Kentucky
Kentucky bourbon icon Jimmy Russell celebrates his 70th anniversary at Wild Turkey
LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (AP) — As bourbon fans flocked to the Wild Turkey visitors’ center, sitting near the entrance was no ordinary greeter. Jimmy Russell, who has lived through so much of the distillery’s rich history, was at his post as a goodwill ambassador, signing whiskey bottles, posing for photos and chatting up tourists about his favorite topics — making bourbon and sipping it.
For 70 years, the distillery in the heart of Kentucky’s picturesque bourbon country has been Russell’s home away from home. He learned his craft from a distiller who endured the dark days of Prohibition. Decades later, Russell was a key player in bourbon’s revival — creating some of the premium whiskeys that are cocktail staples and becoming a global front man for his brand and the bourbon sector.
The 89-year-old Russell, known affectionately as the “Buddha of Bourbon,” marked his 70th anniversary at the distillery on Tuesday. For nearly a half-century, he was master distiller at Wild Turkey, putting him in charge of every step of production — from distillation to bottling.
“I always said, ‘The first day I have to come to work I’m retiring,’” he said recently.
That day still hasn’t arrived.
Russell is a beloved fixture at the distillery, nearly a decade after turning over master distiller duties to his son, Eddie. Both father and son are members of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, and the next generation is building on their legacy. Bruce Russell, Eddie’s son and Jimmy’s grandson, works as associate blender, putting him at the center of creating new Wild Turkey products.
The Russell family has a long history of being top executives heading the production and, in later years, the promotion of the brand. It also isn’t uncommon for master distillers to have long careers with a distillery and later become brand ambassadors. But Jimmy’s longevity puts him in a special class.
The elder Russell teamed up with his son and grandson on a special project recognizing the family’s whiskey-making tradition. Wild Turkey Generations was created by combining aged bourbons selected by each of them to reflect their own personal preferences. The bourbons were then blended to create the ultra-premium whiskey that had a limited release last year.
“I got to work on a project with him where all our names are on the bottle,” Bruce Russell said. “And that’s super special for me.”
No longer part of the daily grind of bourbon making, Jimmy Russell still samples and offers his unvarnished opinion about some of the newest renditions of Wild Turkey being developed. But he typically spends time greeting tourists a few days each week at the visitors’ center.
His easy-going charm was on full display a couple of weeks ago as Mark and Donna Barton asked him to sign bottles of Wild Turkey they purchased in the gift shop. Eddie Russell topped it off by adding his signature.
“Heck yeah, this is going to go on display,” Donna Barton said.
Whether the couple from Princeton, West Virginia, drinks the contents of the signed bottles, or keeps them as unopened souvenirs, was “up for discussion,” Mark Barton said.
“We may crack it and have an ounce and then put it back up,” his wife added.
Jimmy Russell is a seasoned hand at charming and educating bourbon fans, having spent decades traveling the world to promote Wild Turkey. One big change through the years, he said, is the level of knowledge whiskey fans now have about their favorite bourbons.
“When I started, it was all whiskey, it didn’t make any difference,” Russell said. “Nowadays, people know every little drop, every little thing about it.”
When he started in 1954, he said, the distillery had a different name — Anderson County Distilling — and the operation was much smaller, with about 40 barrels of whiskey produced daily and stored in four warehouses for aging, when bourbon gets its flavor and golden brown color. Wild Turkey — owned by the Italian-based Campari Group, which purchased the brand from French liquor company Pernod Ricard in 2009 — now produces 700 to 800 barrels of whiskey daily, stored in nearly three dozen warehouses. The brand sells globally and its biggest overseas markets include Japan and Australia. A second distillery is being built at the Wild Turkey complex to keep up with demand.
Unlike other distillery workers who typically stuck with one task, Russell rotated jobs early on, giving him the broader perspective that prepared him to take over as master distiller in 1967.
“As soon as I learned a job real well, they’d move me and put me on something else,” Russell said. “So I’ve done everything here.”
His son Eddie, now 64, had the same extensive training when joining Wild Turkey in 1981.
“He wanted me to learn it from the ground up, the same way he had,” Eddie Russell said.
Within a couple of weeks, he said he “knew it was home for me.” Other lessons he learned from his father: putting maximum effort into the job and being a stickler for product consistency, he said.
“The number one thing I tell everybody that I learned from Jimmy was if you’re going to do something, do it right or don’t do it at all,” Eddie Russell said.
