Another year in the books, and what a year it was.

Storms came and passed, buildings were razed and built, one soldier was awarded the Medal of Honor and another soldier was brought home after 60 years. We elected new officials, and we said good-bye to one elected official – too soon. Our teams won some, lost some and went on to play another day.

Those were just a few of the events that we covered for you during the 12 months of 2018 that shaped our lives here in Clinton County.

We don’t know what we will be covering in the 12 months ahead, but we are sure that the Clinton County News staff is once again looking forward to bringing you the coverage of those events that our readers expect – the real news, not fake news.

Before we close out the books on 2018 completely, we offer you one last summarized look at the headlines that shaped our lives last year.

Happy New Year – and we hope you enjoy . . .

The Year In Review.

January 2018

January News…Thanks to the generosity of local and area residents, the 14th annual Christmas at Home Food and Toy Drive set new records for the amount of collections as well as numbers of underprivileged homes and children who benefited from the annual event. Some 300 homes and 545 children received toys and food at Christmas time.

A year after being sworn in as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Jeff Hoover has resigned from that position amid allegations that he was involved in a sexual harassment scandal. Hoover, of Jamestown and a Clinton County native, represents Clinton, Russell, Cumberland and a part of Pulaski County in the 83rd District and he plans to seek re-election to the House seat in 2018.

The Albany Police Department brought home five brand new Dodge Chargers fully equipped with lights, sirens and all the bells and whistles. When it was all said and done, the five new cruisers only cost the city roughly $18,000. Most of the monies for the vehicles came in the form of a grant through USDA.

A winter storm that moved across this section of the nation finally reached south central Kentucky in the early morning hours Tuesday, January 16. The result saw the area quickly being transformed from seeing the remnants of a dusting of snow that remained on the ground from a previous storm system, to an all out battle to get roads and sidewalks cleared from about three inches of snow that fell here.

For the first time since 2013, the Clinton County Bulldogs are getting ready for a trip to compete in the All “A” Classic State Tournament. Heading to Richmond, Kentucky and McBrayer Arena on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University, Coach Todd Messer and company earned the right to advance to the state tournament after an intense and sometimes heated Sunday afternoon game that saw the Bulldogs come from behind in the second half to defeat the Monroe County Falcons, 51-47.

Trooper Jason Warinner is investigating a collision that occurred Tuesday, January 16. According to the report, Joseph Coop, 44, of Albany, was operating eastbound in a Ford Explorer on Hwy. 738 when he failed to yield the right of way to a northbound SUV operated by 43-year-old Carey Miller of Rickman, Tennessee. Coop was pronounced dead at the local hospital by the Clinton County Coroner.

On December 7, 2017, Travis Slone, who had originally been charged with murder in the death of James D. Guffey over a year ago, entered a guilty plea on a lesser charge of manslaughter in November and was formally sentenced to seven years on the second degree manslaughter charge in Clinton Circuit Court.

January Deaths…Calvin C. Antle, 61, Albany; Elizabeth Sloan Williams, 85, Albany; Donna S. Sells, 68, Selma, IN; Virginia E. Murphy, 89, Albany; Carolyn Jones Guffey, 56, Albany; Todd Anderson, 48, Burkesville, KY; Pamela Jean Scott, 67, Burkesville, KY; Julie Mae Fugitt, 61, Burkesville, KY; Kyle Booher, 84, Burkesville, KY Jeffrey Allen Harlan, 55, Albany; Rayonna Eller, 73, Monticello, KY; Gregory Scott Riddle, 41, Byrdstown, TN; Eva Anna Johnson, 93, New York, NY; Jimmy Guinn, 59, Albany; Norman Dale Cole, 61, Albany; Ruth Rains Cowan, 78, Albany; Shirley (McGill) Parrigin, 78, Albany; Ronnie “Buzz” Bowlin, 62, Albany; Juanita Mildred Malone, 80, Elizabethtown, IN; Danny A. Guffey, 70, Albany; Joe Tuggle, 86, Nashville, TN; Stephen D. Clark, 64, Albany; Haskell Owens, 78, Alpha, KY Joseph “Hammer” Coop, 44, Albany; John M. Hay, 77, Albany.

FEBRUARY 2018

February News: A serious, sometimes deadly strain of the flu virus reached the epidemic level, state officials reported on January 24.

Clinton County ATC Principal Stesha Flowers said Kentucky Tech is monitored through the Biennial District Continuous Improvement Plan process. With the current biennium ending May 2018, Clinton County ATC has successfully met the 2016-18 Kentucky Tech District Continuous Improvement Plan and was the only one of four of the 53 tech centers in Kentucky to surpass all state goals in the area of College and Career Readiness measures and students graduating and starting work or postsecondary eduction successfully.

