Kentucky Main Street

01/16/2025

Warmer temperatures are on the way! Our shops have struggled during the snow and ice and several were impacted by the Middlesboro fire. All are OPEN! They need your support and you can grab some winter deals and get an early start for Valentines! Time to get out of the house and enjoy a day downtown! ♥️

01/15/2025

Our thoughts are with the community of Middlesboro who experienced a terrible loss in their downtown today. Thankful to all who assisted in protecting the citizens and surrounding buildings.

Today has been a heartbreaking day for our community. A fire in downtown Middlesboro has caused extensive damage and led to a partial building collapse. The downtown area is closed, and many customers are currently without power.

We are incredibly thankful that, despite the severity of the situation, there have been no injuries. The safety of our community is our top priority, and we are relieved that no lives were lost or harmed in this event.

The City of Middlesboro Kentucky will open the Community Center at 8:30 PM tonight as a warming center for anyone impacted power outage.

We also want to offer our deepest thanks to the first responders who have worked tirelessly to contain the fire and ensure everyone’s safety. Thank you to our very own Middlesboro Fire, Middlesboro Police and Street Department for their quick and coordinated response. We are also immensely grateful to the fire departments and rescue teams from Bell County, Pineville, Harrogate, Tazewell, New Tazewell, Thomas Walker and the Park Rangers for their incredible support during this emergency. Their bravery and teamwork have been vital in managing this crisis and keeping our community safe.

We appreciate your understanding and patience as we navigate this ongoing situation. Please stay safe, avoid the Fountain Square area, and continue to check for updates.

01/14/2025

We finished up Mural Monday in 2024 and this year we are going to celebrate Tasty Tuesdays by highlighting locally owned restaurants, bakeries, and cafes.

Our first spotlight is located in Beattyville. Here's the menu for the day. Everything is delicious. We love the BBQ and the potato salad is divine.

01/13/2025

A big THANK YOU to all who worked non stop in this recent weather. Road crews, linemen, first responders and more. You are much appreciated!!

01/12/2025

Our directors are always ready for whatever challenge comes their way! Three cheers for Tammy Jones, Pineville Main Street, for being a good sport and wearing her Kentucky Main Street Strong T while taking the Snow Angel challenge.

01/12/2025

Share your downtown snow photos with us and those of your historic structures on the Kentucky Heritage Council page. We know you have great photos to share!

01/11/2025

Hey, look what's open today! Head on over to Guthrie and check out the new market!

❄️❄️Ready to get out of the house yet?! We will be open tomorrow - come shop with us! ❄️❄️

01/11/2025

Suns out!! You should be too!! Visit your favorite local downtown cafe, restaurant, or other gathering place to catch up with friends, catch a game, or just get out of the house! Downtown is waiting for you!!

01/11/2025

Know before you go. With this second round of wintery weather many places across the state are experiencing poor travel conditions. Our small businesses greatly appreciate your business but may be closed due to weather. Please give them a call or check their social media if before you venture out.

01/10/2025

Did you know that KYMS is a program of the Kentucky Heritage Council, the State Historic Preservation Office? Here's a great idea while your home due to the winter weather. You can nominate someone, a project, and more for an Ida Lee Willis award! Ida Lee was the first State Historic Preservation Officer. Her husband Simeon Willis was the Governor and they were from Ashland, KY. There home is now a B&B. So prepare and send in your nominations!!

01/08/2025

Several areas received more snow last night and more is on the way! It will be a winter to remember. If you live in town and can walk to shops or are able to get there be like Tony and continue supporting your downtown businesses!
Stay safe out there!!

01/07/2025

The extended forecast is below freezing most of this week. It is critically important that all remain warm. Wear multiple layers. If it is too cold where you are we urge you to go stay with friends, family, or head to a community shelter. Stay safe!

Know before you go. Roads are still slick and hazardous. Many businesses remain closed. When they reopen please support them.

01/06/2025

The weather outside is frightful, but marketing your small business is delightful! Today's a great day to check out resources available to you! From Yelp, to Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) and many more. Get great trainings and get your business recognized!

Connect with new customers for free

01/06/2025

Know before you go! Schools, offices, and businesses may be closed in your area today. 80,000 plus are without electricity across the state. Roads remain slick and hazardous with layers of ice in many locations. Stay safe!

01/05/2025

Today we are sharing great advice from a supporter on how to deal with winter weather. This advice is both for personal and your business/home.

I grew up off grid in Alaska and moved here from Maine. I have experienced power outages for around a week at a time due to winter storms so this coming storm is just one of countless snowstorms for me, but I understand it's very unusual for the area. I've put together some tips & tricks as a northerner to help everyone be prepared. Keep in mind, there's a lot more I could include, but I tried to keep it to things that you don't need to purchase in advance. Stay safe and check on your neighbors who may need help.

• Leave your faucets dripping to help prevent your pipes from freezing.

• Turn the heat up higher than you'd normally keep it to start warming up the home in case you lose power.

• Charge all devices! If you have battery packs to recharge your phone, get those fully charged too.

• Shower before the storm even if you don't really need it yet. When you lose power for an extended period of time, you'll wish you had even if you had showered recently enough before the storm.

• If you lose water when you lose power, fill you bathtubs and sink with water. You can use this to flush the toilets and/or give your pets water.

• Locate your flashlights and candles before the power goes out. Have at least one or two readily available to dig out the rest.

• If you have a generator, test it before the storm. Do any maintenance needed. And make sure you have plenty of gas.

• Speaking of gas, fill up your vehicles. You don't want your tank too low in low temperatures. Plus you want enough to get around as needed.

• If you have a grill, check your propane or charcoal to make sure you're ready to cook without power for a few days.

• Always have an emergency water supply to get you through a few days. Even if you're on city water, you should always be prepared.

• If you have a wood fireplace, get it ready and even better set it up for a fire so all you have to do is light it when the power goes out. Please make sure your chimney is regularly cleaned before using. If you rent, ask your landlord.

• Have a plan to stay warm. Have those blankets, hoodies, and socks clean (or at least not in the neither clean nor dirty laundry pile) and ready to go.

• Have food ready to eat that won't require power to make. (There are other options besides milk, bread, and eggs.)

• Do anything requiring power that you'll regret not doing if you lose it. Wash those dishes. Run the laundry. Just be careful to time it all to be done before the storm hits. Personally, I like having disposable plates and utensils for power outages.

• Take out trash/recycling to your bins now so you don't have to attempt to walk on the ice.

• If you do need to walk on ice, look for whatever will create the most friction. Walk on frozen grass before a smooth surface. If you only have a smooth surface as an option, do your best to break up the ice a bit first before walking onto it. That will create a place for your shoes to grip. Road salt and sand both create friction to help prevent slips and falls on ice. If you have pets and use salt, be careful what you use. Sand is safer for that and more environmentally friendly, but it does not melt the ice. You may want to mix the two together to leave friction but still melt the ice a bit. Sand is messy though. You will want to use the boot scraper before coming inside.

Stay safe!

01/04/2025

It's a great day to visit your locally owned bookstore! Bundle up, stop by the bakery & the restaurant for take homes, do all the inside and outside safety measures, then settle in with your favorite blanket, warm beverage and your new book!