Don’t Kick it... Fix it (270) 879-6201 (270) 257-2087 Fax: (270) 879-4106 Cook Heating & Cooling Heating & Air Specialist & Sheet Metal Services CommercialComCmmercial and andd ResidentialR Yearly Maintenance Agreement 6477 Owensboro Rd. 24 Hour Emergency Service ETA Certifi ed Technicians Leitchfi eld, KY 42754 NeThe wGrayson sCounty-Gazette OBITUARIES INSIDE Shirlene Stevenson, 65; Janice Clark, GCMS gridders prepare 75; Velma Lorine Haycraft, 68...... 2 for new season ...... 9 Vol. 132 • No. 59 SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 2013 75 cents Matt Lasley | News-Gazette U.S. Congressman Brett Guthrie (left) held a Town Hall Brittany Wise | News-Gazette meeting in Leitchfield on Thursday, August 8 to discuss his Kentucky’s junior Senator Rand Paul policies regarding major political issues and to interact with visited a Leitchfield McDonalds on the local community. Tuesday afternoon for an informal Pictured: Guthrie meets with Derreck Dennison (middle), of meet-and-greet with local voters. Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center, and TLRMC CEO Wayne Meriwether (right). Sen. Paul visits Leitchfield Guthrie Brittany Wise against C.I.A. director nominee the anti-tax organization Kentucky Reporter John Brennan, but is probably more Taxpayers United in 1994 with the largely recognized for being the son purpose of informing voters as to Senator Rand Paul visited a local of former presidential candidate and their lawmakers’ stances on the McDonald’s for a “coffee-shop meet- outspoken libertarian Ron Paul. issue. hosts town and-greet” on Tuesday afternoon as During his informal local visit, Following Paul’s visit to a part of his current tour of state- Paul shook plenty of hands and Leitchfield, Caneyville resident wide stops. engaged in conversation with a num- Cheryl Johnson said of the Senator, Paul, a Bowling Green opthal- ber of local voters, answering any “I’m very proud.” She said she loves mologist who has been steadily hall meeting questions they had for him. that Paul is a politician who “will not gaining political attention for the Paul told The News-Gazette be bought and paid for.” Matt Lasley past five years, is widely considered that if he had one message to get Radcliff resident Matt Yeager Reporter to be a front-runner to be named across with his current tour it is drove to Leitchfield to meet Paul Republican presidential candidate that Kentucky’s economy is in seri- and said, “He’s exactly the same United States Congressman Brett Guthrie held for the 2016 election. He stated this ous need of a “jump-start.” Paul man he was when he first spoke five a Town Hall meeting in Leitchfield on Thursday, spring, however, that he will not feels that the key to improving the years ago.” August 8 to discuss his policies regarding major definitively announce his intentions economy is “leave[ing] more money Bro. Johnny Embry, another con- political issues and to interact with the local to run for president until 2014. in Kentucky.” stituent who met the Senator on community. Paul garnered national atten- This message is not surprising Tuesday, said, “I’m very happy with Leitchfield and Grayson County marked tion earlier this year for his eight- considering Paul’s unwavering Rand on how well he’s sticking with Guthrie’s second stop on his August tour of and-a-half-hour talking filibuster stance on cutting taxes. He founded what he’s said and won’t back down.” Kentucky, during which he will be hosting ques- tion-and-answer-style Town Hall meetings in 21 towns across the state. “There are so many issues in the news today, and I think it’s important to provide an opportu- nity to discuss them,” said Guthrie in a recent press release regarding his Town Hall tour. Moving Forward Guthrie, who represents Kentucky’s Second District in the U.S. House of Representatives, TLRMC readies for opened the event by saying, “I’m not here to give a speech.” He then took a number of questions from coming financial strains audience members, as well as discussed in detail a number of controversial events and political Matt Lasley issues that are of concern to Congress as well as Reporter Americans. Twin Lakes Regional Medical Center has spent much of the last year preparing for the financial strains that See GUTHRIE | 3 will result from the Federal Government’s upcoming cuts in hospital funding. “We’re trying to get in a good position [heading into the next few years],” said TLRMC Director of Planning and Marketing Bill Oldham. “We’ve been working so Woosley to hard preparing for this moment where it’s going to be very difficult. The expansion three years ago, the reno- vation, and the new services [we’ve been offering] have been getting ready for the next bit. We hope we’ve done run for Jailer Dr. Ryan Duvall (left) spoke with TLRMC CEO Wayne Meriwether