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WILSON NAMED MONROE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT

George A. Wilson, who currently serves as principal of Monroe County
High School, was chosen as superintendent of Monroe County schools Monday night, March 27, at the close of a session where the five finalists for the superintendent position were interviewed by members of the Monroe County Board of Education.Wilson will take office as superintendent on July 1. The special called meeting of the Board was held specifically complete the interview process of the candidates for superintendent. Superintendent James Graves, who had earlier announced his plans to retire on June 30, told the board that 13 applicants had been considered by the screening committee and that any one of them would have been a tremendous asset to the board. As mandated by state law, the screening committee included one board
member (Dr. K.R. Crabtree), appointed by the board chairman; one principal (Moore), elected by the principals; two teachers (Marcia Bartley and Hope Myatt), elected by the teachers; one parent (Bobby Geralds), elected by the PTA presidents or largest parent support group; and one classified employee of the school system (Ellen Headrick), elected by the classified personnel. This group’s task was to screen all applicants and then present the board with their recommendation of five finalists. Larry Moore served as chairman of this committee. The finalists, in addition to Wilson, were Lewis D. Carter, director of  Adult Education, PACE, Buildings and Grounds, and School-to-Work programs, Monroe County school system; Ronald L. Dunlevy, principal of Bullitt Central High School; Dwight S. Hoskins, principal of North Bullitt High School; and David B. Jenks, Kentucky Department of Education’s Office of School Improvement (Highly Skilled Educator).
The board then went into closed session and interviewed each of the
finalists, in alphabetical order, then returned to open session and voted to
employ Wilson as superintendent and secretary of the board for four years. Wilson, a 1979 graduate of Gamaliel High School, began his career in education in 1987 when he taught in the World of Work program at the newly developed Monroe County Middle School. Wilson continued at MCMS for three years, implementing a middle school agriculture program at his school. He then transferred to the Monroe County High School, where he taught agriculture for two years before moving back to MCMS as assistant principal in 1992-1993. During the fall of 1993, Wilson took the assistant principal’s position at MCHS and when the principal at that time, Prentice Stanford, took another position in the school system a short time later, Wilson assumed the principalship of the school, where he has remained to the present time. Receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture Education from Western in 1984, Wilson continued his education by completing a Masters in Secondary Education in 1992 and his Rank I program in School Administration in 1994, both from WKU. In 1996, he received his superintendent certification. He and his wife, the former Glenda Crowe, have two children: Heather (a sophomore at MCHS) and Barton (a sixth grader at MCMS) and are active in the New Liberty General Baptist Church. Wilson is the son of Lovell and Katherine Wilson, Gamaliel, and the brother of Doyle Wilson and Janie (Wilson) Crowe, both of Monroe
County.

TOMPKINSVILLE COUNCIL
“We’ve got more interest in industry relocating to Tompkinsville than
we’ve had in 20 years,” stated Tompkinsville Mayor Michael McPherson at the regular monthly meeting of the Tompkinsville City Council on Thursday, March 23. “We keep getting these calls and we refer them on to Dennis Griffin (consultant/recruiter employed by the Tompkinsville Industrial Board), who is really doing a great job of working with them, “ McPherson continued. Charles Strode, chairman of the Industrial Board, was present at the meeting and stated that the Industrial Board is talking with several different companies, some looking to relocate here and some local persons who are looking to expand or begin production. “Things are looking very favorable with some of these,” Strode commented, “however, we’re not at liberty to discuss names.” He went on to say that, with all the meetings and contacts that he and the board have had, the most important factor is getting the industrial site ready for a new industry to move onto when the deal is signed.
Following discussion of the need for a “spec” (specification) building
into which a new industry could move, it was agreed to have Griffin search for low- or no-interest loans for such a building, possibly on the Hall industrial site (on the Edmonton Road). McPherson told the council that City Attorney Reed Moore is now looking into the possiblity of annexing some places into the city limits. “There are places receiving three or four city services that are not considered to be in the city limits. It will be expensive to do, but we need to do it the right way,” McPherson stated. Hagan asked if, while Moore was researching those possibilities, they could add in the development of zoning regulations.
McPherson stated that a lot of industries that meet with them ask what
specific zoning laws the city has in effect and are often shocked when
they hear that the city has none. “They’re good to a point,” Councilman Billy Joe Williams stated, “but then they become restrictive in a city our size.” McPherson pointed out that the beautification aspect and the protection of the citizens was the main objective with the zoning law, as far as he could see. Hagan agreed and stated, “people work hard to get what they have, then someone can move in beside them with any type of operation and there’s nothing they can do about it!” Moore stated that the first step would be to create a planning and zoning board, and McPherson added that they could then start small and start investigating what needs to be done. Williams continued to ask if the regulations could come in the form of ordinances instead of zoning laws, and Moore pointed at that having zoning laws is “usually a sign that a community is trying to grow. If it’s done right, it will enhance the quality of life and property values.” A discussion followed concerning the cleanup of the city. McPherson noted that the cleanliness of the town has a great influence on the persons looking to relocate in this area. Councilman Jeff Proffitt added that there were still quite a few “eyesores” throughout the city. Moore noted that these can now be cleaned up and the property owners can be fined or liens placed on their property if they do not voluntarily clean up their area.
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Sports
BASEBALL/SOFTBALL
SEASONS OPEN
The Monroe County High School Falcons and Lady Falcons opened the
baseball/softball seasons at home on Tuesday, March 28, with both teams victorious. The Falcons defeated Wayne County 5-4, with Jason Netherton the winning pitcher. The Lady Falcons, with Natasha Hunt pitching, downed Metcalfe County 4-1.

