Madisonville Messenger - 9.5.26

0:00We now turn to the Madisonville Messenger to bring you news from in and around Madisonville and Hopkins County. Your reader today is Angie Mims. We begin with the edition dated Thursday, September 3, 2026. As a reminder, radio Y is a reading service intended for people who are blind or have other disabilities that make it difficult to read printed material. We'll get started today with the weather section in the Channel 14 First Alert Forecast. Saturday, High 96, Partly cloudy with a 20% chance of rain, overnight low 73, Sunday, High 92, Partly cloudy, a 20% chance of rain, overnight low 70, Monday, High 92, High 92, Sunny, overnight low 71, Tuesday, High 92, Sunny, overnight low 72, and Wednesday, High 94 and Sunny.

1:15Moon phases Last quarter, September 4, New Moon, September 10, First quarter, September 18, and Full Moon, September 26. The Almanac as of Wednesday, Temperatures, High 98, Low 75, Normal High 88, Normal Low 64, Record High 101 in 1953, Record Low 44 in 1949, Percipitation 424 hours through 4pm Wednesday 0 inches, Month to date 0 inches, Normal Month to date 0.19 inches. Now for today's news, plain makes emergency landing on Kentucky 109 Tuesday night by the Messenger staff.

2:19Two people were unhingered after a small airplane made an emergency landing near industrial park road in Dawson Springs, according to the Hopkins County Sheriff's Office. Deputies were dispatched to the area at about 10.28pm Tuesday, after receiving a report of a downed aircraft near the roadway. When deputies arrived, both occupants were out of the aircraft and walking around the scene. They told deputies they were not injured. The names of those involved in the incident were not released. The pilot said the aircraft experienced engine failure during the flight, forcing an emergency landing near Dawson Springs. The occupants attempted to land at the Dawson Springs Airport, but could not locate the unlit grass landing strip in the dark. The pilot then attempted to land on industrial road park.

3:19Hopkins County Emergency Management responded, gathered information, assessed environmental hazards and contacted the appropriate federal authorities. The National Transportation Safety Board will conduct the ongoing aircraft crash investigation. The Hopkins County Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management Agency were assisted by the Dawson Springs Fire Department, Charleston Fire Department, and Medical Center Ambulance Service. This article is accompanied by a photograph by Jason Jones, that shows a plane on grass with trees behind it. Here is the caption. A single engine plane was forced to make an emergency landing on state route 109 between Providence and Dawson Springs late Tuesday night. The Hopkins County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday morning the two occupants were un-injured. Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.

4:22Next, freshman champs at 52nd DSIS Fun Night by Cassie Jones, the messenger correspondent. If you aren't a Panther, you might not understand all of the hype that Fun Night brings. Fun Night was held on Friday and is one of the most celebrated traditions in Dawson Springs. The annual event is a back-to-school activity hosted by the Dawson Springs Parent Teacher Organization, or PTO, during which classes compete in a series of field games for cash prizes. Friday marked the 52nd year of the event. Local photographer Mike Houghton and his graduating class were the very first to be crowned Fun Night Champions back in 1973. The DSHS class of 1976 celebrated their 50th reunion just this past summer, showing that Fun Night has survived the passage of time in the small town.

5:27The Independent School Districts PTO hosts this exercise of class bonding, a way to ring in the new school year by cultivating an overwhelming sense of school spirit. With each of the 10 events, the class finishing in first place is awarded 20 points, 2nd wins 15, 3rd, 10, and 4th 5. A perfect score would result in 240 points. Based on the final standings, the PTO awards cash prizes to each class. In a rare and almost unheard of occurrence, the freshmen were declared the Champions of Fun Night 2026, and they accomplished this feat with only 15 members of the class in attendance. The class of 2030, with a total of 145 points placed first in the egg toss and the bucket brigade relay. In 2nd place, the junior class ended the traditional field games with 135 points. The class of 2028 finished the mummy wrap, egg relay, tape run, balancing act, and tug of war events in first place.

