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This story originally appeared in the May 12 issue of the Community Voice. For your subscription, call 270-384-9454.

Paul Smith is proud of his time in the Marine Corps. The Texas native and cur- rent Breeding resident volunteered to go to Vietnam and served his country for 22 years.

As Memorial Day approaches, the memories Smith brought home from being in country are enough to make you smile, like all the friendships he made over the years, and enough to make you cry, like seeing his friends killed in battle.

“I was squad leader and one day we went on patrol. I asked one of my friends in the squadron to be point. He really didn’t want to – practically begged me to pick someone else,” Smith said. “I told him we needed him to because we had a lot of green soldiers and he and I had the most experience.

“We went out about 1,000 meters outside the lines and my friend stepped down off a rice patty, and there was a click. When it clicked, he turned and looked at me.”

Smith watched his friend die and said that is an image he still can’t get out of his head today.

Smith decided to join the Marines with a friend, who was trying to recover from being dumped by a girlfriend. He went to boot camp in 1967 and was immediately sent to Vietnam as part of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines. He stayed there for 13 months, while earning the Bronze Star, the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

“I have always been very patriotic. I believed in my country, and I never had any doubts about the war. I just knew this is what I am supposed to do,” said Smith.

Smith said he had a reality check when he stepped off the plane in Vietnam. He said he realized it was for real.

“There was probably a little anxiety about being there,” Smith said. “I didn’t really think about it a lot, but when you are in a firefight, you think about it. I just accept- ed this because I am a Marine and this is what I trained for.”

Life for Smith and his squadron was far from ordinary. He usually went out in the bush anywhere from a week to 60 days. They would search for the enemy, and if they found someone, the attack began.

“I think everybody questioned what we were doing over there. We were told each day this is our assignment,” Smith said. “There was no real propaganda about being over there. My motivation was to stay alive.”

Sadly, for some of his best friends, that wasn’t the case. One day on patrol, the squad was line-walking in the bush, and the two guys to Smith’s right and the two to his left were killed. They were no more than four feet away from him.

Though he is doing a good job of fighting through it, Smith did have some post-traumatic stress disorder issues.

“I wrote a letter to myself during PTSD counseling explaining my feelings about when I killed somebody,” Smith said. “When I came back, I didn’t cry, I didn’t laugh. I had learned to hide those feelings, because you want to protect your- self from getting hurt. There were nine guys in my squadron, and all of them are dead but me.”

There were also issues waiting for America’s military when they arrived back home. The war was a hot political topic at the time that sparked protests around the country.

“We were called names; we were spit on,” Smith said. “My friends from high school would have a party and they would want me to come, but I could not wear my uniform or talk about military things.

“It took me years and years to get over the ridicule that we received when I got home. For years I wouldn’t go out in public in my uniform; I would play down my service. In recent years, I can look back on my service and be proud.”

Smith said he is glad that the nation recognizes Memorial Day and everything it means.

“It is about honoring the military that died and gave their life for their country. I am happy to see we do it. I also hope people under- stand it is about more than the soldier. Their families went through everything the soldier went through. They are suffering with the loss of their loved ones,” Smith said.

The VFW Post 6097 is planning a Memorial Day ceremony for 2 p.m. on May 29.

This story originally appeared in the May 12 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

Trent Miller was just a freshman in high school when his father, Danny, was diagnosed with colon cancer.

Danny needed to take care of his health, but someone needed to take care of the family farm, JMS Polled Herefords, which is located on Caldwell Ridge in Knifley.

“I really got into it in ninth grade when my dad was diagnosed with cancer,” Trent said. “He was taking chemo treatments, so he was out of commission for awhile. I like farming, but from that point on I kicked it up a gear. In farming, you can’t stop; things have to get done. It was a lot for a kid, but there was just something telling me I needed to do it. I love working with my dad.”

And Danny Miller realizes how special that connection can be.

“When I was down, the feeding and the chores and everything that went with it, Trent really stepped up and matured,” Danny said. “It probably caused him to grow up quicker. I think he probably realized the severity of the situation, and he took it on himself to do it.”