With the influx of some “11th hour filers,” the total number of local candidates for office in Clinton County hit the 61 mark at the filing deadline Tuesday, January 30. Although the mid-term election in 2018 will see a heavy ballot, the same does not necessarily hold true for candidates seeking state, federal or judicially related offices, especially in the districts that serve Clinton County. Those candidates who filed with the Secretary of State’s Office will make up only a small percentage of the total ballot this spring, as only 11 such candidates will be on the local ballot for a total of 72 overall candidates.

2017 was a ground-breaking year in national and local efforts to save lives through organ donation. In the Kentucky region, 2017 marked the second highest number of lives saved. Thanks to 108 heroic organ donors and their families, 361 organs were recovered and transplanted to 330 tissue donors healing thousands of patients.

A new state regulation says Kentucky students must prove they have had the two-dose hepatitis A vaccine by the first day of school, so it’s time to get the first does because the shots are given six months apart and most schools start in August. The regulation also applies to children entering daycare centers, certified family care homes and pre-school programs.

Like the rest of the state and nation, Albany and Clinton County is fully gripped in this season’s battle against the influenza virus, which has been one of the worst seasons in decades. The battle against the illness hit the Clinton County school system particularly hard last week, and in an effort to combat the increasing number of students and faculty members who were absent due to the illness, school officials took the action that is often considered to be the “last resort” by canceling classes and keeping students at home.

The Medical Center-Albany has been striving to make patient care better for those in Clinton County, offering new services within the walls of the hospital, including bringing in more specialists, offering more surgery options and now offering the ability to provide nuclear medicine has vastly improved the care provided to patients. Hospital Administrator Laura Belcher, as well as Nuclear Medicine Technician Kimberly Williamson are in full swing serving patients of the Medical Center-Albany with the new available tests.

February Birth: Keistan AmiAnn Stockton, daughter of Nathan and Kimberly Stockton, Albany.

February Deaths: James Richard Scott, 63, Burkesville, KY; Vera Murray Albertson, 96, Byrdstown, TN; Barbara J. Shearer, 88, Albany; Violet Sue Spaulding, 80, Covington, KY; Jeffery R. Guffey, 54, Albany; Louise Cash Huckaby, 79, Monticello, KY; Wanda M. Tabelman, 89, Albany; Billy Gayle Barber, 80, Byrdstown, TN; Lyall Wayne Craft, 73, TN; Bro. Norman D. Albertson, 72, Albany; Jessie Groce, 71, New Castle, IN; David Glenn Brown, 77, Albany.

March

March News…An incident late Thursday night of last week involved a juvenile who made verbal threats against another juvenile student while off school campus. Friday morning, Superintendent Charlotte Nasief made a “one-call” announcement that the threat had been taken care of.

An Alpha man, Kyle Matthews, who faced multiple charges following a boat pursuit on Lake Cumberland last year, has entered a plea on charges in Russell Circuit Court. According to court records, the defendant pled guilty to eight counts of wanton endangerment and fleeing or evading and accepted a term of three years on each count for a total of six years to serve.

A Greensburg, Kentucky man who led law enforcement on a wild chase through the streets of Albany last November, putting lives in danger and causing damage to vehicles and property, has accepted a plea agreement in Clinton Circuit Court. Tyler D. Burton entered guilty pleas on some counts during a pretrial conference on March 1 and will serve a total of 10 years in prison.

There was plenty of “rubber-necking” in Albany on Monday, March 5 and throughout the day as people drove by and stopped and stood to watch for awhile as a demolition crew brought down one of Albany’s iconic buildings. The Hunley building had stood at the corner of Cross and Clay Streets in one form or another for several decades, being totally completed in the 1940s.

The Clinton County Board of Education voted unanimously to change the name of the SCC-Clinton Center, home of the Area Technology Center and Central Offices, to Clinton College and Career Center.

Albany City Council accepted the low bid from Hayes Pipe and Supply to replace some 35 fire hydrants in Albany, to be installed by city employees.

Mountain View Park now has a part-time recreation director. The park board hired the only applicant, Tim Moons, at a call meeting Friday, March 9. The position runs from March through September at the rate of $12 per hour, 80 hours per month (average) and 560 total hours for the period.

After a struggle that has lasted more than 20 years and has been filled with ups, downs, promises and broken dreams, the news of a victory came in a long-awaited telephone call from Washington, D.C. Monday morning, March 19. President Donald Trump reached out to inform Pauline Conner that her late husband, Garlin Murl Conner, would in fact receive the nation’s highest military honor-the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Clinton County’s military history was bolstered even more this week with a new program being initiated by the Clinton County Tourism Commission that will serve a two-fold purpose–giving families and individuals the opportunity to uniquely honor local hometown military heroes and putting on display the deep military history of our county and its veteran service members.

Less than a week after approving a measure for a drug addict needle exchange program, advocated by the Lake Cumberland District Health Department, the Clinton County Fiscal Court vote unanimously to rescind that decision during a call meeting on March 23. The court had previously voted 4-3 to approve the measure.

