100 YEARS AGO — 1919

A large tobacco barn burned at Arcadia, the Shelby home, just over the Boyle line in Lincoln County. Lightning caused the fire. A large lot of hemp and about $1,500 worth of farming implements went up in smoke. The barn was practically a new one and would cost $2,000 to build now. The loss sustained is about $12,000 with only a few hundred dollars of insurance.

The Boyle County Board of Education and trustees met to select teachers on Saturday. Instead of there being as at first supposed, a surplus of teachers, there was, and still is a dearth of them, as the salaries are so low, that no one who can do better at something else will take a school job at the current schedule of salaries, especially when half of it must be spent for board, if one teaches away from home. Some of our best teachers have gone to Washington City, and into other states where salaries are more adequate. … Teachers of many years’ experience now get the same or less than an inexperienced 18-year-old girl or boy teaching his or her first school, and this is not right. Six schools in Boyle are without teachers, and four others lack one or two teachers and three of these lack principals.

A 13-year-old boy shot and killed his father at their farm on the pike between Burgin and High Bridge near Harrodsburg. When he heard his mother shout for help, he rushed to her assistance with a shotgun. Just as his father was about to strike his mother, the boy fired the gun and shot his father in the shoulder which severed his jugular vein and he died within a few minutes. It is said the father was a drinking man and had frequently beaten his wife. The mother took her son to Harrodsburg and had him released after promising to bring him to court for trial. Public sentiment is in favor of the boy and his mother. It is believed that his case will probably be dismissed.

75 YEARS AGO — 1944

Relatives and friends of American prisoners of war in Europe are allowed to send 60 pounds of books a year at the rate of five pounds a month to each American prisoner and civilian internees held by Germany, according to the latest issue of the Prisoner of War Bulletin published by the American Red Cross. Books containing maps, charts and travel information are banned. Any book containing political matter, references to the war, information on radio, espionage and technical or military matters are blacklisted, as are books written by emigres from enemy-held territory or by authors who have been blacklisted by the German government.

Mrs. Alice Haynes Grow is celebrating the completion of 50 years of service to the deaf children of Kentucky as a member of the faculty of the Kentucky School for the Deaf and as leader of the Christian Endeavor Society of the school.

Jere Caldwell, 17, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Caldwell of Boyle County, has been accepted for service with the United States Navy. Mr. Caldwell’s next older brother, Captain Logan Caldwell, U.S. Marine Corps, lost his life in the line of duty while flying in formation with other Marine pilots off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida.

Sergeant Juanita Brown, WAC, has arrived safely in Italy, according to a message that reached her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph O. Brown of West Walnut Street in Danville. She is the first Boyle county servicewoman to be assigned to foreign service, as far as is known.

50 YEARS AGO — 1969

The Welfare and Social Service Planning Advisory Committee has found that aside from babysitting services which a mother might hire, some preschool classes which operate only during part of the day, and a private nursery school, there are no facilities or programs to provide child care and preschool experiences for children of working mothers or for children from deprived and disrupted homes. The committee also reported there is evidence of a great number of second and third generation welfare families in the welfare process.

The annual dance revue of the Cooper School of Dance, entitled “Mod, Mod World” was presented at Danville High School. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Danville Day Care Center. Directed by Mrs. Imelda Cooper, the unusually large crowd was generous with its applause. An outstanding spectacle was the “Flower Children” Pam Baker, Robin Barnes, Lisa Gibson, Robin Hines, Kelly McGuire, Debbie Fox, Edward Saunooke, Deborah Cooper, Imelda Wise, Belva Claunch, Mary Beth Sharp, Tammye Arnold and Tina Carter. The dancers wore mod mini dresses, hippie wigs, love beads, sunglasses and tall boots.

A suit asking that all votes in the Representatives’ race in Precinct 15 in Boyle County be declared null and void because of irregularities has been filed in Boyle Circuit Court by Cecil Arnold, of Lancaster, who was defeated in the primary by 10 votes by incumbent Howard Hunt. Voting in precinct 15 was held at the Bargain Center on Walnut Street. Rep. Hunt is seeking his fourth term in the 50th legislative district, comprised of Boyle and Garrard counties.

25 YEARS AGO — 1994

Police have tracked two escapees from the Boyle County jail to Herrington Lake but still have not caught them. The men, who broke out early Tuesday, allegedly burglarized a cabin on the lake, stole a boat and then drove away in a van.

Combining the Danville and Boyle County school districts wouldn’t help find more space for students, the Danville facility committee learned. Discussion of a merger came up earlier this year. Under Kentucky law, in order for the two school systems to combine, Danville school board would have to vote to dissolve the Danville Independent District. Then it would become part of the Boyle County system. The merger would not create extra space for either system. The Danville schools has close to 1,900 students and the Boyle County system has about 2,600 students.

The advertisement for a new Kentucky School for the Deaf superintendent calls for experience in deaf education and fluency in American Sign Language but it doesn’t mention deafness as a qualification. However, the chairman of the committee which came up with the qualifications and will screen candidates recently said he would prefer the state to hire someone deaf.