Jenkins joins Kentucky Hall of Fame

Ron Jenkins, editor of The (Henderson) Gleaner from 1972 to 2006 was one of five people recently elected to the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame during an induction luncheon held recently at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Lexington.

Jenkins led the paper to numerous awards and has been called "one of the leading community journalists in Kentucky."

Others in the class of 2007 included the late Bob Boone, Nancy Green, Glen Kleine and Ken Kurtz.

"I'm honored, most flabbergasted," said Jenkins, the long time editor of The Gleaner in Henderson, Ky. He became editor in 1972 and retired this past December.

Jenkins has been credited with leading community journalists in Kentucky.

"I'm glad I worked for a newspaper that has allowed me to be involved in community journalism," Jenkins said.

Now Jenkins writes a weekly column, which mainly focuses on city and county government, but at times finds an opening for a little humor, he said.

"I'm just a blue collar worker, I never thought about being awarded for what I do," Jenkins said. "I'm walking on air."

Green, vice president of circulation for Lee Enterprises Inc. and publisher of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier in Iowa, was also inducted into the Hall.

Green, a native of Lexington, is a graduate of the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and served 11 years as adviser for the UK student-run newspaper, The Kentucky Kernel. Her leadership in helping the Kernel transition from a university funded publication to a self-supporting operation was instrumental in her nomination and induction, she said earlier.

Green was among five individuals named as inductees this year and becomes the third with Ledger Independent ties to join the Hall. Long-time Daily Independent and Ledger Independent editor, the late Martha Comer was included in the class of 1995 and Maysville native Nick Clooney, who at one time wrote a column for The Ledger Independent was among the class of 2001.

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