It’s an unfortunate fact that money often trumps historic preservation. Where some see a historic building, others see a ramshackle structure clogging up valuable real estate. That’s a point driven home in Calvert City this weekend as an old department store faces the wrecking ball. That story and more are just ahead on Front Page A.M. from WKMS News.
(1.) CONSTABLES IN KY -- Constables in Kentucky have been around for over one hundred and sixty years. But however necessary the county-level job may have been in 1850, some lawmakers today believe it’s no longer relevant. Others maintain constables free up law enforcement for more pressing work and provide an additional set of eyes and ears for police and sheriff’s departments. Now, Senate Bill 30 is under consideration in Frankfort. The measure would allow counties more latitude to decide what constables do. SB 30 began life, however, as a constitutional amendment that would’ve abolished the office. I spoke with Calloway County Constable Tim Stone to find out more about what he and his colleagues do, how they’re funded, and what the future may hold for them if SB 30 becomes law.
(2.) OKLAHOMA! @ PURCHASE PLAYERS -- Almost 70 years ago, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s first musical Oklahoma! opened on Broadway. The show told audiences stories of love and cowboy adventures from the turn-of-the-century state where corn grows as high as an elephant’s eye. And now, the Mayfield Purchase Players are opening their own production of this American musical mainstay. Rose Krzton-Presson sat down with Director Samantha Doran (door-uhn) and Music Director Justus (justice) Wright earlier this week to talk about their experiences putting this classic show together.
(3.) DRAFFEN DEPT STORE DEMOLITION -- For the past several years, the building that once housed Draffen’s Department Store has sat vacant on a street corner in Calvert City. Boards cover its front windows and “Keep Out” signs warn people away from its unsteady walls, but at one time, the store operated as one of the city’s chief centers of commerce. Yet money counts more than memories in the preservation of buildings, and Saturday, Calvert City will lose another historical landmark to demolition. Casey Northcutt has more.
I’m Todd Hatton and you’ve been listening to Front Page A.M. Join Chad Lampe this evening at 6:30 for Front Page P.M. Tonight we’ll get the latest on what’s happening in the General Assembly in Frankfort. If you’d like to hear this morning’s or any of our stories again, you can find them anytime at WKMS dot org. You can also join us Sunday morning at 9 for the hour-long Front Page Sunday. Thanks for being with us.
