KENTON
VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6 — DECEMBER 27, 2024
THE VOICE OF NKY
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NKY shows up for mom after double lung transplant By Haley Parnell
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fter 20 years of managing pulmonary fibrosis, Andrea Hall is breathing anew.
Hall was diagnosed as a 17-year-old Dixie Heights senior. Hall lived with the disease for 22 years – until Nov. 17. That’s when, at age 38, she received a double lung transplant. According to the Mayo Clinic, pulmonary fibrosis is the scarring and thickening of the tissue around and between the air sacs in the lungs. These changes make it harder for oxygen to pass into the bloodstream. According to the American Lung Association, most people develop pulmonary fibrosis symptoms between 50 and 70 years old. Hall’s mother, Rhoda Gross, told LINK nky that, when her daughter was diagnosed, she was the youngest patient with the disease in Northern Kentucky. She said Hall was losing 5 pounds a day, throwing up all the time, had headaches, and was misdiagContinues on page 3
Andrea Hall, left, with her mother, Rhoda Gross. Photo provided
And the ‘Oscar of education’ goes to … Union teacher By Nathan Granger
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enna Stewart had no idea when she went to Longbranch Elementary’s gym the morning of Dec. 11 that she was about to win an “Oscar of education.” Teachers, district administrators, students, reporters, state leaders – including Kentucky first lady Britainy Beshear and Kentucky Commissioner of Education Robbie Fletcher – and many others packed the Union school’s gym. Then her name was read from a navy blue envelope, Academy Awards-style.
Jenna Stewart celebrates receiving the Milken National Educator Award with her students Dec. 11. Photo by Joe Ragusa | Kentucky Department of Education
Cheers erupted, cameras flashed and the fifth-grade teacher came forward to accept the Milken National Educator Award. The recognition comes with a $25,000 prize.
The award, which recognizes excellence in education, was established by Lowell Milken, a California-based businessman and philanthropist. It’s awarded annually through the Milken Family Foundation, which Milken founded in 1982. The foundation does not accept nominations for the awards, and there’s no application. Winners are selected through a secret process and then reviewed by state blue ribbon panels. This year, 45 educational professionals across the country were honored. Stewart was the only recipient this year from Kentucky. Jane Foley, the Milken Educator Awards senior vice president (and previous recipient of the award), spoke at the Longbranch EleContinues on page 4
5 officers recognized for treating crash victims p5 Leaders: Think big, invest In growth p6 Take tasty road trip to scenic Augusta p10
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