T.J. Regional Health presented $500 donations Tuesday to the Green River Animal Shelter and to Sugarfoot Farm Rescue on behalf of the T.J. Community Mission Foundation. The donations were made in honor of magician Lance Burton, an Adair County native, to thank him for being part of the Foundation’s annual fundraiser, The Magic of Giving, earlier this year.

Burton has been a nationwide advocate in support of animal rescue and welfare organizations. His rescue dog, Rocky, joined him for the check presentations to each non-profit organizations, both located in Adair County.

The Green River Animal Shelter is run by the county and works to find adoptive homes for cats and dogs and helps to reunite lost animals with their families. They accept animals from both Adair and Green counties.

Sugarfoot Farm Rescue is a non-profit, volunteer run organization who mission is to save stray dogs and provide for their health concerns. They work to place the dogs into good homes where they will be part of the family. If suitable homes cannot be found, the dogs stay on the 120-acre farm in their sanctuary program.

Randy Burns, executive director, T.J. Community Mission Foundation said, “We are so grateful to Lance for his willingness to perform at The Magic of Giving event that helped us raise over $100,000 for the Foundation.”

Established in 2014, the T.J. Community Mission Foundation exists to support the mission of T.J. Regional Health. To learn more about how to become involved in the work of the Foundation, visit tjmissionfund.org or contact Burns at (270) 651-4619.

This story originally ran in the June 23 issue of the Community Voice. For your subscription, call 270-384-9454.

After officially being chosen last year to handle the design of the new Adair County Middle School, representatives of Deco Architects of Somerset made their second presentation to the school board last Thursday on the progress of the design.

Derek Phillips, Deco president, talked to board members about where the work currently stands, and initial plans on where rooms would be located, the flow of students throughout the building, and the school’s current front facade.

“When they made their first presentation to us in February, I think, they had a design,” said school board superintendent Dr. Pam Stephens. “Now, we’re getting down to the nitty gritty when we start making decisions and figuring out a dollar figure.”

The current expected cost of the school, once all the details have been decided, is just north of $41 million.

The current plans have the middle school attaching onto the high school on the side of ACHS facing Greensburg Street. The middle school will be three floors, grouped by grades. The eighth grade would be located on the main floor, with seventh grade on the bottom floor and the sixth grade on the top floor. Initially, the sixth grade was going to have its own wing so the school would not go over two stories.

“The grade levels are not set in stone,” Dr. Stephens said. “The one piece I would have credence totally to is the eighth grade being on the middle floor because it runs straight into the high school. That’s where our students move up in math, reading or science. They are traveling those corridors every day, so they don’t need to be coming from a floor above or the floor below.”

That layout did cause board chairman Troy Grider to express some safety concerns with sixth grade students get- ting out of the building should there be a fire. Grider said he wondered if parents would rather have their sixth grade students on the top floor or in their own wing, extending from the building.

Stephens said the original plan included two floors with an extended wing for the sixth grade. They then decided to eliminate the wing and add the third floor.

“It will still have the same number of class- rooms, same number of restrooms,” Dr. Stephens said. “I thought financially you should save money by putting the sixth grade on top of the building. Architecturally and building-wise, if you take a wall and make it 12 feet taller you don’t have to dig footers. You save the digging, pouring the concrete for the footers, laying the walls. This way the wall is already there.”

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

Two women were transported to T.J. Health Columbia after an accident Tuesday evening near the intersection of Burkesville Street and Dohoney Trace.

The accident apparently occurred when Felicia Vanardsdale, 49, of Columbia, driving a 2015 Subaru, turned onto Dohoney Trace, colliding with Renee Stinson, 52, also of Columbia. Stinson was driving a 2013 Kia Optima.

Both women were transported to TJ Samson Columbia for possible injuries.

Columbia Police Officer Josh Durbin is investigation the accident. He was assisted on scene by Sgt Evan Burton.

LOUISVILLE (KT) – As promised, abortion rights advocates filed a lawsuit in Kentucky, seeking to re-establish the right to have an abortion under the state constitution.

Access to abortion in Kentucky ended Friday after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established abortion as a constitutional right. But immediately after the decision was released, abortion supporters vowed to take action in court.

The court challenge from Kentucky’s two outpatient abortion clinics, Planned Parenthood and EMW Women’s Surgical Center, seeks to block two abortion bans, asserting the Kentucky Constitution protects the right to privacy and bodily autonomy. It is asking Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Mitch Perry to block enforcement of the 2019 trigger law because it conflicts with rights conferred by the state constitution.

