locallybrandedllc134149

March 2026

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:21:37 GMT

Amanda had no idea of the work involved in real estate, realizing that it was so much more than just unlocking doors for potential buyers and selling houses.

“We serve others as they go through exciting, rewarding times, yet also serve to help others through tough situations.”

Whether helping a family expand, guiding someone through a divorce, or supporting clients facing financial transitions, Amanda’s empathy and listening skills make her more than an agent—she’s a counselor and a confidant. Her work is emotional, rewarding, and deeply personal.

Since joining Century 21 Advantage Realty, Amanda has built her reputation through tireless hours, traveling across Kentucky and leveraging social media to connect with clients. Her business has grown, her name is increasingly recognized, and she’s no longer reliant on traditional marketing alone.

Just as her business has grown, so has Amanda’s personal life, finding new hope and happiness after her divorce seven years ago in an unexpected relationship.

“Being in a new healthy, deeply loving relationship has been an unexpected experience,” Amanda said of her relationship with her fiancé, Kourtney Funk. “Witnessing new hope is possible, precious, and life changing—by the goodness and grace of the Lord.”

Amanda Marcum Heuser: Building Community One Home at a Time

Amanda had no idea of the work involved in real estate, realizing that it was so much more than just unlocking doors for potential buyers and selling houses.

“We serve others as they go through exciting, rewarding times, yet also serve to help others through tough situations.”

Just as her business has grown, so has Amanda’s personal life, finding new hope and happiness after her divorce seven years ago in an unexpected relationship.

Amanda attended EKU where she studied community health education. After working for a startup company in Virginia, Amanda moved back home where she took on the role of Healthy Community Coordinator at St. Joseph London. There, she coordinated initiatives like the Healthy Children’s Initiative, working with schools to improve nutrition and implement exercise programs—a testament to her dedication to wellness and public service.

“It was an amazing experience,” Amanda recalls. Her work involved collaboration with a broad coalition of local organizations, further cementing her network and understanding of this community’s needs.

Her drive to serve others didn’t stop at the hospital. After five years with the hospital, Amanda took a role with Kentucky Voices for Health, a statewide coalition advocating for accessible and high-quality healthcare. Traveling across Kentucky, she presented at health departments and helped shape policies, all while juggling part-time work and raising her daughters. During this time, Amanda also worked alongside her father creating ads for local businesses as a way to make extra income with her family.

After seeing how hard Amanda was working to provide for her daughters, her own family encouraged her to pursue a job in real estate—an industry she never fully understood or respected until she dove in herself, though it certainly piqued her interest as she had always had a fascination with interior design.

In 2017, Amanda took a leap of faith. Within a year, she had taken the required 96 hours of education and passed the exams needed to obtain her real estate license. Another year later, Amanda’s hard work and determination allowed her to quit her other work, giving her the opportunity to fully jump into real estate where she quickly found her passion for helping people navigate major life changes.

You have likely seen her face on a “for sale” sign in a front yard or heard her name circulating throughout the neighborhood, but you probably don’t know Amanda Marcum Heuser’s story—a story deeply rooted in family, community, and an unwavering passion for service.

“I’m very blessed to be the firstborn child to Lonnie and Paula Marcum,” Amanda said, as she reflected on the legacy of her parents and siblings that has shaped her values.

Amanda is the eldest of six siblings—her brothers and sisters include Dustin, Zachary, Karinne, Kara and Trent. Amanda’s pride in her family extends to her own daughters, Bella Rae and Kyla Reese, who both currently attend Eastern Kentucky University. Bella lives in Richmond, Kentucky, while Kyla continues her schooling online while living in Charleston, South Carolina and is engaged to Eli Gover who is in the Marine Corps.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Amanda’s life journey has taken her through Tennessee, Virginia, and finally to Kentucky, the place she calls home.

“The best state I’ve had privy to is Kentucky, as this place is where my history abides and ancestors worked—and raised some incredible people,” Amanda said, recalling the importance of raising her daughters in London, where she spent most of her time growing up.

She credits the supportive, hard-working, and trustworthy people of London, including her own parents, for instilling a sense of peace and security that guided her decision to return to Kentucky and invest back into her community.

February 2026

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:29:08 GMT

“I sent her a Facebook message and said, ‘I really admire your work, and I would love to just pick your brain.’ She told me she does mentorships, but the only way she would agree to mentoring me would be if I agreed to do everything she asked. So, I did.

“She would make me take pictures of a tree every single day at different times during the day, so I could learn lighting. And then, once I would take that picture, she and I would discuss it that night. I was like, this is so stupid, you know? She has me taking a picture of a tree, but I learned so much from her. Now, you could put me in any lighting situation, and I will know exactly what I need to do to make that picture look amazing.”

In 2012, Jina officially launched her photography business, Unforgettable Photography. She began by doing newborn photography and then moved onto weddings.

Later, Jina invested back into herself by taking photography and business courses and she relaunched her business as Jina LaFary Photography in 2016. And, in 2020, she and local photographer Keshia Amburgey, opened their own photography studio, Studio 206.

Today, Jina focuses on portrait photography and wedding photography, but more than anything, she focuses on providing her clients with timeless images they will cherish for years and years to come.

In a small town where resources and opportunities can be limited, Jina defied expectations, growing her photography business into a six-figure enterprise. Jina went from taking all the sessions she could just to make ends meet to being able to be pickier about when she works and who she works with, and from taking photos out of her home to now taking photos in her own studio.

This year, Jina is turning her attention to mentorship, launching a new initiative to help local photographers master the business side of their profession, with “Booked. Profitable. Unstoppable.” Drawing on her own experiences, Jina hopes to equip others with the practical knowledge and confidence needed to build sustainable, rewarding businesses.

Jina lafary: capturing timeless moments and inspiring a new generation of photographers

“I feel like 10 percent of it is taking photos and the other 90 percent is the business side of things,” she said.

This isn’t a mentorship to teach you how to use your camera, but rather a chance for local photographers who already have businesses of their own an opportunity to learn from someone who literally built her business from the ground up.

She hopes to help photographers go from burnt out and underpaid to earning what they deserve for their hard work and passion.

that started it all for her and hopes she can do that for someone else through her mentorship program.

“She saw something in me that I didn't even see myself,” she said. “I still think about her from time to time. It was like she was an angel. I feel like that's how God intended it to be because when you grow up poor and you never fit in with the crowd, you always have to be validated in some way. So, all my life, I was looking for validation, and I think that with her, it wasn't a roadblock—she validated me from the beginning. She even told me that eventually I would be mentoring others.”

By sharing her knowledge and experiences, Jina is not only giving back to the community that has supported her over the years, but also fostering a new generation of confident, empowered photographers.

As Jina continues to frame the moments that matter most, she hopes to also help others discover their own paths to success—one timeless image at a time.

“I would come home and I would cry to my husband and he would say, ‘what do you want to do?’ And I was like, ‘I just want to take pictures.’ He said, ‘if you think you can make a business out of it, then do it.’ But it didn't happen that way.”

For years, Jina’s dreams were put on the back burner.

“Life happened,” she said.

Due to a rare condition, Eric was forced to quit his job and Jina soon realized she was going to have to go back to work. Jina worked in banking for a time and then at a local call center, but she knew deep down she wanted more.

Jina’s coworkers began asking about the photos she had on display in her work cubicle, photos Jina had taken of her children over the years.

“They asked how much I charged and I thought, ‘I don’t know what to charge.’ So, I just told them I’d do them and they could pay me whatever they wanted to. My first session, I made $75 using my point-and-shoot camera my husband had bought me. And it felt so right, I knew I wanted to do that for the rest of my life.”

Jina said it was her father-in-law who finally pushed her to take a leap of faith.

“He told me to pray about it and when I started praying about it, I watched doors open just like that—things just started falling into place,” she said. “I told him I didn’t have all the equipment I needed, and he said, ‘God will provide.’ And he did—it took off from there.”

Because she hadn’t taken any classes for photography, Jina was literally starting from scratch, looking for help and advice anywhere she could find it. After having no luck with any local photographers, Jina reached out to a photographer out of state who she had been following for quite some time to ask for some advice.

Every year, I think I’ve got to reinvent myself. And this year it's been totally different because instead of reinventing, I'm refining myself.”

In a world where trends come and go, Jina LaFary has built a legacy that endures, providing her clients with images that stand the test of time for nearly 15 years. This year, Jina is embarking on a new journey—launching a new website, a fresh logo and now mentoring fellow photographers on the business side of their craft, sharing the insights and wisdom that have fueled her own remarkable rise.

Jina’s story is one of humble beginnings and quiet determination. Growing up in Barbourville, Jina recalls how her sister received a camera as a gift when Jina was in the fourth grade, sparking a curiosity that would later define her career.

“I really believe that God instilled this in me before I ever knew what was going on,” Jina said.

Jina and her husband, Eric, met when they were young—meeting on the internet, “back when it was safe,” she laughed. Jina got pregnant with their son, Ryan, and eventually the couple married and have since had three more children, Jaiden, Emma and Lilah. The couple recently celebrated the arrival of their first grandchild, following the birth of Delaney to their son Ryan and his wife, Caitlyn.

After seeing how much Jina enjoyed taking photos of their children, Eric purchased Jina her first point-and-shoot camera. At the time, she didn’t realize photography would become her calling—Jina was on track to become a nurse, nearly graduating before her heart led her elsewhere.

January 2026

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:51:23 GMT

Rooted in London: The Weddle Family’s Journey of Love, Loss, and Community

“This is home and it always has been.”

London isn’t just the place Mayor Randall Weddle and his wife, Victoria call home—it is the very heart of their story and their journey together.

For Randall and Victoria, the story of London is the story of their lives—a journey defined by deep roots, unwavering community spirit, and a legacy of service. Over the years, the Weddle family has sacrificed and worked tirelessly to give back to the town that shaped them, pouring their hearts into making London a place where families can thrive for generations to come.

Randall and Victoria’s story began as early as middle school, where the couple first met after Victoria’s family, who are originally from Manchester, moved back to the area. From those early days, their friendship quickly blossomed into a close bond and in February, the couple will be celebrating 25 years of marriage.

Victoria can still recall how captivated she was by Randall’s charming ways all those years ago.

“He was and is the sweetest man I ever met,” she said. “Randall only knows one thing and that’s to love hard. His love for me and our children has never changed and nor has he.”

The high school sweethearts had two children, Alexis and Nicholas, at a young age and lived in London for a time before making the move to Indianapolis, Indiana where they lived for 14 years.

After the passing of Randall’s father in 2013, Randall said he and Victoria started missing their families and the place they called home all those years ago. So, the family of four packed up and moved back to their home state. While living in Lexington, the Weddle family faced the heartbreaking loss of their infant son, Christian, in November 2014. Two years later, the Weddles were blessed with another son, Lucas, who is 9 years old now and is affectionately referred to as “Little Mayor.”

And all the while, as they continued to build their family, Victoria and Randall were also going to school and working on building up their businesses. Randall worked for FedEx while living in Indiana, where they began buying trucks and warehouses to begin their reverse logistics company. The couple also began investing in real estate.

With a strong desire to move back, and in hopes of bringing job opportunities along with them, Randall and Victoria packed up their family and made the move back to their roots in 2019.

“We’ve always loved this area, especially London,” Victoria said. “After Randall lost his father and us losing a son, it made us want to be home.”

“99% of the people here are just amazing people and I wanted Lucas to really experience that type of community,” Randall said of the move.

As someone who grew up with two single parents who struggled from time to time, Randall knew the importance of bringing life-sustaining career opportunities to his community.

“We've never forgotten where we come from,” he said. “I remember not being able to pay my water bill—you don't forget those days.

“You see people struggling—and I never thought I was going to save the world, but I knew my work ethic, and I knew that I had a lot of relationships across the business world. I knew I could bring something different here and that I could try to help fight to bring industry here and create careers. And that's what I wanted.”

For several years, the Weddle family did just that, bringing businesses and new career opportunities to people all over this region, while also finding other ways to pour into their community through donations, hosting events and making meaningful connections with the people throughout the community. Over the years, the Weddles have helped to send many young people to college and donated local schools, pouring into the next generation of residents.

“I remember a time we were praying that we would have the money to pay our water bill or to even pay rent,” Victoria said. “Our life didn’t start off successful; we’ve had to build that. We’ve never forgotten where we came from and I know so many others had the same kind of story. That being said, we didn’t forget where we came from.

“We’re thankful for the struggles that we had and we’re thankful that we’re able to help people—not handouts, but maybe a hand up to let them know that they’re loved and that they’re not alone because there’s been times in our lives, we felt that and I think it’s our duty. It’s a mission in this life to give back when you’ve been blessed whether your blessings are big or small—it’s our duty.”

“We should be leaving a mark on everybody we encounter,” Randall said. “We should leave people better than what we have found them.”

Eventually, Randall started thinking about how he could reach even more people in the community and began his mayoral campaign. His message resonated with many in the city, and Randall officially took office in January 2023.

“My focus has always been the ones who never had a voice,” he said. “I don't care what part of this town you live in or who you come from or whatever. And that's what I wanted is to make everybody feel like they're a part of this community and that they matter to this office—to try to create an environment for them that they feel important.”

Coming into office, the mayor and his family knew what kind of a sacrifice they would be making.

Randall’s 9-year-old son, however, loves being in the spotlight.

“Lucas loves every part about it,” he said. “That's why we call him the ‘Little Mayor.’ He would be at every event; I don't think he would leave this office.”

Though his other two children are grown up with babies of their own now, Randall hopes that they too can learn something from his and Victoria’s love for their community.

“I said this to my kids the other day, I said that life is like a book and the first 18 chapters we really don't get to control what goes in them, but every chapter after we get to write. And when I die, my last chapter, I want people to say that he loved. And that's it.”

This past year has likely been one of the hardest, not only for the mayor and his career, but also in the history of London, particularly with the devastating EF-4 tornado that ripped through the community in May.

The mayor and city staff were out within minutes after the tornado passed through, helping to put bodies onto stretchers, searching for people through the rubble and directing traffic. In the days following the tornado, Randall, city staff, emergency services and volunteers were set up at the London-Corbin Airport, taking donations and providing a place for people to come to haul and dump the rubble left behind from the tornado.

“I don't think we slept for five days,” Randall said. “We stayed out there making sure that people had what they need.”

In the days, weeks and months following the tornado, Randall and the city staff have continued working with different organizations to provide ongoing support for tornado victims.

“When tough times come to this community, we rise and we’re there for one another,” Randall said. “The response from the tornado showed you what kind of people we have here living in this community. And that will forever be burnt in my mind. I've seen our people suffer; I've seen things I've never seen in my life that night. But seeing the sun come in the next morning and the amount of love that poured into this community—that will probably be the highlight of my career as mayor.”

Looking ahead at the new year, the Weddles are hoping to put the struggles of 2025 behind them and hope to work towards a better future for their family and their community.

“I hope that London sees the love that me and Victoria and the Weddle family has for everyone here in this county and lets us finish what we started,” he said. “I want to continue to give people a voice and continue to fight for the people that don't have one.”

When Randall does hang up his mayor hat for the last time, whenever that may be, he and his wife plan to continue pouring their hearts and souls into London and its people, just as they have been.

“We want to fade back into the background and do what we've been doing,” Randall said. “And we do it because we just generally love people.”

“And we all agreed to do it together,” he said. “But there is a balance in that. I've got to make sure that I'm giving enough time to the city because I was voted to do that and I gave a promise there. Owning multiple companies and always having a family, I've been able to navigate quite well, and my family is really understanding that some days as mayor, I may need to work 16 hours, some days it's just an eight-hour day.”

Outside of his mayoral duties, Victoria said there are a lot of things she wished that people knew about her husband and the heart he has for others. As London’s mayor, Randall doesn’t take a paycheck, he even buys his own paper for his office, and instead finds ways to give back to his town.

“With Randall, you get what you see,” she said. “He is honest and he loves people. His heart is huge and he is so passionate about everything he gets involved in. He, nor do I, want anything from London, only to see this place prosper and see people do well and everyone feel welcomed and loved.”

Randall said Victoria doesn’t enjoy the politics and honestly hates the spotlight, but she does enjoy spending time with community members and going to events where she can make face-to-face connections. Behind the scenes, Victoria continues to support the efforts the couple find most important and manages their real estate.

December 2025

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:42:19 GMT

Santa With a Purpose: Tom Bailey Turns Holiday Cheer into Generosity for His Community & Beyond

Much like the plot of the Disney classic The Santa Clause, Tom Bailey didn’t set out to be Santa Claus. But after 15 years of putting on the red suit and hat, perfecting his fluffy white beard and practicing his jolliest “ho, ho ho,” Tom takes on that title with pride, as he works to spread Christmas cheer to London and beyond.

Tom’s journey as Santa Claus began with a simple desire to bring happiness and festive spirit to his community. Tom quickly became a local favorite, but his reason for continuing to play Santa Claus year after year has changed in the last decade, as he spreads joy further than he ever imagined by donating most of his profits to a local missions program that provides resources to those less fortunate on the other side of the world.

Tom’s family moved to London when he was 13 years old, when he began attending church at Faith Assembly of God, where he met his now-wife, Karen, in the church youth choir. In 1977, the two got married when they were both 17 years old and, as Karen said, “the rest is history.”

Tom and Karen’s little family grew four years later with the birth of their first daughter, Misty. Later that same year, Karen was involved in a horrific car accident that left her severely injured and told she could never conceive again. Much to their surprise, Karen and Tom found out in 1989 that Karen was pregnant with their second child, their “miracle baby,” Kendra. And now, Tom and Karen have been blessed with five grandchildren to love.

Tom is now a retired truck driver; a career he took pride in for over 40 years. In addition to playing Santa Claus throughout the holiday season, Tom sings on the praise and worship team at the very same church he and Karen met all those years ago. Karen is a court reporter, which she has been doing for 32 years now. Karen also fulfills her “Mrs. Claus duties” by scheduling all of Tom’s events leading up to Christmas and running an extra suit to a photo shoot when Santa has sweat through his other one.

Tom began by playing Santa Claus in the church’s Christmas play at the request of his daughter, Misty.

“Because I always had my own padding,” Tom laughed. He would also dress up like Santa to take photos after the birth of their first grandchild.

Tom’s first real “Santa gig” took place at Modern Chic, a former local boutique, where he was asked to sit in on a photoshoot with shoppers. Tom said that in the first year, quite a few people showed up to take holiday photos, but by the following year, there was a line wrapped around the building.

“It was crazy, it was insane,” Tom said, recalling that soon another business owner was asking him to play Santa at their location, and before he knew it, Tom had an entire schedule of events lined up for the holiday season.

Now, 15 years later, Tom has become a local favorite during the holiday season, collaborating with local photographers and businesses, he visits schools and churches, he plays Santa Claus at holiday parties and even does some in-home visits. His reach has gone as far as Corbin, Barbourville and Clay County as of late.

Though he said he wasn’t looking for a side gig, a side gig had certainly found him. Tom was having to adjust his work schedule to accommodate his Santa schedule and running on very little sleep. Since his retirement in 2022, Tom has more time to dedicate to his Santa gig, starting events as early as the end of October and working up until a few days before Christmas. This year, Tom even participated in a Christmas in July event, the earliest he has ever done a Santa event so far.

Much like the big guy himself, Tom puts in long hours playing Santa Claus, often racing from one event to the next, though not in a sleigh being pulled by reindeer.

Even though his Santa gig takes Tom away from Karen a lot during the holiday season and usually means no making plans between the November and December months, she knows he is where he wants to be.

“I am happy to share him, because it really is his thing, he's in his element,” she said. “I am happy to fly solo during this holiday season if it means he’s bringing joy to kids in our community.”

When he first began playing Santa, Tom was wearing a fake beard, which he said was extremely itchy and uncomfortable. After two years of that, he decided he would try to grow his own beard, starting in August ahead of the holiday season and then starting in July the following year.

“It still wasn't to my satisfaction, so I backed up to June and she said, ‘you're killing me,’ because she hates this beard,” Tom teased his wife.

