Message from the mayor: Be careful as we go through the winter’s first snowfall

Hello everyone,
     This is just a friendly reminder that the first snow of the year tends to lead to a lot of accidents, likely because we haven’t been driving in those conditions for some time.
     While this weather event may turn out to be little, the conditions are right for potential ice overnight and in the morning on your commute. Wright Farm Services is prepared to respond if conditions necessitate, but don’t count on roads outside of Midway having been treated thoroughly.

     Please take extra caution; we’ve been driving on mostly dry roads lately.
Stay safe,
Grayson Vandegrift, Mayor
City of Midway

Monday is deadline to enter Nov. 16 chili cook-off

Last year's winner: Chip Guillot (Photo  by Ana Neal)

The 2019 Midway Charity Chili Cook-Off is still seeking contestants, and the deadline is Monday.

The cook-off will be held from noon until 3 p.m. (or until supplies last) on Saturday, Nov. 16, as part of the Midway Business Association's series of holiday promotions. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Midway Ministerial Association and Midway Renaissance.

Samplers of chili will pay $5 for the privilege, and will have the opportunity to vote for their top three contestants. The MBA will provide each taster a spoon, cup and napkins.

Votes will be counted and prizes awarded at 3:30 p.m. First place will receive $50 cash and a trophy; second place will get $30 cash and a medal; and third place will receive $20 and a medal.

Contestant Information

• Register online at http://bit.ly/MidwayChili2019.
• Prepare and bring six to 10 quarts of chili in your own crockpot(s); you are welcome to make more.
• Enter no more than two chili recipes.
• Check in at City Hall, 101 E. Main St. You will have assigned outdoor spaces in which to set up along the sidewalks. In case of inclement weather, an indoor location will be determined.
• Set up by 11:45 a.m. and be ready to serve at noon sharp.
• Access to an electric outlet will be provided, but you must provide your own table, which must be draped, as well as chairs, a serving spoon or ladle, and an extension cord.
• You may also bring toppings such as cheese, crackers, hot sauce, etc. These are optional.

Midway voters offer widely varying reasons for their choices Tuesday, many contrary to party registration

By Kennedy Sabharwal and Grant Wheeler
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

As voters left the polls at Northside Elementary School before lingering clouds finally dispersed Tuesday, many were wrapped up in their winter coats ready to brave the cold weather. Asked how they voted, they had widely varying reasons for their votes in the race between Attorney General Andy Beshear, who carried Midway, and Gov. Matt Bevin.

Beshear and Bevin at their final debate, in Northern Kentucky Oct. 29

The election turned out to be a referendum on the governor and his personality, and even his supporters acknowledged his problems. “I don’t always agree with what he says but I agree with enough,” said Candace Barnes, 60.

Ben Patton, 22, said he “voted for Beshear because I want to be a teacher, and also want to have a pension.” His friend Isaac Hamilton, 21, said likewise: “I also plan on being an educator.”

Some voters spoke only with the guarantee of anonymity, A 72-year-old registered nurse said she voted for Bevin in 2015, but today “I voted for Beshear because I am a retired teacher.” Beshear credited teachers' activism for his victory.

Though she is a registered Democrat, the woman said she voted for Republican Daniel Cameron over Greg Stumbo for attorney general because “My husband knows Stumbo, because he was a lobbyist, and we know he is not very honest, and I just would like to see a young black man in office.”

She said she voted for Heather French Henry for secretary of state “because I have met her personally and she is a woman of dignity and honesty.” Henry won Midway but lost the county and state; Stumbo carried the city precinct but lost the rural one, the county and the state.

A registered independent who is a marketer said, “I voted for Beshear because I don’t like Bevin and what he has done and how he has treated teachers.”

The woman said that her vote for attorney general was somewhat influenced by President Trump, but to the contrary; she said she voted for Stumbo because Trump supported Cameron.

Several said they voted contrary to their party registration. A 68-year-old retired City of Frankfort employee said he is a registered Democrat, but “believe it or not, I voted Republican all the way. … They fuss about Bevin causin’ so much trouble, but sometimes you gotta stir it up.”

His wife, a 69-year-old retired state worker, said she also voted to re-elect Bevin “because he is trying to straighten things out.”

On the other hand, a 25-year-old man who manages a restaurant in Woodford County said he used to be a registered Republican but became a Democrat because his thoughts aligned more with the Democratic Party and “I voted straight Democrat.”

A man in his 30s said he voted for Democrat Jack Conway against Bevin in 2015, but was for Bevin this time. “I’m in the horse industry,” he explained. “Bevin has hired people that he knows that know the business.” The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has allowed "instant racing," a form of betting that closely resembles slot machines.

Beshear wants to raise revenue by expanding gambling further, which worries the voter. “The sitting governor has the ability to do away with instant racing,” he said. “Once you do free-standing casinos, the horsemen and the farm stuff get none of that funding” from the state.

The man said he likes Bevin's frankness, likening it to the approach of President Trump, but for some other voters, Trump was a negative.

A 74-year-old Democrat from Midway said she voted for Beshear, called Bevin “mean and thoughtless” and added, “Trump's been in the picture for him; we are Kentucky; it’s about us.”

