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May 7September - Sept. 19, 2026

Volume 102 Issue 1

‘WE NEED TO BE COMPENSATED’ Page 5

SCAMS SPOTTED IN BOWLING GREEN

Page 8

HEADSTART AT WKU

Page 16

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Print edition published three times this semester by WKU Student Publications at Western Kentucky University. First copy: free | Additional copies: $5

EDITORIAL BOARD Anthony Clauson Editor-in-Chief Natalie Freidhof Content Editor Summer Crawford Co-Visuals Editor David Quintanilla Herald en Español Editor Anna Beth Adams Multimedia Editor

16 05

Shelbi Bale Design Editor Diego Alcaraz-Monje Assistant Content Editor Lindsey McIntosh Co-Visuals Editor Peyton Reid Sports Editor

OTHER LEADERS AND ADVISERS Hanna Kronfeld Cherry Creative Director Kayla White Talisman Executive Editor Avari Weis Advertising Adviser and Sales Manager

Jenna Hall Advertising Manager Carrie Pratt Herald Adviser Clinton Lewis Talisman Assistantand Director Cherry Creative Chuck Adviser Clark Student Chuck Publications Clark Student Director Publications Director

POLICIES Opinions expressed in the College Heights Herald are those of student editors and journalists and do not necessarily represent the views of WKU. Student editors determine all news and editorial content, and reserve the right to edit or reject submissions.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

‘WE NEED TO BE COMPENSATED’

SCAMS SPOTTED IN BOWLING GREEN

HERALD VISUALS

TOOL OR TROUBLE?

REPORT AN ERROR: herald.editor@wku.edu 270-745-5044 NEWSROOM: herald.digital@wku.edu 270-745-2653 or 270-745-5044 ADVERTISING: herald.advertising@wku.edu 270-745-6285 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: herald.opinion@wku.edu

ON CAMPUS: Adams Whitaker Student Publications Center, 1660 Normal St.

HEAD START AT WKU LITERACY AFTER DOLLY PARTON

ONLINE: WKUHerald.com NEWSLETTER: WKUHerald.com/newsletter SOCIAL MEDIA: • X: @wkuherald, @wkuheraldsports • Facebook, Instagram: @WKUHerald • YouTube: wkuheraldvideo • Tiktok: @wkuherald

Letter from H

the Editor

ello, Hilltoppers! I hope y’all are having a great start to the semester. I am proud to present the Herald’s first of three print news magazines for the fall. This time last year, we revamped our approach to print, ditching themes and instead offering a collection of our best stories. For this issue, we have a great collection that strikes at the heart of what the College Heights Herald stands for; truthful and fair reporting for the entire community. This issue is our first of the academic year and the first I have produced as editor-in-chief. As I take the helm of the Herald, I am reminded of what a tremendous responsibility we have. McClatchy Media Company, a leading owner of local newspapers, recently laid off more than 90 journalists across the country, according to Poynter. The Lexington Herald-Leader, a Kentucky institution with a century-long history, eliminated 13 positions, cutting its news staff in half, according to Louisville Public Media. The future of this profession remains uncertain despite its necessity to a thriving democracy. It is daunting, no doubt, but I am hopeful. Here at the Herald, we have a tenacious group of writers, photographers, designers and multimedia specialists who have a passion for serving you, our reader. Furthermore, members of our staff created every story element with zero generative artificial intelligence. In this edition, everyone worked together to produce phenomenal reporting. Reporters Isaiah Merricks and Miles Davis took a local look at the ever-evolving national story of Flock cameras and privacy. Coumba Cisse examined the Head Start childcare program and how debate on the federal level impacts people here on the Hill. Assistant Content Editor Diego Alcaraz-Monje and reporter Josh Baumgardner wrote an in-depth investigation about faculty pay and how the people who teach our classes every day may struggle to make ends meet. Reporters Abby Vickers and Avery Petrie teamed up to

Photo by Lindsey McIntosh

deliver a story about the threats scammers pose to our fellow community members. Rounding out the magazine, commentary writer Morgan Larkins reflects on Dolly Parton’s death and the lasting impact of her Imagination Library in an emotional yet thought-provoking piece. We have all worked hard while knowing that some people don’t understand the value of what we do. We acknowlege others view us as the enemy, but we don’t discourage. We go to work each day with a mission to provide the community with timely information as it affects them and their neighbors. I want to thank all of our readers for supporting our mission. The Herald would not be the institution it is today without each of you.

Anthony Clauson Editor-in-Chief

‘WE NEED TO BE COMPENSATED’ The state of faculty pay at WKU

Story by Diego Alcaraz-Monje and Josh Baumgardner

n higher education, change is inevitable. But like a rock in a turbulent sea, Christy Spurlock’s smiling face has graced the exhibits of WKU’s Kentucky Museum for the past 21 years. As the museum’s education curator, Spurlock has dedicated her time at WKU to creating educational programming for thousands of students, educators, faculty and the general public. A single mother and veteran, she has helped plan and execute over 107 public programs while working with the 130 individual classes that visit the museum annually. She has earned countless awards for her work, all outlined in her 23-page-long curriculum vitae. Spurlock has held many titles in her time on the Hill: third-generation Hilltopper, two-time Western graduate, assistant professor and tenured associate professor. As of recently, she also held one she does not want: the lowest-paid full-time full professor at WKU. “I love my job,” Spurlock said. “But I am so sick of this salary fight that I have