“So now he gives me until Mother’s Day,” Karen said, recalling how each year, at the end of the holiday season, Tom will shave off his signature Santa beard and waits until after Mother’s Day to start growing it back at the request of his wife.

Aside from the beard, Tom spends the months before the holiday season preparing by keeping up with the latest toy trends and making sure his Santa suits are all ready to go, while Karen helps to get his holiday schedule all lined out.

For Tom, one of the best parts about playing Santa Claus every year is seeing the joy on the faces of the kids he greets with a warm hug and a, “what do you want for Christmas this year?”

And it isn’t just about getting the perfect Facebook-worthy shot for Tom but about giving kids the real Santa Claus experience.

“I want to know their list, I want to know what's been going on, what grade they're in, how old they are, who their teacher is. ‘Do you have any puppies at home?’ I try to interact with them to loosen them up,” Tom said. “You want them to leave being happy. You’re going to have your little babies who are scared of Santa, but for the kids who want to have a good experience, I want them to leave saying, ‘OK, that may be the real Santa.’”

Through this experience, Tom has had a rare opportunity to see kids from all over the community grow up over the years; he has even had a few who were just children when they first visited him, and they are now bringing their own babies to visit Santa. One of Tom’s favorite parts is seeing them go from a shy kid who was too scared to talk to Santa one year to running straight into his arms by the next year.

And it isn’t just about getting the perfect Facebook-worthy shot for Tom but about giving kids the real Santa Claus experience.

“Seeing a kid run up to me with their arms open for a big hug—I tell everybody, that is what keeps Santa's spirit alive,” Tom said.

Though it began to bring some joy during the holiday season and a little extra money for his family, the reason why Tom continues to put on the suit every year has changed a little in the last decade.

After a few years of him playing Santa Claus, Tom and Karen knew they wanted to make a meaningful impact with Tom’s holiday earnings and decided they would put that money towards a missions program through their church, called the Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge.

“They raise missions funds for missionaries overseas, different projects, and I've always supported that in a modest way because when you're working and you've got bills, you do what you can,” Tom said. “But one year we said we were going to take part of my proceeds from Santa and put it towards this program.”

Today, the Baileys put almost all the money Tom makes during the holiday season into this program.

Last year, the couple had an opportunity to see how their donations were making a difference as they visited Guatemala on a mission trip. But it was their trip to Africa earlier this year that made them look at things differently.

“It was life changing,” Karen said. There, Tom, Karen and others on the trip gifted families with much needed water filters. Tom and Karen were able to see that the donations they had been making for the last 10 years was helping to provide those water filters, making a huge difference in the lives of those living in places like Kenya.

“In America, we just can't imagine what it's like to not be able to run into the bathroom, turn your water on, wash your face, use water for cooking and all that,” Karen said. “I was overwhelmed immediately; I started crying because you could see that they were sick because they didn't have any clean water. You just don't realize the gift of water, what it means.

“It’s been such a game changer for us. He [Tom] has gone to a few photo shoots already this year and he'll bring home the money and it's like ‘this is $200—that's almost 10 water filters.’”

Before their trip to Africa, Tom had been considering stepping back from playing Santa Claus.

“I said I didn’t know how much longer I was going to be able to do this, and that was way before we went on the mission trip. But after I went on this mission trip, I came back and I said, ‘how can we not, how can I not do it?’”

“This mission trip changed everything,” Karen said. “We had already said, this is it—this year is it. And then we went to Africa, and it changed everything. As long as Tom is physically able to, he will continue to do it.”

As the Baileys continue their journey, their story serves as a powerful reminder of the difference we can make when we combine our passions with purpose. What began as a seasonal tradition has blossomed into a legacy of generosity and hope, touching lives across continents. Tom and Karen exemplify the true spirit of giving by not only transforming communities abroad but also inspiring those around them to see the extraordinary impact that compassion can have. Together, Tom and Karen find fulfillment in making a positive impact, one smile and one water filter at a time.

November 2025

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 20:41:23 GMT

From Local Roots to Marine Corps Recruiter: Saylor Haarsma’s Journey of Service and Dedication

At just 25 years old, newly promoted Staff Sargeant Saylor Haarsma stands as a shining example of dedication and service—both to country and community, serving as the area’s United States Marine Corps Recruiter.

Saylor is the son of Bob and Kris Haarsma, who are originally from Minnesota but have lived in London for 30 years now. Bob was a co-owner of a cabinet-making business in Corbin for 20 years before opening Soelberg Industries, which was tragically destroyed by the tornado that ripped through the community earlier this year. Saylor’s mother, Kris, is a teacher at Cold Hill Elementary School. His sister, Lexie, works as a teacher in Minnesota.

Saylor graduated from South Laurel High School in 2018, but before he even walked across that stage and got his high school diploma, Saylor had already enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. For much of his life, Saylor thought he would one day take over the family business, but those plans changed when he answered the call to serve.

Despite a grandfather who had been drafted into the US Navy in World War II, Saylor had no prior family who had ever served in the military, but he just knew it was where he was meant to be.

“It was my senior year, I was 17 and playing football, when I thought I just wanted to do something different. I had worked for my dad for so long and that was my plan to take over the business, but I said I wanted something that is not handed to me. I wanted to challenge myself and there’s no better place to do that than the United States Marine Corps.”

In October 2018, Saylor left his hometown and went to Paris Island, South Carolina to start Marine Corps boot camp, a rigorous 13-week training program meant to transform people into Marines.

“It was definitely physically demanding, but I would say more than anything, it was the mental aspect of it that is the most challenging,” Saylor said.

After weeks and weeks of intense training, Saylor finally graduated from boot camp on January 11, 2019.

“I just felt proud, like I really did it. It was something I put my mind to, and I really did it. But oh man, I couldn’t wait to get off that island.”

Following his graduation from boot camp, Saylor found himself at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, where he received Marine combat training and then off to Military Occupational Specialty School at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri where he received training to become a Military Police Officer.

For Saylor’s first assignment, he was stationed in Quantico, Virginia, where he worked with the presidential helicopter squadron in Washington, D.C.

“That was definitely one of the coolest experiences of my life and I did not realize it when I was in it, so I took it a little bit for granted,” he said.

Saylor had the opportunity to travel the world while working in close quarters with the President of the United States, helping to secure the presidential helicopter.

“I've been to 12 different countries, and I've been to almost every state in the United States besides like the Northeast. So, the travel opportunities were insane. I say I took it for granted because a lot of times we would travel, we would go somewhere for a week, then we would come back, I'd do laundry and then the next day I'd be flying somewhere else. So, it was a little stressful. But that opportunity is something that, as a 17-year-old, I never thought I would have, and I was only 20 years old at the time.”

As a part of his duties, Saylor also had the unique opportunity to visit the White House every week to deliver packages.

“That was the craziest thing I've ever done in my entire life, like just being able to walk into the White House to hand off these packages. I never thought I would have had the opportunity to do that.”

One of Saylor’s favorite memories from that time was at Camp David, when President Donald Trump invited some of the Marines to watch Top Gun with him. Being a corporal at the time, Saylor wanted to give some of the Marines in his squadron the chance to go, so he opted to sit that opportunity out, giving those in his squadron a once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch a movie with the President of the United States.

“I sent three of my Marines out there to go watch a movie with President Trump and one of my friends actually sat right next to him the whole time,” Saylor said.

Then, in 2023, Saylor was stationed in Hawaii where he worked as a military police officer, where he had a new opportunity to help younger the Marines who served under him, while having a chance to put his police officer training to the test.

“It was a huge time of growth for me,” he said. “Just taking care of those people, having the opportunity to change people's lives that have already made that decision to change their life by joining the Marine Corps.”

Then, in May of this year, Saylor returned home on recruiters’ assistance to help his hometown following the EF-4 tornado that ripped through our community. Saylor was able to be back at home to help his parents following the loss of their business, as well as his community with cleanup following the devastation left behind.

In June, Saylor was given the orders to go to San Diego, California to train to become a Marine Corps Recruiter. Because of this connection he formed with the recruiters in London while helping with tornado cleanup, Saylor was given an unexpected but welcomed chance to return home as the area’s Marine Corps Recruiter.

“It's honestly the biggest blessing I've ever had happen in my entire life is being able to be back here,” Saylor said, officially starting his newest assignment as recruiter at the beginning of September, serving Laurel, Whitley and Knox counties.

“We're not here to change people's plans, we are just here to enhance them. So realistically, you know these 17, 18-year-olds that maybe don't know exactly what they want to do in life, we just give them the opportunity to see that there is something there for them. If they want to challenge themselves, if they want to become a part of the few and the proud, then that's what we're here for is to give them as much information as possible and ultimately, if it's something they want to do, help them get there so.”

Though this is quite a change of pace for the Marine, Saylor is looking forward to serving his country and community in a new way, by helping the young people of his hometown to decide if the Marine Corps is the right fit for them.

“Being in my hometown, I think it means more to me. If I was anywhere else, I don’t know how I would feel about it, but being here, knowing these kids and knowing some of the things they go through here, it makes it that much better.”

This assignment has also allowed Saylor to be back under the same roof as his parents since he went away to boot camp seven years ago, an opportunity that Saylor has not taken for granted.

“It couldn't have been a better time for me to come back just to be with my family,” Saylor said. “I'm just so happy to be back here. I love this place.

“I definitely took this place for granted when I was growing up. Moving away, being in so many different places, I think that's the greatest thing about what I've been through. A lot of kids, a lot of my friends even, have never left this town. And I just think there's nothing wrong with this town, but you just never really realize what it is until you leave.”

Though Saylor said he doesn’t know what exactly the future holds for him, he hopes to finish out his 20 years in the Marine Corps and then eventually become a history teacher and a football coach. But for now, you can find Saylor out in the schools and in the community, hoping to encourage others to take on the challenge of becoming a United States Marine.

“It's just like any other job, you are going to have your good days and your bad days, but the good days always outweigh the bad. It’s been a blessing, and I honestly am so grateful that I made the decision. It's by far the greatest thing I've ever done in my entire life.”

October 2025

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 20:40:35 GMT

Fight Like a Warrior: Five Women. One Powerful Victory.

For many, the journey through cancer begins with a single moment—a doctor’s words that divide life into a distinct before and after. It is as if a curtain falls, plunging the room into darkness and silence.

“I’m sorry to inform you that you have breast cancer.”

A sentence that one in eight women in the United States have heard or will hear in their lifetime—a sentence that changes everything.

For Terri Casey, those words arrived in August 2019, at the age of 61, after a routine mammogram. As far as Terri knew, none of her family members had ever had breast cancer, though she later learned that her grandmother and aunt had both had the same terrible disease.

In September of that year, Terri found herself beneath the harsh, sterile lights of an operating room as she underwent a lumpectomy. Days blurred into weeks and then months of radiation treatments—a journey symbolized by her daily drive to Lexington and an “Avacolada” from Tropical Smoothie, a ritual of comfort during an uncertain time. That tradition continued through each checkup, until August 2024, when Terri was told she was officially cancer free; the news felt like the first rays of sunrise after a long night.

All the while, Terri’s husband, Don, battled glioblastoma multiforme which he was diagnosed with in 2015. Their family surrounded Don with love until his final days when he lost his battle in 2020. Terri, busy caring for Don and cherishing their time together, barely had time to process her own diagnosis. It was only after his passing that she stepped back to see, as if through a clearing mist, how fortunate she was to have continued caring for him even as she faced her own storm.

“I never saw myself as a victim of cancer, but as a survivor of a traumatic experience in my life,” Terri said. “Maybe that is a denial, but I truly believe it is because I never dwelled on my diagnosis but tackled it with the knowledge that God had a plan for me, and I wasn’t done here yet.”

It was February 24, 2021, when Stacey Sheppard said she experienced what felt like a punch to the gut as she heard those same words that Terri had heard only two years prior. Stacey was heading into a restaurant for lunch with her son when the phone rang, the world around her froze as the earth-shattering news was delivered.

“On the other end of the phone was a nurse with the news that no one should ever hear, ‘Mrs. Sheppard, I'm sorry to inform you but you have breast cancer.’ The rest of the conversation was very fuzzy because I couldn't get past the news I just heard.”

At 47 years old, Stacey had to face all the what ifs that come along with a diagnosis like that, eventually making the decision to have a bilateral mastectomy and then started on a daily pill that she continued to take for five years.

“Going through the process is not for the faint of heart,” Stacey said. “Battling cancer takes a warrior’s mentality. My relationship with Jesus grew stronger and that is where all my strength came from, but also my amazing support circle of family and friends.”

Next April, Stacey will be cancer free for five years.

It was three years later when Stacey’s sister, Michal Davidson, got her breast cancer diagnosis, taking Stacey back to that same place she was in when she heard those harrowing words for herself. This time though, Stacey found herself in a unique position to help others walk a similar path. It was a role she embraced when her sister, Michal, received her own diagnosis.

“This time was different, I knew what she was going to go through and what to expect,” Stacey said. “Every story is different, and every battle and journey are not the same. The mindset in which you approach the battle is your biggest battle. Michal and I talked a lot, and we were able to walk through her journey together.”

Michal was 46 years old when she received her diagnosis. Michal spoke of the immediate desire to be rid of the invader within her body. She chose a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction and has now basked in the light of remission for two years and eight months.

During that time, Michal leaned on Stacey when things got tough, as Stacey was a comforting voice when Michal needed someone who understood all she was going through.

“Sometimes that looked like just hugging each other and crying, other times it was cracking jokes and other times it was just being present,” she said. “God is truly in control of all things. And this was no different. Our relationship became stronger than ever before. It also revealed to me that I wasn’t there for her like she was for me. All trials are learning experiences if we allow it though. Thankful I learned some valuable lessons.”

Charlotte Harris and Debbie Gibson are another set of sisters who were both diagnosed with breast cancer, though for Charlotte and Debbie, it was within just six months of each other. Their mother also had breast cancer in the ‘70s.

Charlotte, ever diligent with mammograms and biopsies, was shocked when, at 67, she herself received the diagnosis. Because of her attentiveness, she caught her cancer early, and in May 2021, underwent surgery followed by 20 rounds of radiation. Each treatment felt like stepping deeper into the fog, but Charlotte found comfort in her faith.

On her last day of radiation, Charlotte saw a wooden sign she had never seen before in the waiting room that bore the same Bible verse she had been repeating to herself since the beginning of her cancer journey: “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

“When I saw that on that very last treatment day, I thought, ‘God has been with me through this whole thing.’ That just verified that he was taking care of me.”

Charlotte has been cancer-free for four years now.

Because of her diagnosis, Charlotte encouraged her female family members to go in for mammograms, urging that her sister, Debbie, who hadn’t had a mammogram in 11 years, get checked out immediately.

“My sister saved my life,” Debbie said. Though she was hesitant, Debbie went in for a mammogram where she learned she had a mass in her left breast at 59 years old.

“You get that initial thought of, ‘am I going to die?’ and then you think, ‘no, I’m going to beat this thing.’”

And luckily for Debbie, she had Charlotte there to help her every step of the way. Much like Stacey and Michal, Charlotte and Debbie found themselves drawing strength not only from their faith, but from each other. The shared experience of confronting breast cancer as sisters became another bond. For both pairs of sisters, the journey was marked by moments of sorrow and resilience, and a renewed appreciation for the power of connection during life’s most difficult seasons.

“You can have more compassion for someone who has been through it,” Charlotte said. “It was pretty devastating for me, because I knew what I had went through and then I knew what my sister was going to have to go through. I knew what to expect, but she didn’t know what to expect. I was dreading it for her.”

Just a couple weeks later, Debbie was having surgery to remove the mass they found in her breast and followed surgery up with 20 rounds of radiation therapy, which she did all while continuing to work at South Laurel High School. Debbie has been cancer-free for three years now.

United by circumstance, each woman’s story is marked by moments of fear, vulnerability, and ultimately, profound strength. Though their paths to healing were uniquely personal, the common thread of sisterhood—whether by blood or by shared experience—binds them inseparably.

As women who have faced such a devastating diagnosis and even more devastating treatments and recoveries, they all have come out of it with a deeper appreciation for their lives and the love of those around them.

Gratitude now colors their every day. Each woman speaks of a renewed appreciation for life’s simplest blessings: the laughter of their children and grandchildren, the comfort of loved ones, the promise of their faith.

“You appreciate life more after you have been through something like that,” Charlotte said.

“You don’t take your days for granted, you appreciate what you’ve got,” Debbie said. “You don’t take for granted what you’ve got. You don’t take your kids for granted, you don’t take your husband for granted, you don’t take your grandkids for granted. You don’t take your religion for granted.”

For Michal, her diagnosis taught her how quickly things can happen that change you who you are as a person.

“It made me value people and relationships different. And it has made me focus on being more present for myself, as well as others. When everything stops suddenly, you realize what is priority really quickly.”

Stacey has used her battle with breast cancer to help other women facing the same diagnosis she was faced with in 2021.

“Having gone through breast cancer has allowed me to have empathy for other women,” she said. “You can’t have empathy for someone until you experience what they are going through. God has given me the ability to listen and encourage other people with a breast cancer diagnosis. Being a breast cancer survivor is not something that anyone wants to go through but once you have, you become part of a special group of ladies that are true warriors!”

The collective wisdom of these five breast cancer survivors now serves as a beacon of hope for others walking a similar path. Through small gestures—a reassuring word, a shared story, a gentle embrace—these warriors extend hope to those still battling, reminding them that strength can be found even in the darkest of moments.

September 2025

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 20:39:53 GMT

Chase Carson: Energizing Community Life in London

At just 25, Chase Carson has become a driving force for positive change in London, dedicating his career and boundless energy to uplifting his hometown. Whether serving on local boards, consulting for government and nonprofit organizations, or building his own ventures, Chase’s commitment to community shines through.

Chase is the son of the late Gary Carson, who passed away in 2018, and the son of Leigh Ann Howard, a local business owner herself. Chase lives in London with his fiancé, Alyssa Stephensen, who is one of Chase’s biggest supporters. Chase attended London Elementary School before moving onto South Laurel Middle and High Schools, where he graduated from in 2018. Chase went on to attend Eastern Kentucky University where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in accounting, with a minor in psychology in 2022 and then went on to obtain his master’s degree in public administration in December 2024.

At only 11 years old, Chase was diagnosed with Burkitt Lymphoma, where he had chemotherapy for six months. His liver was destroyed in the process of aggressive treatments, causing him to have to travel to Cincinnati for two years to have stents put in his liver to keep it open and operating properly, with his last stent being taken out in 2013.

“It changed my life forever,” Chase said. “I think part of who I am now comes from the people I’ve looked up to, but also because of my cancer journey. Being face to face with death at such a young age, it gave me an appreciation for life and the little things, showing me that you shouldn't take things for granted because you never know when it might be your last day. And so, it really opened my eyes to the world and showed me that some of the things we argue about are just so small that, at the end of the day, we should just have love and peace because that's what life should be about. That's what cancer taught me - respect the time that you have here because you never know when that time will run out.”

Chase took that experience and turned it into something positive, finding ways to advocate for peace and love in all that he does within our community.

It began when Chase was only a sophomore in college, when he started his own nonprofit organization, Unity Allies.

“It was during 2020, so it was around the time of the George Floyd and Breonna Taylor cases and being a person of color in a majority white community my whole life, I have always been proactive in advocacy, especially against police brutality or just discrimination, racism against people of color or any minority,” he said. “And so that's always something that's really been near and dear to my heart. Watching it all play out on national television and then seeing and hearing the things that my neighbors and community members were saying about those situations, it really showed me that we needed more education on diversity, equity, and inclusion. I know it's kind of a forbidden word now, but there's really nothing bad to it.”

Chase grew up idolizing people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela, who were both prominent activists, but had never really done anything within his own community to try and make a difference.

“That’s what inspired me to create Unity Allies is I wanted to be the change I wanted to see, not only in my community, but hopefully, over time, across this whole region.”

For the first two years, Unity Allies provided DE&I initiatives, offering workshop and training sessions for for-profit and nonprofit businesses, but has now shifted into offering general community development and growth initiatives, with Chase working as a consultant for nonprofit and government entities on a broad range of issues.

