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Current Obituaries
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All rights reserved to The Estill County Tribune. All material on this website, including obituaries and pictures in the edited form, shall be considered property of this website and any copying by rival publications shall be considered pirating and subject to legal proceedings.
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Wednesday, July 5th Edition
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John Robert Arthur, 70
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John Robert Arthur, age 70, husband of Jean Arthur of Willis Branch Road, Richmond, Kentucky, passed away on June 28, 2017 at UK Medical Center in Lexington.
Born in Winchester, Kentucky, he was the son of the late Elwood and Betty Chambers Arthur and he was a United States Army veteran. He was the owner of Bob's Barber Shop, a Kentucky Colonel and a member of the First Church of God. He had been employed by Blackburn Correctional Facility in LaGrange, Three Forks Regional Jail in Beattyville, Winchester Farms Dairy, Army Depot in Richmond and was currently a security officer at G4S Securities.
Mr. Arthur is survived by his wife, Jean Bailey Arthur; two sons, Robert Arthur of Estill County and Shane Strange of Richmond; and two daughters, Angela Arthur and Tammie Powell (Jacob), both of Richmond.
Funeral services officiated by Bro. James Harold Combs and Bro. Larry Mullins will be held at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, July 1, at Hearne Funeral Home, Inc., 125 West College Avenue, Stanton. Visitation will be on Saturday from 1:00 p.m. until time of service at the funeral home. Burial with military honors will be in Stonegate Cemetery, 27 Stonegate Drive, Stanton.
Active pallbearers are Jake Powell, Randy Morton, Gary Spry, Chuck Spry, Norman Whittington and Nick Napier.
Wallace “Frog” Crowe, 78
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Wallace “Frog” Crowe, age 78, of Henry White Road in Irvine, Kentucky, passed away Wednesday, June 28, 2017, at the Baptist Health Richmond following a long illness.
He was born June 9, 1939 in Estill County and was the son of the late Herbert and Mary Francis Neal Crowe. He was a roofer and had lived in Estill County all his life.
Mr. Crowe is survived by his wife, Shirley Mae Whitted Crowe; two daughters: Mary Elizabeth Couch (Alfred), Clark County; and Ronda Renee Sparks (Brad), Powell County; two sons: Thomas Crowe, Clark County; and Jackie Lee Crowe (Penny), Fayette County; a daughter-in-law, Christie Crowe, Estill County; one sister, Birdie Camden, Estill County; one brother, Eugene Crowe (Pauline), Estill County; 12 grandchildren, ten great grandchildren; and lifelong friends: Charles Richardson, Gary Wasson, Greg McKinney, Jack Cockrell and Red McBride.
He was preceded in death by one son, Steven Ray Crowe; and two brothers, Burton “Jake” Crowe and Charles Edward Crowe.
Funeral services will be conducted Sunday, July 2, 2:00 p.m., at the Warren F. Toler Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be at the South Irvine Cemetery. Friends may call after 12 Noon, Sunday, at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be Joshua Crowe, Adam Estes, Shawn Richardson, Jack Cockrell, Red McBride and Earl Tipton.
Honorary pallbearer will be Charles Richardson.
James Allen Grace, 83
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James Allen Grace, age 83, passed away Tuesday, June 27, 2017, at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky.
He was born June 28, 1933 in Perry County and was the son of the late Zeke and Ida Crowe Grace. He was an auto mechanic and a United States Air Force veteran of the Korean Conflict. He enjoyed watching WLJC and had lived in Estill County most of his life.
Mr. Grace is survived by one daughter, Carol Murphy, Estill County; three sons: Mike Grace (Vonda), Estill County; Lloyd Grace (Marilyn), Lee County; and Jimmy Grace (Marcy), Estill County; several stepchildren; one sister, Hazel Gordon; three brothers: Ronnie Grace, Rex Grace, and Zeke Grace; several grandchildren and several great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one daughter, Linda Riddell; one son, Stevie Allen Grace; and one brother, Mike Grace.
Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, July 1, 1:00 p.m. at the Warren F. Toler Funeral Home Chapel by Bro. Jerry Rose. Friends may call after 10:30 a.m., Saturday, at the funeral home.
John Harold “Jank” Moreland, 89
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John Harold “Jank” Moreland, age 89, of Wanstead Road in Lexington, Kentucky, passed away Tuesday, June 27, 2017, at the Marcum & Wallace Memorial Hospital following a short illness.
He was born November 20, 1927 in Estill County and was the son of the late Floyd and Martha Puckett Moreland. He was a construction worker and oil field worker. He attended the Roadside Mission Church of God and had lived in Estill County most of his life. He was an avid coon hunter, a member of the Masonic Lodge and a member of the International Labor Union of Lexington for 65 years.
Mr. Moreland was preceded in death by his wife, Lenora Spencer Moreland.
He is survived by two sons: Randolph “Scooter” Moreland (Nannie), and John Moreland, both of Ravenna;; three stepdaughters: Patricia Jones, Frankfort; Susie Brinkman (Dale), Nashville, Tennessee; and Cindy Sewell (Dale), Georgetown; one stepson: Glenn Coomer, Lexington; three sisters: Mary Jane Puckett (Willard), Ravenna; Ilene Wolfinbarger, Irvine; and Ollie McIntosh, Tennessee; one brother, Floyd Moreland Jr., Irvine; two grandchildren: Jeff Moreland (Betsy) and Mary Moreland (Justin); two step-grandchildren: Amanda Proffitt and Jeanie Combs; and several great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Katherine Puckett Moreland; and one son, David Moreland.
Funeral services will be conducted Friday, June 30, 1:00 p.m. at the Warren F. Toler Funeral Home Chapel by Bro. Calvin Spicer. Burial will be at the Crowe Cemetery. Friends may call between 6 and 9 p.m., Thursday, June 29th at the funeral home.
Pallbearers were Dallas Abney, Jeff Moreland, Michael Moreland, Justin Brinner, Ray Rogers, and Perry “Dog” Crowe.
Jeremy "Worm" Friend, 39
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Jeremy "Worm" Friend, age 39, born April 26, 1978, passed away Monday, June 26, 2017.
A memorial service will be held at Green Pastures Worship Center,722 Broadway in Irvine on Saturday, July 8, 1-3 p.m.
"Life is changed, not taken away, for those who are left behind. Our dear ones live on, in a world beyond anything we can imagine."
Virginia Webb Johnson, 95
Virginia Webb Johnson, age 95, of Winchester, Kentucky, widow of Leonard Victor “Vic” Johnson passed away Monday, June 26, 2017 at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington.
She was born in Irvine, on June 10, 1922, to the late Archie and Hannah Alcorn Webb. She was a member of the New Hope Baptist Church.
Mrs. Johnson is survived by her daughter, Carolyn Wiseman (Herman), a daughter-in-law, Yvrose Johnson, a sister, Betty Sue Crabtree (Ernest), two grandchildren, Rodney Wiseman and Jennifer Wiseman; and two great grandchildren, Victor Allen Wiseman and Sabrina Sue Wiseman.
She was preceded in death by son, Kendall Johnson; and two brothers, Walter Joe Webb and Ottice Webb.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, July 1, at 1:00 p.m. at the New Hope Baptist Church, 130 Clintonville Road in Winchester. The family will receive friends on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until the hour of service at the church. Burial will be in the Fielder Cemetery in Irvine.
Contributions may be made to the New Hope Baptist Church.
Rolan G. Taylor Funeral Home of Winchester is in charge of arrangements.
Darrell Cox, 72
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Darrell Cox, age 72, widower of Sandra, passed away Monday, June 26, 2017, at Madison Health and Rehab Center in Richmond, Kentucky.
A son of the late Charles Cox and Ida Mae Raider Mansfield, born October 8, 1944, he was a Mason and a Shriner.
Darrell was preceded in death by his brother, Dexter Mansfield.
