Oh, Kentucky

Oh, Kentucky

Oh, Kentucky

Oh, Kentucky

Bad jobs news from Shelbyville. Here was the best of the good from last year.

OK, now that the Christmas19 hustle and bustle are behind us, it's time to take it easy. For example, it's a perfect time to start thinking about your 2020 vacations, because this year's visitor's guide is out!

Per Angela Turner's reporting in the local Times-Tribune, there are at least three good reasons that Corbin is excited about its upcoming third World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) event in the last three years: One, the 2018 bash broke attendance records for The Corbin Arena; two, some wrestling fans reportedly say the scheduled card is more appealing than what Rupp Arena gets for Monday Night Raw, and, three, there's the building's improved sound quality.

Living in these troubled times demands creativity sometimes, and Marshall County got some, and now it has a Caring Community Center. Good play by play from Channel 6's Chris Yu.

Ready for the times to get better? Well, Danville's Advocate-Messenger says Kentucky's waiving testing fees for the General Education Diploma (GED) portends positively: "If just 50 more people earn their GEDs over the next two years as a result of this change, that could mean $420,000 more in annual income for some of Boyle County’s poorest residents."

Hallelujah, these people seem to love Burnside so! Christopher Harris on Somerset's Commonwealth Journal has a happy, fun story from the first city council meeting of the new year.

It's like we never said goodbye to Michael Scott and all of the gang. The Office! is coming to The Kentucky Center.

Oh, Kentucky

Ninety-three and still counting, and one yet to go!

And, actually, we might be up to 94 parades, if this Daily Mail story--"Decline of the town that coal built ..."--is correct that Lynch was hosting one this month. But the town Facebook page that Ann Schmidt mentions appears to be on the fritz, and there is no specific date for the parade provided.

So, for now, I'm saying 93 confirmed Christmas19 parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Central City, Nov. 24; Lebanon and Louisville, Nov. 29;  Greensburg, Guthrie and Pikeville, Nov. 30; Boyce, Dawson Springs, Murray, Salem and Sebree, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Clay, Fredonia, Harrodsburg, Irvine/Ravenna, London, Maysville, Monticello, Pineville, Richmond, Smiths Grove, Stanton and Trenton, Dec. 6; Arlington, Barbourville, Beattyville, Berea, Bloomfield, Bowling Green, Bromley/Ludlow, Brownsville, Cadiz, Calvert City, Carlisle, Clinton, Columbia, Corbin, Cynthiana, Danville, East Bernstadt, Frankfort, Glasgow, Grayson, Greenville, Hawesville, Henderson, Horse Cave, Inez, Lawrenceburg, Leitchfield, Lexington, Madisonville, Marion, Middlesboro, Morgantown, Munfordville, Murray, Owingsville, Paducah, Paintsville, Prestonsburg, Rabbit Hash, Raceland, Russell Springs, Salyersville, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Somerset ("highlighted by football team's appearance"), Trenton, Versailles, Whitley City and Winchester, Dec. 7; Auburn, Georgetown and New Haven, Dec. 8; Augusta, Benton, Burkesville, Burnside, Campbellsville, Cave City, Edmonton, Elkton, Franklin, Hopkinsville, Louisa, Mayfield, Providence, Tollesboro, Williamsburg and Woodburn, Dec. 14, and Cerulean, Dec. 21!

In Prospect, they discovered gold--in a Salvation Army red kettle outside the Kroger.

Spreading Christmas "clipper love" in Paducah.

Meanwhile over in Harlan County, Hannah Reynolds from WYMT reports, there was no opposition voiced at the fiscal-court meeting when the Second Amendment-sanctuary deal came up (and quickly passed).

Curtains for curbside recycling in Warren County?

"Camp Restoration," a tiny-home community for homeless vets, is being planned off Dixie Highway in Louisville.

Quintessential American journalist Douglas White of Henderson's Gleaner delivers his typically stellar reporting and writing on local momentum toward large-scale solar-energy production. 

Elizabethtown's News-Enterprise weighs in on Vine Grove's city-hall crisis.

Cory Claxon in The Morehead News looks back on the busy first fourth months of the local Laughlin Health Building.

Final Kentucky High School Football Rankings

So here's what happened in the State Finals last week:

In Class 1A, Pikeville crushed Paintsville 43 to 0.

