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This story originally appeared in the Sept. 15 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

This story originally appeared in the Sept. 1 issue of the Community Voice. For your subscription, please call 270-384-9454.

Brady Hayes, Conor Smith, Evan Quinn and Josh Burton didn’t really know what to expect this year at the 2022 Kentucky State Fair in Louisville. The four Adair County High School Future Farmers of America students had worked over the last eight months, with a lot of help from their classmates, to restore a tractor for the FFA state contest.

They weren’t how sure their tractor would do against some of the other programs from around the state. However, perhaps even to the surprise of themselves, the Adair County team project was voted Champion Large Restoration, Champion Chapter Ag Mechanics Exhibit, and Champion Individual Ag Mechanics Entry.

“A lot of us have been around tractors, and working on tractors all of our lives,” Hayes said. “So, we had a goal of making the tractor look good. We were really more happy that we got it done in time. We knew it was a pretty nice piece, and we thought we had a chance, but we were really just glad to be there.”

“We all felt good about our chances, but there were a lot of good pieces up there,” Smith said. “We felt like if we win great, if we don’t, we know we tried out best. We saw a couple of tractors come in while we were there. They were good, but we thought we still had a chance.”

Adair County’s winning tractor was a 1924 John Deere Model B, donated by an anonymous local farmer. The renovated tractor was purchased by a farmer in Garrard County. He also donated a tractor to the school’s FFA program to renovate for next year’s fair.

Kenneth Montgomery, an instructional aid in the ACHS shop, helped coordinate the work on the tractor. He said he and the students began by researching the tractor model to get an idea of how to find parts, some that haven’t been made for years.

“There was quite a bit of work to do on this tractor. It hadn’t been started in years, so we had to research the starting sequence,” Montgomery explained. “The sheet metal was in really bad shape. We had to work on the hood, and the grill. We had to fix the carburetor, and we had to get new tires.”

“The paint job turned out really great on it,” Burton said. “I think that is what got us the win.”

He said one of the problems he had to work around was continuity. We would have students available for only the length of class time, and then a brand new group of students would come in to take over at the next bell.

Kirby said he’s been a little surprised about how well his FFA program continues to do with the restoration projects. This year’s win is the second consecutive championship for the ACHS team.

“I think after a couple of groups of kids had come through the program and they were successful, I think the kids coming behind them see that, see the trophies and they want to be a part of that,” Kirby said. “This is probably the best piece we’ve done so far.

“When these kids are motivated to do a job, you would be amazed at what they’re capable of. They all have very good work ethics, but they were also interested in the project. They have a lot of pride in their work and, had the tractor not sold, the kids were trying to come up with a way to raise funds to buy it themselves.”

Hayes and Smith said the students felt good working together on the project and actually learned a lot by working together.

“It is something to be proud and thankful for,” Hayes said. “Not all high school kids get to do something like this. We really enjoyed it.”

“This was a learning experience for us,” Smith said. “This is a great program. We get a chance to learn to build things, and work together. It really is a blessing for me.”

Other results from the state fair include:

Wesson Burton, Kentucky FFA Championship Auctioneer; Adair County FFA Shop, Championship Chapter Ag Mechanics Exhibit, Championship Large Restoration and Championship Individual Ag Mechanics Items; Ally Brown and Braeden Coomer won the Championship Soybeans Exhibit; Brown, second in soybeans; Coomer, fifth in soybeans;

Welding Team, second; team members were Mason Caldwell, Alex Loy, Caleb Edwards, and Preston Edwards; Edwards was sixth high individual, Loy was seventh; and Caldwell was eighth; each also earned scholarships to KWI; the Livestock Judging Team brought home third, team members were Trenton Page, Kaden Richard, Bode Richard, and Kiley Cowan; Riley Yarberry, seventh in Seed Identification; the Agronomy Team finished ninth, team members were Coomer, Preston Wisdom, Lilee Wall, and Ellie Cheatham.

The following students had Floral Exhibits:

Emylou Miller: Blue Ribbon, Low Light Foliage; Blue Ribbon, Fresh Floral Arrangement; Red Ribbon Fern, Red Ribbon Succulent; Beth Cowan: Red Ribbon, Fresh Floral Arrangement; Lily Loy: Red Ribbon, Fresh Floral Arrangement; Madison Irvin: White Ribbon, Fresh Floral Arrangement; Zowi Martin: Red Ribbon, Fresh Foral Arrangement; Brown and Coomer, Red Ribbons on their corn exhibits.

Miller, Cowan, Loy, and Madison Irvin competed in Floriculture; Keaton Burton, Hallie Burton, Sarai Collins, and Ally Brown competed in nursery; Piper Kemp, Kaylee Richard, Gracie Gist, and Mason Coffey also competed in Junior Livestock.

