Breathitt County Young Democrats

08/13/2026

New Wastewater Treatment Plant project information.

08/11/2026

07/29/2026

Dear Members of the Board of Education,

We are writing to express our strong concerns regarding the new policy that restricts students from attending field trips and school dances if they have more than six unexcused absences.

While we understand the importance of promoting consistent school attendance, we believe this policy is fundamentally flawed as it punishes students for circumstances often entirely outside of their control. Many students who struggle with chronic absenteeism are navigating unstable home lives, inadequate transportation, or family caretaking responsibilities—often through no fault of their own or their parents.

From the perspective of social work and child development, this policy is counterproductive. Research into Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) demonstrates that trauma and household instability significantly impact a child's development and ability to function in a classroom setting. By withholding social and educational enrichment opportunities, the school risks:

Increasing Alienation: Excluding students from school events removes them from the very community and peer support systems that act as crucial protective factors against academic disengagement.

Compounding Trauma: For students already experiencing high levels of stress at home, the school should serve as a safe, stable environment. Punitive measures can trigger a "fight-or-flight" response, further damaging the student's sense of belonging.

Creating a Cycle of Failure: Instead of addressing the root cause of absences, this policy uses exclusion as a consequence, which may further demotivate students who are already at risk of dropping out.

We strongly urge the board to consider a "needs-based" approach rather than a punitive one. We recommend that the board invest in:

Comprehensive Assessments: Collaborating with school social workers to identify the specific barriers to attendance for individual students.

Wraparound Services: Connecting struggling families with community resources rather than creating barriers to participation.

Inclusive Engagement: Utilizing extracurricular activities as a tool for retention, ensuring that the students who need school stability the most are the ones actively included in the community life.

We look forward to hearing how the board plans to address these concerns and better support our most vulnerable students.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]

Send to contact email addresses for your local Board of Education members. Below each may be copied and added to send out as a group email or separately.

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]

Attend a meeting: The school board holds public comment sessions. Delivering this message in person can have a significant impact.

Gather support: If you know other parents or local community members who share this perspective, encourage them to send this or their own versions of the letter to demonstrate that this is a community-wide concern.

Dixie Combs (Superintendent and School Board Executive Secretary) (606)666-4979
[email protected]

James E. Combs (School Board Chair)
[email protected]

Pauline Miller (School Board Member)
[email protected]

Kena Bouchard (School Board Member)
[email protected]

Raven Kilburn (School Board Member)
[email protected]

Earl Chapman (School Board Member)
[email protected]

Wayne Sizemore (Superintendent)
[email protected]

07/17/2026

Ned For Congress

07/17/2026

Guiding Public Discourse: The Role of Decorum in Public Meetings (please read) 🇺🇸

Local government is at its best when it serves as a collaborative space where residents and elected officials work together to solve community problems. When a resident steps up to the podium to present a proposal, such as the need for a new community center, they are exercising their civic duty and offering their time to improve the neighborhood.

To keep these meetings productive, safe, and welcoming, both council members or magistrates and the public must adhere to the principles of political decorum.

What is Political Decorum?
Political decorum refers to the unwritten rules and formal protocols that govern how politicians and government officials interact. It emphasizes respectful, dignified behavior, the depersonalization of conflict, and a focus on debating policy rather than making personal attacks.

"In a local government setting, decorum is the guardrail that keeps democratic debate from devolving into hostility. It ensures that meetings remain focused on the merits of a proposal rather than the personality of the presenter."
Source: (Institute for Local Government)

Debating the Policy, Not the Person
When a resident proposes a new community center, council members/magistrates may have valid, practical questions: How will it be funded? What is the timeline? Where will it be located?

Asking tough questions is a core part of a council member/magistrates job. However, how those questions are asked matters. The table below highlights the difference between constructive, policy-focused feedback and destructive, personal attacks:

Healthy Policy Debate: (Constructive)
-Focuses on the proposal: Analyzing costs, feasibility, location, and community impact.
-Maintains respect: Expressing disagreement politely while thanking the resident for their initiative.
-Addresses the collective body: Speaking through the chairperson to keep the discussion objective.

Destructive Personal Attacks (Inappropriate)
-Focuses on the presenter: Challenging the resident's personal credibility, background, or intelligence.
-Humiliates the presenter: Using condescending language, sarcasm, or public dismissal to embarrass them.
-Launches personal confrontation: Directly arguing with or cross-examining the resident from the dais.

