Oh, Kentucky

And now Nelson County has received a giant gift, too.

Restoring the African American cemeteries in and around Boyle County.

Taking the first step toward safer parks in Middlesboro.

Glasgow has hired its first female police chief.

Bringing Hazard together at GameStop.

Oh, Kentucky

Christmas parades: Owensboro, Nov. 17; Ashland, Nov. 20; Brownsville, Nov. 24; Cumberland and Fredonia, Nov. 30; Arlington, Berea, Cadiz, Calvert City, Clinton, Columbia, Hawesville, Jenkins, Lawrenceburg, Leitchfield ("A Very Candy Christmas"), Lewisport, Madisonville, Marion, Murray ("there will be no marked detour; however, motorists may self-detour around this section of KY 94 via KY 2594/Industrial Road, US 641-Business/Chestnut Street, and US 641/12th Street"), Paducah, Somerset and Whitley City, Dec. 1; Bowling Green, Dawson Springs, Glasgow and Salyersville (rescheduled because of expected bad weather), Dec. 2; Lexington, Dec. 4; Greenup, Dec. 6; Frankfort, Monticello and Richmond, Dec. 7; Benton, Elkton, Eubank, Harlan ("after consulting with meteorologists and officials, we feel like this is the best choice for our celebration"), Hopkinsville, Horse Cave, Louisa, Munfordville and Stamping Ground, Dec. 8; Whitesburg, Dec. 14; Burnside, La Center and Neon, Dec. 15.

I (heart) expungement fairs.

10 years and about 400 students and counting for the exchange program between Bowling Green's Warren Central High and the Anne Frank School in Werne, Germany.

"In this era of extreme political division in our nation, we reflect on the promise of our democracy, as well as the ongoing struggle to live up to its unrealized potential. We honor the long history of social justice work through small networks, largely unseen and unrecognized, often led by women of color, to secure voting rights for women and access to full participation in our democracy.  We also recognize that this struggle is far from over. This moment provides an opportunity for feminist artists to use an intersectional lens to imagine a world where all women and girls and gender-nonconforming people can engage equitably. With this grant, we invite you to imagine how your art (visual, performing, media or literary) can inspire action towards building power for women and girls, sharing power among and within your communities and wielding power towards fulfilling the promise of an equitable democracy. Individual artists and nonprofit organizations based in Kentucky who are using arts-based activities to address democracy and power for women and girls may apply.  Deadline to apply is March 1, 2019."

"The first-ever, peer-to-peer site for handcrafted hunting, fishing, and camping gear, as well other outdoor apparel and accessories."

Oh, Kentucky

It's news that "Kentucky's two U.S. Senators speak out against separating immigrant children from parents."

"11 states are pulling National Guard troops from the US-Mexico border in a growing protest over Trump's family-separation policy." Kentucky is not one of them.

"Yes, the optics are bad that we're standing there like the black-booted thugs. But we're not. We're just trying to enforce the rules at the Capitol."

"We don't necessarily believe in a heavy hand in trying to reduce crime. That's not how this department works."

"Records, research and interviews with stakeholders in the juvenile justice system show that racial disparity occurs at nearly every decision point in Kentucky’s juvenile justice system. As juvenile detention center populations dwindle and fewer minor offenders are locked up, whites feel the benefit most. Youth lockups are becoming more black and brown." The (indispensable) Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting rolls out its newest series.

That bank robbery in Lewisport is no joking matter ... well, it shouldn't be, anyway.

Newport's "whiskey campus" is coming along, despite Mexican and EU tariffs on bourbon.

They opened a support center for veterans in Glasgow Tuesday, and Melinda J. Overstreet reports in the  Daily Times that nine sought help the very first morning.

Democrats are no longer a majority of Kentucky's registered voters.

I stand with Stansdawg.

EKU is apparently going to still have a marching band, after all.

Rest in peace, Georgetta Earlena Harris-Holloway, Ohio-born First Lady of Second Baptist Church in Fairfield. "She loved the Buckeyes, but she loved Jesus more."

