Happy New Year! As we all look toward what 2025 could bring for the community, it’s time for our annual tradition of looking at the biggest stories from the past year. In 2024, Magoffin County had some incredible highs and devastating lows, so please join us as we look back at the most impactful stories we covered last year (in no particular order).
- Hornets’ Road to Rupp
For the first time in history, the Magoffin County High School boys’ basketball team won the 15th region championship and advanced to state. The Hornets won their first-ever state tournament game against Perry Central, moving on to the Elite 8, where they fell to Great Crossing, which was the #1 ranked team in the state of Kentucky and #14 in the nation. Town was painted maroon as support for the boys radiated through Salyersville. Most offices closed on game days as most of the town went to Rupp to cheer on the boys during their historic run at state.
- Charlie Sizemore inducted into Kentucky Music Hall of Fame
Magoffin County native Charlie Sizemore was inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, celebrating his very successful music career.
- Robotics group advances to nationals
Magoffin County Schools’ robotics groups all made big strides in 2024, with a strong showing at state and Herald Whitaker Middle School’s group advancing to nationals. The MC Master Crafters are now back-to-back Breakthrough Award winners in the NATIONAL robotics competition, held in Jersey. For a relatively new offering in the school system, we look for big things to come out of robotics in the new year!
- Notable Deaths
Each year we look back at the deaths that hit the front page, remembering to honor everyone the community lost during the previous year.
Carson Ray Montgomery, former Magoffin County sheriff, passed away at the age of 68 on January 11, 2024. Montgomery was elected in 2010 and served as sheriff until his retirement in 2022. He also had owned several local businesses, including a motel and gas station, trucking company and a pawn shop.
Jeff Tackett, co-director of Water Into Wine Food Pantry and a volunteer fire fighter, passed away on February 23, 2024, at the age of 52. Tackett was instrumental in operations and development of programs with the Water Into Wine Food Pantry.
Betty Jo Arnett Lykins, a retired teacher and published author, passed away on April 14, 2024, at the age of 87. Lykins book, “Momma Loved to Dance” detailed her childhood, a family secret, and the community at the time.
Scotty B. Patrick, the longtime chairman of the board at Salyersville National Bank and chairman of the Magoffin County Community Foundation, passed away at the age of 89 on September 11, 2024. Patrick was best known for his philanthropy to the community, organizing and chairing the Magoffin County Community Foundation to provide financial support to local civic groups. Most recently, he gave $5 million to Magoffin County Schools to build a new career and technical center, which he was able to see come to fruition before his passing.
Dr. James Edwin (Jim) Ratliff, age 83, passed away on December 7, 2024. Dr. Ratliff founded Ratliff Dentistry, practicing dentistry from 1969 until his retirement in 2006, even serving on the board of directors for the Magoffin County Health Department.
Arbadella Reed, longtime pastor of Cow Creek Church of God, passed away on December 12, 2024, at the age of 85. Reed was an active member in the community, tirelessly but quietly helping community members in need over a lot of years without any recognition or even letting anyone else know. She serves as an inspiration to others of how to support their community.
- New career & tech center opens
After a few years of planning, an exceptional donation from Scotty B. Patrick, and some ol’ fashion elbow grease, the new career and technical center opened at the high school in March. The state-of-the-art facility features nursing, welding, carpentry and more, offering several certifications for high school students to be career-ready at graduation.
- First World Champion for Magoffin
Herald Whitaker Middle School eighth grader (at the time), Luke Montgomery, won his division in the 2024 NASP Championship IBO 3-D Challenge, shooting a 295 (300 is perfect), coming in second place overall to an 11th grader who has been shooting since he was in third grade and has won both Nationals and Worlds in both Division Bullseye and 3D several times. Luke only has only been shooting competitively for two years. We can’t wait to see what Montgomery can accomplish at the high school level!
- 30 Years of Candy Cane Lane
For 30 years, the Gardner Farm, on Ivy Point, has transformed into Candy Cane Lane, featuring countless lights and festive displays for the community to enjoy for free. The family goes all out to provide this for the community, buying up inflatable and light displays throughout the year and decorating every house along the road and the fields throughout the farm, even including a mailbox for letters to Santa. Santa will even respond to the child!
- Lighthouse Shelter
The Lighthouse Shelter committee almost had a location for a homeless shelter last year, hitting a roadblock with city ordinances, but they didn’t let that stop them from helping people! The group held numerous free meal days throughout the year, giving away meals to anyone who wanted them. The group has members that are knowledgeable about the local homeless population, so they have been taking meals to the people in need, not just waiting for them to come to an event. This relatively new group is making great strides in helping the ever-growing homeless population in our area.
- Family moves their whole house
In perhaps the most interesting and different story of the year, a local family decided to have their whole house moved because the road expansion between Salyersville and Prestonsburg was taking their property. Joe and Charlotte Frazier found a group out of Pennsylvania to literally pick up their two-story brick home and move it across the road to an area unaffected by the road plans.
From the story that ran in August: Joe and Charlotte Frazier were told early on that the new road would take their home and the majority of their property, and they realized their home wasn’t replaceable. They decided the only answer was to pick up and move – everything.
- Carter Conley honored nationally
Magoffin County Rescue Squad’s longtime captain, Edwin Carter Conley, was honored in May at the National Fall Firefighters Foundation’s Memorial Service, held in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The NFFF hosted the 43rd National Fall Firefighters Memorial Weekend, honoring 89 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2023 and 137 firefighters who died in previous years. Conley was among the 13 fallen firefighters honored from Kentucky. Conley served as the captain of the rescue squad from the founding of the organization in 1974 until his death in September 2021. His son, Robert, and family accepted the folded American flag in his honor during the memorial service.