In Class 2A, Mayfield was called for pass interference on the last play of the game.  I thought it was a terrible call.  Somerset was given an untimed down, and threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to beat the Cardinals, 34 to 31.

In Class 3A, Belfry beat Bell County 30 to 20 -- thereby giving Pike County two state titles on the same day.  (In case you are wondering, Pikeville beat Belfry 22-21 in the regular season.

In Class 4A, Johnson Central made Boyle County pay for its charge that folks in Johnson County couldn't count to 100.  Johnson Central won the Game of the Year, 21 to 20.  According to MaxPreps, Johnson Central is also the best public high school football team not in Louisville.  So good for them.

In Class 5A, Covington Catholic had a harder time than I expected, but beat Lexington Douglass 14 to 7.

In Class 6A, no one -- except for Male fans and reporters who cover high school football in Kentucky -- was surprised that Louisville Trinity crushed Louisville Male 28 to 6.  The Shamrocks can put their 2019 football trophy next to their 2019 basketball trophy.  On behalf of everyone who cares about KHSAA athletics, I hereby concede all future championships in both football and boys' basketball to the Shamrocks.  I only ask that instead of actually playing in the events, they put the trophies on their shelf and then spend their time trying to beat teams from other states.  Meanwhile, the rest of the KHSAA can play out the football and basketball seasons without interference from the Shamrocks to see who is the second-best team in the state.  That would have to be more exciting than what we do now, which is play for months to prove something that everyone knows -- that Trinity has built an athletic program that no one else in the KHSAA can match.

Ironically, Trinity did not come in first place in the MaxPrep rankings.  The Shamrocks did lose to Male (in the regular season), and Indianapolis Cathedral crushed them 28-7.  So MaxPreps ranked them second behind Covington Catholic.  Here is the final top 20 for 2019 (private schools in italics) (state champions in bold):

1.  Covington Catholic:  15-0
2.  Louisville Trinity:  13-2
3.  Louisville Male:  14-1
4.  Johnson Central:  15-0
5.  Boyle County:  14-1
6.  Lexington Douglass:  14-1
7.  Pikeville:  14-0
8.  North Hardin:  13-1
9.  Belfry:  11-3
10.  Louisville St. Xavier:  8-5
11.  Somerset:  14-1
12.  Bowling Green:  9-4
13.  Louisville Manual:  9-3
14.  Lexington Christian:  10-2
15.  Louisville Fern Creek:  8-4
16.  Louisville DeSales:  10-4
17.  Mayfield:  13-2
18.  Bell County:  14-1
19.  Ashland Blazer:  10-3
20.  Owensboro:  12-2

Finally, the State Football Finals

As expected, we had a lot of blowouts in the state semi-finals last week.  Trinity beat North Hardin 54-7.  Male beat Tates Creek 48-18.  Covington Catholic beat Bowling Green 28-0.  Johnson Central beat Madisonville 52-14.  The only really good game was Belfry's 15-14 win over DeSales in double overtime.  None of the 11 other state semi-finals was closer than 11 points at the end of the game.  In eight of the 12 semi-finals, the final margin was greater than 24 points or greater.  As we have pointed out before, Kentucky does not have good high school football teams to support six classes of football.  But obviously the KHSAA has some goal that I don't understand, because they keep having these blowouts year after year.

Anyway, now there are only 12 teams left, and we may finally get some competitive games.  Here are your match-ups for this weekend at Kroger Field in Lexington, along with the MaxPreps ranking (all times Central) (private schools in italics):

Class 6A (1 P.M., Sunday, December 8):
(2) Lou. Male (14-0) v. (3) Lou. Trinity (12-2)

Now this should be a great game.  These teams met in the regular season, and Male won 20-17 in double overtime.  I always assume Trinity is going to win any sports contest, but Male is the only school in the state that would have a chance against the Shamrocks.

Class 5A (7 P.M., Saturday, December 7):
(1) Covington Catholic (14-0) v. (6) Lex. Douglass (14-0)

It's been a great year for Douglass, but Male is the only public school in the state that can really give Cov. Cath. a game.

Class 4A (3:30 P.M., Saturday, December 7):
(5) Boyle Co. (14-0) v. (4) Johnson Central (14-0)

On paper, this should be a great game.  Neither team has played a close game all year, and it's very difficult to pick between them.

