History was made in our city Wednesday with the announcement that a fully-staffed federal prosecutor’s office will operate out of the William H. Natcher Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse.

Space in the federal building that has been used for federal prosecutors visiting from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Louisville will now be dedicated to an office occupied by three Bowling Green-based prosecutors, including Warren County native Mark Yurchisin, who was sworn in Wednesday as a special assistant U.S. attorney by U.S. Attorney Russell Coleman for the Western District of Kentucky. A third assistant prosecutor is anticipated to be hired within six to eight weeks to staff the Bowling Green office.

In a full courtroom, law enforcement and elected officials gathered along with citizens and family members of those who will work out of this office. It was a pretty special moment, to say the least.

Coleman was very instrumental in this effort, along with strong support from U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, in getting this new office open. Coleman did an excellent job of explaining to the audience Wednesday why having a presence here is so important for our state.

Coleman correctly stated how having a presence here creates the opportunity to bolster working partnerships among local and federal law enforcement agencies in the region.

“We’re here to reconnect, build a solid foundation, expand our reach and expand our relationships with law enforcement agencies,” said Coleman, who grew up in Logan County.

Not only will this new location help with expanding relationships with law enforcement, it will also be a lot more convenient for federal prosecutors who in the past have had to drive from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Louisville to present their cases.

It also makes a lot of sense to have a U.S. attorney’s office here, not only because we are the third-largest city in the state, but also because the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives already have officers based in Bowling Green. Having all these agencies here should facilitate cooperation to investigate and expedite federal cases.

We are very happy to see this new office open in Bowling Green. It was a much needed addition to the federal prosecutors’ goal, and we wish them all the best in their new location in our city.