State Representative Sara Beth Gregory has filed for re-election to her seat. Gregory, a Republican serving her first term as 52nd District State Representative, filed her candidacy on January 18, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State’s Office.

So far, she is the only candidate to file for the office.

The deadline for candidates to file for offices that will appear on the May primary ballot is Tuesday, January 31 at 4 p.m.

Two candidates have filed so far for Wayne Circuit Clerk. They are James Lynn Hill and Patricia Lay, who are both Republicans.

The only other local race that will appear on the ballot is for Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 57th District. Matthew Leveridge, a Republican, has filed for re-election to that position, and is the only candidate so far.

In the fall, the election ballot will expand to include races for all six seats on the Monticello City Council, as well as school board positions in both the local districts.

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The Telecommunications Board met on Wednesday, January 18 and approved a contract renewal with WDKY, the Fox network affiliate out of Lexington.

The new three-year deal will mean the local cable company will pay $1.35 per subscriber, which is an increase from the .60 cent charge that was part of their previous contract.

Also during the meeting, the board discussed an offer that has been made to purchase their power. Board members opted not to accept the offer.

The group was also updated regarding the new services that the cable company will offer soon.

Digital television channels for subscribers as well as internet service through the cable system will be available in about a month or so.

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It’s been 150 years since Union and Confederate troops clashed in the Battle of Mill Springs, set in the rolling hills of Nancy, Ky., but the battle–and those who waged it–have not been forgotten.

“I want to reinforce the notion that it is extremely important we preserve and protect these battlefields and the history associated with each because they serve as a physical reminder of our national sacrifice, a spiritual reminder of what our forefathers invested in us,” said Brig. Gen. Robert Alan Harris, the keynote speaker during last Saturday’s event held to remember the 150th anniversary of the battle. “And as a guidepost for our future direction as a nation.”

A large crowd gathered at Zollicoffer Park, located on Ky. 235 in Nancy, Ky., last Saturday to brave the cold weather in honoring those who served in the Battle of Mill Springs, which was fought around 150 years ago.

The battle, which claimed 148 Confederate soldiers and 50 Union soldiers, occurred on January 19, 1862 and served as one of the first major victories in the west for the Union Army, and it would set the stage for a number of strategic setbacks in the area for the Confederate forces.

On Saturday, a group of volunteers held a reenactment of the battle, which lasted only around four hours when it was fought in 1862, for a crowd of spectators, many of whom had never seen such an event before.

The massive cannon booms and the sounds of gunfire echoed across the area during Saturday’s reenactment, giving a reminder–albeit on a smaller scale–of what the actual battle would’ve sounded like 150 years ago.

The reenactment followed an introduction ceremony, hosted by new Mill Springs Battlefield Association President Bruce Burkett, which also featured the honoring of Bill Neikirk, who had long served as the association’s president and in other major positions since the association’s beginnings around 20 years ago.

“It’s been my honor to actually be in charge of this for 20 years,” Neikirk said. “It’s time for the next generation to do some work on it. I hope these young people here in the front row are here 20 years from now taking it over from us and keeping it going,” Neikirk said.

Chris Girdler, with Congressman Hal Rogers’ office, was also on hand to express Rogers’ support of the battlefield association’s efforts.

A ribbon cutting was held last Saturday before the reenactment to officially unveil a 16-acre tract of battlefield land to be purchased by the Civil War Trust and to be preserved by the MSBA.