TROY – The 64th annual Lincoln County Fair certainly proved to be a memorable one for the right, and sometimes wrong reasons.

The good included a brand-spanking new livestock arena for exhibitors and the always popular Thursday night auction which generated a record amount of proceeds in 2025.

The bad included a couple high-profile arrests, including one involving threats of a mass shooting.

The First Arrest

Troy Police and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department wasted little time in arresting a Troy man who threatened a mass shooting Thursday.

Law enforcement arrested Ryan Hartline, 27, Thursday afternoon on a felony charge of making a terrorist threat and a misdemeanor harassment charge just hours after he made the threats on Facebook.

Earlier in the week, but after the start of the weeklong fair, the fair board decided to enact a clear-bags only policy following a couple incidents in the opening days.

A mixture of support and criticism followed, but according to investigators, Hartline’s remarks threatened violence.

“I’ma bring whatever tf I want, Got a problem? Take it up with my sidearm,” Hartline is accused of posting under the profile name of James Kovacs.

Other threats he made Thursday included insinuations of a large number of casualties.

“Take bets, I bet it’s a lot of number before I drop” he wrote, adding “the body counts higher quicker” in another.

He also made a passing threat at law enforcement.

“I’ma just Pull off send the cop, he might get sent ‘home’ early,” court records indicate.

The detective leading the investigation reported in the probable cause statement after he arrested him, Hartline admitted to making the posts under the fake profile.

Hartline made an initial appearance in court Tuesday afternoon. His attorney requested Hartline’s release without a bond, but Associate Judge Michael Jacobs ruled against the request, setting his bond at $100,000 cash-only.

Lincoln County Fair Board Chairman Tim Schroer said the decision to implement the clear bag policy was a difficult one.

“The clear bags, it got to be between too many things, drinks and stuff coming in and when you get a crowd that large, you have to help the sheriff department,” he said. “It wasn’t taken lightly but safety is way more important than people being upset about a bag not coming in.”

As for the threats Thursday, Schroer praised the efforts of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department who he said kept fair board officials informed the entire time.

“They went above and beyond not only in that instance but through the entire fair,” Schroer said. “The Fair Board is really appreciative of all they do.”

The Livestock Arena

The 2025 fair marked the unveiling of a new livestock arena, built following the conclusion of the 2024 fair.

Previously using original buildings dating back to 1982, the fair board embarked on a two-year project to improve the facilities, starting with the livestock arena.

In conjunction with the construction, the fair board launched a fundraising campaign earlier this year, hoping it would cover the cost of the estimated $750,000 facility.

It did and then some, with the community donation more than $1 million, Schroer said.

“The community really stepped in and made that happen,” Schroer said. “It’s unbelievable the donations that made it happen and the support we were shown the whole way through. It makes a warm feeling to know in this community, agriculture means this much to families and businesses.”

With the excess funds, the first phase grew to include new bleachers and new rabbit and chicken cages.

Schroer is also confident there will be enough money already raise to finance Phase II, which includes construction of new lean-tos for the cattle. At 40’x200’12’8,” the cattle structure will be an extension of the show arena.

“With that support, it was recognized we were able to do those things, like the new cages and paying for Phase II,” Schroer said. “At the end of the day, this is for the kids and you can see where the community has responded to that.”

At the Auction

Auction numbers were up both in terms of number of entries and money raised.

While exact figures aren’t in yet, Schroer estimates the auction raised close to $1.4 million this year, compared to $1.17 million in 2024.

Also up were the number of animals sold from 371 in 2024 to 393 this year.

Average sales per animal also increased significantly at more than 10 percent at $3,150 in 2024 compared to $3,560 this year.

The Second Arrest

The fair ended on a sour note, figuratively, after another arrest at the Trace Adkins.

According to law enforcement sources, an intoxicated individual made his way to the stage where he sat down for an extended period of time.

He was eventually forcibly removed at which time he struck one of the sheriff’s deputies.

Charges have yet been filed in that instance.