Oh, Kentucky

Good jobs news from Bowling Green.

The Travel Channel invites us to "Explore the hidden gems of each state: towns with quaint shops and restaurants, fascinating histories, fun experiences and natural beauty." (Spoiler alert: In Kentucky, it's Paducah.)

The Family Dollar is grandly reopening in Morehead.

The Burgin cafeteria is bursting at its seams.

The Henderson County Public Library is exploding across its whole block.

Owensboro angles for more downtown hotel and apartment space.

Wheelwright has a police officer again, and he's reportedly a former police chief let go in Martin.

If you're in Grayson and hankering for crepes, you needn't drive over to Russell any longer.

A second-generation McDonald's franchisee from Winchester wins a "Ronald."

Oh, Kentucky

The dedication of a Stanford marker noting the Cherokee's role in Kentucky history could be an All-Time High for the Kentucky Historical Society.

They paved Paradise ... check that, Martha ... and put up a chestnut forest.

Bad news for coyotes.

Good jobs news from Uniontown.

Gov. Beshear ... so hot right now.

Shutdown watch.

Cycling update.

Christmas parades: Owensboro, Nov. 23; Inez, Nov. 30; Maysville, Dec. 6, and Marion, Dec. 7.

Adsmore's autumn redo is done.

Arnett Grove School field trip, September 1933: "A group of 56, including pupils and parents, took a trip to Nashville recently where they visited the Hermitage, and had a picnic lunch at Old Hickory. They were greeted by the Governor at the Capitol, where they spent one hour touring the building, even climbing 380 feet up the winding stairs. They completed the day by visiting the penitentiary, where they lined up and marched through it all. Everyone reported having a grand time."

Big City in the "Best Town." (By the way, the big painting of the embracing old lovers in the bottom picture at this link is my favorite painting anywhere ever.)

The KHSAA golfers are in Bowling Green this week, and five Mustangs are among the boys teeing off today.

Beautiful fall day at Carter Caves. @Kentuckyweather pic.twitter.com/XRSclsi7jt
— jaythebull (@jaythebull) October 7, 2013

Oh, Kentucky

Go, Pirates!

The NFL season is underway, and a former Lexington Tates Creek High/U of L kicker has already made it a historic year. Meanwhile, a Murray High/UK punter is off to a big start, too.

Heady times on the Hill.

Varsity bass fishing is coming to UK.

The KET News Quiz is back!

The KHS is honoring a friend of the Confederacy buried in Uniontown.

Hoorays for Etown.

Debating the "recallable nickel" in Pineville.

Bringing back the Columbia Theatre in Paducah.

You missed Russellville-Logan County Airport Day. And, unless you were in Columbia, you might've missed Constitution Day. But there's still time for you to get ready for Onton Hay Days: "A pancake breakfast will begin at 7:30 a.m. and free blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol checks from Henderson Methodist Hospital will start at 8 a.m." 

Oh, Kentucky

I got the first cup.
Chick-fil-A today might pour better cups.
But I got the first,
and I'm thankful; it could've been worse.
Up, I now am perked.
Time to get to work ...

We are sincere about making positive changes for Kentucky.

The HeathPo politics desk might want to weigh in with analysis of Gov. Beshear's missing Fancy Farm. Or the debate format this October at Centre.

Bullish jobs news from Bowling Green, Corbin, Grayson, Lexington, Louisville, Owensboro and Winchester.

Bears in Corbin.

Good for the Paintsville Main Street Players, but where now will the firearms auctions take place?

Uniontown considers buying a police car.

I would guess that this was Woodie Fryman's old school.

The Clinton County High Bulldogs' boys' basketball team won the 1960 Fifth Region tournament, and a 1989 grad has done his part to make sure no one ever forgets.

"Eight or nine wins and a conference championship would be nice."

"Watch the Players IN FULL PADS!"

The 7th District in 1975

In our continuing series on the 1975 basketball season in Western Kentucky, here are the scores from the Seventh District:

Earlington 66, South Hopkins 57

Madisonville 72, West Hopkins 64

Earlington 87, Dawson Springs 81

Madisonville 76, Earlington 66

This was the last year that the Earlington Yellow Jackets fielded a team. The next year, the 1967 State Champs disappeared into the West Hopkins Rebels and the South Hopkins Tomcats. After the 1995-96 school year, another redistricting left the Hopkins County School District with only two high schools: Madisonville-North Hopkins and Hopkins County Central.

Until the 1966-67 school year, Madisonville had a historically African-American school known as the Madisonville Rosenwald Tigers. My guess is that the school was named after this guy.

Until the 1964-65 school year, Earlington had a historically African-American school known as Earlington Million. Two years after the two Earlington schools were merged, they became the first team in the history of the Second Region to win the state championship.

After the 1961-62 school year, West Hopkins High School was formed from Charleston, Dalton, and Nebo High Schools, while Hanson High School was merged with Madisonville, which was re-named Madisonville-North Hopkins.

Although Dawson Springs was historically a member of this district, it played in the Hopkinsville district from 1960 to 1972. According to the invaluable information collected at KentuckySportsHistory.com, it was reported that in the 1959 Seventh District Tournament, a Madisonville Maroon fan poured a Coke on the head of Dawson Springs Coach George Perry, and Perry vowed never to play in that district again.

