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Cervical Cancer 1-24-08
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness month, and the Breathitt County Relay For Life Committee wants you to be informed.  According to the American Cancer Society representatives, Breathitt County is one of the top counties in Kentucky affected by cervical cancer.  While cervical cancer used to be much more deadly, it is now less likely to happen thanks to research dollars and the development of the common PAP smear, which may detect precancerous cells before cervical cancer develops. 
Risk factors for cervical cancer include the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is more prevalent in young women with multiple sex partners and those who begin to have sex at an early age.  This is one reason for the development and implementation of Gardasil, a new vaccine that targets HPV.  This vaccine is recommended for girls 9-26.  Other risk factors for cervical cancer include smoking, HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, diet, and use of birth control pills.  Yearly PAP smears are recommended for any woman who is sexually active or over the age of 21.  Most cases of cervical cancer occurring those women who are not screened vaginally.  For more information about cervical cancer, screening, or treatment, contact your primary doctor or the American Cancer Society at 1-800-ACS-2345. 
One way you can help fight the battle against cervical cancer is to contact your local legislator to increase funding of the state breast and cervical cancer early detection (BCCEDP).  The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) provides low income, uninsured and underinsured women access to life-saving breast cancer screening tests and follow-up services.  To date, the NBCCEDP has provided more than 5.8 million screening exams to underserved women.  While NBCCEDP is very successful, due to a lack of funding, four out of five eligible women are still not being screened and treated.  Many more lives can be saved through this program.  The American Cancer Society is asking Congress to reauthorize this program, allowing greater flexibility to reach the women in greatest need and to increase funding by $148 million this year to enable the program to serve an additional 130,000 women.  Visit www.acscan.org/makingstrides to show your support.
Join in the fight on a local level by becoming involved in the Relay For Life of Breathitt County, to be held June 20, 2008.  For more information, contact Patty at 295-4000 or 398-7000.  Hope to see you there!

Court Information Now Available to Victims Through VINE Court Service
Frankfort, KY – For 12 years the safety of victims and the acronym VINE have gone hand in hand in Kentucky. Now that protection has extended beyond the confines of the jail cell, when offenders are released from custody, and into the courtroom.
The Kentucky Department of Corrections and the Kentucky Court of Justice have collaborated to implement the new VINE Court Service. The program will allow victims in 17 Kentucky counties to register to be notified about changes in an offender’s status and about upcoming court events in felony cases through the automatic notification system VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday).
VINE Court Service went live in the Daviess County pilot site on Sept. 24, 2007, and will be implemented in 16 other Kentucky counties by Oct. 15, 2007.  The other counties are Boone, Boyd, Bullitt, Campbell, Christian, Fayette, Franklin, Hardin, Kenton, Laurel, McCracken, Oldham, Pike, Shelby, Spencer and Warren.
“Crime victims shouldn’t have to worry about when their offenders are going to be in court – they deserve every bit of protection we can provide,” said Corrections Commissioner John D. Rees. “This grant has enabled us to enhance our VINE service to take the notification system into the court arena and through this partnership with the Kentucky Court of Justice, crime victims who use this service will have one more layer of protection.”
"This new level of notification will help ensure the safety of crime victims and give them a greater opportunity to participate in Kentucky’s legal process," said Chief Justice Joseph E. Lambert. "This is a positive collaboration with the Department of Corrections that furthers our ongoing efforts to improve public access to state courts."
Victims can register to be notified by calling the VINE 800 number at 800-511-1670, provided they have the felony case number. Live operator assistance will be available 24/7 in both English and Spanish. Victims can also register to be notified by e-mail, telephone or both by visiting www.courts.ky.gov
The VINE Court Service is funded through a Bureau of Justice Assistance grant the Department of Corrections received to enhance its victims service programs. VINE Court Service will be expanded if additional funding becomes available. In 1996, Kentucky became the first state in the nation to offer automated statewide victim notification. The Department of Corrections contracts with Louisville-based Apprissâ Inc., developer of the VINEâ system, to deliver the service.

