A wreck on Pembroke Road at Bill Bryan Boulevard sent a Hopkinsville woman to the hospital Friday morning Hopkinsville Police say an eastbound tanker truck driven by 20-year-old Seth Deason of Hopkinsville was turning into FiveStar and pulled into the path of a westbound car driven by 24-year-old Kelsey Dipman The crash caused Dipman’s car to hit an SUV driven by 34-year-old Whitley Grace of Pembroke that was at the intersection Dipman was cut from her vehicle by Hopkinsville EMS before being taken to Jennie Stuart Health for arm and shoulder injuries A wreck on Dawson Springs Road in Hopkinsville sent two women to the hospital Monday afternoon Hopkinsville Police say an SUV was northbound when it ran off the road and into a ditch near Sanderson Drive The driver told law enforcement a vehicle ran her off the road The driver and passenger were taken by Hopkinsville EMS to Jennie Stuart Health with one of them meeting with a helicopter to take them to a Nashville hospital Led by both the boys and girls relay teams the Hopkinsville Tigers and Lady Tigers brought back a long list of Top 10 finishes from Owensboro over the weekend The track and field teams took part in the Apollo Invitational Included in the long list of Top 10 finishes were two first place wins for the day The Girls 4×400 relay team took first with a time of 4:29.28 who won the Boys 300 Meter Hurdles in a time of 43.30 Top 10 finishes for Hopkinsville for the meet were: and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" — After a few rain delays Saturday morning the 19th Annual Hopkinsville Soapbox Derby kicked off at Ruff Park drawing racers and families from across the region for a day of competition Hosted by the Bluegrass Youth Racing Foundation this year’s event featured 26 participants across three divisions: Stock “Well, we have 26 racers in our three divisions,” said Annie Catron, president of the foundation. “We have 22 in our regular divisions and then four of our super kids… So there's a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that goes into making the derby happen, getting the park ready, getting the cars ready, but that is a family-friendly activity.” began in 2005 but missed one season due to the COVID-19 pandemic Catron said the program offers more than just a race—it’s a hands-on experience that teaches problem-solving and builds relationships Catron noted that the foundation starts build clinics in March with most racers spending four to six weeks preparing their cars for the derby “It is important because it's an opportunity for kids who usually don't participate in other sports or can't participate in other sports to be able to have that camaraderie, hang out with other kids, do something that they enjoy,” she said. “And it's a STEM-based program, so there's some education involved in it as well.” a grandmother who has attended multiple years said she looks forward to the event every time “Oh, it's very exciting. I've been here a couple of years now coming to these and watching them,” Zerbst said. “You sit there and you get into it and you get going.” Zerbst said she’s impressed not only by the competition but by the technical skills the kids develop This year’s winners will go on to represent Hopkinsville at the international competition in Akron followed by Eleanor Knight in second and Clayton Warren in third with Tyler Miller placing second and TyReik Merritt finishing third The Super Kids winners were Jeremiah Hayes in first Saturday marked Hale’s final derby appearance Authorities have located a child reported missing on North Elm Street in Hopkinsville Friday night Hopkinsville Police say 5-year-old Jasiah Killebrew has been located with family and is safe The page you were looking for couldn't be found Five Christian County residents were appointed Friday afternoon to the Hopkinsville Community College Nominating Commission by Governor Andy Beshear Governor Beshear announced that all five would serve through April 14 A new sober living home in Hopkinsville is hosting a fish fry fundraiser tomorrow to support its mission of helping those recovering from addiction the team behind Courage House is preparing to open their doors—and fry up some fish click to download audio Co-founders Fred Cowan and Leticia Sanders say the house will provide a structured place for men transitioning from drug treatment click to download audio says his motivation came from seeing too many young people disqualified from job programs due to addiction click to download audio The Courage House will begin taking residents this month. Friday’s fish fry starts at 11 a.m., and everyone’s welcome to come eat presented his proposed 2025–2026 budget Friday at the City of Hopkinsville Municipal Center and support for municipal employees—while promising no new tax increases “Since 2023, we have made great progress in public safety, economic growth, city cleanliness, and staff support,” Knight said. “We’re investing in quality of life for our families, our children, our business, and our soldiers.” Knight announced the near-completion of Fire Station 5 marking the first expansion of fire protection in more than two decades click to download audioThe city will also add two new fire trucks—one already in service and another arriving in the coming weeks—and 13 new personnel “These trucks are more than just a vehicle,” Knight said. “They are life-saving