Though Danny is still very active on the farm, Trent, now 33, is the general manager of operations for JMS. The farm has focused on building a straight bred herd of R .W. Jones’ RWJ Vic- tor Domino bred cattle since 1975. The Millers use five sire lines in their line-breeding program, which includes a heifer base that has been closed to outside females since 1987. They typically turn out about eight bulls a year with their herd of 150-160 females, with calving done strictly in the fall.

JMS beef is known around the world for milking ability, calving-ease ability and the animals’ slick hair for the summer. JMS animals can go anywhere in the United States and do well.

The local farm started four generations back with Trent’s great, great grandfather, Enos Miller. His son, Harold Miller, passed the farm on to his son, Jack. Danny then took ownership from Jack. Trent will own the farm someday as will his son, Glen, 3.

“Farming is in my blood,” said Trent. “My dad worked publicly for 40 years at Fruit of the Loom. When it shut down, he came out here full time. I was always with him as a child, running around the farm. The farm was always a place for me to come and be free.”

The Millers own a lot of property on Caldwell Ridge, totaling around 900 acres. They also tend around 1,300 acres on leased ground. Trent said they have probably 200 mama cows and around 500 total ani- mals. One thing that makes JMS stand out is their beef has no hormone or growth shots. They are strictly grass- fed freezer beef.

“I think doing our beef this way gives the consumer a peace of mind as to where their beef comes from,” Trent said. “We take our steers and we feed them up to a certain weight. Then, we get them to the butcher…I know exactly what I am feeding these animals and I know the people butchering my animals very well. I think this provides peace of mind to know your freezer is full. We are straight from the field to the table.”

Trent said buying beef whole likely cuts the cost per pound in half. He also said by freezing it, the meat will last a lot longer. The animals feed on free range grass and will probably reach 800 pounds before harvest.

“If the feed prices keep going up it can be tough for farmers,” Trent said about the future. “A lot of people don’t understand what goes into that calf, even before it is born. It is a long process. There is the feed bill, vaccination shots. It takes a lot to get that animal to the size and the look we want it to be. This is nothing to play around about. This isn’t a hobby.”

Trent keeps working hard, alongside his dad, and the goal is to be able to pass the farm onto the next generation.

“It would mean every- thing if I can pass this on to my son,” he said, looking out over his property. “I hope he is interested in it. He seems intrigued when he comes out. When he is ready, I will give him the reins. But I don’t know if I can ever get out of it. God willing, I will keep going.”

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

The Adair County School District Board met Thursday and discussed several items including the employee salary schedule for the 2022-23 academic year. See the May 26 issue of the Community Voice for full details.

Adair County Judge Executive Gale Cowan and Columbia City Mayor Pam Hoots (front row) issued proclamations recently that May 15-22 is Emergency Medical Services Week in the county and city. They are joined by EMS personnel: Cody Neat, Wayne Ray, Rita Bragg, Daryl Flatt, and Preston Gaskin.

This story originally appeared in the May 12 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454

The city of Columbia issued a press release last week reporting that the city has received several questions about streets following recent utility work.

The release said the city addressed the concerns and submitted a list of streets that are in need of repair to the utility district. It recommended people call the utility district, county judge or magistrates with questions.

Lenny Stone, general manager of the Columbia Adair Utilities District, said during an interview this week he is fully aware of the needed road repair. The district has water and sewer projects underway, and many of the old lines being replaced were located in the center of those streets.

“Here is the deal,” said Stone. “The projects are not done. I repeat, not done.”

Stone said he understands the delays caused by construction can be frustrating, but he questions the timing of the complaint from the city, which came months into the projects. The lines being replaced once belonged to the city. The utility district took ownership of the city’s water and sewer systems in 2010.

“I have been told the mayor and the city council are getting calls about other streets. Let me tell you some- thing, the water district isn’t getting any calls. Is it political? I don’t know,” he said.

The streets submitted to the water district by the city are Bomar Heights, Minor Lane, Pyles Court, W. Frazier Avenue, Miller Avenue, Sexton Dr., Elm Drive, Sunset Drive, Gaston Ave., and Scott, Pine Tree, Akin, Yates, Grissom, Tutt, Loy, Willis, Hurt, Guardian, Burkesville, Baker, Lindsey Wilson, Allen, Guthrie, Heskamp, Hayes, and Jamestown streets.

