Oh, Kentucky

On this 12th day of Christmas 2017, Channel 6 is reporting that the Lone Oak Road Kmart is closing.

Good jobs news from Glasgow. Hiring in Auburn.

Here's how Logan County factors wind chill in determining whether to have school.

Three chiefs and two mass walkouts for the Munfordville VFD since July 2017, per WBKO.

The Lewis County Herald reports they're now set up to shelter in Vanceburg.

Mayor Greg Fischer on Kentucky (not Louisville) and its capital, according to WAVE3 NBC: "Kentucky's communities have critical needs in terms of education, health, social services and infrastructure. To meet them, Frankfort must broaden the tax base. That means we must reform an outdated system that exempts as much as it taxes. We need to take a hard look at a tax code that exempts luxury items. It doesn't make any sense to consider cuts that could impact your child's classroom, law enforcement, drug treatment or our justice system when we don't even tax country club memberships or limousines."

Looking ahead in Paducah and McCracken County--and maybe in Paducah/McCracken County.

Meanwhile, ahead in the new year for Barbourville, a dog park--and, hopefully, more jobs.

Oh, Kentucky

Glenn's On Main is no more in Marion, which translates into more owner involvement in The 88 Dip.

Hoptown's new Blackpatch Steak and Seafood isn't normally open Sundays and Mondays, but the eclipse is another matter.

In Lexington starting in September: "an all-local food hall that will feature all-independent local restaurants and chefs who honor Kentucky traditions."



Speaking of the eclipse, TVA assures western Kentucky that its mix of power generation is diverse enough that its grid will have the resilience to ride out the interruption of solar input. (My favorite part of this story is the WestKentuckyStar.com commenter named “Obam a” who weighs in, “Much ado about nothing just like the Y2K run up.”)

“I think having an author who has worked in such licenses universes as Star Trek and Supernatural is an interesting opportunity for local readers,” the organizer of the Providence Literary Festival tells The Journal-Enterprise. I think so, too.

Clark County's school-bus drivers are getting a raise!

Todd County is hiring for a part-time librarian ("Secretarial and Housekeeping skills will also be utilized").

You're invited to Logan County Public Library's 50th-anniversary celebration Sunday afternoon ("cake and punch will be provided").

Remembering "Clay's Darkest Day."

The "City Built on Coal" considers a casino.

Oh, Kentucky

"Totality alley."

#VivaLaVue!

You can get a certified Gig in Adairville, Auburn and Lewisburg.

Ballard County has a new judge-executive, and he's a Class-of-'84 Bomber.

Lexington is getting a fourth skate park; Benton, a new library.

Murray is considering payroll and net-profit taxes, and, in a shocker, 73 percent of the businesses and other members surveyed by the local chamber oppose the proposal, WestKentuckyStar.com reports.

WEKU says Williamstown's Ark Encounter has appealed for a break on the $700,000 bill for increased police and fire services but that the city says, uh, no.

Hoptown's north-side IGA is closing.

Good jobs news in Somerset.

Rest in peace, Mr. Reno, a former McLean County magistrate, multiple-term county clerk, Sacramento Lions Club charter member, district Lions wheel and husband of Mrs. Reno for 68 years.

Oh, Kentucky

Gov Bevin announces record year of economic development investment already in 2017 - $5.8 billion, he says. pic.twitter.com/UHZR9DPx0E

— Thomas F. Loftus (@TomLoftus_CJ) May 26, 2017

Beliles starts to get what he's looking for as Bevin begins to talk about house. https://t.co/PvPS57e8Sl via @courierjournal

— Thomas F. Loftus (@TomLoftus_CJ) May 27, 2017

The media asked for it and they got it. Watch Gov. Bevin set the record straight on #FAKENEWS.
Share this video! https://t.co/0EBoWiGjVK

— Governor Matt Bevin (@GovMattBevin) May 27, 2017

A sick man...@TomLoftus_CJ of the @courierjournal was caught sneaking around my home and property..Was removed by state police..#PeepingTom

— Matt Bevin (@MattBevin) May 27, 2017

If KSP had to "remove" Loftus (instead of just ask him to leave), there'd be a report.

Spoiler alert: Didn't happen like Bevin claims.

— Jacob Payne (@cattleprod) May 27, 2017

The bomb threat at the London newspaper plant turned out to be fake. The shots at the Herald-Leader, however, were very real.