Class 3A (6 P.M., Friday, December 6):
(10) Belfry (10-3) v. (18) Bell Co. (14-0)

Two mountain teams that did not meet in the regular season.  Belfry has more of a history in the state finals, and they just pulled out a huge win over DeSales, so they would be my pick.

Class 2A (Noon, Saturday, December 7):
(11) Somerset (13-1) v. (13) Mayfield (13-1)

This should be a very good game -- both teams have been dominant in the playoffs.  Mayfield is the only team west of Louisville that's still playing.

Class 1A (1 P.M., Friday, December 6):
(9) Pikeville (13-0) v. (34) Paintsville (11-3)

I give Paintsville a lot of credit for making it this far.  It's particularly impressive when you consider that Johnson Central also has a great team, and that Paintsville dominated a private school -- Kentucky Country Day -- in the semi-finals.  But Pikeville is just too good for anyone in Class 1A.  Pikeville beat Belfry 22-21 earlier in the season, and Belfry is favored to win the Class 3A title.  So it looks as though Pike County will get two state titles, which would be a spectacular accomplishment.

Oh, Kentucky

Is steel coming back to Ashland? Is bourbon coming to Somerset?

A fire at Farmington, former home of the blue-and-white Region 1 Wildcats. An auction of McDowell, former home of the blue-and-gold Region 15 Daredevils.

"Our group is an unfortunately growing group that nobody wants to be a part of, or should have to be a part of. But at the same time, once you're a part of it, you're glad it's there."

The next 10 years might be a pretty good time to move to Scott County.

Christmas parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Central City, Nov. 24; Lebanon and Louisville, Nov. 29;  Greensburg, Guthrie and Pikeville, Nov. 30; Boyce, Dawson Springs, Murray, Salem and Sebree, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Fredonia, Harrodsburg, Hopkinsville, London, Monticello, Pineville, Richmond and Trenton, Dec. 6; Arlington, Barbourville, Berea, Bloomfield, Bowling Green, Bromley/Ludlow, Brownsville, Cadiz, Calvert City, Clinton, Columbia, Corbin, Cynthiana, Danville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Grayson, Hawesville, Henderson, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Madisonville, Marion, Middlesboro, Morgantown, Murray, Owingsville, Paducah, Rabbit Hash, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Somerset, Trenton, Versailles, Whitley City and Winchester, Dec. 7; Georgetown, Dec. 8; Cave City, Dec. 10; Burkesville, Burnside, Elkton, Mayfield, Providence, Williamsburg, Dec. 14, and Tollesboro, Dec. 15.

Rest in peace, Gene Clabes, Kentucky print-journalism serial entrepreneur, online-journalism pioneer and his wife's hero. "What we do know is that there will be a party."

Oh, Kentucky

Catching up from the weekend ...

Christmas parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Lebanon and Louisville, Nov. 29; Guthrie, Mayfield and Pikeville, Nov. 30; Boyce, Dawson Springs and Murray, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Fredonia, Harrodsburg, Hopkinsville, London, Monticello, Pineville, Richmond and Trenton, Dec. 6; Barbourville, Berea, Bowling Green, Cadiz, Calvert City, Columbia, Corbin, Cynthiana, Danville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Grayson, Hawesville, Henderson, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Madisonville, Marion, Middlesboro, Murray, Owingsville, Paducah, Rabbit Hash, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Somerset, Trenton, Versailles, Whitley City and Winchester, Dec. 7; Georgetown, Dec. 8; Cave City, Dec. 10; Burkesville, Burnside, Elkton, and Williamsburg, Dec. 14, and Tollesboro, Dec. 15.

Oh, Kentucky

Catching up from the weekend on Facebook ...

Christmas parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Lebanon and Louisville, Nov. 29; Pikeville, Nov. 30; Boyce, Dawson Springs and Murray, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Harrodsburg, Hopkinsville and Monticello, Dec. 6; Berea, Bowling Green, Cadiz, Calvert City, Columbia, Danville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Henderson, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Madisonville, Owingsville, Paducah, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Trenton, Versailles and Whitley City, Dec. 7; Georgetown, Dec. 8; Cave City, Dec. 10; Burnside, Elkton and Williamsburg, Dec. 14, and Tollesboro, Dec. 15.

