 COLE HUMSTON and other seventh-graders in Allison Westcott’s social
studies class at Woodford County Middle School learned about Renaissance
artist Michelangelo recently. The students illustrated stories on paper
taped under their desks and got to experience what it was like for
Michelangelo to paint bible stories on the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling,
Westcott said. It was part of a unit discussing the art and artists of
the Renaissance, and their impact on the social climate of Europe, she
explained |  COOKIES BY CHARITY owner Charity Ford (profiled in the Sun last August),
second from left, held the ceremonial big scissors in her shop at 161
Yellow Jacket Drive for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark her business’s
recent membership in the Woodford Chamber of Commerce. Joining her, from
left, were Versailles Mayor Brian Traugott, chamber CEO Emily Downey,
Woodford Judge-Executive James Kay and chamber chair Austin Wingate.
(Photo by John McGary) |  THE MENTORS & MEALS STAR (Smart, Trusting, Achieving, Respectful)
students for the month of April were, from left, Star mentor Faith Rice,
Star students Junior Mendoza, Brookelyn Coppage and two “Mentor Rookies
of the Year,” Abigail Lyle and Madison McMahon. (Photo submitted) |
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 SEW SOUTHERN EMBROIDERY owner Ashley Vaughn, left, used the big scissors
for a ribbon-cutting in front of her her mobile shop April 15 to mark
her business’s recent membership in the Woodford Chamber of Commerce.
She was joined by, from left, Judge-Executive James Kay, chamber Chair
Austin Wingate and others. (Photo by Cooltucky Creative) |  GOVERNOR’S SCHOLARS PROGRAM (GSP) participants selected from Woodford
County High School are, from left, front, Kylie Greer, Anna Beth
Hawkins, Anamei Walli and Brianne Lacefield; and back, Bryant Craig,
Kristen Bailey, Elisabeth Komprs and Willa Michel. Established in 1983,
GSP is a summer residential program for Kentucky’s “best and brightest
students. These rising seniors must complete an application and compete
with others from across the state. (Photo submitted) |  WCHS JUNIORS, from left, Luc Vandenbroek, Rylie Sudduth, Abigail Santos
and Maia Smith have been selected to participate in the Governor’s
School for the Arts (GSA). A three-week summer program, GSA provides
hands-on arts experiences for rising high school seniors from across the
state. (Photo submitted) |
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 BLUEGRASS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL RN Pat Smith, pictured here with her
daughter Whitney Armstrong and CEO David Steitz, was recently named the
LifePoint 2021 Mercy Award winner for outstanding compassionate care,
exemplifying the spirit and values upon which the company was founded.
The Mercy Award is the highest honor a LifePoint Health employee can
receive. (Photo submitted) |  DOZENS OF TOW TRUCKS, seen here on Frankfort Street, took part in a
funeral procession April 29 from Clark Legacy Center to Rose Crest
Cemetery to honor Mike Martin, who worked for Carey’s Towing and
Recovery in Lawrenceburg for 24 years. Owner Eddie Carey said Martin was
the best employee he ever had. “He was more than an employee. He was a
brother,” Carey told the Sun. (Photo by John McGary) |  THE WOODFORD COUNTY Business and Professional Women’s Club celebrated
their 65th year anniversary on April 14 at Don Jockey restaurant in
Midway. Their honored guests were Mayor Grayson Vandegrift, his wife
Katie, and son Jackson. Pictured, from left: Katie, WCBPW President
Brenda Richards, Club Treasurer Brenda Howard, Nancy Blackford, Joy
Barr, Co-President Laura Gray, Grayson and Jackson. (Photo submitted) |
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 ON EARTH DAY, April 20, Bluegrass Community Hospital (BGCH) staff
planted this ivory silk lilac tree to honor those who lost their lives
in the community due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Employees spent their
lunch hour planting the tree on hospital grounds, taking time to
reflect, remember and look forward to the future. The tree was decorated
with green ribbon, the symbolic color in Kentucky throughout the past
year to represent sympathy and compassion. (Photo by Cameron Faudure, BGCH) |  RAY D. CHANCELLOR (and his son, Raphael, seen sitting) received their
first doses of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine from Woodford County Health
Department nurse Erin Shaw during an April 14 clinic at Frontier Nursing
University. Plans to administer the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at the
county park that day were cancelled after rare blood-clotting problems
were linked to it. Woodford Public Health Director Cassie Prather said
303 doses of the Moderna vaccine were administered at Frontier that day.
( |  THE ST. LEO’S KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS recently held their annual Tootsie
Roll Drive at Kroger to raise money for the Woodford County Special
Olympics. Accepting the donation are, from left, Alex Berry, Colin
Martin, Hunter Bowden and Janine Coy. (Photo submitted) |
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 COOPER CAINE took a little time before classes Wednesday morning to walk
outside his Montgomery Avenue home, build a miniature snowman and pose
these Star Wars figures with him. Such photography is a hobby of the
Southside Elementary fourth-grader. (Photo by Cooper Caine) |  SPOTZ GELATO held a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 13 at its new location
in downtown Midway, with owner Beth Richardson, fourth from left,
holding the big scissors. She was joined by other members of the
Woodford County Chamber of Commerce and Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift,
right. (Photo by Cory Cooley, Cooltucky Creative) |  MIDWAY UNIVERSITY STUDENTS collected plenty of garbage in Big Spring
Park during Saturday’s Main Street Clean Sweep – and a very long metal
pole to hang the bags from. A column about the work of dozens of
volunteers and more photos of the clean-up are on pages 2 and 3. (Photo
submitted) |
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 VERSAILLES City Councilmember Lisa Johnson, Vicky Partridge and
Versailles City Councilmember Laura Dake, from left to right, spent
their Saturday morning collecting garbage from Kroger to the Versailles
welcome sign on Lexington Road. They found plenty. (Photo by Joe Johnson) |  THE TACKETT family – top, from left, Cora, Paula and Elias, cleaned up
the turnoff on Troy Pike near the Bluegrass Parkway then came back to
ask Bluegrass Greensource’s Noel Osborn, right, for more trash bags.