“The projects are not done, so I can’t say the yards aren’t cleaned up good enough or the blacktopping is not done good enough, because both projects are not complete,” Stone said. “Once they get them completed, then we will deal with it. Right now, we still have things to do.”

When they get inside the street they are finding the lines in poor condition, Stone said.

“Some of these lines are asbestos and some of them are cast iron, and the biggest part of these lines are right in the middle of the street,” Stone said. “We are taking them out of the street and putting them in the edge of the grass.

“We are doing everything right, and we’ve never had an issue about this until the last three weeks. The sewer and the water projects are the same, we’re moving, upgrading and improving lines.”

Stone said he hopes local citizens will have patience until the work can be completed.

“The projects have been going for six months, but the thing is these lines have been in these roads for years and years and years,” he said. “The water district took over all this stuff and we’re trying to be the better people…It takes a little bit of time.”

The crews seem to be making good progress. Stone said he is pleased.

“Covid slows everything down, makes it hard to get stuff,” he said. “I am tickled to death with the progress made. Look at these water lines, look at these sewer lines. They are no longer in the middle of the street. Now, if there is an issue, we can come in and take care of them.

“I would tell people, listen, we’re upgrading you all to a better service,” Stone said. “We will have it done in the next three or four months.”

By Scott Wilson
Scott@adairvoice.com

The President’s List consists of full-time undergraduate students who have achieved a grade point average of 4.00 and who are in good academic standing for the semester are named to the President’s List.

The Dean’s List consists of the names of those full-time undergraduate students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.50 or above and who are in good academic standing for the semester.

The official ballot results are in for Adair County

Judge Executive
Larry Russell Bryant – 1,616
Gale Cowan – 1,484
David Herbst – 273

State Representative for 21st District
Amy Neighbors – 1,379
Joshua Ellis – 1,230
Daniel Glass – 218
Jimmy Carter – 191
Terry Dubree – 125

Magistrate District 1
Tony Denton – 360
Harold Burton – 202

Magistrate District 2
Daryl Flatt – 221
Sandra Antle – 81
Ronnie Bryant – 71

Magistrate District 3
Sammy Baker – 274
Brian Turner – 137

Magistrate District 6
Ronald Humphress – 287
Greg Caldwell – 234

Magistrate District 7
Terry Hadley – 296
Terry Farris – 292

Constable District 3
Ken Hill – 251
Robert Loy – 141

Constable District 5
Tim Bottoms – 290
Jeffrey Streeval – 128

Constable District 7
Joe Collins – 311
Charles Esch – 172

U.S. Senator
Rand Paul – 2,741
Arnold Blankenship – 129
Valerie Fredrick – 110
Paul Hamilton – 91
Terri Stainfield – 71
John Scheiss – 31

U.S. Senator (D)
Charles Booker – 221
Joshua Blanton – 69
John Merrill – 44
Ruth Gao – 30

A boil water advisory has been announced for consumers from 15748 to 17665 Knifley Rd., Wethington Road, Mt. Tussell Road, Ray Miller Road, Crooked Creek Road, 3575 to 5176 Elkhorn Road, 170 to 618 Tucker Wood Rd., 80 to 125 Caldwell Ridge, and Beard Road.

The advisory has been issued due to a main line leak.

Following such an event, the potential exists for bacteriological contamination of the water supply. Until further notice, boil all water used for drinking and cooking, bringing the water to a rolling boil for three minutes before using.

Hali Anderson, coordinator for Project Graduation at Adair County High School, received a $1,000 check presented by Adair County Sheriff Josh Brockman to go toward the expense and sponsorship of the event. The check was on behalf of the fiscal court, with funds from the ABC account.

It is the goal of project graduation to provide a safe substance free night for seniors on their graduation night. They provide an evening of activities and prizes, including cash giveaways, food, and much more.

Severe weather possible for tonight and into the late evening.

Adair County Sheriff Josh Brockman arrested Howard Grigsby of Adair County Wednesday on felony charges.

Sheriff Brockman initiated an investigation in March into the theft of a Honda four-wheeler in the Millerfield area. A warrant was obtained for the arrest of Grigsby in connection with the case, and that led to recovering the property in the Glensfork community.

