Cooling center established at former armory

MARION, Ky. – The former National Guard Armory will serve as a cooling center Monday, July 27, and Tuesday, July 28, as dangerous heat continues across the region.

The cooling center will be available during daytime and early evening hours but will not remain open overnight. Residents who need relief from the heat are encouraged to use the facility.

The center can be accessed by calling dispatch at 270-965-3500 as you can see in the attached letter of notice.

The National Weather Service in Paducah said heat index values could reach 105 to 115 degrees through Tuesday afternoon, with Monday expected to be the hottest day. Residents should limit strenuous outdoor activity, drink plenty of water and check on older adults and others vulnerable to extreme heat.

More than 1,000 without power in county

Kenergy Outage Center
 http://stormcenter.kenergycorp.com

MARION, Ky. – Many area residents remain without electricity this morning after a storm raced across the region around dusk Sunday.

The storm followed an unusual north-to-south path, leaving downed trees, flooded roadways and widespread power outages. Kenergy’s outage map showed hundreds of homes and businesses without electricity this morning, including more than 1,000 customers in northern Crittenden County. Outages stretched from Henderson south to Princeton and Eddyville.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said KY 902, which was closed because of high water near the Crittenden-Caldwell county line this morning, is now clear.

Red Cross declares national blood crisis

FIND OUT HOW AND WHERE YOU CAN HELP

The American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis for only the second time in its history as donations have fallen to a four-year summer low.

All blood types are needed, but the shortage is particularly severe for type O blood. The supply of type O positive blood has fallen below one day, prompting the Red Cross to limit distributions to hospitals.

Appointments may be scheduled through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 800-733-2767. Donors who give through July 31 will receive a Fandango movie ticket by email, valued at up to $15. Those who donate Aug. 1-31 will receive a $20 Amazon gift card by email.

Upcoming donation opportunities include:

• July 27: First United Methodist Church, 210 S. Washington St., Clinton, noon-5 p.m.
• July 27: Trace Creek Baptist Church, 3577 Ky. 131, Mayfield, 1-6 p.m.
• July 28: Vanzora Baptist Church, 1981 Vanzora Road, Benton, 1-6 p.m.
• July 28: Washington Street Baptist Church, 721 Washington St., Paducah, 12:30-5:30 p.m.
• July 29: Jackson Purchase Medical Center, 1099 Medical Drive, Mayfield, 7 a.m.-noon.
• July 29: The FOR Center, 2314 Brinn Road, Murray, 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
• July 30: Altona Baptist Church, 5827 U.S. 62, Calvert City, 1-6 p.m.
• July 30: Morgantown Mission, 109 S. Main St., Morgantown, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
• July 31: Elkton Baptist Church, 301 E. Main St., Elkton, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Aug. 3: First Baptist Church, 307 Massac Creek Road, Metropolis, Illinois, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Aug. 3: First Christian Church, 415 Audubon Drive, Paducah, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Aug. 4: St. Stephen Catholic Church, 1698 Canton Road, Cadiz, noon-5 p.m.
• Aug. 5: Livingston Hospital Foundation Community Building, 131 Hospital Drive, Salem, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Aug. 6: Calvary Baptist Church, 121 Kentucky Ave., Princeton, noon-6 p.m.
• Aug. 6: Rest Church, 1200 Jefferson St., Paducah, noon-5 p.m.
• Aug. 7: Murray Masonic Lodge No. 105, 2036 Ky. 121, Murray, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Aug. 9: St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 5645 Blandville Road, Paducah, 8 a.m.-noon.
• Aug. 10: First Baptist Church, 127 E. Jefferson St., Golconda, Illinois, 12:30-5:30 p.m.
• Aug. 10: First Christian Church, 2515 S. Main St., Benton, 1-6 p.m.
• Aug. 13: Jackson Purchase Medical Center, 1099 Medical Drive, Mayfield, 7 a.m.-noon.
• Aug. 13: St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1620 W. Main St., Murray, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
• Aug. 14: Sedalia Baptist Church gym, 5572 Ky. 97, Sedalia, noon-5 p.m.