Why Destructive Feedback Harms the Community?
When city council members or magistrates use their platform to personally attack or humiliate a resident presenting a proposal, the consequences extend far beyond that single meeting:

It Silences Civic Engagement: Watching a neighbor get publicly humiliated by elected officials deters other residents from ever bringing their ideas, concerns, or proposals forward.

It Erodes Public Trust: The council chambers should represent a fair and professional environment. Personal attacks degrade the dignity of the institution and damage public confidence in local leadership.

It Derails Efficient Governance: Meetings are meant to conduct city business efficiently. Interpersonal conflict wastes valuable public time and distracts from finding real solutions to community needs (like youth programming or senior services that a community center would provide).

The Golden Rule of Public Meetings: "Separate the People from the Problem"

To maintain a healthy democracy, council members and magistrates should practice the negotiation standard of separating the people from the problem. A proposal for a community center might seem out of reach, but the resident proposing it is not "the problem." The problem is in the city constraints that need sorted out.

"By treating every presenter with dignity and focusing strictly on the logistical strengths and weaknesses of their ideas, councils can foster a culture of mutual respect where community members feel safe to participate in their local government."
Source: (Institute for Local Government)


Governor Andy Beshear
Kentucky Department for Local Government - DLG

06/22/2026

Community and Recreation Center in Jackson KY

06/06/2026

In a close-knit, small-town environment like Jackson, Kentucky—the seat of Breathitt County—local politics is uniquely personal. The people running for City Council, Mayor, or county seats are often your neighbors, former classmates, or the folks you see at the grocery store and church.

Because of this deeply interconnected environment, community ethics around how to treat local political candidates should focus on balancing vigorous democratic accountability with small-town civility and mutual respect.

1. Preserving Personal Civility and Neighborliness

Separate the Politician from the Neighbor: Candidates are putting themselves out there to serve, but they still have to live in the community after the election. Ethical treatment means criticizing a candidate’s platform or voting record without launching personal, vitriolic attacks against their character or their family.

Respect Private Spaces: Jackson is a town where you frequently run into people at local businesses or community spots like the Breathitt County Honey Festival. An ethical community respects a candidate’s right to personal downtime. Avoid cornering candidates or aggressively debating them when they are out with their families or trying to enjoy private community events.

2. Integrity in Communication

Reject the "Rumor Mill": In tight-knit communities, gossip and misinformation can spread like wildfire. Ethical citizens commit to verifying information before sharing it—whether on social media or over a cup of coffee. Fabricating or spreading unverified rumors about a candidate’s personal life to score political points damages the social fabric of the entire town.

Focus on Local Impact: National political talking points can easily derail local conversations. Ethical treatment means evaluating candidates on what they can actually control—such as city infrastructure, local economic development, water infrastructure, and county budget transparency—rather than forcing them into national partisan boxes.

3. Fairness and Open-Mindedness

Offer Equal Opportunity to Listen: A healthy community gives all qualified candidates an equal chance to present their vision. Whether through public town halls, forums at local schools, or community centers, voters should strive to listen with an open mind, regardless of the candidate’s party affiliation.

Keep a Clean Physical Campaign: Respect the property rights and campaign materials of all candidates. Ethical standards dictate that citizens never deface, steal, or unlawfully remove a candidate's campaign signs from public right-of-ways or private yards, no matter how strongly they disagree with the candidate.

4. Constructive Accountability

Engage in Good Faith: Asking tough questions about a candidate's qualifications, financial backers, or past policy decisions is a vital part of the democratic process. However, these questions should be asked in good faith to seek clarity, rather than as "gotcha" traps designed solely to humiliate.

Protect Neutral Public Spaces: Local businesses, churches, and civic organizations should remain welcoming spaces for all community members. While individual business owners have the right to endorse who they choose, an ethical community discourages using civic or religious platforms to isolate or demonize specific local candidates.

The Golden Rule of Local Politics: > Treat every local candidate with the understanding that when the election is over, you will still be neighbors working together to make Jackson and Breathitt County a better place to live.

02/05/2026

History Fact:
Democratic president Lyndon Johnson signed the law that created Medicaid and Medicare in 1965.