Columns

Who would have thought when the Cleveland Browns won the NFL title back in 1964 that it would be another 52 years before the city would claim another major professional sports championship? Though it might have seemed like 100 years to some, it took the Cleveland Cavaliers to rid Cleveland, sometimes called the “mistake on the lake,” of the jinx. When the Browns won Lyndon Johnson was in the White House, and the Rock ’n Roll Hall of Fame hadn’t even been thought of, at least not in Cleveland. In fact many of its inductees were years away from their first performance. Lost in it all, almost relegated to a footnote, is...

All of us here at the News Journal are truly saddened this week by the passing of Bena Mae Seivers. During all of my two decades working for this newspaper, Bena Mae has been an extremely popular fixture in our pages. Her column, “Bena Mae’s Kitchen,” was about so much more than just recipes and cooking tips. It was the way so many of us got to know her. Even people that had never met Bena Mae felt like they’d been friends all their lives. Her writing style had personality and oozed likability. She was truly talented. Since becoming editor of this newspaper, and now publisher, I’ve received so many calls from people...

It was about nine years ago that Gibson’s Music owner Betty Comer implored me to take time out of a busy Tuesday to watch Tommy Emmanuel play guitar. Emmanuel, an Australian-born guitar wonder of the world, was playing a show at Corbin High School for the Fine Arts Association of Southeastern Kentucky Inc. I’d never heard of him. But I have great respect for Betty. Tuesdays are brutal days here at the News Journal, but I got up ultra early that morning, got as much work done in advance as I could, and carved out time to see Emmanuel play. I wasn’t real enthused about the whole thing, to be honest. I figured...

The Kentucky Press Association makes available student interns during the summer to its members. We have had several interns at the News Journal. This year we are fortunate to have Candice Garcia from Corbin. She is a student at Eastern Kentucky University. I was a student intern 56 years ago at WHAS-TV in Louisville. It was prior to my senior year at the University of Kentucky and it was a giant step for a boy from Corbin to be out on his own in the big city. My anxiety was high as I drove my father’s Ford Falcon to work the first day at the Courier-Journal building at Sixth and Broadway....

Maintaining a controlled breeding and calving season can be one of the most important management tools for cow-calf producers. A uniform, heavier and more valuable calf crop is one key reason for keeping the breeding season short. Plus, more efficient cow supplementation and cow herd health programs are products of a short breeding season. However, converting from a year-long breeding season to a shortened 2 to 3 month breeding season should not be done haphazardly. A system for converting from year-round to a 75-day controlled calving season over a period of two years would present less loss and fewer problems than to try to convert in one year. The following...

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least 382 children younger than age 15 drown each year in pools or spas. Of those, 290 (76 percent) are younger than age five. These drownings represent only those reported to CPSC, so the numbers are minimums. More significantly, for children younger than age five, over 86 percent of the drownings occur in residential settings. Drownings at home account for 54 percent; another 32 percent occur at the homes of family, friends and neighbors. Pools account for 95 percent of the drownings, broken down at 56 percent in ground pools, 22 percent above ground pools, 8 percent portable pools and 9 percent undisclosed type....

Summer months are the harvest season for blueberries and blackberries, both of which have the potential to grow very well in Kentucky. Harvest time for blueberries, which are native to North America, is from early June through early August. Blackberry harvest is from mid-June to early October. These delicious fruits offer several health benefits, and they capture the essence of summer in their sweetness. Blueberries are an excellent choice for both home and commercial growing. They are long-lived as fruit trees and have few pests or diseases. They also have a late blossom time, so frost rarely causes damage on well-chosen sites. Blackberries also have a long fruit-bearing life and...

Many old-time recipes are family favorites, handed down through the years and enjoyed by everyone. But for safe home canning, only current, research-based recipes should be used. Old or untested recipes from the internet, cookbooks or grandma’s recipe stash should not be canned. Instead, enjoy those recipes freshly made or frozen for longer storage. Research-based home canning recommendations have changed over the years as more testing has been done. Some foods have changed, too. For example, many tomatoes now have lower acid levels than in the past. So, even previously tested recipes from the Cooperative Extension Service and other trusted sources may no longer be valid. The USDA Complete Guide...

Now that we have had our fill of hot dogs, hamburgers and watermelon during the July 4th holiday weekend, it brings to mind a time when I could never get enough watermelon. They seemed to taste better back then. I argue with my wife that those seedless melons she brings home don’t compare with those back then. She tells me that I think everything was better then. A few years ago I submitted the following story to a book publisher and it was published, along with others stories from the area. My adventure happened about this time of the year. On a hot summer day in the 1950’s, before air conditioning was...

There’s a very snide, contemptuous and secretive attitude of late regarding all things financial at Corbin City hall. This newspaper is having to climb mountains to get basic information. That usually means trouble. At the meeting where the city passed its budget this year, not a single highlight of the over $11 million worth of planned spending was given. Nothing. Not a word. Are we buying some new police cars? Are improvements being made to the Rec Center? Are the guys in Public Works getting some new equipment? Are we fixing more sidewalks? Who knows? Nobody’s talking. When one commissioner asked why the practice continues of overestimating revenues that are totally out of...