2009 YEAR IN REVIEW

The year of 2009 will not be remembered as one of the best years in recent memory as economic woes continued to plague the United States and most of the rest of the world. Adair County suffered its share of problems, but in many ways fared better than a lot of other places, and there were several bright spots throughout the year. Following is a recap of some of the most newsworthy events that took place in the county over the past 12 months.
JANUARY
•Conner Wayne Chrisman had the distinction of becoming Adair County's First Baby of 2009. Conner, the son of Eric Chrisman and Samantha Bailey, didn't wait long to make his entrance, arriving at 9:27 a.m. on Jan. 1st at T.J. Samson Hospital in Glasgow. Conner weighed in a seven pounds and was 20 inches long.
•After it was advertised that Pinewood Country Club would be sold in a Master Commissioner's Sale on Jan. 29, an effort by community members to save the club began gaining momentum. Community leaders started a drive to raise $550,000 to contribute to Lindsey Wilson College to allow the college to purchase and operate the club. After numerous meetings with First and Farmers National Bank officials, city and county leaders, and others, it was announced later in the month that a deal had been struck to allow the college to purchase the property and continue to operate it as a country club.
•Chris Oliver was hired as Lindsey Wilson College's new football coach. Oliver will be responsible for resurrecting a football program that has been dormant since the end of the 1935 season. Lindsey Wilson's first game under Oliver will be played on Sept. 4, 2010.
•Adair County had the dubious distinction of having the state's first confirmed case of influenza for the 2008-09 flu season. The Adair County School System was also one of three school systems in the Lake Cumberland district to have cases of whooping cough confirmed.
•The Kentucky State Police announced that Capt. Greg Baird was named the new Commander of the Kentucky State Police Post in Columbia. Baird, a Lincoln County native who has served for 20 years in the state police, replaces the Capt. Greg Speck, who retired.
•City officials announced that they will seek to have a traffic light of some type installed at the intersection of the Columbia Bypass and KY 61 North/Greensburg Street. There have been five injury accidents at the intersection since the bypass opened in October 2008.
•The Adair County Family Resource and Youth Services Center was awarded the state's highest honor for center excellence. The Family Place of Adair County was presented the Harry J. Cowherd Award for Center Excellence by FRYSC State Director Mike Denny.
•The local African American community celebrated with several parties on the day that Barrack Obama was inaugurated as the county's first African American president.
•The Adair County High School cheerleaders won the CANAM Regional Cheerleading Competition, qualifying the squad to compete at the CANAM Nationals.
•Tim Allen announced that he would be retiring as director of the Adair County Band after 28 years. During his tenure, the band won 18 state marching championships and two Bands of America Class A National Championships, earning the band nationwide attention. Allen retired to join Lindsey Wilson College, where he will be responsible for building the college's new marching band program, which will debut in the fall of 2010.

FEBRUARY
•Tobacco, long the mainstay of Adair County agriculture, is making a gradual comeback. In it's peak year in 1997, 2,870 acres of tobacco was grown in the county, but after the USDA eliminated the quota and price support system in 2005, only 850 acres were grown in the county. However, according to Nick Roy, Extension Agent for Agriculture, since then the acreage has been increasing, with the 2009 crop expected to exceed 1,100 acres.
•The Adair County High School Academic Team captured the Governor's Cup District Championship for the fourth straight year.
•Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the final stage of the reconstruction of KY 61 South in Adair County. Gov. Steve Beshear and Transportation Cabinet Secretary Joe Prather participated in the event. The six-mile, $22.9 million project, will connect the already reconstructed sections of the roadway starting at the Louie B. Nunn Parkway interchange and ending in the Sparksville community.
•Amy Irvin, the 17-year-old daughter of Bradley and Sandra Irvin, was crowned the 2009 Adair County High School Basketball Homecoming Queen.
•Black History Month was marked in Adair County with celebrations of song and focus on the black families. Celebrations were held at Eunice Church of God, First Baptist Church in Columbia and at Lindsey Wilson College.
•After several weeks of work, Lindsey Wilson College finalized the purchase of Pinewood Country Club.
•An Adair County man was arrested and charged with 295 counts of animal cruelty after the Adair County Sheriff's Department executed a search warrant at the old Sparksville Grade Center. David Howery was operating Clean Slate Animal Rescue at the site, but things apparently got out of control, and when officers entered the school building, found hundreds of dogs, cats, birds and other animals living in squalid conditions, along with several dead animals. The animals were removed from the school building and taken to the Green River Animal Shelter in Columbia, which was overwhelmed trying to find space for them, treat them and feed them. Several animal organizations throughout the state along with the US Humane Society came to the rescue, helping care for and move the animals to other shelters.
•The ACHS Academic Team won the 4th Region Governor's Cup title and advanced to the State Finals.

MARCH
•US Representative Ed Whitfield announced that he had secured $166,250 in federal funding to help build a new senior citizens center in Adair County. The county and city must still come up with almost $1 million in funds before the new center can become a reality.
