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Columns

  • 'Enjoy the retirement,' Dr. Winit

    A sign you are getting older - your pediatrician retires.

    Like many other now 20-somethings in this community, I faithfully went to see "Dr. Winit" for all of my childhood ailments.

    As I was growing up, I remember Dr. Winit's kind words made me - and my parents - genuinely feel better about whatever illness I had.

    I will never forget how Dr. Winit pronounces my first name and one of several signature phrases he repeatedly told us during our visits - "Enjoy the baby."

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  • Some stories stay with you

    As a reporter, there are some interviews that stay with you long after the paper the story was printed on has become a pet cage liner.

    I recently interviewed four people I will never forget. And they all, in some small way, have impacted my life and how I will live it.

    Several weeks ago, you may have read about two people who quit smoking, Donella Lennox and Bob Shofner. While I don't smoke, I was drawn to the story of how someone was able to quit such an addictive habit.

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  • Where are all the women?

    What do Brenda Allen, Barkley Taylor, Amy Anderson, Lillian Clark, Vangie Ford, Julie Shields, Angie Johnson, Sharon Hoskins, Connie Phillips, Patti Phillips, Pat Hall, Sue Smith and Suzanne Wilson have in common?

    They are the only women in Taylor County elected to public office.

    So, believe it or not, of the thousands of women in Taylor County, there are but 13 who serve in positions of elected leadership.

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  • Something to sink your teeth into

    Getting a child to read is sometimes difficult, I've been told. Teenagers might rather play video games, go to the movies or spend time with their friends. But a surprising phenomenon has taken over recently ... one that's drawing today's teenagers in droves to book stores. And I have to admit, without any embarrassment at all, that I've been bitten by the phenomenon, too.

    It seems today that if you want to make it big, you need only to write a book or screenplay about vampires, and you're set.

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  • Will you help me cheat?

    Shhh ... I'm cheating, but you can't tell anyone.

    The New-Journal sponsors several contests throughout the year that readers can participate in - but those of us who work here, and our families, are not eligible.

    And that's only fair.

    So, you'll see in the coming weeks an advertisement in the News-Journal about a pet photo contest that is raising money for the News-Journal's Newspapers in Education program.

    It's a contest just for CKNJ employees' pets, since we didn't get to participate in the recent contest that was open to the community.

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  • Teens, get ready to have your say

    In just a few weeks, a group of energetic Campbellsville and Taylor County high school students will give Central Kentucky News-Journal readers a peek into the world of today's teenagers.

    The News-Journal's Teen Editorial Board will soon begin work on its sixth consecutive year of "Insight," our monthly teen page.

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  • Weighing in on minimum wage

    You may have noticed something missing from our recent round of economy stories - the minimum wage raise.

    Minimum wage recently increased 70 cents to $7.25 per hour, a well-deserved raise I'd say. However, in attempting to include local information about the increase, I ran into brick wall after brick wall.

    Unless they are making lots of it, money is one thing few in this town want to talk about. I'm sure it's the same everywhere. Because I work on more than one story at a time, I had to give up pursuing the story and move on.

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  • Why advertise in a newspaper?

    Some people say newspapers are going the way of the dinosaurs. They're outdated, old and not the way most people get their news these days.

    Of course, I'm a little biased on this subject, but I have to argue that these people are woefully misinformed.

    Yes, we do hear about the "big" news on television, radio and the internet before we read it in the paper. However, TV and radio tidbits - or even the internet - can't match the in-depth coverage with a different twist that you'll get from a hometown newspaper.

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  • The time has come for health care payment reform

    For the last six years I have worked with a non-profit organization providing the patient's voice in improving access to, and reimbursement for, high-quality health care through regulatory and legislative reform at the state and federal levels.

    Currently, I am the Kentucky policy liaison for the National Patient Advocate Foundation.

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  • High school coverage stirs memories

    I went back to high school a few weeks ago.

    Well, technically, I went to Campbellsville and Taylor County high schools to get some information and photos for stories I was writing.

    But while I was there, I couldn't help but think back to my high school days, which were now eight years ago.

    First, I went to CHS to see the new marching band. I was excited to hear that the band would be back this year. If you have read my previous columns, you may know that I was a member of the CHS Marching Band for five years.

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