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By his own account, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, M.D., is discouraging Kentuckians from getting vaccinated against the coronavirus. He wrote in his July 9 newsletter:
The 2021 Interim of the Kentucky General Assembly began last month with a meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Education, on which I serve as co-chairman. A tumultuous 2020-2021 school year leaves us to reflect on the experiences of our students, teachers, parents and communities. Lesso…
Editor's note: This is the first in a series of occasional literary columns from local writer, editor and publisher Chris Helvey.
When you think about the cornerstones of our society and the institutions that carry the most weight, various influences come to mind right away. You might think of decisionmakers in Washington and Frankfort, or companies like Twitter and Facebook that have become leading sources for news an…
Attorney General Daniel Cameron has given the greenlight for public officials to hide public records on their private devices. Remember the controversy around public records on Hillary Clinton’s private email server? The one used in part to get around public disclosure laws? That kind of thi…
Last week, Kentucky families began benefitting from the most extraordinary policy change to address child poverty in many decades — payments of up to $300 per child, per month to help ease the costs of raising kids.
This is a response to the June 25-27 full page paid advertisement in The State Journal, “Let Kentucky Capital Development Corporation (KCDC) Do Its Job!” Contrary to the title, that is exactly what our group of concerned citizens, as well as the Franklin County Fiscal Court and the city comm…
For months now, Kentucky’s economy has been heating up and we have seen a slew of positive economic development and new jobs announcements.
Renewed attention to who controls curriculum decisions is the equivalent of the sun starting to peek through the clouds in the stormy debate over the teaching of race in Kentucky’s public school classrooms.
The clean energy future is building momentum right here in Kentucky. During June, Kentucky’s Electric Generation and Transmission siting board approved one of the latest applications in Kentucky to construct a 100-megawatt solar facility in Madison County — one of several large-scale merchan…
Opportunity, jobs, the economy and infrastructure are not partisan. They are the pathway to a better future for all Kentuckians and for millions of our fellow Americans.
The political left claims “fairness” as its issue du jour.
Duke University is getting it right.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant financial turmoil for many Kentucky families. Thousands of mothers were forced to leave the workforce to tend to children out of school. Restrictions on businesses resulted in some people working fewer hours or losing their jobs altogether. Many conti…
If cities like Frankfort are going to compete in the future, they must adapt to take advantage of changing trends in the workforce and global economy. Rather than let the world pass us by, the City of Frankfort took a bold step this week by approving and announcing our partnership with Inter…
Change in the life of our world is a normal phenomenon. However, some more recent changes in the United States of America are potentially highly damaging to our culture and democracy.
Similar to the excellent guidance he provided for Kentucky’s COVID immunization program that placed us within the top 10 states for the most effective responses, Gov. Andy Beshear has once again demonstrated enlightened leadership with his executive order allowing college athletes to be comp…
“Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?” (Lyrics from Bad Boys by Inner Circle).
To celebrate Independence week, I highly recommend reading the document that started all the fireworks, the Declaration of Independence. Like today’s political climate, it is like watching a movie. Below are my favorite scenes:
Last year when COVID-19 cases were escalating and the bottom fell out of the economy, hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians lost work. For many, this meant losing their health insurance right when they needed it the most. Between March and August last year, the number of uninsured Kentuckians…
Last March, Dr. Anthony Fauci said it could take 18 months to develop a COVID-19 vaccine and have it ready for distribution.
In the legal battle over educational options for needy students, it’s déjà vu all over again.
For over 30 years, Downtown Frankfort Inc. (DFI) has had a good working relationship with the City of Frankfort. However, the current city commission is proposing a $45,000 budget cut for DFI. The proposed cut is almost one-third of the DFI annual operating budget and around a 70% cut of DFI…
On America’s First Juneteenth National Freedom Day, Saturday, June 19, 2021, a young African-American man at Juneteenth Frankfort stood at the participant’s microphone and asked, and I paraphrase, “Where’s the action?” Elaborating on his point, the questioner emphasized a frustrating pattern…
Kentucky has an opportunity to tackle its infrastructure challenges head on through proposed investments in President Biden’s American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan. From the lack of clean water and reliable bridges to high-speed internet and high-quality childcare, these challenges h…
The opioid crisis continues to ravage Kentucky and other states throughout the country, and many states attorneys general have taken legal action against drug manufacturers and pharmacies that knowingly fueled this epidemic in the name of corporate earnings. The recent announcement by Kentuc…
As COVID-19 infections fall, vaccination rates rise, and America reopens, this upcoming summer should be full of optimism and hope. But, for too many Kentucky businesses and families, our miraculous recovery is being undermined by Washington Democrats’ out-of-control spending and irresponsib…
I am very concerned about the struggle that Kentuckians face — and, in reality, all Americans face — in coming to grips with conflicting interpretations of our collective heritage. Now, as in the past, Kentuckians have an opportunity to lead the way.
