2024: The year in review
Published 6:00 am Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Mayor Todd Alcott gives a victory speech beside his wife Deb at White Squirrel Brewery as he is reelected mayor on Tuesday night, Nov. 5, 2024. (Grace McDowell/grace.mcdowell@bgdailynews.com)
Mayor Todd Alcott celebrates his reelection during his election watch party at White Squirrel Brewery on Tuesday night, Nov. 5, 2024. (Grace McDowell/grace.mcdowell@bgdailynews.com)
Lola Pacey, 7, of Seymour, Ind., poses for a photo with the Buc-ee Beaver statue while visiting the new Smiths Grove Buc-ee’s with her family on Wednesday morning, June 26, 2024. (Grace Ramey McDowell/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)
Visitors shop at the new Smiths Grove Buc-ee’s on Wednesday morning, June 26, 2024. (Grace Ramey McDowell/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)
Icy water flows down Barren River on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, past 70-acres of city-owned land where the highly-anticipated downtown Riverfront Park will be located after the park’s master plan was unveiled at the Board of Commissioners retreat on Wednesday. The master plan, which was put together with public input from in-person polls at downtown events, online surveys for several months on the City website and public open houses and stakeholder forums, will offer more than 20 features, including a boat ramp and kayak launch, a tree canopy walk and water play feature, large lawns and pavilions for event spaces, an observation deck, adventure bike track to complement the existing Low Hollow Trail, bouldering walls for climbing, a natural playground and a whitewater park. (Grace Ramey/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)
Rich Pond Elementary fourth grader Olivia Zimmerman checks out the City of Bowling Green’s artistic renderings of the future Riverfront Park as a class of third and fourth grade students are tasked with drawing their dreams and ideas for the park on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. Neighborhood and Community Services Director Brent Childers and artist Jim Weinberg are visiting elementary schools to collect the WCPS elementary school students’ drawings along with creative writing pieces regarding the development of the project by a group of 10th and 11th grade students from each school, which will then be combined into a book. (Grace Ramey McDowell/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)
Kyle Rittenhouse, the subject of a controversial murder trial in Wisconsin throughout 2020 and 2021 before being acquitted on self-defense arguments, recounts his story of what happened on that August 2020 night that resulted in the deaths of two men and injury to another, during the WKU chapter of Turning Point USA’s “Rittenhouse Recap” event in the Downing Student Union as hundreds of protestors chant loudly outside on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Rittenhouse also spoke on gun rights on college campuses and answered questions from audience members. (Grace Ramey/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)
Hundreds of protestors from Western Kentucky University’s For the People Advocacy Group, the BG Freedom Walkers, other student organizations and members of the community sing chants in protest of the WKU chapter of Turning Point USA’s “Rittenhouse Recap” event hosting Kyle Rittenhouse, the subject of a controversial murder trial in Wisconsin throughout 2020 and 2021 before being acquitted on self-defense arguments, in the Downing Student Union on Wednesday, March 27, 2024. Rittenhouse recounted his story of what happened on that August 2020 night that resulted in the deaths of two men and injury to another, spoke on gun rights on college campuses and answered questions from audience members. (Grace Ramey/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)
Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman speaks about the dangers that Amendment 2 poses to public schools during a press conference at UAW Local 2164 in Bowling Green, Ky., on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. (Grace Ramey McDowell/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, speaks at the Americans for Prosperity—Kentucky rally in support of Kentucky’s Amendment 2 alongside his wife Kelley, former Kentucky Attorney Gen. Daniel Cameron and representatives of AFP-KY at La Gala in downtown Bowling Green, Ky., on Monday evening, Oct. 28, 2024. (Grace Ramey McDowell/grace.ramey@bgdailynews.com)
As in many recent years, growth and the surrounding issues – infrastructure, employee shortages, affordable housing, etc. – dominated headlines across Southcentral Kentucky.
