It's that Time

Here are the football scores from last weekend in western Kentucky (home teams listed first):

Friday, August 18:

Franklin-Simpson 40 - 28 Christian Co. (at Warren East) (J. Allen Builders Bowl)

Russellville 7 - 29 Butler Co. (at Logan Co.) (Logan Co. Bowl)

Bethlehem 55 - 14 Marshall Co.

Webster Co. 8 - 31 Crittenden Co.

Northwest (Clarksville, Tenn.) 17 - 20 Ft. Campbell

Greenwood 49 - 14 Hopkinsville (at Allen-Co.-Scottsville)

Henderson Co. 35 - 34 Meade Co.

Hopkins Co. Cent. 20 - 14 Caldwell Co.

Mayfield 42 - 7 Graves Co.

Ballard Mem. 0 - 40 S. Fulton (Tenn.)

Union Co. 21 - 14 Madisonville-N. Hopkins

Saturday, August 19:

Fulton Co. 20 - 48 Gleason (Tenn.)

Harrison Co. 40 - 33 Calloway Co.

Trigg Co. 21 - 41 Murray

McCracken Co. 7 - 42 Paducah Tilghman

The two most interesting results of the weekend -- besides Tilghman's huge win over McCracken County -- were:  (1) Lexington Christian beat Bowling Green 56 - 52 at the Rafferty's Bowl played on the campus of Western Kentucky U., and (2) Lex. Frederick Douglass, which outscored its opponents 611-70 last year in rolling to the 5A title, were crushed 45-6 in Canton, Ohio by Archbishop Hoban H.S. of Akron, Ohio.

Later in the season, we are going to start tracking our Power Eleven -- the Top 11 teams in our end of the Commonwealth.  It will take a few weeks to have enough data for the rankings to be meaningful this year, so here are last year's final rankings (each team's final MaxPrep ranking in parentheses):

2022 Power Eleven:

1.  Henderson Co:  10-3 (20)

2.  Mayfield:  14-1 (25)

3.  Union Co:  12-1 (35)

4.  Paducah Tilghman:  6-7 (38)

5.  Logan Co:  11-2 (47)

6.  Madisonville-N. Hopkins:  7-5 (61)

7.  Hopkinsville:  6-6 (62)

8.  Graves Co:  6-5 (74)

9.  Christian Co:  3-8 (98)

10.  Trigg Co:  7-4 (102)

11.  Murray:  6-6 (106)

And here's the list of the Power Eleven Champions going back to 2004 (final MaxPrep ranking in parentheses):

2025:  Paducah Tilghman:  12-2 (10)

2024:  Paducah Tilghman:  15-0 (3)

2023:  Mayfield:  14-1 (12)

2022:  Henderson Co:  10-3 (20)

2021:  Mayfield:  12-2 (27)

2020:  McCracken Co:  6-3 (23)

2019:  Mayfield:  13-2 (17)

2018:  Mayfield:  14-1 (14)

2017:  Mayfield:  13-2 (8)

2016:  Christian Co:  9-3 (17)

2015:  Mayfield:  14-1 (16)

2014:  Mayfield:  14-1 (7)

2013:  Mayfield:  14-1 (15)

2012:  Mayfield:  14-1 (14)

2011:  Mayfield:  14-1 (17)

2010:  Mayfield:  15-0 (8)

2009:  Lone Oak:  14-1 (7)

2008:  Christian Co:  13-2 (9)

2007:  Ft. Campbell:  13-2 (10)

2006:  Henderson Co:  10-3 (18)

2005:  Christian Co:  8-5 (19)

2004:  Hopkinsville:  13-1 (8)

Hooray for football! 

Girls' Sweet Sixteen, Saturday

Gameday, baby! Hopefully for our McCracken County High School Lady Mustangs: Gamesday!

— KHSAA RPI No. 4 Louisville Sacred Heart vs. No. 9 Winchester George Rogers Clark at 10 a.m. Central

— No. 3 McCracken County vs. No. 14 Henderson County at 12:30 p.m.

— State championship at 6 p.m. 

As you can see, it's going to be hard to maintain focus at West Area Workshops ...

Comments flow ...

Girls' Sweet Sixteen, Friday

Today's quarterfinals in Rupp Arena with KHSAA RPI rankings:

-- No. 34 Owensboro Catholic vs. No. 4 Louisville Sacred Heart at 10 a.m. Central
-- No. 9 Winchester George Rogers Clark vs. No. 7 London North Laurel at 12:30 p.m.

