Devastating tornados and an ongoing pandemic made 2021 another challenging year in western Kentucky, but there were certainly other highlights over the last 12 months.
An EF4 long-track tornado devastated numerous communities along its path on December 10 and 11, including Mayfield, Dawson Springs and Bremen. Another EF3 tornado caused major damage in the Herndon, Pembroke, Russellville and Bowling Green areas, with a total of 77 Kentuckians killed in the deadliest severe weather outbreak in state history.
What followed was an outpouring of compassion from across the commonwealth, with UK Basketball Coach John Calipari among those traveling to western Kentucky recently and admiring the resilience of the survivors.
Millions of dollars have been raised and thousands of toys were donated to the families impacted by the storms.
Meanwhile, the extremely contagious delta and omicron variants of COVID-19 have kept the pandemic at top of mind through most of 2021 and over 150 Christian County residents have died from the virus since the beginning of the pandemic.
The Christian County School Board in August approved the consolidation of Hopkinsville and Christian County high schools and later chose land at Lovers Lane and Fort Campbell Boulevard as a location. The facility should have a name by the end of January and Board Chair Tom Bell said the academy-style high school will provide the best education possible for all students.
The 71st WHOP Rotary Radio Auction returned to an in-person format at the War Memorial Building and Auction Chair Cody Noffsinger was thrilled with a total of nearly $398,000—better than the 2020 and 2019 events.
The return of the Western Kentucky State Fair during a time when COVID wasn’t spreading so quickly was very successful, drawing nearly 41,000 people through the gates.
Christian County was featured in multiple national news outlets this summer during the televised trial of Christian “Kit” Martin, who a jury found guilty of killing three neighbors in Pembroke. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and defense lawyers have said an appeal will be made to the Kentucky Supreme Court.
The recent tornados weren’t the only weather story of 2021, as three winter storms brought snow and ice to Western Kentucky over 10 days in mid-February. From January until December 10, there had been less severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings issued in western Kentucky than at any time in recorded history.
Willie Renshaw
Several notable local residents and natives died in 2021 including author bell hooks, Pennyrile Citizens Corps Council founder Dan Nicholson, former WHOP Sunday morning gospel show personality Lula “Mimi” Bass, former WHOP sales representative and local realtor Dana Knight Hamilton, former Trigg County coroner and Goodwin Funeral Home owner John R. Vinson III, former Christian County School System Superintendent Bob Lovingood, former state Representative Brent Yonts and Wilie Renshaw—a longtime Kiwanian who founded the Warm the Children campaign.
Former Hopkinsville City Councilmembers Mary Edith Sivley and Jimmy Dossett, longtime Todd County veterinarian Dr. George ‘Doc’ Brown, former Hopkinsville Mayor Al C. Rutland, former Christian Fiscal Court Magistrate Lewis Croft, longtime businessman Bill Flynn and former Jefferson Davis Park Manager Ron Sydnor were also among those lost in 2021.
bell hooks/Photo from Facebook
It is certain we have unintentionally left off some of the largest stories of 2021 from our year in review, but one thing is for certain—when news breaks in 2022, WHOP News will bring it to you as we have for the last 82 years.