Anti-bullying posters recognized by mayor

“If you’re told to do something, then they’re not gonna want to do it. (Their teachers) pretty much gave them the option, and they did it and we had a really good participation,” school resource officer Mark Branham said.

Evelyn Boerger won the color contest, open to students from kindergarten up to second grade. Kaydence Holmes won the poster contest, for students from third to fifth grade. Holmes’ poster featured a combination of puzzle pieces to show “everyone fits in.”

Each grand prize winner took home a karaoke machine and attended the Cynthiana Commission meeting to meet the Mayor.

Officer Branham said the contest gave away a total of $1,000 in prizes. Cynthiana Police Department gave $500 out of its budget to fund the project, but Branham wanted to go bigger.

He asked Jackie Arnold, cofounder of the Clayton Arnold Foundation, if she wanted to chip in. Luckily for Branham, Jackie jumped at the opportunity since her late son, for whom the foundation is named, actually helped start the anti bullying club at the high school.

Keeping with the theme of prizes, Cynthiana Police Chief Eric Kendall took the time to recognize one of his own officers at the commission meeting for garnering a statewide award.

Officer Ryan Rock, the city’s freshest officer out of the academy, received the governor’s award for 2023 impaired driving enforcement. Rock has worked for the city a little more than one year, but chief Kendall said he already shows great promise.

“This signifies that officer Rock excels in the area of DUI enforcement and led the Cynthiana Police Department in DUI arrests in 2023,” Mayor James Smith said.

The police department posted signs on Church Street and Pearl Street last week closing the roads to through truck traffic. The commission heard and approved the first reading of an ordinance coinciding with the signage.

They also approved the purchase of one $500 rifle sight from Drydens Sporting Goods.

Mayor Smith got an estimate to replace the trees downtown and asked the commission to fund the uprooting. The total cost will depend on the number of trees replaced, according to Smith, but will range from $2500 — $3500. The commission passed the motion.

“We put those in 10 years ago. They were five or six year trees and then they were supposed to be replaced again because they get too big and grow into the power lines,” he said.