County Clerk

Former Jessamine County Clerk Mildred Williams Johnson died Friday, Jan. 27, at Royal Manor Nursing Home. She was 92. Johnson served as Jessamine County clerk from 1981-1989. Current county clerk Eva McDaniel said Johnson was a true public servant. “I worked for her for a few years, and she was a wonderful person,” McDaniel said. “She was a good county clerk; she did her job, and the county was lucky to have her, and she served the public well.” Johnson was born Dec. 22, 1919, to the late Thomas and Ivy Shryock Holman.

Clark County Clerk Anita Jones has received a $6,075 Local Records Grant from the Department for Libraries and Archives to purchase a roller desk for the clerk's office. The Local Records Program assists public agencies with the management and protection of vital records. The Department for Libraries and Archives, which is an agency of the Kentucky Education Cabinet, also provides professional records management/archival assistance to local public agencies across the state.

A week after Veterans Day, the county is still saluting its fallen heroes. On Tuesday, County Clerk Eva McDaniel presented the Camp Nelson Honor Guard with a check for $4,000. The honor guard is headquartered about 100 yards south of Camp Nelson and is tucked away and unseen from U.S. 27 at 215 Christopher Lane. “It's a jewel in this county that few people know about, and we still need help to stay afloat,” Col. Tracy Lucas said. “This money will go toward continuing our effort to honor soldiers with a proper military funeral.” Lucas said that there is nothing like the honor guard anywhere in the 2,000-mile stretch between Arlington National Ceremony and Fort Sam Houston in Texas.

For 11 years as Boyle County clerk, Denise Curtsinger sat alongside the magistrates and judge-executive at Fiscal Court meetings. Tuesday, however, was her first time watching from the audience. Curtsinger was honored by Judge-Executive Harold McKinney and the Boyle County magistrates with a Distinguished Service Award to commemorate her 11 years in the county clerk post, as well as her 30 years in the clerk's office. She began working in the office in 1978. In 1997, John B. Nichols recommended her to fill the clerk position after he retired.

With Boyle County Clerk Denise Curtsinger retiring at the end of September, Judge-Executive Harold McKinney is looking for a few good candidates interested in taking her place. McKinney said he would like to have Curtsinger's replacement appointed by the end of August in order to give that person a chance to work with Curtsinger before she leaves. So far, McKinney said only about five people have expressed interest in the position, which pays about $60,000 a year. He expects there are more people out there with interest and would like them to apply sooner rather than later so he can choose from among the best candidates in a timely manner.

STANFORD - Lincoln County Clerk George O. Spoonamore III died today at his home. He was 70. Well known for serving as county clerk since 1994, he also had a reputation for farming that preceded him. Dan Grigson, Lincoln County extension agent for agriculture, said Spoonamore was not only known locally but throughout the state. "He was a very prominent farmer and was very involved in our extension programs. He had judged dairy shows all across Kentucky and the South," Grigson said.

STANFORD - Four new candidates are seeking office in Lincoln County, according to county clerk records. Jayme R. Phillips, 42, a Republican, of 410 West Main St., Stanford, is running for the office of county clerk. Teddy Pruitt, 59, a Republican, of 400 Singleton Road, Crab Orchard, is seeking the office of magistrate in the 2nd District. Richard Godbey, 45, of 50 Rice Lane, Stanford, and Clyde E. "Gene" Zoph, 60, of 2962 South Highway 39, Crab Orchard, are running for constable in the 2nd District.

Sgt. and Mrs. Ronald Clay Pasley and children, Rhonda Ann and Robbie have returned to their home in Fort Knox following a holiday visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Billy Clay Pasley, Schollsville Road. Clark County Clerk Beckner Shimfessel administered the oath of office to the Clark County Fiscal Court, Clark County Judge-Executive and Clark County Attorney Sunday morning at the Clark County Courthouse. Shimfessel also administered the oath of office to Anita Shimfessel Jones, his daughter, who will take his place as county clerk.

The following candidates have filed for election in Garrard County. County clerk , Stacy H. May, Republican, 98 Wesley Drive, Lancaster; Coroner , Daryl Hodge, Republican, 951 Richmond Road Loop 1; Magistrate District 2 , Doan Adkison, Republican, 261 Fall Lick Road, Lancaster, and Mike Carter, Democrat, 3241 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster; and Magistrate District 5 , Marvin Conn, Republican, 3731 Cartersville Road, Paint Lick....