(Photo by John McGary) |  BRADFORD LACEFIELD teed off at Augusta National Golf Club – the home of
the Masters – on his way to an eighth-place finish in his age division
in Sunday’s national Drive, Chip and Putt tournament. The 14-year-old is
the son of Brad and Heather Lacefield of Versailles. (Photo courtesy
Drive, Chip and Putt) |
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 C.O.R.E. Health Centers employees gathered outside their offices in the
Lexington Road Plaza for a ribbon-cutting ceremony March 24. They were
joined by Woodford Judge-Executive James Kay, third from right, and
members of the Woodford Chamber of Commerce. C.O.R.E. opened their
Versailles chiropractic clinic in December and recently joined the
chamber. (Photo by John McGary) |  PASTOR KEITH BENZE of Versailles Presbyterian Church receives a hearty congratulations on completing his Doctor of Ministry from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Benze’s project report, “Sharing Resources in Ministry as a Means to the Revitalization of Smaller Churches,” provides a toolbox for churches and other entities that want to partner to better serve the community. From left to right, Linder Jaeckels, Lois Gaines, Keith Benze and wife Cheryl Benze. (Photo by Brian Oates) |  MEMBERS OF THE WCHS community activism class delivered donations to flood victims in Eastern Kentucky last weekend and, as in this photo in Breathitt County, also helped them clean up. The students and members of several agencies and nonprofits were honored during Tuesday’s Woodford Fiscal Court meeting. (Photo by Shelby Ison) |
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 REGION CHAMPS: The WCHS Mat Jackets won the Region 5 championships last weekend at Scott County High School. Landon Wettlaufer placed 3rd in the 106 weight class, Harley Graham placed 5th in the 126 weight class, Nolan Banfield won the 132 weight class, Gavin Andreoni won the 138 weight class, Camden Bohanan placed 4th in the 145 weight class, Andrew Kartner placed 2nd in the 152 weight class, Dylan Preston placed 2nd in the 160 weight class, Joey McCarthy placed 3rd in the 170 weight class, Jac |  WOODFORD COUNTY Neighbors caring for Neighbors volunteers tied green bows on the lids of 50 pickle jars, which were filled with goodies and delivered to local senior citizens this week for Saint Patrick’s Day. Pictured, from left, are Bessie Bain and Joyce Hedges at Callie’s Homestyle Restaurant, where they put wrapping paper, bows and ribbon on the pickle jars, which were donated by Jimmy John’s in Versailles. (Photo submitted) |  GREG DOTSON, left, delivered 120 pounds of ground beef to the Food Pantry for Woodford County Tuesday morning. Last December, Dotson held a raffle at Woodford Feed for a quarter-steer for charity that raised $10,000. The winner of the raffle, Kelly Brown, right, chose to donate the money to Cowboy Up For A Cure, whose founder, Rebecca Shryock, is second from right. They were joined by Sharon Hardin, second from left, executive director of the Food Pantry. (Photo submitted) |
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 NORMALLY HIGH AND DRY, a 1945 Case tractor owned by Jim Ott would soon be submerged by rising water during last week’s flood. |  RESIDENTS OF FINTVILLE ROAD and others living on a one-mile stretch of Shryocks Ferry Road were isolated from other areas of Woodford County during last week’s floods. The Kentucky River crested at 40 feet, which caused a major flood. (Photo by Damon Farmer) |  VOLUNTEERS COLLECTED $1,753.68 and 4,000 pounds of food, which were donated to the Food Panty for Woodford County, according to organizer Leah Vanzant. She said 20 people volunteered during the food drive on Feb. 20 and 21 at Kroger. From left are volunteers Linder Jaeckels, Rachel Vasilakes, Lois Gaines, Mark Molla, Lisa Molla and Laura Dake. (Photo submitted) |
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 STATE AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER Ryan Quarles, center right, posed with Woodford County Clerk Sandy Jones, to his left, and Judge-Executive James Kay, to her left, last Friday, Feb. 26, in the fiscal courtroom to publicize the state’s “Ag Tag” program. Joining them were members of the Woodford Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H clubs. Quarles’s four-county tour promoted the program that allows Kentucky motorists who buy or renew farm vehicle license plates to donate up to $10, with proceeds d |  THIS IGLOO at 314 South Main Street was the product of hours of nearly a week’s worth of winter weather and many hours of work by people who used coolers to shape blocks of snow and ice. The photo was taken Friday, Feb. 19 – before the region finally got a break from snow, ice, freezing rain and sub-freezing temperatures. (Photo by John McGary) |  GARY JONES, right, got some help from Assistant Versailles Police Chief Rob Young (shown here), VPD Chief Mike Murray, acting Versailles Fire Chief Brandon Brown, Woodford Emergency Management Director Drew Chandler and others when it came time to deliver 167 community dinners to the elderly and food-insecure Monday, Feb. 15. Jones told the Sun, “Our delivery people are older and did not feel safe delivering in the snow and icy conditions. I called Mayor (Brian) Traugott and explained our situat |
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