Mr. Cox is survived by his mother, Ida Mae Mansfield; daughters, Tammy Tipton (Randy), Trina Reffett (Scott), and Kristy Tackett (Tim); grandsons, Christopher Ray Tipton, Stephen Kyle Tipton, Casey Shawn Tipton, Cody Austin Means, Jacob Tyler Conrad, and Caleb Aaron Means; great grandchildren, Aaliyah Nichole Tipton, Catarina Marie Hurt, Camden Shawn Tipton, Madyson Rayne Conrad, and Madalynn Lee; sisters, Phyllis Adair (Johnny), Vydra Kirby (Jerry), Coleen Thomas (Randall), Von Joy Norris (Tom), Cheryl Arvin, and Sheena Wilms; and brothers, Dwight Mansfield (Rhonda), Anthony Mansfield, Dolphus Mansfield (Kathy), Homer Cox (Gail), David Cox, and Timothy Cox.
Services will be held on Thursday, June 29th at 6:00 p.m. at Lewis-Abner Home for Funerals. Friends may call anytime after 3:00 p.m., Thursday, at the funeral home.
Serving as pallbearers will be Mr. Cox's grandsons.
Riley C. Reece, 87
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Riley C. Reece, 87, of Waco, Kentucky, passed away at his home, early Monday morning, June 26, 2017.
Riley was born in Estill County, the son of the late Charlie and Elfra Stacy Reece. He was a veteran of the United States Air Force, serving during the Korean Conflict. Following his service to his country, he returned to Madison County, where he engaged in a lifelong career of farming. Farming was not only a way of life for Riley, but it was how and where he raised his family. They, like Riley shared in the joys and responsibilities of being a farm family. They also shared in his other interests, such as hunting. Riley was of the holiness faith and was a member of The Irvine View Holiness Church.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 59 years, Geneva Cain Reece; an infant son, Phillip; brothers: Hubert, Ray, Earl Wayne, and an infant brother, Billy; sisters: Anna Miller, Nancy Keneer and Audrey Reece; a half-brother, Roger; and a half-sister, Molly, also known as “Peaches”.
Survivors include his wife, Sonja Estes Reece and her family; his three sons: Kenny Smith (Joyce), Charles “Curt” Reece (Karen) and Randall Reece; one daughter, Rebecca R. Allen; grandchildren: Shane and Chad Reece, Adam Oliver (Lori), Joseph Oliver, Joshua Reece (Nikita), Zachery Reece (Jessica), Damon Smith (Millie), Jason Smith (Amy) and Christian Gosser; great grandchildren: Ally and Todd Oliver, Keaton Oliver, Tyler, Brooklyn and Lilly Reece, Emily Smith, Jordan, Bethany, Landon and Zoe Smith and Caleb Gosser; a special daughter-in-law, Theresa Burdette; two sisters: Ruby McIntosh (Ronnie) and Lois Isaac (Earl); a brother-in-law, Dennis Cain; two sisters-in-law: Nancy Willis and Lilly Reece; as well as several nieces, nephews and dear friends.
Funeral Services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, June 29, at Irvine View Holiness Church with Bro. Charlie Wilson and Bro. J. B. Alexander officiating. Burial will follow in the Flatwoods Cemetery at Waco, Kentucky. Visitation will be from 4-9 p.m., Wednesday, June 28th at the church.
His grandsons will serve as pallbearers.
Honorary pallbearers will be Florine Isaacs, David Olds, Jim Dause, Jasper Pearson, Dan Wells, Mike Pearson and Drexel Conley.
The Combs, Parsons & Collins Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Combs, Parsons & Collins Funeral Home
Charles E. McLemore, 106
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Charles McLemore died Friday, June 23, 2017, in Bayonet Point, Florida, after a long and full life of 106 years.
McLemore was born on April 3, 1911 in Grays, Kentucky. He was the son of Robert L. and Maggie McLemore.