It also asks the judge to halt a ban on abortions after six weeks that a federal judge had blocked but could be reinstated following Friday’s Supreme Court decision.

“The Supreme Court’s decision to take away a right we have relied on for 50 years has caused devastation in Kentucky and across the country,” said Brigitte Amiri, deputy director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project. “We hope the court blocks Kentucky’s bans to prevent the life-altering harm they are causing.”

Earlier on Monday in Louisiana, another state whose trigger law took immediate effect, was stopped when a judge granted a similar request by local abortion providers and issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the state’s ban from enforcement.

“Pregnant Kentuckians have the right to determine their own futures and make private decisions about their lives and relationships,” the filing reads. “Access to safe and legal abortion is essential to effectuating those rights.”

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is named as the defendant in the lawsuit and he plans to defend Kentuckians and the state constitution vigorously.

Abortion opponents are pushing a ballot initiative in the Nov. 8 general election that, if approved, would add an amendment to the state constitution declaring there is no right to abortion in Kentucky. The legislature voted to put the measure on the ballot in the 2022 session.

William Thomas Brown of Elkhorn passed away Friday at a residence in the 5400 block of Speck Ridge Road.

Adair County Sheriff’s deputies Derek Padgett and Chandler Staten responded to a call, 20 miles north of Columbia, for assistance for a man trapped under a car that had fallen on him.

A preliminary investigation determined Brown, 61, was at his home working on his 2013 Chevrolet Cruze. It was determined Brown used a hydraulic bottle jack and a piece of wood to lift the vehicle off the ground.

After Brown got under the vehicle, the weight of the vehicle shifted causing the bottle jack to lean. The vehicle then fell pinning Brown underneath it. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Adair County Coroner Todd Akin, Adair County EMS, Knifley Volunteer Fire Department, and Campbellsville Taylor County EMS responded to assist at the scene.

This story originally appeared in the June 16 issue of the Community Voice. For an online or print subscription, call 270-384-9454.

After officially being chosen last year to handle the design of the new Adair County Middle School, representatives of Deco Architects of Somerset made their second presentation to the school board last Thursday on the progress of the design.

Derek Phillips, Deco president, talked to board members about where the work currently stands, and initial plans on where rooms would be located, the flow of students throughout the building, and the school’s current front facade.

“When they made their first presentation to us in February, I think, they had a design,” said school board superintendent Dr. Pam Stephens. “Now, we’re getting down to the nitty gritty when we start making decisions and figuring out a dollar figure.”

The current expected cost of the school, once all the details have been decided, is just north of $41 million.

The current plans have the middle school attaching onto the high school on the side of ACHS facing Greensburg Street. The middle school will be three floors, grouped by grades. The eighth grade would be located on the main floor, with seventh grade on the bottom floor and the sixth grade on the top floor. Initially, the sixth grade was going to have its own wing so the school would not go over two stories.

“The grade levels are not set in stone,” Dr. Stephens said. “The one piece I would have credence totally to is the eighth grade being on the middle floor because it runs straight into the high school. That’s where our students move up in math, reading or science. They are traveling those corridors every day, so they don’t need to be coming from a floor above or the floor below.”

That layout did cause board chairman Troy Grider to express some safety concerns with sixth grade students getting out of the building should there be a fire. Grider said he wondered if parents would rather have their sixth grade students on the top floor or in their own wing, extending from the building.

Stephens said the original plan included two floors with an extended wing for the sixth grade. They then decided to eliminate the wing and add the third floor.

“It will still have the same number of classrooms, same number of restrooms,” Dr. Stephens said. “I thought financially you should save money by putting the sixth grade on top of the building. Architecturally and building-wise, if you take a wall and make it 12 feet taller you don’t have to dig footers. You save the digging, pouring the concrete for the footers, laying the walls. This way the wall is already there.”

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

FRANKFORT (KT) – Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday he has issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency and activating the state’s price-gouging laws for 30 days to help Kentuckians deal with the spike in gas prices and diesel fuel.

The governor said he is taking the action after the federal EPA denied his request to allow people in the Louisville area to stop using reformulated gasoline, known as RFG, which is designed to cut down on air pollution. A waiver would have saved residents 20-30 cents per gallon.

“With the state of emergency in place,” Beshear said, “consumers in the commonwealth can report price-gouging to the office of the Attorney General. Under state law, price gougers can be held accountable.”

Those who could be in violation of the price-gouging statute are those who charge more than 10% above the prevailing price at the time the state of emergency is signed.

