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A Kentucky county’s recovery from opioid crisis could be a model for Tennessee | Opinion

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A Kentucky county’s recovery from opioid crisis could be a model for Tennessee | Opinion



‘If we pretend that everyone that has made a mistake…should get some sort of economic death penalty where they can never get a job again, we will never overcome this problem.’

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  • Harlan County, Kentucky, a rural part of the state with high overdose rates, is becoming a model for addiction recovery.
  • The county has implemented recovery programs, drug courts, and transportation services funded by opioid settlement money.
  • It may also serve as a model for other areas, including Tennessee, who are also struggling with opioid addiction and overdoses.

Mandy Gooden grew up in a town that had one of the largest addiction rates in the country, with over five times the OxyContin distribution per capita than the national average in 2000. 

After struggling with her own opiate addiction that began with a prescription after surgery in North Carolina, Gooden found recovery in that same hometown – Harlan, Kentucky.

Now, the faded buildings lining Harlan’s downtown are filled with posters for recovery groups, prevention events and nightly AA meetings in an alleyway beside the local bank.

Though the county still had a far higher overdose death rate than the national average in 2021, for the past three years, treatment efforts have increased. And the number of deaths has dropped.

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Harlan has established positions devoted to recovery, a recovery-focused drug court, transport programs and reemployment services. Day after day, Gooden has been part of that change. Now in long-term recovery, she helps others recover through a position funded by opioid settlement money.

Over the next 18 years, Harlan is expected to receive over $10 million in additional funds from pharmaceutical companies and distributors who exacerbated the opioid crisis, according to the Kentucky Attorney General’s office. 

“In Harlan, sober is the new cool,” said Gooden.

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Gooden manages local cases classified under Casey’s Law, shorthand for the Matthew Casey Wethington Act for Substance Abuse Intervention. It was instituted in Kentucky in 2004 after the 23-year-old Casey died from a heroin overdose. The law helps families petition courts to get treatment for loved ones who are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. 

Harlan’s success in recovery may provide a model for rural Tennessee communities as the state prepares to receive over $1.2 billion in abatement funds over the next 18 years. Dr. Stephen Patrick, former director of Child Health Policy at Vanderbilt, has been a part of efforts to outline how communities should use these funds, though guidelines for spending are lacking, he said.

In Harlan County, recovery takes a whole community

The money will aid recovery efforts. But for some, it will come too late.

As the coal industry declined through the 1990s, poverty and unemployment soared in Harlan, with over 25 percent of the county’s population of about 25,000 falling below the poverty line. 

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Tom Vicini, president and CEO of drug prevention and recovery organization Operation UNITE, said some unemployed coal miners sold their prescriptions to support their families or to buy more drugs themselves.

As Gooden and others worked to create an anti-addiction program, Kateena Haynes, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Appalachia, advocated for children who’ve experienced what she calls “horrific situations and circumstances.” 

“They think that, ‘You know, my parents haven’t had a job, and I’m not going to have a job, and so why don’t I just use drugs?’” Haynes said. “I think that the greatest thing that we do is just to give kids hope.”

The Harlan drug court has also stepped in, providing rehabilitation.

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The Harlan drug court provides support for those struggling with addiction

Amber Stepp said she landed her first job through the drug court in 2021 after struggling with an OxyContin addiction.

“[Drug court workers] taught me how to grocery shop; they got me to get a bank account; they just taught me to live a normal and productive life,” said Stepp. “They inspired me to find something I wanted to do and something that I’m passionate about and make that my career.”

She became a peer support specialist, someone who is in successful recovery, trained to support others struggling with addiction. 

She also helps run local recovery meetings and Harlan’s coalition of Operation UNITE, organizing community outreach events to prevent addiction.

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Through efforts led by Dan Mosley, Harlan has further advanced opportunities for people who may not otherwise be able to access recovery.

As Harlan’s Judge-Executive, Mosley helped establish the Harlan County Drug Summit in 2019. He developed Ride for Recovery, which pays community action agencies or private transit providers to transport someone to recovery if they are unable to. Harlan also provides job reentry services.

“If we pretend that everyone that has made a mistake as it relates to their addiction should get some sort of economic death penalty where they can never get a job again, we will never overcome this problem,” said Mosley.

 “They were loved back to life here.”

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Originally from Nashville, Virginia Hunt is currently a journalism and biology student at Northwestern University with a special interest in public health reporting. 



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Kentucky high school football final scores, results — November 14, 2025

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Kentucky high school football final scores, results — November 14, 2025


The 2025 Kentucky high school football season continued on Friday, and High School On SI has a list of final scores from this weekend.

Kentucky High School Football Scores, Results & Live Updates (KHSAA) – November 14, 2025

Atherton 41, Jeffersontown 6

Beechwood 42, Walton-Verona 7

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Bell County 43, Knox Central 14

Belfry 63, Martin County High School 7

Bishop Brossart 21, Newport Central Catholic 42

Boyle County 42, Wayne County 0

Bowling Green 52, Apollo 27

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Breathitt County 49, Bracken County 14

Bryan Station 15, Frederick Douglass 42

Campbellsville 47, Bethlehem 21

Christian Academy-Louisville 48, DeSales 3

Cooper 34, Scott County 55

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Corbin 47, Lincoln County 14

Covington Catholic 36, Johnson Central 29

Danville 19, Somerset 26

Fairdale 24, Butler 8

Franklin County 48, Valley 20

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Frederick Douglass 42, Bryan Station 15

Henderson County 41, McCracken County 34

Highlands 45, Ashland Blazer 7

Kentucky Country Day 45, Holy Cross 7

Lawrence County 32, Rockcastle County 26

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Lexington Catholic 27, Central 14

