Health First recieves $30,927 in grant funds

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Officials at Health First CHC in Providence announced last week that they would be the recipients of $30,927 in grant money during the upcoming year. This quality improvement grant is part of $36.3 million in Affordable Care Act funding being awarded to health centers across the country by Health and Human Services (HHS).

“We didn’t realize we were going to get it,” said Shelley Gobin, a RN and Director of Quality Improvement for Health First. “It’s not something we applied for.”

Judge dismisses recount

Security of ballot box called into question

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Fourteen precincts into the recount for the 5th Judicial Circuit 2nd Division Family Court Judge’s position, the proceedings came to a sudden and unexpected halt when the security of one of the ballot boxes was called into question.

“There was a ballot box out of the south Clay precincts that was not locked and the seal was not tight,” said Bart Frazer, attorney for candidate Brandi Frazer. “It was not tight to the point where you could easily have opened the box and have room to put ballots in or take them out.”

Deer caught in net put down by authorities

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

A deer wandered into the city limits of Clay on Monday, which did not end well for the animal.

According to Webster County Conservation Officer Josh Gunn, witnesses saw the animal running near the city park on Monday when it became entangled in a neat used for batting practice.

Gunn said authorities tried to free the animal, however, the more it struggled the worse it’s antlers became entangled in the net. In the end they had no choice but to put the deer down.

Clay Council holds first meeting at new Fire Station

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Clay City Council held their October meeting last week following the open house at the newly constructed Clay Fire Department. 

Local minister announces retirement following 43 year career

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Dr. Bob Hardison, pastor of Sebree First Baptist church will retire from full-time ministry following services on November 2, 2014, 35 years from the same weekend he began his ministry at the church in 1979.

Webster Food Services named #1 in the state for best practices

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Webster County Food Services was honored on Tuesday by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for having the ‘#1 Best Practices’ in the state of Kentucky.

In the 21 years that the USDA has been presenting the award to school districts, Webster County is the first district from Kentucky to be nominated for the award.

AT&T donates $5,000 to Providence Food Bank

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Since opening in 2012, the Providence Community Food Bank has relied heavily on donations and volunteers to help assist Webster County residents in need. Time and time again the community has come through for the organization, whether it be by lending a helping hand or by donating funds.

In the last week the organization has received three sizeable donations. The largest came on Monday, when a representative of one of the largest corporations in the state presented food bank director Chip Palmer with a check for $5,000.

WCHS graduate leading small but growing manufactureing company

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Par 4 Plastics, located in Marion, Kentucky, is a plastic injection molding facility that manufactures specialty parts for various companies, including Remington and Marlin Firearms, Siemens, Nissan, Honda, Ford and GM. At the helm of the company is President Tim Capps, a 1987 of Webster County High School.

Capps, the son of a coal miner, grew up on Highway 132 between Dixon and Clay.

Tapp reappointed to US Soybean Board

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Sebree area farmer Keith Tapp has been reappointed to the United Soybean Board by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Providence festival to feature local recording artist

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

When the Annual Providence Uptown Fall Festival kicks off this Saturday, it will feature live music from a pair of local musicians. Cousins Ben and Chris Knight will split time on the stage between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Slaughters native Chris Knight’s story isn’t your typical singer/song writer story. He didn’t start writing songs until he was 26 and did not start performing until he was 30. He signed his first record deal at the age of 37.

Boat pilot sets sale for retirement after 57 year career

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Most people aren’t aware that any commercial shipping is done by water Webster County, but coal barges have been moving in and out of the Sebree area for years. For more than forty years one man has been at the center of that little known industry, but Friday, October 3, 2014 is expected to be his last day in the pilot house as he begins his well deserved retirement.

John ‘Johnny’ Fulkerson has worked almost continuously as a boat pilot in Webster County for more than four decades. For the last eleven years he has served as pilot of the Eva Sue at Steamport Dock, the facility that loads coal barges for Sebree Mine (formerly Advent Mine) near Onton.

Band qualifies for post season competition

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Wearing karate gi instead of traditional uniforms and marching atop a tatami mat without an evident field commander, the Webster County High School band has changed the way we look at marching bands. The change seems to have paid off as the Trojans finished second overall in competition on Saturday at Hopkins Central and qualified for regional post season competition with their show entitled “Ninja”.

KSP looking for suspect considered 'armed and dangerous'

On September 24, 2014, Kentucky State Police troopers conducted a search warrant of a residence in rural Union County. During the execution of the search warrant, Kentucky State Police detectives and troopers located illegal firearms, ammunition, methamphetamine and methamphetamine trafficking materials and related equipment.

Clay residents facing one very foul smelling invader

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

The city of Clay is facing one very smelly problem.

“I’ve been talked to about a skunk problem,” said Mayor Rick Householder. “People want to know what we can do about it. We’ve even had a lady come to meetings and talk about that in the past, but there is nothing we can do as a city.”

The J-E purchased by Kentucky New Era

The Journal-Enterprise, which has been owned by the Hust family for the past 52 years, is being sold to a family-owned newspaper group in Hopkinsville.

Charlie Hust, managing editor, said the sale to the Kentucky New Era will be effective Oct. 1. 

Sebree council to allow electronic signs within the city

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

Sebree City Council approved two ordinance amendments during the last week that will make it possible for electronic message signs to now be used within the city, although only if they meet very narrow specifications. The move is aimed at granting a request made by the Sebree First Christian Church earlier this year.

Webster County’s Historical Society welcomes 'Grandpa Jones'

Webster County’s Historical Society and The Kentucky Humanities Council will present their second annual Kentucky Chautauqua performance at the Dixon Community Center, starting at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 25, 2014.

Local groups keeps quilting tradition alive

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

The art of quilting has faded from everyday life, but one group of ladies in the community of Onton is keeping that art alive with a weekly quilting session. They’ve also used their passion for quilting to raise over $30,000 for charity.

Local festival to bring "The Walking Dead" to Providence

Those who attend The Providence Literary Festival on September 13 at the Providence VFW will be a part of history in the making. Not only will they have the chance to meet a NY Times Bestselling Author, they will also have the chance to listen as the author himself presents the world premiere first reading of his book “The Walking Dead: Descent” a month before it is released to the public.

Local WWII hero and POW honored in Madisonville

by MATT HUGHES

J-E News Editor

The generation that won World War II has long been called ‘the greatest generation’ because the men and women who lived through that era fought, struggled and suffered to overcome adversity and to defeat an enemy like no other we had ever seen.

Last Tuesday night a member of that generation was honored in a ceremony held at the old railroad depot in Madisonville by the Hopkins County Historical Society. He is a man who knows more about suffering and struggles than most of us can ever fathom. He spent 27 months in a German prisoner of war camp that he will never forget.