Saturday’s 7th annual Main Street Clean Sweep took place five months later than usual thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, but volunteers still made an impact in Big Spring Park and downtown Versailles.
The event was sponsored by Bluegrass Green Source and normally takes place on or around Earth Day (April 20). Saturday, volunteers met in the pavilion near the front of the park, where they were given trash bags, gloves and a t-shirt by Noel Osborn, an outreach specialist for the group who said she was impressed by the turnout.
Some of them spent their two-hour shift in Big Spring Park, while others, like Jerry Glander and his young son, Ryker, walked up the hill to downtown Versailles. On North Main Street, Ryker said he’d found a battery, which he’d learned “will contaminate the soil and water” if not properly disposed of.
Other volunteers included Versailles Councilmember Laura Dake and Woodford Magistrate William Downey (Dist. 5), both of whom have been active in a wide variety of Bi...

The Woodford County Yellow Jackets kicked off their 2020 football season in winning fashion Friday night at Community Stadium with a 35-13 victory over Great Crossing of Scott County.
“I think the kids have worked hard, been very excited to play, and … not knowing if they were going to get to play kind of gave us some extra motivation …” Johnson said.
He also credited students, administrators and fans for making the game possible – and victorious.
“We were at capacity – 650 – so we had a good crowd. So it was a good day for Woodford County football,” Johnson said.
Among the keys to victory were a half-dozen turnovers by the Warhawks, including a fumbled punt in the first quarter and a fumbled snap on their one-yard line that JD Alexander jumped on for a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Jackets didn’t turn the ball over once, which Johnson said might have been an even bigger key to the win.
Though Woodford County gave up more than 200 rushing yards for the game, the Jackets D shut down the War...

For Woodford County High School seniors, this would’ve been their last season to perform together as a marching band.
So it was an especially sad day for the seniors when Director Michael Collins informed his band families there would be no marching band at WCHS this season. Collins made that difficult decision after the KMEA (Kentucky Music Educators Association) Marching Band Committee voted July 13 to cancel the state Marching Band Championships.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, none of the circuits WCHS traditionally competes in are sanctioning any contests this season, Collins said.
“We all knew it was going to happen,” WCHS senior Avery Schanbacher said. “It was what had to happen for us all to be safe.”
As he wrote in his letter, Collins said he thinks about what his senior year in marching band meant to him and how it influenced his life. “And for these kids not to have a chance to leave their mark on their senior season, really is heartbreaking,” he said.
Avery said she was r...

The 2019 season marked a breakthrough for the Woodford County High School football program under Coach Dennis Johnson. The Yellow Jackets finished with six wins for the first time since 2011, thanks to a much-improved defense and one of the greatest rushing seasons in WCHS history by senior running back Amartae Rice.
The Jackets’ defense allowed under 27 points per game in 2019 after surrendering more than 40 points per game the two seasons prior. A significant contributing factor was depth. After fighting through several seasons with fewer than 40 players, Johnson’s sideline saw a population boom in 2019, with well over 50 players in uniform on game days. The defense returns several starters and a significant number of reserves with experience, but Rice’s sheer impact will be tough to replace. Fortunately for the Jackets, most of the offensive line that Rice ran behind last season is back and bigger than ever.
“We’ve been working hard over the quarantine and in practices,” said junior...