Lexington Christian 51, Monroe County 21

Lloyd Memorial 48, Henry County 20

Logan County 35, Elizabethtown 0

Madison Central 45, George Rogers Clark 7

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Male 15, DuPont Manual 14

Mayfield 55, Hancock County 0

Middlesboro 44, Hazard 36

Murray 49, Hart County 6

Newport 20, Holy Cross 3

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Newport Central Catholic 42, Bishop Brossart 21

North Oldham 35, Spencer County 26

Owensboro 42, Greenwood 14

Owensboro Catholic 50, Crittenden County 14

Paducah Tilghman 49, Franklin-Simpson 14

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Paris 14, Sayre 10

Pikeville 56, Williamsburg 18

Prestonsburg 55, Knott County Central 6

Pulaski County 42, South Laurel 13

Raceland 49, Nicholas County 22

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Russell 14, Bourbon County 7

Ryle 41, Ballard 20

Scott County 55, Cooper 34

Somerset 26, Danville 19

South Warren 51, Hopkinsville 23

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St. Xavier 50, Bullitt East 20

Trinity 50, Simon Kenton 0

Union County 10, Glasgow 7

West Jessamine 24, North Laurel 21

Woodford County 55, Collins 35

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IKEA to open new store concept in Florence, Kentucky. Sorry, it won’t have meatballs

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IKEA to open new store concept in Florence, Kentucky. Sorry, it won’t have meatballs


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  • IKEA is opening a new “plan and order point with pick-up” store in Florence, Kentucky.
  • The new store concept will focus on design support for projects like kitchens and bedrooms.
  • Located on Mall Road, the store is scheduled to open in the spring of 2026.
  • Same-day pickup and the company’s iconic food offerings will not be available at this location.

IKEA, the Sweden-based home furnishing retailer, is bringing a new type of shopping experience to Northern Kentucky next year. But it’s not bringing meatballs.

The company is opening a “plan and order point with pick-up” store in Florence to bring “the IKEA experience closer to more residents of the tri-state area,” according to a news release.

“I’m beyond excited to welcome customers to our new plan and order point in Florence next spring,” Susan Blackstock, IKEA market manager, said. “This new store location is perfect for customers who are looking to purchase affordable home furnishings, plan new design projects, and create a home they love. IKEA Florence brings our signature design solutions to the Cincinnati community – making it more accessible, more convenient, and of course, more affordable.”

Here’s what to know.

IKEA announces plans to bring new store concept to Northern Kentucky

IKEA is opening a “plan and order point with pick-up” store in Florence, and the format will focus on face-to-face interaction with customers. Shoppers will have the opportunity to meet with an IKEA employee “to plan and order home furnishing solutions that may require design support – such as kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms.”

“With this location, we are increasing accessibility to the brand and meeting customers where they are and how they like to shop,” the release said.

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When is IKEA opening in Florence?

The new store will open sometime in spring 2026.

Where will the IKEA store be located in Florence?

The new IKEA store will be located right across from the Florence Mall on Mall Road and cover 4,200 square feet of leased retail space.

Will same-day pick up be available at the IKEA store in Florence?

Customers can arrange home delivery or pick-up at a time that is convenient, but same-day pick up is not available, as all orders need to be placed in advance.

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Online shoppers will have the option to pick up qualifying orders by selecting IKEA Florence as their preferred pick-up location at checkout.

Will IKEA Florence sell meatballs and other food options?

The Florence store will not sell its iconic meatballs and other food offerings, according to the news release. Shoppers will have to visit the West Chester Township’s conventional store, which opened in 2008, to satisfy their cravings.

How many ‘plan and order point with pick-up’ stores does IKEA have?

IKEA has already opened more than 20 “plan and order point with pick-up” stores in 13 other states, with several more slated to open within the next couple of weeks.

Where is the closest IKEA store to Louisville?

The closest IKEA store to the Louisville area is in West Chester Township in Ohio, located at 9500 Ikea Way. The new Florence store will mark the second location in Greater Cincinnati.

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Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Aaron Valdez contributed. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.



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Kentucky child abuse prevention group trains advocates statewide

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Kentucky child abuse prevention group trains advocates statewide


LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Kentucky has one of the highest child abuse rates in the country, with data from the Child Maltreatment 2023 Report showing about 14 out of every 1,000 children in the Commonwealth experienced some form of abuse or neglect.

Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky is working to change that through its two-day Upstream Academy training program designed to build a statewide network of advocates.

According to Norton Children’s, Kentucky’s child abuse rate is the fourth highest in the country. Leaders say socioeconomic factors contribute to the problem.

“Socioeconomics can be a part of child abuse. People are stressed, incomes are low, things are happening so that can actually be a cause of it. It could be, you know, their past. They’ve been abused so they’re abusing their children,” said Rebecca Cantrell, an Upstream Academy trainee.

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Training creates advocate network

Cantrell, who adopted her own daughter, attended the training in Lexington on Thursday.

“If it’s not talked about it’s not fixed, so if we can talk about it we can help prevent it,” Cantrell said. “If there’s any way I can prevent it I am going to try.”

The training aims to teach advocates how to recognize warning signs of abuse and how to make reports. Participants also learn about available resources in their communities.

“Get to know the advocates in your town. Get to know the people that you can get resources from to help even your neighbor,” Cantrell said.

Statewide expansion planned

Jill Seyfred, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky, said the organization’s goal is to train at least one person from each county.

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“Our goal is to train at least one person from each county and then that person will go out and conduct trainings on child abuse prevention activities and then it’ll be a ripple effect,” Seyfred said.

When complete, 120 people will be trained with tools to help prevent child abuse across Kentucky.

“We know that there are people out there who are interested in doing this work and helping us,” Seyfred said.



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