Clinton County’s 6’5” point guard, Jackson Harlan, was recently named to the Lexington Herald-Leader’s All-State boys’ basketball team.

March Deaths…June Upchurch, 86, Albany; Edgar P. Warinner, Jr., 84, Dover, IN; Jerry Lee McCutchen, 69, Burkesville, KY; Joseph Howard Wilburn, 67, Albany; Kathy Marcum, 67, Monticello, KY; Doris Ann Daley, 63, Albany;; Paula Lee West, 62, Mint Hill, NC; Gregory Bruce Parrish, 57, Burkesville, KY; Gwendolyn Beaty Bailey, 72, Brandenburg, KY; Vita Cash, 86, Albany; Lena Alice Stockton, 89, Albany; Sam L. Grider, 87, Cincinnati, OH; Bobby Boils, 83, Albany; Donald Allen Wood, 60, Burkesville, KY; Ernestine Polston, 52, Albany; Rita Jones Carel, 68, Marietta, GA; Tina Louise Boyd, 56, Albany; Anna Sue Smith, 81, Albany; Scotty Dale Jones, 36, Albany; Lillie D. Strupe, 86, Albany; Phyllis A. Hines, 67, New Franklin, IN; Clayton Moreland, 76, Albany; Glee White, 83, Byrdstown, TN; Billy R. Clark, 77, Albany; Ava Ruth Appleby, 90, Burkesville, Kentucky.

April 2018

April News…Volunteers are invited to join in the historic 20th annual PRIDE Spring Cleanup, which will be held throughout April across 42 southern and eastern Kentucky counties, including Clinton.

Gov. Matt Bevin announced last week that Fitzgerald Industries LLC, which manufactures aluminum dump truck beds, will locate in the former Beldon Inc. Plant in Monticello with a $6 million investment that will create 250 full-time jobs.

A host of Clinton County teachers and administrators were among the thousands of educations who made their way to Kentucky’s Capitol Building in Frankfort Monday, April 2 to protest cuts to their pension plan and cuts to eduction programs by state legislators.

Charlie K. York, 39, of Albany, was indicted by a Wayne County Grand Jury on March 26 for fleeing or evading police first degree, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, possession of a controlled substance (meth) possession of a controlled substance (drug unspecified), and trafficking in a controlled substance as the result of a multi-county high speed chase on March 19.

Several members of the Albany Revitalization Committee met with two employees from the Kentucky Department of Transportation to discuss wayfinding signage throughout Albany and Clinton County. The Albany Revitalization purpose is to make Albany and Clinton County more appealing to tourists and make it more user friendly for those doing business in town.

One of two co-defendants in an attempted murder case has accepted a plea in his case. Danny Joe Stearns of Albany pled guilty to assault first degree and robbery first degree in connection with the stabbing and robbery of Bill Russell, which occurred in late 2016.

Stearns, who was initially charged with attempted murder along with co-defendant Lisa Sue York, also of Albany, agreed to a term of 17 1/2 years to serve.

The 2017-18 Clinton County Relay For Life event was held Friday, April 20 at Clinton County High School with the theme “Passport to a Cure.” The event turned out to be one of the most successful ever, as $53,568.39 was raised, above the $52,000 goal, and saw 22 cancer survivors take part in the program.

April Deaths… William Edward Peters, 88, Russell Springs, KY; Ed Payne Jr., 82, Burkesville, KY; William Harold Dalton Jr., 72, Frankfort, KY; Charlie O. Thrasher, 90, Albany; Kenny Burdette, 65, New Port News, VA; Randall H. Pierce, 76, Louisville, KY; Cassie Renee Blake, 34, Albany; David F. Jones, 83, New Castle, IN; Mildred Carlton Tuggle, 97, Albany; Betty Mae Hicks, 74, Albany; Donnie G. Aaron, 58, Park City, KY; Doris Faye Pomeroy, 79, Sparta, TN; Evelyn Thomas Orton, 82, Albany.

May 2018

May News…Tragedy stunned Albany and Clinton County last week with the news that a young Clinton County High School student had been killed in an automobile accident. Breonna “Annie” Groce, 16, of Albany, was killed in a single vehicle accident Wednesday morning, April 25 on Ky. Hwy. 738 (Wolf River Dock Road) about four miles southwest of Albany.

A long-time business owner and former President of Monticello Banking Company’s Albany location, Bob Davis, died last week after an extended illness.

A total of 110 youngsters are scheduled to take part in the 10th annual Kindergarten Graduation Commencement ceremonies starting at 5 p.m. Friday, May 11 at the Clinton County Early Childhood Center.

The 101st Commencement Program at Clinton County High School is set for Friday, May 18 at 8 p.m. and will see some 120 young men and women become graduates of the 2018 Clinton County High School Class. The top three seniors this year are Carly Upchurch, Vivian Zheng and Mary Willen Cross.

