Oh, Kentucky

Christmas parades: Owensboro, Nov. 18; Barbourville, Fordsville, Georgetown, Madisonville, Murray and Winchester, Dec. 2; Lexington, Dec. 6, and Hopkinsville, Dec. 9.

Except for an uptick in 2006, donations to Paducah's Telethon of Stars have been on the slide since their peak in 1997, per a Channel 6 graph. Last year's total of $228,410 in gifts appears to be about on par with 1971 giving.

Continuing a fantastic but chilling series, Elizabeth Klibanoff with the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting surveys Kentucky's hate-group landscape.

"Hero."

Rest in peace, Mr. Atwell, "Caverna's most successful man."

Oh, Kentucky

Good jobs news from Bowling Green, Hebron and Lexington.

Bad guard-rail news.

Judge to hold conference call in Eggner's Ferry Bridge lawsuit: http://t.co/lBwNiW72uJ #WPSD pic.twitter.com/SuAROxO2rw
— WPSD Local 6 (@WPSDLocal6) December 1, 2014

“I have always envisioned General Burnside Island being developed into a world-class resort destination.”

"It was an event that proved Hazard is not a little coal town gone bust."

Christmas parades are hot and heavy around the commonwealth. My wife and daughter and I got out to a bit of Owensboro's early-bird affair last Saturday, and it was grand. Ashland's, Bardstown's and Louisville's parades happened in the last few days, and now things are poised to really rock: Lexington, Dec. 2; Catlettsburg, Russell and Taylorsville; Dec. 4; Danville and Monticello, Dec. 5; Berea, Bowling Green, Cadiz, Calhoun, Columbia, Fordsville, Harlan, Island, Morganfield, Paducah, Shelbyville and Winchester, Dec. 6; Dawson Springs and Evarts, Dec. 7, and Benton, Livermore and Sacramento, Dec. 13. 

Kentucky High-school Football, Class 4A First-round Wrap

A couple of close Region 2 decisions knocked out two teams that I thought might advance to the semifinals (Shelbyville Martha Layne Collins, the defending state champ, and Spencer County); otherwise, the first round of the Class 4A playoffs was filled with blowout wins by favorites. So let's get on to the fact that I actually attended a game! Part of one, anyway.

My daughter's elementary school had its fall festival last night, so I didn't get to Madisonville-North Hopkins until the Marching Maroons were finishing their halftime show. It was the band's first performance since earning its 10th consecutive Class 4A state championship, and they sounded terrific!

Allen County-Scottsville opened the second half by recovering an onside kick. Then the Patriots turned the ball over, but, then, so did the Maroons.

Down the field, AC-S drove.

Eventually, on third down from the 1, a Patriot runner barreled into the end zone to pull AC-S to within 33-14 (after a conversion pass for two points).

That's as exciting as this story gets, however. Madisonville-North Hopkins went on to win, 46-14. And I left at the start of the fourth quarter, because I was cold. I wish I would've taken a picture of the $6 ribeye sandwich that I purchased from the concession stand; it was really good. I did, at least, get this picture showing off how AC-S's jerseys read "PATRIOTS" across the back, over the numbers. I really like that.

Here were all of the 4A first-round results:

-- Owensboro 49, Breckinridge County 0

-- Bowling Green Warren East 38, Calloway County 0

-- Madisonville-North Hopkins 46, Allen County-Scottsville 14

-- Franklin-Simpson 62, Hopkins County Central 6

-- Goshen North Oldham 48, Nelson County 0

-- Louisville Western 49, Collins 43

-- Louisville Doss 35, Spencer County 32

-- Louisville Fairdale 44, Louisville Waggener 6

-- Lexington Catholic 48, Clay County 6

-- Rockcastle County 28, Marion County 7

-- Boyle County 45, Russell County 22

-- Barbourville Knox Central 21, Taylor County 21

-- Fort Thomas Highland 44, Boyd County 7

-- Ashland Blazer 49, Covington Holmes 14

-- Covington Catholic 39, Greenup County 8

-- Paintsville Johnson Central 67, Harrison County 14

And here's the updated bracket.

Kentucky High-school Football, Class 4A Round of 32

I can't remember if, at this point last season, I was more certain that Fort Thomas Highlands was going to win the Class 4A tournament or less certain than I am now that the Bluebirds are going to win. But I'm very certain that I was at least pretty certain, and it turned out that I was wrong. 