A 51-year-old registered nurse Bevin's ties to Trump made her “far less likely to vote for him.” She and a University of Kentucky student said they voted for Beshear “He’s screwing over teachers, and I want to be a music teacher eventually,” the student said. “I don’t like his personality or his policies and I want him out.”

On the other hand, a 73-year-old man said he likes Bevin because he is “straightforward and has the guts to say somethin’ like how we shouldn’t have sanctuary cities.” Kentucky has no such cities, Beshear cited that in saying that he saw no need for a law banning them.

The man said voted straight Republican. “What the left says, which is primarily Democratic, is not feasible,” he said. “Everything they say is just an attempt to get votes.”

Information for this story was also gathered by UK journalism student Garrett Burton.

Midway area favors Beshear over Bevin, and Henry over Adams; city voters favor Stumbo over Cameron

By Al Cross and Garrett Burton
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway voters favored Attorney General Andy Beshear for governor and all but one other Democrat for statewide office in Tuesday's election. Those in the rural Midway precinct, which includes some areas near Versailles, supported Beshear and one other Democrat but otherwise voted Republican.

Beshear precincts in blue, Bevin in red

Beshear won the city precinct with 494 votes, 54 percent of the total, to 252 for Republican Gov. Matt Bevin and 15 for John Hicks, who ran a very limited campaign on the Libertarian ticket. In the rural precinct, Beshear won 283 to 226 to 15. He carried Woodford County with 6,235 votes, 53.1% of the total, to Bevin's 5,277 and Hicks' 227. Bevin carried the county by 100 votes in 2015.

Voters interviewed at the polls, who generally declined to give their names, had more to say about Bevin than about Beshear. A woman in her 30s said she voted against Bevin “mainly because he is so disrespectful to many people on many levels, and I don’t like that representing Kentucky.”

A Republican in his 30s said he voted for Beshear, and Democrat Jack Conway in 2015. “Mostly, I don’t care for Bevin,” he said. “There’s definitely a personality component to it, but I disagree with a lot of the policy decisions.”

On the other hand, a 72-year-old Democrat said he voted for Bevin because “I believe he is a better person” and things overall have been going well for the state.

Bevin was the only Republican to lose a partisan race in Kentucky on Tuesday. Woodford voters favored Democrat Heather French Henry for secretary of state, 6,067 (51.9%) to 5,622 for statewide winner Michael Adams. Henry carried the county by the same percentage, 6,067 to 5,622. She won the city precinct 485 to 273 and the rural precinct 282 to 239.

Republican candidates Daniel Cameron and Ryan Quarles
campaigned in the Foothills Festival parade in Albany Oct. 18.

In other races, Woodford voters favored Republicans. However, in the race for attorney general in the Midway city precinct, Democrat Greg Stumbo ran ahead of countywide and statewide winner Daniel Cameron, getting 434 votes to Cameron's 312. Cameron won the rural Midway precinct 270 to 248.

City voters also favored Sheri Donahue over state Auditor Mike Harmon, 416 to 302, and Michael Bowman over state Treasurer Allison Ball, 384 to 358. The Republican incumbents won the rural precinct, Harmon getting 52% and Ball 59%. Ball got the most votes of any statewide candidate.

The partisan allegiances of the two precincts were further indicated by the number of voters who cast straight-ticket ballots. In the city, straight-party voting was 232 Democratic, 159 Republican and 4 Libertarian. In the rural precinct, it was 129 Republican, 120 Democratic and 3 Libertarian.

Robert Haley Conway

The sole Republican winner in the city was Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, who defeated fellow Georgetown resident Robert Haley Conway, who attends Midway Presbyterian Church. It was close; Quarles won the city precinct with 382 votes to 348 for Conway and 16 for Libertarian Josh Gilpin. Quarles won the county precinct 340 to 174 to 6. The countywide results were Quarles 7,158 (61.8%), Conway 4,106 (35.46%) and Gilpin 316 (2.7%). Statewide, Quarles won 58.2% to 38.6%.

Turnout in the election was much higher than expected: 42 percent statewide and 54.6 percent in Woodford. Asked why, Midway precinct officer Helen Rentch said, "Competiton." The governor's race was known to be close (Beshear won by fewer than 5,000 votes in unofficial returns) and both sides mounted major efforts to get out the vote. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said turnout in the city precinct was 56 percent.

Vandegrift tells council sewer project will have less video, more repairs; blight ordinance session Wed.

Midway's $200,000 sewer improvement project will have more repairs and less inspection, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift told the City Council Monday night.

Vandegrift said he had accepted the suggestions of Jack Blevins, the city employee who oversees the sewer system, for changes in the plan offered early this year by HMB Professional Engineers, a consulting firm based in Frankfort, for the sewers east of Winter Street.

The HMB plan calls for a truck-mounted camera to enter sewer mains through manholes, record video to show what the sewers look like and what repairs are necessary. A high-powered water nozzle spraying inside the lines would remove sludge, tree roots, and other obstructions.

Chris Stewart of HMB told the council in February that the project would “figure out what repairs need to be made, where they need to be made, when they need to be made and kind of prioritize the issues that we find.”

