Kentucky
Glendale, KY, residents mourn death of solider killed in Iran conflict
Gen. Caine honors Sgt. Benjamin Pennington
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine spoke to reporters about the seventh soldier killed in the Iran war, Sgt. Benjamin Pennington.
GLENDALE, Ky. – The text message arrived on Mike Bell’s phone early on March 1. It was brief: Benjamin Pennington, the son of Bell’s close friend Tim Pennington, had been seriously injured in an attack at a U.S. air base in Saudi Arabia.
Bell hadn’t seen Benjamin Pennington in a while, but the executive minister and retired pastor of Glendale Christian Church clearly remembered the bright, ambitious boy who attended church every Sunday with his parents before enlisting in the U.S. Army.
Bell asked the Sunday school students gathered before him to pray for the 26-year-old Glendale native. Over the following week, he and Tim talked or texted daily, praying and hoping for the best.
There were signs of hope on March 5. Pennington asked the medical staff for a Pepsi, which his family saw as a positive sign. But by March 7, Pennington’s condition had worsened.
That night, after calling a basketball game at Central Hardin High School, Bell received a call from Tim. Benjamin had died from his injuries.
Bell said Benjamin was about to be moved from Saudi Arabia to Germany when his blood pressure dropped.
Bell ached thinking about Pennington’s family not being able to be with Benjamin in his final moments.
“Their hurt is so real and so powerful. I can’t fathom the loss of their son,” Bell said. “That distance made a real difference.”
As the conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran enters its second week, Glendale and the larger Hardin County community are now mourning one of their own. According to those who knew him best, Pennington was a well-liked, confident young man who made friends easily.
An Eagle Scout and high school athlete, Pennington was enrolled in an automotive technology career pathway at his alma mater, Central Hardin High School. However, he changed his career plans and joined the Army in 2017 right after graduating.
At the time of his death, Pennington was a sergeant assigned to the 1st Space Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado. The U.S. Army said in a news release that Pennington will be posthumously promoted to staff sergeant.
Glendale is a typical small town — a Mayberry of today, as Bell likes to say. It’s quiet, with plenty of antique shops and family-owned restaurants lining its historic boulevard. Residents here take pride in how long they’ve lived here, and many have never dreamed of leaving the community they’ve built.
“I moved here 20 years ago, and I’m considered a young-in,” said Sherry Creek, owner of The Mercantile, a home goods store on East Main Street.
Some, like Eddie Best, trace their roots back to the 1800s. On March 10, Best was inside The Whistle Stop, a southern-style family restaurant that has only changed hands twice in its 50-year history. It was a Tuesday, which meant he was picking up his family’s regular order of two open-faced roast beef sandwiches, a side of greens and baked apples.
“Family, that’s why I stayed all these years,” said Best, 45.
The ties that bind this close-knit community make Pennington’s death even more impactful for the town of about 2,000 residents, located about an hour south of Louisville. In the few days since the news broke, Bell said his and others’ phones have been ringing nonstop.
“The people are wanting to know what to do, how to do,” Bell said. “Everybody is struggling in darkness, trying to figure out how to bring a little light to the Pennington family in their struggle and transition.”
The Penningtons, by all accounts, are active and involved community members. Tim Pennington has been a long-standing member of the town’s Lions Club and coaches cross country and track at Central Hardin High School.
Pennington was on the team while his father was the coach. Contrary to what some might expect, Pennington showed at least no outward annoyance at his dad being coach, said Jonathan Ratliff, who was also on the school’s team. If anything, he put twice as much effort into his sport, showing he wasn’t going to get favorable treatment, Ratliff said.
Ratliff, who was a few years ahead of Pennington at Central Hardin, said Pennington was friendly and funny, someone who quickly made friends with teammates and even athletes on different teams.
“As soon as I joined the team, it felt like I had been with him forever,” Ratliff, a part-time actor in the Glendale community, said. “It didn’t matter if you knew Ben for a minute or two years. He just had a positive energy to be around. Very fun guy, great teammate to have.”
Pennington’s death marks a second blow to Glendale in recent months. In December, Ford and the South Korean company SK On dissolved their partnership to manufacture electric vehicle batteries at a plant just outside of the town. Although Ford plans to retool the factory and hire 2,100 workers for its second phase, the immediate impact resulted in termination notices to 1,500 people.
“Nobody was indifferent on it,” Bell said of the plant. “And then you have this, and everybody hurts. … It’s a family.”
