JANUARY 2024
- Faith Love, an Elkton native, won $15,000 on the New Year’s Day edition of Let’s Make a Deal—a CBS game show.
- Five TCCHS students were selected to perform in the 2024 KMEA Third District High School All-District Honor Band. They included; Bella Cruz, Caitlin Orberson, Haley Orberson, Jeremy Tomlinson, and Tyler Hudnall. They performed at Western Kentucky University the first weekend of January.
- Four graduates of Todd County High Schools joined the Hall of Fame during a special ceremony in early January. They included; Nora Mae Fox, Wilmon Moore, Lieutenant Colonel Clyde Maxwell, and Dr. Susie Jackson Riley.
- WEKT was featured on an episode of This Week in Radio Tech. The podcast, for radio enthusiasts, featured Owner Beth Mann, Program Director Joshua Claussen, and Operations Manager Bill Booth. The show was hosted by Kirk Harnack and Chris Tarr and discussed the station’s commitment to Todd County and local radio.
- Award-winning local photographer Chad Fuller won first place in the 2024 Kentucky 811 calendar contest with a photograph of Todd County.
- Over the holiday break, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials opened U.S. 79 in Todd and Logan counties after finishing much-needed bridge replacements. KYTC District 3 reported that the five-bridge project represented an investment of over $18 million.
- John Morgan Francis was promoted to Team Leader for WEKT. Francis and his wife Sarah live in Hopkinsville.
- Elkton City Council announced that playgrounds at the Elkton City-County Park would look different after voting unanimously to award a contract to Miracle KY & TN out of Leitchfield, Kentucky, for the purchase and installation of new playground equipment at the park.
- 45-year-old Patrick Morris was arrested and charged with arson after a house fire on Old Allensville Road.
- The Tennessee Valley Authority announced that Sunday, January 21, 2024, set a record for weekend peak power demand, as temperatures averaged 12 degrees across their service area. Trenton resident and TVA spokesman Adam May said the utility provider recorded a peak power demand of 34,284 megawatts at 8:00 that morning.
- Now retired Todd County Emergency Management Director Daniel Smith shared plans for the Todd County LEADS or Local Emergency Assistance and Disaster Services, a nonprofit 501c3 organization that will focus on training, rapid coordination of local volunteers, and efficient short and long-term utilization of resources in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.
FEBRUARY 2024
- As a part of the Elkton Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary, officials announced the creation of the Bryan Blount, III Century Club. Rhonda Werner, co-chair for the 2024 rotary auction, shared that community members could donate a minimum of $100 to participate in the fundraising effort.
- Joy Closet, a Hopkinsville organization, announced a partnership with Legacy Metals, to develop “Hope House” — a safe, comforting property for children that need a place of refuge upon immediate removal through Child Protective Services. The property will serve children across the region, including Todd County, with Christian County children getting top priority.
- The City of Elkton was presented with a 2023 Kentucky League of Cities grant. The $3,000 was used for a sidewalk replacement project.
- The Todd County Central High School Agriculture Science program received a $5,000 grant from America’s Farmers Grow Communities program offered by the Bayer Fund.
- Elkton resident and U.S. Air Force Colonel Ash Groves was awarded the Legion of Merit during a ceremony at the Kentucky Air National Guard Base, recognizing his superior performance as commander of an aircraft maintenance unit.
- The Todd County Chamber of Commerce saluted agriculture and the work of farmers and the agribusiness community during a breakfast held on February 20, 2024. Big Tractor Power YouTube channel founder Jason Hasert was the featured speaker.
- WRUS Radio mourned the loss of well-known broadcaster Don Neagle, who died at home. Neagle suffered a serious fall and was not able to recover. He hosted the morning show at the Russellville radio station for many years.
- The United Way of the Pennyrile announced they had raised over $735,000 during its 2023 campaign. The organization helps around 18 non-profits that serve Todd, Christian, and Trigg County residents.
- Mike McGhee, president of McGhee Engineering Inc. in Guthrie, was reappointed by Governor Andy Beshear to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Court of Appeals and Supreme Court of Kentucky. His term will expire on January 1, 2028.
- Former North Todd Elementary Principal Bruce Voth announced his retirement at the end of the 2023-24 school year. He was replaced by Laura Boley.
