Headline News

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.

Honor your mother on Mother’s Day!!! Let us and everyone else know how special she is.

Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles will be in Adair County Thursday, April 21, at 1 p.m. to speak with Adair County High School FFA students before possibly making two other stops, Judge-Executive Gale Cowan announced Monday

Bradley Graham of Columbia was charged earlier Thursday morning with possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine; as well as promoting contraband.

Officers from the Columbia Police Department were called to the Adair County Regional Jail after deputy jailers discovered suspected narcotics within a cell. Upon arrival officers observed suspected methamphetamine located within a drink top cap along with a syringe.

Officer Justin Cross was the investigating officer. More charges are expected.

According to the National Weather Service, severe weather could impact Adair County tonight.

Isaac Green, 20, was treated for injuries sustained Tuesday in a single-car accident on Montpelier Road, 10 miles east of Columbia. He was ejected from the vehicle.

A preliminary investigation showed Green was traveling west on Montpelier Road when he dropped off the right shoulder of highway. His vehicle then struck an earth embankment and overturned.

Green was treated on scene by Adair EMS, then transported to T.J. Health of Columbia for additional treatment.

The collision was investigated by Deputy Gary Roy, who was assisted on scene by Columbia Adair County Fire and Adair EMS.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday vetoed legislation that would require students from sixth grade through college to play on teams based on their biological sex, and the gender with which they identify.

Senate Bill 83, sponsored by Sen. Robby Mills, R-Henderson, would direct the Kentucky High School Athletics Association to develop administrative regulations or bylaws requiring schools that participate in interscholastic athletics to designate all athletic teams, activities and sports based upon the biological sex of the students eligible to participate, and prohibit male students from participating in athletic teams, activities and sports designated as “girls.”

In his veto message, the governor said, “The KHSAA has approached the issue of transgender sports participation with nuance, collaboration and a sense of fairness that would allow transgender children the opportunity to participate in sports without disturbance the competitive balance.”

He pointed out the KHSAA “requires that a student-athlete who has undergone sex reassignment after puberty, must take hormonal therapy in a verifiable manner, and for a sufficient length of time to minimize gender-related advantages in competition.”

Beshear also noted that Republican governors in Indiana and Utah have vetoed similar bills. “They each mentioned the several lawsuits across the country challenging similar bills, with initial rulings enjoining their enforcement on equal protection grounds.”

The Family Foundation expressed disappointment in Gov. Beshear’s veto.  “Kentucky girls and women deserve a fair playing field,” said David Walls, the executive director. “Kentuckians overwhelmingly support this commonsense bill, but unfortunately, Gov. Beshear chose to side with his woke political base instead of Kentucky’s female athletes. Biology matters, especially in sports, and we look forward to the General Assembly overriding Beshear’s tone-deaf veto so that women’s sports in Kentucky can be protected.”

He said the need for the Save Women’s Sports Act, and the necessity of including college athletes, has been on full display as swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male, recently won a NCAA Women’s Swimming Championship, knocking a female to second place.  In addition, Riley Gaines, a University of Kentucky female swimmer, also had her fifth-place trophy given to Lia Thomas after they tied during another NCAA championship race.

Chris Hartman, executive director of the Fairness Campaign, applauded the governor. “From the start, this bill has been more about fear than fairness. In Kentucky’s entire school system, there is only one openly transgender girl we know playing on a school sports team. That student started on her school’s field hockey team, recruited all of the other team members, and just wants the opportunity to play with her friends her eighth-grade year.”

Hartman added, “Instead of solving Kentucky’s real problems, the politicians behind this bill have used their power to bully this student and others like her. At a previous House Committee hearing of the bill, those politicians had to fly in people from out of state to give testimony in support of the bill, because few Kentuckians would. The bill is a carbon copy of the anti-trans bills sweeping the nation this past year, which ignore the policies already in place to ensure an equal playing field for student-athletes.”

Lawmakers can override the veto when they return April 13 for the last two days of the session.

Kentucky State Police Post 15 will be conducting periodic traffic safety checkpoints in the Post 15 area, which includes Washington, Marion, Taylor, Green, Casey, Russell, Adair, Metcalfe, Monroe, Clinton, and Cumberland counties.

These checkpoints will be conducted as part of Post 15’s highway safety efforts. Troopers will be checking for violations of Kentucky traffic and regulatory laws relating to motor vehicle equipment safety, licensing of drivers, motor vehicle registration, and operation of motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants.

Donna Jones may be a little difficult to get hold of over the next few days. She is busy checking all the final details in preparation to open the 2022 Farmers Market on the Square Saturday. She is making sure vendors have everything they need, and customers have a menu of what exactly is available.

