(1.) BILL CALL 2-WAY-- As severe weather struck our region this week many of you might have had weather radios alerting you of warnings to your county or the loud outdoor sirens you might be used to. This week, though as a Tornado Warning was issued for northern Calloway County residents in the storm’s path heard no out-door sirens, because there aren’t any. WKMS’s Shelly Baskin speaks with Calloway County Emergency Management Director Bill Call to find out why.
(2.) EGGNER’S FERRY HISTORY-- When the cargo ship Delta Mariner collided with the Eggner’s Ferry bridge this past January, news reports of the incident made headlines around the world. What those reports didn’t contain was how the bridge got its name. As it happens, there was an actual ferry at the site without which we’d know the modern-day crossing simply as the “US 68/KY 80” bridge. Casey Northcutt took a look into the history of the ferry, its rough-hewn owner, and the 31 variations of the name “Egner” and brings us this story.
(3.) JOURNEY STORY: DONNIE HOLLAND -- A traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution called “Journey Stories” is at Murray State’s Wrather West Kentucky Museum through March 10th. To mark the event, we asked our listeners for their “Journey Stories,” and we received this one describing the forced exodus of residents of Land Between the Lakes.
(4.) STOPPING WHITE NOSE SYNDROME -- Since 2006, White Nose Syndrome has been decimating bat populations east of the Mississippi. Last month, the disease was found in Breckinridge County, Kentucky, and biologists expect it to spread further. Kentucky Public Radio’s Erica Peterson went with state researchers into a Meade County cave to see what’s being done to stop White Nose Syndrome.
(5.) DR. OSSAMA BAHLOUL 2-WAY-- On February 21st, reports emerged American soldiers had burned copies of the Koran, the Moslem holy book, at an airbase in Afghanistan. The riots and violence that followed in that country resulted in several deaths, including U.S. military personnel. This incident and its repercussions highlight the lack of understanding on both sides and the necessity of promoting that understanding. The same day the Koran-burning story broke, Dr. Ossama Bahloul was at Murray State to address that very issue. Dr. Bahloul is imam of the Murfreesboro Islamic Center in Tennessee, and thanks to controversy over the Center's new facility, he's gained experience promoting greater understanding between American Moslems and the wider community. Dr. Bahloul conducts "Islam 101" presentations at colleges and churches. Before his lecture, Dr. Bahloul and I sat down to talk about spirituality, tolerance, and his work bridging the two.
(6.) COLSTON ON THE CAPITOL–- It’s been another busy week in the Kentucky General Assembly. Lawmakers may have reached an agreement on regulating pseudoephedrine, Kentucky Amish might have a new option to a reflective triangle for their buggies and support is waning for University of Pikeville’s bid to become a public university. Kentucky Public Radio Capitol Bureau Chief Kenny Colston speaks with Rick Howlett for some perspective on what’s happening in Frankfort.
(7.) FT. CAMPBELL TRAINING -- As we heard earlier in the program, the incident of American soldiers burning copies of the Koran in Afghanistan has touched off waves of protests and violence that have claimed several lives, including American soldiers. It could be that the burning and the subsequent Afghan response came about in part because of a lack of interpersonal relationships with Afghans at different levels of society. At Fort Campbell, troops from the 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, are in intensive training for a potential deployment to Afghanistan this winter. Among their training missions is what’s called a Soldier Leader Engagement, where the soldiers practice building relationships with the people in that country. But, as Chad Lampe discovers, it isn’t as easy as a smile and a handshake.
