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Derek Operle

@doperle.bsky.social
1.1K followers 348 following 183 posts

Reporter. Film head. NBA + UK 🏀 fan. News Director at @wkmsfm.bsky.social Host of The Liquid Moment Programmer, the Paducah Film Society Formerly: The Paducah Sun

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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
this sequence in the 39 steps is pretty dang good. this alfred hitchcock kid really had something.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
I was lucky enough to be at Harry Dean Stanton Fest this weekend in Lexington, ahead of what would have been the Kentucky film legend’s 100th birthday. I reported on the fest for @wkmsfm.bsky.social and @porchlightnews.bsky.social: www.wkms.org/arts-culture...
wkms.org
Harry Dean Stanton Fest celebrates the late Kentucky film legend ahead of his 100th birthday
Far from Hollywood, Lexington’s annual Harry Dean Stanton Fest paid tribute to the character actor and Kentucky native this weekend, days before what would have been his 100th birthday.
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Kentucky Public Radio @kentuckypublicradio.org · 09/07/2026
The Kentucky Film Office recently launched its new website, creating an information resource for companies hoping to bring productions to the commonwealth. From @doperle.bsky.social at @wkmsfm.bsky.social
wkms.org
New Kentucky Film Office website aims to up number of productions in Bluegrass State
The Kentucky Film Office recently launched its new website, creating an information resource for companies hoping to bring productions to the commonwealth.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
This was a really fine one to work on. Just cool to get new pictures from Paducah’s bigger brushes with Hollywood history, and love that I could get them added to my local library’s digital collection.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Jimmy Stewart pronounces “grizzly bear” exactly the way you want him to
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Kentucky Public Radio @kentuckypublicradio.org · 28/05/2026
A newly formed group in McCracken County seeks to bring together residents of Paducah and the surrounding area who oppose the pair of nuclear developments already underway in far western Kentucky. From @doperle.bsky.social at @wkmsfm.bsky.social
wkms.org
New McCracken County group calling for transparency on local nuclear developments
A newly formed group, called Protect McCracken County, seeks to bring together residents of Paducah and the surrounding area who oppose the pair of nuclear developments already underway in far western...
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
For the first post on The Liquid Moment substack, I took a look at Kentucky jazz king Les McCann and his synth-led record Layers, as well as the late musician’s love of basketball. Check it out and subscribe if you like deep dives on culture, film, music, art, and history happenings.
theliquidmoment.substack.com
Let's Gather // TLM001
On the synth jazz perfection of Les McCann's Layers, and the late Kentucky pianist's dreams of dunking a basketball.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Sharing is caring and, when it comes to telling stories about interesting art, film, music, and history, I care very deeply. I've often written about these subjects as a reporter, but this week I'm launching what will hopefully be a monthly newsletter form of The Liquid Moment.
theliquidmoment.substack.com
The Liquid Moment | Derek ♼perle | Substack
Exploring the shifting depths of time through art, film, music, and other miscellany. Click to read The Liquid Moment, by Derek ♼perle, a Substack publication. Launched a month ago.
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WKMS @wkmsfm.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
🎉 Congratulations to @kentuckypublicradio.org Capitol Reporter @sylviaruthg.lpm.org on being selected as the 2026 New Voices Award winner from the Public Media Journalists Association! 🎉
wkms.org
Kentucky's Sylvia Goodman receives national award for early career journalists
Capitol Reporter Sylvia Goodman is the second-ever recipient of the PMJA New Voices Award.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Well spotted by @hannahsaad.bsky.social today: A Paducah cryptocurrency mine is being considered for the siting of a small modular nuclear reactor after a partnership was announced today between Terrestrial Energy and Riot Platforms. Read up on it ➡️ @wkmsfm.bsky.social. www.wkms.org/business-eco...
wkms.org
Small nuclear reactor could power McCracken County crypto mining center under new partnership
A cryptocurrency mining facility in McCracken County could one day be powered by a small modular nuclear reactor under a new business partnership announced Wednesday between an energy tech company and...
