Highlight of the Christmas Season Performance of Handel’s Messiah Returns to Russell

Highlight of the Christmas Season

Performance of Handel’s Messiah Returns to Russell

By Pamela Hall

The Ashland Beacon

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Christmas is a time when families have many traditions that they observe. The traditions may be certain foods for dinner, whether they open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, or attending parades or Christmas program performances.

One such performance that has become a tradition for many families and performers alike, is the presentation of Handel’s Messiah at Plaza Community Church of the Nazarene in Russell. After a two year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic, the presentation returns this year. The performance will be Sunday, Dec. 18 at 3:00 p.m.

Carl Taylor, who was the Minister of Music at the church for 51 years before retiring at the end of 2020, is the conductor for the program. He started the program in 2013 after the pastor at that time approached him about doing something “splashy” for Christmas. Taylor’s first thought was a performance of Handel’s Messiah.

“The first year we had it,” Taylor recalls with a laugh, “there came a big snow that morning, about seven inches. All of the performers, with the exception of one, were able to make it. Someone cleared the parking lot. I still don’t know who, and we ended up having about 200 – 300 in attendance.”

That attendance has only grown through the years. Attendance usually averages between 300 – 400 people.

The presentation consists of a choir and orchestra, which is made up of local volunteers. Several music teachers from various schools in the area participate each year. Dan Boyer, a former orchestra teacher at Paul Blazer High School, and a member of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, assists Taylor with getting the volunteer orchestra performers, which have in the past included his students.

There are several soloists in the performance. Andrew Hall, a former student of Taylor’s when he taught at Boyd County High School and a graduate of Morehead State University with a bachelor’s degree in music, is one such soloist.

“I have been singing in Messiah since the first concert in 2013 and have been the bass soloist since 2015,” says Hall. “I always look forward to singing in the concert every time we do it because I love singing with my friends and colleagues, which is always very special to me. But I love that it’s telling the story of the birth of Jesus and sharing the Gospel in a unique way. For me, it always puts me in a Christmas mood and reminds me the whole reason of why we celebrate.”

Handel’s Messiah tells about the life of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, in several sections. This presentation will include the Christmas section, in addition to two selections from the Easter section, “Worthy is the Lamb” and the ever popular “Hallelujah Chorus.”

For those who would like to participate, there will be a rehearsal on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 7:00 p.m. at the church.

“This is our gift to the community,” commented Taylor. “The performance is free of charge and everyone is invited. It will be an uplifting afternoon, I assure you!”

Don’t miss Handel’s Messiah at Plaza Community Church of the Nazarene, 784 Diederich Blvd. in Russell Dec. 18 at 3:00 p.m. It will be a highlight of your Christmas season.

Ribbon cutting ceremony at NeuroRestorative

NeuroRestorative: Helping Those Who Suffer from Traumatic Brain Injuries

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NeuroRestorative: Helping Those Who Suffer from Traumatic Brain Injuries

By: Sasha Bush

The Greater Ashland Beacon

            The Tri-State area has truly gained a gem of a business this past week. On Wednesday, December 7, 2022, NeuroRestorative celebrated the official grand opening of its newest brain injury rehab space. According to their website, “NeuroRestorative is a leading provider of subacute and post-acute rehabilitation services for people with brain, spinal cord, and medically complex injuries, illnesses and other challenges. In a variety of locations and community-based settings, we offer a continuum of care and rehabilitation options, including specialized services for infants, children, adolescents, Military Service Members and Veterans.”

            They offer a full continuum of care that includes residential and day treatment services within home/community support. NeuroRestorative is an organization that is on the forefront of clinical care and rehabilitative programs. Through a time tested approach provided by an exceptional team of medical professionals, they are able to offer a wide range of well rounded, community based programs that provide their patients the best therapeutic care that is customized to their specific and individual needs. Through the programs offered, NeuroRestorative is not only able to integrate work and social experiences that help their patients build necessary life skills but also help them to learn to do things more independently. By accruing the skills necessary for this newfound independence this not only promotes a positive self-esteem but also gives the individuals a chance to actively participate within their communities. NeuroRestorative’s philosophy of combining functional therapies and everyday experiences with in the real world helps to enhance the overall therapeutic gain for all of its program participants.