•The Adair County Band launched a fund-raising drive to help pay for it's trip to participate in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, with band boosters approaching the city and county governments to ask for contributions.
•Following a hearing in Adair Circuit Court, Judge James Weddle ruled that Wellie Paul Grant continued to be incompetent to stand trial for the June 2006 murder of local businessman Rex Coffey, whom Grant shot and killed near the Glensfork community. Dr. Donald Crowe, a psychologist at Eastern State Hospital, where Grant is confined, who examined Grant and conducted various tests on him, said it was his conclusion that Grant remained incompetent to stand trial. Judge Weddle also overruled a motion by Grant's attorney, Robert Bertram, that Grant be released from custody and the indictment charging him with murder be dismissed, and ordered Grant to be returned to Eastern State.
•The John Adair Intermediate School Academic Team took top honors at the 2009 Governor's Cup competition.
•The Adair County Indians captured the second Fifth Region title in three years when they defeated North Hardin 82-76 in a double-overtime thriller to earn a berth in the "Sweet Sixteen" state tournament. The Indians took on Grayson County in the first round of the state tourney, and were defeated 45-33 in Rupp Arena.
•The Adair County Ambulance Service, long recognized as one of the finest rural EMS programs in the state, achieved another significant milestone for patient care when it became the first ambulance service in the state to have all of its paramedics certified as Critical Care Paramedics.
•The Adair County Middle School Academic Team's Future Problem Solving team qualified for a spot in the International FPS competition by finishing third at the Governor's Cup State Finals. The Adair County High School FPS team finished in the top 10 in the state for the fourth consecutive year.
•The Adair County Sheriff's Department seized several more animals and charged two men with animal cruelty after executing a search warrant at a home. David Coppage was charged with 34 counts of second degree cruelty to animals and Marshall D. Bunch with two counts of second degree cruelty to animals after a search warrant was executed at Coppage's residence at 2096 Highway 55 South. Thirty-four dogs, four cats, 75 chickens, 38 exotic birds and numerous ducks were removed from the residence.

APRIL
•Years ago, practically everyone living in rural areas such as Adair County had a vegetable garden, but as things and time changed, fewer and fewer people raised their own food. However, the declining economy, plus other factors such as the desire for fresher produce, vegetables with no chemical additives, etc. is leading to a comeback for gardens. Adair County businesses that sell garden seeds, plants, and other garden-related items report sales up significantly this spring, and County Extension Agent for Agriculture Nick Roy said that a lot more people expressed interest in selling vegetables at the local farmers market.
•The third annual Farm, Home and Garden Expo sponsored by the Adair County Extension Council proved to be a huge success, with attendance doubling from last year.
•Students in grades 7-12 in the Gifted and Talented program got a special treat when former All-American basketball player Clem Haskins spoke to them, telling them they can achieve their goals.
•The old art of knife trading got a new life locally with the formation of the Adair County Knife Club. The club meets twice a month to buy, sell and swap knives of all kinds.
•The man arrested in connection with the largest animal cruelty case in Adair County entered a guilty plea to his charges. David Howery, who operated Clean Slate Animal Rescue in the old Sparksville Grade Center, pled guilty in Adair District Court to 295 counts of second degree animal cruelty, and was sentenced to a year in jail (with 60 days to be served), pay fines and restitution, and directed to undergo a mental health assessment and to follow the recommendations made as a result of the assessment.
•Tom Case was hired to succeed Tim Allen as the new director of the Adair County Band. Case was serving as the band director at John Hardin High School when he was hired.
•The Adair County Water District was informed by Congressman Ed Whitfield that it would receive a $1.5 million grant from the US Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration. The EDA grant was the final piece of funding needed for the water district to finance a $4.708 million expansion project to run approximately seven miles of new water lines around the Columbia Bypass and build a new 1,000,000 gallon water storage facility near the KY 61 South-Louie B. Nunn Parkway interchange.
•The Adair County Sheriff's Department seized their first moonshine still in a number of years when they discovered an operating still in the Fairplay area. Clinis Hadley was arrested and charged with possession of an apparatus for the unlawful manufacture of alcoholic beverages and possession of alcoholic beverages in a dry territory.
•The City of Columbia awarded the contract for the expansion of city hall in a special-called city council meeting. The successful bidder was BCD, Inc. of Bardstown, which submitted a bid of $1,089,000. The project will include a new addition to the building to house the Columbia Police Department and renovation of the front of the existing facility.
•A 30-year dream was fulfilled when Mark Karnes and his partners gave the first public demonstration of the revolutionary Karnes Dyno-Rev Engine. The Dyno-Rev is the first truly new internal combustion engine developed in many, many years, and is revolutionary because it does not use pistons and push rods. The motor is still undergoing further development and is being looked at by a number of large companies.

MAY
•Holmes Bend Resort and Marina on Green River Lake was the site of the first-ever Crappie USA qualifying tournament on the local lake. Despite rain and the tournament being held the same day as the Kentucky Derby, 32 teams from five different states competed.