He moved to Ravenna, Kentucky, in 1919, when his father began the first retail business in the community. McLemore graduated from Estill County High School, where he was a member of the baseball team. In his early adult life he held many jobs, including time working with the railroad and coal mining companies. He later moved to Lexington, where he worked for several retail stores. During the mid-1930’s, he spent about four years with the Kentucky National Guard.
In 1960, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he worked for several major casinos as a card dealer. In 1974, he began working at Caesar’s Palace. He established and ran the card room at Caesar’s for many years. He retired in 1991 at the age of 80.
In 2001, he moved to New Port Richey, where he lived with his sister, Mary.
Charles loved going to the horseraces, watching sports, and visiting with family and friends. He had an unending number of stores about his life and the people he met. He was alert and active even in the later years of his life while continuing to live at home. He was a generous, kind, and interesting Kentucky gentleman throughout his life.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Joyce and Robert; his sister, Lelia (Terry), and two nieces.
He is survived by his sisters: Nancy Lyke, Stuart, Florida; and Mary Curtis Caribardi, Bayonet Point, Florida; 11 nieces and nephews and their families.
He is already missed by his family and friends who always looked forward to sharing stories with him.
Funeral service was held Thursday, June 29th at 2:00 p.m. at the West Irvine Cemetery. Visitation was held at the Lewis-Abner Home for Funerals on Wednesday, June 28th. Friends called anytime after 6:00 p.m.
He was buried in the West Irvine Cemetery next to his parents.
Mary Ann Trent, 70
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Mary Ann Trent of Irvine, Kentucky, widow of the late Everett Mark Trent departed this life Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at the age of 70 years, 8 months and 19 days.
She was a daughter of the late Bethel and Flossie Venters Deaton born in Lee County, Kentucky on October 2, 1946. She was a homemaker.
Mrs. Trent is survived by three sons: Everett M. Trent Jr. (Belinda), James Trent (Victonda) and Jonathan Trent, all of Irvine; nine grandchildren; two great grandchildren; three brothers: Pat Deaton of Beattyville, Tony Deaton of Georgetown, and Danny Deaton of Lexington; and two sisters: Polly Flora of Nicholasville, and Betty Maupin of Lancaster.
She also leaves behind a host of other relatives and friends to mourn her passing.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Everett Mark Trent; her parents, Bethel and Flossie Venters Deaton; two brothers, Elifus Deaton and Woodrow Deaton; and tow sisters, Jeston Stewart and Angeline Broxey.
Visitation was held on Saturday, June 24, at 11:00 a.m. at Porter & Son Funeral Directors, 769 East Main Street in Campton, followed by the funeral service at 1:00 p.m., officiated by Bro. Scott Rogers. Burial was in the Evans Cemetery in Campton.
Porter & Son Funeral Directors
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Former Obituaries
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Wednesday, June 28th Edition
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Bobby Gale Hoover, 66
Bobby Gale Hoover, age 66, of Ridge Road in Irvine passed away Sunday, June 25, 2017, at his home following a long illness.
He was born February 24, 1951 in Estill County and was the son of the late Roscoe Hoover and Opal Stevens Reece. Mr. Hoover was a concrete mason and attended the New Bethel Baptist Church #2. He had lived in Estill County most of his life.
Mr. Hoover is survived by his wife, Janice Marie McKinney Hoover; one daughter: Heather Hoover Morris, Irvine; three sons: Robert Glenn Hoover, Richard Dale Hoover, and Christopher Paul Hoover, all of Irvine; two stepdaughters: Tina McKinney and Melissa McKinney Lewis, both of Irvine; three sisters: Jeanette Newman McKinney, Freda Abner, both of Ohio; and Christine Jordan, Irvine; three brothers: Billy Douglas Newman, Frankfort; Danny Dale Hoover and Donald Howard Hoover, both of Irvine; ten grandchildren and seven step-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one son, Mitchell Monroe Hoover; two sisters: Norma Elliott and Molly Harp; and four brothers: Stanley Ray Newman, Charles Roger Reese, Ralph Hoover and Roscoe Hoover.
Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday, June 28, 1:00 p.m., at the Warren F. Toler Funeral Home Chapel by Bro. Wayne Knopp. Burial will be at the New Bethel Cemetery. Friends may call after 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, at the funeral home.
Read more in The Estill County Tribune
Lucille (Abney) McIntosh, 83
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Lucille (Abney) McIntosh, age 83, of Dayton, Ohio, passed away Sunday, June 25, 2017. She was born October 7, 1933. She is preceded in death by her husband Isaac H. McIntosh.
Surviving are her children: Helen Duncan of Winchester, Kentucky; Beulah Isaacs (Ronnie) of Olive Hill, Kentucky; and Valerie England of Dayton, Ohio; her brothers and sisters: Audrey Adams of Ravenna, Kentucky; Arthur Abney (Billie) of Centerville, Ohio; Ruth Whittaker of Dayton, Ton Abney (Dorie) of Dayton, and Hubert Abney (Phyllis) of Beavercreek, Ohio; grandchildren: Jeff Tipton, Monica Milton, Angela Bates, Bo England III, and Victoria England; and great grandchildren: Jessica Babbs, Katie Bates, Amber Bates, Jordan Milton, Fallyn Milton, Alora England, Andrew Dresbach, and Caraleigh England.
She was grandma to everyone, helping to raise all her grandchildren and great grandchildren; a marvelous cook who made sure everyone else was fed first, she sacrificed a lot for her children. She was a charter member of Beavercreek Baptist Church.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 3, 2017 at Tobias Funeral Home - Beavercreek Chapel, 3970 Dayton-Xenia Road at Grange Hall Road, Dayton, with Pastor John Heading officiating. Interment will be at Valley View Memorial Gardens. Family will receive friends from 2-4 p.m., Sunday, July 2nd at the funeral home.
Read more in The Estill County Tribune
Jamie Faith Thompson Chaney, 39
Jamie Faith Thompson Chaney, age 39, of Hope Estates in Irvine, Kentucky, passed away Friday, June 23, 2017 at the University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington.
She was born January 3, 1978, in Madison County, a daughter of Doris Ann West Wheat and the late James Edward Thompson. She was a CMA at the White House Clinic in Richmond and had lived in Estill County most of her life.
Mrs. Chaney was preceded in death by her husband, Brian Keith Chaney.
In addition to her mother, she is survived by one daughter, Ronni Cailyn Gross, Irvine; three sisters: Ann Thompson (Chris), Clark County; Barbara Cooper (Todd), Florida; and Sandra Jo Fielder (Mike), Louisville; her stepfather, Bert Wheat; nieces and nephews: Tiffany Boyd, Jason Tyler Boyd, Christara Lee, and Aiden West; and a great niece, Emma Boyd.
Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, June 27, 1:00 p.m., at the Warren F. Toler Funeral Home Chapel. Friends may call between 6 and 9 p.m., Monday, June 26th at the funeral home.
Pallbearers were Chris Clark, Tyler Boyd, Bobby Lowery, Dalton Hoover, Mikie Stevens and Phillip Stevens.
Read more in The Estill County Tribune
Melissa Paulette Estes, 46
Melissa Paulette Estes, age 46, of Sandhill Road in Irvine, Kentucky, passed away Thursday, June 22, 2017.
She was born March 19, 1971 in Estill County and was the daughter of Judy Paulette Stacy. She was an employee of CCDF and had lived in Estill County all her life.
Survivors in addition to her mother include, one daughter, Kiri Jo Estes, Estill County; three sons: Thomas William Estes, Raymond Paul Estes, and Billy Gene Estes Jr., all of Estill County; and one sister, Matricia Earl Striblin, Ohio.
Private services will be held at a later date.
Warren F. Toler Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Read more in The Estill County Tribune
Mary L. Grise, 83
Mary L. Grise, age 83, of Richmond, Kentucky, passed away Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at the Hospice Compassionate Care Center of Richmond, following a long very painful illness that had resulted in paralysis of both legs.