Oh, Kentucky

No, for real, Frankfort's Pic-Pac is closing.

Glasgow is starting to consider a new downtown park, and the comments on the local Daily Times' Facebook post about it are already strident.

The new $17.8 million library in Lyndon is open; the old ones in Fern Creek and Middletown are budget casualties.

A nonprofit's hospital grades were especially bad news for Henderson's Methodist Hospital, reports Douglas White in The Gleaner.

"There are more than 1,100 Harlan County students designated as homeless under a U.S. Department of Education definition of homeless, which includes living in substandard housing ... Harlan County Schools has the second highest percentage of homeless students in the state, according to data from the Kentucky Department of Education. More than one in every four students are considered homeless." Eye-opening but ultimately hopeful report by Report for America's Will Wright in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

From Peter Brackney's dependably interesting Kaintuckeean blog: "This summer is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York City which is seen as a seminal moment in the fight for LGBT rights in this country. In Kentucky, the Kentucky Heritage Council has been working to recognize significant LGBT sites in the Commonwealth. Given the modern science, Pulaski should be so recognized. Xis contributions, as a transgender/intersex individual, to our society were significant. Given that approximately 1.7% of children are born with intersex traits (approximately the same likelihood as one having red hair), it is a demographic which should not be ignored."

As previously reported, The Internet Is Amazing™, "ham radio has been called into action again and again to provide communications in crises when it really matters," says the Amateur Radio Relay League, which had a 24-hour field day at Murray State this past weekend. Hawkins Teague was there for the Ledger & Times.

One hundred years of Kentucky Power in eastern Kentucky, and at least two more months of celebrating at Ashland's Highlands Museum and Discovery Center.

Oh, Kentucky

Henderson reconsiders LGBTQ rights and fairness 20 years later. Chris Kenning with The Courier-Journal visits in advance of Tuesday's vote.

Hiring in Salem (for CNAs for all shifts and with a $1,500 signing bonus), Dixon (for Webster County High archery, cheer, golf and soccer coaches) and throughout the state (for career, elementary, special and technical education, among others).

"A quirky history podcast produced right here in Kentucky," The Past and The Curious, is getting a lot of love.

Thanks, Feds, for not shutting donw Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers in Edmonson, McCreary and Menifee counties.

Happy 50th, Louisville Zoo.

Oh, Kentucky

Maybe one of the alternatives for the folks in Louisville could be bus trips to the state parks (except Levi Jackson Wilderness Road, of course), Henderson, Morganfield or Louisa. I love bus trips, public pools and all those places, so I think that would be great.

Owensboro will be home to Kentucky's first "Family Place Library," delivering "early literacy, parent education, family support and connection to the local community."

Jefferson Mall introducing new 'Youth Escort Policy' in June https://t.co/ltBf9bIFio pic.twitter.com/4CUgtgECnz

— WDRB News (@WDRBNews) May 23, 2019

An Australian community seeks to memorialize a Webbville man and his fellow aviation-safety game changers.

The American Doughboy statue is back--the one in Jamestown.

"Transitioning soldiers and veterans into Kentucky’s workforce at a faster rate," in Louisville and Somerset so far.

Oh, Kentucky

Will Perkins with the Glasgow Daily Times delivers a lively feature from Farm Safety Day for Metcalfe County Middle School students. It sounds like quite an elaborate event--on the working family farm of a high-school ag teacher, 40 stations focused on different aspects of farm safety and involvement from businesses from as far away as Elizabethtown and Glasgow. "It's just a super, hands-on learning experience," said an advanced-placement biology teacher.

I'll tell you what also sounds great: the Tennessee River-Line trails project!

Mayor updates on Rite Aid renovation; groundbreaking set for new water planthttps://t.co/Oiqx2KT5FU pic.twitter.com/sKLJZO2sOL

— Grayson News-Gazette (@gcnewsgazette) May 10, 2019

Paper recycling? Yes in Covington, no in Lexington.

It's signing day for Madisonville Community College's advanced-manufacturing prospects.

The 2019 Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute (ELI) class at Somerset's Center for Rural Development has been named. "ELI provides high school students in Southern and Eastern Kentucky with an in-depth look at what it takes to start their own business venture — from idea development to building a model prototype of their business concept."

Hiring in Harlan.