•After suffering from two years of drought, local farmers faced the opposite this spring - too much rain. Excess rain prevented farmers from getting into the fields to harvest winter crops and plant spring ones.
•Lindsey Wilson College capped off its largest class in college history on May 9 at its 89th commencement exercise. A total of 161 undergraduate and graduate degrees were conferred. Combined with the 325 degrees conferred at the winter commencement, the Class of 2009 stood at 486 students - the largest in the college's 109-year history.
•One of the largest fundraisers to help out an individual or family in Adair County took place on May 9th when over $44,000 was raised to help Norma Hatcher, who was diagnosed earlier in the year with pancreatic cancer.
•Lindsey Wilson College announced that it would begin a four-year program for a bachelor's degree in nursing in the fall 2009 semester. It will be the 21st undergraduate program offered by the college.
•The annual Adair County Band banquet marked the end of an era as retiring director Tim Allen was honored.
•The Adair County FFA held an open house for its new livestock facility located next to Adair County High School.
•Commencement exercises were held for the Adair County High School Class of 2009, with a total of 183 seniors graduating.
•The Adair County Middle School Future Problem Solving team finished fourth in the world at the 2009 Future Problem Solving International Conference held at Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan. Members of the team were Roslin Wilson, Alison Feese, Abby Walker and Emmalee Baker. Brett Reliford was their coach.

JUNE
•A project to enhance the beauty of the local countryside was finally completed. The Columbia-Adair County Tourism Commission received a grant to place large "quilt block" patterns on barns around the county. Six quilt blocks have been placed on barns on Campbellsville Road, KY 55 South, KY 61 South and KY 80 West.
•The WHAS Crusade for Children weekend was held in Adair County, and local fire departments collected almost $30,000 for the cause. A total of $29,903.57 was donated by local citizens, and presented to the Crusade during a live broadcast on WBKO-13 TV held at Adair County Elementary School.
•Columbia experienced its first bank robbery in many years when an armed robber hit the United Citizens Bank of Southern Kentucky's main bank on Jamestown Street shortly after the bank opened on June 10. Under the cover of a heavy rainfall, the robber made away with an undisclosed amount of cash. The case is still pending, with no arrest having been made.
•The Adair County Relay For Life raised over $86,000 for the American Cancer Society.
•Ten more Adair Countians were indicted and arrested on federal drug charges, bringing the total number of arrests in the county to 21 over a period of three months.
•The Adair County High School baseball field received word that it would receive a free makeover through the Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Plant A Seed program. The baseball field qualified for the makeover by finishing in the top five in the nation in a on-line voting campaign.
•Despite deep budget cuts, Superintendent Darrell Treece told the Adair County Board of Education that the school system will be able to keep all of its teachers for the 2009-2010 school year.

July
•The intersection of KY 439 (Greensburg Street) and the new Columbia Bypass received LED stop ahead signs and stop signs from the state highway department. Kentucky Department of Transportation Traffic Engineer, Somerset Branch Manager for Engineering Support Tammy Wilson along with local officials commemorated the installation of the new 48-inch LED signs on July 1st.
•The effort to reduce accidents apparently didn't help, as three days after the signs were installed, another injury accident occurred at the intersection when a vehicle southbound on KY 439 failed to stop and collided with a vehicle traveling south on the bypass.
•Tim Allen was "roasted and toasted" at a dinner at Lindsey Wilson College to celebrate his retirement after leading the Adair County Band to unprecedented heights during his 28 years at the helm. A varied group that included family members, former band students, rival band directors and former and current band boosters spent over four hours talking about Allen and sharing their memories.
•The Kentucky Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation held their annual meeting at Lindsey Wilson College, and afterwards many members got to see for the first time the Adair County "mother tree" that is the mainstay in the chapter's effort to re-establish the "Redwood of the East" to our nation's forests.
•Fair officials really didn't know what to expect for the 2009 Adair County Fair and Horse Show given the current economic crunch the entire nation is experiencing and with attendance at other county fairs in the area had been up and down. However, when the fair ended it's eight day run on Saturday night - actually early Sunday morning - more than 16,000 people had made their way through the front gates, including 4,400 on the final night.
•The initial installation of the large dome adorning the top of the new Adair County Justice Center, which could be barely seen except from the Public Square and drew a lot of criticism, left county officials with the problem of finding a way to fix it. The dome was installed in April and the county began talking with architectural firm DLZ, who designed the building and Campbellsville Industries, who built the dome to come up with a plan to remedy the situation. After three months of planning, Adair County Judge Executive Ann Melton says the dome will be fixed in the near future.
•The Adair County Board of Education voted not to approve any student transfer waivers this year, but will look at revamping the district policy for next year. According to Adair County Schools Superintendent Darrell Treece, the board received numerous requests from parents of elementary school students seeking transfers from one school to another.