-- No. 19 Ashland Paul Blazer vs. No. 3 McCracken County at 5 p.m.

-- No. 24 Louisville Mercy vs. No. 14 Henderson County at 7:30 p.m.

Comments flow ...

Girls' Sweet Sixteen, Thursday

Oh, my ...

Comments flow.

1st Region Tournament, 2010-2019

Here are the last 10 finals of the First Region boys' basketball tournament:

2019:  Mayfield 56, McCracken Co. 44
2018:  McCracken Co. 42, Graves Co. 37
2017:  Graves Co. 77, Mayfield 71
2016:  Murray 55, McCracken Co. 47
2015:  Calloway Co. 48, Murray 35
2014:  McCracken Co. 43, Marshall Co. 41
2013:  Graves Co. 63, Calloway Co. 53
2012:  Marshall Co. 58, Paducah Tilghman 52
2011:  Marshall Co. 62, Paducah Tilghman 56
2010:  Paducah Tilghman 54, Graves Co. 46

McCracken Co. (2):  2014, 2018
Marshall Co. (2):  2011, 2012
Graves Co. (2):  2013, 2017
Mayfield (1):  2019
Murray (1):  2016
Calloway Co. (1):  2015
Paducah Tilghman (1):  2010

2013 was the last year that Heath, Lone Oak, and Reidland were eligible to win this tournament.  On March 1, 2013, Graves County beat Lone Oak 61-43 in the regional semi-finals, and that was the last appearance in the regional tournament by any of those teams.

Heath's last appearance in the First Region Tournament took place on March 3, 2011.  The Pirates were beaten by Graves County 48-36 in the regional quarter-finals.

2d District Basketball, 2010-2019

Here are the last 10 finals of the Second District Boys' Basketball Tournament:

2019:  McCracken Co. 43, Paducah Tilghman 35
2018:  McCracken Co. 59, Paducah Tilghman 57
2017:  McCracken Co. 64, Paducah Tilghman 61
2016:  Paducah Tilghman 57, McCracken Co. 52
2015:  Paducah Tilghman 55, Paducah St. Mary 46
2014:  McCracken Co. 65, Paducah St. Mary 61
2013:  Lone Oak 55, Paducah Tilghman 54
2012:  Paducah Tilghman 73, Lone Oak 70
2011:  Paducah Tilghman 71, Heath 47
2010:  Paducah Tilghman 85, Heath 70

Paducah Tilghman:  5 (2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016)
McCracken Co:  4 (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Lone Oak:  1 (2013)

The 2013 tournament was the last one to feature Heath, Lone Oak, and Reidland.  It was played at Heath.  On February 19, 2013, Tilghman beat Heath 49-47 in the last varsity game played by the Heath Pirates.  That seems fitting to me.  The last varsity game played at Heath was the Second District Final, played on February 21, 2013.  Lone Oak beat Tilghman 55 to 54.

Of course, I believe that we are only in a temporary hiatus -- that the population of McCracken County will grow, that the folks there will want more high schools, and that Heath will eventually return to varsity play.  In the meantime, I am waiting.

Oh, Kentucky

Tonight's the night to get our Lone Oak on at the McCracken County Public Library. (Pipe down, Reidland--you'll get your chance.)

I'm going to have to come up with a custom hashtag for my rock-solid, recurring observation about how great the meeting coverage is in contemporary newspaper journalism. Anyway, here's another perfect example, from Anthony Cloud in the Middlesboro Daily News from the Bell County Fiscal Court: "That tells me if there is a needle exchange in Middlesboro, a minimum of 100 people are going to drive through the tunnel out of Tennessee that wouldn’t have otherwise. They either, a. are high, (or) b. going to get high. To ignore that would be being naive."

And here's another, from Richard Burkard, in Madisonville's Messenger, on the Historic Planning Commission and the owner of a 90-year-old Chevy dealership and other downtown buildings and his desire to have those properties excluded from the town's historic district: "They take care of their own." (Maybe it'll be #RockSolidJournalismObservations.)

Auburn's fantastic Federal Grove is expanding. So's Kentucky State Police Post 4 - Elizabethtown.

Etown's Kentucky Cardinal Inn on U.S. 31W (East Dixie Avenue) is no more, however. It was nice (I almost forgot about #KentuckyForSale!) ...

Good Fred Petke feature in The Winchester Sun about a homegrown local police officer: "My dad always said if you need help, find a cop." (Mine, too.)

Kentucky's jail population climbed 76 percent from 2000 to 2015.

