West Kentucky Journal
Clinton, KY. August 1, 2014

The 21st Century was politely served up for lunch at the Hickman County Senior Citizen Center. Murray State University (MSU) celebrated with 45 local school, government, non-profits, and business leaders the opening of an E-Learning Center.

This introduction of the future at the Senior Citizen Center involved the ribbon cutting for 25 newly rebuilt Dell Computer systems. The unveiling of the computer center drew 45 major power hitters from the local and regional area. Once the media ribbon cutting took place, all in attendance moved toward the lunch being served by the staff of the Senior Citizens Center in the main hall.

At the event, the major power hitters were: (1) Harry Lee Waterfield, President of Investors Heritage Insurance Co. and Chairman of the Board of Regents MSU, (2) Robert O. Davies, new President of MSU, (3) Bob Jackson President of MSU Foundation, (4) Gina Winchester, MSU Office of Regional Outreach, (5) Michael Ramage, Director Center for Telecommunications Systems Management MSU, (6) Linda H. Linville PhD Senior Policy Advisor KY. Council on Postsecondary Education, (7) Gregg Pruitt Hickman Co. Judge Executive, (8) Kenny Wilson Hickman Co. Judge Executive Elect, (9) Cayce Henderson, Hickman Co. School Superintend, (10) Kevin Estes Principle of Hickman Co. High School.

Around this core of leadership, the plan for the new Computer Center will be to allow local citizens’ access directly to the Internet. By placing the center at the Senior Citizens Center, downtown Clinton now will have an anchor location to train people as to how to use technology.

The Senior Citizens Center is a central location for demonstrating how government, higher education and non-profits can work together to allow people to work on line without any fees or cost. It is expected that courses such as Microsoft office Excel Spread Sheets and other computer programs will be taught at the Center.

MSU is rapidly moving to make sure that the four river counties that touch the Mississippi River can have a new channel of technology access.

The project is a joint partnership between MSU, the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE), and the Commonwealth Office of Broadband Outreach and Development (OBOD), MSU’s Office of Regional Outreach and Office of Telecommunications Systems Management. For more information contact the MSU Office of Regional Outreach at 270-809-5088.