•Betty and Bill Conn, along with Betty's brother and sister-in-law, Rex and Janice Bennett, started the Windy Ridge Worm Farm on the Bennetts' farm on Weed-Keltner Road when the worm growing idea was just getting started in the area. Betty Conn was the one who came up with the idea. Betty, who is well-known for the beautiful flowers she grows at her home on Greensburg Street, said that she bought a gallon of "worm tea" - a mixture of worm castings (manure) and water - to use as a fertilizer and foliate enhancer on her flowers and was very pleased with the results.
•Adair County was listed on the state's health alert website for its first confirmed case of the H1N1 virus (Swine Flu). According to Lake Cumberland District Health Department Quality Assurance Director Amy Tomlinson the Adair County resident contracted the virus while in Florida and returned home to seek medical attention.
•Due to the slow economy, Majestic Yachts designed a new, smaller houseboat that they felt could bring their company back to prominence and put their employees back to work.
The unique new boat was called the "Tommy Yacht." It is a 28-foot long, 8 1/2-foot wide houseboat that, unlike its larger brethren, can be transported on a trailer like other boats. Along with the normal living amenities found on houseboats, it can be used as a fishing vessel, and is also powerful enough and nimble enough to pull a skier or a tube. It can be used on lakes, inland rivers, intercostals waterways and even the ocean.

August
•Since the first oil strike in Adair County was made on Jones Chapel Road near the Gradyville community in 1969, hundreds - if not thousands - of wells have been drilled throughout the county. Practically all of these wells were drilled to the Murfreesboro formation or to the top of the Knox formation at depths ranging from 1,000 to 1,700 feet. However, Jimmy Reliford, owner of Jimmy Reliford Drilling Company started on a well in the Portland area that he planned to drill to a depth of 4,000 feet or possibly even deeper. However, the drilling was stopped for a very good reason - a good oil well was hit at a depth of 1,600 feet in the top of the Knox formation. "We drilled to 1,610 feet and oil started going everywhere," Reliford explained.
•Following a trial in Adair District Court, a Columbia man was found guilty of 34 counts of second degree cruelty to animals. David Coppage, 71, of Columbia, was found guilty of the 34 counts by the jury. Thirty three counts were related to dogs, and one to chickens. The amount of fines owed by Coppage and the disposition of the animals, which are currently being held at the Green River Animal Shelter, were finalized by Judge Michael Loy on Monday, Aug. 3.
•A firebug appeared to be at work in the Melson Ridge area of southern Adair County and possibly in the adjoining area of Russell County as well. Beginning in May, at least three vacant houses were burned in the Melson Ridge vicinity -one on Melson Ridge Road, one on Highway 900 and one on Sullivan Road - along with an old store building, outbuildings and hay. All the fires occurred either late at night or very early in the morning.
•For decades the dairy industry has been the mainstay of agriculture in Adair County, pumping millions and millions of dollars into the local economy each year. Despite the loss of a number of dairy operations in recent years, the county still ranks in the top four in the state in milk production, and many other businesses - feed stores, implement dealers, veterinary practices, fertilizer dealers and even banks to a certain extent -are directly dependent on the money generated by the dairies. However, the dairy industry in Adair County, and across the entire nation, is getting into dire straits financially as the price of milk paid to producers has declined dramatically from last year, while production costs have remained constant.
•Lindsey Wilson College community welcomed its largest freshman class in the schools 106-year history. College officials said that the fall's freshman class is the largest in the college's 106-year history, and more than 825 students were expected to settle in residence halls the day before classes opened, the college had its largest resident population in school history.
•The University of Chicago's Department of Neurosurgery "Discovery Camp" for patients of Dr. David Frim, with over 100 participants, were thrilled with the camp, the location and the hospitality of Adair County. According to camp coordinator Janet Hutcherson, whose son Daniel is a patient of Dr. Frim, "The camp was amazing and all of the people who came were overwhelmed with the generosity and hospitality of the people of Adair County." The camp began on Monday, Aug. 10th at Holmes Bend Resort and Marina when neurosurgery patients and their family members began arriving at Green River Lake from all across the country including; Texas, Tennessee, Michigan, Indiana, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Illinois and as far away as Alaska.
•Adair County Schools Superintendent Darrell Treece announced that the enrollment for Adair County System for 2009-2010 was 2,598 students. Treece announced the numbers to the board during the August School Board meeting.
•Experience Works, a national, charitable, community-based organization that helps senior citizens get the training they need to find jobs in the local communities, selected an Adair County resident as its 2009 Participant of the Year for the state of Kentucky. At a program at Mulligan's Restaurant at The Pines at Lindsey Wilson, Columbia resident Wayne Courson was presented the award by Experience Works state director Carole Kincaid.
•A man indicted earlier this year on 63 charges related to the sexual abuse of a minor entered a guilty plea in Adair Circuit Court to avoid a trial. Gary Eugene Oler appeared before Judge James Weddle and accepted the Commonwealth's offer to enter a guilty plea in exchange for a prison sentence of 35 years.

