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Opinion

  • Budget cuts hit schools

    Parents, brace yourselves. State budget cuts are already slicing deep, and it's going to take a lot more than a few stitches to repair the wounds.

    This fall, your children will be affected.

    Schools across Kentucky are being required to slash their budgets. And that means fewer teachers and educational programs for our students.

  • Health care professionals have our...

    It takes a special kind of person to care for those who are sick or hurt. In addition to all the "learned knowledge," such as education and training, it also takes patience, kindness and genuine caring.

    A majority of the health care professionals in our community are exactly that, and none of them more so than nurses and nurses' aides.

    For all their expertise, doctors are often rushed to the point of checking on a patient, signing some orders and hurrying on to the next patient before heading to their offices.

    Nurses and aides, however, remain with their patients.

  • Hide your prescription drugs

    Last year, the News-Journal published a story about the results of the latest Kentucky Incentives for Prevention survey of local students.

    The survey results showed that prescription drug abuse is on the rise with teenagers. As a matter of fact, according to Karen Hayes with the Campbellsville/Taylor County Anti-Drug Coalition, one in every four teens uses prescription drugs to get high.

    No wonder Kentucky leads the nation in prescription drug abuse.

  • Taylor County: What better place to...

    We all knew it. But now others are learning as well. Taylor County is a wonderful place in which to live and raise a family.

    A story on today's front page tells about a family - a large, extended family - who moved to Taylor County from Las Vegas, Nev. last year. They did so because they visited the area and liked it. A family, passing through, gets the feeling that this is the place for them to live. Sounds like a made-for-TV movie script.

    They thought it would be a better place in which to raise their growing family than in the frantic, big-city atmosphere of Las Vegas.

  • Helping Food Pantry helps everyone

    "But just as you excel in everything - in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us[a] - see that you also excel in this grace of giving."

    -2 Corinthians 8:7

    There are many worthy causes in the community, but it would seem logical that the issue of children not having enough to eat should rank near the top of the list.

    If the Taylor County Food Pantry is just four weeks away from halting service due to a lack of funding, then it's obvious families in the community are going hungry - and it's going to do nothing but get worse.

  • The wart called homelessness

    Clad in several layers of mismatched clothing and a hat hiding her face, the woman pushed a shopping cart along North Columbia Avenue. She collected items that might be of use at some point and asked people for money.

    Many people avoided her, and most did not make eye contact.

    She continued to push her cart along the street toward the large grouping of cardboard boxes, where various people were covering themselves with threadbare blankets and plastic to keep the rain out.

    They were homeless, and the boxes were their beds for the night.

  • If you plan to have a say ... be...

    So, are you registered to vote? If not, you'd better be hustling down to the courthouse. You've got until 4:30 today to register or you won't be able to vote on May 20.

    And, believe us, there are plenty of reasons to vote.

    Whether it's the Presidential race you're interested in, the U.S. Representative or Senator's races, the State Representative's race, or the alcohol-by-the-drink issue, it's time to make your opinion known.

    The Democratic Presidential Primary is a hot-button topic no matter who you talk to. Even Republicans have an opinion on that race.

  • Just what is a delegate anyway?

    The race between Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama to become the Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party may not be settled until the Democratic National Convention in August.

  • Is there anybody out there?

    "Is there anybody out there?" Just as Pink Floyd wanted to know in its 1979 album, "The Wall," so do we.

    One of our most popular Web site features is back and we need your help to get it up and running again.

    Whether it's a front-page story, a sports story, an editorial piece or a wedding, readers once again have an opportunity to post comments about a story. Tell us if you liked it - or if you didn't. By doing that, a dialog can be opened between residents about issues and events of importance to our community.

  • Holmes had a master plan for all of...

    The scoreboard is peppered with names and addresses. There were Masters invitees from Australia (9), England (5) and Spain (3). But there was only one player from Campbellsville. Ky.

    J.B. Holmes has reached a high point in a relatively short professional golfing career - an invitation to what is arguably THE most prestigious golfing event on the PGA Tour - the Masters.

    Not just anyone gets an invitation. You have to meet at least one of a list of 18 qualifications. J.B. was in by virtue of his February win at the FBR Open in Arizona.

