Council accepts mayor's plan to use surplus to finish sewer repairs by replacing main line to treatment plant

Green lines show sewers that are part of the video-and-cleanout project.

By Heston Bates, Taylor Beavers, Jordan Brown and Gage O'Dell

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council went along Monday with Mayor Grayson Vandegrift’s plan to finish repairs to the sewer system though the cost is expected to exceed their original estimate.

Vandegrift noted that the original budget of $200,000 for a project to video and clean out sewers on the east side of town was cut back to $150,000 due to COVID-19’s expected effect on occupational-tax revenue, but he said the revenue picture is better now.

When the pipes were cleaned out, they were in better condition in many areas than was previously thought and since then there have not been any spills, but the main line near the plant has “entire gaps of sewer missing” and is causing backups upstream, he said.

Vandegrift said it is likely that the cost will be closer to the original budget. “I don’t think we can blink at this,” he said. “The project is too big not to move forward with.”

The council agreed. Council Member Logan Nance, often a fiscal conservative, agreed with Vandegrift. “That’s what surpluses are for, to help with projects like this,” he said. “This is only going to make things better down the road.”

Some other council members said likewise, so the project will be advertised for bids and the council may pick a bidder Sept. 8.

The mayor hired Buchanan Contracting to video and clean out the sewer system. He said sewage overflows from manholes during heavy rains have stopped, but the condition of the main line causes blockages upstream.

“This will be the city’s biggest public works project in over 50 years,” Vandegrift said. He estimated that the work will begin in late fall or early winter, depending on approval by the state Division of Water.

University students return: Addressing possible concerns about the influx of Midway University students for the start of the fall semester, Vandegrift went over the school’s plans and voiced confidence in them. “If a university can pull this off, it’s going to be Midway,” he said.

He said capacities in classes are limited and students are required to complete a negative coronavirus screening within one week of returning. He said students cannot be confined to campus because many have jobs, but if tested positive, a dorm is available for quarantine if the student is not able to leave campus.

“We are going to continue to communicate with them whether there’s cases or not, as it certainly is an issue that can affect public health,” said Vandegrift. He noted that Midway only has two of the reported 187 coronavirus cases in Woodford County, but expressed concern because most of the recent cases have been people younger than 40.

Vandegrift said  contact tracing will be the key to preventing covid-19 not only on campus but in the community. He praised the university’s quick response to the virus in the spring, saying the closure of the campus helped it better prepare for this semester.

Rentch property is labeled "private property" on map.

A piece of the park: The mayor told the council that Helen Rentch is willing to donate the part of her property that is being used as part of Walter Bradley Park back to the city, if they can agree that her part will not be developed and if the city ever abandons it, it will revert to Rentch or her estate.

Council Member John Holloway, the unpaid park manager, said “virtually all of that property” is in the floodway of Lee Branch, meaning it can’t be developed.  “Helen has been just extremely gracious to let us use her property the way that we have been,” he said.

In its only official action of the meeting, the council approved a permit for the “Turn the Town Purple” parade scheduled for 11 a.m. Sept. 10 by The Homeplace at Midway to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. Representatives from The Homeplace at Midway will be driving through town with purple-adorned vehicles, purple being the signature color of the Alzheimers’ Association.

The event will not seek public participation due to the pandemic. The caravan will start at the Homeplace, go down Stephens Street to Winter Street, turning around at Main Street to head back to the Homeplace.

In the roundtable at the end of the meeting, Council Member Stacy Thurman asked Vandegrift about the progress of the city's new Code Enforcement Board. The mayor said the board, three members and an alternate, has been meeting via Zoom (as the council does) to develop a list of abandoned properties for the council's consideration after Jan. 1. Property that the council declares abandoned can be taxed at about 10 times the normal real-estate tax rate.

Vandegrift said he is still having difficulty hiring a code enforcement officer, partly because of the pandemic. He said the task is "a little bit more challenging than it was six months ago," when the board was appointed. Jim Starks, whom the council appointed to a three-year term, is the board chair.

Council discusses school, OKs short-term economic developer, hears fire department has its first ladder truck

Northside Elementary School is scheduled to welcome students Aug, 26. (File photo by Megan Parsons, 2019)

This story has been updated.

By Aaron Gershon
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council and Mayor Grayson Vandegrift spent much of their meeting Monday sharing their thoughts on re-opening schools amid the covid-19 pandemic.

The council also approved a short-term contract for an economic developer, passed an ordinance easing paperwork rules for volunteer work on city property, made one block of Johnson Street one-way, and heard that Vandegrift bought a used ladder truck for the fire department.

The Woodford County Board of Education is planning to resume classes Aug. 26 with a dual option, in which parents can send children to school or have them do virtual learning, online at home. The board will have a special meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11.

“We want kids to go back to school at some point,” Vandegrift said. “My main concern, though, is if you go back in and we’re not ready to control the spread, if there are four to five kids a week testing positive for coronavirus and we can’t truly test for it the spread is going to continue.”

Vandegrift’s estimate was based on research that uses county infection rates to estimate the number of infected people likely to arrive at a school of 500 in the first week.

The mayor called for delaying the in-person start date, saying said more testing is needed first, to allow tracing the contacts of infected people and asking them to quarantine.

“I think the board should seriously consider delaying an open that allows students to enter the school until we can guarantee more testing,” he said. “I’m not putting that on Woodford County; the health department has done an unbelievable job, but everywhere this thing spreads, you can’t tell where it’s coming or going, and that’s because of testing.”

Council Member Sara Hicks raised concerns about parents who have health risks but face losing their jobs if their children do not go back to school: “If you say you can your kids or not send your kids, it sounds like that’s just a free decision, but I don’t think that’s really a free decision for people who don’t have the financial wherewithal to put their jobs in jeopardy.”

Council Member Stacy Thurman didn't opine about opening but said the school board should get support no matter what decision it makes: “We need unity, we need a united front and we need solidarity with the board and the county.”

“There’s no good solution,” said Thurman, mother of a fourth grader and an eighth grader. “Both solutions are bad and inconvenient and hard.”

Council Member Logan Nance agreed, saying “The bigger risk than covid to our community is the divisiveness and the language we’re using to talk to one another.” He also didn’t give the school board any advice, and no other council members spoke on the topic.

The City Council usually does not involve itself in school matters, “but this is an unprecedented situation,” Vandegrift said, and the final call will be “the most important decision that board has made in a long time, if not ever.” 

The mayor said at the start of the discussion, “We don’t in any way ever want to step on another board or jurisdiction’s toes,” adding later, “I think it well help them to have an idea how our city, our constituency, our end of the county feels about this.” At the end of the discussion, he said Midway-area school-board member Ambrose Wilson posted his thanks on the Facebook page that carried the meeting.