Pennington is the seventh U.S. service member to die in the conflict that began Feb. 28. The other six soldiers died in an Iranian missile strike at a civilian port in Kuwait one day after the war began. Military officials are investigating the circumstances of the March 1 attack at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
Pennington received the Army Commendation Medal three times and the Army Good Conduct Medal twice during his military career, according to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command. He also received the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, Noncommissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, Korea Defense Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon.
On March 9, Pennington’s body was returned to U.S. soil. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth attended the dignified transfer ceremony at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, a military tradition.
It’s unclear when Pennington’s remains will return to Glendale, but the community is ready to welcome him home.
Hardin County Judge Executive Keith Taul has ordered all flags at Hardin County government buildings to be lowered from March 9 to sunset March 11 in honor of Pennington.
The Glendale community “will get through this, together,” Taul said. “They will. They’ll reach out and put their arms around the Pennington family for sure.”
Monroe Trombly covers public safety. He can be reached at mtrombly@gannett.com.
A Northern Kentucky community is coming together to help one man rebuild his home.On Saturday, a fire tore through a house at the end of Brittany Lane, leaving behind heavy damage and years of work nearly destroyed.But for Richard Reinhart, the loss goes far beyond the structure itself.“This was his big project,” neighbor Danielle Armstrong said. “He bought the land and then just built the house and built the house for years and years and years.”Armstrong was the one who called 911 after noticing smoke pouring from the home. She said flames quickly spread, leaving the house badly damaged.Reinhart and his wife were able to make it out safely.Still, the home holds deep meaning. Armstrong said Reinhart spent decades building it by hand, carefully crafting a space meant to bring generations of family together. Just months before the fire, Reinhart was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer with no known cure.“He doesn’t have long to live,” Armstrong said.Now, what was once a long-term dream has become something far more urgent.Reinhart’s goal is no longer just to build the home, but to return to it.“My goal with the GoFundMe is to raise funds so that we can rebuild this house together for Richard, so that he can leave it to his family,” Armstrong said. “This is his final place that he wants to be.”Armstrong said her motivation is simple.“I don’t have a lot in life, and Richard’s always been there for me through a lot,” she said. “So you do that for friends that really care about you.”The two have known each other for decades — even living as neighbors twice over the years — a connection Armstrong says makes this effort even more meaningful.Now, she’s leading the charge to help rebuild the home, starting a GoFundMe and helping organize local fundraisers. Longnecks Sports Grill in Hebron will host a Dine and Dinner event at all its locations April 11 from 5 to 9 p.m. For Armstrong, the goal is clear: to help Reinhart return to the home he built — and the place he hopes to spend his final days.“This was his dream,” she said. “And I want his dream to come true.”
A Northern Kentucky community is coming together to help one man rebuild his home.
On Saturday, a fire tore through a house at the end of Brittany Lane, leaving behind heavy damage and years of work nearly destroyed.
But for Richard Reinhart, the loss goes far beyond the structure itself.
“This was his big project,” neighbor Danielle Armstrong said. “He bought the land and then just built the house and built the house for years and years and years.”
Armstrong was the one who called 911 after noticing smoke pouring from the home. She said flames quickly spread, leaving the house badly damaged.
Reinhart and his wife were able to make it out safely.
Still, the home holds deep meaning. Armstrong said Reinhart spent decades building it by hand, carefully crafting a space meant to bring generations of family together.
Just months before the fire, Reinhart was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer with no known cure.
“He doesn’t have long to live,” Armstrong said.
Now, what was once a long-term dream has become something far more urgent.
Reinhart’s goal is no longer just to build the home, but to return to it.
“My goal with the GoFundMe is to raise funds so that we can rebuild this house together for Richard, so that he can leave it to his family,” Armstrong said. “This is his final place that he wants to be.”
Armstrong said her motivation is simple.
“I don’t have a lot in life, and Richard’s always been there for me through a lot,” she said. “So you do that for friends that really care about you.”
The two have known each other for decades — even living as neighbors twice over the years — a connection Armstrong says makes this effort even more meaningful.
Now, she’s leading the charge to help rebuild the home, starting a GoFundMe and helping organize local fundraisers.
Longnecks Sports Grill in Hebron will host a Dine and Dinner event at all its locations April 11 from 5 to 9 p.m.
For Armstrong, the goal is clear: to help Reinhart return to the home he built — and the place he hopes to spend his final days.
“This was his dream,” she said. “And I want his dream to come true.”
