Paul Rister, for Calloway County Judge Executive

08/30/2026

They say campaign signs don’t vote…

And technically, they’re right.

But when someone says, “Paul, I’d like one for my yard,” or a business owner says, “Put one right out front,” I figure there’s a pretty good chance there’s a voter behind that sign!

Every time I push a stake in the ground, I’m reminded that the sign isn’t what matters; the person who asked me to put it there does.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who is willing to publicly show their support for my campaign. I don’t take a single yard, business, or vote for granted.

And the good news is…I’ve still got plenty of signs!

If you’d proudly display a Paul Rister for Judge Executive sign in your yard or at your business, leave me a comment or send me a message. I’d be honored to bring you one.

If you need more information about my campaign, check out my website at PaulRister.com

08/22/2026

08/20/2026

Storm Damage Report
Thursday @ 5:00 AM

Lots of trees down in my district (northwest Calloway) and likely over the county.

Road crew has been out since 1:00.

If you encounter a road blocked, called 270-753-3151 (Sheriff Office non-emergency line).

Try to be able to give a road name, mail box number close by, are there power lines in tree, how big is tree.

Thanks for your patience, and drive slow for those early work goers.

08/19/2026

Fiscal Court Update – August 19, 2026

We covered quite a bit at this morning’s Fiscal Court meeting. Here are a few highlights:

• Property Taxes: The Fiscal Court approved a 2026 real property tax rate of 0.139, down from 0.141 last year. That equals about $2 less in county property tax on a $100,000 home. Other rates reported so far are also either lower or unchanged: Library 0.046 (down from 0.048), Fire District 0.090 (same), Extension Service 0.024 (down from 0.025), Conservation District 0.005 (same), and School District 0.436 (down from 0.439). The Health Department meets next week to set its rate.

• Roads & Bridges: KYTC presented their road paving allocation for Calloway County. The State plans to resurface portions of Wiswell and Roosevelt Roads. We also approved $411,471 in FLEX funds for county road resurfacing, $95,000 for grade and drain work on To***co Road, and up to $480,000 for repair or replacement of the Wrather Road bridge.

• Courthouse Bell Tower: TVA donated $10,000 toward restoration of our historic courthouse bell tower, including solar power and battery backup for the clock and emergency warning system.

• Opioid Settlement Funds: We approved directing the county’s opioid settlement funds to the Detention Center for eligible treatment, recovery, counseling, re-entry and other approved opioid remediation programs. The balance in fund is about $46K.

• Other Business: We approved the Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace Policy (with no changes from last year), approved an amendment to the Sheriff’s budget, a few personnel changes, and a $233,519 transfer from the Money Market account to the General Fund. We also recognized Matthew Kohlenberger of Twin Lakes Construction for donating labor and materials to paint the jail workhouse.

Data Centers: I again asked that we move forward with the second reading of the proposed data center moratorium ordinance. Judge Imes stated that if three magistrates sign in support of moving forward before the September meeting, he would consider putting it back before the Court. I continue to believe we should complete the process we started and allow the second reading and public discussion to take place.

Boatwright Property: It has now been about 15 months since I submitted our TVA Section 26a permit application to develop the Boatwright property. We recently received a $346 invoice for TVA labor, but I have not been able to get a status update after two phone calls and an email. A TVA representative attended today’s meeting, so I asked him to help us find out where the application stands.

There was more discussed, but these are some of the highlights. I’ll continue doing my best to keep you informed about the decisions being made by your county government and how your tax dollars are being used.

08/15/2026

Trash is a small word for a big problem.

Over my eight years as Magistrate, I’ve waged my own little war on litter. It bothers me, not just because someone has to clean it up, but because of what it says about how we care for our community.

After a recent call about trash dumped on Hedley Trail, I went to check it out. With gloves on, I did a little digging. After 30 years as a fisheries biologist, trust me—I’ve smelled and touched worse ! 😂

This time, I found a shipping label with a name. I’ve blacked it out because this isn’t about publicly shaming anyone. It’s about making a point.

Please don’t make your trash someone else’s responsibility. Let’s take pride in Calloway County and keep it clean.

08/15/2026

Landfill Road isn’t the easiest place to patch potholes during the week, with garbage trucks, contractors, and residents coming and going all day. So after the landfill closed Saturday, I took advantage of an empty road and patched a few holes without having to dodge traffic.

I’ve patched a lot of potholes over the past 8 years, but apparently I’ve been doing it all wrong…turn on time-lapse and suddenly I can move like the Roadrunner! 😂

Just helping out where I can. Sometimes serving simply means seeing something that needs doing and getting it done.

08/14/2026

Early Voting begins - Oct. 29 (8-6), Oct. 30 (8-5) and Oct. 31 (8-4) at the Courthouse Annex, 201 S. 4th.

Election Day is Nov. 3rd from 6 to 6, at any of the 8 voting locations.

Election Day voting centers are as follows:

• University Church of Christ - 801 North 12th St
• New Concord Church of Christ - 121 Artesian Drive
• Elm Grove Baptist Church - 6483 KY 94 East
• Hazel Baptist Church - 101 Third St, Hazel
• Southwest Elementary School - 3426 Wiswell Road
• North Elementary School - 2928 Brinn Road
• Kirksey Baptist Church - 301 Backusburg Road
• Murray High School - 501 Doran Road

Link in comments for Absentee Ballot information.

08/12/2026

SPEED STUDY: EDINBOROUGH ROAD EAST

With school starting back and concerns about traffic and speed on Edinborough Road East, I recently placed the Sheriff’s Department radar speed trailer there for 15 days. The posted speed is 35 MPH, set by KRS 189.390.

Edinborough Road East may have only 34 homes directly along it, but it connects with several other streets and subdivisions, making it a well-traveled route to Robertson Road.

Here’s what the data showed from July 27–August 11:

* 5,624 vehicles recorded
* 376 vehicles per day
* Average speed: 23 MPH
* 85th percentile speed: 26 MPH
* 63 vehicles, or about 1.1%, exceeded the 35 MPH speed limit
* 92% of those exceeding the limit were traveling 36–40 MPH
* Highest recorded speed: 43 MPH

I was also interested in whether school starting would increase traffic or speeds. Surprisingly, the data showed very little difference. ADT was 397 before school started and 374 after, while both the average speed and 85th percentile speed remained the same.

That doesn’t mean speed isn’t important. This is still a residential area where people walk, ride bikes, children play and the unexpected can happen quickly.

The speed trailer isn’t just about catching a number; it’s about awareness. We all have a speedometer in front of us, but on a familiar road it’s easy to become comfortable and pay less attention to our actual speed.

The data is encouraging, but the reminder is simple: slow down, stay alert and be prepared for the unexpected.

In the bar charts, “approaching” is traffic going west, and “receding” is traffic going east.

08/11/2026

The need for a 4 year plan, a snippet from last nights Republican Party meeting.