So often described as Christmas in April for local businesses and quilting enthusiasts, the American Quilter’s Society Quilt Show and Contest truly compares to the yuletide cheer of winter for many.

Although the Quilt Show doesn’t officially begin until Wednesday, hundreds of quilters have already poured into town, not only to get an early start on their fabric search, but also to help local quilt stores gear up for what promises to be another busy show.

About 60 people traveled from all across the U.S. to help local store Quilt in a Day open other Paducah locations just for the Quilt Show.

Judges from the AQS looked over the 377 entries Saturday and Sunday, and vendors will begin to move into position Monday at different locations throughout Paducah, including Paducah’s Dome Pavilion and Julian Carroll Convention Center. The show runs Wednesday through Saturday.

Schools discussing sponsors

Naming rights for various facilities are open for bids at the new McCracken County High School. The school is seeking interested individuals and businesses for sponsorships, naming rights and other partnerships between the school and the private sector.

The funds collected from sponsorships usually go to extra or co-curricular activities, including funding  things like sports or band uniforms. With money being cut from state budgets for schools, strong partnerships with community businesses help school districts make ends meet and provide extra services for schools.

Local parks employee makes a difference to tornado victims

For 10-15 years, Tammy Nanney, group sales and marketing coordinator at Kenlake State Resort Park and Historic Cherokee Park at Aurora, received letters requesting park brochures from West Liberty Elementary School fourth graders. A few weeks ago, West Liberty was destroyed during the recent string of tornadoes in eastern Kentucky. Nanney decided to help.

Nanney, who has worked with the park for 31 years, sent an e-mail to her colleagues at the 47 state parks in the commonwealth. She though if each park gave one T-shirt, they could donate enough for one class. The parks responded by sending a total of 280 colorful T-shirts to the elementary school, enough to give each student at the school one shirt.

“We know they’ve been hit with a bad thing; we know Mother Nature has been mean to them,” Nanney said. “But she’s pretty in other places and maybe when they get back over it, they can visit.”