The Paducah Blood Donation Center, 4635 Falconcrest Drive, will also accept donations on multiple dates through Aug. 14. Appointments and available times can be found at RedCrossBlood.org.

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Fohs Hall becomes centarian

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Fohs Hall is turning 100.  Special events are being planned for later this year to commemorate the construction of the building, donated to the community by geologist Julius Fohs.

After it ceased being used by the Crittenden County Board of Education in 1980, it was renovated and has been used as Marion's premier cultural events center.

Watch for additional information coming soon about the 100-year celebration.

Fair events resume Saturday

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The Crittenden County Lions Club Fair's tractor and truck pulls will be held Saturday, July 25.  

4-H exhibits will be entered Monday, July 27 with public viewing beginning Wednesday, July 29. 

Check out the additional schedule of events, including the annual fair breakfast and demolition derby next weekend.

Woody Curry | WWII sailor comes home

 WARTIME JOURNAL | PART 4

Curry’s Final Days at War

By Chris Evans | The Crittenden Press

The final installment in a four-part series drawn from the wartime journal of Charles “Woody” Curry.

As this four-part series on the wartime journal of Charles “Woody” Curry comes to a close, the final entries carry readers through the last stretch of World War II in the Pacific, and back home again for one Livingston County sailor who saw it all from the deck of a wartime cruiser. 

Curry, who grew up in Carrsville and graduated from Hampton High School, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in May 1944 at just 18 years old. What began as a journey away from rural western Kentucky quickly became a sometimes terrifying front-row seat to history as he served aboard the USS Boise during the campaign to retake the Philippines. 

From bombardments and air raids to kamikaze attacks and invasion landings, Curry recorded it all in a diary he kept throughout his service. It was a diary he was not technically supposed to keep in such detail, but one he maintained anyway. That decision left behind a rare, firsthand account of war through the eyes of a young sailor. The final section of his journal reflects a war moving toward its conclusion. 

Entries describe bombardments along the Philippine coast, the devastation

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of Manila, solemn moments following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and continued operations as American forces pushed forward. By mid-June 1945, Curry notes USS Boise preparing to head back toward the United States, marking the end of his wartime experience. 

After the war, Curry returned to civilian life and, like many of his generation, went back to work. He found work in Gary, Ind., as did a number of people from this area, before returning closer to home where he worked on the river as both an engineer and pilot on towboats, navigating the same waterways that had shaped his upbringing along the Ohio River. Later, he worked at the General Tire plant in Mayfield, building a life rooted in steady work and family. 

In retirement, Curry enjoyed simpler pursuits such as camping trips, time on the water and woodworking. It was the kind of quiet, hands-on activities that suited a man who had seen far more than most. Today, Curry lives at Salem Springlake nursing home in Salem, where he has resided for the past couple of years following a stroke. Though his mobility has declined, those who know him there say he remains sharp and engaged, and still willing to talk about his days as a Seaman First Class in the Navy. 

To staff and residents alike, he is more than just a veteran. He is a storyteller, a living connection to a defining chapter in American history, and, in many ways, a hero in their midst. Curry is believed to be the last living World War II veteran from Livingston or neighboring Crittenden counties. 

His diary, written in simple, steady entries by a teenager far from home, preserves not just the movements of a ship or the milestones of a war, but the experience of a generation. What began in those pages with flying fish, changing clocks and a long journey across the Pacific ended with a return home, and a life that, like many of his fellow veterans, was built not on what he saw in war, but on what he did after it.

Young Woody Curry back home
in Gary, Indiana

What began with flying fish, changing clocks and a long journey across the Pacific ended with a return home, and a life built not on what he saw in war, but on what he did after it.