- The Todd County Family Resources and Youth Services Center Backpack Program put out a plea for donations, and the Todd County Animal Clinic stepped up and raised $3,550 for the student food program with a raffle fundraiser.
- Historic Todd County, Inc. met its monetary goal to accept matches made by two unnamed people during its Leap Year Lunch. Member Carolyn Wells said they raised approximately $7,500, which included $3,500 in matching funds. The funds went toward the renovation project of the Historic 1835 Courthouse in Elkton.
MARCH 2024
- Historic Todd County, Inc. announced a walking tour featuring 45 locations in the Elkton Historic Commercial District and beyond. The organization said the tour showcases the city’s rich history and cultural heritage, focusing on historic buildings and other significant locations.
- Ham Broadcasting, Inc. announced its transition to employee ownership making the parent company of WEKT the only employee-owned media company in Kentucky and one of five in the country.
- United Southern Bank in Clifty was damaged in a fire caused by a downed power line. The bank has since re-opened but only features an Interactive Teller Machine and an ATM.
- WEKT Program Director Joshua Claussen was named the newest member of the Elkton Rotary Club. Fellow Rotarian Rhonda Werner and then-President Glenn Slack proposed his membership.
- Jennie Stuart Health in Hopkinsville opened an expanded emergency room, offering improved services. Emergency Department Director Rahkeem Francis said the project was a 16,000-square-foot addition to the hospital.
- The Elkton Rotary Club celebrated a successful 2024 scholarship auction. The group exceeded its goal by raising over $36,000, including numerous donations from community members and local businesses.
- Dr. Wendy Duvall, former assistant superintendent of Todd County Public Schools, was named superintendent of Owensboro Public Schools.
APRIL 2024
- After learning of veteran actor Lou Gossett Jr.’s passing, WEKT’s Scott Brown highlighted that Gossett Jr. was in Elkton to film the made-for-TV movie Lawman Without a Gun. He played a Black man running for sheriff in a small southern town. The movie was based on Rev. Thomas Gilmore Sr., who became the first Black sheriff in Greene County, Alabama, in the late 1960s. Filming took place in Elkton, Todd County, Pembroke, and Hopkinsville in the summer of 1977.
- Two Todd County Central FFA Officers were recognized during the Pennyrile FFA Region event. Chapter President Emily Frogue was selected as the Pennyrile FFA Region Star in Agriculture Placement. Chapter Reporter Mollie Skipworth was elected to serve as the 2024-2025 Pennyrile FFA Regional Sentinel.
- The City of Guthrie learned that $28 million in the state budget had been allocated to build a new wastewater treatment plant.
- Bryan Michael Zimmerman, the son of Bryan and Elizabeth Zimmerman of Trenton, was among 95 sophomores from the Class of 2026 selected for the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science.
- After 21 years in law enforcement, School Resource and Elkton Police Officer Ed Higgins announced his retirement at an Elkton City Council meeting. Also at that meeting, Elkton Fire Chief Darrel Wagoner shared his plans to retire later in the spring.
- On April 12, 2024, WEKT made local history, when adding 92.1 FM to the airwaves.
- In mid-April, the Todd County Senior Citizens Center transitioned services to the Nazarene Church in Elkton, while renovations began at the center.
- In late April, Todd County Schools Superintendent Mark Thomas announced that Kenneth Anderson had been selected as the Assistant Superintendent for the district.
MAY 2024
- In early May, 15th District State Representative Jason Petrie announced that Kentucky was expected to meet its next set of triggers to lower the income tax rate by another half a percent in 2026.
- Nashville artist Kim Radford began her mural in downtown Guthrie to honor the history of blues music and how the area played a vital role in the Chitlin’ Circuit. The mural is on the right wall of Longhurst Park.
- The Tennessee Valley Authority awarded South Todd Elementary and Todd Central High School with a $10,000 grant through the 2024 School Uplift Grant program. The purpose of the program is to find ways to cut down on energy costs, which in turn saves schools at least ten percent on energy costs, according to the TVA.
