Preliminary statistics indicate that 11 people died in five separate crashes on Kentucky roadways during the Christmas holiday period beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday, December 21, extending through Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012 at 11:59 p.m.

First application cut-off period for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) applications will be January 18, 2013.

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Kentucky is encouraging landowners, farmers and producers to visit their local NRCS office now to receive information and apply for conservation technical assistance and possible financial funding opportunities.

The application process for NRCS’s conservation programs is continuous, but funding selections are made at specific times throughout the year. The Kentucky NRCS first application cutoff period date for consideration for 2013 funds is January 18, 2013. Applications received after January 18, 2013, will be held until the next application cut off period, which will be April 19, 2013.

Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer announced today that the ‘Cram the Cruiser’ food drive netted 105,148 pounds (52.6 tons) of food statewide.

Brewer challenged each post to promote the campaign in an effort to give back to their local communities.  In 2011, the statewide campaign collected 50,931 pounds of food. The ten-day 2012 campaign indicates a 106 percent increase over what the agency did last year.

As we celebrate the holidays and get ready for the new year, many of us may find ourselves taking a moment to recall the positive things in our lives.

Statewide, there has been some good news in recent months worth noting. The job market overall is looking somewhat better, with the state’s unemployment rate down, and we’re working on improving the economy here in our legislative district.

A national ranking this year showed us doing well among the states in the number of new start-up companies, and the news channel CNBC recently reported that Kentucky has the lowest cost of doing business.  Both of these point to a promising 2013.

Beyond our economy, good news can be found at our schools as well. Early this year, the respected “Education Week” magazine put Kentucky 14th among the states in its “Quality Counts” report, which measures academic progress.

In the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, the national charity of the Better Business Bureau, cautions donors about potential red flags in fund raising to help Newtown and to be aware of the different circumstances that often emerge in tragedy-related philanthropy.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance urges donors to give thoughtfully and avoid those seeking to take advantage of the generosity of others. Here are “Ten Tips for Giving with Confidence.”

Is Santa bringing you or someone in your family an upgraded tablet or smartphone this holiday season?  If so, we have a great idea for your old devices!!

The Pendleton County School District is in the process of a yearlong Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) pilot initiative in which we are encouraging students to bring their own Wi-Fi enabled computing device into the district to use in class as an instructional tool. The pilot began at the beginning of the school year for grades 4-12.

As the pilot has progressed, however, we've found that many students in the district do not HAVE a personal computing device to bring in and use. Some of those students, no doubt, will receive a tablet or smartphone as a present over the holidays, as these are hot items on many people's lists, but there will still be a fairly large number of students who do NOT have a device of their own when school resumes in January.

That's where the community can help out! The district is asking for anyone in the community who UPGRADES a smart phone or tablet in the near future to consider donating your old device to the Pendleton County School District. Compared to your new device, the old one might not seem like much of a treasure, but if it can access Wi-Fi, students and teachers in the district can utilize it in class as a learning tool.

And here's the really exciting part for some people: These donations are tax deductible! That's right. If you itemize your tax deductions, you can 1) get rid of a piece of technological "junk," 2) keep the device out of a landfill, where the battery would most likely poison the ground, 3) save money on your taxes AND 4) help the school district educate children in an interactive way!

So consider making a tax-deductible donation of a gently used smart phone or tablet today. Devices can be dropped off at any school.  Please make sure to include the charger with the device so we can continue to use them.  Please do not send in broken phones or personal devices.  We are also not able to take old computers and/or monitors.

Finally, if you don't have an old smart phone or tablet to donate to the district, maybe someone you know does! The teachers and students of the Pendleton County School District thank you.

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By Roger McKinney, Reporter

After City Attorney Henry (Skip) Watson III gave a second reading to the Urban Farming Ordinance, which approved the raising of domestic fowl within city limits, a roll call vote was taken Jason Gregg-(Yes), Gary Askin-(No), Mary Ann Pittman-(No), Darryl Ammerman-(No), Stan Love-(No) and Ernie Richie-(No). Thus, the ordinance was defeated by a vote of five over one.

By Roger McKinney, Reporter

The fiscal court approved the appointments of Christina Monroe and Jean Rapp to the UK Extension Board and the appointment of Steve Ammerman to the Industrial Authority Board.

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor.

This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by Americans hands.

Yes there is!

Hisel Bonnick of Neave-Milford Road, Falmouth, was traveling on Highway 22 towards town in a green Chevrolet pick-up truck around 8:15 a.m. the morning of September 26 when she flipped her vehicle and her hand was severely crushed during the accident.

A young woman was traveling the opposite direction from Falmouth en route to Maysville for college. She stopped and administered first-aid to Bonnick by tying off her wrist and stopping the bleeding.

Bonnick was unable to be air cared that morning and had to be transported to Maysville and then later to University of Cincinnati.  During the chaos that ensued, Bonnick never did get a chance to thank the young lady who stopped to help or even get her name.

If not for her quick action, the result of her injuries could have been worse than what was already sustained.

Bonnick is now looking for the female that helped her that fateful morning. If she or someone else who can identify the young woman reads this, please contact Bonnick at 606-735-9219.

"I just want to thank her personally for everything she did to help," said Bonnick.

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