California

A California media company that specializes in Christian broadcasts has purchased WHIR-FM 107.1. "We were just told two days ago. It came totally out of the blue. We're all shocked," said Robert Wagner, general manager of WHIR. Educational Media Foundation bought the station from the Vernon Baldwin Co. Wagner said. The deal does not affect Hometown Radio, which owns WHIR-AM 1230, WRNZ and WHBN. Baldwin purchased WHIR FM in August from Clear Channel Communications, but is selling its holdings because of the sudden illness of Baldwin, Wagner said.

Harrodsburg's Chrys Jones won the triple jump at the 47th Adidas Golden West Invitational on Sunday in Folsom, Calif., with a leap of 47 feet, 2 inches. Jones had set a Class A state record of 48-6 a week earlier. "It was a windy, chilly night and tough conditions," Harrodsburg coach Terry Yeast said.

Catherine Hanrahan Burke, 89, of Frankfort formerly of San Francisco, Calif., died at the Markey Cancer Center Tuesday, March 22, 2011. She was the widow of Frank Marcus Burke and is survived by her son Mike and wife Joan Burke, Lawrenceburg; daughter Moira Burk of California; five grandchildren, Marcus Tanaka and wife Julie, Barry Tanaka, Fergus Tanaka, Alanna Freese and husband Curt, and Kevin Burke; and two-great-grandchildren. Hager & Cundiff Funeral Home was chosen for cremation. According to Mrs. Burke’s wishes, she will be taken home to California.

Bobby Brummitt, 69, died Sunday, April 6. Born, June 22, 1939, he was the son of the late Henry Brummitt and Coral McQueary Phillips. He was a heavy equipment operator, member of the Nazarene Church, and widower of Billie Jean Brummitt. He was also preceded in death by a son, Robert Brummitt. Survivors include two daughters, Barbara Bratton and Coral Brummitt, both of California; five sisters, Betty Sanchez and Ruby Lawson both of Indianapolis, Ind., Carolyn Hale and Johnetta Sizemore both of Stanford, and Dorothy Boyd of Lancaster; four grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Beverlee Jane McKenney Giles, 51, wife of George Michael Giles, died April 9. She was born in Minneapolis, Minn., to the late William Wayne McKenney and Dorothy Solander Overland of Indiana. She was an accountant for the Jessamine County Fiscal Court. Additional survivors are three children, Becky and husband John Walowski and Katy Hanley of Illinois, Jimi Hanley of Nicholasville, four grandchildren, Caitlyn Thurman, Cassandra and Cierra Walowski, Skye Marie Morris, of Illinois, two sisters, Cheryl Hood of Nicholasville, Lori Lefebvre of California, two brothers, Mark Overland of Illinois, Mitchell Overland of California, and other family members.

Dear Editor: I saw on the news that a condemned man in California could not be executed because it might cause him pain. The people he murdered suffered pain as well as their families, so I don't think that is a good excuse for sparing his life. What is this world coming to when we worry more about criminals than about the victims. Mary Saylor Lancaster

Robert I. Baker, 78, of Creekside Apartments, died Tuesday, Oct. 30, at the V.A. Hospital on Leestown Road. He was a native of Nebraska, born Feb. 18, 1929, to the late Charles R. and Bessie M. Stone Baker. He spent many years in California where he worked for Diamond Walnut as a sheet metal worker and was a member of the Moose Lodge and the V.F.W. He loved gardening, especially raising African Violets. Survivors include two daughters, Judy Hubbard and husband Richard of Oregon and Karen Kay and husband Allan of Hawaii, a sister Virginia Bush of California, two brothers, Harold Baker of California and Charles Baker of Oregon, numerous nieces and nephews and his caregivers, nephew Bill and niece Sherry.

Myrtle Christine Nave Swegles, of Moreno Valley, Calif., died Saturday, March 29. A native of Stanford, she was born September 1917 to the late Louis and Fannie Boain Nave of Lincoln County. She attended McCormick Christian School, Hubble School, graduated from Stanford High School and Covington School of Nursing, was a school nurse in California, part owner of a rest home in Moreno Valley, a licensed cosmetologist, owner of Beauty Supply House and Company and a salon, a Seventh Day Adventist, and widow of John (Jack)

Anne Lawson Michael, 88, of Sebring, Fla., passed away Tuesday, August 17, 2010, in Titusville, Fla., under the care of Hospice. She was born March 6, 1922, in Harrison County, and retired after a long career with Frigidaire in Dayton, Ohio, moving to Sebring with her husband, Ralph Michael, in 1973. She was preceded in death by a son, Bobby Davis, age 2; her husband of 49 years, Ralph Michael; a brother, Forrest W. Brooks Sr.; a sister, Florence J. Brooks Shadd; and a nephew, Forrest W. Brooks Jr. She is survived by two nieces, Charlotte Brooks Blakeman of Jessamine County and Mary Lee Brooks Parrott of Brevard County, Fla.; a great-nephew, Matthew Blakeman; great-nieces Courtney Collier, Jennifer Brooks and Jessica Brooks; stepchildren, Melvin and Nancy Michael of Dayton, Ohio, Pat and Dave Detro of California, and Linda Elder of California; and cousins Jeanette Marshall Elliott, of Florida and Howard Marshall of Texas.

