Will Darnall

In the days before refrigeration, railway cars full of bananas were a regular sight in the Twin Cities of Fulton, Kentucky, and South Fulton, Tennessee. Last week, the towns held their 63rd annual Banana Festival – a celebration of the towns’ history as a former key stop for the country’s fruit imports.

The Cave-In-Rock Ferry, which has connected western Kentucky and southern Illinois across the Ohio River for decades, has been closed for over two months as state officials continue to negotiate with the private company that provides the service. But a local official says the closure could drag on – and potentially require legislative action to resolve.

Commercial vessels traveling down the Tennessee River at Kentucky Lock are being aided into the structure by an assist boat following recent wall damage.

A federal judge in southern Illinois issued an order Monday halting a logging project commissioned by the U.S. Forest Service in Shawnee National Forest for violating federal law.

The Oscar Devereaux Micheaux Black Film and Arts Festival is returning for its second year this Friday at Paducah’s Maiden Alley Cinema.

Under a state program, some Kentucky commercial fishermen are using “experimental” tools and methods to capture thousands of pounds of Asian Carp at a time. One western Kentucky fishing crew is seeing results.

The Tennessee Valley Authority recently gave a handful of lucky area residents the chance to tour the inside of its facilities at Kentucky Dam to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

Early voting in Tennessee for the governor’s race and other state, federal and local offices begins Friday and will last through Aug. 1.

Funding is currently being negotiated to keep the long-running Cave-in-Rock Ferry operational for the next two years, but disagreements between the state and ferry operators are putting this year’s talks on the rocks. If a deal is not met before the current contract’s June 30 expiration date, the ferry serving parts of far western Kentucky and southern Illinois would shut down – leaving some community members high and dry.

In a milestone for Paducah’s Hotel Metropolitan, the nonprofit recently announced the hiring of its first paid staff member who will help lead the African American historical and cultural museum into the future.