In high demand: Magistrate Raleigh Meadors on the growth taking place in Whitley County’s District 4

A look at work taking place on Mauney Chapel Road in Whitley County

In Whitley County’s District 4, Magistrate Raleigh Meadors says that it’s been all about growth and expansion in recent years.

“My area has probably grown more that anybody’s,” said Meadors, who is currently in his second term as magistrate. “There are a lot of people who are choosing to move into these communities.”

Meadors’ district is large, including the areas of Goldbug, Oak Grove, Canadatown, Bee Creek, Devil’s Creek, Bacon Creek, Prewitt Bend, Woodbine, McNeil Corn Creek, Mid-Springs and Spruceburg. With that much ground to cover, the magistrate typically spends a considerable amount of time riding around to keep an eye on things.

“I drive the area quite often,” Meadors explained. “And I answer a lot of phone calls. As magistrate, you’re the person that represents everyone in the district. You’re their voice, so if they have an issue that they’re concerned about, then they’re going to call you and ask that you try to get it fixed. A lot of the job is centered around doing your part to take care of the roads.”

Indeed, as the previous two reports in this series have also shown, a considerable amount of a magistrate’s time in office will be consumed with road work – identifying when/where it’s needed, working to obtain the necessary funding, and then, hopefully, overseeing the actual work.

“There are a lot of roads in my area that need work,” Meadors said. “We are taking care of them as we can, but there is only so much money available for blacktopping projects.”

One area that is currently undergoing a major renovation in District 4 is Mauney Chapel Road, which is located off of Cumberland Falls Highway near the Bee Creek/Tidal Wave Road intersection. A brand new subdivision is actively being built in the area, and Meadors said that when it is complete there will be about 150 additional homes located there.

“That has become a big project that the county is working on right now in my district,” Meadors said of Mauney Chapel Road. “Right now, we are widening the road so that it will be able to handle all of the additional traffic that is coming to that area.”

Meadors said that, if all goes well, the roadway should be widened and ready to resurface by the end of this year.

Another road that Meadors is hoping to see improved in the near future is Log Cabin Road, which connects Hwy. 90 to Hwy. 204 a little further down in the county.

“The state did a traffic evaluation there two years ago,” Meadors said of Log Cabin Road. “They found that there were between 600-900 vehicles traveling on that road in a given 12-hour period. That is a highly trafficked county road, so I have been working with the state and the fiscal court in hopes of being able to get it widened and resurfaced.”

Meadors said that, if everything works out, he would like to begin work on Log Cabin Road sometime in 2024. It will all depend on if the state legislature decides to help fund the project, however, as estimates to complete the job currently sit at around $500,000.

Meadors said that he should know more about the prospects for improvements to Log Cabin Road sometime this fall.

In addition to road work, Meadors said that he is excited about the fact that the fiscal court has been able to work with the Whitley County Water District recently to bring clean drinking water to certain areas that were still without this necessary service.

“Everyone should have access to clean water,” Meadors said. “Right now, we are in the process of finishing up the work to bring that service to White Oak Road, Jim Walker Road and Lanham Trace Road.”

Also, as mentioned in previous reports in this series, the study into expanding broadband service in Whitley County should be of great benefit to folks living in Meadors’ district.

“A group called CTC Technology has been conducting the study, driving around every area in the county,” Meadors said. “Once the study is complete, there is grant money available to help fund this project. All we have to do is present the findings, and show that we can utilize those funds.”

“Hopefully we can bring high-speed Internet and broadband service to everybody in the county,” Meadors added. “During COVID, when kids were sent home to do their schoolwork, that really showed that we need to have reliable Internet service in every home.”

With all of the active and planned work going on in Whitley’s District 4, Meadors urged patience from residents, saying, “The area is growing really fast, and the plan is to continue working hard toward us having the best possible roads throughout the district. There is a lot of construction going on right now, so just be patient. It will be a big improvement once everything gets done.”

Meadors thanked his fellow members of the Whitley Fiscal Court for all of their efforts in making improvements throughout the county. He also thanked the county’s road department for all of their hard work, as well as the first responders and volunteer firefighters who do their part to assist the growing number of people living in the 4th District.