By LISA JOHNSON

Times Staff Writer

On Saturday, August 11,  members of Powell County Search and Rescue working with Red Star Back Country Paramedics, the Kentucky National Guard (123rd Airlift Wing /Wild Cat Dust Off) and Wolfe County SAR conducted a joint training exercise on the Red River. The training exercise presented two scenarios: one victim with mild trauma and another with severe trauma. A search was conducted with K-9 support and the Air National Guard lowered K9 Handler Rudy Parsons in with his search dog Callie from the dust off helicopter.

One patient was airlifted via a Stokes Basket during the exercise and transported to UK hospital in Lexington. The second was transported by EMS. The purpose of a joint training exercises is to familiarize all personal with the operations of all responding units and develop plans to adapt to varying scenarios. This is the first time this scale of training has been conducted and demonstrates the capabilities of emergency services and their state of preparedness.

Red Star is a new addition to Powell County EMS and brings with it some great people that they hope you never need, but in the event that you do they are ready.

By LISA JOHNSON

Times Staff Writer

On Monday, July 29 Clay City Mayor, Kenny Rice tendered a heartfelt resignation  to the people of Clay City, after only eight months in office. In his resignation letter, Mayor Rice stated “I have learned that I am not nor will ever be a politician, but in that short period of time I have gained some insight into my self and it is difficult if not impossible to be something that is not in your nature”.

He  explained that he enjoys working to make the city a safer place and more attractive to locals and tourist by creating positive changes, but it was difficult to juggle his two jobs and make the commitment to the Mayor’s office in a manner it deserved. Rice felt his resignation would allow someone else with more desire and drive to guide the city.

Rice has been involved with The Red River Clean up and served on many boards and with many groups over the years, doing all he can to improve the City Of Clay and the lives of its citizens.

Assistant Fire Chief Eric Strange stated Rice has been a bright light to the city and helped to improve operations at Clay City Fire. Rice, in his short time as mayor, has added extra law enforcment officers to the police force and brought hope to the city he served. He has been a constant presence that has demonstrated only positive community influence and has been an example of a model citizen. Mayor Rice’s resignation will be effective Thursday, August 8, 2019.

By ASHLEE HADDIX

Times Staff Writer

 EKBC, Easy Kentucky Baseball Club,  was created by Joshua Begley, a former Powell County baseball player, in 2019. EKBC  currently includes four traveling teams, the Bombers 13u, Warhawks 12u, Aces 9U and the Pirates 8u. The club plans to add Sluggers 15u, Pirates 6u and Pirates 8u in 2020. EKBC is a non-profit  developed to give parents a top program without the huge cost associated with other leagues. Begly states that the goal is to teach kids about the game, practice good sportsmanship, learn determination and show respect for not only their own players but also for their opponents. The program is meant to be a platform for the kids to not only grow as ball players and young men but to also be seen by college coaches and further their education by playing college ball. The teams consist of players from over ten counties but are all based in Powell County.

The Warhawks are a 12 year old travel team coached by Begley with assistant coaches Jared Hall (Knott County), Tim Gayhart (Hazard) and Dewayne “Papaw” Napier (Knott County). The 2019 year has brought many wins and tournaments across Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, and Florida. Over the past 3 years, the Warhawks have won 11 championships and played in 2 USSSA World Series. Even though their 2019 season is wrapping up, the players will continue to work off-season and improve on the game they love. This talented team consists of players from Knott, Hazard and Powell Counties and includes Mason Amburgey #19 (Knott County), Beau Begley #21 (Powell County), Trevor Brown #2 (Powell County), Tyson Edwards #40 (Powell County), Devon Gayhart #15 (Hazard), Brayden Hall #2 (Knott County), Ryder Lindon #14 (Powell County), Connor Napier #12 (Knott County), Brady Turner #35 (Breathitt County), Grant Wells #18 (Powell County) and Tristan West #12 (Powell County).

The Bombers are a 13 year old travel team that has gained a lot of attention and success in their 2019 season. Members from this team are from several counties including Powell, Montgomery, Wolfe, Madison, Perry, Jackson and Rowan. The Bombers are coached by Josh Begley with Troy Wilson (Wolfe County) as assistant coach. Their accomplishments include winning the USSSA World Series title in Destin, Florida, the Papa Johns Red River Classic 13/14u, and the I64 tournament in Mt.Sterling.  They were also second place in the USSSA Bourbon Barrel in Clarksville, Indiana and the I64 in Mt. Sterling. Begley states that the Bombers pride themselves on treating the game and opponents with the upmost respect. They look to compete and win many more tournaments not only this year but in the upcoming years.  Members of this winning team are Eli Leach #56 (Montgomery County), Luke Hood #1 (Powell County), Hayden Cain #99 (Madison County), Austin Begley #24 (Powell County), Cam Delrosario #42 (Powell County), Braden Wilson #23 (Wolfe County), Hunter Hampton #30 (Rowan County), Cayden Farmer #7 (Jackson County), Conner Combs #19 (Perry County), Dalton Voils #22 (Wolfe County) and Tate Hall #5 (Knott County).