Other business: The council unanimously approved a six-month contract with Fortune Solutions LLC and point person Lucas Whitt to staff the Woodford County Economic Development Authority for six months, filling the role played by retired EDA chair John Soper.

Whitt worked with Midway on the location of Lakeshore Learning Materials when he worked with the state Economic Development Cabinet, Vandegrift said: "He's well aware of what is going on in Midway Station." The city will pay him $1,050 a month; Soper was paid $1,333.

Most of the pay will come from Versailles and the county government; Vandegrift said he, Mayor Brian Traugott and Judge-Executive James Kay agreed on the temporary hire to give them time to develop “a more concrete, more comprehensive” request for proposals from potential long-term hires.

The council defeated, with lack of a motion, Council Member John Holloway's proposal to rename and replace “Sparks in the Park,” normally held on July 3 or 4, with a celebration on June 19 to honor Juneteenth, a now official city holiday, to honor the end of slavery.

Vandegrift said he had discussed with Holloway “what could be done,” and asked for a motion, but none came. He said Sparks in the Park would continue but “We are going to have a Juneteenth celebration next year on June 19, which happens to fall on a Saturday.”

Interviews after the meeting, via email, indicated that the opposition stemmed from the idea of doing away with Sparks in the Park.

"I'm really excited to work with members of the black community here in Midway to honor and celebrate Juneteenth as they see fit. I also didn't want to do away with Sparks in the Park," Nance said. "It's a fun event for families and members of the community to come together and socialize and celebrate Independence Day. I know John's heart was in the right place when he wrote the resolution, but instead of repurposing Sparks in the Park I would rather keep that tradition and create a new, special tradition to honor Juneteenth."

Thurman said, "I appreciate the thought process behind this resolution and feel that Midway should definitely commemorate Juneteenth next year. I didn't make a motion to accept this resolution simply because I think both of these events provide great opportunities to bring our community together and I don't think we have to substitute one for the other."

Hicks said, “I believe Sparks is a loved tradition that should not be eliminated. I am also happy to add another celebration of Juneteenth. There are many reasons to celebrate in Midway.”

Holloway said, "Maybe I'm a purist, but it seems like a Fourth of July celebration should be on the Fourth of July. Juneteenth is 15 days before Sparks in the Park, and it seems strange to have two events that close together.  I was afraid that even if we actually have a Juneteenth celebration (which frankly seems unlikely), the tendency would be for it to become a lesser stepchild – which to me smacks of separate but equal, and I'm totally opposed to that, as we all should be."

The council also:

●    Heard the mayor announce the purchase of a used ladder truck from Stewart County, Tennessee, for $13,500, using state fire aid money and a city appropriation that was going to be used for an antenna but is no longer needed. Vandegrift said the city needs a ladder truck more than ever, with major facilities in Midway Station. He said Stewart County bought the truck used from Beverly Hills, Calif., but “The truck’s in great condition” and has been driven less than 50,000 miles.
●    Unanimously approved an ordinance simplifying volunteer work on city property. Volunteers will no longer be required to sign in and out each time, and won't be required to be under city supervision at all times, since they would sign a waiver of liability. The change confirms current practice.

●    Unanimously made the 200 block of Johnson Street a one-way street, from Gratz Street to Brand Street, effective Sept. 1. Nance said he interviewed all but one resident of the block, and all but one were in favor of the change.

●    Heard Vandegrift report that more than 700 people watched Wednesday’s online forum about traffic issues, and almost 80 made comments. One suggested traffic cameras to catch and ticket speeders, but the mayor said he had learned such cameras are illegal in Kentucky.

Before the moment of reflection at the start of the meeting, Vandegrift asked members and the online audience to remember the late Joyce Logan and the late Pat Wilson and their families.

Mayor and City Council put discussion of Aug. 26 school reopening on Monday agenda, invite public comment

By Aaron Gershon
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council and Mayor Grayson Vandegrift will discuss the status of re-opening schools amid the covid-19 pandemic during their twice-monthly meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

Anyone wanting to share their thoughts on school reopenings will be able to comment on the online meeting’s Facebook Live stream on the Midway Government Streaming Meetings Facebook page.

“I hope Midway citizens will join the discussion via Facebook,” Vandegrift told the Messenger. “I’ll share my thoughts and ask the council members if they would like to weigh in as well. And all of this in the hope of helping the [school] board, not in any way stepping on their toes.”

The mayor noted that the Woodford County Board of Education is planning a dual option, in which parents can either opt to send kids to school or have them do virtual learning, online at home. School is scheduled to start Aug. 26.

 

“A couple of board members recently expressed concern about sending kids back to school,” Vandegrift said, especially with the rise in cases the last several weeks and a survey that showed many teachers are leery about returning to in-person instruction.”

The school board scheduled a special meeting for Monday night, but that has been postponed to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11.

While the council normally does not involve itself in school-board decisions, the mayor said he hopes the conversation will give an idea of where people in Midway stand on school re-opening.

“My goal is simply to be able to give the school board and idea of how Midway and this end of the county are thinking about this, hopefully, to help inform their decision making,” he said.

Diverse crowd of 50 people march across town to raise awareness of a sad event and celebrate Black resilience

Marchers, wearing masks, gathered at the Sons and Daughters of Relief Cemetery. (Photo by Aaron Gershon; to enlarge, click on it)

By Aaron Gershon
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

On an overcast day when rain threatened but temperatures were cooler than usual, 50 people marched through Midway to honor those affected by the July 31, 1868 attack on the Second Christian Church.

Friday's event was organized by Honoring Black Stories in Midway, a group dedicated to African American history in the city.

“In Midway, much work has been done regarding researching our Black history, but many people are unaware,” event organizer Milan Bush told the Messenger. She said the march was for awareness and to celebrate the resilience of African Americans since slavery.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said, “I think this was a very important event for our city to remember when we’re talking about our history. We have to talk about it from many perspectives.”

Second Christian Church faces Smith Street. (Photo by Aaron Gershon)

Three years after the Civil War, the church served a vital role in the local Black community, and housed a school. Whites who were determined to uphold the racial status quo in Kentucky attacked and burned the wood structure.

“We have to acknowledge the good and the bad,” Vandegrift said. “And the more I talk to Black citizens around town, the more I realize many simply want their story to be told too, and it’s most important they be the ones to tell it. And we listen.”

The march began at City Hall, went to Second Christian Church at Smith and Stephens streets, and then 0.6 miles across town to the Sons and Daughters of Relief Cemetery at the west end of Bruen Street, where many African Americans are buried.

Vandegrift walked and was pleased with the turnout. “I thought it turned out great, even better than I expected,” he said. “Over 50 people, more than 90 percent Midway residents, both white and black.”

Midway writer Bob Rouse posted on his blog, "Of a Midway Mind," to share his experience in the march.

