Inside the Student-Led Support Club Taking Root at Belfry High
Canada, KY · October 18, 2026
Crisp mountain air and unbroken blue skies have settled over the hollows this morning, making it prime porch-sitting weather. Take the extra five minutes with your coffee before stepping out into the sunshine.
The Lead
Belfry High School has launched a new student-led peer support club, creating an intentional space for teens across the Pond Creek valley to address everyday pressures together. Conceived and organized by upperclassmen, the group meets weekly in the school library to provide quiet homework assistance, open discussions on stress and wellness, and one-on-one mentorship for incoming underclassmen.
With academic expectations ramping up ahead of late-fall testing, faculty advisors note that students are far more willing to confide in peers than schedule formal office visits. For families along US 119 and Blackberry Creek, the initiative provides a grounded, homegrown safety net right in the hollow. The club plans to roll out midterm study tables later this month before turning its attention to a community winter clothing drive for local elementary families.
Local Pulse
Senior Fitness Classes Launch at Extension Office Health Free mobility and balance sessions for older adults begin Tuesday morning at the county extension center in Pikeville.
Free Soil Testing Open for Fall Gardens Community Residents can drop off soil samples at the local extension office through month’s end ahead of spring planting.
Today's Outlook
- High 61°F · Low 39°F — Clear
- Grab a heavy jacket for the chilly morning before enjoying the crisp afternoon sunshine.
What's On Around Town
Today
Men’s Soccer: Bears vs. Rams Bob Amos Park, Pikeville, 1:00–3:00 PM · Free Watch the college squads compete in an afternoon conference matchup.
Appalachian Beautiful Appalachian Center for the Arts (218 2nd St), Pikeville, 4:00–8:00 PM · Free Explore regional visual artwork celebrating mountain landscapes, heritage, and identity.
Bluegrass Brawl Pike County Central High School (100 Winners Circle Dr), Pikeville, 6:00–9:00 PM · Paid Catch an energetic evening of live wrestling in the gymnasium.
Tomorrow
Music Theory Class Pike County Public Library (126 Lee Ave), Pikeville, 2:00–3:00 PM · Free
Teen Time Pike County Public Library (126 Lee Ave), Pikeville, 4:00–5:00 PM · Free
Adult Beginner Guitar Pike County Public Library (126 Lee Ave), Pikeville, 4:30–5:30 PM · Free
Tuesday
BINGOcize Senior Fitness Pike County Extension Office (148 Trivette Dr), Pikeville, 1:00–2:00 PM · Free
Book Talks Book Club Pike County Public Library (126 Lee Ave), Pikeville, 5:00–6:00 PM · Free
Pike County Teen Council Pike County Extension Office (148 Trivette Dr), Pikeville, 5:00–6:00 PM · Free
Spotlight & Story
- Effie Waller Smith
- Born along Chloe Creek in 1879 to formerly enslaved parents, this mountain schoolteacher published three poetry collections and broke into Harper’s Monthly by 1909. Forgotten for decades, her lyric verses about Appalachian ridges returned to print through local historian David Deskins.
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