tools that help our firefighters respond quickly and safely to the emergencies here in Hopkinsville.” The police department remains fully staffed and accredited and Knight shared active accreditation efforts for the fire department click to download audio“Hopkinsville is serious about the quality professionalism in every department that serves our citizens,” he said The budget includes projects designed to stimulate economic growth including a proposed reduction in business license fees and the launch of a small business conference “We are creating more opportunities for local business to thrive,” Knight said. “New business, new industry are coming to Hopkinsville and we have created many new jobs.” The city’s Downtown Entertainment District is expected to open this summer which Knight hopes will revitalize the city center click to download audioKnight also pledged more resources for city cleanliness and infrastructure The budget includes additional funding for the demolition of abandoned structures and hiring a contract attorney to resolve property liens and return vacant lots to productive use “When a lot is empty and run down, it costs taxpayers money,” he said. “We are stealing from the wealth and families in our community if we allow this to continue.” The city will supplement its Municipal Road Aid fund with an additional $583,000 with 83% of that allocated for road construction and repair Funds will also target sidewalk improvements and the city will absorb the rising cost of health insurance to prevent added expenses for workers “Our employees are the heartbeat of the city,” Knight said. “We are including a three percent salary increase across the board for all.” The budget also calls for several new positions a director of technology and public information and a recreation program coordinator for youth and senior programs at the Sportsplex Knight announced the launch of “Hoptown Helps,” a new grant program for 501(c)(3) organizations Funding for the program will increase from roughly $180,000 to between $200,000 and $250,000 this year The city will also maintain its partnership with Fort Campbell through the Intergovernmental Support Agreement (IGSA) and continue work with the Military Affairs Committee “These efforts help strengthen our connections with the military community to support the soldiers and their families who live Knight reiterated the city’s “Growing Home” project as the guiding principle behind every budget decision “Growing Home continues to guide everything we do here in the city,” he said click to download audio“Hopkinsville is my home we are keeping the promise of Growing Home,” Knight added For more information or to view the full address, visit the City of Hopkinsville’s YouTube channel at @cityofhopkinsvilleky <https://www.youtube.com/@cityofhopkinsvilleky>. A Hopkinsville man was charged after he reportedly fled from law enforcement on Fort Campbell Boulevard Wednesday afternoon Hopkinsville Police say they were called for 46-year-old Aryon Caulder who had taken several items totaling over $400 from Walmart and fled the area on foot He was reportedly located down the road and while being taken into custody fled a short distance before being arrested Caulder was arrested and charged with third-degree fleeing or evading police and theft by unlawful taking A Hopkinsville woman was charged with criminal mischief and assault after a report of a theft in progress on South Henderson Drive Sunday morning Hopkinsville Police say the homeowner called for police after he found 21-year-old Carrie Johnson in his car and a broken window She was reportedly extremely intoxicated and attacked the homeowner with pepper spray Johnson was arrested and charged with second-degree assault A Hopkinsville man was charged with fleeing from law enforcement on a bike on East 9th Street Friday night Christian County Sheriff’s deputies say they stopped 46-year-old Kenneth Lancaster due to his electric bike not having lights on it he reportedly tossed a bag of meth then hit the back of the deputies vehicle with his bike Deputies say he was found to have synthetic marijuana along with a needle and other drug paraphernalia on him Lancaster was arrested and charged with possession of meth second offense and failure to comply with bicycle safety regulations He also had warrants for failure to appear and non-payment of court costs Brick & Mortar Monthly a column that follows one couple’s efforts to preserve a historic Hopkinsville home an artist and preservationist who purchased the old Dalton home I made a valiant effort at reclaiming part of our backyard at the old Dalton house on East Seventh Street I wanted to get rid of a puzzling hump of concrete at the center of a poison ivy and privet jungle and I found myself gazing into a gaping hole Further inspection found the hole to be roughly cylindrical Brendan and I cycled through the possibilities of what it was we had unearthed We had stumbled upon the Dalton house’s original cesspit It may come as a shock to learn that many homes and businesses in Hopkinsville had bathrooms and sinks before there was even a thought of building a sewer system to handle the waste In her memoir “Quality Hill,” Sarah Dalton Todd specifies the house was built with two bathrooms I naively took it for granted this proved the existence of a city-wide sewage system two kinds of receptacles for at-home sewage management dotted the backyards of Hopkinsville’s residences and businesses in 1900 while cesspits or cesspools had some kind of lining Both received the waste from indoor plumbing and were supposed to be cleaned out every couple of months But this regular maintenance seems to have rarely happened “It has become almost a daily occurrence for someone to tell me that he has the ‘best dry well in town.’ He says ‘I have been using it ten years and have not had one bit of trouble with it in fact have not had to have it cleaned out.’” Woodard viewed an epidemic not as a potential danger but rather an inevitability in Hopkinsville’s rapidly urbanizing cityscape if the city did not invest in a sewer system “Sooner or later all cess pool towns must travel the same road All will end in an epidemic and then the cess pools will give place to sewers At least the Dalton’s cesspool was brick-lined and situated downhill from their cistern But it was still uphill from their East Ninth Street neighbor There was another waste removal option at the time Individuals could petition the city’s board of council to tie their shops or homes into this sewer the Hopkinsville Hotel Company requested and succeeded in hooking waste pipes from their new hotel at East Seventh and Virginia streets into the city sewer on Virginia Street.  The hotel in question was the Hotel Latham and the ordinance allowed its owners “the privilege of conducting the waste-water of said Hotel through said iron pipe and same to be discharged at its mouth.” The mouth being In 1895, W.T. Cooper updated the Phoenix Hotel’s internal sewer system for $3,000 You can bet he also tied into the city sewer a group of neighbors on South Main Street petitioned to be allowed to construct a sewer along their street This would ultimately hook into the 13th Street sewer — and end up in Little River individuals tapping their homes’ plumbing into the public sewer without getting an ordinance had become enough of a problem that the city instituted a $5 fine for each day the illegal hook-up was in use this is about $180 a day.) The topic of a sewer system was all over the newspaper I hold it to be a truth that, in this period, when discussing Hopkinsville infrastructure you don’t have to look far to find a Dalton. By 1905, a familiar face made a cameo appearance with an idea to solve Hopkinsville’s sewage sorrows. Hilliard Dalton, architect of the Beltline Railway and the streetcar scheme was the chosen representative from a syndicate of capitalists who proposed to build and maintain a sanitary sewer He presented the idea to Hopkinsville City Council on April 8 This was all happening at the same time as his Beltline Railway endeavor Perhaps he felt like he had enough on his plate Hardwick owned a drug store and dabbled in business ventures He actually didn’t live in Hopkinsville at all then formed the Hopkinsville Sewerage Company which incorporated in June 1905 “to establish and maintain a systemn (sic) of sewers in the City of Hopkinsville and the vicinity for the purpose of furnishing sewerage to said City and its inhabitants…” (Article III and Jackson and Harned were both upper management at Planters Hardware Co The plan was to lay about seven miles of pipe all of which would drain into a large septic tank on the west side of Little River the Hopkinsville Sewerage Company was advertising that its system was up and running and that homeowners who wished to connect to it could do so for no charge before April 1.  People jumped at the chance to tie into a modern sanitary sewer system … or did they Monroe Dalton built his house on East Seventh Street over the spring and summer of 1907 a full year and a half after the sanitary sewer was operable So why was the Daltons’ house built with a cesspit The neighborhood is so close to downtown that I can’t imagine the house being out of range for a sewer hookup We may not be able to answer this question fully but I think asking it at all can help shine a light on the rest of Hopkinsville newly created and led by none other than Dr City Council was busy settling disputes between the Hopkinsville Sewerage and people who had their own private sewers and wanted to keep them separate which ultimately decided to terminate all agreements allowing private sewer lines to tie into the storm sewer It handed over these private lines to the Hopkinsville Sewerage Co now secretary and treasurer of the Hopkinsville Sewerage ran an alarmist (yet valid) advertisement in the Hopkinsville Kentuckian newspaper linking a recent typhoid fever outbreak in Georgetown He reported that Hopkinsville still had between 250 and 300 dry wells.  He ended with an indictment that simultaneously tried to shame Hopkinsvillians into better sanitation and laid bare the truth of the whole matter: “Will you take the life of your loved ones in hand for so small a sum?” It appears the main reason people in Hopkinsville didn’t want to use the sanitary sewer was very simple What seems like a no-brainer to our modern minds took a little bit of getting used to for people accustomed to the old — free — system.  I should mention that Hopkinsville was by no means late to the game in building a sanitary sewer system it beat Bowling Green and Franklin to the punch by several years When it came to hooking into the sewage system But this didn’t happen as rapidly as you might think the Kentucky New Era reported several cases of paralysis in the city noting that they had occurred in areas where there were no sewer system hookups and people relied solely on drywells spreads in people through oral fecal contamination.   