Photo by Bradi Hawkins

been in since the day I walked through the door of this university.” In the 2027 fiscal year budget, one salary lower than Spurlock’s was listed. That employee has since been promoted to a higher-paid director position, leaving Spurlock with the lowest full-time full professor salary at $69,504. Her promotion was effective July 1 after two decades of service to the institution. Sometimes, she said she feels like she’s “screaming in the woods somewhere, the crazy lady” about faculty pay. But Spurlock said she isn’t even asking for fair market value. In 2025, history professor Eric Reed compiled data about the salaries at WKU’s 18 research benchmark institutions, universities with similar sizes and scopes that the university uses for institutional comparisons. Reed has been using the data alongside the WKU Faculty Senate as “a way that we can continue to advocate for better compensation.” Data came from national organiza-

tions that do faculty salary studies, such as the American Association of University Professors. The average salaries of various professor ranks, as well as total average salaries, were then compared to those right on the Hill. Reed’s data estimates that WKU’s faculty ranks dead last among the 19 total universities in terms of average faculty pay, with an average annual salary of $79,900. The University of South Alabama, which ranks 18th, has an average faculty salary of $82,300. According to Reed’s findings, WKU is also last in associate and full professor salaries, with average annual salaries of $77,000 and $92,900, respectively. The university ranks second to last for average assistant professor pay, with a $69,800 average beating out Indiana State University’s $69,400. The pay Spurlock has spent her career earning is $10,396 less than the average of all her WKU peers, and $23,396 less than the average of other full professors. For Spurlock, her pay feels like a

Survey Results Strongly Agree

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Relative to years of service and rank my salary is satisfactory.

Relative to colleagues at other universities and/or colleges, my salary is satisfactory.

18 19 93

I am confident in the RAMP budget model allocating university resources fairly.

Strongly Disagree 92

288

120

267

132

215

The survey was distributed to around 548 faculty members, and of those, 330 responses were given and analyzed, with a response rate of about 60%. Not all questions were answered by every person who submitted a response. Source: 2025-26 Annual Faculty Welfare Survey

“humiliation.” Spurlock began working at the Kentucky Museum in 2005, taking an assistant professorship with a tenure track. However, she said that the budget allotted instructor-level pay — a lower position — for her starting salary. “I was underpaid from the moment that I walked into this place,” she said. Prior to her promotion to full professor, Spurlock held the title of associate professor since 2012. At the end of her time as associate professor, she earned $60,456 annually, a salary achieved after several promotions and adjustments from her starting salary of $51,120. Spurlock’s current pay of $69,504 has less buying power than the $51,120 she was paid in 2012 as an associate professor, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index inflation calculator. Spurlock’s full professor salary has the same buying power as $48,437 in the year she was promoted to associate professor. This falls $2,683 short of her pay at the time, rendering her current salary less valuable than her starting associate professor pay. While Spurlock understands that her salary won’t be comparable to those at Research 1 universities, she thinks it would be “refreshing” to hear honesty from administration. Reed said that although he doesn’t consider the university’s approach to compensation strategic, he believes that the president and Board of Regents do

“bend over backwards” to try to find money for salaries. “That’s a sign that they recognize that it’s important,” he said. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Bud Fischer said in an email to the Herald that WKU frequently hears about compensation from faculty and understands why, particularly given the increasing cost of living. But as the cost of living has gone up for faculty, Fischer said that so have the university’s operating costs. “That creates a difficult balance,” he said. “We want to make sure our compensation remains competitive, but we also have to account for the increased cost of everything else it takes to operate the university. Those realities must be considered together when we’re making budget decisions.” Fischer said WKU appreciates its faculty feedback and continues to work on compensation, both through its regular budget process and the work that came out of WKU’s 2022 Compensation Study. In 2019, the university began the WKU Compensation Study, a university-wide faculty compensation analysis completed in 2022. The study aimed to determine WKU’s competitiveness in relevant markets and recommend updates to salary structures, administration and guidelines, according to the WKU Pay Administration website. Fischer said that while compensation decisions involve more than comparisons, the analysis gave WKU a better

understanding of where individual pay stood relative to equivalent positions at similar institutions. “We’ve made progress since then,” he said. The compensation study identified faculty and staff salaries below the median set by similar positions at 50 competing schools in the surrounding regions. The study intended to raise those salaries identified as below the median to at least 80% of it. Among the results of the study was a revised faculty compensation method that is still implemented today. According to the WKU Faculty and Staff Pay Administration Guidelines, annual base salaries are determined based on two metrics: a faculty member’s rank and discipline. A faculty member’s rank corresponds to their position title: instructor, assistant professor, associate professor or full professor. Faculty compensation is divided into four salary groupings based on discipline. The tiers consist of grouped disciplines with similar market values in each rank, according to the WKU Compensation Study website. Tier 1, the lowest grouping that Spurlock falls under, contains departments like physics and anthropology, while Tier 4 includes disciplines such as marketing and management. According to the guidelines, each rank has a corresponding salary grouping. Each grouping has a maximum, a minimum and benchmarks between the two.

The guidelines state faculty members earning salaries from the minimum to the one-fourth mark represent faculty members “new to (their) job or field…” while those at the three-fourths mark to the maximum are considered “expert in all job criteria.” According to Fischer, the tier-based metrics “have been effective” as a structured framework for recognizing and supporting related compensation decisions such as promotion and tenure. Spurlock, a 62-year-old “barreling towards retirement” in 2029, was seeking promotion to full professor as an attempt to increase her retirement benefits. Her benefits, operating under an older system, are dependent on her three highest salary-earning years. “I am trying desperately to get my salary up (to) something remotely resembling fair, comparable,” she said. The Board of Regents approved Spurlock’s application for promotion within the Department of Library Collections and Discovery at its May 7 meeting. Originally, Spurlock had asked for $76,000 as part of her promotion. According to Spurlock, the figure comes from the salaries of two of her faculty peers in University Libraries, both of whom earned $76,000 annually. The “significant professional accomplishment,” according to Dean of Libraries Joshua Vossler in her promotion notification, brought Spurlock’s salary up to just four dollars more than the minimum pay mark for a Tier 1 full professor pay. Spurlock then countered with $73,000. Despite her efforts, Spurlock’s annual pay landed at $69,504, $3,496 less than what she asked for. This left her feeling “bitter” and “jaded.” “That kind of feels like a little bit of a slap in the face to me,” she said. With 20 years of experience in her field, Spurlock wonders just how many years she would have to work for her pay to reflect a maximum salary. “I’ve done too much work, too much good work,” she said. “I’ve got a wall full of awards. Come on.” The annual Faculty Welfare Survey for WKU was released for 2026, showing that Spurlock is not alone in her sentiments. The summarized responses from the Faculty Welfare Survey paint a picture of a dissatisfied workforce. Ashley Orehek, assistant professor and chair of the Fac-

