Awards/honors

■ The following area students have been named semifinalists in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. Some 16,000 academically talented high school seniors will now compete for more than $32 million in awards next spring.

Berea

Berea High School: Natalie C. Warren

Betsy Layne

Betsy Layne High School: Ethan M. Thacker

Danville

Boyle County High School: Timothy L. Johnson

Danville High School: Maya R. Craig-Lauer and Phoebe K. Ross

Frankfort

Franklin County High School: Liam X. O'Donnell and Marina E. Robson

Millville Baptist Academy: Kristen Brooks

Georgetown

Scott County High School: Brooklynn R. Alcorn

Lexington

Bryan Station High School: Ezra G. Nix

Henry Clay High School: Philip Block, Lauren Duffy, Abraham Dutch, Macy Early, Vanessa Fu, Augustus Logsdon, Dylan Sarkisian, Anne Summers, Rui Sun and Wei Yang

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School: Sarah Bush, Dustin Doss, Corrine Elliott, Deborah Ferguson, Michael Halwes, Trevor Krolak, Jessie Li, Corey Lockridge, Abhyudit Lohe, Vania Ma, Joseph Natter, Casey Ren, Melanie Schmocker, Maria Wang, Leia Wedlund and Rebecca Williams

London

North Laurel High School: Ryan L. Gaynor and Manpreet K. Sira

Manchester

Clay County High School: Rex I. Bray

Nicholasville

West Jessamine High School: John G. Brandy, Ouree Lee, Matthew S. Liversedge, and Kareem H. Omar

Paris

Homeschool: Joel C. Kurcab

Pikeville

Pike County Central High School: James A. Burke

Pikeville High School: Elon B. Justice

Pineville

Bell County High School: Benjamin C. Barnett

Richmond

Madison Central High School: Jeremiah E. Hudson and MacKenzie Humphrey

Versailles

Woodford County High School: Matthew W. Fister, Kaylee R. Hicks and Christopher B. Kuehl

Winchester

George Rogers Clark High School: Justin W. Carrus

For more information, visit Nationalmerit.org.

■ The Kentucky Department of Education and Ashland Inc. have selected 24 outstanding Kentucky educators as recipients of the 2013 Ashland Inc. Teacher Achievement Awards. These teachers qualify to compete for the 2013 Kentucky Teacher of the Year Award, which will be announced next month.

The 24 winning teachers, listed by school district, are:

Clay County: Joyce Ellen Bowling, Manchester Elementary

Corbin Independent: Kristal Doolin, Corbin Middle School

Daviess County: Heidi Givens, Country Heights Elementary; Angela Gunter, Daviess County High

Fayette County: Linda Kelley Dewees, Henry Clay High; Christi Elkins-Gabbard, Lexington Traditional Magnet

Floyd County: Amanda Lee, May Valley Elementary; Tammy Meade, Betsy Layne Elementary

Franklin County: Cheryl Nance, Collins Lane Elementary

Hardin County: Byron L. Witham, James T. Alton Middle

Jefferson County: Allison Hunt, duPont Manual High; Karen P. Stark, Westport Middle; Anita Winstead, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary

Kenton County: Kristopher Bryant Gillis, Dixie Heights High

McCracken County: Cathy McAlister, Hendron/Lone Oak Elementary

Madison County: Lisa L. Jury, Madison Central High

Menifee County: Randy Barrette, Menifee County High

Muhlenberg County: Carolyn Shelton, Muhlenberg County High

Oldham County: Christine G. Price, South Oldham High

Paducah Independent: Megan Jones Storey, Paducah Middle

Robertson County: Amanda Underwood, Deming School

Rowan County: Michael W. Kash, Rowan County Middle

Shelby County: Sloane Barnett, Simpsonville Elementary; Jennifer Cox, Shelby County East Middle

All 24 teachers will be honored at a ceremony in Frankfort on Oct. 17 in the State Capitol Building. Representatives of the Kentucky Department of Education, the governor's office and Ashland's chairman and chief executive officer Jim O'Brien will be present to honor the teachers and to recognize the Kentucky elementary, middle and high school teachers of the year. From that group of three finalists, the Kentucky Teacher of the Year will be named and will represent the state in the National Teacher of the Year competition.

Ashland will present the 24 TAA recipients with cash awards and certificates at the awards ceremony. In addition to their cash awards, the three Kentucky Teachers of the Year also will receive custom-designed glassware commemorating their accomplishments, and all 24 educators will be honored at a special luncheon after the ceremony.

■ The Community Early Childhood Councils serving Scott, Harrison, Nicholas, and Bourbon Counties have received a nearly $57,000 grant from the Governor's Office of Early Childhood to assist in the improvement of early care and education services in these counties.

■ Eastern Kentucky University Health Services Administration professors Dr. Dawn Jackson and Amanda Lewis have been elected officers for the Kentucky Health Information Management Association.

Jackson is president-elect for 2012-13; Lewis will serve as secretary for the organization.

Jackson was also the 2012 recipient of the KHIMA Distinguished Member Award, presented annually to a health information management professional contributing to the advancement of the profession and to the betterment of current and future health information management professionals.

Reunions

Anyone who went to high school in the 1960s is invited to a sock hop Oct. 19 at the Four Points Sheraton. Cocktails, a cash bar and hors d'oeuvres will be served 6:30-8:30 p.m. After, guests can enjoy entertainment by Phil Copeland and The Torques until 11:30 p.m. Cost is $35 per person until Oct. 1 or $40 at the door. For more information, call Dave Bunnell at (859) 489-8302.