- After being open for nearly eight months, Option Pharmacy in Guthrie announced they would be closing toward the end of May. The pharmacy was opened through a partnership with Pharmacists Brad Ashby, Mike Torbey – and Tim Robinson, Tony Torbey, and Michael Weis.
- Blount Rural Health Center celebrated its 25th anniversary in May, with Executive Director Anita Jo Powell saying they have greatly expanded services since the creation of the Helping Hands Health Clinic.
- During May’s Trenton City Commission meeting, the commission approved two projects totaling just over $51,000 to replace 20 steel water service lines on Clarksville Road and South Main Street.
- The Todd County Fair Board was re-established to create an outdoor arena, with more projects expected in the future. The outdoor arena was constructed on the property of the Todd County Extension Service on Pond River Road.
- 120 Todd County Central students walked across the stage on Friday evening, May 17, 2024, to receive their high school diplomas.
- The City of Elkton was named one of the fastest-growing cities in the state, according to estimates released by the Kentucky Data Center. The city saw an increase of 165 people from 2000 to 2023.
- An Elkton attorney was selected as the Republican National Convention Alternate Delegate on behalf of Kentucky. Todd County Republican Party Chairman Frank Amaro said Mark Collins’ dedication and commitment to the party have earned him this prestigious role.
- A severe storm on Sunday, May 26, 2024, brought at least 80 MPH winds to Elkton and surrounding areas. The winds knocked down trees and power lines and caused damage to various buildings including the building home to Pearle Vision. Todd County Judge Executive Todd Mansfield issued a State of Emergency following the storms.
- Todd County Superintendent Mark Thomas announced that Dr. Cherise Williams would be the district’s next Director of District Wide Services.
JUNE 2024
- Sergeant Major Robert “Bob” Murphy was posthumously honored with a bridge dedication on Kentucky 107/Clifty-Kirkmansville Road over the East Fork Pond River near Clifty. Murphy, passed away following a car accident on May 9, 2023, at the age of 58.
- Todd County Middle School announced that Steven McGhee would serve as assistant principal.
- An Elkton native, who was the band director at North Hardin High School, died in a car crash in Grayson County on the Western Kentucky Parkway. Kentucky State Police said 28-year-old Kelsey Dunn was killed after losing control of her vehicle in heavy rain, entering the median, and into the path of a westbound tractor-trailer.
- The Elkton Rotary Club learned that efforts were moving forward with the Pennyrile Regional Energy Agency to construct a 53-mile natural gas pipeline to help residents and businesses in Lyon, Caldwell, Trigg, Christian, and Todd counties.
- Kayce Bright was named the next City Clerk/Treasurer for the City of Elkton. She took over the position in late August.
- Todd County was named StormReady by the Paducah National Weather Service.
- The Tennessee Valley Authority donated 100 box fans to Edge Media Group’s ‘Cooling Our Communities’ campaign.
- The Elkton Rotary Club learned in late June that the recycling facility was up and running at Novelis in Guthrie. The project was a $365 million investment.
JULY 2024
- JT Calvery was named Elkton Fire Department’s newest Fire Chief, after former Chief Derrell Waggoner retired after serving 45 years with the department.
- Various agencies assisted in the investigation and arrest of 32-year-old Whitney Harper, of Hopkinsville, after an investigation into an Elkton man’s death from June 18th. Harper was charged with second-degree manslaughter, after reportedly giving fentanyl to the victim, who then died from a fentanyl overdose. 62-year-old Kimberly Moorefield, of Hopkinsville, and 41-year-old Shannon Moorefield, of Elkton, were also arrested in the case. All three were indicted by the Todd County Grand Jury in August.
- In early July, plans were announced for the new Dollar General Market in Elkton.
- Mark Hoover was killed in a wreck on Butler Road in Todd County. Sheriff’s deputies say a truck driven by 35-year-old Adam Jones collided with a horse and buggy driven by Hoover when the horse crossed into his lane. Jones was arrested and charged with murder, DUI, and first-degree wanton endangerment.
- Retired Elkton Police Chief Bruce Wayne Marklin passed away in early July.
- On July 8th, WEKT announced the hiring of Caitlin Brooks as its new marketing specialist. Brooks lives in Elkton and focuses on Todd and Christian County businesses.
- The owners of Lighthouse Coffee & Cafe announced the closure of their Elkton restaurant after five years of operation.
