The weather made headlines throughout the year, beginning with a late freeze in April and culminating with the worst drought the state has seen in many years. The late freeze damaged many crops in the county that had just begun to bud. The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared much of the Kentucky, including Logan County, a natural disaster area because of the drought.
A dry winter and spring created the conditions that led to a severe drought the left crops withering in the sun throughout the summer. The ground was completely dry and many area ponds dried up. It was also a very hot summer, with temperatures reaching 92 or above for 30 consecutive days and nine days in August had temperatures of 100 or higher.
Relief from the drought began in October which had higher than average rainfall. Long-range forecasts are calling for a wet and warm winter, so Logan farmers can hope for a better year in 2008.
The Logan County Courthouse was the center of attention in April as the trial of Mickey Mosher was held there. Mosher was on trial for her involvement in an accident that killed two prominent Bowling Green businessmen - Cornelius Martin and Brooks Mitchell - and injured another. Commonwealth attorney, the late Charles Orange, headed up the prosecution, which was going for murder charges. However, after three hours of deliberation, the jury found Mosher not guilty of the most serious charges including the two counts of murder and two counts of second degree manslaughter. She was found guilty of possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. She received the maximum sentences for those crimes which was a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Throughout the year 2007, Logan Countians have mourned the loss of several well-known community members. Those who passed away include: John Miller, a local attorney; J.L. Williamson, former fire chief for Russellville who had retired earlier in the year; Amos Gardner, well-known store owner and preacher from Adairville who celebrated his 100th birthday in September and died in December; Dick Cox, owner and operator of Cox’s Variety Store which has been a fixture in Auburn for many years; Joe Young, of Youngs Funeral Home in Auburn; Starling Murphy, first district magistrate; and Charles Orange, commonwealth attorney.
One other death that touched the community as a whole was that of Cpl. Joshua Moore, who died May 30 in Iraq when the vehicle he was driving ran over an explosive device. Moore, a graduate of Lewisburg Elementary School and Logan County High School, was 20 years old. His funeral was held on June 11 and a procession of vehicles traveled from Lewisburg to Russellville and back to Lewisburg as people lined the streets to pay tribute to Josh, “Our Fallen Hero.”
Then Governor Ernie Fletcher traveled to Logan County in the summer to deliver news of a long-awaited settlement in the Rockwell contamination case. The company agreed to pay a record $10 million in penalties and projects relating to the pollution case which involved the release of PCBs from the former plant in Russellville. The City of Russellville received $1.6 million and Lewisburg, East Logan Water and North Logan Water received around 900,000, 500,000 and 400,000 respectively.
While this money was set aside mostly for water and sewer system repairs and renovations, other money was also available. The state recently approved the use of $1.5 million for the construction of a new park in Russellville.
Both Logan County and Russellville schools were in the news for upcoming changes.
The Russellville School Board approved a new district facilities plan that involves doing away with Russellville Middle School. The sixth grade was moved to Stevenson Elementary in the fall and there will be additional classrooms constructed there to accommodate more students. Seventh and eighth grades will be relocated to the Russellville High School Campus when a new wing is built. Plans also call for a new multi-purpose athletic facility, new tennis courts and a new track to be built at the RHS campus. Superintendent Roger Cook said he hopes the new constructions can be ready by January 2009.
The big news for Logan County Schools was the decision to build a new K-8 school on the outskirts of Russellville. This will be the first school built in the system in nearly 30 years and will require redistricting for the first time in 70 years. Overcrowding at other K-8 schools - especially Olmstead and Auburn - led to the decision to build a new school. The site chosen for the school is on Franklin Road (KY 100) just across from Rockwood Subdivision. Although several people who own property in that area protested the decision to locate a school there, the board and the state approved the location. Construction will be done in phases, with the first phase being a K-5 portion of the school with the middle school wing added on after that.
In the area of economic development, Logan County saw several new businesses open in 2007 and plans for more announced. Mighty Dollar opened in a shopping center next to the Wal-Mart Supercenter and Hibbett Sporting Goods opened in the remodeled building that housed the old Wal-Mart. The Olde Mill Restaurant opened in Russellville as did the El Molcajete Mexican Restaurant.
Draughons Junior College opened the doors to a campus in Russellville and Logan Aluminum announced a $25 million project that would add 40 jobs.
The face of the downtown Russellville area began to change as several buildings were torn down to make way for the new justice center. Plans for the center were presented and approved and the land was cleared.
Buildings were also torn down to make way for the new Walgreens, which will be completed in 2008. Another business set to locate in Russellville in the coming year is Goodys, a family clothing store.
A leader in the area of economic development in the county, Jody Lassiter resigned as the executive director of Logan Economic Alliance for Development (LEAD) after serving in that position for nearly three years.
While here, Lassiter was a proponent of the oft-debated land use management planning. Some other local leaders are beginning to agree that having a land use management plan is in the best interest of the county and its citizens. The issue will likely be discussed even more in 2008.
The News-Democrat & Leader was in the news itself some in 2007 as we announced the resignation of Jim Turner, who had been editor for 11 years and had written for the paper for 30 years. Turner accepted a position as the director of the Kentucky High School Speech League and as an instructor in the Communications Department at WKU. Turner continued to write occasionally for the paper as a senior columnist.
OJ Stapleton was named the new editor and began working here in September. Stapleton has served as sports editor at the Daily News in Bowling Green for nearly seven years.
Another change at the paper was the resignation of longtime press operator Steve Justice and the shutting down of the press. The paper is now printed in Todd County.
Logan Memorial Hospital was in the news recently as it announced the closing of its OB unit. The closing came after the only obstetricians in the county announced they are leaving.
The county also lost two long-time doctors, Dr. Jay and Dr. Kunja Pathak, who retired after serving the community for 30 years.
Adairville was pleased to announce the opening of the Adairville Skate Park in July. The effort to create a skate park was led by young people and citizens and backed by the city leaders. The park in Adairville is the only skate park in the county and has drawn skaters from around Logan and surrounding counties.
In the area of the arts, the annual Flying Fish Festival was became the Festival on Main and the Logan Arts Council hosted a new event- the Jesse James Art and Film Festival. The BBC visited Logan County to film a portion of a documentary on the history of Christianity. They spent time filming at the annual Red River Primitive Camp Meeting and Rendezvous.
Local athletes excelled in various ways in 2007.
Logan County’s own gymnast Lee Dockins traveled to Shanghai, China to compete in the Special Olympics World Games. She won gold medals in vault and floor and bronze in parallel bars while finishing fourth overall. Jenn Siebold, assistant director of Parks and Rec, also traveled to the games as an assistant coach for the Team USA Red Women’s Basketball Team.
The Logan County 9- and 10-year-old Little League All-Stars won the state championship by beating Louisville’s St. Matthews.
The RHS Panthers football team made it to the Class 3A quarterfinals where they were defeated by the number one team, Louisville Central.
RHS Nikki Koller won the KHSAA State Championship for the second year in a row. She later signed with the University of Arizona to play golf there.
The LCHS volleyball team brought home the district championship once again. They were later defeated in the regional finals by Greenwood.
Other news to note in 2007 included:
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