When I was in the ninth grade I lived in Oklahoma and, like everyone in my grade, I took Oklahoma history. It was required.
The long-anticipated opening of the City’s Entertainment Destination Center (EDC) is almost here and we couldn’t be more excited.
Property valuation administrators are earning big bucks selling public records back to the public. In the current fiscal year, they project $1.8 million in income from “miscellaneous” sources.
During a recent 11 days in the Middle East, Hamas and the Israeli military traded death through the skies. We watched with sorrow, if not horror, as 248 Palestinians and 12 Israelis were killed — 66 were children.
I can’t help but notice the number of State Journal readers who claim not to trust science.
A new voting law codifying some of the temporary measures taken mid-pandemic by Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams, the state’s chief election officer, and supported by Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear represent a good-faith effort to take bipartisan advantage of COVID-19 to modernize K…
In April, folks from around the country celebrated Second Chance Month, an initiative dedicated to removing barriers to reentry after incarceration and showing compassion for those who are returning to our communities.
In 1920, then-U.S. Sen, Warren G. Harding made his successful campaign for president. It was something of a surprise to the nation, if not to Harding himself.
We are what we buy. How we choose to spend money echoes our opinion and beliefs. Maybe this is why boycotting or “buycotting” industries based on their political affiliation or financial contributions has become so pervasive.
In July 2020, Franklin County sheriff's deputies were called twice to a house here in Frankfort for a domestic disturbance. No arrests were made either time because there was no apparent assault and no visible wounds.
Central Kentucky is a geological island. Sitting atop a dome of limestone, its terrain gently rolls along like a series of offshore waves. Back roads crown the peaks and valleys of this rolling farmland, and when my car sputters to the crests of the waves I feel as though I am looking down o…
Our nation has always loved its guns, but 2008 was a particularly special year in that relationship. That’s when studies show we finally had one for each citizen, more than 300 million altogether.
Despite the growing number of potholes slowing drivers on the commonwealth’s highways following pavement-unfriendly weather this spring, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet continues to experience smooth sailing in its ongoing practice of awarding single-bid contracts that exceed its own int…
Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part column on growth in Frankfort. To read the first part, click here.
After more than six years of debate between solar advocates and Kentucky’s electric utilities, the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) delivered a clear victory for solar advocates and the future of local, customer-owned energy resources in Kentucky.
It is that time of year again. The time when we honor all of the graduates of Franklin County Schools. Each year, students from Franklin County High School and Western Hills High School walk across the stage, shake my hand, and collect that most precious piece of paper that they have worked …
Summer is here in Kentucky. Temperatures are rising, and the school year is wrapping up for kids, parents and teachers across the state.
One important lesson that has been learned over the past months when it comes to education is that without high-speed broadband, many children in rural America have once again been left behind.
Since moving to Frankfort we have been shopping at the Franklin County Farmers Market. We have become regular customers for some vendors.
As Kentucky’s governor, I have spent the last 15 months leading our war against COVID-19. We have experienced significant pain, grief and loss, but through aggressive action and the commitment of our people, we have suffered fewer casualties per capita than most U.S. states.
In a recent op-ed for the Courier Journal, state Rep. Tina Bojanowski, who is also a teacher in the Jefferson County Public Schools, argued that the commonwealth may be failing its mandate under the state constitution to adequately fund education.
I write this in response to the guest column “Was justice achieved in George Floyd case?,” May 18), which I very much enjoyed as it presented a position that forces people to think rather than to simply agree or disagree. There is a lot going on in this piece, not the least of which is his c…
I read with great interest the lyrics to an old Jimmy Buffet song called “Bama Breeze." It was written about the old Flora-Bama Lounge & Oyster Bar at Perdido Key, Florida.
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