Although it seems it was only a few weeks ago that we were putting together our annual look back at the headlines and articles that shaped our lives for the past year, but in reality, it was 52 issues ago – time certainly flies when you’re having fun.

While not all of the events that filled the pages of the Clinton County News have been “fun” events – to say the least, putting those issues together for our readers has continued to be an enjoyable undertaking for our staff.

Sports, politics, weather, economy, unexpected deaths and celebrations all played a part in the lives of Clinton County residents over the past 12 months, and we expect that some of those same topics, along with others that will be surprising, will fill our lives – and these pages – in the coming year.

Before we close out the books on the past 12 months that comprised the year 2012 and before he head into the coming year – 2013 – to see what will be in store, we are going to once again take a look back at the events that made headlines during the past year.

We hope that you, our loyal readers, enjoy once again our annual and traditional presentation that we always present at this time of year, simply titled . . .

The Year in Review

January, 2012

January News…The eighth annual Christmas at Home food and toy drive was one of the most successful ever. A record number of 533 children were assisted during the 2011 campaign. Also, 248 total homes in the county benefitted.

Cody Owens was the winner of the “Winter Wonderland” Treasure Hunt. The grand prize of $2,000 in cash and merchandise was a snow flake painted on a small white rock beneath a tree in front of the Albany Water Department on Cross Street.

Hundreds of dollars worth of Christmas decorations that were stolen from the Clinton County Courthouse lawn the week before Christmas was discovered Friday, December 29. They had been discarded in a field at the lower end of the Hogback Community.

Thoroughbred Houseboats, which employees some 40 people at the local plant, announced Friday, January 6 that it would be closing the Clinton County facility and moving all of its houseboat manufacturing operations to Wayne County.

Albany City Council adopted what is called the “Little Princess” resolution, suggesting and encouraging Halloween trick-or-treat safety in honor of Aleigha Duvall, the little girl who lost her life in a pedestrian/vehicle accident while trick-or-treating last Halloween.

A new drug prevention program, aimed primarily at the business community and funded in part with the aid of an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant, is getting underway in Albany and Clinton County. The MethWatch Program is being administered by the local KY-ASAP Board and Adanta’s Regional Prevention Center.

Nearly a year and a half after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced it was considering a new site for a commercial marina on Lake Cumberland near Rowena, that same agency is announcing that it is ready to accept applications for the proposed new facility. In a press release from the Nashville Corps of Engineers on January 19, the agency explains that the lease area would include approximately 162 acres of land and water.

January Births…Gavin Lee Coomer, son of Bob and Brenda Coomer, Albany; Jaeli Beth Grant, daughter of Chad and Lora Grant, Albany; Samuel Steve Crabtree, son of Steve and Beth Crabtree, Albany; Sarah Jane Proffitt, daughter of Clay and Bethany Proffitt; Cullen Toy Pitmon, son of Sharon Morris Pitmon and Brad Pitmon, Murfreesboro, TN; Serenity Shyenne Smith, daughter of Eric and Trish Smith, Albany.

January Deaths…Mable A. Thurman, 90, Albany; Richard Dale Staton, 80, Albany; Willie “Bill” Bertram, 91, Greenwood, IN; Ima C. Irwin, 79, Albany; Oleta York Pierce, 100, New Castle, IN; Gary Dale Butler, 61, Glens Fork, KY; Jimmy Ray Lee, 73, Byrdstown, TN; Steve Burton, 64, Albany; Everet P. Smith, 73, Albany; Charles Scott Roberts, 43, Albany; Jolina Faith Barnes, infant, Albany; Leroy Davis, 83, New Castle, IN; Thelma B. Smith, 98, Albany; Charles “Buddy” Bell, 86, Albany; Alva Lee Flowers, 88, Garland, Texas.

February News…A tragic accident that occurred either late Saturday night or early Sunday morning has claimed the life of a young Clinton County woman. The body of Casey Burchett, 24, of Albany was found Monday morning, January 30, after more than 24 hours of searching in the Huntersville community.

The Clinton County Middle School Site Based Decision Making Council held a special call meeting January 26 to address the dress code policy. More than 20 parents were on hand. The policy has a zero tolerance for no holes in jeans. The uproar came within the past two weeks as anywhere from 20-30 students with holes in their jeans have been reported to Principal Pam Bale, who said some students have been cutting holes in their jeans to be put into detention and getting out of doing classroom work.

The Twin Lakes Family Wellness Center has had its doors open for almost 11 months and has recently signed its 1,000th active member to its roster.

Clinton County’s jobless rate took a hefty jump in the wrong direction between November and December 2011, increasing by nearly a full percentage point from 9 to 9.7 percent.

Clinton County Hospital had an open house Sunday, February 12, giving local and area residents their first chance to see the new Digital Mammography Suite.

“Have a Heart Toy and Book Drive” is a community involvement project that Kiley Hoppe came up with in order to be more involved in special needs children. The toy and book drive is to help Kosair Children’s Hospital. Hoppe said she is doing this because she wants to give back.

Immediately following the Lady Bulldogs’ and Bulldogs’ final regular season game on Thursday night, fans, parents and players were working hard Friday night in order to raise funds for the upcoming year with its annual Bulldog Radio Auction. This year’s total reached an approximate $11,600 figure, which is the most in auction history.

The on-again, off-again redistricting plan that has many Kentuckians like Clinton County residents guessing who their state legislature representatives are, will be the subject of a hearing Friday in front of the Kentucky Supreme Court. One aspect of the redistricting process–that of where Clinton County would be placed in the U.S. Congressional map, has been finalized, as Clinton will remain in the First Congressional District.