She was born August 3, 1933, on High Reeves Road in Madison County to the late James Franklin and Goldie (Poynter) Luster. She attended Union City and Doylesville Schools, as well as schools in Casey County, Kentucky. Mary was the owner and operator of her restaurant, “Mary’s Restaurant” on Big Hill Avenue in Richmond, and she was a cashier at the United Department Store, owned by Mayor Ed Waymon.
In June, 1971, Mary was married to William P. Grise, M.D., who interned and took surgery training at Good Samaritan Hospital, and she managed their office until she and Dr. Grise retired in March, 1994. Mary and Dr. Grise were members and attended Shiloh Ministries near Clays Ferry.
In addition to her parents, Mary was preceded in death by her brothers, William, James, John, Cecil, Luther, Coleman “Buck”, Russell and an infant, Alexander; as well as, two sisters, Annie Laura and Flossie.
In addition to her husband, Dr. Grise, she is survived by three children, Connie Diane Miles, of Trapp, Kentucky, a nurse in Winchester; James Robert Wall, of Alexandria, Virginia, who is retired from government service in the White House Communications Agency (WHCA); and Dwayne Gregory Wall, of Richmond, who is a computer repairs technician.
Service for Mary will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, June 24, at Oldham, Roberts & Powell Funeral Home, 1110 Barnes Mill Road, Richmond, with Bro. Harry Revel officiating. Burial will follow at the Richmond Cemetery. Visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. until service time on Saturday at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be Roy Quinn, Bro. Harry Revel, Don Jaynes, Garnett Parke, Billy Luxon, Jo Luxon, Frank Kourt, and Ann Kourt.
The family requests donations in lieu of flowers to the Salvation Army.
Read more in The Estill County Tribune
Oldham, Roberts & Powell Funeral Home
James Christopher Mullins, 37
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James Christopher Mullins, age 37, of Irvine, Kentucky, passed away on Tuesday, June 20, 2017.
He was born January 11, 1980 to James K. Mullins and Donna Potts Mullins Gilliam.
He is survived by a son, Dakota; brothers, Timmy Gilliam and Joshua Gilliam; sisters, Anissa Sorrell (Eddie), Jennifer Mullins (Adam Lawhorn), and Audrey Stidham (Caleb); and by many cousins, uncles, nieces, and nephews.
He was preceded in death by a brother, Zachary Gilliam.
Services will be held on Saturday, June 24, at 1:00 p.m. with Merle Travis officiating. Visitation will be on Friday, June 23rd at 5:00 p.m. Burial in Winchester Cemetery.
Further arrangements are pending at this time at Davis and Davis Funeral Home of Stanton.
Read more in The Estill County Tribune
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Estill County News
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Former Depot Site Commander and Berea Resident Special Guest at BGAD 75th Anniversary Luncheon
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Berea resident and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Shaffer, the site commander on Blue Grass Army Depot during the installation’s 50th Anniversary in 1992, returned to the Depot today as the Special Guest Speaker for the 75th Anniversary luncheon and cake-cutting ceremony.
Other guests in attendance at the installation’s Lake Buck Lodge, included Congressman Barr State Field Rep Joe Fryman, Madison County Judge Executive Reagan Taylor and Richmond Mayor Jim Barnes.
Shaffer, whose official title in 1992 was Lexington Blue Grass Depot (LBAD) Deputy Commander, entertained with ghost stories in what is now the Battle of Richmond Museum. In the early 90s, the historic Civil War-era home was the Commander’s Quarters here in Richmond, while the LBAD Commander was stationed at the electronics depot located in Avon. Shaffer also shared stories about his oversight of the chemical weapons, as the Depot still was three years away from the establishment of the Blue Grass Chemical Activity, or BGCA, the Depot’s current tenant which has primary oversight.
The event, hosted by Commander Colonel Norbert Fochs, was this week’s latest special activity held to recognize and honor past and current Depot employees for supplying the nation’s joint warfighters with critical ammunitions needs for 75 years.