“We are pretty excited and eager to get the market started,” said Jones, market coordinator. “We are a little anxious because you are wanting opening day to go smooth. You never know how things are going to go. This year, we have a lot of new vendors coming in so that is definitely something that you are concerned about. All in all, I think we are ready.”

The Farmers Market on the Square, in its 10^th year, will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the corner of Merchant Street and Campbellsville Road. The market is scheduled for every Saturday through the month of October.

“We are still taking vendors,” Jones said. “The word is out that we are full, but I have a waiting list for vendors. Sometimes craft vendors don’t stay at the market for a long period of time so if a vendor quits or doesn’t show up, I want to move somebody into that place. I want to keep a full market this year.”

Jones said opening day for her includes checking every vendor’s paperwork, making sure booths are taken care of, and answering any questions that may arise.

“Some of the new vendors will be offering eggs, and there will be a lot of different crafts coming in,” Jones said. “We have a lot of new vegetable vendors, but they may not be there Saturday because vegetables are not quite ready yet. We will have several baked good people there with fresh baked goods. We have a wide variety of vendors coming in.”

Jones said she has been amazed how word about the market has spread over the years.

“We are even hearing that other communities are getting excited that the market is opening because those people enjoy coming to shop with us,” she said. “We are very happy to have surrounding counties visit and shop with us. That just shows we are doing a good job.”

The vendors are held to a high standard by Jones. They have to take training classes, safety classes and be knowledgeable about the products they are selling.

“The thing that vendors like about our market is that you have to either bake it, make it or grow it on your farm to be able to sell it,” she said. “We do not let you buy something from somewhere else and bring it in and sell it. Some markets do that, we do not. It must be homegrown, home-made and home baked.”

Jones said that rule is an assurance for the customer that what they buy each Saturday is the freshest it can possibly be. She said the vegetables are probably picked, loaded on the truck and brought to the market on the same day.

“The fresh, the local, that is what our market is all about,” said Jones. “We want to support our local farmers and we try to keep our prices the same. We appreciate the community support.”

For more information about the Farmers Market on the Square, contact Jones at 270-634-2125.

The Adair County Middle School volleyball team won the 7th- and 8th-grade tournament championships Thursday night.

FRANKFORT – Today Gov. Andy Beshear signed into law nine pieces of legislation recently passed by the General Assembly.

“I am pleased to sign House Bill 397 which provides our Western Kentucky schools, students and educators extra excused days that were missed due to the tornadoes and storms,” Gov. Beshear said. “I am also thankful to sign some more good pieces of legislation that support local governments, drivers on our roadways, our environment, our pharmacists and Kentuckians seeking telehealth care or facing lung cancer.”

The bills, which will become law on their effective dates, are:

House Bill 397 supports the school districts, students and school staff impacted by the December 2021 tornadoes that devastated Western Kentucky. The bill provides up to 15 disaster days to eligible districts impacted by the storms, which allows the districts to be excused for up to 15 student attendance days that were missed due to the storms. Educators and school staff will not have to make up excused days, but rather the days will count towards fulfillment of their contract.

House Bill 33 allows local governments to perform building inspections and review plans for educational buildings.

House Bill 45 intends to reduce the amount of plastic and solid waste disposed in landfills. This bill also opens the door for Kentucky to benefit from economic development opportunities as new technologies develop and allow for the commonwealth to establish a market for taking discarded plastics and breaking them down into raw materials that can be manufactured into other materials.

House Bill 77 repeals and changes the name of the Kentucky Radon Program Advisory Committee to the Kentucky Board of Radon Safety. It also adjusts the number of members on the board, reestablishes the board’s responsibilities, moves the board to the Department of Professional Licensing in the Public Protection Cabinet, changes the name of the Radon Mitigation and Control Fund to the Radon Control Fund and increases the cap on fines to $1,000 per occurrence.

House Bill 188 makes telehealth more accessible to Kentuckians. It bars professional licensure boards from prohibiting the delivery of telehealth services by health service providers credentialed in Kentucky to Kentuckians who are temporarily located outside of the commonwealth. It also bars professional licensure boards from prohibiting the delivery of telehealth services to nonresidents temporarily located in Kentucky by providers credentialed in the person’s state of residence. Health care providers will no longer be required to be physically present in their credentialing state to provide telehealth services to a person who is a resident of the same state.

House Bill 192 allows pre-qualified contractors approved by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet or appointed by a local government body to inspect electrical work before electricity is reconnected for roadway devices, such as traffic signals, flashing beacons and lighting. This accelerates the process and makes roadways safer.

House Bill 195 promotes information sharing between natural gas transmission pipeline owners and developers of properties near pipelines. The bill requires that a developer of a commercial or residential property, working within 660 feet of a natural gas or interstate hazardous liquid pipeline, notify the pipeline operator. The bill also requires operators of pipelines to communicate location information to developers to raise awareness of the locations of those facilities.

