Ceremony took place at OUS The Lawrence County Veteran of the Year ceremony took place on Thursday at Ohio University Southern, and an Ironton and Coal Grove native was honored as this year’s recipient of the award. A Dawson-Bryant High School graduate, Adam Koster’s career of service began at a young age, when he volunteered with the Coal Grove Fire Department, while at the same time, putting in hours coaching youth football. Adam Koster was inducted as the 2026 Lawrence County Veteran of the Year on Nov. 5. (Submitted photo) Setting aside college and walk-on football at Marietta College, Koster enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1985, serving as an intelligence specialist aboard two aircraft carriers, the USS Nimitz and the USS George Washington, as well as at Atlantic Intelligence Command in Norfolk, Virginia. Koster’s service led him to take part in Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield as part of the Persian Gulf War of 1991.
A group of Dawson-Bryant High School students were on hand to cheer on the ribbon cutting of the Coal Grove Taco Bell on Friday. (Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) COAL GROVE — There was already a line of customers on the lot on Marion Pike on Friday, awaiting the ribbon cutting and opening of the new Taco Bell in Coal Grove. The restaurant, which Marty Conley of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce said will employ 32 workers, was ready for business after months of construction. Marty Conley, of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, speaks at the ribbon cutting for the Coal Grove Taco Bell on Friday. (Heath Harrison | The Ironton Tribune) Conley said the Chamber is “always excited anytime a new business comes to the county.” “And the folks here have put in a lot of long nights,” he said of the days of preparation. Jared Jones, director of operations for Taco Bell, thanked the crowd, as well as all officials who assisted in the company coming to Coal Grove.
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ASHLAND – A University of Kentucky collaboration is addressing food insecurity and diet-related chronic diseases such as diabetes by reducing the barriers to healthy foods. The UK Cooperative Extension Service at the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, along with local and statewide healthcare providers, community organizations, farmers, public leaders, and nutrition and dietetics professionals, are all working together to promote “food is medicine” programs across the Commonwealth. As a part of this effort in Ashland, UK King’s Daughters, in partnership with Greenup County Extension, hosted Dining with Diabetes, a free, four-week “food is medicine” workshop that helps community members with diabetes to learn about healthier foods and affordable food choices.
Lilly May Johnson, 81, of South Point, died Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, at Harbor Healthcare of Ironton. Graveside service will be 2 p.m. Sunday at Good Hope Cemetery in Crown City. Hall Funeral Home and Crematory in Proctorville is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be expressed to the family at ehallfuneralhome.com.