“In my 62 years, I have walked for miles on Midway’s streets and sidewalks: on Halloween nights with my family, during growing-up days with my friends, and on moonlit evenings with a sweetheart,” Rouse wrote. “But today I walked with purpose in my heart. I walked in the spirit of peace—as John Lewis implored—with my sisters and brothers.”

U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia, who was the last living civil-rights leader who spoke at the 1963 March on Washington, died July 17 and was buried Thursday in Atlanta.

Perhaps the lone concern about holding the event was having a gathering of more than 10 people in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, contrary to an order from Gov. Andy Beshear. Every marcher was wearing a mask and generally kept distance from each other.

“We live in a special community, which we knew, ” Vandegrift said. “But today showed another loving face of our city.”

Honoring Black Stories in Midway group will march Friday, anniversary of 1868 attack on Second Christian

By Aaron Gershon
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Honoring Black Stories in Midway, a group dedicated to honoring African American history in the city, will hold a march at midday Friday to honor those affected by the July 31, 1868, attack on the Second Christian Church.

"We are in a day in age where it's open to talk about race, but it makes people uncomfortable," event organizer Milan Bush told the Messenger. "In Midway, much work has been done regarding researching our Black history, but many people are unaware.”

Brenda Jackson, left, and Barbara Holcomb of We're Digging It Metal
Detectors found evidence in 2017 of the original log building of Second
Christian Church. They found foundation stones and handmade nails.
(Lexington Herald-Leader photo by Tom Eblen)

Three years after the Civil War, the church served a vital role in the local Black community, and housed a school. Whites who were determined to uphold the racial status quo attacked and burned the wood structure.

"Being a teacher, I begin researching school information for Blacks. The initial finding was a brief sentence of a colored school being attacked on July 31, 1868," Bush said. "The incident is really disturbing. While no one is alive from that time, I believe it served as a major turning point for Black-white relations in Midway. Nevertheless, the Black community rebuilt and thrived, something many of us didn't know. So we march for awareness and to celebrate their resilience.”

Wednesday the City Council approved a parade permit for the event. Council Member John Holloway, who said he will be marching, told his colleagues that marchers plan to use sidewalks, won't block any streets, and have agreed to break into groups of 10 or less to adhere to the state’s latest social-distancing rules.

"I want people to realize we have been communicating with them (Honoring Black Stories group) about covid restrictions," Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said during the special council meeting called to issue the permit. "They're completely compliant, everyone will have masks on. . . . They will also be socially distanced, making it virtually impossible for an asymptomatic carrier to spread."

Vandegrift added that he will take part in the march and is confident in the social distancing measures in place.

The march will begin at noon at City Hall and will go down East Main Street to Gratz Street, then out East Stephens Street to its intersection with Smith Street, where the church was located on what is now Midway University's campus. From there, the march will go back down Stephens Street, then up Turner Street and on Bruen Street to the Sons and Daughters of Relief Cemetery facing Wausau Place, then back to City Hall at 2 p.m.

"Many of the graves at Sons and Daughters cemetery say 'Gone, but not forgotten'," Bush said. "Honoring Black Stories wants to change that narrative and bring to life those people we have indeed forgotten."

A 2017 Lexington Herald-Leader story about the attack is here.

Midway University adds degrees, minors to curriculum; students will return Aug. 14-16; classes begin Aug. 17

Midway University has added majors in accounting and public health, and minors in finance, entrepreneurship and leadership for the fall semester, which will begin with in-person classes.

“When we add programs we always look at the market needs and growth potential for jobs for our graduates,” Dr. Mark Gill, dean of the School of Business, Equine and Sport Studies, said in a news release about the new degrees. “Accounting majors and CPAs continue to be needed in a wide variety of business segments.”

Accounting was formerly an area of concentration in the business administration major. It is available online or in person. The bachelor of science in public health degree is only available online.

“The field of public health is broad and offers students a variety of career opportunities such as working with both private and governmental agencies to help stop the spread of disease or prevent such illness from occurring, said Dr. Faith Garrett, dean of the School of Health Sciences. “Those in public health educate the public on improving health both individually and as a community.”

The university stopped in-person classes due to the covid-19 pandemic, but says it will resume them Monday, Aug. 17, as originally scheduled, with a staggered move-in to residence halls Aug. 14-16.

Interested parties can contact its admissions office at 846-5788 or admissions@midway.edu. A form requesting information can be completed at www.midway.edu.

5 incumbents, 5 others run for City Council; 2 for school board; largest field of council candidates since 2012

The top six vote-getters on Nov. 3 will be elected.

Five incumbents are among 10 candidates for six seats on the Midway City Council, and there's a contested race for the Midway area's seat on the Woodford County Board of Education, following passage of Tuesday's filing deadline for nonpartisan offices.

Two more incumbents and two newcomers completed the council filings, and Ian Horn filed against Amanda Glass for the school-board seat being given up by longtime member Ambrose Wilson. The election is Nov. 3.

Council Members Kaye Nita Gallagher and Bruce Southworth filed for re-election Tuesday. Southworth said he had thought the current two-year term would be his last, but he said he had miscalculated the date of the 20-year review of the city's wastewater system and wanted to be on the council for that. He formerly operated the system.

Candidates who filed earlier were incumbents Sara Hicks, Logan Nance and Stacy Thurman, and Adam Bailey of Old Towne Walk.

Bailey, 33, is director of marketing and community outreach for a long-term and subacute care firm in Lexington. He said he and his wife Amy grew up in Woodford County (his father is EMS Director Freeman Bailey) and they have lived in Midway for five years. He said he is running to give back to a community that has a neighborly culture.

The signers of Bailey's nominating petition were his wife and Mayor Grayson Vandegrift and his wife Katie. The mayor said he signs such papers for anyone who asks "so long as I think they have their heart in the right place." He also signed for Southworth and Nance. (Magistrate Liles Taylor and his wife Robin also signed for Nance.)

Other newcomers filing for the council Tuesday were Mary C. Raglin and Andrew B. Nelle.

Raglin, 69, of the 400 block of South Gratz Street, was appointed to the Midway seat on the Woodford County Human Rights Commission in 2016. She would have to resign from the commission if elected, Vandegrift said. She would the the first African American on the council since Aaron Hamilton didn't seek re-election in 2014; he signed her nominating petition.

Raglin said she is retired from the 911 branch of the Lexington police department. She said she is running because she wants to be a voice and a positive influence for Midway, and was asked to run by two people. She declined to say who they were, but said one is a public official. Vandegrift, asked if it was him, said it was. "I’ve known Mary for quite some time and seen her dedication on the HRC," he said, "and felt she could add new perspectives."

Nelle, 36, said he delivers for Amazon and is a part-time chaplain assistant and staff sergeant in the Air National Guard. He said he was in the Air Force from 2008 to 2016, leaving as a senior airman. He said he moved from Lexington to Midway in early November 2019, just in time to meet the one-year residency requirement. Vandegrift said Nelle has watched every council meeting since.

