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Opinion: Secrecy, eminent domain and the erosion of public trust in Kentucky
BY JONATHAN SCHAAFSMA What do a runway, a data center and pickleball courts have in common? In Kentucky, the answer is secrecy and a troubling disregard for taxpayer voices. In Bourbon County, we recently witnessed the unraveling of the controversial Bluegrass Station Airport proposal—a $300 million-plus project that would have used eminent domain to seize…
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AmeriCorps and national service: Common ground for the Commonwealth
BY JOE BRINGARDNER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SERVE KENTUCKY In a time when division dominates the headlines, national service offers rare common ground. Across Kentucky, AmeriCorps members are showing up – not for headlines, but for neighbors. They tutor students, support families, and help communities rebuild after disasters. They reflect the values that define the Commonwealth: compassion,…
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Bitcoin King: From luxury townhome to jail
Would a million dollars make you happy? Would you be satisfied knowing you could eat good and do about whatever you wanted to do? A million dollars is not what it used to be, but it is still a huge sum of money. You should pull in about $40,000 a year in interest. But wait.…
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Cicada symphony
BY VICKI LOVERN It may not be music to our ears, but it is indeed the sweetest melody for the hundreds of thousands of cicadas that blend their unique sounds to create nature’s largest symphony. The cicadas, whose sole purpose in life is to reproduce, synchronize their mating calls in an often deafening but always…
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Legislative Update: Protecting what is rightfully yours
BY BOBBY MCCOOL In Kentucky, property ownership has long been a cornerstone of personal freedom and economic stability. However, many property owners face the ongoing challenge of protecting their investments from the act of squatting—when a person occupies an abandoned or unoccupied space without legal permission. This practice has become a significant and often contentious…
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Advice for graduates
Many of you have a son or daughter or maybe, like me, a granddaughter graduating this month. This is always a momentous occasion for the teenager and their families. Most of us who have a few years under our belts know that time flies. Before these graduates know what hit them, they are thrust into…
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Biden’s cancer: Do not settle for a White House doctor
The recent announcement about former President Joe Biden having terminal prostate cancer is mind-blowing. The cancer is in his bones, so yes, it is terminal. He might live a couple of years, depending on how far it has progressed. This week, I have been wondering if the cancer is already in his brain and if…
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Cutting LIHEAP is a deadly blow to Eastern Kentucky
BY CHRIS WOOLERY By any measure, the economy of Eastern Kentucky and the wider Appalachian region is struggling. The collapse of the coal industry, the opioid crisis, and the recurring natural disasters have left scars that are slow to heal. Families and individual households trying to make ends meet rely on an array of federal…
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Airline, weather and water problems
Air traffic controllers have been using outdated equipment for decades. Some Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facilities are over 50 years old. The Government Accountability Office reported that 51 of 138 air traffic control systems are unsustainable due to age and outdated functionality. Equipment upgrades have been delayed for at least a decade. Modernization plans are…
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Customer service can be frustrating
I am sure many of you have had to make a phone call to a company or utility service trying to get some help or information. I am sure if you have – you have come away frustrated. You make the call, and instead of getting a live person, you get an automated reply. Press…
