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Columns

  • Teen Board was tops this year

    Responsibility. Competitiveness. Love. Graduation. Patriotism. Politics. Family. Social networking. Self-image. Religion.

    You name it, and this year's Teen Board has covered it.

    If you've taken the time to read the "Insight Page" published each month since last September, then you know there's some serious issues on the minds of Taylor County teens.

    Click here to read more...
  • The amazing power of hands

    I was watching a repeat of "Grey's Anatomy" recently, and it hit me.

    I had heard many eloquent words about the power of a person's hands at a blessing of the hands ceremony recently, but this episode was like a picture of what I heard that night.

    I remember sitting there in the front row, with my camera in hand, capturing the moment. I heard several speakers discuss what we do with our hands.

    Click here to read more...
  • The love of new shoes is in the genes

    My granddaughter Claire is a feisty child. She reminds me a lot of her mother at that age.

    She is 19 months old and starting to string words together. Sometimes I can understand her, sometimes not, but I always get a kick out of what she says. She gives an extra twist to the word umbrella-la-la.

    The other day I was talking to her on the phone and two words came out perfectly clear. She said new shoes.

    The child is a prodigy and a girl after my own heart.

    Click here to read more...
  • A little bit about my least favorite subject ... Me

    I get these e-mailed quizzes from time to time. I always hit the delete button without even looking at them. But not this time.

    The point of a column is to give our readers a little insight into how our minds work. What better way to do that than with a quiz? Allow me to apologize for some of my answers in advance.

    1. Were you named after anyone? My father, James, and my grandfather Ray.

    2. When was the last time you cried? Real men don't cry. So, probably five minutes ago.

    3. Do you like your handwriting? Yes, because only I can read it.

    Click here to read more...
  • Democracy or hypocrisy?

    Four years ago this month, as a staffer for Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, I sat at the back of the Senate Chamber and listened to Republicans denounce efforts to filibuster President Bush's judicial appointments. One after another, they sermonized about the body's Constitutional, even moral, obligation to give each nominee an "up or down vote."

    At the time, Sen. Mitch McConnell said, "regardless of party, any President's judicial nominees, after full debate, deserve a simple up-or-down vote."

    Click here to read more...
  • Want to share a favorite recipe?

    Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share with others? If so, we've got just the book for you ... and you can help local students at the same time.

    The News-Journal's Newspapers In Education program is working on a community cookbook that will include all your favorite recipes - AND raise money that will help provide NIE subscriptions for students to use in their classrooms.

    In the past year, the Central Kentucky News-Journal delivered more than 800 newspapers to local classrooms each Monday and Thursday.

    Click here to read more...
  • Five ways to cut down on your healthcare costs

    The recession has hit our country hard. According to a recent survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation, it has motivated more than half of us to cut back on needed health care expenditures. The desire to rein in spending at a time like this is understandable. But skimping on medical care is a dangerous way to do it. Thankfully, there are some simple - and safe - strategies to save money on health care without sacrificing your health.

    Here are my Top 5.

     

    Know your health plan's fine print.

    Click here to read more...
  • Kentucky Office of Highway Safety issues tough reminder to public: Click it or ticket!

    For anyone who complains about getting a ticket for not buckling up when driving or riding in a motor vehicle, here's a crash course in reality:

    - 826 people were killed on Kentucky's roadways in 2008.

    - 55 percent of those killed were not wearing a seat belt.

    When worn correctly, seat belts are proven to reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat occupants by 45 percent and by 60 percent in pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans.

    Click here to read more...
  • Be careful what you wish for

    I stood in the driveway Monday morning in my PJs, waving and smiling through my tears.

    My husband stood beside me and whispered, "Just think, we have to do this two more times."

    I nearly smacked him.

    My baby was driving himself to school for the first time ever.

    Yes, I know a 16-year-old isn't technically a "baby," but as I've told each of our three kids many times before, they'll always be Momma's babies no matter how old they get.

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  • Attorney General cracks down on auto warranty calls

    If my home phone rings, 99 percent of the time it's a telemarketer. This has been going on for years. I'll tell ya, pay off a couple of credit cards and the wolves start pounding at your door.

    It's gotten so bad, I won't even answer the phone anymore. For a while, I was getting calls every day.

    Imagine my surprise when I started getting telemarketing calls via my cell phone.

    All of the calls - I've received seven of them this month - are a pre-recorded message warning me that my auto warranty is about to expire.

    Click here to read more...