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Licking Valley Courier - 4.3.26 · Eastern Kentucky Newspapers

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Speaker 1: We now turn to the Licking Valley Courier to bring
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you news from in and around West Liberty. Your reader
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today is Janice. We begin with the addition dated Thursday,
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April second, twenty twenty six. As a reminder, RADIOI is
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a reading service intended for people who are blind or
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have other disabilities that make it difficult to reprinted material.
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Our first article today is DAV to elect officers at
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April third meeting. Morgan County DAV Chapter one thirty two
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will hold its monthly meeting Friday, April the third, at
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seven pm in the Morgan County Fiscal Court Meeting Room.
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Final officer nominations will be taken from the floor. Officers
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will be elected from the new slate. We will discuss
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the April events including the Little League, Kawana's Pancake Flip,
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the Rotary Club political Forum, and van leaving time for
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the District seven meeting to be held in the Nott
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County Sportsplex. Every veteran's input is valuable. Hope to see
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you there. Emily Elam, adjunct, Chapter one thirty two, District
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seven cmdr I Guess Commander okay. Our next article is
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Rotary Clubs set to host political forum April ninth. Join
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us for the West Liberty Rotary Club's political forum on Thursday,
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April ninth at the Morgan County Board of Education. Registration
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will be at five thirty pm and the event will
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begin at six pm. All candidates have been invited to attend.
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There is no charge for admission. A cake pie auction
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will be held during the event. Please take this opportunity
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to hear the platforms on your candidates. Contact Rotitarian Cheryl J.
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McGraw at six oh six five I mean three five
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nine twenty seven nineteen for additional information. Our next article
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is Kowana's Club Easter Egg Hunt Pancake Flip slated Saturday
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April fourth. Easter egg Hunt at Old Mill Park, Pancake
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flip at West Liberty Christian Church. The West Liberty Kowanas
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Club will be hosting its annual Easter festivities on Saturday,
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April fourth in downtown West Liberty Easter Egg Hunt. The
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twenty twenty six West Liberty Kuwanas Club Easter Egg Hunt
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will be Saturday April fourth at Old Mill Park. Times
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are as follows one pm, Ages two through five, one
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fifteen pm, Ages six through twelve. Bring your basket and
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enjoy family fun with lucky eggs in great prizes. Pancake Flip.
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The annual Kawanas Pancake Flip, presented by the Morgan County
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Little League, will be Saturday, April fourth in the West
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Liberty Christian Church Basement. The event will be from seven
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am to twelve pm. Meal prices are seven dollars pre
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sale or ten dollars at the door. Pre sale tickets
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are available by contacting Mark Johnson at six six four
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five nine fifty three four. Come out and join us
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for this special annual event. Our next article is Extension
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Homemakers Scholarship offered limited thirty six years ago by the
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Morgan No I'm sorry, It's initiated thirty six years ago
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by the Morgan County Extension Homemakers Executive Council. A county
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wide fundraising project of selling fresh crop pecans, has made
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monies available for special scholarship. Proceeds from the pecan sales
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are used to offer five hundred thousand dollars scholarship each
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year to Morgan County High School senior In addition to
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having fresh pecans for the holiday giving and baking purchasing
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the Pacans from the Extension Homemakers has provided some financial
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assistance to a deserving Morgan County student annually. This scholarship
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may be applied to any post high school training course,
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trade school, vocational technical school, as well as for any
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two or four year college. It is not limited to
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those in family and consumer sciences related studies. Any Morgan
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County High School senior student, male or female is eligible
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to apply. Scholarship ability is just one of the criteria
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used in selecting the recipient each applicant. Applicant must also
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give a teacher reference who submits a letter as a
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students as to the student's attitude, honesty, and perseverance and
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likelihood for success. These are important factors in selecting the recipient.
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A transcript, five hundred word autobiography and a photograph must
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be submitted with the application. Each applicant may be interviewed
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by the members of the Scholarship and Morgan Homemaker Executive
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Council representatives at times to be determined after applications are
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received at the Morgan County Extension Service located at one
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thousand and two Preston Burke Street. Any student interested in
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applying for this extension Homemaker Scholarship may attain the application
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for Morgan County Cooperative Extension Service, Morgan County Public Library,
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or the Morgan County High School Guidance Office. Deadline for
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applications is May first, twenty twenty six. For further information
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pertaining to this scholarship, contact Morgan County Extension Office at
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even three thirty two ninety two or stop by the
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office located at one thousand and two Prestenburgh Street. Pardon me.