Grigsby was lodged in the Adair County Regional Jail on felony charges of receiving or possessing stolen property, over $500 and less than $10,000.  The ATV was returned to the victim and the investigation is ongoing, with more arrests pending.

Assisting Sheriff Brockman in the investigation was Deputy Derek Padgett and Columbia Police Department Officer Justin Cross.

Christopher Furkins, of Columbia, was arrested Wednesday on multiple charges after reportedly being involved in an accident.

Officers from the Columbia Police Department responded to a hit-and-run accident on Burkesville Street after an operator of a gold Buick struck a school bus and fled the scene.  Officers were able to identify the operator and located the subject on Westwood Drive.

After locating and establishing contact with the subject, a small bag believed to contain methamphetamine was found.

Furkins, 27, has been charged with numerous traffic violations as well as DUI, first degree, aggravated circumstances; criminal mischief, second degree; tampering with physical evidence, possession of methamphetamine, leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid, and 26 counts of wanton endangerment, which total 28 felony charges.

Officer Josh Durbin was the arresting officer, and he was assisted on scene by Sgt. Evan Burton and Chief Jr Murphy.

Jesse Cross, found living under the Campbellsville Street in Columbia, was arrested Wednesday by Adair County Sheriff Josh Brockman on felony charges.

Deputies from the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, along with officers from the Columbia Police Department, received multiple complaints of a male living under the bridge. Complaints ranged from erratic behavior to yelling at people on kayaks.

Upon searching the area, Sheriff Brockman located Cross, who had a machete in his hand and complied when ordered to drop it. He came away from the bridge and was arrested for not being in compliance with Kentucky Sex Offender Registration, second offense; and violation of offender registry by living within a 1,000 feet of a school (Lake Cumberland Head Start).

Cross, 45, was lodged in the Adair County Regional Jail.

Sheriff Brockman was assisted on scene by CPD Chief JR Murphy, along with additional deputies  and CPD officers.

This story originally ran in the May 5 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

The Columbia City Council returned to a topic that has been discussed numerous times in recent years and voted Monday to explore funding for a sidewalk project near the school district campus.

The city will apply for a transportation grant, Mayor Pam Hoots said during the council’s regular monthly meeting.

“I spoke with people at the state, and they suggested we get the budgetary process going,” she said.

Hoots said the project would include sidewalks on Greensburg St. from the corner of Dillon St. to Country Place Apartments. She said the construction process would probably not start before school begins in the fall.

“We’re a mobile society, especially in our town,” Hoots said. “The ‘Sidewalks to Schools” project is important because you have children that walk to school every day on a heavy traffic road. For me, nothing takes precedent over the safety of a child.”

The council also gave Hoots approval to sign the city’s annual municipal aid agreement with the state. The agreement gives the city money for blacktopping area roads.

“It was $90,000 last year. This year it is $98,717. We usually do blacktops twice a year. We divide it in the fall and the spring,” Hoots said.

Roads expected to be blacktopped this spring include Trabue Street, Maple Street, Jessie Street, Hanley Lane, Sunset Acres, and the entrance to the city park on Fairgrounds Street.

In other council business:

– The council went into executive session to “deliberate on the future acquisition or sale of real property.” Hoots did not provide the general nature of the closed session. No action was taken.

– The council approved the second reading of a zoning change from general industry to public for property located at 256 Industrial Park. The property is owned by the Adair County Fair Association.

– The council voted to approve the surplus declaration of two old police cruisers, a sanitation truck and two dump trucks.

All six council members – Mark Harris, Craig Dean, Linda Waggener, Robert Flowers, Dr. Ronald Rogers and Sharon Payne – were present for the meeting.

Paul Stuchell, 52, of Adair County was arrested Monday after being involved in an altercation with another male on Flatwoods Road.

Adair County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call of a disturbance around 4:30 p.m. at a residence, some 13 miles north of Columbia. When deputies arrived, they found Stuchell had assaulted another male with a wood stick.  The victim was transported to T.J. Health for treatment.

