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A round-up of all things Clark County…

Clara Jane Morton of Winchester, also a middle school student at Saints Peter & Paul Regional Catholic School, Lexington, has qualified to compete at the Kentucky Association for Academic Competition (KAAC) championship for composition writing.

Clara Jane participated on the SPPS middle school academic team and served as a member of the quick recall team as well. She placed first in the district writing competition which advanced her to the regional level. Morton placed 5th overall out of 12 schools and 20 other competitors. She will now compete at the state level in Louisville, KY on March 19th at the KAAC Governor’s Cup Championship.

In other news, Winchester Kiwanis Club’s annual auction Saturday, Feb. 26 at Bargains on Broadway.

Auction will be in-person bidding only starting at 6:30 p.m. Bid on hundreds of items including portable speakers, screwdriver sets, flashlights, dog cages to bicycles; too many things to mention. Most auction items are Overstock and everything will be new. Pics of auction items will be posted on our Winchester Kiwanis Club Facebook page.

Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. in the conference room at College Park Gym Monday, Feb. 28.

Sun reader Joe Nicholson provided this news tip about Clark County’s ties to director/actor Ron Howard — aka Opie Taylor, aka Richie Cunningham. And Ron’s brother is Clint Howard, star of Gentle Ben TV show.

Their parents were married in Winchester on October 5, 1948 in the lobby of the Brown-Proctor Hotel. Jean Speegle and Rance Howard were members of a children’s theater troupe traveling in the midwest in 1948. They were never in a state long enough to endure the 3-day waiting period after blood tests were taken.

Someone in Ohio told them that Kentucky did not have such a waiting period. So when the troupe traveled to Winchester for a show, they got married. They were married by a Methodist Minister and had the reception in the lobby of the Brown-Proctor.

Nicholson’s tip is very reliable — comes from “The Boys” written by Ron and Clint Howard. That’s neat! Book has a whole chapter about the Howards’ wedding in Winchester. Rather than risk copyright infringement by republishing that chapter in the Sun, go to your local library and check out “The Boys” and sit for a spell, read what happened.

A little bit about Joe Nicholson — he graduated from the last high school class of Saint Agatha Academy in 1968. Now a prominent insurance man who owns and operates Nicholson Insurance Agency in Lexington, way back when Nicholson played in a Winchester band called The Utmost with Larry Shearer, Jim Tegge, Richard Baber, Paul Osborne, Randy Beckham, Dick Hudson, and Gary Spencer.

Nicholson went to University of Kentucky where he met his wife-to-be Jessica Bell. The loving couple got married, raised a son and daughter. They are now grandparents of five.

In other news, West Point reached out to George Rogers Clark High School the other day to learn more about a few possible candidates who may apply someday for admission to the military academy. That’s a testament not only to GRC’s academic reputation, but to those students who aspire to serve their country.
Anyone with news tips, local history or more, please reach out to miles.layton@winchestersun.com