Faith Anderson’s job as manager of J.O.Y Ministries Crisis Management Center is to help people. If someone comes to her or her staff in a time of need, she is going to do everything she can to help them. It is the mission of the organization, what Ander- son’s heart is telling her to do, and it is the right thing to do.

Recently, Anderson has not been able to do that. During a 48-hour period last week, a total of 16 people with no place to stay for the night approached J.O.Y Ministries for help. The staff had to turn them away.

“The influx of home- less people over the last couple of days has been overwhelming,” Anderson said. “We’ve had 16 people in just a two-day period that we have had to turn away because we do not have beds. It is very hard to tell people no, but we just don’t have the beds.”

Jayson Owens, director of J.O.Y. Ministries’ Cally ’s House Shelter, said probably 60-70 per- cent of the latest group seeking assistance were longtime residents from Adair County. There are two emergency shelters in the area that can house up to a total of 15 people at one time. Both facilities are currently full.

The J.O.Y staff is never judgmental about who is and isn’t given shelter in a crisis. Meeting needs is what they’re all about. Residents do have to provide information for an intake form, but if they have space, everyone is taken in.

“We believe everybody deserves a place to lay their head at night,” Anderson said. “Some- times when we have to turn people away, I will tell them to call Green River Ministries in Campbellsville. They have a shelter. I will put people on a waiting list here, and if they live closer to Somerset or Bowling Green, we will help them look for shelters there.”

However, Anderson warns the rise in local homeless numbers could be a sign of what’s to come.

“This is the worst it has ever been. Usually, winter is the bad time for homelessness,” she said. “I am really concerned for our community. If something is not done or something is not fixed by the time winter rolls around, we’re going to have people sleeping on our sidewalks. If it is this bad at the end of August, I can’t imagine how bad it is going to be when December and January roll around.”

Anderson said she gets a sense the homelessness issue stems from a com- bination of things. She said the economy has made it more difficult for people to pay bills. She said people are still trying to recover from the pandemic, they’ve lost their jobs, and drug addiction is always a big factor.

“Our community is absolutely wonderful, but my recommendation is we need to have a piece of property where we can run a tent city,” Anderson said. “If we had a piece of property where they could stay, they wouldn’t be on our sidewalks in front of our businesses, or if we had a building, like a warming shelter. We need just a warm place for them to lay their head at night.”

For more information on how you can help, call Anderson at 270-380-1808.

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

This story originally appeared in the Sept. 1 issue of the Community Voice. For your subscription, call 270-384-9454

Danielle Estes says July 24, 2017, was the day everything changed for her family.

Her husband, Jason, a master builder, was working on a site by himself trying to finish a project before the client arrived. He had been doing this kind of thing for years and closing out some final details on his own was nothing new.

On this day, however, the multiple projects and long hours had taken a physical toll on Jason, and he fell from the top of a ladder onto the concrete pad below, hitting his back and head first. He somehow got to his phone and messaged his wife, who was a few minutes away at home. Doctors later told Jason he was lucky to be alive.

“I figured Jason was going to live, but since he kept repeating himself on the ride to the hospital, I wasn’t sure what kind of life he would have, if I would have the same husband, or if I would be taking care of him for the rest of his life,” Danielle said. “I am so thankful he recovered and is okay. He still suffers from the damage the fall caused to his head and neck, but he’s here and has accomplished so much.”

Around that same time, Danielle and Jason were looking at wedding venues for their daughter and that gave Danielle an idea…What if we build a venue on our property? Jason could do the work him- self, with the family’s help. It could be a business for the family, and something that could be passed on to the children.

The result is the new Lakeview Barn and Lodge on Pikes Ridge Rd.

“When this idea came up, I definitely saw it as a wonderful opportunity for him to stop working by himself, as a job leading to an end, and as a good retirement plan,” Danielle said. “We’re getting older and how much longer can we expect this much work from our bodies?”

The days were long. Jason would cut the timber himself at the sawmill on the property. Then, Danielle and the children – Autumn, Bridget and Jason, Jr. – would move the planks from the mill to the location. The project became a family effort, including everything from clearing the land, getting the trees to the sawmill, building the facility, and landscaping the area. Everything was done together.

“I told him I don’t want him going out anymore where he doesn’t have help,” Danielle said. “When our daughter came up with the idea of building the lodge, I thought this is a great idea. We can help him and watch out for him.”

Jason did what he does best and went to work . He got the logistics of what Danielle and his girls wanted built and then he and Jason Jr. started building the facility piece by piece.

“There was never a doubt we could do this. I knew I could do it,” Jason said. “We always believe if you want to do something, then you do it the right way. We started dropping the posts in for the shed on one side and then we started building the bathrooms on the other side first.

