College

Clark County school principals and students joined with city and county government officials for the reading of a proclamation designating October as College and Career Readiness Month. Winchester Mayor Ed Burtner, middle row, center, read the proclamation. Officials joining Burtner included third from left, middle row, school board member Judy Hicks, state Rep. Don Pasley, County Judge-Executive Henry Branham and Clark County Schools Superintendent Elaine Farris, to the right of Burtner.

Dear Editor, Herb Brock is a brave and honest man. I have been a Kentucky fan for more years than most and have deplored the scandals as I have cheered the wins. The change in college basketball (and football and other major sports) is not a cause for celebration. College teams have become little more than minor league talent pools for the acknowledged professional teams. I suspect that there are very few college teams now, at major schools, that are free from violations of the NCAA rules.

Graduate Eastern Kentucky University: Kristen Fitzgerald of Danville graduated with a bachelor of science degree in elementary education. She is the daughter of Connie Fitzgerald of Danville and the granddaughter of Laura Smith. She is a 2000 graduate of Boyle County High School and is employed by Boyle County Board of Education. Dean's list Gardner-Webb University: Katy D. Peterson, daughter of Glyn and Anne H. Kerbaugh, majoring in psychology and on academic and athletic scholarships to swim for North Carolina school's Swimming Bulldogs.

Members of the Jessamine County Chamber of Commerce learned a little more about how high-schoolers are preparing for life after graduation nowadays during a chamber luncheon at Jessamine Career and Technology Center on Tuesday. Principal Dexter Knight shared a little bit about the school's basics; JCTC serves as a hub for career and technical education in the county and includes students from East Jessamine, West Jessamine and The Providence School. But the bulk of the presentation came from Vanessa Ruda, who directs the school's center for college and career readiness.

JoEllen Reed, Bluegrass Community and Technical College District Community Liaison, accepts a ceremonial check for $5,500 from the Winchester Kiwanis Club, presented by Kiwanis president Bill Blakeman and treasurer Jim McCarty, right. The money will be used to purchase equipment for the playground, background, at the new BCTC campus in the Winchester Industrial Park. The donation brings the total donation to BCTC by the Kiwanis Club to $7,000.

Bill Jurgensen: Please help me to figure out if I've got this right: A college basketball or football coach signs a contract for a certain amount of money for a certain period of time. If, after part of that time goes by, he has failed to do the job, the college can fire him as long as they "buy out" the remainder of his contract, usually for some obscene amount of money. But, if a coach decides to bolt for--surprise!--more money, it's "tough luck, college, but I'm outta here".

Josh Brundige School: Lee University Position: pitcher, outfielder Major: business administration "I'm very excited. I've been waiting to go to college for a long time, and this is a great opportunity for me. I want to just do well and be a team player and try to work into a leadership role and do everything I can to help out the team. " Lee coach Mark Brew: "Josh is a great kid from a great family. He has excelled academically and on the athletic field which is a highly sought after combination for coaches.

STANFORD - Tasha Milby will leave Danville as one of the most accomplished girls basketball players in school history - and as arguably one of its best female athletes ever - and she will leave it all behind. For while she has enjoyed considerable success both on the basketball court and on the soccer field, she isn't going to let that define her. Instead, she will assume the life of a typical college student, and she said she is greatly looking forward to trying that. "I've been playing my entire life, and I've never really known what's it's like just to be a student," Milby said.

The University of Kentucky is proud to recognize the outstanding academic performance of its students including individuals from Lincoln County named to the UK Dean's List for the spring 2006 semester. To attain Dean's List recognition in one of the colleges at UK, a student must earn a grade point average (GPA) of 3.6 or higher and must complete 12 credits or more that semester, excluding credits earned in pass-fail classes. Some UK colleges require a 3.5 gpa to make the Dean's List.

