Those familiar with Greek and Roman mythology may recall the god Mercury, also known as Hermes, was the deity associated with travelers, messages, financial gain, and communication.
As the letters of the word Mercury prompt us, the deity Mercury is connected with commerce, obviously with the merc reminding us of the benefits of communication bringing increased liveliness to those in the area of commerce. Since mid-summer of 2023, radio station WEKT (1070 AM), now a part of Edge Media Group, has been revitalizing the commerce, messages, and communications residing in Todd County and surrounding areas. Beth Mann, who grew up close to the radio station originally founded as WSRG in 1977 and who now owns WEKT, began her career at TV43 in Hopkinsville prior to transitioning to radio and broadcast journalism.
Those who recall the initials WSRG may also share the four letters of the call name represented the original owners of the station in 1977 – Jim White, Louis Shelton, Harold Ray Rager, and Jimmy Groves. In 1988, the station became for a year’s length of time WOAM before it transitioned in 1989 to WEKT, obviously initials reflecting its location in Elkton. Since its purchase by Beth Mann and Edge Media Group this past summer, WEKT has brought to the Todd County community a plethora of blessings that continues to showcase the news, both the negative and the positive, that Todd Countians can easily access at any time of the day or night. That ability, one that is critical to having a well-informed public, is one that brings the latest news of Todd County to our area throughout the day.
Pull up the WEKT website at https://www.wektradio.com, and the reader can easily find News organized with sections on general news items, obituaries, sports events, ag news, a 2023 year in review, and TCCHS alumni spotlights. A community calendar, available jobs in the vicinity, and photos from events in our area are also available with just a click. Obviously, for those interested in staying abreast with the latest news events, stories focused on “what’s happening” throughout Todd County allow the public to know the current news items occurring around us. For those not on Facebook, our ability to share stories and other news and related items on the website with others with Todd County ties is an added bonus.
Imagine for a few minutes the impact WEKT has made on our community in the last six months. Meander around the Square, and we discover a radio station anchoring the northwest corner of the Square; we also see WEKT’s staff members at meetings in our community; we are able to read about and hear about folks in our community who are making imprints on our world; we are witnessing a renewed interest in news and sports events with our abilities to stay abreast of what is occurring; and we are seeing the WEKT radio staff embracing our community with a zeal that reminds us of just how remarkable a community we are a part of daily. In its partnership with the TCCHS Alumni Foundation, folks from around the area and nation are able to read about the lives of graduates of TCCHS. That blessing serves to motivate the younger generation to focus their goals on grasping a solid education that can lead to future successes past high school.
Thank you, WEKT, for bringing us jam-packed days and months of 2023 filled with stories and news items focused on what makes Todd County so endearing a place to those who live here and to those whose roots are here. With such a love of community inherit from its onset, Todd County can indeed be thankful WEKT has entered into the third decade of the 21st Century and this new year of 2024 with a zeal that foreshadows even more successes in our future!
~ Article by Carolyn L. Wells
January 7, 2024