Jackson County resident awarded $1,000 scholarship
FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 19, 2007) — Molly Keck of Gray Hawk was one of 36 Kentuckians awarded the Education Cabinet’s Education-at-Work scholarship July 18. Kentucky Education Cabinet Secretary Laura E. Owens presented the $1,000 scholarships for students who are pursuing postsecondary education in Kentucky at a ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort .
Kentuckians qualified for the scholarship by using one of the services of the Education Cabinet’s Department for Workforce Investment or the Kentucky Adult Education in the Council on Postsecondary Education such as vocational rehabilitation, adult learning centers, GED preparation, secondary Kentucky Tech school, unemployment insurance, job placement, dislocated worker or Workforce Investment Act assistance. 
Keck, 19, attends Somerset Community College and studies radiology and nuclear medicine. She is a customer of the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR).
Secretary Owens said she was impressed with the level of commitment the winners have shown toward achieving their education and career goals.
“The efforts of today’s recipients show the commitment to make our commonwealth an excellent place to live and work,” Secretary Owens said. “We only can accomplish those goals through raising the levels of education and workforce training of our citizens.”  
In an essay written for the scholarship on Kentucky ’s “Unbridled Spirit” brand and how it relates to her educational and career goals, Keck said her chosen field of study will help her maintain job security while helping others.
In the essay, Keck wrote, “Unbridled spirit to me means free to choose your own destiny and follow your dream. You’re only limited by your imagination. My dream is to graduate from college with a degree in radiology and nuclear medicine technology. I want a career that has growth potential, good pay, and the ability to work in a rural community or a large city. This is also a field where I can help people and give back to my community.”
In addition to the “Unbridled Spirit” essay, scholarship applicants were required to submit two character reference letters. The $1,000 scholarships may be used for tuition, books, and lab and technology fees.
About 200 Kentuckians applied for the ninth annual scholarship competition. Including this year, the cabinet has awarded 246 scholarships totaling $156,000 for postsecondary education. The scholarship began under the former Cabinet for Workforce Development and has grown from 20 scholarships in 1999 to this year’s 36 scholarships.
The Education Cabinet coordinates learning programs from P-16, and manages and supports training and employment functions in the Department for Workforce Investment. For more information about our programs, visit www.educationcabinet.ky.gov or www.workforce.ky.gov or call 502-564-6606, or visit Kentucky Adult Education at www.kyae.ky.gov or call 502-573-5114.

Jackson County resident Molly Keck, left, receives the Education-at-Work Scholarship from Kentucky Education Cabinet Secretary Laura E. Owens at the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort July 18. Keck, a customer of the Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, was one of 36 winners of the $1,000 Education Cabinet scholarship.

Carter Caves State Resort Park Hosts Moonlight Golf Scramble On June 29
OLIVE HILL, Ky. – Carter Caves State Resort Park near Olive Hill will host a moonlight 18-hole golf scramble to help raise money for charity on June 29.
The scramble is for two-person teams and the first nine holes will be played at 7 p.m. There will be a dinner break at 9 p.m. and the last nine holes will be played in the dark at 10 p.m. This event is limited to 25 teams.
The $40 a person entry fee includes golf cart, dinner, beverage and glow-in-the dark balls. Prizes will be awarded.
All of the proceeds will go to the Kentucky Employees Charitable Campaign, which contributes money to the United Way and other charities across the state.
For information, call 606-286-8881 or 606-286-4411 ext. 2540.
Carter Caves State Resort Park has a lodge, cottages, campground, restaurant, hiking trails, cave tours, swimming, fishing, boating, mini-golf and horseback riding. The park is off exit 161 from Interstate 64 near Olive Hill.

