Ashland

George Rogers Clark High School's girls' basketball game at Harrison County set for 7:30 p.m. tonight has been canceled. No make-up date has been set. The boys' game at Ashland Blazer, slated for Friday, is still scheduled.

WINCHESTER POLICE Charged — James Z. Lowe, 25, of 25 Ashland Ave., was charged Friday with theft by unlawful taking. — Eva M. Stewart, 48, of 19 Meadow St., was charged Friday with fourth-degree assault.

Mary Wilson (Gabby) Walters, 88, mother of Kathy (Doug) Means of Winchester, passed away on March 21, 2013. A private service will be held at Lexington Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Ashland Terrace Retirement Home in Lexington or Hospice of the Bluegrass. Additional information is at www.milwardfuneral.com.

ASHLAND - Champions of the Ashland Invitational Tournament have a history of continued success at the end of the high school basketball season. Watch out for George Rogers Clark High School. The Cardinals dominated the field in the 53rd annual AIT, capped by a 79-43 blitz of Ashland on Saturday night at James A. Anderson Gym. Clark, coached by Russell High School grad Scott Humphrey, took large leads into the fourth quarter of all three tournament games. "Our kids are playing with so much confidence right now," Humphrey said.

ASHLAND - George Rogers Clark boys basketball coach Scott Humphrey still has Ashland's number, thanks to Bopper Stenzel. The Cardinals' senior guard sliced through the Tomcats' defense and banked in a shot with two seconds remaining to give the Cardinals a 53-52 victory at Anderson Gym on Friday night. “It was just a player making a play,” Humphrey said. “Bopper blew right through their double team. He was able to knife his way in there and hit the game winner.” As a result, the 41-year-old Humphrey who played at nearby Russell High School, remained unbeaten against Ashland as a head coach, including an 8-0 mark with the Cardinals.

George Rogers Clark's scheduled game at Lexington Catholic Tuesday was called off because of inclement weather and no makeup date had been set as of press time. The Cardinals (17-4) haven't played since a 64-53 win over Covington Scott in the Kenton County Classic on Jan. 24. Clark is slated to take on Mason County in a 10th Region showdown Friday night at Norton Gymnasium. The Cardinals will then meet Ashland Blazer in a makeup game at 4:30 p.m. Saturday in Ashland. In other area games, Clark Middle and Conkwright were scheduled to play a tripleheader Tuesday, but the games were called off and will be played beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday.

By RICK GREENE The Independent ASHLAND -- Many of the Ashland faithful were on hand for Friday's game against George Rogers Clark High School when National League Cy Young Award winner Brandon Webb had his high school baseball jersey retired. But on the court, it was the Cardinals who were playing hardball. Behind 34 points from dynamic guard Preston Knowles and a relentless defense, Clark County snapped Ashland¹s four-game winning streak with an 82-61 win at James A. Anderson Gymnasium.

Evan Hester of Danville won two of three matches Wednesday to take third place in the 189-pound division of the Wayne County Invitational at Monticello. Hester defeated opponents from Apollo and Harrison County, winning his third-place match by a 5-3 decision. His only loss was in overtime. Matt Baskin took fourth place in the 171-pound class with a 2-2 record. Brandon Lanham (140 pounds) and Gregory Stallworth (275) finished fifth in their respective classes, and Louis Beto (135)

LEXINGTON - Boyle County sixth-grader CeCe Witten won her first match of the state tennis tournament this morning, beating Villa Madonna's Julia Volpenheim 6-0, 6-2. Witten plays the winner of the match between Whitney Butcher of Ashland Blazer and Notre Dame's Sarah Roebker at 1:30 p.m. today. If Witten wins, she'll play at 9 a.m. Friday.

RAMONA S. BLANTON Ramona S. Blanton, 77, of Russell, died Saturday at the Hospice Care Center in Ashland. Funeral services will be Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Russell. Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the church.Music Family Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.