Spring

Mowers throughout Clark County are being brought back into service as the weather begins to warm and the first day of spring arrives on Sunday. Howard Phillips of Colby Road cut a huge swath of grass in a yard on Moundale Avenue with a five-foot-wide mower Thursday afternoon. Phillips, who is retired, cuts  lawns each summer for extra income.

The following students were named  to the BCTC spring dean's list. Jennifer Abner Justin Abner Jacob Allen Ashley Bailey Marty Ballard Megan Bartleson Carol Bennett Billy Benningfield Brittany Bosley Samantha Bowman Tony Branham Karen Bridges Jennifer Brown Britany Burrus Lyle Burton Lauren Byarski Tina Cain Julie Camps Lisa Christopher Matthew Christopher Timothy Collins Stephanie Compton Tammy Costello...

Jacob Moody, left, and Ryan Terry performed a number in the George Rogers Clark High School production of “Once Upon A Mattress” during a recent practice. The musical, directed by choral director Greg Bruce, student director Avicia Rodgers and assistant director Kelly Estes, will be presented at 7 p.m. April 14-16 at GRC. Tickets can be ordered by calling the school at 744-6111 and asking for Greg Bruce.

Eighteen-month old Laney Frazier was decked out in her spring wardrobe with the early arrival of spring weather this week. While Laney was waving at her mother, she could have been waving good-bye to the spring weather with the arrival of a cold front overnight. She is the daughter of Brittainy and Chris Frazier of New Castle Lane. James Mann/jmann@winchestersun.com

Yellow and purple crocuses bloom in a yard Wednesday afternoon on Fitch Avenue, signaling the coming of spring. Unfortunately, before first day of spring, which arrives March 20th, Clark Countians have to endure the forecast for snow and ice Friday into Saturday.

Daffodils, above, near Estes Drive announced that spring was soon to arrive Tuesday when temperatures soared into the 70s. Unfortunately, temperatures were much colder Wednesday and today. It was short-lived, but Tessa Miller, 8, left, and her sister, Ellie, 13, decided to do all they could to enjoy the brief time of spring weather on Tuesday, right. Going from one activity to another, the two girls played together into the evening hours. The first official day of spring is Friday, March 20. The Miller girls are the daughters of James and Tracey Miller of South Maple Street.

Tim Cassity sends a mix of grass seed falling to the earth Tuesday morning, seeding around the basketball court and other areas at College Park. The spreading of grass seed is a sure sign that spring is just three weeks away. James Mann/jmann@winchestersun.com

The blooms of a Japanese Yoshino cherry tree frames a wooden fence on the property of Donald and Gloria Johnson on Irvine Road. The cherry tree, one of several blooming on their property, is the same type of tree that blooms each spring on the northern bank of the Potomac River near the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Alex Mrochek, 10, left photo, and his brother, Trevor Mrochek, 7, had different playing styles while playing tennis Wednesday afternoon at College Park. They did have one thing in common: a beautiful pre-spring day to practice. It was their second time on the courts. They are the sons of Jason and Rea Mrochek of Boone Avenue. James Mann jmann@winchester-sun.com

The Interior Journal invites its readers to submit articles and photos for a spring planting and home improvement guide, which will be produced in conjunction with Lincoln County's first home and garden show. Share your gardening and home-improvement tips before March 10 by writing Gardening Editor, The Interior Journal, 111 E. Main St., Stanford, Ky. 40484 or by e-mailing info@theinteriorjournal.com. The Chamber of Commerce Home and Garden Show is April 5-6 at the Kings Mountain Community Center.

Playing for a NCAA Division I-AA football program has its perks, some of which are translating to the football field at West Jessamine High School. One-time offensive and defensive coordinator Yancey Marcum, entering his first season as head coach of the Colts, is using connections from his alma mater, Youngstown State, to help take his team beyond where they've recently been. Last season, West's defense allowed the fourth-most points in class 5A with 426 given up on the season.