At 21, Chase ran for the London City Council, making him the youngest person on the ballot. He was 80 votes short of winning a seat on the council in 2021, then he ran again the next election cycle where he came much closer, being only 20 votes short of winning a seat on the city council and doubling his votes from his first run at councilman.

After his first run at city councilman, Chase was nominated for a seat on the City of London Tourism & Parks Commission, where he now serves as treasurer. Chase is also the youngest and the first person of color to serve on the City of London Tourism & Parks Commission where he works to help keep the commission in good financial standing, helps with the commission’s social media and other aspects that deal with tourism and beyond, all on a volunteer-basis.

Chase’s volunteer work doesn’t end there, as he is also the treasurer of the Mountain Association, which is a regional organization that works primarily in the Eastern Kentucky communities on small business initiatives and clean energy initiatives. He also serves as the Vice Chair and Community Advocacy Lead for Hope for London, a new organization that was created out of response for the tornado that ravaged through our town earlier this year.

“Our main focus with the organization is providing long-term relief to the survivors of the tornado,” Chase said. “So, that looks like anything from rental assistance in some cases to rebuilding efforts.”

Chase’s most recent endeavor is reviving a beloved business, CJ on the Way, which recently closed after the owner, Jared Baker, moved away from London for college.

“I saw the value that it brought to our community and how well all the community members loved it, so I asked him (Jared) if he would feel comfortable with me running it, but rebranding it,” Chase said, renaming the business to Hometown GO but operating very similarly to how CJ on the Way was operating.

Customers can place orders through Hometown GO’s website for local restaurants or grocery stores and have those delivered directly to their doors, though Chase hopes to offer additional services, as well. Chase is working on developing an app to make ordering even easier for customers and businesses alike.

“I love local businesses. I love the value that they bring to our local economy because it keeps those dollars here rather than being shipped off to a corporation somewhere else in a different community.”

Hometown GO is still in development but keep an eye out for the launch announcement on Chase’s Facebook page.

Chase also has plans to run again for London City Council in the future, hoping to bring change from within our city government.

“I'm so passionate about hopefully one day being able to represent our people,” he said. “I want to help the people of my community of London and Laurel County because I'm super passionate about my community.

“We're a big community, but we still have that small town feel. Everybody knows each other. Everyone is super willing to lend a helping hand to their neighbor. We saw that when the tornado hit us. Neighbors helping neighbors in a time of need. And that's what I want to see come out of our community.”

But Chase’s dreams do not stop at the city council, as he hopes to some day serve at the state level as a state representative, then senator and eventually would like to run for governor of Kentucky.

“I want to be on the city council to show my people that I can represent you,” he said. “Then, the House of Representatives to show this area of southeast Kentucky that I can represent you—I hear your struggles; I've lived it too. Then as a senator, the same thing, on a little broader level. And then last up, governor—I want to help everybody in my state. I want to help the people who are struggling in Eastern Kentucky just as much as I want to help the people who are struggling with similar challenges in western Kentucky.

“I'm doing this out of passion for my community, out of passion for helping just anybody and everybody. I don't care what skin color you are, what you identify, what walk of life you've come from, I want to help you with whatever it is that you need help with.”

Chase hopes that his story can encourage people to reach for their goals, no matter their age or the color of their skin.

“Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't do something,” he said. “If you have a dream, you have a passion, you want to do something, put your head down and do it. Because I'm a firm believer that if you put your mind to something, you can accomplish anything.”

August 2025

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 20:38:03 GMT

A Crowning Achievement: Blakely Callahan’s Journey from Childhood Dream to Miss Kentucky’s Teen

Blakely Callahan is one step closer to a dream that began at only three years old after she was crowned Miss Kentucky’s Teen in June.

Blakely is the daughter of Shane and Melanie Callahan. She was named Miss Kentucky’s Teen on June 13th after competing against 26 other teenage girls from across the Commonwealth.

Blakely is a junior at South Laurel High School where she plays varsity tennis, is an officer for the Laurel County Youth Leadership Program and a member of the Laurelettes. She also is the founder of the nonprofit Callahan’s Crowns for the Cure, which works to help raise funds and awareness for multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease that has affected Blakely’s mother for over 20 years now. Blakely also enjoys opera singing, playing pickleball and is currently working towards getting her pilot’s license.

Since she was little, Blakely’s parents were always encouraging her to truly be herself and she always has been—learning to ride a tricycle in high heels; greeting her teachers and fellow students when she arrived at school like she was in a parade, hanging out the sun roof and waving at everyone; having a Navy Seals birthday party, complete with a Jedi robe and light sabers, at 10 years old.

When Blakely was only three years old, the now 16-year-old was already dreaming of one day being crowned Miss America after watching the Miss America pageant for the first time.

“Blakely walked up to me and said, ‘how do you spell ‘Merica’,’ so I wrote it down for her and she drew a picture of herself in a dress with a crown and a sash on and she wrote ‘I will be Miss Merica,” said Blakely’s mother, Melanie. To this day, her mother still has that picture stored away.

“She said that from the time that she was three years old that this is what she wanted for her life, and she is putting in the work to get there.”

At five years old, Blakely joined Miss Kentucky’s Little Sisters Program, formerly known as Bluegrass Princesses, where she had the unique opportunity to meet contestants and titleholders for Miss Kentucky and Miss Kentucky’s Teen pageants and be mentored one-on-one by them.

Today, Blakely serves as a mentor for the program where she gets to help little girls like her discover their dreams and unlock their potential.

Blakely continued to be a part of the Little Sisters program until she aged out, knowing that one day she would be one of those mentors. She quickly began working towards her goal of competing for the title of Miss Kentucky’s Teen, keeping up with her health and fitness, staying up to date on current events, working on interview prep, practicing her talent portion of the competition and so much more.

Blakely competed in a few pageants before Miss Kentucky’s Teen, including being crowned Teen Laurel County Homecoming two years ago. Last year, she was crowned Miss Heart of Bourbon Country’s Teen in her pursuit for Miss Kentucky’s Teen.

“It has taken me about three good years to truly prepare for everything and prepare to compete,” she said. “I wanted to be completely ready to just take on the title and really represent the state well.”

After finally feeling like she was ready to take on that title, Blakely traveled with her family to Bowling Green where she competed in the Miss Kentucky’s Teen pageant. There, Blakley wowed judges with her poise, her opera singing, her knowledge of current events and her evening gown that won her first place. Blakely also took first place for her talent, as a newcomer and as Kentucky’s Choice, in addition to being crowned Miss Kentucky’s Teen.

“The best part was, after I walked for the first time as Miss Kentucky’s Teen, I turned around and every single girl was running towards me on that stage to give me the biggest hug and we were all just crying,” Blakely said. “In that moment, there was no competitiveness, no bitterness, it was just pure joy and love and sisterhood and that’s what made it so special.

“It was like a lifelong dream happening in that moment. It hit me all at once, like this is my life now, this is going to be my life now.”

Life has been a whirlwind since Blakely’s crowning, as she has done multiple interviews, appearances and other events, all the while preparing for and working towards her next goal of winning Miss America’s Teen, which will be held at the end of August in Orlando, Florida.

“I think I have found myself through this experience and I think I find myself every day,” Blakely said. “It has just been so genuine, and I truly believe that God has guided every second of it. It has just been so amazing in every aspect of it. I get to go in front of all these people and share myself with everyone. I want to be a representative for Kentucky and for London and our community.”

Blakely’s dreams don’t just stop at Miss America, though. Following her high school graduation, Blakely plans to attend the United States Naval Academy. She has dreams of being a pilot for the United States Navy, while also pursuing a law degree and eventually joining the JAG (Judge Advocate General’s) Corps.

Blakely hopes that she can help people to understand that those who compete in pageants are so much more than what you see on the outside.

“A lot of people, they see pageants and they think pretty face, pretty hair, pretty outfits, swimsuit competitions, don’t have a brain—it is so not that, it is so much more than that,” she said. “I think through the Miss Kentucky organization and through the Miss America organization, I have been able to come into myself so much and find myself. This has been my form of expression. This is how I say, ‘this is who I am,’ not just on the outside, even though I do like having my hair and makeup done, but this is also who I am on the inside. Being able to do what I love, to perform and speak and advocate, that is meaningful, and it can be such a genuine experience if that is what you allow it to be.”

Blakely said that the community’s support throughout her run for Miss Kentucky’s Teen has been so special and she hopes to continue making her community proud as she takes on the Miss America’s Teen pageant later this month.

As someone who has always been truly herself, Blakely hopes that she can encourage young girls to truly be themselves and to follow their dreams, whatever they may be.

“Being yourself is only going to do good things for you,” she said. “That is such an easy thing to lose, especially when you are trying to fit in and trying to find things in common with others at my age, because that is something I have absolutely struggled with. But being yourself is only going to help you find things in your life that are going to provide you with so many opportunities; it is only going to make things so amazing in your life. God has a plan for your life, just trust him and let him lead the way and enjoy the life that he has for you.”

July 2025

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 23:15:11 GMT

Behind the Lens: Keshia Amburgey's Journey from Passion to Profession

Keshia Amburgey’s passion for photography began not in a classroom, but in the quiet moments of everyday life. It was a journey sparked by her desire to capture fleeting memories.

When Keshia’s daughter, McKaley, was born, Keshia became fascinated with taking photos of her daughter with her PowerShot camera and editing those precious milestones. What began as simple curiosity quickly turned into a passion that shaped the trajectory of her life and career.

Though Keshia continued to capture moments with her daughter through her camera lens, it wasn’t until 2011 that Keshia’s photography journey truly began, when her husband, Tom, purchased Keshia her first “good” camera. It was a gift that opened a world of creative possibilities.

At the time, Keshia was attending Union College, working toward a career in psychology. Her life was busy, balancing the demands of school, being a wife and raising her daughter, yet she kept coming back to photography.

Armed with her new camera and an unwavering enthusiasm to learn, Keshia dove headfirst into the craft. She sought out online resources, tutorials, and forums where she could learn from others who have turned their own passion into a career.

“I was really wanting a mentor, but none of the local photographers here were doing any kind of mentoring, so all of my mentors are from YouTube and Facebook—they just don’t know it,” Keshia said. “There weren’t a lot of tutorials out there, so I really had to do my best to press a bunch of buttons and just figure it out.”

Keshia spent countless hours experimenting with settings and lighting, practicing on her daughter and anyone else that would be her model. Trial and error became her best teacher, and slowly but surely, her skills began to evolve.

“There is a manual to learn your camera but there is no manual to be artistic and creative, I think that just comes naturally,” Keshia said.

For many, the idea of switching careers midstream can be daunting, but Keshia was willing to take the chance. Despite being almost finished with her psychology degree, Keshia decided to quit school and pursue her growing passion for photography and never looked back.

“It was a gamble,” Keshia said.

Starting a business is never easy, especially starting a business built on a skill you have taught yourself, but Keshia pushed through. Keshia began by offering giveaways where she would do a free photo session to get her name out there and some extra practice until she began reaching more clients, and with each session, her confidence grew.

“I would try to have client sessions three times a week at least and that was pushing it—I wasn’t busy at all; I wasn’t making a lot of money either,” she said. “I was making maybe $200 a week, but then I started finding a niche.”

Keshia realized her love for senior portraits, engagements, branding/headshots, and sports portraits, which Keshia has dubbed “sportraits.” Each type of session brings its own unique challenges and opportunities, and Keshia thrives on the diversity of her work.

For high school seniors, Keshia captures the excitement and individuality of a pivotal moment in their lives. Her branding and headshot photography help small business owners and professionals showcase their personality and professionalism, something that is important to Keshia. Her engagement sessions capture the love between each couple she photographs. And her sports portraits celebrate the determination and skill of local student-athletes, turning action and passion into works of art.

Over the years, Keshia’s photography has evolved both technically and artistically.

“I started by focusing on natural light and candid moments, and through experience, I’ve developed a strong eye for storytelling, expressing creativity and emotion,” she said, noting that her editing style has also changed from her first sessions.

“My editing style has matured, becoming more consistent and reflective of my brand, and I’ve expanded into new genres that challenge and inspire me creatively. I’m always learning, adapting to new trends, and refining my skills to better serve my clients and create timeless images.”

Whether it is a candid smile or an intimate moment, Keshia’s photos resonate deeply with her clients, as they keep coming back for more from, seeing clients grow throughout their sessions from doing their senior portraits to weddings to family sessions and all the little moments in between.

“It makes you feel so good that they trust you every time and for every milestone, they come back to you,” she said.

Through it all, Keshia’s approach remains consistent: she aims to create bold, authentic images that tell someone’s story. Her ability to connect with her clients on a personal level allows her to draw out their unique qualities and translate them into stunning, timeless photographs that her clients will enjoy for years to come.

Keshia’s photography business continued to grow steadily over the years, but one dream remained—owning a studio of her own. For nearly a decade, she worked tirelessly towards this goal, each photoshoot bringing her closer to making it a reality. Finally, in 2020, that dream came true when she, and her business partner, Jina LaFary, opened their photography studio in downtown London.

Keshia’s story reminds us that success doesn’t always follow a straight line, and that sometimes, the most rewarding paths are the ones we carve for ourselves. With determination, curiosity, and a lot of hard work, Keshia turned a simple gift—a camera—into a life-changing opportunity.

“You could probably blame all of this on my husband because he’s the one that got me my first camera,” Keshia said. “He has been behind me on this whole journey, along with my daughter.”

For Keshia, this is more than just a career—it is an integral part of her life. It is a way to connect with others, to freeze moments in time, and to celebrate the beauty of everyday life. Her work is infused with gratitude, as she often reflects on how fortunate she is to turn her passion into a profession. But Keshia admits, it is more work than people can begin to understand, from editing photos to marketing to scheduling and so much more.

Spending countless hours editing the smallest of blemishes, answering inquiries and finding new ways to reach clients, it can all be a lot for one person. But the thing that keeps her going?

“It’s the people that I meet, having them in front of my camera,” Keshia said. “I love getting a girl in here and her mom says, ‘she doesn’t have hardly any confidence at all, she’s so down on herself,’ then being able to show her the images I have taken and showing her how beautiful she is and the joy—that pushes me through. One of my favorite things is showing these girls just how beautiful they are.”

And though she has had the honor of shooting some special sessions, Keshia’s favorite subject to photograph is still her daughter, McKaley, who remains her biggest inspiration in photography and in life.

Looking ahead, Keshia hopes to encourage a new generation of photographers with plans to continue growing her business by expanding studio offerings and creating more educational content for aspiring photographers through online and in-person workshops. But for now, you can find behind the lens at Keshia Amburgey Photography - 206 North Main Street, in the heart of downtown.

Studio 206 isn’t just a physical space; it represents years of hard work and determination. It is a place where Keshia has been able to further hone her craft and offer clientele a professional and welcoming environment, something unique for Keshia’s clientele.

“My studio is a cozy, welcoming space designed to make clients feel comfortable and at home,” Keshia said.

The front of the studio space is the perfect setting for senior portraits, families and branding shoots, especially when outdoor weather isn’t ideal.

“It’s also a space where creativity flows, and I love using it to connect with clients in a more intimate and relaxed environment,” Keshia said.

The opening of the studio marked a major milestone in Keshia’s career, a testament to her resilience and unwavering belief in her vision. Studio 206 has become a hub for creativity, a place where stories are told and memories are preserved.

“Having this studio has really been a blessing,” she said. “It has changed my mindset on the way I shoot and everything.”

June 2025

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 20:36:08 GMT

A Story of Hope: Rebuilding After the Storm

For most in our community, May 16th began like any other. Many went to work or school, making plans for the weekend ahead, not knowing the events that were about to unfold right in our backyard.

Just like many others throughout our town, Tonya Mullins, who lived in Sunshine Hills, was aware that there were storms headed towards London that Friday night, but was unfazed by the tornado watch that was issued. It wasn’t until the alert came through on her phone urging everyone to seek shelter immediately that Tonya began to worry.

“I prepared for the worst: shoes by the bed, couch cushions near the bathtub, my cycling helmet within reach,” Tonya said, remembering those few moments before tragedy struck. “My usual safe spot, the primary bathroom with no exterior walls or windows, was ready.”

Though she, of course, feared for herself, Tonya said it was in that moment that she began to worry for her elderly, hearing-impaired father who lived just a street over and was home alone, as her mother was out of town.

“I didn’t want this to be the end,” Tonya said. “I didn’t want my mom to come home to find no husband, no daughter, and no home.”

Tonya began frantically calling her father with no answer.

“Then, the power cut out. The air was sucked down the bathtub drain. The house trembled, glass shattered, and debris battered the walls like fists. Huddled in the dark, I prayed—for my dad, my friends, my neighbors, myself. I’ve faced cancer and divorce, but nothing rivaled this fear, the helplessness of not knowing if my father was safe.”

Just another street over were Sarah and Robert Collier and their three children, Skyler, Aliyah and Jordan. The family was enjoying a movie night together in their living room when the alert came across their phones. In an instant, Sarah grabbed their daughter who was asleep on the couch, while Robert grabbed Skyler and sent Jordan down the hall with their three dogs.

“We were there 10 seconds, and the tornado came through the kitchen,” Sarah said. “It wrapped around us in a spinning what felt like hours. I started screaming and praying saying, ‘God stop this storm, just save us.’ My daughter, who is nine, started praying. My husband, who wasn't a believer, started praying.”

As the tornado moved away from their home, Sarah said they could hear their elderly neighbors screaming for help and Robert sprung into action, knocking out an outer wall of their linen closet to pull them to safety.

The nearly mile-wide tornado continued to sweep across our community towards Levi Jackson Wildnerness Road Park where Josh Smith had been asleep on the couch while his wife, Cheyla, was keeping an eye on the storm headed towards London by watching a storm chaser on YouTube.

When Josh’s wife woke him up to say it looked as if the weather may turn bad, he was quick to brush it off.

“I looked outside and there was no wind, no rain—I thought she was being crazy and took a step to head to bed and the phone alert went off and it said to seek shelter immediately,” Josh said. “I looked back outside, and it was just dead quiet, not even a dog barking.”

Suddenly, Josh and Cheyla began to hear a faint rumbling sound that reminded them of a train, which is not uncommon for them to hear, as they lived near train tracks, but the couple soon realized the sound they were hearing was not a train passing by. In a split second, the two were crouched together saying what they thought were their final goodbyes as their second story of their home was swept away into a pile of rubble. Only a few moments later, Josh said the force of the tornado hit their home again from the other side, shattering windows and snapping planks off the wall.

As Josh and Cheyla emerged from their home, barefoot and shaken up, they were shocked to see the destruction of the homes around them, but relieved to see their neighbors climbing out of the rubble.

With the threat of a second tornado, Josh and Cheyla, along with several of their neighbors, were rushed to safety, while back in Sunshine Hills, Tonya was desperate to get to her father. And as soon as the threat diminished, Tonya was rushing to him.

“Stepping onto my street, I was stopped in my tracks by a child’s stuffed animal in the road,” she said. “Tears welled as I looked up to find the house four doors down from my home erased, leaving only a concrete slab. The woman who lived there, a friend from church, was nowhere to be seen.

“The devastation stretched on. House after house was gone, reduced to rubble. Turning onto my parents’ street, I saw the home behind theirs obliterated and my dad’s detached garage vanished. I ran into his house, tears streaming, and wrapped my arms around him, overwhelmed with gratitude that he was safe.”

For Sarah and her family, her first thoughts were how thankful she was that her entire family, including their three dogs, had somehow survived the unimaginable; how devastated she felt seeing what remained of her family’s home; and how heartbroken she was for her community.

While many were able to get by without so much as a scratch, others weren’t so lucky, as the tornado struck with little warning, ravaging our town and claiming the lives of 17 of our own community members, as well as injuring several others and destroying over 1,500 homes throughout London.

“Survivor’s guilt creeps in—I still have my dad, my battered but standing home,” said Tonya. “Others lost parents, houses, everything. Yet our small community echoes a shared truth: we survived. Physical things can be rebuilt. What matters is that we’re still here, holding on to each other.”

