Local Group

While dozens of Christian bands converge on Wilmore from all over the nation for Ichthus each year, one band this June has a very short drive. The Abe Parker Band is fronted by its namesake, a recent Asbury University grad who sings and plays guitar. Completing a core trio are bassist and fellow Asbury grad Tyler Young and drummer Robbie Goins or Nicholasville. Seventeen-year-old guitarist Sam Jones of Lexington also plays with the band, and Asbury student Amaris Blevins will sing with the guys for the first time at Ichthus.

Seven men from Central Baptist Church - Gene Noel, Jim Patton, Ken Taylor, Heath Conner, Don Gravett, Scott Durbin and G.T. Cowan - presented several vocal selections at the Jan. 19 meeting of the Winchester Music Club held at Beverly White Towers. The club is affiliated with the National and Kentucky Federation of Music Clubs. Mrs. Gail Blakeman, president, conducted the meeting, and Billie Pace accompanied and discussed the hymns that were sung. "Wonderful Words of Life" by Philip P. Bliss was the hymn of the month and was sung by the group.

Christians will gather at Boyle County High School in April to hear the man who wouldn't remove the Ten Commandments from the state courthouse in Alabama. They want Danville residents to have first pick of the seats, and so are urging them to register now for the events on April 23 -24. Registration is $15 a person. Former Alabama Chief Justice Judge Roy Moore will be the keynote speaker on that Friday and organizers of the event expect it to draw a large crowd. He will speak at 8 p.m. on April 23. Afterwards Men of Grace choir from Pontiac, Mich.

The Fuller Center for Housing is on an “unrelenting quest to provide adequate shelter for all people in need worldwide,” according to the organization's mission statement. In the coming months, that quest may benefit Clark County residents who need help improving their living conditions. About a dozen community members gathered Tuesday to discuss organizing a local chapter of the Fuller Center. “We've never been an official Fuller Center partner. My hope is we can get that going,” Shannon Cox said.

DAISY THE PIG PROMOTES SUMMER READING Daisy the Pig visited Hannah McClure Elementary School on Tuesday evening to promote Clark County Library's Summer Reading Program. Photos by James Mann CLARK COUNTY GEARS UP FOR ANNUAL RIVER SWEEP A local group of officials and volunteers will take part in the annual Kentucky River Sweep on Saturday, June 21 to clean up the banks of the Kentucky River. By Mike Wynn CITY COMMISSION PASSES NOISE ORDINANCE Residents will have to quiet down between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. now that the Winchester City Commission has passed a noise ordinance.

John Zippay enjoys a parade. He and many other members of the Shriners will be driving mini-cars and -trucks in the Great American Brass Band Festival parade Saturday. Zippay will be driving a lawnmower with a ladder that resembles a fire truck. The group includes The Oleika Shriners, The Wilderness Shriners and a local group of riders called Tin Lizzie. Orginally from Pennsylvania, Zippay has lived in Danville since 1974. He retired in 1990 from Bell South. His wife, Patsy, is from Danville and taught at Danville High School until retirement in 1991.

BIKE group sets meeting BIKE Boyle County, a local group that advocates bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly streets and trails, will hold its November meeting 6:30 p.m. today in the conference room at Danville city hall. Special guest at the meeting will be Matt Osborne, newly appointed director of adventure tourism with the Kentucky Arts and Heritage Council. The meeting will focus on plans and efforts within the state to promote Kentucky as an adventure tourism destination for cyclists, runners, hikers and others seeking similar activities.

LIBERTY - A sign in the window of the local employment agency says ACS currently is hiring full-time data entry operators for first and second shifts. In an effort to accommodate the request and keep the industry in town, a local group is working on a plan to recruit more than 60 new employees for ACS industry and other employers in Casey County. The group met Thursday to look at ways to recruit workers for ACS, a data processing industry on Campbellsville Street. It also planned a jobs fair for April 14-15.

The Fuller Center for Housing is on an “unrelenting quest to provide adequate shelter for all people in need worldwide,” according to the organization's mission statement. In the coming months, that quest may benefit Clark County residents who need help improving their living conditions. About a dozen community members gathered Tuesday to discuss organizing a local chapter of the Fuller Center. “We've never been an official Fuller Center partner. My hope is we can get that going,” Shannon Cox said.

The Kentucky Equine Education Project (KEEP) recently announced it again will provide funds for Kentucky Horse Organizations and Associations. KEEP created the local funding program as part of its grassroots efforts to help horse organizations around the state. The grants program includes four categories: 4-H and FFA clubs, horse shows and trail rides, equine breed and color-breed associations and educational activities. Each category has a funding limit and specific criteria applicants must meet to be considered.

An attempt to qualify for the Boston Marathon led Lexington runner Will Bailey to try a bigger challenge. In March 2011, Bailey ran marathons two weekends in a row, one in Carmel, Ind., and one in Deadwood, S.D. The two marathons, plus the hundreds of training miles, made Bailey realize he was built for distance. On Feb. 18, Bailey will begin his longest run ever. For 196 days he will run 38 miles a day in an attempt to run across the United States, hitting all 48 contiguous states.

HARRODSBURG - Local singing group High Heels and Sneakers has released its first CD, titled “The Originals.”        The band features the rhythm and blues style of Cole Curtsinger, the country-rock sound of Christina Walton, and the gritty, soulful voice of Katie Hardin. “The Originals” features each singer performing an original song. Hardin's single is “Don't Worry about Me”; Curtsinger's is “Cinderella Love.” Both songs were written by Nashville music producer and songwriter Ron Browning.

While dozens of Christian bands converge on Wilmore from all over the nation for Ichthus each year, one band this June has a very short drive. The Abe Parker Band is fronted by its namesake, a recent Asbury University grad who sings and plays guitar. Completing a core trio are bassist and fellow Asbury grad Tyler Young and drummer Robbie Goins or Nicholasville. Seventeen-year-old guitarist Sam Jones of Lexington also plays with the band, and Asbury student Amaris Blevins will sing with the guys for the first time at Ichthus.

The first of what potentially could be a series of events set in and focused on downtown will be presented Sept. 25. “Eat Drink Danville: Oktoberfest Block Party” will feature beer, bratwurst, cheeses and other food — all out on the street. Danville/Boyle County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Adam Johnson said he’s real excited about this fundraiser for the Heart of Danville, the local Main Street program. The event is sponsored by the CVB, the HOD, V-The Market and Beer House.

An auction Saturday at the Dix River Country Club organized by Bringing Little Hearts Home raised $15,340 to be donated to the Kaywood and Debbie Morris family to help them in their effort to adopt a child from China. Overseas adoption has become increasingly more expensive and the total cost could reach over $30,000. Bringing Little Hearts Home is a charity organized by Lincoln Realty owner David Meade to assist prospective parents with the financial barriers associated with adoption.

Anna Ray Street was just a little girl when she was first introduced to knitting. With three brothers away fighting in World War II, her mother taught Anna Ray and her three sisters how to knit squares that would eventually be turned into blankets as part of the war effort. "My mother was knitting, so she just taught us girls to knit, too," Street said. When the war ended, so did Street's knitting hobby. But when she learned about a local knitting group, she decided to dust off the knitting needles and give it a try. "I had to learn all over again," Street said.

World Community Day is Friday Church Women United will celebrate World Community Day 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday at the United Methodist Christian Life Center on Perryville Road. The local group will join the celebration being held in local communities across the country as they share thoughts and prayers focused on the theme "God's Wisdom Sets Us Free. " Many local units of CWU have long histories of involvement in prison ministry. The Boyle County unit helps by providing college scholarships for women at the Pewee Valley women's prison.