Beshear responded to those who say this would only have a minimal effect, by saying, “I am taking this action, because I believe strongly that even minimal relief is better than no relief.  And if we are going to hold somebody to task, like I was able to as Attorney General for price-gouging, the baseline price is only set when I sign the state of emergency.  By letting it go further, it would make it even harder.  People are gouging us, so I am going to sign the state of emergency right now.”

According to GasBuddy.com, a crowd-sourced fuel price website, the average price per gallon of regular gas in Kentucky Thursday afternoon was $4.69 per gallon. That is one cent below Wednesday, and nine cents below the average price a week ago. By comparison, one year ago, the average price per gallon was $2.82.

This story originally ran in the June 16 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454

The city of Columbia is enjoying a growing budget as revenue sources continue to increase, with the current fiscal year expected to end with a carryover of more than $3.78 million.

The budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year, which ends June 30, was amended last week to reflect an expected carryover of more than $2.955 million in revenue combined in the general fund, payroll tax and alcohol sales revenue categories. The remaining carryover comes from the gas department, at $552,000; garbage, at $241,455, and LGEA funds, at $37,668.

The council heard first reading on a budget for the upcoming year, which includes a 5 percent pay increase for employees. Prior to Mayor Pam Hoots taking office, the council voted separately on any pay increases prior to establishing the budget. For the past two years, pay increases were included in the budget without a prior vote.

The 2021-22 budget was amended to reflect $1.23 million collected in payroll tax and $160,000 in alcohol sales tax revenue. It also reflects $1.2 million in licenses and permits, another $1.2 million in intergovernmental revenue, and $592,481 from property taxes. The proposed budget for 2022-23 reflects similar revenue expectations with total revenue – which includes the garbage and gas departments – at $6.78 million. The year-end projection shows an ending carryover of $3.8 million.

The largest expenditure for the city’s general fund is the police department, with a $1.54 million budget. A total of $340,000 is allocated for parks and recreation, $488,700 for streets, $142,700 for fire, and $750,000 for general government.

The garbage department started the 2021-22 fiscal year with a $275,000 carryover and is expected to end with a $241,455 carryover. For the upcoming fiscal year, the city projects the department will increase its end-of-year balance to $364,500.

The gas department started the current fiscal year with almost $500,000 in carryover and is ending the year with $552,800. For 2022-23, the city projects the ending balance to increase to $681,400.

A large group of children from around the region attended Van Isaac’s football camp at Adair County High School.

Adair County Judge Executive Office Gale Cowan has announced Casey Creek Pyrotechnics will run the July 4 Fireworks Celebration at the old Fairgrounds.

This story initially appeared in the June 16 issue of the Community Voice. For your own print/online subscription, call 270-384-9454.

Lenny Stone, general manager of the Columbia Adair Utilities District, announced his pending retirement during a board meeting last Thursday.

Stone, who has held the position for almost 25 years, told board members he expects to retire between Feb. 1 and June 1, 2023, depending on a report from the retirement board. Stone said he was told he would have a report from the state board prior to Thursday ’s meeting but had not yet received it.

He asked board members to start the process to hire a new manager so that someone can be in place for training before he leaves. He would like to have someone hired by September.

The board approved a plan to advertise the position locally and with state and national organizations and accept applications through July 1.

Stone said there are certain certifications required for the position. Board member Richard Grant said the Public Service Commission offers suggestions for qualifications that include having at least some type of engineering degree with an emphasis in finance.

Stone said that was a good point but did not think they would find engineers interested in the position. The board agreed to include language that stated that a degree is desired but not required.

Stone suggested a starting salary in the range of $75,000 to $100,000. He currently receives $125,000 annually.

Stone, board chairman Wid Harris and board member David Jones make up the district’s personnel committee and Stone recommended they review the applications, adding that all board members would see them. He said the committee would make recommendations on which candidates the full board would interview.

Stone said he did not want to take part in the interviewing process and the final decision of who is offered the position, but he would like office manager Ashley Bennett to have input.

All board members were present for the meeting. They are Harris, Grant, Jones, Joe Pyles and Jr. Brown.

By Sharon Burton
snburton@adairvoice.com

Ronald Knight, age 77, passed peacefully in the early morning hours of June 20, 2022. Born and raised in Adair County, Kentucky, he was the third child born to William and Cecil Knight. After marrying his high school sweetheart, Wanda Josephine, the two settled in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1966.

A “Girl Dad,” before it was cool to be one, Ronnie was the proud father of Ronetta, Danyale, Kim, and two bonus daughters, Karen and Paula. And later, he became an even prouder grandfather to Cayla, Allie, Sydney, Nicki, Kenneth, Kyle, Ryan, Gracie, and Cole. He was also blessed with two great grandchildren, Hayden, and Nolan.