As daylight broke, those who weren’t in the tornado’s path began to learn of the devastation left behind, hearing through news reports and social media posts of the tragedies endured overnight, while neighbors were rushing to the aid of other neighbors and first responders had already put in hours and hours of relentless work to help care for those who have just been through the unimaginable.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, like several others near the impacted areas, 18-year-old Caleb Bryant and 16-year-old Ethan Bowling were out helping look for victims in the rubble within an hour after the tornado had passed, risking their own lives to save others.

In the days following the disaster, the true strength of the community began to shine through. In the Levi Jackson area, players and coaches with the South Laurel High School boys’ basketball team, as well as other staff with South Laurel, were out helping their assistant coach, Josh, and his neighbors to begin cleaning up the mess left behind by the EF-4 tornado that tore through our community.

“The first hour or two was sad, they want to know what you’re going through, but they don’t because they are kids,” Josh said. “But you could tell they care because they were all crying. I don’t think they realized how bad it was until they got there. I had sixth graders out there, their little brothers out there on skid steers moving stuff. We had a group of 30 to 50 people out there and they knocked it out by three o’clock that day.”

For Shelby and Leighton Avera, a couple who grew up in London, the news was heartbreaking.

“I woke up in the middle of the night and heard of the news that the tornado had come through, but at that point I had no idea of the severity,” Shelby said. “I checked on our families and went back to sleep. We got up that morning and learned that Sunshine Hills was pretty much gone which was right around the corner from our home church, Hart. About that time, we learned that my aunt and uncle had lost everything.”

The couple, who have been living in Louisville for the past year, dropped everything they were doing, went shopping for supplies and packed up to head to their hometown of London.

“We didn’t have a plan, but we knew that given our church was so close, pretty much ground zero, that there would be something we could do,” Shelby said.

Once back in London, Shelby and Leighton immediately jumped in to help their community, serving alongside other members of their church, Hart Baptist. Members of all ages were out helping by taking donations for tornado victims, helping to sort through those donations and delivering those donations throughout the community to those who needed them.

“God works in mysterious ways,” Shelby said. “Hart established a mission for this summer for our members and our youth to ‘Love on London,’ instead of going out of state like we had in years past. There’s a huge mission field right in our front yard, and while our hearts hurt for our community, the Lord literally laid a huge opportunity right at our feet. We just want to be the hands and feet of Christ and be able to show that love through our actions, not just our words. What better way to do that than now.”

Much like Hart Baptist Church, churches all over the county have been a beacon of light for our devastated community, taking up donations and sending out groups of people to help clean up the rubble left behind.

Volunteers from near and far descended upon the affected areas, armed with tools and a determination to help rebuild.

Businesses have found their own unique ways to help tornado victims, such as salons offering a free shampoo and styling to those who have lost their homes or spent days without electricity.

Community members have stepped up in so many ways, such as cleaning out their closets to help clothe those who have lost everything, donating their time and efforts to help families search through the rubble for their precious belongings and providing shelter to families who have been displaced, providing a much-needed feeling of security during such a trying time.

Beyond our own community, we have had people all over the state and beyond offering their donations and support following such a tragedy, with Governor Andy Beshear making multiple visits to London to see the devastation firsthand and offering help at the state level.

“From every aspect of this, it’s been overwhelming to see the love and support that our community has gotten,” said Mayor Randall Weddle days following the tragedy. “At the end of the day, we all may not have to agree on things and have disagreements, but today, yesterday and the days prior, and the days coming, we’re Kentuckians; we’re Laurel Countians—we’re just a community and that’s what we’ve been seeing. From the bottom of our hearts here at the city, thank you to everyone.”

Local leaders have played a crucial role in guiding the recovery process, working closely with relief organizations, government agencies, and community members to ensure that resources were used effectively.

Victims of the deadly tornado have received kindness in so many ways. For Josh and his wife, they received kindness from a stranger who heard their story and wanted to offer them use of their vehicle in the days following the tragedy.

“She said ‘here are the keys, the insurance is in the glovebox, just let me know when you’re done with it,” Josh said. “I’m a prideful guy; I don’t like asking people for help. I don’t like to ask for money or food or supplies, but to have people come take totes off to wash our clothes, clean our shoes. It is hard to say ‘thank you’ to every single person because it would take me two days to list them all off and I would still miss someone. It’s just so overwhelming.”

Sarah and her family have received kindness from their church family and strangers alike, with donations of clothing, money for groceries and other needed supplies and just simply lending an ear.

“We have felt so much love and support and kindness from people we know and strangers,” she said. “We have been so blessed. To all of those who have supported us in this devastating tragedy, thank you so very much. Me and my family are so thankful and grateful.”

Tonya said she has been overwhelmed with gratitude because of the outpouring of love, support and strength from those who helped to clear debris, bring supplies or just simply offered a shoulder to lean on.

“It’s overwhelming—neighbors helping neighbors, strangers becoming lifelines,” she said. “The kindness is humbling, a reminder of our shared strength. As a strong, independent woman, asking for help doesn’t come easily. But I’m learning that when someone extends a hand, you grab it and hold tight. I’ve volunteered with Samaritan’s Purse during floods, and serving others always filled my soul. Now, my neighbors and I are the ones in need. The outpouring of love—meals, tools, embraces—lifts us up. It’s more than I can put into words, a wave of gratitude that carries us through the wreckage.

“We’re heartbroken, but we’re not broken—because of you. Thank you for being our light in the darkness.”

Sarah leaves a piece of advice for those who choose not to take the warnings seriously.

“These storms are no joke and very easily could have claimed our lives,” she said. “Take precautions and have a plan for your survival in the event of a storm.”

The tornado may have brought destruction, but it also revealed the unbreakable spirit of the people, our people. It reminded everyone that, in times of crisis, the strength of our community lies in its ability to come together, to support one another, and to rebuild with hope and love. The story of this community is a testament to the power of unity, resilience, and the enduring human spirit.

As community members begin to rebuild their lives and their homes, let us all continue to lend a helping hand to our fellow neighbor and uplift one another as we move on from the tragedy that occurred in our little town on that fateful night.

“Our spirit—resilient, caring, unbreakable—defines us, and no storm can change who we are,” Tonya said.

May 2025

Thu, 01 May 2025 20:35:26 GMT

Raised in the Ring: Makayla Massey's Unique Farewell to High School

On May 31st, high school seniors in our community will be dressed in their caps and gowns to walk the graduation line and receive their high school diplomas, while one South Laurel High School senior will be walking out into the show ring.

Makayla Massey’s graduation day will be a graduation day like no other, as she will be spending the day doing what she loves—showing livestock.

Makayla’s dedication and passion for livestock is deeply rooted in her upbringing. As the 18-year-old daughter of Dr. Joey Massey, veterinarian and owner of Noah’s Ark Animal Hospital, and Melissa Massey, Makayla has been surrounded by animals all her life. Her parents' vocation and lifestyle have undoubtedly influenced her love for animals.

The Massey family owns 500 acres of farmland throughout the county and has 150 cattle, as well as some horses and other livestock on their farmland. At home, the Masseys also have several dogs and cats, something that Melissa said just comes along with her husband’s job as a veterinarian.

Growing up, both Melissa and Joey showed cattle at the county fair level.

“I didn’t want to show much beyond that, but now Joey, if he had had the means, he would have probably shown nationally,” Melissa said. “He has sort of seen his dreams come true through Makayla.”

Because of her family’s background, Makayla’s journey with livestock began at an early age. Her father had dreams of Makayla showing cattle from the moment she began to walk, but Melissa wasn’t quite ready for that.

“I wasn’t sure about putting her in front of this large animal, so I said, ‘let’s start out with something a little smaller, let’s get a goat and then we’ll see where it goes from there.’”

For her third birthday, Makayla received a goat she aptly named “Baa” to show at the county fair. She continued showing goats for a couple years until she turned five years old when she got her first heifer to show.

“We had one little show heifer named Pamela; Makayla was very attached to Pamela, and Pamela was very attached to Makayla. We drove all the way to Amarillo, Texas and spent a week there and showed cattle and that was the start of it.”

Since then, Makayla and her family have traveled all over the country to show cattle, showing livestock in over 15 different states across the country from county fairs to national shows, something that requires a lot of preparation throughout the year, a lot of money and a lot of miles on the road.

Because of all the time, money and energy that goes into it, Melissa said one of the stipulations for Makayla to show livestock is that she must do all the work to care for the animals and prepare them for a show.

“We never wanted to her to be one those kids who have never had to work with them and just showed them,” Melissa said. “Me as a mother, I have two children, they are my responsibility. These cattle, for Makayla, are essentially her children—they rely on her to eat, they rely on her for water, they rely on her to give them a bath.”

When Makayla was younger, the Massey family hired some college kids to help teach Makayla how to care for the show cattle and by middle school she was doing it all on her own.

“I think a lot of people say ‘oh, she just shows cattle,’ but I don’t think they realize all the work that goes into that,” Melissa said. “Showing cattle is everything to her, I mean, she eats, sleeps and breathes it.”

When she isn’t in the show ring, Makayla is meticulously caring for her show cattle in the barn. Her routine includes waking up bright and early each morning to feed her cattle before school, bathing and drying the cattle, cleaning their stalls, practicing for shows and so much more.

“It’s a lot,” Makayla said. “Any type of farmwork is harder than people expect.”

The evidence of Makayla’s hard work is proudly displayed all throughout the Massey family’s home, with banners, trophies and photos of Makayla and her show cattle taking up shelves and wall space in several rooms of their home.

Though the show cattle season picks up in the summer, Makayla competes in shows all throughout the year, meaning that Makayla misses a lot of school, but Melissa said she has never had to worry about Makayla keeping up with her assignments or having bad grades in school.

“We have always told Makayla that in order to show cattle, she has to have good grades,” Melissa said. “If you don’t make good grades, you don’t show cattle. But we’ve never had an issue. School has always come easy to her.”

All her senior year, Makayla has been doing co-op where she only takes three classes on the school’s campus and then spends the rest of her day working at the vet clinic with her father, as well as caring for her cattle. Makayla’s work ethic isn’t common for someone her age, something that Melissa said makes her and her husband extremely proud.

“The responsibility and the work ethic she has is going to stay with her for the rest of her life.”

The relationships Makayla has built over the years because of showing livestock is likely one of her aspects of being a part of this livestock show world. Makayla has had the opportunity to meet people from all over the country, befriending people who have encouraged her to begin showing pigs, something she started doing more recently. It is also where Makayla met her boyfriend, Grant Helsinger, who will be moving to London soon to help her family on the farm.

Looking towards the future, Makayla plans to continue showing livestock until she has “aged out” of the competitions, which is at 21 years old, and hopes to continue taking home awards until that time comes.

Following graduation, Makayla will begin taking online business classes through Somerset Community College and has goals of someday raising and selling cattle of her own, passing on her expertise and passion to others. She also has plans of one day taking over her father’s vet clinic as office manager.

Makayla’s journey reflects the support she receives from her family, as her parents have been instrumental in her success by dedicating their time, money and energy to helping Makayla reach her dreams.

“I wouldn’t be able to do any of it without them.”

Makayla’s eight-year-old brother Cole, who has cerebral palsy, is likely his sister’s biggest supporter when Makayla is in the show ring.

“He loves watching his sister show cattle when he does go,” Melissa said, noting that due to Cole’s disability, he cannot attend every show of Makayla’s. “He knows whether I tell him she’s coming in the ring or not that she’s in the ring, he will start pointing at her and get excited.”

So, as graduation day approaches, while most of her peers will be preparing their speeches, picking out their outfits and planning to celebrate the culmination of their high school years, Makayla will be preparing for the show ring, exemplifying the fruits of her labor and the depth of her passion.

April 2025

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 20:34:47 GMT

London's Jordan Allen Shines on "The Voice" Stage & Beyond

A dream that began as a teenager has grown into a career for Jordan Allen, as he has gone from writing songs in his bedroom to performing on a national stage on NBC’s “The Voice.”

Jordan, along with his wife Courtney, have been a big part of this community, growing up and raising their own children, five-year-old Audie and three-year-old Avett, in London. Jordan works as a real estate agent with Century 21 Advantage Realty, as well as working for a lawncare company in town when he is not on the road, while Courtney is the owner and CEO of Believe Fitness Studio in London. The Allen family is also involved in their church, Gilbert’s Chapel United Baptist Church.

Jordan says he remembers his father singing in church and playing on his guitar when Jordan was younger, many of the same songs Jordan still enjoys playing today. It was at around six years old when Jordan first began playing an instrument, after Jordan’s parents purchased his brother his first drum set. By 15 years old, Jordan was not only playing the guitar but was also writing his own songs, as well as singing in high school’s choir.

“I really never wanted to sing by myself, I was fine with the choir but I kind of got forced to sing on my own,” he said. “I was writing these songs that nobody wanted to sing, so I started to sing my own songs.”

In his first year of college, Jordan formed his band Jordan Allen and the Bellwethers, he describes their style as “southern rock meets the Appalachian Mountains.”

After years of hard work, Jordan quit his day job in 2018 to pursue music full time.

“I realized I had all my eggs in one basket, and I really didn’t want to do anything else," he said.

Shortly after quitting his job, Jordan and his wife find out that they were expecting their first child. It was then that Jordan had to make the decision to continue reaching for his dreams or to go back to his day job. Because he knew what kind of an example he would be setting for his children, Jordan decided to stick it out and keep fighting for his dream, all while faithfully serving God, navigating being a husband and a father, and continuing to work to help provide for his family.

Jordan continued writing music and performing with his band, putting out four complete albums over a decade and performing on numerous stages across Kentucky and beyond. This past year, Jordan made the difficult decision to drop the band name and to begin releasing songs under his own name instead, releasing his debut single "I Got It Bad" in February.

When it comes to Jordan competing on "The Voice," he said it was an unexpected blessing.

A couple years back, the casting company with “The Voice” had reached out and encouraged Jordan to send in a few videos of him performing. Though he had never given it much though, he decided there was no harm in trying, but nothing ever came of it.

Then, fast-forward to December of 2023, and that same casting company is reaching out to Neyland Bolden who runs a YouTube channel called Powell River Sessions that highlights local musicians like Jordan. The casting company was asking about some of the artists on Neyland's channel.

“He emailed them back and said, ‘if you are not looking at Jordan Allen, then you are missing a good one’,” Jordan said. “Neyland asked me if it was something I would be interested in, and I said I have been there before, but I’ve not got anything to lose.”

After sending in his audition tapes, Jordan got the call that he soon would be flying out to Los Angeles, California to perform in the blind auditions for “The Voice.”

“I felt like all of it just kind of fell in my lap,” he said. “Courtney and I both handled it with a lot of prayer. The whole time our prayer was ‘God if this is not what you want for us, we don’t want it either.’ And he never shut the door on it. I honestly was expecting to get a call before we left and them saying we don’t need you anymore, but that never happened.”

In preparing for his blind auditions, Jordan said he knew he wanted to sing something that was representative of who he was and the kind of music he loves, and that is why he chose Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll.”

“Most of my favorite records are made prior to 1980 and I think song writing-wise and the things that I release as an artist, very on-brand for me would be kind of a retro, throwback song and that song was released in the 70s and he’s singing about even before then,” Jordan said. “I just felt like content of the lyrics just really exemplified me as an artist, and then on top of that too, I feel like sometimes it can be a risk in a blind audition to do a song that is so well known but sometimes it can play in your favor and I felt like that song has not been done a lot.”

Though he felt nerves going into the blind audition, Jordan said that he also felt a lot of peace knowing that he had done everything he could to prepare himself for that moment and that he had controlled all he could.

“I could not control whether those chairs turned and the only one to know what was going to happen was God,” he said. “I think having the crowd there was amazing and I think I had kind of forgot there would be a live audience, so I was like ‘I know how to do this,’ so I just worked the crowd and played to them. When [Michael] Bublé turned his chair, it was such a relief and then I was super surprised when John [Legend] turned his chair.”

Jordan said it was John Legend’s constructive criticism of his performance that made him want to be a part of Team Legend.

“To be away from my wife and kids and to make that sacrifice for them, I wanted to come out of the entire situation better,” he said. “It would have been awesome to have hit a wedding with Michael Bublé, that sounds awesome, and I wish he would still call me and say, ‘do you want to go to a wedding?’ Michael had a great pitch, and he was very enthusiastic about me, but John’s pitch was a little more geared to ‘I’m going to make you better and I’m here to work’ and that’s what I want. I constantly want to work to be better at what I do, and John spoke to that.”

During his blind auditions, Jordan had his mother and wife in attendance, which he said was likely the most special part of the entire experience blind audition for him.

"Courtney has seen me come home emptyhanded and just tired of it, wanting to give up and to get to have her see that happen for me—I wouldn't have it any other way," he said. "And the same for my mom, she has always believed in me. It was indescribable."

Then, being able to come back home and relive his experience when the episode debuted on television with his parents, his wife and his children was another once-in-a-lifetime experience for Jordan.

"It was a gift that 'The Voice' gave me," Jordan said of his blind audition segment on "The Voice," which included a montage of photographs of his children and other family members while Jordan was given a chance to share a little bit of his story with the world. "It was such a special moment for our family. It was really cool. I feel like my kids were really stoic watching it—they didn't really talk, they were just glued."

As someone who has always referred to himself as a “songwriter who just happens to sing,” Jordan hopes that his experience on “The Voice” will not only help him to become an even better musician but will hopefully turn more people to his songs and more importantly to him, to his songwriting.

“I have released 60-plus songs with the Bellwethers, and I am going to release 11 songs this year in total, one a month from February to December, so more than anything I hope that it turns people to the songs. I hope it sheds light on the songs because I know that is what I am the best at and what I am very passionate about and that is telling stories through song. I hope that people can latch onto the songs.”

Jordan said being immersed with other musicians was an exciting experience, allowing him an opportunity to learn from and network with other singers and songwriters from across the country, including writing songs with other contestants on the show, just another example of how this experience has given him more opportunities to grow as a musician.

Since his debut on “The Voice,” Jordan said the community support has been “overwhelming in the best way.”

“I feel like from people that I went to high school with and haven’t talked to in 10 years to people I’ve met in the last two, I feel like everyone has just been incredible, I couldn’t have asked for better support from the community.”

Jordan has an exciting year planned, with a new song coming out every month for the remainder of the year, songs that Jordan hopes will touch people through their storytelling. Jordan also has several live shows lined up in the coming months, giving his local fans plenty of opportunities to get out and see him perform live.

Jordan hopes that his story inspires others to go after their dreams, as well.

“If God has placed a dream on your heart, there is no amount of setback that can keep you from that if it has been planned for you, but he does require hard work and kind of doing it with him, he requires you to meet him halfway. I just hope that people see me and do the thing themselves, whatever that may be.”

March 2025

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 20:33:53 GMT

Small Business, Big Dreams: The Story of a Young Entrepreneur

At just 16 years old, Braelyn Bryant is one of London’s youngest entrepreneurs to have opened a storefront in our ever-growing community. Brae’s Barkery, a charming, unique establishment offering healthy, homemade dog treats to London’s furriest of friends, recently opened its doors to both canine companions and their human counterparts.

As a junior at North Laurel High School, Braelyn began experiencing anxiety and depression that made it difficult for her to get out of bed some days. After making the decision to switch to homeschooling in September of last year, Braelyn is not only ready to graduate high school but now has her own business, something not many teenagers her age can say.

“It feels unreal, kind of,” Braelyn said of being only 16 years old with her own business. “I’m glad that I have something to look forward to because when I went to homeschooling, I didn’t have anything else to do. Now I have something to look forward to.”

Braelyn’s venture into making homemade dog treats began in September when her mom, Beth Bryant, stumbled upon a TikTok video of someone else making their own dog treats. The Bryant family has three dogs of their own, including Braelyn’s dog, Ruby, a Pomeranian who had a near-death experience with a storebought milk bone. It was that traumatizing experience and Braelyn’s love for her dog that inspired her to look for healthy, safe alternatives to storebought treats.

Braelyn would spend hours researching and experimenting with different ingredients to create the perfect treats to feed her family’s dogs.

