Elections rarely draw a lot of local interest in odd-numbered years, but that certainly wasn’t the case in 2019 as we review the year that was.
A voter referendum was held on the Christian County School Board’s proposed ‘nickel tax’ rate increase that would have serviced the debt on a new academic building at Hopkinsville High School. A group calling itself Citizens Right to Vote on Tax Increase got the matter put on the ballot and it failed by a wide margin in November.
Superintendent Mary Ann Gemill, who recently announced she’ll be retiring at the end of the school year, says the board will use the funding it has to maintain current facilities until a source of revenue to fund new buildings is found.
Elkton voters chose to allow alcohol sales in that city in 2019 and Kentucky voters elected Andy Beshear as their next governor by a slim margin. Former Governor Matt Bevin caused controversy in his final days when he issued pardons and commutations to several convicted murderers and sexual offenders—including Dayton Jones locally.
One of Hopkinsville’s landmarks, Ferrell’s Snappy Service, took on heavy damage in a fire on the evening of the Fourth of July and work continues to reopen the business. The city was saddened when Haddock’s Grocery closed its doors on July 28 and shock and anger came when 171 Ebonite workers lost their jobs with no notice November 15 as the plant shut down and production of bowling balls moved to Mexico.
The 2019 WHOP Rotary Radio Auction brought in $330,000, the Christian County Animal Shelter’s Spayghetti Dinner raised a record $21,000 and the United Way of the Pennyrile announced a $775,000 total for its campaign in January.
Hopkinsville residents were awakened by all-too-familiar news on the morning of February 18, when word came on WHOP that a city police officer was shot during a traffic stop on North Drive. That man was Hopkinsville Police Officer Jeremy Davidson, who made a quick recovery from two gunshot wounds and was back on the streets in a little over two months.
All suspects involved in the incident were arrested within hours and their court cases are pending.
Elkton police officers had to shoot and kill a 75-year old man after he allegedly pulled a gun and exchanged gunfire with police during a traffic stop on East Main Street in that city on October 8.
Nearly four years of investigation by the Christian County Sheriff’s Department and Kentucky State Police led to Christian “Kit” Martin being arrested at the Louisville airport in May for the November, 2015 murders of three neighbors in Pembroke.
Former Hopkinsville High School Band Director Seth Peveler was arrested on rape and sodomy charges involving former students in June.
A large crowd gathered in Oak Grove for groundbreaking on the new race track April 10 and the first harness racing meet of the year went off with good attendance in September, with Mayor Theresa Jarvis saying she looks forward to what’s to come with Oak Grove Racing and Gaming.
Members of the Fairview community met in June to discuss a possible merger with the Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department, but decided instead to dissolve its own board and start over with a new chief and administration.
Hopkinsville Fire Department Chief Freddie Montgomery retired in 2019 and veteran firefighter Steve Futrell was chosen as his successor.
The weather had its shares of ups and downs in 2019, including two EF1 tornadoes that damaged 20 homes on June 21 and a severe thunderstorm with hurricane force winds in October that caused major damage and power outages in Pembroke, Oak Grove, Trenton and other nearby communities.
Last winter was historically wet with flooding rains and this winter started early with an inch and a half of snow on November 11 that closed schools for three days. September brought record heat, with over a dozen days above 90 degrees. That didn’t stop Hopkinsville from hosting a very successful inaugural half-marathon.
We lost several notable citizens in 2019 including retired Hopkinsville Police Major Danny Cunningham, Todd County Clerk Leslie Cunningham, retired Hopkinsville firefighter Jim Hairfield, longtime Christian County sheriff’s deputy Chris Williams, WHOP gospel show contributor Gertrude Combs, local funeral home founder Raymond Gamble, former Todd Fiscal Court magistrate Roy Addison and Christian County Literacy Council Executive Director Beverly Whitfield.
That was former magistrate Kenny Bates remembering Whitfield.
We are sure we have unintentionally forgotten many events and people who made 2019 a year to remember, but we promise to be here in 2020 reporting on all of the big events that affect your family in the southern Pennyrile region of western Kentucky.