So, anyway, there's BluegrassPreps.com No. 1 Highlands looming large down in Region 4, but, my gosh, at the very bottom of that same quadrant of the bracket, you've also got No. 2 Paintsville Johnson Central. The Golden Eagles are 10-0, and they're coming off a 35-0 home shutout of Class 3A-heavyweight Belfry just last Friday. Point is that one never knows--this one, at least, often doesn't.

Region 1 is probably going to No. 3 Owensboro, which won at No. 4 Madisonville-North Hopkins, 29-22, on Sept. 26. But I don't care; I'm not giving up on my (dad's, wife's and daughter's) Maroons--or No. 7 Franklin-Simpson. Region II's contenders appear to me to be No. 10 Goshen North Oldham, unranked Shelbyville Martha Layne Collins (the defending state champs) and unranked Spencer County; Region III's are No. 5 Boyle County, No. 6 Lexington Catholic and No. 9 Barbourville Knox Central.

Enjoy your drive to Madisonville, 4-6 Allen County-Scottsville.

Oh, Kentucky

This would be a good opening sentence to something: Sixty years ago, the crooks spared just one thing when they robbed the Golden Rocket out on U.S. 62: the juke box.

Site for IBM plant at New Circle Rd (E to W) and Newtown Pike, Aug. 1956. Now @lexmark HQ More http://t.co/oWWk4jhTRx pic.twitter.com/uB8YWKVNcb
— KY Photo Archive (@KYPhotoArchive) July 23, 2014

Bad jobs news from Whitesburg.

More Kentucky kids live in poverty than a quarter century ago.

Cumberland, Hindman, Lexington and Louisville are raking in some federal dough to improve their livability and place arts at their cores.

Forthcoming from eastern Kentucky: "a different picture about this region’s quality of life, progress and hope."

Does northern Bullitt County want a hospital or not?

Stay off the Brookport Bridge!

Murray State's new prez, who moved from eastern Oregon, is taking a look around Paducah. Maybe he'll go on the Red-Line Tour. We went on the Red-Line Tour almost immediately when we moved to Paducah in 1973.

Tiger's retiring, and he's passing along some parting advice (via Shelbyville's Sentinel-News): "Somewhere along the way I found what was truly important. I encourage everyone to take time to enjoy the relationships that are built over the course of one’s career."

The Mustangs and UK-bound-quarterback Zy'aire Hughes will wait another week to open at Tilghman, but many KHSAA football teams start the new season Aug. 22.

New top of my YouTube wish list: Spectacle in Taylorsville, 1974.

Rock on, (Mount Sterling's own!) Rev. Brandon Gilvin.

Oh, Kentucky

Look! It's a bear!

Then there was the time that the turnip-pursuing cow got stuck in the really long hollow sycamore.

We've reached the semifinals of Channel 6's "Who is the greatest team of the Gridiron Glory era?" fantasy-football tournament, and we've still got a possibility of a Mayfield-v.-Mayfield championship. By the way, neither Heath 1985 nor Heath 1986 was eligible.

**TRAFFIC ALERT:** The new U.S. 60 Tennessee River Bridge between McCracken & Livingston is now OPEN! pic.twitter.com/nmVQy9DsRZ
— westkystar_traffic (@wkystar_traffic) July 30, 2013

Best of luck to Mr. Ung and Hoptown Donuts, which opens today.

Good jobs news from Franklin and Louisville.

How the SNAP cuts stand to impact 10,693 Harlan Countians.

Homecomings where there homes were.

Master P's anti-violence tour reaches Louisville.

We live in a freaking fantastic country.

Oh, Kentucky

And now we can finally say farewell to Lone Oak High School (and Heath and Reidland). The Lady Purples were eliminated late last night in the rain-delayed Rawlings/KHSAA Fast Pitch Softball State Tournament in Owensboro. In the last two games played at Jack C. Fisher Park--both games ended after midnight--First Region-champ Lone Oak lost, 5-2, to Boyle County, and Second Region-champ Smithland Livingston Central lost, 4-2, to Owensboro Catholic. So, today at 9 Central, we'll have Boyle and OweCath playing in an elimination game while Bowling Green Greenwood and 2012-state-champion Louisville Mercy duel in the last meeting of teams unbeaten in this tournament. Greenwood, in fact, is unbeaten all season and aiming to become the state's first undefeated state softball champ. The top-ranked Lady Gators are 42-0, and they've won their games in this tournament so far by scores of 7-1, 13-0 and 9-0. The Greenwood-Mercy loser is scheduled to then meet the Boyle-OweCath winner at 11 a.m. Central, and then that game's winner plays the Greenwood-Mercy winner (scheduled for a 1 p.m. start). If the winners-bracket survivor goes down in that game, then the same two teams will play for the state championship in an immediate rematch later this afternoon.