Stuchell was arrested on assault charges, second degree; and lodged in the Adair County Regional Jail. Deputy Kenny Perkins is investigating the incident

FRANKFORT – In recognition of May as Motorcycle and Bike Safety Awareness Month, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s (KYTC) Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) is joining the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in reminding all road users to work together to help prevent crashes, injuries and deaths on Kentucky roadways.

“We’re entering the warmer months and that typically means more motorcycles and bicycles on our roadways,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “Safety is a mutual responsibility and we encourage all road users to do their part in making sure everyone makes it to their destination safely – every trip, every time.”

A motorcycle or bicycle is a vehicle with all of the rights and privileges of any motor vehicle; however, as one of the smallest vehicles on the road, a motorcycle or bicycle may be in a vehicle’s blind spots.

In 2021 there were 1,490 crashes involving motorcycles in Kentucky, resulting in 1,085 injuries and 99 deaths (88 motorcyclists).  Of those crashes, 811 involved a motorcycle and at least one other vehicle.  Bicyclists were involved in 325 crashes resulting in 239 injuries and nine deaths. Of those crashes, 320 involved at least one other vehicle.

The KOHS offers the following tips for drivers:

• Put the phone down and pay attention. Driving while distracted increases risk for all road users;
• Perform a regular visual check by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or exiting a lane of traffic, and at intersections;
• Use a turn signal before changing lanes or merging with traffic to alert others of your intentions;
• Don’t be fooled by a flashing turn signal on a mo­torcycle.  Motorcycle signals are often not self-canceling and riders sometimes forget to turn them off. Wait to be sure the motorcycle is going to turn before you proceed;
• Obey the speed limit. Driving at the posted limit allows you to see, identify and react to possible obstacles;

The KOHS offers the following tips for motorcyclists:

• Wear a DOT-compliant helmet;
• Use turn signals for every turn or lane change, and combine with hand signals;
• Wear brightly colored protective gear and use reflective tape and stickers to increase visibility;
• Position in the lane where most visible to other drivers;
• Pay attention by avoiding any action that takes your eyes, your ears or your mind off the road and traffic;

The KOHS offers the following tips for bicyclists:

• Wear a properly-fitted helmet that meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission standards;
• Use hand signals when changing lanes or turning;
• Wear brightly colored protective gear and use reflective tape and stickers to increase visibility;
• Pay attention by avoiding any action that takes your eyes, your ears or your mind off the road and traffic

Gertrude Tedder has spent her entire life in the Knifley area, and her 95 years encompass a lifetime of memories in a tightknit community among family and friends.

Gertrude Knifley was born on May 3, 1927 and married Walter Tedder when she was 20 years old. On Tuesday, Gertrude will celebrate her 95th birthday.

“I have lived in Adair County all my life, in the Knifley community all my life. I’ve never been out of Kentucky,” Tedder said last week.

Tedder’s memories are sharp as she reminisces about her younger days, recalling dates as she and her siblings grew up on a farm.

She grew up in Mt. Tussell, four miles from Knifley, which was an active area of commerce at the time. She went to school at Mt. Tussell for eight years, where she walked the half-mile stretch when school was open from the first Monday in July until the third week in January.

“You had to buy your own books,” she recalls. “The county did not furnish books. There were no buses in the community. Everyone in the community had to walk to school. For me it was half a mile. For some kids it was two miles.”

When she was old enough to attend high school, that meant traveling to Knifley. A man with a pickup truck would pick up the students and take them to the high school.

“We were given 10 cents a day for the ride for him to pick us up and bring us back ,” she said. “Halfway through the school he decided he would quit. He quit and every one of us had to stop school. Nobody had cars and trucks in the whole community.”

Tedder remembers a “man on a black horse” who delivered the mail.

“Around the same time there was a covered wagon pulled by two horses coming from a Knifley store that delivered groceries to each house as it went down the road,” she recalls.

Later, a truck started coming from Clementsville and it would deliver groceries and pick up eggs.  “Everybody sold eggs and bought their groceries at that time in the summer time.”

In the fall, Tedder said she sold walnuts for 50 cents a pound.

Tedder says Knifley was “a booming place” and she remembers Saturday trips to town where they would be treated with 10 peppermint sticks of candy for a nickel.

