By Amelia Epley I was feeling the rocking of the boat as I fixed my hair for Thanksgiving dinner. I turned off the blower and reapplied the herbal oil behind my ears. Tonight’s seasickness would be rough. It had been a windy day in Belize. I was standing to put on my...
Satanism, schizophrenia, and seclusion: Scottsville murder suspect has tumultuous past
By James Line At 2:30 a.m. on March 9, 2016, the emergency dispatch center in the sleepy town of Scottsville, Kentucky, received a 911 call from a local nursing home. When police arrived at Scottsville Manor, they were directed by staff to Room 15. A dead man lay on...
Faith in Science
By Justin Turner The small sanctuary of Franklin Presbyterian Church comes alive with music and chatter in the time between Sunday school and the start of the service. Two young girls twirl their dresses as they skip up and down the aisles, winding between the adults...
‘Trump & Truth’ Lecture Addresses Threats to Press Freedom
By Courtney Sherrill The relationship between presidential administrations and the media has never been one of comradery, regardless of party affiliation. However, due to President Donald Trump’s often-flagrant disrespect for journalists, the news media faces its most...
Boxing with Care: Daughter Finds Purpose Fighting Parkinson’s
By Brandon Killian Jill Steffey has been around Parkinson’s Disease her whole life. Her grandfather David Steffey had Parkinson’s Disease. Growing up, Jill watched her grandmother and her aunt as his caregivers. Now Jill is a caregiver to her father, Reese Steffey,...
PTSD Affects Veterans Long After Combat
By Casey McCarthy When Jeff Reece first came home to Metcalfe County, Kentucky, after 11 months in Iraq, he thought everything would be the same. A year after returning, Reece fell asleep holding his son, Chase, an infant at the time, only to awake to find he had...
Chi Chi Danger Squirrel: It’s all in the name
By Joseph Barkoff Photos by Mike Ko of Silicon Valley Design and Gregg Rich of Gregg Rich Photography In roller derby you either pick the name of your alter ego, or it is chosen for you. When I began skating at my “fresh meat boot camp” I had no idea as to what my...
A Transplanted Purpose
By John Reecer One by one, each student nervously walked up to the principal of Monroe County High School to receive their high school diploma. Their hearts and minds were full of countless emotions as their adult lives stretched out before them. However, different...
Time Stands Still in Tompkinsville: Community Votes to Remain Dry
By John Reecer It’s a typical Sunday afternoon and, just like any other day in Tompkinsville, Kentucky, there aren’t too many cars on the roads. With a small population of just 2,291 citizens, there are only four stoplights in the entire town and the buildings that...
Bosnia to Bowling Green: Finding a Place to Call Home
By Emma Austin Every time she enters her Bowling Green home, Gina Dzelil stops to take off her shoes and sees a framed photograph hanging on the wall above her alarm system control panel. The photo is of a small, gray, two-story house with a rusty-colored roof and...
A Joyful Noise
By Bryson Keltner In the outskirts of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, her house is surrounded by farmland. Her carport is painted red. A cement Tennessee Volunteer dog sits by the front door–it weighs more than her. That’s Ruth Kelly’s house. “Well, come in, Honey,” she...
The Deli
By Bryson Keltner Nestled on winding Highway 68 between Edmonton and Sulphur Well, there is a landmark. It does not bear a monument, nor does it have historical significance. It is a small, white building dividing the hills of cow pastures and hay fields in Metcalfe...