It's a significantly simpler scenario in Lexington today, where Mercer County and Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park play at 6 Central in the final of the Forcht Bank/KHSAA State Baseball Tournament. Mercer County beat Henderson County, 7-2, and PRP beat Elizabethtown Central Hardin, 10-3, in Friday's semifinals.

"I would love for us to get back to our historic beauty" in Magic City.

"I’ll try anything. There’s not much I’ll back down from" in Leitchfield.

Adairville needs a new police officer.

Man, I hope Terrence Jones is having fun. What a trip.

Darius Miller doesn't own a computer?!?

You might enjoy reliving UK's 2012 Final Four trip. Or you might not.

Oh, Kentucky

The first Ebonite/KHSAA Bowling State Championships is underway today in Louisville. The corporate sponsor is more Main Street than Wall Street--to be precise, Ebonite is West Seventh Street.

Christian County is looking for its next Ebonite, Tangy Roots ... whatever ... take your best shot.

"In the United States, the verb to 'kick a{**}' - like the adjective, 'kick-a{**}' - is widely considered appropriate for general conversation. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in Kentucky ..."

State of the Commonwealth (#SOTC).

Deregulating land-line service is back up for conversation in the General Assembly.

Lexington is getting a new Kroger, to replace Disco Kroger.

UPS is growing in Louisville.

Paradise lost.

UPIKE's long-time women's basketball coach plans to step down and mull potential challenges.

The ninth-annual Kentucky State Park Race Series is afoot.

The coaching parents who lost their 12-year-old son five years ago will be signing their book at the Marion Baptist Church this weekend.

Rest in peace, Mr. Silvey, who co-captained the 1964 Russellville High football Panthers, which lost to Elkhorn City in the Class A state championship.

Oh, Kentucky

Latest on a "quirky Louisville staple."

And on "a center of learning, inspiration and life in Corbin for more than 100 years."

As well as Monticello city schools, which appear to be headed for merger with the Wayne County system.

It's a Trimble County mystery!

"You really want me to coach you?"

Hooray for Dan Manley, Voice of the Indians (since 1967)!

A strong Christmas showing appears to have sealed the deal for Spencer County-Taylorsville citizens of the year (SC-TCo12). Congratulations, Lewises!

Wheel of Fortune reportedly wouldn't allow a London native who now lives in Knoxville, Tenn., to identify herself as being from Laurel County. She won $1,900. Cheers to Tiffany Higginbotham. Jeers to Wheel of Fortune, which has never been the same since Chuck Woolery of Ashland moved on in 1981.

Bad jobs news for Todd County. Improving statewide, though.

HeathPo: Kentucky's senators--one, who failed in his primary political goal of the last two years, and the other, HPKo10*--have been in Afghanistan and Israel, respectively.

Remembering when "Dear Abby" came to Lexington.

Foreigner is coming to Paducah--utterly huge news for the HHS Class of '86, at least.

KET News Quiz!

Kentucky high-school football, lights out

The Kentucky Football Coaches Association has tied a bow on the 2012 high-school season. So has Go Heath. I guess I will, too:

-- Week 1 roundup, western Kentucky results and the Lexington Herald-Leader's preseason rankings

-- Week 2 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 3 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 4 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 5 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 6 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 7 roundup

-- Week 8 roundup, western Kentucky results and standings

-- Week 9 roundup and western Kentucky results

-- Week 10 roundup, western Kentucky results and standings

-- Week 11 roundup, western Kentucky results and standings

-- first round of playoffs and western Kentucky results

-- second round of playoffs and western Kentucky results

-- quarterfinals and Go Heath's update

-- semifinals and Go Heath's update

-- championship weekend and congratulations to Class A-champion Mayfield, 2A-champ Newport Central Catholic, 3A-champ Louisville Central, 4A-champ Fort Thomas Highlands, 5A-champ Bowling Green and 6A-champ Louisville Trinity

