Derek Operle
News DirectorA native of western Kentucky, Operle earned his bachelor's degree in integrated strategic communications from the University of Kentucky in 2014. Operle spent five years working for Paxton Media/The Paducah Sun as a reporter and editor. In addition to his work in the news industry, Operle is a passionate movie lover and concertgoer.
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Geologists say an untapped, carbon-free energy source could be underneath parts of Kentucky. So why isn’t anyone trying to use it? -
As the nuclear energy economy continues to accelerate across the United States, lawmakers in Kentucky are weighing a bill that would see the commonwealth invest tens of millions of dollars toward developing sites for reactors. -
With multiple nuclear facilities being built in the Bluegrass State, the Kentucky Public Service Commission has scheduled a series of public information meetings to hear what Kentuckians have to say about the industry’s potential impacts on their communities. -
In Kentucky, just two dedicated art house cinemas are still in operation following the recent closure of Louisville’s Baxter Avenue Theatres. -
A Louisville native with experience working with major television and film networks and studios is now attached to direct the Kentucky Film Office, the state agency geared toward marketing the Bluegrass State to the entertainment industry. -
The first day of the spring semester on Murray State University’s campus was interrupted by what school leadership considered to be a bomb threat Monday, though the administration and law enforcement have since reported that there is no credible threat. -
Bowling Green and Paducah are two of the sites where protesters gathered to denounce the killing of a Minnesota woman who was shot to death by a ICE agent. -
CEO Scott Nolan said this federal funding will accelerate General Matter’s production scale by years, with the DOE award going toward construction and startup costs for the company's western Kentucky facility. -
An evidentiary hearing that could reopen a more than 25-year-old Graves County murder case came to a close Thursday. -
The nuclear industry in the Bluegrass State took big strides in 2025, and the lawmaker who's helped lead the charge for nuclear power in Kentucky says he expects that momentum carry into 2026.