Service Diary Part 4

March 1, 1945 – June 15, 1945

The final section of the journal captures the closing months of the war in the Pacific, when hard fighting continued but the broader outcome was no longer in doubt. The sailor’s entries move from bombardments and troop landings to ruined cities, dry dock repairs and solemn remembrance after the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. As the ship heads toward Borneo and carries MacArthur once more, the journal takes on the feel of a war entering its last act. March 1945

THUR. 1

We had recreation today but I didn’t get to go. I’m supposed to go

CVS temporarily closing on Saturdays

CVS is located in Darben Plaza

MARION, Ky. – CVS Pharmacy, located in Darben Plaza in Marion, recently posted on its door that it would be closed Saturdays. Roslyn Guarino, CVS senior manager of corporate communications-external affairs, has provided a statement regarding the announcement.

“We’re experiencing temporary staffing challenges at our Marion, Kentucky, pharmacy and, as a result, the pharmacy will be closed on Saturdays for the next couple of months. We’re in the process of onboarding new team members and plan to resume normal operating hours soon. Patients can always visit any open CVS Pharmacy for support. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our patients,” Guarino wrote.

According to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, it is becoming increasingly difficult to fill specialized pharmacy roles. Experts link the demand for pharmacists to an aging population across the country. The Census Bureau estimates the population over age 65 will double by 2060, creating a greater need for pharmacy services. Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates the pharmacy job market will continue to grow, with over 14,000 job openings this year alone.

Research supports that the demand is even greater in a rural area like Marion. The Rural Health Information Hub reported that “while 20.0% of the population is rural, only 13.9% of pharmacists work in rural areas.” University towns can have a flooded market, while small towns struggle. Studies indicate that there are 46% fewer pharmacists per capita in rural communities than in urban communities. The results of the high demand include longer hours and a lack of relief coverage for vacations and illnesses for small-town pharmacists in places like Marion. Consequently, that can also make it difficult to recruit and retain small-town pharmacists.

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Today we visit with Umpire of the Year in Kentucky

Larry Thompson, who describes how he became deaf umpiring

Report from Livignston Board of Education meeting

SMITHLAND, Ky. – Livingston County Board of Education held its regularly scheduled July meeting Monday, July 13, 2026, at 5 p.m. Board Chairperson David Kitchens called the meeting to order with all members present. Before the meeting, Livingston County Schools honored this year’s retirees with a retirement reception and recognition ceremony. Retirees in attendance included Dr. Troy Tedder, Amanda

Travers and Donna Smith (retirees pictured standing behind board members). 

Following the adoption of the agenda, Superintendent Amy Ramage and the board recognized Tammy Doom with the July LiveRED Staff Award in honor of her selection as the Kentucky Association for Pupil Transportation Driver Trainer of the Year. This statewide recognition reflects Doom’s outstanding leadership, commitment to student safety and more than 22 years of service to Livingston County Schools.

The board also presented Livingston Hospital with the first Community Partnership Award of the 2026-27 school year. Director of Community Wellness Crissy Carter and Chief Executive Officer Shane

Whittington (second photograph) were present to accept the award. Ramage highlighted the hospital’s invaluable role in supporting the success of Livingston County students and the broader community. Livingston Hospital has been instrumental in the success of the Healthcare Pathway at Livingston Central High School and has provided tremendous support to the district’s summer feeding program. Whittington shared that the Livingston County community is deeply important to the hospital and serves as the foundation for all it does. Livingston County Schools extends its sincere appreciation to Livingston Hospital for its continued partnership and support.

Following the approval of consent items, Ramage presented her monthly report. She reminded board members that the August meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Aug. 10, as established in the regular meeting schedule. Ramage also shared a reminder about the districtwide Cardinal Kickoff, scheduled for Monday, July 27, from 5-7 p.m. at Livingston Central High School. She also updated the board on several facilities projects taking place across the district, including painting at South Livingston Elementary and repairs to the sign at North Livingston Elementary.

