Crews will cut brush along guardrails from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The westbound right lane will be restricted Monday, followed by the eastbound right lane Tuesday. Traffic will shift into the left lane.
The northbound KY 453 exit ramp to U.S. 62 also will be blocked for part of Tuesday morning. Work is weather permitting.
Following is the release issued by the school district today:
Marion, KY—July 30, 2026… Following honest conversations and time for reflection between Coach Jackson, district, and school leadership, Jackson has rescinded his resignation and will continue leading Crittenden County’s high school basketball program. Superintendent Tonya Driver and Coach Jackson acknowledge that emotions were running high when recent decisions were made. Taking a step back created the opportunity for meaningful dialogue, fresh perspective, and a renewed commitment to moving forward together.
"Leadership sometimes means recognizing when it's time to slow down, listen, and reconsider," said Superintendent Driver. "I'm grateful that Coach Jackson, Principal Josh Cook, and I had the opportunity to have open and honest conversations. We share the same goal—to do what's best for our students—and I'm thankful we found a path forward together."
Driver and Jackson agree that the situation has led to the opportunity to demonstrate what healthy leadership and conflict resolution look like, and they are thankful for the chance to show staff, students, parents, and the community how adults can work together to put kids first and make a situation better.
Coach Jackson added, "My love for Crittenden County, this school system, and certainly, these athletes, runs deep. The support shown by our kids, parents, alumni, colleagues, and community has been incredibly humbling. I’m grateful for the time I spent with Mrs. Driver and Mr. Cook this morning, and for the transparent conversation we have shared. I’m glad to continue to lead this basketball program, and I appreciate the trust and support we have placed in each other going forward.”
The district also recognizes the overwhelming support expressed by the community in regard to the situation. While the circumstances have not been easy, they have served as a powerful reminder of how deeply this community values the people who dedicate themselves to its children.
“We are all partners in education,” said Driver, “and in shaping students into the kind of contributing citizens we want them to become. It takes all of us working together, working through times of harmony and times of challenges, to model what it means to take responsibility, listen to understand, admit our shortcomings, and move forward with a new perspective.”
Practice continues as scheduled for the boys’ basketball team, with Coach Jackson and assistant coaches Coley Rogers and Neal Bryant at the helm. Workouts start in mid-September. Jackson encourages any high school student interested in joining the program to attend workouts or reach out for more information.
Jackson, a 1993 CCHS graduate and former Rocket basketball player, inherited a program that had finished 0-26 the previous season. Crittenden went 2-29 during his only season as head coach.
Jackson said resigning was not something he particularly wanted to do but that school leaders had placed him in an uncomfortable and potentially untenable position. He said he was told too many players had quit during the past year and that the school would not retain him for another season if more players left the program.
A paraprofessional coach, Jackson had no other employment ties to the district.
He was the Rockets’ fourth boys’ basketball coach in six seasons. The district has begun searching for his replacement.
“We are looking forward to the future of Rocket basketball,” CCHS Principal Josh Cook said.
The CCHS basketball squad has won just five games over the past three seasons, finishing last in the Second Region each year.
The Crittenden Press first reported the funding in February.
Dozens of dignitaries and individuals were present for the official announcement this week.
Comer said the project will improve airport safety and support regional economic development. A full report will appear in next week’s newspaper.
Marion-Crittenden County 911 Board will meeting in special session at 2 p.m., Thursday at Marion City Hall for an update on the Harris Radio system and grant process.
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The business announced the closure Tuesday in a social media post, thanking customers for their support.
“After six years of serving our community, Duncan’s Service Center will be closing its doors July 30. Thank you to our customers for all the dedication and allowing us to serve you and this community. Thank you!”
No reason for the closure was provided in the post. See the post here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BU1aiRmBw/?mibextid=wwXIfr
On Sunday, July 19, 2026, just before 8 p.m., an off-duty Lyon County sheriff’s deputy observed a suspicious male wearing a backpack near a closed business in Kuttawa. The deputy contacted Sheriff Brent White, who dispatched Deputy Bobby Beeler and a Kentucky State Police trooper to the area. They located Cameron M. Mortensen (34) of Waukegan, Ill., at the closed business. After confirming with the business’s owner that he did not know Mortensen and that Mortensen did not have permission to be on the property, Deputy Beeler arrested him. During the investigation, it was determined that Mortensen had also shoplifted items at Huck’s Travel Center. Mortensen was charged with third-degree criminal trespassing and theft by unlawful taking-shoplifting. He was lodged in the Crittenden County Detention Center.
On Monday, July 20, 2026, just before 5 p.m., Deputy Bobby Beeler was dispatched to a two-vehicle collision on KY 293. His investigation revealed a 2000 Ford Explorer, driven by Linda F. Barnhart (79) of Eddyville, was backing out of a private lot onto KY 293 when she collided with the passenger side of a
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A Paducah-based dance studio is bringing classes to Marion.
Beginning this fall, Center Stage Dance Academy and owner Lisa Hill will be offering classes on Thursdays at Fohs Hall. Several types of dance will be taught to multiple ages and ability levels.
See the business' Facebook page for online registration, or make plans to register in person Aug. 2 at Fohs Hall.
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.
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| 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.
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:
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 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.
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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.
WARTIME JOURNAL | PART 4
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
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.
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| Young Woody Curry back home in Gary, Indiana |
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
We had recreation today but I didn’t get to go. I’m supposed to go
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| CVS is located in Darben Plaza |
“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.
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
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
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.
