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Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Perfect way to end the year: Crabbe fifth-graders celebrate 100% attendance for KSA testing
ASHLAND Enthusiastic elementary students busted out of the classroom and then charged through the 'finish line' to a surprise pizza party on Friday afternoon in Central Park. Crabbe fifth-graders had ample reason to celebrate. All 42 of them had just completed seven days of Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) testing. Chris Scaggs and Emilie McAlister have a combined 44 years of experience as educators. Both are in their second year at Crabbe as fifth-grade teachers. They've never witnessed perfect attendance for an entire testing period. 'They've worked so hard and they've shown up,' McAlister said. 'These kids have a lot against them and they overcame it. I'm just so proud of them.' Crabbe's fifth-graders enjoyed Giovanni's pizza in the shelter house at the park near their school. Scaggs, McAlister and Kristy Minton — who helps the class primarily with writing — put together a surprise party complete with signs, balloons and a 'finish line' to plow through, which they did with great zeal. Michael McAlister, Emilie's husband, also helped with coordination of the celebration. Principal William Ferguson led the stampede of fifth-graders from Crabbe to the shelter house. The students were under the impression they were just headed over to an area for a group photo for the school to display in its trophy case — they still did that, but it was also time to party with pizza. 'This is what teaching's all about,' Scaggs said. 'You look around and say 'wow' at these kids. They need to feel celebrated. Fifth-grade testing is hard. What they ask these kids to do in fifth grade is very hard.' Ferguson said he and staff expressed importance of showing up for testing, but they had no idea what was in store over the next seven school days — from Thursday, May 15, through Friday, May 23. 'So, we noticed it was 100% on Thursday, and it was like, great, and then 100% Friday, and then it was, OK, how far can we take this?' Ferguson said. 'Kids were looking out for each other, keeping a head count. They'd come in the door in the morning and ask me, 'how many fifth-graders have you seen so far?' 'They had something they were pushing for,' Ferguson added. '… They just kinda did that themselves. They gelled as a team at the very end of this. It's one of those accomplishments that's pretty special.' 'It makes all the hard work all year worth it,' McAlister added. (606) 326-2664 | asnyder@
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Perfect way to end the year: Crabbe fifth-graders celebrate 100% attendance for KSA testing
ASHLAND Enthusiastic elementary students busted out of the classroom and then charged through the 'finish line' to a surprise pizza party on Friday afternoon in Central Park. Crabbe fifth-graders had ample reason to celebrate. All 42 of them had just completed seven days of Kentucky Summative Assessment (KSA) testing. Chris Scaggs and Emilie McAlister have a combined 44 years of experience as educators. Both are in their second year at Crabbe as fifth-grade teachers. They've never witnessed perfect attendance for an entire testing period. 'They've worked so hard and they've shown up,' McAlister said. 'These kids have a lot against them and they overcame it. I'm just so proud of them.' Crabbe's fifth-graders enjoyed Giovanni's pizza in the shelter house at the park near their school. Scaggs, McAlister and Kristy Minton — who helps the class primarily with writing — put together a surprise party complete with signs, balloons and a 'finish line' to plow through, which they did with great zeal. Michael McAlister, Emilie's husband, also helped with coordination of the celebration. Principal William Ferguson led the stampede of fifth-graders from Crabbe to the shelter house. The students were under the impression they were just headed over to an area for a group photo for the school to display in its trophy case — they still did that, but it was also time to party with pizza. 'This is what teaching's all about,' Scaggs said. 'You look around and say 'wow' at these kids. They need to feel celebrated. Fifth-grade testing is hard. What they ask these kids to do in fifth grade is very hard.' Ferguson said he and staff expressed importance of showing up for testing, but they had no idea what was in store over the next seven school days — from Thursday, May 15, through Friday, May 23. 'So, we noticed it was 100% on Thursday, and it was like, great, and then 100% Friday, and then it was, OK, how far can we take this?' Ferguson said. 'Kids were looking out for each other, keeping a head count. They'd come in the door in the morning and ask me, 'how many fifth-graders have you seen so far?' 'They had something they were pushing for,' Ferguson added. '… They just kinda did that themselves. They gelled as a team at the very end of this. It's one of those accomplishments that's pretty special.' 'It makes all the hard work all year worth it,' McAlister added. (606) 326-2664 | asnyder@
