Kentucky Trivia ● Kentucky Tweets

December 18, 1792, the Kentucky General Assembly established an act to inspect tobacco, hemp, and flour governed by the laws of Virginia.  The Act called for Clark County to house an inspection site.”

December 18, 1799, Kentucky created Nicholas County from Bourbon County and Mason County and was named in honor of George Nicholas, Revolutionary War Colonel and “Father of the Kentucky Constitution.”  Carlisle is the county seat.  Other localities include East Union, Headquarters, Hooktown, Moorefield, and Myers.  The 41^st county created, Nicholas County, covers 197 square miles.

December 18, 1800, Kentucky created Wayne County from parts of Pulaski County and Cumberland County and named it in honor of Anthony Wayne, Revolutionary War General.  The county seat is Monticello.  Other localities include Alpha, Barrier, Big Sinking, Cooper, Duncan Valley, Fall Creek, Frazer, Frisby, Hidalgo, Mill Springs, Parmleysville, Powersburg, Rockybranch, Roger’s Grove, Steubenville, Sunnybrook, and Windy.  The 43^rd county created, Wayne County, covers 484 square miles.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native John Colgan, born in 1840, the inventor of flavored chewing gum in his drug store, somewhat by mistake, in the late 1860s.  During the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, he sold his Taffy Tolu and created quite a buzz.  William Wrigley, Jr., came across John’s chewing gum at the fair and became quite impressed.  Wrigley’s gum took off, and John Colgan faded into history.

December 18, 1890, Town Marshal Robert Edward Thompson, Hardinsburg Police Department, died from knife wounds while escorting a drunk man to jail.  The subject suddenly refused to go any further and pulled out a knife.

December 18, 1896, Logan County lynched Dink and Arch Proctor, white males, for an alleged murder.  Kentucky recorded 135 lynchings from 1882 through 1921.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville native Mary Nolan, born in 1902.

December 18, 1913, Town Marshal Rory Jay Draughn, Hazard Police Department, died arresting a man on Main Street for being drunk in public.  Marshal Draughn knew the man, who was a candidate for county sheriff, and attempted to talk him into accompanying him to the police station.  When the man drew his weapon Marshal Draughn told reminded him that they were friends and told him not to shoot.  The man then opened fire, striking him four times.

December 18, 1930, Adolf Rupp coached his 1^st game for Kentucky.  The Wildcats beat Georgetown College 67-19 at home in Alumni Gymnasium.  Coach Rupp, reintroducing the fast-break basketball system to Kentucky fans, used 17 of the 19 men on his squad in the opening encounter.  Harry Lancaster, Kentucky’s future assistant basketball coach, and Athletic Director, earned Georgetown’s top scoring honors with 11 points.

December 18, 1932, Deputy Sheriff James T. Morgan, Letcher County Sheriff’s Office, suffered a fatal heart attack minutes after subduing a drunk and disorderly man.

December 18, 1933, Night Marshal Floyd Hensley, Beattyville Police Department, died arresting a man for public drunkenness.  During the arrest, the man produced a handgun and shot Marshal Hensley in the neck, killing him instantly.

December 18, 1955, Deputy Sheriff Dewey Sizemore, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, died arresting a drunk man in public at Big Creek.  A neighbor of the subject, also drunk, attempted to intervene when a .38 caliber pistol fell from his pocket.  The neighbor then shot Deputy Sizemore five times.  Despite being mortally wounded, Sizemore killed the subject.

December 18, 1962, Louisville authorities emphasized their commitment to the Sunday Law as far as they knew how to apply it.  Mayor William O’ Cowger stated he would use good horse sense when enforcing the law.

December 18, 1972, the Kentucky State Racing Commission announced their 1973 racing dates that included a record 246 racing days and major changes for Churchill Downs and Miles Park.

Localtonians wish a Happy Birthday to Louisville Native Josh Dallas, born in 1978, a television and film actor who has enjoyed many leading roles.

December 18, 1982, Eastern Kentucky football coach Roy Kidd hugged senior quarterback Tuck Woolum after the Colonels won the Division I-AA national title in Wichita Falls, Texas.  Eastern defeated Delaware 17-14 for its 2^nd national title in four years.  The Colonels became the 1^st undefeated team ever to win the I-AA title.  “Oh, this has to be the greatest,” Kidd said.  “To go undefeated and win the national championship, it’s unbelievable.  There’s no doubt that this is the greatest team, the greatest.”

December 18, 1995, Howard Schnellenberger, in a surprise move, voluntarily resigned as the head football coach for the Oklahoma Sooners.  He coached for one season with a 5-5-1 record.  Before Oklahoma, he spent a decade with the Cardinals and won the national championship with Michigan.

December 18, 1995, seventeen sanitation workers from Louisville claimed $15 million from Lotto Kentucky Jackpot.  However, the biggest winner at the lottery headquarters this day were brothers and sisters from La Center in Ballard County, who picked up a $33.8 million check from Powerball.

On December 18, 1997, Kentucky released seven elk in the Cyprus-Amax Wildlife Management Area, next to Robinson Forest in Perry County, the 1^st time in 150 years that free-ranging elk inhabited the state.

December 18, 1999, the Wildcats spanked the Cardinals 76-46 in Rupp, the 2^nd largest margin between the two teams in their 31-game series.  This meeting also marked the 1^st time the two teams met in the modern era when neither had a top 20 ranking.  The largest rout happened in 1986 when Kentucky won by 34 points, 85-51.

December 18, 2005, a century-old tradition continued when Beckham Bird Club members woke up extra early to help with the annual Christmas bird count conducted by the National Audubon Society.

December 18, 2005, the death rate for all-terrain vehicle users grew faster in Kentucky than any other state from 2002 to 2004, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported.

December 18, 2015, authorities released inmate number 16226-032, Richard Dwight Farmer, from federal prison.  He received a 24-month sentence after agreeing to a plea deal when he accepted responsibility for spending government money on family and friends as head of Kentucky’s Department of Agriculture.

December 18, 2019, President Trump became the 3^rd president to be impeached, while federal investigators looked at Governor M. Bevin’s legal pardons.

December 18, 2020, Kentucky reported 3,179 new cases and 28 new deaths of individuals in their 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.  The governor said, “Christmas is probably my favorite day of the year, and I know we all want to celebrate the way we usually do, but this year we need to do things differently.  With vaccines arriving this week, we can see the bright light at the end of the tunnel.  Now we just need everyone to keep doing their part to protect one another.”

Positives:  3,179 / 237,190
Deaths:  28 / 2,344 – 1^st Death 3/16/20
50&over: 2,283 / 49-30: 58 / 29&under: 3

December 18, 2021, a federal appeals court panel allowed President J. Biden’s coronavirus vaccine mandate for large private employers to move ahead, reversing a previous decision that affected some 84 million U.S workers.  Meanwhile, the FDA issued an emergency authorization for Moderna’s experimental vaccine, the 2^nd such vaccine to be cleared in the U.S.

December 18, 2021, Camron Justice scored a career-high 25 points with five 3-pointers, and Western Kentucky beat Louisville for the 1^st time in their last ten meetings, 82-72, on their home court.

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