Oh, Kentucky

Bad jobs news from Shelbyville. Here was the best of the good from last year.

OK, now that the Christmas19 hustle and bustle are behind us, it's time to take it easy. For example, it's a perfect time to start thinking about your 2020 vacations, because this year's visitor's guide is out!

Per Angela Turner's reporting in the local Times-Tribune, there are at least three good reasons that Corbin is excited about its upcoming third World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) event in the last three years: One, the 2018 bash broke attendance records for The Corbin Arena; two, some wrestling fans reportedly say the scheduled card is more appealing than what Rupp Arena gets for Monday Night Raw, and, three, there's the building's improved sound quality.

Living in these troubled times demands creativity sometimes, and Marshall County got some, and now it has a Caring Community Center. Good play by play from Channel 6's Chris Yu.

Ready for the times to get better? Well, Danville's Advocate-Messenger says Kentucky's waiving testing fees for the General Education Diploma (GED) portends positively: "If just 50 more people earn their GEDs over the next two years as a result of this change, that could mean $420,000 more in annual income for some of Boyle County’s poorest residents."

Hallelujah, these people seem to love Burnside so! Christopher Harris on Somerset's Commonwealth Journal has a happy, fun story from the first city council meeting of the new year.

It's like we never said goodbye to Michael Scott and all of the gang. The Office! is coming to The Kentucky Center.

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

On the Babies 'R Us transformation in Florence.

On the Patti's comeback in Grand Rivers.

On the Christmas-decor redo debut in Columbia.

Fiber to the (Princeton) home.

Good jobs news from Berea, Erlanger, Hopkinsville and Maysville. Bad from Ashland and Shelbyville. False hope in Inez.

Turning to sports, Franklin County High's Benny Watkins Field will be under scrutiny Friday night; Martha Layne Collins High celebrates its first Division I hoops signees, and Season 4 for the SoKY Ice Rink is afoot.

Christmas parades: Sharpsburg, Nov. 9; Owensboro, Nov. 23; Boyce, Dawson Springs and Murray, Dec. 1; Bardstown, Dec. 5; Harrodsburg, Hopkinsville and Monticello, Dec. 6; Berea, Bowling Green, Calvert City, Danville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Henderson, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Madisonville, Paducah, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Trenton, Versailles and Whitley City, Dec. 7; Georgetown, Dec. 8; Cave City, Dec. 10, and Burnside, Elkton and Williamsburg, Dec. 14.

Oh, Kentucky

Bill Straub in the Northern Kentucky Tribune: "Once you work your way through the briars, brambles, and bushes where a rabbit couldn’t go in Kentucky politics, you’ll discover that elections often come down to just two issues – abortion and guns."

So let's imagine you're in western Kentucky from out of state and trying to figure out how where to take the fam to eat tonight to kick off your #freakinweekend in style. Well, here's some (270) foodie 411 for you:

-- Tapas have come to Owensboro.

-- Tacoholics is expanding again in Henderson.

-- Patti's is not quite back yet in Grand Rivers, but they do now have that new grill named after the town's founder.

Loretto is getting sidewalks!

This interactive map, from Frankfort's Kentucky Center for Statistics, looks like so much fun, and I can't wait to find out what it is that it's teaching me.

Oh, Kentucky

You're going to want to check this list before you get your LBL on.

Madisonville's Dr. Festus Claybon Memorial Park is getting a new football field and all-inclusive playground.

Sam Adler Bell delivers in New Internationalist an economical, power-packed 2,300 words on eastern Kentucky and coal's decline.

100 years for Lexington-based A&W, purchased by its franchisees from YUM! Brands in 2011.

Rest in peace, Lt. Brown, Covington firefighter of 25 years who "found little blessings in helping people."

Oh, Kentucky

Welcome to Greenville (coming soon).

Hiring in Princeton (for jobs there and in Eddyville, Grand Rivers, Marion, etc.)

If you're planning to get your Chik-fil-A on in Ashland, you better get it going. But chill: "It is temporarily a bad thing but it is long term a good thing."

Some in Louisville City FC Nation are not about to chill.

Wonderful Nita Johnson feature in London's Sentinel Echo on Laurel County's new teacher of the year: "I always tell them, Te Amo Mucho - I love you a lot," she said. "I always want that to be the last words they hear."


The equivalent of about half of Kentucky's old tires reportedly are being converted into energy at East Kentucky Power Cooperative’s Spurlock Station in Maysville.