The transfer portal doesn’t officially open until Tuesday, April 7, but players are already announcing their plans — over 500 so far, in fact. On Kentucky’s end, Jaland Lowe was the first, announcing on March 28 that he would head elsewhere. Since then, it’s been crickets, but Jasper Johnson and Brandon Garrison quickly changed that, with news breaking of their plans to transfer happening within an hour of each other on Friday.
More announcements could be on the way before Tuesday. We’re still waiting on decisions from seven Wildcats, eight if you include Jayden Quaintance, who is expected to enter the NBA Draft, but has yet to officially declare. Redshirt big man Reece Potter has publicly stated that he will run it back in Lexington. Mark Pope got his first 2026 commit this week in four-star point guard Mason Williams, the son of former NBA All-Star Mo Williams, who will also come to Kentucky as an assistant coach.
It could be a newsy weekend. KSR will be tracking all of Kentucky’s offseason roster movements. Consider this your one-stop shop for all roster additions and departures.
GRADUATED (2)
PORTAL DEPARTURES (3)
REMAINING ELIGIBILITY – STATUS UNKNOWN (8)
EXPECTED RETURNERS (1)
HS SIGNEES (1)
PORTAL ADDITIONS: N/A
IMPORTANT DATES
- April 7: Transfer Portal Opens
- April 21: Transfer Portal Closes
- 60 days before NBA Draft: NBA Early Entry Deadline
- May 8-10: NBA G League Combine (Chicago)
- May 10: NBA Draft Lottery
- May 10-17: NBA Draft Combine (Chicago)
- May 27: NCAA Division I Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline
- 10 days before NBA Draft: NBA Early Entry Withdrawal Deadline
- Late June: 2026 NBA Draft (Date not announced)
Take advantage of our KSR+ SPRING SALE to get bonus coverage of the Cats, including the latest intel on Kentucky’s efforts in the Transfer Portal, Spring Football, and the search for a new Athletic Director — plus a year of access to The Athletic. Annual subscriptions are 50% off for a limited time.
UPDATES
April 3: Brandon Garrison joins Johnson in the portal
- After two seasons with the Wildcats as the team’s backup center, Garrison will look for a starting job going into his final college season.
April 3: Jasper Johnson will enter the Transfer Portal
- Mark Pope‘s highest-ranked recruit of all time will look for a fresh start elsewhere after an up-and-down freshman season.
- The other finalists in his high school recruitment were Alabama and North Carolina.
March 30: Mo Williams to join staff as assistant
- Expected to join his son, Mason, in Lexington, filling one of the vacant assistant coaching positions
- Head coach at Jackson State (2022-26) and Alabama State (2020-22), Assistant coach at Cal State Northridge (2018-20)
- Played 13 seasons in the NBA for 7 different franchises; NBA All-Star (2009), NBA Champion (Cleveland Cavaliers, 2016)
March 28: Jaland Lowe will enter the Transfer Portal
- Leaving UK after one season, which was cut short by a shoulder injury.
March 27: Associate head coach Alvin Brooks will not return next season
March 27: 4-star Mason Williams commits to Kentucky
- Son of former NBA All-Star/current Jackson State head coach Mo Williams
- 6-foot-2 point guard ranked No. 124 overall in the 2026 recruiting class by Rivals
- Held offers from Ole Miss, Jackson State, Memphis, Louisiana, New Mexico State, Stephen F. Austin, Washington, and Texas Tech
- Averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 steals per outing in 2025-26 while shooting 41.2 percent from deep (8-game sample size)
March 26: Keegan Brown announced as Director of Roster Management
- Worked with Mark Pope for five seasons at BYU
- Most recently worked as head video coordinator of the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League affiliate.
March 24: Jason Hart leaves for SMU
- Left Kentucky after two seasons to become the associate head coach under Andy Enfield
- Lead recruiter for Dink Pate and Tyran Stokes
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKRC) – A measure that includes naming a highway in Northern Kentucky after conservative activist Charlie Kirk is awaiting action from the governor.
Senate Joint Resolution 139, an omnibus bill designating honorary names for roads and bridges across the state, was delivered to the governor Thursday after clearing both chambers of the Kentucky General Assembly.
Among its provisions is the designation of a portion of Kentucky Route 18 in Boone County as the “Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway.”
The resolution passed the Senate 36-0 in March and later cleared the House 86-4 on April 1 before final concurrence in the Senate.
Lawmakers considered removing the Kirk designation during debate. A House floor amendment that would have deleted the “Charlie Kirk Memorial Highway” provision was defeated.
The measure includes several other highway and bridge designations statewide, including memorials for fallen service members and local leaders.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION (2)
If signed, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet would be directed to install signage marking the honorary highway names.
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