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Our next article is Artist Reception at Wellness Center set
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for April ninth. Art created by students from Morgan County
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High School is currently featured in the gallery at the
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Morgan County Wellness and New Center. The public is invited
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to stop by and see drawings and paintings created by
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these talented young artists. The exhibit will be on display
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at the end of April and artist reception will be
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held from four to six pm Thursday, April ninth at
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the Wellness Center. Every Body is invited to come out
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and support our local artist. Our next article is local
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man is arrested on six outstanding warrants. Sheriff says Jeff Collins,
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forty three, will face additional charges related to evidence fail
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during arrest. The Morgan County Sheriff's Office arrested a local
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man on numerous charges on the afternoon of Monday, March
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thirtieth in the Easel community. Sheriff Craig Motley told the
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Courier that he had received an anonymous tip that Jeffrey Collins,
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forty three, of Eazel, was traveling on Meetinghouse Branch Road.
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The sheriff located Collins, who was wanted on several outstanding warrants,
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and detained him until Deputy Sean Pack arrived at the scene.
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A search for collins vehicle yielded suspected methamphetamine, a small
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quantity of marijuana, and a handgun. Collins was subsequently arrested
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on six outstanding warrants, which included the following offenses probation violation, felony,
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non payment of fines three counts, one indictment warrant for burglary,
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third degree theft by unlawful taking under one hundred thousand
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I mean I'm under one thousand dollars, persistent felony offender,
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first degree probation violation, misdemeanor. Additionally, Collins will pardon me
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face charges in the connection of two evidence that was
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discovered during his arrest. Collins was launched in the Rowan
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County Detention Center. The case remains under investigation by Deputy
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Sean Pike of the Morgan County Sheriff's Office. Our next
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article is Fiscal Court. Here's presentation on safe Haven baby
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box lick Fork Pentecostal Church pastor and congregation Highway five
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nineteen volunteer Fire Department chief spearheading effort to install newborn
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safety device locally by Miranda M. Cantrell. The Morgan County
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Fiscal Court during a regular March twenty sixth meeting, heard
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a presentation from multiple individuals involved in an effort to
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place a safe Haven newborn safety device in a local
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fire department. Safe Haven presentation. Judge Executive Jim Gasey asked
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Highway five nineteen Fire Department Chief Drexel Patrick, State Representative
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Bill Wesley, and Lickfork Pentecostal Church Pastor Jonathan Sergeant to
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discuss the safe Haven initiative. As you guys might know,
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there is a safe Haven Act that allows the placement
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of baby boxes in certain facilities, Gaisey said. Mister Wesley
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has been working on this with Pastor Sergeant in Drexel.
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I'll be there telling us what's going on. The safe
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Haven legislation cited by Judge Gaysey is Kentucky's Representative John J.
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Birch Safe Infants Act, which allows parents to safely surrender
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infants under thirty days old anonymously to designate it safe
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places and subsequently protects them from prosecution Wesley. Representative Wesley
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prefaced his remarks by noting that he is a member
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of Kentucky General Assembly's Pro Life Caucus, which seeks to
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install safe haven boxes throughout the commonwealth. We're trying to
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give Morgan County a gift, Wesley said, Hopefully we can
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get the box in at Highway five nineteen Fire Department.
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We had a little meeting before trying to work out
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details at Lickfork Pentecostal Church. We asked Patrick, pastor sergeant,
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if he would spearhead that project over here in Morgan County. Also,
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your county judge came down to the meeting trying to
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help us along with that. State Representative Richard White wasn't
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able to tonight, but he's also going to help us.
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Representative Wesley counted on a recent Olsley County incident in
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which a teenage mother disposed of her newborn child, and
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indicated that the case was pardon me, the catalyst for
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his desire to install more safe haven boxes in eastern Kentucky.