February Births…Gunner Keith Speck, son of PFC Jonathan Speck and Heather Speck, Fort Walton Beach, FL; Zayne Skyler Foust, son of Andrew Foust and Rae-Cowan Foust.

February Deaths…Antha Braswell White, 94, Albany; James R. “Ralph” Cooksey, 80, Amarillo, TX; Monzell Hill, 60, Albany; Clarence Jandecka, 85, Cleveland, OH; Mary Lucille Carver, 91, Glasgow, KY; Kibery O. Franklin, 89, Anderson, IN; Joe Howard Pennycuff, 69, Mulberry, IN; Casey Danielle Burchett, 24, Albany; Altarene Keltner, 83, Columbia, KY; Elizabeth Rose Wilson Neal, 83, Byrdstown, TN; Gene Drew, 66, Albany; Johnny Allen Jones, Jr., infant, Albany; Charles Wayne York, 81, Rock Hill, SC; Billy G. Burcham, 81, Tuscon, AZ; James R. Bickel, 75, Albany; Rema Matthews Pitman, 81, New Castle, IN; Barbara Sue Harlan, 55, Albany; Hewel Brown, 81, Pall Mall, TN; Brandy Nichole Little, 24, Albany.

March News…Clinton County’s Bulldogs are headed to Diddle Arena this Thursday night, with hopes of advancing in this week’s 4th Region boys’ basketball tournament after winning the 16th District Championship with a 64-52 victory over Russell County on the Lakers home floor on February 24.

The Kentucky Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision issued Friday, February 24, ruled that the redistricting that was passed earlier in the year and signed into law by Gov. Steve Beshear, was in fact unconstitutional. The ruling means Clinton County will remain in the 83rd House District and will continue to be represented by Jamestown Republican and Clinton County native Jeff Hoover, the current House Minority Leader.

A county-wide manhunt ended peacefully Sunday afternoon and led to the arrest of James Easterly, 44, of Crossville, Tennessee. Easterly had stolen a city utility vehicle on Donnie Ferguson Road in Albany earlier in the day.

More than 40 people lost their lives last weekend due to the series of violent storms that ripped through the states of Kentucky and Indiana. Although the storms went to the north and south of Clinton County, at 11 a.m. Friday morning, March 2, the decision had been made to let school out at 1 p.m.

Gretchen Flowers of Albany received a shock from a nearby ligthning bolt around 5:15 p.m. Thursday, March 16 while at the home of her parents, Jack and Phyllis Flowers. She was fortunate not to have been killed or seriously injured after the lightning strike struck a tree about eight feet from where she was walking.

It has been a year since the Twin Lakes Wellness Center opened for business and 12 months later, the new facility is still going strong. A one-year anniversary celebration was held March 16 with an open house.

More than 30 students at the Early Childhood Center were on hand Thursday at Mountain View Park. Students have spent the previous month raising money for St. Judes Children’s Hospital and this year the ECC students raised $3,924 for children in need.

This week, the Clinton County News is proud to present our annual Springs Sports section, giving our readers an up-close look at the players and coaches that make up the baseball (Bat Dawgs), softball (Lady Bat Dawgs) and tennis (Racket Dawgs) teams.

March Birth…Alayna Cravens, daughter of Jonathan Cravens and Shawna Brown, Albany.

March Deaths…Mary A. Gilley, 64, Albany; Howard G. “John” Pennycuff, 72, New Castle, IN; Delmer Lawrence Bowlin, 75, Muncie, IN; Donald Y. Grider, 73, Albany; William Clyde “Pete” Neal, 80, Monticello, KY; Ova Sells Dyer, 98, Cookeville, TN; Genevive Grider, 73, Decatur, IL; Mary Etta Neal, Albany; Jimmy Earl “Smokie” Smith, 62, Albany; Teddy Ray Collins, 60, Albany; Christine Owens, 90, Albany; Dorothy M. Reneau, 82, Albany; Vela E. Stockton, 89, Albany; Chester Ferguson, Jr., 79, New Castle, IN; Truman Wayne Martin, 67, Albany; Lonnie James Jones, 66, Albany; Marsha Ann Jones Neathery, 50, Burkesville, KY; Lola Elmore Smith, 73, Albany; Winnie Lela Gibson, infant, Albany; Martha Faye Smith, 69, Albany; Jeffery Garrell Brown, 39, Albany; Willadean Armstrong Cross, 84, Albany; Vickie Diane Logan, 51, Albany; Shelley Nichole Thrasher, 30, Louisville, KY; Jack Ferguson, 93, Albany.

April News…Tragedy struck Sunday morning around 1 a.m. when Dipesh “Dee” Soma, 27, of Albany, and his girlfriend, Ashley Cross, 19, of Monticello, and an employee at the Twin Lakes Family Wellness Center, were traveling home from Lexington when their vehicle was struck at the intersection of KY 461 and KY 150 in Rockcastle County. Cross was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene and Soma was taken to a Lexington hospital with serious injuries.

South Kentucky RECC has been approved for a rate adjustment from the Kentucky Public Service Commission. The overall 3.12 percent increase will mean the average customers bill will increase by $3.68 per month.

Clinton County Fiscal Court has lost a second term court member, following the April 10 resignation of 3rd District Magistrate Willard Johnson. Johnson was first elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2010 and cited being named as president of the Monticello Banking Company as his reason for stepping down as magistrate.

The Clinton County IDA, meeting for the first time in 2012, voted to accept the resignation of long-time board member and secretary/treasurer Janie Gibson and appointed current board member Debbie Brown to replace Gibson as secretary/treasurer of the board.