            Karen Biggs, Program Director of NeuroRestorative, shared with us just what being in their program entails, “We have programs in Ashland, Lexington, Louisville, and Paducah. Here in Ashland Kentucky we have a twelve bed residential. So with homes all throughout the community we put have about three people to a house. Each home what we call a life skills trainer. Which is not so much a caregiver but more like a person who coaches them. They help to improve each individual’s life skills and learns about their deficits and teaches them how to cope with them. They will come here during the day, Monday through Friday. We have classrooms where they get the opportunity to work on their physical and cognitive deficits.” In addition to the classrooms, you will find that NeuroRestorative also has a wide range of therapeutic equipment such as diverse types of exercise equipment which includes stairs and a fully stocked kitchen with laundry room. The fully stocked kitchen and laundry room is very beneficial to their patients because this is where they can learn valuable life skills through hands on activity.

            If you or a loved one are suffer from a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), you can certainly benefit from the services offered at NeuroRestorative, which is located at 5850 US 60, Suites B-D. For more information you can contact them at 1.800.743.6902 or email send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also find some very valuable information on all the services offered on their website at www.neurorestorative.com.

Beacon Hoops: December 13, 2022

James Collier

The Ashland Beacon

 

BOYS 64th DISTRICT

 

ASHLAND 2-2

   Ashland went 1-1 this week with a district win over Fairview and a loss to defending state champ George Rogers Clark in the Boyd County Roundball Classic on Saturday.

   Zander Carter paced the Tomcats with 24 points in their 89-63 win over Fairview to open 64th District play. Asher Adkins added 16 points. Tristin Davis kicked in 14 points. Tyson Lalonde tossed in 12 with four triples. Nate Freize grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

   Carter led the Tomcats with 21 points in their 70-57 loss to GRC. Rheyce Deboard added 13.

   Ashland squares off with Boyd County Tuesday night, visits Bracken County Friday and wel-comes Fleming County on Saturday.

 

BOYD 4-0

   Boyd County won in both contests this week with wins over Lewis County and Pikeville in the Boyd County Roundball Classic.

   Cole Hicks paced Boyd County with 26 points in a 76-40 win over Lewis County on the opening night of the classic. Griffin Taylor added 12.

   Jacob Spurlock was a deadeye from beyond the arc Saturday in the Lions matchup with Pike-ville. The freshman hit eight 3s for a game-high 29 points to lead Boyd County to a 79-69 win. Jason Ellis added 19 points and 12 rebounds. Taylor kicked in 13. Hicks had 11.

   Boyd County welcomes Ashland Tuesday night for a key 64th District tilt, Fairview on Thursday then travels to Rowan County this weekend for contests against Eastern and Central Hardin in the Stock Yards Bank & Trust Challenge.

 

FAIRVIEW 2-2

   Fairview fell in its only game this week, an 89-63 loss to Ashland.

   Tanner Johnson led the Eagles with 23 points. Steven Day had 19 points. Tamel Smith added 15.

   Fairview welcomes Raceland Tuesday, visits Boyd County Thursday and Floyd Central on Satur-day.

 

ROSE HILL 1-3

   Rose Hill went 0-2 this week with losses to Raceland and Russell.

   Christian Blevins had 15 points in the Royals 71-32 loss to Raceland. Collin Wilburn had nine.

   Rose Hill fell to Russell, 70-24. No stats were reported in the loss.

   Rose Hill welcomes Huntington St. Joe on Tuesday and Lewis County on Thursday.

 

BOYS 63rd DISTRICT

 

RUSSELL 4-2

   Russell went 3-1 this week and won the EKC Tournament at West Carter.

   Russell defeated West Carter 55-43 in the EKC Tournament semifinals. Damon Charles led the Devils with 22 points and went 7 of 8 from the field. Noah Quinn added 13 points while going 3 of 4 from long range. Carson Blum kicked in with 13 and hit three trifectas.

   Russell knocked off Bath County, 67-58 to claim the EKC Tournament Championship. Gavin Carter and Charles led the Devils with 18 points. Quinn and Blum kicked in 11 each. Carter con-nected on four triples while Quinn tossed in three.

   Russell added a win over Rose Hill, 70-24 and fell to Augusta, 55-47 in the Mike Murphy Classic at Mason County. No stats were reported in those contests.