  • Cheap drugs come at a high cost

    It's getting more and more expensive to be an American consumer. With energy and food costs rising, inflation hit 4.1 percent in 2007, the highest level in 17 years. Buying imports and traveling are getting pricier, too, with the value of the greenback hitting historic lows against the Canadian dollar and the Euro.

    Amid this bleak scenario, one important class of consumer good stands out as a bargain - prescription drugs. In the last year, drug prices have risen by just 1 percent. That's well under the rate of inflation, and the lowest annual price increase in three decades.

  • What's your idea of decent?

    Everyone should have a decent place to sleep at night. But, apparently, some individuals' definition of "decent" leaves a lot to be desired.

    At Monday's Campbellsville City Council meeting, City Building Official Kenny Phillips reported that several people have complained to the City recently about the condition of their rental home.

    A story on today's front page gives a few more details about some specific problems.

  • Drugged driving should be a crime...

    One beautiful June morning in 2006, four community leaders from Bowling Green set out for a scenic drive on their motorcycles. For two of them, the ride would be their last.

    As they were driving through Logan County, a truck driver crossed a double-yellow line, killing two of the men and seriously injuring another. The truck driver had in her possession marijuana and drug supplies. In fact, she admitted to driving with drugs in her system, and tests verified that she had smoked marijuana before driving the vehicle.

  • What gets your news hackles up?

    Ever since Satan took the form of a snake and tempted Adam and Eve, there has been a mystery associated with reptiles.

    Not since we published a story last week about a man charged with transporting "poisonous" snakes without a permit did we realize how some of what we do so affects our readers.

    Write a story about a child being abused (and this is Child Abuse Awareness Month) and you might never hear a peep. Write a story about someone transporting snakes and you're getting advice all day.

    That's what makes the news business so interesting and frustrating at times.

  • Child abuse even more prevalent

    It's getting worse. That's a fact. A story in the works for Monday's issue will tell it like it is.

    The number of reported child abuse cases in Taylor County is on the increase.

    The story focuses on statistics from Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky. Last year, according to the organization, there were 269 cases of child abuse involving 369 children reported in Taylor County. Of those, 58 were substantiated, involving 105 children.

    In 2006, there were 202 cases reported, involving 228 children. About 50 of those cases were substantiated, involving 74 children.

  • A helping hand from North Carolina

    "If I had a hammer

    "I'd hammer in the morning

    "I'd hammer in the evening

    "All over this land ..."

    -From a song by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger

    It really is true. What goes around comes around. Do good things for others and it'll come back to you.

    Last week, there were about 100 people from North Carolina in Campbellsville doing good things. Perhaps it was a touch of payback for all the good things our community has done for others.

  • Tigers take us on a fun ride

    Winding up an improbable run at a national title on Monday, the Campbellsville University Tigers left Kansas City with their heads held high.

    After all, the Tigers went farther than any other Campbellsville University basketball team in history - to the semifinals of the national championship tournament.

    Coach Keith Adkins said there will still be smiles on their faces.

  • It's time for a good spring...

    Spring is in the air. March lilies are beginning to appear, birds are chirping and children are playing outside. Spring is a time for fresh beginnings.

    It's also a time that many of us to do a thorough spring cleaning of our homes. And we should do that for our community as well.

    This week is Commonwealth Cleanup Week, an annual weeklong event geared toward cleaning up Kentucky's communities. All across the state, groups are cleaning up roadsides and parks in their communities.

    But here in Taylor County, it seems we're off to a slow start.

  • Open government is good government

    The early leaders of our country held widely divergent views on many topics, but their writings reflect a common appreciation of the importance of the right to know. These leaders recognized that in order for the new democracy to survive, public access was essential. As James Madison wrote: "[A] people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

  • City made only parking decision it...

    Campbellsville City Council's decision to change the parking on Main Street to include parallel spaces along the south side was a necessary one - for a number of reasons.

    There were no established standards for roads back when Main Street was built, so it's too narrow for many of today's larger vehicles. And that makes for close quarters on busy days.

    In addition, Main Street is a choice for many who are hoping to bypass the congestion that sometimes occurs on Broadway. That only adds to the traffic and the potential that the crowded parking creates.