ulty Welfare and Professional Responsibilities Committee on the Faculty Senate, wrote the summary. “I read through every single comment for each question - it was a very somber experience…” Orehek notes at the beginning of the document. “WKU faculty are overall unhappy and have been for a long time.” History professor Selena Sanderfer Doss is also frustrated. Sanderfer Doss became an associate professor in 2011 and made around $48,000. Six years later, she was promoted to full professor. Now, her salary is $73,284 per year, about $1,619 per year in buying power behind her 2011 salary. “I guess I’m just kind of used to things being unfair,” Sanderfer Doss said. Sanderfer Doss described her struggle early in her career to make ends meet, saying she would not have been able to afford a house if her parents did not provide help. Sanderfer Doss, who struggled to pay for childcare, said she “depended a lot on credit cards and help from other people.” The survey asks a series of questions related to different aspects of work life on campus, such as perceived support of workload, satisfaction with support services, and overall perceived job satisfaction. Faculty are given the option to strongly agree, agree, be neutral, disagree or strongly disagree. “The faculty welfare survey provides valuable feedback and helps university leadership better understand faculty perspectives on a variety of issues,” University Spokesperson Jace Lux said. “We appreciate the faculty members who took the time to participate and share their views, while also recognizing that only a small percentage of faculty members elected to provide feedback.” The survey was distributed to around 548 faculty members, and of those, 330 responsed. It had a response rate of about 60% and not all questions were answered by every person who submitted a response. Faculty disagreed most in questions regarding salary, promotion, satisfaction with campus leadership and satisfaction with the new resource allocation management and planning model for the university’s budget known as RAMP. “One thing that did trend negatively a lot was the compensation, which is not a new thing,” Orehek said. “People have

been complaining about that for several years now.” One question within the survey read, “Relative to my years of service and rank, my salary is satisfactory.” Out of the 288 responses 212 respondents said they disagreed or strongly disagreed. Another question: “Relative to colleagues at other universities and/or colleges, my salary is satisfactory,” had 225 responses in the disagree-to-strongly disagree range out of the 267 respondents who answered the question. At the end of the document, Orehek compiled more than 168 written responses to illustrate the general themes of the messages. One main theme was a lack of transparency and understanding of the RAMP budget model, along with perceived inequity in resource allocation within the university. Faculty were asked whether they felt confident that the RAMP budget model is allocating resources fairly, which received 215 responses. One hundred forty-four disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement. At the beginning of the document, Orehek also touchesd on a worrying pattern of mental health struggles. “When respondents write that they are contemplating suicide or fear dying alone in their office, that isn’t okay, nor is it publicity that WKU needs,” Orehek wrote in the document. Orehek said she is aware that faculty receive some form of therapy services, but has not had any luck determining what they are. If she could turn back time, Spurlock said she would have never accepted her position. “Having the money to pay me is not my problem,” she said. “Find the damn money.” While Spurlock enjoys the joys and rewards of her work, she feels that institutions have a tendency to turn women like her into “mama.” “Mama is supposed to sacrifice everything for the good of the institution,” Spurlock said. “We are highly educated professionals. We need to be compensated.”

Assistant Content Editor Diego Alcaraz-Monje and News Reporter Josh Baumgardner can be reached at ealcarazmonje@gmail.com and joshua. baumgardner760@topper.wku.edu

Scams spotted in Bowling Green Story by Abigail Vickers and Avery Petrie

yber scams via email, phone and text messages have become more widespread in the Bowling Green and WKU communities. For a little over five years, the majority of recent scams have impersonated law enforcement or other organizations to obtain access to finances and personal information. Kenna Woodard, Bowling Green Police Department community resource officer, said scam calls have been persistent, but the tactics scammers use change as technology advances. Woodard organized a scam prevention seminar on Sept. 3 at the BGPD as a “proactive” effort to educate everyone on how to identify and address a cyber scam. Citizens at the seminar heard from three leaders with extensive knowledge of scams affecting the community. FBI Special Agent Brock West presented 2025 reports from scam victims in the United States at the seminar. Results from the reports showed the most targeted age group for scams is those 60 years and older – with a total of 201,000 complaints and $7.8 billion in losses. Older people are more targeted

Photos by Tanner York

because they have more assets, West said. In comparison, West said there were only 112,000 complaints among people in their 20s, and about 31,000 complaints for those younger. Some different types of scams include a relationship scam, a tech support scam or a cryptocurrency scam. Scams can include anything from a bank requesting money to an unknown contact requesting personal information. Reports of law enforcement impersonation scams have increased recently, according to the BGPD, with scammers threatening arrest to extort victims. As law enforcement, West said “we’re not going to call you to tell you you’re in trouble.” One specific type of scam, advance fee scams, involve scammers contacting a victim at random, West said. These scammers promise a large reward but ask victims to verify their identity or release funds. “A classic example of this would be a lottery scam,” West said. Another speaker at the seminar, Service One Credit Union Community Development Manager Nick Kitchens said about 33% of people will experi-

ence identity theft in their lifetime. Bowling Green Detective Jess Rager Perry emphasized the growth of cryptocurrency’s role in modern scamming during the seminar. People seem eager to use cryptocurrency, but when they aren’t educated on the Bitcoin market and crypto training, Perry said it is easy to get tricked into giving money to a scammer. To combat this, Perry recommended only handling cryptocurrency with kiosks and not making transactions over the phone. There are more than 30,000 cryptocurrency kiosks nationwide, with 34 located in Bowling Green, according to Coin ATM Radar. With these kiosks, Perry said it is easier to deposit money than to withdraw it. Scammers will trick their victims into giving the public machine cash that goes straight to the scammer’s account. Without training, people have “absolutely no business with those machines (kiosks),” Perry said. Auston McCay, a Bowling Green life and health insurance agent, attended the seminar after claiming to have received roughly 20 calls each day. Typically, McCay said the caller tried to