Nelle said he is running because he is familiar with the workings of government and his parents inspired him to public service. "In service of others is the most noble of paths," he told the Messenger. Two of his four nominating-petition signers were merchants and fellow musicians Bill and Leslie Penn.

Only one incumbent, John Holloway, did not file for re-election. He was elected in 2018 and serves as the unpaid manager of Walter Bradley Park.

Two former incumbents, John McDaniel and Steve Simoff, filed for the council on Monday, June 1. They each served one term in 2017-18; McDaniel finished a close seventh in an eight-way race for six seats in 2018, after running third in a three-way race for the Democratic nomination for Midway-area magistrate on Woodford County Fiscal Court. Simoff didn't seek re-election that year.

The 10-candidate field is the largest since 2012, when 10 people ran for the council and Southworth and Hicks were first elected. They are now the longest-tenured members. Mayors serve four-year terms; Vandegrift was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018.

School board: Amanda Glass filed for a four-year term in the District 1 school-board seat on May 21. She and her husband Ken own and operate Railroad Drug and Old Time Soda Fountain on East Main Street. The Vandegrifts and Thurman signed her petition.

Ian Horn filed for the seat at 2:26 p.m. Tuesday, County Clerk Sandy Jones said. He could not be reached for comment, but his LinkedIn page says he is an information systems engineer for the state Division of Geographic Information.

Andrew Blaydes makes dean's list at Midway University

One student from Midway landed a spot on Midway University’s dean’s list for the spring semester.

Andrew Blaydes met the two requirements of obtaining a semester grade-point average of a 3.6 or above and maintaining full-time status at the university.

The list includes 302 students, including five from Versailles: Miriam Gonzalez, Noel Montgomery, Sandy Pecina, Juan Perez and Kali Ratcliff.

Scott County had two from Stamping Ground, Elizabeth Hazlett and Cynthia Sexton, and 14 from Georgetown: Gracie Bowling, Brittany Brockman, Sydney Coffey, Rachel Cooper, Hayden Gregory, Jordan Hopkins, Allyson Ison, Kimberly Jager, Nyckoletta Martin, Kaitlyn Robinson, Jillian Saylor, Madeline Wasson, Terri Wilkerson and Natasha Williams.

Twenty students from Frankfort and 30 from Lexington made the list. It also included many students from out of state: 10 each from Indiana and Tennessee, five from Ohio, six from Texas, three from California and Colorado, two from Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and one each from Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Maryland, Maine, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Nevada, New York, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Nine international students made the list. Those students included two from Colombia and one each from Sweden, Zambia, South Africa, United Kingdom, Peru, France and the Dominican Republic.

Via video, Midway University honors students, faculty and campus organizations for achievements

Midway University has recognized several students, faculty members and campus organizations for their achievements in the classroom and extra-curricular activities, in a video presentation. “Although we couldn’t gather on campus to celebrate this together, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to acknowledge our students' achievements,” Vice President for Academic Affairs Mary Elizabeth Stivers said in a news release.

Dr. Becky Briley, outstanding teacher

The award recipients were:

• Dr. Becky Briley, Outstanding Teacher Award
• Juan Perez, Versailles, Associate Degree Nursing Award for Professional Excellence
• Jamie May Mullins, Richmond, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Professional Excellence Award
• April Steward, Paris, Health Care Administration Award
• Larissa Cussins, Cheyenne, Wyo., Outstanding Biology Student Award
• Kendall Godwin, Ooltewah, Tenn,, Outstanding Biology Research Student Award
• Laura Minton, Wilmore, Outstanding English Student Award
• Joseph Enzweiler, Erlanger, Outstanding Psychology Student Award
• Joy Johnson, London, Outstanding Teacher Education Student Award
• Laura Minton, Wilmore, Theatre Award
• Christen Roberson, Inez, Outstanding Masters in Teacher Leadership Award
• Cynthia Sexton, Stamping Ground, Outstanding Business Student Award
• Kendra Legters, Bloomfield, N.Y., Outstanding Student in Equine Management
• Lesley DuPlessis, Pretoria, South Africa, Outstanding Student in Equine Rehabilitation
• Rashea Smith, Corbin, Outstanding Student in Equine Science
• Maxime Noel, Les Contamines-Montjoie, France, Sport Management Student Award
• Women’s Volleyball Team, Athletic Team Impact Award
• Psychology Club, Student Organization Impact Award
• Elizabeth Danielle "Libby" Morgan, Georgetown, Community Service Award
• Luke Logan, Elizabethtown, Midway University Freshman Leadership Award
• Hannah Waroway, Ann Arbor, Mich., Midway University Eagle Leadership Award
• Hannah Welte, Augusta, Ruth Slack Roach Junior Scholar
• Brynn Bradley, Nicholasville, Student Alumni Award

The honors event is named for the late Joy Edwards Hembree, a long-time Midway University trustee who advocated for women and children. A video of it is on the university's YouTube channel.

Midway Univ. freezes tuition for 2020-21 academic year

Midway University says it is freezing its tuition rates for the coming academic year "to help keep college affordable in these uncertain times."

“Families and students have so many stresses right now as a result of the coronavirus and the financial strains it is placing on everyone. We know there is a lot of anxiety about the year ahead. We hope our tuition freeze helps ease any financial barrier in the planning for their college education.,” university President John P. Marsden said in a news release. “We have always served a high need-based population of students and we want to continue to serve them to the best of our ability.”

The university had already waived the ACT and SAT requirement for the Fall 2020 semester, and said it would honoring all current-year awards of merit aid, since "Some students might be making changes and transferring closer to home."

The university's campus is closed due to the covid-19 pandemic, but its financial-aid office can be reached at faid@midway.edu or 859-846-5410. Questions about admissions can be directed to admissions@midway.edu or 800-952-4122. Virtual appointments can be made by registering at www.midway.edu/experience.

Henry Wombles, whose varied life took him from Ky.'s eastern coalfield to Midway's restaurant row, dies at 82

Henry Wombles signed copies of his book, Under
the Flagpole, outside Heirloom on Sept. 20, 2015.

Henry Wombles, who helped his son Mark start the Heirloom restaurant in Midway after a very varied life in work and business, did peacefully at his home Thursday, March 26. He was 82.

"He was one of the kindest men I ever knew," Mark Wombles said on Facebook. "He always had a clever story, a gentle voice, and a hopeful smile. I’m devastated I won’t hear more of his stories, but I’m eternally thankful for the ones I have. I’ll cherish them as I tell them to my children as I age. His influence over me, as I now father two children is extraordinary. He always had words of encouragement for me. He always told me I was the most handsome boy he ever saw. He believed in me, way before I started to believe in myself. . . . I’m really going to miss him."

