In 2024, the first three months provided plenty of news for the citizens of South Western Kentucky.
In January…
Officials with The Boys & Girls Club of Hopkinsville-Christian County could only smile, as supporters and students used golden shovels to break ground on a much-needed expansion of the Teen Center FabLab. The $1 million 1,000-square-foot addition gave local students more access to major opportunities.
Officials with the Kentucky Electric Generation & Transmission Siting Board and its Public Service Commission paid a visit to Christian County, in order to embrace a public forum surrounding the 690-acre, 125-megawatt merchant-generating solar farm project known as Oriden’s Dogwood Corners LLC. It began as a 550-acre, 150-megawatt project first approved in June 2022, and eventually became a divisive moment for the state’s second-largest county.
Christian County Public Schools and its officials announced a new chapter in non-profit development, celebrating the launch of the CCPS Education Foundation. It was created to serve as a ballast of enrichment for students and teachers, and has an all-volunteer local board of directors alongside an executive director in Angie Major.
After 17-plus years as Christian County’s treasurer under Judge Executives Steve Tribble and Jerry Gilliam, Walter Cummings said farewell-for-now to local government, after taking a key position with United Southern Bank. This was following a close race with County Clerk Melinda Humphries.
Local leaders, dignitaries and genuinely curious folks walked through the new Trigg County Schools co-curricular building, where students now have unlimited space for daily and weekly academic and athletic activities. The $6.2 million property improvement had its ground broken in 2022.
In February,
Co-chairs of the 2023-24 United Way of the Pennyrile Campaign, Blues Brothers Cody Noffsinger and Chris Jung announced a surpassed goal of $700,000 in fundraising efforts for Trigg, Christian and Todd counties, having rallied for more than $735,000. It was just the eighth time since 2002 the pacesetter was met, and it was the largest given by public and private donors since 2018.
After Trigg County Circuit Judge Natalie White denied a motion from the office of Bill Deatherage, one seeking a retrial for Landon Stinson, she sentenced the Cadiz man in line with the Commonwealth’s and jury’s recommendation: consecutive life sentences without parole in a state penitentiary for the July 2021 Cerulean Road familial double-homicide of his great aunt Sue Faris, and his cousin Matthew Blakeley.
Safe Haven Baby Box No. 201 received a special blessing in Hopkinsville — when scores gathered around the main Hopkinsville Fire Department station at 116 Phillip Meacham Way in order to pray for its promised use. A drop point for distressed mothers — who, for whatever reason, can’t support an infant — behind its plastic door was, and still is, an emergency response team now working round the clock as a strong partner in the Alpha Pregnancy Care Center.
Following the filing of an extensive civil suit against their previous employer, two former employees of Hopkinsville Solid Waste Enterprises — Jonathan Craig Hawkins and Timothy Brian Shephard, Jr. — entered amendments regarding various failures to render overtime and compensation. This was alongside the muzzling of a potential embezzlement scheme that pointed to former, and now retired, General Manager Tony Sicari, as well as other associates.
News Channel 5’s popular news feature show “Talk of the Town” said goodbye to its long-time host and Trigg County native Tuwanda Coleman, whose humble beginnings came from Tuggle Road as one of seven children, and fond memories of speech, debate and forensics alongside Mary Rutherford at Trigg County High School.
Hope House Founder & Executive Director Heather Gray confirmed that Legacy Metals LLC stepped forward to build the facility called “Hope House” — a safe, comforting property for children that need a place of refuge upon immediate removal through Child Protective Services. At that point, all that was needed was a secure, secluded, secret ½-acre tract of land on which to build.
In March,
Mae Bacon was stunned by a welcome surprise at the Lexie Bush Convention Center — when more than 150 friends, co-workers and family members met in secret for her retirement party, celebrating 47-plus years served at her hometown triage of Trigg County Hospital.
Good Friday morning in western Trigg County was emotional, when the families of nine U.S. soldiers took shovels alongside local officials — and turned earth near Vinson Cemetery for what will eventually be a memorial honoring those nine 101st Airborne Division souls lost on the harrowing evening of March 29, 2023, in the two HH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crash.
The day before, more than 300 soldiers, veterans, civilians and grieving friends and family somberly gathered along Kentucky Avenue and Memorial Row in Fort Campbell — in order to pay respects and offer remembrance in the shadow of a new stone monument honoring those same soldiers.
Newburgh, Indiana’s father-son combo of Pete and Kyle Schuck, alongside officials from the Trigg County Chamber of Commerce, cut the ribbon on the anticipated Stonegate subdivision — fully signifying the 48-plot build was open for business along US 68/80.
Past Rotary President Andrew Wilson, Christian County Public Schools workforce program specialist and 74th Auction Chair Kelly Gates, Gateway Academy Principal Penny Knight, HCC Chief Academic Affairs Officer Dr. Chris Boyett and Jennie Stuart Health President & CEO Eric Lee teamed up to announce the third wing of its Rotary Impact initiative: Healthcare.
Two blocks from where she and her family grew up reading book after book after book, more than 100 people packed the atrium of the Museums For Hopkinsville-Christian County, in order to celebrate the renaming of 8th Street between South Virginia and Clay streets to “bell hooks way.” The Hopkinsville native, acclaimed author, feminist, intellectual, educator and cultural critic died in 2021, having penned more than 40 books and children’s stories addressing social, civic and racial concerns.
And Ham Broadcasting transitioned to employee ownership, making the parent company of WKDZ, WHVO, WPKY, WEKT, Your Sports Edge, and Your Ag Edge the only employee-owned media company in Kentucky and one of five in the country.
