16 Teams Left

Here is the draw for next week's KHSAA Boys' Basketball Tournament:

Wednesday, March 18:

(1) Cov. Catholic Colonels (31-2) v. (4) Lou. St. Xavier Tigers (26-7)

(3) Warren Cent. Dragons (26-3) v. (16) N. Laurel Jaguars (28-7)

Taylor Co. Cardinals (26-9) v. Grayson Co. Cougars (25-6)

Danville Christian Warriors (23-7) v. Great Crossing Warhawks (23-11)

Thursday, March 19:

(19) Lou. Butler Bears (26-5) v. Hazard Bulldogs (24-10)

(5) N. Oldham Mustangs (25-5) v. Lyon Co. Lyons (29-6)

(6) Geo. Rogers Clark Cardinals (29-4) v. Johnson Cent. Golden Eagles (28-5)

(10) Boyd Co. Lions (29-6) v. Marshall Co. Marshals (24-8)

Every team in this year's State Tournament has won at least 23 games, and the great majority have been to the tournament within the last five years.  It should be very competitive.

45 Teams Left

The First and the Ninth Regions are the ones most likely to play on Sunday -- I have never understood why.  Anyway, Marshall Co. (24-8) becomes the first team to qualify for the Sweet 16:

FIRST REGION FINAL (at Murray St. U.):

Marshall Co. 76, Paducah Tilghman 40

NINTH REGION SEMI-FINALS (at N. Kentucky U.):

(1) Cov. Catholic 92, Conner 41

Ryle 64, Erlanger Lloyd 37

It all wraps up tonight and tomorrow night.  Here are tonight's regional finals:

7th:  (4) Lou. St. Xavier v. (9) Lou. Ballard

11th:  (7) Lex. Frederick Douglass v. Great Crossing

13th:  (16) N. Laurel v. Bell Co.

14th:  Hazard v. Powell Co.

15th:  Pikeville v. Johnson Cent.

128 Teams Left

The Boys' Basketball Regionals start this week.  Here are the Top 20 teams in the Commonwealth, according to MaxPreps:

1.  Cov. Catholic:  28-2

2.  Madison Cent:  29-3

3.  Warren Cent:  22-3

4.  Lou. St. Xavier:  22-7

5.  N. Oldham:  21-5

6.  Geo. Rogers Clark:  26-4

7.  Lex. Frederick Douglass:  19-6

8.  Daviess Co:  23-6

9.  Lou. Ballard:  20-6

10.  Boyd Co:  27-6

11.  McCracken Co:  25-3

12.  Lou. DuPont Manual:  21-6

13.  Lou. Jeffersontown:  18-7

14.  Christian Academy-Louisville:  20-9

15.  Lex. Catholic:  19-8

16.  N. Laurel:  24-7

17.  Lex. Bryan Station:  21-7

18.  S. Oldham:  20-6

19.  Lou. Butler:  22-6

20.  Woodford Co:  15-7

Marshall Co. (21-8) is Number 25.  Henderson Co. (Number 32) is the highest-ranked team in the Second Region.

By the way, if the NCAA used 16 regions, the regions were drawn in the same bracket as this year's KHSAA Tournament, and the team favored under Ken Pom's rankings won each region, then the NCAA Tournament would look like this (Ken Pom rankings in parentheses):

(35) Ohio St. v. (20) Arkansas

(17) Virginia v. (6) Houston

(1) Duke v. (34) Villanova

(11) Nebraska v. (5) Illinois

(4) Florida v. (3) Arizona

(14) Vanderbilt v. (21) St. John's

(2) Michigan v. (12) Gonzaga

(22) Saint Mary's v. (10) Connecticut

46 Teams Left

Personally, I don't think they should play high school basketball on Sunday.  But we have four big games today:

First Region Final (at Murray St. U.):

McCracken Co. (26-7) v. Marshall Co. (24-7)

Fifth Region Final (at Green Co.):

Adair Co. (27-7) v. Bethlehem (16-14)

Ninth Region Semi-Finals (at No. Kentucky U.):

Lloyd Memorial (25-8) v. (3) Newport (30-3)

(6) Cov. Catholic (26-5) v. (14) Cooper (23-8)

79 Teams Left

35 teams eliminated from the Boys' State Tournament last night, including the number 3 team in the Commonwealth.  Covington Catholic becomes the first top-10 eliminated from this year's championship.  Here we go:

1st Region Quarter-Finals (at Murray State University):

Murray 61, Mayfield 46

Paducah Tilghman 75, Carlisle Co. 45

2d Region Quarter-Finals (home teams listed first):

Henderson Co. 71 - 56 Caldwell Co.

