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Opinion

  • This holiday season, remember the...

    These days, getting the entire family around the same table is a rarity. That's why the holiday season is a perfect time to sit down with loved ones and talk about the many issues that too often go ignored.

    One issue that's worthy of discussion? The importance of reading drug labels.

    Americans today have access to more cutting-edge pharmaceuticals than ever before. But medicines carry risks. Failing to pay attention to a drug's label - by taking more than the recommended dosage or mixing with the wrong medicines - can lead to serious side effects.

  • Nationwide slump hits home

    Well, it appears that the worst has begun to trickle down.

    Last week, the national news reported that our nation is now "officially" in a recession - and has been since last year. While that's not news to most of us, we really haven't felt it too sharply on a local basis.

    Yes, the high gas prices over the past year have affected us deeply. But we cut back and made adjustments in our budgets, and in past weeks the prices have finally fallen.

  • Give thanks by spreading your...

    Today is a day officially set aside as a time for gratitude. And those of us who live in Campbellsville and Taylor County have so much for which to be grateful.

    Most of us will sit down with family members and friends for a meal that can only be described as a feast. We can also be thankful that we have friends and neighbors and churches who will be there for those who don't have family and friends nearby or for those who don't have the resources to provide their own feasts.

  • Official holiday season begins

    And we're off. The official 2008 holiday season has begun. And there's certainly no shortage of events and activities to help put us in the holiday spirit.

    Last Wednesday, the annual Santa's Helper award was presented, and winner Doug Mullins turned on the lights at Miller Park. This year's Christmas lights extend the entire length of the park. It won't take a trip out of town anymore to see beautiful Christmas displays.

  • Consider all the aspects

    We've got a bit of an oxymoron between today's Front page and the Opinion page.

    On the one hand, we have a feature story about the animal shelter and its no-fee adoption policy. However, this page features a letter to the editor from a woman cautioning us about bringing home pets at this time of the year.

    Obviously, adopting a pet is a huge responsibility, and parents who plan to give their children a pet need to make sure they - and their children - are truly prepared for that extra responsibility.

  • Band teaches more than just music

    Campbellsville High School Band Director Zach Shelton is excited and willing to work hard to reestablish the CHS Marching Band. And we're excited, too.

    The CHS band was once a powerhouse, with many trips to semifinal and final competitions. Those accomplishments made our community proud, and we're looking forward to feeling that pride again.

  • Marijuana: A Clear and Present...

    Dealing a blow to years of work and recent gains in youth drug prevention, Massachusetts has joined a growing, but still short, list of states to decriminalize marijuana possession.

    At least that is the intention of some 65 percent of voters checking "Yes" on a ballot initiative that makes possession of an ounce or less of marijuana a civil offense (punishable by a ticket) as opposed to a criminal one. And this on the same day that the same voters approved a ban on greyhound racing.

    Protect the dogs but throw the kids under the bus. Go figure.

  • Do more than just walk past

    After 100 years, we should all be familiar with the distinctive red kettles and their purpose. But how many of us have tossed in our spare change or even a few dollars to help those who need it during the holidays?

    Or do you walk right by the white wooden shelter with the shiny red kettle, pretending it's not even there?

    Consider the various Salvation Army volunteers. They give hours of their time to stand in the chill of winter, ringing a bell to - hopefully - grab our attention for a few seconds ... at least long enough for us to donate to their cause.

  • Sleep for the stubborn

    I noticed that the Sleep Center is having a ribbon cutting [today]. Without exaggerating, I honestly believe Dr. Assar El-Atfy and his team of sleep technicians saved my life.

    I had not rested for decades. I can remember first having trouble falling asleep in class as a fourth grader. By high school, I slept a little in practically every class. I never felt rested. My eyes usually burned with the urge to sleep. I was never safe to drive out of town because of my constant sleepiness. This pattern grew worse over a 25-year period.

  • 'Tis the season to volunteer

    The holiday season will soon be upon us, which is synonymous with celebrations that joyfully include food, families and friends. The holidays are also known to bring a sense of community that people express by spend time helping others.

