For more information:
• Geologic Impacts on the History and Development of Middlesboro, Kentucky, a 2003 report from the Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists (PDF, 58 pages)
• Kentucky Life has also visited the Jeptha Knob meteorite impact site in Shelby County.

Producer/Videographer: Dave Shuffett
Editor: Dan Taulbee

Sudden Impact

The Middlesboro Astrobleme

About 300 million years ago, an asteroid 1,500 feet across came from outer space and hit what is now Middlesboro. Scientists believe that the impact probably killed all life within a radius of 50-100 miles.

What remains today is an astrobleme, or meteor scar, that measures about 3 1/2 miles wide. Nestled in that flat spot is the town of Middlesboro, the only town in the world built entirely inside a meteor crater.

For years people thought the unusual bowl-shaped topography of the area was caused by tectonic activity. It was until mapping and studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in the 1960s that scientists discovered the circular shape was in fact a meteor crater. The evidence: Shocked quartz and "shatter cones," a type of rock fragment formed only during impact events.

Scientists and tourists continue to be fascinated by the Middlesboro astrobleme. A film crew from the BBC visited Middlesboro last summer to film a segment for its documentary, Seven Wonders of the Solar System.

Our crater explorations will continue with a visit to Versailles later this year.

For more information:
• Behle Street Café, 50 E. Rivercenter Blvd., Covington, Ky. 41011 (859) 291-4100

Producer/Videographer/Editor: Brandon Wickey

Today's Special—Behle Street Café

It's the season for dining al fresco, and that means Behle Street Café in Covington is open from lunchtime until 2 in the morning, serving up all the comfort food you can imagine.

Owner Shawn Thomas says Behle Street has the best patio in Covington. Executive chef Otis Myers creates a number of dishes from scratch. We sampled the famous meatloaf; it comes on a bed of mashed potatoes and is topped off by thin-sliced onion rings. Other specialties include the Capellini Behle Street, the Greek salad with house-made dressing, and Steak Shawn, served with gorgonzola cheese, tiger shrimp, and asparagus.

The restaurant is not really named after Behle Street in Memphis, but for the restaurant's original founder, Tommy Behle. Pictures of classic Hollywood actors and actresses adorn the walls while the music is also from the same time period. You can also find live music by guitarist Jeff Henry three times a week, and wine tastings are scheduled every couple of months.

For more information:
• Monarch Watch
• John James Audubon State Park

Producer/Editor: Cheryl Beckley
Videographers: David Brinkley, Caitlin Richard, Mark Irons

On the Wing

Monarch Watch

Two weekends out of the year, people from all walks of life come to Audubon State Park to net and tag Monarch butterflies as part of continuing studies of their migratory habits. The effort is one of many organized by Monarch Watch, based at the University of Kansas.

Millions of Monarch butterflies east of the Rocky Mountains migrate every fall to Mexico to roost for the winter. The Monarch butterfly travels 3,000 miles, the only tropical butterfly to travel so far.

With the help of naturalists, volunteers learn how to net and tag a Monarch butterfly. Butterflies are captured in 24-inch-deep nets, and a small adhesive tag is placed on the large, mitten shaped cell on the underside of the hindwing. Monarch Watch keeps an extensive online database on tag recoveries.

According to Chip Taylor, director of Monarch Watch, most of the Monarchs joining the migration each fall are 3-4 generations removed from those that made the journey the previous year. Migratory monarchs that survive the winter in Mexico are 8-9 months of age, Taylor says, and may be the longest lived of all butterflies.

For more information:
• Coffee Times Coffee House, 2571 Regency Road, Lexington, Ky. 40503, (859) 277-9140 or (877) 673-0577

Producer/Videographer: Jeffrey Hill
Editors: Dan Conrad, Jeffrey Hill

Brew Masters

Coffee Times Coffee House

Since 1981, Coffee Times Coffee House in Lexington has been roasting its own beans, so it's no johnny-come-lately to the art of making a fine cup of coffee.

The baristas—or "bean heads"—serve up over 75 different gourmet coffees. Hand-mixed flavored coffees include chocolate, nutty and fruit flavors like chocolate hazelnut, pralines and creme, and Viennese orange.

The espresso bar offers decadent dessert coffees as well as sandwiches and baked goods. Tea lovers are not forgotten: Coffee Times offers black, green, white, and oolong teas, and an array of flavors, like Tropical Fire, Arctic Raspberry, or Mountain Huckleberry.

It's easy to see that Coffee Times may very well have a drink for everyone.