Rowan Review - August 2026
As the close of summer draws near, it’s again time for us to take a moment together to reflect on what has happened, and to talk a little bit about what is to come. As always, we sincerely appreciate your readership and your desire to be involved in your community.
TEMPERATURES RISING
If you’ve paid us a visit to the Courthouse this month, you already know that our air has been out due to an issue with the geothermal system. If you’ve been to jail this summer, you also know we have had some HVAC issues there with the chiller.
Our facilities team and contractors have been firing on all cylinders this month to get things back into working order. A mobile chiller was installed at the Detention Center not long after we were made aware of the issue. It will continue to provide cooled air to the facility in the interim while our new chiller is in production, expected to be ready for installation in late September or early October. Regarding the geothermal problem with the Courthouse’s HVAC system, as of the time of writing, the majority of those issues have now been resolved.
We thank everyone for their patience while we’ve been down and are happy to report that things are much cooler now.
DATA CENTERS
It’s the thing on the tip of everybody’s tongue these days – what exactly are we going to do about all these data centers popping up everywhere?
In short, Rowan County’s approach will center around upholding local control, and protecting our citizens and their property. At August’s monthly meeting, the Fiscal Court unanimously passed a resolution establishing a moratorium on large-scale data center development in Rowan County for two years. But, why just two years?
This world seems to be changing awfully fast around our little community. Last year, we put a moratorium on large scale solar farms, and established regulations around biodigestation facilities. What will be the proverbial bee in all of our bonnets next year? It’s hard to say, but what has become very apparent is this; our community is going to need a stronger voice in order to protect ourselves against developments that may not necessarily be conducive to our way of life.
Our hope is in the next two years, we will be able to create a thoughtful framework to properly vet these large commercial developments for fitment in Rowan County.
MANUFACTURED HOME PARK REGULATIONS
Working in more or less the same vein as our last topic, the Fiscal Court also took action this month on our Manufactured Home Park (MHP) regulations, in what you might call a de-regulation.
Oftentimes throughout the history of our county, and many other counties across the nation, local ordinances have been written to complement or “sit on top of” state law, meaning that our regulations can be more restrictive, but not less restrictive.
Over time, as state laws change from year to year, if county ordinances don’t follow, they can become out of date, conflicted, irrelevant, or just serve to add as an extra layer of confusion for people. In this instance, a closer examination of our MHP regulations revealed several inconsistencies with the Commonwealth’s governance.
Since the state is the primary regulatory agency for MHP’s, it was decided that Chapter 153 of the Rowan County Code of Ordinances be amended to refer to the relevant state statutes in perpetuity, as they may be amended.
This will allow for Rowan County to step in where it’s rarely necessary for us to get involved, if need be, but at the same time makes for a smoother and easier understood pathway for anybody trying to develop a manufactured home park. The second reading of this amendment will take place in September.
ROWAN COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITY
Two updates for you this month on Animal Control. Firstly, our roof extension over the back of the facility was completed, and we are very happy with how it turned out. Before, the roof extended only over about half of each dog run. This extension will of course provide more shade, reduce the amount of ice and snow accumulating on the concrete, and generally just improve quality of life for the animals and the ones tasked with caring for them.
In addition, we’re going to be updating a little bit of signage at the facility. Since it was constructed around 2012, our facility on KY-519 has been called the Tri-County Animal Shelter, and there is a reason for that. When the building was originally constructed, there were some grant funds available to counties for animal control facilities from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. Certainly not enough to build the building, but enough to help take some of the sting out of it.
At that time, we partnered with Fleming and Bath counties to leverage their grant allocations as well as ours, in exchange for an agreement lasting for one year to house their strays. That agreement was never subsequently renewed, but the name has hung on ever since to create some confusion. In reality, from time to time we still house Bath and Fleming County dogs for them for a small fee when we have room and they need it. Our goal with the name change really was to clear up that confusion, and so the facility will be known as the Rowan County Animal Control Facility.
NEW FACES IN OLD PLACES
Today marks the first month on the job for our newly appointed Road Foreman, Mr. Justin Caudill, as well as our new EMS Director, Mr. Levi Hanshaw, assuming this position in the latter part of September.
