Fiscal court hears tornado recovery, museum updates

Christian Fiscal Court heard an update Tuesday morning on recovery efforts since Saturday night’s tornadoes and approved memorandums regarding construction of a sportsplex and renovations at the museum.

A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect when an EF2 tornado damaged four of six buildings at the Eagle Crossing Apartments and injured nine people about 8:44 p.m. Saturday, but Emergency Management Director Randy Graham points out there had been a tornado watch for all of western Kentucky since earlier in the afternoon.

He says while the Housing Authority and Red Cross have been working on finding the 148 displaced people a place to stay as Brookside Properties is in the beginning steps of forming a rebuilding plan at Eagle Crossing.

Graham urged citizens to sign up for Code Red on the county’s website to receive weather alerts for their area via their cell phone.

Judge-Executive Steve Tribble praised Graham, the sheriff’s department, road department and jail crew for their recovery efforts on the night of the tornadoes.

Meanwhile, the County is designating $1 million in bonding that will be paid for with the hotel tax to help pay for renovations to the Museums of Historic Hopkinsville. Executive Director Alissa Keller says they’ll close for about a year in late March as they begin major renovation.

She says the museum will be safer and more accessible and its offerings will be more attractive to the public.

Fiscal Court also approved a memorandum making its $2 million to construction of the Hopkinsville sportsplex official, with that money also coming from the transient room tax.