get his Medicare information. McCay also received emails offering him a new car as long as he paid the taxes on the car payment. Then, using the credit card information given, the scammer would be able to spend his money. Kitchens provided an action plan for those faced with a potential scam: • Stop contact with the scammer immediately. If the scammer claims to be a bank or other institution, call the company directly. • Slow down when faced with a potential scammer. Talk through investments with a trusted person and change passwords for all accounts. • Take prevention measures by creating private accounts, using multifactor authentication and keeping track of financial records. West said multifactor authentication is a way to “add a secret handshake” on top of passwords. • When credit is directly impacted, freezing credit accounts is an option that involves blocking all transactions until it is safe to use them. • Contact law enforcement after a scam so the money can be easily recovered. People can file scam reports through Bowling Green’s non-emergency number, 270-393-4000, an online police report or by texting 911. • Keep evidence, including the email address, phone number, messaging logs or transaction receipts the scammer used. When the initial report is finished,

detectives can use account information to send subpoenas or search warrants to electronic companies and identify scammers. If the reports come back and the suspects are international, the information is forwarded to the Internet Crime and Complaint Center, the FBI’s central reporting hub for cyber scams. West said that catching every scammer is a “near-impossible feat,” so the best thing to do is “stay vigilant and always ask questions.” He emphasized the importance of not justifying the scammer’s actions — but also taking a fair and nuanced look at why they are scamming people in the first place. For example, West said that scammers target people randomly and collect personal information through data leaks. Generally, Bowling Green experiences a lot of calls from scam compounds in Myanmar, where people are expected to make calls every day and hit a quota as part of a live-in job. When identifying scam suspects, West said the FBI usually discovers that many of the people working in the compounds are victims of human trafficking. While this does not excuse the scams, West said it makes current prevention and enforcement efforts even more difficult. Scamming has not only become an issue in the Bowling Green community, but also at WKU. Dereck Keeling, WKU Information and Technology Services director of infrastructure and operations, said in an email to the Herald that the most com-

Officer Kendra Woodward of the Bowling Green Police Department hands out information sheets to the guests before departure from the scam seminar at the Gary A. Raymer Police Headquarters in Bowling Green, Ky. on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026.

mon scams ITS encounters are phishing-related. These include fraudulent emails, text messages or websites to trick users into providing credentials or other personal information. Keeling said scams and attacks are only increasing in quantity and quality, meaning anyone can be scammed. He said scammers are using artificial intelligence tools to craft attacks, make messages or clone websites to look more legitimate and credible. “Scammers use information obtained through phishing to gain access to BankMobile accounts, allowing them to redirect financial aid refunds,” Keeling said. To reduce the number of successful phishing scams on campus, WKU account owners are subject to ITS phishing simulations. Account owners can receive training based on their interactions in the simulation, according to Keeling. He said training content could include a variety of learning resources, such as articles, videos and quizzes. Tristan Stamper, a freshman music education major, received a simulated phishing scam over the summer. The link seemed to be from the university, so Stamper clicked on it. Stamper was promptly redirected to a site with “a couple of videos and a short quiz for each” to learn how not to fall for phishing scams. After the training, he was able to recognize signs of being scammed and said he will delete any suspicious emails immediately. Keeling said to learn more about common scams and how they work, it’s important to be familiar with scam tactics to easily recognize when something doesn’t feel right. He said one of the best ways to protect an account or information is to avoid using the same passwords repeatedly and be mindful of what personal information gets shared on social media. “Be cautious of unexpected emails, texts or calls that create a sense of urgency, request personal or financial information, or ask you to click unfamiliar links,” Keeling said. “WKU ITS will never ask for your password or MFA code (nor will BankMobile).”

News reporters Abigail Vickers and Avery Petrie can be reached at abigail. vickers153@topper.wku.edu and avery. petrie384@topper.wku.edu

Sam Huffman, Staff Photographer

VISUALS 10

Corvettes Rev Engines for 32nd Anniversary National Corvette Museum Car Show competitor Tracy Jackson sits next to his 1961 Chevy Corvette while show goers check out his vintage ride Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, during the museum’s weeklong celebration for their 32nd anniversary. Jackson said he drives the Chevy Corvette every day and was a winner in the museum’s car show.

231 68

FLOCK CAMERAS IN WARREN COUNTY CAMERA ID NUMBER

COORDINATES

CAMERA ID NUMBER

COORDINATES

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TOOL OR TROUBLE? What Flock cameras mean for Bowling Green Story by Isaiah Merricks and Miles Davis Photosillustrations Photo by Cayden by Duncan Cayden Duncan and Shelbi Bale

tudents, faculty and city commissioners gathered in a small, warm meeting room on the third floor of Downing Student Union to discuss concerning technology in the Bowling Green area. WKU College Democrats hosted an open discussion that included talk of the Flock camera, an automated license plate reader that has been adopted by the Bowling Green Police Department. Chapter President Jacob King opened the discussion with some background information about the cameras and the potential dangers they pose. Audience members were quick to voice their opinions on the technology. “No matter who we are, we need to question why we have these Flock cameras,” Aiden Stone, a sophomore at WKU, said. “What are they doing?” National stories about incidents of officers using the cameras to stalk ex-girlfriends have fueled anti-Flock sentiment among U.S. citizens and attracted negative attention on social media.

Videos of people destroying Flock cameras have routinely gained tens of thousands of likes. The public sentiment is also seen in thousands of “alibis” given by commenters on posts about individuals being arrested for tampering with the cameras. In Bowling Green, the public’s opinion of the cameras is no different. “I feel like it’s an invasion of privacy, and I feel like it’s quite unnecessary,” Emily Davis, a WKU graduate and Bowling Green resident of seven years, said. “There’s already security cameras all over the place, and we can already be tracked with our phones.” Documents obtained by the Herald indicate that BGPD originally signed an agreement with Flock in September 2023. However, Ronnie Ward, BGPD’s public information officer, said Flock cameras were first installed at the beginning of 2026. There is currently no agreement between Flock and WKU Police, and therefore no cameras on WKU’s campus.