6:40The seniors were able to complete the balloon toss and sponge brigade in first place, while the sophomores only claimed first place in the mega obstacle course relay. In 2003, a class spirit award became a coveted feature of the games, and another tradition was born, a grand entrance by the senior class. The seniors choose a theme, decorate a float, dress and coordinated attire, and are escorted by local law enforcement to the park. The class of 2027 selected heroes versus villains, with class members and sponsors dressed in costume as either superheroes or their antagonists. They rushed into the park as spectators cheered to welcome them to their final edition of the games. The class spirit award is voted on by the PTO's judges and scorekeepers for the evening where the majority rules. The juniors earned bragging rights after it was announced that they had the most spirit.

7:42The results for the middle school games were 8th grade champions with 175 points, 7th grade 2nd with 145 points, and with 130 points, the 6th grade finished 3rd. The 6th graders were voted as winners of the class spirit award. Because Fun Night is so beloved, graduates of D.S.H.S. recently took to social media and asked for a rematch. As a result, the PTO is planning to host Fun Night for Panther Alumni on Friday, October 16th at Riverside Park. It will also serve as a fundraiser. It's $10 to participate and $3 for spectators, explained Lori Beck, PTO President. This article is accompanied by a photo of a group of girls going through traffic cones. The photo is by Jason Jones. Here is the caption.

8:42The 52nd Annual Fun Night hosted by the Dawson Springs Parent Teacher Organization at Riverside Park on Friday was the final one for seniors from left, Sophie Johnson, Emmy Colson, Lexi Houghton, and Alyssa Allison, pictured here competing in the mega obstacle course relay. Next, Dawson Springs Vacation Program stuck in limbo by Cassie Jones, the messenger correspondent. Last Wednesday's special called meeting of the Dawson Springs City Council was one where all voices were heard. However, Mayor Jenny Suwell and City Administrator Julie Sellers did all the talking for the first 82 minutes. The topic of the discussion was the Municipality's Vacation Buyback Program, and the fact that if each of the nine employees take part, it will cost the city $8,756.80.

9:48According to Sellers and Suwell, the city cannot afford to offer this benefit. My heart rate has been over 100 since I've been sitting in this chair. My alarm keeps going off, you know, sleepless nights and not being able to eat, explained Sellers as she spoke of trying to find the nearly $9,000. She was eating tums, and I was sitting under a fan while we were working through this. I mean, it's not pretty. Sellers gave it all she had and an attempt to convince the council to see what she sees. If we leave the vacation buyout in, we do the 3% raise. We're not going to have anything much left, maybe $3,000 she continued. And we all know that the rates are going to go up on everything. All the expenses are going to go up. I mean, that's just the way life is. At the 82nd minute mark, that's when council member Martha Wulsley spoke up.

10:49It is just that when you're thinking about this, you are thinking about the cost. They want to have three days off, she said. We're in this fiscal year already, Wulsley added before enlightening the citizens and attendants that the street and police departments are short-handed. And because of that, are only able to take a vacation day here or there. I just think that's something that we need to work on before we decide not to just jerk it out from underneath them. Bo Hester, superintendent of the street department, interjected. We done lost our comp time. Doug Whitaker hasn't had a five day vacation since he's been here. Councilman Kenny Mitchell agreed with Wulsley. I think we just need to suck it up, he said. Councilmember Ashley Waltsley tried to make sense of the $8,756.80. I'm not trying to be rude, but to me, administrative staff, there should be no reason why they couldn't get their vacation in, she stated.

11:56What's it going to cost us if we have to turn around and hire somebody to fill in for these guys when they're on vacation? Mulsley asked. We wouldn't be able to. It just be a break in service. Replied Councilman Mark McGregor, the trash wouldn't get picked up. The snow wouldn't get removed. The stuff wouldn't get moved. When it seemed that the council members in attendance, Jesse Robinson was absent. Would not be swayed. So, we changed the subject going back to the previous agenda item, the first reading of ordinance 2026-10, which will establish local property tax rates for 2026. No action was made in regard to the vacation buyback program. You want the 4% that would be ordinance 2026-10, she said, turning to face councilmember Rhonda Mills. Yes, 4% Mills responded.