After seeing how much her own dogs enjoyed the homemade treats, Braelyn, with the help of her mother, created a Facebook page where she began offering homemade dog treats for sale to others. Eventually, that grew into the mother-daughter duo creating cabinets with packaged treats to go inside other businesses throughout London and other nearby communities, offering their homemade dog treats to customers of other establishments, including places like local dog groomers and coffee shops.

In November, after quickly growing their customer-base, Braelyn, along with her mother, began looking at locations for a storefront for her growing business when they stumbled upon what Braelyn said was the perfect location for Brae’s Barkery.

Braelyn, with the help and support of many of her family and friends, began working on preparing her storefront to open.

Her brother, Caleb, helped to design the logo, other family members helped to repair holes in the walls and paint beautiful artwork to hang on the walls and on the windowfront, while Braelyn began looking at other items she could offer in her storefront as well as her homemade dog treats.

Brae’s Barkery officially opened for business on February 1st, offering a plethora of dog-related items, including her homemade dog treats, a “raw bar” of healthy, fresh options for our canine companions, locally made t-shirts, blankets, dog toys, jewelry, and home décor. Many of the items inside Braelyn’s storefront are from local small businesses, much like herself.

But at the core of Brae’s Barkery are the homemade dog treats, crafted with love and care. Each recipe is meticulously developed to ensure it meets the nutritional needs of dogs while tantalizing their taste buds. Braelyn said she is even picky about where her ingredients come from, shopping at the farmers’ market and local butchers to find the freshest ingredients for her furry clientele.

Braelyn, a determined young entrepreneur, has transformed her passion into a thriving business. Despite facing mental health challenges, Braelyn's resilience and creativity has propelled her to success. Her journey is a testament to the power of perseverance and the belief that dreams can be realized regardless of obstacles, using her business as an opportunity to overcome some of those obstacles.

“I felt like this would help me with my anxiety, having my own storefront and not being forced to interact with people but by choice,” she said, as Braelyn admitted that she has grown to enjoy interactions with her customers rather than shy away from it.

“I am definitely starting to get used to interacting with people, like interacting with strangers. I am trying to be more open to talking to people and making people feel welcome when they come in. I want to make sure that my customers feel comfortable.”

Since much of her business came from her cabinets she had set up inside other local businesses, Braelyn had not had the opportunity to see her customers face-to-face until her storefront opened, something that has been eye-opening for the young business owner.

“It’s crazy to see the amount of support that people will give you, people you didn’t even know were there,” she said. “It’s crazy to think we have a storefront now, I never expected it. We started just posting on Facebook and then it has just grown from there.”

Braelyn hopes to see her business continue to grow and thrive, with dreams of one day seeing a warehouse full of her homemade dog treats. She has plans to offer pet adoption opportunities at her storefront, as well as other monthly activities people can do with their pets.

Braelyn said she wouldn’t be where she is without her support system, including some friends who help out at the store and her mom who has been Braelyn’s biggest supporter along the way.

“My mom has always been super supportive of anything we’ve ever done,” Braelyn said. “She’s always done her best as a single parent. I know she loves us and cares. She has put a lot of time and effort into this, so it just makes me really appreciate all she’s done for me.”

Beth even helps at the storefront in the evenings and weekends, as well as in the kitchen when Braelyn is making treats.

“I’m super proud of her,” Beth said of her daughter’s success. “I know she’s had a few struggles, but she’s really opening up. She’s been working hard and staying the course. I couldn’t be more pleased with her, honestly.

“It does my mama heart good, because you worry. There were times, a couple years back, that it was a really scary time for her because of her anxiety and depression. Seeing her grow and go out and do things and do this by herself, it just does my heart good.”

Braelyn hopes to see more friendly faces in the coming months, inviting people to bring their four-legged friends into the store when they come to visit, as well. Every Tuesday at Brae’s Barkery is “Ruby Tuesdays,” inspired by Braelyn’s dog Ruby, where dogs can get their own pup cup in-store.

“This is a safe space,” Braelyn said. “Even if you don’t buy anything, this is a place you can come to and feel safe.”

Brae’s Barkery is located at 1501 South Main Street, Suite L. The barkery is open Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Follow Brae’s Barkery on Facebook for more information and updates.

February 2025

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 20:24:58 GMT

Love Conquers All: Trina & Greg Queen's Story of Love & Adversity

“We have no secret—it’s just love.”

Greg and Trina Queen have proven time and time again that if it’s meant to be, it’ll be. Overcoming tragedy, coming back to each other time and time again, their love has truly conquered it all.

Trina and Greg’s love story began before they had even met one another, with her cousin teasing Trina about the “little redheaded boy” that lived down the street from her cousin.

Trina can even recall the first time she laid eyes on Greg when she was trick-or-treating at his house as a child.

“I remember trying to peak and see what that redheaded boy looked like,” she laughed.

Though it began as good-humored teasing, it had obviously made a lasting impression on Trina, as she recalls crushing on Greg after a friend invited her to go see him perform as lead guitarist in a heavy metal band he was in.

“I thought he was so cool,” she said. After that, when Trina would go visit her cousin’s house, she would watch for Greg to ride up and down the street on his dirt bike.

The pair went on to date as teenagers— “if you can call it that at that age,” Greg teased—when Trina was 14 and Greg was 15. Greg and Trina’s first date was to the movie theater and then to see a band playing downtown. The pair even went to a school dance together in junior high. Their courtship only lasted a few months at the time, though.

“I always had a secret crush on him, but I didn’t want him to know that, because you know how boys are, if they know you like them, they won’t have anything to do with you,” Trina said. “So, I hid my crush, and we stayed friends.”

Though they remained acquaintances, the pair had finally come back together when they were around 18 years old and then tragedy struck.

Trina was at the Laurel County Homecoming in August of 1993 when she heard the devastating news that Greg had been severely hurt in a work accident, an accident that left him paralyzed from mid-chest down.

“I just woke up in the hospital and I couldn’t move, I had all these tubes attached to me and I could hardly see, everything was really blurry,” Greg said. “That’s really the first memory I had; I woke up and didn’t know what had happened.”

Over the next several weeks, Greg spent time in the hospital and at a rehabilitation center recovering from his injuries. Trina would go and visit him from time to time, until Greg was sent to a rehabilitation facility in Colorado where he learned how to live his life as a paraplegic, even learning how to drive a car and how to snow ski. During that time, the pair kept in touch by writing letters back and forth.

Though his life had been completely changed by his accident, Greg never let his injury define him and believes he has done more in his lifetime since his accident than he did before. After returning home from Colorado, Greg began competing in wheelchair basketball, wheelchair racing and handcycle racing. He raced competitively for many years, racing all over the country and even in other countries, including London, England where he won gold and silver medals in the World Wheelchair Games. All the while, the pair kept in contact, with Trina even traveling to see Greg compete in many races.

“I don’t see anything different about me,” he said. “If something happens to you, you just move on and keep going.”

“Not everybody has that mentality,” Trina said. “I mean there are things you have to do differently, but if he wants to do something, he finds a way to do it.”

A couple of years after his accident, Greg went to school in Florida where he became a certified Harley-Davidson mechanic. After returning home, he opened his own Harley-Davidson motorcycle repair shop in 1995 after his desire to get back into riding, building his own custom adaptable trike that would allow him to ride a motorcycle again.

Though they remained friends, the pair didn’t seriously date again until the fall of 1997 when Trina was 21 and Greg was 22. Dating for two years, before their engagement in August 1999, six years from the day of his tragic accident.

Trina recalls Greg buying black duct tape at the store the night before but didn’t think anything of it at the time. The next day, Greg asked Trina to accompany him on a flight over London where the pilot told Trina to look out into a field where some guys were working below. As the plane got closer to the ground, Trina was shocked to see those men holding a banner with the words “marry me” in black duct tape across it.

“He says my mouth just flew open, he still talks about it to this day,” Trina said. And after the initial shock, of course, she said “yes.”

Trina later asked Greg why he had chosen that day of all days to ask her to marry him to which he replied, “I had to start my life over six years ago today, and now I want to start it over again with you.”

And so, they did, as the couple married on January 1, 2000, at the start of the new millennium in front of 250 of their friends and family.

Greg and Trina have built a beautiful life together. They have since had two children, Braden and Tori, who are now 20 and 15 respectively, and just recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

Greg continues to repair Harley-Davidson’s and build custom motorcycles at his shop, Queen’s Custom Cycles in Lily, which he has been doing for 30 years now, while Trina helps out at her family’s restaurant, Mama Rosa’s in London.

“We came out of the tragedy together and now live as normal of a life as possible,” Trina said, although Greg has had a couple more near death experiences over the years, including an ATV accident in 2013 and a shoulder injury that has kept him from racing in the last few years.

All in all, the couple has stuck beside one another and despite all the obstacles that life has thrown at them, they have come out stronger.

“We have ups and downs, it’s not all a bed of roses but it’s life,” Trina said. “We just love each other and get through it together.”

January 2025

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 20:21:55 GMT

Dancing Into the New Year

When it comes to News Years resolutions, many of us will make promises of a healthier tomorrow. We purchase all the workout gear, we sign up for that gym membership and we make a plan to take control of our health and fitness.

Toni Gambrel, who has been teaching a dance cardio class in London for nearly a decade, has had a front row seat to watching several of our men and women in this community take control of their health and fitness in a fun and exciting way.

“It is a fun way to be healthy,” Toni said of her dance cardio class. “You’ll get the benefit without realizing you are working out.”

Originally born in Western Kentucky, Toni was a teacher for many years before she began managing her family’s law office, Gambrel & Wilder, in 2001 after moving back to Laurel County with her family where she has remained ever since.

During the day, Toni works as a paralegal. Then, twice a week in the evenings, she laces up her tennis shoes as she heads into her second “job” as a dance cardio instructor, though Toni doesn’t consider it a job but more of a passion.

When Toni was in her 40s, she made the decision to take control of her health and fitness when she began attending dance workout classes at Powerhouse Gym.

“You realize, ‘hey, I’m over 40 and I need to start really doing extra things to take care of myself,’” she said. “I wanted to be around for grandchildren. So, I started attending classes and fell in love with the idea and aspect of dancing while getting a great workout in.”

Toni took her workout classes seriously, attending every dance class she was able to and becoming more passionate about it with every class. After a while, Toni was asked to help lead dance workout classes, as she became a co-teacher to learn the ropes and get some training before being asked to lead her own classes.

“When I started, I had maybe 10 people and they ranged in ages from as young as high school all the way up to 70s,” she said. Toni’s classes quickly grew and before she realized it, her dance cardio class was the largest, most consistent class at Powerhouse, averaging anywhere from 25 to 35 members a class.

Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and things quickly changed. Gyms were forced to shut down, as did workout classes with Toni. Toni and members of her dance cardio class were devastated, attempting workouts together online or meeting at an outdoor location where they could easily socially distance.

Once restrictions were lifted and gyms were allowed to re-open, Toni was eager to get back to her workout classes with the stipulation that she could only have 10 members per class, so Toni began offering two classes back-to-back to accommodate those who were just as eager to get back in the gym.

Then, another devastating blow came, with the announcement that Powerhouse Gym would be closing for good and once again, Toni and her dance cardio community were looking for options to keep their workout classes going. That’s when the owners of Rhythm Dance Studio and Toni reached an agreement for Toni to rent out their studio space a couple nights a week so she could continue offering her dance cardio classes, something that Toni said has been a huge blessing.

“It has been amazing to use the space,” Toni said.

Since then, Dance Cardio with Toni has been going strong, seeing anywhere from 15 to 25 people eager to get their dance on twice a week. Toni’s classes are typically an hour-long with choreographed dances to an array of genres from pop to country to gospel and even some holiday classics to help workout your entire body. Toni said that her classes are fun and laid back, allowing people to move at their own pace, modify dance moves to fit their needs and take breaks when needed, encouraging people of all ages and body types to join.

“This group is so welcoming,” Toni said. “It doesn’t matter your shape, size, color, gender—there is nobody that is looked at any differently. I try to make it an environment that is for everyone.”

“At the end of the day, for me personally, watching someone evolve into all that they can be, and it may be that shy person in the back who ends up being a leader, for me that is what it’s all about. It’s like having a student finally get something or your child learning to walk. I love that, I absolutely love that.”

Dance Cardio with Toni takes place at Rhythm Dance Studio every Tuesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. It is $5 per class or $35 for the month, with the first class free.

Toni invites anyone with an interest in her class to come in and observe before making any judgements about whether dance cardio is for them or not. She encourages anyone with an interest in joining her class to speak with their physician beforehand and to come in ready to sweat.

“This can be day one of deciding when you want to get healthy,” Toni said. “You get to decide when that day one is going to be. If you are 60 and you are just now deciding you want to get control of your health, I invite you—this is a place for you. If you are 20 and you are already healthy, come and join us, you may teach me a thing or two.”

December 2024

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 20:19:41 GMT

A Rustic Christmas: Lois Turman is Keeping the Tradition Alive

Every December, Lois Turman opens her home to friends and family in the name of tradition, a tradition that began years before Lois and her late husband Ken made the move to Laurel County, Lois’ birthplace and the place she and her husband had visited every weekend for nearly a decade.

Before Lois was born, her grandparents had settled on some farmland in Laurel County. It became the place where her parents lived and raised their own children. Just months after Lois was born, in the middle of World War 2, her family’s home was destroyed when lightning struck their log cabin, starting a fire that burnt their home to the ground and leaving her family with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Lois’ family relocated to Ohio where Lois slept in a suitcase as an infant.

Though Lois’ parents always talked about returning to their ole Kentucky home, the Sturgill family remained in Ohio, coming back down to visit the barn that remained on their property. Lois said her parents had made the barn into a “sweet, little cozy place” for them to come back to visit from time to time after retirement.

“They would enjoy the farm, but they couldn’t leave their grandchildren, they couldn’t leave their children,” Lois said.

Lois and her late husband, Ken, had similar plans to build themselves a home away from home on that same 17 acres of land one day.

“There were times when I remember my dad would bring me over here and Ken and I would walk around and dad would say, ‘now this is the prettiest piece of land in the Colony’ and ‘this would be a perfect spot to build a home’ and I thanked him for all that but never thought we would actually live here,” Lois said.

Shortly after Lois’ father passed away, in 1999, Ken ran across an ad for an 1867 three-story log cabin built by German settlers in Indiana. Though Lois said it needed lots of love and TLC, the pair knew they wanted to take on the project, so the cabin was dismantled and transported by a semi-truck 200 miles from Franklin County, Indiana to Laurel County, Kentucky.

“It was very emotional for it to come through the gate out there,” Lois said. “Tears were running down my mom’s face and ours as well, because our dream was coming true, but my dad just didn’t make it to see it.”

Log by log, the cabin went up. Lois recalls she and Ken putting a wreath up over the logs where the door would one day sit and laying blankets on the floor for a makeshift bed in front of the fireplace where they cooked potatoes for supper.

“It was a labor of love.”

Though they spent every weekend here, it wasn’t until 2010 that Lois and Ken made the move from Ohio to Laurel County. Between their careers, Lois was an accountant and Ken a machinist, and their grandchildren, the couple struggled with the idea of leaving them behind. But after retirement, the two finally made the decision to come back to the place that had been calling them, and especially Lois, home all these years.

The Turmans later added another cabin onto their property that was reportedly built by the first settlers in Laurel County, dating back to around 1867. The historical cabin was discovered in 2004, and Lois and Ken purchased it and had it moved onto their property. The pair also had their own private chapel built on their land after Ken’s declining health made it difficult for them to make it to church services. Other structures were also added to the property overtime, as well.

Their home has since been filled with so many special pieces from Lois and Ken’s childhood, handcrafted cabinetry and other items that the couple had created together, as well as other special touches such as rocks from Rockcastle County to make their fireplace and items that had been purchased and gifted to the couple starting in the 1960s, with Lois recalling the very first antique item she purchased for her home back in Ohio.

“It just called my name,” she said. “The rustier, the better I liked it. It’s like God made me a person that’s supposed to let this thing live on and get a new purpose in life.

“I had no idea that my home would be like this because in Ohio, I had early American furniture. We were out at some fairgrounds, and it was like ‘oh, look at that table.’ It didn’t go with anything we had in our home, but this beat up table caught my eye and I liked it just the way it was—nails showing, paint peeling off. It came into our house and I thought ‘oh my gosh, if that doesn’t look horrible.’ So, in order to make it look good, I had to bring in something else that looked awful.”

Today, stepping into Lois’ cabin is like taking a step back in time, with each room filled with items that help tell the story of the past, from an heirloom stove that was once Lois’ mother’s to antique stoneware pieces to handcrafted toys that Lois and Ken created over the years to showcase toys from the past.

It was those handcrafted toys and décor that started the home tours for Lois and Ken. The pair entered several folk-art shows, traveling all over the country to showcase their work, winning prizes at most every show they were a part of. Buyers soon began asking for specially made orders to give as Christmas gifts and the couple decided they would set up an area of their home in the same primitive style they offered at their shows—never once thinking their entire home would some day be in this same style.

By word of mouth, the home tours grew, as well as orders for specially made gifts. Once Lois and Ken moved to London, she had friends from Ohio calling with their special orders and asking for a tour of their cabin, and eventually her friends in London heard of the tours and joined in, as well.

“It has just kept growing from there,” she said.

Now, Lois spends months each year preparing for guests to arrive, offering a private home tour to friends and family the first Saturday of December every year. She decorates her home and property beautifully from the basement to the third floor and spends much of her time handcrafting unique items to sell.

Though it has been five years since Ken’s passing and two years since their son, Denny, passed away, Lois has carried on the holiday tradition with a little help from her friends. For many, visiting Lois’ home has become a Christmas tradition, with guests inviting new friends and family members to take a step back in time with them to see the beauty and uniqueness of Lois’ home, all while enjoying a fun history lesson, a cookie and a hot cup of wassail.

November 2024

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 20:18:12 GMT

Local People, Local Stories: The Team Behind the Neighborhood

For the last 10 months, London Neighbors has been delivering inspiring, touching stories about the people right here in our community to your mailbox. Behind the scenes, we, at London Neighbors, have been working tirelessly each month to bring you new, exciting content with hopes of instilling a sense of pride in our community.

This month, we would like to take an opportunity to formally introduce ourselves to you, our readers. Our team includes Jonathan Cloud, our publisher; Emily Bentley, the content coordinator; and Jason Boulanger, our photographer.

Jonathan is originally from Hazard. He has one daughter, Brooklyn, who is a seventh grader at South Laurel Middle School. After graduating high school, Jonathan moved to London where he began working at Tincher Williams Chevrolet.

When Jonathan first began working for Tincher Williams, he said he needed extra money to help ends meet and was approached by Bill Webb who offered him the opportunity to help on his car lot any time he needed the extra cash.

“Every week, he would offer me a ride to his shop to work and would find work for me to do, even if it really didn’t need done, just to help me out,” Jonathan said. “He didn’t know me or owe me anything but up until he passed away, he offered ways to help someone that needed the help. I find the same is true about the members of this community; we are more like family than a community. That’s why I decided this was home for me.”

In 2021, Jonathan opened Cloud Aerial Imaging, a drone photography service, as well as 107 Ground School, an educational course designed to educate others on becoming a licensed drone pilot for the state of Kentucky. He specializes in helping first responders all over the state, including the London Police Department, receive their drone pilot licensing. Today, Jonathan owns Locally Branded LLC and is the publisher of this magazine, as well as Best Version Media’s Market Leader for Southeast and Lexington, Kentucky.

When Jonathan originally moved to London in 2003, he found himself in East Bernstadt but later moved closer to town where he fell in love with the area, the people and everything about this community.

“Growing up, we would travel to London from Hazard every week to find something to do, paying toll on the parkway in spare change in the car, so I may have moved here from Hazard in 2003, but I have been a part of this area for over 20 years,” Jonathan said.

Best Version Media has been providing the opportunity for communities to come together and help businesses grow since 2007. It began with just six local magazines in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has since expanded across the United States and into Canada. BVM publications focus on sharing local, family-friendly content every month at no cost to the community.

And when Jonathan began searching for something to give back to the community that had given him so much, he said it was a no-brainer to partner with BVM to do just that.