Why are people getting sick in the mail room of the federal prison in Manchester?

Oh, Livingston County

Christmas17 at the courthouse:

Downtown Smithland, 1935:

"Let's Go Crazy" in Grand Rivers:

Revved up in Salem:

The Tiline Mafia:

Three hundred seconds over Carrsville:

Touchdown in Burna:

Overflow in Birdsville:

Waterfall in Joy:

Rest in peace, Ledbetter Bridge (1931-2014):

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.

Oh, Kentucky

If the board of directors won't go for the HP's conversion to an AFFL betting site, maybe it would consider becoming a journal of I-69 expansion across southwestern Kentucky.

Sixty Kentucky Air National Guard members arrived home to Louisville from the Persian Gulf on Independence Day.

Good jobs news from Jamestown.

What's next for Russell's old Y?

What's new with Hoptown's Alhambra?

"If they don't do what we want, we need to vote them out."

Rest in peace, Alan Onkst, "a true ambassador for the City of Corbin."

Oh, Kentucky

Here's the thing about #LudlowKY government: there are people here - elected and staff - who simply hate each other. These meetings are always senselessly testy, and often mean. Not to mention, (expletive deleted) hilarious. pic.twitter.com/w634r3hNXF

— Michael A. Monks (@MicMonksMedia) May 10, 2018

The Rev. "Woehler believes this model is duplicable for new and existing churches: it’s an affordable model to launch in another community – requiring only a place to share a meal, communion set, and willing convener. For existing churches, potlucks could be a new offering to reach community members who may be yearning for a meal or open discussion. 'I believe that our history, polity, and culture as Disciples of Christ (in all its varied diversities) makes us uniquely positioned to live and grow into alternative church styles that God is creating in our midst.'"

Top high school in the state, per U.S. News & World Report, is Louisville duPont Manual.

Poorest town, per USA Today, is Glasgow.

Leah Shields with Channel 6 reports that McCracken County's jail is built to house 342 inmates; there are 440 people living there now--several, sleeping on the floors.

Douglas White in The Gleaner writes about Henderson Municipal Power & Light's decision making around how to fulfill its customers' energy needs in the years ahead.

As broken in 2011 by the HP, Jackie DeShannon is from Hazel, and now she's part of the 2018 Kentucky Music Hall of Fame class--along with "Stringbean," et al.

It is unlikely I will see it, but I'm interested in Carrsville Car Show, Cabin Pizza, Grand Rivers golf-cart ordinance and state-park Mother's Day reports in the new Livingston Ledger.

Bowling Green's Lost River Cave plans to open its butterfly habitat on Memorial Day.

Oh, Kentucky

Barren County High School says it's in compliance with state guidelines for its Bible-literacy course and has received no complaints from parents or students in the seven years it has been offered, reports Lisa Simpson Strange in the Glasgow Daily Times. And at Lewis County High, per Kathryn Robinson of West Virginia's WSAZ, "there's no daily devotionals, that's not done. Daily prayer is not done ... it's more of a comparative religion."

The Lake Cumberland region is working toward a memorial to people buried in unmarked graves who were enslaved during their lives, and plans are to be detailed at a breakfast Monday.

The nuns at Saint Walberg Monastery sold 85 acres to an Edgewood developer, but their neighbors in Villa Hills turned out in such large numbers Tuesday to dispute the plan that the Kenton County Planning Commission punted the question to next week, in order to move to a larger facility, in Lakeside Park. Terrific meeting coverage by The River City News.

The KHSAA Board of Control has also been meeting on some lively topics, such as how to recombobulate high-school football for the next several seasons.

The federal bust at the Jumbo Buffet in La Grange is quite a mystery--even to the owners, they say.

"The largest firearms retailer in the state of Kentucky and one of the largest volume single shop locations in the country," Whittaker Guns of Owensboro, appears to have no overnight security guards, dogs, etc. Anyway, some people broke in and stole a bunch of their guns the other night.

Madisonville is hiring for a director of its forthcoming "makerspace."

Oh, Kentucky

Cleve Jones at WKU, via Nicole Ziege in the College Heights Herald: "I don’t want any of you to ever believe that change isn’t possible,” Jones said. "There are many people out there right now who want you to feel like you are powerless. It is a lie."

I had never heard of Solomon Lee Van Meter Jr., so thanks for the knowledge, Kentucky Historical Society student-engagement coordinator Jennifer Disponette, students of Franklin's Simpson Elementary and Ethan Steinquest of the Franklin Favorite.

