Ruth Butcher

The good news is there are plenty of jobs available for people who are willing to work. The bad news is that employers in Kentucky are experiencing a lack of people who can fill the open positions.

The Kentucky Chamber Workforce Center published a slew of statistics that explain the state’s current workforce position. Their research shows that more than 81 percent of Kentucky businesses are planning to expand in the next three to five years and that 80 percent of those businesses say they can’t fill those positions. Kentucky also has a low workforce participation rate, meaning the available people who are both eligible to and do work, is lower than average.

Over the years, you have heard me say that in order to tackle our state’s opioid epidemic, it’s going to take all of us coming together as a community. That everyone has a role in building a better future.

One of my efforts to build that future is the Kentucky Opioid Disposal Program, which provides drug deactivation pouches to help Kentucky families safely dispose of the dangerous unused medications sitting in their medicine cabinets.

I can proudly say that in the last year we have grown the program’s reach to more and more Kentuckians thanks to tireless efforts of our partners, including local law enforcement, nonprofits, churches, senior citizens centers, governments and schools.

Well, I hope our city leaders are satisfied. The vines have taken over our historic swinging bridge, so now no one can see it even exists.

It seems as if no one in our city or county administration cares anything about trying to get any new jobs in here or not, so long as they can get paid and socialize with their fishing, hunting, golfing, gambling, drinking buddies.

It has become common knowledge now that President Trump doesn’t read or won’t read. This is something that should not be dismissed out of mind, for it is an important clue into his mentality: he doesn’t comprehend what most school children know significantly—that reading is fundamental. Read…

The week of June 25, we hosted our fourth year of Johnson County Sheriff’s camp.  28 Johnson County students that ranged from the 4th grade to the 6th grade attended a week filled with fun and various learning activities.  

Sheriff Camp has two goals.  One is to ensure campers have a positive experience with law enforcement officers.  The other is to help establish a network of friends during an age where students will soon transition to middle school.  Those friendships can create a bond among Sheriff Campers that makes transitioning schools easier.  Campers know other campers that may already be in middle school or are from other schools going into middle school.  

Dear Editor,

Why does one party, the Democrats, have more concern for people of other countries than they do about their own citizens? Illegal aliens have no right to come here unless we permit it by law.

I am disgusted by the failure of the news media, including most of the female anchors and commentators on Fox News, and certainly all of CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and the leftwing MSNBC along with most major newspapers to note the following concerning the child separation issue at the border: 

You can’t have it both ways. If you don’t want the U.S. to be the world’s police organization, then you can’t criticize the way we run our country.

What’s happening at the southern U.S. border is a tragedy — a tragedy for which no one really has an answer. But when we try to enact our laws we get criticized by our own citizens and the rest of the world for being cruel and inhumane.

The problem manifests outside our borders, while the results happen at our border. Where is the outrage and news coverage in third-world countries that are treating their people so terribly that they lose hope and will risk their lives and the temporary surrender of their children to illegally enter the U.S.?

It seems almost a requirement that any discussion about the differences between the sexes must first touch base with the story of Adam and Eve. In a close reading of this story what immediately becomes apparent is that Adam needed corrective surgery, that he required an operation; the result of which, of course, was Eve. So as the old-time farmer’s admonition goes, God had to go back and lick his calf. In other words, He had to go back and complete His task or do it over; and in this case, create a companion for Adam, one who would become as one flesh with him, his equal. Here it is important to note that it wasn’t until after the apple incident that God arbitrarily had Adam rule over Eve and become subservient to him. 

A southern televangelist is making a plea for $54 million so he can spread the word of the Lord in a brand new, private jet plane. His begging for this excessive luxury is criminal and abusive. Sadly, some poor saps will give their last dollar so this clown can get a free ride.

The beauty is, this is a free country and people can do crazy stuff like that and get away with it. On that note, some people might want to help this poor preacher man spread the word to the less fortunate and spend their money that way. They might call it “spiritual development.”