“BVM puts every ounce of effort into truly bringing people together,” he said. “They specialize in local communities, the amazing stories that are within and it turns normal people into celebrities each and every month. Backed with a second-to-none marketing team, they provide the very best way to help local businesses brand themselves and stay relevant in every community they serve. It’s the best of both worlds for our community and local business owners.”

Jonathan’s role within the publication includes meeting with local business owners and helping to bring local exposure to the services those businesses provide the community on a multi-level platform, as well as overseeing every edition of the magazine.

“Not only have we been able to bring this community this publication and an incredible amount of exposure to our local businesses, but we are a part of a larger community that stretches to every community from Sadieville, Kentucky to Williamsburg and from Campbellsville to Pikeville, placing a publication in each town to help them bring their communities together,” he said. “Our most recent area we are expanding into is the Lake Cumberland area. We want to bring the comradery and the together mentality that London has to all of Kentucky. I firmly believe that London sets the standard when it comes to how to bring people together.”

Late last year, Jonathan reached out to me, Emily, about joining this publication as the content coordinator for London Neighbors. At the time, I had no idea what exactly that meant, nor did I know what London Neighbors or BVM was, but I did know it meant I would have an opportunity to write again, something that I have always been passionate about.

I have spent my entire life in our little community. I was born here. I grew up here. I went to school here, worked here, have raised my family here. My entire life is here.

My husband’s name is Zach, we have two children, Eloise and Elliott, and we live in Keavy with our two cats and three dogs.

I graduated from North Laurel High School in 2014 and went on to Somerset Community College where I graduated with my associate degree. During that time, I was working at EC Porter’s as a cashier. In 2017, I took an internship at the Times-Tribune in Corbin and started working towards my bachelor’s degree at Eastern Kentucky University. I commuted to Richmond multiple days a week while continuing to work as a reporter full-time at the newspaper.

In 2019, I took the sports reporter position that had opened at the Sentinel Echo where I began covering sports for both the Sentinel Echo and the Times-Tribune, which I did until the summer of 2020. After the birth of my daughter, I returned to work as a news reporter once again at the Times-Tribune where I remained until the birth of my son in July 2022 when we made the decision that I stay home with our two children.

I began babysitting for some friends during the week, meaning on any given day, I may have up to five kids climbing me like a jungle gym.

But still, I was looking for something to cure that itch to write again. Last year, I began a mom blog that fizzled out quickly, so when Jonathan reached out to me about writing for a community magazine, I was instantly interested. I had spent the last year and a half looking for ways to cure the writer’s itch and hadn’t quite scratched it yet, so I said “yes!”

Jonathan has entrusted me with coming up with story ideas for every edition, interviewing our featured families, as well as editing and putting together all the content for our publication each month. I can say it has truly been a privilege to write these stories for you, our community members, to read.

Jason was asked to join the team at the beginning of this year as the publication’s photographer after connecting with Jonathan online while Jason was serving as a media ambassador for the World Chicken Festival. On the recommendation of a mutual friend, Jonathan asked about Jason’s interest in becoming the publication’s photographer and he, of course, said yes.

Jason grew up in southern California but landed in Laurel County due to his wife Rebekah’s medical career. After a particularly cold day in Michigan during Rebekah’s three-year residency, the pair knew they wanted to be somewhere a little warmer and began looking at jobs in Kentucky and Tennessee for Rebekah following her residency.

“She ended up interviewing here in London and we liked the area when we came and visited, so we were thrilled when she was hired here,” he said. “What I love most about this community is how friendly and welcoming everyone has been. I grew up in a metro area with a combined population several times the entire state of Kentucky, and when there are that many people it's easy to feel like just a faceless dot floating through life. Here, I feel like a member of an actual community even though we've only been here for about four years.”

Jason has an associate degree in paralegal studies and a bachelor's in political science. Aside from a short stint in his mid-20s working as a paralegal, Jason has been a photographer his entire adult life. He began as an in-house photographer for a publishing company with several different magazines and has since done it all from weddings to family photos, commercial work and much more. As the magazine's photographer, Jason coordinates and performs the photoshoots for each month's featured individuals.

“I see London Neighbors as a celebration of this community and the strength of the people who make it up,” Jason said. “I hope that my work will showcase London and its residents in the best light possible!”

The three of us together make up the London Neighbors team, a group of like-minded individuals with the hopes of bringing our community closer together.

Because of London Neighbors, we have had all had the opportunity to really get to know our neighbors in this community on a whole other level, people we may have never crossed paths with before.

Over the last 10 months, I have laughed and cried along with so many of our neighbors, something that is truly a special experience. I have had this unique opportunity to sit down with and hear the inspiring stories of our community members and string their words together in a featured article for you, our readers.

“I normally wait until the publication comes to me in print to read the feature story, I want to feel what our readers are feeling when they read it for the first time,” Jonathan said. “I can personally say that London has so many incredible people with incredible stories that truly inspire anyone that takes the time to read about all the things we have accomplished here in this community. I love seeing the reaction of our neighbors when they know the person on the front cover and can’t wait to hear who is next.”

As our photographer, Jason said he has also had a special opportunity to get to know others in the community on a deeper level.

“I have gotten to meet people I probably wouldn't have otherwise and hear their stories,” he said. “I leave each photoshoot with not only photos, but a better understanding of the place I live. And yes, I know that sounds cliche, but it's absolutely true!”

We hope that London Neighbors has been as special to you to receive each month as it has been for us to put together. We hope to continue to inspire our readers with each new edition and look forward to continuing this special project for our community.

“All that I can ask is that our community continues to support our publication and understands that it is this community that truly drives the continued growth of our area,” Jonathan said. “I hope they use London Neighbors to come together and support each other the way I was supported when I first moved here 20 years ago.”

October 2024

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 20:17:22 GMT

Life & Loss: The Medlock Family's Story

It has been two years since our community was shaken up with the devastating news of the death of London Police Department Officer Logan Medlock.

Logan was killed in the line of duty by a drunk driver on October 30, 2022—something that forever changed the lives of many that day, but especially the lives of his wife, Courtney Medlock and his son, Brantley Medlock.

“I always say that when he died, a part of me died too, and they just forgot to bury it,” Courtney said. “And that’s exactly what it felt like, because that's all I've ever known, since I was 15, was me and Logan.”

The pair were the textbook definition of high school sweethearts, though they were attending rival schools. Courtney was a cheerleader at South Laurel High School, while Logan played football as a North Laurel High School Jaguar.

“Really, our paths would never cross,” Courtney said.

But as fate would have it, the two met unexpectedly the summer before the start of their sophomore year at Levi Jackson State Park Pool, a place Courtney frequented at the time. Courtney and her friend were sitting by the pool when Logan was coming through the gate with another friend of hers and he immediately caught her eye.

“I remember going to get something to drink on purpose so we could walk in front of him and when we went over there, our mutual friend introduced us,” she said. “I remember he had a cross necklace on, that was one of the first things I noticed, and those big blue eyes and that blonde hair.”

The two ended up seeing more and more of each other that summer through their mutual friend and eventually developed their own friendship. Once school began, Logan and Courtney continued to stay in touch and with the North/South football game coming up, Logan decided they should make a bet.

“He said ‘if South wins, we’ll go to the movies and I’ll pay for your movie ticket and if North wins, we’ll go to the movies and you’ll pay for mine,’ and I said ‘OK, that works.’” she said.

That next day, despite his school winning the crosstown rival football game, Logan not only paid for Courtney’s movie ticket, but he paid for her popcorn, her drink and anything else she wanted. That evening, the pair spent the entirety of the movie lost in conversation, really getting to know one another.

“They say when you know, you know and so at 15, I was like ‘I'm going to marry this guy’ and you know, he told me he said the same thing to his friends, like ‘this is it,’” Courtney said.

“When we had Brantley, Logan cried, and he was just like ‘I've never seen something so beautiful in my life’ and ‘we created this’ and just really in that moment,” Courtney said. “We were really, really happy and that happiness just continued to grow. We were just so excited to be a family, and we would often sit and talk like ‘look at our family.’ It came from two 15-year-olds that everybody thought wouldn't last and here we are—we did it, we made it.”

One of Courtney’s favorite memories she has of her husband and son together was hearing the two of them running through the house having a Nerf war while she was in the kitchen cooking dinner and suddenly, she heard something break in another room and then she heard whispers between Logan and Brantley. “Don’t tell Mommy,” Courtney recalled Logan saying.

“It’s soul crushing because those memories, that happiness that you can look back on and remember are also the ones that kill you because I'm cooking now and there is silence,” she said. “I can hear Brantley playing, but I don't hear the giggles of the two of them together and the running and the breaking stuff. It's almost like I wish something would break.”

Courtney said Logan told her of his dreams of becoming a police officer quickly after they started dating, saying it was a dream of his to follow in his father’s footsteps and Courtney always supported that dream.

Logan worked for some time at the Laurel County Detention Center as a correctional officer before being hired into the London Police Department in August 2019. He later graduated from the Department of Criminal Justice in January 2020 and immediately returned to work with the London PD.

Logan also did roofing as a side job with Kirby Contracting, something Courtney said Logan enjoyed doing with one of his closest friends when he wasn’t working at the police department.

Aside from spending time with his family and his work, Logan enjoyed fishing, hunting and working out. Courtney is thankful her son has some memories of following his father around in the gym, fishing with Logan and said that Brantley even went squirrel hunting with Logan just weeks before he died.

Brantley was only five years old when his father, Logan, was killed in the line of duty, and only two months into his kindergarten year.

“Logan and I were so ecstatic for his first year in school and we talked about that a lot when he started school, all the fun things that come with school,” she said. “Getting to hear about their day and their friends and the class parties, the field trips—we were just so, so excited to be in that stage of life.”

Today, Brantley is seven years old and is the spitting image of his father.

“He looks just like him, he acts just like him,” Courtney said. “His mannerisms are the same. It's almost like ‘whoa,’ it's a copy and paste moment for sure.”

Much like his father, Brantley enjoys hunting and fishing, something Courtney hopes to do with him later this year. He also enjoys soccer and painting, as well. Courtney said that her son has even expressed his own desires to be a police officer one day, often walking around in a uniform the police department had made for him after his father’s death.

The Medlocks had just closed on their first home in June of 2022 and Logan had just purchased his dream vehicle, a Ford F-250.

“It seemed like we had made it, you know,” Courtney said. “We had worked our butts off to get here and we made it.”

On October 29, 2022, Courtney was planning to take Brantley to Boo on Main by herself because Logan had to work that night. Courtney remembers she and Logan embracing for longer than usual that evening before he headed out the door, but the couple had no idea that would be the last time they saw one another.

At 3 a.m., Courtney was suddenly awoken by the sound of her doorbell and then someone banging at the front door. Courtney flew down the stairs and opened the door to see Logan’s dad, his stepmom, her mom and a retired major from the police department.

“I just locked eyes with Randy (Logan’s father)—it was quiet, just eerie silence, then Randy looked at me and said, ‘Logan's dead’ and I remember just falling and he caught me and he just held me.”

The next several hours were a blur for Courtney, the images of people coming in and out of her home while she sat in shock and disbelief, the immense grief of just losing her husband hanging over her.

“For a brief period of time, it was just us and Brantley woke up and he came in and he said ‘mommy, did I have a dream that daddy went to heaven?’ So, I had to tell him that it wasn't a dream, that he did have to go to heaven. Brantley was just bawling. How can a five-year-old wrap his head around the fact that he just lost his dad? And I don't know how to help myself, much less help him at this exact moment, so I just held him and cried with him.”

Courtney didn’t have a lot of time to grieve, though, she admitted. From planning her husband’s funeral to answering phone calls to filling out paperwork to meeting with lawyers and being in court, she was constantly busy doing something and has been for almost the last two years.

Earlier this year, on what would have been Logan’s 28th birthday, justice was finally served when the man who hit and killed Logan was found guilty and will be serving 20 years in prison.

“It has been a very long, hard road and now we are trying to come out on the other side,” Courtney said, with the hope that she and Brantley can now begin to heal as much as their hearts are able, all while keeping Logan’s memory alive.

“The best way to keep Logan's memory alive is just talking about Logan every single day and for people to not be afraid to bring him up in conversation to me,” she said. “I know some people are hesitant because they don't know if I'm going to cry or may not want to be reminded, but the thing is, he deserves to be remembered.”

Courtney hopes that her family’s story will deter someone from making a possibly life-changing choice.

“Drinking and driving is a choice, a selfish, stupid choice,” she said. “We, as adults, should not be making these choices. When we get on the road and we are intoxicated, know that that you can kill someone else, you can kill yourself. Are you ready for your mom to plan your funeral and grieve herself to death? Are you ready to sit in prison because you've killed someone else?”

Courtney said she wouldn’t have been able to make it through the last two years had it not been for her relationship with God.

“He has carried us through this every step of the way since October 30, 2022,” she said. “I urge people that if you don't have a relationship with God, you get one because he's going to be there for you when no one else is.”

Courtney wishes to thank the community for coming together following Logan’s death, from bringing food to just checking in to praying for her and her family. And she wants to thank those who continue to check in and pray for them.

“It doesn't go unnoticed, and we are so thankful to live in a town that when something tragic happens, we all come together, and you feel loved and supported.”

September 2024

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 20:16:17 GMT

Courage. Commitment. Community.

“It’s a culture; it’s a lifestyle.”

Being a first responder means running towards the chaos while others are inclined to take a step back. It means working long shifts and spending time away from friends and family in hopes of making their community a safer place.

It takes a special person to choose to walk into a burning building. But that is the job these community members have signed up for; that is the job of a firefighter.

For Fire Captain Brandon Wagers, who has been with the London Fire Department for 21 years now, his love of his community and eagerness to help others began with the London-Laurel Rescue Squad where Brandon began volunteering at 17 years old.

“My passion for helping people, which began in my youth, led me to become a firefighter in my hometown, allowing me to support and protect the community I care deeply about,” he said.

As soon as Brandon turned 18, he joined the London Fire Department as a volunteer and once he realized he had an opportunity to make a career out of his passion for helping others, he took it.

“I always wanted to be involved in my community and always wanted to help my community, so when I saw I could have a career doing this in my hometown, I was so excited and wanted to get involved,” Brandon said. “I love helping the community.”

Like so many others involved in emergency services, Brandon’s work in the community doesn’t end when he clocks out at the fire department, as Brandon continues to serve his community as captain at the London-Laurel Rescue Squad, as well.

In August, the London Fire Department named its newest fire chief, Donnie Hale, whose career in fire services spans over 30 years. Donnie’s career began as a volunteer firefighter, and he has since advanced through numerous roles within the department.

Donnie said he plans to serve the citizens of London in a professional manner, with a list of goals to help with the department’s continued growth, including hiring more personnel and purchasing a new fire truck.

“We want to serve the city and the citizens of London to the best of our ability,” he said. “We train every day to make all of this possible.

"We as a city work together as one. When I say that, it is the mayor's office, the police department, the city garage and recycling center, along with the City Fire Department. We all work together and become stronger as a group."

The London Fire Department has been a vital part of our community since its formation in 1922. Currently, the department has 17 full-time career firefighters. These firefighters work 48-hour shifts, as well as some who work part-time at the department and some who volunteer.

The London Fire Department covers the entire city limits, responding to a wide range of emergency calls including fire alarms, house fires, gas leaks, medical emergencies and more.

“On average, we handle numerous calls daily and weekly, reflecting the diverse nature of emergency situations we encounter,” Brandon said.

Being a firefighter also means rigorous, ongoing training, including daily or weekly in-service training sessions and various mock fire drills to ensure that the firefighters know exactly what to do in an emergency.

“This continual education is crucial for maintaining the high standards required in our profession,” Brandon said.

When the department responds to a call, each firefighter on the scene is assigned to a specific task to ensure that the scene is managed as efficiently and as safely as possible. Brandon said that this approach helps the firefighters to address all aspects of the emergency effectively, while maintaining the safety of both the first responders and those who are being affected.

There is also a lot of behind-the-scenes work that the London Fire Department does, things that the public likely isn’t even aware of, including documentation of all emergency responses, planning and other trainings.

The department is also heavily involved in various community initiatives, including providing educational classes to the community such as CPR classes, “Stop the Bleed” classes, first aid, car seat installation, and other educational classes. Brandon said the London Fire Department also partners with the American Red Cross to offer a smoke detector program, ensuring that residents have working smoke detectors in their homes, as well as being involved in programs like the Backpack Program of Laurel County and participating in other local school events.

One thing the department enjoys providing to the community every summer is their “Beat the Heat” campaign, which aims to provide support and resources to vulnerable populations during extreme heat events. The department travels to various places throughout the community, allowing community members an opportunity to cool off in a water spray system provided by the department, while also providing CPR education to those in attendance.

“Our safety and fire education programs in local schools and the community further contribute to fire prevention and safety awareness,” Brandon said, adding that a Safe Haven Baby Box was also installed at the department in December, a collaborative effort of community members and city officials to provide a safe place for babies to be discreetly surrendered at the firehouse.

Brandon said that there are many ways for community members to support the city or even your local community fire department by participating in the educational opportunities provided by the department to learn more about safety protocols. Another way to help make a firefighter’s job easier is by becoming more aware of your surroundings, whether that be watching for emergency vehicles while on the road or even just closing your bedroom door at bedtime, because research shows that a closed door can mean the difference between 1,000 degrees and 100 degrees in the event of a fire.

Perhaps one of the biggest ways community members can help the fire department, though, is by lending a helping hand.

“If they are interested, get involved,” Brandon said. “The biggest thing you can do is offer your help. Sometimes we don’t have enough personnel in emergency situations, and really, safety is in numbers.”

It truly takes a special person with a heart for helping others to do the job of a firefighter. The next time you see one of our local firefighters, let them know how thankful we are for their hard work and dedication to keeping our community safe.

August 2024

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 20:15:26 GMT

Beyond the Classroom: Sublimity’s Jennifer Lawson is a Champion for Students

“Every kid deserves to have somebody rooting for them.”

For nearly two decades, Jennifer Lawson has been molding young minds at Sublimity Elementary School, going above and beyond to be a champion in her students’ lives.

Jennifer, born and raised in Laurel County, is married to Bart Lawson. The couple has three children, Luke, Cam and Skye.

At an early age, Jennifer was one of those students asking for extra worksheets so she could play school at home. Jennifer admitted teaching wasn’t her first choice when choosing a major in college, although after one semester of nursing school, she realized her true passion.

Jennifer took her first teaching job in 2006 as an art teacher who went back and forth between Sublimity and Johnson elementary schools.

“That was the only thing open, so I took it,” she said. “I was just eager to be somewhere, anywhere.”

By her second year of teaching, Jennifer was offered a first-grade job at Sublimity just a few weeks after the start of the school year. Since then, Jennifer has found herself teaching second grade and fourth and fifth grades, all at Sublimity. Jennifer is now entering her 19th year as an educator where she teaches reading to fourth and fifth grade students.

Last school year, Sublimity Elementary School was named the number one elementary school in the state of Kentucky based on results from the 2023 Kentucky Summative Assessment, a statewide assessment that measures a student’s learning in different subjects.

“When we told the kids that news last year, to see how proud they were of themselves—it was one of the best days in my whole teaching career, just to see those kids be so proud of themselves and to accomplish something nobody has ever done here before,” Jennifer said.

Jennifer said it takes everyone in the building, from teachers to administrators to custodians to teacher’s aides, to make something like that happen. And that is why, Jennifer said, there is just something special about being a Sublimity Eagle.

“Every teacher thinks their school is the best and I’m no different, to me our school sticks out as a special place for a lot of different reasons,” Jennifer said. “Here, our motto has always been ‘every student, every day.’ Don’t do what’s easy because 99 percent of the time, what you’re supposed to do is the hardest thing of all to do. Here at Sublimity, students have always been the number one focus.

“Sublimity is a small school, which is one of the things I love about it—a small community, a close-knit community. So, when you have a group of educators in the building who all have that same common goal, I hate to be cliché and say magic happens but truly when you can all work together, all be on the same page, something special happens.

We push kids really hard here at Sublimity, in every grade level. We are the number one school in the state for a reason, because we aren’t easy. If we didn’t give our kids challenges, they wouldn’t grow.”

