Oh, Kentucky

Here's a fantastic, inspiring Dennis K. Brown feature in the Lewis County Herald on a lifelong resident who didn't think he had time to an organization aimed at attracting industry and employers to northeast Kentucky--until he was paralyzed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) more than two years ago. Since then, the construction contractor he founded has experienced two of its busiest years, and now Northeast Kentucky Development has launched.

Pugh's Midway of western Paducah (but not quite West Paducah)--a prime supplier of soft drinks, microwaveable breakfast sandwiches and apple fritters to lollygagging first-period English students in the Heath High School Class of '86 (among others, I'm sure)--has been swallowed by Madisonville's Rocket Oil empire and is being rebranded as Ideal Market Number 19.

Good jobs news from Pikeville.

Oh, Kentucky

I need to start regularly watching Kentucky Life, so I think I'm going to plan to start pasting it in the Monday #ohkys:

"I'm kidding. I'm kidding. That was Barack Obama."

Kentucky is all about apprenticeships these days. For example, Barren County has launched them in office management, through the judge-executive's office, and culinary arts and transportation maintenance, through the public schools, and the state has rolled out what it says is the first-of-its-kind program for government social services. Now all of these people connected to registered apprenticeships around the state are being invited to Louisville in September: "The goals of the Summit will be accomplished by: (1) providing a forum for businesses, education leaders, government officials and others to gather and exchange practical ideas/models for building a robust and sustainable apprenticeship pipeline; (2) delivering access to thought-provoking national and international speakers experienced in managing apprenticeship program in both plenary and workforce sector breakouts; (3) and offering a career fair for high school students, underserved populations and veterans for days two and three of the summit in conjunction with the renowned UPS Career Fair." 

Also: drones.

One person was hospitalized after a roller-coaster problem at Kentucky Kingdom on Saturday.

Nice Leah Shields feature for Channel 6 on a police officer's retirement in Marshall County.

Oh, Kentucky

Workforce development. Not enough people to fill the jobs available, even high paying jobs … Jobs at the top of the list. WKCTC has a seat at the table now. Industries looking for particular skill set and the city's ability to address those needs … New perspectives from people "from the outside." And a culture of "no sacred cows" challenging the way things are done … Opportunities to address in the foreign trade zone and the educational process … Jobs and skill set development. Also, having an inclusive government "who listens and understands the needs of the city” … Underlying problem is a loss of trust between citizens and city hall. People feel like they aren't being listened to … Develop the city as the place "people want to live, people want to work, people want to play” … Having a positive, can-do attitude about what can be achieved. Celebrating the good things about Paducah … A solid "ten to twenty year plan" citizens can believe in and a vision for the future. … Candidates for Paducah mayor and city commissioner debate the town’s needs, courtesy of WKMS and The Paducah Sun.

"Sometimes you need to take a stand," the Kentucky Oaks Mall property manager tells West Kentucky Star.

I love this picture from the 39th District high-school volleyball tournament in Augusta:

@EvanDennison1 the Bracken County student section agrees. pic.twitter.com/ZTfN4KoesF

— Evan Dennison (@EvanDennison1) October 17, 2016

A Hazard family made plans six months ago to fly to Orlando and visit Walt Disney World. Some friends would fly and meet them there, as would some other relatives, driving from Kentucky. With Hurricane Matthew bearing down, The Hazard Herald reports, the family "decided to go for it anyway" and "tackled the storm with true Perry County toughness."

Evarts is in a drought.

Last deer season, you had a 1 in 103 chance of your vehicle hitting a deer if you were a motorist in Kentucky, per State Farm, per The Richmond Register.

Could London cash in on the "travel ball" boom?

Kentucky for sale:

Kentucky High-school Football, First Round of Playoffs

I am so looking forward to getting to type out the names of these schools and places over the next half-hour or whatever. I really, really am. I've printed out my KHSAA playoff brackets (you can, too--they're linked here under the bold-face "Class A," "Class 2A," etc. labels), and I've got Mayfield's WYMC fired up on another browser (Roberta Flack's perfect "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is playing). So here we go. Hooray for the Internet! Hooray for high-school football! And hooray for Kentucky!