Loved by many, “Pappy Choo-Choo,” due to his 30 plus years of faithful service to the K & I Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway as a switchman and engineer, was quick to tease (with a look of mischief in his eye) children and adults, and even quicker to help a neighbor who needed a lawn mowed or advice on fixing everything from a car engine to a leaking roof.

He played baseball for the Adair County High School, followed by a brief stint at Western Kentucky University. Later in life, he took a slower pace playing on various men’s softball teams. He never lost the competitive spirit.

Ronnie leaves to cherish his memory, his wife of 58 years, Joey, daughters – Ronetta (Todd) Miller, Danyale (Jason) Rich, Kimberly (Bobby) Binder; bonus daughters, Karen (Ronnie) McDonough, Paula (Eric) Newman; grandchildren Cayla Reed, Allie Rich, Sydney Rich, Nicki Holston, Kenneth Slayton, Kyle Newman, Ryan Newman, Gracie McDonough, and Cole Newman; great grandchildren, Hayden Holston, and Nolan Holston; and numerous nieces/nephews.

He is also survived by two sisters, Phyllis (Eddie) Fischer, Eileen Bottoms; one brother, William (Lana) Knight, Jr., as well as two sisters-in-law, Jeanette (Donald) Knight and Ruby (Danny) Lawless. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, Donald Knight; and sister Nelda Ferguson.

Visitation will begin on Thursday, June 23 2022, from 11:00 a.m. until 8 p.m. at the Newcomer Funeral Home- Southwest Chapel (10304 Dixie Highway, Louisville). Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. at the Newcomer Funeral Home.

Visitation will continue on Saturday, June 25, 2022 at Stotts-Phelps-McQueary Funeral Home in Columbia, Kentucky (210 Greensburg St) from 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.. A Funeral Service will follow at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at Stotts-Phelps-McQueary Funeral Home with interment to follow at Bearwallow Cemetery.

Today, CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that all children 6 months through 5 years of age should receive a COVID-19 vaccine. This expands eligibility for vaccination to nearly 20 million additional children and means that all Americans ages 6 months and older are now eligible for vaccination. 

Parents and caregivers can now get their children 6 months through 5 years of age vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines to better protect them from COVID-19. All children, including children who have already had COVID-19, should get vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccines have undergone—and will continue to undergo—the most intensive safety monitoring in U.S. history. Parents and caregivers can play an active role in monitoring the safety of these vaccines by signing their children up for v-safe – personalized and confidential health check-ins via text messages and web surveys where they can easily share with CDC how a child feels after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Distribution of pediatric vaccinations for these younger children has started across the country, and will be available at thousands of pediatric practices, pharmacies, Federally Qualified Health Centers, local health departments, clinics, and other locations this week. Children in this younger age group can be vaccinated with whichever vaccine is available (either Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech). Parents can reach out to their doctor, nurse, local pharmacy, or health department, or visit vaccines.gov to see where vaccines for children are available.     

Zachary Meece of Jamestown was injured Monday morning in a two-vehicle accident on Hwy. 55 South, about four miles outside of Columbia.

Adair County Sheriff’s Deputy Tracy McCarol responded to an injury collision call, along with Adair County EMS and Columbia-Adair County Fire Department. The accident involved a pickup truck and a dump truck.

Preliminary investigations show a 2008 Chevrolet pickup truck, operated by Meece, 28, crossed the center line and struck a 1994 Ford Truck, operated by 67-year-old Chester Taylor of Columbia.

Meece was entrapped in his vehicle and had to be freed by mechanical means by first responders.  He was transported to TJ Health Columbia helipad and air lifted to UK hospital.

The collision remains under investigation by Deputy McCarol.

FRANKFORT— Kentucky State Police (KSP) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officers will be participating in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Operation SafeDRIVE (Distracted Reckless Impaired Visibility Enforcement) from June 21-23. This enforcement campaign targets unsafe driving behavior that often leads to crashes involving passenger cars and commercial vehicles. It complements national efforts to educate all drivers on how to share the roads safely with large trucks.

The national SafeDRIVE initiative cracks down on dangerous interstate driving behaviors such as aggressive driving, speeding, tailgating, failing to wear a seat belt, distracted driving, and driving under the influence. During this effort, KSP Commercial Vehicle Inspectors will have scale facilities open, ensuring commercial drivers are following safety regulations, including hours of service compliance, commercial driver license compliance, medical certification, and commercial motor vehicle credentialing.

