“I had no idea I had thyroid cancer!” This is a common response to those that have been diagnosed and treated for thyroid cancer. Why? Thyroid cancer in its early stages has no symptoms, and if not detected early enough, could be fatal. That’s why the screenings in Health Horizons are so important. Keith Forwith PhD, MD, and his physician assistants, of Advanced ENT & Allergy, have provided free ultrasound screening to 4800+ people at the Kentucky State Fair over the past four years. Doing a pain free ultrasound of the thyroid in the neck takes just minutes and is one of the most successful ways to detect nodules that could be cancerous. Blood work will not detect or rule out thyroid cancer. It’s hard to say an exact number of patients that did have cancer, but there are dozens of success stories of patients who did heed the findings at the State Fair, came in for follow-up, and were successfully treated by Dr. Forwith. Blood donations are also a huge part of Health Horizons. Over the past 10 years 9,729 units of blood have been donated at the Kentucky State Fair and free blood screenings are also provided, courtesy of Norton Healthcare. Out of the 51 fairgoers that were given blood pressure screenings, 24 were at a borderline risk of high blood pressure and 7 were at risk. The health screenings at the Fair are not a replacement for a regular doctor’s visit, but can raise a awareness. Each at risk person is referred back to their primary care provider or given information about how to find a primary care provider. Whether you are interested in learning more about your health or would like to have a free health screening performed by a medical professional, there is a little something for everyone at Health Horizons. Additional screenings include skin, vision, hearing and more. For a full list, click here. Health Horizons is located in South Wing B. […]

Read More… from Exhibitors At The Fair Keep Kentuckians Health Aware

It’s not everyday that someone can call themselves a young author, but for Kelly Baird, a sophomore at Spencer County High School, she is just that. Baird has combined her love for writing short stories and her love for Jersey dairy cows to write a children’s book entitled “Jersey Girls, Greta and Glory Go to the Fair.” Ever since she was two years old, Baird has been attending the fair and living with her cows for a week while learning and experiencing the many parts of living on a farm. “If anybody asks her what her favorite holiday or time of the year is, she never hesitates to say the Kentucky State Fair.” comments her mother Sharon Baird. As part of her FFA supervised agriculture experience, or SAE project, she wanted to advocate for the dairy industry and agriculture in a way that would encourage young people to get involved at an early age. When Baird was 11, she stared to show Jersey cows at competitions with 4-H, along with her brother Jack. Through her experiences, she was able to put together her book with a lot of time and dedication. “We started with the idea back in August of 2016, but just this past August, I actually began to write it and put it together,” said Baird. Finally, in late January of this year her book arrived and her dream became a reality. Since her book’s release, Baird has begun to share her experience with local students.“I have read my book to all the 2nd grade classrooms at Spencer County Elementary School with the hope that it will spark their interest before they can officially join 4-H.” Baird found that many students were excited about the chance to show animals. “They asked many questions about showing animals in 4-H, which I hope encourages them to be a part of the agricultural experience in the future.” With many local libraries now having a copy of her book, there are plans to continue to spread the word about her book, including a public discussion at the Spencer County library, a date still to be determined. Of course, Baird does not have any plans of stopping with the release of her first book. She’s already planning her second, entitled “Down on the Farm” with hopes of someday adding stuffed cows to her adventures. For now, she hopes the local community will enjoy and embrace her book, especially the future farmers out there. Currently the public can pick up their copy of Baird’s book at the Sassy Bunny on Main Street or at this year’s Kentucky State Fair. By Bill Dunning, The Spencer Magnet […]