To keep her students interested and excited about learning, Jennifer finds ways to make her classroom more inviting, she integrates little games into her lessons and encourages her students to engage in group discussions. The school also hosts things like a masquerade ball for the students, pep rallies, team days and other activities.

“We do little things like that all throughout the year, just little extras to give them something to look forward to,” Jennifer said. “All of us work together to do these things. We come to our job, and we get paid—well this is the students’ ‘job,’ so they should get rewarded or get ‘paid.’”

Jennifer’s former principal, Kristina Thomas, who was named the Director of Accountability and Elementary Education for the district last year, is always encouraging teachers to be champions for their students. Kristina really challenged Jennifer to find new and exciting ways to keep students engaged, which has become an integral part of Jennifer’s day-to-day teaching.

“She has been such a great mentor to me,” Jennifer said of Kristina. “She has always said ‘you can say the perfect things, you can have the perfect curriculum but if your kids aren’t engaged, then they are learning zero percent.’ Engagement is something I’ve always considered a strength but moving to intermediate grades, I found that to be a bigger challenge. She challenged me to not only find new ways to engage students but to also analyze that data that goes hand in hand with that. Analyzing that data to see how each student is progressing is a crucial aspect.”

Jennifer has seen a lot of changes to the education system in the time she has been teaching, including advancements in technology and new teaching curriculums. But perhaps the biggest change of all has been teaching during the COVID shutdown, as classes were all moved online and teachers were still expected to find a way to reach their students through a screen.

“It was such a time of uncertainty and not knowing ‘is this the new norm forever?’,” she said. “Those COVID kids, I think they will have a deeper appreciation for learning that no other kids will, those that remember being home and remember not being able to leave their house.

“Teachers who have been here before, after and during COVID, we just get it. We see things and understand things no one else will. It gives us teachers who have been through it a deeper appreciation.”

Perhaps one of the hardest parts of being an educator is wishing they could do more for their students beyond just teaching them in the classroom.“I get paid to come in and teach standards, that’s what I get paid to do but that’s only about 50 percent of what I do,” Jennifer said. “To be able to come in and love them and be that person that so many of them don’t have and be able to help them in so many ways, outside of reading is so special. To be the person they talk about their problems to, that’s one thing in fourth and fifth grade that I was not prepared for—they deal with so much that when I was a kid was nonexistent. And that’s one of the hardest parts of this job. I always knew that kids had bad home lives, that’s always been there but just seeing the pressures they deal with daily, it’s just so much.”

Because of that, Jennifer said that teachers often find themselves up late at night worrying about the student who seemed extra quiet in class that day or picking up a pair of shoes for the student whose shoes are worn out.

Jennifer’s daughter, Skye, was one of those students who Jennifer was constantly worrying about.

Skye had been in the foster care system since she was just two years old and was a student of Jennifer’s when Skye was in second grade, a student who Jennifer saw so much potential in despite her struggles in her home life that in turn caused behavioral issues at school.

“I would go home to my husband talking about her and I’d be like ‘there’s this little girl and if she just had anybody to help her—’ she was so smart, so pretty but she was a terror, she was not a good kid at school, but I knew she had so much potential.”

In third grade, Skye’s foster mom passed away and Jennifer offered to help her foster dad out if he needed it. Less than two weeks later, Jennifer was asked if she would like to take Skye in and she immediately said “yes.”

“I went home and I said ‘Bart, remember that girl, Skye? Well, she’s going to come home with us tomorrow.’ And he just said ‘OK’ because he just knew,” she said. “When I say that was a God thing, truly. It just all happened really fast. It was just a whirlwind.”

Three years later, in February of 2020, Skye was officially adopted into the Lawson family.

“The day we told her she was going to be living with us, she was a different child,” Jennifer said. “Her walls finally came down; she was able to just be Skye. She just completed our family.

“There are more teachers than I think people realize that would like to take students home with them and some who have, and I know a few who have tried and it just didn’t work out. Educators see those students who just need somebody and it’s something that I know we all think about a lot.”This year, Jennifer has a rare opportunity to teach her former students again, as she teaches reading to both fourth and fifth grade students, something that has her really excited for the school year.

“Being able to get to know students on a deeper level in the second year of teaching them and being able to make such stronger relationships and seeing them be leaders for fourth graders who may be struggling, that is something that I didn’t know was going to happen but now I’m really looking forward to it.”

More than anything, Jennifer hopes that students who go through her classroom leave with the knowledge that just because something seems difficult, doesn’t mean it is impossible, and that showing a little kindness goes a long way.

“All our teachers in this building, we teach kindness with such a priority because we know this world is not kind,” she said. “But I hope that they remember that kindness can take you a lot farther than anything else. It’s a really hard thing to teach because a lot of kids don’t see kindness at home and when they don’t see kindness at home, it’s a chain reaction, they don’t show kindness to others. And I hope they know how much I love them and how much all their teachers love them.”

Jennifer said she and her coworkers are all thankful for the support from the rest of the school staff, the school administration and the support of the parents and community.

“All teachers, we love what we do, and we could not do this job without the support of our community—it makes a huge difference,” she said. “It really takes everyone in the building to make this such a special place.”

July 2024

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 20:12:49 GMT

Protect & Serve: Stephen Bales Serves His Country & Community

Serving others—that has been the lifelong mission of retired United States Army Colonel Stephen Bales.

Nestled on approximately 92 acres of farmland in Laurel County live the Bales family, made up of Stephen, his wife, Hope and their son, Kaleb.

Stephen, who is now 55, grew up on a farm in Cold Hill, while his wife, who also grew up in Laurel County, lived on a horse farm. Throughout his entire life, Stephen’s family have been members of Locust Grove Church in Keavy, which Stephen said has given him a good, Christian foundation and morals. Stephen grew up farming on his family’s land, something that he said had instilled a solid work ethic in him even before his time in the Army.

“I knew how to work, I knew how to fix things and it really helped me in my career, especially when I was a lieutenant and a captain, when you’re down at the lower levels and doing more mechanical stuff,” he said.

Though he had some interest in the military because of a neighbor who served as a Marine Corps recruiter, it was Stephen’s junior year of high school when a recruiter for the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York came to London that his interest really peaked.

“I knew going to West Point was one of the only ways I could go to college, for my parents to afford it,” he said. “We lived a good life, I had everything I needed and a lot of things I wanted, but they just weren’t going to be able to send me to college and West Point is relatively free, you just have to serve five years when you get out.”

Following his graduation from Laurel County High School in 1987, Stephen went to West Point where he received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, becoming the first born and raised native of Laurel County to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Stephen said his time at West Point was a humbling and challenging experience, but he came out with lifelong friends, and it was the start of a successful Army career which began in Missouri with his officer basic training course from August 1991 to February 1992. Stephen’s first assignment was in South Korea where he served as a lieutenant.

Several assignments later, at 28 years old, Stephen and Hope were set up on a date by their aunts and six months later, the two were married on July 4, 1998. Following their honeymoon, the newly married couple went to North Carolina and immediately Hope settled into her military spousal duties, becoming involved in Army Family Team Building and teaching classes to other military spouses.

“I could not have asked for a better spouse or partner to share an Army life with—she loved it,” Stephen said.

One of their favorite assignments, Stephen said, was Australia where the couple was stationed for two years.

Then, in November of 2005, the couple welcomed their son, Kaleb, into the world while stationed in Texas and just before Kaleb’s first birthday, Stephen was being deployed to Iraq. By the time Stephen returned to the states, his son was two years old and the two had to become reacquainted with one another.

“He wasn’t even walking when I left and then I come home and he’s running around,” Stephen said.

After his first tour overseas, Stephen said he noticed a change in the way he reacted to certain things.

“I have never been diagnosed with it (PTSD), I can’t say I have it but I remember the summer after I got home from Iraq, we moved to Louisville and we came in for the Chicken Festival in September and Main Street was just packed—we were walking down Main Street and I’ve got Kaleb on my shoulders, he was two, down where all the rides and all that stuff was, there was a big ‘boom’ and I stopped, grabbed Kaleb and I kind of hunkered down a little bit and then I looked around and realized nobody else paid any attention to it. I was the only one who reacted to it. Even to this day, if there is something odd in the road, I will avoid it because in Iraq and Afghanistan, one of the biggest things that killed soldiers was IEDs (improvised explosive device).”

In 2008, Stephen was promoted to lieutenant colonel and then in 2012, when Kaleb was six years old, Stephen volunteered to go to Afghanistan for a year with United States Army Corps of Engineers where he served for one year. Stephen was promoted to colonel in 2014, followed by an assignment in South Korea and finished out his career serving in Winchester, Virginia.

In 2020, after receiving a letter thanking him for his 30 years of service in the Army, Stephen received a call from his uncle asking if he and Hope would be interested in buying their house that sits on Stephen’s grandfather’s old dairy farm—an easy “yes” for the Bales family.

“Had I got promoted again, we would probably still have been in the Army, but it worked out really good for us,” Stephen said. “We have a beautiful home right here on my grandfather’s farm and all our family is here.”

Stephen officially retired on July 31, 2021, serving 30 years and 30 days in the United States Army.

“I turned 18 on June 11, 1987, and went into West Point on July 1, 1987, so I had been 18 for 19 days before I went into West Point and up until my retirement, I had spent my entire adult life in uniform,” Stephen said.

Stephen and his family made the move back to their hometown, settling into their new home on what was formerly his grandfather’s dairy farm, and quickly got back to work, taking over Stephen’s family’s dog boarding service, Laura’s Dog & Cat Retreat, and caring for over 210 acres of farmland between his and his uncle’s land, as well as helping out his dad from time to time.

“We were home,” Stephen said.

Since settling back in Laurel County, Stephen has joined the Keavy Fire Department where he also serves as treasurer/secretary and is continuing his mission of service to others by serving his neighbors and his community through firefighting. He is also a member of the Laurel County Extension Ag Board.

His son, Kaleb, just graduated from South Laurel High School and will be attending the University of Kentucky College of Engineering in the fall. Stephen’s wife, Hope, oversees most of the work at their pet retreat. And Stephen is happy to get back to work post-retirement doing the things he enjoys most; spending time with his family, working outdoors and hunting on the family farm, all the while continuing his lifelong mission of serving others.

Reflecting on his 30-year career, Stephen believes that his time serving in the Army has given him a new understanding of selfless service, something he believes we should all strive for, while also making him even more prideful of the country he had the opportunity to serve, something he calls an honor and a privilege.

“Selfless service is important,” he said. “Whether it is simply opening the door for someone, using your turn signal, letting someone out in traffic—serving others is important. Serving in your church, becoming a volunteer firefighter, serving your community is important. You get rewarded more than you’ll ever think.”

June 2024

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 19:57:06 GMT

A Beautiful Life: The Connor Dotson Story

The Connor Dotson Story

To know Connor Dotson is to love him.

Connor is a well-known figure in the community. From sporting events to the dance floor, it is hard for Connor to walk into a room where he isn’t immediately met with a “Hey Connor!” and lots of hugs. His contagious smile, his immense joy and his love for life are just a few of the things people think of when they think of Connor.

On August 11, 1999, Kacey Bolton and Jamie Dotson were overjoyed with the birth of their son, Connor. It wasn’t until Connor was born that his parents noticed his physical features were different from a lot of the other babies in the nursery, which sparked testing and lots of doctors’ appointments for Connor over the years.

For many years, doctors were unsure of Connor’s medical diagnosis. Aside from the physical features, Connor experienced developmental delays and suffered from seizures beginning at 15 months old. He continued going to occupational, physical and speech therapies throughout his life.

Just before Connor’s 10th birthday, Kacey received a call from a doctor with the University of Kentucky Pediatric Genetics Clinic who said he finally had an official diagnosis for Connor, Nicolaides-Baraitser Syndrome—or the ‘Beautiful Syndrome’ as it is called by Connor’s family and friends.

Nicolaides-Baraitser Syndrome, also known as NCBRS, is an extremely rare condition that is characterized by intellectual disability and various physical features. Some of its symptoms include sparse hair, distinctive physical features, seizures, short stature and impaired language development.

At the time of his diagnosis, Connor was one of 23 cases in the world. Today, he is one of less than 300 cases worldwide. While his diagnosis of NCBRS changed nothing for Connor or his family, Kacey said that it has connected their family with a community of others with the same diagnosis, giving them the opportunity to travel around the world to meet others with the syndrome.

Because of his special needs, Connor must have constant care and Kacey said they couldn’t make it without their caregiver, Kathy Jones, who also watches Kacey’s stepson, Trent, who has autism. Kacey said that Kathy and Connor’s bond is so special and is very thankful for her helpfulness and love for Connor.

Connor enjoys going to sporting events, particularly basketball and football. He loves music and dancing, as well as going to church and rewatching old sermons on his iPad. He loves sweet treats, especially late at night when Kacey said he is supposed to be sleeping.

Connor also has a love for horses and will be resuming horse riding lessons this summer. He loves watching horse races and his family hopes to one day take him to see the Kentucky Derby in person.

Connor was recently invited for a private horse farm tour at Gainesway Farm where he had the chance to meet Tapit, a retired Kentucky Derby racehorse.

Every year, Connor loves participating in London’s annual Action for Autism Walk with Trent. Connor loves breaking it down on the dance floor at Special Prom, which is hosted by Action for Autism. And he enjoys supporting all his siblings in their sporting and other events in their lives, just as they have supported him.

Kacey said there is not one thing she would change about her son, as he is such a blessing to all of those around him.

“He is so joyful, so inspiring,” she said. “We spoil him, and he brings so much happiness to us and to his siblings.”

Even growing up, Connor has always been the happiest person in the room and is usually the cause for everyone else’s smiles and joy, as Connor doesn’t meet a stranger and can turn anyone’s bad day around.

“He just has such a love for life,” Kacey said. “The little things make him happy.”

Connor, who is now 24 years old, is facing another diagnosis.

It was 10 years ago when doctors unexpectedly discovered a small tumor on Connor’s left lung. Since then, doctors have continued to monitor the tumor for growth or change. It wasn’t until last fall that doctors began to worry as the tumor had grown significantly and suggested that Connor have a biopsy done to determine if it was cancerous.

Earlier this year, Connor had a biopsy of the tumor in his left lung, which was found to be cancerous, and his family has been faced with the difficult decision of what to do next. After much discussion with doctors, it was found that the best option to give Connor the best chance at living a long, happy life would be to completely remove his left lung. So, Connor will be having a pneumonectomy in the fall.

Connor will have a week of recovery in the ICU following surgery which comes with its own challenges as Connor struggles to even keep something as small as a Band-Aid on because of his special needs, let alone having tubes and IVs all over his body.

The news of Connor’s cancer diagnosis has been heartbreaking for his entire family, as well as the community who has come to know and love him, but Kacey said they know their faith in God will get through them.

“If it is God’s will to heal him, that is what we are praying for,” Kacey said. “But we have all the faith in the world that even if we have to go through surgery, the good Lord is going to take care of him.

“We know Connor loves God and God loves him and he will see him through whatever obstacles he faces. We are fully trusting the Lord in every decision we make. And we know God is glorified through Connor.”

Kacey said the community’s support since Connor’s cancer diagnosis has been incredible, with special nights of worship and prayer in Connor’s honor and making T-shirts in support.

“I think you can get through something like this knowing you have God on your side and the support of your community, your friends and family,” Kacey said.Kacey said if there is one positive thing that can be said of Connor’s cancer diagnosis it is that he doesn’t understand that he is sick.

His family has made the decision to continue to live life like normal, including planning an exciting summer for Connor with weddings for two of his brothers, a vacation, plans to visit the lake and all the things Connor loves.

“Him not realizing that he is sick is just a huge blessing because he doesn’t have to worry about things,” Kacey said. “If we could all live life like Connor, we would all be better off.”

May 2024

Wed, 01 May 2024 19:57:15 GMT

Changing the Narrative: Tess Little Has Big Dreams

At six years old, Martha “Tess” Little developed a stutter, something that inadvertently changed the trajectory of her life by not only making her into a more caring and compassionate human, but by making her work that much harder to prove she can do whatever she sets her mind to.

Tess, who is now 18 years old and will be graduating from South Laurel High School this month, is the daughter of Holly Little, London City Council member, and Butch Little. She also has an older brother, Tucker Little, who attends college in South Carolina.

Tess is a member of Laurel County Youth Leadership, SLHS Future Problem Solvers, National Society of High School Scholars, National Honors Society and SkillsUSA Secretary. She is also involved in theatre and is the Creative Director for South Laurel’s theatre productions and serves as the goalie for the South Laurel soccer team, though she had an injury this past season that kept her out of playing.

At just 18 years old, Tess already has a book of poetry published and is in the editing stage of a novel she has been working on for four years now. She is also extremely artistic and enjoys creating sculptures and paintings. Last year, Tess attended the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts – Creative Writing and has placed in several art shows.

Tess has also volunteered and held many jobs within the city, including working for London Tourism, the White Lily and has sold handmade jewelry and artwork for many years.

After developing a stutter at the age of six, Tess admitted it took her a few years before she realized she had a stutter.

“For me, ignorance was bliss,” she said. “I didn’t know I had a stutter; I knew I had a speech impediment, but I didn’t know what it was, I didn’t hear it in my own voice.

For most of her life, Tess has used her writing and art to cope with her feelings about her stutter and to get out the things she can’t always find the words to say out loud.

“Ever since I was young, if something was bothering me, I would start drawing, even if it was just scribbles,” she said. “I have this painting that I’m very proud of and it’s just a mess of color, but I call it ‘my angry painting.’ I was really upset and just started throwing paint at this canvas, but I used it to work through my emotions and I feel like it was the first time I truly realized art is my life, it means everything to me. Art helps me heal and that painting symbolizes that for me.

“Writing has also been huge. When I have a lot of anxiety, I will go nonverbal and I can’t speak, so whether it’s just writing to tell my mom what’s going on or telling my friends I can’t do that right now, just being able to communicate the things I need to communicate and communicating the things I can’t say out loud through poetry or other writing.”

Tess said her parents have done everything they could to help her overcome her stutter, as Tess began speech therapy at six years old and continued going to speech therapy up until her sophomore year of high school, but her stutter just wasn’t going away.

“I thought this was something that was so incredibly wrong with me,” Tess said about her stutter. “I thought it had to be fixed or I was this broken human being that couldn’t do anything, but I have grown from that. My stutter is a part of me, and I have to love it to love myself, which is hard to do but I work towards it every day.”

Tess said her mindset about her stutter changed after learning that one of the prophets in the Bible was “slow of speech and of tongue,” which is interpreted by many scholars to mean a stutter.

“He was still called to do all these amazing things, so that was when I started to change my mindset that ‘if he can do all these amazing things, why can’t I?’” Tess said. “That’s when I started to look at my stutter in a different light, like I can use this to my advantage.”

Tess said that because of her speech impediment, she is often underestimated, and she loves to prove that she can do all those things people don’t think she can or should be doing as someone with a stutter.

“If it’s something that I feel I shouldn’t be doing, I am doing it, in terms of my speech impediment,” she said, citing theatre as one of those things people often don’t think she should be a part of with a stutter.

“I am very involved in theatre because, in theory, I shouldn’t be doing that. I like being on the stage, I like proving to people that I can do it. It feels good to be up there and whenever I don’t stutter, it’s very rewarding.”

And all that hard work Tess has put in to prove that she is more than her stutter has paid off, as she will be attending Savannah College of Art and Design in the fall, where she will be double majoring in film production and creative writing.

One of the first times that Tess said she saw someone with a stutter portrayed in books and film in a positive light was in Stephen King’s It, which was portrayed through the character Bill. That was when Tess began thinking seriously about becoming a writer and director.

“I feel like a lot of people think of Harry Potter and Professor Quirrell. ‘Poor stuttering Professor Quirrell,’ that’s something he literally says, or they think of The Waterboy with Adam Sandler, like someone who is ignorant. Whether people realize it or not, it makes a joke out of something that really impacts people.”

Tess hopes to make a positive impact on the world through her work someday and hopes to change the narrative surrounding people with differences, whether that be by portraying a character with a stutter to help people feel more understood or displaying southeastern Kentucky and the Appalachian region in a more positive light.