Class A

Horse Cave Caverna (2-8) at Mayfield (9-1 and No. 1 in this week's Associated Press poll for Class A)--Next up on WYMC was Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," which is also great.

Some will win; some will lose

Some were born to sing the blues

Fulton County (1-7) at Louisville Holy Cross (5-5)

Louisville Kentucky Country Day (5-5) at Russellville (8-2, No. 3)--I did not realize that the current Panthers quarterback, Barrett Croslin, is the grandson of Ken Barrett, Russellville's long-time, multiple-state-championships coach. Hooray, too, for Jim Turner of The Logan Journal!

Fulton City (1-8) at Bardstown Bethlehem (9-1, No. 9)--Oh, man, now WYMC is doing "Wedding Song" by Paul Stookey. I've listened to--what?--200 hours of WYMC since moving back to Kentucky in 2008, and I've never heard them play this thing, which is also perfect. (Early-bird happy 10th anniversary to my bride, who is out of pocket this weekend. SHAWTY 4EVER!) 

Dayton (2-8) at Frankfort (8-2, No. 7)--You're killing me, WYMC. At this rate, I'm never going to finish typing in these games.

Eminence (6-4) at Bellevue (6-4)

Ludlow (4-6) at Paris (8-2)--Here's the Class A game I would like to be at tonight, the 1975 Class A state champs at the 1973, 1981 and 1982 Class A state champs. Ludlow '75 beat Coach Orville J the Heath Pirates, so I will, of course, be rooting for the home team tonight. 

Bracken County (2-8) at Fort Mitchell Beechwood (6-4, No. 5)--Zack Klemme in Maysville's Ledger-Independent writes of Polar Bears and inevitability.

Jenkins (1-9) at Williamsburg (7-2, No. 10)

Berea (2-8) at Pineville (6-4)

Harlan (2-8) at Campbellsville (3-7)

Lynn Camp (3-7) at Hazard (9-1, No. 6)

Phelps (1-9) at Raceland (8-2, No. 4)

Not Westwood Fairview (5-5, No. 8) at Allen Central (2-8)--It's on to Round 2 for the Rebels of Eastern.

Nicholas County (2-8) at Pikeville (9-1 No. 2)

Class 2A

Hancock County (2-8) at Caldwell County (10-0, No. 1)--Yeah ... a bunch of offensive linemen getting together on their own, "coming up with crazy stuff to call each other" ... can't imagine anything going haywire there.

Barlow Ballard Memorial (7-3) at Union County (8-2, No. 8)--Here's the Class 2A game I'd like to be at tonight. Good matchup.

Butler County (7-3) at Murray (6-4)

Crittenden County (3-6) at Owensboro Catholic (8-2, No. 5)

Washington County (4-6) at Glasgow (9-1, No. 4)--Scotties rising.

Metcalfe County (5-5) at Louisville DeSales (9-1, No. 3)

Bardstown (8-2, No. 7) at Green County (5-5)

Covington Holy Cross (1-9) at Gallatin County (8-2)

Carroll County (5-5) at Newport (5-5)

Erlanger Lloyd Memorial (6-4) at Walton-Verona (8-2)--Third-straight playoff clash for these two, notes James Weber at NKy.com. Lloyd won in 2011; W-V, in 2012.

Owen County (2-8) at Newport Central Catholic (6-4, No. 6) at Newport on Saturday--NewCath is the defending state champ.

Leslie County (3-7) at Middlesboro (8-2, No. 9)--Lee Majors Field, baby!

Somerset (5-4) at Betsy Layne (9-1, No. 10)--The Scribe at BluegrassPreps.com foresees a big run for the Briar Jumpers.

Shelby Valley (5-5) at Danville (5-5)

Lexington Christian (1-9) at Prestonsburg (5-5)

Class 3A

Adair County (4-6) at Paducah Tilghman (5-5, No. 9)--Check out this fantastic picture of downtown Paducah that Channel 6 posted this morning. I doubt fog's going to be an issue for tonight's games, incidentally.

