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

Want an Adventure Vacation That Checks All the Boxes? Let’s Talk Portugal! Part 1 In the Series Alison Christie The Ashland Beacon My great friend Laurie Lewis and I took an amazing trip to Portugal, and we can safely say we traveled from north to south — and most definitely west. We stood on the cliffs of the most southwestern tip of Europe in Sagres, and we even flew three hours west to the Azores. (More on that later!) We began our journey flying from the States to Por

Read Me A Bedtime Story The 13 Nights of Halloween Jonathan Joy The Ashland Beacon On the first night of Halloween my best friend gave to me:  some tasty trick or treat candy.  On the second night of Halloween my best friend gave to me: two ghastly gourds and some tasty trick or treat candy.  On the third night of Halloween my best friend gave to me: three black cats, two ghastly gourds, and some tasty trick and a treat candy. On the fourth night of Halloween my best friend g

Looking Out for the Interests of Others Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon                 This is the fourth and last part of a series about Norma who was admitted to hospice at the age of seventy-six with debility.  Norma was excited about the prospect of sharing her life lessons with you in this series.  Aaron, an LPN at the nursing home, told me, “Two or three weeks before the first story came out in the newspaper, Norma told me that hospice was going to put her in the p

The Corps of Discovery: The Journey West Jarrod E. Stephens For The Ashland Beacon   Can you imagine getting a call from the President of the United States and being asked to go on a journey with no real rules or timeline for completion? In 1803 the famous duo of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark embarked on a journey that has always captivated my imagination. It’s amazing that they would accept the job and even more amazing that they were able to accomplish so much and mak

Things We Can Learn from A Dog Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon      This is part three of a series about Norma who enrolled in hospice services with general debility, which is just another way of saying that her body is wearing out.  I previously described Norma as being “forward and feisty”; but lately I’ve noticed she’s lost some of her feistiness. She’s weaker and a little confused at times now. And I’m saddened, no grieved, by the prospect that we might be losing the

You Ought to Say, ‘If the Lord Wills’  Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon      This is part two of a series about Norma who was seventy-six...

Growing Greenup - Old Fashion Days Anne Stephens For The Greater Ashland Beacon   Downtown Greenup will be hustling and bustling again...

Johnny Appleseed Jarrod E. Stephens The Ashland Beacon   Legends are typically born from the wild imaginations of people who want to...

You Need to Finish What You Start Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon        Norma was seventy-six years old when she enrolled in...