On April 18, Governor Steve Beshear chose to veto funding for road projects in Clinton and Russell counties associated with the U.S. 127 project. In all, Beshear struck $50 million from projects in Senate President David Williams 16th District, including over $13 million from U.S. 127 related projects and $14 million in related projects in Russell County.

Ira Boles Dyer, III, who is facing murder charges in relation to the April 17, 2011 vehicle wreck that claimed the life of 79-year-old Ina Edwards of Albany, is scheduled to stand trial on the charges this fall. During a hearing on April 7 in Clinton Circuit Court, Judge Eddie C. Lovelace set aside a trial date of October 2-9 and also denied a defense motion for a change of venue in the case.

April Births…Karsen Aaron Thrasher, son of Stefanie and Chris Thrasher, Albany; Brylee Reese Speck, son of Bennett and April Speck, Albany; McKinley Bryant Aaron, son of Matthew and Marcy Aaron, Albany.

April Deaths…Lonzo Smith, 61, Albany; Mary Ilene Butler, 85, Albany; Pauline Myrtle Craft, 89, Rockford, OH; Rema Erenstine Burchett, 86, Albany; Ida “Billie” Sloan, 85, New Castle, IN; Junior “Sid” Sidwell, 77, Pendleton, IN; Beulah Aaron, 88, Albany; Martha Dixon Brummett, 82, Albany; Tony William “Bill” Koger, 59, Pall Mall, TN; James Phillip SMith, 59, Sparta, TN; Jessie K. Appleby, 76, New Castle, IN; H. Bradley Smith, 71, Frankfort, KY; Evalyn Polston Carver, 93, Lexington, KY; Cecil R. “Hump” Jones, 67, Albany; Ragan Leigh Gibson, 35, Lutz, FL; Belva Marie Daniel, 86, Monticello, KY; Bobby “Bimbo” Claborn, 59, Albany; Billy Wayne Feuston, 59, Lake Butler, FL; Ruth Anne Harlan Meeks, 58, Somerset, KY; Eddie Hicks, 53, Monticello, KY; Ed Bell, 77, Williamsfield, IL; Ida M. McCarty, 89, Albany; Helen Neal, 54, Monticello, Kentucky.

May News…Because of all the legal actions filed in relation to the original Congressional redistricting which affected several Kentucky House and Senate districts, the redistricting, or redrawing of boundary lines in local magisterial districts is now on hold indefinitely.

Gov. Steve Beshear has appointed former Democrat Judge/Executive Larry Hatfield to the position of 3rd District Magistrate to serve through Novmeber to fill out the vacany left by Republican Willard Johnson who resigned April 10.

Another Clinton County Relay for Life event has come and gone, and once again, several thousand dollars were raised to support the American Cancer Society. Relay Chairperson Renee Parrigin estimated the event raised close to $67,000.

In a letter to Albany Mayor Nicky Smith, dated April 26, Lee Grassley, Senior Manager, Government Relations with Mediacom, informed the mayor that on or about June 11, the cable company will no longer carry WBKO ABC 13 and WBKO Fox 15, both out of Bowling Green, as distant signals on the cable lineup. The mayor wrote a letter in protest to Mediacom and after citizens’ complaints, the company changed its mind and decided to keep WBKO 13 on permanently and keep Fox 15 on, at least for now.

Clinton County will soon have only its second female superintendent as of July 1, as Charlotte Bernard will take the reins from Superintendent Mickey McFall, who will retire June 30. The Board of Education, at a call meeting May 10, hired Bernard on a 3-2 vote.

The 2012 Clinton County High School Class will graduate approximately 100 seniors Friday night, May 18 during the school’s 95th commencement ceremony. This year’s top three seniors include William Cox, Valedictorian; Jared Hunter, Salutatorian; and Brittany Smith, Historian.

Pending plans that could have seen one of the area’s post office locations at Alpha closed, may be altered in enough fashion to keep the outlet open. Under the plan, Alpha, and a host of other locations, would remain open with reduced hours.

About 47 percent of eligible Republican voters cast ballots in Tuesday’s primary election and in the only local race, incumbent Circuit Court Clerk Jake Staton handily won over his opponent, former deputy clerk Kathy Stearns, with Staton receiving 1,977 votes compared to 825 for Stearns.

Former Fifth District Magistrate Charlotte Bernard, who was recently hired as schools’ superintendent, tendered her resignation as magistrate on May 14, becoming the second member of the Clinton Fiscal Court to resign in just over a month’s time.

Clinton County Fiscal Court, at its regular meeting May 17, unanimously approved the 2012-13 fiscal year budget in the amount of just under $4.7 million.

With a full house, both in seats and around the sale ring as well as the holding pens out back, Clinton County’s newest business, the Blue Grass Stockyards, held its opening ceremonies and initial sales Wednesday, May 23. Some 5,301 head of cattle were sold, including in-house and online sales.

The Memorial Day weekend turned tragic early Saturday morning when a Clinton County man and Michigan native, Joshua Allen Goad, 33, was killed in a single-vehicle accident around 6:30 a.m. on the Wolf River Dock Road.

With the crop and garden seasons now in full swing, the Farmers Market is set to open for business on Friday, June 1 at the facility located at Mountain View Park. The market will remain open through August 31.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is now in the final stages of creating an area in Wells Bottom that will allow bank fishing access to the Cumberland River for fishing purposes. The path to the river is now cut out and is ready for use.

May Birth…Marley Kate Ferguson, daughter of Chris and Dana Ferguson, Russell Springs, Kentucky.

