Logan County High School graduate Brooke Cowan White was the focal point of photographer Jodi Camp’s lead picture in a recent issue of the Todd County Standard. Well, maybe not. A piglet named Ringo was pretty prominent, too.
White, who recently married another LCHS alum, Adam White, is the ag teacher at Todd County Central High School. She ‘won’ the election among student voters as to which teacher they would most likely to pucker up with a pig’s snout as the prize.
Matt Guinn held the precocious piglet. Always a good sport, Brooke seemed not to mind the smooch at all. It was a fundraiser for a good cause.
Here are some other honors earned by local folks:
The LoJo
The Mary Hope Henry Scholarship was established by the late Mary Hope Henry to assist a Russellville High School student who has shown a great devotion, love, and dedication to improving his or her musical talents and who desires to further their education in music. On Tuesday, April 21, Russellville Independent School Board of Education Members approved the following RJSHS graduates to be the recipients of the Mary Hope Henry Scholarship. They are: Christopher Allpress, Joseph Bryce Duncan, Jason Fox, Jeffrey Fox, Sarah Elizabeth Fox, Hannah Miller, and Lauren Taylor Swallows.
The LoJo
The 2015 RHS Prom was held at the Historic Train Depot in Bowling Green. This year’s prom theme was “The Roaring Twenties” and the depot provided a naturally beautiful location for this special evening.
Principal Kim McDaniel says, “A special thanks to Senior Coordinator Lauren Fynboe for the work and efforts she put into to making this a special event for our students. We would also like to thank Mrs. Ashley McGinnis, Ms. Jessie Baker and Ms. Jennifer Dyson for helping ensure our students had this experience. Congratulations to our Prom King and Queen, Dakota Bratcher and Breann Thomas, as they were chosen by our students for this honor. A wonderful, fun night was had by our students and we have already started thinking about next year’s event!!
The LoJo
Russellville has added these seniors to its College and Career Readiness list for this school year. They are Connor Clark, Hannah Boisseau, Yasmine Moore, Eduardo Rodriguez and Mykah Wilerson.
The LoJo
Three RHS graduates are among 30 WKU students who have been selected for scholarships to be applied toward tuition for Study Away and Faculty-Led Study Abroad courses taken during Summer Sessions 2015.
Two of them are brother-sister. Jason Fox will study The Climate Change Challenge in Iceland. Sarah Fox has returned from the WKU Chorale Performance Tour of Spain.
Sydney Herndon will study Student Response as part of Art of Italy.
The LoJo
The WKU chapter of Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society inducted 36 at its Spring 2015 Induction Ceremony May 7 at the Downing Student Union. One of them was Tamala Wellman of Russellville
The oldest and largest freshman honor society, Phi Eta Sigma encourages and rewards academic excellence among freshmen in institutions of higher learning. To be eligible for membership, full-time freshmen must earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 in at least one semester and rank in the upper 20 percent of their class.
Induction into the Society is an outward recognition of academic accomplishment and serves as an incentive for continued high scholarship. Induction confers lifetime membership.
The LoJo
As previously reported, Sarah Fox of Russellville was named Ogden Scholar at WKU, which is the equivalent of valedictorian. Fox, a music and history double major, Honors College graduate, is the daughter of Brian and Susan Fox.
Also honored was John Corum of Auburn, an English and religious studies double major, Honors College graduate and son of Allen and Tammy Corum.
Christopher Allpress was Performer of the Semester at Western Kentucky University in May. This means that he was voted by the faculty as the Best Performer of student musicians for this semester. He is the son of John and Susan Allpress of Russellville.
The LoJo
The WKU Chapter of the Omicron Delta Epsilon International Honor Society for Economics inducted 26 students during its annual initiation banquet held Monday, April 13, 2015 at the Augenstein Alumni Center.
These inductees join college students in 681 chapters across the world in recognition of scholastic achievement in the discipline of economics.
Featured speaker was Dr. Talina Matthews, director of the Division of Energy Generation, Transmission and Distribution in the Department of Energy, Development and Independence, housed in the Kentucky Cabinet for Energy and Environment.
“Qualifying for and accepting membership in ODE is a way students can reward themselves for their own hard work and dedication to their studies,” said Dr. Cathy Carey, chair of the Department of Economics. “It also tells employers and graduate schools that these students are at the top of their class.”
Logan County High School graduate Savannah Larson was one of the honorees.
The LoJo
Two Logan County women attended funeral services at the Ryman Auditorium for new Country Music Hall of Fame member Jim Ed Brown. Attending were Linda Hatler and Sue Wood.
Lewisburg School Hall of Famer Fadocia Annette Nole Hall shared a picture of her with Jim Ed in the Green Room on an evening when he was performing at the Renaissance Center in Nashville. Her husband and fellow former WSMV-TV reporter Steve Hall took the picture.
The LoJo
Russellville High School and Belmont University graduate Robin Foster has accepted a position in Donor Relations at Eastern Virginia Medical School.