In The Advocate-Messenger--home of the Class 4A #khsfb19 state runners-up Boyle County High Rebels--a Centre College professor cites an economist from Duke University in arguing on behalf of the U.S. racial wealth gap as more of a focus in conversation about slavery reparations. (He convinced me.)

The Democrats are coming to take the guns (well, "assault weapons" and "large-capacity ammunition-feeding devices") (and flavored vape products) away.

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, 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, 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; Augusta, Burkesville, Burnside, Campbellsville, Cave City, Elkton, Franklin, Louisa, Mayfield, Providence, Williamsburg and Woodburn, Dec. 14, and Tollesboro, Dec. 15.

Oh, Kentucky

Good jobs news from Bowling Green, Erlanger and Lexington.

"If part of your community is doing well and the other part not doing so good then the community can only fail. But if both sides of the community flourish, then the community will rise together and we all win because the sky is the limit."

"Their new group, Co-Heirs with Christ Missions, is different from some churches they attended in Africa. Too often, Frimpong remembered, leaders preached that joining the church would change their lives immediately – that their belief would guarantee prosperity. This tactic brought people to churches, but it only exacerbated the poverty rate, as people started to believe that they didn’t need to look for work."

UK's Kentucky Kernel has a new advisor (second consecutive one from WKU), and the Todd County Standard is on the market.

Sweet Paducah Sun story about a South Carolina man returning to where he and his late wife married in 1955--with helpful bonus material on the history of PJC/PCC/WKTC/WKCTC.

Terrific Bill Estep report in the Lexington Herald-Leader on the impact of drugs on the labor market in eastern Kentucky.

A Hardinsburg barber stars in an Amazon movie that came out yesterday, and it sounds hair-raising!

With the U.S. Senior Open rolling, the USGA took a road trip to Franklin to visit with the defending champ.

Corbin's getting a mural, on Roy Kidd Avenue.

Oh, Kentucky

And about one specific message allegedly from Rep. Comer, ...

A Courier Journal columnist took aim at Rep. Comer over an alleged Twitter message; Comer denied the allegations. https://t.co/7vjZHgh9Sa

— Kentucky New Era (@KentuckyNewEra) January 5, 2018

Good jobs news from Madisonville and Springfield.

"Far from encouraging academic and objective study of the Bible and its historical context or literary value, it is clear that the coursework in these 'Bible Literacy' classes often resembles Sunday school lessons," says the ACLU, about schools in McCracken and other Kentucky counties.

Oh, Kentucky

A naked man in his 60s riding a moped.
A topless woman in her 40s shooting a Super Soaker.
The usual https://t.co/DKUaCzIAGU — @ALTONPHOTO

— Nate Chute (@nchute) July 30, 2017

The Sons of Confederate Veterans are appealing to march with their favorite flag in Paducah's (U.S.) Veterans Day Parade.

What's HUD doing for Kentucky? Working to improve access to affordable, quality and fair housing, extend broadband connectivity to low-income Americans, etc., says the field-office director in a road show.

If you missed the free black-lung screenings at the Sleep Inn in Middlesboro yesterday, NIOSH will be at the Harlan Walmart and Evarts later this week.

Hoptown elegy.

"There's so much more inside people like him than they ever gave him credit for."

Jail gardens like this one at the Clay County Detention Center seem to be all over the place now.

It really is great that there's a reporter at the Cynthiana Democrat who brings in breakfast for everyone in the place once a week.

The Hart County News-Herald also is hiring.

Elliott Pratt of The Bowling Green Daily News delivers an enjoyable update on doings with Kenny Perry.

Not endless ... but one more week in Louisville.

Oh, Kentucky

Who's the fifth face on the Webster County courthouse?

Bad jobs news from Pineville. Good at Kroger.

Belfry High and other southeastern-Kentucky schools eye the potential of drone development and training.

Morganfield has fired another police chief.

Fort Campbell is opening a new United Service Organization Center.

Former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes has died at 77. In 1984, working for Mitch McConnell, he created now-famous ad. https://t.co/HVGhOh7Mlf ^JC

— Bluegrass Politics (@BGPolitics) May 18, 2017

Kentucky Rep. James Comer (R-Tompkinsville) is getting a lot of time on the radio these days. NPR visited with him today. Meanwhile, the congressman recently hung out with Mayfield's WYMC.

Rest in peace, Mrs. Lewis, Cave-In-Rock Ferry co-operator for more than 20 years. (And please plan your Saturday accordingly, Crittenden County.)

