Outsider artists bring folk art to Huntington

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Bodyworks Day Spa and Art Gallery presents ‘Women Folk’ a unique outsider artist show.

The exhibit will be held at 210 Eleventh St. in the Cabell Huntington Visitors and Convention Bureau’s Visitors Center located in Downtown Huntington’s Heritage Village.

This show will showcase the art of Minnie Adkins of Isonville, Ky. and Cher Shaffer of Creston, NC. Exhibit times will be Friday, Nov. 13 from 5 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 15, from noon until 4 p.m.

Minnie Adkins, a self-taught folk artist, brings the animals from the hills of Kentucky to life with every piece she hand carves.

Her roosters, possums (with babies), foxes, bears and horses are must haves for art enthusiasts and collectors alike.

Shaffer is a self-taught outsider artist whose unique view of nature comes to light and color through each of her paintings on canvas, tin, old ledger paper, and wood.

The two were featured in the 1989 book ‘O’Appalachia: Artists of the Southern Mountains which was landmark in the movement to recognize folk artists from Appalachia. Autographed copies of the book will be available for sale at the show.

Their pieces can be seen on line at www.bodyworksspa-gallery.com. Art will be priced from $30.

MU seeks blue jeans for home insulation

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Marshall University is one of eight universities helping to convert blue jeans into insulation for Habitat for Humanity homes.

The Public Relations Student Society of America has teamed up with Cotton Inc. and Huntington Area Habitat for Humanity to promote the drive dubbed “Cotton: From Blue to Green.”

Since the national campaign began in 2006, natural cotton fiber insulation made from recycled denim has been used in more than 200 homes in the Gulf Coast region.

The campaign ends Nov. 2.

Osiris closes Diversity Series

IRONTON — Ohio University Southern will wrap up its Campus Cultural and Social Awareness Month with a lecture by author, college professor and motivational speaker Khalil Osiris, who also spent more than 20 years in prison.

Scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m., the lecture will also will wrap the university’s Diversity Lecture Series. The event will take place in the Bowman Auditorium on the OUS Ironton Campus.

Osiris will speak about “Self-Imposed Limitations” in his lecture. He currently teaches at Wright State University in Dayton and has co-authored two books.

While incarcerated at Norfolk Prison Colony in Massachusetts, Osiris earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Boston University. Aware that Norfolk Prison was where Malcolm X served time and that Boston University was where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., earned his doctoral degree, both inspired Osiris.

While in prison, Osiris organized book clubs to promote literacy, formed prisoner study groups and created restorative programs. His message to fellow prisoners was to “turn the cell into a classroom and the prison into a university.”

The event is co-sponsored by Lawrence County Juvenile Court.

ODOT issues weekly road work update

LAWRENCE COUNTY — The following traffic advisory includes road construction and major maintenance projects requiring lane restrictions and/or road closures along the state and federal highway system within ODOT District 9. For additional information regarding projects throughout the state, visit www.buckeyetraffic.org.

County Road 1 (Old U.S. 52) is closed between the 9.32 and 9.48-mile markers for a dual bridge replacement project. The project site is located just south of U.S. 52 and its junction with County Road 144 (Charley Creek Road) at Sybene.

Throughout construction, traffic will be detoured into the village via T.R. 276 (Sandusky Road), and all traffic will be maintained within the community. The scheduled completion date is Nov. 12.

S.R. 217 is closed at the 5.79-mile marker, just west of State Route 378 at Linnville, for a culvert replacement project over Dick Creek. While the route is closed, motorists will be detoured via SR 141 and SR 378. (A local detour will also be in place.)

U.S. Route 52 is now open to four lanes of traffic following a major rehabilitation project between Hanging Rock and Coal Grove. Although some finishing work remains to be completed, there should be little to no impact to traffic.

A signalization project is under way on U.S. 52 at the Ashland, Ky., bridge, from just east of the State Route 243/Coal Grove exit to just west of T.R. 268 (Hog Back Road).

Traffic is being maintained in at least one lane in each direction at all times.

Huntington says residency lawsuit finally settled

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — A Huntington official says a settlement has been reached in the long-running legal fight over residency requirements for city workers.

City attorney Scott McClure says the deal would exempt current employees and apply the residency requirement only to people hired after the settlement is approved. McClure says the deal was on Cabell County Circuit Judge Jane Hustead’s desk Friday.

The agreement would end a dispute that started in 2006 when a Huntington firefighter and a police officer challenged the city’s residency requirement. The state Supreme Court ruled a year ago that Huntington could require employees to live within city limits.

‘Mummy Mania’ set for Boyd Library

ASHLAND, Ky. —Calling all mummies (and daddies)!

Boyd County Public Library is having Mummy Mania on Halloween, with activities the entire family will enjoy.

The fun starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Main Branch, 1740 Central Ave., with a mummy-wrapping contest. After that, kids can decorate their own mini pyramid.

There will be a special Halloween showing of “The Mummy” at 2 p.m.

For more information, call (606) 329-0090 or visit www.thebookplace.org