Latest news with #BoydCounty
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maynard shares ‘inspiring' update
CATLETTSBURG As he does regularly at city and county government meetings, Hillcrest-Bruce Mission's director provided what the judge-executive labeled 'inspiring' update during Tuesday's Boyd County Fiscal Court meeting. Mike Maynard shared a few stories about people overcoming adversity and experiencing success through the Mission's programs. Maynard told the county commission about a man Hillcrest-Bruce has assisted for three years who enjoyed buying his first car. He's a Boyd County Schools employee now. Maynard also spoke about a woman who had landed in jail, got evicted and lost custody of her children all in one weekend. She initially turned away from Hillcrest-Bruce's help only to return two months later. 'She graduated drug court last week,' Maynard said. 'She has a house, she has a job, she has visitation, and we were able to gift her a vehicle to help her get a better-paying job. … That was about a two-and-a-half-year, three-year process.' As of last month, 264 people have been in Hillcrest-Bruce Mission's programs over the last seven years, according to Maynard — 185 of them have landed jobs and are no longer on government assistance. 'That's what it's all about — helping people become self-sufficient because there's dignity in being able to take care of yourself,' he said. '… We are blessed to have partnerships we have in order to do what we do. 'We're looking to expand our services,' he added. 'So I appreciate your all's support.' 'It's always inspiring when you come in here and share these stories,' Judge-Executive Eric Chaney said. 'Keep doing what you're doing. You're appreciated.' Hillcrest-Bruce Mission is at 1819 Eloise Street in Ashland. Visit or call (606) 324-5723 for more information. Other notable items from Tuesday's meeting: • Kacy Abrams, the county's community development director, previewed a couple of upcoming events — Sno-Cones and Suncatchers at Armco Park Shelter 5 on Friday, July 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and the Boyd County Repair Affair on Saturday, Sept. 27. Project applications will be accepted for Repair Affair through July 31. Applicants must own their home and reside in an unincorporated Boyd County area. Applicants must be at least 60 years old or certified as disabled. Applications are available at the Boyd County Courthouse or accessible online at • David Bland, of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, supplied information to the fiscal court about the organization that does 'everything we can to get our contractors work,' he said. IUPAT contractors have contributed heavily to major projects in the area such as Sandy's Gaming and the UK King's Daughters emergency department. Bland, who is from Parkersburg, West Virginia, said the union focuses on construction and finishing trades — painting, drywall finishing, sign/display work and floor covering are among them. He said the union is making a push to bring in more women to the crafts. 'Women make great painters and drywall finishers because of their attention to detail,' Bland said. Visit for more information. • The Boyd County Conservation District, which received $60,000 from a recent Kentucky Department of Agriculture settlement, is running a cost-share program in the county until July 25. The program is in place to help agricultural operations protect the soil and water resources and to implement agriculture water quality plans. Email bcconservation@ or call (606) 928-8027 for more information. • Commissioner Jeremy Holbrook reminded citizens to be aware of the Rock the Country festival this weekend, which is expected to bring in a large turnout to the fairgrounds and the area, in general, over the next few days. 'We are going to have busier roads, we're going to have packed gas stations and, more than likely, longer waits for our favorite restaurants,' Holbrook said. 'We know this, but to remind everybody, of the trickle-down effect of the economy of festivals like this. ... Like last year, I pray that the number of incidents that occur at this are the lowest on the tour. We had a great festival last year. … Some people are going to be coming to Boyd County for the first time, so that's an honor for us.' • The next Boyd County Fiscal Court meeting is slated for Tuesday, Aug. 12, at noon. (606) 326-2664 | asnyder@
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
Defendant talks his way into extra time
CATLETTSBURG An Ashland man with a lengthy rap sheet probably won't be making any more snide remarks to a sitting judge after receiving quick consequences on Thursday. After clearing up some confusion between two defendants with the same name, 41-year-old Jeffrey A. Hurn approached a podium at the Boyd County Detention Center livestreaming a feed in front of Boyd Circuit Judge John Vincent. Hurn was set to appear for arraignment in front of the judge on six total cases charging him with several different felonies including, property theft, fentanyl trafficking, wanton endangerment of a police officer and possessing a handgun as a convicted felon. The first order of business for Judge Vincent was to determine if Hurn had an attorney, to which Hurn said he thought he had previously retained a local attorney — but with that attorney absent from the courtroom and after a phone call to his office — Hurn learned that wasn't the case. Prior to Vincent appointing Hurn attorney John Thompson with the Department of Public Advocacy, Hurn said he had recently been released from a local ICU due to needing medical care, but the judge said Hurn was held on bond and the jail was capable of caring for his medical needs and could transport him to the hospital if needed. Hurn, apparently unhappy with the judge's response, asked Vincent, 'What is your name, by the way?' Ignoring his question, Vincent began to rattle off each case and the charges associated with them, but Hurn interrupted, telling the judge, 'Half of these cases aren't even mine,' but Vincent rolled on, having already determined Hurn's middle name and birth date to distinguish him from the similarly named defendant earlier. 'Those ain't my cases no way. I done told you that 10 minutes ago,' Hurn interrupted. In the middle of Vincent reading off roughly 25 of Hurn's alleged charges and Thompson pleading not guilty to each of them, Hurn committed yet another courtroom faux pas by turning from the podium and walking toward the exit of the jail's holding room. Vincent ordered a deputy jailer to escort Hurn back to the podium, prompting Hurn to ask the judge, 'What do you want?' In response, Vincent ruled Hurn was in contempt of court — a common punishment for defendants who disrupt court proceedings or show disrespect to the court's authority — resulting in 30 additional days to any other sentence Hurn may receive in the future and ordered the jail to revoke any privileges Hurn has while behind bars for an unclear amount of time. Hurn is set to appear before Judge Vincent again for a pre-trial conference (on all six cases) on Aug. 14.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Yahoo