United Way
Alice Kilburn Breathitt County Board of Directors of the United Way of Southeastern Kentucky distributed checks totaling $8,037 to human service agencies of Breathitt County. The agencies funded are Breathitt County Senior Citizens, Breathitt Youth Soccer league, interfaith of Breathitt and Breathitt County Action Team, Mountain Community Hospice, KY River Animal Shelter, Boy Scouts and Joshua's Dream Foundation.
    The agencies represented are: Nellie Fugate - Interfaith of Breathitt County, Michael Lively - Breathitt Youth Soccer League, Sandra Fugate - Breathitt County Action Team, and Jack Niece - Breathitt County Senior Citizens Center.
    The United Way of Southeastern Kentucky ( UWSEKY ) distributed $89,040 in donations that had been raised in our area to 45 human service agencies with 47 programs in KRADD eight county region. The UWSEKY Board of directors is comprised of at least two representatives from each county who made the distribution of funds for their county. They are charged with the responsibility of raising funds    in their county by conducting a campaign in the fall. The mission of the United Way is to increase the capacity of people to care for one another. through a network of volunteers and community service agencies, the United Way serves as an advocate on behalf of people with needs that otherwise might not be met. The UWSEKY takes pride in the fact that over 86% of all funds raised are distributed to local KRADD agencies to help meet needs.
For more information about the United Way, contact Gaylan Good at 439-0329.

Body Found
On Saturday January 20th, 2007, the body of Brandy Rowe was located in the creek on Highway 542 in Breathitt County .  Ms. Rowe had been missing since December 23rd and was presumed to have been murdered and her body dumped inside Breathitt County .
According to Cletus Smith, President of the Commonwealth Canine Search and Research Unit, the search took approximately 45 minutes before the body was located at 12:05 PM.  The search began at the bridge on Holley’s Branch, where the body was thrown off of, located on Highway 542 with 2 handlers and dogs on each side of the creek walking the bank and one handler and dog in a boat.  The dog in the boat first detected something and the dog on the bank, handled by Vadim Dale, went to the creek and located the body and returned to Mr. Dale and alerted him to the place the body was.  The Search and Rescue squad notified law enforcement and the Breathitt County Coroner was called to the scene.
This team of experts that located Ms. Rowe’s body have been doing this together for less than a year now and come from all over the State of Kentucky .  Mr. Smith, who works as an RN at in Lexington at the Dialysis Clinic, trained the first Search and Rescue dog in Kentucky 18 years ago.  Mr. Dale, whose dog River found the body, is better known as Outback Jack as he was the star of the 2004 TBS reality show.

Pride of Kentucky Holiday Program
On Tuesday, November 7, 2006 (Election Day) at 10:00 am the Quicksand Area Extension Agents for Family and Consumer Sciences will be presenting the Pride of Kentucky Holiday Program.  This will be held at the Breathitt County Extension Office.  Everyone is invited to attend.  The program will focus on many different topics relating to the holidays in Kentucky .  There will be samples of food to taste from the Pride of Kentucky Cookbook.   Some other topics will include:   Reuse, recycle and rejoice, pillow pizzazz (no-sew pillow ideas), gingerbread houses for decoration or dessert, preserving your holiday memories, welcome to my home, the holidays revisited and homemade kitchen creations.  Call the Extension Office at 666-8812 for more information.  Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

Vandalized Bus
On August 19th, 2006 it was discovered that a Breathitt County School Bus had been vandalized on Highway 1098 (South Fork Road) in Breathitt County.  Apparently someone has thrown stones through three of the windows on Bus #10 and broke them.  The Police were informed and they in turn contacted Mr. Steve Banks and Mr. John Hollon from the Breathitt County Bus garage.