South Hopkins High School was formed from a merger between Mortons Gap and Nortonville after the 1954-55 school year.

So if anyone were inclined to make up an eight-team league for use in imaginary sports competition, he could do so with the eight high schools that used to belong to the Hopkins County School District: Charleston, Dalton, Earlington, Hanson, Madisonville, Mortons Gap, Nebo, and Nortonville.

And then the champion of that league could have a playoff against the champion of a league formed from the eight historic high schools in Graves County: Cuba, Fancy Farm, Farmington, Lowes, Mayfield, Sedalia, Symsonia, and Wingo.

Oh, Kentucky

Wikipedia (so great) lists six towns and cities of Union County: Breckinridge Center, Morganfield, Sturgis, Sullivan, Uniontown and Waverly. That picture of Morganfield is from the summer of 2010. This picture, from near Waverly on U.S. 60, is from 1993 or so.


The map of Union County that appears at the front of Union County Past and Present--a Kentucky Writers' Project/Work Projects Administration publication that was part of the American Guide Series and printed by Schumann Printing Co. of Louisville in 1941--does not show Breckinridge Center from the Wikpedia list but does include 12 other places: Arnold, Bordley, Boxville, Caseyville, Curlew, DeKoven, Grove Center, Henshaw, Herman, Hitesville, Pride and Spring Grove. This picture was shot in 2010, facing eastbound on Ky. 56, just after you cross the Shawneetown Bridge over the Ohio River (so terrifying) and before you get to Spring Grove.



And, so, the HP's cavalcade of Union County continues, with the UC High Braves tied with Campbell County for the lead in the KHSAA wrestling championships and action set to resume in Lexington at 8:30 Central this morning. Furthermore, the Kentucky desk is tuning back in "today's country and (my) all-time favorites" on Morganfield's WMSK 101.3 FM so as not to miss any of the interruptions with the state's only live radio coverage of the event at the Alltech Arena at Kentucky Horse Park.

Now, of course, the wrestling championships are not the only item of interest to the Kentucky desk this morning, but just those communities of Union County and the seat of Campbell (Alexandria) suck up all the label space for this post. So, we're going to go ahead and wrap up with a mention that UK's national-champion rifle team is today amid a qualifier to return to its NCAA tournament. This event is actually occurring at this very moment, and we can watch! (I'm not sure what's happening in this sport either, but ... wow! The Internet is so awesome.) This Brian Rickerd feature on the UK rifle team in Frankfort's State-Journal is pretty interesting. ("Take Anthony Davis. If I said to Davis, ‘Okay, there’s no time left and we’re down 99 points, and you have to make 100 straight free throws in front of 23,000 people.’ ...")

In conclusion: Hooray for Brian Rickerd, and hooray for the UK rifle team! Sorry to Frankfort for the lack of label. Hooray for WMSK, and hooray for Union County! Sorry to Campbell County, about which I don't have a lot of books and pictures and things because it's not where a lot of my wife's family is from. Hooray for the Internet, and, finally and as always, hooray for Kentucky!

Oh, Kentucky

Today's edition comes to you live from the grounds of Madisonville Community College, home of the Pacers! MCC is a frequent venue for "Oh, Kentucky" live remotes, but today is an extra-exciting day because it's my first return visit since the students returned for the 2011-12 academic year. The place is percolating with activity: students sleeping on student-center couches, physical-plant dudes yelling at each other over walkie-talkies because the air conditioning still isn't working in one some classroom, students sleeping in the study carousels of the library, faculty smoothing out $1 bills to purchase "Vanilla Taboo" from a coffee vending machine and students talking through their smoke breaks about going home to sleep.

LEAD VOCALIST NEEDED
Male/Female
Music similar to Killswitch Engage, Bullet for my Valentine, Thrice, etc.
More interested in CLEAN vocals. ...

That's the start of a sign on a bulletin board outside the registrar's office. I feverishly pecked out that text with one finger of one hand while holding my laptop with the other because, frankly, I was afraid some tough guy who listens to "Killswitch Engage" and "Bullet for my Valentine" would show up at any minute and start asking questions. Anyway, the sign goes on to list email and phone contact details for the budding outfit that I think might be calling itself, "Wow, It's Trevor."

"Only serious applicants please," concludes the notice.

I've been struggling a couple of days with a story for a client, so I got myself showered and dressed and headed out the front door with my laptop bag and a lunchbox like a regular little businessperson to see if new environs get me rolling. I tried to get the wife to sing "Morning Train" as I left, but she wouldn't bite. I, however, haven't been able to shake the song from my brain all day.

And, now, on to the Ohkys ...

A former Trinity and University of Louisville has moved on to the UFL.

Good jobs news from Augusta and Uniontown--and most of the state.

Downgrade for Paducah Power.

Morning distribution, local editorials and more changes for the Kentucky New Era.

Finally, before leaving the house this morning, I learned that the "Rafferty's Trivia Question" is now the "Wendy's Keepin' It Real Trivia Question" on The Joe B & Denny Show.