Hopkinsville is a finalist for a mobile communications tech makeover

The city is one of 10 finalists in the T-Mobile Hometown Techover competition. The winner will be announced later this summer.

Hopkinsville is one of 10 finalists for a $3 million tech makeover from T-Mobile that the company says will make the winning town a 5G model for communities across the United States. 

City officials were celebrating the selection Thursday morning in downtown Hopkinsville, where T-Mobile was handing out free pink donuts, a nod to the company’s magenta-colored logo, until 4 p.m. Thursday in the Hopkinsville Water Environment Authority parking lot. A company representative told Hoptown Chronicle that T-Mobile bought 6,000 donuts from Whistle Stop Donuts on Ninth Street. 

wendell lynch with t-mobile representatives
Mayor Wendell Lynch (left) announces Hopkinsville’s selection as a finalist in the T-Mobile contest with two representatives of the company Thursday morning in downtown Hopkinsville. (Facebook screenshot image.)

A news release describes Hopkinsville as “a charming, southern agricultural community with one of the most diverse populations in Kentucky, (which) neighbors the Fort Campbell Army installation.”

The T-Mobile Hometown Techover competition received thousands of submissions, the company said. 

“A panel of judges from T-Mobile and Smart Growth America will determine a grand-prize winner based on project feasibility, the town’s need for a network upgrade and town leadership interest and engagement,” the news release states.

Smart Growth America is a nonprofit that works on public policy related to community development in rural and urban areas. 

In a release from the city, Mayor Wendell Lynch said, “Hopkinsville is known worldwide for its generous spirit. What a treat to be celebrated by a global company that recognizes the many things our community does each day.”

As a finalist, Hopkinsville will receive a $50,000 grant for a community project. Officials have not said how it will be used. 

The makeover for the winning community will include:

In addition, there will be a free concert with a multi-platinum musical duo Florida Georgia Line. 

box of pink donuts
Pink donuts made at Whistle Stop Donuts to celebrate Hopkinsville’s finalist status in the tech makeover contest. (Photo by Jennifer P. Brown)

The other towns named as finalists, along with the description provided by T-Mobile, are:

  • Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, is nestled in the Poconos and home to a historic downtown filled with small businesses that are the heart of the economy.
  • Dunn, North Carolina, is a beautiful small town in central North Carolina with a walkable downtown and nurtures tourism with small businesses and museums.
  • Girard, Kansas, is a town in southeastern Kansas with dedicated teachers who want to help improve their students’ connectivity.
  • Guadalupe, California, is located on the Central California coast near the famous Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, has an economy dependent on the surrounding farms that feed America.
  • Kalispell, Montana, is one of the fastest-growing small cities in the United States located in northwest Montana and is known for its incredible outdoor recreation and proximity to Glacier National Park.
  • Tipton, Indiana, has a high concentration of veterans within its community and is honoring them with Hometown Hero banners displayed on their downtown streetlamps.
  • Wareham, Massachusetts, is a diverse New England town situated just outside Cape Cod on picturesque Buzzards Bay. The economy is rooted in the fishing and agriculture industries and bolstered by tourism, manufacturing and commerce.
  • Washington, Missouri, is a growing community nestled along the Missouri River that serves as the retail and industrial development hub of the county.
  • Woodstock, Illinois, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a diverse city known for its historic downtown district and turn-of-the-century town square.

Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.