Oh, Kentucky

Christmas parades: Bowling Green, Dec. 1; Richmond ("THEME: coming soon ..."), Dec. 7, and Hopkinsville, Dec. 8.

It's the 60th season for The Stephen Foster Story, and it's high time I get to Bardstown and see it.

Can the show go on at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts--in particular, Waitress, scheduled to open June 26?

Reviews were strong for Hopkins County Farmers Market Family Fun Day.

Here are the stories that made our front page pic.twitter.com/pMPJipfTz4

— Kentucky New Era (@KentuckyNewEra) June 18, 2018

 

Good jobs news from Beaver Dam, Corbin, Franklin, Ghent, Lewisport, Louisville and Shepherdsville.

The feds boost Kentucky's apprenticeships program.

Oh, Kentucky

No running water in Martin County, and the Family Dollar in Warfield is out of bottled, per Taylor Frost with WYMT.

Owensboro's loss.

As Matthew noted last week, Kentucky is again a pioneer in dramatic change in the way that poor people experience healthcare coverage.

Good jobs news from Madisonville and Pikeville. 

Sweet Mark Story feature in the Lexington Herald-Leader on the unlikely friendship shared by Wes Strader and Kenny Walker.

For the fourth time, UK has won a third-straight Universal Cheerleaders Association national championship.

Oh, Kentucky

Post by Munfordville First United Methodist Church.

OK, now we're getting serious, baby. Here is today's Christmas-parade lineup:

-- Berea, 

-- Bowling Green, 

-- Cadiz, 

-- Calhoun, 

-- Calvert City,

-- Campbellsville,

-- Carrollton, 

-- Clay, 

-- Clinton, 

-- Columbia, 

-- Dixon,

-- Flatwoods, 

-- Fordsville, 

-- Frankfort, 

-- Franklin,

-- Glasgow, 

-- Greenville,

-- Guthrie, 

-- Harlan, 

-- Henderson, 

-- Hopkinsville, 

-- Horse Cave, 

-- Island, 

-- Lewisport,

-- Madisonville, 

-- Marion, 

-- Morganfield, 

-- Morgantown,

-- Munfordville, 

-- Murray, 

-- Paducah, 

-- Park City, 

-- Pikeville,

-- Providence,

-- Salvisa,

-- Scottsville, 

-- Shelbyville, 

-- Tompkinsville, 

-- Trenton and 

-- Winchester.

Oh, to be Santa's driver today! I would freaking love to be driving him around the state today, delivering him to the tail end of each parade (and charging 56 cents per mile, plus meals and hot chocolate, in expenses). Of course, I wouldn't want to have to be in a hurry. 

One of the great things about being Santa Claus, it seems to me, would be that the systems of time and other constraints of our world do not seem to apply to him. That would be wonderful.

Plenty more parades are on the horizon after today: Boyce, Clay City, Dawson Springs, Evarts, Mortons Gap and Schochoh, Dec. 7; Mount Sterling and Stanton, Dec. 8; London, Morehead, Owingsville, Prestonsburg, Richmond and Whitesburg, Dec. 12; Benton, Burnside, Cave City, Livermore, McKee, Nicholasville, Princeton, Quality and Sacramento, Dec. 13; Auburn, Central City and Edmonton, Dec. 14, and Lewisburg, Dec. 19.

Class 3A State Champs -Russell Co. Mighty Laker Marching Band - 2014 Christmas Parade pic.twitter.com/XiEm5tFZhG
— Michael A. Ford (@fordmich) November 30, 2014

New Haven KY Christmas parade. pic.twitter.com/7yfqQvEuU4
— Michelle Burfield (@deerspooker82) November 30, 2014

See photos from last night's Christmas Parade in downtown Lexington. http://t.co/HboYMKZDsT pic.twitter.com/92CdAv7QO1
— heraldleader (@heraldleader) December 3, 2014

Oh, Kentucky

I voted "maybe"!

