Oh, Kentucky

Good jobs news from Murray.

A dozen aluminum welders are ready to go once SilverLiner opens in Pikeville this fall.

Matt Bevin, a prospective vice-presidential candidate from New Hampshire, has granted vision and dental benefits to about 500,000 Medicaid enrollees in Kentucky (after yanking them away a few weeks before).

A giant gift from a former Churchill Downs and Humana executive will help pay for students whose parents and grandparents never attended college to go to U of L.

Black lung appears to be making a big comeback in eastern Kentucky.

Western Kentucky gets a seat at the Farm Bill table in the U.S. House.

The new president of the College of Regional Ministers for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada is from Kentucky.

Groundbreaking for the new Patti's is scheduled for next month in Grand Rivers.

Ta ta, Papa, from the NKU food court.

Christmas parades: Owensboro, Nov. 17 (and 1998-2017; whoop-whoop, RayRay, in 2002!); Bowling Green, Dec. 1; Richmond, Dec. 7, and Hopkinsville, Dec. 8.

Forever and Ever, Bremen

Harper on whether he entertains the idea of leaving for a bigger school: "Not one day. I'm happy at Western Kentucky."
— Cole Claybourn (@ColeClaybournMI) March 12, 2013

Did You Really Believe in #HarperMania?

I'll admit that I didn't always. Even late Sunday night, as Ray Harper's Hilltoppers again upset their way into the Sun Belt Conference tournament championship, I'm not certain that I actually believed that it could happen again.

And yet it did. 

My favorite college basketball player, George Fant, really did come back and play great Monday night against Florida International, and my main man from Bremen, Lilburn Ray Harper Jr. (a.k.a., "the sultan of Hot Springs;" a.k.a., "Mr. March;" a.k.a., "#DietCokeHarp;"), really did coach the Tops to their second-consecutive NCAA-tournament berth in the 13 months since he became the really-no-kidding head coach.

#HarperMania is real. #4Games4Days - TWO YEARS IN A ROW.
— brandon. (@brandonetc) March 12, 2013

Hells to the yeah!!!Survive injuries and adversity, get better every day, peak at the right time. #goingdancing #HarperMania #GOTOPS
— Chris Tinius (@SocTinman) March 12, 2013

Ray Harper - best kept secret in college basketball! Can flat coach. #GoToppers #BackToBack NCAA tournament appearances. Well done, WKU!
— Rex Chapman (@rexchapman) March 12, 2013

MBB: Ray Harper all smiles after winning his second SBC crown in 12 months! twitter.com/WKU_GameDay/st…
— WKU GameDay (@WKU_GameDay) March 12, 2013

The mantle of the Browning household has been remodeled opinions? #HarperMania twitter.com/wkushiznit/sta…
— Garret Browning (@wkushiznit) March 12, 2013

Hells to the yeah, indeed. HooRayRay! And GO! BIG! TOPS! This is a blast.

Do You Believe in #HarperMania?

Yes!

Western Kentucky tonight beat Arkansas State, 58-56, in the Sun Belt Conference tournament semifinals in Hot Springs, Ark., and advances to face Florida International at 6 p.m. Central Monday (on ESPN) for an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament. WKU lost by 14 and 18 to ASU during the regular season, but, late Sunday night, the Tops rallied to win despite missing 15 of their first 17 field-goal attempts and having George Fant (my favorite college-basketball player) foul out without having made a one of his six shots from the floor.

Harper: (On Fant) We don't win tomorrow if he doesn't play well. Ive known George a long time, I'll predict he brings it tomorrow night
— WKU Rivals (@WKU_Rivals) March 11, 2013

WKU finished fourth in the Belt's East Division during the regular season. In the quarters of the league tournament Saturday, the Tops upset South Alabama, which finished second in the East. In tonight's semi, WKU took down West Division champ ASU. Monday's matchup for the league crown will be against an FIU team that placed third in the Belt East but upset the 29-4 division champ, Middle Tennessee State, in Sunday's first semi. WKU (19-15) and FIU (19-13) split their regular-season games.

FIU is coached by Richard Pitino, whose dad will reportedly attend Monday's big game.