May Deaths…Terry Joe Barnes, 39, Livingston, TN; Billy Wayne Feuston, 59, Lake Butler, FL; Charlie W. Myers, 74, Albany; Willie Lozano, 84, Summerfield, FL; Eddie Ray Hogan, 56, Gasport, IN; Mary Lee Cummings, 73, Bowling Green, KY; Nancy L. (Nolan) Nasief, 63, Prospect, KY; George Wendell Stockton, 76, Albany; Anna Ruth (Neal) Allred, 49, Albany; Deborah G. Rhodes, 55, Colonial Heights, VA; Wanda Foster Jones, 63, Albany; Tyler J. Beaty, 68, Albany; David LaCaillade, 79, New Albany, IN; Sarah Lowhorn Honeycutt, 78, Albany; Kathleen R. Salley, 80, Albany; Joyce Smith Johnson, 71, Burkesville, KY; Bobby Lou Garrett, 67, New Castle, IN; Edmund Gayle Smith, 77, Monticello, KY; Doris Ann Stearns, 76, Albany; Jimmie Burchett Maupin, 86, Albany; Danny Ray Antle, 64, Columbia, KY; Faye Chambers, 58, Albany.

June News…Republican County Committee members chose Terry Buster and Hershell Key as their party’s nominees for magistrates of the Third and Fifth Districts, respectively, at a county caucus June 4.

Attorney General Jack Conway has announced that six Kentucky counties, including Clinton, were chosen in a random drawing May 31, to undergo independent inquiries for any potential irregularities that may have occurred during the May 22 primary election. The other counties chosen were Morgan, Meade, Marion, Rowan and Mason.

A mix of local residents and others from across the region and state came together Saturday, June 2 for the 48th annual beginning of Trooper Island Camp and appreciation day. The event also recognized fallen members of Kentucky State Police.

The Clinton County school district is now in possession of what few school systems in the state have to offer, some buses which are air conditioned. The new buses, which were approved for purchase last fall, arrived at the bus garage on May 31.

The 2012 Clinton County Fair will kick off Saturday, June 16 with the baby show and will get into full swing Monday, June 18, continuing through June 23. The Miss Clinton County Fair winner, held Monday, June 18, was Shelbe Pettey of Russell County and the Teen Miss Clinton County Fair winner was Tyra Sergkhamyong of Casey County.

Anna Whites, an attorney from the Lake Cumberland Community Action Agency, who is working with the county and Lake Cumberland Area Development District on applying for funds for a local Veterans’ Center, informed Judge/Executive Lyle Huff on June 8 that it appears the DLG (Department of Local Government) would let the county government veterans project apply for CDBG funding without having to compete with the city of Albany’s fire station project.

Anthony D. Troxel, originally charged with murder in the shooting death of James Thomas Dyer, II on July 30, 2011, entered a plea of guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter-2nd degree as well as a charge of carrying a handgun by a convicted felon and accepted a total sentence of 16 years. Meanwhile, Ira Boles Dyer, III, charged with murder in relation to a vehicle death of Ina Edwards in April of last year, is seeking a change of venue.

A Clinton County man was killed and two other Albany residents injured in a one-vehicle accident Sunday night, June 24 in Pickett County, Tennessee. Robert “Dale” Rains, 52, died from injuries sustained in the crash that occurred on Lick Creek Road in Pickett County.

June Births…Amiya Jayley Duvall, daughter of Adam and Ashley Duvall, Albany; Ali Mae Graves, daughter of Christie Shelton and James Graves, III, Albany; Shawn Michael Baker, son of Savannah Davis and Justin Baker, Albany; Carley Reshea Thrasher, daughter of Jeremy Thrasher and Tohawnee R. Stockton, Albany; Joshua Lane Dicken, son of Jenny and James Harvey Dicken, Jr., Albany.

June Deaths…Christopher Oris Shelton, 29, Alpha, KY; Joe S. Cross, 72, New Castle, IN; Sue L. Smith Lee, 69, Albany; Wilda Bowden Grant, 75, Albany; Terry Dale Garrett, 32, Byrdstown, TN; Winnie C. Cross Buchanan, 103, Anderson, IN; Dorothy Cooper Hicks, 80, Albany; Darrell Dwain Huckelby, 56, Albany; Robert W. “Smokey” Rice, 60, Albany; John Edward Bowlin, 83, Bowling Green, KY; Robert Dale Rains, 52, Albany.

July News…Clinton County Judge/Executive Lyle Huff on Thursday, June 28, officially issued an open outdoor burning ban–including the use of fireworks–for the county with a “no outside burn order” being in effect until further notice. Due to the dryness and heat, the annual Albany/Clinton County Chamber of Commerce fireworks show, scheduled for Tuesday, July 3, was also cancelled.

A fire just outside the city limits of Albany about mid-afternoon Saturday, June 30, which ignited from the lighting of fireworks, caused havoc and the evacuation of several residents. Local 911 Dispatch received a report of a fire between Lowhorn’s Trailer Park and Clinton Terrace Apartments on Hwy. 553 around 3:30 p.m. and the fire was quickly spreading up the hillside behind the apartment complex. Two persons were charged in connection with setting off the fireworks which started the blaze. The burn ban lasted for some 15 days, finally being lifted on July 13.

Beginning Thursday, July 12, 2012, the Clinton County News will be offering an online subscription to its website. The new website went live on February 1, 2011 and has been offering the news for free to its readers since then. Now, the website will give readers three or four story views per week. The cost of the online subscription will be $3 per month for now with the possibility of paying for a full year later once the paywall has been established.