“It was an honor and pleasure to have past Deputy Commander Shaffer with us today,” says Colonel Fochs. “His participation really made the event very special as we welcomed him back after 25 years. We enjoyed his stories, but also noted how little some things change. As the years and decades have gone by, BGAD employees remain dedicated to the same mission and same focus of doing our part in meeting the Army’s #1 priority of readiness.”
The week’s events focused on the Depot’s early years of construction in 1941 and the beginning of operations in 1942. The week concludes on June 22 with an employee appreciation day with food and fun for workers and their families.
Public weighs in on “recallable nickel”
A public forum was held on June 15th at Central Office pertaining to the recallable nickel. The forum gave those attending the meeting the opportunity to voice their opinions on the matter whether they be for it or against it. See story by Cathy Dawes in the June 21st edition of The Estill County Tribune.
Board votes for “Nickel” after hearing
During the regular school board meeting on Thursday, June 15, 2017, Will Burkhart and Lindsey Wood were recognized for participating in the Governor’s Scholars program. The program is held during the summer and Superintendent Saylor said that the program was a great honor to be a part of. See story by Cathy Dawes in the June 21st edition of The Estill County Tribune.
Committee forms to get “recallable nickel” on ballot
A five-member committee has been formed to request an election on the “Recallable Nickel” passed Thursday by the Estill County Board of Education.
The committee presented their paperwork to County Clerk Sherry L. Fox on Monday afternoon. See story by Delores L. Rowland in the June 21st edition of The Estill County Tribune.
Budgets cause tensions at Estill Fiscal Court
Monday’s meeting of the Estill Fiscal Court got off to a rocky start with Judge Wallace Taylor and Magistrate Bill Eldridge voting against the Ambulance Service’s budget. Read full story in the June 21st edition of The Estill County Tribune.
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Estill County Regional Career and Technical Center: Updates and Information
Several weeks ago, the Estill County School District received confirmation that our grant application for the Work Ready Skills Initiative (WRSI) was approved and the district was awarded $5.7 million to build a Regional Career and Technical Center. As superintendent, I wanted to give you a quick update on our progress and talk about several questions that have arisen since the approval of our grant.
Update on Grant Award and Other Important Information
During a special called meeting of the Estill County Board of Education on the 16th of May, the board in a unanimous vote approved a final letter of commitment for completion of a Career and Technical facility pledging a little over $3.7 million dollars of local funds for the completion of the project. Based on this action, we received our official notification letter for an award of $5.7 million on the 23rd of May from Secretary Hal Heiner. Sometime during the month of July, we will receive a contract from the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet concerning specific details of the proposed project and release of funds. Until then we will not be able to hire an architect, select a site and begin the actual building design.
Hiring an architect is the most important step in making this dream a reality. I believe it would be best practice to select the architect before a final site has been determined. Every piece of property has its positives and negatives and site preparation can sometimes cost more than the property itself. We have already looked at a preliminary design of what this facility could look like and can use that for possible site selection. The final design of this building will change several times before construction begins and take approximately 6 months.
There has been no final determination as to the location of this facility. On numerous occasions during the presentation of this proposal, I have talked about the possibility of locating this facility somewhere between Estill County High School and Powell County High School, but there has been no site selected. The board will begin the process of selecting a site starting sometime after July 1.
Finally, the one big hurdle left for this project is the funding for operations of this building. In our grant, we proposed that this would be a state operated facility; thus funding for staff and every day operations of this building would be the responsibility of the state. Senator Albert Robinson has been an avid supporter of this project and he has committed to obtaining funding in the state budget during the spring 2018 General Assembly. Simply put, if there is no funding allocated for the operation of this facility we will not be able to open on schedule. The Estill County Board of Education cannot afford to operate this facility.
If everything falls into place over the next few months, the timeline for the project calls for construction to begin sometime during the spring of 2018 with a completion date of August 1, 2019. This means that the facility would welcome its first students during the fall semester of the 2019 -2020 school year.
What is a State Operated Area Technology Center?