Danny Joe Stearns was formally sentenced in Clinton Circuit Court Thursday, May 10. Stearns received a sentence of 17 1/2 years. He had originally been charged with the attempted murder of Bill Russell. A co-defendant, Lisa Sue York, reached a plea agreement with the Commonwealth in the same case.

The 2018 primary election held on May 22 saw 51 percent of the county’s registered voters take part with several new faces being elected without opposition in 2019. In the race for county judge, current 4th District Magistrate Ricky Craig defeated incumbent Richard Armstrong and four other candidates to win the Republican nomination. He will face Democrat Keith Dalton in the fall. Republican Jeff Vincent defeated incumbent sheriff Jim Guffey in the only other countrywide contested race. Magisterial winners saw incumbent Mickey Riddle defeat Jim Pennycuff in District Six; former Magistrate Jerry Lowhorn defeated incumbent Hershell Key and four other candidates in District Five; Gary Ferguson defeated eight opponents to win in District Four; incumbent Terry Buster defeated five opponents to get re-elected in District Three and incumbent Johnny Russell defeated three opponent to get re-elected in District One.

May Deaths…Stanley F. Short, 80, Kettle, KY; Bob Davis, 75, Albany; Jim White, 76, Albany; Susie Ina Dalton, 79, Albany; Billy Wayne Storie, 58, Crossville, TN; Breonna Suzanne Lee (Annie) Groce, 16, Albany; Rosalie Sloan, 78, Columbia, KY; Mary Joyce Polston, 67, Byrdstown, TN; James Billy Flowers 76, Byrdstown, TN; Bro. Cletis Jarvis, 80, Albany; Billie Hugh Hill, 82, Albany; Charlotte Dyer, 83, Albany; Benny Harold McClellan, 75, Byrdstown, TN; Morris Wayne Coffey, 67, Joppa, AL; Jonas P. Scott, 56, Albany; Vance Brown, 79, Albany; Robbie Wells Allen, 100, Burkesville, KY; Sallie May Appleby, 78, Monticello, KY; Opal Jean Stearns, 83, Albany.

June-2018

June News…The 2018 Clinton County Fair is already here again, with early events this weekend to kick-off a week of activities at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. The Fair will officially begin at 10 a.m. Saturday morning with the annual Baby Show.

Due to security concerns, and vandalism problems, the Clinton County Recreation Park Board voted May 31 to begin closing the main gate to vehicle traffic from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., still allowing walk-in use to the park.

An inmate at the Clinton County Jail spent a short time on the lam, according to Kentucky State Police, before being located and arrested. For his brief time on the run. Ryan Tweedy, 30, of Paducah will face a host of additional charges related to the escape on Saturday, June 3.

A police chase that started in Russell County Friday morning June 8 ended in Clinton County after David Joe Johnson, 38, of Albany, was arrested at gunpoint on Wray Ridge Road off Ky. 90 and charged with murder. According to Kentucky State Police, around 10:14 a.m. units from Post 15 responded to a residence on Kentucky Hwy. 92 in Russell County in reference to a shooting that occurred following a domestic dispute. Johnson is charged with the shooting death of 28-year-old Coty Lawhorn of Russell Springs.

In 1939, a rolling store started out as a way to help out communities in the area and quickly evolved into what is now Ferguson Brothers Store. Now, after nearly 80 years, owners Gary and Pearl Ferguson have decided to close the doors. The store will cease business on June 30, 3018.

Clinton County’s World War II hero, Garlin Murl Conner, will be posthumously awarded the nation’s highest military award, the Medal of Honor. Conner died in Albany in November 1998 at the age of 79. Conner’s widow, Pauline Conner, will travel to the nation’s capital where she will accept the medal her late husband earned for his acts of heroism while fighting in France in 1945. President Donald Trump will award the medal to Conner at a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, June 26.

With his senior year of basketball still in front of him, the Clinton County Bulldog standout point guard’s action last week guarantees at least one thing–he can approach the upcoming season with just one thing on his mind–basketball. Last Friday, June 15, while attending the Summer High School State Tournament in Lexington, Jackson Harlan sat down in the lobby of the Hilton Lexington Green Hotel and made a phone call to let Coach Rick Stansbury, heard men’s coach at Western Kentucky University, to let him know he would accept WKU’s scholarship offer and become a Hilltopper beginning with the 2019-20 basketball season.

Sometimes, you can have too much of a good thing. That’s the lesson that members of the Clinton County Tourism Commission learned recently after the unveiling and installation of Hometown Heroes banners throughout the Albany City Limits. When employees with the City of Albany began putting up the 44 banners that had been ordered by the families and friends of the local veterans–out Hometown Heroes–the phone calls and messages began to flood into the office of April Speck, Administrative Assistant for the tourism commission. Speck reported to commission members she had received over 100 requests, in one form or another, for additional banners.

