On Friday, Feb. 21 at 7:19 p.m., Adair County 911 received a call of a single vehicle collision on Elkorn Road 15 miles north of Columbia.

Adair County Sheriff’s Deputy Joey Keith was dispatched along with additional emergency services to the collision.

Preliminary investigation shows that Ronald Woodrum, 67, was traveling north on Elkorn Road along with a 3-year-old child passenger.

Woodrum was operating a 2018 GMC Sierra truck when he lost control of his vehicle, left the roadway on the left side and struck a tree.

Woodrum was pronounced deceased at the scene and the 3-year-old child was airlifted to University of Louisville by helicopter.

Seatbelts where in use for both driver and passenger.

As of Sunday, the child has been released and is back home.

The investigation is being continued by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputy Joey Keith was assisted on scene by Chief Deputy Justin Cross.

Agencies responding where Knifley Fire Department, Columbia-Adair Volunteer Fire Department, Adair County EMS, Adair County Coroner’s Office and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office.

To the Nines’ is moving to the first Friday of each month beginning Friday, March 6. Come join us as we shop local and stay late at your favorite retail stores on and around the square. Come see everyone again, shop and just have fun!

Adair County Clerk Lisa Greer announced some changes for notary publics that became effective Jan. 1

Greer says that one of the most important changes is that the notary identification number is now mandatory along with the notary’s expiration date.

The notary identification number issued by the Secretary of State will not change every four years as a notary renews their commission. The identification number will remain with an individual until they choose to terminate their notary commission.

There is also now an educational component to becoming a notary. This educational component would be administered by the SOS office and has yet to be defined.

Additionally, KRS 423.370 has eliminated the need for a notary to use a stamp when notarizing a document, but if they choose to have a stamp it must include the notary public’s name, title, jurisdiction, commission number and expiration date. It must also be capable of being copied together with the record to which it is affixed or attached or with which it is logically associated.

KRS 423.390 allows for a notary public to change their name within 10 days of making the name change. The notary must submit this information to the Secretary of State as required by their form and pay the required fee. The notary will then have to go to the county clerk’s office to complete the new oath and bond.

A person can now apply for a notary public directly with the Secretary of State using their online portal at the Secretary of State website at www.sos.ky.gov under the Notary Commissions tab. The Secretary of State is still refining the administrative regulations that govern notary public.

A personal bond is no longer an option and all notaries will need to provide a $1,000 insurance bond when they come to the county clerk’s office to take their oath of office. However, if you are currently a notary this insurance bond will not affect you until the time you have to renew your notary.

For any questions regarding this, reach out to Greer at the Adair County Clerk’s office at 270-384-2801.

Decades ago, the circuit court clerk’s office looked very different than it does today.
Current Adair County Circuit Clerk Dennis Loy states that in the mid-twentieth century, he knows of a circuit clerk and his wife who ran the office by themselves and who sold insurance on top of that to make a living.

In 2020, Loy has seven deputies working under him to efficiently handle the courts of Adair County.
The circuit clerk’s office is the bridge between the public and the circuit and district courts.

A major role of this office is record keeping, as the clerk and deputies create and update all circuit and district court records.
Some of these records are accessible by the public.

“We have a public kiosk that anyone from the public can come to and review records,” said Loy. “If they want something out of a particular case, all they have to do is come to the counter and ask us for what they want and we get it for them.”
Copies can be made of these records, but only the court or an attorney can take a record file with them when they leave.
Circuit clerk’s offices are responsible for preparation for the courts by preparing dockets and assigning the public to jury duty, a civic duty that is taken very seriously.

There are a few reasons that a person may be excused, but to do so, the summoned individual must request their excusal by returning the summoning form to the circuit court clerk with their reason for needing an excuse. The clerk will then present it to the judge and get it either approved or disapproved.

This step is extremely important because if a person misses jury duty without being approved for excusal or even if someone just ignores their summoning, consequences could come.
Circuit clerk’s offices are also the location for the public to pay fines or court fees, but they don’t have the ability to remove it from a record and only the courts can expunge something from a record, said Loy.

It’s balancing the law and the public that Loy says makes the job tough.
“The most challenging part is making sure that we do everything according to the law, but also do everything we can to help the general public,” said Loy. “Helping the public is what we’re supposed to do and what I was elected to do, but sometimes it’s hard for us to help individuals because of the mandate of the law.”

Issuing driver’s licenses and identification cards is unrelated to the courts, but it is something that also keeps the circuit clerk’s office very busy.
With this, they serve both drivers and non-drivers; therefore most people will need to come to the circuit clerk’s office at some point.

Circuit Clerk’s offices in Kentucky play a major role in the organ donation registry, as clerks or deputies are required to ask every person who is issued a license or ID if they want to be an organ donor, to which a person may accept or decline.
Although they issue these forms of identification, the circuit clerk’s office doesn’t issue passports, and Adair County residents who wish to purchase one would go to the Adair County Post Office.

No matter what they’re doing for the public, Loy says he and his deputies are glad to be doing it.
Josh Withers is chief deputy. Holly Jessie, Susan Breeding, Sami Jo Jennings, Megan Coomer, Jane Breeding and Jenny Bennett are deputies.

“We all have the same philosophy of helping the people and doing everything we can do for them. I’m very fortunate that I have the staff that I do, because the people pay us and we’re here to serve the people.”
The Adair County Circuit Clerk’s office is located inside the Adair County Judicial Center at 201 Campbellsville St. and can be reached by phone at 270-384-2626.
The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

By Anna Buckman
Assistant Editor
anna@adairvoice.com