KSP encourages all motorists to take the following advice while driving on the roads:

• Stay out of blind spots: Large trucks and buses have big blind spots on all four sides.
• Pass safely: Make sure you can see the truck driver in their side mirror. Use your turn signals, and don’t linger in the blind spot. Make sure you can see the CMV vehicle in your rearview mirror before pulling in front.
• Don’t cut off large vehicles: It takes a large truck traveling at highway speeds the length of two football fields to stop.
• Don’t tailgate: Tailgating a commercial vehicle puts you in a blind spot.

A young Russell County man died in a tragic accident in Adair County Monday as he and another man attempted to unload a utility pole.

Joseph Hayden Robertson, 22, died at the scene of the accident around 2.6 miles out Ky 768 East near the Ky. 92 intersection.

Adair County Sheriff Josh Brockman received a call at 12:20 p.m. through Adair County 911 that a male had been struck by a utility pole and was unresponsive. A caller could not give specific directions to the accident before contact with 911 was lost. Dispatchers were able to ping the phone’s location and send first responders to the scene.

Preliminary investigation reveals that Robertson, along with another crew member, was attempting to unload a 30 ft. utility pole from a utility truck.  The poles vary in size with an approximate weight of 900-to-1200 pounds.  The crew was part of A & C Communications Corporation, a business from Cumberland County that specializes in utilities.  The company was working on setting out utility poles to be installed at later date. During the attempt to unload the pole it got away from them and struck Robertson in the head and chest area, pinning him to the blacktop roadway.

Hayden, of Jamestown, was pronounced dead at the scene. In addition to Brockman, Adair County EMS and the Adair County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene.
The investigation is ongoing by Sheriff Brockman, who was assisted on scene by Adair County EMS, Columbia Adair County Fire and Coroner Todd Akin.

James Bergin looked out over the softball field late last week as his team went through their paces in practice. He liked the way they were fielding the ball; he liked the way they hit the ball and he really liked what he saw from the pitchers in the circle.

Bergin and co-coach Matt Corbin are fine-tuning their squad as they prepare to open the 12U District All-Star Tournament this weekend in Russell Springs. The tourney will run June 18-19, with the final slated for Tuesday, June 21.

“We need to show up and play good ball,” said coach Bergin. “If we play ball the way we know how to play, we will win. I am not worried about that. If we let them get in our heads, or we don’t show up to bat, make a lot of errors, we will beat ourselves.

Adair County will battle Marion County in the first game Saturday at 2 p.m., while Trace Creek will play Washington County at 4 p.m.

“We don’t know anything about Trace Creek. Washington County and Marion County always have good teams,” coach Bergin said. “I am sure we will see some of the kids we’ve seen in our travel ball games.”

Coach Bergin said he is familiar with just about every player on the all-star team, coaching most of them through travel ball in the past. That familiarity, he hopes, will pay dividends.

“I have been coaching most of these girls for five years as this is mostly our travel ball team,” the coach said. “We played in a tournament last week in Somerset, which was the first time they really played together, and they finished second.I really like this group of girls.”

This year’s roster is filled with players who have been in all-star tournaments in prior seasons. The team includes Braylee Corbin, Haylynn Stargel, Ashley Loy, Addie Bowman, Adysen Wooley, Laney Inchcliff, Callee White, Ella Brown, Allee Campbell, Keylin Bergin, and Harper Bennett.

“I would say we are more contact hitters than anything else,” coach Bergin said. “We run the bases well, play defense and we play well together. If we show up to play, we will win. If we let them get into our heads with a fast pitcher or a big hitter, that’s when we get into problems. This group doesn’t really make a lot of errors, they know how to play, so we are always thinking about the next pitch, the next play.”

Keylin Bergin will be Adair County’s main pitcher and her battery partner will be Wooley. None of Adair’s hurlers are known for speed, but coach Bergin said each of them do a good job with pitch placement.

“The infield knows how to play the game, they know situations and what to do,” said coach Bergin. “They defend the bunt well, and each one knows their position well. I think the outfield is defensively strong. We probably need to do a better job hitting our cutoffs and fielding the ball.”

Versatility, the coach said, is probably Adair County’s top strength. If one players goes out for some reason, coach Bergin won’t waste time bringing someone else in.

“All the girls can play multiple positions,” the Bergin said. “With our bench, it is more about who do I sit and when. That is definitely a strength.”

If Adair County wins the district tournament, they will advance to the state 12U tourney, tentatively scheduled for July 8 at South Oldham in Crestwood.

The latest Covid information from the Lake Cumberland District Health Department.

Some of the damage from today’s storm on Greensburg Street.

If there is damage in your area, please post the photos.

