Gov. Andy Beshear may not have to work hard early on to gain traction against his Republican opponents in this year’s gubernatorial race.

What you are about to read are facts as best as I can remember. No animals, people or other things were harmed during this encounter. And while you may not agree with what you are about to read, understand I was at my home minding my own business.

I awoke to a harsh knock on the door. An anxious voice called out: “Move your car; everything is flooding; the building may no longer be safe.” I was in  Knott County at Hindman Settlement School for the 45th annual Appalachian Writer’s Workshop during the historic flood of July 29, 2022. Da…

We recently learned that 98-year-old former President Jimmy Carter was returning to his hometown of Plains, Georgia, where he will be entering Hospice care to see him through to the pending end of this life.

It’s been said that, in a small town, if you don’t know your business, there are plenty of people who will tell you what your business is and should be. Those folks then go on social media and spread rumors that are, for the most part untrue, but the social sheep believe every word.

If I’m going to be honest with you, I hate change and I definitely don’t adjust well to it.

Two items came to mind that may have an adverse effect on people and property I thought I would share with you. However, I can’t overlook the balloon in the room either.

We run several newspapers in the region and there is never a dull moment. We often have great stories about local sports and other people and businesses that do amazing things, and those stories are the fabric of the communities in which we represent.

It takes guts to register as an “other” in Kentucky.

Fake News. President Trump made that phrase popular when reporters dogged him on useless subjects. Since that time, politicians who are not interested in answering questions use that term in hopes that the public will believe them, which often happens.

While there are those who would prefer you think otherwise, words do matter.

50 years ago this week, the United States was rocked by a series of events.

If you ever thought that lawmakers waste their time on useless laws jut to get their names associated with a bill, you are correct.

When trying to get a read on “the economy,” there are a number of indicators that tell us what’s going on and which matter depends on who you’re asking.

The Kentucky House wasted no time last week in getting a major measure approved.

All the holiday hoopla is over and now is the time to start the new year. Some people make resolutions for better health, some hope for prosperity and others just want to continue to live in what was formerly known as peace. I don’t do any of that nonsense.

Make no mistake — 2023 will be a pivotal year in determining the future of our region.

Watching the international news right now is an interesting distraction for those of us who have an interest in history.

More shootings, more thoughts and prayers. One shooter got his ass kicked by an Army veteran and a drag queen in heels. And in Virginia a gunman killed several shoppers at a retail store. That shooter is dead.

This year has seemed to fly by – it's already almost the end of November, which is hard to believe. It doesn't feel like 2022 should be almost over, yet it is.

Over the last several decades we found out where the beef is. Next week we will know where the turkey is. But what we all really want to know is where's the money?

Appalachia is an uncommonly beautiful place, Central Appalachia doubly so.

We are running on empty when it comes to common-sense energy policy. The latest victim of the radical push to end all fossil fuel use is diesel. Whether you believe or not, a crisis is spreading across the country. Analysts point to a 25-day diesel supply, with rationing already occurring in…

In just over a week, this year’s general election will be in the process of wrapping up.

Serendipity — looking for a needle in the haystack and finding the farmer’s daughter. A coal miner from Pike County experienced a form of serendipity, not the farmer’s daughter but VIP tickets to a UK ball game.

While the national political scene focuses on the midterm elections on Nov. 8 and what is likely to be an incredibly consuming presidential race in 2024, in Kentucky, a lot of the focus seems to be on 2023 and specifically, the race for the Governor’s Mansion.

You can remove the hillbilly from the mountains fairly easily, but I’ve found it’s a lot more difficult to remove the mountains from the hillbilly.

President Biden campaigned on uniting the country. So far, I don’t think he has fulfilled his promise and, with the comments made by the V.P., It looks like further division.

The legalization of marijuana for either recreational or medical use is becoming a hot topic in Kentucky.

There’s been an unmeasurable amount of speculation since 2016 about why Donald Trump is so popular.

The Grateful Dead’s “New Speedway Boogie” wraps up with a repeated line: “One way or another, This darkness got to give.”

In less than two months, we as Americans will go once again to the polls and cast our votes for candidates who we feel will best represent us. There are several local races that have the potential of becoming highly contested, which is always amusing. Others races may not be as exciting, eth…

Last week, two southern governors — Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida — made high-profile statements, bussing immigrants from their states to the affluent Martha’s Vineyard and Vice President Kamala Harris’ front door.

Ten years ago, If I had told you that soon there would be armed guards at all schools in an effort to keep our kids safe, you would have said hat I was bat-crap crazy. Well after all the social media starved crazy people who are trying to get noticed and have taken freedom entirely too far, …

As a Catholic who attempts to hold to the traditional Friday penance of not eating meat and as a former vegetarian, I’ve often tried faux meats such as veggie burgers and hot dogs and, even more recently, Beyond Meat, as a substitute for regular meats.

In the summer of 2020, the country was not only in the depths of COVID fear and lockdowns, but also in a period of unrest following the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, among other high-profile deaths of individuals in police-involved incidents.

The unbelievable recent rains poured and poured, flooding the North Fork of the Kentucky River in eastern Kentucky leaving death and destruction in its wake. Many people dead and missing, homes and businesses along the river washed away as if they were little match sticks leaving many hard w…

Many words have been written about the failure of leadership. For many who followed last week’s special session, most disappointing for the hundreds of families who have lost everything was the failure of leadership to address the immediate housing needs. To quote the words of Robert K. Gree…

On July 28, 2022, parts of Eastern Kentucky suffered the greatest disaster in its recorded history. On that tragic night, up to 12 inches of rain fell on the mountains of East Kentucky over a short period of time. When such a large amount of rain happens in such a short period of time, the w…

My name is Chad Allen and I have been a lifelong resident of HWY 476 in Perry County that utilizes the Homeplace Community Center. I am a graduate of Alice Lloyd College with a BA in Education, graduate of Union College with a Master's Degree in Administration and a graduate of Morehead Stat…

Children have coped with a lot of change over the past several years. It’s important to recognize that change, even good change, can sometimes be challenging for kids. As we work on establishing post-pandemic equilibrium, we must be sensitive to those who may be having a harder time with the…

“You come at the king, you best not miss.”

As the flood waters begin to recede, families, business owners and volunteer cleanup groups will begin to reenter the buildings and start the long cleanup process. Unfortunately, many flood-related injuries and health issues, even death, occur during the cleanup response. It is critical to r…

If you want your faith in humanity restored, you need to visit Eastern Kentucky.

There are no words which can describe the incredible destruction of the past days. There are no words which can describe the loss of life. There are no words which can describe the loss of homes. There are no words which can describe the horror of families trapped in their homes while the fl…

Is it just me, or has it been a rough few years?

Over these past few years there has been a lot of change and pressure across our economy and our health care system, in particular the demand on independent pharmacies. Independent pharmacies stimulate small business ownership within rural economies across America.

One of the most controversial issues today would appear, at the surface level, to be about whether abortion should be legal or illegal.

Washington is dysfunctional. It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out quickly.

There is an industry term being used at colleges and universities called the “Great Interruption.” You may have heard of a similar term called the 'Great Resignation,' or the increased number of employees who are not returning to work or who resigned from their jobs.