Hart is UK Scholar-Athlete of Year
Brad Hart closed out his undergraduate career at the University of Kentucky with perhaps his greatest honor last week, earning a CATSPY Award as UK's Scholar-Athlethe of the Year.
The University of Kentucky Athletics Association presented 27 honors at the seventh annual CATSPY Awards held last Wednesday at Memorial Coliseum to recognize athletic and academic performance during the 2008-09 year. With co-winners in some categories, a total of five teams and 28 individuals were recognized. The Academic Teams of the Year were men's golf and women's soccer. The Scholar-Athletes of the Year were female swimmer Leah Harms and Hart, a football player.
The CATSPY Awards are modeled after the popular ESPY Awards created by cable sports network ESPN. ESPN's Jay Crawford hosted the event at UK. Like the similarly-styled Grammy, Emmy and Academy Awards for music, television and film, respectively, the CATSPYs are presented during a formal affair with entertainment and a great deal of media attention.
"I knew I was nominated, but I didn't think I would win. It was totally a surprise," Hart said. "I almost didn't go to the event because I had a paper I needed to stay home and write."
Hart finished his undergraduate studies in finance and political science this week. He has been accepted to the University of Kentucky Law School and will begin classes this fall. Hart will graduate summa cum laude Saturday. Going into his final semester, the senior had a 3.83 grade-point average.
A longsnapper for the Wildcats' football team, Hart was a two-year starter and played in Kentucky's last two bowl game victories.
While contributing to the football program, Hart was often singled out for his scholarly accomplishments. Recently, he was awarded the Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award from UK's Gatton College of Business & Economics. He also received UK College of Law's prestigious Bert T. Combs Scholarship which is worth not less than $30,000 toward his law degree. Hart was also accepted at Vanderbilt Law School, but chose UK largely because the Combs Scholarship pays his full tuition and living stipend.
Hart will return to Marion this summer where he will work as an assistant at Stout Law Office.

Insurance tax falling short of expectations
Last winter and early spring, many in the community were up in arms about the idea of paying a two-percent insurance premium tax.
Now, county officials are wondering if the strife it caused was worth the reward.
Crittenden County Judge-Executive Fred Brown says the insurance tax is generating far less revenue than anticipated. In fact, it's about half of what was expected.
Through its first three quarters, the tax on all lines of insurance – except for health, life and crop insurance – has raised $65,322.58. The county had budgeted for $150,000 in new revenue from the tax.
"It's not been anywhere close to as much as we thought it would be," said Magistrate Percy Cook.
Members of Crittenden Fiscal Court were almost split on imposing the tax last year, voting 4-2 in favor of the measure.
Judge Brown said the data used to estimate the amount of revenue that would be generated were taken from the Kentucky Department of Insurance. He said the county was very conservative in its figuring, too.
"We actually backed off a little from what the Department of Insurance gave us," Brown said, pointing out that there was some indication that the tax would generate around $175,000.
So far, 81 different insurance companies have paid the tax, which is due quarterly based on premiums paid in that three-month period. Companies have until the end of the month following each quarter to pay what they owe. However, Brown said some payments come in after the deadline. He said some payments have even gone to the wrong place.
"We've had at least two payments that we know of go to the City of Crittenden," Brown said. Of course, Crittenden is in Grant County.
The county had originally talked about a four-percent insurance tax, equal to what the City of Marion collects. Yet, after a great deal of debate, magistrates settled on the two-percent levy.
County officials had hoped the tax would be a stop-gap for a budget that's losing revenue from state-funded sources and increased expenses, especially from issues related to last winter's ice storm.
Could the tax rate go up since revenue is less than anticipated?
Cook said no.
"I wouldn't even consider asking for it," Brown added.

Police file multiple charges for drugs
Marion Police Department has made several drug arrests in the past week, the majority of which involved drug use or trafficking with minor children present in the homes.
Police Chief Ray O'Neal said officers are focusing on fighting drug related crimes in Marion, especially when children are involved.
Last week, two complaints from anonymous callers to the police department led to arrests of four individuals.
Police responded to a residence at 409 S. Blackburn St., where they arrested Shaun D. Brasher, 20, of Princeton on charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest.
During that investigation, police were led next door to 413 S. Blackburn St., where they cited Blake Robinson, 28, of Marion for possession of marijuana and served an outstanding warrant on Ashley Coulter, 18, of Marion.
Three days later, at 10:15 a.m., Saturday, police received another anonymous tip that marijuana was being smoked in the house at 413 S. Blackburn. When officers arrived they charged Bobby Patton, 44, of Marion and Coulter with possession of marijuana.
Police records indicate that children were in the homes each time the above charges were filed.
In an unrelated case on Saturday, police charged Theresa Meadors, 49, of Marion with second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance. Police records allege that an informant purchased three Lortabs for $20 from Meadors at 4:30 p.m., at her home at 215 Highland Circle.
In another alleged drug buy, police records say that Christopher L. Schuler, 30, of 132 Lewis St., is charged with selling five Tramadol tablets, a schedule IV narcotic, to an informant at 7:45 p.m. Documents at the police department say that $10 was paid for the drugs.