Tri-County Area Flies High Following SOAR Conference

Tri-County Area Flies High

Following SOAR Conference

Pamela Hall

The Ashland Beacon

Boyd, Greenup, and Carter Counties are SOARing high after being awarded grants at the 2025 SOAR Summit last week.

The Shaping Our Appalachian Region organization (SOAR) held its annual conference, the 2025 SOAR Summit, last week in Corbin. During the conference, those in attendance participated in small workshops on various topics such as workforce issues, entrepreneurship, tourism, and much more. The workshops were designed to move eastern Kentucky forward in these areas.

SOAR, a non-partisan, non-profit organization based in Pikeville, serves 54 counties in the eastern Kentucky area and is dedicated to reversing population loss and driving prosperity for those counties by championing local projects, programs, and advocacy, according to their Facebook page and website, www.soar-ky.org. In accordance with that mission, the annual conference is usually closed out by Congressman Hal Rogers and Governor Andy Beshear awarding grants from the Abandoned Mine Lands Economic Revitalization (AMLER) program to various organizations, counties, cities, and businesses. This year was no exception, as several grants were awarded on Friday that will positively impact our area.

The first grant award given was to the Cannonsburg Water District. They received $1.5 million for the Environmental Resiliency, Water Quality, and Tank Rehabilitation Project. The project will use the funds for various improvements to storage tanks, generators, and mixing systems. These improvements will result in enhanced water quality with a reduction of contaminants and improved service, according to the Facebook page of FIVCO Area Development District, which assisted in securing several of the grants our area received. This grant will certainly be beneficial to the residents of the Cannonsburg area.

Another award for our area was given to the City of Ashland. Mayor Chuck Charles accepted a check for $2 million for the construction of a Conference Center in Ashland. According to Mayor Charles, the grant will ensure that the Conference Center will be state-of-the-art with the most up-to-date furnishings and equipment. The facility is to be 30,000 square feet in size and is expected to create nearly 200 jobs within five years of completion.

“We want to thank Rocky Adkins, Congressman Hal Rogers, and Governor Beshear,” Mayor Charles stated, “for their belief in Ashland and their help with this project.”

Greenup was also the recipient of an AMLER grant. Greenup County Judge Executive Bobby Hall accepted a check for $1.02 million for the Greenup County Fiscal Court for the Aviation STEM Career Training Initiative. The Aviation STEM program will provide FAA-certified flight instruction for high school students in Boyd, Carter, and Greenup Counties, according to FIVCO.

The largest grant award for our area was given to Pathways. They received a check for $4.04 million for the Pathways Autism Center to be built in Grayson. FIVCO states that the facility is to be 13,000 square feet in size, will create 50 new jobs, and serve 250 clients within the first year. This facility will be a great asset, not only for Grayson, but also for those needing assistance with autism and related health issues within the eastern Kentucky area.

Boyd County was also honored last week at the 2025 SOAR Summit Inspires Awards. The awards recognize the individuals, organizations, and communities making an extraordinary impact on eastern Kentucky.

The Boyd County Tourism and Convention Bureau were honored with the Tourism Organization of the Year award. Executive Director Andrew Steele accepted the award.

“We are truly honored to receive the … award,” Steele posted on his Facebook page. “While this award says Boyd County, this wouldn’t exist without all of our amazing regional partners inviting visitors from around the world to visit US-23 and our portion of I-64! Boyd County, you earned this award. Thank you for continuing to push forward and share what makes our community so special!”

The SOAR organization began in 2013, according to their Facebook page, to bridge the economic gaps left by the decline of the coal industry. Congressman Hal Rogers and former Governor Steve Beshear were instrumental in starting the organization. Boyd County native Kim McCann, a law partner with VanAntwerp Attorneys, LLP, currently serves as the Board Chair for the organization. SOAR has definitely been successful in fulfilling its mission in our area of eastern Kentucky and in other parts of its service area as well.

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s AMLER Grants and to the SOAR Inspires Awards winners. It will be exciting to see how these awards help improve our Tri-County area.