FRANKFORT — Three hundred Kentuckians filed to run for a seat in the Republican-dominated Kentucky General Assembly this year, with Democrats slightly outpacing their GOP counterparts in an election year that promises dozens of intense political battles. Hoping to ride a wave of discontent, 155 Democrats filed for a seat in the 100-member House or 38-member…
Bourbon distilleries in Kentucky are reporting a record number of visitors. A statement from the Kentucky Distillers’ Association says nearly 1.2 million people visited distilleries along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour last year. That comes on the heels of a milestone in 2016, when visitors made more than 1 million…
Take a look at a few things that teachers object to in proposed pension reform in Kentucky. Mary Ann Gerth/Louisville Courier Journal Jan Taylor strolled into a classroom in Trimble County in her mid-20s and discovered she’d found her calling. Working with young children to get them ready to start school challenged and inspired her, and she loved…
A Kentucky lawmaker has proposed a bill that would strip state funding from cities and state universities that have so-called “sanctuary” policies for immigrants. Rep. Lynn Bechler, a Republican from Marion, said his proposal would not require cities or schools to proactively report illegal immigrants. “It doesn’t require the cities or colleges and universities to…
WASHINGTON (AP) — As more female soldiers move into frontline combat jobs, the Army’s top leaders have decided to integrate female officers into infantry and armor brigades at three more military bases around the country. The decision comes a year after the first women began enlisting in the ground combat units, and it will send…
FRANKFORT, KY. — At the beginning of 2017, Cathy Carter was a public school teacher with no plans to retire. A year later, she’s wrapping up her career to do something she never thought she would: Run for elected office. Carter is one of at least 28 current and former educators running for a seat in…
FRANKFORT — Senate Minority Leader Ray Jones called Wednesday for an armed guard in every Kentucky public school following a deadly shooting Tuesday at Marshall County High School. In a floor speech, Jones, D-Pikeville, said Kentucky has not adequately funded school security measures, including law-enforcement officers who are known as school resource officers. “In my opinion,…
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles is inviting Kentucky Proud members to apply to participate in programs that help showcase the state’s farm sector. The Kentucky Proud Farm to Fork and Promotional Grant programs are administered by the state agriculture department. Funding comes from a grant from the Kentucky Agricultural Development…
FRANKFORT, Ky. — As Kentucky continues to lead the nation in cigarette smoking – as well as in cancer rates and tobacco-related deaths – health advocates are launching an effort to boost the state’s cigarette tax by at least $1 a pack, a move they say is proven to reduce smoking. “We are the cancer capital of the country,”…
Norma Hatfield had to read the budget line twice Tuesday night to make sure she saw it correctly. Gov. Matt Bevin’s budget proposal set aside money for Kinship Care, which provides financial assistance to relatives raising a child not their own. The program ended in 2013, and Hatfield has long advocated for its return. “I…