THE HOPKINS COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MET IN REGULAR SESSION LAST NIGHT FOR ITS FIRST MEETING OF THE NEW YEAR.  NEW BOARD MEMBER SHANNON EMBRY WAS WELCOMED.  CURRENT BOARD CHAIRMAN RANDY FRANKLIN WAS AGAIN CHOSEN FOR THAT POSITION.  THE SCHOOL BOARD VOTED TO RE-FINANCE A BOND SERIES TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LOWER INTEREST RATES…………A SAVINGS OF NEARLY 60-THOUSAND DOLLARS.  AND THE BOARD VOTED TO NOT TAKE STATE MONEY FOR STABILIZATION WORK AT THE CAREER AND TECHNICAL CENTER, AS VERY LITTLE OF THAT FIX WAS DONE AT THE NOW ABANDONED SITE.  THE SCHOOL BOARD PLANS TO ANNOUNCE SOON A NEW SITE FOR THE SCHOOL

     THE MADISONVILLE CITY COUNCIL WELCOMED ITS TWO NEWEST MEMBERS………FRANK STEVENSON REPLACES BOB SIMMONS ON THE COUNCIL.  AND DR. BILL SMITH TAKES OVER FOR RUDY STONE.  IT’S UNCLEAR, HOWEVER HOW LONG DR. SMITH WILL BE ON THE COUNCIL.  HIS NEWLY BUILT HOUSE IS JUST OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS, AND WHEN HE MOVES IN PERMANENTLY, HE WOULD BE INELIGIBLE TO SERVE. 
     HANNAH MYERS WAS CHOSEN AS THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE COUNCIL.  SHE IS THE FIRST FEMALE TO HAVE THAT POSITION.  ALSO YESTERDAY, THE COUNCIL VOTED TO SPEND 220-THOUSAND ON A NEW DIGGER TRUCK.  THAT WOULD BE 12-THOUSAND UNDER BUDGET