Need to see something festive on this gloomy day? Check out this pic from last night's Luminate Lexington parade! pic.twitter.com/MyFuUJb18b
— LG&E and KU (@lgeku) December 3, 2014

Christmas parades: Catlettsburg, Russell and Taylorsville; Dec. 4; Central City, Danville, Monticello and Smiths Grove, Dec. 5; Berea, Bowling Green, Cadiz, Calhoun, Calvert City, Columbia, Fordsville, Frankfort, Glasgow, Harlan, Hopkinsville, Horse Cave, Island, Madisonville, Morganfield, Munfordville, Murray, Paducah, Park City, Scottsville, Shelbyville, Tompkinsville and Winchester, Dec. 6; Dawson Springs and Evarts, Dec. 7, and Benton, Livermore and Sacramento, Dec. 13.

Good jobs news from Hopkinsville and Lewisport.

The road to I-69.

Newest Mexican restaurant (37th) in the great Mexican restaurant wars of #somky in #Pulaski county. Who will win? pic.twitter.com/znwx07LcaI
— Hacksaw Lee Duggan (@DraftCats) December 2, 2014

This Week's Games

This week -- the first week of the playoffs -- is always given over to eliminating teams that wouldn't have made the playoffs when I was a kid. Here's what's happening tomorrow night in western Kentucky (home teams listed first):

Class 1A Playoffs:
Mayfield (10-0) v. Caverna (1-9)
Kentucky Country Day (8-2) v. Fulton Co. (2-8)
Lou. Holy Cross (9-1) v. Fulton City (1-9)
Russellville (5-5) v. Bethlehem (2-8)

Class 2A Playoffs:
Murray (9-1) v. Union Co. (5-5)
Hancock Co. (6-4) v. Crittenden Co. (3-7)
Owensboro Catholic (10-0) v. Reidland (3-7)
Caldwell Co. (5-5) v. Butler Co. (7-3)

Class 3A Playoffs:
Paducah Tilghman (8-2) v. Hart Co. (6-4)
Monroe Co. (5-5) v. Trigg Co. (7-3)
Edmonson Co. (10-0) v. Heath (3-7)
Fort Campbell (6-4) v. South Warren (4-6)

Class 4A Playoffs:
Lone Oak (8-2) v. Breckinridge Co. (1-9)
Warren East (7-3) v. Owensboro (4-6)
Madisonville-North Hopkins (8-2) v. Allen County-Scottsville (4-6)
Franklin-Simpson (9-1) v. Calloway Co. (3-7)

Class 5A Playoffs:
Christian Co. (9-1) v. Barren Co. (5-5)
Warren Cent. (9-1) v. Graves Co. (4-6)
Ohio Co. (9-1) v. Greenwood (5-5)
Bowling Green (10-0) v. Owensboro Apollo (2-8)

Class 6A Playoffs:
Henderson Co. (7-3) v. Lou. Southern (4-6)
Lou. Pleasure Ridge Park (8-2) v. Daviess Co. (3-7)
Marshall Co. (6-4) v. Lou. Seneca (2-8)
Lou. Butler (8-2) v. Muhlenberg Co. (0-10)

Oh, Kentucky

A Clarkson boy and his big pig rocked the state fair.

A Hardinsburg hopes to remake "homemaker" marketing.

I'm not going to get this done nearly early enough to include any Joe B and Denny Show snippets in the comments, but almost-83-year-old Joe B is on the air again this morning going on and on about how much he loves Kentucky. Today he's talking about how beautiful the U.S. highway routes are out of Lexington (he's right), about the great-looking pleasure horses that people parade around various county fairs around the state (new to me and interesting) and about how excited he is about the UK-WKU football game Thursday. He's on for two hours almost every day, and he's pretty much like this all of the time.

The ColumbiaMagazine.com community is having a blast remembering various old local restaurants. Grilled honey buns really are fantastic.

Depp does Hunter S. Thompson, again.

Hooray for fan buses!

"Helping Neighbors" around Ashland.

Watch out for opossums.