Lexington pediatrician Caitlynn (Taylor) Iddings, who grew up in Versailles and now lives here with her family, says she worries about teachers and keeping them safe as Woodford County Public Schools continue preparing for a return to in-person instruction later this month.
However, given the low number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Woodford County compared to other communities in Kentucky and elsewhere, Dr. Iddings said schools can reopen safely if recommended guidelines to stay healthy are followed.
“We’ve been living this for five months now at our office (Pediatric and Adolescent Associates) and have managed to keep everyone safe and no one’s gotten infected,” Iddings said. “So I think if we can do it on that large scale, where we’re seeing 300 patients a day … we can certainly manage to keep our teachers safe if we have appropriate planning. So that’s really why I reached out” to school district leaders.
Dr. Iddings said she offered to help with planning for...

In Mid-March, Gene Hornback had a runny nose.
Over-the counter medication suggested by his brother stopped it, but then Elaine, to whom he’s been married for 59 years, also got a runny nose. Dr. James Roach checked them and told them to keep an eye on the symptoms.
Gene said a week or so later, on March 29, he got up to get a glass of water, his legs went out from under him and he fell to the floor. Elaine called Roach, who came to their home, said he was putting both of them in the hospital, and after checking ventilator availability, sent them to Baptist Health in the same ambulance.
Gene was taken to the ICU and the Hornbacks didn’t see each other again for many weeks. The one time they were in the same room, Gene was on a ventilator, in a coma, fighting for his life. He has no memory of most of his time in the hospital, including the brief period when she visited. Elaine, afraid that her husband wouldn’t survive, remembers those 22 minutes very well.
The visit
While Gene was in a c...

Woodford County Public Health Director Cassie Prather and her family are living a new normal just like everyone else in the community.
Prather and her husband of 13 years, John, both have jobs in public health, so their children hear conversations most kids don’t hear, she says. He runs disease surveillance programs that generate reports on outbreaks for the state Department of Public Health, while she focuses her attention on the local challenges of a global pandemic.
“Both of us are under high demands in our positions,” she explains, “so that’s made all of this (changes to everyday life caused by COVID-19) even more challenging for our family.”
Prather says she and her husband are splitting the workload at home with their job responsibilities and work schedules. Those childcare and other domestic duties typically extend their workday, she explains.
“So he works late, I work late and it’s been quite the challenge,” says Prather.
Her husband agrees, and says being in public health help...

Marketplace on Main co-owner Pattie Carter said she learned her business had received $4,489.18 through the Versailles Economic Recovery Act (VERA) when she got a call from The Woodford Sun asking for a comment on the award.
“Of course, I called (co-owner) Cathy (Noel) and told her. So we were very excited and thrilled that we were approved, and we certainly thank the city and the CARES program for approving us. It’s been a difficult year, and we’re not through yet.”
On July 21, the Versailles City Council approved a list compiled by a panel of council members and others awarding a total of $433,162.70 to 95 businesses in the city.  The grants, using federal CARES Act funds, are designed to help businesses recoup some of what was lost due to precautions taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic, and range from $386.07 to $7,500. The average grant – $4,559.61 – is very close to what Marketplace on Main was awarded.
Carter said her shop was closed for two months, and while they tried to sel...