Kentucky distillers are a close-knit group, and another renowned bourbon baron, Fred Noe, a seventh-generation master distiller at Jim Beam, says Jimmy Russell has been a valued friend and mentor, especially after the death of Noe’s father, famed master distiller Booker Noe. Russell and Booker Noe were close friends.
“When I took over for my father, Jimmy became a second father figure to me, guiding me as I stepped into the role of bourbon ambassador,” Fred Noe said. “His friendship and passion for the industry he and my father loved shaped me into the man I am today.”
In Kentucky, where 95% of the world’s bourbon is produced, the master distillers are treated as celebrities. If there was a Mount Rushmore of Kentucky bourbon, Jimmy Russell would be on it, said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association.
“You think about the names of him and his peers at the time, you’re talking some of the most treasured, beloved and cherished names in the history of Kentucky bourbon,” Gregory said. “And they were doing this at a time when bourbon was not celebrated as it is today. They paved the way for the success of Kentucky bourbon today.”
Watching his son and grandson follow in his footsteps is what Russell treasures most.
“That’s what I’m so proud of, to see what they’re doing,” he said. “To see how far Eddie’s come along. He’s well-known everywhere now. Bruce is coming that way.”
His wife, Joretta, now 93, has been with him every step of the way, and Eddie Russell said she deserves credit for his father’s longevity. The bourbon business wasn’t discussed at home, as she made sure to keep her husband’s work and home lives separate to help him relax, their son said.
“Jimmy and Dad are master distillers at work. But at home, granny’s the boss,” Bruce Russell said.
Of all the questions fans ask him, one constant is: how does he like his bourbon? Jimmy prefers it neat — without ice or a splash of water. However it’s served, it should be sipped and savored, he said.
“Bourbon’s not something you sit and throw straight down,” Russell said. “You sit and enjoy the flavor and taste of it. And I’ve always said, you know one thing about bourbon, you drink when you’re happy, you drink when you’re sad.”
And his sense of humor hasn’t dimmed. Asked to name his favorite bourbon, he replied: “One of each.”
Kentucky
Northern Kentucky Education Council honors NKY educators with 2026 Excellence in Education Awards
Sadiqa Reynolds was removed from the University of Louisville board of trustees last week, as the Kentucky Senate did not confirm her appointment before they adjourned the 2026 legislative session.
Reynolds, the former president of the Louisville Urban League, was appointed to a six-year term on the board last April by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
Under state law, gubernatorial appointees to boards must be confirmed by the state Senate during the subsequent legislative session in order to stay in that position. While the Republican supermajority filed and passed more than 50 resolutions to confirm appointees, none were filed to confirm Reynolds.
Reynolds told Kentucky Public Radio this week that she was not given any reason for why the Senate failed to confirm her, but suspected Republicans wanted her out due to her open criticism of the attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in education by President Donald Trump and the legislature.
“Attacks on education are attacks on our democracy,” Reynolds said. “There is no honor in following the lead of Kentucky Republicans when they are hellbent on destroying any gains we have made in this country.”
Reynolds added that it was “a badge of honor” to be rejected by Senate Republicans.
“Fascists refused to confirm me,” she said. “One little woman with one voice. I have never felt more powerful.”
Asked why Republican leadership did not confirm Reynolds, a Senate GOP spokesperson replied that “there was no resolution filed by a Democrat or Republican for the Senate to consider.”
Republican senators — who make up 84% of the chamber — filed all of the 50-plus resolutions to confirm Beshear appointees. Only one Senate bill filed by a Democrat was passed into law this session.
Senate Democrats did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the chamber not confirming Reynolds.
Scottie Ellis, the spokesperson for Gov. Beshear, replied in a statement that Reynolds “is an accomplished leader and University of Louisville alumna who cares about the direction of the school and served on its Board of Trustees with pride and integrity. Her removal is the latest politically motivated move by the Republican-led General Assembly, who are ultimately hurting UofL and its students with this baseless action.”
Asked to comment on Reynolds’ removal from the board of trustees, U of L spokesman John Karman said it was “not our decision,” adding that “the university is appreciative of Trustee Reynolds for her service and grateful for her contributions as a member of the Board of Trustees.”
Reynolds was critical not just of the Trump administration’s actions targeting DEI initiatives, but legislation passed into law by the Kentucky General Assembly in 2025 to ban all DEI initiatives at public colleges. She added that she pushed the university not to “overcomply” with such efforts and challenge them legally, or “at least explain the impact of compliance to the legislators and to the public.”