This past month, Paintsville celebrated the Spring Fling Event put forth by Paintsville’s Main Street Association. The volunteers that work with the organization put on a wonderful event. The work that The Paintsville’s Garden Club has done was praised by many visitors as well that I spoke with. From local musical talent being showcased to 60+ vendors, our streets were full. There are positive things happening right here in Paintsville. No matter how successful an event like this was, or how well attended events such as these are, there will always be those that simply cannot see anything in a positive light. If looking for negativity is one’s sole goal, I’m sure it can be found in any community in Kentucky. I am going to choose to look forward, not behind. As a Mayor, the buck stops here. I can’t point fingers. I can’t distract by blaming someone else. If it’s something I set in motion it is something I am accountable for. Issues and problems that arise cannot be solved properly through gossip nor through the new norm, social media. Issues need not only to be addressed in the light but also solved in the light for everyone to see. Many times by addressing and solving issues transparently it will lead to productive communication an eventually trust.

“America is facing a full-fledged crisis in our democracy,” Hillary Clinton said to the 2018 graduates at Yale College.  What democracy were you referring to, Hillary?  The democracy that paid Bill Clinton $500,000 for his speech in Moscow shortly after the “Uranium One” deal and the $750,00…

In 2018, more than a million people will be diagnosed with cancer around the world. This alarming statistic affects people and families everywhere. On June 3, 2018, we observe National Cancer Survivors Day in the United States. In support of this day, Social Security encourages getting checkups to provide early detection, raise awareness through education, and recognize the survivors who have gone through this battle or are still living with the disease. 

Social Security supports people who are fighting cancer. We offer support to patients dealing with this disease through our disability program. People with certain cancers may be eligible for a Compassionate Allowance. Compassionate Allowances are cases where individuals have medical conditions so severe they obviously meet Social Security’s disability standards, allowing us to process the cases quickly with minimal medical information. 

In recognition of National Nurses Week and National Hospital Week, May 6-12, and on behalf of Paul B. Hall Regional Medical Center, I want to share my appreciation for our nurses who make it possible for us to be a health care resource for our community. We thank them for their continued dedication to providing high-quality care and improving the overall health of the Big Sandy Region.

Uncertainty is never a good thing. And that’s especially true when it comes to essential services provided by government bodies such as schools.

Reliability is not just expected, but necessary, to ensure the proper operation of these kinds of agencies.

However, what we’ve seen in the days and weeks since legislative actions led to teacher walkouts and protests is a level of distrust and unease which is neither healthy nor conducive to the operations of our schools.

For far too long, the federal government has prevented most farmers from growing hemp. Although it was a foundational part of Kentucky’s heritage and today you can buy products made with hemp at stores across the country, most farmers have been barred from planting it in their fields. I have heard from many Kentucky farmers who agree it’s time to remove the federal hurdles in place and give our state the opportunity to seize its full potential and once again become the national leader for hemp production.

You could argue this is the biggest understatement of all time, but here it is: Language is important.

The Kentucky General Assembly began with a focus on full funding for public pensions that teachers and state workers rely upon for retirement, and we ended with a final two-year budget that commits historic funding levels to those pension systems, along with all-time high funding for education. 

In order to fund pensions and education in the record-levels we did, we passed a revenue measure based on comprehensive tax reform to deliberately move in a direction to lower, and one day possibly eliminate, income tax rates while broadening the sales tax base by adding consumption-driven services. The changes made to the tax code, in order to fund the budget, signify the first in decades and will be responsible for more than $450 million over the next two years. 

There are numerous questions which remain, and may forever remain, surrounding the death of Pikeville Police Officer Scotty Hamilton in a shooting incident at Hurricane Road Tuesday night. What happened? Why? Why did it happen to him?

“Actions have consequences.”

Many people have heard this saying or are inherently aware of its truth. However, in today’s society, it seems almost a foreign concept. 

Billy Graham was the only TV preacher I ever trusted. Nicknamed “God’s Machine Gun,” he once told president Obama that the president’s pursuit of restrictions on guns would do nothing to change gun violence. I’d like to think that had he not passed last week, he’d agree that pursuit of senseless restrictions on coal mining is just as misguided.