There are currently 53 state operated facilities in the Commonwealth under the direct control of the Kentucky Department of Education. These centers tend to be regionally focused and accept students from multiple school districts. Generally, the building itself belongs to a local school district and the state provides an allocation based on total enrollment of all students attending the school, which in turn can be used for the maintenance or debt service of the building. It is similar to a lease where the owner allows use of the building, but does not have direct control of what occurs inside the walls of the building.
School districts from surrounding districts do not have to pay anything for their students to attend classes at these facilities. For example, some of our students currently attend the Madison County Area Technology Center and we do not have to pay any type of fee for their attendance. Some districts do work closely with the principals of these facilities to provide some resources for their students, but it is strictly up to the sending school if they wish to contribute.
Why did the Estill County School District seek a partnership with Powell County?
During the first round of the WRSI grant process, our original application was denied. This grant focused solely on building an Area Technology Center exclusively for our high school students and adults. We had several partnerships with higher education institutions, businesses, manufacturing and local government agencies. Since every school district around us already had a facility or access to another facility, we did not seek a partnership with another local school district. In the end, this is the sole reason we did not make the final cut. I spoke with Secretary Heiner and others at the Workforce Cabinet and they did not feel that our proposal met the spirit of the grant process, which focused on cooperation among school districts, non-duplication of career programs and maximizing the number of students that would be able to access the proposed programs offered by our facility. The state simply does not have the funds readily available to build facilities for each school district, so this is a new direction in the delivery of Career and Technical Education.
Based on this information, it forced us to reexamine our focus and seek ways we could develop a regional facility that had the possibilities of involving multiple school districts. At this point it became obvious that we needed to seek a partnership with Powell County and there were several factors we needed to consider.
Powell County currently operates a locally owned technology center and offers several different programs. They receive funding from the state, but any additional revenue needed to support this center comes directly from their local funds. Based on the fact that it is locally owned and operated, they have complete control over the facility. We knew that transporting students for them would also be an issue, because it is an issue for us when we send students to Madison County. Simply put, they really do not need us; but we needed them to try to obtain more opportunities for our students while giving their students more opportunities as well.
From the start of this second round of funding we felt the need to locate this facility somewhere between ECHS and PCHS. We need to limit the amount of transportation for both districts in order to maximize the number of students attending the facility. We proposed programs and career majors based on a survey of our students, but we had to make sure that these same programs provided new opportunities for their students as well. Finally, because we are seeking funding for a state operated facility, it was important to emphasize there would be no additional cost to their school system. We needed their participation and students; the state will provide an allocation to our district based on the number of students they send to the Career Tech Center.
Conclusion
This is a great opportunity for our school district and community. The people of Estill County have wanted a Career and Technical Center for many years, and that dream is going to become a reality. We will be able to provide our students and adults with high quality instruction in program areas that will change the economic landscape of this community forever. We will also be able to share this opportunity with other students and adults across the region, thus providing more opportunities for everyone. It will require a substantial financial obligation on the part of our school district, but the benefits will more than pay for the investment. If you have questions about this project or anything else in general, you can always reach me at 606-643-7899.
Jeff Saylor, Superintendent
Estill County Schools
John Robert Arthur
Wallace “Frog” Crowe
John Harold “Jank” Moreland
Jeremy "Worm" Friend
Darrell Cox
Riley C. Reece
Charles E. McLemore
Mary Ann Trent
Lucille (Abney) McIntosh
James Christopher Mullins
Survivors lined up to take the first lap around the track on Friday night during Relay for Life. Event coordinator Rebecca Wolfinbarger stated on Monday that they had raised just under $25,000 on Friday night. (Tribune Photo/Cathy Dawes)
BGAD Commander Colonel Norbert Fochs (R) thanks former Depot site commander retired Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Shaffer for appearing as his special guest during the Depot's 75th Anniversary luncheon and cake-cutting ceremony that took place on June 21, 2017, at the Depot's Lake Buck Lodge. Shaffer, who oversaw the Depot during their 50th anniversary in 1992, is a current resident of Berea.
Estill Superintendent Jeff Saylor
