Nicholas County welcomes new fifth District Magistrate

By Chloe Smith

Nicholas County’s Fiscal Court will no longer have a vacant seat during their meetings. Gov. Bevin appointed Wayne Shields Magistrate to the fifth district. Shields was sworn into office on Nov. 27 and will hold the position until the 2020 election.

The fifth district position was held by Steve Hamilton until last November when Hamilton was elected Judge Executive and was sworn into office before the November meeting of the Fiscal Court. Since November, the fifth district has had no official representation in the court.

When asked what he believes is the best direction for Nicholas County to move towards, Shields said he believes bringing industries into the county would be the best route of progress. “Students get out of high school and have nowhere to work,” Shields said. He believes that Carlisle should push harder for industrial businesses and that this would also help Carlisle grow financially. According to Shields, it will take hard work from the entire community to move the county ahead.

During the interview, he mentioned the possibility of some promise in the old Jockey building, if Nicholas County could bring a factory into the now-vacant building.

Shields has lived in Nicholas County for forty-five years and has three children. His wife of 43 years passed away in 2015 due to cancer. When asked what he would like to say, Mr. Shields told that he would like to thank Gov. Bevin for appointing him and that he would like to say, “I will do my best to represent the fifth district and to work with Judge Hamilton and the other Magistrates.”

Shields will have his first taste of Nicholas County politics during the next fiscal court meeting.

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