Due to the extreme heat that our area has been experiencing over the last several days, T.J. Regional Health will be providing the public with hydration stations at several locations starting Monday, June 20^th at 12 p.m

Coolers with free iced-down bottled waters will be available at T.J. Samson Community Hospital’s South Entrance and Emergency Department Entrance, T.J. Health Columbia and the T.J. Health Pavilion.

Customers who wish to purchase stamps, mail packages, or ship urgent letters or packages on June 21 may use the Self-Service Kiosks available at select post offices.

To obtain more information about postal services, customers may call 1-800-ASK-USPS.

Juneteenth, the nation’s newest federal holiday, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. In 2021, President Joe Biden signed the law establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Coaches Amanda Grant and Ashley Bennett are happy their Adair County 10U all-star softball team received a bye in the first round of this weekend’s district tournament. The field is loaded, and they are eager to accept any possible advantage.

But Bennett and Grant know, even with the bye, the road to the title will be difficult. Adair County will need to be ready to play each and every game.

“This group is really young, but they’ve improved so much,” Grant said. “I think our strength is on defense.”

The district tournament will run June 18-23 at the middle school field next to Somerset Community College on Hwy. 80 in Russell Springs. Adair County will play Sunday at 1 p.m. against the winner of the first-round game between Marion County and Trace Creek. Other teams in the tournament include: Russell County, Washington County and Nelson County.

“We have tried to focus on one part of the game at each practice,” Bennett said. “We worked on fielding one night and we told them if they didn’t catch it, they would have to start running. Another night we did batting. We’re taking it a little slower so that we can get a good look at what we have to work on.”

The 10U roster includes: Trinity Hancock, Kaylence Bennett, Josie Cox, Ila Loy, Laramie Baldwin, Roxie Booth, Cadence Booth, Raegen Petty, Rory Bragg and Camdyn Dubree.

“Our bench is pretty limited, but the good thing is we have several players that can play different positions and that’s helps out a lot,” Grant said. “Wherever we’ve needed help at do far, we’ve been able to put someone in.

“I really feel good about where we’re at right now, a few days away from the tournament.”

Cox will probably get the call at third base with Loy playing short when she is not pitching. Kaylence Bennett, who can probably also pitch if needed, will probably play second and Booth should get the nod at first base. Hancock will do the catching.

The outfield could include Petty, Marr, Jewell, Booth or Baldwin. All have experience and have been showing good signs in practice.

“That’s a solid infield, all around,” Bennett said. “It is a pretty good defensive outfield, if they work with what they’ve been taught, to back each other up. This group plays nothing but the outfield, so they know their positions.”

A victory in the district tournament this week will put Adair County in the state tournament at North Oldham in Goshen, tentatively scheduled for July 9.

“We just need to limit our errors and play with confidence,” Grant said. “We’re as good as anybody when we play like we’re capable of.”

The city of Columbia has received one of 25 Hometown Grants from T-Mobile to jumpstart community development projects. The grant will go towards building an arena at the Adair County Fairgrounds on Industrial Park Road.

The arena will host multiple uses including community and 4H agricultural education events.

“We are honored to have received this Hometown Grant from T-Mobile,” said Amanda Page, treasurer of the Adair County Fair Board. “This will help immensely to further develop our grounds. I also want to thank our community leaders who provided letters of support to T-Mobile for our request.”

“We are extremely excited for the prospect of development that this grant from T-Mobile brings to the local Adair County Fair Association,” said Columbia Mayor Pam Hoots.

Launched in April 2021, T-Mobile Hometown Grants is a $25 million, five-year initiative to support the people and organizations who help small towns across America thrive and grow by providing funding to kickstart important new community development projects. Hometown Grants are provided every quarter to up to 25 towns. Every small town with a population of less than 50,000 people with a vision for how to make their community even stronger than it is today are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Hometown Grants are part of the Un-Carrier’s massive 5-year commitment announced in April 2021 to bring 5G to rural America, open hundreds of new stores and support economic development in small towns by providing $25 million in funding.

For more information about T-Mobile’s commitment to small towns, visit T-Mobile.com/AcrossAmerica.