A residential treatment center for drug-addicted women and their children is planned for Clay County.

The Russell County Detention Center is moving to a higher-tech approach to identifying and tracking inmates, and the jailer interviewed on WJRS of Russell Springs--FM 104.9, "Lake Cumberland's Best Country"--sounds realistic but generally optimistic.

Three Murray State students shared their findings on "trauma journalism" with The Paducah Sun.

Oh, Kentucky

The 72-student 2019 class for the Governor's School for Entrepreneurs is out. It starts next month at Northern Kentucky U, and, per Corbin's Times-Tribune, "students learn firsthand about the opportunities, benefits and pitfalls of beginning a business. Teams of high school students develop business models, design prototypes, and pitch startup ideas to a large audience and panel of judges."

Meanwhile, starting in the fall, one no longer needs to leave Pulaski County to attain a four-year degree from Eastern, Morehead, Western or UK.

Working out a 98k salary with her, Frankfort reeled in its new finance director from Boise, Idaho. Thorough city 411 from Zack McDonald in The State Journal.

Houchens Industries of Bowling Green has taken its Crossroads IGA game to Lexington.

Oh, Kentucky

"Rights," "heritage," "taxation" ... blah, blah, blah.

March 2019 marked the best "Scratch-off" month for the Kentucky Lottery Corporation since April 1989.

"I want to continue to raise our educator voice so that we’re boldly and bravely speaking the truth about public education and what it means for our students, for the educators who serve those students." Interesting Q&A from WFPL's Liz Schlemmer with the new KEA president, who is on loan from Knox County  Public Schools.

The Kentucky Green Living Fair draws about 1,200 in Year 6, reports Christopher Harris in Somerset's Commonwealth Journal.

London's old Kmart is going to be a Kohl's.

Oh, Kentucky

By the way, it turns out "The Fort Campbell Courier has been suspended for an undetermined period to fulfill contractual requirements for the selection of a new service provider."

The First Lady is coming to Toyota; AOC, to a coal mine?

There might be a buyer for TVA's coal-fired Paradise Power Plant.

Charles Bethea's article in The New Yorker on environmental reporting in Kentucky is fantastic.

Kentucky had a record February for home sales.

Bad jobs news from Franklin.

Hiring in Shepherdsville.

It's almost drive-in season again in La Grange.

Covington honors a fast-acting ambulance crew (and Ryan Clark in the Northern Kentucky Tribune delivers a compelling report).

Turning to sports, a 10-year-old Reidland Intermediate School student will be covering MLB19 (but, according to WSIL, he's a West Paducah native).

Oh, Kentucky

About HB46, the effort to "Amend KRS 158.195 to require each public elementary and secondary school to display the national motto in a prominent location in the school." It received first reading in Kentucky's senate yesterday.

Good jobs news from Pike County (involving solar panels, a TEDx event and a Democrat running for governor).

Fourth "sickout" in two weeks for Jefferson County schools.

Who was your favorite teacher, in Henderson County?

Turning to sports, ...

Happy 50th, KFC in Middlesboro!

Oh, Kentucky

Trump's emergency declaration for border wall funds could cut money for projects like a Kentucky middle school.

Graham: "It's better for the middle school kids in Kentucky to have a secure border. We'll get them the school they need, but right now we've got a national emergency" pic.twitter.com/Vty1rbx979

— CBS News (@CBSNews) February 17, 2019

Guns, guns, guns: Bowling Green.

On "Somerset's blossoming downtown."

Hiring in Frankfort (for Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives archivists) and Lucas (for Barren River Lake State Resort Park recreation workers, etc.)

Turning to sports, the first eliminations for Kentucky's 2019 boys' and girls' high-school basketball championships are determined tonight.

Oh, Kentucky

$25K to "Grow Rural Education" in Ballard County.

Solar-powered wine, from Pulaski County.

"Load your guns, lock your doors," says the sheriff in Martin County.

Rallying for Paradise.

Kentucky's infrastructure report card: C-minus.

Retiring in Kentucky? Keep looking.

Kentucky is big for Sasquatch sightings, with Anderson County leading the way, per an interesting Marie Mitchell column for the Richmond Register.

Turning to sports, John Wall is coming back, and Matt House reportedly couldn't leave.

Hiring in Madisonville and Central City (part-time MCC faculty in all sections).