June Deaths…Olivia Groce Grider, infant, Burkesville, KY; Netie Alma Tallent, 92, Martin TN; Andrea Diane Guffey, 40, Albany; Steve Bell, 67, Albany; Monrie York, 61, Albany; James Howard Stockton, 74, Indianapolis, IN; Roger Dale Smith, 41, Albany; Phillip Nelson, 54, Albany; Tim Shaw, 62, Albany; Tina Polson, 61, Albany; Willie Rich Poindexter, 94, Albany; James Willard Stinson, 72, Monticello, KY; Barbara Clark Parrigin, 78, Albany.

July 2018

July News…Grown men in full uniform, adorned with one, two, three and even four star General insignias on their uniforms, had to wipe the tears away from their cheeks before they stood with hundreds of others to salute Pauline Conner with a standing ovation after she had concluded her remarks about her late husband, Garlin Murl Conner. This came on Tuesday, June 26 when President Donald Trump posthumously presented Conner with the nation’s highest military honor, the Medal of Honor at a ceremony at the White House.

Weldon Haddix is 82 years young and he’s been a successful business owner in Albany most of his adult life. Last Saturday, June 30, at midnight, Haddix Gas and Electric, one of the longest, continuing businesses in Albany and Clinton County, was no more. Haddix is also owner of Haddix Funeral Home in Albany and that business will remain open to serve the community.

On Wednesday night, July 4, the sky illuminated with pops of color and excitement as people across America celebrated the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. The people of Clinton County were treated this year with the return of the annual fireworks show, which was declared a success by Albany-Clinton County Chamber of Commerce President Lisa Beard.

In the days following appeals to EPA officials to rescind a ruling that was basically killing the glider kit freight truck industry, including in Kentucky and Tennessee, the EPA reversed course and will allow a loophole in regulations that will now see glider kit vehicles to be produced in larger quantities.

In the front entrance at Clinton County High School, a security post has been built where visitors will be checked in to a certain degree before being allowed to proceed to the parking lot of the school facility. According to Principal Stacey Evans, the security post will add another level of security to the school and property.

Trooper Island campers will have brighter smiles this year because the camp is providing free dental care to the children, making Trooper Island the first summer camp to provide children with this free service.

Grider Hill Marina has been a staple of Lake Cumberland since Bruce Sloan first opened in 1951. With more than 67 years in business, only one person has been around almost as long as the dock itself and this year, Jim Conner plans to retire from Grider Hill after 53 years of service.

State officials reversed course last week and said they would resume paying dental, vision, and non-emergency medical transportation for 460,000 Kentuckians. In Clinton County, just under one half of its 10,000 residents are enrolled or are at least eligible for some form of Kentucky Medicaid benefits, according to figures released for June, 2017.

The Medical Center-Albany has a program it has been using since February that will greatly benefit those in Clinton and surrounding counties. The Senior Perspective program in Albany is now adding Telehealth to the mental health services and counseling for its patients. Program Director Rodney Huff said the program will be a great asset to the hospital because it can provide a service to many, not only in the county, but surrounding counties as well.

July Deaths…Terry “Turk” Polston, 52, Albany; Linda Polston Pennycuff, 70, Albany; Marcella Cross, 90, Albany; Judith Ann Sells, 73, Byrdstown, TN; Anna Marie Lee, 76, Winchester, IN; Jerry Speck, 71, Winchester KY; Ray Cash, 74, Albany; Eva L. Williams, 89, Cookeville,TN; Billy Guinn, 80, Albany; Evan Vincent Cross, 79, Apison, TN; Bobby G. Guffey, 91, New Castle, IN; Richard Eugene Breeding, Jr., 45, Byrdstown, TN; Sue Elmore, 88, Albany; Hazel Choate, 79, Albany.

August 2018

August News…The first day for students in the Clinton County School District is slated for Thursday, August 9. However, staff and administrators who have worked throughout the summer to prepare for the 2018-19 school term will get started on Monday with professional days.

As a new school year quickly approaches and students in Kentucky are being reminded that new health requirements are now in place effective July 1. The new mandates require all students to show proof of two Hepatitis A vaccines and 16-year-olds and up must get a second Mongococcal vaccine.

One of the largest crowds ever made their way to Trooper Island Camp Saturday, July 28 for the annual Appreciation Day, which included a dedication to the new dental clinic and a memorium service to honor the members of the Kentucky State Police who have been killed in the line of duty.

It’s been more than 68 years since the family of Private First Class Joe Stanton Elmore was reported missing on November 2, 1950 in Changlin County, Hampyeong Province, North Korea, after an engagement that occurred in the vicinity of Chasin Reservoir. While the remains of Elmore have been in the states for 23 years, the identificaiton of his remains have recently been discovered.

