The City of Murray Planning Commission will not meet for this month’s regular meeting; however, a special called meeting is scheduled on Thursday, April 17.
Council honors MSU women’s basketball team with resolution and key to the city
By Laura Ray/For The Sentinel
MURRAY – The Murray City Council celebrated more than just civic duties Thursday night – they celebrated champions. During its regular monthly meeting, the council passed a resolution to honor the Murray State University women’s basketball team for their extraordinary 2024–2025 season under the leadership of Head Coach Rechelle Turner, recognizing their record-setting 25-win season and their title as Missouri Valley Conference Champions.
Turner, in her eighth season at the helm, was also honored for becoming the winningest head coach in program history, notching her 136th career victory. The resolution praised both the team’s performance and their role as outstanding ambassadors for Murray State and the wider community.
The spotlight also shone brightly on Katelyn Young, who made history by becoming the all-time leading scorer in MSU women’s basketball history and the 14th all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball, amassing an impressive 3,029 career points.
In a rare gesture, Mayor Bob Rogers presented Young with a key to the city – an honor he has bestowed only three times during his administration. “The people of Murray make all the difference,” Young said, thanking the community for its support of the team.
The resolution concluded with a statement of civic pride: “The City of Murray congratulates and honors the Murray State University Women’s Basketball Team for an extraordinary year and takes enormous pride in the achievements of our hometown team.”
The council also received an update from City Administrator Jim Osborne on last week’s severe storms, which included a tornado and what he called a “generational rainfall event.” Thanks to early preparation and interdepartmental coordination, the city avoided major damage, with crews removing 11 downed trees and keeping most roads passable by the next morning.
Other business at Thursday’s meeting included a discussion on a new in-house water sampling service that saved the city nearly $900 in its first month. Public Works Director Shane Knight reported that the initiative is projected to save the city nearly $8,000 annually and could benefit local residents, farmers and restaurant owners by offering quicker service at a rate of $35 per test.
The Cemetery Committee report also led to the approval of new maintenance guidelines and signage at the city cemetery, along with a mowing contract with the Calloway County Jail. It was also decided to remove the angels at the top of the gates due to deterioration.
Additional updates were shared on ongoing infrastructure and development projects, including the announcement of a new McDonald’s at the intersection of North 4th Street and U.S. 641 N, where the David Taylor preowned car lot is currently located. Other new commercial projects include the construction of new 55 and up apartments on Brooklyn Drive and a new assisted living senior housing development on Robertson Road South.
The state is reportedly in the design phase for its planned roundabout at “Five Points.” Designs and plans for the business loop are being updated while the state obtains a conditional letter of map revision (CLOMR), FEMA’s comment on a proposed project that would, upon construction, modify the existing regulatory floodway. The city plans to bring this project to bid in late 2025.
The HWY 80 Sewer Extension and Lift Station were reported as 90% complete. Contact Murray Project Manager Marisa Stewart with any questions at 270-762-0350 ext. 1134 or marisa.Stewart@murrayky.gov.
Press release: MCCH’s new electronic health record system and patient portal set for launch on Monday
MURRAY – Murray-Calloway County Hospital will launch a new electronic health record (EHR) system on Monday, April 14. The new EHR will replace our outdated system and provide patients with a streamlined and secure way to manage their health and wellness information electronically.
When the system goes live, patients may notice that a little more time is needed at their first several appointments as staff learn to work with the new EHR.
“We’re putting in extra hours and have additional staff resources to make sure everything goes smoothly, but we do expect a few delays as we get our new system up and running,” said Aaron Rucker, Chief Information Officer. “We want to thank everyone for their patience in advance as we make this essential technologic upgrade.”
Once the system is up and running, patients can look forward to an enhanced registration and check-in process, an easy-to-use patient portal that also provides a simple way to view and pay their bill.
The Oracle CommunityWorks platform was selected because it is specifically designed to meet the needs of critical access and community hospitals. With this platform, patient records will be more readily available. The system will also provide better access to patient record sharing.
With the installation of Oracle CommunityWorks, hospital and clinic patients will have access to a new fully integrated patient portal called “MyHealth”, offering a single source to view lab results, review their most recent trip to the doctor’s office or learn what to expect at an upcoming appointment and directly message their provider. The previous patient portal is expected to stay live for the next 9 months.
For more information about the new EMR, please email us at info@murrayhospital.org, or contact the Marketing Department at 270.762.1381.
Murray State students sue over student government election
UPDATE (April 16, 2025): For the second time this year, Ali Khatib was elected president of the Murray State University Student Government Association. According to the Murray State News, Khatib received 867 votes, while incumbent Brendan Hawkins only received 838, in the special election held Monday and Tuesday.
