There is now a new leader in county government as Clinton County native and long-time businessman Richard Armstrong, 61, took congtrol of the reins over the office of judge/executive on January 5.

Armstrong, a 1971 graduate of Clinton County High School, is no stranger to hard work and running a business throughout the years. He married his high school sweetheart, Joy, in 1972 and the couple moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana where he first began working at a shipyard as a first class welder. He was nominated as Union Steward, and overseeing 800 employees until the company went on strike a couple of years later.

In 1974, he moved to Nashville, working for a Nashville bridge company as a welder where the company built water storage tanks.

Following a brief stint in Nashville, he moved back to his native hometown of Albany and began his own welding and fabricating company, starting at the time around the local oil boom. The company is located on the Old Monticello Road and have done contracting for welding bridges, tanks and working on water treatment plant facilities. He also recalls a trip to Utah in the early 1980s to dismantle and move an oil refinery for the late businessman Ewert Wilson.

Armstong has been a successful self-employed businessman since the late 1970s and he and his wife have two children, Cannon and Brandy, and five grandchildren. He and his wife attend Albany Church of Christ and he said up front he was “proud to be Clinton County’s new judge/executive.”

Although this was Armstrong’s first run at political office, he has always considered the possibility of getting into public service. He said it sort of runs in the family, noting his great-grandfather, Bill Craig, was a former Clinton County Jailer, sheriff and judge, and his uncle, Joe Cerrato, was both a Clinton County judge and sheriff, as well as serving as an Albany Police Officer. “I grew up around that,” said Armstrong, “so I wanted to do something good for Clinton County…It’s not about Richard Armstrong, it’s about the county,” he added.

The new judge/executive said he felt that to be a good and effective judge, he would need to listen to the people, try and improve the living and working conditions of all people, mainly for the young people, and give the children a place to work in the future. He said children need the type of education to survive in today’s world and would like to see Clinton County as a place they would like to come back to.

“I think Clinton County can grow,” said Armstrong He noted that with the new bypass and the economy improving, those things together can make a difference.

One concern the new judge has is that the rate of pay for most local workers is low compared to many areas and he would like to see an increase in higher paying jobs with more benefits.

Armstrong also prioritized the need to keep the county’s roads and streets clean and encouraged all residents in Clinton County not to litter, saying, “it makes us all look bad.”

Armstrong also said he would like to see more and better housing become available, especially for middle-class individuals and families, along with more good paying jobs and cited keeping the local hospital open was also extremely important to the community.

“Sometimes we take for granted the 911 Dispatch, Emergency Services, etc. They are really good,” he said, adding we also take for granted sometimes the availability of our in -town medical helicopter service, Air Evac, not to mention the new up-to-date Albany Fire Station.

Armstrong continued that he looked forward to working with the city in a lot of areas, noting he and the mayor had a good working relationship.

Judge Armstrong also noted the county needed a good sheriff’s department to make our streets, homes and buildings safer and said, “as citizens we need to do our part to help them do their job.”

Armstrong noted some vital assets the area has that could benefit the county. He noted that everyone mentions Clinton County being between two of the most beautiful and largest lakes, adding that is a true assessment of one of our great assets. He also added, we live in a good community with good schools and teachers, calling Clinton County a “caring, close-knit community with churches that always are willing to pray for others…that is a plus,” he added.

The new judge also said that although the young people in the community were our future, it was also important to love and care for the elderly as well. He noted Clinton County was a good place to retire and that property (compared to many larger areas) is reasonably priced.

Armstrong said he would like to see the road department expanded over his first term in office and noted there has also been some talk about a new high school, a Justice Center, a new dock at Rowena, possibly housing for veterans and, as noted earlier, keeping the hospital up and running.

Another asset he believes the county has is the close proximity to major thoroughfares, about 45 minutes to I-40 and about an hour from I-65. “We can get just about anything out of here to major locations,” he said.

Armstrong thinks some of his stronger attributes to make him a good judge/executive, other than his background in work and business, is that he tries to use common sense, knowing people and having a desire for hands-on willingness to help others and do what is right.

The new judge again stressed the importance of keeping the county clean and for the people to take pride in their community and be a part of new growth opportunities. “I have five grandchildren and I’d like to see them grow up in a good environment,” he said.

“We all should not take for granted that we are free to worship and live without fear of not being able to worship God, we believe in the good old American way in Clinton County,” he said, concluding by saying, “God bless to everyone and I need your prayers.”