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Opinion

  • Some clouds have silver linings

    The current economic recession is like a dark cloud hanging over us all. But inside some dark clouds are silver linings. And we have one.

    A story on today's front page details the financial impact that Taylor Regional Hospital has on our local economy. And it's a significant impact, indeed.

  • Child abuse all too real

    The numbers are pretty telling. The number of reported child abuse cases in Taylor County is on the increase.

    A story on today's front page focuses on statistics from the statewide, nonprofit Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky agency in Lexington.

    Last year, according to the organization, there were 379 cases of child abuse reported in Taylor County, involving 437 children. Of those, 58 cases were substantiated, involving 85 children.

  • Take your pick

    So many times, we hear complaints that there's nothing to do. Well, we don't want to hear that for at least the next few weeks, because judging from our Calendar of Events page, there's no possible way anyone couldn't find something fun to do.

    This past Tuesday night alone was a treat - with a performance by the renowned Vienna Boys' Choir and then a public meeting to discuss proposals for the Heartland Parkway.

  • Could it be time to quit?

    We're looking at the possibility of a local ban on smoking. And now smokers are facing a sizable increase in price to support their habit.

    Could it be time to evaluate our priorities?

    We all know by now that smoking is bad for our health as well as the health of others around us.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control, Kentucky ranks No. 1 in the instance of lung cancer in both men and women and ranks highly in the instance of other types of cancer brought on by smoking.

  • Kudo: St. Baldrick's

    To live in a nation in recession, Taylor County residents have certainly stepped up to the plate in the name of children.

    Saturday's St. Baldrick's event, which raises money to support cancer research for children, raised $30,000, which is $10,000 more than the goal.

    Take a glance at the photos on today's Front and Accent pages and those in a slideshow on our Web site at cknj.com. And then thank those who shaved their heads - in honor of our children.

     

  • Kudo: Lady Tigers

    Ginger Colvin has been to the NAIA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship in Jackson, Tenn. as a Campbellsville University player and as an assistant coach.

    Today, she will be guiding her first squad as head coach when the Lady Tigers battle Columbia (Mo.) at 10 a.m. ET.

    This will be the 17th national appearance for the Lady Tigers in basketball, the first 16 coming under the direction of NAIA Hall of Fame coach Donna Wise.

    Good luck. We'll be watching.

     

  • Have you plans to help?

    Commonwealth Cleanup Week starts Sunday. Have you made your plans to help?

    Commonwealth Cleanup Week is an annual weeklong event geared toward cleaning up Kentucky's communities. And all across the state, groups are gearing up to clean roadsides and parks in their communities.

    Last year, more than 5,151 people participated in the statewide event, picking up 14,860 bags of trash along 1,846 miles of roadway and cleaning up 26 dumps statewide. Participants also collected and recycled 337 appliances and 3,956 tires.

  • Whose problem is it?

    Taylor County Fiscal Court's Budget, Audits and Personnel Committee recently concluded that the 2009-2010 jail budget funding will fall about $600,000 short of needed revenue. There are a lot of factors that have led to this situation and are, at this point in time, really not relevant.

    What is important is how the shortfall is addressed.

    Suggestions that have arisen include: raising the occupational tax rate, adding an insurance premium tax, adding a sunset tax and even breaking the occupational tax agreement with the City.

  • Help find a cure for cancer

    Whether it's through a parent, a spouse, a child, a grandparent, a friend, or even ourselves, cancer will reach out its deadly hand and touch us all. And that's why we should all be concerned with research into its cure.

    What may have killed us 50, 20 or even just a few years ago, is now treatable - thanks to research.

    And that's what gives us hope.

    As the second leading cause of the death in the U.S., cancer will affect all too many of us. We each have a risk - experts say half of all men and a third of all women will be diagnosed with some form of the disease.

  • Too good to be true? Probably

    There’s an old saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” That’s sound advice for almost any situation and should become the official motto for modern times.

    Local police say that with the economy on the downward slide, scams are on the upswing. And they’re hitting home.

  • Change can be a good thing ......

    Change can be a good thing. At least sometimes.

    Changing the look of downtown Campbellsville is definitely a good thing. We can’t help but wonder if a few of the changes planned for streetscape and beautification don’t necessarily fall into the “sometimes” category.

    New, handicapped-accessible sidewalks and walking paths are definitely a plus. Closing the main entrance to the library parking lot, though, we’re not as sure about.

  • Documentary is a call for action

    The ABC documentary “A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains” and its short follow-up stirred a lot of talk in Central Appalachia this month. But what action will ensue? That is the question the people of the region, and their journalists, need to answer.

     

  • Project helps your kids, our kids

    Did you know there are math problems in today's newspaper? What about a language arts quiz? Or a science or social studies project in the making?

    Well, local teachers have known this for years. That's why many are firm believers in the Newspapers In Education program, a worldwide initiative that promotes the use of newspapers in the classroom.

    Educators say using the newspaper in their classrooms provides a real-world connection that is motivating and adds real-life dimension to their classrooms.

  • English program a good way to say...

    It has to be difficult to move to a new country, and even worse when you don't speak the language.

    That's why programs in place at local public schools - and at Campbellsville University - are so important.

    If any of you have ever visited another country where you didn't know the language, then you know at least part of what we're talking about. Now, imagine moving to live in that country.

  •
    Time to change the direction of...

    Report cards - they're either dreaded or anticipated. They keep us as parents informed about how well our children are doing in school. And good report cards are a sign that our schools are teaching our children what they need to know in their journey to adulthood.

    A story on today's front page explains our local schools' report cards, which provide information on schools' and districts' progress. All Kentucky students are expected to reach "proficiency" - or scores of 100 on state tests - by the year 2014. And that's not too far off in our future.

  • Learn from the past to change the...

    “History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”

    — From Maya Angelou’s “On the Pulse of Morning”

    If you’re not a regular subscriber, you may have missed the beginning of our annual four-part series in honor of Black History Month.

  • Love and family are week's...

    "I wish you shelter from the storm

    And a cozy fire to keep you warm

    And most of all

    When snowflakes fall

    I wish you love."

    -Albert A. Beach

    English lyrics

    Love is in the air ... and in our newspaper pages.

    Between Valentine's Day this Saturday, the winning love letters on today's front page, a story about the Happiness and Opportunity through Marriage Education program, or H.O.M.E., and the Bridal Feature on page 8A, we're celebrating love.

  • Keep the mail coming

    Do you have a mailbox? If so, there's a proposal before Congress right now that could affect you.

    Postmaster General John E. Potter has asked Congress to lift a federal mandate requiring six-day mail delivery. Apparently, the United States Postal Service is facing a loss this year of as much as $6 billion.

    And this is their attempt to save money.

  • Neighbors helping neighbors

    As difficult and inconvenient as the past week has been for many residents of Taylor County, it has been an enlightening week as well.

    With the ice storm of last Tuesday - and then the inch and a half of snow that followed the very next day - more than half a million people across the state lost electricity. Though Taylor County didn't get the worst of what Mother Nature had to offer, we still had thousands without electricity and heat.

  • Keep public records public

    Editor's Note: This editorial first appeared in the Casey County News on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

    One of the provisions in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that citizens have the right to a free press.

    And that means a press unencumbered by the dictates of a local, state or federal government deciding what can be printed or broadcast.

    However, one state legislator wants to limit access to 911 recordings because the recordings, in his opinion, are being used by media companies to attract viewers and boost ratings.