Opinion

The journalists at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, amaze me. In the face of one of the darkest tragedies one can imagine – watching their coworkers mercilessly gunned down by a man filled with hatred toward the newspaper and its reporters – the Capital Gazette staff carried on and published a newspaper the following day. That’s exactly what happened last Thursday when five members of the newspaper’s staff were killed. And still, the next day, the Capital Gazette put out a paper.

When I volunteer to get a shot, you know it’s serious. That’s the case with the health crisis of hepatitis A in Kentucky right now. It is a very serious problem, and one I believe should be met head on with the vaccine for the threatening illness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hepatitis A is a very contagious liver infection that can be contracted by being exposed to contaminated food, or from someone who is infected with the disease. The best prevention is simply washing your hands.

For many months, we have been working to resolve the toughest financial crisis Kentucky has ever faced, a crisis that began many years ago and that previous governors and legislators either negligently handled or ignored. It is now snowballing out of control. Nothing about this process has been easy. That does not, however, take away from the present reality that we are facing, or from the difficult decisions that must still be made.

The Taylor County Board of Education is getting its superintendent search underway, as it was announced Monday night that 12 candidates had placed their names into the mix to be the leader of the district.

The process is just in the early stages, and a superintendent is not expected to be announced until the beginning of June. There is still a lot to be discussed and evaluated moving forward, but one thing the board should keep in mind as this process unfolds is transparency.

 “Why would you give a needle to a drug addict?”

Admittedly, I once thought that was a very stupid question. It would just enable an addict, make it easier for them to do their drug of choice. Why make needles easier to get? These were all thoughts I had when I first heard about syringe exchange programs.

And so when I hear people express these thoughts, I don’t automatically discredit them, because it wasn’t that long ago that I thought the exact same thing.

I have spent a significant amount of time reading and trying to gather as much information about the horrific events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, this weekend. Masses of protesters and counter-protesters clashed and one person was killed and 19 or 20 others injured when a 20-year-old man from Ohio (but recently moved from the Florence, Kentucky area) drove his car into the crowd, plowing over anyone and everyone in his path.

Welcome, Kentucky Derby visitors!
That’s our hospitable greeting each year as we update you on Kentucky’s political landscape, which continues to be of national interest.

Before the dust settled from the November election, President-elect Donald Trump waded out into turbulent waters by expressing his dislike for flag burning. Even though this may not be a “front burner” (pardon the pun) issue for many Americans, it does present us with interesting ambiguities.

For instance, if a ban is passed on flag burning, how will VFW posts all over the country properly dispose of worn and tattered flags?  Ironically, burning a flag can be both a symbol of respect and contempt in America.

When you think of going to the public library and checking out a book, that might sound like an old and outdated practice. It might even remind you of life in a slower time, before technology came along and changed our world so much, as it has in recent years.

There may be some libraries out there that are still behind the technological times, but that statement couldn't be any farther from the truth when it comes to the Taylor County Public Library.