“There were six stores…There was a big pool room and on top of the pool room, there was two rooms. There was a doctor that came from Campbellsville and he would come once a week . He brought his medicine in a suitcase and would climb the stairs and carried his medicine upstairs and doctor people.”

The spark of romance for her came when she was 12 years old. She was at a friend’s house playing when she caught the eye of her friend’s older brother.

“The roses were blooming up in their yard, and he came up there where me and Catherine was at, and he picked a rose, and he put it in my hair,” she said. “That was where it started. And that rose just kept on blooming.”

Walter went into the Army.

“I never did forget him, and he didn’t forget me,” she said. “One day in the mail come a Val- entine card. He was in the Army at the time. It said, ‘Thinking so much of you, I wanted to send you a line. The nicest way I could think of, was sending you this Valentine.’”

He came home on furlough and they started dating. She was 16 at the time. He returned home after four years in the Army.

“We started dating heavy then,” Tedder said. “But Mama – there wasn’t cars to amount to anything – He walked mostly and came down to my house. It was a mile and a half or something like that. He would come down to my house and we had a room they called a parlor. We went into the parlor room. And Mama would holler bedtime at 8 o’clock and he would have to leave at 8 o’clock.”

She was 20 and he was 27 when they married on Oct. 25, 1947. Their wedding was the first to be held at the Roley Christian Church.

The couple bought a farm on Crooked Creek and bought the family farm after Gertrude’s father died. At one point they owned 300 acres of land. The homeplace was taken when the dam was built, but they continued to farm in the area their entire lives.

The Tedders didn’t have children, but they raised a nephew and Gertrude says she still checks on him every day. Her husband died in June 1996.

She taught Sunday school for 40 years to children up to 6 years old. She was also known for providing local children with a popcorn ball every Halloween.

“On Halloween night, people done meanness, but everybody was so good to me,” she said. “I made popcorn balls for all the children in my neighborhood. I made 60 for 25 years. People who got married and had kids who came and got a popcorn ball, they came back with their kids and got another popcorn ball. It was a big night. My living room, it was a sight.”

Tedder lived alone until she was 91, still growing a garden and mowing her yard. She fell and injured her arm and shoulder four years ago and now resides in the Grandview Nursing and Rehabilitation facility in Campbellsville.

Her friends and family will celebrate her 95th birthday with her on Tuesday. Visits will be made throughout the day to give her time to rest in between. Anyone who wants to wish her a happy birthday may drop a card off at the facility or mail it to her at 640 Watertower Bypass, Campbellsville, Ky. 42718.

By Sharon Burton
snburton@adairvoice.com

The latest Covid-19 report from the Lake Cumberland District Health Department.

Adair County school officials have released menus for the month of May.

Volunteers from Walmart in Columbia took part in several community projects around town last week to celebrate Earth Day.

They worked on flower beds outside city hall, at the youth baseball field, and at the Veteran’s Memorial Park. Leading the work were Cameron Garmon, Crystal Stotts, Isaiah Morgan, Chance Barnett, Leighton Brockman, and Shaunda Soverly.

LOUISVILLE (KT) – A lawsuit defending abortion access in Kentucky is advancing in Western District Court with a preliminary injunction hearing set for Monday, May 2. A federal judge ordered the hearing on Tuesday.

At the epicenter of the lawsuit is House Bill 3, a sweeping pro-life law that introduced new regulations for medical abortion pills and the disposal of fetal remains, updated the judicial bypass procedure for minors seeking abortions and changed abortion reporting requirements. The measure passed in the General Assembly after overriding Governor Andy Beshear’s veto two weeks ago.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings granted the abortion provider’s request for a temporary restraining order against the law last week, blocking enforcement of HB 3 for no more than 14 days starting April 21, absent other legal action.

That action will come 3 days before the TRO expires.

At the hearing, both sides will be expected to “explain in detail and designate by section and line the provisions of House Bill 3 they believe can and cannot be complied with before the rules are promulgated and the forms are created by the Cabinet (for Health and Family Services),” according to court filings.

Under HB 3, the Cabinet has 60 days to create the necessary forms; that window closes on June 13.

EMW Women’s Surgical Center and Dr. Ernest Marshall, a physician who provides abortions at the clinic, also filed an expedited motion to intervene on Monday. If granted, both parties could join the lawsuit as plaintiffs.

