After weeks of sweaty practices in the steamy August heat, football season officially kickoffs this weekend, and we’ve got all the local high school and college teams covered in our 2019 Football Preview included in Friday’s edition.

With more than 1,500 plug-in electric vehicles on Kentucky roads, the Frankfort Plant Board is hoping to catch up with other nearby cities that offer charging stations and reward environmentally conscious motorists by building three such facilities in the capital city.

Local football fans, friends and family were relieved, like we were, to learn that former Western Hills High School standout and current Nebraska Cornhusker Wan’Dale Robinson won’t be charged with possession of marijuana after receiving a citation from a community service officer who reporte…

At least one city commissioner remained skeptical about converting East Main Street from Capital Avenue to Spaghetti Junction (the intersection of U.S. 60 and U.S. 460-Versailles Road) from its current four lanes to three following a presentation by Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) off…

In a ranking of the best 45 Kentucky cities for middle-class families released this week, 19 towns rated higher than Frankfort, which placed well down the list in 20th.

When it comes to buildings, the state is known for coming up with bland names that lack context and don’t exactly roll off the tongue. Recent local additions such as The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Office Building and The 300 Building immediately leap to mind.

Jake Banta’s appointment to take the reins at the Franklin County Regional Jail following the abrupt retirement announcement from Jailer Rick Rogers capped off a news-filled week at the county’s only corrections facility.

The dawn of a new school year is the beginning of the next chapter — a fresh start as crisp and clean as the first page in a notebook. To coincide with students returning to the classroom this week, we at your hometown newspaper are rolling out our revamped weekly features lineup.

Franklin County Schools will open for the school year Wednesday, and motorists should be on the lookout for the flashing red lights and extended stop signs on school buses and for children burdened with overloaded backpacks near the road.

Kentucky placed 10th best in the nation in a recent QuoteWizard study of the country’s best and worst driving states. However, when the research team took a closer look at the 50 largest cities in the Bluegrass State, Frankfort didn’t fare well.

With two pieces of prime property officially on the market, Frankfort — with a positive push by the state — is inching closer to getting the public real estate into private hands and back on the city and county tax rolls, which, according to Finance and Administration Secretary William Landr…

With downtown Frankfort on its way to creating an entertainment destination center (EDC), which would allow open alcoholic beverages within certain downtown parameters at specific times, two nearby communities are thirsting to follow suit.

How many more times will we read about this stuff?

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had an eventful weekend. After being heckled by Democrats at the state’s annual political grilling event, Fancy Farm, on Saturday, the 77-year-old fractured his shoulder in a fall on the patio at his Louisville home Sunday.

With hopes of keeping hoops and football games family friendly, University of Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart announced Thursday the school will not be expanding alcohol sales to general seating areas this year, even though a new Southeastern Conference policy allows it to do so.

For nearly a week now something has been fishy with the water for dozens of customers in the Peaks Mill Water District, and officials are pinning the tail on the early July warehouse fire at Jim Beam that destroyed 45,000 barrels of bourbon and contaminated local waterways.

Creativity is key.

We’d prefer less acrimony in their deliberations, but count us as encouraged with ongoing efforts by Frankfort Plant Board directors to find a compromise solution on the controversial Tanglewood water reservoir.

Decked out in new outfits and loaded down with school supplies, many students across Kentucky will be heading back to the classroom over the next two weeks to a critical teacher shortage, state education officials warn.

It’s no secret that most Kentuckians associate Frankfort with the politicians who whirl in and out of here for 30 to 60 days each year. But those who call the capital city home know that buried beneath the cover of state government is a quaint, interesting town. And others are starting to ta…

Perhaps no one knows the ins and outs of the capital city better than Downtown Frankfort Inc. Director Kelly Everman, which makes her the perfect choice to execute the master plan for the community's central business and cultural district.

Kentucky smokers, regardless of whether they are puffing a traditional cigarette or the latest electronic version, would and should have to pay the same tax rate under legislation filed for the 2020 General Assembly by two state lawmakers on Tuesday. So would users of smokeless tobacco.

While long miles are ahead in the quest for a new animal shelter, the Frankfort City Commission’s unanimous approval Monday of a free long-term lease of land to the Franklin County Humane Society was a step — or pawprint, as the case may be — in the right direction.

It is often said that when one door closes another one opens. And perhaps that adage is fitting in this case.

With summer travel season in full swing and more motorists taking to the highways, Kentucky State Police and troopers in five nearby states are collaborating on education and enforcement of the Move Over Law next week.

In a yearlong debate fraught with emotion and distrust, we’ve been reluctant to pick sides as the Frankfort Plant Board has butted heads with city commissioners, planners and Tanglewood residents over the best option for replacing a decrepit water reservoir.