Also, thank you, Douglas Drew White of The Gleaner for the 411 on Henderson's first microbrewery, coming to Second Street.

Check out this new limited-edition Pepsi can featuring Patti’s 1880’s Settlement logo. The cans will be available in stores soon.https://t.co/jIrTaI1Fma

— WPSD Local 6 (@WPSDLocal6) November 13, 2017

 

The cleanup continued after Community Cleanup Day in Reed.

Highlands Regional Medical Center's Center for Autism in Prestonsburg is not reopening after its traditional holiday break. Not enough donations and not enough insurance coverage for autism treatment are cited as the culprits.

Christmas parades: Irvington and Owensboro, Nov. 18; Lebanon, Nov. 24; Danville, Nov. 25; Greenup, Nov. 28; London, Monticello and Richmond, Dec. 1; Barbourville, Beaver Dam, Fordsville, Georgetown, Hartford, Henderson, Lawrenceburg, Madisonville, Murray, Somerset and Winchester, Dec. 2; Dawson Springs, Dec. 3; Mount Sterling, Dec. 4; Lexington, Dec. 5; Bardstown, Dec. 7; Frankfort, Dec. 8, and Cave City, Elkton, Hanson and Hopkinsville, Dec. 9.

Oh, Kentucky

The history of @moreheadstate, from 1887 to present day, at 9/8 pm on KET. pic.twitter.com/sMD2sb6eYU

— KET (@KET) June 19, 2017

OK, I totally didn't even know there was such a thing as the "Pride In The Counties" Area at the state fair, and, if I was an Edmonson Contain, I'd totally want to do this.

You can't go to an aquarium in Morgantown, so the Newport Aquarium went there.

Knoth's of Grand Rivers: no beans, no potato salad, no more after Saturday.

WHOP reports that the (Frisch's) big (Boy) bucks of Cincinnati have cost the Hopkinsville-Christian County Public Library its director.

The City of Paducah is hiring.

Calvert City continues takeover of the Kentucky Dam State Park Airport.

Todd County's multi-pronged eclipse strategy is outlined.

It appears as though a new Christmas parade might be in the cards for Beaver Dam!

Transitional centers for homeless youth are opening in Breathitt, Floyd, Knott and Pike counties.

Oh, Kentucky

"I will not be calling a special session on this topic."

Bad jobs news at Fort Campbell, good at Fort Knox.

Don't look now, Murray.

Lake Cumberland is up to No. 2 in the USA Today coaches poll.

Some Anderson Countians couple have won $50,000 from HGTV, and, if you think that's great, check out this ... 

A Minit Mart store is Grand Rivers sold a $1 million lottery ticket. http://t.co/dlUy1zljF4 #WPSD pic.twitter.com/ipGZTgwBzr

— WPSD Local 6 (@WPSDLocal6) July 10, 2015

Oh, Kentucky

How many homeless?
Hopefully, the Brent Spence Bridge linking Covington with Cincinnati will still actually meet in the middle.

#TBT - AEP linemen working during a winter storm near Hazard, Kentucky, 1954.  #HugAlineman pic.twitter.com/WzVUWNh31v
— Kentucky Power (@KentuckyPower) January 22, 2015

Regulatory decisions around utility rate reimbursement are going to start getting really interesting now in Kentucky (but not only here).

Madisonville's (getting) ready to rock.

The (first) new Kentucky Dam monolith is (finally) done! 

The gov's going to Germany and Sweden.

Oh, Kentucky

Good jobs news from Bardstown, Lexington and west Louisville. Bad from Madisonville.

Pizza availability in Columbia is up 33 percent--and soft-serve futures appear strong.

Broadband rollout in Lyon County progresses.

The new new normal, in Grand Rivers.

It would be stone-cold awesome to dress up a whole house like a state-park lodge.

Miss Talley remained among the leaders as the first West Kentucky College Golf Showcase closed (and a Heath girl stakes claim to the graduated Caldwell Countian's prep dominance).

My main man--in Washington?

Coach Calipari's Commonwealth tour continues to Corbin (and this time he brings along Jon Hood).

Welcome to Lexington.

Jalapeno Smoked Porter ... interesting.

Oh, Kentucky

A romance 62 years in the making, three years in duration and remembered 27 years later.

Good jobs news from Somerset, bad from Barbourville. Rumors of good from near Fulton County. Optimism from Ballard. Making do in Livingston and Hopkins.

