President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday last year and the Frankfort City Commission followed suit, voting unanimously last June to make the holiday, which marks the emancipation of African American slaves in the U.S., a paid day off for all city staff. But not every government …

Earlier this month, six Franklin County Regional Jail inmates were sent to Frankfort Regional Medical Center for suspected fentanyl use. Four of the six were administered Narcan, a medicine used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency, prior to being transported t…

This week — in conjunction with Juneteenth — there are several opportunities to learn about, explore and celebrate the African American experience in Frankfort and we encourage our community members to take part.

Is the future of the city’s partnership with Kentucky Capital Development Corporation in jeopardy? Last week the city commission met to discuss the operational status and future plans for economic development as it pertains to the organization.

When it comes to second chances there are very few local folks whose life story rivals that of Dale Robinson, who spent much of his two sons’ young lives incarcerated on drug charges and completely turned his life around after he was released.

With all the dire news coming out of Kentucky State University in recent months, last week’s announcement of a partnership between the school and CHI Saint Joseph Health is a positive step in the right direction for students at the state’s only public HBCU (Historically Black College and Uni…

Over the next 2½ weeks, 19 fourth graders and two teachers will be laid to rest. On May 24 an 18-year-old gunman — who we have chosen not to name — armed with an AR-15 barricaded himself inside their Uvalde, Texas, elementary school and began shooting and killing them before a team of border…

It’s time to start determining who will be named among the city’s best. Starting Monday, readers can nominate candidates for the annual Frankfort’s Faves People’s Choice Awards in each of more than 100 categories.

Franklin County Schools is doing its best to retain teachers and staff members. At last week’s meeting the FCS board of education approved a tentative budget for the next fiscal year, which includes a 2% pay hike for all employees. This is the fifth time in the past six years that FCS staff …

If you’re looking for a horse to pull for in this weekend’s Preakness Stakes, consider filly, Secret Oath, who not only won the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in impressive fashion but also has local ties to Frankfort.

A proposed change to the city’s solid waste ordinance would limit free Cleanup Weeks from six times per year to just two and we, like a majority of readers who have participated in our online poll, are not happy about it.

Franklin County Clerk Jeff Hancock has a message for local voters. “I want to lead the state. I want the largest voter turnout in the state of Kentucky right here in Franklin County. We’re always one, two or three, I wanna be one,” he said. And we couldn’t agree more.

Now that the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic seems to be in the rearview mirror and folks can safely gather outside again, we are glad to see more residents, families and visitors being drawn to Frankfort and think the capital city needs more community and family-friendly events such as th…

Perhaps nothing is more magical than watching someone’s dream come true. That is exactly what happened to University of Kentucky wide receiver and Western Hills graduate Wan’Dale Robinson last week when he was selected by the New York Giants with the 43rd pick in the NFL Draft.

Saturday’s announcement of the death of Kentucky country music star Naomi Judd — half of the mother-daughter duo The Judds — on the eve of the group’s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville collectively took our breath away.

We can all agree that substance use disorder (SUD) is a problem here in Frankfort and across Kentucky and the country. And while many folks are helping to break the stigma of addiction, they are facing pushback from others who don’t seem to understand that recovery is possible and most of th…

A week before “riders up” is called at Churchill Downs for the 148th Run for the Roses, Team Kentucky will be putting the now-closed road between the Capitol and Annex to good use Saturday with a Derby Week Kick-off celebration and it will include lots of local flair.

Frankfort and Franklin County’s reputation as being anti-business took another hit last week when it was announced that Buffalo Trace, a stalwart in the community for more than 200 years, plans to build 24 barrel warehouses in Anderson County.

The Booe family has been handcrafting chocolates — including its world famous bourbon balls — for more than 103 years and counting. We can’t think of a business that better personifies the word “resilience,” which is why Rebecca Ruth Candy Tours and Museum were honored as the recipient of th…

The primary election is approximately one month away and there are many key races that will affect Franklin Countians, perhaps the most important of which is the judge-executive seat, where three Democrats — incumbent Huston Wells, 3rd District Magistrate Michael Mueller and 1st District Con…

Kentucky’s 2022-24 budget finds funding an 8% across-the-board raise for state employees this year — the first pay raise for state workers since fiscal year 2015 — with salary increases for fiscal year 2024 dependent on lawmakers in the next legislative session. State social workers, family …

Seven years after accepting the job of superintendent of Frankfort Independent Schools, Houston Barber announced earlier this week that he is stepping down to accept a position as deputy superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools, where he will assist in the planning, operation, supervi…

With one inmate dying in the Franklin County Regional Jail and another clinging to life at Frankfort Regional Medical Center, we believe it is time for an independent investigation into how illegal drugs are getting into the facility and distributed.

With legislation to keep Kentucky State University financially afloat awaiting the governor’s signature, the proverbial ball is now in the state’s only public historically Black college’s court.

