Drew Chandler   Woodford County Emergency Management Agency Director Drew Chandler has been named “Emergency Manager of the Year” by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM).   “This award and recognition are well-deserved and hard-earned,” said Woodford County Judge-Executive James Kay.  Chandler will receive the prestigious award at the annual meeting of the organization on Nov. 19, 2025. The award “recognizes an emergency management practitioner for outst

MENTOR & MEALS STAR female student of the month is Jalaya Parmer. (Photo submitted)   MENTOR & MEALS STAR mentor of the month for October is Midway intern Sydney Apling, pictured on the left. The STAR male student of the month is Jordan Ramos. M&M strives to enhance academic achievement in middle school students through mentoring. STAR stands for Smart, Trusting, Achieving, Respectful. (Photo submitted)

RICK CHILDERS talked about and read from his novel, Turkeyfoot, during his Author Spotlight at the Woodford County Library on Oct. 23. “This is by no means (the story of) my life,” says Childers. “But there are certain aspects (of this novel) that I pulled from life.” (Photo by Bob Vlach)   During his Author Spotlight at the Woodford County Library on Oct. 23, Rick Childers told readers of his debut novel that he never planned on being a writer.  By the time the native of Est

JOHN BUCKLER, a Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War camp commander, talked about the need for new members to help carry on missions of patriotism and education during a program at the Woodford County Historical Society on Oct. 23. Pictured in his Union Army uniform during his Historical Society program, Buckler said he and other Sons sometimes stand at attention wearing “period wool in August while a speaker talks about ... an ancestor.” (Photo by Bob Vlach)   With family

Fabian Garcia   The Midway University Alumni Association has elected four new board members for 2025-2026, along with three student representatives. The following new members will serve three-year terms: Beverly Drake ‘68, of Louisville, a retired teacher and academic coach for middle and high school students; Janet Marks Hill ‘04, of Newnan, Georgia, who is an entrepreneur and owner/CEO of J’Elle Monet Boutique; Michelle Landers ‘05, from Taylor Mill, Kentucky, who is vice p

By Bob Vlach Woodford Sun Staff The Woodford County Board of Education (BOE) delayed taking action to remediate an issue with an underground spring on the campus of the new Woodford County High School at its Oct. 27 meeting. Board members expressed concern that the district would pay the entire cost (estimated at $76,243.81) for the spring remediation when they were never made aware of this issue. Last month, they were told the spring under the bus loop in front of the school

BAILEY SLUCHER, the Teacher of the Year at Simmons Elementary School, is pictured with Principal Joe Albert after receiving her award. (Photo by Elaine Bailey, WCPS)   Working at the Paul Sawyier Public Library in Frankfort and going into elementary schools as an outreach librarian only reminded Bailey Slucher of one thing. She missed being in a school – fulltime. The former middle school English teacher, who earned her master’s degree in library science, was ready to go back

By Melissa Patrick Woodford Sun Staff When breast cancer is detected and treated early, the chances of survival are very high. For many women, the best way to find breast cancer early is by getting an annual screening mammogram, starting at age 40.  “I’m here to tell you, I’ve been through it, and 99 percent of the women that are diagnosed (with breast cancer) make it through too,” said Cassie Prather, the public health director in Woodford  County “So, if you leave here toda

Greg Plucinski   Republican businessman Greg Plucinski announced his run on Oct. 14, for the Sixth District Congressional House seat. He will be a candidate for the Republican nomination.  The seat has drawn candidates in both the Democrat and Republican primaries to be held in May 2026, with the winners squaring off in the November general election. The opportunity to run opened with the decision of incumbent Republican Rep. Andy Barr (KY-6) to run for the U.S. Senate seat h

The high property values in Woodford County means more of the burden is shifted to local taxpayers to fund public schools under the state’s SEEK funding mechanism, the finance director of Hardin County Schools told the Woodford County Public Schools (WCPS) Budget Committee Oct. 23. The high property assessments in Woodford County reduces what WCPS receives in state SEEK funding, so the district receives about $10.47 million instead of about $23 million, Jessica Annis explaine

Lynn Pruett Guest Columnist   You may have read vile memes on social media that attack farmers for voting for Trump.  The gleeful bile goes “hahaha, you’re losing your farm.  YOU voted for that.” You would think that there were 77,302,580 U.S. farmers and all of them voted for Trump, and every other American did not. Why are farmers in the cross-hairs? Farmers are speaking up about the economic losses we are facing.  Inputs have skyrocketed. Trump’s failed negotiations and hi

By Bob Vlach Woodford Sun Staff The Woodford County Economic Development Authority (EDA) board voted unanimously to authorize its chair to execute an inter-governmental partnership agreement to pursue the purchase of the Yokohama industrial property at 105 Industry Drive following an executive session on Oct. 24. “I want to thank the (EDA) board, the City of Versailles and … Woodford County (Fiscal Court) for all of (their) work on a project that everybody knows that we’ve be