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View stories from the 2019 workshops from Cynthiana and Harrison County, Kentucky
Cynthiana and Harrison County, Kentucky
October 29 - November 2, 2019Residents call it the “Maiden City” because it was named for Cynthia and Anna, daughters of the man who donated land to start the town in 1793. All these years later, the Harrison County seat remains focused on family and community spirit.
Featured • Video
'We know our neighbors'
by Mountain WorkshopsPeople in Cynthiana and Harrison County appreciate where they live. It is a community rich in history, neighborliness and dreams for a brighter future.
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A home away from home
by Alejandro MeterBiancke's invites its guests to put the phone down and talk to the person sitting at the next table. It’s a place where families and friends gather to reminisce and to dream of a better tomorrow.
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Keeper of the Kentucky ghosts
by Mackenzie BehmSince Roger Slade’s father died when he was young, he fears losing his loved ones. Now, Roger is comforted by the afterlife and gives ghost tours in his haunted opera house.
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A mayor of many hats
by Bonnie ArbittierJames Smith is in his second term as mayor of Cynthiana. He not only serves the townspeople but also fills the roles of theater owner, pastor, husband and ghost-tour guide.
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Small town magic
by Mia HagertyReed and Ashton Masterson are illusionists who grew up practicing magic in Cynthiana and now perform hundreds of shows across the country. Magic has literally changed their lives.
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Hunting for the brotherhood
by Anthony VazquezRobin Gassett and his Licking River Outfitters provides wounded soldiers and disabled veterans with opportunities to hunt — and to bond with others like them.
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God, family and taxidermy
by Tori SchneiderAfter 48 years of marriage, Gary and Debbie Lizer have found a new togetherness in their time with their grandchildren, their faith and their work to preserve God's creation.
Featured • Digital Storytelling Workshop
Telling time
by Digital Storytelling WorkshopMeet three Cynthiana residents living where past and present come together.
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Cynthiana's friend
by Gabi BroekemaAustin Jones is known throughout Cynthiana for his happy energy. The 30-year-old man has Down syndrome. When he was young, the community banded together to watch out for him. Now, they're good friends.
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A life of learning
by Arden BarnesBruce Florence has learned that staying engaged is important as you grow older. She fills her time by finding a need in her community and working to fix it.
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Family and football
by Esther HeathWith a long-term goal to help his mother, Harrison County High School athlete La'Darius Connor has the work ethic of a grown man.
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The ballad of Kenny
by Bridget BennettBy day, Kenny Whitaker is a truck dispatcher. By night, he is Cynthiana's country balladeer. With songs of life and love, Whitaker explores how values, like music, change with age.
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Cultivating a future
by Matt ShifflerFarming dates back in the Clifford family for six generations. With rising farm costs and reduced tobacco allotments, Ben finds new ways to support the family while still keeping the farm.
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The recipe for life
by Sofie MortensenBonnie Teater, 72, stays young by doing things for others. Her community is her passion. But Bonnie wonders what will happen when age forces her to slow down.
Featured • Photo
Slices of Cynthiana life
by Mountain WorkshopsHarrison County is a community of families, friends, neighbors and classmates. Relationships and connections run deep, and you can see it in the faces.
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Transcending trauma
by Meredith C. BrowneElizabeth Gross is still haunted by the memories of her past. But in working to reconcile her pain, she found purpose.
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Pioneers of hemp
by Emma SteeleJason Marshall and his family usher in the future at their Cynthiana CBD store, Rocky Ridge Hemp Company.
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The keys to finding community
by Erin IrwinAfter a lifetime of being a daughter and caretaker, Beth Laytart is enjoying her newfound solitude. She doesn’t care for large crowds or social situations — unless she’s playing the piano.
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Family legacy
by Fahad AlotaibiAt his grandfather's request, Daniel Potter moved to Cynthiana to help run B.A. Maintenance Services, Inc., the family business George Velat had founded in 1987.
