Published: November 23, 2009 09:31 am      

Knox Chamber names Broughton president

Times-Tribune Staff Report

The Knox County Chamber of Commerce named new officers at its meeting last week.

Eli Broughton was named president, Darren West, first vice president, Charlie Greene Dixon, second vice president and Kim Mills treasurer.

The group heard a presentation from Zack Caldwell of Cumberland River Comprehensive Care.

Caldwell explained how a violence intervention program will be developed at Knox Central High School as part of a statewide effort to implement the program in all Kentucky schools eventually.

The program is based on the Green Dot program at the University of Kentucky.

The violence intervention program there has been quite successful and has made significant strides in stopping or slowing violence on the Lexington campus, he said.

Knox Central will be part of a statewide effort to see how well the program can fit into high schools, he said.

The Cumberland River Comprehensive Care program has centers in Bell, Clay, Harlan, Jackson, Knox, Laurel and Whitley counties.

Two schools will be part of the testing program. Knox Central will actively pursue the program, while Clay County High will be used as a control, he said.

Also speaking at the meeting was Union College swim coach, Rafael Forti. He introduced an organization called Young Professionals in Eastern Kentucky.

The group’s members range from 21 to 40 years old.

He said the mission of the group is to create a new generation of leadership in eastern Kentucky. For more information, see www.ypek.org.

The chamber also discussed upcoming Christmas events.

Today at 7 p.m. and Tuesday at 1 p.m., the Barbourville City School will present it’s Winter Festival.

On Tuesday at 5 p.m., the downtown Christmas Tree Lighting will begin on the Court Square

It will include caroling, reading the “Christmas Story,” dedicating the Christmas Tree, lighting the tree, Candle Light Tours and a live Nativity from 5-7 p.m.

On Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. will be cookies and milk with Santa in the courthouse lobby, roasting marshmallows with Santa’s reindeer, and horse drown carriage rides on the courthouse square.

At 5 p.m., the Artemus First Baptist Church Choir will sing Christmas carols and at 6 p.m., the “I Believe in Santa Parade” begins.

On Sunday at 6 p.m., Hanging of the Greens will be done at First United Methodist Church.