Your Hometown Newspaper since 1949 Albany, KY 42602 - Single Copy 50¢ Thursday, May 10, 2012 Phone: 606-387-5144 - Email: [email protected] - USPS 118-480 One Section • 18 pages Between Lake Cumberland & Dale Hollow Lake Volume 62 • Number 30 School board meets, makes no decision on superintendent It will be at least a few more days, possibly longer, before the Following the interview sessions last Friday, the board called All members were present for the just under one-hour call meet- new Clinton County Schools Superintendent is named, as the Board another special meeting for Tuesday morning of this week with the ing on Tuesday. of Education, meeting Monday morning of this week, May 7, took only item of business to be considered was the possible action to The need for a new superintendent comes as a result of the re- no official action on the hiring of a new school’s chief. The meeting hire a school’s superintendent. tirement of Mickey McFall, who announced this past winter he was the second in five days for the school board. The board met at 8 a.m. Tuesday and immediately entered into would be retiring after approximately 10 years of leading the school Last Friday, May 4, the board conducted a full day of interviews an approximate 45-minute closesd session for the purpose of hiring system. His retirement is effective June 30, with his replacement to with an unknown number of perspective finalists for the position. the superintendent, or in general terms, discussion of personnel. take over on July 1 of this year. In late April, the Superintendent Search Screening Committee Although most outsiders had felt a decision would be forthcom- wrapped up its work in interviewing most of the applicants who ing this week, when the board returned from executive session, a The board’s regular meeting is scheduled for next Monday eve- had applied for the position and submitted three names to the board. motion was made to re-enter open session and immediately a mo- ning at 5 p.m. at the Central Office and it is possible the hiring of However, those names, nor the names or actual number of appli- tion was made to adjourn with no official action of any nature being a superintendent may be on the agenda for that regular meeting, cants interviewed last week, were made available to the public. taken. which is open to the public. Mayor leading Little Run for the Roses charge to keep To celebrate this year’s 138th Annual Kentucky Derby, Clinton County’s kindergarten class spent the better part of an hour outside running its own derby of sorts ... with stick horses. WBKO in lineup The event for the students has been somewhat of a tradition, holding their own races on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby. City government is somewhat upset with its television cable pro- Each race is divided by classes and this year there were six vider, Mediacom, following that company’s announcement late last races with one winner from each class. month that it plans to remove not only a couple of popular--but also In the top photo, Bentley Boils, right, won his class race, closest--TV channels from its line-up later this summer. representing Ms. Lisa Smith’s class. Other winners are pictured In a letter to Albany Mayor Nicky Smith, dated April 26, Lee in the bottom photo, from left to right: Andrew Whittenburg - Ms. Grassley, Senior Manager, Government Relations with Mediacom Tammy Cook’s class; Jonathan Conner - Ms. Jackie Frye’s class; informed the mayor that “on or about June 11, 2012, Mediacom will T. J. Smith - Ms. Tracy Goodman’s class; Jonna Upchurch - Ms. no longer carry WBKO ABC 13 and WBKO Fox 15 (both in Bowl- Tiffany Norris’ class; Jamison Branham - Ms. Patricia Riddle’s ing Green), as distant signals on our channel lineup in your commu- class. nity. You are in the Nashville designated market area. WKRN ABC 2 In the middle photo, students were showing excitement before and WKRV Fox 17 (which will remain on the lineup) have the same the races began on Friday, May 4. Students decorated their stick network affiliations.” horses much like the actual Kentucky Derby. Four days following the aforementioned notice, on April 30, May- The Clinton County High School Band was also present to or Smith informed Grassley via e-mail, “I am writing to protest your provide the musical selection “My Old Kentucky Home” and the company’s forthcoming action of removing WBKO channels from call to post for each race. the Albany televised area. You may not realize the impact this action will have on your customers in this area. Your customers rely on WBKO for all local news, local sporting events and most important for local weather and for all severe weather conditions. Since most