Early AM fog has developed near the warmer rivers/lakes... watch those bridges. #WPSDWx pic.twitter.com/6ODST6DsTt
— WPSD Weather (@WPSDWeather) November 8, 2013

Trigg County (5-5) at Monroe County (7-3)--Pretty good matchup, but it's the Class 3A game that I'd most like to attend tonight mostly because I love the route across beautiful southcentral Kentucky. This is my fan-bus road trip of the week, and I hope it left early enough from Cadiz this afternoon so that everyone could enjoy the autumn scenery. And they should be able to pick up The Eddie Stubbs Show on Nashville's WSM 650 AM on the bus radio the whole way back home.

Edmonson County (4-6) at Fort Campbell (4-6)

Webster County (1-9) at Bowling Green South Warren (9-1, T4)--Class 3A is probably the best-balanced of the six KHSAA brackets, as it's the only one where each of the top four teams in the most recent Associated Press poll for its class could conceivably each win regional championships and advance to the state playoffs' final four ...

Casey County (2-8) at Louisville Central (7-3, T4)--... That is, if you are willing to consider Region 1's South Warren as the state's No. 4 team. It and Louisville Central, the three-time defending state champ, were tied for fourth in this week's 3A poll.

Elizabethtown (6-4, No. 10) at Bell County (6-4, No. 8)

Corbin (8-2, No. 7) at Henry County (6-4)--It has been an odd week at Corbin High.

LaRue County (0-10) at Wayne County (10-0, No. 1)

Fleming County (3-7) at Bourbon County (10-0, No. 3)

Estill County (5-5) at Russell (6-4)

Lewis County (7-3) at Garrard County (6-4)

Powell County (7-3) at Mason County (10-0, No. 6)

Sheldon Clark (0-9) at Breathitt County (6-4)

Morgan County (4-6) at Pike County Central (5-5)

Lawrence County (7-3) at Magoffin County (4-6)

Jackson County (6-4) at Belfry (9-1, No. 2)

Class 4A

Breckinridge County (1-9) at Owensboro (7-3, No. 8)

Calloway County (5-5) at Bowling Green Warren East (6-4)

Allen County-Scottsville (4-6) at Madisonville-North Hopkins (5-5)

Hopkins County Central (0-10) at Franklin-Simpson (6-4)

Louisville Moore (4-8) at Shelbyville Martha Layne Collins (8-2, No. 5)--The homestanding Titans are peaking.

Spencer County (6-4) at Nelson County (7-3)

Louisville Doss (6-4) at North Oldham (7-3)--WYMC is playing Rolf Harris's "Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport," so I'm starting to make some hay on getting these games typed in.

Louisville Waggener (1-9) at Louisville Western (5-5)

Clay County (2-8) at Boyle County (10-0, No. 2)

Mercer County (6-4) at Barbourville Knox Central (6-4, No. 10)

Rockcastle County (2-8) at Lexington Catholic (7-3, No. 6)

Marion County (4-6) at Russell County (9-1, No. 7)

Boyd County (1-9) at Fort Thomas Highlands (9-1, No. 1)--The Bluebirds are going for their seventh-straight state championship, the most recent two coming in Class 4A.

Covington Holmes (5-5) at Ashland Blazer (7-3, No. 9)

Rowan County (3-7) at Covington Catholic (8-2, No. 4) on Saturday

Harrison County (3-7) at Paintsville Johnson Central (10-0, No. 3)

Class 5A

Bowling Green Greenwood (3-7) at Graves County (8-2, No. 10)

Hopkinsville (4-6) at Bowling Green Warren Central (5-5)

Barren County (4-6) at Christian County (4-6)

Owensboro Apollo (2-8) at Bowling Green (9-0, No. 1)--The Purples are trying for a third-straight state championship.