After high school, Henry Wombles worked several years in coal mines for his father. Henry Elliott Wombles, then for an engineering company in Hazard, then helped a Florida engineering firm with restoring the home of Samuel Lerner, who owned the Lerner Shops, into the Compleat Angler Hotel, a favorite of Ernest Hemingway, on the island of Bimini in the Bahamas.

After several years in Florida, Wombles returned to Kentucky to help his father, but lived in Lexington, and when the coal business slowed, he joined the Lexington Herald-Leader in single-copy sales, late making and directing training films for new employees. He retired at 63 to a small farm on the Woodford-Fayette county line, but had many projects, and partnered with Mark Wombles to open Heirloom in 2006. He frequented the top-rated restaurant long after he no longer owned an interest in it, and was a familiar figure to locals and visitors who enjoyed his stories and sense of humor.

His heart remained in Eastern Kentucky, and in 2015, he published a novel set in Appalachia during World War II, Under the Flagpole, which he described as a "work of love" for the people he grew up with. He hosted tours of Hazard for friends who had enjoyed his book. "I’m so thankful he wrote a book in his late years," Mark wrote. "It holds many of his childhood memories . . . and recounts the story of an overlooked region of America during the turn of the century."

His survivors include his wife of 61 years, Jeanne Cox Wombles; three children, Shayna (Gary) Cooper of Warsaw, Ind., Jeanne (Dave) Gillespie of Leland, N.C., and Mark (Kyla) Wombles of Lexington; and two brothers, James (Charlann) Wombles Sr. and Bobby (Joy) Wombles of Lexington.

The family says a celebration of his life "will be planned for a later date when circumstances permit," but a scholarship is being established in his name for students in his hometown. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to Hazard High School, 157 Bulldog Lane, Hazard KY 41701, for the Henry "Buzz" Wombles Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Name of Starks family, members of which were keys to the history of Midway University, resurrected on campus

Left to right, front row: Starks descendant Sara Hicks and Midway University Board of Trustees Chair Donna Moore Campbell. Middle row: Keith Mathis, Belinda Metzger, Anita Britton, Jan Hunter, Anne Bolton. Back row: JJ Housley, Jim Starks, Mrs. Starks, Mr. Vogt, Susan Vogt, Powell Starks, Dr. John P. Marsden. (Midway University photo and identifications)

By Taylor Savage
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

A building on Midway University’s campus got a new name Thursday. And an old one.

University officials announced that the building formerly known as the Learning Resource Center is now named after the Starks family and bear the name of The Starks Center.

Midway University photo

The Learning Resource Center was built in 2010 and replaced Starks Hall, which was named by John Price Starks in honor of his father, James Madison Starks. The two served 45 years on the board of the Kentucky Female Orphan School, which became Midway College and then Midway University.

James Madison Starks settled near Midway in 1845, two years before the school was founded. He established a small school for local children on his grounds and hired teachers who graduated from the orphan school. He joined the board of the orphan school in 1851, ending in 1879 when he moved to Mercer County.

He and Susan Crutcher had six children, including John P. Starks, who was “integral to the period of the school’s most substantial and rapid expansion,” President John P. Marsden said. He reshaped the school’s program, introduced business rigor to the financial affairs of the school, and began a progressive building campaign.”

Starks also engaged famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed New York’s Central Park and Asheville’s Biltmore Estate, “to survey the grounds for the best location of future buildings, and to beautify the campus,” Marsden said.

Plaque will be mounted in the center.

“The fingerprints of John Starks remain on the campus until this day,” Marsden said, quoting from a history of the school by former president Robert Botkin, which he said is soon to be published.

Starks descendant Susan Vogt spoke with the Midway Messenger about her great-great-great-great- grandmother, Susan Crutcher Starks.

The Starks Building went up in 1913.

“It was always my grandmother’s wish to have Susan Crutcher and James Starks put back together,” she said. “This portrait has been in my life forever and I finally decided it was time for her to come home.”

The Starks name and family have been prominent in Midway for many years and in Lexington and Louisville. Midway has a Starks street named after the family, and John P. Starks, built the Starks Building in Louisville, which was the first high-rise building in the city.

City Council Member Sara Hicks, a great-granddaughter of Edna Starks described the Starks family and the legacy they have built in Midway.

Starks Headache Powders were produced until the 1930s.

“There were three brothers: James, John, and Frank Starks,” Hicks said in an email. “John and Frank moved to Louisville. . . . James remained in Midway, where as a pharmacist he founded Starks Headache Powders. He gave each of his children a farm which are today Lantern Hill, Three Chimneys, and Stonewall farms. His daughter ran the headache-powder business after he passed away. That was my grandmother, Edna.”

Lettering was added to the exterior of the building and a commemorative plaque of the rededication will placed near the entrance, alongside the portraits of the founding faces of the Starks family. 

The university posted this video of the ceremony:

Read Across Our Community Week events will begin Monday night at The Homeplace at Midway, library says

The Midway Branch of the Woodford County Public Library is sponsoring a community reading event at The Homeplace at Midway at 6:30 p.m. Monday. The library is inviting children to come read with residents of the assisted-living cottage (the green cottage). Books will be provided.

Dr. Seuss and his most famous book

The event is the first in a series that will be held as part of Read Across Our Community Week. At 6 p.m. Thursday, children will meet at the Midway Makers Market on East Main Street to read a story and make a craft.

At 10:30 a.m. Saturday, the library will hold a birthday breakfast for Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel), perhaps the best-loved author of children's books. During the week, students at Northside Elementary School will participate in projects inspired by Dr. Seuss. His birthday is Monday, March 2.

Midway Renaissance revives Greenspace Committee, plans for Francisco's Farm Art Fair June 13-14

The annual general membership meeting followed the monthly dinner at Midway Christian Church. (Photo by Hayley Burris)

By Lauren McCally
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway Renaissance announced the revival of its Greenspace Committee at the group’s annual general membership meeting Monday night. The meeting followed the monthly community dinner at Midway Christian Church, which featured leftovers from the church’s Epiphany dinner.

Greenspace was the first committee of Midway Renaissance, but went dormant in 2013, said Debra Shockley, the secretary of Midway Renaissance. “Something that’s exciting is that Greenspace is coming back,” she said, “but in a totally different integration.”

When the committee started, “Some of the things that they worked on were to remove invasive species, they planted trees, established rain guards, and a lot of other things that helped preserve and protect our environment,” Stacy Thurman, a Greenspace and City Council member, told Renaissance members.

The idea to bring this committee back came from Marcie Christensen, who wanted to help educate Midway residents and work with the city government and other organizations to teach more sustainable ways for Midway to do things.

Debra Shockley is secretary of Renaissance. (Photo by Hayley Burris)

Shockley said after the meeting that the committee’s current mission differs from the old one because that sort of work is done by the city’s Parks Board, Friends of Walter Bradley Park and other volunteers who “do the trails and the bridges” in the park.