The Freakin' Weekend (1971)

After "Kentucky, February 27, 1971," I'm probably going to have a new No. 1, but here's my Jet Soul Brothers Top 20 this (freakin') weekend 1971:

Meanwhile, way down in Bowling Green on Feb. 27, 1971, ...

I'm looking forward to a happier trip than a couple of weeks ago to Murray ...

Hooray for TV ...

Less than a year now to Sapporo 1972 ...

I can't imagine how excited I would be if two guys from Muhlenberg County came on TV and opened a whole show reaching millions of homes with a song they wrote about Bowling Green! But that's exactly what happened Feb. 28, 1971, with the Everly Brothers' appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, and it must've been just an absolutely thrilling moment for 8-year-old Ray Harper!

And I wonder if he watched the NBA game earlier that afternoon, too.

By the way, it's district-tournament time around Kentucky ...

Per the Tilghman Bell ...

Oh, Kentucky

Kentucky for sale:

Bad jobs news from Madisonville and Owensboro. Perry County is furloughing workers.

Hiring in Barbourville.

Kentucky Power is moving back from Frankfort to Ashland.

A northern Kentucky homeless shelter has reopened, and the house is already full.

Ice skating is coming back to Paducah.

Franklin-Simpson beating the heat practicing this morning. pic.twitter.com/ZicZDba6kj

— Dominique Yates (@RealDYates) July 18, 2016

Oh, Kentucky

Overdose deaths in the state were up by about a fifth last year.

Other than at the HP, of course, never read the comments ... even when they're on a thing about a fire at a Cracker Barrel being built in Mayfield.

You've got to bring it for Madisonville's WFMW Talent Show. No, really, you do--they take the first 15 entry forms, and, in person, you've got to bring the form to the radio station.

This is late in coming, and it really deserves its own post treatment--but, of course, I meant to write about Muhammad Ali and Prince. And the 1970 NBA and NHL championships, for that matter. Anyway, I'm thrilled to see these good things from the Miami Dolphins' offensive coordinator about WKU's Brandon Doughty.

Oh, yeah ... our Lady Mustangs took it to the limit, but Scott County won the KHSAA softball championship. The baseball tournament resumes Friday with the semifinals pitting McCracken County vs. Louisville Saint Xavier and Mount Washington Bullitt East vs. Campbell County.

Prayers for Orlando.

Oh, Kentucky

Muhammad Ali with mom Odessa, dad n brother in background @ family home in Louisville, 1965. https://t.co/TPr6Hznxbg pic.twitter.com/rk8Dm4kb4M

— Rasheed Kappan (@kappansky) June 4, 2016

The Kentucky desk is pleased to announce that, with Gov. Bevin's (indirect) blessing, we have resumed considering recommendations for the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels.

Emmanuel Felton with The Hechinger Report delivers a very thought-provoking story on how Kentucky has adjusted its systems on the premise that NOT all students need college.

Meanwhile, in a personally-heartbreaking-for-me (but well-done) report in The New York Times, Stephanie Saul reports on how Western Kentucky University decided that it did NOT need all of the Indian students that it recruited.

Draffenville's Ponderosa baroness is spreading her game to Reidland.

Kroger is putting a Ruler Foods in the old Russellville Houchens.

OK, updating previous reports, it appears now that Uncle Lee's is, indeed, back to operating in Greenville but that it is now all or almost all guns. And now Coal County Vendor Mall is set to open in the rest of the old store that apparently isn't totally being used by Uncle's Lee's ("Powered by: Budsgunshop.com"). Will advise as events warrant.

Hopkinsville appears headed toward raising taxes on home and vehicle insurance premiums by 33 percent to pay for a new sports complex and trails expansion.

Jeannie C. Riley is NOT on the Western Kentucky State Fair docket, but a demolition derby, tractor pulls and wrestling are.

Paducah's Fin Gourmet entrepreneurial success story just keeps building: "We put Kentucky proud fish products onto American tables. We solve the problems that many Americans have very few options to healthy, year round, wild-caught USA fish products. We solve this problem by sustainably sourcing and manufacturing locally caught fish into delicious, healthy, ready-to-eat fish products. Our fish are fresh daily. We hand-select and hand-craft our products. We are committed to preserving the quality of homemade goodness: fresh, natural, and always free of chemicals and preservatives."

Turning to sports, our McCracken County Mustangs football coach is NOT going back to Georgia; here's the program for the KHSAA baseball tournament, which starts Thursday in Lexington, and the Louisville International Open women's tennis tournament is NOT happening this year.