Both the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and BGPD said the implementation of Flock has improved the crime-solving capabilities of their forces. “We’re in the business of solving crimes,” Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower said. Hightower added that there is nothing illegal about cameras located on public roadways. “It’s not like a home where you have curtilage rights,” he said, referring to laws that allow for the same privacy as inside a home on private property. “In a car, there’s a windshield, glass all the way around.” Despite their legality, citizens still have concerns for their privacy and the possibility of being tracked through the cameras. “I think it’s still surveillance, and AI is scanning everything that we’re doing,” WKU Dems Vice President Flora Lin told city commissioners at the open discussion. “It’s still a form of surveillance. It may just not be a human person.” Ward said BGPD implemented

systems to prevent misuse before the product ever came to Bowling Green. Every new piece of equipment is evaluated to determine potential harm or danger to citizens of Bowling Green and BGPD officers. The result is a set of regulations for equipment like Flock cameras, which Ward knows have risks without checks and balances. “We are very stringent about how and who can search,” Ward said. Only people who need access to the system, such as detectives on a specific case, are permitted to make searches. Personnel who do not need access, such as Ward and BGPD Chief Michael Delaney, are not allowed on the system for any reason. Ward said all searches in the database require supervisor approval. Monthly audits are conducted on all searches by BGPD’s ALPR administrator, the director of the criminal investigations division. “You cannot sit down and say: ‘I want to search this particular vehicle,’” he said. “That’s just not how the system works for us.”

Ward added that once reports of officer misuse of Flock technology started popping up, BGPD started reviewing the audits. “We’ve got to really nail this down,” Ward said. “Because we don’t want this to happen here.” Ward referred to cases like one that happened in August 2026 in Bibb County, Georgia, where three deputies were arrested for using license plate data for “personal, non-law enforcement purposes,” according to the New York Times. The access system for the cameras in WCSO’s jurisdiction is similar, Hightower said. He continued, “there’s got to be a balance” between fighting crime and protecting citizen privacy. In addition, law enforcement agencies influence what “hits” the Flock database notifies them of. BGPD has chosen a very narrow set of criteria to be available to their investigators. Ward used immigration status as an example. “We cannot search and look for

immigration statuses,” Ward said. “We just don’t allow that in our system.” Ward also said if another law enforcement agency, like the Department of Homeland Security, asked for immigration information, BGPD would refuse to share it. Despite the systems design to prevent harm, citizens like Davis aren’t easily convinced. “I am pretty cynical, and I don’t expect that to last forever,” Davis said. “After everything that’s happened in my adult life with the government, it’s very hard for me to trust government agencies to keep their word.” She said the constant changes to federal government policies at make it difficult to trust local agencies too. City Commissioner Carlos Bailey said at the open discussion he recognized citizens’ concerns, and that strict policies needed to be in place about how the Flock cameras are used. “They (BGPD) need to go in front

Bowling Green City Commissioners Dana Beasley-Brown, Carlos Bailey (left and right) and City Commissioner candidate Tom Morris (middle) take questions during an open discussion meeting put on by the Western Kentucky University College Democrats to discuss data centers and Flock cameras in the community in Downing Student Union on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2026.

Bowling Green Police Department Public Information Officer Ronnie Ward

of a judge, tell why they’re searching, what is being searched for, and that needs to be signed off by a judge,” Bailey said to the discussion audience. “We have a good chief that has been working on it, but I do hear you as well. What if he’s gone?” Davis also said that the idea of her car and past locations being searchable in a database made her “uncomfortable.” “It’s not the government or the police’s business what everyone is doing every day, all the time,” Davis said. Ward said tracking people’s locations 24/7 isn’t BGPD’s priority. He said that when picking locations for the cameras, BGPD had specific priorities for the cameras they were budgeted to receive.

“We were trying to catch all of the exit points,” Ward said. “We didn’t get them all, but we’ve gotten most of them, and all the major ones: Nashville Road, Russellville Road, Scottsville Road, Louisville Road; that’s how we landed on where to put them.” Ward said the goal of this strategy is to prevent criminals from fleeing Bowling Green after committing a crime, and recounted several times when BGPD was able to track criminals in the direction they left from. Ward emphasized one homicide case where BGPD was able to track a suspect, in coordination with other agencies, all the way to Indianapolis and arrest him less than a day after the crime had been committed.

“It was a huge benefit to society that he did not make it wherever he was planning to go,” Ward said. Ward also confirmed that BGPD has requested money for more cameras, but did not comment on possible locations for any new ones. Davis believes the cons outweigh the pros, though, no matter how many cameras there are or what they’re used for. “There is more potential for misuse than there is for good,” she said. “One case of misuse is too many.”

News reporters Isaiah Merricks and Miles Davis can be reached at isaiah. merricks290@topper.wku.edu and miles.davis598@topper.wku.edu

Head Start stands as a lifeline for families while federal debate grows Story by Coumba Cissie Photos by Sam Huffman

t WKU’s Child Care Center in Jones Jaggers Hall, the day begins with parents dropping off their children before heading to class or work. Inside, small voices echo through bright classrooms, shoes shuffle across the floors and the scent of breakfast lingers as teachers welcome the campus’ youngest Hilltoppers. Tabitha Sweeney, a senior studying interdisciplinary studies with a focus in behavioral sciences, is a student teacher at the WKU Child Care Center and a parent. She can also drop off her children and return to class in about three minutes because she lives across the street from the center. The WKU Child Care Center is a program that combines Early Head Start, Head Start and nonprofit childcare services. She said the program has helped her continue working toward her degree while providing her family with affordable child care, dental screenings, meals and routines that build independence. “My kids literally live here,” Sweeney said. “They love it. It’s just helpful as a parent because if they’re used to doing it at home and school, just overall, it makes things easier.” Sweeney said that Head Start gave her children opportunities they might not have had otherwise. The program has helped her stay in school while raising three children, including one born during the pandemic, one child who has asthma and another with food allergies. “It just takes a burden off my back,” Sweeney said. Head Start provides early education, meals, health screenings and family services for children from low-income families. Early Head Start serves pregnant women, infants and toddlers. At WKU, the programs also support student parents and provide hands-on training for early childhood education students. Head Start was created to help children from low-income families prepare for school by combining early education with health, nutrition and family services.