“We poured the pads, about 130 yards of concrete. We set all the I beams and put them in one at a time. We weld- ed all the brackets. We were very careful about everything we bought because it had to make sense, it had to be able to pay us back. We also tried to save some money by helping the contractors when they were here.”

Danielle and Jason said the hardest part of the whole project was the things you don’t see. They had to have numerous inspections on the facility and passing was required before progress could continue. And the cost of the project, at times, gave them some serious frustrations.

“We didn’t know from one minute to the next if we were going to be able to keep going or if we were going to have to be able to sell,” Danielle said. “It was always at the last second when something would come through. That was so stressful because while he is doing this, he is not out there working to bring in money to pay the bills. There were many times we wanted to give up and forget about it.”

With a “few things” he would still like to complete on the lodge, Jason and Danielle said they’ve already had offers nearing $1 million to sell the property.

Danielle said possibly the best thing to come out of this massive project is their relationship and how much closer they became. Often, working with your spouse can be precarious.

“I knew with the stress level he would be overwhelmed, so I know there was a good reason for any frustrations. I would never hold that against him,” Danielle said. “There was nothing we could do but help each other through it all. We still kiss each other every day and pat each other on the butt. I think doing this actually helped us get to know each other better.”

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

The Winding Creek Band will be the featured performer this year at the 2022 Creelsboro Festival, on Saturday, Sept. 24 on the banks of the Cumberland River.

“The Winding Creek Band is really good,” said festival spokesperson Robert Bell. “They performed at the last festival and people were talking about them coming back . It should be a good show.”

Bell, who grew up in the Creelsboro area, said the festival came up as an idea for area folks to be able to visit with some long-lost friends.

“I was sitting around one day with nothing really to do that day,” Bell said. “So, I thought we should get a committee together to start a festival, and we called ourselves the Creelsboro Memories Committee. This will be the third festival.”

The festival is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. under the big top tent with opening ceremonies. That will include some stories about the history of Creelsboro, and an expected visit from town founder “Elijah Creel.”

Games and hayrides will begin at 10:30 a.m. A video presentation called “Creelsboro and the Cumberland: A Living History” will begin at 11 a.m. at the Creelsboro Nazarene Church.

The band will take the stage at noon and the event will conclude with a long list of raffle drawings beginning at 3 p.m.

“There will be a lot of vendors at the festival, including food vendors,” Bell said. “There will be barbecue, chicken and a lot of other things to sample. If you come, you won’t get hungry and you won’t be bored.” Bell said around 1,000 people attended the last Creelsboro Festival.

“This is a great time to catch up with your friends, and that’s what it is all about,” Bell said. “You will see people you grew up with or went to school with.

“And let me tell you about how great the volunteers have been. They’re so supportive and they just want to know what they can do to help. We try to get good people involved with us because if you have good people, you’re going to have success.”

Originally published in the Aug. 25, 2022 print edition of the Community Voice

This story originally appeared in the July 28 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

A boom mower purchased by the county has turned out to be more of a drag than a workhorse and the fiscal court agreed to drop it and move on last Monday.

County Judge Executive Gale Cowan told the court that the tractor with the boom mower purchased two years ago and has “been in the shop more than it works.”

The tractor only has around 600 hours on it, according to magistrate Greg Caldwell. Magistrate Billy Coffey was clear with his frustration when he stated, “I don’t want to spend any more money on it.”

They agreed that the mower is too light and voted to keep the tractor, remove the boom mower and add it to surplus to sell. They will then shop for a better mower attachment that will work with the existing tractor.

The court did hear some good news during a regular meeting Mon- day when magistrate Chris Reeder said a meeting with an appraiser concerning property where the transfer station is located was positive.

The county would like to purchase the property but has had difficulty getting an appraisal because there are no similar comparisons. Reeder said the appraiser they are speaking with is familiar with unique properties such as this one and said there are legal methods that may be used to deduce a property value. They believe they can provide an accurate appraisal for the county.

The court postponed a request by 911 director Danna Burton to purchase a new generator for 911 after deciding the agreement needed more specific details about the generator being purchased.

Magistrate Terry Had- ley first questioned the need to purchase new equipment and said he had looked at the generator and it looks brand new. Burton had report- ed to the court that the generator did not kick on like it should the last two or three times the power has gone out and they have had trouble getting it to start manually. It is set to turn on once a week and sometimes it does not start as it should. It is serviced annually.

After discussion about problems with the current generator, magistrates appeared convinced that a new one was needed but were concerned about the written agreement. They postponed the vote until the agreement clearly stated what is being purchased.

