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The Mountain Workshops

Participants spend an intense week learning visual storytelling from professionals while documenting Kentucky communities.

Dixie Lynn, mother of two young children and wife of a traveling musician, says she finds her identity and role within her family fulfilling.

A Good-Hearted Woman

by Tim Galloway
Dixie Lynn, mother of two young children and wife of a traveling musician, says she finds her identity and role within her family fulfill...
After a hard life, Dennis Lawrence founded Free Spirit Biker Church where people like him feel welcome.

Ride to Holiness

by Mie Hee Christensen
After a hard life, Dennis Lawrence founded Free Spirit Biker Church where people like him feel welcome.
The Medley family bought a 61-acre farm with wild turkey and deer, ponds and woods. It's the perfect place to raise two teen-age boys.

Living a Dream Boyhood

by Masao Okano
The Medley family bought a 61-acre farm with wild turkey and deer, ponds and woods. It's the perfect place to raise two teen-age boys.
Shanetha Donaldson always knew she'd open her home to kids facing the struggles she had growing up.

Unconditional

by Hanna Wallis
Shanetha Donaldson always knew she'd open her home to kids facing the struggles she had growing up.
Big Mike's Barbershop serves as a hub for Paducah's black community.

Home Clips

by Terray Sylvester
Big Mike's Barbershop serves as a hub for Paducah's black community.
When a friend asked Diane Thompson to stitch a quilt, she knew she had sewn up her spot at the table.

A Binding Thread

by Kelsey Kremer
When a friend asked Diane Thompson to stitch a quilt, she knew she had sewn up her spot at the table.

Paducah, Kentucky, KY

McCRACKEN COUNTY

Oct 18-22 2016

More than 70 visual journalists from across the country trained their lenses on Paducah and surrounding McCracken County, telling the stories of this Western Kentucky river city and its people.

10 Photos

Busy Beeny

by Weston Kenney
Joe major Nick Beeney prefers growth to coasting through his senior year at Paducah Tilghman High School.

2:50 Video

A Unique Bond

by Jeffrey Brown
Ryan Riley, 25, learns to accept himself and meets the girl of his dreams.

9 Photos

Catching up With Life

by Taylor Irby
Challenges for a pair of premature babies binds a family closer together.

2:22 Video

Treasuring the Flight

by Katie Roberts
Butterfly enthusiast Bill Black Jr. doesn't let cancer keep him from collecting little pieces of hope.

10 Photos

A Good-Hearted Woman

by Tim Galloway
Dixie Lynn, mother of two young children and wife of a traveling musician, says she finds her identity and role within her family fulfilling.

2:46 Video

Tug Life

by Michelle Lotker
Andrew Neal sacrifices time with his family to keep their unique grocery delivery business afloat.

9 Photos

Home Clips

by Terray Sylvester
Big Mike's Barbershop serves as a hub for Paducah's black community.

2:29 Video

The Spirit to Carry On

by Mike Clark
Distiller Jay Rogers overcomes injuries and the loss of a friend after a moonshine still explosion.

12 Photos

Being Different

by Tori Schneider
Vaysa Burton is a 55-year-old transgender woman and recovering alcohol and drug addict living in Paducah. She is isolated from others and those like her.

1:41 Video

A Binding Thread

by Kelsey Kremer
When a friend asked Diane Thompson to stitch a quilt, she knew she had sewn up her spot at the table.

7 Photos

Passport to Paducah

by Steven Anselm
Robert Worden is one of Paducah's red-coated ambassadors who greet and assist dignitaries and others who visit the city.

1:50 Video

An Entrepreneurial Spirit

by Rachel Aston
Allen Dossey's competitive nature led him to cultivate a major winery in bourbon country.

11 Photos

Just a Wheelchair

by Srijita Chattopadhyay
A car crash left Josh Heine in a wheelchair, but he refuses to be limited by his disabilities.

1:59 Video

A Second Act

by Josh Newell
Janice Peterson was searching for appreciation and found it in a place she didn't expect.

6 Photos

Called to Serve

by Skyler Ballard
Sister Lucy Bonifas, 78, has dedicated her life to serving God and her community. Retired from Lourdes Hospital, she still comforts those in need.

2:12 Video

Bridge of Love

by Forrest Briggs
After her husband died, Martha Kallaher started playing bridge, found Jim and new meaning in life.