12:57So, all persisted. Are you making that motion? Mills confirmed her intent. I'm going to make that motion that we adopt the 4%, she said. Mulsley seconded the motion and it carried with a unanimous roll call vote. In Kentucky municipalities, the 4% property tax rate refers to a revenue limit under House Bill 44 that restricts local governments from increasing property tax revenue from existing real property by more than 4% without making the hike subject to voter recall. A municipality can choose a higher tax rate that collects up to 4% more revenue from existing properties than the previous year, but doing so requires public notices and a public hearing. The second reading of the rates was conducted in a special called meeting on Thursday as expected the 4% increase was unanimously approved.

13:59Next, Delson Springs author writes Lodge mystery by Cassandra prophet, the messenger. Delson Springs based author Alan James has just released his newest novel Murder at Penndale Lodge inspired somewhat by his own time working at the Lodge in Penny Rale Forest State Resort Park. In 1977, I started working at the campground checking in campers preseason. The park was open only seasonally back then and then started in the kitchen until transferring to the front desk in 1979, he said. Each of those roles allowed me to learn the skill of customer service and hospitality. It was certainly a different time then. I loved working there and my inquisitive writer mind was peaked by the myriad of personalities and characters I encountered both staff and guests.

15:00Alan James also known as James Alan Harryman graduated from Delson Springs High School in 1979. He went on to attend Madisonville Community College and Murray State University. In 1984, he worked as a teacher in Missouri, then after retiring in 2014, made his way to Alaska where he worked as a behavioral health administrator until he returned to Delson Springs in 2025. He published his first novel in 1990 and has hopped through various genres throughout the years publishing both fiction and nonfiction stories. Murder at Penndale Lodge, however, holds a special place in his heart. Set during a winter blizzard at an isolated resort, the book follows an investigation into the murders of two long-time guests whose deaths uncover secrets buried for decades. The two main characters, Evelyn and Margot, were inspired by two women who would stay at the lodge every summer for several weeks at a time. James explained. He stated that the lodge was modeled after his memory of the area from the 1970s, noting that some features in the story were lost to various renovations and remodels over the years.

16:23The story can be purchased online at lulu.com, that's lul.com. Copies may also be available at author book signings throughout the area. While he doesn't have any signing scheduled soon, James will be hosting an event January 8th through 9th, 2027 at the Penny Ralfourist State Resort Park, called Murder at the Penndale Lodge, behind the mystery. Next, Hopkins Jail Amends Policy After Inspection by Cassandra Profit, the messenger. The Hopkins County Fiscal Court held a speedy meeting Tuesday morning, beginning and adjourning within 15 minutes. The court approved a minor amendment to the Hopkins County Jail's policy and procedures. According to Jailer Mike Lewis, a differentiation between language and the books and current laws led to a note from a recent federal inspection.

17:29By law, you have to train on the Prison Rape Elimination Act every year, he said. We do that. We've done that ever since it became law. It's all in the policy. But the policy does not have a distinct line that says all deputies are required to receive annual training on sexual abuse and assault. All of the guidelines are in there, and we do the training on it every year and always have, but there's not one line that says exactly that. In other business, Judge Executive Jack Whitfield proclaimed that September 17th through 23rd was Constitution Week. The 239th anniversary of the completion of the U.S. Constitution is on September 17th, the drafting of which took over four months in 1787. I ask for citizens to reaffirm the ideals that the framers of the Constitution had in 1787 by vigilantly protecting the freedoms guaranteed to us through the guardian of our liberties, remembering that lost rights

18:41may never be renewed. The proclamation stated. Now it is time to read the obituaries. We read only the name, age and location. If you would like further information on any of the obituaries, please call us during the weekdays at 859-422-6390, and we will be glad to read the entire obituary for you. I will repeat that number at the end of the listings. Shannon Oakley, 74 of Madisonville. Korra Maybeen, 85 of St. Charles. Robert Wayne Garvin, 71 of Madisonville. Michael LaAvlin Barnes, 68 of Madisonville. Carrie Lynn Stanley, 62 of Madisonville. If you would like further information about any of the listings today, call us on weekdays at 859-422-6390, and we will be glad to read the entire item to you.