Vicky Christine Simpson Musgrove, 55, of Nicholasville died Sept. 4. Graveside services were held Monday, Sept. 10, at Musgrove Cemetery with the Rev. Chuck Cooper officiating. She was born in Indianapolis, Ind., the daughter of the late Robert and Phronia Petro Simpson. She was a homemaker and a member of Day Break Church. Her parents preceded her in death. Survivors include her children, Kevin Musgrove of Antioch, Ill., and Sandra Lubben of Nicholasville. Surviving brothers and sisters are Bobby Simpson of Rock Falls, Ill., Cindy McCullough and Regina Mae Turner of California, She is also survived by six grandchildren.

Leah Denman, 40, a native of Colorado, died Sunday, Feb. 10, at the University of Kentucky Hospital. She was the daughter of Bonnie Byrd of California and the late Donald Dean Denman born Nov. 26, 1972. In addition to her mother, she is survived by her brother, Daniel Denman of Texas; sister Sarah Denman of Kentucky; paternal grandfather A. D. Hodges; and longtime friend Clarence Tipton of Irvine. No one ever really dies as long as they took the time to leave us with fond memories. Thanks for the memories Leah.

During his visit to Kentucky for Big Blue Madness, Marcus Lee put a picture on Twitter of himself with four players - Aaron Harrison, Andrew Harrison, Derek Willis and James Young - already verbally committed to the Wildcats and wrote, “That's just scary.” If he was right, then Kentucky's 2013-14 roster just got scary, because the 6-9 Lee made his commitment to Kentucky official Wednesday during a press conference at his California high school....

Clinton Roberts, grandson of Clint and Margaret Fisher of Danville, joined the U.S. Navy as a Seabee right after graduating high school in Frankfort in 2010. Since then, he's been to Chicago, Afghanistan and Spain. But it was in Southern California where Roberts and his team provided a miraculous saving hand for a woman and her two daughters. In January, a semi-truck traveling down a California road and loaded with gravel hit a BMW from the rear before plowing through a bridge railing, falling 100 feet and bursting into flames.

The last member of the East Jessamine softball senior class has made her college decision. Emily Underwood signed with College of the Desert on July 28. College of the Desert is a two-year community college in the Palm Desert about 120 miles east of Los Angeles with an enrollment of 3,400. “I chose to go out there to see what it's like, and I thought it would be good for me. My best friend is out there, too, so we'll get to play together again like we did in high school,” Underwood said.

Catherine Hanrahan Burke, 89, of Frankfort formerly of San Francisco, Calif., died at the Markey Cancer Center Tuesday, March 22, 2011. She was the widow of Frank Marcus Burke and is survived by her son Mike and wife Joan Burke, Lawrenceburg; daughter Moira Burk of California; five grandchildren, Marcus Tanaka and wife Julie, Barry Tanaka, Fergus Tanaka, Alanna Freese and husband Curt, and Kevin Burke; and two-great-grandchildren. Hager & Cundiff Funeral Home was chosen for cremation. According to Mrs. Burke’s wishes, she will be taken home to California.

Boyle County standout Lamar Dawson insisted during his recruitment that distance would not be a factor in his college choice. He proved that was true, too, today when he signed with Southern California and turned down a chance to play in the Southeastern Conference for either Kentucky or Tennessee. Dawson made his announcement at the high school gym today in front of the Boyle students, faculty and bevy of state media members on what was proclaimed Lamar Dawson Day by both city and county officials.

In August 2004, Army Staff Sgt. Michael Sanchez was on a patrol in Basarra, Iraq, when he noticed a bag of trash just off the road.    As he approached to collect it, he grew suspicious but it was too late. “Bad guys” hiding in the reeds along the Euphrates River used a remote control to set off a 155mm artillery round hidden near the bag.   “It didn’t look right. I stopped but it wasn’t soon enough. There was a big white flash...” Sanchez recalled.

There are few things more exciting for an artist than having their work accepted in to their first juried show or for an exhibition space like the local Community Arts Center to be home to such a prestigious event. The Community Arts Center’s “Horizon: Contemporary Landscape” is just such an event. The juried exhibit received 148 entries from 13 different states. A juried show is much more notable than an open show because it has a judge or “juror” who accepts or declines works submitted by the artists based on the theme of the show and other qualifications set forth by the show venue.

Anne Lawson Michael, 88, of Sebring, Fla., passed away Tuesday, August 17, 2010, in Titusville, Fla., under the care of Hospice. She was born March 6, 1922, in Harrison County, and retired after a long career with Frigidaire in Dayton, Ohio, moving to Sebring with her husband, Ralph Michael, in 1973. She was preceded in death by a son, Bobby Davis, age 2; her husband of 49 years, Ralph Michael; a brother, Forrest W. Brooks Sr.; a sister, Florence J. Brooks Shadd; and a nephew, Forrest W. Brooks Jr. She is survived by two nieces, Charlotte Brooks Blakeman of Jessamine County and Mary Lee Brooks Parrott of Brevard County, Fla.; a great-nephew, Matthew Blakeman; great-nieces Courtney Collier, Jennifer Brooks and Jessica Brooks; stepchildren, Melvin and Nancy Michael of Dayton, Ohio, Pat and Dave Detro of California, and Linda Elder of California; and cousins Jeanette Marshall Elliott, of Florida and Howard Marshall of Texas.

Rachel Spera spent many summers coming to Kentucky from California to visit family. This summer she's mixing in a little volleyball, and brought her lifelong friend - and club teammate - Sara Gold along with her. The Los Angeles natives came to the team-oriented Centre College Volleyball Camp this week to check out the college and work on their skills. "I have family in Louisville. And my cousin has a friend that went here, and he told me about it, and I checked on it and I liked what I saw basically," Spera said of Centre.