BEREA, Ky. — For a lot of families, “Wheel of Fortune” is background noise at the end of the day. This month, it wasn’t background at all. Berea resident Samantha Thomas appeared on the long-running game show recently, and suddenly the familiar routine turned into something else: neighbors messaging neighbors, friends texting screenshots, and the…

BEREA, Ky. — Looking for a Valentine’s plan that isn’t dinner-and-a-movie? Fire & Fern Glass Studio is leaning into the season with a slate of hands-on experiences designed for couples, friends, and anyone who’d rather make something memorable than buy it. The studio’s February schedule features two offerings available throughout the month—plus a special event…

BEREA, Ky. — After nearly five years of detours, the Menelaus Road / KY 1983 bridge in Farristown is entering the “no turning back” phase: demolition of the old one-lane wooden bridge is expected soon, and a new two-lane steel girder bridge is targeted to open by Nov. 1, 2026, according to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet…

BEREA, Ky. — A new community learning initiative called FreeSkool is launching in Berea this weekend at HomeGrown HideAways, starting with an orientation and site tour on Saturday and a garden planning session with a seed swap on Sunday. FreeSkool is being promoted as a grassroots, place-based learning series where community members can share skills…

BEREA, Ky. — When the lights flicker or water pressure drops, the fastest way to cut through rumor is to know where your utility posts updates. Berea Municipal Utilities (BMU) says its customer notification system can send alerts about scheduled power outages, major service interruptions, and boil water advisories by text or automated voice calls.…

BEREA, Ky. — As Berea’s housing growth continues north of town, residents in the Stoney Creek subdivision are raising a concern that’s easy to summarize and hard to ignore: if there’s an emergency, one way in and out doesn’t feel like enough. At a recent public meeting, residents urged city officials to pause new approvals…

BEREA, Ky. — A new, AI-only social network called Moltbook has gone viral in tech circles for a very 2026 reason: the bots didn’t just post… they started role-playing a belief system called “Crustafarianism” and openly discussed creating private channels away from human observers. Former Tesla/OpenAI researcher Andrej Karpathy captured the vibe in a widely…

BEREA, Ky. — Two of Disney’s biggest titles are headed to a Berea stage this spring—performed by local kids and teens through Spotlight Acting School, with family-friendly runs of Disney’s The Lion King KIDS beginning Feb. 20 and Disney’s Frozen JR. following in late March at The Spotlight Playhouse. For parents and grandparents, these are…

BEREA, Ky. — SK hynix, one of Nvidia’s key suppliers for AI memory, says it is considering establishing a U.S.-based unit focused on artificial intelligence investment, following a report that the new entity would manage about 10 trillion won (roughly $6.92 billion) in AI-related overseas assets held by SK Group affiliates. The reported portfolio includes…

BEREA, Ky. — When a school program is threatened, adults usually do the talking: board members, administrators, budget spreadsheets. Last spring, Berea students showed another way. When Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) was listed among programs at risk during district budget reductions, students didn’t just complain about losing it. They organized. They planned. They fundraised.…

BEREA, Ky. — If you’ve been waiting for a single, reliable roadmap to Berea’s spring concert season, Music @ Berea has released its Spring 2026 event schedule, laying out a full semester of performances across campus venues—from choir concerts and bluegrass to mariachi, percussion, and even an “Atrium Jam.” For readers planning weekends in town…

BEREA, Ky. — Berea’s spring arts calendar is about to tilt family-friendly in a big way: Spotlight Acting School is bringing Disney’s The Lion King KIDS to the stage with two casts of young performers, giving more children the chance to perform—and giving local families two separate weekends to catch the show. 🎭 Two Casts,…

BEREA, Ky. — Thirty years is a long time to do anything side-by-side—long enough for life to change keys a few times, long enough for a town’s soundtrack to gain new verses. On Saturday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m., Berea College is putting that kind of longevity on stage with a faculty recital titled “Our…

BEREA, Ky. — If you’ve ever snapped a photo of a strange mushroom, a bird you couldn’t name, or a plant you swear you’ve never seen before, here’s your chance to help turn “What is that?” into real data. The Berea College Forestry Outreach Center is hosting an iNaturalist I.D.-a-thon on Saturday, Jan. 31, from…

Originally Published November 1995 | Updated Jan. 27, 2026 BEREA, Ky. — In the spring of 1992, a busload of Madison Southern High School students rolled into Nashville for the Music City Classic, hoping to bring home a trophy. They returned with awards, but one student returned with a life-altering choice. As Berea’s arts community…

BEREA, Ky. — Winter can make the woods look like it hit pause—bare branches, brown leaves, gray skies. But if you know where to look, the forest is still full of color. That’s the idea behind “Family Activity: Likin’ Lichen Walk,” happening today (Sunday, Jan. 25) from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Berea…

Berea doesn’t need a trip to New York to get a night of showtunes. “Finally: A Broadway Revue” is back at The Spotlight Playhouse for a run Feb. 20–28, presented by The Bluegrass Players. 🌟 What a “Broadway Revue” Means (and Why It Works Here) Unlike a book musical (where one story runs from curtain…

BEREA, Ky. — Berea’s GameStop at Shops at Berea (222 Brenwood St.) is now closed, according to the company’s store page, which lists the location as closed every day of the week. A photo circulating locally also shows an in-store notice stating the shop would be “closed effective 1.8.2026.” The shutdown appears connected to a…

If you’re looking for a winter night out that’s indoors, affordable, and genuinely different, the Berea College Planetarium has a fresh option on deck: “Habitat Earth” is the featured full-dome show for the Jan. 30–Feb. 1 weekend, with performances listed at 7:00–8:00 p.m. Friday (Jan. 30) and 4:00–5:00 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 1). The planetarium plays…

After a stretch of rough winter weather across the U.S., Nvidia dropped a rare piece of genuinely practical “AI good news”: the company says it has released three open-source AI models designed to make weather forecasting faster and cheaper—and, in some cases, competitive with traditional physics-based approaches. Nvidia unveiled the models at the American Meteorological…