This story originally ran in the June 9 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

The Columbia City Council voted in a special called meeting Friday afternoon to give Mayor Pam Hoots authority to advertise for the installation of a splash pad at the city park on Fairgrounds Street.
“We originally started working on the splash pad two-and- one-half to three years ago,” Hoots said after the meeting. “It is being funded partially with a land and water conservation grant. The park on Fairgrounds Street was originally done with a land and water conservation grant.”
The expected total cost of the splash pad project is $180,000.
“A lot of people have come to us asking about putting in a splash pad,” Hoots said. “Pools are very expensive, so this was a good option for our community, and I am glad it is coming to fruition because we have been working on it for a long time.”
The pad is going to be 2,400 square feet with 12 water features. Once the bids happen, it takes 45 days to two months to get all the permits through the process. Then they can start with construction work.
The council also gave Mayor Hoots approval to apply for a Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant.
“It is a great grant that just became available,” the mayor said. “We can apply for anything relative to safety of roads and streets. It is a 3- to 5-year project. We want to develop a committee to work on the plan, and I really think it will be a great deal for the city.”
Mayor Hoots said the grant is the same type of grant used some time ago when the city did a similar project in front of Lindsey Wilson College. It is, she said, a one-time thing.
“This is a safety grant for communities to become pedestrian friendly and sidewalk friendly,” Mayor Hoots said. “I would like to help the people on Jamestown hill, but we have also had comments about a possible sidewalk on Tutt Street. We’ve also thought about running a sidewalk from Dairy Queen out to the Little League Park. A lot of the Lindsey Wilson kids run to out there and this would make it safer for them. Everyone has been so supportive of sidewalks in the area.”

Lenny Stone, general manager of the Columbia Adair Utilities District, announced his pending retirement during a board meeting Thursday.

Stone, who has held the position for almost 25 years, told board members he expects to retire between Feb. 1 and June 1, 2023, depending on a report from the retirement board. Stone said he was told he would have a report from the state board prior to Thursday’s meeting but had not yet received it.

He asked board members to start the process to hire a new manager so that someone can be in place for training before he leaves. The board approved a plan to advertise the position locally and with state and national organizations and accept applications through July 1.

More details will be available in the June 16 edition of the Community Voice.

This story initially ran in the June 9 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

Deb and John Waddell don’t go very many places around Adair County without hearing a shout out from a current or former student. It is part of being a teacher, and something they will never get tired of.

Those reunions will continue, for sure, but the future will be different now that Deb, a sixth-grade science teacher at Adair County Middle School, and John, a district-wide special education teacher, have decided to retire.

“I think there were a couple of times this year when retiring crossed my mind early on because of classroom behavior,” said Deb, who said she actually walked out on the class this year because of student behavior. “I have always felt good that even when I had the hardest classes throughout my career, I was able to turn them around. I had one class I couldn’t do that with this year, and it was frustrating and mind boggling. It is so hard because I love these kids, but it just hit me that I don’t want to do this anymore. I just knew it was time.”

John has had numerous careers before joining the teaching ranks, working in law enforcement for several years before taking on a career in nuclear energy.

“I am 70 and I have retired from law enforcement, retired from work at nuclear companies, retired from consulting, and now teaching,” John said. “Teaching was my give back . I have had some of the most rewarding experiences here with the students, and I have had a lot of the kids teach me things.”

Deb started her 40-year career in education at a very young age. She said she learned you are not only a teacher, but you are an entertainer and a pschologist. Most importantly, she said you have to have fun.

“If I can’t go in and laugh and have fun with the students, then they’re not going to learn the material, and I don’t know if every teacher learns that,” she said. “You have to be human to them, someone they can relate to and that they can have real conversation with.”

John agrees. He said teachers must have an open mind and do a lot of listening.

“My aspirations did not line up with the world, understanding if you have 40 kids you have 40 personalities,” he said. “When there are changes in society, it falls on the children. I think a lot of kids come to school and it is a haven for them. That was an eye opener and a real blessing. Leave your degree at the door, and walk in and learn.”

The Waddells have said the world of education changes often, and they like a lot of what’s going on. However, if they could change anything they would suggest reducing the number of students in each class.

“They (students) are so needy in middle school. They need smaller classes, when possible,” Deb said. “Hopefully that will change with the new middle school.”

John said one of the best things he got out of teaching the past three years was experiencing it with Deb. They were able to ride to school together, ride home together and share common experiences when they got home.

“If I could advise young people going into teaching, I would say be organized and try to have fun,” Deb said. “Make sure you get to know a lot of people in your building because they’re going to be your biggest supporters.”

The Waddells plan to move to North Carolina during their retirement.

“The hardest part for me to leave was my teaching team at the middle school,” Deb said. “All the sixth-grade teachers, I have never worked with a team of people that cared for each other, were there for each other, laugh with each other like that group. You don’t get that with everybody. They were so incredible.”

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

A Louisville developer plans to construct a retail center between Dohoney Trace and Burkesville Road with hopes of locating at least six businesses on the property.