The court approved moving Ashley Buster from part time to full time as a 911 dispatch- er. They also approved a recommendation by Judge Cowan to appoint Terry Partin to the Columbia Adair Utility District. He will replace Wid Harris, who is the current chairman. Har- ris’ term expires Aug. 1.

The court approved setting a surplus auction for Oct. 7 with Bryant Realty handling the auction. They approved second readings to remove Sycamore Rd. from county maintenance, to change the speed limit on Hardesty Rd. to 15 mph, and to name Cox Lane as a private passageway. A first reading was approved to lower the speed limit on Coburg Rd. to 35 mph.

The court approved the transfer of funds from TVA to the Eco- nomic Development Authority. The funds are provided annually to the county and must be used for economic development. The court approved the designation up through the 2024 fiscal year. They receive more than $153,000 annually.

During public comments, Paul Smith spoke to the court about issues with Red Lick Rd. He said it washes out often and the county is constantly adding rock but it needs a more long-term fix. Reeder, who is magistrate for the area, said two creeks meet where the road is. He said he spoke with someone at the Lake Cumberland Area Development District and believes there may be funding to fix the road. Cowan said they would contact the district about applying for funds.

All magistrates were present for the meeting. They are Chris Reeder, Sammy Baker, Daryl Flatt, Harold Burton, Billy Coffey, Greg Caldwell and Terry Hadley.

By Sharon Burton
snburton@adairvoice.com

This story originally appeared in the July 28 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

Troy Grider, chairman of the Adair County School Board, closed out Thursday ’s July meeting with a report on the board’s evaluation of superintendent Dr. Pam Stephens. Grider said the board had met with Stephens to discuss the evaluation and had collectively given her a 2.2 out of 4.0.

“I am disappointed,” Dr. Stephens said to the media. “I don’t want to make any other responses.”

The evaluation does not affect Stephens’ contract.

“Covid has been extremely difficult, it has made it hard on every relationship and every individual,” Grider said after the meeting. “Basically, we have asked for and are expecting better communication. It all spins off that.

“It is about communication with the board and following through. Just about everything we talked about came back to communication.”

Grider said the evaluation provides a checklist for further conversations with the board.

“Then again, I am not trying to hide anything, and I am not trying to be disrespectful to Dr. Stephens,” Grider said. “I would be the same way if you were the superintendent or anybody else. Lack of communication destroys businesses, it destroys churches, it destroys families, it destroys a lot of things.”

Grider and the school board voted unanimously in May of last year to extend Dr. Stephens’ contract by two years and give her a pay increase of 1.5 percent. She is making $136,000 annually.

State law requires boards to perform and document a final evaluation of the superintendent each year, and discussions relating to the evaluation can be done behind closed doors. However, the final evaluation is to be adopted in an open meeting, reflected in board minutes and available to the public on request.

Grider said during the meeting that the decision was made by the board collectively, and that is how the decision was presented to Dr. Stephens. She did, Grider said, receive very high marks in some categories. When everything was averaged together, it came to a 2.2.

“There will be multiple checkpoints between now and the next evaluation,” Grider said. “We’re just looking for better communication. That has been the base of the triangle where we have been lacking.”

Grider said the board members have a responsibility to make the decisions, sometimes very tough decisions, that best serve the district as a whole.

“We want to push our schools to the top. With our kids, educationally, we want to push our district to the top, we want to be the employer of choice. That way we can attract people. How does a school board do that? They do it by addressing things with the superintendent, and the superintendent carries those things out.”

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

This story first appeared in the July 21 issue of the Community Voice. For your subscription, call 270-384-9454.

The Columbia City Council took its final step forward to securing a planned splash pad for the city park at the old Fairgrounds Mon- day afternoon in a special called meeting. The council voted unanimously to accept a bid of $139,951 from Blue- grass Recreation Sales and Installation of Danville.

“It is a land and water conservation grant, which is a 50 percent grant, and part of it can be in-kind work,” said Columbia Mayor Pam Hoots. “We have already been doing some work with the restrooms down at the fair- grounds and that will be in-kind for this grant.”

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. Hoots said the grant is for up to $250,000.

“There are a lot of services we provide, like blacktopping roads, sidewalks, things people like, but not everyone gets use out of,” said councilman Mark Harris. “This is one thing the public is going to get use out of, something they can get their hands on.”

Mayor Hoots said she had fielded questions about water usage at the splash pad. She said excessive water usage would not be a problem because the water would automatically be turned off when the pad was not in use.

The council also voted to accept a bid from AgRevolution, LLC. for a new tractor for the city. The bid was $41,300. It also accepted a bid from Don

Franklin Family of Dealerships for four police vehicles, three Dodge Durangos and a truck. The total bid was $143,387. Two of the vehicles will be purchased through ABC funding, one through money from the American Rescue Plan Act, and one through the police department’s budget.