   Russell welcomes West Carter Tuesday and visits Fleming County on Friday.

 

RACELAND 3-2

   Raceland went 2-1 this week with wins over Rose Hill and Johnson Central and a loss at Spring Valley.

   Raceland fell to Spring Valley, 69-45. Christian Large led the Rams with 10.

   Jonah Arnett had 11 points to lead Raceland to a 71-32 win over Rose Hill. Parker Ison added 10. Raceland tallied 41 rebounds in the win.

   Raceland knocked off Johnson Central, 69-59 in a back-and-forth contest in the Boyd County Roundball Classic Saturday. Large led the Rams with 22 points and Arnett kicked in 15 in the win. Jacob Gauze had 13 points and 10 rebounds. Connor Thacker added 12.

   Raceland welcomes Elliott County Monday, visits Fairview Tuesday and plays Ironton on Friday.

 

GREENUP COUNTY 1-4

   Greenup County went 1-2 this week with a pair of losses to Fleming County and Minford and a win over Elliott County.

   Eli Adkins led the Musketeers with 11 points in the 76-50 loss to Fleming County. Raceland transfer Isaiah Perkins added nine in his second game with Greenup County.

   Greenup County knocked off Elliott County, 55-44 for their first win of the season and fell to Minford, 58-26. No stats were reported.

   Greenup County welcomes East Carter Monday and Wheelersburg on Saturday.

Beacon Ladies’ Hoops: December 13

James Collier

The Ashland Beacon

 

GIRLS 64thDISTRICT

 

ASHLAND 4-1

   Ashland racked up three wins this week with defeats of George Washington, Hurricane and Greenup County.

   Ella Sellars led the Kittens with 27 points in their 86-52 rout of George Washington. Kenleigh Woods chipped in 20 with three triples. Jaidyn Gulley added 16 while going 8 of 10 from the field and grabbing nine rebounds.

   Sellars and Woods paced the Kittens with 19 each in their 75-30 hammering of Hurricane. Jai-dyn Gulley had 10 and Aryanna Gulley added 10.

   Woods 21 points lifted Ashland to a 58-57 win over upset minded Greenup County. Sellars add-ed 18 points. Greenup County and Rose Hill transfer Gabby Karle kicked in 12.

   Ashland welcomes Ironton Wednesday night, visits Lewis County Friday and welcomes Rowan County Saturday.

  

BOYD COUNTY 2-1

   Boyd County went 1-1 in its classic this weekend.

   The Lions fell 60-57 to Dixie Heights on Friday night but bounced back with a 67-50 win over St. Albans to close out the two-day event. Jasmine Jordan led the way with 26 points and 15 re-bounds. Emilee Neese had 16 points. Taylor Bartrum added 11 in the Lady Lions win.

   Boyd County visits Elliott County Monday, welcomes Fleming County Friday and Fairview on Saturday.

 

FAIRVIEW 3-0

   Fairview defeated Adams County Christian 48-34 in its only game this week.

   Kiera Loving paced the Eagles with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Ashton Stidham added 15 points.

   Fairview visits Johnson Central Wednesday, welcomes East Carter Friday and visits Boyd County Saturday.

 

GIRLS 63rdDISTRICT

 

RUSSELL 2-2

   Russell went 1-1 this week with a 64-11 win over East Carter and a 55-53 loss to Pikeville in the Boyd County Roundball Classic.

   Shaelyn Steele led the Devils with 11 points and 11 rebounds in the win over East Carter. Gabby Oborne kicked in 10.

   Steele netted 13 points in the first half before being ejected after an altercation with a Pike-ville player before the half. Steele hit both triples she attempted and had Russell in front by 11 twice in the opening 16 minutes. Kennedy Darnell’s long 3 for the win at the horn would not go. Bella Quinn added 11 points. Josie Atkins had 10.

   Russel travels to Lawrence County Tuesday, welcomes West Carter Thursday and Greenup County on Friday in a 63rd District tilt.

RACELAND 2-3

   Raceland went 1-1 this week with a 45-40 win in the Rams home opener over Lucasville Valley and a 60-56 loss at East Carter Friday.

   Emma Broughton led the Rams with 15 points in the win over Valley. Nim Maynard kicked in 14.