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maybe: annie rauwerda @annierau.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
"openai.com" was once the personal homepage of a guy named glenn (2001), and "tiktok.com" was the quaint shared homepage of a couple as their relationship progressed from dating to married with a baby (2000). THREAD!!!
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
For @wkmsfm.bsky.social: It was a packed house at WKCTC in Paducah last night for a PSC meeting to gather opinions on nuclear power in Kentucky. Many cited environmental concerns, corporate interests, and a perceived lack of transparency when it comes to nuclear projects already in the works.
wkms.org
PSC meeting on nuclear power draws critical crowd in Paducah
Crowds packed three separate meeting rooms at West Kentucky Community & Technical College in Paducah Wednesday for the Public Service Commission’s hearing on nuclear power generation, part of a series...
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Kentucky Public Radio @kentuckypublicradio.org · 26/03/2026
Reservoirs of geologic hydrogen – an untapped, clean energy source – might be pooling underground in parts of Kentucky, according to research published last year by the U.S. Geological Survey. From @doperle.bsky.social at @wkmsfm.bsky.social
wkms.org
Geologic hydrogen: A carbon-free energy source that could be just underneath Kentuckians' feet
Geologists say an untapped, carbon-free energy source could be underneath parts of Kentucky. So why isn’t anyone trying to use it?
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
My latest on @wkmsfm.bsky.social: Geologists say an untapped, carbon-free energy source could be just sitting underneath parts of Kentucky, particularly the far western and southcentral parts of the Bluegrass State. So ... why isn’t anyone trying to use it? www.wkms.org/science/2026...
wkms.org
Geologic hydrogen: A carbon-free energy source that could be just underneath Kentuckians' feet
Geologists say an untapped, carbon-free energy source could be underneath parts of Kentucky. So why isn’t anyone trying to use it?
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Science Friday @scifri.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
As more musicians talk about using AI in their songwriting, how is the music-making process changing in the industry and for everyone else? We dive into it on our podcast. Listen now: buff.ly/5c85X7l
buff.ly
AI Music Is On The Charts. Where Does It Go From Here?
AI-generated songs are breaking onto the charts, and music labels are pivoting from lawsuits to partnerships with AI startups. What comes next?
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
feeling good and chill about things
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Daniel Radosh @radosh.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
I was a journalist once and writing stories I didn’t feel passionate about is how I got good at it
Rinehart, who oversees the wire service's Al initiatives, suggested that in the future, reporters could go to events, get quotes, plug them into a large language model, and have the model generate a story, saving them time on writing stories they don't feel passionately about. She also noted that some editors told her
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Joe Sonka 😐 @joesonka.lpm.org · 19/02/2026
Important Kentucky elections story right here 👇 #kyga26
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
saturday morning media diet
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
new year, new monthly film “discoveries” thread. a running tab of new-to-me movies that are at least a couple years old.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
A small anti-ICE demonstration — no more than two dozen people — took place in front of the McCracken County courthouse in Paducah on Friday, as many across the country protest against actions taken by ICE agents in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in other places.
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Kentucky Public Radio @kentuckypublicradio.org · 30/01/2026
In Kentucky, just two dedicated art house cinemas are still in operation, following the recent closure of Louisville’s Baxter Avenue Theatres. From @doperle.bsky.social at @wkmsfm.bsky.social
wkms.org
Loss of Louisville’s Baxter Avenue Theatres leaves just two Kentucky indies still standing
In Kentucky, just two dedicated art house cinemas are still in operation following the recent closure of Louisville’s Baxter Avenue Theatres.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
friday vibing. one of the great music videos from spike jonze. youtu.be/wqVsfGQ_1SU?...
youtu.be
The Pharcyde - Drop (Official HD Music Video)
YouTube video by PharcydeVEVO
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Due to a bomb threat on Murray State campus, classes in several buildings have been cancelled for the remainder of Monday.
