It is my sincere hope that each one of you had a great Independence Day with family and friends.

We celebrated in Jamestown during the annual Lakefest celebration again this year and we have to commend the city of Jamestown, the Lakefest committee and all the city employees and volunteers that worked so hard to put another event on this year.

Lakefest chair Marcelene Taylor, Mayor Terry Lawless and all the workers are to be commended for putting on such a good show.

The weather was hot and dry for the festivities and allowed for everyone to enjoy the events, ranging from the car and tractor shows to the Little Texas concert and fireworks show Saturday night.

The planning of this event takes many, many hours and we understand the efforts it takes to put on such an event.

We hope everyone enjoyed the festivities and you can read more about Lakefest in this edition as well as see several photos from the event.

Because we were out of the office Monday due to the holiday, we’re putting the Lakefest baby show and beauty pageant results and photos in Saturday’s News-Register to accommodate us and give the pageants the ample space and recognition they deserve. We hope you understand.

But be on the look for more Lakefest photos in this edition and on the Times Journal’s Facebook page in the coming days.

Switching gears to some sad news this week as we mourn the loss of another local icon, Kenneth Bernard, the longtime owner and operator of Bernard Funeral Home in Russell Springs.

Kenneth was 92 years old when he passed on Friday. The Bernard family has helped many local families through the years as people have mourned the loss of loved ones and we know Kenneth would be proud to see the funeral home continue to serve under the guidance of Noel Godby and Jimmy Matney, his son-in-laws.

In speaking with Noel and Jimmy this week we know the funeral home remains in very capable and trustworthy hands and they assured me the funeral home would continue to serve the folks of Russell County in the same professional manner they always have.

Obviously, we know here at the newspaper the difficulties that come with the loss of such a prominent figure but we know we must continue forward and that is exactly what Bernard Funeral Home will do as well.

A story on Kenneth Bernard’s passing also appears on this week’s front page.

We at the Times Journal extend our deepest sympathies to the Bernard family as they mourn the loss of Kenneth and remember all the wonderful times the family had together.

As a matter of fact, we notice there have been a lot of deaths in the community recently and, as we always do, extend our support to all those that have had loved ones pass, especially in a holiday time period like we just had.

Remember to keep the faith and a fond memory of your loved ones near. Sometimes in times of struggle we need to remember all the good times we shared with our loved one and know that we will see them again, in time.