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Mountain Arts Center Individual Instruction Students Chosen to Attend Interlochen Arts Camp
INTERLOCHEN, Michigan – The Mountain Arts Center is pleased to announce that two of its individual instruction students; Ashley Dawn Hall and Beth Wicker have been selected to attend the Interlochen Arts Camp this summer.
Interlochen Center for the Performing Arts Summer Camp in Interlochen Michigan is the world’s premier summer arts program for aspiring artists in grades 3 through 12.  The Arts Camp attracts students, faculty and staff from all 50 US states and more than 40 countries.  The world’s best and brightest students are selected to train intensively with world-class instructors.  More than 400 presentations in dance, theatre, creative writing, visual arts and music are produced each summer.
Among the distinguished camp alumni are opera and concert soprano Jessye Norman, “Roseanne” star Sara Gilbert, actor Tom Hulce, “Cathy” creator Cathy Guisewite, vocalist Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary, and CBS News Correspondent Mike Wallace.  Former Interlochen Campers also include five-time Grammy winner Norah Jones and singer Josh Groban, both of whom have performed as part of the Interlochen Arts Festival in recent summers.  Admission into the camp is through acceptance of an application and/or audition or portfolio depending upon the particular arts discipline.  Beth and Ashley were chosen after submitting an audition CDs that were produced at the Mountain Arts Center.
Ashley is the 15 year old daughter of Chris and Terina Caudill, and the granddaughter of Delmar and Sue Hall and Mary and Paul Caudill, all who reside at Hager Hill, KY.  Beth is a 16 year old Hazard resident and the daughter of Mitch and Helen Wicker.  Beth has been performing since the age of five and has been a member of the Jenny Wiley Theatre’s acting company for the past seven seasons.  Ashley will study Vocal Arts at the camp and Beth will study musical theatre, which in 2006 celebrates its 79th summer of pioneering arts education.
Ashley recently released her first gospel CD, “Then Sings My Soul”, directed by David Kazee.  Selections from Ashley’s CD are being played on WSIP Sundays.  Ashley has appeared on the US 23 Talent Showcase and recently has been selected to perform in the new upcoming KY Opry Junior Jamboree on July 11th and July 25th.  Ashley is also a member of the KY Opry Performing Arts School, Eastern Kentucky Youth Association for the Arts, Big Sandy Community and Technical College Choir, and the West Van Lear Missionary Baptist Church. 
Ashley states, “I feel greatly blessed to have the opportunities I have been given this year.  Being part of the KY Opry and being accepted into such a prestigious camp are dreams come true.” 
Beth played the lead in The Diary of Anne Frank at the MAC during the fall of 2005.    She also had a cameo role on Broadway in Wicked in December.  Beth is currently interning at Jenny Wiley Theatre as a costume assistant until she leaves to attend Interlochen Arts Camp.   
Beth feels that the 2 hour round trip that it requires to study at the Mountain Arts Center is well worth the time that is being invested.  “I am reaping the benefits of my training in Prestonsburg and I have learned so much.” 
Both Ashley and Beth are vocal students of Janean Freeman through the Mountain Arts Center Individual Instruction Program.   Ashley is also a piano student of another Mountain Arts Center individual instructor, Ms. Jennifer Hughes. 
For more information regarding the Mountain Arts Center Individual Instruction Lessons, please contact the Mountain Arts Center Arts Education Director at 606-889-9125.

Rediscover Bobby Davis Park
Summer in the Park
“Rediscover Bobby Davis Park: Summer in the Park,” an evening of fun for the whole family, will take place on Saturday, July 1.
A collaboration between Little Theatre of Hazard, the CHICKS Committee (Citizens for a Better Community), and the City of Hazard, “Rediscover Bobby Davis Park: Summer in the Park” will feature a children’s play, local visual artists and musicians, a magician, a gourmet picnic basket auction, a movie on a brand-new large screen projector, and lots of fun activities in the midst of Hazard’s historical Bobby Davis Park. 
One of the features presented will be Geoff Bamber’s “Butterfly Shoes.” The play is the story of a Princess and her kidnapped Grandmother. The King and Queen (well, the Queen anyway) are desperate to get the Granny back, else their lovely Princess may never smile again. The Royal army is unable to get the job done, so it falls to Darius, an adventurer and the Royal Jester,
Ratka. Zantia, Mountain Chieftain, and her followers, the Zantians, have taken Granny from her
kidnappers and await the army of the King to do battle.
The cast includes Greg Clay, Beau Davis, Saloani Malhotra, Brittany Claussen, Shane Williams, Heather East, Heather Claussen, Paige Gray, McKensie Hudson, Krystann Thies, Holly Hudson, Eleanor Morris, Amanda Campbell, Francis Connor, Tyra Maniece, Kelly Sizemore, and Seth Lewis. 
On July 1st, “Butterfly Shoes” will be presented at 7 p.m. on the former Roquet Court, a large grassy lawn.  Gourmet Picnic Baskets will be auctioned off, or you may bring your own dinner.  Families are encouraged to bring their own seating (chairs or blankets) and come and enjoy the evening.  “Rediscover Bobby Davis Park: Summer in the Park” holds the promise of something for everyone.  For more information, please call Terry Thies at 436-2848.