Kindergarten students celebrate 138th Kentucky Derby of WBKO weather travels in our direction, I strongly urge you not to proceed with this action. In addition, I feel that you will lose custom- ers because of this,” the mayor noted. He concluded, “I will be advis- ing our city council of your actions and urging all customers to pro- test this action and that they might need to look for other providers.” In a follow-up e-mail from Grassley the same day, the Media- com executive wrote, “The timetable for the WBKO change has been See CABLE, page 5 Proposed budget for City of Albany is $3.72 million Annual Day of Prayer gathering honors Albany City Council held its regular meeting last Tuesday, May 1 with four of six members present, getting a first look at the proposed government officials, first responders $3.72 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Mayor Nicky Smith presented and reviewed the proposed 2012- The National Day of Prayer event was when rained threatened the event. the opening prayer for the event and as shown 13 fiscal year budget for the city, which totals $3,722,722.00. held Thursday, May, 3, 2012 at its alternate This year’s NDP concentrated on local in the photo below right, local Christian band The budget being presented has a very similar total to last year’s location, the Clinton County Learning government officials and first responders, Rising Son Ministries performed several $3.75 million budget, and the proposed budget also includes a pay Center, due to weather conditions. honoring them for the effort they put forth to songs for the crowd. increase to city employees, effective July 1. The event is usually held on the lead and take care of the community. In the photo left, Peters stood with The total general fund amount budgeted is just over $1 million and Courthouse square, but was moved indoors Saundra Poore as she led the Prayer for the includes local operations and each city department. As always, the NDP Coordinator Tiffany Peters Nation. bulk of the budget is in water utilities at $2.3 million and combined welcomed the crowd after the Clinton This year’s seven points of prayer/seven with waste water utilities of over $300,000 the total water depart- County High School presented the colors and days a week focused on government, military, ment related budgets is over $2.6 million of the total $3.7 million. the Pledge of Allegiance was recited. media, business/economy, education, church The breakdown per department in the general fund is $233,600 in CCHS student Frank England presented and family. general government; $507,900 in the police department; $105,120 in the fire department; and, $230,900 in the street department. Final reading of the city budget is expected to be held in June. The council also heard a progress update from Monarch Engineer David Bowles, who updated the status of the utility relocation along the bypass, which is apparently going on schedule. Engineers are waiting on the Department of Transportation to is- sue a change order approval to relocate a three-inch water line along the Mt. Drive area. Also, the second of three phases of the utility relocation, from on South 127 beginning at Hwy. 1590 to Hwy. 969 that goes to Duvall Valley, was already 28 percent complete as of early last week. Another important announcement by Bowles was that Stotts Con- struction Company has completed the relocation of approximately 920 LF of 16-inch water transmission main for the development of the new Blue Grass Stockyards, which is scheduled to open later this See CITY, page 5 Sports Inside Inside Weather Last Year In remembrance of former Headlines from the Bat Columbia Mother’s Day Albany Mayor and businessman front page one year ago: Dawgs wreck letters from Robert “Bob” Chilton - we have Primary voting set now gone through six of the for next Tuesday earn involves Ms. Angie seven winters associated with the arrival of summer. City council gets first look at $3.75 million budget 8-4 win two local Flowers Dogwood • Redbud over McCreary men 1st graders Blackberry • Locust Supplies being collected for Alabama See pages 7 See page 9 See page 14 Whippoorill • Linen Britches Just one more - Stump tornado victims Page 2 Clinton County News Thursday, May 10, 2012 PEOPLE Don’t miss an issue ... Richardson and Hatcher Martin and Carver Subscribe Today! Find to exchange vows announce engagement Happy 2nd Birthday us on Cade! We Love You! Facebook Mom, Dad & Sadie Happy Birthday Nathan Shelley May 9 We love you. Your wife and family Dr. April Richardson and Jay Mark Hatcher Happy Birthday! Richard and Virginia Richardson would like to announce the fu- We are so proud of you! ture marriage of their daughter, Dr.