Christian Fiscal Court purchases two lots for downtown parking

Christian Fiscal Court approved the purchase of two lots to allow additional public parking in downtown Hopkinsville Tuesday morning.

After some discussion in closed session and more out in the open, seven of eight magistrates voted in favor of spending $40,000 to purchase two adjoining lots on West Fifth Street that Squire Darrell Gustafson says feature 32 parking spaces in the area of the Alhambra Theatre and other downtown buildings.

Squire Phillip Peterson of Pembroke cast the only ‘no’ vote, believing it’s not the county’s place to buy the parking lots.

The two lots belonging to Ron Adams of Bowling Green currently have ‘for sale’ signs on them and are currently being leased by the Christian County PVA office at a cost of $1,500 annually to provide parking for their employees.

In other action, Judge-Executive Steve Tribble ceremonially swore in Sinking Fork Elementary School student Jackson Wilfong as ‘Sheriff for a Day,” after he recently won a contest at the school to earn that title. Like all office-holders in Kentucky must do, he assured the judge he hasn’t fought a duel with deadly weapons since the adoption of the current Constitution.

Judge Tribble says the recent surplus property auction brought in about $115,000 for various county departments.

The Animal Shelter report for November shows 417 cats and dogs were brought in and 347 found homes.