to dig new dry wells and clean out old ones the construction of new cesspits was not banned until 2000.  Studying history regularly reminds me that progress isn’t inevitable it takes the dedicated persistence of saying something you know to be true but no one else seems to care about Grace Abernethy is a historic preservationist and artist who specializes in caring for and recreating historic architectural finishes She earned her Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Clemson University in 2011 and has worked on historic buildings throughout the eastern United States Abernethy was a recipient of the South Carolina Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation Award in 2014 and won 2nd place in the Charles E Peterson Prize for the Historic American Buildings Survey in 2011 moved to Hopkinsville from Nashville in 2020 She works as an independent contractor and is a board member of the Hopkinsville History Foundation A blood drive in support of Hopkinsville native Chase Pemberton will be conducted from noon to 6 p.m He is receiving chemotherapy and gets blood platelets daily as a patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Myelosuppression/Stem Cell Transplant Unit in Nashville “He will have a bone marrow transplant in the near future,” Sorrell said in an email “It’s estimated that he may spend up to seven weeks in the hospital although there is added need for O negative blood — the universal donor blood that may be safely given to any recipient regardless of their blood type Sorrell said her nephew’s medical team notified the family that “there is a critical blood shortage in the area.” Pemberton graduated from Hopkinsville High School and Western Kentucky University He moved to Nashville last year for a job with Dell Inc.  The drive will be conducted by Blood Assurance a nonprofit that serves hospitals in Tennessee A QR code is available for those wanting to schedule a donation time. Information about donating is also available by contacting Suzanne Adkisson She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board Area residents woke Friday morning to widespread flooding and reports of numerous street and road closures that officials warned motorists should not attempt to cross.  Total rainfall Wednesday through Saturday in Hopkinsville was 13.74 inches, according to the Mesonet site First-responders in Hopkinsville and Christian County pulled several people and pets from flooded homes businesses and vehicles during the day as local officials were making plans to get through the rest of the weekend with more rain in the forecast Christian County Emergency Manager Randy Graham said 4 to 6 additional inches of rain predicted for the weekend could create a “life-threatening flood.” During a news conference shortly after lunch at the Holiday Inn Graham said an emergency shelter was set up at St for individuals who had to leave their homes and local hotels are providing more space as needed Hopkinsville Fire Chief Steve Futrell said firefighters sheriff’s deputies and Christian County Rescue Team members  responded to more than 20 emergency calls by 1:30 p.m Firefighters and rescue team members got more than 40 animals from Pet Lodge on North Main Street Officials urged residents to stay at home if they are safe there. States of emergency were declared in Hopkinsville and Christian County and President Donald Trump approved Kentucky’s request for an emergency declaration.  “Everybody thinks they are OK to get out now and go sight-see but you are not because we are still responding to these emergencies,” said Futrell and others urged residents to stay away from flooded areas — especially streets that have barricades.  “That water is moving faster than anyone is thinking right now.” Christian County Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam said several regional and state agencies are providing help with manpower and materials including the Tennessee Valley Authority and Fort Campbell’s Garrison Command we are not out of the woods,” said Gilliam “….We are looking at record-level flooding A large pond covered downtown’s central intersection at Ninth and Main streets where Southern Exposure owner Tony Kirves arrived early this morning in hopes of minimizing the damage at his photo studio.  Kirves estimated he had 4 feet of water in his basement At midmorning he was sand-bagging two entrances to the corner building to keep as much water as possible from flowing into the main floor.  “I’m trying to barricade the front and the side,” he said.  Kirves has been in the downtown building for more than 30 years and this is not his first experience with flooding Little River is two blocks from his location.  when floodwater was 2 to 3 feet deep on the main floor.  Other business owners on Main Street were also stacking sandbags at building entrances.  