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Somebody serious
by Andrew ThayerMike Jones always knew he was different. He grew up wanting to be like his brother and friends, writing lyrics on the front steps. Today, he is on the stage.
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A painter's purpose
by Grace ArmesHerby Moore, 89, lives in a colorful world. Painting every day, he takes pleasure in sharing his historic Cynthiana scenes with old and young.
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A Charizard dream come true
by Sam MallonAlan Roque, a high school student with special needs, finds happiness is his love for a very special Pokémon character.
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The shaper of many
by Donald ScottJerry Jenkins didn't have to go far to make an impact. The former principal and coach has been shaping lives since 1962. Now, in retirement, he is shaping something else.
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A legacy in a box
by Reed MattisonA 'farm for sale' ad caught David Kramer's eye 30 years ago and turned him from corporate to craftsman.
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A force for good
by Katie DanceRoboo Walker was told in 6th grade he wouldn't go to college. He proved them wrong. Now he’s back in that school, encouraging kids in ways he was not.
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A family affair
by Chris JuhnUnited by a passion for farming and family, the Switzers have adapted their work to stay on the land for five generations.
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Just carrying it on
by Yutao ChenTaylena Cason Burgan runs VanHook Hardware with her husband, Kent. The family business has been around for more than a century, yet faces an uncertain future.
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Making her way home
by Nick RohlmanOnce determined to never return to her hometown, Cynthiana native Annastasia Hicks is now embedded in her community and doesn't plan to leave it or the Ashford Acres Inn.
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Sharing a life
by Silas WalkerWhat goes into almost 70 years of marriage? Jane and Tommy Kearns met in the first grade – and have been married for 68 years.
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Classic caring
by Ivy CeballoFor Crystal Prather, Cynthiana's elders are family, and she cares for them in a way she says they deserve.
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The road to recovery
by Pauline TranA mother and co-owner of an auto repair shop, Jackie Arnold struggles with her son's brain tumor diagnosis and related complications but is comforted by her strong community.
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Work and warmth
by Allie IppolitoWith her trademark smile and nice-to-meet-you attitude, hardworking Judy Northcutt makes friends wherever she goes.
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For the love of horses
by Jacqueline BaylonDebbie Shehadi was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in New Jersey. But through determination, perseverance and guts, she achieved her dream of owning a Kentucky horse farm.
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View from the Hilltop
by Steel BrooksLifelong cook Odus Fryman has owned the Hilltop Grill for six years, bridging family, community and, of course, food.
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Cracking the code
by Lauren GlazeChristine Garnett is bringing coding to elementary and high schools in Cynthiana. She is laying the foundation for young people to effectively navigate the virtual world.
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When the project is love
by Alex EdelmanKarey Riddell, owner of The Burley Market, is raising her son, Wesley Smith, with laughter and love.
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The 'Cheers' of Cynthiana
by Gabrielle SaveriTanya and Bubba Blake are living their dream of owning a sports bar, the Drunken Monkey. But the experience is turning out to be harder than they ever imagined.
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At home at Joe's Place
by Huining FanFor Joe Chambers' family and many of his customers, Joe's Place Bar and Grill feels like home.
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Back from the brink
by Nicole CraineAfter buying the last breeding herd of Gotland ponies in North America, Leslie Bebensee revived the rare breed. Today, she inspires others to embrace preservation and sustainability.
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Gone country
by Nacogdoches MillerO.C. Jones, a sergeant with the Cynthiana Police Department, is a self-described “city boy gone country.” O.C. lives in a log cabin with his wife and works to be self-reliant.
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High stakes farming
by Austin SmockBrandon Barnett comes from a long line of tobacco farmers. With the crop's decline, he is searching for the next big crop to keep the farming tradition in his family.
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Law and land
by Carlin StiehlFamily Court Judge Heather Fryman finds a balance between her work and her home life on the farm where she lives with her husband, two daughters and almost 200 animals.
