Touched By An Angel Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon      This is part two of a two-part series about Chuck, a retired warehouse manager, truck driver and school bus driver. Chuck and his wife, Eva, had seven adult children and Chuck pointed out, “All my kids took after me. They’re all tall.”  Chuck was passionate about sports. He coached Little League for several years. And when Chuck was employed as a truck driver, he would drive home for ballgames and then drive back to Da

Growing Greenup OPEN BURNING – HOW DOES IT APPLY TO ME? Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   Amanda Abnee Gumbert, Forestry and Natural Resources - Extension; Eric Byrd, Kentucky Business Environmental Assistance Program; Elizabeth Robb and Roberta Burnes, Kentucky Division for Air Quality; and Kate Shanks, Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet, authors. Disposing of our waste items by open burning has been a way of life for many years. Many of us grew up with a backyar

Like A Tree Planted by The Rivers Of Water Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon               Flo enrolled in outpatient hospice services with terminal cancer when she was in her sixties. Flo was widowed, had no children, and lived alone. She was soft spoken and perhaps even a little shy. There was something mysterious and intriguing about Flo. Despite having a terminal illness, Flo appeared reconciled, at peace.              I had to know the secret of Flo’s apparent contentment.

Grounded Lora Parsons The Ashland Beacon     One of my favorite things to talk about from our growing up years is how bad our parents were at grounding my sister and I. It was always our favorite form of punishment for whatever we’d done wrong, because it lasted approximately 1.2 hours before it was revoked. They wouldn’t ground us from church activities, because there was a spiritual implication with those even if it was just a fun event. Those were where you built relation

Growing Greenup Power outage? Tips for Staying Warm and Safe   This week’s column is by Robert McCool,   Program Coordinator at the   Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) . Power outages can happen at any time. Damage to power lines due to severe weather is most often the cause, but other hazards — fires, motor vehicle crashes, and problems with electric distribution equipment — can also cause a loss of electrical power. Regardless of why it occurs, a pow

Cast Your Bread Upon the Water Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon      Robin was forty-years old when she enrolled in outpatient hospice services with end stage lung cancer. Robin was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and had enjoyed living and working there as a nurse’s aide for several years. However, anticipating the eventual need for her elderly parent’s support, she moved into their home in southern Ohio.       Robin was petite. I’m estimating, about four-feet-ten-inches t

Jesus Will Meet You at the Crossroads Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon     Dick was forty-four years old when he enrolled in our outpatient hospice service with lung cancer.  He was slender with long grey hair and a full bushy beard.  Dick looked like a cross between an old hippie and a mountain man.  Dick was an independent contractor; and like many small contractors, he survived from job to job, had little financial reserves and no pension plan.  Dick, terminally ill, finan

Common Sense Jarrod E. Stephens The Ashland Beacon   It’s certainly no secret that this year, 2026, is an amazing milestone in American history. 250 years of liberty for the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. It is also no secret that throughout those years there have been times of turbulence to go along with the good times. In a day and age where the loudest voices are plastering the internet with their ideas and opinions, in 1776 the most effective way to make you

Growing Greenup MRP Open House Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   Have you heard about the pottery studio that opened in August of 2025? It is a community teaching studio that is an outreach project of the Greenup County Extension Community Arts program in collaboration with The Edge Business Center.  The big news is that the studio has moved into a new home in downtown Russell! 509 Bellefonte Street, Russell, KY 41169. You can still call the Extension Office at 606.83

Measuring Prosperity Jarrod E. Stephens The Ashland Beacon   Within just a few days of the publication of this article, the year 2025 will only be a memory. 365 ¼ days of sunrises and sunsets and innumerable events that helped to shape every one of us will have come and gone without us asking it to come or go. Some of the days will never be remembered because they were dull or uneventful while others will stand out for the rest of our lives as either being tragic or wonderfu

Deceased Lora Parsons The Ashland Beacon   I recognize as I begin typing my thoughts about this word that this isn’t exactly the type of word we might want to really be contemplating.  There’s something kind of harsh about thinking about it, maybe even insensitive.  I certainly don’t mean it to be either of those!  If you’ve lost a loved one you know the finality of the word, and I pray this honors their memory and offers comfort and hope to their loved ones left behind.   T

The Yellow Tablet Test Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon                  This is part two of a series about Bill, who enrolled in hospice when he was eighty-nine. Bill retired as the superintendent of the electrical and communications departments at the New Boston steel mill. Bill proclaimed, “I was always big on safety. We used ultrasound to find the dark spots in a piece of steel, drilled them out, and plugged them.” Bill suggested, “God tests us to see what we’re made of to

The Boston Tea Party Jarrod E. Stephens   Now and then I find myself strolling along memory lane and I end up in one of my schoolrooms. Whether it be elementary, middle school or high school, there are certain lessons and classes that always stand out. For me, most history classes were my favorite parts of my school days. Within those classes are accounts and stories that impressed me so much that I never forgot them. One such account was The Boston Tea Party in 1773. At th

Growing Greenup Benefits of Movement Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon Are you feeling the hustle and bustle of the holiday season yet? November seemed to me to arrive quickly this year. That is because everyone stays busy; but does that also mean that we stay active? By active, I mean, do we intentionally move our bodies daily to elevate our own personal wellness? Speaking for myself, physical activity is something that I have been trying to do more lately. I find t

Memories of the Great War Jarrod E. Stephens The Ashland Beacon   Honor is certainly a word that is put on display each year on Veterans Day. For centuries, men and women have sacrificed time and even their lives to create and maintain the freedoms that we enjoy today. There is no disputing the fact that our region is rich in military history and involvement. Considering the sacrifices made, the least we can do is show respect each November 11 th to those who have served.

Growing Greenup MRP Session 3 and Ornament Class Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   Are you curious about pottery? Have you ever wanted to try throwing clay on a wheel or hand building with a quality clay to be glazed and fired? Do you know that Greenup County has a new community teaching studio? Merging Rivers Pottery opened early this fall and is currently operating with its third student cohort. Session three is only one week in with a few open spots, if you want to j

Resource Lora Parsons The Ashland Beacon   A natural resource, in terms of a 6th grade Social Studies definition, is a substance that exists in nature that people use to live or make things.  Some examples would be the air we breathe, the soil we use to grow crops, and water that hydrates all living things.  A breath in for us is followed by another breath out, repeating that pattern over and over from the moment we’re born until we pass into eternity.  We till the ground an

You Have to Understand the Life of a Thing Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon                Thurman was a soft-spoken, seventy- year-old gentleman who enrolled in outpatient hospice services with end-stage prostate cancer.  Thurman became occupationally disabled from a stroke at age thirty-eight, but he remained active and independent until his cancer forced him to his bed.               Thurman loved flowers, especially tulips. His hospital bed was strategically situated i

Growing Greenup Cook Wild Kentucky - Deer Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   Deer hunting is a family tradition for many people in my community. Both of my sons learned from my dad and carry on the tradition each season. Over the years, I have learned how to cook venison in many ways because it is a great way to lower grocery costs! Did you know that there are resources at the Greenup County Extension Office that can help you with your grocery costs? One of the many

A Life That Was Changed Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon          This is part two of a series about Donna who was only thirty-six when she enrolled in hospice services with end stage colon cancer. Donna had been a nursing assistant in the ob-gyn practice of Dr. Pettit and Dr. Lopez. Donna loved her job and worked up until six weeks before she died.         During my one and only personal encounter with Donna, as her hospice social worker, she graciously chronicled her spi