But there were several unique events that made news across the region as well. Following are several of the top stories of 2024:
Alcott wins second term
Bowling Green Mayor Todd Alcott was reelected after surviving a challenge from former state Rep. Patti Minter.
Minter, a Western Kentucky University professor, ran against Alcott, who was seeking a second term.
After a high-profile race, Alcott topped Minter in November by a margin of 11,245 votes to 10,100.
Alcott, a retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Colonel and former JROTC teacher at Warren East High School, was first elected in 2020, replacing then-Mayor Bruce Wilkerson who suspended his own reelection bid citing health concerns.
Alcott said Minter, “gave (me) one heck of a race.”
Buc-ee’s comes to town
The small Warren County town of Smiths Grove may never be the same after mega-gas station chain Buc-ee’s opened a location in town in June.
The massive 53,000 square foot, 120-pump store opened with a unique celebration at its location off I-65 replete with local elected officials, Buc-cee’s dignitaries and plenty of Buc-cee’s signature food and merchandise for sale.
“This is American capitalism at its finest,” said one spectator at the grand opening.
In the months leading up to the opening, many residents expressed concerns about the impact of the mega-store on local quality of life.
Housing gets a boost
As the region experiences unprecedented growth, a lack of affordable housing has been a primary issue for years. The situation was made worse in Bowling Green after 2021 tornadoes destroyed many already scarce housing units.
Government and non-profit entities have been working to increase the stock of housing, with that effort getting a major boost this summer.
Gov. Andy Beshear announced over $130 million in funding to building 635 affordable housing units in Bowling Green and Warren County.
The projects will be multi-family apartment complexes targeted at low- to middle-income individuals and families. Most of the units will be two to three bedrooms and rent prices will be controlled, ensuring affordability into the future.
According to the Kentucky Housing Corporation, the largest development in Warren County will be the 256-unit Echo Trail Apartments at a location to be determined. Other local projects that received funding were: Garrison Gardens; 1221 Crewdson Drive – 120 units; Emery Flats, 1200 Morgantown Road – 180 units; Campbell View Apartments; 110 Campbell Lane – 71 units; Lifeworks Annex; 1176 Adams St. – 8 units.
Riverfront rebirth continues
The Barren River was largely responsible for the growth of Bowling Green as a regional hub. But the riverfront in the city proper has been largely devoid of development, and was even used as a landfill.
A multi-year plan to better utilize the riverfront took more concrete form in 2024 as the city unveiled more concrete plans to transform the riverfront. In the planning/construction phase are traditional park space, new fishing piers, an amphitheater, dog park and a unique whitewater kayaking park on the river.
Private developers have also announced plans for various projects aimed to transform the area.
Controversial visitor
In March, a speech at Western Kentucky University drew large protests, as well as some supporters, as Kyle Rittenhouse appeared at the university.
Rittenhouse shot and killed two Black Lives Matter protestors at a rally in Wisconsin in 2020. He was acquitted in a criminal trial based on self-defense in 2021.
Rittenhouse spoke at several universities in 2024 under the sponsorship of Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit. Despite calls for his appearance to be cancelled, WKU President Timothy Caboni said the university was legally obligated to let him speak.
Although his appearance drew some supporters, hundreds of peaceful protesters made the bulk of the crowd during his speech.
The “For the People Advocacy Group,” a student collective formed in response to Rittenhouse’s event, began the day with a sit-in at Wetherby Administrative Building where WKU’s main administrative offices are.
Amendment 2
While proposed Amendment 2 to the state constitution was decided by a statewide vote in November, the local lobbying for and against it turned into an almost daily event.
The Amendment, broadly, would have allowed legislators to direct funds to private schools. Local school district superintendents, school boards, Gov. Andy Beshear and others held regular press conferences or regularly spoke to convey their opposition to a move that they argued would take needed funds away from public schools.
A notable local proponent of the Amendment, Sen. Rand Paul, also spoke regularly in favor of the measure, along with others.
Ultimately, the effort failed, with 65% of state residents voting against Amendment 2.