Early Head Start expanded that mission in 1995. Together, Head Start and Early Head Start now serve children from before birth through preschool, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The services Sweeney depends on could change under a proposed federal rule. On Aug. 6, HHS and the Administration for Children and Families unveiled a proposed rule, “Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs.” The notice was published in the Federal Register on Aug. 7 as document No. 2026-16134. There will be a comment period on the proposal until Oct. 6, and then HHS will decide on a final rule. The proposal would lower the limit on administrative spending from 15% to 5% and remove federal requirements for classroom size and teacher-child ratios. The changes could affect how Kentucky programs staff classrooms, manage their budgets and serve families. HHS said the proposal would save $2.2 billion and give local programs more flexibility and help fund services for up to 236,000 additional children. However, Kentucky Head Start leaders worry the changes could reduce oversight and create different standards from one community to another. The proposal aims to replace the current Head Start Program Performance Standards with a significantly pared-down set of federal rules. HHS says the change would reduce paperwork and allow programs to make more decisions locally. The current Head Start rules set detailed federal requirements for how programs operate, including logistics such as administrative spending, classroom staffing ratios and group sizes. HHS said programs can currently spend up to 15% of their approved funding on management, office operations and other costs that do not directly provide services to children and families, unless they receive a waiver.

HHS Public Affairs said that requirements for Head Start eligibility remain in effect. The proposal includes an exception for children in foster care and children experiencing homelessness. Head Start still upholds verification and documentation requirements for those children. However, the proposal would loosen some wage and benefit rules. Programs have more freedom to cut teacher pay or benefits, but it would not require them to do so. Director of Children’s Services at Community Action of Southern Kentucky Martin McNew has spent more than 21 years working with the organization’s Head Start program. Community Action of Southern Kentucky is a local nonprofit

WKU Campus Child Care Head Start foster grandparent Marilyn Bailey reads a picture book to 4-month-old Julian Miller-Pursley while 1-year-old Creed Edison plays with a toy giraffe before breakfast Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in an Early Head Start Infant Room in Jones Jaggers Hall.

agency that runs Head Start and other family-support programs in the region. He started as an assistant center manager and family service worker in Metcalfe County before moving to the organization’s main office in 2006, where he later held roles in family services and health management. “I wanted to find a program or a career where I felt like I could help children and families,” McNew said. “I ended up working with Head Start right where I needed to be.” Community Action’s administrative costs are about 10%, McNew said. Reducing the federal limit to 5% could force the agency to reduce or reassign management positions.

“If the ultimate goal is to get these children and families ready for kindergarten, and create a high-functioning society, we have to invest in early childhood education,” McNew said. McNew said the program already works within state child care rules; the added flexibility could require local Head Start centers to collaborate more closely by pooling resources and sharing services to keep families covered. For families, that investment can have a direct effect on daily life. Shatazha Mattingly, a master’s student in creative writing and a veteran, said Head Start provided stability after her family moved from California. Her daughter arrived with a stutter, but a speech therapist helped her make

progress. The classroom also gave her a place to build confidence and friendships. “Without Head Start, my child would probably still have a stutter,” Mattingly said. “I am grateful that Head Start exists.” The proposal would allow programs to follow state and local child care rules instead of federal standards. Current Head Start standards allow up to 17 children in preschool classrooms serving mostly 3 year olds and up to 20 children in classrooms serving mostly 4 and 5 year olds. Programs could keep stricter standards if they choose. In Kentucky, licensed child care centers may have larger groups than current Head Start standards allow, including up to 24 children ages 3 to 4 with one teacher for every 12 children, and up to

28 children ages 4 to 5 with one teacher for every 14 children. Amy Hood, the executive director of Training and Technical Assistance Services at WKU, has worked with the WKU Child Care Center and Head Start program for nearly four decades. She said the university’s center would likely keep its current standard. WKU already follows stricter staffing and group-size requirements, Hood said. Even as the proposal raises questions about staffing and classroom size, Head Start’s impact is also visible in the people who support children each day. Paulette Duncan found another way to stay connected to the program. After retiring from factory work in 2013, she became a foster grandparent volunteer because she did not want to sit at home, Duncan said. The Foster Grandparents Program at Community Action of Southern Kentucky gives adults 55 and older a chance to volunteer in Head Start classrooms, where they mentor and nurture children, including children with disabilities or developmental delays. She now helps teachers and spends time with children each day, watching quiet and withdrawn children grow more confident. “I just try to give them the love and attention they need,” Duncan said. She said the federal cuts could leave families with fewer options and make it harder for children to get the support Head Start provides.

“See what the needs are,” Duncan said. “Open your eyes and see how these programs are helping these kids and helping these families.” Training and Technical Assistance Services began at WKU in the 1970s as a training office for Head Start programs across Kentucky. In 1984, T/TAS opened WKU’s Child Care Center program in Tate Page Hall with one classroom serving about 40 children ages 2 to 5 before moving to Jones Jaggers Hall and expanding to include separate preschool, infant and toddler classrooms. As Early Head Start funding emerged in the mid-1990s, T/TAS helped establish infant and toddler services while building a training program for other early childhood providers. Today, the department oversees national training, a statewide family child care network and WKU’s campus child care program, which has grown to eight classrooms. Hood began in 1988 as a preschool teacher responsible for 10 children. She later became the program’s education coordinator and helped move it between halls. In 1998, she left the classroom to train Early Head Start programs across the country. When the pandemic brought major changes to the program, she returned to campus leadership as interim director after both the center’s director and executive director retired. “Everybody automatically thinks, ‘Oh, we’re going to get them ready for kinder-

garten,’ which is true,” Hood said. “We know that’s the foundation. However, we like to think about it as we’re getting them ready for even further because they’re on a college campus.” Hood said WKU would try to continue providing the same services if the proposal moves forward. “We do everything that we can to continue the services that we offer,” Hood said. “I don’t see that there would be any major shift in scope to what’s really happening with children and families.” HHS Public Affairs said the programs would not have to increase class sizes or reduce staffing. “Flexibility is permission, not a mandate,” HHS Public Affairs wrote in an email to the Herald. The proposal would change how programs verify eligibility for Head Start. HHS Public Affairs said eligibility requirements would remain in federal law, but the proposed rule would end self-attestation, which allows families to say they qualify without immediately providing paperwork. Children experiencing homelessness can receive Head Start services before their homelessness status is fully verified, as long as programs document the circumstances and follow their own verification procedures. HHS said the change is intended to strengthen the program for future generations. HHS said the changes would protect

WKU Campus Child Care Head Start preschool teacher Darrah Macelwain lines up her class in the hall way to wash their hands Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in Jones Jaggers Hall. Macelwain has been working at Head Start since 2022.