Read More… from Taylorsville Dairy Farmer Shares Her Love of 4-H

Kentucky Department of Agriculture, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension and Kentucky State Fair has teamed up to help get your entries to the fair. This opportunity is a drop-off service available to selected General Department Exhibits. All exhibitors must meet the Kentucky State Fair July 2nd entry deadline to qualify. Do My Entries Qualify? This service is for both Ag and Non-Ag General Department Exhibits Accepted Entries for East Hall & South Wing Departments Antiques Culinary canned goods and preserves no baked goods (see exclusions) Fine Arts & Crafts Hobbies Plants & Flowers Textiles Accepted Entries for West Hall Department Bees & Honey Egg Show Field Seed & Grain Fruits & Nuts Kentucky Country Ham Tobacco (dry only) Vegetables & Melons Excluded Entries Entries that are hard to handle or difficult to package for shipping Homebrew Beer Homemade Wine Dairy Products Baked Goods (Must be personally delivered, see Premium Book for drop off date and time) Exhibit Drop-Off Requirements All entries must meet the July 2nd entry deadline All entries must be packaged by exhibitor prior to being dropped-off for pick-up. All entries must be properly packaged to meet traditional freight services requirements. For example, properly boxed and sealed to prevent damages. All entries must be labeled and contain official state fair tag. All exhibitors must fill out an exhibit tracking sheet and designate if they would like to pick-up their entries during release times. All exhibitors must sign a waiver of liability form. Exhibit Drop-Off Locations Drop- Off Site One: City- London, KY Address- Laurel County Extension Office, 200 County Ext Rd, London, KY 40741 Contact- Glenn Williams 606-864-4167 Drop- Off Site Two: City- Quicksand, KY Address- Robinson Center, 176 Robinson Road, KY 41399 Contact- Jackie Allen 606-666-2438 ex291 Drop- Off Site Three: City- Paducah, KY Address- McCracken County Extension Office, 2025 New Holt Rd, Paducah, KY 42001 Contact- Robert Tashjian 270-554-9520 Drop- Off Site Four: City- Hopkinsville, KY Location- Christian County Extension Office, 2850 Pembroke Rd, Hopkinsville, KY 42240 Contact- Jay Stone 270-886-6328 Deadlines All exhibitors must meet the July 2nd entry deadline. All exhibitors must notify the drop-office site contact (contact name and number listed above) by Aug 1st if they would like to use the Exhibit Delivery Service. Exhibitor must provide description of entry(s) and dimensions of package size. All entries must be delivered to a designated drop-off site on the date of August 8th from 8:30 am – 4 pm in the respective time zone. No exceptions. To learn more about competitive entries, click here. The 2018 Kentucky State Fair is Aug. 16-26 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. For more information, visit kystatefair.org or find the Fair on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.   […]

Read More… from Want to enter your blue ribbon worthy item to the state fair? Let us help!

2,000 horses, 8 days and $1 million in awards. The World’s Championship Horse Show (WCHS), the most prestigious Saddlebred show in the world, returns to Freedom Hall Aug. 18-25 and tickets go on sale June 20 at 10 a.m. The event is held in conjunction with the Kentucky State Fair. Top Saddlebred horses from around the world take center stage during the show, with harness and hackney ponies, roadster ponies and horses competing in the show ring as well. Divisions include three and five gaited, fine harness, Saddlebred pleasure, equitation, Hackney/Harness pony and Roadster. Show days, hours, parking and ticket prices vary. Gate admission to the Kentucky State Fair is required for all performances. Show Date            Time           Price Aug. 18                 7 p.m.           $8 Aug. 19-23          6:30 p.m.       $8 Aug. 24               6:30 p.m.       $11 Aug. 25                 7 p.m.           $11 Aug. 19-25 Morning Free, upper-level seating only Advance Parking $5 All-session seats are $168 and include Kentucky State Fair gate admission for all 14 performances, morning and evening. Purchase tickets at the Kentucky Exposition Center Ticket Office, online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or download the advance tickets order form at kyhorseshow.com/prices. The World’s Championship Horse Show offers pay-per-view coverage. Each day of the show is broadcast live and available for purchase at $25 per day or $150 for the entire week. For more information about WCHS and a schedule of competitive events, visit kyhorseshow.com. The 2018 Kentucky State Fair is Aug. 16-26 at the Kentucky Exposition Center. For more information, visit kystatefair.org or find the Fair on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. […]

Read More… from World’s Championship Horse Show Tickets On Sale June 20