About 100 people, including emergency agencies from three counties and two states and a host of neighbors and other volunteers, joined in a three-hour rescue effort when 84-year-old Ed Ramsey, while working on a farm owned by Dr. Larry Mason in the Bald Rock area, was putting corn inside a grain bin and began sinking and became trapped, almost being covered completely before being rescued.

In what yet may be a little more “history” in Clinton Cuonty politics, another former Clinton County Judge/Executive, Charlene King, has been picked by Governor Steve Beshear to fill out the remainder of the year as Magistrate in the Fifth District.

What is billed as the “World’s Longest Outdoor Yard Sale” will be celebrating a milestone when the bargan hunters event kicks off. The U.S. 127 silver anniversary yard sale will officially run from August 2-5, 2012.

The Clinton County Middle School is getting somewhat of a face lift. Nothing structurally is being done, but Art teacher Pam Miniard is adding decorations to the sidewalks and driveway coming into the school, as well as a Bulldog in the entryway of the building.

July Birth…Sophia Rebecca Cecil, daughter of Vernon and Crystal (Marcum) Cecil, Albany.

July Deaths…Gene Parrish, 80, Albany; C.A. Flowers, 78, Pall Mall, TN; Cecil Ray Asberry, 72, Byrdstown, TN; Welby Vitatoe, 88, Chillicothe, OH; Sarah Piercey Hawley, 73, Detroit, MI; Vivian Irene Ferrell, 87, New Castle, IN; Wendell Eugene Beaty, 86, Albany; Audrey Pearl Beaty, 86, Albany; Edna B. Thrasher, 99, Columbus, IN; Rita Faye Whittenburg, 65, Albany; Victor Ronald Brown, 64, Albany; Maxie H. Witham, 80, Lexington, KY; Jimmy C. Collins, 49, Albany; Brenda K. Burchett Marlow, 56, Monticello, KY; Barbara Sue Ferguson, 72, Spiceland, IN; Leland “Weed” Perdew, 82, New Castle, Indiana.

August News…The calendar says we are still in the  middle of summer, but that somewhat short season will basically end for teachers and students in Clinton County as classes for the 2012-13 school year will begin Tuesday, August 7.

The former pastor of Highway Nazarene Church, Bro. Bobby Grant, has been retired from ministry for almost a year now. He has since found a new ministry, and that’s helping people in Clinton County who need food. Good Shepherd of Hope Ministry has just recently become a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in Clinton County.

Crystal R. Little, 29, formerly of Albany, was arrested this past weekend in Lexington, in relation to a series of bank robberies that occurred during the past two years. Little was arrested Saturday morning after a robbery occurred at the PNC Bank Branch on Tates Creek Road in Lexington, Kenutcky.

The 25th annual 127 Corridor Sale is in the books and Clinton County again enjoyed its share of vendors and visitors. However, Mountain View Park Director Bobby Reneau said the overall crowd was down and people were not traveling, plus the rain that fell periodically during the weekend, including all day Friday, kept a lot of people away.

Only one Democrat will be seeking one of the two magisterial seats on the Clinton County Fiscal Court left vacant due to spring resignations. The local Democrat Executive Committee chose Amanda Rich to run in the 3rd District, comprised of the Snow, Seventy-Six and Piney Woods precincts. No Democrat expessed an interest to run in the 5th District, made up of the Illwill and Speck precincts, thus the Republican nominee in that district, Hershell Key, will run unopposed in November.

Albany City Council voted to accept a deed of conveyance from the Clinton County Fiscal Court for property in north Albany between the Twin Lakes Family Wellness Center and Air Evac. The property will be used for a new Albany fire station if a half-million CDBG grant for the city is approved.

According to members of the Foothills Festival Committee, with its dwindling number of volunteers to help plan and stage the weekend schedule, the festival is in “dire straits.” The Foothills Festival Committee is in desperate need of volunteers for the upcoming year, and beyond, if the annual fall festival is to survive.

When the filing for non-partisan seats had ended on August 14, there is a total of 22 persons–18 of which wil appear on the ballot–including one candidate that will be unopposed this fall.

The Clinton County Emergency Management and others have signed up with CodeRED, an Emergency Communications Network, which provides high speed emergency/disaster notificaiton solutions to the CodeRED Weather Warning System. The system should be fully operational by sometime this fall.

Mediacom Cable has notified the county that effective around the first of September, some cable rates will be adjusted, with the Family Cable Package going from $67.95 to $69.95 per month and all Star packages will increase by $3 per month.

The Kentucky State Police apprehended 28-year-old Anthony R. Ortkiesse of Fairdale, Kentucky, after a 21-mile pursuit last Tuesday, August 21, that ended with Ortkiesse losing control of the stolen vehicle he was driving, running off the road and striking a tree.

Student enrollment in the Clinton County school system, as of August 27, was almost even with the ending of the 2011-12 school year. A total of 1,760 students were enrolled three weeks into the new year, compared to 1,766 at the end of the last school term.

Julie Daniels is only 38 years of age but she has had several years of experience in the education system in various capacities, including the first 10 years in the classroom. She has now become one of the youngest people in the Clinton County School District to hold the important position of Director of Pupil Personnel.

August Births…Addison Paige Craig, daughter of Jay and Miranda Craig, Albany; Hailey Kyndrix Riddle, daughter of Kailyn Jones and Kyle Riddle, Albany; Alexander Gilbert Norris, son of Tim and Carla Norris, Albany; Emma Katherine Mantle, daugther of Isaac and Melanie (Farley) Mantle, Louisville, KY; Aubreigh Lee-Nevaeh Grace Land, daughter of Shanna Shipman and Dustin Neal, Albany.

