Tamer Turkman’s father is a doctor and did his residency at the University of Kentucky in the mid-1950’s.

“The one thing I do know about Kentucky basketball is that my dad told us how nice the people were and I grew up hearing all those stories about the people and the basketball,” said Turkman, who now lives in Baltimore.

Turkman, a Turkish-American, is founder and president of International Student Services. He started his business in 1993 to help young Turks trying to get an education in the United States. “It’s usually not athletes we help,” Turkman said. “Enes Kanter is a great athlete, but he’s also a Turkish student.”

His website, StudyInAmerica.com, has had interviews with Kanter, a Kentucky signee, and Kentucky coach John Calipari and Turkman recently wrote a story for Turkey’s Hürriyet Daily News on Kanter’s arrival in Lexington last month.

Read more »

The Kentucky Blood Center will be conduction a blood drive in Ivel on May 20th, 2010.

The next chance to donate locally is:
Appalachian Wireless
Thursday, May 20th from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
on the KBC Bloodmobile at 101 Technology Trail in Ivel.

Those wanting to donate blood can call 1 (800) 775-2522 or visit www.kybloodcenter.org for blood drive and donor center details.

Blood donors must be 17-years-old (16 with parental consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, be in general good health and meet additional requirements. Sixteen-year-old donors must have a signed parental permission slip, which can be found on the Kentucky's Blood Center's web site: www.kybloodcenter.org.

The Kentucky Blood Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring a safe, adequate blood supply for 67 Kentucky hospitals and clinics thanks to generous blood donors in 62 counties.

CJ Leslie and Terrence Jones decide on Friday. Both are Top 20 2010 players, both are power forwards and both are considering Kentucky. Both are making a choice between a home school (NC State and Washington), another power (UCONN and Kansas) and Kentucky. The tea leaves in the last few weeks have seemed to have the home school winning for both players, but no real news or good scoop has come out since. It could go either way for both kids and Friday either becomes the final piece to the 2010 puzzle, or the path for Marcus Thornton becomes much clearer.

*Note: I will post the decision as soon as it is released right here on our Hometown Blog.

Gearheart battles theft on a daily basis - The rise in copper thefts correlates to the escalating price of precious metals in recent years. “We understand that when it becomes common knowledge about precious metal pricing (especially copper) in our rural communities, thefts will ultimately continue to rise year-after-year” says Heath Wiley, Director of Marketing for Gearheart Communications.

Since 2008, Gearheart Communications has experienced a rash of theft of their telephone copper lines within the Harold, Wheelwright and Grethel service areas. “We have been hit around 8 or 10 different times for copper theft in multiple Coalfields Telephone service areas, with one span of cable stolen off of US 23. Not to mention, many valued Gearheart Customers have suffered from loss of their services (telephone, television and internet) when a copper lines are stolen.” said Mary Bush, Coalfields Service Department Supervisor.

Read more »