The Hopkinsville Municipal Center and other non-essential city services are closed Friday Hopkinsville Community College is operating remotely. Local schools were already closed for spring break The City of Hopkinsville is continuing its focus on recovery and clean-up efforts from the record rainfall that fell last week Hopkinsville Public Information Officer Amanda Brunt says a preliminary investigation has determined 150 homes and the State Regional Driver’s License Office were impacted by the high water Brunt called the response a coordinated effort by emergency management she said sandbag operations on Saturday helped protect around 80 public assets across the city and county She says the city has begun storm debris clean-up and solid waste crews are making the rounds throughout the affected areas Residents are asked to separate debris into two piles at the curb One is Furniture & Household Items such as couches mattresses and the other is for construction debris such as wood Brunt also reminds you not to drive around barricades or road closure signs and not to move them She says residents and business owners are encouraged to document and report all damage which is vital for both local recovery and possible state or federal assistance An altercation on East 21st Street in Hopkinsville led to two women being assaulted and a vehicle being damaged Friday morning Hopkinsville Police say someone used a baseball bat to break the windows out of a car and then assaulted two women inside the home before leaving the area Police say one of the women suffered a severe laceration but the report lists the charges as first-degree burglary Hopkinsville Kiwanis hosts the National Day of Prayer by giving back to the community Yasmel Reyes spoke about the importance of prayer click to download audioHe adds it’s a chance to share your heart click to download audioAs part of the meeting Kiwanis awarded $4,000 in scholarships to Key Club members recipients submitted an essay about their experience in Key Club All submissions were given to a committee for review The following young ladies received $500 checks to use toward their freshman year in college: Kiwanis also presented the Bluegrass Youth Racing Foundation with a $1,000 sponsorship for the Hopkinsville Soap Box Derby this weekend at Ruff Park As water continues to recede in Hopkinsville and Christian County officials have shifted from emergency response into full recovery mode Christian County Emergency Management is the central hub for coordinating all recovery efforts They are actively managing available resources and connecting citizens in need These KDA Industry Members can assist with flood clean up A Hopkinsville man was charged with trafficking drugs after a report of someone pointing a gun at people on Tanglewood Drive in Hopkinsville Wednesday night Hopkinsville Police say they were called for 20-year-old Ja’Nahveon Lynes who was pointing a gun at people out the window of a car Law enforcement made a traffic stop on the vehicle leaving the area and could reportedly smell the odor of marijuana was charged with possession of marijuana after he reportedly admitted it was his Police say Lynes stated the second gun was his Lynes was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana A Hopkinsville man has been arrested following a series of shoplifting incidents at two businesses in Princeton Assistant Princeton Police Chief Shane Allison reported officers received a call from Walmart’s loss prevention team Tuesday morning regarding a man who had shoplifted a Hart tool set After being given a description of the suspect and his vehicle officers reportedly found him at the Circle K on South Jefferson Street officers observed a Hart tool set box in the back seat of his vehicle along with a pawn receipt from Princeton Pawn Shop Police later confirmed that the tool set was found and recovered from the pawn shop a records check revealed Smith had previously shoplifted from Walmart on two occasions and was also a suspect in a shoplifting incident at Falders on April 11 Smith was taken into custody and charged with four counts of shoplifting (WZTV) — Hopkinsville Fire/EMS release photos of major flooding after Saturday night's severe storm I can never get enough of weather photography especially when I’m the one shooting the photos and it’s in Hopkinsville I kept a close watch throughout the day and evening Saturday and wondered how high Little River would rise There have been no reports of anyone displaced from homes in the flooding Christian County Emergency Manager Randy Graham told Hoptown Chronicle on Monday morning It appeared that the residential impact was limited to flood water in garages With all the attention on the potential for flooding I had forgotten there was a chance of snow in the forecast — until I woke early Sunday and saw the blanket of white on my lawn I don’t believe I had ever seen snow on the ground in Hopkinsville right next to Little River’s muddy flood water As I was out shooting photos today, I met Daniel Skinner in the Christian County Justice Center parking lot. He was out shooting drone photos and offered to share some of the images with Hoptown Chronicle You can also see several of my photos, from ground level, in this Instagram post.  The Hopkinsville Fire Department reported that it answered several calls over the weekend for people who needed help in high water including a couple of rescues in from vehicles caught in flash flooding The forecast for Monday which is the holiday for Washington’s Birthday calls for cold but mostly sunny conditions This story was updated with information from the Christian County emergency manager