Front Page

In the early 70s, only 2.5 percent of the United States Armed Forces were women. But these days women are a common part of the military. For the last couple decades, women have made up close to one-sixth of soldiers. Until recently, they’ve served in support roles, and haven’t been on many front lines. With changing roles, more female soldiers are training for situations that put them in harm’s way. But military bases recognized a problem: body armor was designed to fit men, not women. Equipment designers began work to change that in 2009 with a new generation of female body armor.

The Black Patch Tobacco War in our part of the country was the most pronounced activity of military aggression between the civil war and the civil rights movement, we learn from Christian County Historian William T. Turner the key players in that conflict and how it’s remembered. 

Also, we’ll speak with futurist Ivan Potter on the lasting effects of this year’s drought, and Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham’s take on the changing interoperations of the U.S. Constitution. Plus the history of Fulton’s Banana Festival and details about a Japanese performance group coming to MSU. 

The Paducah Symphony Orchestra’s artistic director and conductor is Raffaele Ponti. Maestro Ponti and the Orchestra are enjoying successes with each other. Several standing ovations during their recent season opening concert evidence that capacity audiences are delighted to hear them perform together. Kate Lochte has more. 

Recommended readings on the black patch wars include “The Tobacco Night Riders of Kentucky and Tennessee: 1905-1909” by James Nalland “On Bended Knees: The true story of the Night Rider Tobacco War in Kentucky and Tennessee”by Kentucky Supreme Court Justice Bill Cunningham. Cunningham, also gives tonight's (Monday) keynote at Murray State’s Constitution day celebration.  The title of his presentation, “The Fourth Amendment; the Majesty of the Ruined Tenement,” references a statement attributed to William Pitt while he was speaking about the cider excise tax in the British House of Commons in 1763.  Judge Cunningham gave WKMS a preview of the speech. 

The black patch tobacco wars of the early 20th century pitted farmer against farmer as a group of men sworn to secrecy used destructive tactics to coerce collective action. Hopkinsville’s Pennyroyal Area Museum commemorates the war with several activities starting Friday (September 21). Official Historian for Hopkinsville and Christian County William T. Turner recounts the story of the Tobacco War  in conversation with Kate Lochte. 

As temperatures fall and the season begins to change from summer to autumn, harvest festivals around the northern hemisphere are starting to wind up. In Japan, one of the traditions for the fall is the Kagura dance. Murray State College of Humanities and Fine Arts Dean Dr. Ted Brown, with help from members of the MSU Theatre department and Wrather Museum is bringing the Japanese dance troupe Iwami Kagura to the university next Tuesday. Shelly Baskin spoke with Dr.

Marshall County elementary schools are changing how their students make the grade.  No more “F’s,” no more “A’s,” in fact, no more letter grades at all.  It’s part of a new system other Kentucky schools are using called “standards-based grading.”  We’ll hear more about it and why Marshall’s elemetaries are on board, on Front Page Sunday from WKMS News.

Earlier this year, the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame inducted three west Kentuckians to the ranks of other great Kentucky Journalists: D.J. Everett of WKDZ/WHVO radio in Cadiz, Murray State University professor emeritus Dr. Robert McGaughey, and Chip Hutcheson of The Times Leader and The Eagle Post. Today we continue a series of conversations with these gentlemen.

For Hutcheson, journalism is a family business. His parents bought what was then the Princeton Leader when he was 10 months old, and he grew up helping in the newspaper offices.

A Marshall County grading system change means no more “straight A’s,” and no more “F’s.” Marshall County School System this year began a plan to eliminate letter grades at all six elementary schools. The district has joined others across the state implementing a “standards-based grading system,” in which teachers measure learning based on skill sets. The first school to make the change is Central Elementary, with the other five district elementary schools coming on board next year.

Thorton Wilder’s play Our Town examines typical American life in the early 1900s. Set in the “Anytown, USA” of Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire, Our Town divides the characters’ lives up into three acts marked by major life events, emphasizing the eternal beauty of mundane everyday events. For their inaugural production, The Paris Players are presenting this classic today at The Krider Performing Arts Center in Paris, and Rose Krzton-Presson sat down to talk about it with Paris-Henry County Arts Council Director Mike Murphy, who produced the show and plays the character of George Gibbs.