Bullitt Central (4-6) at Elizabethtown John Hardin (8-2, No. 3)

Jeffersontown (3-7) at Shelby County (5-4)

North Bullitt (3-7) at Grayson County (4-6)

Radcliff North Hardin (1-9) at Bullitt East (9-1, No. 8)

Nicholasville West Jessamine (4-6) at Crestwood South Oldham (7-3)

Covington Scott (7-3) at Franklin County (9-1, No. 6)--Pretty good game, potentially. I guess this is the 5A game I'd most like to be at tonight. Scott was ranked off and on during the season.

Montgomery County (6-4) at Hebron Conner (7-3)

Union Randall K. Cooper (3-7) at Anderson County (8-2, No. 5)

There is no reason Hollie Warford shouldn't be packed tonight. Put a good jacket on and come out and support the Bearcats!!! #teamAC
— Anderson Bearcats (@ACBearcats) November 8, 2013

Whitley County (1-9) at Pulaski County (10-0, No. 2)

North Laurel (8-2, No. 9) at Hazard Perry County Central (5-5)

Letcher County Central (4-6) at Berea Madison Southern (8-1, No. 4)

Lincoln County (5-5) at Harlan County (7-3, No. 7)

Class 6A

Boone County (0-10) at McCracken County (8-2, No. 7)--Heady times in western (but not West) Paducah. The Mustang volleyball team won its first game in the state tournament today and play Louisville Assumption on Saturday. 

I demand a group hug in the gym right now let's go. #crimsonpride
— Mustang Nation (@StangGangOrDie) November 8, 2013

Daviess County (6-4) at Cecilia Central Hardin (9-1, No. 8)

Muhlenberg County (6-4) at Henderson County (8-2)

Marshall County (1-9) at Meade County (8-2, No. 9)

Union Larry A. Ryle (2-8) at Louisville Butler (8-2)

Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park (4-6) at Campbell County (7-3)

Edgewood Dixie Heights (7-3) at Louisville Seneca (2-8)

Louisville Southern (4-6) at Independence Simon Kenton (10-0, No. 3)

Louisville duPont Manual (8-2, No. 4) at Louisville Ballard (5-5)

Louisville Eastern (4-5) at Louisville Trinity (4-5, No. 5)--The KHSAA has awarded six 6A state championships, and Trinity has five of them.

Louisville Saint Xavier (6-4, No. 6) at Louisville Fern Creek (6-4)--St. X has the sixth. It came in 2009.

Oldham County (2-8) at Louisville Male (9-1, No. 1)

Winchester George Rogers Clark (2-8) at Scott County (10-0, No. 1)

Lexington Bryan Station (4-5) at Lexington Lafayette (3-7)

Richmond Madison Central (2-8) at Lexington Henry Clay (7-2, No. 10)

Blue Devil pep-rally! #HCFB13 #RoadToState pic.twitter.com/xey0N59EWa
— Henry Clay Football (@HCHSDevilsFB) November 7, 2013

Lexington Paul Laurence Dunbar (5-5) at Lexington Tates Creek (6-4)

Previous reports:

-- 2012 wrap;

-- Week 0 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap and lookahead to Week 1;

-- Week 1 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap and lookahead to Week 2;

-- Week 2 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap and lookahead to Week 3;

-- Week 3 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap and lookahead to Week 4;

-- Week 4 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap and lookahead to Week 5;

-- Week 5 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentukcy wrap and lookahead to Week 6;

-- Week 6 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap and lookahead to Week 7;

-- Week 7 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap, standings and lookahead to Week 8;

-- Week 8 roundup and GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap, standings and lookahead to Week 9;

-- Week 9 roundup at GoHeath's western-Kentucky wrap, standings and lookahead to Week 10, and

-- Week 10 roundup.

Oh, Kentucky

Week 5 in Brooksville ...

Meanwhile, in Lexington this morning, ...

This is just one side of Memorial. #TentCity #BBMCampout #YouPeopleAreCrazy pic.twitter.com/oAKMBBHOKk
— Drew Franklin (@DrewFranklinKSR) October 2, 2013

And, it's on to Bowling Green next week, for the Mustangs (!) and others.