September
•The Adair County Band's Mark Twain Pre-Season Marching Exhibition proved to be a huge success as over 3,000 people attended the annual event. Over the past several years marching bands from across the state have traveled to Adair County to participate in the Mark Twain show and according to Adair County Band Boosters president Doyle Lloyd, this year was the largest show in its history with ten bands showcasing their talent. "This had to be one of the biggest crowds we have ever had," commented Lloyd, "All the bands put on great shows and we wish them great success for the upcoming season."
•Lindsey Wilson College broke ground on the college's latest residence hall -a four-story building that will house 186 beds. The building will be across from Richardson Hall, LWC's most recent residence hall.
•Thanks to the miracle of modern medical technology, Katie Pyles got a new lease on life. However, getting that new lease meant almost knocking on death's door. Pyles, a 66-year-old mother of three who lives in the edge of Taylor County not too far from the Knifley community, underwent the arduous process of having stem cells extracted from her body then re-introduced to help her overcome the cancer, non Hodgkins lymphoma B-cell, that had invaded her body.
•The controversial sale of the Adair County Rescue Squad, Inc.'s land and building to Preston Dean Pyles in April 2007 was ruled null and void by Circuit Judge James G. Weddle after an agreement was reached by the parties involved. In an Order and Judgment signed by Judge Weddle and entered in Adair Circuit Court, the sale of the property was ordered null and void and the property, which is legally titled in the name of the Adair County Rescue Squad, Inc. passed to Judy Vance as Receiver for the Adair County Rescue Squad, Inc., and the rescue squad will reimburse Pyles the $150,000 he paid for the property.
•Imo Pump, a mainstay in Adair County's industrial community for the past 35 years, announced an expansion and added more jobs for Adair County.
•For the first time since it opened late last year, the Columbia Bypass was the site of a fatal accident in September. Thirty-four-year-old Jim Giles of Columbia was killed when, according to witnesses, the 1997 Pontiac Grand Am he was operating traveling north on the bypass failed to stop at the traffic light at the KY 61 South intersection and was struck in the passenger side by a 1995 GMC tractor-trailer car hauler that was traveling south on KY 61.
•The Labor Day activities that were held this year saw lower numbers as rain moved into the area and kept things soaked for most of the morning. However after the skies cleared and the sun came out the numbers of those attending the various events quickly picked up. According to Charles Grimsley the number of vendors was down from last year for the for the annual Buy, Swap, Sell and Trade Day event on the square, not only because of the rain but due to the shaky economy as well.
•After being open for traffic for almost a year without a fatal accident, the Columbia Bypass was the site of a second fatal crash in an eight-day period. The location of the fatal collision was the dangerous intersection with KY 61 North, where several injury accidents had already occurred, and claimed the life of 56-year-old Shirley McKinnon of Greensburg.
•Since the Columbia Bypass opened last fall and accidents began occurring at the KY 61 North/KY 439 intersection mainly because of drivers failing to stop, the Kentucky Highway Department's District 8 office in Somerset has tried to improve the safety of the intersection. Rumble strips were added, along with "Stop Ahead" and "Stop" signs lit by flashing lights. However, accidents continued to happen at the intersection, with the latest one resulting in a Greensburg woman being killed. The Kentucky Highway Department decided to explore other measures to try to improve the intersection's safety, according to Tammy Wilson, Transportation Engineering Branch Manager for Engineering Support for the District 8 office said.
•The Adair County School Board approved a five-cent construction only tax during a special called meeting in September. According to Adair County Schools Superintendent Darrell Treece, the new tax would only be used for construction or maintaining facilities but the main focus was to build a new school to replace the ailing Col. William Casey building. "The estimated cost for replacing Col. William Casey is between $10 an $11 million dollars and the five-cent tax will help make this possible much sooner than most people think," said Treece. In addition to the funds raised by the tax, the state will be increasing the bonding amount on July 1st of next year and a total of $475,000 can be matched from the state, which give Adair County a total of $6.6 million in potential funding. If the tax had remained in effect, construction on a new school would have begun by next summer.
•An Adair County High School student received confirmation of the swine flu in September after falling ill shortly after reporting to school. According to Adair County Schools Superintendent Darrell Treece the student reported to school and went to the counselor's office complaining of illness and was sent home around 9:30 a.m.
•Ernest C. Shaffer, who was convicted of first-degree sodomy that involved a seven-year-old girl following a two-day jury trial in Adair Circuit Court in July, was formally sentenced to life in prison by Circuit Judge James Weddle. The 33-year-old Shaffer, who had been residing in Jefferson County, allegedly committed the act of sodomy on the seven-year-old, which was a relative, while the girl was visiting her grandmother in Adair County in July 2005.
•It's several thousand miles (5,362 to be exact) from Columbia, Kentucky to Krivoy Rog, Ukraine, but for former Adair County High School basketball standout Kevin Bridgewaters, it's just one step on what he hopes will be a journey that will eventually return him to the United States - and the National Basketball Association. Bridgewaters signed a contract to play for Kryvbasbasket, the defending champions of the Ukraine Superleague (the top pro league in the country), and will started league play with the team the first week of October. He is the first Adair County High player to play professional basketball.