Lyon Co. 56 - 58 Hopkinsville

Madisonville-N. Hopkins 49 - 44 Webster Co.

University Heights 80 - 79 Crittenden Co.

3d Region Quarter-Finals (at Owensboro Sportscenter):

Ohio Co. 57, Grayson Co. 42

Owensboro Catholic 63, Meade Co. 57

4th Region Semi-Finals (at W. Kentucky Univ.):

(T8) Bowling Green 53, Allen Co.-Scottsville 38

5th Region Quarter-Finals (at Cent. Hardin):

John Hardin 47, LaRue Co. 45

Washington Co. 73, Campbellsville 60

6th Region Quarter-Finals (home teams listed first):

Bullitt East 86 - 72 Evangel Christian

(T8) Lou. DeSales 54 - 43 Beth Haven

Lou. Pleasure Ridge Park 56 - 58 Lou. Fern Creek

Bullitt Cent. 62 - 65 Lou. Western

7th Region Quarter-Finals (home teams listed first):

(5) Lou. Ballard 80 - 47 Lou. Central

Lou. Manual 64 - 57 Lou. Eastern

Lou. Male 50 - 45 Lou. Seneca

Lou. Trinity 62 - 58 Lou. St. Xavier

8th Region Quarter-Finals (at Henry Co.):

Collins 73, Walton-Verona 70

Oldham Co. 67, Owen Co. 39

9th Region Quarter-Finals (home teams listed first unless otherwise noted):

Conner 76 - 71 Cov. Holy Cross

Dixie Heights 73 - 43 Newport

Ft. Thomas Highlands 104 - 62 Ryle

(3) Cov. Catholic 60 - 61 (2) Erlanger St. Henry (at Cov. Holmes)

10th Region Quarter-Finals (at Mason Co.):

Campbell Co. 71, Bracken Co. 64 (double OT)

Montgomery Co. 84, Robertson Co. 73

13th Region Quarter-Finals (at Corbin Arena):

Corbin 63, Harlan 53

(7) N. Laurel 86, Barbourville 50

14th Region Semi-Finals (at Breathitt Co.):

Hazard 59, Wolfe Co. 50

Knott Co. Cent. 68, Perry Co. Cent. 59

15th Region Quarter-Finals (at Appalachian Wireless Arena):

Johnson Cent. 71, E. Ridge 68 (triple OT)

Betsy Layne 74, Pike Co. Cent. 62

16th Region Quarter-Finals (at Morehead St. Univ.):

Boyd Co. 50, Lewis Co. 39

Rowan Co. 54, Elliott Co. 37

114 Teams Left

The world's greatest high school sporting event kept going today, as the folks in the Fourth Region decided to start their tournament on a Sunday.  For the quarter-finals, the district champions got to play at home.  Here were the results (home teams listed first):

Allen County-Scottsville 53 - 48 Russellville

(8) Bowling Green 66 - 50 Clinton Co.

Metcalfe Co. 58 - 73 Greenwood

Franklin-Simpson 59 - 62 Barren Co. (OT)

Tomorrow features a huge game at 6 PM Central.  Erlanger St. Henry, which was ranked number 2 in the state last Monday, lost their district title game to Dixie Heights.  Now they get their punishment in the regional quarterfinals:

(3) Covington Catholic v. (2) Erlanger St. Henry (at Covington Holmes)

These two teams met on February 23 at St. Henry, and St. Henry (the Crusaders) won 61 to 60.

KHSAA Boys' Basketball Poll

The boys' regional tournaments started today.  As we get ready to cover the most exciting week in high school sports, here is the the AP's poll for March 15, 2021:

1.  Lexington Catholic:  19-1

2.  Erlanger St. Henry:  16-2

3.  Covington Catholic:  22-3

4.  Elizabethtown:  14-2

5.  Louisville Ballard:  14-2

6.  Lexington Douglass:  15-1

7.  N. Laurel:  21-2

T8.  Bowling Green:  18-2

T8.  Louisville DeSales:  16-6

10.  Ashland Blazer:  15-4

Here are the last ten state finals.  It's been a great era for Louisville Trinity and Covington Catholic, and a frustrating one for Scott County.