8 Photos

The Apron and the Sash

by Nathaniel Y. Downes
Nina Brown is a candidate for homecoming queen at Paducah Tilghman High School, but winning or losing doesn't define who she is.

2:16 Video

Unconditional

by Hanna Wallis
Shanetha Donaldson always knew she'd open her home to kids facing the struggles she had growing up.

10 Photos

Horse Crazy

by Nathan Papes
Horse enthusiast Sandy Lipford passes her knowledge of horses on to the next generation.

2:33 Video

Ride to Holiness

by Mie Hee Christensen
After a hard life, Dennis Lawrence founded Free Spirit Biker Church where people like him feel welcome.

14 Photos

The Art of Balance

by Morgan Hornsby
A devoted mother and professional artist, Lily Liu makes space for everything that matters to her.

2:23 Video

A Notable Family

by Ashley Cooper
A fourth generation is ready to continue the lifelong jam session at Allen Music.

8 Photos

At Home on the Stage

by Michelle Seivers
For Laney Yancey, a junior at McCracken County High School, performing in theatre is therapeutic.

3:45 Video

Wren

by Stephanie Strauss
Two artists nurture creativity in their daughter so she learns what it is to be nice.

8 Photos

Vine of Faith

by Michaela Miller
Martha Bell woke up in the night 27 years ago and decided she wanted to help people in Paducah. That was the beginning of Martha's Vineyard, a food pantry.

2:31 Video

A Bittersweet Rise

by Emilie Milcarek
Tonya Loyd's loyalty to the family shop keeps customers coming back for more than doughnuts.

12 Photos

Living a Dream Boyhood

by Masao Okano
The Medley family bought a 61-acre farm with wild turkey and deer, ponds and woods. It's the perfect place to raise two teen-age boys.

2:14 Video

Restoring Trust

by Nadeen Shaker
Billie Preston is trying to prove to herself and to others that she is ready to raise her two young children.

8 Photos

It's Not About Football

by Mary Mathis
For Paducah Tilghman football coach Kurt Barber, coaching football is about more than the game.

2:29 Video

A Passion Renewed

by Veasey Conway
After 20 years nurturing preschoolers, Ginny Hutson risks chance and dives into lifelong interest.

9 Photos

A Lost Leg, a Helping Hand

by Lisa Guerriero
After losing her leg in an accident, Terry Ross cleans up donated medical equipment and gives it to people in need.

2:07 Video

Ben Walter

by Sophia Germer
Chuck and Tonya Walter live a normal life with their complex son. A different normal life.

13 Photos

A Commanding Presence

by Lydia Thompson
Principal Art Davis never planned to be an educator, but he fell in love with teaching and the community.

1:02 Video

Mother Bee

by Michael Noble, Jr.
The loss of a puppy led April Griggs to discover her therapy in beekeeping.

9 Photos

Beyond Bikes

by Kelsea Hobbs
After living in Paducah for almost 7 years, Martha Emmons finally found a way to immerse herself in her community through opening "BikeWorld."

2:40 Video

Confidence from Compassion

by Matthew Long
Tracy Defreitas eases the burden of hair loss, giving people strength to face life's challenges.

10 Photos

A Little Ice in Her Tea

by Kelly Doering
Retta Folsom's life is filled with books and music and a lot of gratitude for the little things in life.

3:14 Video

Paducah: Life in a River Town

by Lex Selig and Mindy Miller
TIME-LAPSE Creating a vibrant culture built on local traditions and fueled by international trade.

10 Photos

Taking the Reins

by Kathryn Boyd-Batstone
Working with horses has helped veterinarian Bambi Fox cope with the death of her husband, a horse trainer.

1:24 Video

Historic Heart of Paducah

by Sarah Pompeii
Home to gorgeous old homes and the site of a Civil War fort, Lower Town is now a thriving center for artists.

12 Photos

Locomotive is Not a Train

by Katherine Emery
National Railway Equipment is rich with history and innovation.

1:55 Video

Portraits of Paducah

by Sarah Pompeii and Adam Lau
Nestled on the border of Illinois and Western Kentucky, Paducah witnesses where the Tennessee River flows into the Ohio.

10 Photos

An Unlikely Family

by Joseph Xu
Regulars at Side Pockets Billiards have formed a legacy of relationships with each other.