The LoJo
WKU’s Department of Agriculture hosted 26 students at the ASSET (Agriculture Students Striving for Effective Tomorrows) Conference June 14-18.
The five-day conference is designed for students who have completed their junior year of high school and are interested in attending college and studying agriculture. The conference focused on activities that consist of leadership, communication and social development; making the most of a college experience; and created awareness of the opportunities within the agriculture industry.
Activities included visiting Diamond C Produce, touring the WKU Farm, learning problem-solving skills at the WKU Challenge Course, and participating in labs that covered topics including animal science, beekeeping, floral design and electricity.
ASSET Counselors included Thomas Poole of Auburn, a former LCHS FFA leader who is now a student in the Ag Department at WKU.
ASSET participants included Abby Arnold of Lewisburg; Kenton Howard of Lewisburg; Morgan Hunt of Elkton; and Hilary Vaughn of Auburn.
The LoJo
University of Louisville senior Victoria Allen of Auburn has been named a 2015 John Lewis Fellow.
The John Lewis Fellowship, hosted by Humanity in Action and The National Center for Civil and Human Rights Inc., was awarded to just 30 college students and recent graduates from around the globe.
Allen, a history and political science double major, will take part in daily lectures and discussions with renowned academics, politicians and activists. The July 5-Aug. 1 program in Atlanta is for scholars interested in history, diversity and civil rights. Scholars were selected for the fellowship based on academic standing, civic leadership and recommendations.
“Receiving the Lewis Fellowship is the first concrete step toward my personal and professional future,” said Allen. “The academic aspect of discussing diversity and minority rights in the United States will be critical to my future in law and as an advocate for social justice.”
Allen is president of UofL’s Student Government Association, a Woodford R. Porter scholar, a McConnell Scholar and has earned other academic and professional accolades, including being selected as a national campaign ambassador for Harvard’s Institute of Politics.
She is a 2012 graduate of Bowling Green High School and the daughter of Jennifer Allen of Auburn.
The LoJo
Some Logan Countians and former residents were among nominees for the 2015 Volunteer of the Year Awards in this area.
Nominated for the Rookie Award were attorney Walter Hawkins, whose Hawkins Law Office is involved in Community Education, Heather Lawson Hawkins, a banker who helps Kids on the Block, and the Red Cross Disaster Relief Team of Dickie Carter, Marie Gamble, Steve Timberlake, Mike Humble, Terry Lamb and Joe O’Neal.
The LoJo
A feature story in the Daily News of Bowling Green about Olmstead School was headlined “Small School, Big Success—Rural School Earns Accolades.” Reporter Deborah Highland’s article. It dealt with Olmstead’s successes academically, having been named a Kentucky School to Watch four times between 2005 and 2014.
It also dealt with the “feeling of family,” as exemplified by student Anthony Dancer talking about how the school has eased his concerns about his dad’s military duties.
Instead of talking about the school’s success in extracurricular activities—highlighted by winning both the girls and boys county basketball tournament championships this year (the girls’ fifth straight title), Highland told about trips to Land Between the Lakes to learn survival and team-building activities and Alabama to see a performance of To Kill a Mockingbird,
Among those mentioned were Principal Ben Kemplin and teachers Catherine Taylor and Laura Milam along with students Blayke Bingham, Campbell Hamilton and Brennan Christmas. Pictured were teacher Andrea Wood and student Abigail Henderson.
The LoJo
Honored upon her retirement recently was Logan County Treasurer Elaine Jenkins, who has been in that position for 21 years. She was appointed by former Judge-Executive Johnny Guion and was retained by his successor Judge-Executive Logan Chick, who is in his second term.
She is being succeeded as treasurer by Amanda Warren, who has served for several years as a deputy in the judge’s office.
The LoJo
Harris Dockins is the newest member of the board of directors of East Logan Water District. He succeeds long-time chairman Bill Stokes, who led the utility to unprecedented growth and success for about a quarter of a century.
Dockins is a former two-term magistrate on Logan Fiscal Court and was deeply involved in the formation of the Logan Todd Regional Water Commission.
He joins Carroll Browning and Loyd Houchens as board members. Charles Kelly ‘C.K.’ Hanks has been manager of the water service since 1984.
The LoJo
The shooting deaths in Charleston, S.C. two weeks ago have dominated the news and created much debate on how states should handle racial issues and American history.
Kelley Ashby Paul, a Russellville native who is the wife of Presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul of Bowling Green, spoke in Charleston the day before the shooting, according to the Daily News of Bowling Green.
Daily News reporter Alyssa Harvey interviewed several people who knew Kelley as a student in the Russellville schools before she became nationally known. Among those quoted were Lally Riley McLean, Kelley Smith Steenbergen, Shelly Smith Dillard, Allison Baker, Alicia Stivers and Bobbie Jean Burnett.
Kelley Paul is the daughter of Hilton and Lillian Ashby of Russellville.