•As with the case four years ago, a citizens' committee formed to gather signatures to force a vote on the "nickel" tax on real estate passed by the Adair County Board of Education on Sept. 10. According to County Clerk Sheila Blair, a committee of five qualified voters (as required by state law) filed an affidavit with her office stating that the committee intended to circulate petitions to get enough signatures to have the issue of the 5.6 cents per $100 of assessed value on real estate put to a vote.
•The Adair County High School Band traveled to Louisville, KY to compete in their first competition for the 2009 season under the guidance of new Band Director Tom Case and proved that their commitment to excellence remained by taking the class AAA division and Reserve Grand Champion as well as several best awards.
•The Adair County School System fell short on achieving the required No Child Left Behind goals in reading and math. Data released by the Kentucky Department of Education showed that a lower percentage of schools across the state failed to achieve the necessary scores on the NCLB this year than did last year. In the Adair County School System, three schools -Col. William Casey/John Adair Intermediate (which have their scores combined) and Adair County Elementary School - met their objectives, while Adair County Middle School and Adair County High School did not.
•Buoyed by the largest freshman class in its 106-year history, Lindsey Wilson College has enrolled a record number of students for the 2009-10 school year. The college's enrollment is 2,341. That's a 17 percent increase over last school year's enrollment of 2,006, which at the time was a record for the liberal arts college. The college's freshman class is a record 568.

October
•Dustin Warren, the son of Dennis and Lisa Loy and Delbert Warren and a sophomore at UK this fall, was selected to be the Assistant Wildcat during tryouts earlier this summer, and splits duties with the Head Wildcat at the multitude of sporting events and other events they participate in each year.
•The two-story brick building that had stood just off the Public Square on Burkesville Street for the past half-century came tumbling down in October, and was replaced by a parking lot.
•The poor economic conditions that were experienced across the nation last year (and which continued this year), combined with record high prices for gasoline resulted in a decline in the amount of dollars spent on tourism and travel in Adair County in 2008, the first decline in the past five years. According to figures released by the Kentucky Department of Tourism, expenditures on tourism and travel totaled $8,883,207 in Adair in 2008, down 6.8 percent from 2007's total of $8,530,030.
•For the first time in many years, the Bank of Columbia was not "robbed" during the Columbia Downtown Days/Folklore of the Old West Festival sponsored by Renaissance Columbia. But that fact, and the rain that fell Friday night did not hinder the festival from being one of the best staged in the city in several years. According to event coordinator Rhonda Loy the bank robbery re-enactment was cancelled, "due to circumstances beyond the control of the Renaissance Columbia board."
•After two straight years of drought-like conditions, Adair County farmers got what they wanted this year -plenty of rain - and as a result crop yields showed great improvement for the 2009 growing season. The only problem has been there was too much rain at times.
"Overall, the rains were very welcomed, with a few exceptions," Nick Roy, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources. "Farmers were tickled to death to have all the rain after what they went through the past two years." Roy said the biggest beneficiaries of the rains have been the hay and corn silage crops.
•As the H1N1 flu (often referred to as the Swine flu) continued to spread across the area and the entire country, efforts began to provide the H1N1 vaccine to as many people as possible. The Lake Cumberland District Health Department held a H1N1 vaccination clinic in all 10 counties, including Adair County, in the district.
•After running into a few set backs over the course of the construction, the new Adair County Judicial Center was expected to be completed by Dec. 31st. According to Branscum Construction Project Manager Jeff Cook, "We still have a few projects left to complete on the interior of the building as well as the outside, but we should have everything completed by the end of December." However the building is still undergoing construction in the interior and is now expected to be complete by Februrary, 2010.
•A petition to recall the Adair County Board of Education's "nickel" tax on real estate passed by the board last month, or have it placed on the ballot and voted on in a special election, was filed with County Clerk Sheila Blair. According to Blair, Paul Turner, one of the leaders of the petition drive, said there were between 1,500 and 1,600 signatures on the petition, more than double the 755 signatures required to put the matter to a vote if the school board did not recall the tax.
•The Columbia-Adair County Chamber of Commerce collected items the organization had been soliciting for Ronald McDonald Charities. "It was just fantastic," Donna Stotts noted. "We had double the amount of goods that we collected last year." All the items collected were used for the Ronald McDonald Houses in Louisville and Lexington, with everything evenly divided between the two. "The people from the Ronald McDonald houses were thrilled with the amount of goods that were brought in," Stotts stated. "We estimated that there was around $10,000 worth of goods donated, plus we around a $1,000 in cash, checks and gift cards."
•A former Kentucky State Trooper, his wife and his brother-in-law were indicted for arson and other related charges by the Adair County Grand Jury this week. The indictments were handed down following a 16-month investigation by the State Police into a fire at a partially completed residence that occurred on June 9, 2008. According to a press release from the KSP Columbia Post 15, the fire occurred on June 9, 2008 at a residence located Crocus Rd. in Adair County and resulted in a total loss of the residence.  The property owners, former KSP Trooper Donnie Richmond, 34, and his wife, 28-year-old Tina Richmond, of McCreary County were indicted on charges of complicity to Arson 2nd degree, Insurance Fraud and Perjury 1st degree.  