Paulette Duncan, volunteer, prepares to serve oatmeal and apple slices to a preschool class for breakfast Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, in a classroom at Jones Jaggers Hall.

“program integrity and accountability for taxpayers.” The agency also cited the FY2026 federal appropriations package, which provides $12.35 billion for Head Start, an $85 million increase, along with more than $60 million in supplemental nutrition funding for more than 290 programs nationwide. The Kentucky Head Start Association represents 32 Head Start and 12 Early Head Start grantees and serves more than 17,400 children and their families across the Commonwealth, according to the Kentucky ECE resources page and the Kentucky Head Start Association profile. For some families, Head Start’s value goes beyond child care. Mattingly’s daughter attended the program before kindergarten, and Mattingly said the support helped her family manage school, work and daily life. The free program helped Mattingly manage tuition and work while her daughter was at the center. She said she was in significant debt when she started at Head Start, and the program connected her with a financial adviser who helped her get back on track. “The price went down drastically for me as a single mom and a veteran,” Mattingly said. “I needed something that fit within my budget, and Head Start was perfect for that.”

Beyond supporting families, the program helped shape the careers of people who work there. Education coach Christy Rogers began at the center as a student worker and later moved into teaching and coaching. Her son attended Head Start from infancy through preschool before moving on to McNeil Elementary School. Rogers said the program helped him prepare socially and academically for kindergarten while allowing her to stay involved as a parent. “I was able to be a present mom,” Rogers said. “I was at every party they had in their classroom.” The program later helped Rogers finish her degree with free WKU classes. She said the federal cuts could threaten the staff and classrooms that make that support possible. Rogers said people making decisions about Head Start should visit a center and see its work firsthand. “I would tell them to go to a Head Start center and spend not a day, but maybe even a whole week,” Rogers said. “The people making the decisions have probably never in their life stepped foot inside of a Head Start.” Head Start has frequently drawn political scrutiny over its cost, oversight and role in the federal government. In 2025, Georgia Rep. Nikema Williams said that

proposed budget cuts could eliminate the program and hurt working families. The Government Accountability Office, an independent agency that works for Congress, also reported gaps in federal monitoring of some Head Start programs, including classroom-quality and financial reviews. Public support remains strong. A 2025 national poll by the First Five Years Fund found that 79% of voters, including 80% of parents, supported Head Start. WKU families and staff said the program helps children prepare for kindergarten and gives parents room to work and study, while building financial stability. For families and staff on the ground, the program’s value is concrete. It is the child who learns to read at four. It is the parent who finished school because child care is covered. It is the teacher who helps with breakfast, a speech delay, social skills or a hard morning. It is the volunteer who hears a child call her grandma and knows she helped in a small but lasting way. It is the reason so many people say the same thing in different ways: Head Start is not just a place to leave a child. It is a place that helps shape what comes next.

News Reporter Coumba Cisse can be reached at coumba.cisse830@topper. wku.edu

Dolly Parton’s love letter to literacy Commentary by Morgan Larkins

n Aug. 28, during my press law class, my classmate Alexis Fizer got a text. “My mom just texted me that Dolly Parton died,” she told me with wide eyes. That felt unreal. Fizer thought the same. “I’m not believing her until I get the Apple News notification.” The alert came a few minutes later while Professor Mac McKerral was droning on about court cases and Supreme Court justices. Dolly Parton died at 80 years old. I was itching to pull my phone out of my backpack and see if the news was real, but there’s not much to argue with an official Apple News alert. Her death still doesn’t feel real. Parton was diagnosed with cancer of an undisclosed type after a

Photos by Natasha Gomez and photo illustrations by Shelbi Bale

“brief battle.” She had been sharing online updates through videos that discussed her various disappearances from the public eye. Parton addressed the public’s health concerns in an Instagram video last fall, simply captioned “I ain’t dead yet!” After the announcement of her death, social media websites flooded with tributes to Parton, including TikTok edits of interview clips and her often inspirational dialogue or simply pictures from fellow celebrities. No one was expecting Parton to die. Parton isn’t only known for her music; she’s known for her philanthropy. When people talk about her, they often mention how Parton could have been a billionaire. But she wasn’t. Parton poured money into

her community and the world around her, making sure there were opportunities for everyone to live the best life they possibly could. One of Parton’s philanthropic programs is the Imagination Library, created in 1995 to promote literacy in children under five. The program originally started in Sevier County, Tennessee, expanding statewide in 2004 and to other states around 2001. The Imagination Library program ensures that every child from ages zero to five signed up for the program receives a book each month until they age out or “graduate.” Parton created it with her father in mind, a sharecropper and construction worker who never learned to read or write. Despite his illiteracy, Parton said he was “the smartest man

she ever knew,” in an open letter on the Imagination Library website. Parton was born in Sevier County as the fourth child of 12. Her grandfather bought her a guitar when she was 7 years old, and she began songwriting when she was very young. Parton’s family was especially important to her, as they were just as musical as she was. Despite the family being impoverished, Parton described her life as rich in love and music. The Imagination Library found its home in Warren County through the United Way of Southern Kentucky, a nonprofit with the goal of building a better community and creating more opportunities. The UWSK seeks to implement other developmental nonprofit organizations within the community, focusing on early childhood education, workforce development, access to healthcare, access to homes, access to transportation and access to basic needs. UWSK also runs the library for counties surrounding Warren. Passionate patrons can donate $15 to help a child receive books for an entire year, according to the Imagination Library website. When Parton passed, they reported seeing an uptick in donations and registrations. Senior Director of Community Impact for UWSK Hannah Gray signed her daughter up for the program. Gray said she was a “huge fan” of Parton herself.