The preliminary injunction hearing will convene in Louisville at 10 a.m. on May 2.

The Adair County Community Voice and 92.7 The WAVE are teaming up to provide voters a chance to learn about their candidates.

“Meet the Candidates” will air live on 92.7 the WAVE beginning tonight. Below is the schedule which tells you when you should be at the WAVE, 7955 Russell Springs Rd. (Hwy E80) between Adair and Russell counties. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your scheduled airtime.

All candidates will be given the opportunity to spend 5 minutes telling listeners about themselves. Sharon Burton (Community Voice) and Lisa Clark (WAVE) will moderate the event and have the chance to ask questions.

Listeners and readers can email their questions to: lisaclark@shorelinestations.com OR snburton@farmlandpub.com. If you have any questions, contact Sharon Burton at 270-634-4684 OR Lisa Clark at 270-250-5707.

It will be broadcast on the Community Voice’s Facebook Live.

Kentucky Health News

Every county in Kentucky has a low level of coronavirus transmission, according to the latest weekly analysis of risk based on cases and hospital capacity by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC ratings are based on new coronavirus cases, Covid-19 hospitalizations and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds occupied by Covid-19 patients. Its color-coded map uses green for counties with low risk of transmission, yellow for counties with medium risk and red for counties with high risk.

The latest map shows that the whole state is in the green, a level that comes with recommendations to stay up to date with your Covid-19 vaccines and to get tested if you have symptoms.

The CDC reports that 91.7% of counties and county equivalents in the U.S. have a low level of Covid-19.

The latest ratings came as Kentucky’s Covid-19 cases and the share of Kentuckians testing positive for the virus in the previous week  ticked up a bit, while hospital numbers continued to decline.

“So we’re gonna keep taking a look at at where the numbers of cases and positivity are, but [we’re] not concerned because of where these [hospital] graphs are, which is in such a good place,” Gov. Andy Beshear said at his weekly news conference on Thursday, before the new CDC map was released.

The slight uptick also comes as Kentucky gears up for what Beshear said would be record crowds at this year’s Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7, which he said he plans on attending.

“We are in the best shape that we have been since the start of the pandemic, with all factors considered to host the Kentucky Derby,” he said. “And how exciting is that?”

SOMERSET, Ky. – The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 8 Office advises motorists that beginning Monday, April 25, KY 61 in Adair County will be reduced to one lane at the Russell Creek bridge (mile point 16.9) as crews work to remove drift and other debris from beneath the structure.

Work will require a full closure of the roadway as debris is being loaded onto trucks. Motorists may experience longer delays during this process. Flaggers will maintain traffic during the work.

Work is expected to be completed Friday, April 29. The duration of work may be adjusted for inclement weather or other unforeseeable delays. Drivers should expect delays and are encouraged to allow extra time in reaching their destination.

For Kentucky’s latest traffic and travel information, visit goky.ky.gov or navigate traffic by downloading the free Waze app at www.waze.com.

LOUISVILLE (KT) – A federal judge issued a temporary order to halt Kentucky’s new abortion law, paving the way for the state’s two providers to resume offering abortions after a week of inaction.

In a Thursday ruling, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings granted the request from the two abortion providers, both located in Louisville, for a temporary restraining order.

“The Court restrains enforcement of the entirety of HB 3 at this time, as it lacks information to specifically determine which individual provisions and subsections are capable of compliance,” Jennings wrote in a 21-page ruling. Planned Parenthood’s “motion for a temporary restraining order is granted.”

It has been eight days since Planned Parenthood and EMW Women’s Surgical Center sought emergency relief in federal court from House Bill 3, a sweeping abortion law they said had so many restrictions it would be impossible to comply.

The law took effect April 13 when the General Assembly overrode a veto by Gov. Andy Beshear, who said in his veto message that the law was “likely unconstitutional.” He also opposed it because there was no exemption for rape or incest.

The omnibus abortion law, sponsored by Rep. Nancy Tate, introduced new regulations for medical abortion pills and the disposal of fetal remains, updated the judicial bypass procedure and changed abortion reporting requirements. It also banned abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Current Kentucky law bans abortion after 20 weeks.