2010:  Shelby Valley 73, Lou. Ballard 61

2011:  Christian Co. 65, Rowan Co. 63 (2 OT)

2012:  Lou. Trinity 71, Scott Co. 53

2013:  Madison Cent. 65, Lou. Ballard 64

2014:  Cov. Catholic 59, Scott. Co. 51 (OT)
2015:  Owensboro 74, Bowling Green 58

2016:  Lex. Dunbar 61, Lou. Doss 52

2017:  Bowling Green 67, Cooper 56

2018:  Cov. Catholic 73, Scott Co. 55

2019:  Lou. Trinity 50, Scott Co. 40

Oh, Kentucky

Oh, Kentucky

Oh, Kentucky

Hacked, in Whitley County.

Another step toward "zero weather-related deaths," in Kenton County.

Alexandria's first Domino's has been launched by a big-time franchiser who got his start with the company in 1982 delivering pizzas.

Pikeville is getting a Fazoli's. Owensboro is losing its J.D.'s.

It's high time I start making Kentucky Life appointment TV.

Also in sports: Yea. And the KHSAA girls' basketball tournament has a new corporate sponsor, and it is not the HP.

Oh, Kentucky

Catching up ...

Oh, Kentucky

Catching up from the weekend ...

Christmas parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Central City, Nov. 24; Lebanon and Louisville, Nov. 29;  Greensburg, Guthrie and Pikeville, Nov. 30; Boyce, Dawson Springs, Murray, Salem and Sebree, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Clay, Fredonia, Harrodsburg, Irvine/Ravenna, London, Maysville, Monticello, Pineville, Richmond, Smiths Grove, Stanton and Trenton, Dec. 6; Arlington, Barbourville, Beattyville, Berea, Bloomfield, Bowling Green,  romley/Ludlow, Brownsville, Cadiz, Calvert City, Carlisle, Clinton, Columbia, Corbin, Cynthiana, Danville, East Bernstadt, Frankfort, Glasgow, Grayson, Greenville, Hawesville, Henderson, Horse Cave, Inez, Lawrenceburg, Leitchfield, Lexington, Madisonville, Marion, Middlesboro, Morgantown, Munfordville, Murray, Owingsville, Paducah, Prestonsburg, Rabbit Hash, Raceland, Russell Springs, Salyersville, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Somerset, Trenton, Versailles, Whitley City and Winchester, Dec. 7; Auburn, Georgetown and New Haven, Dec. 8, and Augusta, Benton, Burkesville, Burnside, Campbellsville, Cave City, Edmonton, Elkton, Franklin, Hopkinsville, Louisa, Mayfield, Providence, Tollesboro, Williamsburg and Woodburn, Dec. 14.

Final Kentucky High School Football Rankings

So here's what happened in the State Finals last week:

In Class 1A, Pikeville crushed Paintsville 43 to 0.

In Class 2A, Mayfield was called for pass interference on the last play of the game.  I thought it was a terrible call.  Somerset was given an untimed down, and threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to beat the Cardinals, 34 to 31.

In Class 3A, Belfry beat Bell County 30 to 20 -- thereby giving Pike County two state titles on the same day.  (In case you are wondering, Pikeville beat Belfry 22-21 in the regular season.

In Class 4A, Johnson Central made Boyle County pay for its charge that folks in Johnson County couldn't count to 100.  Johnson Central won the Game of the Year, 21 to 20.  According to MaxPreps, Johnson Central is also the best public high school football team not in Louisville.  So good for them.

In Class 5A, Covington Catholic had a harder time than I expected, but beat Lexington Douglass 14 to 7.

In Class 6A, no one -- except for Male fans and reporters who cover high school football in Kentucky -- was surprised that Louisville Trinity crushed Louisville Male 28 to 6.  The Shamrocks can put their 2019 football trophy next to their 2019 basketball trophy.  On behalf of everyone who cares about KHSAA athletics, I hereby concede all future championships in both football and boys' basketball to the Shamrocks.  I only ask that instead of actually playing in the events, they put the trophies on their shelf and then spend their time trying to beat teams from other states.  Meanwhile, the rest of the KHSAA can play out the football and basketball seasons without interference from the Shamrocks to see who is the second-best team in the state.  That would have to be more exciting than what we do now, which is play for months to prove something that everyone knows -- that Trinity has built an athletic program that no one else in the KHSAA can match.