A key topic in the superintendent’s report was the cost analysis of staff meal incentives requested by the board at its June meeting. The board reviewed three options for providing complimentary staff meals: daily, once a week or once a month. After considering the projected costs, the board voted to provide one free meal per week to all staff members during the 2026-27 school year.

Business items included the approval of district funding assurances, KSBA policy and procedure updates, and the staff, substitute and coaches handbooks for the 2026-27 school year. The board also approved updates to the Livingston County Child Nutrition Procurement Plan to align with recent legislative changes.

The Livingston County Board of Education’s next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Livingston County Board of Education office.

Brantley Furniture Celebrating 26 Years!

 Brantley Furniture is celebrating 26 years in business with its biggest sale of the year!

Stop by Thursday and Friday, July 24-25, for special savings, giveaways and a chance to win. Recliners start at $299, queen beds with two nightstands are $399, and sofa-and-loveseat sets start at $850.

Visit Brantley Furniture at 121 W. Main St. in Princeton. Congratulations on 26 years!

School board weighs preschool expansion

CRITENDEN COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING 

Members review $2.2 million carryover

Crittenden County Board of Education met for its July working session on Tuesday, June 14. All members of the board were present. This meeting was also labeled as a special session. Like in June, the board uses a multi-hour working session to think, discuss and plan out the important matters of the school district before making them official policy at its regular monthly meeting.  

The board heard from Director of Finance Diane Winters first, who will have an even more involved role in board actions this coming school year. A new state law requires board members to have information about certain financial decisions two weeks prior to voting. Chairman Chris Cook also discussed with Winters about crafting an executive summary about the district’s finances for the board each month.

“Think of it like a snapshot,” Cook explained. Winters concurred, citing a host of reports she could pull to create such a document.

“It is helpful to know how much money we have,” Winters stated.  

Winters went over a balance sheet with the board, indicating the district finished fiscal year 2026 with $2.2 million carryover, some of which is already committed toward expenses.

“It is crucial that we have some carryover,” Winters added, as tax monies and state SEEK dollars come

later in the year.  

Director of Special Education George Cavanah presented details about how the district is reimbursed from Medicaid.

“Federal law requires the district to provide services like speech, occupational and physical therapy, and nursing support to eligible students with disabilities, regardless of cost,” he said. "Medicaid billing lets the district recover a portion of the costs already being spent on those services.”

Cavanah reported the district has been reimbursed $163,000 in the last three years, and he expects that number to rise.

“We’ve slowly added more services and are learning how to bill for them,” he explained. Speech and occupational therapy services are the primary way the district is reimbursed by Medicaid. Cavanah also told the board that an increasing number of students qualify for services. Board member Ryan McDaniel

eBikes creating stir around Marion

A growing number of electric bicycles on Marion streets has created questions for riders and parents, but Police Chief Bobby West says the city’s ordinance is clearer than many realize.

The key phrase is “power-driven bicycle.”

Under a Marion ordinance written more than two decades ago, anyone operating a power-driven bicycle on city streets must have a valid operator’s license. Those without a license may operate them only on private property or property where they have permission, West said.

The issue has resurfaced as modern e-bikes have grown in popularity. While today’s battery-powered bicycles are far more advanced than earlier versions, West said the ordinance was originally adopted after a former local retailer, Electric Recreation, began selling battery-powered recreational vehicles years ago.

Now, faster and more capable electric bikes have renewed enforcement concerns.

West said many people — including parents purchasing e-bikes for children — do not realize the

restrictions until after the purchase.

Some parents have told police they spent $1,500 or more on an e-bike, only to learn their child cannot legally ride it on city streets, including those in neighborhoods, without a license.

The issue is not limited to children, West said. Adults without a valid driver’s license also are operating power-driven bicycles illegally on city streets.

Police have received complaints about electric bikes being operated with multiple passengers, including children riding together on public streets and even on state highways through Marion.

West said city ordinance also prohibits bicycles of any kind from being operated on sidewalks.