Adams Excavating won the bid for cleanup of the city park on Burkesville St. The bid was $5,200 and will include taking down a chimney, cleanup around the foundation from a former house, and saving part of the bricks and tin to be hauled off by the city. Part of the brick is to be used for a walkway on site.

The council voted 5-1 with councilwoman Linda Waggener voting against the motion because she wanted the council to explore saving the chimney.

In addition, the council voted to accept a motion to renew the School Resource Officer con- tract with the Adair County Board of Education. The city pays for officers at three of the four district schools, and the school district pays the city to cover one of them. The county pays for the fourth SRO.

The council approved a request for the city to apply for a Kentucky Department of Library and Archives Local Records Grant for electronic records for the Columbia Police Department. Chief Jr. Murphy said the grant would allow his department to purchase the software it would need to keep reports and information on file with easier access.

This story appeared in the July 14 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call; 270-384-9454.

Raegan Atwood knew her photo for the National BETA Convention had a good chance to do well against some of the best competitors. The Adair County Middle School student won the state title in Black and White Photography earlier this spring with a picture of her dog laying across the tailgate of a truck.

That win earned her a spot to compete in the national tournament and last week, she took her photo to Nashville to face the best in the country. Atwood, who will start seventh grade in a few weeks, finished sixth overall.

“I was very nervous,” Atwood said. “There was a lot of pressure when I went into the (com- petition) room when I first got there. I saw all these other pictures and thought ‘wow, those are really good.’ I wasn’t really expecting anything to come of this. The other photos were amazing.”

The competition was held at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Atwood’s picture, with a description on the back, was placed in a big meeting room with the other competitors in the division. Judges came through the room, judged each photo, and then rendered a decision.

BETA is an organization based on academics, as students must have a grade point average of 3.0 to be able to compete. There are regional competitions in multiple divisions. Students who fare well at the regional competition advance to the state. Those winners go to nationals.

Atwood joined the ACMS BETA team following encouragement from teacher Angel Woodrome.

“I knew the teachers involved really well and it just seemed like it would be a lot of fun,” Atwood said. “Growing up I always loved to take pictures. I was always taking pictures of myself and other things, so I picked that category.

“My dog means a lot to me because I am always with her and she is my best friend. She was laying on the bed of a truck, I saw it, and took the picture. She is not really a photogenic dog, but she was laying there so we took the picture.”

She said she thought she did a good job composing the photo, but she laughed that everyone seems to love animals.

Woodrome, an Adair County Middle School teacher and BETA sponsor, said she was proud of Atwood’s accomplishment. She said Atwood’s photo was good enough to win, in her mind.

“I just love her picture,” Woodrome said. “I think her love for photography stands out, and she is developing a good eye for photography. She’s very creative.”

Woodrome said she believes Atwood’s high national finish will help draw more attention to the local BETA program, which she hopes will create more participation.

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

This story first appeared in the July 14 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

Raegan Atwood knew her photo for the National BETA Convention had a good chance to do well against some of the best competitors. The Adair County Middle School student won the state title in Black and White Photography earlier this spring with a picture of her dog laying across the tailgate of a truck.

That win earned her a spot to compete in the national tournament and last week, she took her photo to Nashville to face the best in the country. Atwood, who will start seventh grade in a few weeks, finished sixth overall.

“I was very nervous,” Atwood said. “There was a lot of pressure when I went into the (com- petition) room when I first got there. I saw all these other pictures and thought ‘wow, those are really good.’ I wasn’t really expecting anything to come of this. The other photos were amazing.”

The competition was held at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. Atwood’s picture, with a description on the back, was placed in a big meeting room with the other competitors in the division. Judges came through the room, judged each photo, and then rendered a decision.

BETA is an organization based on academics, as students must have a grade point average of 3.0 to be able to compete. There are regional competitions in multiple divisions. Students who fare well at the regional competition advance to the state. Those winners go to nationals.

Atwood joined the ACMS BETA team following encouragement from teacher Angel Woodrome.

“I knew the teachers involved really well and it just seemed like it would be a lot of fun,” Atwood said. “Growing up I always loved to take pictures. I was always taking pictures of myself and other things, so I picked that category.

“My dog means a lot to me because I am always with her and she is my best friend. She was laying on the bed of a truck, I saw it, and took the picture. She is not really a photogenic dog, but she was laying there so we took the picture.”

She said she thought she did a good job composing the photo, but she laughed that everyone seems to love animals.

Woodrome, an Adair County Middle School teacher and BETA sponsor, said she was proud of Atwood’s accomplishment. She said Atwood’s photo was good enough to win, in her mind.