Finally, here are some pictures I snapped around Waggener High School in Louisville in the late afternoon of Friday, Oct. 5. My daughter and I were killing time while my wife attended a conference at a church in Saint Matthews, and we stumbled upon Waggener while tooling around the neighborhoods looking for a playground. Alas, there's an elementary school on the same property as the high school, so we found our (fantastic/5 stars/highly recommended) playground. Plus, the football Wildcats were knocking around in their uniforms, in anticipation of the Spencer County Bears' visit later that evening. We didn't stick around to see the game, but the 4-3 Bears went on to defeat the 1-5 Wildcats, 55-22. And then Waggener went on to finish 2-9 for the season with a first-round loss to Louisville Western in the 6A playoffs. 

Better luck next year, Waggener Wildcats! My guess is that things will get rolling again along about Aug. 17, 2013, and I do hope and pray that we are all around to happily ring in the new season of Kentucky high-school football together then.

Oh, Kentucky

Maybe it is, indeed, "about how you were brought up."

Thank you, WKDZ of Cadiz, for posting this photo of John Y. Brown (with the lovely Mrs. George Brown) in the famous blue-and-red coat.


Rest in peace, Coach Green, coach of the runnersup for the 1965 KHSAA Class 2A football championship (which went to a legendary Hoptown team), member of three halls of fame and Mrs. Green's husband of 56 years. Wrote Eastern Kentucky University's two-time-national-champion football coach Roy L. Kidd at Creech Funeral Home's site: "Walt Green was an outstanding football coach, someone I had great respect for. He was a teammate of mine at EKU. He always called me 'Peanut' even though he was not much bigger than me. Walt's passing is a great loss to his family, friends, former teammates and ALL the ex-players he coached." And Mickey Wilson, a coach from Conway, S.C..: "Dear family, I was so hurt to hear of Coach's passing. He had alot to do with me becoming a coach. I will never forget the days at the YMCA and the 1960 season. I learned alot of FB from him, but more I learned about life. May God bless you and comfort you during this time." And a former student from Pineville: "I was having this problem understanding the teacher at Southeast. Walt met me at class the next day and set my chair four feet from the teacher. That solved the problem. He was a great student motivator."

Coach Green's funeral was Friday evening at Middlesboro's Binghamtown Baptist Church. There's one for Mr. Morgan at Hensley Chapel Baptist Church tomorrow night, and it sounds like it's going to be a barn-burner, too. "Morgan Furniture, owned and operated by Morgan, has been a landmark on Lothbury Avenue for over 50 years. From his store, Morgan ran political campaigns, conducted city business, helped friends, shared his wisdom, witnessed to customers about his Lord and Savior, and yes even found time to sell some furniture and appliances."

Great jobs news from Cadiz.

Community gardening in Paducah.

Building bridges with Indiana in Louisville and Prospect.

I had never seen the Marching Maroons' logo, but it is freaking fantastic.

Oh, Kentucky

Kentucky, too, is for lovers. Seventy years of bliss (etc.) in Sonora ... Saying "I love you" with a KU credit ... Mountain passion in Frankfort ... James Carville and Mary Matalin in Murray ... Ale-8-One, Ron Mercer and WPBK in Stanford, among others, weigh in with wishes at the Twitter desk ... Will advise as Saint Valentine's Day events warrant.

We're not in Cynthiana anymore.

Renewables watch!

Of water and feds--near Bledsoe and Rowena.

Hiring in Hoptown.

Barbourville just says no; what says Corbin, today?

Lake Barkley State Park, where one can buy a cocktail now, will be walking the line next month.

My wife likes Johnny Cash--but not nearly as much as she likes waterfalls.

Turning to sports, ...

Tour de Henderson.

I'm going to print out this story for the parents of the other players on my daughter's pee-wee curling team that I coach.

GIMME AN 'R!' ... GIMME AN 'E!' ...

Oh, Kentucky

From a lift-morale perspective, I'm not so sure that "New Plant To Hire 148" would be as good of jobs news in Madisonville as "GE Is Hiring 48."

Good jobs news for Future City, too.

Lexington, too, presumably.

Waaaaaaay too rich ... those six old Piratas ended up going for $51.

Cage the Elephant is not the only Kentucky musical act blowing up. I will be watching American Idol Wednesday.

More weird animal news.