Headline News

Memorial Day Flowers Foundation says fundraising this year has been tough and absent a surge in donations before May 24, the Foundation will have only 80,000 flowers to place to honor fallen troops when it needs 310,000

Arlington, Va. – It’s a Memorial Day tradition that stretches back to the 1800s – the placing of flowers to honor our fallen military service members for Memorial Day. And it’s become a beloved D.C. tradition as well, with thousands of flowers being placed annually at Arlington National Cemetery.

But this year, the Memorial Day Flowers Foundation says its typical donation sources for funding and donated flowers have dried up, and the Foundation needs to raise funds before May 24 to cover the cost of purchasing 230,000 flowers on the wholesale market.

The Foundation has secured about 80,000 flowers for its tribute at Arlington National Cemetery this year, but that’s a far cry from the 220,000 stems it has brought in the past, and far short of the 310,000 stems needed to honor every gravesite at our nation’s most hallowed burial ground for fallen service men and women.“We have brought flowers to Arlington National Cemetery every year since 2011 for Memorial Day, and it pains me to see our tribute so much smaller this year. Our goal is to honor every fallen service member and veteran headstone with a flower,” said Ramiro Penaherrera, the executive director of the Foundation. “We need to raise about $150,000 before May 24^th to cover the cost of purchasing 230,000 flowers at a wholesale price on the global flower market, and we can get transportation donated. We appreciate any support provided by the public.”

Thanks to its long-standing ties to the floral industry, the Foundation can obtain flowers at wholesale rates and have them shipped in time for the Memorial Day holiday. The Foundation often receives last-minute donations of extra flowers not sold for Mother’s Day, but it cannot rely on these donations to ensure there are enough flowers for the Memorial Day tribute, due to other conditions in the global flower market that make in-kind donations harder to obtain.

Volunteers are also needed for Flowers of Remembrance Day on Sunday, May 28, 9am-5pm, at Arlington National Cemetery. Flowers will be placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and later in the cemetery. Flowers of Remembrance Day pays homage to the first official, national Decoration Day, now known as Memorial Day. This ceremony first took place at Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868, to honor U.S. service members who died in the Civil War.

You can donate at: https://www.memorialdayflowers.org/donate/

You can sign up to volunteer (if in the DC area) at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/flowers-of-remembrance-day-2023-tickets-579673327527

May 15, 2023

2019

An Adair County man died following an automobile accident Friday afternoon.

Adair County 911 received a call of a two-vehicle collision on KY 61 approximately five miles south of Columbia. Sheriff Deputies Jason Camfield and Chris Tweedy arrived and determined that two vehicles had struck in a head-on collision and one of the two patients was unresponsive with severe injuries.

Preliminary investigation shows that Freddie  Loy, 81, was traveling south on KY 61 operating a 2007 Kia passenger car and was attempting a left-hand turn onto KY 768.  Chasity Wooten, 39,  was operating 2020 Toyota Camry traveling north on KY 61 toward Columbia. Loy turned into the path of Wooten, who was unable to stop or avoid the collision  and struck Loy’s vehicle in the northbound lane. Loy, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was transported to TJ Health Columbia by Adair EMS where he was pronounced deceased and Adair County Deputy Coroner Preston Gaskin was notified. Wooten was transported by Adair EMS to TJ Health of Columbia for treatment of her injuries .

Responding agencies were the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, Adair County EMS, Breeding Fire Department, Kentucky State Police, and Adair County Coroner’s Office.

The collision is being investigated by Deputy Camfield.

 

Judge Executive Larry Russell Bryant told magistrates Tuesday that he has hired a new ABC administrator, the third person to fill the role since Bryant took office in January.

Bryant said Chad Bivens is now the Alcohol Beverage Control administrator, following the resignation of Michael Mann. Bryant, who has the authority to appoint staff for ABC, reappointed Jason Rector as administrator and investigator when he first went into office in January. He later asked for Rector’s resignation and appointed Mann in February.

Mann’s appointment led to a heated discussion during a fiscal court meeting in March. Bryant said he hired Mann as administrator but was also paying him personally to do county work.

A change in the law requires that an ABC investigator have law enforcement training and certification. An ABC administrator does not fall under the same guidelines. Rector could serve as investigator because he was in the position when the law changed.

Bryant said that Bivens would serve as administrator, the same position that was held by Mann. He told magistrates they would need to set a salary for Bivens.

Magistrate Daryl Flatt said he thought the salary would need to stay the same as it was for Mann, which was $100 a month. Rector was paid $400 a month. Bryant said he thought even the $400 was low pay for the work that is done. Flatt said if they were provided a job description, they could better evaluate the pay scale.

Magistrate Tony Denton asked Bryant why Mann resigned, and Bryant said, “It was kind of a sticky situation.”

Magistrate Chris Reeder confirmed from Treasurer Melinda Quinn that the court had budgeted $400 a month for ABC salaries and made a motion to set the salary at $400 a month. Magistrates Reeder, Denton, Sammy Baker, Terry Hadley and Billy Coffey voted yes, with Flatt and Mark Humphress voting no.

The fiscal court met Tuesday morning to pay bills and make budget amendments. In addition, the court approved final reading to change the name of Garrison Rd. to Laurel Ridge Rd. First readings were approved to give a right-of-way on Lay Rd. for water lines, to approve a school bus turnaround on Rattler Curry Rd., and to change the speed limit to 25 mph on L Willis Rd. and Frank Dohoney Rd.

The court also discussed finances and a failed vote for new tax revenue took place. Complete coverage is available in this week’s printed edition of the Community Voice.

By Sharon Burton
[email protected]

 

Early Friday morning shortly after 1 a.m. an inmate from Adair Regional Jail was transported by Adair EMS to TJ Health Columbia complaining of illness. Once at the hospital, the male subject attempted to flee on foot before being overtaken by jail staff and placed back in custody.

Barry Kerr, 48, of Russell Springs, has been charged with escape, 2nd degree. Kerr has been an inmate since January of this year for drug charges. Officer Elliot Smith was the arresting officer.