April is teacher appreciation month and one local organization is raising money to fund a luncheon and show support for the approximately 640 who teach in Frankfort Independent Schools and Franklin County Schools and work tirelessly for students in our community.

In a unanimous and unprecedented 4-0 vote following a public trial-type hearing elected leaders last week chose to remove one of their own from the city commission ranks. After deliberating for approximately 35 minutes, Mayor Layne Wilkerson, Mayor Pro Tem Katrisha Waldridge and Commissioner…

The Kentucky and Murray State men’s basketball teams aren’t the only ones who came up short last week. In the Elite Eight round of the 7th annual Strongest Towns Contest sponsored by Strong Towns, Frankfort was edged out by Yellow Springs, Ohio, for a spot in the Final Four.

While Kentucky State University still waits for official word from the Legislature as to whether it will receive a $23 million appropriation for the current fiscal year to remain afloat and continues to look for ways to slash $7 million from the next fiscal year’s budget, it’s also keeping a…

After eight months of virtually being left in limbo, the Kentucky Capital Development Corp. now has enough board members to qualify as a quorum. On March 4, Mayor Layne Wilkerson announced three city appointments finally giving the local economic development organization a full board.

If you can read this, someone — probably a teacher, parent, guardian or family member — taught you how to do so and most likely at a young age.

It’s becoming a regular occurrence. For the third straight year, the Franklin County High School girls basketball team has punched their ticket to the 2022 Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen at Rupp Arena.

The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament brackets aren’t the only ones being filled out this month. Frankfort is one of 16 cities vying for the title in the 7th annual Strongest Towns Contest.

Many residents in the Frankfort and Franklin County community, like many areas across the country, suffer from Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or drug addiction — which the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) defines as a mental disorder that affects a person’s brain and behavior leading…

It’s no secret that we are all paying more for the items we use every day. Elected leaders on both sides of the aisle recently took actions to curb the sting of rising inflation, which is fueling higher consumer prices.

The Frankfort Convention Center was closed and demolished by the state four years ago. However, in the past few weeks it has become increasingly apparent that Frankfort is still in need of a venue that can accommodate larger crowds.

Nearly a week after Kentucky State University stakeholders attended Green and Gold Day at the state Capitol and just a day after the Frankfort City Commission drafted a yet-to-be-passed resolution in support of the institution, the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee took the first st…

Last week’s jury trial into alleged sexual abuse by a former Bondurant Middle School teacher is a perfect example of why those who are charged with crimes in the American judicial system should always be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Frankfort City Commission set a precedent late last month when it unanimously approved a resolution and memorandum of agreement (MOA) for a Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) — the first of its kind — with Prescient Frankfort 1 LLC for a proposed senior living facility to be located at the…

The deaths of two people at a La Grange hotel last week serve as a good reminder for all of us to check carbon monoxide levels in our homes — especially during the winter season when windows and doors are usually shut and people tend to stay indoors.

Within a 13-hour time span on Monday and Tuesday, three local institutions — Kentucky State University and Western Hills and Franklin County high schools — received bomb threats. Though no devices were located at any of the schools, we believe it’s time for us all to stand up against school …

At last week’s meeting the Frankfort City Commission approved a financial settlement with former City Manager Keith Parker in the amount of $40,000 in a 3-1 vote.

A story featured in Wednesday’s edition about a woman who was recently arrested for squatting in an unfinished East Frankfort house highlights a larger problem — linking those who are homeless with available resources in our community — especially in cold weather.

American writer Mark Twain once said, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

After more than a month of conducting interviews for Frankfort police chief, the city commission in a unanimous vote announced Wednesday afternoon following an executive session that veteran officer Dustin “Dusty” Bowman would take the helm. His first day in the department’s top spot was Thu…

After a nearly two-year wait, we are encouraged by the news that both Frankfort and Franklin County are once again collecting curbside glass recycling and hope to include paper to the list of recyclables later this year.

Count us among those who are grateful that Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd stepped in and ordered a temporary injunction for an encroachment permit that would allow only right turns between Sonny’s BBQ and the newly constructed RaceTrac travel center on Versailles Road near Dun…

Though details surrounding the situation are scarce, we now know the name of the Frankfort City Commission member whose alleged misconduct has been the topic of three recent closed-door meetings over the past week.

While many University of Kentucky fans are sad that junior wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson will forego his senior season and enter the NFL Draft, consider us among those who are happy for the Frankfort native for making his childhood dream to play football at the professional level a reality.

House Republican leaders finally released its long-awaited legislative redistricting proposal Thursday afternoon — on a state holiday and just days before the legislature convened for the start of the 2022 general session.

Due to an onslaught of resignations over the summer, it’s been more than five months since the Kentucky Capital Development Corp. has had a quorum of at least four board members present.