Her daughter, Eleanor, is a 6-yearold fresh graduate from the Imagination Library. “I think my feelings were more hurt by that graduation than kindergarten graduation,” Gray said. While Parton’s company helps negotiate book prices with the publisher and the authors, the cost of the books and shipping comes directly from partner organizations like UWSK. “That growth is significant for us because we, as the local program partner, pay for the shipping and for the books themselves, which I don’t think a lot of people realize,” Gray said. Imagination Library went statewide in Kentucky in October 2021, with 51% of children eligible to participate in the program signed up, according to the Kentucky section of the Imagination Library website. “It’s a beautiful problem to have when we get a few 100 extra enrollments than we were expecting,” Gray said. “It means there’s more books going to more children.” As an Imagination Library kid, my love for reading was fostered by my grandma, who often read the books that came in the mail from Imagination Library to me. Last year, I found a book with the shipping label still on the back cover. It had Parton’s name on it and, for a second, I was 4 years old again, thinking Parton herself personally sent me the book. Gray’s

daughter had the same thoughts. “At the end, in the book cover, there’s a picture of Dolly Parton, you know?” Gray said. “And she (Gray’s daughter) thinks she’s related to Dolly Parton. I think it was last year; I told her it was Dolly Parton’s birthday and she said, ‘Oh, are we going to her party?’” My grandma signed me up for the Imagination Library when I was little, before anybody in my family can remember. My grandma lives in McLean County, Kentucky, a town of a little over 9,000, according to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau. That’s where I went to school all my life, in a tiny town where everyone knew each other. According to the 2022 U.S. Census, 15.8% of the population lived in poverty. The high school I went to barely had 400 students, teachers drifted in and out and Advanced Placement courses were few and far between. When I asked my grandma why she signed me up, she said, “I was told it was in McLean County and that I should sign up.” The books Parton chose for her Imagination Library embrace a variety of lifestyles and teach children about different cultures. Growing up in a predominantly white small town with a lot of closed-minded people, sometimes Parton’s book choices were the only way I was exposed to outside ideas. “I think that helped you with your

The Imagination Library is a program founded by Dolly Parton that mails free books to children from birth to age five. The program encourages them to read before starting kindergarten. The first book a child receives is “The Little Engine That Could” and when they turn five they receive “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!”

reading skills,” my grandma said. “I also think that is where you got your love for reading because we read those books together.” I don’t think my grandma is wrong. The program started in the McLean County Family Resource Center and Youth Services in 2005, a month before I was born. The library officially took over the program in 2024. By the time my grandma signed me up, I was on the verge of aging out of the program. It didn’t stop me from becoming a voracious reader, though, and likely helped hold my hand to become a writer. I filled notebooks with handwritten stories and fan fiction when I was in elementary school, often about my favorite books and movies like “The Hunger Games” and “The Maze Runner.” Before that, my grandma (and sometimes my mom) fostered that deep love for reading. As I read stories that I learned to love, I found the thing that spoke to me most — becoming a storyteller myself. When Fizer announced that Parton was dead, there was a hollow, sinking feeling in my chest. I’ve been to Dolly Parton’s Stampede a handful of times with my grandparents because of their love of the Smoky Mountains. I taught myself to hate country music for a long time, too, but Parton was always the exception. I walked out of press law that day and queued every song I knew by her. “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That” was the first song and, arguably, my favorite. The song is much happier than the despair I was

feeling. I didn’t get too far into the song before I was inside the Preston Center, tapping my ID and walking up the stairs. I stepped on the walking pad to get a couple more steps in before my yoga class started. I opened Instagram and watched the video her nephew posted on her official account announcing her death. My eyes started to sting and I sniffled, frowning throughout the video. “When I Get Where I’m Going” by Brad Paisley featuring Parton was not the song to listen to. The two croon about seeing loved ones in Heaven after they’ve died. When the video ended and the song started after I swiped out of Instagram, it was over for me. Tears sprung into my eyes and I quickly had to skip it while texting all my friends to warn them against listening. WKU’s proximity to Tennessee made Parton’s passing hit harder. Whoever you asked that day knew Parton had died. I saw another one of my friends before my yoga class that day, right after Press Law and Ethics, and asked her if she knew. In return, she turned her phone to me and the screen was a Parton song. The girls who live on the floor in my hall dramatically groaned in despair when I mentioned her death. So the Potter College of Arts and Letters decided they had to do something. PCAL is quickly putting together a “Dolly Parton Festival” that will honor the life and legacy of Parton and what she meant to rural southern communities. The festival is in the early planning stages, with a hopeful start on Sept. 25 after Parton’s song “9 to 5.” “We are looking at things like a

movie screening, costume contest, book drive, poetry reading, a lecture on her branding prowess, and a host of other ideas,” Director of the WKU School of Media and Communications Angela Jerome said. Jerome hopes that the festivities will promote the Imagination Library in Warren and surrounding counties, while remembering the legacy and Parton’s impact on Appalachia. UWSK also planned a “9 to 5” event to support the growth of the Imagination Library in Warren and surrounding counties. The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. also on September 25. “The campaign encourages individuals, businesses, and organizations to contribute between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to help provide free, age-appropriate books to children throughout Southern Kentucky,” UWSK Marketing and Communication Specialist Elizabeth Newbould wrote. Parton’s legacy continues in the growth of her Imagination Library, encouraging education in young children. UWSK reported that 10,000 children received books in August 2026, “an increase of 725 children compared to the previous month,” Newbould continued. “Yeah, when I get where I’m going,” Paisley and Parton sing together on “When I Get Where I’m Going.” “Don’t cry for me down here.”

Commentary Writer Morgan Larkins can be reached at morgan. larkins297@topper.wku.edu.