House Bill 219 establishes a lung cancer screening program in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services’ Department for Public Health, a lung cancer screening fund and a Lung Cancer Screening Advisory Committee to ultimately increase screenings, reduce the cost of treatment and create better outcomes for Kentuckians facing lung cancer.

House Bill 240 allows pharmacists to remotely access a pharmacy’s dispensing or medication management system and perform order entry, order entry verification or drug regimen review, as well as increases flexibility for staffing in pharmacies within hospitals for volume adjustment during emergency coverage needs such as severe weather or pandemic surges.

FRANKFORT (KT) – The Kentucky Senate advanced House Bill 3, a multi-faceted pro-life measure, on Tuesday afternoon after more than an hour of heated debate and chants from the gallery by pro-abortion activists.

The bill, also known as the Humanity in Healthcare Act, addresses medical abortions (regulating the dispensing of abortion pills), the disposal of fetal remains, judicial bypass and parental consent for abortion on minors, abortion complications and abortion incidence reporting in the commonwealth.

“House Bill 3 strengthens Kentucky’s existing laws, providing for greater transparency and more opportunities for women to understand that abortion is never the best choice,” said Sen. Ralph Alvarado, chair of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee that reviewed HB 3 before advancing it to the Senate floor.

“While the (Supreme Court) established the right to abortion, it simultaneously expressed that the state has a legitimate interest in seeing to it that abortion, like any other medical procedure, is performed under circumstances that ensure maximum safety for the patient,” Alvarado said.

One floor amendment, exempting victims of rape and incest from the measures of HB 3, failed on the floor by a 26-9 vote.

The Senate did adopt a floor amendment tacking Senate Bill 321 onto HB 3. The Senate bill is a 15-week abortion ban mirroring Mississippi legislation at the epicenter of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, a Supreme Court case that could undermine or overturn Roe v. Wade. SB 321 passed in the Senate but later stalled in a House committee.

“In the event that the Supreme Court upholds the Mississippi legislation as constitutional, we will then have a pro-life law in place that would not be subject to a good faith legal challenge,” said Sen. Max Wise, primary sponsor of the bill and its Senate floor amendment to HB 3.

Sen. Reginald Thomas said the bill was “really harsh and unfair” to women. Sen. David Yates stated his belief that the passage of the bill would “cost lives.” Sen. Karen Berg, Sen. Gerald Neal and Sen. Morgan McGarvey also spoke in opposition.

The final vote was disrupted by several outbursts. Pro-abortion advocates began chanting “abortion is healthcare” while holding banners over the edge of the gallery. One individual screamed “Shame on you! You’re killing women!” at legislators as she was escorted out alongside those chanting. Another shouted an expletive at Sen. Adrienne Southworth as she was explaining her aye vote.

HB 3 passed with a 29-0 vote, with opposing senators declining to cast a nay or pass vote. Many stepped out of the chamber as the roll was called.

The House concurred Tuesday night, 74-19, and now goes to the governor. Read the full text of the bill here.

Active weather expected in the area through tonight.

An Easter Egg Hunt has been scheduled for April 16 in Knifley.

FRANKFORT (KT) – While the General Assembly has enacted legislation reducing the number of weeks Kentuckians are eligible to receive unemployment benefits, a bill is advancing to extend those benefits to victims of domestic violence.

The House Economic Development and Workforce Investment Committee has approved House Bill 83, a bi-partisan measure sponsored by Reps. Nima Kulkarni, D-Louisville, and Samara Heavrin, R-Leitchfield.

“What this bill does is allow victims of domestic, dating, sexual and stalking violence who leave work, are unable to work, or separated from employment due to circumstances directly relating to that violence, to be eligible for unemployment benefits,” Kulkarni testified.

HB 83 would apply in cases where the victim fears violence at or on route to the workplace, she explained.  A victim would also be eligible if he or she wishes to relocate to another area to avoid future violence or protect the safety and health of themselves, their family or co-workers.

Kulkarni cited several studies that show domestic violence is linked to unemployment, with 83% of domestic violence survivors reporting their ability to work was negatively impacted by an abusive partner. Kulkarni said this legislation is necessary because Kentucky has a rate of intimate partner violence higher than the national average.

HB 83 would require claimants to provide documentation to prove eligibility, which would remain confidential, Kulkarni noted. The documentation could be police records, court records, sworn statements or other documentation of violence provided by the victim, shelter workers, members of the clergy, medical professionals or other professionals from whom the victim has sought assistance.

Kulkarni said the fear of violence language in the bill means it must be something that is currently happening and can be proved with documentation and “not the fear of future violence or abuse.”

The measure now heads to the House floor.