It is comforting that Gov. Andy Beshear cleaned house and replaced the Kentucky Board of Education with people who truly care about our public schools and our children.   

As the Franklin County County High School Booster Club, we just wanted to write a response to the letter from Jim Daniel (“Letter: High school football teams don't need professional fields,” Dec. 6). We find it to be misleading and just wanted to offer a differing viewpoint to what Daniel is…

Frankfort is a thriving community. To continue to thrive, we must invest in the future. It would be utter folly to tear down the Broadway Bridge based on a recent engineering report without getting a second opinion. When Frankfort went through the strategic planning process last year, the Bo…

Santa hasn’t put much in his bag this year for education reformers in Kentucky.

Among the various agenda items set to reach his desk, Gov.-elect Andy Beshear will soon face the prospect of one of the country’s grimmest outlooks when it comes to funding for higher education.

Looking back over our long history, it seems inevitable that Kentucky would become what Versailles calls itself today, “The Horse Capital of the World.”

Gov.-elect Andy Beshear will take office at a critical time for Kentucky and our world. Climate change has emerged as an urgent crisis demanding transformative changes to our economy. Recent scientific reports are clear that the world’s carbon emissions must peak and begin a rapid decline wi…

In light of news that the Chilean government canceled the APEC summit, farmers and their families have responded with concern for the ongoing viability of the industry. 

If marijuana legalization still seems like a distant issue, something that’s happening out west or in Canada, it won’t be that way for long. On Jan. 1, it will be as close as a drive across the Ohio River, thanks to Illinois’ decision to become the 11th state allowing adult recreational use.

Gov.-elect Andy Beshear and future First Lady Britainy Beshear are holding an inauguration poster contest and inviting children to submit artwork reflecting “Kentuckians working together” to accomplish “common goals we all share.”

Journalists relentlessly pursue the truth in order to provide citizens with the information they need to be self-governing. And yet, for journalists, doing that work can be risky, dangerous and even cost lives.

Envision Franklin County was formed 15 years ago out of concerns about poorly planned, destructive development. We advocate for smart growth with infill development that creates attractive, walkable communities which don't sprawl onto important rural lands.

We are FPB. (And when I say we, I mean all of us.) I know I’ve written in these pages before about the value of the Frankfort Plant Board as a public utility. But, after recently attending a conference hosted by the American Public Power Association, I was inspired to put things in a differe…

Food brings us together and creates the conditions to be healthy and happy. As we give thanks this season, let’s ensure all Kentuckians can put food on the table with the help of one of the best hunger-fighting, poverty-reducing, health-improving tools we have. 

At the end of October, President Donald Trump announced U.S. special operations forces eliminated Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the world’s most wanted terrorist and the vile leader of ISIS. Whatever your politics, every American should express sincere gratitude to the intelligence professionals and…

For the 700,000 Kentuckians who struggle with hunger — including nearly 1 in 5 of Kentucky’s children — receiving protein-rich food from their local food pantry can help them get through a tough patch.

Society cannot incarcerate its way out of the public health crisis that is drug addiction. But in making the possession of drugs a felony rather than a misdemeanor, Kentucky shows a stubborn willingness to continue to try.

They may be little known outside of the Capitol and their subject matter can be dry at times, but the economists collectively known as the Consensus Forecasting Group nonetheless play a major role: They determine how much state government can spend.

By now most of you have read the letters of support or opposition that have been published in The State Journal over the last couple of weeks. By now almost all of you have formed a stance, opinion or thoughts in regards to these topics.

As a legal aid attorney in Eastern Kentucky, I spent a lot more time giving financial advice to people my parents’ age than I did in a courtroom. If you think a millennial giving advice to baby boomers sounds uncomfortable, it is. The conversations often started with unforeseeable medical de…

A distilled spirit, the Kentucky River, a rich history, bourbon tourism, a vibrant community, dynamic growth, a place to call home — Now That’s Frank.

Editor's note: This is the second in a two-part series about preventing youth substance use following the Just Say Yes community summit in September. Read the first installment ("Guest columnists: Franklin County ready to tackle youth substance abuse," Oct. 16).

A recent letter from the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) to The State Journal (“Letter: Columnist presents 'distorted view' of new law,” Oct. 18) expressed support for changes to Kentucky’s net metering law and claimed that the new law is not “anti-solar.” The letter dismissed concerns about …

A few days ago, Phyllis Vincent wrote in defense of Gov. Matt Bevin and his work on behalf of public education. She encouraged voters to “please investigate” what his record shows.