"The difference, locals say, is affording three-bedroom house vs. being stuck in a trailer." My word, what a great piece of reporting and writing--Ana Swanson of The Washington Post on the president, trade, defense, aluminum and Hawesville. 

Happy 100th to Logan County's quieter legendary businesswoman, Sarah Frances Ballance Campbell, key supporter and supplier to Russellville High Panther football and marketing evangelist for First Baptist Church. "We may run out of cake."

Clark County's Trapp Elementary School is being turned into a home for homeless female vets and their families.

Madisonville is up from 15th to 13th place in Kiwanis International voting to pay for "all-inclusive" playground equipment at the city park. The top 10 advance to the next round. You can vote today and tomorrow.

A bear at the Somerset Walmart.

Oh, Kentucky

Rest in peace, Jack E. Bradbury, Air Force lieutenant colonel who served with the Joint Chiefs, doctor of education who taught teachers in Florida after he retired the first time, Habitat for Humanity "Can Man" after he retired the second time and moved to Madisonville, husband of Virginia for 68 years until she died in 2011 and grand marshal of the 2007 Madisonville Kiwanis Christmas parade.

Adairville on Dec. 3 is planning to put on its FIRST Christmas parade! “Light up your car, wagon, truck, lawn mower, atv, boat, whatever and be a part of this … You don’t have to get elaborate, just festive.”

More Christmas parades: Owensboro (Messenger-Inquirer reports the cold didn't deter the crowd), Nov. 19; Ashland (3,500 participants in 10 divisions), Nov. 22; Sebree, Nov. 26; Bardstown, Dec. 1; Maysville, Monticello and Richmond, Dec. 2; Berea, Bowling Green, Glasgow, Harlan, Henderson, Madisonville, Paris, Somerset and Winchester, Dec. 3; Boyce, Owenton and Schochoh, Dec. 4, and Augusta (with fireworks), Cave City, Elkton, Hopkinsville and Pikeville, Dec. 10.

It's fun to imagine this German's trip to Hodgenville and Owensboro a couple of months before the Bicentennial (Kentucky for sale): 

Good jobs news from Hopkinsville.

Elizabethtown's Towne Mall McDonald's is on the comeback trail, and Culver's, Panda Express and Starbucks may be on their way.

Tim Hortons appears to be coming to Cold Spring and Erlanger.

Edmonson County's new senior food pantry is open, and it looks great!

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce president is coming to Madisonville next month to preview the 2017 (real) legislature.

Elkton is planning to see off an 18-term/36-year city councilperson. "Light refreshments will be served."

Here (between Hector and Eriline, I think) is about where it apparently gets really bad:

There's a darkness on the edge of Bardstown. (Mister State Trooper ...)

Oh, Logan County

Ky. 591 north and west of Adairville, en route to the Red River ...

Oh, Kentucky

Good jobs news from Elizabethtown.

Per the U.S. Census, Kentucky was 19.5-percent slave in 1860.

$125 per square foot on the perimeter of Lexington sounds reasonable as a starting price.

The back-and-forth in the renovation of Rupp Arena has turned testy.

Coon Rangers Nation is getting together to honor Coach Birdwhistell--again.

Trey Grayson's new gig is bringing him back home.

When the kids all come back to WKU in the fall and give their reports on "What I Did On Summer Vacation," Professor's All going to have them all beat.

Things have gotten interesting in Knox County this week since the incumbent sheriff lost in his primary for re-election.

Oh, Kentucky

Probably a view of Louisville in the 1930s or '40s.

Definitely a view from West Paducah in the 1949 Heath High School yearbook (thank you for the JPEG, HP Spirits Correspondent):

Good jobs news from Erlanger and Louisville.

"We care for our people"--in Adairville, too.

Madisonville is figuring out what to do with a bunch of land donated for a giant new city park!

Here comes the Owensboro Convention Center, right on schedule.

Something exciting is apparently in the works for Paducah's old Coke plant. (Not only that, it's Taco Tuesday!)

The Glasgow Community Band is ready to party like it's 1918. Meanwhile, for the Paducah Symphony summer campers, it feels like the first time--because it is. 

E-books are hot in Calloway County. Indian food is the spicy new thing in Trigg.