Wednesday, March 22 College softball Mount St. Joseph at Centre, 4 p.m. College men's tennis Centre at Spring Hill, 3 p.m. College women's tennis Centre at Spring Hill, 3 p.m. Thursday, March 23

An accelerant-detecting dog confirmed investigators' suspicions this morning when she alerted at the front door of 123 College St. Winchester Fire-EMS Fire Investigator Greg Beam said the only initial fire damage in the home was around the front door of the vacant home. The fire, though, spread quickly through the walls and to the top of the house Tuesday evening, he said. Winchester Police are looking for a former resident of the home, 44-year-old Leatta Jean Guillory, as a person of interest in the fire, Beam said this morning.

His football coach is not really sure what is his best sport or even what he does best on the football field. All Caldwell County football coach Davis Barnes knows is that sophomore Elijah Sindelar is special whether it's football or baseball. “I really don't know what his best sport is,” said Barnes of the 6-4, 210-pound Sindelar. “This year he did not play basketball, but he's good there, too. He's just a gifted athlete. He excels in all three sports. In baseball, he pitches and plays either third base or first base.” On the football field, Sindelar - who runs the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds - plays quarterback.

Hannah Chadwell is getting the chance to play college softball, and she might just have her boyfriend to thank for it. Chadwell was all set to hang up her glove for the last time once this season ended, but that was before her boyfriend suggested that she look at the school he plans to attend. One thing led to another, and it all led to the Boyle County outfielder's decision to commit to play for Union College. She plans to sign with the Barbourville school today at Boyle. “I just pretty much knew it was right when I went down there and visited,” Chadwell said.

Elysse Petrie is giving her parents a break. Like so many parents of young athletes, Petrie's parents shuttled their daughter to competitions near and far for years. And when it came time for her to choose a college, she said staying close to home was an important factor in her decision. The Boyle County pitcher plans to play for Centre College, and she made her commitment official Monday at a signing ceremony at Boyle. “Probably one of the biggest reasons why is it was close to home where my parents could come see me play,” Petrie said.

Firefighters are still searching for hot spots inside a house on College Street, two hours after the fire was reported this evening. A Winchester Police officer on patrol reported the fire around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. Initially, there was heavy smoke coming from the upstairs windows and the roof. Once firefighters vented the roof in two places, fire shot through both holes. Winchester Fire-EMS Chief Eric Hunter said firefighters had been through most of the house, but had to pull back as the house became unstable.

George Rogers Clark senior Amy Kao signed an athletic and academic scholarship to play volleyball at Georgetown College Thursday at the school. Kao, center, is joined on the front row by George Rogers Clark volleyball coach Robyn Curry, Georgetown College assistant volleyball coach Amy Barmore, sister Kaylee Kao, mother Jannie Kao and father Frankie Kao. Back row is team manager Nevada May, YMCA coaches Wayne Sharp and Debbie Fatkin and coach Carol Schochler....

Graduations Morehead State University - Rachel Susan Pittman, a graduate of Boyle County High School, graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in diagnostic medical sonography. Her parents are Michael and Alycea Pittman of Danville, and her grandparents are James and Celesta Lawson of Danville.   Union College - Morgan Ann Brown, of Waynesburg, bachelor of science in athletic training. Ryan Victor Young, of Waynesburg, bachelor of science in mass communications.

STANFORD - Nolan Sanders was simply looking for a good college, and he found one that will also give him the chance to play baseball. The Lincoln County senior is bound for Berea College, and he made his decision official during a signing ceremony on the field before the Patriots' game Tuesday against Washington County. He said he thought Berea might be the school for him, but he didn't give much thought to playing baseball there until his coach, former Berea assistant coach Brad McNew, set some things in motion.

The Centre College Investment Society recently was afforded the opportunity to manage $100,000 of school funds, and the young investors are taking their duties pretty seriously. Ryan Arey, a sophomore majoring in financial economics, is the chief operating officer of the investment society as well as president of the Centre College Economics Society. He and members of the investment group's executive board dress in suits and ties to have their weekly meetings. During their most recent meeting Thursday, Arey took notes on a laptop computer while he and his peers discussed their ambitions for the student-managed fund.