MURRAY – Murray attorney Dominik Mikulcik filed a lawsuit against Murray State University (MSU) President Robert “Bob” Jackson in Calloway Circuit Court yesterday on behalf of two students who were impacted, albeit in different ways, by the Student Judicial Board’s recent decision to vacate the results of the March Student Government Association (SGA) election and schedule a new election to be held next week.
The students, Ali Khatib and Jesus Figueroa Martinez (Figueroa), assert that the board’s decision violated not only their rights but also policies of the MSU Board of Regents.
Khatib won the race for SGA president, prevailing over incumbent Brendan Hawkins by a margin of two votes. After the results were announced, Hawkins petitioned the judicial board, requesting to overturn the election results and call a special election, citing concerns around voter eligibility, namely that Racer Academy students and faculty members enrolled in courses were allowed to vote.
Figueroa is a Murray High School (MHS) student enrolled in dual credit courses through Racer Academy. He was allowed to cast a ballot in the March election, but the new definition of an ‘eligible voter’ outlined in the board’s decision makes him ineligible to vote in the upcoming election.
They brought the civil suit against Jackson, specifically, because they claim that, as the chief executive of the university, he has the authority to correct the judicial board’s “erroneous decision” and is duty-bound to uphold the Board of Regents’ policies; however, Jackson has “refused or unreasonably delayed” taking action on the matter. They are asking the court to compel Jackson to suspend the upcoming election and ratify the March results.
In his petition, Hawkins accused Khatib of campaign violations by visiting MHS, his alma mater, to solicit votes from students enrolled in dual credit classes. He also took issue with the fact that some faculty members who are enrolled in classes at MSU participated in student elections and argued that a “change in the voting system” allowed previously ineligible students to cast a ballot.
The judicial board is comprised of seven students who serve as justices. The board’s authority is narrow in scope, relating only to matters concerning the university’s Code of Conduct, the SGA Constitution and parking/traffic violations.
On March 31, the board held a hearing on Hawkins’ petition and published its opinion later that day. The justices conceded that his petition was filed out-of-time; therefore, they did not consider any alleged campaign violations because SGA’s policy on election procedures and requirements states that any challenges to an election must be made, in writing, prior to the election results being announced.
Despite the “unambiguous limitation to challenge” the election results, the petition states, the board did entertain Hawkins’ claims regarding voter eligibility.
According to the opinion penned by SGA Judicial Board Chief Justice Piper McClain, the board heard testimony from Brantley Travis, director of business and student information solutions, who reported 1397 Racer Academy students and 96 faculty members had credentials to vote in the March election, and of those, 31 students and 15 faculty cast ballots.
Retired SGA Advisor Jeanie Morgan also testified that “the intention of voter eligibility” in SGA’s constitution was never meant to include Racer Academy student or faculty members.
The opinion characterizes the constitutional language around voter eligibility as “vague and limited.” As such, the board to the bylaws which state that any full-time or part-time student, with “part-time” being defined as an undergraduate taking seven to 11 credit hours or a graduate taking five to eight hours, can run for an SGA office, with the exception that part-time students cannot hold an executive council position.
“Though the Judicial Board recognizes that the initial intent of this bylaw may have been to set rules of what candidates could run for office,” McClain wrote in the opinion, “[but] with no clear written explanation as to what a ‘Student’ is within the SGA Constitution, the board concluded that this was the most fair way of including highly engaged Racer Academy Students, or Faculty members who are taking a significant number of credit hours.”
Ultimately, the board vacated the March results and scheduled a new election on April 14-15, specifying that only part- and full-time students, as defined by the ruling, are eligible to participate; however, the opinion did note that MSU faculty and Racer Academy students may participate, provided they meet all of the requirements other students must meet. Finally, the board called on the Student Senate to act swiftly to amend the SGA Constitution to clarify the definition of a “student” as well as the qualifications students must meet in order to vote in SGA elections.
The plaintiffs assert that the board’s decision amounted to amending SGA’s bylaws. The authority to amend the bylaws, however, is vested in the student senate, not the judicial board; furthermore, enforcement of the bylaws falls to the SGA Election/Ways and Means Committee. Constitutional amendments require approval from either 75% of the student senate or 25% of the student body and are contingent on approval from the MSU Board of Regents.
The petition argues that no evidence was presented during the hearing that “this election differed in any manner to the recent prior elections” and that “the record is consistent with voter eligibility and the manner of voting remaining substantially unchanged.” It further argues that the board “incorrectly concluded that only vague and limited information from the SGA Constitution was available to define an ‘eligible voter.’”
