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Murray, KY

A Place Apart

Oct 01-09 2009

Murray can seem like a world unto itself. The closest cities are all hours away, and the closest interstate is a 30-minute drive. But most people in Murray’s think that’s just fine. Some say things are a bit slower here, and that’s the way they like it. With one of the state’s lowest unemployment rates and a tradition of cultural blending, the area is all about simple, comfortable living.

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Cash crop

Migrant workers on Billy Dale Smith’s farm harvest and fire-cure tobacco for salaries that they send home to their families in Mexico.

by Quenest Harrington

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Deeper than the grain

After years apart, Jeff and Claude Miller share a workshop where they make cutting boards of laminated wood.

by Katie Simpson

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Deeply rooted

Michael Bobo trains his Clydesdales for wagon racing before he drives to practice oral surgery in Murray and Union City, Tenn.

by Tanner Curtis

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Early risers

Sisters Teresa Bast and Patty Dedmon, owners of Sammons' Bakery, spend their mornings making own baked goods.

by Delayna Earley

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Eclectic chair

Linda Hayden, owner of the Southside Barber Shop, oversees maintenance of Murray’s myriad heads of state.

by Andree Kehn

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Everybody’s angel

A monarch butterfly on her son’s coffin motivated Donna Herndon to open the Angels Attic thrift store to finance a free clinic.

by Britney McIntosh

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Far from home

Ricky Hernandez supports his family in Mexico by leading a crew of migrant workers on a tobacco farm.

by John Adkisson

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Fitness fanatic

Gary Collin, manufacturing quality analyst for Briggs & Stratton, uses much of his free time to keep fit for mountain bike racing.

by Travis Garner

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High roller

Joe Nanny dabbles in art and runs circles around the competition with his self-proclaimed “world’s largest” roller rink.

by Joshua Lee Kelsey

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Hoopster force

Science teacher Scott Sivills’ mentoring goes from the classroom to the gym where he coaches the girls’ basketball team.

by Earl Christie

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Iron will

Steely determination keeps master blacksmith Gene Knight moving forward after a serious heart attack.

by Tyler Jones

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Let them eat cake

Marla Thomason, owner of The Cake Lady, and her family offer customers creations with royal treatment.

by Todd Powell

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Life goes on

Al Hough, a retired professor, fights blindness and tries to stay busy to fill the void left by the death of his wife of 50 years.

by Breanna Gaddie

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Living on the job

Below their second-floor bedroom, Gloria and Stu Shull serve friends and patrons at Gloria’s World Village.

by Sarah Simonis

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Man about town

With support from family and the community, Calloway County Clerk Ray Coursey Jr. doesn’t let disability slow him down.

by Allie Garza

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Milk made

Calloway County’s last dairy farm is a source of family pride for Jim and Judy Stahler, who have been milking cows daily for 44 years.

by Jessica Ebelhar

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Mother to all

With a school, a church and a large family of her own, Teresa Speed, the principal of Murray High School, cares for a community.

by Rebecca Barnett

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Mr. Ed meets Dr. Adams

Outside of the medical center, Dr. Michael Adams operates a family farm full of horses, cows, dogs and cats.

by Brooke Grace

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Pets and their people

Westside Veterinary Services, Murray’s largest animal clinic, has served pets and the people who love them for more than 25 years.

by Shane Noem

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Raining supreme

A deluge fails to dampen the spirits at Murray High School, where the undefeated Tigers beat Crittenden County 24-7.

by Christopher Southard

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Reeling in the dough

Murray State University bass angler Kalem Tippet casts his line, hoping to help his team catch a $50,000 tournament grand prize.

by Cassie Brooks

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Rodeo drive

Ian Mathes, a member of Murray State University’s rodeo team, blazes a trail toward the life of a rodeo clown.

by Neil Blake

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Twins with a difference

William Winchester, 14, is taking a different path through life than his twin brother Joseph. William has Down’s syndrome.

by Sara Naomi Lewkowicz

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Tethered to Tradition

Each season, Brad and Karly Lowe sow new seeds the old way.

by Eileen Blass

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The Cards You're Dealt

Mary Ruth Saywell

by Colin Kelly

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Revelations

After nearly 40 years as minister at the Glendale Road Church of Christ, John Dale is ready to step down from the pulpit.

by Ryan Rivet

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Audible

Joey Miller is studying the euphonium and hopes his newfound musical gifts will earn him a college scholarship.

by Rhyne Piggott

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Freedom to Forgive

On Dec. 1, 1997, high school freshman Michael Carneal opened fire in the Heath High School lobby in West Paducah, Ky.

by Bethany Mollenkof

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Moist

Despite liquor critics’ fears, the town has not taken a turn for the worst since legalizing alcohol sales.

by Serena Wells

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The Insights of Angels

Abby Reinhardt sees her adopted Liberian sister Joyce and brother Freeman as gifts from God.

by Liz O. Baylen

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Jekyll/Hyde

Jacob Hein, 25, never dreamed of standing in the bight lights of a stage on Broadway.

by Jose Osorio

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A Place Apart

Murray, Kentucky

by Mountain Workshops