Announcements
AREA 4-H DEMONSTRATION CONTEST WINNERS
Monroe county 4-H’ers brought home six area champions from the
Mammoth Cave Area 4-H Demonstration Contest in Bowling Green on Monday, March 20. In the senior division, Matt Bowles won champion in the dairy foods category and Amy Miller received a blue ribbon in the “other foods” category. Chosen champion in junior division competition were: Lori Owen, breads category; Michelle Moss, egg preparation; Chelsey Stephens, health; Ann Marie Gordon, home environment; and Kelli Long, horticulture.

DISTRICT ESSAY WINNERS
Monroe County students have won first place of the district level in
all three essay divisions of the contest, sponsored by KEA Third District,
honoring the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, and their essays will be
entered in state competition. The winners are: primary division, Adam
Birge, a fifth grader at Tompkinsville Elementary; middle school winner,
Hillary Gillenwater, a seventh grader at MCMS; and high school winner Emily Haile, a senior at MCHS. The Monroe County Education Association (MCEA) sponsors the county essay and poster contests each year.

BIRTHS
Alexander Garren Birdwell, son of John and Sara Birdwell, Tompkinsville, was born Jan. 31, 2000. Grandparents are Ted and Debra Emberton, Dayton, and Brenda Birdwell, all of Tompkinsville.
Laura Nicole Mitchell, the daughter of Robert J. and Renae Mitchell,
Summer Shade, was born March 16, 2000. Grandparents are Sherry
Nusholtz, Sevierville, Tenn., and Rob and Donna Mitchell, Pinewood, Tenn. The new arrival as two older sisters, Kayla and Amber.

ENGAGEMENTS
Bales-Copass
Tommy and Sue Bayles, Tompkinsville, would like to announce the
engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Stacey Michelle, to Steven Copass, son of Junior and Donna Copass, also of Tompkinsville. The wedding will take place on at 4 p.m. on April 15, at the Tompkinsville Church of Christ. A reception will be held immediately following the ceremony at the Monroe County Middle School. All friends and relatives are invited to attend.

Hagan-Sowers
Bobbie Hagan and Darlene Pitcock, both of Glasgow, wish to announce
the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Elizabeth Ann Hagan, to Shawn Lee Sowers, son of Jim Sowers and Becky Sowers, both also of Glasgow. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hagan and Mr. and Mrs. Carlie Monday, Sr., all of Tompkinsville. The wedding will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 8, at the Old Zion United Methodist Church, on Hwy. 1297 at Jct. 255. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony. All friends and family are invited to attend.

BIRTHDAY
The children of Florida Young, 1805 Phillipi Church Rd.,
Tompkinsville, invite everyone to help celebrate her 85th birthday from 1 to 5 p.m. on April 8 at the Tompkinsville Elementary School.
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Deaths
Seven deaths were reported to the Tompkinsville News this past week.
Local deaths were:
— Willie Paul Brown, 65, Jim Bryant Ave., Tompkinsville, who died
March 21 (he was the husband of Gerene [Geralds] Brown),
— William M. Pedigo, 68, Alexander School Rd., Gamaliel, who died
March 20 (he was the husband of Joyce Ann [Montgomery] Pedigo).
Deaths reported from other areas were:
— Joe Lewis Burgess, 85, Glasgow, who died March 26 (he was the
husband of the late Lucy Ann Burgess);
— Irene (Smith) Proffitt, 89, Glasgow, a Monroe County native who
died March 24 (she was the widow of Carl Proffitt);
— Melvin Cliburn, 81, Westmoreland, Tenn., who died March 23 (he was the husband of Jewell [Miller] Cliburn);
— Sarah Ellis (Short) Poynter, 85, Louisville, who died March 21 (she
was the widow of Jimmy D. Poynter);
— Opal (Beals) Carver, 81, Lafayette, Tenn., a Monroe County native
who also died March 21 (she was the wife of James Carver).
For more information about their arrangements and survivors, please click here.
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