everything we can to get ready.” during a reception held for Duvall on Tuesday, February 5. Brittany Wise Under the leadership of new TLRMC Chief Executive Reporter Officer Wayne Meriwether, the local hospital has taken part in several projects aimed at strengthening its Chief Deputy Jailer Jason Woosley stepped for- foundations and operations, as well as increasing its ward this week as the first candidate to announce participation in the community. that he will be running for Jailer in the upcoming Perhaps the most visible project TLRMC has brought 2014 election. to completion over the past year has been its partner- Woosley is a 12-year veteran at the Grayson ship with Elizabethtown Community and Technical County Detention Center, and is running as a College to open the new ECTC Campus in Leitchfield, Republican. which Oldham described as a “major project for us.” For He said in a recent press release that he has additional information on the hospital’s involvement, worked his way up through the ranks at the deten- see the article “Leitchfield ECTC Campus decades in tion center, “spending time in practically every the making,” also included in this special section. position in the agency.” This, he said, gives him In addition, over the past year, the hospital made a “a unique perspective on the operations of the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) and detention center and the personnel who keep it formed the Partnership for a Healthier Grayson County. running.” The CHNA, a focus group of physicians, employees, He also praises the GCDC’s ability to thrive and community members came together, as part of a in a time when many jails across the country are mandate, to improve the overall wellness of the com- “running deficits and in some cases closing their munity it serves. doors.” He said that this is due to the fact that The Partnership selected four health problems it our local jail is run both honestly and efficiently. Photos by Theresa Armstrong | News-Gazette wishes to address, obesity/diabetes, smoking, the need Woosley is a Grayson County native and 1991 Members of the community and hospital staff had the chance to for colonoscopies, and better access to care. graduate of Grayson County High School. chat with Leitchfield Pediatric Clinic's new Physician Assistant, For more information about Woosley, please see Wendee Embry on Tuesday, February 5. See TLRMC | 3 our ‘Letters to the editor’ section on page four. All Grooms include • Nail Trims • Anal Expression Dog Works Salon • Nail Filing • Bow or Bandana Lisa Robinson Hours of Operation Groomer Tues-Fri 8 am-4pm In Home Boarding Saturday 8am-12 noon Large, Medium & Small 108 West Main Street • Leitchfi eld, KY We love them all! Closed Sunday & Monday Located in the Yellow Building across from T-Shirt Express Shop: (270) 617-3239 • Cell: (270) 748-3428 Page 2 The Grayson County News-Gazette Saturday, August 10, 2013 Family Barefoots celebrate 60 years SHIRLENE STEVENSON Dewitt & Peggy Barefoot Shirlene Stevenson, 65, of Clarkson died Tuesday, are celebrating 60 years August 6, 2013 at Grayson Manor Nursing Facility. of marriage with a private She was born December 19, 1947, the daughter of family dinner. the late Z. C. and Alta Ward Haycraft. Survivors Dewitt Barefoot Sr. and include her husband, Ralph Stevenson, her son, Z. the former Isako “Peggy” A. Stevenson (Kim), two sisters, Carolyn Newton Nishimura were married on (Dorsey) and Aileen Armstrong (Cecil), two broth- August 6, 1953. ers, Charles Haycraft and Gary Haycraft (Linda), Dewitt Sr. is retired from two grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. the United States Army. She was preceded in death by one son, Stacy Dewitt and Peggy currently Stevenson and her parents. Funeral services will th own and operate “The One be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday (August 9 , 2013) at Stop Shop” in Big Clifty, Watson & Hunt Funeral Chapel in Leitchfield. Burial Jr., and Jessica (John) KY. will be in the Rock Creek Cemetery in Clarkson. They are the parents of Ragland. They have seven Visitation will be held from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Yvonne (Paul) MacNamara, grandchildren and three on Thursday, August 8th, 2013 at the Watson and Hunt Funeral Chapel in Leitchfield. Dewitt (Leslie) Barefoot, great-grandchildren. JANICE CLARK Janice Clark, age 75, of Caneyville, KY, passed away Monday, (August 5, 2013) at Hardin Memorial Happy Birthday, Ethel Croghan! Hospital in Elizabethtown, KY. She was born on December 14, 1937 in Leitchfield, KY, the daughter of the late Rev. Roy and Jessie Eskridge Wilson. She was a retired Rough River KY State Park employee, who enjoyed gardening, traveling, and antiquing. She loved her dog, Lady, and her farm. She was a member of Claggett United Baptist Church.