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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Republican Congressman James Comer addressed the Paducah Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday on the stage of the Carson Center in the far western Kentucky city’s downtown. -
The annual Battle of the Birds football game between Mayfield High School and Graves County High School ended in tragedy Friday, after a shooting in a parking lot near War Memorial Stadium left one teen injured. -
A lease to build the first U.S.-owned, privately developed uranium enrichment facility in the country was signed in western Kentucky on Tuesday against a backdrop of containers holding depleted tails of uranium hexafluoride – some covered in rust. -
A California-based company with ties to billionaire investor and Trump ally Peter Thiel announced plans Friday to build America’s first U.S.-owned, privately developed facility to enrich uranium in far western Kentucky. -
A western Kentucky site was among the four tabbed by the Department of Energy Thursday to be potential future homes of “cutting edge data center and energy generation projects.” -
With just under two weeks until the 145th annual St. Jerome Picnic in Fancy Farm, the lineup of speakers is coming into focus and the emcee is busy writing her opening remarks. -
Bookshelves have become battlefields in recent years. Challenges to materials and calls for book bans have climbed to levels previously unheard of across the country as culture wars stoked by political differences have brought the fight into both school and public libraries. -
A new documentary released by Appalshop this week follows the nonprofit cultural preservation organization’s efforts to restore its archives nearly three years after historic and deadly flooding rocked eastern Kentucky, and severely damaged the group’s headquarters. -
Ron Patterson just completed his first week at the reins of Racer Nation. Much of it, he said during an interview on Thursday, has been “a whirlwind” of activity centered on connecting with the campus community and getting acclimated to his new home. -
A company aiming to open the world’s first commercial laser uranium enrichment plant in western Kentucky took a key step over the weekend.