 Begley would like to thank all of the great coaches and amazing players as well as their parents, siblings and family members who are their biggest fans.  Begley also appreciates all the businesses who support the teams and states that they are extremely grateful for everything that is done to help provide these kids with not only a great experience but also memories that last a lifetime.  The teams look forward to many more years of competing at high levels and bringing home more championships.  To keep up with the EKBC teams you can find them on Facebook!

By ASHLEE HADDIX

Times Staff Writer

Powell County’s first ever Comic Con event, affectionately named Pow!Con, was held July 20 from 12-4 pm at the Stanton Elementary Gymnasium.  The event was originally founded by youth service librarian Amy Ashley and then bookmobile/adult services/genealogy librarian Elizabeth Short last March when they were attempting to find ideas to get more men involved with events at the Public Library.  Short states that it was a group effort of library staff as well as the library’s youth program.  Both Short and Ashley have always enjoyed Comic Con events in the past and enjoyed being able to bring that to Powell County.  The event was mainly advertised by word of mouth and Facebook along with the youth program members but rendered a pretty good turnout for its first ever event. Pow!Con featured tons of local artists and Comic Con enthusiasts such as Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Harley Quinn and Harry Potter.

Local, C. Ann Cunningham, a paint pour artist from Stanton.  Cunningham has been doing paint pours for the past year and teaches others to do it a well.  Darrell Ashley, who was born and raised in Powell County but  moved to Florida in his 20s to attend and graduate Tampa Art School.  Ashley has worked at Disney Studios in the art department as well as South Florida University as their Web Master.  Ashley plans to offer art classes at the public library in Stanton soon and says those classes will be on Monday’s.  Elizabeth Short, who used to teach crochet classes for two and a half years was present with her crochet work featuring some adorable Star Wars themed items.

A former resident of Powell County, actor Lewis Wright, was also in attendance and Pow!Con.  Wright can be seen in films and TV Shows including Mice and Men, The Walking Dead, Smoketown, The Undead from Space, The Calling of Lizzie McBride and more.  Wright can also be found in Jumanji 2 and Zombie Land 2 coming out later this year.  Wright shared some advice for Powell County saying, “If you have something you really want, go after it and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.”  Wright notes that he received many no’s when apply for parts and states you just have to keep pushing for your dreams. 

Seth Elliot, a Powell resident since 2015  who originates from Alabama attended.  Elliott showcases his work at SRE Studios and is currently working on making a graphic novel.  His inspiration for his art comes from Stan Lee. Also included in the lineup was photo manipulation artist, Heath Fraley from Lexington who showcased some of his recent work.

Several other vendors as well as food trucks, lazer tag, a cosplay contest, Q&A’s, a cosplay makeup tutorial and presentations rounded out the first ever Comicon event for Powell County.  At this time, there are no plans for Pow!Con to return next year but Short says that could change with more involvement from the community.

Event leaders would like to thank all the attendees, volunteers, Friends of The Public Library Group and vendors for making this event successful with a very special thanks to Isadora Wise for her exceptional work to bring this event to life.

Shay Powell, the proud new owner of Kentucky River Foothills Development Council’s 100th home.

By LISA JOHNSON

Times Staff Writer

On July 11, the Kentucky River Foothills Development Council, through its affordable housing program, broke ground on its 100th home. The home will be located at 2699 Hardwicks Creek Road and is being built for Shay Powell who works at Everman’s 76. Partnered with the Kentucky Housing Corp and USDA Rural Development and Community Action, the organization is helping people like Shay live their dreams. The Kentucky River Foothills has multiple programs to help people in need, from food and heating assistance to healthcare, transportation and adult daycare. They also post jobs on their website. It is truly a blessing for Powell County and demonstrates their value of life and sets an example for us all to share. Jimmie Stone, Director Of Housing Development says they have been building and providing homes since 2002 and have many success stories to share with many happy endings. They help people with recovery and assist our National Treasures, our veterans.

Evan Kinser

By LISA JOHNSON

Times Staff Writer

Evan Kinser has not yet graduated Powell County High School, but he has set a new standard by winning  the FBLA’s top Electronic Career Portfolio for Business.

Kinser’s  portfolio  won him first place in regional competition, first place in state, and garnered national recognition with the Future Business Leaders Of America in San Antonio, TX on July 2.

Even more amazing:  Evan starts his senior year at PCHS with 33 college credit hours, and he has plans to rack up to another 15  hours before graduation.

The Electronic Career Portfolio is the future of top job applications. It provides potential employers with all your qualifications, ideas, skills, and knowledge- all in digital format.

The FBLA has a national membership of more than 200,000 members, with 80 members in Powell County.

Evan can be seen on his podcast at www.balltalkpod.com were he has interviewed 19 professional athletes, 17 media professionals, and has thousands of hits on his site.

