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There was much to celebrate in Clark County in 2012, with the opening of a new hospital and a prestigious award granted to a local elementary school. But the year also had plenty of sadness, with a double homicide, the passing of one of the county’s most prominent citizens and a fatal fire. Community Services received an unexpected boost from a generous businessman, and a Winchester native took a turn in the spotlight thanks to a stint on a popular reality TV¿show. The Winchester Sun staff has collected some of the most memorable moments from throughout the year, and we will continue to provide extensive local coverage of all the events impacting our community in 2013.
Lillie Stanton charged
with killing daughter, infant
Lillie Stanton told police in May that she was afraid of losing time with her 22-month-old granddaughter to the child’s father. On May 20, three days before a final custody hearing in family court in Clark County, Stanton allegedly killed 22-month-old Kaydence Ray Miers and 23-year-old Danel Korrey Stanton, Lillie Stanton’s daughter and Miers’ mother, as they slept in her home. When police arrived on the scene, Miers and Danel Korrey Stanton were dead and Lillie Stanton had already wounded herself.
According to court documents, Lillie Stanton told police that she was
See 2012, A7
worried about the child’s father getting more visitation time. She said she wanted to take them out of state, but didn’t have enough money and decided to kill them instead.
Stanton has been indicted by the Clark County grand jury on two counts of murder and is awaiting further proceedings in Clark Circuit Court.
Kmart closes, inventory bought for Community Services
Losing a major retailer became an unexpected benefit for Winchester earlier this year. Kmart officials announced in late 2011 that the Winchester store would be closed as part of a corporate move. When the Winchester store closed for good May 6, businessman Rankin Paynter purchased the remaining inventory and donated everything to Community Services.
Paynter said his own rough upbringing in Winchester motivated him to give everything away so it could help others.
“... I know what it’s like to be poor,” Paynter said in May. “And I know what good places like Community Services do for a community, and I just wanted to give back and make sure other kids will be warm this winter.”
Paynter even rented a building to store all the merchandise until volunteers could sort through everything.
The purchase and donation made national headlines for several days as word of Paynter’s generosity spread. Community Services Director Judy Crowe said she would partner with other agencies in Clark County to distribute the clothes.
Trapp earns Blue Ribbon status
One Clark County school was in rare company in October, when Trapp Elementary was named one of just 307 public schools across the nation to earn a 2012 Blue Ribbon designation from the U.S. Department of Education. In the last nine years, only 40 schools in Kentucky have earned the honor. To even earn a nomination, with Trapp being one of only five schools in the state to get such a nod, a school has to be among the highest performing schools as measured by state assessments, or have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds and to have improved those students’ performances to high levels as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
“This is a great honor, and I think it validates what our teachers are doing every day working with our kids. There are great teachers everywhere, but it's nice that Trapp has figured out that right mix that is working for our kids,” Principal Steve Jenkins said in October.
“We are excited. This is a hard-working community and a hard-working school that takes a lot of pride in what we do out here,” said Betty Anes, a teacher at Trapp for 18 years.
New Clark Regional Medical Center opens
Lillie Stanton charged
with killing daughter, infant
Lillie Stanton told police in May that she was afraid of losing time with her 22-month-old granddaughter to the child’s father. On May 20, three days before a final custody hearing in family court in Clark County, Stanton allegedly killed 22-month-old Kaydence Ray Miers and 23-year-old Danel Korrey Stanton, Lillie Stanton’s daughter and Miers’ mother, as they slept in her home. When police arrived on the scene, Miers and Danel Korrey Stanton were dead and Lillie Stanton had already wounded herself.
According to court documents, Lillie Stanton told police that she was
See 2012, A7
worried about the child’s father getting more visitation time. She said she wanted to take them out of state, but didn’t have enough money and decided to kill them instead.
Stanton has been indicted by the Clark County grand jury on two counts of murder and is awaiting further proceedings in Clark Circuit Court.
Kmart closes, inventory bought for Community Services
Losing a major retailer became an unexpected benefit for Winchester earlier this year. Kmart officials announced in late 2011 that the Winchester store would be closed as part of a corporate move. When the Winchester store closed for good May 6, businessman Rankin Paynter purchased the remaining inventory and donated everything to Community Services.
Paynter said his own rough upbringing in Winchester motivated him to give everything away so it could help others.
“... I know what it’s like to be poor,” Paynter said in May. “And I know what good places like Community Services do for a community, and I just wanted to give back and make sure other kids will be warm this winter.”
Paynter even rented a building to store all the merchandise until volunteers could sort through everything.
The purchase and donation made national headlines for several days as word of Paynter’s generosity spread. Community Services Director Judy Crowe said she would partner with other agencies in Clark County to distribute the clothes.
Trapp earns Blue Ribbon status
One Clark County school was in rare company in October, when Trapp Elementary was named one of just 307 public schools across the nation to earn a 2012 Blue Ribbon designation from the U.S. Department of Education. In the last nine years, only 40 schools in Kentucky have earned the honor. To even earn a nomination, with Trapp being one of only five schools in the state to get such a nod, a school has to be among the highest performing schools as measured by state assessments, or have at least 40 percent of their students from disadvantaged backgrounds and to have improved those students’ performances to high levels as measured by state assessments or nationally normed tests.
“This is a great honor, and I think it validates what our teachers are doing every day working with our kids. There are great teachers everywhere, but it's nice that Trapp has figured out that right mix that is working for our kids,” Principal Steve Jenkins said in October.
“We are excited. This is a hard-working community and a hard-working school that takes a lot of pride in what we do out here,” said Betty Anes, a teacher at Trapp for 18 years.
New Clark Regional Medical Center opens