August Deaths…Laura C. Brown, 93, Byrdstown, TN; Donald K. Madison, 65, Bronston, KY; Walter McFall, 90, Albany; Pete O’Dare Roberts, 66, Monticello, KY; Ann Morrison, 78, Albany; Joseph Earl Patton, 56, Burkesville, KY; Ruby Lee Guffey, 91, Albany; Melba Scott Speck, 79, Albany; Franklin D. Myers, 72, Burkesville, KY; Robert “Mitch” Gist, 63, Louisville, KY; Alice Mae Melton, 95, Burkesville, KY; Troy “Mike” Sells, 61, Byrdstown, TN; Louiza Mullins Masiongale, 85, Byrdstown, TN; Henry W. (Hank) Stearns, 82, St. Augustine, FL; Kathleen Inman Sell, 50, Albany; Kennth F. Kugler, 83, Hamilton, OH; Billy Gene Butler, 80, Albany; Fern V. Allen, 85, Cookeville, Tennessee.

September News…Clinton County Fiscal Court voted to set 2012-13 tax rates at 6.0 per $100 assessed value on real property, 6.2 on personal and 7.8 on watercraft. Clinton County Board of Education set their rates at 38.4 on real and personal, .53 cents on vehicle and watercraft and 3 percent on utilities, all the same as the present year.

Chris Lovelace, an original member of the Clinton County Rec/Park Board when formed about 15 years ago, is no longer on that board due to time restraints, job and family. He officially resigned from the board August 30. Not only an original board member, Lovelace served the past 14 years as the board’s chairman.

The Kentucky State Police assisted an out-of-state agency September 6 by giving support at a location on Ky. Hwy. 90 near the Hwy. 558 intersection at Hoot Owl Hallow. Dogs were brought in to search the woods in the area, but according to KSP Public Affairs officer Billy Gregory, the search was a “wild goose chase” that led to the discovery of dog bones and no human remains as earlier reported.

Albany and Clinton County is mourning the loss of one of its most prominent and respected citizens this week with the death of long-time Circuit Judge Eddie C. Lovelace. Lovelace, 78, passed away Monday night, September 17, at Vanderbilt Hosptial in Nashville, Tennessee, where he had been hospitalized since suffering a stroke at his home last week.

“I’ve had a good run–36 years, but under the current situation, I felt I could no longer serve,” William J. “Bill” Shearer said, regarding his retirement from the South Kentucky RECC Board of Directors following a meeting of that board last week. Shearer, two other board members and the board’s attorney all announced their retirements following the meeting.

Clinton County Board of Education approved the 2012-13 year working budget on September 25 in the amount of $10,737,747.35.

For the first time, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) will sponsor both regional and state compeititons for high schools who have bass fishing teams and Clinton County High School is likely to become one of those schools.

Phillip M. Roberts, 33, and Thomas A. Roberts, 38, both of Monticello, surrendered themselves to authorities at 6:15 p.m. Friday, September 21, after murder warrants were issued for them that morning. The brothers were wanted in connection to the death of James Frank Perdue, 73, of Albany, who was found dead in his home from blunt force trauma and stab wounds.

September Births…Cayle Grace Groce, daughter of Cynthia Conner and Ernest Groce, Albany; Nickolas Adam Jones, son of Adam and Gina Jones, Albany; Mason Kay Lawson, son of T.J. and Myra Lawson, Albany; Giles Wesley Helm, son of Derrick and Terran Helm, Albany; Eva Leann Brewington, daughter of Matthew and Lora Brewington, Albany; Cooper Kenton Neathery, son of Nathan and Ashley Neathery, Burkesville, KY; Carline Jenkins Shearer, son of Tyler and Joy Shearer, Albany.

September Deaths…Elgie S. Barnes, 65, Albany; Bertha Losey Shelton, 92, Albany; Gladys Rearden Guffey, 63, Albany; James Ernest Conner, 74, Albany; James Rick Evans, 57, Parker, CO; Barbara Powell Rianhard, 81, Tallahassee, FL; Hazel Mae McKinley, 85, Franklin, IN; Flonnie Lowhorn, 95, New Castle, IN; Fentress Myers, 64, Albany; Wm. Harold Dalton, 85, Richmond, IN; Betty Jean Cates, 74, Murfreesboro, TN; Dewey S. Stearns, 67, Russell Springs, KY; Frank Brown, Sr., 85, Lexington, KY; Roy Edgar Morrision, 91, Dayton, OH; Evalena Bell Hestand, 89, Albany; Walter Adams Woodworth, 86, Louisville, KY; Marquita Ann Stanley, 56, Byrdstown, TN; Kendle Hugh Thrasher, 68, Albany; Roger Lynn Rhule, 41, Byrdstown, TN; James Frank Perdue, 73, Albany; Honorable Eddie C. Lovelace, 78, Albany.

October News…Police, EMS and firefighters were called to the scene of a fatal collision Sunday night, September 30, around 8 p.m. on North U.S. 127 in front of Denney’s Auto and Marine. John Byers, 80, of Albany, was traveling north operating a 1989 Ford pickup when his vehicle struck a Schwinn moped, operted by Bharatkumar Patel, 48, of Albany. Patel, owner and operator of Somerset Oil, was pronounced dead at Clinton County Hospital.

The Clinton County Rec/Park Board has a new chairman. During a meeting of the Park Board on September 27, the board voted unanimously to appoint current treasurer Vince Ostertag as board chairman.