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In Olsley County, there is no safe haven box. Wesley said,
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what happened to this young girl? Fear gripped her and
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she took that baby and threw it over a hillside,
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So that so that sparked a fire in some of
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us who live in eastern Kentucky to place something in
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each county. Representative Wesley introduced Highway five nineteen Fire Department
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Chief Drexel Patrick, who thanked the legislator for his project efforts.
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When Bill came up with this and asked me about it,
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I thought it was one of the best things I
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heard of in a long time. Patrick said, it's a
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shame for these babies and young women to be put
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in that spot. This way, at least someone can take
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the babies and raise them and give them a good home.
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I'll turn it over to Jonathan Pastor. Jonathan Sergeant of
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Lickfork Pentecostal Church told the court that questions remain about
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whether the safe Haven box can be put in a
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volunteer fire department. However, a little while ago, we thought
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this was a done deal, Sergeant said, As of right now,
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we're not one hundred percent sure. It might have to
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be in a place that's got someone on staff. Twenty
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four hours, Pastor Sergeant further discussed a mission trip he
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and members of his congregation took to Mexico, which he
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strengthened their resolve to help children in various capacities before
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asking the court's support in the safe Haven initiative. I'll
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just ask you all to let this go through, Sergeant said.
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The thing is they say, well, we're hopefully it will
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never be used. Maybe it won't, but if it was
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ever used one time, it will be a worthwhile cause.
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Judge Gayzey told Pastor Sergeant that the Court had approved
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a resolution in support of the safe Haven initiatives in
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twenty twenty four. You're good to go from the county side,
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Gayzy said, this court already took care of that. Representative
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Wesley asked if the group could address the court in
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regard to a different location if the fire department is
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not in compliance with state law. If that doesn't work,
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another location is already to go. Gazy said that organization
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will take the box. They've got their own board and
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they can take it, and they are a man twenty
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four hours. Judge Gayze's remarks were met with applause from
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the audience, including several men members the Lickfork Pentecostal Church,
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as well as project donor and entrepreneur Thomas Hazlet of Nashville, Tennessee.
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Other visitors Thomas Haslet. Representative Wesley introduced Thomas Haslett, a
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Johnson County native who reportedly pledged sixteen thousand dollars to
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the Safe Haven Project. Haslet discussed his company, valor Flex,
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which he has technology to convert natural gas into diesel fuel, ethanol,
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aviation fuel, and more. He indicated that his business is
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expanding into Kentucky from Nashville, Tennessee, where he currently resides,
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and he hopes to eventually bring high wage jobs to
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eastern Kentucky. He noted that valor Flex. Valor Flex will
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host a grand opening event in Lexington on July thirteenth.
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Alisha Webb Edgington Alisha web Edgington of Covington gave a
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presentation regarding Life Learning Center an organization that focuses on
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assess a pardon me assisting previously incarcerated individuals in re
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entering the workforce. Edgington, a former Kentucky State Police trooper
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and a federal diplomat, announced that the organization would be
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opening an office and morehead in partnership with UK Saint Clair.
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More information regarding Life Learning Center can be found at
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www dot Life Learningcenter dot us. Leonard Atkins before a
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German local resident, Leonard Atkins, told the court about the
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obstruction of a convert on rail road fork allegedly caused
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by another resident in the neighborhood. Judge Gaysey told Atkins
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that the Road Department Foreman Shaan Ratliffe is documenting the
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obstruction and subsequent damage, and County Attorney Miles Holbrook said
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that a warning would be delivered to the offending individual.