“I just love her picture,” Woodrome said. “I think her love for photography stands out, and she is developing a good eye for photography. She’s very creative.”

Woodrome said she believes Atwood’s high national finish will help draw more attention to the local BETA program, which she hopes will create more participation.

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

This story appeared in the July 14 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

With less than a month to go until school opens in Adair County, principal Debbie Bradshaw is checking things off her to-do list around the primary center. She’s working with teachers that come in to get their rooms ready, she is coordinating solutions for any physical maintenance issues with the school building, and she is definitely preparing curriculum for the 2022-23 school year.

“Our focus for the last few years has been to improve our reading program, and we’ve have been doing a good job with that,” Bradshaw said. “Now what we’re doing is adjusting and we’re teaching our new teachers the importance of those early literacy skills.

“The next big step we’re taking is very important to me because we’re integrating all of those other skills from science and social studies, and we’re weaving those into our lessons every day,” Bradshaw said. “It is time to do that. It is proven children remember better when they have something to tie the lesson to.”

Teacher’s first day is August 10, with students arriving on August 11.

“At our age level, ‘read-alouds’, when the teacher reads to the students, those are perfect ways to bring in the science and social studies,” Bradshaw said. “Usually, math and science go well together and reading goes well together with social studies. They’re all interchangeable. That’s what’s so great about teaching with integrated topics, you can teach so many different ideas.”

Bradshaw said the shift in philosophy will expose the students to a lot more and help all students at the school. It will help those that need a little push and those that are already bench- marked. She said she wants to make sure those students stay engaged, too.

“Older teachers like me, this is the way we used to teach,” Bradshaw said. “It is a growing process, and it leads to project-based learning. There is a lot of power in. allowing children to come up with their own questions, instead of telling them what they’re supposed to be learning.”

Bradshaw said some of the other changes expected at ACPC will be a little more visual. The principal has been working on the entrance way, once students enter the school, she wants them to be excited.

“When our preschoolers and kindergartners come in our front door and look at the changes we are making and have already made, we want them to be in awe and believe this is a fun place, and a place they want to be,” Bradshaw said, pointing out a huge mural on the wall. “We also want them to feel comfortable and safe. We want them to know it is okay to take risks and it is okay to fail, because that is part of learning. There is a little thin thread that runs through everything we do here. No reason our children can’t succeed.”

Online registration is available now at www. adair.kyschools.us. Click on parents, and then online registration, and follow the directions. Parents of students attending the primary center, are also encouraged to call counselor Andrea Irvin at 270-384- 3367.

Bradshaw also had a last word of advice for her teachers as they count down the days until their return to school.

“I would tell them this is just another year, but also another opportunity to help these kids move as far ahead as they can,” Bradshaw said. “We have some teachers that have been here almost 30 years, and we have brand new teachers, but our sole purpose at ACPC is to love students, give them our best, and to help them achieve their best.”

The story originally appeared in the July 7 issue of the Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

Mayor Pam Hoots said the city’s natural gas department will soon be running gas lines to residents on East 80 Dr.

Hoots made the announcement Tuesday night during the monthly Columbia City Council meeting.

Hoots said the city’s gas department employees, led by Jerry Watson, will install the lines.

“He has enough pipe to do 2,500 feet and is planning to get started Aug. 1. More pipe has been ordered,” she said.

Hoots said expanding natural gas lines has been one of the things she has tried to do as mayor.  “We’ve done it. We now have it in Churchill Estates, the Cane Valley area, and the Green Hills area,” she said.

If anyone would like to see if natural gas can be brought to their neighborhood, Hoots said they should call City Hall at 270-384-2501. She said somebody from the gas department will see if running gas to the neighborhood is feasible.

Also during the meeting, the city council approved the selection of Kenvirons, a civil and environmental engineering company in Frankfort, to administer a project to fix old gas pipes in the areas of High and Wall streets and several streets throughout the city. The work is expected to be paid for by a Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration Grant.

The city council also agreed to pursue an easement from Steve McKinney for property just north of the NAPA building on Campbellsville Street. The city wants to build a loading ramp for kayaks there for people wanting to make their way down Russell Creek . Mayor Hoots said McKinney is very interested in the idea.

In other business:

– The council voted to bid for a tractor for the street department. Hoots said the current tractor is “20 something years old.”

– Council members voted to bid for four police cruisers. Two would be paid for from alcohol tax revenue, one from American Rescue Plan Act funds and the fourth would be funded

from the department’s budget.

– The council voted to increase a monthly sti- pend for Tyler Solum, city fire chief, from $25 a month to $100 per month.

–The city will check on costs to add lights on Burkesville Street from Patricia Trail towards the parkway. Hoots said that section of road is pretty dark at night and she would like to put four to six lights in that area.

