A COUNTY of IMMIGRANTS: SEND US YOUR HOOSIERS, YOUR TEXANS, YOUR RESTLESS IDAHONIANS . . .

Anyone living in Adair County has to notice the tremendous influx of new residents from out-of-state in the last 18 months..

It's evident in the names on the mailboxes.

It's evident on the license plates on the cars parked in the driveways of the new homes.

And it is evident in Circuit Court Clerk Bill Ballou's office.

By law, Mr. Ballou is required to take the out-of-state license from drivers as they qualify for the ultimate rite-of-passage, the conferring of a Commonwealth of Kentucky drivers license.

Since January 1, 1996, Mr. Ballou has been saving the out-of-state licenses in a cigar box.

By 10:30 a.m., Monday, June 9, the count was 253 licenses from 32 states, plus one from Alberta, Canada. As expected, most of the licenses are from Indiana drivers.

Their numbers are multiplied by the current retirees who had to leave Adair County in the 40's, 50's, and 60's to find work. Many of these temporary Hoosiers are now coming home to retire.

"You'd think that be about the only reason for the numbers," Mr. Ballou says, "but that doesn't account for the young people we're seeing. These drivers are people of all ages.

"I talked with Dr. Max Downey," Mr. Ballou said, "and he is doing his own survey when people come to his office. He's found that, they are primarily telling him that they move to Adair County because of the crime situation in the states they come from."

Ballou noted that the numbers (counted by hand by a Columbia! magazine lackey) do not include anyone who moves to Adair County from other parts of Kentucky.

Ranking: New Drivers

from Other States

to Adair County

1. Indiana 49

2. Illinois 32

3. Florida 27

4. Ohio 24

5. Tennessee 20

6. Michigan 13

7. New York 11

8. Alabama 10

9. Arkansas 8

10. Arizona 7

11. California 6

12. Georgia 6

13. Pennsylvania 5

14. South Carolina 4

14. Texas 4

16. Colorado 3

16. Louisiana 3

16. Nebraska 3

19. Hawaii 2

19. North Carolina 2

19. Washington 2

19. West Virginia 2

23. Connecticut 1

23. Idaho 1

23. Iowa 1

23. Kansas 1

23. Maryland 1

23. Massachusetts 1

23, Minnesota 1

23. Missouri 1

23. New Jersey 1

23. Oklahoma 1

TOTAL- 253

Alberta, Canada 1