Newton’s Attic Gets $25,000 Grant

The Messer Construction Co. Foundation presented a $25,000 grant to Newton’s Attic, a Lexington organization that provides area students, parents and teachers with unique educational experiences by offering STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) resources.

Newton’s Attic plans to use the funding to renovate the interior space of its instructional building. Renovations are scheduled for completion in early 2015.

Bill Cloyd, president and founder of Newton’s Attic, said the grant will help expand the facility’s capacity.

Cloyd, an engineer by trade, founded Newton’s Attic in 1998 with the purpose of stimulating local interest in STEM fields. Newton’s Attic promotes STEM courses and career fields in physics and engineering via an engaging, hands-on learning atmosphere in its classes and summer camps.

Spots are still available for Newton’s Attic’s fall and fall break sessions. The fall session is an after-school program that runs until Oct. 30. During fall break, Newton’s Attic will offer both half-day and full-day programs. Info: www.newtonsattic.com.

Asbury Ranked No. 1
Asbury University has been named as the No. 1 Regional College (South) in the country by U.S. News and World Report.

This is the fourth consecutive year Asbury has been ranked in the Top 5 in the South, and Asbury is the only school in Kentucky ranked in the Top 25 in any of the overall-university ranking categories.

The U.S. News ranking system is based on indicators of academic quality, such as graduation and retention rates, student selectivity, class size and financial resources. A few of the high marks that lift Asbury to the head of the class in the rankings include:

• Asbury’s graduation rate is predicted higher than any other college or university in the rankings
• Asbury is one of only four schools in the rankings with a freshman retention rate of 80% or better
• Maintaining smaller, more focused classroom sizes, Asbury’s student/faculty ratio is an impressive 13/1
• Asbury has more than 50 majors, more than 150 student organizations, degree-completion, and graduate and high school dual-enrollment programs.

PTA Fundraiser
The 16th District PTA invites the Lexington community to join more than 35 PTA’s for the PTA 5K & Color Craze on Sunday, Oct. 19. The event raises funds for the Healthy Lifestyles initiative for district schools.

Activities kick off at 1:30 p.m. at the Coldstream Research campus Legacy Trail with a 1-mile Fun Run/Walk. The 1-mile Color Craze begins at 1:45 p.m., where participants are covered in bright-colored cornstarch throughout the run. The 5K Run/Walk begins at 2:30 p.m.

Food, music and family activities will follow the race. Registration is $25 on race day. Info: www.PTA5K.com.