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Five Winchester firefighters that helped with rescue and recovery operations in the aftermath of last December’s deadly tornado outbreak in Western Kentucky were honored at the Winchester Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday night.

Fire Chief Chris Whiteley, Lt. Nick Riggs, Maj. Matt Blose, and firefighters Heith Castle and Matt Moses were part of two teams deployed by the Bluegrass Emergency Response Team to the hard-hit communities of Mayfield and Benton.

Blose and Castle helped sift through the rubble at the symbolic heart of the devastation, the Mayfield Consumer Products factory.

The other team members helped with hazard mitigation efforts in Benton by looking for objects such as gas meters or propane tanks.

Chief Whiteley assisted with the mobile command unit during his stint in the Jackson Purchase.

The experience is something that Riggs will never forget.

“Anywhere the path was, it was just total devastation,” he said in an interview with the Sun last December. “The path was probably 200-300 hundred yards wide, and then for the next 100 yards, it was partial destruction of structures.”

Future Street Closure
The commission voted to approve an application to close a portion of Broadway St. for a Saint Patrick’s Day Festival.

The event will take place on Mar. 17 and is co-sponsored by Micki’s Irish Bar and Wildcat Willy’s Distillery.
Ordinances

The commission voted to approve an ordinance adopting a new city personnel code.

A second public reading of the ordinance was held before the vote per Kentucky law.

Appointments
Commissioner Joe Chenault was appointed to a seat on the Winchester Heritage Commission.
His term will expire on Dec. 31, 2022.