Mr. Hanshaw is a prior Rowan County EMS employee and returns to us from the Kentucky Board of Emergency Medical Services to be our new director. We are eager to realize the knowledge he brings back to the table, and the commitment to maintain Rowan County EMS’ place as one of the premier emergency medical services in the Commonwealth.
Mr. Caudill has served for the past three years or so as Rowan County’s first-ever Building Inspector and has done a phenomenal job with the program. He comes from a heavy background in construction, and we know that he will be a great asset to Rowan County in this new role.
One more new face to add, the Rowan County Fiscal Court has contracted with Mr. Rodney Fouch to perform the duties of the Building Inspector given the vacancy created by Mr. Caudill’s transfer. Mr. Fouch is a consummate professional, and we are looking forward to his contributions to the program – officially beginning tomorrow!
AND NOW, IN CLOSING
We would like to share with you an article from Lisa Sargent and Tim James about the creation of the Rowan County Veteran’s Museum, in which they interviewed SGT Charles Gilley, USMC, about his role and the broader efforts surrounding the development of one of the finest veterans’ museums in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
They tell this story beautifully, so please, enjoy this read and stop in the Rowan County Veteran’s Museum next month. There will be lots of great community events in town, and you should take that opportunity to stop in and visit with the volunteers and take stock of the valor and sacrifice that Rowan Countians have made throughout our history.
Until next time!
The Rowan County Veterans Museum: A Labor of Love
An Interview with SGT Charles Gilley, USMC
The Rowan County Veterans Museum came into existence around 2008-2009, the result of a collaborative vision brought to life by members of the American Legion Post 126 and the Veterans Foundation. Among those who played a key role was Sergeant Charles Gilley of the U.S. Marine Corps.
At the time, Rowan County Judge Executive Harry Clark was the Commander of the Corbie Ellington Post 126 American Legion in Morehead, Kentucky. Mr. Clark received several requests from veterans and their families who were eager to donate artifacts from their time in military service. Together with Mike Mackin, he reached out to Charles Gilley and Danny Knipp to help organize and manage these donations. They accepted the challenge, not knowing just how many treasures would come their way.
Charles recalls, “Danny (Danny Knipp, President Emeritus of the Rowan County Veterans Foundation and Museum, teacher, and principal) handled the finances and paperwork, while I took charge of the artifacts”. As word spread throughout the community, the museum began to receive an outpouring of donations—uniforms, medals, patches, mess kits, weapons, diaries, and more—each carefully placed in a donation box.
Charles devoted countless hours to meticulously review every donated item, documenting the provenance (details such as to who donated it, its history, and its significance). He wrote these descriptions by hand, and his wife Peggy prepared detailed identification tags for each item, a process requiring seemingly unending hours of keyboarding and laminating. These tags served not only to identify the item, but to honor the veterans; acknowledge the donors and to educate and inform museum visitors.
Fueled by his background as an educator and high school principal, Charles was driven to share veterans’ stories with the community. He and Peggy ensured every artifact was properly cataloged and presented with reverent care, giving each piece the special attention it deserved.
With each new donation, Charles made a promise: the item would be displayed for the community’s benefit. His commitment was rooted in education, aiming to shed light on not only the artifact but to provide a tangible explanation and proof of the veterans’ experiences.
Meanwhile, Danny Knipp managed the museum’s modest finances, where even a $20 donation was significant. Most funding would come directly from pockets of dedicated volunteers with considerably less funding coming from contributions of visitors.
The museum’s initial home was one room in the limestone building located at the corner of Second and University streets. The building had formerly housed the offices of the Rowan County Board of Education. In the early days, the museum shared space with building’s principal occupant; the Rowan County Historical Society. Charles and Danny Knipp worked hard to repair floors, acquire display tables and cases, and arrange artifacts thoughtfully in chronological order by conflict and time period. Charles crafted mannequins for the Uniform Room, while Peggy sewed patriotic curtains that served to adorn the museum’s windows for well over a decade. She worked hand in hand with Charles in myriad tasks, as the museum morphed from vision to reality.
