King’s Daughters has scheduled walk-in flu vaccine clinics at several of its primary care locations.

   “Protecting yourself and your family from the flu this year is very important,” said Lisa Ashley, director of primary care practices at King’s Daughters. “We are proud to host these walk-in clinics to make it easy for our community to get the flu vaccination.”

   Clinics are scheduled:

    Clinics for those 6 months and older

•8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 1 at King’s Daughters Family Care Center Cedar Knoll, 10650 U.S. Route 60

    Clinics for those 12 years and older

•8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 7 at KD Primary Care Flatwoods, 2420 Argillite Road

•8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 22 at KD Primary Care Flatwoods, 2420 Argillite Road

   Clinics for those 18 and older

•8:30 a.m. to noon Monday, Sept. 26 through Thursday, Sept. 29 at KD Primary Care Greenup, 1629 Ashland Road

   No appointment is needed. Individuals do not need to be patients in the practice to receive the vaccination during the walk-in clinics. Vaccines are available while supplies last. Masks are required and social distancing will be observed.

   Medicare, Medicaid and most insurances accepted. Cost for self-pay patients is $27; cash, checks and credit cards welcome.

   The flu vaccine and COVID bivalent booster dose can be given at the same time. To schedule an appointment for the COVID bivalent booster, please call 606.408.COVD.

James Collier 

The Ashland Beacon

HAZARD 14 ASHLAND 7

   The offenses set the stage when Ashland visited Hazard for the duos first meeting since 1975. 

   The defenses stole the show.

   After both offenses dented the scoreboard with an early score for a 7-7 stalemate, it would be the Bulldogs defense that set up the deciding score that secured a 14-7 Hazard win. 

   Hazard found paydirt on the second play of the night for a 68-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. Ashland answered with a scoring drive of its own capped off by a 38-yard touchdown from LaBryant Strader to Terrell Jordan to even the contest at 7-7.

   From that point on, it would be a bend but don’t break showcase from both defenses with Hazard picking off Strader with 40 seconds to play in the game that set up the eventual game winning pass one play later. 

   Ashland quickly moved to the Hazard 17-yard line but Strader’s final heave toward the end zone found a Tomcats receiver only to come up a few yards short. Strader went 15 for 24 for 161 yards with a touchdown and interception. Jordan hauled in eight balls for 88 yards. Braxton Jennings scampered 82 yards on 23 carries. 

   Ashland welcomes Elizabethtown Saturday night at 5 p.m.

BOYD COUNTY 42 HARRISON COUNTY 21

   Boyd County still had the taste of an overtime loss last season to Harrison County in its mouth when the Lions welcomed the Thorobreds Friday night. 

   The Lions promptly rinsed that bitter taste away with a 42-21 shellacking to open district play. 

   Boyd County led 21-13 at the half but held Harrison County to only eight points in the second half. The Lions rode the legs of Malachi Wheeler 20 times for 151 yards and a touchdown. Boyd County tallied 243 rushing yards in the win. 

   Dakota Thompson opened the scoring with a 1-yard plunge and a 7-0 lead just over one minute in the contest. After Harrison County evened the game at 7-7, Rhett Holbrook hooked up with Josh Thornton for a 29-yard TD and a 15-7 edge after one. 

   Holbrook dashed 18 yards to paydirt with 2:17 to play in the half but the Thorobreds answered with a 38-yard touchdown as the first half clock struck zeros. Holbrook added scoring runs of three and 14 yards while throwing for 56 yards. Thornton hauled in three balls for 49 yards. Thompson led the Lions defensively with 15 tackles, including five tackles for loss. 

   Boyd County welcomes Lawrence County Friday night for its final non-district contest. 

RACELAND 48 GREENUP COUNTY 28

   Greenup County seized control of the 2022 Iron Bowl on the second play from scrimmage Friday night after Tyson Sammons stepped in front of Logan Lundy for a 30-yard pick-six 53 seconds into the contest. 

   But the Rams put a strangle hold on the second half to pull away for a 48-28 and their 12th consecutive win over the Musketeers. 

   Isaac Browning visited the end zone three times, with scoring runs of 11, 18 and four yards to garner the MVP honors for Raceland. The Rams tallied a season-high 269 yards on the ground led by Noah Wallace’s 105 yards. Wallace burst through the line of scrimmage and raced 36 yards to pay dirt late in the third frame to give the Rams the lead for good. 

   Sammons ran for 121 yards and a score while throwing for 98 yards to earn the MVP honors for the Musketeers. Ike Henderson tacked on 66 yards with a pair of scores. Henderson’s first score gave Greenup County a 12-7 lead midway through the first and his second capped off an 11-play, 66-yard drive that consumed 5:52 of the second quarter clock while leaving Raceland only 22 ticks in the half. 