Also indicted in connection with the fire was Tina Richmond's brother, 30-year-old Scottie Baird, of Jellico, TN who was indicted for Arson 2nd degree, Insurance Fraud and being a Persistent Felony Offender 2nd degree. Baird is currently being held on other charges in the Russell County Jail.
•The Green River Animal Shelter's 2009 Pet Idol Contest winner- a cow! Ms. Sleep Easy, a 12-year-old registered Angus cow owned by Danny and Debbie Burris of D & D Longview Angus, received the most votes in the fourth annual contest to earn the Pet Idol title.

November
•The Adair County School Board voted unanimously to hold a special election for the new nickel tax, putting the fate of the financial upkeep of the school district into the hands of the voters. Under the recommendation of Adair County Schools Superintendent Darrell Treece, the board made the decision during the special called regular meeting of the board. Treece's recommendation came after learning that the petition that had been circulating to get the nickel tax on a ballot or recalled would more than likely have the 755 required approved signatures to force the recall or election.
•The Adair County Marching Band once again headed to the state competition after taking first place at the Kentucky Music Educators Association Class AAA Western Regional Competition in Bowling Green.
•Fifty-five-year-old Kathy Gaskins Grant, of New Hope Church Road, Columbia, passed way at the University of Louisville Hospital from injuries she received in an accident.
According to the report from the Columbia Police Department, Kathy Grant was attempting to cross the Public Square to the Adair County Courthouse from near the Burkesville Street side when she was struck by a 1999 Dodge pickup being operated by 37-year-old Joey Keith of Columbia. Grant, who was a criminal investigator for the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy, was not in a crosswalk at the time the accident occurred.
•The 2009-2010 season of academic competition began and the ACHS Academic Team got off to the program's best start. The quiz bowl/quick recall team competed October 20 in a National-level online event and took 1st Place in the tournament. The victory earned Adair County the right to compete on May 29-31 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Team members competing in the tournament were Luke Maupin, Ryan Montgomery, Jake Leibeck, Elton Cheng, Chris Lloyd, Kelsey Castaneda, Aaron Bradshaw, and Matt Rogers.
•The new Adair Search and Rescue organization finally have a place to call home following action in Adair Circuit Court and at an Adair County Fiscal Court meeting.
In Adair Circuit Court, Judge James Weddle signed an order for transfer authorizing Judy Vance, the court appointed receiver for the old Adair County Rescue Squad, Inc. to transfer the portion of the land and building previously utilized for the operation of a rescue squad that was recovered in an earlier civil action to the Adair County Fiscal Court, "contingent upon the county acknowledging that it will, upon receipt, apply the property for the operation or support of a rescue squad and apply proceeds from the sale of the property for the operation or support of a rescue squad, a public purpose."
•After over two years in limbo, the Adair County Fiscal Court approved the acceptance of an order from Judge James G. Weddle releasing the land and property owned by the former Adair County Rescue Squad to the county during their regular scheduled meeting.
Under the terms of the order 1.89 acres and the building located on the property off Campbellsville Rd. will be set aside and deeded to the Adair County Search and Rescue Team indefinitely and can not be used or sold by the county for any other reason.
•The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet held its third public meeting on the proposed Heartland Parkway at Adair County High School to let residents who live along the proposed road from Columbia to Campbellsville view the alternate routes and make comments about them. According to John Moore from the Elizabethtown Department of Highways District Office, who is project manager, the main purpose of the meeting was to show residents any changes that have been made in the alternate routes since they were presented at the last public meeting in March.
•Last year, after first hearing of their selection to participate in one of the largest parades in the world, the Adair County Marching Band quickly began making preparations and fund raising to make the trip to New York City to show off their skills in front of millions of people in the 83rd annual of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. All of their hard work and dedication finally reached the end and they departed to make the journey and secure their place of one the most elite high school marching bands in the country and make parade history as the smallest marching band ever invited to march in the parade.
•The 93rd annual Kentucky Association of Chiropractors (KAC) Convention was held this fall in Bowling Green, and one of Columbia's own, Dr. Ronald P. Rogers, was recognized with the association's most prestigious award. Dr. Rogers was the recipient of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.
•The ACHS Academic Team completed competition in the Green River Regional Academic League on November 16, by taking home the 1st place overall honors for yet another Fall season. The Varsity team went undefeated throughout both the league's regular season and tournament with double-digit victories in each of its 12 league wins. In addition, the Junior Varsity team notched another league championship for the program, winning the JV championship for the 7th year in a row.
•The Adair County High School Marching Band had a big weekend in November as they traveled to Meade County and then to Louisville to compete in the Kentucky Music Educators Association's State Competition. The Adair County Band made their 24th consecutive appearance in the state competition and was looking to capture their 19th State Championship, however after a wonderful performance the band was notched out of the top spot and brought home the second place trophy for the second year in a row.

