September, 2006
Bowling Green, Ky. — Western Kentucky University quarterback Justin Haddix enjoys hunting and fishing whenever possible, activities he really started finding time for while he was at Breathitt County High School although he began when he was much younger. He says that it’s relaxing to be with a few friends or family members in the peaceful confines of the great outdoors. So one might be surprised to find out that what the Jackson, Ky., native really enjoys is games like the Hilltoppers’ season opener this year, played in front of 90,000-plus screaming fans at Georgia. “I really like playing in front of people,” he says. “But, you can’t do that all of the time. Going into the woods is really relaxing, and spending time with family and friends is nice.” For Haddix, finding the time to relax has been hard to come by. 
By D.A. Collier
Voice Sports
Facing another tough away game vs. the Harlan Green Dragons, Breathitt Co. needed another strong performance. They got it once again from senior running back Beckham Herald. With the Bobcats clinging to a 13-0 lead and Harlan on the move, Herald stepped in front of a Dragon receiver, made the interception and took the ball all the way back to the Harlan two yard line. Quarterback Colby Fugate scored on a sneak and the Bobcats increased their lead to 19-7 with 4:34 in left in the third quarter and turned the game over to their defense.
The Bobcats received the opening kickoff and drove 94 yards for 7-0 lead. The drive had good runs by Fugate and his brother Channing and featured a 12 yard catch on 3rd down by Ryan Allen to keep the drive alive. Beckham took it in from the six yard line for the touchdown.
All good things must come to an end…sooner or later. That ideology was reinforced nearly nine years ago on a rain-soaked Friday night in Lawrence County.
The Breathitt County Bobcats had strung together 42 consecutive wins, including back-to-back-to-back perfect regular seasons, and back-to-back Class AA state championships. They were three games away from a third. Without question, in 1997 they were the best team in Class AA—they may have been the best Breathitt football team of all those which comprises the Bobcats’ relatively young highly successful program.
By: Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
Editor
A bizarre accident in the lower end of town Tuesday afternoon has left a Jackson woman dead, after she was run over by the car she was working on.
23-year-old Dana Smith of Main Street died shortly after the late-model Chevrolet Lumina she was repairing rolled over her. Jackson Fire and Rescue report that Smith was having trouble with her car, and was underneath the vehicle, trying to fix it. They report that it looked as if she was trying to cross over her starter. The Lumina, equipped with an automatic transmission, was in gear. In their report, Fire and Rescue say that it appeared that the neutral switch evidently wasn’t working, when it ran over her.
By: Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
Editor
Bids were accepted for the long-awaited KY 541-KY 205 water project in Northern Breathitt County on Tuesday morning. By the time the apparent low bidders for the two contracts were named, the total amount for the two came to almost $2 million.
By: Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
The man who gave us the country hit “What Mattered Most” over a decade ago, will bring his Southern charm to our town during the 2nd Annual Breathitt Heritage Fair in early October.
Ty Herndon, who also recorded Country hits like “It Must Be Love” and “Living In A Moment”, will headline the show on Saturday, October 7th. The concert will start at 7 p.m. at Douthitt Park, and is free to the public.
It’s expected Herndon will sing a couple of cuts from his upcoming album “Right About Now”. The single of the same name is expected to be released later this month, while the website says the new album, produced by Titan/Universal Records, will be released October 24th.
Born in Mississippi and raised in Alabama, Ty developed his vocal style while singing Southern Gospel Music. With a dream of becoming a Country star in his mind, Herndon moved to Nashville and sang demo songs and commercial jingles. He was also the member of the band that would go on to become Diamond Rio. Being a finalist on the TV show “Star Search” gave him national attention, and he then moved to Texas where he honed his skills as a crowd-pleasing performer.
Herndon scored instant success in 1995 with the single “What Mattered Most”, which broke the record for the highest debut release, and would become the 1996 Music Row Song of the Year. The song soon topped the Billboard and Radio and Records magazine charts, and would happen again with the title song from his second album “Living In A Moment”in 1996, and again on his third album “Big Hopes”, which featured “It Must Be Love”. He received the Best New Artist award at the 1995 Country Radio Music Awards. At the 1996 TNN Music City News Awards, Ty received a nomination for Star of Tomorow: Male Artist; and at the 1996 American Music Awards he received a nomination for Favorite New Artist - Country. The southern singer also got nominations from the British Country Music Awards and Performers Magazine Reader’s Poll for his singing performances.
Audiences at the show will be able to enjoy Herndon’s ability to, as the TyHerndon Super Fan Site on the Internet says, “fuse traditional country music with slick rock sensibilities to create great musical productions.” The past few years have also been a rollercoaster ride for Ty, as he’s faced personal tragedy with a personal comeback that some folks find unbelievible. His stage presence, vocal range and stylistic use of songs are expected to please those who will make to trip to Jackson on October 7th.
The Ty Herndon concert is just one of the many activities scheduled for the Breathitt Heritage Fair, which begins Friday, October 6th and continues through Sunday, October 8th. Most of the events are scheduled to take place in Douthitt Park. More on the Fair and the events that will take place will be found in the Voice as we get closer to October.
Monday, September 25th, 2006
Three surviving members of a Breathitt County family met Tuesday to talk about growing up, and the good times they remember. There were also some sad times to discuss - one in particular affecting all three of them. It caused them to leave this area as youngsters back in the height of the Great Depression. Only now are they getting the inside story of the father whose violent death caused them to leave Kentucky, some 73 years ago.
Mabel Raftery is from Independence, Missouri, just a crow’s hop from Kansas City. Edward Francis calls the Puget Sound area of Washington state his home these days. And Frances Pike is living these days “Down East” in New England, near Portland, Maine. All three are the children of Ambrose Francis. Ambrose was a Magistrate in Breathitt County back in 1933. That same year, Ambrose and his brother Earl were killed. At the time of their father’s death, Mabel was only three years old. Edward was seven years of age, and Frances was just nine years old.
By: Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
As in previous years, the Lees College Campus of Hazard Community and Technical College celebrated “Constitution Day”. This year was no exception, as those in attendance agreed that the precious document drawn up by our founding fathers in 1787 continues to serve this country in a way they would be proud of.
“You have the right to be protected” says the front of the newly-printed Resource Guide that was shown to members of the Breathitt-Wolfe Family Violence Prevention Council on Tuesday. The council contributed with information for the guide, which was sponsored by Kentucky River Community Care, Inc. and funded by a grant from the Kentucky Bar Association.
By: Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
Editor
Like a volcano erupting in the South Pacific, college students need to let off a little steam at times. Inside the Van Meter Gymnasium last Wednesday, September 13th, Kellie Glenn was doing just that by playing. And she wasn’t the only one.
Several students gathered after their classes to enjoy a game of “Lazer Tag”, to let off some steam and the stress of tests. Organized by several on-campus groups on the Lees College Campus of Hazard Community and Technical College, over 75 students had signed up to dodge the laser rays by 12 Noon. Taking a breath between running to barriers to protect her, Glenn exclaimed, “It’s fun. You get to get sweaty, and shoot at your friends. You can get a lot of aggression out in a playful way by doing this,” said the Freshman from Campton. Kellie had plans to come back to the gym in the afternoon, but for another reason. “As soon as I get out of class then, I’m going to hit that cornhole game.”