"Life is a progressive journey."

Let the good times roll in Hoptown.

Good jobs news from Campbellsville, Madisonville, Morehead, Paducah, Shelbyville, Shepherdsville, Hebron and Richwood. Bad from Madisonville.

Happy 200th, "Joe Green," and 22nd, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra.

Christmas parades: Owensboro, Nov. 23, and Inez, Nov. 30.

Rest in peace, Coach Rue, 13-season soccer coach at Western Hills High in Frankfort and coach of coaches.

Oh, Kentucky

The super West Kentucky Genealogy Facebook page is at it again, this time posting scans of the 1939 Lowes Echo yearbook. Per the also-super Bob Mays/Ideal Rocket Oil Company/MEMSCO Mine Equipment & Mill Supply Company KHSAA history site, the boys' basketball team that season flamed out in the quarterfinals of the Third District tournament, 30-28, to Melber, which lost in the district semis to Mayfield, which lost in the first round of the First Region tournament to Paducah Tilghman, which then lost in the first round of the Sweet Sixteen to Richmond Madison, which lost in the second round to Hindman, which lost in the state championship to Brooksville. Before consolidation into Graves County High in 1986, Lowes made 15 appearances in the First Region tournament, and, in 10 of those trips, the Blue Devils were eliminated in the opening round. In 1961, at Murray State College, Lowes beat South Marshall, 95-60, and (this one must've been sweet) Mayfield, 53-44, before falling to North Marshall in the championship, 57-62. Then, in 1981, at Murray State University, Lowes beat Hickman, 71-48, and Marshall County, 41-47, before losing to (this one must've stung) Mayfield in the championship, 45-40. Those were good, but the Blue Devils' signature season was 1932: Lowes whooped Pilot Oak, 39-13, in the Second Region tournament final and got to go to Lexington for the Sweet Sixteen at UK's Alumni Gym. Nevermind that the Blue Devils lost in the first round, 48-22, to Waco (which then lost to Newport, which then lost to eventual-state-champ Hazard), what a trip that must've been!

It appears Lexington will soon be Searsless.

It appears in Paducah.

Good jobs news in McLean County.

Check out the new solar-powered phone charger in the DC office! pic.twitter.com/cGB8UT0rwI
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 3, 2013

A new Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/Ram dealership opened in Middlesboro on Monday, and the first sale was a 2013 Kia Optima to a Pineville man.

The News-Enterprise weighs in on who should be Etown's next mayor.

Breaking: A truck full of bread apparently has been stolen from outside a Newport grocery ...

Oh, Kentucky

The Letcher County Central band of Whitesburg marches on Washington.

Andre Woodson of Radcliff touches down in Morehead.

Freakwater of Louisville ramps it back up in Ann Arbor, Mich.

"Satan tried taking it from me. But God will give it back."

Harlan County coal and Logan County baseball are being chronicled. History-rich Boyle County is being preserved.

PublicLibrary.org has a new director.

Stick with it and save, at Union College.

1s: Trinity and Marion County. 

The first Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame inductees class is to be revealed this week.

This week in Kentucky history, via the (awesome) Kentuckeean.

Rest in peace, Mrs. Hough, owner of Augusta's Folk Art Shop, founding member of the Bracken County Historical Society, former Bracken County tourism director, "admiral of the Augusta Sternwheel Regatta" (?) and mom of five.

One and done: Girls' round of 64

After a busy Tuesday night of action, most of the state's girls' basketball regionals are now on hold until Friday. The regions are mercifully no longer listed here in order of how the winners will be bracketed in the 2012 Houchens Industries/KHSAA Girls' Sweet Sixteen® State Basketball Tournament, and the Kentucky desk apologizes for the nuisance that approach brought to the lives of itself and other fans of Commonwealth hoops. Instead, here are the regions that play today, followed in numerical order by those that do not.