The ordinance does not classify every provision the ame. For example, the section referring to two brake horsepower applies to the ordinance’s definition of motorscooters and mopeds, not the broader category of power-driven bicycles.

Violations can carry consequences. Operating without a required license is a misdemeanor offense and carries a $100 fine. For riders under 18, parents or guardians also can be cited if they knowingly allow violations.

West said at least one juvenile has already been charged after repeated warnings.

However, police say their goal is education rather than writing citations.

“We don’t want to see anyone get in trouble or get hurt,” West said.

West said he is asking parents to learn the rules, understand what type of electric bike their children are using and help prevent unsafe situations before an accident happens.

Lyon County Sheriff's Weekly Report

On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 7:15 a.m., Sheriff Brent White served a Lyon Circuit Court indictment warrant on Cameron A. Sanders, 20, of Eddyville. Sanders was charged with two counts of intimidating a participant in the legal process following review by a Lyon County grand jury. Sanders is lodged in the Crittenden County Detention Center.

On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, at 7 a.m., Sheriff Brent White responded to several 911 calls on McKinney Road off Sunnyside Loop. Following an investigation, he detained Rickie A. McKinney, 63, of Kuttawa. McKinney was later lodged in a mental health hospital pursuant to a court order and faces charges of falsely reporting an incident and a wireless emergency phone service violation upon his discharge from the hospital.

On Wednesday, July 15, 2026, around 8:45 a.m., Chief Deputy Sam Adams charged Robert L. King, 51, of Benton on a Marshall District Court complaint summons with possession of an open alcoholic beverage container in a motor vehicle, second-degree criminal mischief, improper equipment and failure to report a traffic accident. He is due in Marshall District Court to answer to these charges Sept. 1.

On Thursday, July 16, 2026, around 11:42 a.m., Chief Deputy Sam Adams and Sheriff Brent White responded to West Main Street and West Dale Avenue for a collision complaint. Chief Deputy Adams’

C-PLANT | Monday NewsCast

 

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Today we talk to a tourism official from

across the Ohio River about the ferry

closing and its affect on festivals and the economy.

Stephanie Hayes | Director of the Fluorspar Festival | Joins the Show

- Also a recap of Rocket Football at Evansville 7on7 -

Crittenden County Fair Pagents this week

 

Fire destroys Mexico home Saturday night

Firefighters from five departments battled a house fire for about four hours Saturday night on KY 70 in Mexico.

The home of Linda Gilland was a total loss, Crittenden County Fire Chief Scott Hurley said. Gilland escaped safely, but nothing inside the residence was saved.

The call came in around 9:30 p.m., and firefighters remained at the scene until about 1:30 a.m.

Departments responding were Crittenden County, Salem, Fredonia, Tolu-Sheridan and Caldwell County.

911 Board meeting venue change

Crittenden County 911 Board will meet at 3:30 p.m. Monday, July 20, in the Crittenden County Fiscal Courtroom. 

The meeting was moved from Marion City Hall because of a space conflict.

FERRY NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE

MARION, Ky. — Efforts to restore service on the Cave-In-Rock Ferry took a step forward Friday as Kentucky and Illinois lawmakers held a conference call in an attempt to break the weeks-long contract impasse that has kept the ferry idle since June 30.

Crittenden County Judge-Executive Perry Newcom said legislators from both states spoke directly Friday and discussed a potential solution proposed by Illinois officials. He said all parties have tentatively agreed to pursue the proposal, with Kentucky lawmakers taking the option back to Frankfort for consideration while Illinois legislators do the same in Springfield.

Newcom said he is hopeful progress is being made but remains guardedly optimistic that a compromise can be reached soon.

The ferry, which provides a vital Ohio River crossing between western Kentucky and southern Illinois, suspended operations June 30 after the previous operating contract expired without a new agreement.