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Kentucky Public Radio @kentuckypublicradio.org · 08/01/2026
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $900 million to a Paducah company building a uranium enrichment facility. General Matters' CEO said the funds would allow it to accelerate its timeline and open before 2030. From @doperle.bsky.social at @wkmsfm.bsky.social #kyga26
wkms.org
General Matter scores $900M award from DOE to support HALEU enrichment in Paducah
CEO Scott Nolan said this federal funding will accelerate General Matter’s production scale by years, with the DOE award going toward construction and startup costs for the company's western Kentucky ...
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
this is how i learn we have ways in paducah??
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
my 2025 in books (aside from sonya lea’s american bloodlines and kyle chayka’s filterworld, both on loan)
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
recent cassette finds
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Hannah Saad @hannahsaad.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Our student reporter Shelby Bloomer spent weeks reseaching, interviewing and traveling out to different hemp businesses in western Kentucky to put this piece together, and I think she did a pretty dang good job exploring this issue. Check out the results of her labor:
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
big rec: watch Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc with the score recorded a few years ago by Joan of Arc (Tim Kinsella’s post Cap’n Jazz project)
youtu.be
Joan of Arc Presents: Joan of Arc
YouTube video by Joan Of Arc - Topic
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WKMS @wkmsfm.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
It’s been more than 25 years since 18-year-old Jessica Currin was found dead and burned behind a Mayfield middle school, but the man convicted for her murder still maintains his innocence. An evidentiary hearing for the case began this week and is expected to conclude in mid-December.
wkms.org
Multiple witnesses in Jessica Currin case recant statements during evidentiary hearing
It’s been more than 25 years since 18-year-old Jessica Currin was found dead and burned behind a Mayfield middle school, but the man convicted for her murder still maintains his innocence. An…
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Jason P. Woodbury @jasonpwoodbury.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
This week on Transmissions: Steve Von Till of Neurosis joins us to discuss his art, teaching, philosophy & work with the indigenous suicide prevention campaign Firekeeper Alliance. Listen wherever you get podcasts & direct at reader-supported @aquariumdrunkard.com. @talkhouse.bsky.social
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Massively underrated documentary. Funny and insightful.
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Nonesuch Records @nonesuch.com · 24/11/2025
Chris Thile was on @npr.org's All Things Considered to talk with @doperle.bsky.social from @wkmsfm.bsky.social in Murray, KY, about his new album, 'Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2,' which he recorded in multiple locations of personal significance including Murray: www.nonesuch.com/journal/list...
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Stop Making Sense Aliens Back to the Future Bull Durham
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Observations of Deviance @obsofdeviance.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
Thousands of rare American recordings — some 100 years old — go online for all to enjoy A collaboration between UC Santa Barbara and the nonprofit Dust-to-Digital Foundation laist.com/news/arts-an...
laist.com
Thousands of rare American recordings — some 100 years old — go online for all to enjoy
The project, which will include some 50,000 songs from private record collections, is a collaboration between UC Santa Barbara and the Dust-to-Digital Foundation.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
Out there UK folkie John Martyn got obsessed with dub and befriended Lee Scratch Perry … who inspired him to record One World on guitar amps floating a 1/2 mile offshore in a lake. Lapping water and late night goose honks can be heard throughout but maybe to best effect on the magical “Small Hours.”
youtu.be
Small Hours
YouTube video by John Martyn - Topic
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Kentucky Public Radio @kentuckypublicradio.org · 14/11/2025
The Kentucky General Assembly's artificial intelligence task force made recommendations heading into the 2026 legislative session that begins in January. From @doperle.bsky.social at @wkmsfm.bsky.social #kyga26
wkms.org
Kentucky legislature’s AI task force makes recommendations heading into General Assembly
As what’s expected to be a jam-packed legislative session in the Bluegrass State approaches, lawmakers on Kentucky’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force met Thursday to finalize their recommendations f...
