Volume 1, Issue 1
Owensboro’s only locally owned daily news.
FIRST QUARTER 2025
Daviess County, Kentucky
Free Publication
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The picture she could never unsee How Andrea Widmer found out her son died Photo by Jason Tanner
By RYAN RICHARDSON
Photo by Ryan Richardson
Lights, Camera, Owensboro:
Former Malco theater to become high-tech sound stage By JOHN KIRKPATRICK
Owensboro is stepping into the spotlight as a player in the film and television industry. The former Malco theater on Frederica Street is being reborn as a high-tech, cuttingedge sound stage. With stateof-the-art facilities — including Kentucky’s only 30-foot LED virtual production wall — the transformation marks a groundbreaking moment for
the city and the state’s entertainment industry. The facility, called Kentucky Sound Stage, will accommodate feature films, television shows, commercials, and music videos. While the sound stage is geared toward high-level productions, it will also serve local businesses and content creators. “We are committed to be-
ing a part of this community,” said Kristi Kilday, who along with Jeremy Wilson co-owns Goldenrod Film & Television, the company spearheading the project. “Yes, we’re bringing Hollywood to Owensboro, but we’re also building something that benefits the local economy and workforce.” Continued on page 13
Andrea Widmer found out her son was dead from a Facebook post. A single photo — Taylor’s white Camry, flipped upside down in a cornfield — stole the breath from her lungs. The caption read: “Coroner called to the site of a onecar accident.” Andrea dialed Taylor’s number over and over. No answer. She told herself it couldn’t be true, but in her heart, she already knew. Before the police could call, before anyone had a chance to tell her the worst news of her life, the internet had already done it for them. August 7, 2014, began like any other day for Andrea. She had just finished work and, as part of her daily routine, logged onto Facebook. That’s when a single image on her screen changed everything. Taylor was supposed to be at football practice at Apollo High School. Earlier that day, he’d had an orthodontist appointment. Andrea tried to reason with herself. Maybe he was just running late. Maybe she would see him when she picked up his sister at school.
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Maybe it wasn’t his car. But deep down, she knew. She kept calling. Kept hoping. Kept trying to push away the panic rising in her chest. When she arrived at Apollo to pick up her daughter, Andrea asked Taylor’s friend if he was there. No, his friend hadn’t seen Taylor. Andrea’s stomach twisted as she dialed his number again. Still no answer. By now, Andrea had called her husband. “There’s a picture on Facebook, and I’m pretty sure it’s Taylor’s car,” she told him. “I’m not really sure where the accident is, just that it says Martin Luther King (Boulevard).” Andrea clung to the possibility that she was wrong. She drove to Burns Middle School, where her daughter had an event that night. They went inside and paid her school fees. The fear was suffocating, but there was still no confirmation. Maybe this was all a misunderstanding. Maybe Taylor would call. Maybe he would walk in the door with that goofy grin of Continued on page 5
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