14 Photos

A New Life in America

by Jordan Putt
A teenager from Ethiopia begins to embrace her new family in Kentucky.

7 Photos

A Family Affair

by Jodi Camp
To Kim Atwood, owner of Precious Paws Pet Grooming, dogs, their owners, and her staff are family.

13 Photos

Planting Seeds

by Joan Lederer
Hop on the hay wagon and take a trip to Wurth Farm.

10 Photos

Baking is Heavy Lift

by Jennifer Tai
Filling ovens with Kirchhoff's famous bread means long nights and back-breaking work.

9 Photos

Jean-ealogy

by Jennifer King
At 78, Jean Thetford has spent most of her life raising three generations of children. Now she is devoted to bringing up her 3-year-old great-grandson.

10 Photos

Healing on Horseback

by Jeffrey Zide
Cassidy's Cause provides therapeutic horse rides to build strength and confidence for children with special needs.

13 Photos

A Neighborhood Blessing

by James Buck
The neighborhood center created by Sherry Golightly has led Tim Walls to find faith and sobriety.

6 Photos

From Mom to Manufacturer

by Haiyun Jiang
In 2011, Ashley Graham set out to find a cure for her daughter's skin condition. Chloe couldn't use commercially produced soap. Ashley started experimenting with natural ingredients to create a mild soap.

10 Photos

A Family Dance

by Gabriel Scarlett
Jack and Daniele Johnson balance managing a dance studio with caring or their extended family.

15 Photos

The Wilson's Wild House

by Emmet Kowler
A Paducah family embraces diversity, chaos, learning, and love.

11 Photos

The Wanderer

by Deidre Pulley
Teen runaway Maggie Alcantara struggles to find her identity.

11 Photos

A Custom Life

by Deanna Del Ciello
Brad Starks will not leave Paducah and his family, even though his custom hot rod shop would thrive elsewhere.

12 Photos

All or Nothing

by Cassaundra Jackson
Deputy sheriff and SWAT team leader Michael Wray is a commanding presence at his CrossFit gym. But at home, his daughter brings out his vulnerable side.

13 Photos

Choosing a New Life

by Caitie McMekin
A Paducah businessman turned his life around, and he's not taking it for granted.

11 Photos

A Respect for Wildlife

by Brook Joyner
Howard Hicks views his work, taxidermy, as an art and a science.

8 Photos

Their Retirement Job

by Boris Shirman
Grandparents juggle a horse carriage business and the challenge of raising a 10-year-old boy.

12 Photos

Alter Egos

by Anna Clare Spelman
Entering Creatures of Habit feels like walking into an enormous walk-in closet of an incredibly cool grandma. You can be anything you want here.

10 Photos

A Hand to Hold

by Andrea Noall
All her life, Haley Smith has struggled with severe autism. Her family and others have created a safe environment where she finds comfort and happiness.

10 Photos

The Beautiful Stairway Out

by Amy Nelson
The Nichols' Worth Diner is more than a breakfast joint for owner Charlie Nichols.

9 Photos

Bonding Over Barbecue

by Alyssa Keown
Dairyette restaurant dishes up hometown feeling with servings of barbecue and ice cream.

10 Photos

Love Away From Home

by Alycia Kravitz
Drew Vanderford is a volunteer tutor at Clark Elementary School, serving as a mentor, role model and surrogate grandfather for student and teachers alike.

10 Photos

Unstoppable Beau

by Alex Ledet
A gunshot wound to the head changed everything, but somehow, Beau Mathis has recovered to become a great sports fan for Tilghman -- and a great inspiration for everyone else.

9 Photos

A Mother's Life Mission

by Abigail Igoe
Inspired by a difficult adoption experience, Laura Roberts founded Starfish Orphan Ministry to support other families.

10 Photos

Never Giving up on Art

by Lora Sparks
Philip Phillips, who describes his style as "old rocker," spends his days creating everything from wallets to pocket-watch holders to handbags.

10 Photos

The Sole of the Operation

by Abbey Tanner
Jill Suiter has never been afraid of hard work.

24 Photos

Paducah at its Best

by Mountain Workshops
For one week in late October, more than 70 visual journalists descended on McCracken County taking an un-nerving look at the place and people that call this river community home.