The prolonged closure continues to disrupt commuters, businesses and tourism throughout the region, forcing lengthy detours and limiting access to destinations on both sides of the river.

Meanwhile, local leaders continue encouraging residents and businesses affected by the shutdown to contact the Kentucky governor’s office, the transportation departments in both Kentucky and Illinois, and lawmakers in both states to emphasize the economic and personal impacts of the closure. 

Woody Curry | Terrifying Days in the Pacific

 WARTIME JOURNAL | PART 3

Terrifying Days in the Pacific

Part 3 follows the journal into some of the most dangerous and dramatic months of the war in the Philippines. The entries record kamikaze attacks, invasion landings, repeated general quarters and the presence of General Douglas MacArthur himself as USS *Boise* helped cover the drive back into Luzon. It is a section filled with tension, fatigue and the growing sense that the war, though far from over, is beginning to turn decisively in the Allies’ favor.

By Chris Evans | The Crittenden Press

Part 3 follows Charles “Woody” Curry and his shipmates into some of the most dangerous days of the Pacific war.

By the fall of 1944, Livingston County sailor Charles “Woody” Curry had been in the Navy only a few months, but the war around him had already intensified. Curry, who grew up in Carrsville and graduated from Hampton High School, enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 18 in May 1944. 

Shortly after joining, he began keeping a personal diary. Seaman First Class Curry wrote in the tiny journal book almost daily. Those notes have now become a rare local record of a young Kentuckian serving in the Pacific during World War II. In the first two parts of this series, Curry’s journal followed his long voyage across the Pacific and his early months aboard USS Boise, a Brooklyn-class light cruiser that served as part of the American fleet pushing back Japanese forces across the Pacific. 

By the time his journal entries begin in this week’s third in a four-part series, the war has settled into a dangerous rhythm for Curry and the crew of the USS Boise. The ship operates around the Philippines during some of the fiercest fighting of the Pacific campaign, supporting invasion landings and bombarding enemy positions along the coast. 

Curry’s entries describe frequent air raid alarms, long stretches at general quarters and the growing threat posed by Japanese suicide pilots. Kamikaze attacks had become one of the most feared dangers for sailors in the Pacific, and the journal captures how regularly those threats appeared. The entries also mention historic events unfolding around the ship. During this period, Gen. Douglas MacArthur came aboard USS Boise as American forces prepared for the invasion of Luzon, part of the campaign to retake the Philippines from Japanese control. 

Despite the danger, Curry’s writing remains straightforward and almost understated. One line might describe a tense air attack while the next mentions a movie on deck or letters arriving from home. 

The mixture of routine and danger reflects the daily reality of life aboard a warship. The third installment of Curry’s wartime diary follows the crew of USS Boise through invasion operations, kamikaze attacks and the grinding months of combat that carried Allied forces deeper into the Philippines. For the young sailor from Livingston County, the war was far from over, but the balance of the conflict was beginning to shift.

The third installment follows USS Boise through invasion operations, kamikaze attacks and the grinding months of combat that carried Allied forces deeper into the Philippines.

Curry’s handwritten service diary records the ordinary routines and sudden dangers of war at sea.

Service Diary Part 3

Nov. 29, 1944 – Feb. 28, 1945

We pick up diary entries from where they left off in last week’s second segment in the four-part series. Although things are pretty calm for a few days, the war comes calling full blast in early December.

WED. 29

We are making it O.K. The ocean has been as smooth as glass all day. I’ve just come from on deck where we heard some records.

THUR. 30

We are still continuing on our way without any trouble.

December 1944

FRI. 1

I had the noon watch and I’ve got the midnight watch tonight. It is really pretty here tonight. The moon is so bright it is almost like day.

SAT. 2

Two ships have been damaged in Leyte Gulf by Jap suicide pilots and several crew members killed. One ship is in bad shape.

SUN. 3

It has been quiet all day but we had an attack by a Jap plane a few minutes ago. He dropped the torpedo and just missed diving into the ship. He