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Justin Hicks @justinhicks.lpm.org · 19/10/2025
See photos from “No Kings” protestors around the state from @kentuckypublicradio.org reporters. www.lpm.org/no-kings-pro...
lpm.org
"No Kings" protest photos from around Kentucky
On Oct. 18, 2025, Kentuckians took to the streets to protest the Trump administration's actions in a day of national "No Kings" protests. Reporters from Kentucky Public Radio took these photos.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
@davidlsims.bsky.social this could come up in the ep, but have you watched the blu-ray extra for True Grit (called Re-creating Fort Smith) where they spend like five minutes talking about the trains in the film and interviewing the train CONSULTANT and the conductors? feels like your kinda content
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
bill brown’s life on the mississippi starts as an attempt to retrace mark twain’s journeys as a steam boat pilot and winds up grappling with how much a person can “know” a river and how its shores have changed with time because of all the things that people do. a real fun lil doc.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 17/10/2025
new phone who dis
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
The first time I saw this image, I knew I had to write about this piece of Kentucky history. Sonya Lea’s new book is a bracing, deep look into a troubling case and an invitation to think deeply about the justice system in our country.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 12/10/2025
spooky season in full effect
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WKMS @wkmsfm.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
ICYMI it on @npr.org's Morning Edition, WKMS news director @doperle.bsky.social's feature takes a look at California-based General Matter's privately developed uranium enrichment plant in western Kentucky and what it means in the grand scheme of things when it comes to nuclear energy in the U.S.
npr.org
First privately funded uranium enrichment plant in U.S. to be built in Kentucky
A California-based firm plans to build the first privately funded uranium enrichment plant in Kentucky amid efforts to bolster the country's domestic uranium enrichment.
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
So happy for @rylandky.bsky.social! NPR is so lucky to have in him not only a top-tier journalist, an editor who always makes people’s writing sing, and a Kentuckian with a calm voice in a storm, but also just a damn good person. Here’s to many years in our ears! www.npr.org/2025/09/03/g...
npr.org
Ryland Barton Named NPR Newscast Anchor
NPR announced today that Ryland Barton will be joining the Newscast team as a PM anchor.
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WKMS @wkmsfm.bsky.social · 23/08/2025
The annual Battle of the Birds football game between Mayfield High School and Graves County High School ended in tragedy Friday, after a shooting in a parking lot near War Memorial Stadium left one adult injured. www.wkms.org/criminal-jus...
wkms.org
Shooting at Graves-Mayfield high school football game leaves one adult injured
The annual Battle of the Birds football game between Mayfield High School and Graves County High School ended in tragedy Friday, after a shooting in a parking lot near War Memorial Stadium left one…
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WKMS @wkmsfm.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
For Kentucky’s next biennial budget, the state budget director says it will need to set aside over $115 million more than in previous years to keep giving residents in need food stamps and – because of the federal reconciliation bill – potentially hundreds of millions of dollars on top of that.
wkms.org
SNAP costs shift are expected to run Kentucky at least an extra $100 million a year
As lawmakers prepare Kentucky’s biennial budget for the 2026 legislative session, the state budget director says the Commonwealth will need to set aside over $115 million more than in previous years…
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Appalshop @appalshop.bsky.social · 08/08/2025
Today in 1974, Richard Nixon resigned. Four years later, his first public appearance was in Leslie Co, KY. See footage of his visit—plus local politics, family debates, and more—in our 1982 film "The Big Lever: Party Politics in Leslie County, KY" by Frances Morton. loom.ly/YNSpum0
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Derek Operle @doperle.bsky.social · 03/08/2025
Sign my petition to re-edit I Still Know What You Did Last Summer so that when Jennifer Love Hewitt thinks she sees the killer at the club it’s then revealed to be actually a silhouette of the dude from Jamiroquai in his “Virtual Insanity” get-up.
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