Defendant talks his way into extra time
CATLETTSBURG An Ashland man with a lengthy rap sheet probably won't be making any more snide remarks to a sitting judge after receiving quick consequences on Thursday. After clearing up some confusion between two defendants with the same name, 41-year-old Jeffrey A. Hurn approached a podium at the Boyd County Detention Center livestreaming a feed in front of Boyd Circuit Judge John Vincent. Hurn was set to appear for arraignment in front of the judge on six total cases charging him with several different felonies including, property theft, fentanyl trafficking, wanton endangerment of a police officer and possessing a handgun as a convicted felon. The first order of business for Judge Vincent was to determine if Hurn had an attorney, to which Hurn said he thought he had previously retained a local attorney — but with that attorney absent from the courtroom and after a phone call to his office — Hurn learned that wasn't the case. Prior to Vincent appointing Hurn attorney John Thompson with the Department of Public Advocacy, Hurn said he had recently been released from a local ICU due to needing medical care, but the judge said Hurn was held on bond and the jail was capable of caring for his medical needs and could transport him to the hospital if needed. Hurn, apparently unhappy with the judge's response, asked Vincent, 'What is your name, by the way?' Ignoring his question, Vincent began to rattle off each case and the charges associated with them, but Hurn interrupted, telling the judge, 'Half of these cases aren't even mine,' but Vincent rolled on, having already determined Hurn's middle name and birth date to distinguish him from the similarly named defendant earlier. 'Those ain't my cases no way. I done told you that 10 minutes ago,' Hurn interrupted. In the middle of Vincent reading off roughly 25 of Hurn's alleged charges and Thompson pleading not guilty to each of them, Hurn committed yet another courtroom faux pas by turning from the podium and walking toward the exit of the jail's holding room. Vincent ordered a deputy jailer to escort Hurn back to the podium, prompting Hurn to ask the judge, 'What do you want?' In response, Vincent ruled Hurn was in contempt of court — a common punishment for defendants who disrupt court proceedings or show disrespect to the court's authority — resulting in 30 additional days to any other sentence Hurn may receive in the future and ordered the jail to revoke any privileges Hurn has while behind bars for an unclear amount of time. Hurn is set to appear before Judge Vincent again for a pre-trial conference (on all six cases) on Aug. 14.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
WWII Memorial honors 'heroes walking among us'
ASHLAND To mark the 81st anniversary of the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare, hundreds of attendees gathered to witness the unveiling of a monument honoring the thousands of Boyd Countians who served in WWII. Though the skies above were overcast, the rain held off for Friday's ceremony, painting a symbolic nod to D-Day's Operation Overlord where Allied forces began the eventual liberation of Western Europe upon the beaches of France, despite the loss of more than 4,000 allied soldiers. The anniversary of the Normandy invasion is often recognized as the 'beginning of the end,' of the atrocities committed overseas during WWII and invoke remembrance of those brave fathers, brothers and sons at least once a year. However, with the instillation of eight panels depicting the thousands of local names who witnessed the cost of the conflict firsthand, local organizers have ensured their sacrifices will be remembered in Boyd County beyond a calendar date. Members of Ashland Paul G. Blazer High School's JROTC marked the beginning of the ceremony by raising the flags of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. JROTC member Rilee Layman Bohanon was among them, raising a flag mere steps away from the panel that would reveal the name of his great grandfather. 'This stands not only as a tribute, but also as what a community can do together,' Stephen Harris, president elect of Ashland Rotary Club, said. Harris said when he attended a Rotary meeting welcoming its newest members 10 years ago, project spearhead Cheryl Spriggs was organizing the eventual construction of the memorial wall, even before securing a location, design or financial support. As Spriggs's plans continued throughout her term as Ashland City Commissioner, former Ashland Mayor Matt Perkins said the piece of property at the intersection of 17th Street and Carter Avenue was eventually secured. 'This piece of property represents grit and determination,' Perkins said, explaining a list of WWII veterans used to be displayed at the local post office but was eventually removed, sparking Spriggs and community members' commitment to restore a tribute to the greatest generation. Current Ashland Mayor Chuck Charles said the wall ensures recognition of 'the human cost of conflict ... serv(ing) as a tangible way to see the impact of war.' Charles said the wall allows the community to remember, reflect and respect. For Spriggs's determination, Charles presented the former commissioner with a key to the city. Spriggs said it has been 10 years since she brought the idea to her fellow Rotarians and she has spent the last 7 years working alongside numerous community members and organizations to gather every name deployed from Ashland or Boyd County for their spot on the wall, secure financial donations and collaborated with Kim Jenkins, Highlands Museum & Discovery Center director, and VisitAKY's Brandy Clark on the overall design of the panels and site layout. Spriggs said Clark was the brain child behind fitting more than 6,000 names on the four panels, both sides depicting iconic WWII imagery from a distance. 'Virtually everybody in this town was touched by WWII,' Spriggs said, sharing the story of Griffith Street — roughly the size of two blocks — from where 30 men were drafted. Spriggs also recognized the Henderson family, who sent all four sons overseas and would go years without knowing their location or if they were still alive. Spriggs said though D-Day was not the end of the war, eventually thousands of servicemen would return from the Pacific, Europe, Africa and beyond, back home to Boyd County. 'There were heroes walking among us everywhere,' Spriggs said, recognizing that some families were not so lucky, as hundreds of local men were killed in action, taken prisoner or are described only as missing in action, each of them now bare a golden star alongside their name on the wall. As the population of WWII Veterans continues to dwindle, community members on Friday hope the monument in the heart of Ashland will serve as a reminder of those that sacrificed for a future they would never see.