   No stats were reported in the loss to East Carter.

   Raceland welcomes Martin County Tuesday and has a pair of games in the St. Joe Holiday Clas-sic on Thursday and Saturday.

 

GREENUP COUNTY 2-2

 

   Greenup County went 1-1 this week with a 60-54 win over Fleming County and a 58-57 short-coming to Ashland.

   Rachel Bush dropped 33 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the win over Fleming County. Emily Maynard added 20 while hitting five triples.

   Maynard led the Musketeers with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to Ashland. Bush added 21.

   Greenup County travels to Minford Monday, Elliott County on Wednesday and Russell on Friday in a 63rd District tilt.

Hidden Corners of History: The Discovery of King Tut’s Tomb

 

 

Jarrod E. Stephens

The Ashland Beacon

 

   Human curiosity into the lives of those who came before us has led to some amazing archaeological discoveries. However, few discoveries have had such a profound impact on our knowledge of the grandeur of the burial of ancient Egyptian pharos than Howard Carter’s discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamun.

 

   Imagine, digging and searching in desert land where artifacts and archaeological excavations of ancient Egyptian rulers have revealed perhaps that you were about to discover a long-lost tomb of an important ruler. The Indiana Jones movie series captured the spirit of such adventure in such a vivid and fun way that every time I read about the archaeological expeditions, I can almost hear the theme music. Countless leads and disappointments that fueled the desire to find the tomb was well recorded by Carter and his entourage.

   Howard Carter and a wealthy Brit by the name of Lord Carnarvon began their initial search for the tomb of King Tutankhamun in 1917. The greatest obstacle for excavating in Egypt is the shifting sands and how that much of the region where the tombs were likely located was buried deeply in sand. Years of searching only brought disappointment. Even if the duo did find the king’s tomb, they were unsure if there would even be anything remaining since nearly every royal tomb had been looted for their valuable jewels and gold.

   The ancient Egyptians rulers were not buried in a simple manner. Instead, they were buried in massive tombs that consisted of several larger rooms and chambers that were filled with the artifacts and wares that they believed would be needed in the afterlife. It’s amazing to consider that they were buried with everyday items such as tables, chairs, and beds as well as a throne. The walls were painted with vivid images that told stories of the king’s greatness. Great masses of gold and jewels were commonly placed in the tombs, and it was such treasure that had led to grave robbing.

   Archaeologists had discovered several tombs in what became known as The Valley of the Kings and some small artifacts indicating that Tut’s tomb was nearby. Howard Carter had become a respected Egyptologist after working for several years in Egypt. Carter became close friends with Lord Carnarvon and the two set their sights on discovering the tomb of Tut. Lord Carnarvon was sponsoring Carter’s expeditions but was growing weary with the continual failure. Carter convinced Carnarvon to allow him to search for a few weeks more and that tenacity led to the discovery that would change archaeology and Egyptology forever.

   Only three days into what they had said was their “final” attempt to discover the tomb, Carter found the entrance. November 4, 2022 is the centennial of the discovery of a step that led to the tomb. The following day they discovered the entrance to the tomb. Carter immediately sent a telegram and told Carnarvon about the discovery. Lord Carnarvon promptly set out for Egypt.

   It wasn’t until November 26, 2022 when Carter first appears into the tomb and declared, “As my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues, and gold-everywhere the glint of gold.” The discovery proved to be the most valuable and intact tomb ever discovered. Aside from the discovery of the precious jewels and gold, the undisturbed mummy of Tutankhamun inside the sarcophagus opened new mysteries of how and why Tut died. Sadly, the full truth of his legacy may never be known. Egyptologists worked for years to catalog and preserve all the contents of the tomb.

   Since the discovery of the tomb the artifacts have traveled the globe and given millions of people the opportunity to take a glimpse into the life of the young king. Carter published several volumes telling about the discovery and what was inside. His dedication led to the preservation of Tut’s legacy and opened new doors for discovery.

   The spirit of adventure and discovery keeps life interesting and gives us all the chance to be lifelong learners. While it’s not likely that we will make such a groundbreaking discovery as Carter’s, every day that we are alive we can work to preserve the past for the coming generations by telling our stories and the stories that have made our families what they are today. Such knowledge is more valuable than the gold from a thousand tombs.