Meanwhile, I am happy to report that Dippin' Dots was soldiering on bravely, for sale at the Garrison Keillor show in Murray on Saturday.

The president of the opening-soon Juicy’s Sports Bar and Grill on Bowling Green's Park Row "had been considering a more titillating name for the business, but changed it after hearing objections from other downtown business owners and residents." Hmmm ...?

The KHSAA soccer championships were decided over the weekend: Louisville Saint Xavier beat Union Larry A. Ryle, 3-0, in the boys' final; Park Hills Notre Dame beat Louisville Sacred Heart, 2-0, for the girls' crown. Previously this fall, we've identified the state's best boy and girl golfers, and, back on Oct. 29, Louisville Assumption completed a 42-1 season in volleyball with a 25-13, 25-18 championship victory over Bowling Green Greenwood. The next KHSAA championships on the docket are the Nov. 12 cross-country races (boys and girls in three classes) in Lexington.

One of the more interesting local races in tomorrow's elections figures to be Lynch mayor.

As goes the hellbender, ...

Oh, Kentucky

On the other hand, it was actually cool enough early yesterday morning that I put on a jacket before going out to the backyard to do some reading.

One of the things I read yesterday morning was most of last week's edition of The Messenger, the local paper. Here's some of what I learned: Wayne Otsuka has won re-election as president of the Hopkins County Art League. He's a Chicago native who moved to Madisonville to work for General Electric, from which he has subsequently retired. The treasurer is Joyce James, who painted a lake scene that we proudly display in our home. ... Father's Country Hams of Bremen is hiring a part-timer who "must be able to lift 60lbs (to) shoulder height. Meat Cutting Experience preferred Clean up after processing day ends." ... "Willie" Marie Cates Herron Hayes died Saturday at Colonial Terrace Nursing Home in Sebree. She was 99, treasurer of the Palmer Place Sunday School Class at Providence First Baptist Church and the last surviving member of Providence High's 1928 girls' basketball team that competed in the state tournament. ... A 27-year employee of the local Captain D's has recently moved on. Sandy Ziegler, who started her career there as a cashier in high school and left as general manager, moved on to a more predictable work schedule at Carhartt.

Turning to the sports, let's look at pickleball.

Not enough soccer players? Wow.

Kentucky's reigning "Mr. Baseball" is becoming a Blue Jay, after all.

Country ham really is so excellent.

Meanwhile, dairywise, ...

Go ahead. Make fun of press releases. I certainly used to. And then I learned that writing them and getting them approved and wired is not as easy as it would seem.

Rest in peace, Calvert City's Pansy Story, one of Florsheim's "makers of fine shoes for men and women."

Good jobs news from Hebron, Lexington and Warsaw.

Badget Playhouse of Grand Rivers is on my short list of places I want to soon go. (So is Barbara Mandrell's Fontanel Mansion.)

That said, our next trip out of town for entertainment is likely to be to Murray.

NCAA Baseball: Day 3 of the Super Regionals

Four more teams qualified for the College World Series yesterday: Florida, Texas, California, and South Carolina. The final two slots will be decided today. The biggest story of the day was the UVA, the overall number-one seed, lost a game, which foced them into a one-game showdown today:

Charlottesville, Va.
Virginia 6, UC-Irvine 0
UC-Irvine 6, Virginia 4 (Series tied 1-1)

Santa Clara, Cal.
California 7, Dallas Baptist 0
California 6, Dallas Baptist 2 (California wins 2-0)

Tallahassee, Fla.
Texas A & M 6, Florida St. 2
Florida St. 23, Texas A & M 9 (Series tied 1-1)

Columbia, S.C.
S. Carolina 5, Connecticut 1
S. Carolina 8, Connecticut 2 (S. Carolina wins 2-0)

Gainesville, Fla.
Florida 11, Mississippi St. 1
Mississippi St. 4, Florida 3
Florida 8, Mississippi St. 6 (Florida wins 2-1)

Austin, Tex.
Arizona St. 3, Texas 1
Texas 5, Arizona St. 1
Texas 4, Arizona St. 2 (Texas wins 2-1)

Nashville, Tenn.
Vanderbilt 11, Oregon St. 1
Vanderbilt 9, Oregon St. 3 (Vanderbilt wins 2-0)

Chapel Hill, N.C.
N. Carolina 5, Stanford 2
N. Carolina 7, Stanford 5 (N. Carolina wins 2-0)