Staff report
GLASGOW — The Barren County Alumni Association hosted the third annual Hall of Distinguished Alumni banquet on Saturday at Barren County High School. Seven Barren County graduates were honored with a dinner at Trojan Academy followed by an induction ceremony at 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
Those inducted for the class of 2009 into the Hall of Distinguished Alumni were as follows:
• Johnny Bell
Bell is a 1983 Barren County High School graduate. He serves as the 23rd District state representative and does some farming on the side. He is married to the former Carla McCoy, a 1986 BCHS graduate. They have two children, Jeremiah and Matt. He is the son of Nellie Bell Martin and the late Ronnie Bell. He is a 1997 WKU graduate and a 2000 graduate of Salmon P. Chase College of Law. He was admitted into the Kentucky Bar Association in 2001 and is a partner with Gillenwater, Hampton and Bell Law Firm in Glasgow. He is a member of the Kentucky Bar Association, Barren County Bar Association, The Cattlemen’s Association, National Rifle Association, Wild Turkey Federation, KEEPS and Dry Fork Coon Hunters Association. He is a member of Bethel Baptist Church.
• Sarah Bowers
Sarah A. Bowers was a 1946 graduate of Temple Hill High School and of the Indiana Business College in 1947. She spent countless hours and energy serving Barren County. She was known as an advocate for improving the safety on county roads, and sought funding and support for the state of Kentucky to have a monument erected at Vicksburg, Va. She and several citizens of Barren County attended the dedication and ball at Vicksburg in 2001. She was a member of the Kiwanis Club, Temple Hill Firefighters Auxiliary, Glasgow-Barren County Chamber of Commerce, National Historical Society and Business and Professional Women’s Club. She was recognized as a Woman of Achievement, ambassador of Kentucky, named a Kentucky Colonel, received the Distinguished Citizen Award and Kentucky’s Distinguished Service Medal.
• Tim England
England graduated from Barren County High School in 1979. He graduated in 1985 from the Pharmacy School at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., where he was vice president of the American Student Pharmaceutical Association and received the Kappa Psi Scholastic Award for having the highest grades in his pharmacy fraternity. He is now employed by Rite-Aid Corporation as pharmacy manager in Glasgow. He serves as vice chair of the Salvation Army Board of Directors of Glasgow-Barren County and serves on the local Junior Achievement board. He has taught a JA class at Austin Tracy for the past five years. He is co-chair of the Kids First Political Action Committee of the Kentucky School Board Association. He has also served on the Barren County Board of Education as vice chair for the past 17 years. In 2005, he was elected regional chairman of KSBA and in 2008 elected an at-large member of the KSBA board of directors. England has been a recipient of the Kids First Award given by the KSBA, and the Glasgow Daily Times Rising Star Award. He is a member of Tracy United Methodist Church. He is the son of Clyde and Dorothy England and is married to the former Valerie New. They have three children, Courtney Garmon, Seth and Lucas.
• Doug Furlong
Furlong graduated from Park City High School in 1968 and he began working with the family business, Furlong’s Plumbing and Electric. He received his Master and Journeyman Plumbing License in Frankfort then began his own plumbing business. He purchased his first farm consisting of 200 acres in 1972. He ran the plumbing business in the daytime and farmed at night. Eventually he began farming full-time and at the present time owns 1,300 acres. His son, Brad, joined the operation in 1987 followed by son-in-law, Keith Gibson, in 1994. The total operation of owned and leased land now consists of 2,400 acres. He was one of the founding members of the South Barren Volunteer Fire Department serving as a firefighter and is now vice president of the board of directors. He is a member of the Cattleman’s Association and serves on the Southerns States board of directors. As a member of Old Zion Methodist Church, he serves as Sunday School superintendent, chairman of the Administrative Board and oversees the church cemetery. Some of his awards have been Master Conservationist, Farmer of the Year and the Goodyear Award. The farm operation solely supports three families: Doug and his wife, Pauletta; Brad and his wife, Kellie, and sons, Austin, 16, and Cameron, 11; and Keith and his wife, Kim, and daughter, Kaleigh Grace, 8.
• Dorothy McCubbin
McCubbin is a 1956 graduate of Temple Hill High School. She graduated from WKU with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1960. She received her Master of Science award in 1970, Rank I and earned 18 hours beyond Rank I from WKU. She is the wife of the late Donald McCubbin and their children are Donna and Dana. She taught Home Economics at Temple Hill High School for 12 years and for 12 years at BCHS. During that time, she had many student teachers from WKU and worked at UK in curriculum writing. In 1984, she went to Barren County Central Office as Director of Federal Programs, which included Special Education and Title I. In 1990, with the inception of the Kentucky Education Reform Act, she became Supervisor of Instruction. She held that position and then was appointed Assistant Superintendent until retiring in 1997. Professional memberships include Kentucky Association of School Superintendents (1993-97), Kentucky Association of School Administrators (1984-present), Region IV Association of School Administrators (1984-97), Kentucky Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (1990-97), Kentucky Association of Educational Supervisors (1990-97), Kentucky Association for Assessment Coordinators, Kentucky Association for Gifted Education, Kentucky School Boards Association Green River Education Cooperative, Association for Exceptional Education. She is a member of Temple Hill Baptist Church and a Sunday School teacher there for nearly 45 years. Honors and awards include: member of 1996 Barren County Leadership Class, Barren County Chamber of Commerce Altrusa Award, B&PW; Woman of Achievement Award, Barren County/Glasgow Community Health Board member, member of En Amie Sorority at WKU, Officer of College Home Economics Club, volunteer in Barren County and Glasgow schools, SBDM trainer for Kentucky Department of Education and leader of Scholastic Audit Team for Kentucky Department of Education.
• Julie Strader Norman
Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Julie S. Norman is a 1982 graduate of Barren County High School. She is the daughter of Woody and Carolyn Strader of Hiseville. She and her husband, Donald, and daughters, Maria and Brooklind, also reside in Hiseville. She earned her commission through the ROTC program at Western Kentucky University in 1987 and is a graduate of the Military Police Officer Basic and Advanced Courses and the United States Army Command and General Staff College. She has been awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon and Combat Action Badge.
• Bobby Richardson
Richardson is the son of Robert E. and Nina Richardson and is a 1962 graduate of Temple Hill High School. He completed pre-law work at WKU in 1965, and enrolled in the University of Kentucky College of Law, where he graduated in 1968 with a JD degree. He is a senior partner of Richardson, Gardner, Barrickman & Alexander law firm in Glasgow. He was elected state representative for the 234d legislative district in 1971 where he served through the 1990 legislative session. He was elected majority leader of the Kentucky House of Representatives in 1976 where he served for three legislative terms. In 1981, he was elected Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, a position he held through 1984, and was then named chairman of the House Energy Committee. During his legislative career, he was honored by the Kentucky Press Corps on two occasions as the most effective legislator in the House of Representatives, received the Freedom of Information Award, designated the best orator in the House on two occasions, and awarded the Americans United for Separation for Church and State National Award for outstanding legislative leadership. On two occasions, he was selected as the Outstanding Young Man of the Year. He has served as Master Commissioner of Barren Circuit Court for 32 years, Cave City City Attorney, president of the Local Bar Association and Glasgow Lions Club. He serves as a member of the Edmonton State Bank board of directors. He was a founder of Barren River Fertilizer Company and is active in real estate development. He is married to Elaine Alexander Richardson and they have one son, Clay Richardson.