Sixth Region, at Bellarmine University's Knights Hall in Louisville--Both the Sixth and Seventh regions play their semis at Bellarmine today, so the Kentucky desk hopes The Courier-Journal's Jason Frakes enjoys his Wednesday afternoon and evening of free hot dogs. The second of today's games, at 4:15 Central, is a rematch of last year's Sixth title game, Louisville Butler vs. Mount Washington Bullitt East. But the first game, at 2:30 Central, features the Sixth's top-rated team, Louisville Mercy, last year's Seventh runnerup, against Louisville Holy Cross.

Seventh Region, at Bellarmine's Knights Hall--Kentucky's top-ranked team and 2011 state runnerup, Louisville Manual, plays Louisville Christian Academy at 7:15 p.m. Central.

10th Region, at Campbell County Middle School in Alexandria--The defending region champ, Montgomery County, plays Bracken County, a team it beat in Brooksville by 16 on Feb. 3. The first game pairs Mason County and Campbell County, which knocked off 2011 10th runnerup Winchester George Rogers Clark. To get ready for tonight's action, the Kentucky desk (and, presumably, its main man Darius Miller) is chilling this midday to Maysville's WFTM 95.9 FM, which just played the outstanding "Smooth Operator" by Sade.

And the idling tournaments, ...

First Region, at Murray State University's CFSB Center.

Second Region, at Christian County High School in Hopkinsville.

Third Region, at Owensboro Sportcenter.

Fourth Region, at Western Kentucky University's E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.

Fifth Region, at Central Hardin High School in Elizabethtown.

Eighth Region, at Anderson County High School in Lawrenceburg.

Ninth Region, at Northern Kentucky University's Bank of Kentucky Center in Highland Heights.

11th Region, at Eastern Kentucky University's Alumni Coliseum in Richmond.

12th Region, at Lincoln County High School in Stanford.

13th Region, at Corbin's The Arena.

14th Region, at Breathitt County High School in Jackson.

15th Region, at Pikeville's East Kentucky Exposition Center--The 2011 regional runnerup, Betsy Layne, was defeated by Pikeville, 61-49, last night. As is the case with the Second Region, neither of the 2011 title-game participants advanced to this year's 15th Region semifinals.

16th Region, semifinals and final at Morehead State University's Johnson Arena.

Oh, Kentucky

Ah-most here. Ah-most.

Will the Bengals come to Georgetown as usual?

Smart Grid!

Revitalizing downtowns.

Dippin' Dots innovates.

Are southern Kentucky's crime statistics bad or good news?

Prayer, the police chief and fireworks.

From soldier to Civilian. Dad's version ...

My trip back east was much different than my trip west the year before. I rode a pullman car on my way out but going home, I was assigned a standard tilt back seat in a passenger car. That ride home would not be as enjoyable as was my first. Not only because of accommodations but mostly because I was not that same excited young man as when I first went to California. Another reason being; aftermath of my horrible war was evident throughout that troop train.

My seat was a window seat only because the right foot of a corporal sitting to my left was missing, he depended on crutches. An Army sergeant, in the seat directly in front, had a missing hand. Scattered throughout my car were a number of other such casualties. Seeing those dismembered was a sobering experience, it was then and there I realized how lucky I had been. As has been said before, war is truly hell.

Those fellows about were engrossed with their own problems and therefore we socialized very little. Each time I tried conversation, those men seemed not interested. It was evident they wanted only to be left alone. Our car porter, sensing I needed relief from misery about, moved near and whispered in my ear. He suggested if I cared to, I could walk a number of cars to the rear, and ride the outside platform of the train caboose. He stated he himself did so quite often. His suggestion proved to be great except that to get to that caboose, I walked through a windowless boxcar which contained caskets stacked one on the other. Those caskets contained bodies of men who didn't make it. Once again I caught faint whisps of that odor of death. Gosh, I wondered, will this thing never end?

When at the caboose, a flagman offered me a cup of hot coffee, and I exited through the rear door out into much needed fresh air. I sat myself on a fold-type wooden chair, raised my feet and rested them on the platform railing. I rode that platform well into darkness and most likely late into that night.