“Based on the erroneous belief the voter eligibility was not clearly defined,” the petition states, “the [judicial board] went outside of the four corners of the documentation before them and used [testimony] from an unqualified witness to determine intent and fashion a new rule for determining voter eligibility.”
Specifically, according to the petition, the board made the requirements outlined in the SGA Constitution for a student to run for SGA offices, excluding executive council positions, a prerequisite for voter eligibility and used “its new rule to void the previously announced election results … and directed a subsequent, illegal election to occur.”
Additionally, the petition alleges that one of the justices is a member of the same fraternity as Hawkins, creating an “apparent conflict of interest” that, according to the Association of Governing Board (AGB) Statement on Conflict of Interest, required him to recuse from the proceedings. Khatib challenged the justice’s impartiality during the March 31 hearing; however, the board “willfully, wantonly, or negligently failed to exclude” him from voting.
As the winning candidate, the petition maintains, Khatib’s rights and privileges as the incoming SGA president – including a seat on the board of regents, a scholarship worth $4,000 for in-state students or $6,000 for out-of-state students and a parking pass – were vested once the election results were announced. After that point, the judicial board lacked the authority to recall the election, and pursuant to the SGA Constitution, Khatib could only be removed from office by a petition of 25% of the constituency.
Mikulcik also filed two motions yesterday. The first requested a temporary emergency injunction to halt the April election. It argues that SGA held the March election under the “existing applicable rules,” but after the results were announced, the judicial board changed the qualifications for voting, disenfranchising certain students, and scheduled a new election.
“Disenfranchisement is a clear restriction on liberty and in this case a due process violation,” the motion states. “Allowing the scheduled election to proceed without allowing him to participate as a Murray State Student will violate (Figueroa’s) right to participate.”
The second motion requested that Calloway Circuit Court Judge Andrea Moore recuse herself from the proceedings, citing a belief that McClain worked closely with Moore while completing a summer internship.
Both motions are set for hearing on April 21 at 2:05 p.m.
Editor’s note: Allegations made in a civil lawsuit only represent one side of an issue. All parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This story was updated April 11 at 11:56 a.m.
Murray Board of Zoning Adjustments Regular Meeting
The Murray Board of Zoning Adjustments will meet at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall, 500 Main Street.
Murray City Council Regular Meeting
The Murray City Council will meet at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 500 Main Street.
AP wins reinstatement to White House events after judge rules government can’t bar its journalists
by David Bauder/Associated Press
A federal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to restore The Associated Press’ full access to cover presidential events, affirming on First Amendment grounds that the government cannot punish the news organization for the content of its speech.
U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled that the government can’t retaliate against the AP’s decision not to follow the president’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico. The decision handed the AP a major victory at a time the White House has been challenging the press on several levels.
“Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists—be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere—it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints,” McFadden wrote. “The Constitution requires no less.”
It was unclear whether the White House would move immediately to put McFadden’s ruling into effect. McFadden held off on implementing his order for a week, giving the government time to respond or appeal.
The AP has been blocked since Feb. 11 from being among the small group of journalists to cover Trump in the Oval Office or aboard Air Force One, with sporadic ability to cover him at events in East Room.
“We are gratified by the court’s decision,” said AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton. “Today’s ruling affirms the fundamental right of the press and public to speak freely without government retaliation. This is a freedom guaranteed for all Americans in the U.S. Constitution.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, named in the lawsuit, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
The news organization had asked McFadden to rule that Trump had violated AP’s constitutional right to free speech by taking the action because he disagreed with the words that its journalists use. He had earlier declined AP’s request to reverse the changes through an injunction.
Because of its wide reach, the AP has traditionally always been included in “pools” for coverage of presidential events in places like the Oval Office or Air Force One. McFadden cautioned that his ruling does not necessarily herald a return to those days.
“The Court does not order the government to grant the AP permanent access to the Oval Office, the East Room or any other media event,” he wrote. “It does not bestow special treatment upon the AP. Indeed, the AP is not necessarily entitled to the ‘first in line every time’ permanent press pool access it enjoyed under the (White House Correspondents Association). But it cannot be treated worse than its peer wire service either.”
The judge said that his decision does not prohibit a government official from choosing which outlets to give interviews to, or choosing which journalists’ questions they choose to answer at a news conference.
Trump came out and said why he made the move
While there was little dispute in a March 27 court hearing about why Trump struck back at the AP – the president said as much – the administration said it was up to its own discretion, and not White House correspondents or longstanding tradition, to determine who gets to question the president and when.
