Kentucky

Kentucky School for the Blind hosts 2025 graduation ceremony

Published

1 year ago

May 23, 2025

Kentucky School for the Blind hosts 2025 graduation ceremony

(LOUISVILLE, KY) – The Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB) celebrated five graduates during its commencement ceremony on May 21.

The five graduates were:

Brevin Fanin;
Cherish Mimms;
Valerie Alvarez;
EJ Holden; and
Allonah Lard.

“Thank you for entrusting your children to our care,” KSB Principal Peggy Sinclair-Morris said during the commencement ceremony. “It’s an honor to have had you as families and students at the Kentucky School for the Blind.”

The ceremony featured scholarship awards, a student-led musical rendition of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones, and the annual appreciation ceremony where the graduates hand out roses to people who played an important role in their lives.

Vincent Reese, retired KSB history teacher, gave the commencement address. He stressed three things he wanted to hear when he graduated high school: be an unsung hero, be prepared to fail and remember that “yes, you can.”

“Guys, you may never do something that makes it into the history textbooks, but if you are the person who will courageously stand for what is right because it is right, or you humbly kneel to offer help and encouragement or care to a person in need, then you are an unsung hero,” he said.

The 2025 commencement ceremony was also the first ceremony since the COVID-19 pandemic to feature Scout Troop 10 presenting the colors. Scout Troop 10 is the oldest troop dedicated to students with disabilities and Scoutmaster Ottis Florence said 10 KSB students participated this year.

All photos were taken by Joe Ragusa, information officer supervisor with the Kentucky Department of Education.

A woman in a blue floral dress talks to two girls in red graduation gowns

Allonah Lard, Cherish Mimms and KSB teacher Becky Spies chat before the graduation ceremony begins.

Two women speak in front of an open doorway

KSB Principal Peggy Sinclair-Morris speaks with Shannon Sparkman, director of state schools with the Kentucky Department of Education.

Two kids hold their hands to their hearts

Jose Echeverria and Evie Vanderpool, members of Scout Troop 10, hold their hands to their hearts as they salute the flag during the colors presentation.

A man speaks at a podium as four kids in graduation gowns and hats sit on the stage with him

Keynote speaker Vincent Reese gives the keynote address.

A group of kids in graduation gowns play various instruments while adult instructors play the drums and the piano

The graduating class performs “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones.

A girl in a red graduation gown plays the drums

Cherish Mimms plays the drums.

A girl in a red graduation gown hugs her mother

Valerie Alvarez hugs her mother, Elvira Alvarez, during the appreciation ceremony.

Five people stand on a stage, including one in a red graduation gown and another holding up his arms in celebration

EJ Holden, center, celebrates with a group of KSB staff members he gave appreciation to: Kyle Sochia, Bo Mullins, Kyrstin Price and Connie Hill.

A girl in a red graduation gown hugs a woman while a man stands next to them

Allonah Lard hugs her mother and her stepfather on stage during the appreciation ceremony.

A girl in a red graduation gown hugs a woman

Cherish Mimms hugs Candace Bell, one of the people she gave a rose to during the appreciation ceremony.

A kid in a red graduation gown holding a walking stick stands on stage with three other people

Brevin Fanin, middle-left, stands on stage with Shawn Hauber, KSB student development assistant, teacher Connie Hill and dorm advisor Neil Brown.

A group of five kids in graduation gowns move the tassels on their caps

The graduating class moves their tassels to signify the end of the ceremony.

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Kentucky

Saturated soil raises flooding risk across Kentucky after recent heavy rain

Published

4 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Saturated soil raises flooding risk across Kentucky after recent heavy rain

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Recent heavy rainfall has left soil across the state completely soaked, contributing to localized flooding in some areas.

When rain falls, some water soaks into the ground through a process called percolation.

Soil can only hold a limited amount of water. Once the small air spaces within the soil fill with water, the ground becomes saturated and additional rainfall has nowhere to go.

Soil type plays a role in how quickly water drains.

Much of Kentucky has clay-heavy soil, which is made up of very small, flat particles packed tightly together.

That composition makes it harder for water to move through. In clay soil, water may drain at a rate of only 0.02 to 0.17 inches per hour.

When rainfall comes down faster than the ground can absorb it and water cannot drain into a stream or storm drain quickly enough, it begins to build up.

That buildup is what leads to localized flooding.

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Kentucky

Cyclosporiasis spreads across Kentucky

Published

16 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – Cyclosporiasis is a microscopic parasite that can contaminate food and water — is making people sick across several states, including Kentucky.

Dr. Patricia Tellez-Watson said, the illness is caused by Cyclospora cayetanensis and spreads when someone ingests contaminated food or water. “It is an intestinal infection caused by this water-borne, food-borne microscopic parasite,” she said.

Symptoms can include diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

Tellez-Watson said, cases are often sporadic, but outbreaks can happen — especially during hot, wet months, when the parasite can survive in the environment long enough to become infectious.

Health experts recommend taking extra precautions with food and water. Washing hands and thoroughly rinsing produce before eating or cooking can reduce risk.

Watson also urged people to be cautious with fresh produce, particularly pre-packaged items, and to consider using bottled water.

Officials have confirmed cases in Bowling Green, though it’s unclear how many.

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Kentucky

Drafted by Reds, Matt Ponatoski enrolls at University of Kentucky

Published

1 day ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Drafted by Reds, Matt Ponatoski enrolls at University of Kentucky

Moeller two-sport star Matt Ponatoski had a decision to make after being drafted by the Cincinnati Reds.
Ponatoski chose to enroll at Kentucky where he could play both baseball and football.

Dual-sport star and Moeller alum Matt Ponatoski’s final decision still awaits, but signs are pointing towards Lexington, KY.

After committing to the University of Kentucky as both a quarterback and pitcher, Ponatoski was selected in the 18th round (No. 542 overall) of the 2026 MLB Draft by the hometown Cincinnati Reds. While Ponatoski was ranked No. 208 on the MLB’s draft board and expected to be selected higher, doubts around whether he intended to go pro this year caused his stock to fall.

Ponatoksi has until the MLB’s signing deadline on July 27 to make a final decision, but the Moeller product has seemingly signaled his intention to stick with the University of Kentucky. He enrolled at the University of Kentucky on Wednesday, July 15, per a Kentucky Sports Radio report, indicating he will join the Wildcats football team in the fall.

The Man of Moeller was just the third player in the history of the Gatorade Player of the Year award to win for two different sports in the same season. Doing so in his junior year, he joined Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss and National Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Joe Mauer.

For Wildcats football, Ponatoski would come in as a four-star quarterback prospect and helped give new head coach Will Stein a top-25 recruiting class in the nation. He threw just one interception in his senior season for the Moeller Crusaders, completing 66% of his passes for 2,395 yards and 28 touchdowns.

For Kentucky baseball, Ponatoski would join up with fellow freshman and former Louisville Trinity pitcher Grayson Willoughby, who won Kentucky Mr. Baseball and withdrew his name from the draft. Willoughby, a top-rated pitching prospect, felt MLB teams were attempting to low-ball him and thus chose to stick with the Wildcats. Ponatoski is fresh from a season leading Moeller to the state championship game, recording a 1.37 ERA on the year.

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