   Raceland forced a three-and-out to start the second half followed by a Conner Hughes 17-yard dash out of the wildcat formation for a 28-20 lead midway through the third. Lundy tossed a pair of touchdowns in the win, both going to Mason Lykins. 

   Raceland and Greenup County exercise their bye week before opening district play in two weeks. 

DUNBAR 21 RUSSELL 14

   Russell only had one running back available Friday night when the Devils welcomed Paul Laurence Dunbar. 

   Colby Rock was the only back in the Devils rushing stable, so they fed him and let him eat. 

   Rock raced up and down the field at Henry R. Evans Stadium for 253 yards on 38 totes and a pair of touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Devils, Rock’s career performance would not be enough as they fell, 21-14. After a scoreless first, Rock gave Russell a 7-0 lead with 3:40 to play before the half on a 22-yard run. But the Bulldogs evened the affair with 1:09 to play before the break. 

   Dunbar took their first lead of the night on a 35-yard pass less than one minute into the second half but Rock’s second score of the night, 7-yard score, came with 10:45 to play to even the game at 14-14. Dunbar closed the scoring inside of eight minutes to play on an 85-yard touchdown pass for a 21-14 lead. 

   Russell moved the ball deep into Dunbar territory in the final seconds of the game only to be stopped short on fourth down at the four after Carson Patrick’s surge for the line to gain fell less than a yard short. Patrick caught six balls for 74 yards. Ethan Pack threw for 106 yards on 10 of 16 passing. 

   Russell’s 0-6 start is the slowest start since losing its first six in 1990. 

   Russell exercises its bye week with a visit from Greenup County in two weeks to open district play. 

LESLIE COUNTY 52 FAIRVIEW 12

   Austin Miller threw for 192 yards and ran for 44 more while throwing and running for a touchdown Friday night in Fairview’s visit to Leslie County. 

   Miller’s night would not be enough to lift the Eagles to a victory as they fell, 52-12. Miller went 13 for 21 through the air and was picked off once. Caden Thomas hauled in four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown while turning in a team-leading eight tackles. Thomas added 31 yards on nine carries. Xavien Kouns caught five passes for 57 yards. 

   Fairview exercises its bye week before traveling to Paintsville in two weeks to start district play. 

Sasha Bush

The Ashland Beacon

   The Ashland Area YMCA is no stranger to bringing awareness to the community about cancer. This year, the Ashland Area YMCA is hosting its first ever 200-Mile Cancer Challenge. Julie Vinson, Training and Community Outreach Specialist at the Ashland Area YMCA, shared with us just how this event came to be, “Missy, our Membership and Marketing Director, saw a post from the American Cancer Society that they were doing 62 miles in the month of August for cancer awareness. She told me about it. Four years ago, I started a cancer fund at the Y to help raise awareness and to support the members of our community going through cancer. In September, we would have a Lymphoma one-mile walk to raise awareness about Lymphoma and in October, we would raise money for breast cancer awareness. This year, I wanted to focus on all cancers. Instead of 62 miles, I wanted to make it bigger and last for three months. 200 miles in three months.” 

   Vinson went on to add, “Five years ago, I was diagnosed with Mediastinal Lymphoma. My husband and I traveled to Cleveland Clinic every two weeks and stayed in the hospital for a week at a time while I received chemotherapy.  The Ashland Area YMCA came together and did a benefit two years in a row for my family to raise money and help us with medical and travel expenses. Not only did the Y raise money, the community (people I didn’t even know) donated money to help my family. We couldn’t believe the generosity and outpouring of love from our community and our family at the Y. We are so grateful for all their support. We never got to say thank you to all those we never met! I started this fund because it is our turn to give back to our community. The Ashland Area Y has given away gas cards to those that have to travel back and forth for treatments. Every year because of generous donations, we can give away two free Family Health Center memberships to families that are going through or have gone through the ugly disease of cancer. Anyone can donate to our cancer fund at any time.” Vinson is truly a very vital asset to not only the Ashland Area YMCA but to the community as well. Through her strong faith in God, love of the YMCA and compassion to help others, Vinson has touched the hearts of so many with her own battle and victory over cancer.

   The 200-Mile Cancer Challenge Walk kicked off on September 1, 2022. “You can walk, run, or bike your 200 miles by November 30.  It can be indoors or outdoors. The cost is $20 to enter, and they will receive either a T-shirt or a muscle tank top. They will get a magnet with their name that they can move on the magnet wall as they complete each mile. We have left a section on the registration form to add who they are doing this challenge in honor of. Next to the magnet wall, we have a wall with all the names of people each individual is doing this challenge in honor of,” shared Vinson. With the original goal of this challenge being to raise $1,000 during the three-month challenge, Vinson was excited to share, “The Goal Was to raise $1,000 in three months to give to a family in our community going through cancer and in less than two weeks, we have already raised $2,200! Wow!” Currently, the 200-Mile Cancer Walk Challenge has close to a hundred participant’s signed up. 