– The council voted to establish two new positions in the parks department, with one

focused on maintenance to take care of the city’s facilities.

The council went into executive session for approximately 15 minutes Tuesday night on deliberations on future acquisitions or sale of real property when publicity would be likely to affect the value of the property.”

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

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

Adair County student Makayla Wright and historian Mike Watson were honored recently at a meeting of the Mid-Cumberland Retired Teachers’ Association.

White won a $50 prize for her Grandparent of the Year essay. She was presented the award by interim Adair County Retired Teacher Association President Mark Fudge. Watson received the Volunteer of the Year Award presented by the MCRTA.

Adair County Judge Executive Gale Cowan (center) signed a proclamation recently proclaiming May 15-21 as National Police Week in the county. Joining Judge Cowan were (from left) Columbia Police Chief JR Murphy, Adair County Sheriff Josh Brockman, KSP Post 15 Commander Capt. Bradley Stotts, and Trooper Levi Scott.

Columbia Mayor Pam Hoots signs a proclamation recently proclaiming May 8-14 as Nursing Home Week in Columbia. The proclamation has been designated to recognize the essential roles of skilled nursing care centers.

Joining the mayor were Signature Health Care employees Deb Smith, Misty Sewell, Dana Helm, Jamie Turner, Lana Roy, and Latasha Harden; as well as residents Eula Moss, Rose Willis, and Rebecca Melton.

The Adair County Middle School Students of the Month include: front row: Brooklyn Fellows, Math; Briley Breeding, Reading; Taylor Schmeichel, Social Studies; back row: Clair Loy, Social Studies; Kaylyn Grant, Science; Camey Bernard, Math; and Braxton George, Reading. Sarah Goforth, Science; was not pictured.

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

A Future Farmers of America team from Adair County High School finished fourth recently in the Kentucky Forestry competition held at Green River Lake State Park. Team members were (from left) Skylar Hare, Jake Hill, CJ Bryant, and Grant Feese.

This story first appeared in the April 28 issue of the Community Voice. For your subscription, call 270-384-9454.

The Adair County Fiscal Court voted at its regular scheduled meet- ing Monday night to include the ambulance service in the group of employees given essential pay for work during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Last year we gave our county employees essential pay. I think full-time employees got $5,000 and part-time got $2,500,” said Judge Executive Gale Cowan. “Ambulance service employees came to a fiscal court meeting and thought they should be included in that. They were not. Some people call them county employees, but they are not. They are a taxing district, just like the library, and the extension office, the health department.”

Monday, the court’s ARPA committee, head- ed by magistrate Billy Coffey, brought the motion before the court to include the ambulance service – depending on whether the county receives the second ARPA check from the federal government. The motion passed 5-1 with magistrate Daryl Flatt abstaining and magistrate Greg Cald- well giving the only nay vote. He wanted all qualifying groups, which included the water district, to receive the money.

Caldwell brought up another motion to give the water district essential pay, too, but the motion failed by a vote of 4-3. Harold Burton, Caldwell and Coffey voted Yes. Flatt, Sammy Baker, Chris Reeder and Terry Hadley voted against it.

“The reason I wanted to separate the issues was we have brought this up about the ambulance service before. I made a motion twice,” said magistrate Reeder. “The ambulance ser- vice were the people that were out here and didn’t have a choice (whether or not to work). They started with just a mask for protection. I am not opposed to the water department getting it, but there are some questions. Guys were out in a truck working on water lines? It is just as important, but it is a different situation.”

Flatt agrees. He said ambulance workers were right on the front line.

“This opportunity came about, and I am like Chris. I am not opposed to the water district getting the money, but certain employees,” Flatt said after the meeting. “It is depending on if we get the second payment. So, I would like to have more information on who (of the water department) is getting it, what they have done, and how they were around Covid.

“I can speak for the ambulance service. They had no choice about working or not, they couldn’t work from home. They were in the back of an ambulance, basically in a 6×8 box, with Covid patients and just a mask and no vaccines. They deserve this money whole-heartedly.”

All spending of ARPA money has to be approved by consultants and Adair County’s decisions go through attorneys Stites and Harbison in Lexington.

Cowan said second check, if the county receives it, should be around $1.5 million and could be received in June or July.

In other court business, Terese Penna was hired on as a part-time 911 dispatcher at $11.70 per hour.

Josh Withers was appointed for a three- year term on the Board of Assessment Appeals. Doyle Lloyd was also appointed chairman.

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com

This story originally appeared in the April 28 issue of the Community Voice. For a subscription, call 270-384-9454.

The Adair County Band Boosters organization is under new leadership this week and efforts are being made to address a financial shortfall as the upcoming year’s program also gets underway.

