Owsley County Student Among Eight Jackson Energy Youth Tour Delegates in Frankfort

Sawyer Renfro, a junior at Owsley County High School, was one of eight students Jackson Energy sponsored for the 2026 Frankfort Youth Tour in late March, a program that placed rural teenagers in direct contact with the state officials who shape broadband policy, road funding, school finance, and utility regulation for counties like Owsley.

The eight-student delegation spanned five school districts across Jackson Energy's service territory. Renfro was joined by Brindalyn Fawbush, Greendan Tincher, and Abigail Harris of North Laurel High School; Jaylynn Wells and Kaci Parrett of Jackson County High School; Arrahlyn Richards of Rockcastle County High School; and Billi Brandenburg of Lee County High School.

The program included briefings from Sen. Amanda Bledsoe and Rep. Wade Williams, co-chairs of the Kentucky Rural Electric Cooperative Caucus, along with remarks from Sen. Jason Howell and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman. Students also participated in the formal kickoff of the "Co-ops Vote" initiative alongside Secretary of State Michael Adams, a nonpartisan voter-engagement campaign targeting chronically low rural turnout. The day included a tour of the Old State Capitol.

Jackson Energy CEO Ryan Henderson framed the sponsorship as central to the cooperative's mission. "Investing in young leaders is one of the most important things we do," Henderson said.

Nearly 90 students from across Kentucky participate in the Frankfort program each year, with some delegates later advancing to the national Washington Youth Tour. For Renfro, the day represented direct exposure to the legislative process at a moment when Frankfort decisions on broadband infrastructure, rural roads, utility rates, and education funding carry particular weight for Owsley County.

The Co-ops Vote launch adds a distinct accountability dimension to the tour. Kentucky's cooperatives are deploying their community reach to address persistently low rural voter participation, and having an OCHS student present at the initiative's formal start positions Owsley County inside a statewide civic push that will extend through the 2026 election cycle.