The Greenspace Committee is “going to have educational classes, maybe seminars and stuff up at the library,” Shockley said. “They are not actually going to be working in the park. . . . This Greenspace incarnation will focus on sustainability.”

Greenspace is planning educational projects for the community and Northside Elementary, which will teach appropriate recycling techniques, community composting, and care of street trees.

“We are open to any ideas that people have or projects … here in Midway, ” Thurman said. “We welcome anybody that wants to get involved in the Greenspace Committee.”

Greenspace holds monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Midway Library. If you would like to join the committee, attend a meeting, share an idea or learn more about certain projects, contact Marcie Christensen via Facebook or Thurman at the library, which she manages.

Another committee mentioned during the meeting was Living History. “Living History is one of the most active committees,” said Shockley. “They do so many projects.” Some include a big sign about bourbon history by The Brown Barrel and a lot of older pictures of buildings downtown, which have been put up with information such as who owned them and what year they were built.

Planning for the June 13-14 Francisco’s Farm Art Fair, which Shockley said is Renaissance’s “primary source of income,” is going very well, event coordinator Elisha Holt told the members. “We have about 67 artists who have applied” to exhibit, she said; the deadline is March 1 and the jury will notify exhibitors by March 31.

The fair will be held at Midway University but there will also be a small block party downtown with a musical event on the evening of Saturday, June 13.

To help advertise the art fair, Renaissance will provide yard signs to contributors. Those who give $25 will receive a sign saying “Friends of Francisco’s Farm Art Fair, Midway University, June 13-14,” to put in their front yard; $100 givers will be designated friends of the art fair, and get a sign; $500 givers will be sponsors, with their name or logo on signs at the event, in the fair map and on the website. Donations need to be sent by May 1, so the committee can print the signs and distribute them.

The Renaissance board will have a workshop and strategic planning review Sunday, March 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the library conference room, and anyone is welcome to attend. The board has room for four more members, who serve three-year terms.

The next general meeting of Renaissance is scheduled for Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m. in the second floor community room of the Rau Building (City Hall). Anyone is welcome to attend and the officers for 2020 will be elected.  Membership in Renaissance is $10 per person or 10 food items.

Midway University and Midway have grown closer in recent years, but that hasn't quite extended to students

By Akhira Umar

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway University has been around nearly as long as the town that it calls home. Despite their long-standing affiliation, the town and the university are not as intertwined as one might think.

Originally founded as the Kentucky Female Orphan School in 1847, Midway University came into existence shortly after the town’s establishment in 1835 and soon after its incorporation in 1846. The town has kept much of its original charm with quiet neighborhoods and quaint shops but has seen many changes in its businesses, organizations and downtown streetscape.

The university has seen its fair share of change as well, the most notable being its decision to go co-ed in the fall of 2016 to “remain relevant” and “financially viable.” In fall 2019, men made up 39 percent of daytime enrollment. The total enrollment of 1,702 also includes evening and online undergraduates, and graduate students.

Among the 643 daytime undergraduates, 373 lived on campus, said Ellen Gregory, the university’s vice president of marketing and communications.

These daytime students also came from all walks of life, just like the tourists who stop in town. Kentucky natives account for about 70 percent of students, while about 15 percent come from other states and the rest form foreign countries.

The university and Northside Elementary School accounted for nearly
1/3 of city occupational tax of $719,378. (City of Midway chart, adapted)

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said the university is also responsible for providing the city with over $100,000 a year in payroll taxes. The school is the second largest job provider in town, behind Lakeshore Learning Materials and ahead of American Howa Kentucky Inc.

With such big numbers in a town with a population of fewer than 1,700, one might think it would greatly affect the dynamics of Midway as a whole. But these two entities, the town and the university, long followed different orbits. More recently, they have learned to change for the better together.

Prior to Dr. John P. Marsden becoming the university’s tenth president in 2013, the relationship between the town and school was rocky, according to some city officials. However, in the past six years, this relationship has more than turned itself around.

“I think with a new administration in there, Dr. Marsden’s administration, we were really able to kinda form new bonds,” Vandegrift said. ”They were the ones that really began reaching out to us as a city.”

Vandegrift was on the City Council when Marsden arrived, and was elected mayor the following year. “I think Dr. Marsden and his leadership team have taken on a lot of great initiatives and they’ve included us in all of them,” he said. “They’re also quick to include us and we’re very happy to be included and to participate.”

Some of these initiatives include a 15 percent tuition discount for Midway residents, a decision made in August 2018, and the $30,000 in softball-field renovations that the city and school partnered for in 2017. The university has helped sponsor and participate in several local events like the Midway Fall Festival and Midsummer Nights in Midway.

Sara Hicks, then the president of Midway Renaissance,
and Midway University President John Marsden signed
the contract to move Renaissance's Francisco's Farm
Arts Festival back to the campus. (2013 photo)

One of the best ways the school strengthened connections with the town was bringing the Francisco’s Farm Art Festival back to the campus in 2014. The festival, which began in 2003, is the largest event on which the town collaborates with the university. It is an award-winning, nationally recognized event, drawing thousands of visitors.

When it moved to Equus Run Vineyards three miles east of town in 2011 and remained there for three years, the Midway community felt disconnected to one of its biggest events. When the festival returned to the university, a location many said was more fitting, the community was grateful.

Gregory said the open lines of communication between the leaderships of the town and the school have made for a great relationship. “We see a strong city as good for the university, and we think vice versa—a strong university is good for the city.”

This community involvement has made some residents like librarian Stacy Thurman, who was elected to the City Council last year, even more hopeful about the city’s future. Having moved to Midway 10 years ago, she said one of the things she liked about the town was that people knew each other and did things together, making for a good sense of community.

“It wasn’t until recently that I felt like the university has had more of a presence in town,” Thurman said. “I enjoy seeing the students out and about, but I don’t think that has always been the case. I think for a long time, at least from my perspective, the university was its own little entity, then there was the town, and there wasn’t a whole lot of action.”

Although the university is more involved in community events, many in Midway still wish the students had a stronger presence in the town. The on-campus student population makes up about 20 percent of the university’s enrollment and accounts for nearly 20 percent of Midway’s residential population, yet some residents and business workers say students are rarely seen in town.

Isaac Hughes, a long-time resident of Zion Hill, a largely African American community southeast of Midway, spent much time at the school to watch games or go to parties in the 1960s, even with the racial divide and the school’s population being all women. He continues to visit the university now for its affordable, tasty meals, and says the town and university seem to exist separately.

“It’s almost like you got two separate entities, two separate towns. There’s the university, then there’s the Midway area,” he said, adding that students may have “felt like there was no connection or we didn’t really connect with you all as a community. So, I think there’s a lot that can be gained by both if there’s a connection.”