“I have never actually written a character who has a stutter because I feel like there is so much I want to say about it or show people about it, but I feel like I need to live a little bit more life before I do that,” Tess said. “But whenever I do, I want as many people to see it as possible so hopefully another child doesn’t have to go through some of the things I did, to create a more welcoming world for people who are different in any sort of way.”

Though Tess will be leaving her little hometown of London in the fall, she will always remember the support her community has given her through the years and the connections she has made as she works towards her dreams. And she hopes that her story can be inspirational to anyone who may feel different.

“You can do it—you need to believe that you can do that,” Tess said. “Maybe you shouldn’t do it, but you can, you have every ability to. Don’t let people or the media tell you you can’t.”

April 2024

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 19:15:25 GMT

Hope After Loss: The Lewis Family's Journey to Healing

“There is hope after loss.”

The Lewis family is proof of that.

Regina and Jerry Lewis, who have been married for almost three decades, were married on June 9, 1995. Regina and Jerry have three children, Megan Collins, who is 28; Paige, who is 25; and Tyler, who passed away at 17 years old. Jerry was a truck driver for 20 years, while Regina was a stay-at-home mom.

Once their children were all in school, Regina began college at Lindsey Wilson where she became a licensed counselor. While working on her master’s degree, Regina began working for a residential facility for women with substance abuse disorder and later at a residential facility for teenage boys with substance abuse disorder.

Regina then encouraged Jerry to go to college after he made the decision to step away from trucking. Jerry graduated from nursing school in May 2017 and then he quickly began work in the behavioral health field at Baptist Health Corbin.

Regina and Jerry’s son, Tyler, was the youngest of their three children. His parents called him an “old soul.”

“To us, he was very special,” Regina said of Tyler.

“He loved ‘60s music—he would have fit right in with the hippie era,” Jerry said. “He loved The Beatles, he loved The Doors.”

Tyler also had a fascination with outer space, particularly he loved Neptune because “Neptune is always cold and it’s the furthest away from all the other planets,” which is what Tyler told Regina when she asked why Neptune was his favorite of all the planets, something that Regina said made her feel sad looking back.

“Tyler always put on the persona that he knew he wasn’t going to be here forever—he just did, which was scary, but we just didn’t pick up the cues,” Jerry said. “Tyler came to us one night and he wanted a tattoo and I told him in our house, you have to be 18 and he said ‘what if I don’t make it to 18?’ and I said ‘you’re going to make it to 18, everybody makes it to 18.’ I think he wanted to live the most that he could and do everything that he could in a small frame of time.”

“He wanted to live 100 miles an hour,” Regina said. “I was like ‘Tyler, you are young, you have all the time to do these things you want to do but when you are older.’ He told me ‘I want to live and I want to experience everything right now.’”

Tyler was a jokester, as he was always cutting up with his friends and family. The Lewis' later found out that Tyler was often the friend everyone leaned on when they were struggling, something they heard from several of Tyler’s former classmates following his death.

“Tyler was a typical teenager—giving his parents all kinds of heck,” Regina said.

At 13 years old, Tyler’s parents found out that he had gotten involved in substance abuse.

As a substance abuse counselor, Regina was shocked to find out about Tyler’s substance abuse and even more shocked when Tyler expressed to his parents that he was suffering from depression. But with Regina and Jerry both in the mental and behavioral health field, the pair were quick to get Tyler into therapy and on the right medication.

“For me, being a counselor, I was like ‘OK, we’ve got a plan,’” Regina said. “We got him into counseling and on medication and thought things were going to get better but even though he was on depression medication, he still used. It was really rough back and forth, him just being a teenager and wanting to do what he wanted to do, of course.”

Despite his struggle with depression, Tyler was a hard worker. He started working at 15 years old because he wanted to earn his own money.

At 16 years old, his parents decided to send Tyler to the Appalachian Challenge Academy, a 22-week military-based residential program that focuses on education and character development. While at the academy, Tyler continued to receive counseling.

When Tyler returned home from the Appalachian Challenge Academy, he returned to his normal activities, including counseling with his regular therapist.

It was August 22, 2017—a normal day for the Lewis family, the day after the solar eclipse that swept across the United States. Tyler had stayed home from school that day as he had been to the doctor with a sinus infection the day prior.

“It was a Tuesday, and I was supposed to be working a long week at the hospital, but something happened and I was off that day,” Jerry said, recalling that he went to Tyler’s room to ask him if he would like to go with him to the grocery store to find something to cook for dinner, something Tyler and Jerry enjoyed doing together. Jerry was surprised to find Tyler’s door was locked.

“I started knocking on his door, but he didn’t answer, so I got a butter knife to try and open his door,” Jerry said. “So, I opened it and I looked around and he wasn’t in there. Something just didn’t feel right. I looked on the bed and on the bed was a blue folder, just a regular folder, and it said ‘I’m sorry, I love you guys. Please forgive me.’ So, I thought ‘well, he’s ran away.’”

Jerry, who could easily recount every minute of that dreadful day, said that something just clicked and he went to look for an old gun that Jerry had kept in the bottom drawer of his dresser, but it was nowhere to be found.

“Panic set in,” Jerry said. “But I had no idea where Tyler could be.”

Jerry called Regina, who was at work, and asked her to come home quickly as a search party began looking for Tyler. Regina said a friend who was at their house at the time knew of a spot Tyler would often go to sit and think, so that friend made the drive alone to a nearby location looking for Tyler.

“We heard the ambulance,” Regina said, as the Lewis family’s world was turned upside down.

“It was the absolutely, positively worst night of our lives,” Jerry said.

Tyler didn’t immediately pass away, he was rushed to the hospital and then later sent to the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington where he passed the following day, allowing his family a rare opportunity to say their final goodbyes.

“We were really fortunate in that way, because a lot of parents don’t get that, they don’t get to say their goodbyes,” Regina said.

But then, the Lewis family was left with the immeasurable grief of losing their "Neptune," something that was etched onto the headstone for their 17-year-old deceased son.

“High blood pressure is known as the silent killer but really depression is too, it just eats away and eats away at somebody’s mentality,” Jerry said. “We’re just one of many sets of parents out there that could tell this same story. Maybe not the same details, but we share this story with so many parents across the United States.”

Jerry, who had already suffered a tremendous amount of grief throughout his life including the loss of his father when Jerry was just 11 years old, the loss of his former wife, Judy, who passed away in a car crash in October 1993 and then, in April 1995, Jerry suffered through the loss of his three-year-old son, Justin, who ultimately succumbed to injuries sustained in the ’93 crash. Jerry also lost his mother in 2013.

“That crushing blow of losing someone you love instantaneously, you do have to develop coping skills whether they are positive or negative to get you through that time,” Jerry said. “Another thing you have to develop, which is sad, but it is a hard shell.

“Tyler’s death was absolutely, positively devastating but because I was able to wrap my brain around the situation that logically I still had to live and because of that and because of my family and my faith, I was able to have the strength to get through those days.”

Every year, on the anniversary of his death, on birthdays and on holidays, the Lewis family relives the pain of losing Tyler and the events of that dreadful day.

“It is the most tragic thing for a parent to have to go to the cemetery on Christmas and on Thanksgiving and on their child’s birthday and that’s where you have to visit them for the rest of your life,” Jerry said.

Now, the couple has dedicated their lives to reminding others just how precious life really is.

Regina and Jerry chose to turn their grief into an opportunity to support other families going through similar grief, while hoping to prevent others from experiencing a loss like their own through Healing Haven, a mental health facility offering counseling services to children as young as four years old up to senior adults who need help working through substance abuse, grief, trauma, couple’s therapy, anger management, and help to treat anxiety, depression, bipolar and other disorders.

“We knew we wanted to give back to our community,” Jerry said. “We love London, we love Laurel County and we wanted to give back. The only way we could do it, we felt, was to do it this way, because I think we were called to do this.”

Five years after Tyler’s death, the couple leased the building the organization now resides, with the help of a benefactor who believed in Regina’s dream. After lots of blood, sweat and tears, Healing Haven opened its doors to its first clients in February 2023.

Healing Haven is made up of three counselors, including Regina, who are all related or close to the family and who have all experienced loss similar to Jerry and Regina. Jerry prescribes psychiatric medication to his patients at the facility and their daughter, Megan, works as a receptionist/care coordinator.

For Regina and Jerry, their work at Healing Haven has never been about the money but about helping others in memory of their son.

“You will find healing here,” Jerry said. “It’s all in the name—this is the place you come to get healing. We will work with our clients to get them through the toughest times of their lives, because we’ve been through the toughest time of our life. It’s broken people helping broken people.”

If there is one thing Regina and Jerry hope people will take away from their story it is that there is hope after loss. And the Lewis family believes that to be true, as they continue to experience life’s joys, including their four-year-old granddaughter, Aubrey, and are awaiting the birth of their first grandson due in August, seven years following the death of their son, Tyler.

“Don’t give up,” Jerry said. “Remember that you are not alone.”

March 2024

Fri, 01 Mar 2024 19:05:02 GMT

Rally for Reed: Small-Town Star Shining on National Stage

Reed Sheppard only switched out his North Laurel jersey for a coveted University of Kentucky jersey this past year, but Reed has had his eye on the Wildcats for quite some time.

Growing up in the Commonwealth, it is every basketball kid’s dream to wear “Kentucky” across their chest and play at the one and only Rupp Arena, and for Reed it means a little more, as both of his parents left their own legacies at the University of Kentucky.

Reed’s father, Jeff, won two national championships at the University of Kentucky in 1996 and 1998, while also being named Final Four Most Outstanding Player in ‘98. Stacey, Reed’s mother, also played basketball at the University of Kentucky, where she still ranks in the top ten of several statistical categories, including being No. 2 in career steals and sixth in all-time assists. Reed’s sister, Madison, also went on to play collegiate basketball at Campbellsville University.

Reed said he has learned a lot from his parents, but not just on the basketball court.

“I love my parents a lot and I appreciate them for all they have done for me and continue to do for me,” he said. “It’s been awesome being able to learn from them and watch them as I grow older, just seeing how they take on everything. I have learned so much from both of them, on and off the court, being able to see how they treat people and see how they go about different things. It’s definitely been really cool for me to be able to learn from them and I’ll never be able to thank them for all they have done for me.”

Growing up in London and always being a fan of North Laurel, Reed said that made it even more special when it was his turn to put on that blue and green uniform and represent the Jaguars.

“To finally be old enough to play for North and be able to have the community come and watch and support us, it was really cool for me,” he said. “And then being able to play with my teammates that I grew up with—it’ll be something I’ll never forget.”

Being a small-town basketball star with parents who made their own names in the world of basketball, Reed has always had all eyes on him. But Reed’s skills on the court were realized even more so in his last two seasons with the Jaguars where Reed helped to lead his team to back-to-back state tournament appearances and earning the title of Kentucky Mr. Basketball.

“I think everyone knew early on that Reed had a gift that was going to take him beyond his high school playing days,” said North Laurel Boys Basketball Coach Nate Valentine, Reed’s former coach. “The question was always where his talents could actually take him.”

Coach Valentine said there was one game that still sticks out to him—when North Laurel faced off with the number one team in the state, Covington Catholic, during the COVID year. Coach Valentine’s team defeated Covington Catholic in a close head-to-head battle, 89-87, where Reed scored 45 points for the Jaguars.

“For me, that’s when I really thought Reed had a chance to be something special,” Coach Valentine said.

In just his junior year at North Laurel High School, Reed verbally committed to the University of Kentucky in November 2021, bypassing offers from over 10 other colleges and universities. Almost a year later, in November 2022, Reed officially signed his letter of intent to play basketball for the Wildcats.

Following his announcement, North Laurel’s gymnasium was standing-room-only most nights when the Jaguars were playing an opponent at home, as people from all over Laurel County and beyond were looking for an opportunity to see the University of Kentucky commit play before making his debut with the Wildcats.

“It was certainly a lot fun watching Reed grow and develop as a player,” Coach Valentine said. “He and his teammates created a lot of buzz around the state and certainly the community. I can’t say enough about how the entire community embraced our team.”

Reed’s hometown of London is still showing out for their favorite Wildcat, with community members traveling to see Reed play in that blue and white uniform to showing their support on social media to bringing in a new generation of fans just looking for a chance to catch a glimpse of their small-town star on television.

“It's really cool being able to come out after the games and being able to see my family and see other people from London that I know, whether they are little kids that have been at the basketball camps and being to all the high school games and stayed in touch that way,” Reed said. “So, it’s pretty cool knowing that they have been supporting me and everything and been a fan ever since I was in high school and are just continuing to follow me onto college and are continuing to come watch and interact with me, you know. That’s pretty cool.”

“It’s been surreal to see Reed play in the UK uniform,” Coach Valentine said of watching his former player living out his dreams by playing for the Wildcats. “I’ve been able to get to a few games this season and watch on TV when I can. It’s great to see him having success.”

Coach Valentine said one of the things he admires most about Reed is his loyalty to his hometown, to his school and to his team.

“Reed had the opportunity to transfer to any school in the country, but he chose to stick it out here at North Laurel because he wanted to play for his school and his community,” Coach Valentine said. “So many kids are transferring and going to Prep schools to finish out their career now. Reed has proven you can be a big fish in a small pond and still make it to the highest level. The cream always rises to the top.”

And Reed is proof of that statement, as he continues to create lots of buzz as a Kentucky Wildcat, making a positive impact on his team’s success every minute he is on the court.

Despite all the recognition he has received and continues to receive, Reed remains just as humble as ever.

“It’s crazy but I try not to think too much about it,” Reed said when asked what it was like going from a small-town high school basketball star to a nationally ranked college basketball star. “I try to just continue doing what I’m doing, just have fun playing the game and continuing to learn and get better every day and enjoying it.”

Reed has some advice for those young athletes who are praying for their own Kentucky basketball dreams to come true.“Just keep working and doing what you’re doing and you’ll have the chance one day to hopefully play basketball as well,” he said. “You just have to keep working and don’t listen to what everyone says. Just stay in the gym and first, always do your schoolwork and continue to do what you love whether it’s basketball, whether it’s any other sport or whether it’s not sports at all.

“Just do what you love and don’t let anyone have a negative impact on your life just because they say something about you, just try to have a positive voice all the time.”

Reed had one last message for his hometown.

“Thank you, guys, for everything that you all have done for me and all the support,” he said. “I appreciate it and there’s nothing like growing up in a small town and everybody knowing each other and everybody pulling for each other.”

February 2024

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 18:27:32 GMT

A Life Changing Diagnosis: The Williams Family’s Fight Against Parkinson’s Disease

“Whatever Jane does in outreach, from education on diet, exercise, treatment options and community enrichment, her engagement with the Parkinson’s community on a national and international level has blessed and enriched our lives as much or more than anyone,” Mackey said. “This has been a game changer for our well-being.”

Jane officially retired in 2020, giving her the chance to put her all into Parkinson’s in Motion, which just recently gained its first physical location in December of 2023, located in the Medical Arts Building in downtown London.

Despite the challenges she faces each day because of her disease, Jane feels extremely grateful to be where she is today, as she continues to educate and better her community and the underserved regions of the state.

“Everything brought me to where I am right here and now,” Jane said. “It’s a blessing.”

To look at her, you would not know that Jane Rice Williams has been living with Parkinson’s disease for nearly the last decade. Jane does not have a tremor, one of the tell-tale signs of Parkinson’s. Instead, she has trouble moving around, particularly in the morning before her medication has had time to set in.

Jane’s freezing gait has not slowed her down one bit. She has dedicated the last five years of her life to educating those in London and Eastern Kentucky about Parkinson’s disease, a disorder that affects the nervous system and other parts of the body controlled by the nerves caused by a lack of dopamine. Jane is the founder and executive director of the London-based nonprofit organization Parkinson’s in Motion.

Jane and her husband, Mackey Williams, have been residing in London since 2003. Though the pair aren’t originally from London, they have made quite an impact on their community in just the last two decades.

Jane and Mackey met when they were just 15 years old while living in Harlan. The pair married in 1976 and traveled the world while Mackey served in the United States Marine Corps. Jane and Mackey have two children and five grandchildren, a big motivator for keeping strong. Their son, Tyler, passed away in 2020 at the age of 41. His children, Asher, age 23, and Summer, age 19, are both immersed in secondary education. Their daughter, Annie, and son-in-law, Chad Voelkert, live in Lexington with their three sons Max, age 17; Silas, 15; and Walter, 12.

In the late 1980s, Jane, Mackey and their two children moved to Lexington to allow Jane to attend law school, though she admitted she never imagined becoming an attorney.

"My dad was an attorney,” she said. “But I never, ever thought of being a lawyer, ever. I grew up in Harlan, in a very rural community and thought mostly about getting married and having children. I never really thought about having a career.”

Jane received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kentucky and her Juris Doctorate from Salmon P. Chase College of Law in 1995. Then, in August of 2003, Jane and Mackey decided it was time to move closer to their family in Harlan and found themselves living in the heart of London.

For many years, Jane practiced law out of her home until being appointed Administrative Law Judge with the Kentucky Department of Workers’ Claims in 2012.

Around that same time, Mackey began building London’s parks system. Mackey served as London’s Parks and Recreation Director from 2015 until his retirement in 2023. In his eight years with the parks department, Mackey helped to expand and create several park facilities in London, including additions to the Wellness Park and the creation of Town Center Park.

“I don’t know anyone who has impacted this community as much as Mackey has,” Jane said, noting that Mackey’s greatest contribution to his community was likely the Veterans Park which he oversaw from start to finish.

It was in late 2014 that Jane began noticing a stiffening of her left shoulder, which she said she had self-diagnosed as adhesive capsulitis.

“We would walk at Levi Jackson Park and I realized my arm wasn’t swinging when I walked,” she said. “That was weird but I didn’t read about it, I had already diagnosed myself, so I wasn’t doing an open review of what might be going on. By the time I got to the doctor that actually diagnosed me with Parkinson’s, I could tell my left leg wasn’t doing its job. It was just like I was working with one side of my body.”

Two years and several specialists later, Jane was officially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in October of 2016.

“I couldn’t believe it, that was the last thing I expected to hear,” Jane said of the diagnosis. “Parkinson’s had never crossed my mind. I came home and I called my husband, so Mackey came home from work and we literally cried all day. We were so scared—I didn’t know what it meant.”

Mackey said he was in total shock and disbelief about Jane’s Parkinson’s diagnosis.

“I had no idea what Parkinson’s was,” he said. “My first question to Jane was, ‘Is this fatal?’. The next day, as she drove home from hearings in Hazard, she called to say she was going to attack this thing head on. I knew I was going to do whatever it took—all in, 100 percent.”

Jane went on to work the following day despite some reservations about it. She was sitting in a dark room by herself between court hearings, reflecting on her diagnosis.

“I really felt a strong presence of God,” she said. “It really felt as if he was putting his arms around me and was saying ‘this is going to be okay, this is necessary. We’re going to use this.’ I have never asked to not have Parkinson’s because I felt so strongly that God had a plan.”

Jane began taking action to combat her disease’s symptoms with workout plans designed specifically for those with Parkinson’s and began taking medication to help with her freezing gait.

Though she kept it a secret from even some of her closest friends for almost six months, Jane finally began telling people of her Parkinson’s diagnosis and it was during that time that she realized how little people know of the disease.

“I just thought I can’t keep this to myself, I’ve got to share my connection-ability,” Jane said.

Two years after her diagnosis, Jane formed Parkinson’s in Motion, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating others about Parkinson’s disease while also providing support and resources for people in the area.

The very first meeting of Parkinson’s in Motion was held at First Presbyterian Church, with a lineup of speakers to inform community members of the disease, though Jane admitted she never imagined that first meeting to have so much success, with 45 people in attendance. The organization has only continued to grow, hosting monthly informational meetings, exercise classes and an annual 5K in downtown London.

“London, Kentucky knows more about Parkinson’s than any community of its size, I am convinced,” Jane said, noting that several people have been given that same diagnosis since the organization’s formation, as a disease that often goes undiagnosed.