Former Glasgow HS and MTSU star Kent Bulle, the 2015 Kentucky Open champ, earned a spot in this month's U.S. Open. https://t.co/AWnnsAxpcB

— Herald-Leader Sports (@KentuckySports) June 7, 2016

Oh, Kentucky

OK, look, Mr. Toy already knows about the Electric Prunes. And he doesn't want to hear your memories about the show at "Paduka" Tilghman. And he doesn't want to hear your wild theories about who might've been there just because they were at some other show or whatever ...

Here's what Mr. Toy wants to know.

In McCracken County, Williams goes wet, and Hendron stays dry.

Good jobs news from Bowling Green and Hopkinsville.

School funding is down, and black Louisville poverty is up.

Lessons? Learned.

Christmas parades: Hazard and Owensboro, Nov. 21; Ashland, Nov. 24; Russell Springs and Williamstown, Nov. 28; Lexington, Dec. 1; Louisa, Dec. 3; Central City, Harlan, Maysville, Shepherdsville, Smiths Grove and Walton, Dec. 4; Arlington, Bowling Green, Clinton, Frankfort, Grayson, Hopkinsville, Lawrenceburg, Leitchfield, Madisonville, Middlesboro, Morgantown, Munfordville, Murray, Paducah, Somerset and Winchester, Dec. 5; Hickman, Dec. 8, and Benton, Elizabethtown, Elkton, La Center, Nicholasville and Princeton, Dec. 12.

Oh, Kentucky

Go, UK!

One-stop shopping in White Plains ...

A mom wanted her middle-aged son to (finally) cut his hair, and he did--but only after raising $10,000 for an Eminence nonprofit that works to provide food, toiletries and education to Henry Countians.

At Elmer Kelly Stadium, the Madisonville Miners eked out a 9-7 win in the deciding third game of their semifinal series with the Fulton Railroaders on Sunday night. Now it's on to the Ohio Valley League college-baseball finals to face the DuBois County (Illinois) Bombers.

At my first football practice of the season. Shawn Jackson teaching McCracken County new terminology on offense. pic.twitter.com/t6A22et7nb

— Adam Wells (@TheAdamBWells) July 16, 2015

Rest in peace, Bill Arnsparger of Paris.

Oh, Kentucky

A flagpole-wielding attacker ... a Louisville police officer ... more tragedy ... more disunity ... please, Lord.

"Do we need fire protection outside the city limits of Bardstown? If we don’t, then that is the final answer to the debate. If we do, then what should it cost us and what is everyone’s fair share? That is it in a nutshell, period, end of discussion."

"'We want this to be everybody’s flag, so Chief Paduke was selected as the person to be honored on the banner. He, of all the famous persons connected with Paducah, really belongs to all Paducahans.' Intent on consistency, Mrs. Campbell made sure to model the bust of Paduke’s face after the statue of Paduke that stands on Jefferson Street." The McCracken County Public Library Local and Family History Department Facebook page is a stone-cold joy.

Madisonville's old downtown Woolworths is becoming a 24-hour gym. Sixty years from now, in the same way that my mom and other people her age all talk today about how everybody went out dancing together when they were in their 20s, people in their 80s will be talking about how great it was 60 years ago when everybody used to get together in gyms and work out together. 

McCracken County High's new girls' basketball coach is the dude who led Calloway County to the 2011 state semifinals.

Congratulations to the state champs, all 43 of them! (And thank you, Jason Frakes, for compiling them.)

Rest in peace, John S. Carroll, editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader during its "Cheating Our Children" series that preceded public-education reform in Kentucky. 

Beautiful skies following an evening rain. pic.twitter.com/OCWEZOjBEh

— K-lite 94.7 (WKLW) (@WKLW) June 17, 2015

Oh, Kentucky

Yeah!

WALK-OFF a STATE CHAMPION will ya Keely Barnes. @McCrackenSball - 2015 KHSAA softball champions. More tonight at 10. pic.twitter.com/dZoNhXyeov

— Justin Beasley (@JBeasleyWPSD) June 6, 2015

"A storybook finish to a dream season" for our Lady Mustangs!

Mike Fields is done at the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The jobless rate is down almost everywhere in Kentucky. 

Minimum wage for state workers in Kentucky's executive branch is rising from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour.

Rest in peace, Mrs. Lowry of Murray, renown champion of mental health and libraries, frequent traveler, occasional golfer and "sometimes seen in her infamous hats and always dressed with impeccable taste."

PGA Championship

Post by Paducah Bank.

I am rooting for Kenny Perry, J.B. Holmes, Brian Norman and Tiger, too.