State-fair season, continued: Who is the Bullitt County Vocalist of the Year? Little Miss McCracken County, which one will it be?

Rest in peace, Mayor Walker, who packed--you're right, Mrs. Long--plenty of living into 54 years right there in Elizabethtown.

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.

Farewell to the Hilltoppers

One of the things I really like about the WKU basketball fans is that they refuse to think of their school as just another "mid-major."  In their mind, Western's rich and storied basketball history ranks it among the elites of the sport, and they long for the chance to shine on the national stage.  Last night, for a few hours, college basketball looked the way Hilltopper fans think it should -- with WKU on national television in a slugfest against a legendary program.  Sixteenth-seeded Western actually led Kansas 31-30 at the half, and despite having to play before a pro-Jayhawk crowd in Kansas City, the Hilltoppers never went away.  Kansas finally won, 64-57, but no one could deny the quality of WKU's performance.

Western struggled in January and early February, but it was another great year for Coach Ray Harper, who won his second consecutive Sun Belt title.  Harper is 20-17 in regular season Sun Belt games, but 8-0 in the Sun Belt Tournament.  The Tops lose Jamal Crook and Teeng Akol, but the rest of the team will be back next year, and we are excited to see them.  The Tops have an all-time record of 1675-843 -- it would be great to see them pick up their 1700th win next year.

Western Kentucky finished with a record of 10-10 in the Sun Belt, and 20-16 overall.  The Hilltoppers won the Sun Belt Tournament for the second year in a row, and made their 23d appearance in the NCAA Tournament.  They become the fifth of Kentucky's six D-1 teams to be eliminated from this year's competition.

Oh, Kentucky

American Idol is coming to Bowling Green; Lynyrd Skynyrd, to Pikeville.

Lexington went to Keene.

Pewee Valley's "Quigs" moves on to the grind; "Hens'" Higgs, to the Hill.

Meet the new boss (the old boss graduated).

The HP is going to have to hire some pretend stringers to augment the pretend Kentucky desk on Nov. 9, 2013.

"Western President Kelly Thompson ... welcomed her to The Hill but warned it would not always be easy for her."

Morehead refreshes its hall.

Good jobs news in Hodgenville.

Making nice-nice in (ah) Nicholasville.

"The destruction of Downtown Louisville."

High School Baseball Update

It's an all-Calloway County showdown for the First Region Title. Here were the results from yesterday's semi-finals:

Calloway Co. 10, St. Mary 4
Murray 11, Hickman Co. 3

So the Lakers and Tigers get to make one more trip to Paducah for the Regional Championship today. Good luck to both teams.

Here are the other regional finals set for today:

2d Region: Caldwell Co. v. Henderson Co.
3d Region: Muhlenberg Co. v. Meade Co.
4th Region: South Warren v. Bowling Green
11th Region: Lex. Bryan Station v. Woodford Co.
14th Region: Powell Co. v. Estill Co.

Oh, Kentucky

Good jobs news from Shelbyville. Great from Louisville.


KET News Quiz!


2012: Vacation planning.


"Documented abuses that should outrage every Kentuckian."


Bringing Bourbon back to Maysville.


Raising grapes in Leitchfield.


Hawking cheese and produce in Paducah.


Weird fly news from Logan County.


Kentucky/Barkley lakes crack the Bassmaster top 20.


Donnie Tyndall departs Morehead.

Oh, Kentucky

The KHSAA wrestling championship starts tomorrow. Union County is defending champ.

Morganfield is so huge right now.

Gov. Beshear renews his grim pen-pal relationship with U.S. energy secretary Steven Chu.

A happier activity for the gov, in Crittenden County.

A ">new twist in the old story of the Eggner's Ferry Bridge.

The fifth Gov. Louie B. Nunn Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame class has a strong Richmond flavor.

Coyotes and hogs in Somerset Wild Turkey in Corbin.

Transitional housing in Owensboro.

And the LHLKSo11 is ...

Oh, Kentucky

“Down deep in your heart, ask yourself this question: Am I upholding my oath of office and the constitution?"

It's really time to ramp up "fantasy legislature."

Meanwhile, in Wickliffe, ...

Poverty in Paducah.

Good jobs news from Columbia.

I "liked" "In the Still of the Night."

Hall-of-fame teachers.

Remembering the Cubs in Mayfield.

Remembering Rev. King in Providence.