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Beacon of Hope shelter faces closure

The Beacon of Hope, Winchester’s only emer­gency shel­ter, plans to close after near­ly 12 years of ser­vice, cit­ing finan­cial strain and reg­u­la­to­ry hur­dles. City, coun­ty, fire and health offi­cials say many require­ments are long­stand­ing and point to unre­solved fire, safe­ty and food-code vio­la­tions at the facil­i­ty. Officials describe con­cerns involv­ing kitchen ven­ti­la­tion, lint near elec­tri­cal equip­ment, miss­ing out­let cov­ers, food... 
The Beacon of Hope Emergency Shelter on Bypass Road announced in a social media message on Aug. 7 that it would close within 30 days. (Randy Patrick)

Crystal Gayle featured in local TV episode

Country music leg­end Crystal Gayle vis­it­ed Winchester this week to film the first local episode of Faith & Family’s “Finding Kindness” at Winchester Café. The Kentucky native reflect­ed on her roots, her career, and the peo­ple who have shaped her musi­cal jour­ney, from Loretta Lynn to Marty Robbins. Gayle said she was drawn to the show’s pos­i­tive mes­sage and its... 
Crystal Gayle in front of the Winchester Cafe.

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  • Crystal Gayle featured in local TV episode

    Crystal Gayle featured in local TV episode

    Randy Patrick

    Country music leg­end Crystal Gayle vis­it­ed Winchester this week to film the first local episode of Faith & Family’s “Finding Kindness” at Winchester Café. The Kentucky native reflect­ed on her roots, her career, and the peo­ple who have shaped her musi­cal jour­ney, from Loretta Lynn to Marty Robbins. Gayle said she was drawn to the show’s pos­i­tive mes­sage and its focus on kind­ness at a time when audi­ences often see negativity… 

    Read more: Crystal Gayle fea­tured in local TV episode
  • Happy 100th birthday, Ale-8-One

    Happy 100th birthday, Ale-8-One

    Pete Koutoulas

    Winchester’s home­town soft drink is cel­e­brat­ing 100 years of pro­duc­ing the unique gin­ger fla­vored bev­er­age in the green bot­tles that is beloved by Kentuckians here and beyond Clark County and the Commonwealth. This is our trib­ute to our favorite soft drink. 

    Read more: Happy 100th birth­day, Ale-8-One
  • Ale‑8 celebrates century of pop culture

    Ale‑8 celebrates century of pop culture

    Randy Patrick

    Generations of Winchester res­i­dents know the sto­ry of how Ale-8-One was intro­duced at the 1926 Clark County Fair. A cen­tu­ry lat­er, those who are loy­al to the brand haven’t lost their enthu­si­asm for its refresh­ing fla­vor or their devo­tion to its cult-like sta­tus. This Saturday, Aug. 1, Ale-8-One will cel­e­brate its 100th anniver­sary with a block par­ty on Winchester’s Main Street from 5 to 9 p.m. It will begin with the… 

    Read more: Ale‑8 cel­e­brates cen­tu­ry of pop culture
  • ‘Earl the Pearl’ comes to town

    ‘Earl the Pearl’ comes to town

    Randy Patrick

    Randy Patrick reports on Earl Strickland’s return to Winchester, where the pool leg­end known as “Earl the Pearl” vis­it­ed The Winchester Café for a free com­mu­ni­ty event. Strickland met local play­ers, shared col­or­ful sto­ries from past vis­its and demon­strat­ed trick shots along­side Mayor Jo Ellen Reed. The café, expect­ed to open next month for break­fast and lunch, will also serve as a film­ing loca­tion for episodes of the award-win­ning series Finding… 

    Read more: ‘Earl the Pearl’ comes to town

Latest podcasts

E21: Valerie Smaldone, “Finding Kindness” and a new café for Winchester
byWinCity Media, Inc
E21: Valerie Smaldone, "Finding Kindness" and a new cafe for Winchester
Episode play icon
E21: Valerie Smaldone, "Finding Kindness" and a new cafe for Winchester
E21: Valerie Smaldone, “Finding Kindness” and a new café for Winchester
July 14, 2026
WinCity Media, Inc
Episode play icon
E20: Valerie Frost — a Domestic Violence Survivor and Activist Finding Home in Winchester
E20: Valerie Frost — a Domestic Violence Survivor and Activist Finding Home in Winchester
July 12, 2026
WinCity Media, Inc
Episode play icon
E19: Knives and Lives — Winchester Knife Maker and Life Coach Kevin Parido
E19: Knives and Lives — Winchester Knife Maker and Life Coach Kevin Parido
April 21, 2026
WinCity Media, Inc
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