Envelope, please. After three weeks of voting, the results of this year’s Frankfort’s Faves People’s Choice Awards have been tabulated and the top three winners on each ballot are announced in a special section in Thursday’s edition.

It is often said that to teach is to learn twice. A handful of Franklin County educators participating in the second annual Teachers Academy did just that earlier this week.

Nearly five months after its decision to name the Old Pinsly Trail the Bourbon Road Rail Trail, the city commission backpedaled last week to change its blunder — opting instead for the simple Thorobred Trail.

It happened mere minutes after Rose Lavelle sliced and diced her way through the Netherlands’ defenders and sent a dazzling left kick into the net, cementing the United States’ victory in the Women’s World Cup final on Sunday. The crowd of nearly 58,000 began chanting “equal pay,” a two-word…

With the hope that a ban on paper recycling is only temporary, the City of Frankfort is offering residents, for a limited time, an opportunity to upgrade to larger trash carts at a deeply discounted price.

For the second time in recent months Frankfort High is going “old school” to recognize and embrace its storied athletic past.

On Tuesday, Kentuckians woke to the news that Democrat Amy McGrath will challenge 34-year U.S. senator and current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his seat in next year’s election.

Local law enforcement officers are in the process of getting a high-tech tool that will better chronicle interactions between the thin blue line and the public. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has already begun equipping deputies with body cameras and the Frankfort Police Department wil…

Public parks and green spaces add immeasurable value to communities and their residents, and Frankfort is lucky to be home to some superb parks.

On another fun, event-packed Fourth of July in Frankfort, we hope all citizens paused to consider the reason for the celebration.

Contrary to what some may think, a new downtown Entertainment District Center (EDC) designation — one which can be activated at certain times and in places — won’t likely lead to an abundance of drunks walking around with open alcohol containers at all hours of the day and night.

Experts estimate a record-breaking 49 million Americans are planning Independence Day getaways this week. According to AAA, 41.1 million will take to the highways, with Wednesday expected to be the worst travel day. So, we ask, why bother traveling when there are plenty of local events plann…

Those who like their politics as hot as their barbecue won’t be disappointed at this year’s Fancy Farm Picnic at St. Jerome Catholic Church in far southwestern Kentucky.

With summer in full swing and the Fourth of July on the horizon, there is one item that should be in every Kentuckian’s pool bag, picnic basket and purse before heading outdoors — sunscreen.

When it comes to finding local businesses and services, it doesn’t matter whether you are a newcomer to the capital city or a Frankfort native, we can all use an extra hand to guide us in the right direction. Included in Thursday’s edition is our annual “How To” guide. Inside you will find i…

Sunday’s announcement that downtown grocery staple Bryant’s Pic-Pac is closing — a decision that owners Danny and Sheila Bryant say won’t be swayed by a community outpouring, as happened last year — is disheartening not just for the customers of the family-owned store but for Frankfort as a whole.

Most often the road to achieving one’s dream is littered with speed bumps, turnabouts and dead ends. Fortunately for Franklin County High School graduate Logan Woodside, recent lessons learned on and off the football field have led to a well-earned second chance.

After nearly two years, Bellepoint residents will be reconnected with downtown Frankfort. The city announced Friday that the pedestrian bridge over Wilkinson Boulevard, which was dead-ended as part of the Capital Plaza redevelopment project, will be completed with both a stairway and elevator.

Gov. Matt Bevin’s newfound confidence that he has enough votes to pass a pension-relief proposal eerily reminds us of the ’80s Great White classic “Once Bitten Twice Shy.” In other words, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

With hopes of recruiting and retaining skilled employees for what they hope is an entire career, the Frankfort Plant Board on Tuesday approved a 4.2% raise for roughly 70% of its staff — the second such pay increase in the past two years.

Kentuckiana is synonymous with fast horses and speedy racecars. However, another trend that has caught fire just as swiftly is e-cigarette usage. In fact, data released by QuoteWizard on Monday ranked Kentucky second (6.1%) and Indiana (6%) third in the country for the highest prevalence of …

If the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team placed 34th out of 50 in the final poll of the season, Kentuckians would be appalled — especially if the team was consistently awful for the next seven years. So we should be equally flabbergasted that the 30th annual Kids Count Data Book r…

Freshly pinned Frankfort Police Chief Chuck Adams isn’t likely to be the loudest person in the room. In fact, he has more of a quiet demeanor along with the uncanny ability to lead by example.

Just a few weeks into summer break and already the “I’m boreds” have been flung in family rooms around Frankfort. Fortunately, there’s no need to fork over big bucks to entertain the kids this summer. There are several free local child-friendly options for families with kids of all ages.