The call letters “WANY” will remain the same, but the spot on the dial for the local AM/FM station has now changed to 100.9 FM from its 106.3 frequency and will soon be automated, allowing it to operate 24-hours a day. And with the changes the power wattage more than doubled, to 6,000 watts effective radiated power, allowing the station to reach areas in all directions it has never reached before.

When long-time Circuit Judge Eddie C. Lovelace passed away over three weeks ago in Nashville, everyone at that point believed it was the result of complications from a stroke. That diagnosis, along with other cases in Tennessee and other states, has now drastically changed with the revelation that a steroid epidural medication was tainted with a virus that may have led to his death.

Ribbons are now being displayed on business windows across the area as part of a tribute to Aleigha Duvall, the five-year-old Early Childhood Center student who was killed in a tragic vehicle/pedestrian accident on Halloween night in 2011. The tribute is the work of the City of Albany and city council.

An Albany man was arrested last week after a multi-agency investigation and search revealed an indoor marijuana growing operation. Kentucky State Police said David Stonecipher, 69, was arrested and charged with cultivation of marijuana and trafficking in marijuana over five pounds.

Early events to kick off the 33rd annual Foothills Festival will include the Baby Show Satuday, October 13 and the Foothills Gospel Singing and the Extension Service sponsored Second Sunday Health Fair on October 14. The Miss Foothills pageant was held Thursday, October 18 and the parade and fireworks show took place on Friday, October 19. The cloudy and cool festival concluded Saturday, October 20 and once again, a large crowd showed up for the two and-a-half hour lip sync.

Several members of the immediate family of the late Judge Eddie C. Lovelace were featured on a segment of Cable News Network (CNN) that first aired Sunday night, October 14 on the program’s Newsroom segment. The segment was filmed in Albany Friday, October 12 when a crew from the Atlanta based CNN held a series of interviews with members of the Lovelace family surrounding the apparent cause of his death in September from a tainted steroid medication.

October Births…Braden Hunter Lowhorn, son of Rhonda Madison and Brad Lowhorn, Albany; Brayden James Michael Thompson, son of Michael and Deana Thompson, Albany; Kayson Bentlee Drake Parrigin, son of Sheyanne Parrigin, Albany; Raylan Paul Foster, son of Kenneth and Joni Foster, Albany.

October Deaths…Eula Witham Dicken, 75, Bowling Green, Kentucky; Veta Logston Hull, 64, Albany; Everett Hoyle Asberry, 91, Byrdstown, TN; Bharatkumar S. Patel, 48, Albany; Eunice Pitman (Smith) Anderson, 100, Byrdstown, TN; Mary Ruth Sanderson, 81, New Castle, IN; Douglas Bell, 80, Albany; Ben Leigh Dyer, 65, Mayfield, KY; Ruby Stovall Hawkins, 87, Albany; Dr. Bob Hoots, 80, Columbia, KY; Daniel L. Martin, 62, Albany; Beulah L. Riddle, 81, Albany; Jack R. Williams, 79, Campbellsville, KY; Homer “Glenn” Mudd, 82, Albany; Ruby Ann Griffin, 79, Greenfield, Indiana.

November News…After 27 years in the Kentucky Legislature, the last 13 as leading member of the Kentucky Senate as President, David L. Williams is stepping down effective November 2 after being appointed by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear to fill the unexpired term of Circuit Judge Eddie C. Lovelace.

A Clinton County woman died as the result of a single-vehicle accident in Pickett County, Tennessee. Regina Massengale, 46, of Albany, was traveling west on the Cordell Hull Memorial Drive when the Pontiac Grand Am she was driving collided head-on with a Dodge Dakota pick-up truck.

Almost 60 percent of Clinton County voters went to the polls Tuesday, November 6. Elected locally to three school board seats were Jeff Sams, Paula Key and Junior Cecil. Terry Buster was elected 3rd district magistrate to serve out a two-year unexpired term and six Albany City Council members were elected, including Leland Hicks, James “Smitty” Smith, Tony Delk, Steve Lawson, Tonya Thrasher and Frankie Stockton.

Clinton County Court Clerk Jim Elmore, in a letter dated November 8, announced his pending retirement from office effective December 31. Upon retirement, he will have served as county clerk for 23 years. Judge/Executive Lyle Huff has appointed long-time Chief Deputy Clerk Shelia Braswell-Booher to fill out the remaining two years of Elmore’s unexpired term.

The death of long-time Circuit Judge Eddie C. Lovelace was connected to tainted steroid shots he received to treat back pain, according to a forensic pathologist. The results of an autopsy were released earlier this month by forensic pathologist George R. Nichols, II.

Both the Republican and Democrat party leaders from the 16th Kentucky Senate District have completed caucus meetings that saw each select the candidate that will appear on the December 18 special election ballot to fill out the unexpired term of current Circuit Judge David L. Williams. The GOP chose Monticello attorney Sara Beth Gregory, while the Democrats chose Williamsburg school teacher Bill Conn as its candidate.

Christmas at Home is here again as the 9th annual installment of the food and toy drive for those less fortunate is already seeing food and tons of toys being collected in time for delivery to homes before Christmas day.

The Albany Police Department is currently investigating a series of counterfeit $100 bills that were recently passed at local business outlets. Three bills have been recovered that initially began the investigation and the Secret Service has been contacted.

The Clinton County High School held its first annual Academic Showcase November 15, seeing a host of parents and members of the public attending. The showcase was designed to allow the public to view projects and curriculum students have been working on since the beginning of school.

