The Sarah Roberts Hart family was named 2012’s Most Encouraging Kentuckians last week at a ceremony in downtown Lexington. The award is given annually by LeXenomics, a non-profit organization based in Lexington and the Hart and Roberts families graciously accepted the award in front of more than 150 people at the downtown Lexington headquarters of Able Engine, a technology firm.

The award was accepted by Sarah’s father, Wendell Roberts, her sister, Elizabeth Roberts and Ryan Hart, Sarah’s husband.

Eric Marr, Lexington founder and race director for Run the Bluegrass, presented the award. Marr’s group had raised funds for the Sarah Roberts Hart Fund earlier this year.

Sarah Roberts Hart, 31, a pharmacist and pregnant mother of three, was killed while she was out for an early morning jog last June. In the weeks that followed a 4-mile “Run With All Your Hart” charity event was organized by family and friends and brought more than 4,000 runners to Russell County. Virtual runners from around the state, country and world also joined in with their own runs.

The Sarah Roberts Hart Fund was also created weeks after Sarah’s death and more than $76,000 has been raised to be awarded to Russell County High School students who are wanting to become pharmacists or who “embody Sarah’s spirit” of hard work and dedication, according to the family.

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Local business woman Julie Beckman has been named to the Russell County Board of Education to replace 25-year board member and chairman Clifford Wilson, who stepped down in October due to health reasons.

Beckman, who will serve the 4th District for the remainder of Wilson’s term, was appointed by State Education Commissioner Terry Holliday.

Beckman will be sworn in at a ceremony to be held January 28, 2013 at the ANC reception room at 6 p.m. along with two recently elected board members, Brenda Higginbotham for District One and Gerald Murry for District Five.

Beckman works at TNT Carpet and The Cove steak house and has been an active member of the community for many years. She was a member of the Russell County Extension Office and currently she heads the Leadership Program for the local Chamber of Commerce.

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Russell County Sheriff Larry Bennett announced his retirement from service last week, effective December 31, 2012, in a statement released by the Russell County Sheriff’s Office.

The statement reads in full:

“I am announcing that I will be retiring effective December 31, 2012. This is not something I have been planning. Recently, I met with a Kentucky Retirement Systems representative and he informed me that after having served 32 years of service including state police, sheriff and purchased time that if I continued working I would be losing retirement benefits.

After talking with my family, I feel I have no other choice. It has been the greatest honor being your sheriff; I thank all my supporters and friends for this chance of a lifetime. I feel that through these years of service I have acquired many friends that have become family to me.

When I first became sheriff I had myself, two deputies and one office personnel. Our tax base was $1.6 million. Twenty three years later, we have nine full-time deputies, two full-time office personnel and twelve part-time court security officers at the Judicial Center. All deputies and court security personnel are certified and trained. The tax base is now $8.8 million.

Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to serve as your sheriff. Your friendship and trust will never be forgotten. I also want to thank my loyal deputies, officer personnel and court security officers for doing an outstanding job. They have always served Russell County with honor and dedication. It has been a great privilege for me to work with them.

After retirement I plan on spending more time with my family, my grandchildren and working on the farm.”

Bennett is Russell County’s longest serving sheriff, having served since 1990 and winning six elections.

The job of replacing Bennett fell on Judge-Executive Gary Robertson, who said he wanted to make as smooth a transition as possible.

“I asked the sheriff who was the next in command and he said Lee (Smith) was the chief deputy and I thought that would be the smoothest transition, was to just move him up to sheriff for the next two years; so a chain of command deal is all it is,” Robertson said.

Robertson also said he’s always had a good working relationship with Bennett.

“He’s done a fine job and I wish him well,” said Robertson.

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Russell County Sheriff Larry Bennett announced his retirement from service last week, effective December 31, 2012, in a statement released by the Russell County Sheriff’s Office.

The statement reads in full:

“I am announcing that I will be retiring effective December 31, 2012. This is not something I have been planning. Recently, I met with a Kentucky Retirement Systems representative and he informed me that after having served 32 years of service including state police, sheriff and purchased time that if I continued working I would be losing retirement benefits.

After talking with my family, I feel I have no other choice. It has been the greatest honor being your sheriff; I thank all my supporters and friends for this chance of a lifetime. I feel that through these years of service I have acquired many friends that have become family to me.

When I first became sheriff I had myself, two deputies and one office personnel. Our tax base was $1.6 million. Twenty three years later, we have nine full-time deputies, two full-time office personnel and twelve part-time court security officers at the Judicial Center. All deputies and court security personnel are certified and trained. The tax base is now $8.8 million.

Thank you again for giving me the opportunity to serve as your sheriff. Your friendship and trust will never be forgotten. I also want to thank my loyal deputies, officer personnel and court security officers for doing an outstanding job. They have always served Russell County with honor and dedication. It has been a great privilege for me to work with them.

After retirement I plan on spending more time with my family, my grandchildren and working on the farm.”

Bennett is Russell County’s longest serving sheriff, having served since 1990 and winning six elections.

The job of replacing Bennett fell on Judge-Executive Gary Robertson, who said he wanted to make as smooth a transition as possible.

“I asked the sheriff who was the next in command and he said Lee (Smith) was the chief deputy and I thought that would be the smoothest transition, was to just move him up to sheriff for the next two years; so a chain of command deal is all it is,” Robertson said.

Robertson also said he’s always had a good working relationship with Bennett.

“He’s done a fine job and I wish him well,” said Robertson.