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Adkins family to host 'cure for cancer' for 29th year
MOREHEAD More than 60 teams of golfers will hit the greens this Friday to kick off Memorial Day weekend while also marking the 29th Annual Rocky and Leah Adkins Cure for Cancer golf scramble. Rocky Adkins, a lifelong eastern Kentucky figure and current senior adviser to Gov. Andy Beshear, also carries the title of "survivor," giving a personal drive for the near-30-year charity event. "I'm a 30-year cancer survivor and my wife, Leah, is a breast cancer survivor," Adkins said ahead of Friday's event. "It means a great deal to us personally." In the 29 consecutive years of hosting the benefit at Eagle Trace Golf Course, the Adkinses' personal effort combined with community involvement has allowed for nearly $4 million in total donations to UK King's Daughters Health Foundation. A portion of those proceeds allowed the hospital to implement a mobile mammogram unit, a vital tool for early detection for eastern Kentuckians that may lack accessible testing and healthcare otherwise. "Every penny (participants) contribute or donate to this cause goes directly into different causes that we support," Adkins said, including the mobile mammogram unit and expansion of UKKD's oncology center. Through the golf charity, Adkins said the oncology center has been able to expand from 7,000 square feet to nearly 20,000 square feet, providing "a better environment for patients during chemo treatments or other treatments they may be receiving." "We are so happy to be able to continue to support so many and will continue to promote and do everything we can to save lives and help people that are suffering from or yet to be diagnosed with cancer," Adkins said. "We want to be sure we have the best facilities, relaxing environment and to be able to keep the mobile mammography unit that's saving lives every day because of early detection." This year, Adkins said team slots were completely sold out with 34 teams scheduled for Friday morning and 30 to follow in the afternoon. "We are so honored that so many people are able to come out and participate," Adkins said. "All of us know an individual who has either suffered from cancer, whether it be a close friend or family member, who have lost their life to cancer. "So we're going to continue our battle for a cure to cancer and Leah and I, as a family, will continue to do what we can to provide resources to help every family member or cancer patient." Adkins said the event always falls on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend intentionally. "We're there to celebrate life but also there to honor and remember," Adkins said. (606) 326-2652 | mjepling@
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Flatwoods man indicted on wanton endangerment, assault charges
GREENUP A Greenup County grand jury indicted a Flatwoods man on a first-degree wanton endangerment charge and a first-degree assault (domestic violence) charge, landing him in the Greenup County Jail on a $100,000 bond. Roger Kilgore, 51, was indicted on the charges based on an incident that occurred 'on or about' Feb. 14, 2025, according to court documents. He is scheduled to be arraigned in circuit court today. An indictment is a formal accusation and is not necessarily an indication of guilt. Anyone named in an indictment should be presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. The following people were also indicted by a Greenup County grand jury: • Corey Hogan, 35, of Bidwell, Ohio, was indicted on a charge of procuring or promoting use of minor by electronic means. He is in Greenup County Detention Center on a $50,000 cash-only bond. • Donny Smith, 30, of South Shore, was indicted on five counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, stemming from an incident that happened on Feb. 22, according to court documents. He was also indicted on a second-degree fleeing/evading police charge, reckless driving, driving on a DUI-suspended license and an improper passing violation. • Sarah J. Sparks, 37, of South Shore, was indicted on a charge of tampering with witness. • Tony L. Wilson, 34, of Kitts Hill, Ohio, was indicted on a theft by unlawful taking/shoplifting charge. • Timothy Sanders, 35, of Ironton, was indicted on a theft by unlawful taking/shoplifting charge. (606) 326-2664 | asnyder@