Ironically, Trinity did not come in first place in the MaxPrep rankings.  The Shamrocks did lose to Male (in the regular season), and Indianapolis Cathedral crushed them 28-7.  So MaxPreps ranked them second behind Covington Catholic.  Here is the final top 20 for 2019 (private schools in italics) (state champions in bold):

1.  Covington Catholic:  15-0
2.  Louisville Trinity:  13-2
3.  Louisville Male:  14-1
4.  Johnson Central:  15-0
5.  Boyle County:  14-1
6.  Lexington Douglass:  14-1
7.  Pikeville:  14-0
8.  North Hardin:  13-1
9.  Belfry:  11-3
10.  Louisville St. Xavier:  8-5
11.  Somerset:  14-1
12.  Bowling Green:  9-4
13.  Louisville Manual:  9-3
14.  Lexington Christian:  10-2
15.  Louisville Fern Creek:  8-4
16.  Louisville DeSales:  10-4
17.  Mayfield:  13-2
18.  Bell County:  14-1
19.  Ashland Blazer:  10-3
20.  Owensboro:  12-2

Finally, the State Football Finals

As expected, we had a lot of blowouts in the state semi-finals last week.  Trinity beat North Hardin 54-7.  Male beat Tates Creek 48-18.  Covington Catholic beat Bowling Green 28-0.  Johnson Central beat Madisonville 52-14.  The only really good game was Belfry's 15-14 win over DeSales in double overtime.  None of the 11 other state semi-finals was closer than 11 points at the end of the game.  In eight of the 12 semi-finals, the final margin was greater than 24 points or greater.  As we have pointed out before, Kentucky does not have good high school football teams to support six classes of football.  But obviously the KHSAA has some goal that I don't understand, because they keep having these blowouts year after year.

Anyway, now there are only 12 teams left, and we may finally get some competitive games.  Here are your match-ups for this weekend at Kroger Field in Lexington, along with the MaxPreps ranking (all times Central) (private schools in italics):

Class 6A (1 P.M., Sunday, December 8):
(2) Lou. Male (14-0) v. (3) Lou. Trinity (12-2)

Now this should be a great game.  These teams met in the regular season, and Male won 20-17 in double overtime.  I always assume Trinity is going to win any sports contest, but Male is the only school in the state that would have a chance against the Shamrocks.

Class 5A (7 P.M., Saturday, December 7):
(1) Covington Catholic (14-0) v. (6) Lex. Douglass (14-0)

It's been a great year for Douglass, but Male is the only public school in the state that can really give Cov. Cath. a game.

Class 4A (3:30 P.M., Saturday, December 7):
(5) Boyle Co. (14-0) v. (4) Johnson Central (14-0)

On paper, this should be a great game.  Neither team has played a close game all year, and it's very difficult to pick between them.

Class 3A (6 P.M., Friday, December 6):
(10) Belfry (10-3) v. (18) Bell Co. (14-0)

Two mountain teams that did not meet in the regular season.  Belfry has more of a history in the state finals, and they just pulled out a huge win over DeSales, so they would be my pick.

Class 2A (Noon, Saturday, December 7):
(11) Somerset (13-1) v. (13) Mayfield (13-1)

This should be a very good game -- both teams have been dominant in the playoffs.  Mayfield is the only team west of Louisville that's still playing.

Class 1A (1 P.M., Friday, December 6):
(9) Pikeville (13-0) v. (34) Paintsville (11-3)

I give Paintsville a lot of credit for making it this far.  It's particularly impressive when you consider that Johnson Central also has a great team, and that Paintsville dominated a private school -- Kentucky Country Day -- in the semi-finals.  But Pikeville is just too good for anyone in Class 1A.  Pikeville beat Belfry 22-21 earlier in the season, and Belfry is favored to win the Class 3A title.  So it looks as though Pike County will get two state titles, which would be a spectacular accomplishment.

Oh, Kentucky

In an interview with the Xinhua News Agency, "Official says collaboration with China remains significant for U.S. state of Kentucky." And Ballard County is proof.