   The 200-Mile Cancer Challenge doesn’t end until November 30, so there is still plenty of time for anyone who would like to step up to this challenge to do so. There is no limit as to how many people can sign up for this event and anyone can sign up regardless of age. Those that do will receive a free T-shirt or muscle tank top. “We want everyone to know that the Ashland Area Y is a family, and we want to support our community in any way that we can. We aren’t just a gym; we are a family! I also hope through this challenge that we can triple our goal and truly bless a family in our community. We will be donating two Family Health Center memberships to two families that have gone through cancer treatments in the last 24 months by the end of this year” stated Vinson. If you would like to nominate a family in need, please email Julie Vinson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Grace Phillips 

The Ashland Beacon

   The evening news if full of stories about young people that have made bad decisions or taken a wrong path.  This story is not one of those! It is a story a young lady with a goal and a vision for her future and it is a very bright future, indeed.  Kemi Risner is a 2022 graduate of Boyd County High School and has begun her journey to become a nurse.  You might think…that’s not much of a story, lots of young folks graduate high school and decide to attend nursing school.  Keep reading, I promise this one is special but first there you need a little background information. 

   Kemi was always a great student and was very goal oriented. Her sophomore year of high school began in 2020…that was the year that Covid changed so much of our normal way of life and this included the way that students attended school and were taught.  As the year ended, Kemi began to realize she had most of the credits needed to graduate a year early.  She had proven she could excel with her grades without being in a classroom.  That was the turning point in her future “I never really felt like I fit in at high school.  I was just ready to start the next chapter of my life.  I had always wanted to take care of people and make them feel wanted and cared for…nursing was the only choice for me.”   Once she decided this was the path she wanted to follow, it was time for the campaign to convince her parents she could handle an early graduation and the pursuit of her dream to become a nurse.   

   Sherry Risner, Kemi’s mom said, “it was a very hard decision for us as parents to allow her to skip her senior year.  She has always been mature for her age and after many prayers, her dad and I felt like this was a great opportunity for her and if she could meet the requirements, it must be part of God’s plan for her life.”

   Once graduation was achieved, it was a whirlwind to complete all the forms for college entrance.  In the summer of 2022, just a few short weeks after graduation, Risner entered Ashland Community and Technical College at a nursing student.  This is where “her” story becomes unique. 

   According to Kemi, orientation day took a few crazy turns.  “The instructor pulled me aside before the orientation started and wanted to know if I had graduated from high school.  Of course I had” she thought to herself.  Apparently there was a mix up with some of her records and they were trying to sort it out.  Kemi went on with the story, “when the orientation started the dean called me out and told me that everything was sorted out and that I had indeed graduated from high school.”

   However, that wasn’t the only surprise of the day.  There were a lot of papers to fill out and for anyone under 18 they required a parent’s signature.  After orientation Kemi told the instructor she would need to take the papers home to get her parent’s signature.  The instructor appeared shocked.  She asked how old Kemi was….was she 17?  Kemi replied, “no, I’m only 16.”  That’s right….she was only 16 years old at the time.  The instructor was definitely shocked at this revelation and told her she is the youngest person to ever be accepted into the nursing program!   

   When asked how this made her feel, Kemi said “ I really didn’t know how to feel. I was a little worried that I would be looked down on for being such a young person in the program while everyone else was quite a bit older than me, but I have been treated just like everyone else in the program, and have already made some great friends.”  

   She has completed the classes for and passed her CNA state licensing and began classes in the Associates Degree Nursing Program this semester.  

   Those who have known her for years are not surprised that she would want to help others and that she would excel at anything she set her mind to do.  Kemi has been very active in church activities and was a part of the youth competition team at Mavity Free Will Baptist. In 2018, she was a part of the puppet team that won a national title at the Free Will Baptist Youth Ministry Expo, and in 2019 she won two national titles…one for sign language and in group drama.  

   Ellen Keaton, the competition coach from the church was not at all surprised at Kemi’s success in school.  “She always worked hard at whatever we were doing.   Kemi was a natural leader and inspired the others to work hard to achieve their goal.”  She has continued her giving this year by teaching our youngest class in VBS.  Keaton went on to say, “I am so proud of her and what she is going to accomplish in the future.” 

   Despite her many successes at this point in her life, Kemi remains a quiet shy young lady and really wants no attention for what she has accomplished.   So what exactly does that future look like for Ms. Risner?  She plans to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and hopes to become a mother/baby nurse. When asked if she had any advice for other young people she replied, “ I would tell them to be true to themselves and stay focused on their dreams…who knows what can happen.”