Cortney Neikirk, president of the Midway Business Association, contrasted Midway and its university with Richmond and Eastern Kentucky University. Richmond’s population is around 35,000 and EKU’s enrollment last year was estimated at 16,612. Such a large school greatly affects traffic, business and everyday life during the school year, but Midway University’s small size does not have that same effect on Midway, she said

Francisco's Farm is held in May, soon after commencement.

“We do not, as residents, notice the university being there … It’s actually super peaceful,” Neikirk said. “The university does not, technically, affect us … It’s nice having them up there because we know we have a university, but it doesn’t filter down into the residential areas. It would be sad not to have the university, but as a resident, I don’t know that I would notice them being gone … It’s not like you have students everywhere.”

Justin Werner, manager of the Goose and Gander restaurant, thinks the lack of student involvement in town comes from a lack of awareness. “A lot of times I don’t think they even realize there’s a town here,” he said. In 2018, “We did an orientation welcoming … and a lot of the students that we talked to said, ‘I didn’t even know there was a Main Street. Where’s the restaurants? Where are these things?’ So, I think that that’s where we fall short is that we don’t get out to the students enough to know what’s going on and, you know, what’s down here.”

This is not to say that the students are completely detached from the town. Everyone interviewed for this story reported nothing but positive interactions with students -- if they had any interactions at all. The students do volunteer at places like Northside Elementary, The Homeplace at Midway and the Woodford County Library. They also visit businesses downtown, just not as often as some people may like or expect.

Gregory said students low profile in town stems from how busy they are with classes, work and sports. But many students, despite liking Midway as a town, said there aren’t enough local options that appeal to them. Examples:

Junior Kwon Evans goes off campus three or four times a week, usually to Lexington, for food and entertainment. Senior Kaleb Britt leaves campus just about every day for his preferred fast food chains, like Raising Cane’s and Taco Bell. Sophomore Jill Enix leaves campus two to five times a week for Frankfort or Georgetown for fast food, shopping and movie theaters. Junior Ally Callahan goes to Versailles or Georgetown just about every day for the same reasons.

All these students lived on campus when they were interviewed last spring, and all of them said they like Midway, the supportive university facility, and the town’s friendly residents. However, if the town had more amenities tailored for them, like cheaper food and more entertainment, they might not leave as often.

“I love the fact that Midway is small, and it is very close to larger cities such as Lexington and Frankfort. I love the Kentucky scenery as well. The small downtown area is a very cute area as well,” Callahan said before adding her critique. “There are only two cheap, chain fast food restaurants here. I think if I could change that and add a couple more options for college students so it would be more convenient than driving 20 minutes to the nearest place, I would.”

The same reasons students living on campus leave town so often are the same reasons other students chose to live off campus. Sophomore Clayton Parks, who lives in Lexington, said Midway just can’t compare to all the things Lexington can offer. Senior Monica Martinez said not only is there much more to do in Lexington, but it’s also more affordable, something that senior Nathan Dodge agreed with.

Affordability is an issue many recognize in Midway. Some businesses like Goose and Gander try to combat this obstacle for students by offering them a 10 percent discount. Railroad Drug and Old Time Soda Fountain hosts a “Milkshake Mission” during finals where students can use vouchers for free milkshakes.

For students who want to live off-campus, Midway has few townhouses or apartments, let alone within a college-friendly budget. But as the university grows, so must housing options. The university recently converted Pinkerton Hall back into a dormitory to meet the student housing demand. While students may not mind commuting for food and entertainment, some like the convenience of living on campus when it comes to getting to classes, practices and games.

Vandegrift has appointed an Affordable Housing Task Force, headed by Thurman, to explore the lack of affordable housing.

The consensus from those interviewed for this story, whether they see plenty of student involvement with the community or not, is that they would always welcome more. That would undoubtedly help the local economy, and the interviewees said it would be nice to see new faces enjoying a historic town.

“I think we would like them to do more, and I don’t mean that as a way to demean what they’re already doing,” Vandegrift said. “I would say it almost as a challenge.”

He put his challenge this way: “We would like to see you all get more involved because, you know, people their age see the world in a really beautiful way and they’ve not been as hardened as the rest of us have yet. And I think we all need to be reminded of that. Experience is vital and all of us learn more, but I think we have to be reminded of the young person in all of us, that we were once like that and we wanted to change the whole world and that it’s good to want to do that. So, I think that that could be a great benefit to all of us and I think that’s true of any college town.”

The combination of having young adults of different experiences from all over the state, country and world make the university a breeding ground for growth. Midway is already a welcoming town thanks to its tourism. But to some, the opportunities the university can bring to town are unmatched and overdue.

Hughes said he wants to see the university more involved in “the way the town and the community is being shaped. With their intellect and their knowledge, it can help change some things. And there’s a lot of change that needs to be made that we, as a community, think don’t need to be changed, but in order for us to keep growing I think we’re gonna have to change into a more positive direction. So maybe we can help each other with that.”

Taylor Daniel, Adrianna Dennington and Renee Fossett of Midway made the fall dean's list at Midway University

Midway University announced this week that 283 students earned spots on its Dean’s List for the fall semester. To be named to the list, a student must be classified as full-time and obtain a 3.6 grade point average for the semester.

Taylor Daniel, Adriana Denington and Renee Fossett of Midway made the list. Versailles students on the list were Meredith Mohedano, Elizabeth Pecina, Juan Perez, Alexandra Todd and Amanda Watts.

Students from Frankfort on the list were Niki Bailey, Cameron Barton, Shannon Brunette, Cornelia Burke, Kendra Cantrell-Coyle, Emilie Hill, Sydney Houp, Molly Lecompte, Erin McQueen, Rebecca Monnin, Martha Muller, Jacob Smith, Regan Snyder, Grayson Strasburger, Sadie Taylor, Michael Wallen and Albert Woodrum.

Students from Scott County on the list were Brittany Brockman of Georgetown, Tara Casey of Stamping Ground, Sydney Coffey of Georgetown, David Coleman of Georgetown, Rachel Cooper of Georgetown, Elizabeth Hazlett of Stamping Ground, Jordan Hopkins of Georgetown, Kimberly Jager of Georgetown, Nyckoletta Martin of Georgetown, Cynthia Sexton of Stamping Ground, and Emme Warren, Madeline Wasson, Natasha Williams and Alyssa Yates of Georgetown.

Northside principal, teacher and parent credit school's approach to student behavior for its high ranking

Story and photos by Megan Parsons
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

What makes an effective elementary school? “Most of the time, it’s about reinforcing good behavior,” says Northside Elementary Principal Ryan Asher.

Northside received four of five stars in the Kentucky School Accountability Report for the 2018-19 school year, and Asher and others say good behavior is a big reason.