Turning to sports, #khsbbk20 and #khsgbk20 are up and rolling. Also, Kentucky Monthly last month had a very interesting history of deer hunting in Kentucky. Actually, probably the most interesting part of Gary Garth's story to me was the history of not hunting deer in Kentucky; from 1912 to 1946, it was banned. Anyway, it's deer-hunting season of some sort now until Jan. 20. 

Way to go, Lexington-Fayette Animal Care & Control, Lexington Police and Kentucky State Police, and hooray that Lucy is home in Clinton County for the holidays! 

Thanks for the tip, Angel Welsh of WBKR.

Christmas parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Central City, Nov. 24; Lebanon and Louisville, Nov. 29;  Greensburg, Guthrie and Pikeville, Nov. 30; Boyce, Dawson Springs, Murray, Salem and Sebree, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Clay, Fredonia, Harrodsburg, Hopkinsville, London, Monticello, Pineville, Richmond and Trenton, Dec. 6; Arlington, Barbourville, Berea, Bloomfield, Bowling Green, Bromley/Ludlow, Brownsville, Cadiz, Calvert City, Clinton, Columbia, Corbin, Cynthiana, Danville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Grayson, Hawesville, Henderson, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Madisonville, Marion, Middlesboro, Morgantown, Murray, Owingsville, Paducah, Rabbit Hash, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Somerset, Trenton, Versailles, Whitley City and Winchester, Dec. 7; Georgetown, Dec. 8; Cave City, Dec. 10; Augusta, Burkesville, Burnside, Elkton, Mayfield, Providence, Williamsburg, Dec. 14, and Tollesboro, Dec. 15.

Oh, Kentucky

Unemployment as of October: highest in Magoffin, lowest in Fayette and Oldham.

The governor-elect is getting a lot of his AG squad back together again.

Lake Barkley State Resort Park has landed another "Restoring the Finest" round.

Thanks, Jeff Bezos!

Rest in peace, Owensboro's Gabe Tower (1963-TBD)?

What's Kentucky's top export industry? Wrong. It's aerospace.

Eating local on campus, at UK.

Classical music on WEKU's 102.1 FM, signing off.

At Grayson County High School in Leitchfield, twin seniors notched perfect ACT-reading scores. One is headed to Kentucky Wesleyan, but it appears from this WKHG dispatch that WKU might be in the running for the other!

At First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Winchester, “Take what you need. Leave what you can. Little becomes much in the Maker’s hand.”

Christmas parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Lebanon and Louisville, Nov. 29; Guthrie, Mayfield and Pikeville, Nov. 30; Boyce, Dawson Springs and Murray, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Fredonia, Harrodsburg, Hopkinsville, London, Monticello, Pineville and Trenton, Dec. 6; Barbourville, Berea, Bowling Green, Cadiz, Calvert City, Columbia, Corbin, Cynthiana, Danville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Grayson, Henderson, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Madisonville, Middlesboro, Murray, Owingsville, Paducah, Rabbit Hash, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Trenton, Versailles, Whitley City and Winchester, Dec. 7; Georgetown, Dec. 8; Cave City, Dec. 10; Burkesville, Burnside, Elkton and Williamsburg, Dec. 14, and Tollesboro, Dec. 15.

Oh, Kentucky

Good jobs news from Covington and Fort Mitchell.

Harrodsburg is getting a new convenience store (in an old motorcycle shop); Madisonville, a new steakhouse (in an old steakhouse), and Columbia, a new lumber company (expanded from Indiana).

A refurb for Corbin's Sanders Café is afoot.

A re-treeing of downtown Frankfort is eyed.

Mostly positive reviews for Year 1 of motorized-scooter rentals in Louisville.

"A History of Native Americans in Kentucky," Thursday at the McCracken County Public Library, from WKU’s Kentucky Archaeological Survey (since 1995). 

Christmas parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Lebanon and Louisville, Nov. 29; Pikeville, Nov. 30; Boyce, Dawson Springs and Murray, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Fredonia, Harrodsburg, Hopkinsville, London, Monticello, Pineville and Trenton, Dec. 6; Barbourville, Berea, Bowling Green, Cadiz, Calvert City, Columbia, Corbin, Cynthiana, Danville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Henderson, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Madisonville, Middlesboro, Murray, Owingsville, Paducah, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Trenton, Versailles and Whitley City, Dec. 7; Georgetown, Dec. 8; Cave City, Dec. 10; Burkesville, Burnside, Elkton and Williamsburg, Dec. 14, and Tollesboro, Dec. 15.