Since the dispute with AP began, the White House has taken steps to control who gets to cover the president at smaller events and even where journalists sit during Leavitt’s briefings, saying both need to better reflect changes in how people get information.
“In short, new media has benefited at AP’s expense under the new management,” McFadden wrote in his decision. “Little else has changed.”
The AP’s decisions on what terminology to use are followed by journalists and other writers around the world through its influential stylebook. The outlet said it would continue to use Gulf of Mexico, as the body of water has been known for hundreds of years, while also noting Trump’s decision to rename it the Gulf of America. Different outlets have used different approaches, some skirting it by calling it the “Gulf.”
“For anyone who thinks The Associated Press’ lawsuit against President Trump’s White House is about the name of a body of water, think bigger,” Julie Pace, the AP’s executive editor, wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. “It’s really about whether the government can control what you say.”
Trump has dismissed the AP, which was established in 1846, as a group of “radical left lunatics” and said that “we’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree it’s the Gulf of America.”
Testimony revealed AP’s coverage has been impeded
For a news organization that relies on speed as a major selling point, the AP brought its chief White House correspondent and photographer to testify before McFadden about how its absence from covering certain events has delayed its transmission of words and images. Its lawyer, Charles Tobin, said AP has already lost a $150,000 advertising contract from a client concerned about the ban.
The government’s lawyer, Brian Hudak, showed how AP has been able to use livestreams or photos from other agencies to get news out, and pointed out that AP regularly attends Leavitt’s daily briefings.
McFadden said that the government has been “brazen” about why it has excluded the AP. “The government offers no other plausible explanation for its treatment of the AP,” he wrote. “The Constitution forbids viewpoint discrimination, even in a nonpublic forum like the Oval Office.”
As a service whose product is delivered to thousands of newspapers, websites and broadcasters across the nation and world, the AP has been part of small text and photo “pools” that have covered presidents of both parties for decades. The administration has sought to give more prominence to new – and in many cases, Trump-friendly – outlets.
In its action filed on Feb. 21, the AP sued Leavitt, White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich.
Trump has moved aggressively against the media on several fronts since taking office again. The Federal Communications Commission has open lawsuits against ABC, CBS and NBC News. The administration has sought to cut off funding for government-run news services like Voice of America and is threatening public funding for public broadcasters PBS and NPR for allegedly being too liberal in news coverage.
The case was Associated Press v. Budowich, et al.
David Bauder is the AP’s national media writer, covering the intersection of news, politics and entertainment. He is based in New York.
Follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
Editor’s note: This is an abbreviated version of the AP’s story. Read the full story here.
Press release: Author Bernadette Rule to discuss The Arithmetic of Color
MAYFIELD – Author Bernadette Rule will discuss her latest book, The Arithmetic of Color, at the next meeting of the Jackson Purchase Historical Society at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 26, at the Graves County Public Library in Mayfield. The meeting is free and open to the public.
The Arithmetic of Color is the biography of Tom Johnson, a Graves County man of mixed race who lived from 1871 to 1929. Based on a true story meticulously researched, the book is written as a novel because of its dramatic character. Johnson’s life is at the center of the American experience, including poverty, middle class success, and the near promise of extreme wealth. Johnson returned to the woman he loved after serving 17 years of a life sentence in Leavenworth Prison. Published in 2024 by Ironing Board Press, The Arithmetic of Color captures the complexity of race, class, and love in America at the turn of the twentieth century.
The Arithmetic of Color has been praised by writers and academists alike. “These stories of past generations in Mayfield seem especially valuable now that so much has been lost because of the tornado,” novelist Bobbie Ann Mason stated. Dr Aaron Hughey of Western Kentucky University wrote that “Rule has that rare ability to transport you to a different time and place in such a visceral manner that you will swear you are actually there.”
Rule, who will sign books after her presentation, grew up in Kentucky and has spent her adult life in Canada. She is the author of seven collections of poetry. Her first novel, Dark Fire, was published in 2021, and shortlisted for the 2022 Hamilton Literary Award and the Whistler Independent Book Award. Rule serves on the executive committee of the Hamilton Association for the Advancement of Literature, Science & Art, one of the oldest cultural institutions in North America.
The program is cosponsored by the Graves County Public Library and the Jackson Purchase Historical Society.
MCCH Board of Trustees Quality Committee Regular Meeting
The Murray-Calloway County Hospital Board of Trustees Quality Committee will meet at noon in the hospital’s Garrison Board Room and viz Zoom (call 270-762-1102 for Zoom connection details).