The Nicholasville Council Petition Committee is hosting a news conference at noon Tuesday, May 1, in the Jessamine County Fiscal Court meeting room prior to submitting the petition of signatures to the county clerk. The public is invited to the event. For more information, call 859-221-2008.

County clerk Eva McDaniel presented the Jessamine Fiscal Court last Tuesday with a $769,886.80 check for excess fees received. The funds will go into the county's general fund. The excess fees are the difference between the fees brought in by the clerk's office and allowed expenditures for the 2012 calendar year. According to the report submitted by McDaniel, the county brought in $17,823,039.12 in fees, including more than $9 million in motor vehicle usage taxes, almost $2 million in motor vehicle licensing fees, and more than $4 million in ad valorem taxes.

Debbie Smith said she was in the right place at the right time when a former deputy clerk quit and she applied for the position. Lois Trimble had already worked in banking and in the school system. She was looking for a job after she moved to Richmond in 1984 and a friend recommended that she apply at the clerk's office. For both, those applications led to long careers at the Clark Circuit Clerk's Office. Thursday, both Smith and Trimble retired with a total of 66 years of experience in the clerk's office - 37 and a half for Smith and 24 and a half for Trimble.

STANFORD - Members of Lincoln County Fiscal Court took issue Tuesday with plans from the sheriff and county clerk to send their employees home with a little extra cash in their pockets. Magistrates voted against a budget that would have allowed a one-time bonus for County Clerk Sonny Spoonamore's employees, while Judge-Executive Jim Adams expressed strong disapproval of Sheriff Curt Folger's move to give his deputies 4-percent raises. Both situations stemmed from the fact that while the sheriff and county clerk's offices are responsible for their own budgets, fiscal court can still regulate salary caps, which limit how much each office can allocate for paying employees.

A week after Veterans Day, the county is still saluting its fallen heroes. On Tuesday, County Clerk Eva McDaniel presented the Camp Nelson Honor Guard with a check for $4,000. The honor guard is headquartered about 100 yards south of Camp Nelson and is tucked away and unseen from U.S. 27 at 215 Christopher Lane. “It's a jewel in this county that few people know about, and we still need help to stay afloat,” Col. Tracy Lucas said. “This money will go toward continuing our effort to honor soldiers with a proper military funeral.” Lucas said that there is nothing like the honor guard anywhere in the 2,000-mile stretch between Arlington National Ceremony and Fort Sam Houston in Texas.

LIBERTY - There were no major issues in the Casey County elections Tuesday night, according to Casey Davis, county clerk.  “It went really well. Very, very busy,” Davis said.  Casey County, which has 10,715 registered voters, 78 percent of which are Republicans, had a turnout of 57 percent. According to Davis, 6,179 is a good voter turnout for the county. The 29th District Circuit Judge's race was a closely watched one in the county, as Casey native Brian Wright competed against Judy Vance of Columbia.

Election Day is a day that voices are to be heard. But for up to 40 Nicholasville residents who received the wrong ballot at precinct C-105, located at the Jessamine County Fire District station No. 1, their voices will not be heard in the Nicholasville City Commission race and the public question regarding a proposed change of government. The crux of the problem was a paperwork snafu at the precinct, Jessamine County Clerk Eva McDaniel said. That precinct serves south Nicholasville, but includes a few residents in the Thompson Lane area who do not get to vote in city elections, and that caused a mix-up early Tuesday morning.

STANFORD - Lincoln County Clerk George O. Spoonamore IV confirmed Tuesday his office has received multiple calls from citizens inquiring about the possibility that candidates in local races are ineligible for the seats they are seeking in the upcoming general election because they do not meet residency requirements. Spoonamore declined to specify which races or candidates the calls were in reference to. He said his office is not responsible for verifying candidates meet eligibility requirements.

Jessamine County is mulling over signing onto a possible class-action lawsuit against the organization known as Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS), which could possible recoup thousands of dollars of fees owed. The county was approached by attorney Sandra Spurgeon of Spurgeon & Tinker, PSC, which, along with The Bolog firm, currently represents 14 counties in Kentucky that are suing MERS, including Boyd, Franklin, Pike and several other counties. The basis of the litigation is an effort to seek compensation for lost mortgage assignment fees allegedly withheld because of the actions of MERS over the past several years.

FRANKFORT - As mandated by the Kentucky Legislature, uninsured motorists across the Commonwealth will begin receiving notices in June that registrations for their personal vehicles will be canceled if they do not obtain required insurance or show proof of existing insurance.  Registered owners of personal vehicles shown to have been without insurance for more than 60 days will receive the notices. The owners will have 30 days in which to obtain or present verification of coverage.