Will Darnall

The sounds of beating drums and bells adorning Native American dancers could be heard throughout Hopkinsville’s Trail of Tears Commemorative Park this past weekend as thousands gathered for an annual celebration of Indigenous culture.

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce says the state could help more residents enter the workforce – and boost one of the nation’s lowest workforce participation rates – by addressing ballooning costs for childcare and access to those services.

Murray State University announced Tuesday that one of the university’s biggest benefactors has died.

Every year, St. Jerome Catholic Church draws thousands of visitors to its Fancy Farm Picnic fundraiser in Graves County, Kentucky, with its food, games, and fiery political speeches. WKMS's Will Darnall sends an audio postcard from the 145th edition.

There’s a special buzz around the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area every August, as hundreds of hummingbirds stop to fuel up on their way south for the winter. Scientists are using tiny fluttering birds’ annual migratory pit stop this summer as a chance to test an experimental tracking technology.

A new book authored by members of the Hickman County Historical Society tells a detailed history of the area’s place along the Trail of Tears, and the experiences of the Native American people who traveled on it, as they passed through the far western Kentucky county.

According to researchers at the University of Kentucky, maple syrup production in the Commonwealth has the potential to significantly boost both state and local economies. The study published earlier this year found that Kentucky’s abundance of untapped maple trees has the capacity to produce up to $25 million annually while creating roughly 1,300 jobs.

Every April, for more than seven decades, Paris, Tennessee, has celebrated what’s come to be known as the “World’s Biggest Fish Fry,” attracting thousands of visitors to the Henry County community.

Recent heavy rains in western Kentucky caused water levels at Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley to rise and crest earlier this week. But some fish species started reproducing as the waters were rising – and now that those levels are receding, some wildlife experts are concerned about how those eggs will be impacted.

Graves County Emergency Management activated the DARCI platform on Sunday, which lets residents who have been affected by severe weather in recent days share their disaster-related needs with relief organizations in the county.