Gov. Matt Bevin told The New York Times that Tuesday’s election won’t be close – that he will beat Attorney General Andy Beshear by 6 to 10 percentage points.

In the beginning of our nation, many people in this country could not vote. The 1778 Constitution provided suffrage — the right to vote — to white male property owners who had reached the required age of majority. African Americans, Native Americans, women and males under 21 years of age wer…

I am hearing all sorts of things about Gov. Matt Bevin and what he has done to education. As a retired teacher from a profession that I enjoyed very much, I set out to do homework — to answer for myself the truth of these issues. 

With her recent hyperbolic and vitriolic column ("Guest columnist: Not proud of Capital Pride Kentucky," Oct. 23), attorney Phyllis Sower vividly demonstrates why public celebrations of LGBTQ Pride and Fairness Ordinances are still absolutely necessary. 

Whereas, the Board of Commissioners of the City of Frankfort and the citizens of the City of Frankfort welcome diversity and believe that ll individuals in Frankfort should be treated fairly, and with respect and dignity;

A common theme we hear lately is “community revitalization.” The conversation usually discusses rehabbing old buildings or sprucing up an area in economic decline with small business loans and grants.

Frankfort is by no means the land of equality or a hotbed of liberalism, but I thought when I left my "Old Kentucky Home" in 2016 the community at large and the LGBTQ identifying folks were starting to communicate. Jump ahead to Phyllis Sower’s commentary in this newspaper ("Guest columnist:…

It's with sadness and disappointment that one continues to read in The State Journal the ongoing saga (“Rosen withdraws $500,000 pledge for new animal shelter, cites 'disgust' with recent city actions,” Oct. 19) about Richard Rosen's angry vengeance against Mayor Bill May, all because, respo…

I have a different perspective on the Gay Pride event than that expressed by The State Journal in its editorial ("Frankfort should be proud of Capital Pride Kentucky Festival," Oct. 15).

After four years serving the Frankfort Plant Board, through the challenging transition from Kentucky Utilities to its new energy supplier, a number of issues remain unresolved. I am writing this column to illuminate several glaring issues and educate the community regarding what I believe to…

It’s officially flu season, and a good time of year to get serious about Vitamin C intake, getting enough sleep and extra handwashing. Behavior matters, of course, but Kentuckians’ ability to get through flu season without a minor illness turning into a major event is largely predicated on b…

In 2017, the City of Frankfort applied for and, in 2018, was awarded a U.S. Department of Transportation grant from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program.

On behalf of Yes Arts, the Franklin County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy (ASAP) and the Franklin County Health Department (FCHD), we would like to thank the community for its extraordinary support and engagement during the recent substance abuse prevention summit. More than 300 people at…

The Capital Pride Kentucky Festival, a celebration of love and diversity, has now been held here in Frankfort for three years. I've attended all of them and taken numerous photos to post on Facebook.

Earlier this year Kentucky’s legislature approved changes to Kentucky’s net metering law, undermining access to solar power for many Kentuckians.

I have two words of political advice for Frankfort City Commission newcomer Katrisha Waldridge, whom I personally like and voted for and think of as being a good person: "Chill out."

Signs of change are everywhere in Frankfort: road construction, building renovation and new traffic patterns. Growth signals change, and change can be uncomfortable, especially as Frankfort is moving into previously uncharted areas of growth in our downtown.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

I am very fortunate in that one of my great passions in life, acting, is my job. I was drawn to the theater as a kid and spent years on stage before launching a film career that continues today. 

Today, Oct. 4, is Manufacturing Day around the country, and the entire month of October is Manufacturing Month in Kentucky.

Recently I went to a presentation on community solar energy by a speaker from North Carolina State University who has received funds for consulting with co-ops and municipal electrical utilities in the Southeast. He had spoken with Frankfort Plant Board General Manager Gary Zheng earlier in …

In what may be the single most important victory for open government in recent memory, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued an opinion Thursday in which it repudiated the Legislative Research Commission’s argument that it, and not the courts, are the final arbiter of access to records of the LR…

A diagnosis of cancer or other long-term medical conditions can be life changing, not only for the patient but for their family. Some family members will take on caregiving roles as a result. If you find yourself caring for a loved one, rest assured that you can provide good care for them wh…

Families in nearly every neighborhood of our country have suffered because of the opioid and substance abuse epidemic. For years, the situation just seemed to get worse as addiction hurt more families.