A half dozen local residents are facing drug charges by local and state police following the execution of two separate search warrants on the Cedar Hill and Martha Stockton Roads, both southwest of Albany in Clinton County on Friday night, August 3.

Although there are a few minor details to be worked out before the deal would be completely finalized, all indications are that Albany will be the home for a manufacturing plant that produces a product known as “Rock-It Truck Racks.”

The on again, off again saga of one of the largest employers in the Albany and Clinton County area, Fitzgerald Glider Kits, continues to remain open on a vastly reduced level of production numbers after the latest report of bad news for the company from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Clinton County Board of Education, during its regular meeting on August 13, approved, on a split 3-2 vote, to accept the proposed over four percent compensating tax rate allowed by law and set a public hearing on the issue for August 20.

Private First Class Joe Stanton Elmore received a homecoming fit for a king Wednesday, August 15, as hundreds of people lined the streets awaiting his arrival. Elmore was flown to Nashville Airport around noon and was transported by Haddix Funeral Home to Albany with a host of family and friends, including the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Club, military personnel and several different law enforcement agencies.

Although filing for Albany Mayor, Albany City Council and two Clinton County Board of Education seats started out slow, a late flurry of filing now includes a total of 26 candidates–including three being those who will automatically be seated on the Soil Conservation District Board. A total of four persons are running for mayor, 13 for city council and only three for the two school board seats. One school board member, Kevin Marcum, will be unopposed in November.

Clinton County Fiscal Court voted unanimously to keep the same tax rates as in previous years at 6.5 cents per $100 assessed value on real estate and 7.8 cents on tangible property. They also discussed establishing a location for a local Veterans Memorial Museum.

A Clinton County man has been indicted by a Russell County Grand Jury in relation to an incident that occurred in that county in early June. On August 15, a grand jury indicted David Joe Johnson, 38, on charges of murder (of Coty Lawhorn), wanton endangerment, custodial interference and persistent felony offender.

Harold White, 55, of Albany, drown Saturday, August 25 in a cove close to Wisdom Dock on Dale Hollow Lake. According to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, there were multiple witnesses that said White was swimming close to his rental pontoon when he started struggling to stay afloat. Once he went under, he never resurfaced.

The Clinton County Volley Dawgs are taking a trip back to the All “A” State Tournament at McBrayer Arena in Richmond in mid-September after winning the 4th Region All “A” tournament held at Monroe County on August 25. CCHS defeated Russellville and Metcalfe County in the first two rounds, then Monroe County in the championship match to repeat as 4th Region champions. Some Lady Dawgs made the All-A-Tournament squad, including Kayli Hadley, Bobbie Ann Key and Autumn McCutchen.

August Deaths…Otis E. Hurt, 70, Albany; James Maloy Guffey, 84, Albany; John Edward Schwenk, 81, Albany; Freda Davis, 76, Albany; Julia Louise Caple, 81, Louisville, KY; Odell Ayers, 69, Albany; Samuel Kelley Earl Norris, infant, Albany; John Danny Tallent, 75, Albany; Thelma Conner McWhorter, 77, Ludington, MI; Robert “Bob” Higginbotham, 86, Pall Mall, TN; Anna Irwin, 89, Albany; Janette “Jan” Clark, 81, Albany; Pfc. Joe Stanton Elmore, 20, Albany; Jimmy M. Logan, 64, Albany; Lonus Junior Barnett, 84, Sparta, IN; Brenda Jean Moore, 47, Shepherdsville, KY; Ruth Ferguson Reneau. 99, Albany; Dalton Trent Maloy, 22, Russell Springs, KY; Charles E. Ferrell, 85, Albany.

September 2018

September News…The Clinton County Board of Education, after taking some public comments on the proposed 2018-19 school district tax rates, proceeded to vote 3-2 to officially adopt the proposed rates at 45.4 cents per $100 assessed value on both real and personal property during a special meeting August 20. The rates reflect the four percent over compensating rate allowed by state law.

Operation Christmas Child, a Samaritan’s Purse project, has delivered more than 157 million shoeboxes to boys and girls in need around the world over the past 25 years. The annual event, which locally has a relay station for Clinton and Cumberland counties, held its kick-off at Albany First Baptist Church August 26. Over 200 people attended and a lofty goal of 3,000 boxes was set for the 2018 campaign.

Lillie Maxine Griffin, 81, Albany, was pronounced dead at the Medical Center at Albany on Sunday, September 9 following a two-vehicle collision that occurred shortly after noon at the intersection of Highway 90 and 558 about six miles north of Albany.

Growing to see well over 100 people coming together under the lights Saturday night, September 15, the All for Benny Gala, hosted by the Clinton County Community Foundation, was a tremendous success in just its second year.

Clinton County Board of Education held its regular work session September 13 in the absence of Jeff Sams, who had served on the board for several years. Sams attended his last meeting on the board in August and recently resigned after officially establishing residency is neighboring Cumberland County, thus making the seat temporarily vacant.