“People are so afraid to ask questions and challenge them, and I was not afraid,” she said. “Republicans have heard what I said and didn’t like it.”
Reynolds was not the only Beshear appointee to not be confirmed by the Senate. Though Republicans filed a resolution to confirm Michael Abell to the Fish and Wildlife Resources Commission, they did not vote on it before the legislature adjourned.
Responding to Abell’s removal last week, Ellis said the Senate GOP “once again refused to confirm a commissioner nominated by the Kentucky sportsmen and appointed by the Governor. This is now the eighth time they have done so. Kentuckians should be very worried about the operations at Fish & Wildlife.”
Reynolds was formerly a judge and top aide to former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, until she was named CEO of the Louisville Urban League in 2015. She left that position in 2022 to become CEO of the Perception Institute, a New York City think tank that counters bias and discrimination. Reynolds stepped down from that position last fall to focus fully on the Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center, a West End sports complex she pushed for while at the Urban League.
The Louisville Urban League president that succeeded Reynolds in 2022 was fired after four months, then filed a lawsuit against the nonprofit alleging she was wrongfully terminated for airing concerns about its finances and allegations of conflicts of interest involving the sports complex. A mistrial was declared in that case, and a new trial was granted last month.
Collin Chandler’s arrival at BYU was a long time coming, and left fans in suspense for over four years. The highest-rated recruit in program history at the time, Chandler first committed to BYU basketball four years ago before departing on his two-year missionary service. The timing of his return couldn’t have been worse, as he arrived soon after the news that head coach Mark Pope would be leaving Provo for the same position at a blue blood and his alma mater, Kentucky.
Deny it and fight it as much as you can, but there was no avoiding the truth: Collin Chandler would be out the door in Provo before ever suiting up for the Cougars.
But now in the present day, two years through his collegiate career, Collin Chandler is back in Provo. Now under a new regime, Chandler hopes to fill the void left by Richie Saunders’ departure, and assume a leadership role with the program he left years ago.
All is forgiven for the prodigal son, but hearing why Chandler jumped ship from Lexington for a spot back in the Beehive State makes his decision to transfer from UK all the more fascinating. In a radio interview with ESPN The Fan, the blonde blur opened up about his choice to return home.
“There are a lot of great things about BYU off the court. But basketball-wise, I’m most excited about development,” the junior guard shared. “Coach [Kevin] Young’s NBA experience is unique. I want to play at the next level, and learning from someone with that background is huge.”
“I’ve talked to players who’ve worked with him, and they all say development is his strength. That’s what really stood out to me.”
Chandler continued, sharing the relationships that helped him confirm his decision to take another shot at BYU.
“I talked to Richie Saunders,” Chandler noted. “I also have a good relationship with [former BYU player] Trevin Knell since we had the same high school coach. They both gave me great insight and helped me think through everything.”
Collin went a bit further on the Saunders comparisons, acknowledging where their skill sets overlap.
“First off, being compared to Richie Saunders is an honor. He’s left an incredible legacy at BYU. With new rosters come new styles, but I think this year’s team will play fast, share the ball, and make plays for each other. We’ve got a lot of guys who can handle the ball, so I see myself as part of that—making plays, playing fast, and being part of a fun system.”
On the topic of players Chandler would be teaming up with at his new program, he noted some teammates he had already shared the floor with as well as others who he looked forward to familiarizing himself with.
“Experience is huge,” Chandler noted. “That’s something I learned at Kentucky; having guys who know the system makes a big difference. Having someone like Rob Wright back is big. […] Jake Wahlin [former Timpview alumni and Clemson transfer] is someone I know really well. We played AAU together and faced off in high school. I’m excited to play with him again.”
Finally, on the topic of his return to BYU, Chandler’s off-court priorities paired with Kevin Young’s unique on-court capabilities made the Cougars the obvious favorites.
“Utah has a great staff and is building something strong, but I love the culture at BYU. I love what Coach Young is building and the foundation that’s already there.”
“It just felt like home.”
Chandler will be a junior at BYU this season, and hopes to build an NBA portfolio strong enough to carry the Farmington, Utah, native to the highest level of professional hoops. If Kevin Young’s NBA bootcamp is as good as Chandler believes it to be, you’ll see him taking great strides this season.
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