A reading class at Northside Elementary School

Northside was the only Woodford County elementary school to receive four stars this year, while the other elementaries received three stars. The high and middle schools also received four stars.

The report, issued by the Kentucky Department of Education Oct. 1, includes reading and math rankings by student demographics, and the change from the 2017-18 school year to the 2018-19 year.

Northside’s overall math scores increased by 10 points, and reading scores rose by 7 points. The improvement was even greater among economically disadvantaged students (+13.2 in math and +11.3 in reading); those who speak English as a second language went up :10.1 in math and 5.6 in reading.

Asher credits the school’s “MTSS, or multi-tier system of support,” for the gains. “It’s a structure that involves systems of support for students with different needs,” he says. ”Whether they are a free-and-reduced lunch student, a high-achieving student or an English Second Language student, there are multiple people to put those supports in place.”

MTSS gives additional help to students in areas of need: mental, behavioral, physical, or within certain subject areas.

The behavior scale

Another key aspect for Northside’s success in the last school year, Asher said, is by reinforcing good behavior. In the past, elementary schools around the nation used clothespins or colored cards with three describing factors for each student’s behavior that day: green for good, yellow as a warning and red meaning they are in trouble.

Today at Northside, Asher notes, teachers are applauding good behavior through several options on a new scale, ranging from “outstanding” at the top to “think about it as students approach the bottom of the scale” to “teacher’s choice” and “parent contact or office, at the bottom of the scale.”

Asher says Northside’s use of a national program called Positive Behavior Intervention Supports played a major role in the school’s success last year. Northside uses the program as a code with four major themes: be safe, be kind, be responsible, and be a leader.

If a child misbehaves, a teacher or administrator asks the child to reflect on what part of the code he or she has broken. “Ten out of ten times,” says Asher, “a student will immediately know which part of the code they broke.”

Liz Perry, a third-grade teacher, agreed with Asher in a separate interview.

“I think it is so beneficial because it’s universal across all of our staff members,” Perry said. “That includes not only teachers but the cafeteria monitors, instructional aids and office staff. The kids know that these high expectations behavior wise need to be followed in front of everyone they see throughout their day. It’s held our kids accountable for their own behavior and I think it helps them make better choices in the future.”

For a larger version of any photo, click on it.

The hallways and classrooms are filled with reminders of the code. Even when entering the bathroom or eating lunch at the cafeteria, posters are displayed to remind students of how to be safe, how to be kind, how to be responsible and how to be a leader.

Amanda Glass, a parent of a Northside student and president of the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization, said “Northside reiterates those same things we are teaching at home. . . . Sometimes, when you hear it from your teachers or your principal, it has a little bit more clout than when mom and dad say that. . . . It’s good that the school also models that good behavior you’re trying to teach at home.”

Glass added, “Northside is such a small community in itself, it’s almost like a private public school. Northside nurtures the whole child. They do a great job of examining strengths and weaknesses and working on those for each child. . . . Not every child has the same social skills or emotional health other children do, and it’s comforting knowing my child is safe and loved when I can’t be there.”

Students at the school aren’t just viewed as students, they are thought of as “my kids,” Perry said. “It’s a part of what makes Northside so special. Even if they don’t work with them, we don’t view kids as Ms. Perry’s third grader, but as a student at Northside and everybody is on their team and everybody is in their corner.”

Northside Elementary School has 48 people on its staff, including 23 teachers. There are 334 students, excluding preschool, with a student-teacher ratio of 15:1.


A sign in a hallway at Northside reminds readers of the four main themes of the behavior code.

Midway Univ. ranked among Top 75 regional universities in South, No. 3 in the region in students' social mobility

This photo was taken for The Lane Report before the university began construction on a new athletic field and fieldhouse.

By Grant Wheeler
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway University is excited about new regional rankings, and dealing with the pains of growth that helped it get recognition.

After opening its doors to a record class of 274 new undergraduates this fall, the university learned that has made U.S. News and World Report’s list of Top 75 Regional Universities in the South, at No. 73. Among such schools, the university is ranked No. 3 in a category new to the rankings: social mobility, which reflects how it helps students with lower incomes.

The rankings are based on several factors, including student retention, graduation rates, class sizes and faculty resources. Social mobility rankings are measured by the graduation rate of students from households with less than $50,000 income who receive federal Pell grants. The private university’s annual tuition and fees are $24,850, according to U.S. News.

“We try to keep our education affordable,” while offering a personalized learning environment to all students, President John Marsden said. “It happens in the classroom with faculty, it’s happening with coaches, it’s happening with student affairs, but it also happens in ways you might not think about such as with the financial aid counselor or the business office staff who work close to families to help them navigate a very complicated process that is paying for one’s education.”

Student athlete Lynsey Doles, president of the Student Government Association, is a junior from Ripley, Tennessee. Doles is a scholarship student who said she was attracted by Midway’s personalized learning environment. “When I made the decision to come to Midway I was looking for something small where I was a name and not just a number,” she said. “Since then I have fallen in love with Midway University.”

The university decided to go co-ed to sustain itself, President John Marsden said, citing “tight budgets, decreased interest in single-sex education, and a national trend in declining enrollments."

Since going co-educational in 2016, the university has enjoyed record breaking enrollment every year, and is ahead of the timetable in its three-year strategic plan, which calls for 650 daytime students on campus by fall 2021.

With a daytime enrollment of 643, “We only have seven more students to go!” said Vice President of Marketing and Communications Ellen Gregory.

The spike in enrollment has been warmly welcomed by faculty, but the rapid growth has posed some new issues, such as accommodating incoming students.

Housing and dining are the pressing issues. Pinkerton Hall, the first building on campus, which dates to 1847, was renovated for housing just in time this summer to meet the growing demand.

“We did not anticipate such rapid growth,” said Marsden. “The university must be willing to act very quickly and adjust with the times. . . . We certainly don’t want any obstacles that will curtail our momentum moving forward.”

Gregory described this year as being a study in time flow, explaining “some things you have to think about internally are things like food service. How many people can you feed when you only have one dining hall?”

Logistics of class schedules, capacity, and smaller issues such as the proximity of waste containers to residence halls, are all operational obstacles the administration is looking to address.

The university is proud of its strong sense of community, and some students say they feel part of the larger community of Midway, the town.

“I do feel a sense of community,” said Logan Conn, a member of the golf team and a transfer student from the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky. “The school is surrounded by a variety of small shops and restaurants, and given the small class sizes I really get to know my professors in a much more intimate environment.”

The university is adding a baseball field and fieldhouse to serve the needs of its athletic teams. “We’re not building so that students will come – they are already here,” Marsden said. “We’re building so that students will stay.”

U.S. News and World Report’s rankings are available online and are to be printed in October in the Best Colleges 2020 guidebook. Find out more about Midway University at www.Midway.edu