December
•The Adair County Marching Band returned from their historical trip to New York City to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and brought home a mountain of memories that will last a lifetime. Adair County was one of 11 bands performing in the parade, and the 4th band to perform live on NBC at approximately 9:25 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, however those who watched the parade on television that morning may have caught a glimpse of the band on more than one occasion.
•The Lindsey Wilson College men's soccer team proved it is the best team in the country with just one goal, beating The Master's (Calif.) College 1-0 for its eighth NAIA National Championship on Saturday at Ramirez Field.
•An Adair County woman was plucked from the raging waters of a flooding creek in southern Adair County, but her husband tragically drowned while trying to come to her rescue. Forty-eight-year-old Jody Grover was rescued from her pickup truck that had been swept away by floodwaters of a creek while she was attempting to make her way to her home on Anderson Road off Greenbriar Ridge in the Breeding area of the county, but her husband, 58-year-old Bill Grover, apparently drowned when the farm tractor he was driving in an attempt to reach his wife overturned in the raging waters, causing him to be swept away. His body was found around 1 p.m. the following day around three or four miles downstream in Harrod's Fork Creek following a massive search.
•Inside the Columbia Wal-Mart Supercenter, Christmas came almost three weeks early for 18 deserving Adair County children thanks to the efforts of the Mark Twain Shrine Club. The event was the 5th annual "Shop With A Shriner" program, sponsored by the Mark Twain Shrine Club, Wal-Mart, Bank of Columbia and the Adair County School System's Family Resource Center. The children that participated were fifth graders at John Adair Intermediate School and Adair County Elementary School that were chosen for the program by the Family Resource Center staff. Each child was given $125 to spend, with the only stipulation that at least 60 percent of the total, $75, be spent on clothing for him or herself. The remainder could be spent on toys, games, or gifts from other family members. (The children also received a $25 gift card that their family could come back to Wal-Mart and use.)
•Columbia Utilities, the Adair County Water District and the Columbia-Adair County Water Commission, which operates the new water treatment plant at Green River Lake, could all merge into a single entity if upcoming negotiations between the governing bodies of the three are successful. At the December meeting of the Columbia City Council, the council authorized Mayor Pat Bell to participate in discussions with the county water district's board and the Columbia-Adair County Water Commission board.
At the meeting, Mayor Bell passed out a preliminary draft of the measures that would have to be taken to merge the three systems. The draft includes 25 steps that would be taken over a six-month plus period.
•Lindsey Wilson awarded a total of 314 undergraduate and graduate degrees at the 2009 Winter Commencement ceremony, held in Biggers Sports Center.
•For the second time in the past four years, the Adair County Board of Education's attempt to enact a "nickel" tax to build a new school and fund other construction projects was soundly defeated by the voters - although the margin of defeat in the election was not as bad as it was in 2005. The final tally was 1,939 "No" votes to 1,156 "Yes" votes, a margin of 783 votes. The margin voting against the proposal in 2005 was almost three-to-one.
•After the voters in the county decided against the nickel tax recently, the Adair County School Board is still optimistic and will continue to keep the issue alive. Although the mood at December's meeting of the Adair County School Board was slightly tainted with disappointment over the defeat of the nickel tax, the board members along with Adair County Schools Superintendent Darrell Treece agreed they are not giving up on the issue and pledge to keep the issue alive by continuing to educate the public about the problems at Col. William Casey Elementary School. "We still have the same problems at Col. William Casey that are going to have to be addressed so our first priority is to look at the best way to use the facilities we have to best serve the students," stated Treece.
•A large crowd turned out for the Columbia-Adair County Chamber of Commerce's annual Christmas gathering, which was held for the first time at Mulligan's Restaurant at the Pines at Lindsey Wilson. Ron Heath was installed as the new Chamber president, taking over the helm from Donna Stotts. Heath will serve a two-year term. The organization's remaining officers will serve another year in their positions. They are Steven Keen, vice president; Mindy Smith, treasurer; and Amy Thompson, secretary.
•"Mama, Mama, we're going to have Christmas after all!" a young girl exclaimed after some Adair County Jaycees delivered a large box of food to her, her two sisters and their mother this past weekend. That comment pretty much summed up the efforts of the Jaycees, who spent two days delivering boxes of food, fruit baskets, toys and clothing to families and senior citizens to ensure they would be able celebrate Christmas in at least a small way this year.
•Taylor Regional Hospital acquired the Dr. Phil Aaron Medical Clinic in Columbia, effective January 1, 2010 and it will become known as Taylor Rural Health. "The only thing that will change is the name," said Jane Wheatley, CEO of Taylor Regional Hospital. "Dr. Aaron will continue as the medical director of the clinic and his patients will continue to experience the excellent medical care they have come to expect from the clinic. We know that Dr. Aaron has set the bar high for quality care and we intend to build upon the foundation that he has put into place."

Photo:The new Adair County Justice Center is practically complete and should be open in the early part of 2010.