In the weeks since the untimely death of Clinton Circuit Judge Eddie C. Lovelace, there have been countless articles and news accounts of the circumstances surrounding his death. Last week, his widow, Joyce Lovelace, traveled to Washington, D.C. to testify before a Congressional hearing in front of the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, entitled “The Fungal Meningitis Outbreak: Could It Have Been Prevented?”

Two Clinton County brothers who were charged two months ago in the death of another local man, Frank Perdue, at his residence near the Wayne County line, have each been indicted by a Clinton County Grand Jury. Thomas A. Roberts, 38, and Phillip M. Roberts, 33, were indicted for “murder or complicity to murder” in connection with the incident that occurred in September.

The Clinton County Bulldogs opened the 2012-13 basketball season with a 63-56 overtime win at Rockcastle County, while the Lady Bulldogs lost their opener 68-47 at Franklin-Simpson.

November Births…Braxton James Riddle, son of Chad and Tamara Riddle, Albany; Paislee Grace Leigh McGaw, daughter of Wes and Whitney McGaw, Albany.

November Deaths…Reba Huddleston Norris, 90, Albany; Robert Frankie Duvall, 51, Albany; Regina Lynn Massengale, 46, Albany; Jerry Wayne Koger, 61, Somerset, KY; John Quentin Dickerson, 89, Indianapolis, IN; Phyllis Branham Hill, 63, Chattanooga, TN; Jake John Radford, 80, Burkesville, KY; Martha Sue Stockton, 77, Albany; Donnie G. Parrigin, 54, New Castle, IN; Elba L. Salyers, 83, Byrdstown, TN; Nita Faye Brown, 83, Albany; Dorothy Huckaby Riddle, 73, Albany; Jessie “Bo Jack” Russell, 65, Byrdstown, TN; Donald D. “Duck” Craig, 72, Albany; Dorvin R. Lowhorn, 72, Albany; Gaye C. Thrasher, 81, Albany; Crystell Stearns, 74, Albany; Lola Jean Shields, 84, Byrdstown, TN; Arlon David Conner, 64, Albany; Keitha Hancock, 59, Albany; Ronnie Lee Foster, 60, Albany; Antha Pearl Clark, 92, Byrdstown, TN; Billy Bandy, 83, Hudson, FL; Gary Preston Thomas, 63, Farmington, KY; Jill Vitatoe Groce, 62, Albany; Jewell Savage Craig, 68, Albany; Michelle Marguerite Mendoza, 21, Albany; Susie Ann Brown Boykin, 57, Albany; Donald L. Gibson, 69, Indianapolis, IN; William Rhule, 81, Byrdstown, Tennessee.

December News…One woman is going beyond the call of duty to offer assistance to help senior citizens this holiday season. Arica Collins, co-owner and pharmacist at Dyer Drug Co., has a large Christmas tree displayed in the lobby of the drug store with special ornaments on it and it is called “Secret Santa for Seniors.” Each ornament represents a senior citizen in the county who has special needs during the holiday season.

Kentucky’s Adjutant General, Major General Edward W. Tonini, has announced plans for the Departure Ceremony to honor a group of soldiers who will be deploying to Jordan. The ceremony will be Sunday, December 16 at Barren County High School in Glasgow at 2 p.m. Several of the soldiers from the Kentucky National Guard’s 1st Battalion 623rd Field Artillery Regiment, are from Clinton and Wayne counties.

Results from the EXPLORE and PLAN tests taken in September by students in grades eight and 10 show tremendous improvement from the past year. In fact, the composite (or total) score for the PLAN test shows that Clinton County High School 10th graders are on par with the national average. Clinton County Middle School eighth graders even exceeded the national average.

A local resident, Lesia G. (Brumley) Brinson, 46, was killed in a tragic two-vehicle accident on December 11 that occurred about nine miles east of Albany near the Clinton-Wayne County line. Tara J. Doran, 20, of Monticello, was also seriously injured in the crash.

The 16th District in the Kentucky State Senate will remain in Republican hands following the December 18 special election. Sara Beth Gregory, current State Representative from Monticello, was the easy winner of the race against Democrat school teacher Bill Conn of Whitley County.

During arraignment in Clinton Circuit Court on December 17, Clinton Circuit Judge David L. Williams set aside a three-day trial, April 10-12, 2013, for Phillip Roberts, 33, and Thomas Aaron Roberts, 38, who are charged in relation to the murder of Frank Perdue.

December Birth…Brielle Hope Brown, daughter of Brandon and Beth Brown, Albany.

December Deaths…Otha L. Stearns, 84, Albany; Bernice Jones Russell, 72, Muncie, IN; Millie Clark Burchett, 80, Monticello, KY; William “Lonnie” Rhoades, 64, Greenfield, IN; Earl G. Owens, 87, New Castle, IN; Judy Ferrell Stinson, 63, Albany; Kelly Pittman, 47, Albany; Leah “Margaret” Cummings Byrd, 80, Glasgow, KY; Wayman Allan Zachary, 70, Byrdstown, TN; Dora E. Miller, 91, Albany; Willard Savage, 88, Albany; Lesia Gaye Brumley Brinson, 46, Albany; Freda McFall Simmons, 75, Louisville, KY; Hattie Lucille Bell, 67, Albany; Doyle Thomas (Zero) Vincent, 85, Albany; Gladys Pauline Flowers, 92, Albany; Ruby Lee Coop, 88, Albany; Tony D. Parrigin, 52, Albany; Truman H. Murphy, 79, Burkesville, KY; Mable J. Hall, 80, Byrdstown, Tennessee.