George Rogers Clark coach Steven Collins was pleased with his second spring session as coach of the Cardinals, and he noticed a difference in his team's focus and intensity level since spring drills began on April 9. “We've learned how to take advantage of every repetition,” he said. “We have to get the young kids along the same lines - this is where we're going and this is where we would like to be.” The Cardinals went 1-10 last season and defeated Rowan County in their home finale.

What a joy it has been to enjoy the beautiful weather this whole weekend. The birds are still singing loud and clear at my place and I have a feeling they were as happy as I was to see the sunshine and warm weather. Finally, things were looking and sounding like spring for more than one day. When I heard the tiller fired up in the back yard I knew a garden was on its way to being planted. The funny thing is every year around August, when the garden begins to dry up and is not looking so pretty, my husband always swears that it is the last garden he is ever going to put out. I hear this same lament every year, but I always know that as soon as the ground is dry enough and the first pretty day in the spring, my husband can't wait to get out in the garden to plant the lettuce bed and some onions.

Many people have an annual spring cleaning routine which includes washing windows, cabinets and woodwork. This year, be sure to take time to also “spring clean” your financial records. Sort through your old financial paperwork and identify any that are old and can be shredded or thrown away. Remember, it's always a safe idea to shred any paperwork that contains any personal information, especially bank account, credit card or other financial information. Do you have old utility bills, credit card bills, ATM receipts or cancelled checks lying around the house?

What has become a popular tradition will be repeated 10 a.m. Saturday at as the Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge hosts the second Spring Wildflower Walk. The walk will be on the Martha B. Clay Wildflower Trail, which begins near the North Rolling Fork, just past the first bridge on Carpenters Creek Road off Ky. 37. Parking is available in a field across Carpenter Creek Road from the trail.  Martha Bisset Clay was one of the founders of the Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge and a renowned expert on flowers, both wild and domestic, who always referred to them by their Latin names.

Bailey Carson figured she would be somewhere else this spring, but her teammates had other plans. Carson had stepped away from softball, with no plans to return for her junior season at Danville. She wasn't as happy playing the game as she once had been, and she was ready to do other things. Now she is back on the diamond, however, after her teammates convinced her to return, and she is trying to make up for lost time and help her team make progress. “I didn't think I was going to play this year,” she said.

LEXINGTON - Freshman quarterback Reese Phillips graduated from Signal Mountain (Tenn.) High School in December so he could enroll at Kentucky and go through offensive coordinator Neal Brown's first spring practice with the Wildcats. Phillips completed 172 of 274 passes for 2,274 yards and 15 scores with just three interceptions his senior season and was named the MVP of the Tennessee East-West all-star classic after going 10 for 10 for 95 yards and a touchdown. He offered his insights into his play, the quarterback competition and more after practice Friday.

Spring break has been everything but easy for West Jessamine baseball head coach Jody Hamilton and his Colts. Entering the Vero Beach, Fla., tournament with a 2-1 record, the Colts were predominantly met with competition that kept the game hinged on the arm of the pitching staffs. The Colts trip opened with a 2-1 loss to Greenup County. “We had our chances; we just didn't get it done,” Hamilton said. West held a 1-0 lead after the fourth inning and “kicked around a couple of times” and lost the lead, Hamilton said.

It is official: Danville Pediatrics' “Wild West” exhibit has ridden off into the sunset, marking another successful blockbuster exhibit at the Community Arts Center. Now the arts center is poised to launch into a whole new year of exhibits, events, classes, community outreach, and more, but first: a little spring cleaning is in order.  For one, what comes up must come down - the numerous “Wild West” buildings, props, furniture, displays, artwork, collections, and activities all have to be dismantled, packed away, and in many cases, returned to their proper owners.

Are you getting spring fever yet? You can recognize it by the overwhelming desire to get outside and enjoy the new signs of spring.  Here in Kentucky, spring may be late arriving, but it still is a great time to get out and enjoy nature. If a nice hike is in your plans, don't overlook the closest place for hiking in nature. The Central Kentucky Wildlife Refuge is less than 20 minutes from downtown Danville. The trails are well marked with signs at each trail option. When you arrive, there is a sign with trail maps that give a description of each trail (difficulty level and length of hike)