Band director Jordan Humphress confirmed that the organization has an outstanding debt and numerous unpaid bills. While they are still confirming the amount of debt, he confirmed that it appears it may be around $58,000.

“The good thing we have going on right now is we have a wonderful slate of officers who are working diligently, along with myself, in finding ways to make sure we get things taken care of and squared away where these students don’t have anything to worry about,” Humphress said.

During a meeting held Monday night, members elected Todd Davenport as the new president, Lindsay Bryant as vice president, Denise Cremens as treasurer, and Bobbie Huckaby as secretary.

Humphress said the organization struggled as the pandemic closed the bingo hall – its primary fundraiser – and there was also previous debt before that. They are still trying to determine how much debt has been paid off and how much remains. Finances are being reviewed in the normal auditing process and fundraisers are already taking place, he added.

School Superintendent Dr. Pamela Stephens attended the Monday night boosters meeting and said during a telephone interview that she has been working with the band director, assistant director, and officers about the boosters’ financial shortfall.

“This is not a new problem,” Stephens said. “This is something that has obviously been practiced, some unwise practices by the boosters’ association for several years. Covid certainly did not help it any. They went for a solid year where they were shut down. And their expenses are about $2,400 a month just to pay the rent and utilities.”

Stephens said according to guidelines, the boosters could choose to eliminate the formal non-profit structure currently established and run their finances through the school board, which is how some athletic organizations are operated. If the boosters choose that route, the district would pay the debt, but band boosters would be required to pay it back to the board of education as they generated the revenue.

“This year’s program is going to cost around $75,000. That’s pretty standard for the program each year,” Stephens said. “They can easily double that amount in revenue if they are running their bingo well. They aren’t going to have any problems, but they don’t have the $75,000 now – between now and October when it’s all over. It’s a way for them to move forward.”

While the financial situation was part of Monday night’s meeting, Humphress said it was also a very positive meeting and band members and boosters are excited about the upcoming program. The band program has brought home more championships than any program in Adair County and has always been a program that has tremendous support from the community.

“We are really thankful we have such a wonderful community that comes out to support us,” Humphress said.

This story originally appeared in the April 21 issue of the Adair County Community Voice. For your own subscription, call 270-384-9454.

David Waltz has always been a creative person, always thinking about new and better ways to do things. When he was younger, unfortunately, those ideas would some- times get him in trouble in school.

Waltz has never lost his creative ideas over the years, and now the Adair County native gets paid for those ideas. He is one of the predominant artists in the region.

“My mother liked to paint on windows, so I probably picked it up from her,” Waltz said. “I remember some of the experiences I had with art as a child. I think my love of art stems out of emotion, communication, and wanting to say something.”

“Back in those days they didn’t analyze kids to death, and I wasn’t the greatest student, but I really did like art. Some teachers recognized that, and they told my family. In my life, that just shows how the influence of a teacher is so import- ant.”

Before coming to Adair County, Waltz sharpened his skills as a teacher in the Campbell County School District. He later did sales for a period of time, and taught art again later for 29 years at schools in Maryland.

Waltz, who considers himself an abstract expressionist, works in several different modes, including paint, ceramics and wood. However, he said he is open to exploring new ideas to please customers.

“I am somewhat color blind, so I get criticized for some of my work,” he said. “But I don’t real- ly care about that. I just have fun with it.”

Children may be the best artists, Waltz said, because they are uninhibited and not afraid to take a chance. He said art can be taught to anyone, but to make it a profession, you have to “click” with the work. He said he would rather work with someone interested in working hard, than with someone that is talented but has no work ethic.

“I remember the first ceramic piece I ever did, a bowl and a vase, which now I am ashamed of,” laughed Waltz. “There has been a big evolution and I have gone through a lot of different style changes.”

“But you know it is a journey, and you identify who you think you are through your work. I want to keep going on the journey. I am thinking I may need to focus on one thing and I am thinking about doing some work about the Ukrainian refugees.”

He often creates pieces on coalminers, mother-child images, and homeless people.

“I work from my mind’s eye a lot. I don’t really need an image of what I am doing,” Waltz said. “I can pull a lot of images from my memory bank. Once I come up with an idea, I think about it a while, let it incubate.”

“I have thrown away many pieces, probably from my abstract days. It all depends on how I feel about the piece. I usually like just about everything I do, if not out, it goes.”

Many of Waltz’s art pieces have been sold around the state and country. Some pieces have been bought by col- lectors in overseas locations.

“I enjoy getting recognition for my work, everyone does. But that is not utmost in my mind,” Waltz said. “I would be really frustrated if I couldn’t do my art. I would miss it, but I would miss more not being able to gift my art to others.”

By Scott Wilson
scott@adairvoice.com