Evan plans to pursue a degree in Sports Management or Media Communications.

Evan received a press pass when he covered the Big 3 in Indianapolis.

Alicia Frazier, NBCT -Evans Career and Technical Teacher with Powell County High school, said “Evan is one of most motivated students I have ever seen.”

Evan is the only child of Myron and Gina Kinser of Stanton.

Dr. Anthony Orr

At a special called meeting last week, the Powell County Board of Education announced the results of their annual evaluation of the superintendent’s performance.

The reslts were positive in every area of examination.

There are seven standards superintendents are typically evaluated against with four possible ratings:  Exemplary, Accomplished, Developing, and Growth Required.

Strategic Leadership  Exemplary

Instructional

Leadership

Accomplished

Cultural Leadership Developing

Human Resource

Leadership

Exemplary

Managerial

Leadership

Exemplary

Collaborative

Leadership

Developing

Influential Leadership  Exemplary

Speaking on behalf of the board, Chairperson John Brewer said, “We could not ask for more from Dr. Orr.  His strategic work to improve the educational experience of our students, his managerial support and influential leadership with our staff have exceeded our expectations.  We are confident the same level of accomplishment will be evident in all areas of his work as his time in our community and schools continues.”

Dr. Orr expressed his gratitude to the board for their support and continued, saying, “We have a great team with staff and leaders in schools and the district offices, making this work possible,” Orr said. “There is plenty of work ahead, but we are headed in a good direction.  I look forward to sharing more of that work with the Powell County community in the coming weeks and months.”

Times photo by Bre Taulbee

GED program graduates five

Five students in the GED program at Powell County Adult Education were awarded diplomas for their work in a ceremony on Saturday, June 22. Pictured from left ar Adult Ed Instructor Barbara Taulbee, Jasmine Conner, Anna Webb, Thomas Angel, Sabrina Barnett, Ryan Snelling, and Instructor Lola Faulkner. See Page 18 for details and more photographs.

By LISA JOHNSON

Times Staff Writer

An elderly Stanton woman was trapped in her home early Monday morning by a mud slide.

About 6 a.m. on Monday, a house on North Bend Road was nearly buried by a mudslide caused by recent soaking rains.

The home of Bonnie Bowen, 90, was swept off its foundation by the slide, and she was unable to escape the structure.

First responders initially thought the home was unoccupied, but then discovered Bowen’s car parked at the rear of the home, covered by the slide.

Bowen was eventually freed after emergency crews cut holes in the roof of the structure to lift her to safety.

Personnel from 15 different agencies responded, including Stanton, Hargett, Middle Fork, Clay City, Mt. Sterling, Clark County, and Lexington fire departments.

Supporting the rescue effort were Powell County Judge-Executive James Anderson, Emergemcy Management Director Jerry Rains, Sheriff Danny Rogers, KSP Trooper Tyler Montgomery, and the American Red Cross.

Incident Commander Eddie Barnes said that Bowen was successfully rescued from the still-collapsing home at about 10:30 a.m.

“She was in a little void space that was a matter of inches, and basically when she came out she said that she was asleep in bed when all that happened,” Barnes said.

Bowen is reported to be in good condition.

By JASON HART

Times Editor

Hollie Sands

Sandsingers is not a hamburger joint.

This is a perception that proprietor Hollie Sands runs into on a weekly basis.

“We get people in pretty regularly who see our slogan, ‘A real humdinger,’ and think we sell hamburgers here,” said Sands, who owns the shop with her husband, Michael Huntsinger. “That’s okay with us, because they usually come on in and find something they like, even if it’s not a hamburger.”

The shop, which is located at 21 Washington Street in Stanton, is pretty easy to miss.

It’s also hard to pinpoint exactly what they sell.

“We have a little bit of everything,” Sands said. “We only have about a thousand square feet, but it usually takes customers at least three laps around the shop to take everything in.”

Sands said the shop, which was named by combining her and her husband’s last names, is particularly well-known for selling pillows, blankets, and towels.

“We sell a lot more than just those three things,” said Sands. “But we don’t sell anything for retail price, and we average forty to sixty percent below retail.”

Sands said she grew up in a small town of about 200 people in northern Ohio. She knows all about having to make a trip to town to pick up goods.

“I always wanted to open a country store, for locals,” Sands said. “We focus on affordable items that fit tight budgets, and emphasize super customer service.”

Sandsingers is open on Monday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“We are closed on Tuesday and Wednesday because we need time to get new merchandise priced, processed, and organized,” Sands said. “We never know what we will have in stock week to week, and we need that time to get ready for our customers.”

Sands said there may be expanded hours in the future.

So, why Stanton?

“Why not Stanton?” Sands said. “The people of Stanton and Powell County have opened their arms to Mike and I from day one,” Sands said. “We feel blessed and excited to be a part of this community. Really, we feel like we are part of a family here.”