Reflecting on the museum’s growth, Charles expressed his regret that, due to limited available display space, he can no longer fulfill his original promise to display every item -every day. To him, that promise was sacred. Today, the collection of valuable artifacts is too large for the display space in the building. Charles dreams of a new building with display space at least three times larger, in order to properly display and honor all donations in the manner they deserve. The current inability to display everything weighs heavily on his mind and tugs constantly at his heart. Yet, with the strength of an old Marine soldier having seen struggles before, he marches on daily with hopes and dreams that those following the foundation, that he and others have laid will be able to secure a larger facility for the museum’s continued growth and success.
In 2023, the Rowan County Veterans Museum underwent complete and total renovation. It now stands as a testament to the generosity of the community and the tireless efforts of volunteers, including Foundation President Bill Bolen; Historian David Clinger; Gregory Brakke and others including Tim James, Lisa Sergent and crucial financial assistance from key donors that made purchase of renovation materials possible.
Charles and Peggy are proud of the museum’s transformation but hope the original mission—to display veterans’ uniforms and mementos and provide an educational experience—remains at the forefront. The museum now uses rotating exhibits to keep displays fresh, ensuring all items are carefully cataloged. Volunteers make every effort to retrieve items for families upon request, even if they are not currently on display.
The museum’s Charles Gilley Library houses thousands of items including books, CDs, DVDs, VHS Tapes, Cassette Tapes, Slides and more. Charles encourages everyone to explore the collection, learn, and even check out books and items to take home.
The museum’s mission remains to preserve the memories and mementos of those who served; to share the stories and lessons of those that have served this great nation.
The museum’s purpose is not to glorify war, but to honor our heroes and to educate those who will listen and care to understand the true cost of war. Those who have served now know well the true cost of war.
Visitors may wonder how the Rowan County Veterans Museum began. The goal of this account is to answer that question through the experiences of those who made it possible. Those who did not ask what their country could do for them, but instead asked, “What can I do for my country?”
They dreamed and then rolled up their sleeves, reached back into their billfold and pledged their physical and financial resources to secure a dream that would outlast them. A legacy of sacrifice and service to our fellow veterans, the citizens of our community and especially to the youth so that the whole population might know of the sacrifices and the service of our honored veterans.
It all started with a dream. An idea. A willingness to roll up one’s sleeves. A spirit of service and sacrifice. A desire to build something bigger than self. A heartfelt appreciation of those that have sacrificed for the freedom we now share in the greatest of all countries; the United States of America!
Charles Gilley was raised in the humble coal camp of Lynch, Kentucky. In 1953, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps along with four friends, serving for three years. Starting at a private’s pay of only $76 a month, he would send $50 a month home to his mother. He completed basic training at Parris Island, SC.
After his training was complete, he joined the crew of the USS Coral Sea, where he served as the ship captain’s personal orderly—a role akin to a personal aide and bodyguard. He spent two years at sea, including deployments to the Mediterranean, and finished his service as an instructor at the prestigious Officer Candidate School in Quantico, VA, achieving the rank of Sergeant (E-5).
After leaving the Marine Corps, Charles attended Morehead State University, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He taught in Martin and Bath Counties before returning to Rowan County, Kentucky in 1970, serving as a teacher, high school principal, and coach.
Since retiring, Charles has remained active in his community, joining the American Legion in 2008 where he continues to faithfully serve on the Honor Guard, performing Military Honors for our fallen veterans. He is a founding member of the Rowan County Veterans Foundation and continues to volunteer at the museum.
Charles Gilley has also donated more than 28 gallons of blood to the American Red Cross.
Interviewer’s Remarks:
Interviewing Charles and Peggy Gilley has been an unforgettable honor. We were overwhelmed with gratitude, witnessing firsthand their unwavering commitment, profound patriotism, and the genuine love and respect they hold for our veterans. The sacrifices, sweat, and tears poured into creating the Rowan County Veterans Museum speak volumes about their devotion, ensuring our local heroes are cherished and celebrated every single day, in perpetuity.
Tim James / Lisa Sergent
Interviewers and Members
Rowan County Veterans Foundation and Museum
Interview Date: May 7, 2026