Vandegrift said the city doesn't need to video all the lines, because it knows where most of the problems are, and can use the savings to install "cured-in-place piping," using a heavy epoxy to repair breaks in the lines, including some along and west of Winter Street.

"I commend Jack for coming in and saying 'I've got another idea'," Vandegrift said.

Council Member John Holloway said "it makes a whole lot more sense to fix some things" when they can be fixed, but Member Sara Hicks asked, "Would we still get a comprehensive view?"

"You would see less," Vandegrift said, but more video work can be done later. He said Blevins knows the lines, and "a lot of them are working great, but there are serious problems with some of them."

Council Member Logan Nance said it would be good to get an overall look at the system, and asked if the proposed repairs would be "just putting a Band-Aid on it." Vandegrift said no, that the epoxy method is "a serious industrial process" that has become "fairly common."

Vandegrift said the project is likely to start in the spring. He can spend the project's $200,000 budget as he pleases, but he said a budget amendment will be needed to reflect the project's revised cost estimate of $186,000. HMB's rough estimate for its plan was $180,000, but the council budgeted $200,000 to be safe. Vandegrift said the revised project includes $18,000 for curb work.

The mayor said the repaving, sidewalk and other infrastructure work on Stephens Street has been "a great success," with double yellow center lines and white edge lines to subtly encourage motorists to slow down. He said the edge lines couldn't go to the city limits because the street narrows eastward.

Vandegrift announced that the council's second workshop on blighted-property ordinances would be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6 at City Hall.

Benefit for Katy McDaniel raises almost $3,000; GoFundMe page started for those who couldn't attend

The band Veljeeta was part of the entertainment at the benefit at Northside Elementary School. Dan Trisko is at left.

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

Midway residents, friends and family of Katy McDaniel gathered Sunday for a benefit at Northside Elementary School. McDaniel was stabbed 26 times at her home on Oct. 6 and faces a challenging recovery.

Organizers estimated the attendance at about 150.

“This is another great example of what this community does,” Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said in an interview.

The event raised almost $3,000, according to the mayor’s wife, Katie Vandegrift. She estimated that around 150 people showed up in support of McDaniel.

The benefit included a blood drive by Kentucky Blood Center, concerts by Veljeeta featuring Sherri Dan and Jeff from Velvet Elvis, musician Maggie Lander and band Boogie G and the Titanics; a card creation station for Katy and her daughter Lily, set up by the Woodford County Library; and an ice cream cone station provided by Railroad Drug & Old Time Soda Fountain.

Dan Trisko, a member of the band Velvet Elvis, and friend and former bandmate of McDaniel’s father, Scott Stoess, was one of the organizers of the event, along with Katie Vandegrift.

Children and adults made about a dozen cards for Katy McDaniel
and her daughter, Lily, at a station set up by the Midway library.

“As soon as I heard about it, I immediately thought I’m going to call all my friends and let’s put on a show to raise some money for Katy and her family,” Trisko said. “I was just like everybody else, gob-smacked when this happened and knew I just wanted to do something to help.”

Stoess, McDaniel’s father, said in an interview that McDaniel is “improving every day” and he hopes she will be able to come home soon, but will need some outpatient procedures even after her release.

“Katy’s mother, Ilene, and I would like to thank Midway residents for their generous support,” Stoess said. ”It’s been overwhelming. We’d also like to thank the local fire and police departments, as well as the hospital staff for saving our daughter’s life.”

The Midway Branch of the Woodford County Library set up a station for adults and children to make cards for McDaniel and her daughter, Lily. A few dozen cards and crafts were made, organizers said.

“Katie Vandegrift asked if we wanted to set up a table to make cards,” said branch manager and City Council Member Stacy Thurman. She noted that Katy and Lily are patrons of the library: “We know them and would love to do that for them.”

Many conversations at the benefit included how great a person Katy is and how shocked the community was to hear about the attack.

Katy McDaniel (Photo from benefit concert poster)

“Katy is a great person, a loving mom and always would stop and chat. It was a big shock to us and the community that this happened,” said neighbors Nathan and Hope Craig. “It just proves that there are no warning signs for something like this and it’s made our community more aware, to always check on your neighbors.”

McDaniel’s husband, Doug McDaniel, has been charged with attempted murder.

Mick Barfield, who was a co-worker of McDaniel’s at the Origin Hotel Lexington, said she is a great manager of the restaurant 33 Staves in the hotel.

“She is a great leader, very efficient and great with the customers,” Barfield said. “When I first heard, it didn’t seem real I thought it was a rumor. I called Dan, one of the band members performing tonight, immediately to see if it was real.”

The Kentucky Blood Center also conducted a blood drive during the event. The drive had between 25 to 30 donors, which is maximum capacity, Katie Vandegrift said.

One donor was a friend of McDaniel’s, Mark Morrow. He said, “I can’t do much for Katy, but donating blood was a way I felt like I could help.”

A GoFundMe account has been set up for McDaniel, for those who were unable to attend the benefit. As of 10:45 p.m. Sunday, it had raised more than $69,000 of its $75,000 goal.

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.