Under a full moon, riding that caboose platform hearing clickity clack of train rails, my mind drifted ... I had little interest to return home and to my family. I was visiting home only because I believed it something I had to do. Why my non-interest? ... Time and again, I told myself how nice it would be to see my family again--but to no avail. On the platform of that caboose, at that particular time, what I personally needed was a haven of peace and quiet ... time to quiet my own emotions and decide that which was best for me.

That first night of my train ride home I slept on a bench inside that caboose. In fact, other than to use a toilet or eat my boxed food, I would spend the rest of my trip either inside that caboose or riding its rear platform.

While riding that platform that second night out I wanted to somehow generate interest to see home again. I silently scolded myself, told myself how long it had been since seeing Mom and Dad, and how nice it would be to once again visit. Try as I did, nothing seemed to work. The thought crossed my mind that maybe if I forced myself to remember the old days, remember as far back as possible, then maybe such recollections would change my attitude. In solitude, I forced myself to remember far back as possible ... even to the only memory I had of my grandfather. Back to when I was 6 or 7 years old and living on Princeton Pike, to when I learned to milk a cow and draw water from our water well. I conjured up visions of Munn's School and Miss Mabel Feagan, hunting quail with Dad and that first time when Mom showed signs of illness. I visioned living on Princeton Pike, the little white house, raising chickens, going to see the 1937 flood with Dad, and when we moved in town to our new house on Sugg Street. I focused on when Mom, Charlene and I sang on the radio and at fairs. Of camping with my brother Billy and when Judith Ann was born. I remembered how hurt I was when we moved to Henderson ... then to Evansville ... then, without warning, the face of that dead Japanese ...

I leapt from that wooden fold chair, leaned over the rail of that caboose platform, and vomited all over the state of Colorado. I cried, dried my eyes, straightened myself, found strength and walked back inside that caboose. In control again, I promised myself not to remember anything for a while--to just relax and let things come as they may.

Gone With the Wind

Here is a list of high schools that won the state basketball championship but no longer exist. I always wonder what happened to the trophies. Someone could write a good book about Kentucky by visiting these places and learning what happened to them. Since I am very familiar with the history of at least one more school that will be added to this list in a few years, this is all very poignant to me:

1927: Millersburg Military Institute (closed in 2003)
1930: Corinth (consolidated into Grant Co.)
1937: Midway (consolidated into Woodford Co.)
1938: Sharpe (consolidated into N. Marshall, which was later consolidated into Marshall Co.)
1939: Brooksville (consolidated into Bracken Co.)
1940: Hazel Green ("defunct", according to Wikipedia)
1941 & 1954: Inez (consolidated into Sheldon Clark)
1943: Hindman (consolidated into Knott Co. Central)
1946: Breckinridge Training (defunct)
1947: Maysville (absorbed into Mason Co.)
1948: Brewers (consolidated into S. Marshall, which was later consolidated into Marshall Co.)
1952: Cuba (consolidated into Sedalia, which was later consolidated into Graves Co.)
1956: Carr Creek (consolidated into Knott Co. Central)
1959: N. Marshall (consolidated into Marshall Co.)
1960: Lou. Flaget (closed in 1974)
1967: Earlington (consolidated into S. Hopkins, which was later consolidated into Hopkins Co. Cent.)
1982: Laurel Co. (split in 1992 into N. Laurel and S. Laurel)

"Dear GoHeath, I hope you don't mind that I'm simply adding these photographs directly to your interesting and evocative post. It doesn't appear that images can be added in comments, so here are some from a Mexican restaurant that has opened in a bank in Earlington. We most recently visited on the night that Murray State lost in the OVC tournament; we left before the game ended, but you could tell that the Racer fans were already nervous. Anyway, the story was told among customers in the place that night that the restaurant operators were granted the lease only if they agreed to keep intact and publicly accessible a wall signed by various locals (including several members of the '67 state champs) and visiting celebrities (such as Kenny "Sky" Walker). ...eric"