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Curtain call to action
by Tyler BeattyIn high school, theater was her refuge. Now Katelyn Chanslor works to bring Cynthiana a children's theater program, with the hope of directing her students toward a brighter future.
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Farm life lessons
by Sarah YeneselWith help from a close-knit family, Heather and Bradley Price are passing along the values of family and hard work to their children.
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Nourishing her roots
by Jovelle TamayoFor Kim Wilson, Cynthiana has been and always will be home. Her love for this changing community has kept her focused on her business and family.
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Winning battles, fighting the war
by Ellen SchmidtCynthiana farm owner Mike Church is fighting battles on and off Civil War re-enactment battlefields.
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Nurses' bond
by MaCabe BrownAs a hospice nurse, Sharon Adams travels Harrison County caring for people like Lina Dailey, 101, with whom she shares a passion for helping others.
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A chosen family
by Anthony EyringBelly laughter, heavy lifting and beloved customers are all part of a day's work for the four core employees at Kenny's Value Center in Berry.
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Farming is his life
by Gaelen MorseLowell Clifford has been farming for most of life. Widowed and growing older, his passion for farming endures. But his struggle to maintain the farm grows.
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A good day to save a life
by Kelley Jordan SchuylerAt 60, Cynthiana nursing teacher Luanne Wilson saves lives and pushes the limits, including her own.
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Together in paradise
by Lily ThompsonAvi and Karen Bear grew up in two different worlds, but they built a life together and now live in their own piece of heaven in Harrison County.
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Small department. Big heart.
by Julianna LeachWhether it’s working in the Cynthiana Fire Department, volunteering in the community or training his bird dogs, it’s always a family thing for Fire Chief Jay Sanders.
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A certain kind of woman
by Katrina KirschAt a Cynthiana manufacturing plant, women reveal the characteristic that helps them succeed in the male-dominated sector.
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The traveling library
by Dustin MassengillAda Adair drives the bookmobile around Harrison County, delivering books for the Cynthiana-Harrison County Public Library. She hopes the traveling billboard invites residents to other library events.
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Clip off the old block
by Autumn AlexanderJerry Adams and his daughter, April Emery, have been cutting hair together at their Custom Cuts shop — and learning from each other — for 13 years.
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'A spoke in the wheel'
by Jessica TezakBrad Allison wholeheartedly devotes his time to supporting young people in Harrison County through the schools and his church.
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Life, family and dance
by Tina RussellHigh school senior Anna Midden juggles dance, family, school and work while pushing toward her dream of becoming a Rockette at New York's Radio City Music Hall.
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Rooted in friendship
by Lindsay TalleyLifelong farmer Chappie Mastin approaches his retirement with a strong sense of community support from his peers.
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Made from scratch
by Silka HoughtonAt Harrison County High School, Jennifer Grause is building career paths for her students; it all starts in the kitchen.
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Finding Furever Homes
by Joeleen HubbardShonda Judy, a local photographer, increases animal adoption rates and educates the community about animal welfare by photographing animals in the local shelter and managing a local nonprofit.
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Family tradition
by Paul FrangipaneThree generations of women have dedicated their lives to caring for patients at Harrison Memorial Hospital
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Life and death decisions
by Lauren SantucciVeterinarian Emily Bridge treats pets and farm animals in her community.
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Full service and so much more
by David CoulsonWhen Dennis Motell opened the Harrison County Auto Shop 24 years ago, he found more than customers. And they found more than a mechanic.
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All in the family
by Carolyne CorelisBoyd machinist and entrepreneur Sonny Spicer works hard for — and with — his family
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A good start in life
by Yawen WuSocial worker Megan Nickerson counsels expectant parents on healthy homes for children. As a single mom in college, she had help from the same program.
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Middle school sweethearts
by August GravatteLaura and Josh Ashbrook, together since seventh grade, share teaching careers and a busy family life with two young children.
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Old school tobacco
by Michelle SukstorfHarrison County factory produces Kentucky's Best brand cigarettes and pouch tobacco with old European machinery and local workers.