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Judge Kaysey announced several upcoming county and state road projects
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approved in Morgan County over the next several years. In
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twenty twenty seven, improvement of Kentucky twenty four ninety eight
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from Highway four to sixty intersection to Morgan County RH
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eight million, seven hundred ninety thousand dollars resurfacing of Centerville
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Road two hundred thirty nine thousand, Big Mandy Road two
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hundred and fifty eight thousand, Pleasant Run two hundred sixty
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seven thousand, Lick Branch one hundred ninety eight thousand, and
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Ryan Road twenty twenty nine. Reconstruction of Kentucky seven from
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mile point five point six to five nineteen intersection, Kentucky
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four thirty seven bridge repairs, Kentucky twelve sixty address conditions
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from mile point zero to two point eight. Highway four
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to sixty. Improved safety from ten eighty one to Macgoffin
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County Line twenty twenty nine through thirty two Highway four
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sixty planning assessment in two thousand and thirty Kentucky eight
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eighty two address conditions from mile point zero to two
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point zero five and twenty twenty nine through twenty thirty
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two Highway four to sixty improved safety from Menifee County
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to mile point zero point eight. The Judge Executive also
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gave an update on old Highway one seventy two repairs,
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noting that the project was funded last year, but the
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FEMA contractors must pard me. But FEMA contractors must fix
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a slip before black topping, which is scheduled for this year.
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Judge gayze also told the court that the county has
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received grants for the following projects. Recycling Grant. The county
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has received approximately six hundred ninety six thousand from EPA
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Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling program, which will which will
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include a box truck, four trailers and a place at
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collection sites, twenty five collapsible bult storage containers, a skid steer,
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and more. The skid steer can also be used for
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other work. Wildfire Grant, a federal Community Wildfire Protection Plan
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application that was previously submitted has been approved. Judge Gayzey
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said that the development, regional and county fire plans are
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required in order for local fire departments to receive firefighting
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equipment that can be used for wildfires and other fires.
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Other grand applications submissions. Judge Gaysey said that he has
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submitted grant application to Gateway Area Development District for several
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other projects, including five million dollars in improvements at the
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Morgan County Fairgrounds. After discussions with the Fairboard and Gateway
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Area Development District officials. Development of a multiple purpose sports
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field adjacent to the extension office where the old drive
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in theater was located in the past, and a new
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EMS building to also include various improvements and a tactical
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training center for law enforcement officers and first responders. During
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the Treasurer's report, Judge Gaysey discussed the issue of rising
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jail calls, which he said currently totaled four hundred and
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eighty thousand dollars for Morgan County as counties throughout Kentucky
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continued to pay fees for long term state inmates who
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are serving time in county jails. A bill currently being
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debated by the Kentucky General Assembly House Bill five fifty seven,
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was originally written to reimburse counties for those costs, but
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Judge Gayze stated that recent changes to the legislation would
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direct payments to jails instead of county governments. Judge Executive
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and Sheriff Greig Motley expressed displeasure at the change, and
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Judge Gaysey urged the public to contact State Representative Richard White,
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State Senator Brandon Smith, and other state legislators about the issue.
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There is a lot of good we could do for
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our communities with four hundred and eighty thousand dollars, Gayze
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said of the potential savings if county reimbursements are approved
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in the legislation. Judge Gaysey also asked for Eastern Kentucky
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Correctional Complex Warden David Green to speak on the matter.
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Green indicated that the state prison's inmate medical expenses are
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covered by the Medicaid and suggests that the county officials
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researched this possibility for county jail inmates personnel matters before adjournment.
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Judge Gaysey announced that the longtime office employee, Vicki Lewis,
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who serves as his executive assistant as well as financial
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officer and Fiscal Court clerk, retires on April thirtieth due
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to health issues. Judge Gayzy requested the Court approve the
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emergency hiring of Laryn Robbins, and employee of Commercial Banks
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Loan Processing Department, to fill Lewis's vacancy and begin training
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ahead of the upcoming audit. The Court approved Robin's hiring,
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as well as those of Catherine Roseberry, Riley Bowman, and
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to feel unexpected vacancies at the Wellness Center. Judge Gaysey
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thanked Lewis for her service to the county and welcome
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Robbins to the county government. A complete listing of all
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items approved during the March twenty sixth meeting can be
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found elsewhere in this edition. Next article is eight Morgan
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County churches participate in the annual Bible Reading Marathon event
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by Jamie Bronck. The tenth annual Bible Reading Marathon was
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successfully conducted over the weekend of March twenty seventh through
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the twenty ninth, with eight different churches fielding reading teams
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for the fourteen watches that compromised the event, in addition
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to a significant number of individuals who volunteered to read
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as well. The following churches were involved. West Liberty Christian Church,
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Salem Christian Church, Bethany Baptist two Watches, Index Community Church,
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to Pine Grove Community Church, Principeace Catholic Church, Westleberty Methodist Church,
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two Abundant Life Church of God. Over the course of
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the weekend, the New Testament of the Bible was read
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through in its entirety twice. The event began at six
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am on Friday, finishing at midnight that night. There was
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a short time of reading on Saturday morning from six
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to eight am to complete the first New Testament run through,
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picking it up at Matthew chapter one, verse one at
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noon on Saturday, individuals read consecutively until midnight again. The
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last stretch began at noon on Sunday, then concluded with
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the Revelations chapter twenty two, verse twenty one at eight pm.
