Chattroy Junior High, where I went for my freshman year, are also gone. All of those schools left…
-
Strengthening support for senior citizens through meal delivery
The Martin County Senior Citizens Center (MCSCC) is making a move to better serve the community’s senior residents by adding new vehicles to its meal delivery program. This is thanks to support from the Martin County Fiscal Court. This expansion will allow the center to reach more seniors who depend on these meals for their…
-
More tires cleaned up from Tug River
COVID on the rise again this summer It was another good day in the cool water with volunteers, Stream Sweepers – Central Appalachia Project and the WV DEP REAP. Like usual in the hot, dry summer months, the Tug Fork River has been flowing low, slow and clear. Despite being short-handed, workers were able to…
-
Protecting public education: Vote ‘No’ on Amendment 2
Kentucky voters are facing a decision this November that could fundamentally alter the future of public education in the state. Amendment 2, a proposed change to the Kentucky Constitution, seeks to give the Legislature the power to divert public tax dollars away from public schools and direct them toward private institutions. The implications of this…