Opinion

Here at the Local, we already knew we were blessed with a unique and wonderful sports editor.

Having worked with a variety of sports editors and writers over the years, I can honestly say Tommie is one in a million — not only does he cover every sport with unbridled enthusiasm, he’s tried just about every sport he covers.

I think we all gained a new level of respect for him this weekend after he added a new sport to his list, and with it, a new title: Ironman.

With Labor Day in our rear-view mirror, and hopefully the brutally hot weather as well, most of us are understandably looking forward to fall.

Interests may range from football to festivals, but getting ready for hunting season or casting a line in the nearest lake or river ranks high on the list for many.  Native Americans called Kentucky the Happy Hunting Ground for a reason, and now more than ever, there is no shortage of people who love getting outdoors.

The 11 th Annual New Castle Fall Fling is Saturday, October 2 from 10 am til 4 pm.  We will have arts & crafts, flea markets, exhibits, food booths, live entertainment, children’s activities, farmer’s market, citywide yard sales, quilt show, car, truck and tractor show, and much more. 

The latest kurfuffle in Campbellsburg centers around a seemingly simple, though rediculous concept — whether or not the city;s fire department should pay the city $52,000.

Last week, the Campbellsburg City Attorney Graham Whatley said he had been asked by Mayor Jan Fletcher to draft a legal opinion regarding the city’s relationship with its fire department.

As a result, Whatley cranked out a 20-page, rambling opinion — that could well have been condensed to less than 5 pages — that levels some hefty allegations.

For nearly a quarter-century, the Kentucky State Police has taken an annual in-depth look at crime in the Commonwealth, drawing from a database that brings together reports compiled by state and local law enforcement.

Each crime worthy of the police’s attention serves as a dot that helps to paint a pretty good picture of the year faced by our 10,000 officers and their civilian support.  Historically, these reports show some definite trends, indicating where we are doing well and where we could do better.

Hooboy has it been hot lately. Sure, July and August are supposed to be scorchers, but we’re approaching 50 days so far this summer that have charted 90-degree days or higher.

As I said to my husband last week, it’s wicked hot out there. Hades himself surely is looking for some cool air right now.

No doubt ice cream sales are up right now, as are electric bills as we struggle to stay cool. Box fans, stand fans and oscillating fans probably are working overtime.

Most would consider it out of the ordinary, to say the least, for a woman like me, who was having children 40 years ago, to be pregnant today. But someone, or someone’s database, is convinced that I am expecting.

Kentucky’s oldest highway system – our 1,100 miles of navigable rivers – has been getting a closer look in recent months by the General Assembly.

A year ago, a permanent legislative committee dedicated solely to waterways held its first meeting; and earlier this year, during the legislative session, my colleagues and I voted to create a new water transportation advisory board, to give us and others in state government a ready resource of information from those whose job is tied to that industry.

During the early stages of a typhoon, the storm begins brewing offshore and out of sight.  It is not until the typhoon reaches the coastal shore that it takes full form and residents are forced to deal with such a disastrous storm, moving at speeds up to 200 miles per hour.  Once the storm hits the shore, it is only a matter of minutes, hours or days before the waves and wind, destroy homes, businesses and livelihoods.