Columns

When I became Publisher of the News Journal in 2015, one of the first things I wanted to get accomplished was to modernize the newspaper’s website. It’s been a LONG process getting there, but two weeks ago we did sort of a silent rollout of the new site (thenewsjournal.net/). For those of you who have been using it, thank you for being our lab rats, so to speak. You’ve helped us sort out a bunch of problems and issues that we’ve been able to fix. I’m proud of the work that has been done so far. Don’t get me wrong; we plan to keep adding features and functionality as the weeks go...

Balancing your personal life from your professional life is no easy task! In the world we live, it is increasingly difficult to say no to work assignments and yes to spending time with family. Some of us long to get promoted with our jobs and steadily climb the ladder. Others have kids to support and without a lot of help. Therefore, we are working three jobs or late nights just to make sure there is food on the table. But are we missing out on the real purpose if we don’t get to spend time with those we love? When possible there are ways to balance work with life to make for a...

• Stay alert!  The spring calving season should be in full swing now, top priority should be to get a live calf and keep cows in sufficient body condition to rebreed early. Calving areas should be accessible and as clean and as free of mud as possible. Pastures which have good sod and are close to handling facilities work best. Be prepared for severe weather and avoid calving losses that were common last winter. • Check cows at least twice daily and first-calf heifers more frequently than that. Be ready to assist those not making progress after 1 to 2 hours of hard labor. Chilled calves should be dried and...

By the time the polls opened at 10 a.m. Saturday for the Republican Presidential Caucus at Whitley County High School, there were at least 100 people already in line waiting to cast their ballots. Mind you, there was no unanimous consensus on whom those in attendance planned to vote for, or whether Kentucky should continue with a Presidential Caucus instead of a Presidential Primary in the future. However, there was one thing nearly everyone I spoke to at the caucus Saturday was in agreement about. They liked the idea of voting for their party's presidential candidate earlier in the process while they could still have an impact on who the nominee...

My perspective on a few events of the past week. DONALD TRUMP The soul searching and hand wringing going on surrounding the candidacy of Donald Trump is a little disingenuous. All the hyperventilating, breathless disapproval, and sanctimony being uttered about how this presidential election is the worst EVER lacks authenticity. Historically speaking, there have been much nastier political campaigns and much nastier candidates. Also, I think some of the people most frothed up about Trump should look in the mirror. He’s just a product of the society in which he dwells. Just look at your Facebook or Twitter news feed, or take a gander at the comments section of just about any political news story...

Managing finances as a single parent can be difficult. Single parents are faced all at once with the tasks of adjusting to one income, creating and maintaining a budget and planning for their financial future. As a result, single parents may often feel overwhelmed when it comes to managing their finances. There are several tips that you can follow to create a financial plan to help you and your family be financially successful. Tips for Financial Success: • Create a budget that works for you. Developing a monthly plan for your money is important. Make a list of all sources of income as well as your monthly expenses. Be certain to...

The Kentucky Division of Water may contact you for a variety of reasons. The division’s mission is “to manage, protect and enhance the quality and quantity of the commonwealth’s water resources for present and future generations through voluntary, regulatory and educational programs.” With oversight from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Kentucky Division of Water carries out its objectives through permitting and educational outreach. The division’s oversight in the following areas may impact water quality: wastewater treatment, construction, oil and gas, drinking water treatment, groundwater, agriculture, coal extraction, streams and floodplains, etc. One of the duties of the division is to regulate agricultural entities. If you are a livestock producer, you...

Should Kentucky pass a law that bans school districts from starting classes in early August? This is currently a question that the Kentucky General Assembly is pondering after Sen. Chris Girdler, R-Somerset, introduced Senate Bill 50, which would prohibit schools from opening any sooner than the Monday closest to Aug. 26. The idea is certainly a proposal with some merit. A recent study for the Kentucky Marina Association and Kentucky Travel Industry Association estimates that the drop in tourism from July to August 2014 cost the state more than $432 million in lost business. The study also found that about 6,000 tourism jobs ended in August and more than $45 million in local...

Recently I saw an article on Facebook written by Patty Cantrell of a Missouri-based consulting firm, Regional Food Solutions, for Good Food on Every Table, about the local restaurants in downtown Corbin. She wrote that Corbin “has revitalized its downtown through a local-food renaissance.” I know nothing about the writer except what she wrote is true. Corbin’s downtown has become a favorite place for restaurant goers. A lot of the restaurant attention downtown started when the late Rick Curry and wife Holly opened “The Depot” in the old Daniel’s Department Store building. It was hard to believe that such a fine establishment had made its way downtown. It has great atmosphere...

Should our local school calendars be influenced by Kentucky’s tourism industry? There’s a bill circulating right now in Frankfort to do just that. Essentially, it forbids the state’s school districts from starting the school year any earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26. Waivers could be obtained for districts traditionally impacted by weather or other factors. Sponsors and supporters of the bill say Kentucky loses out on hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from tourism between July and August each year because school is starting too early. They estimate it amounts to about $45 million in revenue to state and local governments, and equates to the shedding of around...