Precious Memories of Springtime Jarrod E. Stephens Sitting on a hard pew in our church, I recall as a child hearing the song “Precious Memories.” One verse says, “And old home scenes, of my childhood, precious sacred scenes unfold.” I never really gave it a thought at the time because I figured every kid lived on a farm like I did and would never grow to miss the labors of the field and the simple country life. Boy was I wrong! While I’m not old, I am not a child eith

But I Didn’t Take Their Advice Loren Hardin The Ashland Beacon Gene was seventy-nine years old when he enrolled in outpatient hospice services with end-stage prostate cancer. Gene owned and operated a local floor covering business for fifty-three years. His radio advertising jingle was, “Go scootin’ to Euton’s”. Gene was a free-thinker and nonconformist. He declared, “I’m a Baptist Catholic. I won’t totally follow any man or preacher. I’ll only worship God.” G

Growing Greenup Quick Stops Smart Snacks – PART 2 – If you missed it, please read part 1 in last week’s paper! Anne Stephens For The Ashland Beacon Healthy Eating at Convenience Stores By: Heather Norman-Burgdolf and Anna Cason, Dietetics and Human Nutrition, and Laken Campbell, Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Convenience stores, often found attached to gas stations or within neighborhoods, are a reliable source of food in the community. In some areas, they may

I’ve Never Been Without Something To Love Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon Daisy enrolled in hospice services when she was ninety years old. Daisy was born in Kentucky, married when she was fifteen and shortly afterward, she and her husband moved to a farm in Pike County, Ohio. Daisy worked as a nurse aide, and her husband owned and operated a small sawmill. Daisy reflected, “We didn’t have much but I always wanted a real pearl necklace, and my husband sacrificed an

“I MEANT TO” Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon Bill enrolled in our outpatient hospice services with end-stage Alzheimer's disease. Bill and his wife, Betty, were both in their eighties. Bill was bedridden and required twenty-four-hour total care. Betty waited on Bill hand-and-foot even though she desperately needed a hip replacement. She hobbled across the floor, trying to conceal the pain, as she catered to Bill’s every need. Betty explained, “My doctor in

Growing Greenup Quick Stops, Smart Snacks Healthy Eating at Convenience Stores PART 1- Be sure to read part 2 in next week’s paper! Convenience stores, often found attached to gas stations or within neighborhoods, are a reliable source of food in the community. In some areas, they may be one of the few accessible places to grab a quick meal or snack. These stores offer shelf-stable items, refrigerated options, and even ready-to-eat hot foods. Nutritious options are often

Growing Greenup Effective Meetings For The Ashland Beacon An important part of my job as an Extension Agent is to attend and facilitate meetings. Meetings can be useful and exciting or painful and frustrating. I have attended both types! Have you? This week’s column is about planning the perfect meeting. Is that possible? Not really…but even seasoned professionals can benefit from the intent to make meetings better and more meaningful for all involved. I believe in usi

Who Will Be Jesus to Them? Loren Hardin For The Ashland Beacon This is part two of a series about Carl, who was seventy-two years old when he enrolled in outpatient hospice services with end-stage lymphoma. Carl is a plain-spoken country fellow, a farmer, and retired stone quarry worker. Carl and his wife, Mary, raised their children on their farm but moved to an apartment about two years before being diagnosed with lymphoma. Carl’s lymphoma is now taking a toll on hi

The Boston Massacre Jarrod E. Stephens For The Ashland Beacon The date was March 5, 1770. In the snowy streets of Boston, Massachusetts an event occurred that would become yet another piece of kindling for what would become the most important rebellion in American history. At the time, Boston had only about 16,000 residents and King George III sent nearly 2,000 British troops to the city to keep and enforce the law. Unfair taxes on everyday goods such as tea, glass and pap

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