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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All of the uranium that comes out of Global Laser Enrichment’s planned Paducah enrichment facility will be bought by Cameco, a Canadian corporation that owns a minority stake in GLE. -
A federal bill signed into law Friday morning by President Donald Trump will allow the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club to assume formal ownership of the property it’s utilized for years in Paducah. -
A former Graves County Middle School teacher who was arrested on accusations of grooming one of her district’s students in August is no longer facing that charge.
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Prosecutors say that an Ohio woman accused in the fatal shooting of a Weakley County sheriff’s deputy could face the death penalty, if convicted. -
The U.S. Army announced deals Wednesday that could give energy vendors up to $2.2 billion to construct, operate and own nuclear microreactors on five bases across the country – including at Fort Campbell. -
As severe storms moved through western Kentucky late Wednesday night, some residents felt a rumble that was more than thunder. -
A lawsuit recently filed in the Trigg Circuit Court alleges that a 6-year-old child in the local public school system was repeatedly sexually abused by an older student while riding a bus during the 2025-2026 school year. -
Murray State University’s Board of Regents met for a special called meeting Tuesday morning to appoint a new treasurer after school leaders say Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services Laura Foltz was put on leave last week. -
A Kentucky environmental advocacy group is appealing its rejected bid to halt the Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing process for Global Laser Enrichment’s planned, first-of-its-kind Paducah laser uranium enrichment facility.
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A $100 billion data center campus will be built on federally-owned land in far western Kentucky.