This year, a special tribute to Jerry Perdue has been planned by long time friend and musical director of the Foothills Festival Planning Committee, Randy Speck. On Friday night, September 19, Exile will take the stage and perform a free concert as the main musical event of the night.

The Clinton County Bulldogs pulled off a grand victory for the football program Friday night, September 21 by defeating Metcalfe County 22-12 to move to 5-0 on the year. Never in the history of the program has the football team started off the season with an undefeated record of five games. It was also their first ever win in eight match-ups against the Hornets.

September Deaths…Billy Burchett Guffey, 84, Burkesville, KY; Bill Talbott, 80, Albany Alene Bell Wallace, 93, Chattanooga, TN; Betty Jean Piercey Ferguson, 83, Richmond, IN; Danny Zuriel Hall, 70, Albany; Maxine Griffin, 81, Albany; Lida Smith, 75, Bowling Green, KY; Jenna A. Wilson, 81, Albany; Carol Lee Rayborn, 46, Albany; Raymond Eugene Appleby, 82, Burkesville, KY; Nancy J. Stockton, 72, Modoc, Indiana.

October 2018

October News…James L. Smith, 58, of Albany, was arrested early Saturday morning, September 29 by Albany Police Department Officer Jeremy Ferguson who was answering a call to a burglary in progress. Officer Ferguson said the investigation began that morning around 2 a.m. when an alarm went off at Fred’s.

The Clinton County Relay For Life Committee kicked off its 2018-19 campaign Thursday, September 27. The primary objective for the opening session was to set goals and dates for the 2019 event. The committee members set a fundraising goal of $45,000 and scheduled the event for April 19 at CCHS from 3-9 p.m.

One of Clinton County’s most iconic political figures, Billy Joe Coop, died at his home Tuesday, September 25 at the age of 74. Coop was elected Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) in 1977 and served in that position for almost 32 years prior to his retirement in 2008.

It was a sad day for Clinton County on Thursday, October 4, as Shelia Booher passed away in a Nashville, Tennessee hospital after suffering a stroke on September 29. Booher was Clinton County Clerk and had been since Jim Elmore retired in 2012. Before that, she worked under Elmore for over two decades as Deputy Clerk. Nathan Collins, Booher’s nephew and current Deputy Clerk in her office, was appointed as County Clerk to fill out her term and has announced he will run for the position as a write-in candidate in the November general election.

One of the best known and most well-liked figures from the world of Clinton County High School athletics, Ronnie Guffey, died of a heart attack last week at his home in Murray, Kentucky. He was 63. Guffey spent two stints as head coach of the Lady Bulldogs, 1989-93 and again from 2004-05, as well as a span as head coach of the Bulldogs from 1998-2001.

The Clinton County Volley Dawgs swept the 16th District Tournament by defeating Cumberland County and Russell County in all sets. This is the second district title in as many years making CCHS back-to-back champions.

Foothills Festival fans came out in big numbers last weekend for the 39th edition of our annual Fall celebration in the streets. Although the weather was fantastic on Friday and Saturday afternoons, prompting local residents and visitors to flock to the downtown area, there were some tense times weather-wise.

October Deaths…Billy Joe Coop,74, Albany; Betty J. Brummett, 79, Albany; Odus B. Poore, 80, Byrdstown, TN; Samuel Omer Dyer, 61, Albany; Lucille B. Clark, 97, Albany; Alma Rose Johnson, 79, Albany; William Eugene York, 57, Albany; Ronnie Guffey, 63, Murray, KY; Frances D. Vincent, 93, New Castle, IN; Shelia Braswell Booher, 55, Albany; Paul Warinner Anderson, 79, Louisville, KY; Wilma Ann Flowers, 65, Pall Mall, TN; Reba Sue Cecil, 65, Albany; Meredith Pappas, 28, Columbus, OH; Albert Burton, 85, Byrdstown, TN; John Harold Davis, 74, Albany; Juil Dean Harris, 80, Albany; Bro. Bobby R. Slagle, 71, New Castle, IN; Earlene Booher, 77, Albany; Sandy Claborn Thrasher, 54, Cookeville, TN; Al A. Albertson, 71, Portland, IN; Sharon Ann Piercy, 57, Russell Springs, Kentucky.

November 2018

November News…The Clinton County football team finished its best season ever on Thursday, October 25 as the Bulldogs took the win at Jackson County 50-22. The win ended the Bulldog’s season at 9-1.

The Mountain View Park Board, along with the Cal Ripkin (Albany) League have joined forces in the off season to better the playing fields. Both organizations and businesses in the community here put together $27,000 in order to make two fields something to be proud of.