- The annual Back2Back Foundation’s Brice Long & Friends benefit concert exceeded expectations, raising a total of $107,750.
- Former Elkton Mayor Nancy Camp passed away following a nine-month battle with cancer. Camp served as mayor from 2005 to 2013, spent 20 years on Elkton City Council, and 47 years working at Elkton Bank and Trust.
AUGUST 2024
- 29-year-old Edwin Chaparro, of Clarksville, was killed after a roll of aluminum came off a tractor-trailer and collided with his vehicle. The accident occurred on U.S. 79 in Todd County.
- A jury convicted former Todd County Sheriff W.D. “Billy” Stokes of third-degree sodomy. The verdict found Stokes guilty of engaging in “deviant sexual intercourse” with an inmate at the Todd County Detention Center in April 2022, where he was employed as a deputy jailer.
- Your WEKT News Edge learned of an investigation by Kentucky State Police and others in connection to Todd County Sheriff Tracy White. The incident occurred in Logan County and was captured on video and shared via the YouTube channel LackLuster. Sheriff White was indicted in early December in Logan County on charges of harassment and menacing.
- On August 7th, Susan Penick, a loan officer at Elkton Bank and Trust, was named the newest member of the Elkton Rotary Club. She was invited to join the club by Todd County Attorney Jeff Traughber.
- Governor Andy Beshear announced $100,000 in funding to help nearly 200 employees at Novelis in Guthrie to receive skills training through a Bluegrass State Skills Corporation grant.
- Longhurst & Ladell’s in downtown Guthrie announced its August 31, 2024 closure. The building now houses Guthrie Main Street’s store – Main Street Market at Longhurst’s.
- Country View Creamery near Trenton won gold medals at the Kentucky State Fair for their cheese. The honors included gold medals for Natural Italian Artisan or Farm Style Cheese, Cheese Curd Artisan or Farm Style Cheese, and Natural Artisan or Farm Style Cheese.
- In late August, Todd County Fiscal Court approved $1.75 million in funding from the Kentucky General Assembly. The funding will pay for upgrades or renovations at Todd County Central High School’s Technology Center and parks across the county.
- Billy Goat Hill shared plans for an expansion and relocation to the intersection of U.S. 68 and Old Quarry Road. The farm store closed on August 31, 2024, but the restaurant remains open on Elkton’s Square.
- Governor Andy Beshear announced the appointment of Elkton’s Eston Glover to the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission Executive Committee. Glover is the board chair of the Pennyrile Regional Energy Agency and will serve a term through August 15, 2028.
SEPTEMEBER 2024
- The Todd County Library announced a September 7, 2024, closing date for its East Main Street location. The library would open about a month later at its new location on South Main Street.
- Kentucky House Appropriations and Revenue Committee Chairman Jason Petrie was honored by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
- Todd County Schools District 3 Board Member Dr. Kelley Groves stepped down after accepting a Teacher Support Specialist position in the district.
- Buc-ee’s confirmed plans to open a location at Exit 89 off I-24 in Oak Grove. Construction is expected to begin in the spring and open in 2026.
- The 1973 Rebels football team was honored and inducted into the Todd County Central High School Athletic Hall of Fame. The team boasted an impressive 9-3-1 record and was crowned the Region 1 Mid-South champions. The team made a memorable post-season run, clinching a victory against Glasgow to secure the Region 1 Class A Championship.
- In a letter dated September 23, 2024, sent from Deaconess CEO Shawn McCoy to Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville officials it was confirmed that a Letter of Intent has been signed between Deaconess and Jennie Stuart Health to “explore an affiliation.” The potential merger is now being dealt with in court.
- At the beginning of the 2025-26 academic year, Murray State University will be under new leadership. Through a letter to students, President Dr. Bob Jackson announced his retirement from the position effective June 30, 2025.
WEKT’s 2024 Year-in-Review is sponsored by: Kathy Morgan, of Modern Woodman of America, Southern Homes Realty/Back Country Builders, Blount Rural Health Center, City of Elkton, Todd County Attorney Jeff Traughber, Elkton Bank and Trust, Novelis, Todd County Health Department, and Todd County Public Library.