Florence Browne of Gant Hill and Associates, LLC, a real estate brokerage and advisory firm in Louisville, was in Columbia late last week on behalf of her client, Keystone Development, LLC.

Browne said Keystone Development is now under contract to open a retail center in Columbia. Keystone Development, owned by Darren Mattingly, builds houses and commercial properties.

“He is involved with retail shopping centers, and we are under contract with Anthony Janes for property there in front of Walmart. We are looking to bring in retail users like a cell phone store, a hair salon, a barber shop, even a restaurant. We want to bring in something that

would complement the area.”

Columbia Mayor Pam Hoots confirmed the announcement in a press release late last week .

Mattingly was not available for comment, but Browne said the proposed facility will cover approximately one acre, with six bays and 9,000 square feet. Each individual bay will be 1,500 sq. feet and tenants will be offered the opportunity for two bays if needed.

Browne said Columbia wasn’t initially on their radar. However, after a more in-depth investigation, she said the local area has a lot to offer.

“A big part of this is to make sure we consider that college-age customer,” she said. “Surveys show one of the biggest spends for a college student is on food. And to be located right in front of a Walmart Supercenter, that is huge for a retailer. Columbia, the city is so vibrant. We have had corporations call and say this is where we want to be. As long as you are located with a Walmart anchor, there is a huge draw there.”

Other pluses for Keystone choosing Columbia were the Lake Cumberland, Green River area. Tourists frequent places like Walmart, restaurants, etc. Columbia’s proximity to Interstate 65 and Interstate 75 will benefit companies with distribution, Browne said.

“We do have a 90-day due diligence period where we investigate the property and confirm the zoning and things like that,” Browne said. “There were a lot of options.

“It is a proposed development, and we are looking to get tenants in there sooner rather than later. And we would want to talk with anyone in the community that would have access to Class A tenants, corporate retail tenants. We are also looking for local businesses that may want to relocate to the new center.”

Browne said she expects Mattingly to quickly begin survey work and go through the zoning process to make sure what he wants to do is feasible. They are expecting to break ground in the fall.

For more information on the retail center, contact Browne at 502-640-2900.

Newcomers join incumbent council members as 11 vie for six seats

Curtis Hardwick and Pamela Hoots will have a chance to convince city voters that they make the better leader as they again square off for the mayor’s seat.

Hoots beat Hardwick in a three-way race four years ago, with Hoots getting 496 votes, Hardwick, who was the incumbent, getting 443 votes, and Ben Arnold receiving 341 votes.

The city council race has several newcomers to candidacy, with Natalie Marcum, Hannah Peck, retired city clerk Rhonda Bennett Loy, and Mike Robertson joining incumbents Ronald “Butch” Rogers, Sharon Payne, Robert Flowers, Craig Dean, Linda Waggener and Mark Harris, along with former council member Charles Grimsley. City voters will be able to vote for six candidates and the top six in the field of 11 will take office.

Here is a rundown of the candidates in the November general election. Tuesday was the deadline to file.

County Judge Executive
Larry Russell Bryant

Adair County Clerk
Lisa Greer

Adair County Attorney
Jennifer Hutchison-Corbin

Adair County PVA
Landon Edwards

Adair County Jailer
Jeremy Wethington
Jamie Richard

Adair County Sheriff
Josh Brockman

District 1 Magistrate
Tony Denton

District 2 Magistrate
Daryl Flatt

District 3 Magistrate
Sammy Baker
Benjamin “Ben” Loy

District 4 Magistrate
Chris Reeder

District 5 Magistrate
Billy Coffey
Jason Grider

District 6 Magistrate
Ronald Mark Humphress

District 7 Magistrate
Terry Hadley

Adair County Coroner
Roger Huckaby Jr.

District 1 Constable
William “Bill Troutwine

District 2 Constable

District 3 Constable
Ken Hill
Brandon Nokes

District 4 Constable
Jeff Dickson

District 5 Constable
Tim Bottoms

District 6 Constable
Jason Rector

District 7 Constable
Joe Colins, Jr.

County Surveyor
Michael E McKinney

Mayor
Pamela Hoots
Curtis Hardwick

Columbia City Council
Ronald Butch Rogers
Sharon Lorene Payne
Robert Flowers
Charles Grimsley
Craig Dean
Linda Waggener
Mark Harris
Natalie Marcum
Mike Robertson
Hannah Peck
Rhonda Bennett Loy

School Board District 1
Terry Harvey

School Board District 3
Destiny Greer

Adair County Soil/Water
Julie Day
Danny Wilkinson
Jay Melton
(Race will not be on ballot because there are three positions and three candidates)