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With fourteen three hour watches divided into twelve fifteen minute sections,
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there were one hundred and sixty eight slots to fill.
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While there were a number of persons who read for
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thirty minutes and some who took part on more than
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one watch, it is estimated that approximately one hundred and
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twenty to one hundred and thirty persons were involved. Why
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tackle this task, organizers would respond that there is a
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spiritual power in the word of God. The mere act
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of reading the scriptures over West Liberty and Morgan County
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is an action of calling upon the Lord to honor
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his word and to help bring about revival in our community.
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In addition, there are examples from the Old Testament where
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spiritual leaders such as Moses, Josiah, and Ezra read God's
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word over a gathered assembly. And finally, we believe that
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the BRM is an opportunity to express Christian unity and
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gathered faith in God in a simple public fashion. BMR
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Court Nator Jamie Brown expressed joy especially regarding the significant
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number of persons who found the courage to read the
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scriptures loud out loud in a public meeting for the
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first time in their lives. For someone who has never
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spoken in the public, the BMR was simple and in
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many cases profound step of faith for those who did so.
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Thank you to the City of West Liberty for the
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opportunities to once again do Bible Reading Marathon in the
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city Council Chambers on Main Street. It is dubbed the
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Upper Room, so called after the setting of Jesus' last
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supper with his disciples for those three days. Thank you
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to the Mountain Rule Telephone Company for broadcasting the event
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over CABLESPREE Channel fifty four. They have done so for
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every year for the duration of the BMR. Appreciation is
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expressed to Jonathan Keaton for setting down, up and taking
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down the equipment keeping tabs on the event throughout the weekend.
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Thank you to the Morgan County Ministerial Association for sponsoring
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the Bible Reading Marathon. The Pastors of the Sea I
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mean the pastors of the MCMA encourage all Morgan County
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residents to attend worship regularly and most especially during this
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Easter season. Our next article is Senior Citizen's Menu Thursday,
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April second, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli, whole grain, white roll, margarine,
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fresh fruit, one percent milk. Friday, April the third, closed
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good Friday Monday April the sixth, Roasted pork tenderloin, whole grain,
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white roll, apple cobbler, cake, whip, potatoes, lima beans one
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percent milk. Tuesday, April the seventh, cheeseburger deluxe, clementine, mandarin,
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fresh fish, maybe, baked potato, chips, peas and pearl onions
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one percent milk. Wednesday, April eighth, salmon, Patty's sweet peas,
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frieda apples, margarin, ff sour cream one percent milk, whole grain,
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white roll, baked potato, m tg. Thursday, bean with ham,
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ham soup, corn bread, margarine, one percent milk, red grapes,
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chocolate chip, cookie, and cook cabbage. Our next article is
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Kentucky's springest day of the year, April seventh. By the
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time late winter rolls around, a lot of Americans start
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looking for signs that spring is finally on the way.
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The calendar might say it begins in March, but most
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people know that real turning point comes later that the
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first stretch of mild air, longer evenings, and trees suddenly
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filling with leaves again. Curious about when that moment actually
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happens around the country, travel company Exotica look at when
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each state tends to experience its most convincingly springlight conditions,
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the point when the season really starts to feel settled
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in rather than just beginning to work it out. Researchers
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started with the spring equinox on March twenty first. This
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date marks the officials start of spring from the astronomical
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point of view. This concludes excerpts from the recent editions
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of Licking Valley Courier. Your reader has been Janus on
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behalf of everyone here at RADIOI thank you for listening,
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keep on listening, and I hope you have a very
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good day.