KHSAA MaxPreps Top Twenty

Covington Catholic blew out Cincinnati LaSalle 27 to 7 last week.  LaSalle was undefeated and is still ranked number 13 in the state of Ohio.  So CovCath has vaulted into the number-one spot in the MaxPreps top 20 for Kentucky.  Lou. Manual beat St. X 20-19, so they moved from number 20 all the way up to number 8.

Here is the top 20 -- private schools in italics:

1.  Cov. Catholic:  8-0
2.  Lou. Male:  7-0
3.  Lou. Trinity:  6-2
4.  Boyle Co:  7-0
5.  Lex. Douglass:  7-0
6.  N. Hardin:  7-0
7.  Johnson Cent:  7-0
8.  Lou. Manual:  6-1
9.  Lou. St. Xavier:  4-3
10.  Pikeville:  7-0
11.  Cent. Hardin:  7-0
12.  Somerset:  7-0
13.  Lou. DeSales: 5-2
14.  Ft. Thomas Highlands:  5-3
15.  Scott Co:  7-1
16.  Ashland Blazer:  6-1
17.  Lex. Catholic:  4-3
18.  Mayfield:  6-1
19.  Russell:  6-1
20.  Lex. Christian:  6-1

Here are other teams of interest.  Madisonville beat Hoptown 20-18 (!) and moved up nine points in the rankings:

25.  Bowling Green:  4-2
28.  S. Warren:  6-1
30.  Owensboro:  6-1
37.  McCracken Co:  5-2
38.  Paducah Tilghman:  5-2
39.  Madisonville-North Hopkins:  7-1
43.  Hopkinsville:  5-3
44.  Henderson Co:  6-1
66.  Caldwell Co:  6-2
68.  Murray:  6-1
71.  Graves Co:  4-3
75.  Owensboro Catholic:  6-1
111. Union Co:  4-3
118.  Crittenden Co:  5-2

Oh, Kentucky

Winchester Sun columnist/Lexington IT-professional Pete Koutoulas: "As long as we have families living in our streets, hungry and sick, there are battles to be won. As long as there are people among us who lack access to health care, there are battles to be won. As long as we continue to treat families seeking refuge within our borders as criminals, there are battles to be won. As long as there are any in this land who are not sharing in the blessings of liberty, there are battles to be won."

"Chant for Peace," etc., for free, in Louisville.

The co-convener of the Northern Kentucky Poor People's Campaign reports in from the Moral Action Congress.

It's almost back-to-school time, and that means grind time for the Kentucky Refugees Ministries Summer Youth Program. 

Madisonville's 75-year-old bed-building, football-and-cheerleading-boosting and scholarship-providing Rotary Club is on the grow.

Two-year state study ending last year: Heroin, opioids and cocaine, down; methamphetamine and fentanyl, up.

Meanwhile, in Floyd County, "the drugs have took over." And, in Martin County, it'll be a sheriff's office of one, starting next month.

Jennifer P. Brown reports in The Hoptown Chronicle on an Iraq war veteran has opened a barber shop in downtown Hopkinsville. He plans to put in a putting green, and, in addition to $24 per, he's offering two years of once-every-three-weeks haircuts for $1,000.

Julianna Leach in the Grayson Journal-Enquirer has a feature on a Carter County native who studied dance at Morehead State, got a gig on a Carnival Cruise and then felt an urge to come home and open her own studio. "If there is a girl or boy that wants to dance, I want to make sure they can."

Keith Lawrence in The Messenger-Inquirer tells the story of "Chef Red," who as a single mom at age 20 learned healthcare wasn't for her, moved off to go to culinary school and has come back to Owensboro to open a healthy-meals-to-go provider. "The reason we eat fast food is because it's convenient. So, healthy food should be too."

The spirit(s) of the Graham Nighthawks live on.

And the animal-rendering stench in Metcalfe County ...?

Oh, Kentucky

Is Allen, Kentucky, on the brink of being no more?

A former auction house on U.S. 68 in Carlisle is being converted into a combination fireworks store/petting zoo.

It's Scouts BSA camp season.

Good jobs news from Bardstown and Paris.

The new physician-in-chief of UK HealthCare's Kentucky Children's Hospital and chair of its Department of Pediatrics is a Smilax native who introduces his Leslie County hometown to the HP family of #ohky labels.