August, 2007
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
Four former employees at the Kentucky River Medical Center reached an out-of-court agreement with the hospital and their union, during the first day of hearings on Tuesday at the Breathitt County Courthouse.
For Frances Lynn Combs, Louise Gross, Shirley White and James Fields, that means an agreement with KRMC in getting lost wages, lost benefits, and travel expenses to their out-of-town jobs. 
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
One year after publisher and historian Charles Hayes started the mammoth book project about the memories of Breathitt County, it’s finally here.
After hundreds of stories from people in the past and present were printed, after putting in over 850 historic photographs in the project, and after splitting the book into two large volumes, it’s finally complete.
And for the next two weekends, it’ll finally be on sale.
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
Two contracts for the water project to serve the residents of Watts and along Route 15 South were approved by the Board of the Breathitt County Water District (BCWD) at their regular meeting last Wednesday. That same meeting also marked the final regular session for Board Chairman John Lester Smith, as well as Board Members Vurl Fugate, Alma Noble, Homer Johnson and Jay Watts.
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
As you walked down Broadway last Friday evening, you heard the bark of a youngster, dressed up in 1920’s clothes as a newsboy. He was passing out programs for the Breathitt County Museum on the street corner out front, and his call was clear and concise.
“Extra! Extra! Read All About It! A Night At The Museum Tonight!”
You get a program from him and look at it, as you go up the steps outside the Senior Citizens Building. A shoeshine boy awaits you, ready to spruce up the footwear you’ve got on. It doesn’t matter if you wear flip-flops, or if your toes are touched up by his brush. They still do it, with a smile.
By Jeff Noble Voice EditorBecause of action taken by the Breathitt County Fiscal Court, the rate you’ll be paying on one of your property taxes this year will be a little lower than last year. And on the other property taxes, the rate will be the same as what you’re paying now.
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
Dr. Masja Ott considers herself spoiled this summer.
Because she’s given her time to help folks with their physical problems, the Jackson Chiropractor has been the benefactor of lots of home-grown goodies from the garden.
“I’ve gotten tomatoes, zucchini, cabbage, yellow squash, corn, blackberries, apples, blueberries and broccoli,” said a smiling Dr. Ott at her office Monday afternoon. The head of Appalucky Mission of Integrated Health, Inc. then pointed out Eastern Kentucky’s advantage over her former home. “And when the season’s right, they’ll give me lettuce and spinach, and you know I like a big salad for lunch. You couldn’t grow a big garden at your house in Atlanta. I’m spoiled. Spoiled rotten.”
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
Winds clocked at over 50 miles per hour by the National Weather Service shifted through Breathitt County last Thursday evening, uprooting some trees and branches in scattered locations - but they didn’t bring much-needed rain to most of us.
Much of the tree damage was done between 8 and 8:30 that night, as a phenonemon called a “Gust Front” pushed through the county and Eastern Kentucky. That brought on scattered reports of tree damage. Two reports of damage were received by the Weather Service from South Jackson and Wolverine.
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
As workers continue to put the finishing touches on the home of Voice Video and Data Services, Inc. (VVDS), Mike Bryant holds up two large squares - one in each hand.
He says those two pieces will change the way Breathitt Countians do their Internet and telephone service in a matter of weeks. And it might even mean a change in how folks here watch TV.
One of my best friends is colorblind. He has trouble seeing some colors and simply cannot see other colors at all. For example, he has no clue what red looks like. To him, all the apples, red vehicles, and fire trucks in the world are black. He has no idea what orange looks like either. He believes cheese and oranges are green. At least, he thinks it is green. There is really no way to tell.
Mother was in a reflective mood as she and the writer ate. “Elkatawa was a tough and rough place to live in those days: drinking, gambling, stealing, killing,” she continued.
“Let me tell you a story about which we laugh nowadays. It happened not long before you were born in 1935. We had just built our house a year or so before the event that I am going to tell you about took place, and your father was a teacher in the public schools here at Elkatawa. There were no roads and persons walked, rode in wagons pulled by horses or mules, rode horseback, or hoboed the freight trains if they did not have money to ride the passenger trains.”
