The year 2022 was one of triumph, tragedy and change. Before we close the book, let’s take a look back.

 Perhaps the most popular story of the year was when Louisa construction worker Noah Thompson captured the heart of America and was voted the 2022 “American Idol” winner. 

In February, Thompson’s best friend Arthur forced him to audition for “American Idol.” From there he became a household name. The show drew 16 million votes on finale night in May.

Thompson’s achievement served as a testimony that dreams can come true. He left Louisa a construction worker and returned a star. 

The year started on a sad note with the passing of Judge/Executive Victor Slone following his long battle with cancer. Slone’s deputy judge Colby Kirk was appointed to take Slone’s place and stepped into the leadership role. Before the year’s end, the young judge/executive received a job offer he couldn’t refuse with One East Kentucky and tendered his resignation. Again, Gov. Beshear appointed a judge/executive, naming Dr. Lon Lafferty as Martin County’s third judge/executive in the year.

Devastating flooding in Eastern Kentucky at the end of July claimed lives and left Kentuckians homeless. Martin County was spared the destruction other Eastern Kentucky counties experienced but did not escape disaster completely, as homes and property in various parts of the county were heavily damaged or destroyed.

Part of the destruction involved the water system in the county, as hundreds of residents were without water while utility workers searched for a massive leak that was draining clear wells at the treatment plant and water storage tanks.

Martin County residents got a big raise on their water bills in 2022, a permanent 21% increase. The water district leaked more than 70% of treated water through leaky lines in 2022.

A 32-year-old missing persons case closed in March 2022 when police recovered the remains of Ruvil Hale from Dewey Lake. Hale, of Pigeon Roost, had been missing since July 3, 1990. He was 43 years old at the time of his disappearance and was being treated for a brain aneurysm and stroke at a Paintsville Health Care Center.

Readers welcomed news of Movies on Main reopening in June after the theater was shuttered for over two years.

Tomahawk resident Mardy Mollett was sentenced to 35 years in prison in July for his brutal attack on his ex-wife Pamela Blevins. Mollett was found guilty at the end of a three-day trial.

The year was marked by the horrific shooting of police officers June 30 in Allen that claimed the lives of three officers and a K-9 and injured several others. Lance Storm, 49, of Allen, opened fire on the officers as they approached the front of a residence.

On July 4, state police and officers from surrounding county and city police departments responded to an “active shooter” call on Sandlick Road in Davella, where they shot and killed 36-year-old James Lee Howard following a standoff.

NetCare Ambulance, which served the county with seven ambulances for the past 20 years, was sold to Patriot Ambulance at the end of August. The new owner, Patriot Ambulance, relocated all but five ambulances outside the county. Within days of the takeover, residents began reporting long wait times of up to an hour or more as units were being dispatched from as far away as Magoffin County to answer calls in Martin County. The issue continued to escalate, and within a 30-day timeframe, four deaths occurred during the long waits.

  In September, the Martin County Harvest Fest welcomed its biggest-ever crowd to downtown Inez.

In November, a school bus accident in Magoffin County sent 19 to the hospitals, with the driver and two students being flown from the scene with serious injuries. The bus went over a steep embankment and dropped hundreds of feet before landing on its side. No deaths were reported.

The first week in December is one for the memory book as Christmas in the Mountains transformed the Martin County seat into a wonderland with beautiful Christmas light displays and the sound of children’s laughter in the air.

As we close the book on 2022, we wish you a happy and prosperous 2023.