January, 2008
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
In one week’s time, customers of the Jackson Municipal Water System either had at least one Boil Water Advisory issued for them, while others had to put up with an interruption of water service.
During that time, the outages and advisories have caused inconveniences and tried the patience of many who rely on the vital city service, such as Beverly Burrows of Lost Creek. 
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
As they laid Reverend Marion Estep Senior to rest Monday at the family cemetery in the Perry County community of Chavies, police continued to investigate.
And hundreds of people would ask themselves and others why someone would want to kill the 76-year-old Penecostal minister, who had a wife and a home in Breathitt County.
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
All little children need big dreams. One child that has grown up to be a high school senior wants to pursue her big dream. And with the help of a scholarship from “Your Mountain Television”, she and 99 others will get a start at achieving it.
“I plan on going to EKU (Eastern Kentucky Univeristy) and majoring in Forensic Science,” said Ashlie Brown, a Senior at Breathitt High School. “They do a lot of lab work, checking on DNA evidence, looking at fingerprints and matching ballistic samples.”
HCTC develops plan for state budget reduction
Hazard Community and Technical College has developed a plan for the implementation of a budget reduction, in response to Governor Steve Beshear’s three-percent mid-year budget cut request which was designed to address the state’s revenue shortfall. The plan affects all of HCTC’s campuses, including the Lees College Campus in Jackson. The college’s administration decided the college should postone overdue deferred maintenance that had been scheduled for this year, postpone the purchase of instructional equipment, and postpone larger renovation projects. HCTC’s President-CEO, Dr. Allen Goben, noted he is monitoring further development of the 2008-2010 biennial budget, along with Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) leaders. “We work to be good stewards of our dollars and will continue to do what we do best - educate our students. We are keeping what’s best for our students foremost in our minds.” Dr. Goben, along with KCTCS, are awaiting the Governor’s budget proposal release on January 29th in Frankfort.
By Jeff Noble
Voice Editor
The toughest part of Chris Bunn’s day begins with getting up, taking a shower, and getting dressed. He says the morning routine that most of us take for granted really wears him out.
“It takes a lot of energy, because you’ve got one hand you can use to dress yourself with. Right now, my right hand is all I’ve got to work with. And I’m in a lot of pain. But the doctors say that’s good,” said Chris during an interview with the Voice on Monday.
A fire which started in a rotisserie oven, did minor damage to the Deli at Slone’s Signature Market in the Jackson Village Shopping Center on Wednesday afternoon. Sgt. Kevin Chapman of the Jackson Fire Department told the Voice they got the call between 4:00-4:30 p.m.
Within a week, late in 2007, I encountered three persons who were facing debilitating health problems due to no fault of their own. Remarkably, astonishingly, they showed a positive acceptance of their conditions, had endured enormous pain and suffering, and were making the best of their handicaps. After talking with each of them, I wanted to slap myself for ever complaining about anything!
Their stories are so compelling that I had to write about them, and some have graciously consented to their publication, not that they are soliciting sympathy, but by sharing, they may be an encouragement to others in like or similar situations and to alert the medical community that may result in better treatment for their conditions.
Socialism usually refers to an economic system, a political movement and a social theory. Most socialists believe that the national or local government, rather than individuals should own a nation’s resources, operate and control use and run their basic services. Socialism means the people own the land, factories and other basic means of production. Some socialists, unlike the totalitarian socialism practiced by the communists from 1917 to their recent demise advocated a duel economic system with both government ownership as well as some private ownership, however the private ownership would be strictly regulated by the government.
George Bush began his Presid-ency by wond-ering and contem-plating just what his legacy would be and how history would judge him. He declared himself a war President early in his first term and has lived up to his declaration. There was no war but he made one. This was a first and will fit into the category which history places it. He failed to apprehend bin-Laden which he vowed to do after 9-11. He toppled Hussein and had him executed.
I tend to record nearly everything in some sort of database. Birthdates of people I seldom talk to, gas mileage, hours spent on the elliptical exerciser, what I did today, what I intend to do tomorrow, over 30,000 photographs taken through the years, anniversaries, architectural plans, checks written and just about anything and everything you can imagine or possibly not imagine. What am I going to do with all this? Sadly, probably nothing.
