Friday, December 5, 2025
Caboni to request private housing partner, lease of Campus Flats
WKU’s public-private housing partner would be a firm with roots in similar projects around the country, including projects WKU President Timothy Caboni admired, under a proposal Caboni will present to the Board of Regents next week.
Also at the Dec. 11 meeting, Caboni will recommend that WKU lease the Campus Flats apartment complex on Creason Street for at least two years while Hugh Poland and Douglas Keen halls are torn down and replaced with the first of several projects under the partnership.
The proposed partnership is with Gilbane, a Rhode Islandbased international real estate developer, to “undertake financing, design, construction, management, and operations of a new housing development” at WKU, according to the Board of Regents meeting agenda. Gilbane will also be responsible for the renovation and operation of existing WKU housing.
Dorm rendering included in Gilbane’s proposal to WKU The traffic circle is the intersection of University Boulevard, Avenue of Champions and Russellville Road
Read more by Jake McMahon and Anthony Clauson
Editor's Note: The Herald is rerunning this story from Tuesday, Dec. 3, as several changes have been made.
The Student Life Foundation, the owning body of WKU’s dorms, hopes to finish repairs on Normal and Regents halls next academic year.
SLF Legal Counsel Tad Pardue said in an SLF meeting on Tuesday, “optimistically (the foundation is) shooting for next fall,” but the project could take as long as the spring semester.
Normal and Regents halls were built for $48 million in 2021. They closed in May following the discovery of structural issues in both buildings.
WKU alumni break ground on a new development
Kelley Chase, lead developer of the Evergreen Commons, points out to a field of dirt that will become the new multi use development off of Nashville Road on Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 Michael Bechert, Tim Poston and Steven Holdren, all partners of the Evergreen Commons, listen to Chase talk about the new development (Bradlee Reed-Whalen)
Developers, partners and engineers of a new mixed-use development put shovels to dirt and celebrated the work they’ve put in on Thursday.
Chase Kelley, lead developer of the Evergreen Commons, and Michael Bechert, managing partner of the Evergreen Commons. They both graduated from WKU in 2007 and 2006 as members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity on campus, where they grew a bond with one another during their time on the Hill.
“I think that’s really helped us this group come together,” Beckert said.
Java City Coffee and The Spread sit empty as repairs begin for Regents Hall on Friday, Nov 21, 2025 (Summer Crawford)
Read more by Anthony Clauson and Austin Rice
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WKU Volleyball slated for rematch in first round
WKU Volleyball travels to the University of Louisville to face the Marquette Golden Eagles in the first round of the NCAA Volleyball Tournament
The Hilltoppers will take on Marquette on Friday, Dec 5 WKU earned a seventh seed bid after taking home the CUSA tournament championship in a five-set thriller.
The Hilltoppers and Golden Eagles met earlier this season, where Marquette swept WKU.
WKU Women’s Basketball begins road stretch at Miami (OH)
WKU Women’s Basketball begins its month-long away stretch Sunday at Miami (OH) after falling just short to Florida Atlantic Wednesday night
The Lady Toppers suffered a 47-44 home loss to the Owls, bringing them to 3-5 on the season and 2-3 in Diddle Arena.
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Bradlee ReedWhalen
Outside hitter Kaylee Cox (8) passes a ball to her teammate during a game against Marquette University at Diddle Arena on Friday, Sept 13, 2024 (Hallie Stafford)
Read more by Peyton Reid
Western Kentucky University Forward Torri James (2) defends as Indiana State Guard Tierney Kelsey (11) has the ball on Friday, Nov 14 2025 during WKU’s basketball game against Indiana State in E A Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, Ky (Natasha Gomez)
Sophomore forward Torri James finished as WKU’s leading scorer with 12 points. She also leads the Lady Toppers in minutes, 32.9, points, 9.2 and rebounds, 5.0, per game.
Read more by Adrianna
Lein
Jaycees to host Christmas parade downtown
Bowling Green Jaycees
Folks and floats will display their holiday cheer during the 2025 Bowling Green-Warren County Jaycees Christmas Parade.
The theme this year is “The Best Christmas Parade Ever.” The parade will begin on College Street by Fountain Square Park at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. The parade route travels up College Street for three blocks, turns on 12th Street, then back down State Street.
The Bowling Green-Warren County Jaycees are a branch of the United States Junior Chamber, a community organization that builds “business development, management skills, individual training, and community service” skills for 18 to 40-year-olds, according to their Facebook page.
Read more by Natalie Freidhof
The College Heights Herald is the independent, student-run news organization operating on the campus of Western Kentucky University, emphasizing accuracy and truth while being a public forum for the fair display of diverse opinions and viewpoints The Herald works to be steadfast and unwavering in its pursuit of truth while being true to the tenets of the WKU Student Publications mission to grow exceptional journalists and innovative leaders through real-world experiences and a strong educational and ethical foundation centered on principled journalism All creative and editorial decisions are made by the Herald’s student leadership, and all consequences of those decisions are the sole responsibility of these student leaders While editorially and operationally independent from the university, the Herald participates in the mission of WKU to prepare students of all backgrounds to be productive, engaged and socially responsible citizen-leaders of a global society, both within and outside of its newsroom Views expressed are diverse and, as an independent publication, should not be taken as representative of views of WKU and any of its administration, faculty, staff, student body or other constituency
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