The 2018 General Election held Tuesday, November 6 saw current Clinton County Magistrate Ricky Craig, a Republican, winning the race for Clinton County Judge/Executive. Albany Assistant Police Chief Lyle Piece was elected Albany Mayor. The city council will be made up of three incumbents, Tony Delk, Steve Lawson and Tonya Claborn Thrasher and three newcomers, Rene York, Reed Sloan and former Clinton County Jailer Gene Ferrill. Nathan Collins, recently appointed Clinton County Court Clerk, won that seat outright as a write-in candidate and there will be a new school board member in District Five, that being Bobbi Ann Young Bair.

The Clinton County JROTC, along with the Clinton County High School Band, under the direction of Logan Butler, presented the public and student body with a Veteran’s Day ceremony on Friday, November 9.

Organizers who have spent several months since its inception, planning and organizing last Saturday’s (November 17) Celebration of Life to honor Clinton County World War II hero and Congressional Medal of Honor recipient 1st Lt. Garlin Murl Conner, heard near complete praise on the success of the event.

During a recanvass Thursday, November 15, officials decided to throw out two paper ballots that had originally been counted for Clinton County Clerk Nathan Collins. The result was that Collins was determined to be the winner of the race with 3,125 votes. Democrat challenger Dan Thomas received 855 votes.

The local Operation Christmas Child collection, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, wrapped up another shoebox collection campaign on November 18. Although the goal of 3,000 boxes was not met, a total of 1,559 boxes were collected locally and some 13,964 region-wide.

November Deaths…Russell L. Guffey, 71, Albany; Mike Ferguson, 73, Albany; Pamela Lynn Smith, 62, Somerset, KY; Dora Ann Holsapple, 71, Albany; John L. Riddle, 87, Albany; Wilma Ann Flowers, 65, Pall Mall, TN; Barbara Sell Hulse, 66, Corydon, IN; Suda Gunter, 72, Byrdstown, TN; Robert W. Sloan, 76, Louisville, KY; Kenneth Earl Shelton, 77, Albany; Sue Albertson Burton, 86, Science Hill, KY; Sharon Gibbons Cole, 65, Albany; Angela Thompson, 45, Byrdstown, TN; Delora Cravens Pappas, 70, Columbus, OH; J.G. Lee, 79, Summer Shade, KY; Margaret Guthrie Asberry, 79, Albany; Deane Elizabeth Mullins, 88, Byrdstown, TN; Peggy J. Stearns, 82, Butler, KY; Theda Morgan Stone, 77, Burkesville, KY; Willard “Tony” Conner, 76, Louisville, KY; Barbara Jean Pierce, 81, Albany; Raiden Allen Charles Flowers, infant, Albany.

December 2018

December News…A Cumberland County man, Steven K. Taylor, 31, died in a multi-vehicle collision that occurred in Campbellsville on November 27. He was riding in a taxi owned by Smith’s Taxi LLC of Albany, which was struck by another vehicle. A three-year-old Taylor County child involved in the accident, died on December 5 in a Louisville hospital as the result of injuries sustained in the accident.

Emmanuel Fluter, 33, was arrested and charged with the murder of his three-year-old niece, Josephine Bulubenchi, early Saturday morning, December 8. Fluter appeared in court on Tuesday, December 11 for arraignment and entered a not guilty plea to two counts of assault and four counts of wanton endangerment as well as not guilty to the charge of murder. The child, whose throat was slit, died early the next morning at a Lexington hospital.

John N. “Nicky” Smith has been at the helm of city government in Albany for the past 16 years, but will be leaving that position at the end of the month, after having served four terms as Mayor of Albany. Smith was first elected in 2002, took office in January of 2003 and was re-elected three more times prior to deciding to retire at the end of his current term.

This year’s Albany Christmas Memories was held Tuesday, December 18 and according to Christy Nuetzman, Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences, the night was definitely a “great night” for children and parents alike. “We had 130 to sign in, but I feel like we missed several. My estimate would be around 175-200,” Nuetzman said. “We didn’t get in all of the activities associated with the Albany Christmas Memories event, but it was a great night for those that attended. So many people have commented to us about the community tree lighting event that we will proceed with next year despite the weather.”

December Birth…Tanner Kade U’wren, son of Brittany (Flowers) and Jason U’wren, Lexington, Kentucky.

December Deaths…Mary Rose Cooper, 70, Albany; Helen Lee, 83, Albany; Christell McWhorter Curry, 85, Louisville, KY; Phyllis Blair, 83, Albany; Teresa Hein, 79, Scottsville, KY; Jean Poore, 74, Albany; Jasper M. Penticuff, 94, New Castle, IN; Darrell Wayne Dicken, 60, Albany; Reva Janice Rich, 78, Albany; Wanda Ruth Beane , 74, Albany; Russell D. McIver, 87, Albany; Josephine Bulubenchi, age 3, Albany; Ruby Lillian Covey, 85, Albany; Dewayne Dalton, 55, Albany.