20:00Next, Town Cryer. Crater Community Church in St. Charles will be hosting homecoming on Sunday, September 13. Lunch will be served after morning service. Special singing by new journey will begin at 1.30pm, Pastor, Brother Roy Cherry, and Congregation invite everyone to attend. The Hanson Lions Club is accepting craft and art fair vendors for our annual Fall Street Festival to be held from 10am to 5pm on October 17. Each 10x10 space is $25, and can be rented up to the day of the event. Text or call Theresa Anthony at 828-230-6501 to reserve a space. That number again is 828-230-6501. The Lions meet the last Monday of the month at 25 Sunset Road.

21:03The Hopkins County Bass Club holds their meetings on the 2nd Thursday, each month at 6pm at Brothers Barbecue. Anyone interested in the club is invited to attend. Membership is open to anyone who has a fishing boat or who can find someone to partner with, who has a boat. The Hopkins County Regional Senior Citizen Center hosts a history class presented by Spencer Brewer, the first Monday of each month at 10am at the center on North Main Street. It's free, and there are no tests like we had in school. Come join us. Next, potential data center tax when falls could face loopholes by Liam Nehmeier, Kentucky Lantern. In some Kentucky communities where hyper-scale data centers are being proposed, leaders and local governments and school districts are eyeing a potential tax windfall that they hope could lead to transformative investments back in their communities.

22:08In the small Mercer County City of Bergen, a school board member for the city's school district argued a proposed data center there could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in local taxes over 15 years. In Hancock County, the local judge executive believes a planned data center could bring material local tax revenues estimated by the developer to be over $22 million during the first year of operation. Broadly, advocates for the data centers point to the communities across the country that have reaped local tax benefits through property taxes and otherwise because of having these power-intensive operations. But one progressive think tank worries there could be long existing tax breaks in Kentucky law that data center developers could exploit to avoid paying those local taxes.

23:08I think there's a huge risk that communities will take what they're being told about the local tax benefits, but that those benefits end up being mostly taken away by a court said Jason Bailey, the executive director of the Berea-based Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. In an early August analysis, Bailey and the think tank's senior policy director, Pam Thomas, point to a recent series of blog posts by Louisville Tax Attorney Mark Summer, who writes the data center developers could argue the operations qualify as manufacturing or industrial processing under state law. Summer has represented a company proposing a data center campus in seeking a legal opinion from Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman. In a text message Tuesday, Summer said he was not available to respond to a lantern request seeking commentary about the think tank's concerns.

24:14Bailey said if a developer is able to successfully gain that classification under state law, then the developer could dramatically reduce the taxes that a data center pays. He said whether a data center developer can successfully argue that classification may end up in court. A legal question that the state legislature could grapple with in the future. The local taxes in question are primarily twofold. The utility excise tax on electricity sales that goes to almost all school districts, usually levied at 3% of electricity sales of an operation, and property taxes that go toward the school district and the local government. For example, under state law, if a person is engaged in manufacturing or industrial processing, then energy for that operation is not included among the revenue collected for the utility tax going towards school districts.

25:19Also under state law, manufacturing machinery is also exempt from local property taxes. In a July blog post, Summer wrote datacenters could qualify for tax breaks as a manufacturer. He pointed to laws passed by the state legislature providing tax breaks for cryptocurrency mining operations. And the legal opinion he sought from the Attorney General to argue that datacenters make a product and process data and digital property. Therefore, datacenters should also qualify for the tax breaks that manufacturers receive. Bailey and Thomas also worry that industrial revenue bonds granted by local governments could also be an avenue for datacenters developers to avoid paying local property taxes. Bailey and Thomas wrote that local governments, often counties, buy the property of a developer with such bonds and lease it back to the developer, thereby eliminating property taxes because the property is technically owned by the government by partisan backlash.

26:31But Bailey said the political realities of local governments giving bonds for datacenters amid a bipartisan backlash against datacenter construction make it unlikely that it will happen. At least one datacenter developer in Kentucky, Tara Wolfe says it is also committing to paying its fair share of state and local taxes following an executive order by Governor Andy Beshear, the directed datacenter developers to do so. And that is our time for today. This concludes excerpts from the September 3, 2026 edition of the Madisonville Messenger. Your reader has been Angie Mims on behalf of everyone here at RadioI. Thank you for listening. Keep on listening and have a good day.