  • Time to sign up for Part D

    From now until Dec. 31, Medicare Part D is offering an "open-enrollment" period, meaning that seniors can change their prescription drug coverage to pick a new plan that better meets their needs.

    Seniors should jump at this once-a-year opportunity. Instead of being forced into a one-size-fits-all plan run by the government, Part D participants can choose among a variety of private insurance plans, custom tailoring their coverage to their particular drug needs.

  • Adoption a real choice

    All children should grow up knowing what it's like to be loved. No matter what.

    At the same time, "home" should be a safe place, a comfortable place, a place where a child's basic needs are met. Unfortunately, in our world today, not all homes are like that. And not all children grow up knowing what unconditional love is.

    However, there are families like the one featured on today's front page who have extra love to go around.

  • Protective orders can be misused

    Protective orders are a valuable tool that victims of domestic violence can use to protect themselves from their abusers.

    In granting Emergency Protective Orders and Domestic Violence Orders, the court may require the abuser to refrain from any contact with his or her victim and grant other remedies as necessary. This is a civil and not a criminal process.

    Protective orders are designed to protect someone against physical violence, stalking or the threat of physical violence. A protective order may be the only thing that keeps a victim safe from harm.

  • Remember those who served

    While Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember and honor military personnel who died in service to their country, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor those among us who have served their country.

    And tomorrow is that day. When we think of veterans, many of us automatically think of those our grandfather’s age. But that’s certainly not the case.

    Many young men and women in their early 20s are now veterans who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

  • Now it's time for the work to...

    The voters have spoken. And isn't that what an election is all about? And more local voters participated in last week's election than ever before - 10,997 or 65 percent of us.

    Even though Taylor Countians overwhelmingly supported Republican John McCain, history has been made with the election of the nation's first black president - Barack Obama.

  • Why did you get so lucky?

    If you're not a regular subscriber to the Central Kentucky News-Journal, we bet you're wondering why you've received a copy of today's issue. Well, we wanted to show you what you've been missing.

    The News-Journal has the largest circulation in the community (see Editor Rebecca Cassell's column at right) of any printed material. And if you're not a regular subscriber, we believe it's only because you haven't realized just how important your community newspaper is.

    And there's no better way to prove our point than to simply show it to you.

  • It's up to us to make the...

    For weeks and weeks, OK ... make that months and months, we've been inundated with advertisements and speeches and photo ops from our national election candidates.

    Well, we're down to the wire now. And history will be made - we will elect either a black President or a female Vice President.

    But all of the hullabaloo of the past months aside, when you walk into the voting booth and close the curtain, it's important to ask yourself a few honest questions:

    - When I choose a candidate, am I truly voting for the candidate I believe will do the best job?

  • October is Domestic Violence...

    October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is sad that we must designate a month to highlight the problem of domestic violence, but this perverse, insidious malady is not going away.

    Each September, the National Network to End Domestic Violence conducts a 24-hour census across the entire United States. Shelters and other agencies who work with victims of violence are asked to count the number of people they helped during that day.

    Here are some of the statistics from September 2007 (2008 numbers are still being tabulated).

    National Summary

  • Be safe this Halloween

    Tomorrow evening, our community will be filled with ghosts, goblins, witches, princesses, all sorts of strange-looking animals - and just about any other character a child's imagination can invent.

    Halloween shouldn't ever be a night of mischief, danger or evil. And the fun it provides for both children and adults shouldn't be lost because, like so many things, a few people choose to abuse the occasion.

  • No one should have to live in fear

    The numbers aren't looking good.

    Last year, victims' advocate Heather Barnes investigated 215 domestic violence complaints. This year, she has already investigated 296 ... and that's only through the end of September.

    There were 273 days from January through September, which means that there has been more than one a day.

    Like we said, the numbers aren't looking good.

    And that's sad.

    October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time when officials try their best to get the word out that it doesn't have to be this way.