HB 3 puts new restrictions on abortions for girls under 18, including those seeking permission from a judge in certain circumstances and requires fetal remains to be disposed of through cremation or burial.

Abortion advocates said the passage of HB 3 imposed an unconstitutional, undue burden on women seeking abortions. In a response filed in Western District Court on Tuesday, Attorney General Daniel Cameron disagreed.

“Planned Parenthood’s alleged concerns that prompted this lawsuit are based on a flawed interpretation of the requirements of the law,” wrote Cameron, who is listed as a defendant in his official capacity to defend Kentucky law.

Cameron argued the burden for developing forms required by HB 3 is imposed on the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, not abortion providers—allowing them to continue operating until the forms are provided.

Jennings’ order did not go into the larger issue of the new law’s constitutionality. Instead, it focused on the clinics’ claims that they’re unable to comply with the measure because the state hasn’t yet set up clear guidelines.

The judge said she decided to block the entire law because she lacked information “to specifically determine which individual provisions and subsections are capable of compliance.”

The temporary restraining order of HB 3 went into effect at 3 p.m. on Thursday and, absent a request for extension or other legal stipulations, will remain in effect for 14 days.

The Adair County Community Voice and 92.7 The WAVE are teaming up to provide voters a chance to learn about their candidates.

“Meet the Candidates” will air live on 92.7 the WAVE beginning Monday, April 25. Below is the schedule which tells you when you should be at the WAVE, 7955 Russell Springs Rd. (Hwy E80) between Adair and Russell counties. Please arrive at least 10 minutes before your scheduled airtime.

All candidates will be given the opportunity to spend 5 minutes telling listeners about themselves. Sharon Burton (Community Voice) and Lisa Clark (WAVE) will moderate the event and have the chance to ask questions.

Listeners and readers can email their questions to: lisaclark@shorelinestations.com OR snburton@farmlandpub.com. If you have any questions, contact Sharon Burton at 270-634-4684 OR Lisa Clark at 270-250-5707.

It will be broadcast on the Community Voice’s Facebook Live.

 MONDAY, APRIL 25
6:00 P.M. – MAGISTRATE #1
Tony Denton (R)
Harold Burton*(R)

6:30 P.M. – MAGISTRATE #2
Daryl Flatt*(R)
Sandra Smith Antle (R)
Ronnie Bryant (R)

7:00 P.M. – STATE HOUSE
Jimmy Carter (R)
Terry David Dubree (R)
Daniel Thomas Glass (R)
Joshua Wes Ellis (R)
Amy Neighbors (R)

TUESDAY, APRIL 26
6:00 P.M. -MAGISTRATE #3
Sammy Baker*(R)
Brian Turner (R)

6:30 P.M. – MAGISTRATE #6
Greg Caldwell*(R)
Ronald Mark Humphress (R)

7:00 P.M. – MAGISTRATE #7
Terry M. Hadley*(R)
Terry Farris (R)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27

THURSDAY, APRIL 28
6:00 P.M. – CONSTABLE #3
Robert R. Loy*(R)
Kenneth D. Hill (R)

6:30 P.M. – CONSTABLE #5
Jeffrey “Keith” Streeval (R)
Tim Bottoms*(R)

7:00 P.M. – CONSTABLE #7
Joe Collins, Jr.*(R)
Charles Esch (R)

7:30 P.M. – COUNTY JUDGE EXEC.
Gale Burris Cowan*(R)
Larry Russell Bryant (R)
David Herbst (R)

George Smith of Campbellsville was arrested on drug charges in Columbia Wednesday night after he was pulled over by police.

Officers from the Columbia Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Burkesville Street regarding a possible shoplifting incident. When officers approached the vehicle, the passenger door opened, and a male subject appeared to be concealing something.

The passenger was removed from the vehicle and was observed trying to pass off a pipe to the vehicle operator. The contents in the pipe were consistent with crack cocaine.

Smith, 57, has been charged with theft by unlawful taking, shoplifting; possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance, cocaine; and tampering with physical evidence. Officers also recovered $439 of stolen merchandise.

Officer Justin Cross was the arresting Officer. He was assisted on the scene by Sgt. Drew Conn.