Russell Springs

The Russell County School System has enacted a policy lengthening the school day in an effort to make up for lost days due to harsh winter weather.

On Wednesday, the school board convened in a special session with one item on the agenda; extending the school day for the remainder of the school year by 48 minutes on a daily basis so that six missed days could be made up.

The measure, allowed as an “emergency clause” of Kentucky House Bill 427 gives school districts different options to make up school days rather than to meet the required minimum number of 170 school days. The measure would still meet the requirement of 1,062 instructional hours.

In this school year, Russell County Schools have missed 18 days due to inclement weather, enough that the school year would have been pushed back to June 6 before dismissal for the summer recess. The extended school day will allow for a May 26 last day for student attendance.

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Longtime District Judge Jack B. Miller, 87, passed away Tuesday night, March 8 at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington.

Jack Braxton Miller was born in Crocus in neighboring Adair County in 1923 before moving with his family to Creelsboro in Russell County several years later. He lived in the Creelsboro community until the time of his death.

Miller attended Jamestown High School where he was a standout on the basketball court before going on to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Following his service in the Navy, Miller went on to the University of Kentucky where he received his law degree.

Miller, a well-respected and well-known Russell Countian, served two terms as Russell County Attorney from the late 1960s to the mid-1970s.

He was later elected district judge for Russell, Clinton and Wayne counties and held that position for two decades before finally retiring.

Miller is survived by his wife, Ann Nell Miller and two sons, Walter and Frank Miller.

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A new EMS billing rate schedule, including rate increases, was presented by Russell County EMS Director Terry Hancock at the Russell County Ambulance Board’s regularly scheduled meeting last week.

“I’ve been talking to some other counties about our rates that we’re currently charging and we’re under everybody quite a bit,” said Hancock.

Even with proposed rates, Hancock said the county’s rates will still be less than those of neighboring counties but will bring rates closer in line to area EMS charges.

Hancock said he spoke to Casey County EMS officials who told him rates there are significantly higher than Russell County’s.

“Their (Advanced Life Support) Non-Emergency rate is $500 and ALS Emergency rate is $600,” said Hancock. “We do need to show some increases on rates.”

After a brief discussion, the board unanimously approved an overall average of 24 percent increase in billing as follows:

* Basic Life Support Non-Emergency: previous, $250 – new rate $300.

* Basic Life Support Emergency: previous rate $350 – new rate $400.

* Advanced Life Support Non-Emergency: previous rate $250 – new rate $400.

* Advanced Life Support Emergency: previous rate $400 – new rate $500.

* Advance Life Support Specialty Care: previous rate $525 – new rate $600.

* Loaded Mileage: previous rate $9.50 – new rate $10.50.

Gray said the majority of EMS services are billed to Medicaid and Medicare contributing to a high percentage of loss.

“What we need the public to understand is 30 percent of fees charged are never collected,” said Gray. “Medicare and Medicaid have set amounts they reimburse EMS so they may not pay the full rate and delinquent or unpaid debts also contribute to uncollected fees.”

In an effort to collect unpaid debts, EMS officials are researching collection companies.

Hancock also submitted an amended budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year to account for the EMS and 911 Dispatch split last October.

“Last July, when our new year started, we had a budget and we approved that budget,” said Gray. “At the time EMS and 911 were still together.”

“Since that time, we’ve separated and really up, until last month we were still getting bills we had to pay relating to that…it’s just now kind of getting cleared up,” Gray said.

The board decided to review the proposed budget and address it at the next regularly scheduled meeting in April.

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