Aerial view of the Port of Hickman - photo courtesy of Hickman Courier

(Hickman KY, February 14, 2012) - Back on September 29 several congressional leaders including Congressman Ed Whitfield and Senator Rand Paul met in Hickman to discuss the need to dredge the Elvis Stahr Harbor... fast forward several months...

On Friday, Feb. 10 Lawrence Thomas from the Army Corps of Engineers Memphis District contacted Greg Curlin Hickman-Fulton County Riverport Authority Director informing him that plans were in the works to dredge the harbor in Hickman this summer, sometime after July 1.

MSU has a great basketball team and a cool new chemistry building

Eric Crawford writes about Racer madness for the Courier Journal. Even though the Racers lost one game out of the last 23 or so, fans are not deterred.

And neither, it seems, is ESPN. Veteran sports announcer Dick Vitale is coming to call the game against St. Marys Saturday evening.

Click the link for Eric's story.

MTR - Mountain Top Removal is a target of activists

(Frankfort, Feb, 14, 2012) - For those of us out in the flatlands of Western Kentucky, it is sometimes hard to imagine the passion that drives mountaintop removal opponents - and the sense of embattlement of the coal industry companies and their employees.

Today in Frankfort, both sides showed up to "heart" their side of the argument.

Welcome to a photo essay of "I Love the Mountains" Day 2012.

2/7/12 UPDATE - All deadlines have been moved to Friday afternoon.

The filing deadline to run for Congress was extended to February 7th.

The filing deadline to run for the General Assembly? 

As this is being written, it's in the hands of Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 17, 2012) – Gov. Steve Beshear today announced that an underwater inspection team concluded the crash of a cargo ship into the Eggners Ferry Bridge on Kentucky Lake caused “no significant damage” to the bridge’s piers.

The new KY Senate map

(Clinton KY -Jan. 26, 2012) - ...Redistricting in the House was all about keeping the balance of power.

Redistricting in the Senate was a night of long knives.

Editor's Update: Democrats joined the lawsuit in Franklin Circuit Court. A restraining order was entered freezing the filing deadline (and the General Assembly). It just keeps getting better and better.

Part One: In which we meet Vinnie the contractor.

Karen Stewart, an attorney admitted in Kentucky and Wisconsin and a classmate of mine, writes the seriocomic/tragic story of two young people with more money than sense when it comes to hiring a contractor.

With her permission, we serialize the story of Anita and Jay.  Turn the page for Part One.

Vinnie - good with the breaking- not so good at the fixing

Karen picks up her story of how not to fall victim to Vinnie and his ilk -ready willing and able to take $$ and run.

WARNING! This article not intended for the gullible and lazy. Also not suitable for those with more money than sense.

Twins John and Yoko make their appearance in this episode

Part One of Nightmare on Main Street told the sad tale of Anita and Jay, a young couple expecting a blessed event, who chose Vinnie the Genius to do some home remodeling. Vinnie took their money, busted up their bungalow and lit out for parts unknown.

Part Two is a practical guide to avoiding the mistakes Anita and Jay made dealing with a

Part Three finishes the story of Anita and Jay and the Case of the Bungled Bungalow, Stewart recounts the happy ending for Anita and Jay, the comeupance for the evil Vinnie and the triumph of the American justice system.

First District Rep. Steven Rudy - $62,655.24 in 2010

Editor's Note: A reader reminded me that we ran this story back on January 13, 2010. We think it's worth repeating.  

The General Assembly has posted compensation and expenses for legislators, personal service contracts  and legislative employees.  The database can be accessed by selecting Legislative Branch Expenditures on the left panel of the  Legislative Research Commission  homepage...West Kentucky House members averaged $67,484.28 in 2010. West Kentucky Senators averaged $68,785.82 for their service. (These numbers do not include retirement benefits.) 

We looked at those numbers for members of West Kentucky’s legislative delegation for 2010.

For a breakdown of House members serving Districts 1-6 and Senators from Districts 1-3, follow the link:

All of the region’s House delegation had forsaken Frankfort for the Confederates. So had one senator.

Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner

(Mayfield KY, Feb. 10, 2012) - On this date in 1862, large numbers of Kentucky troops were about to clash for the first time in a major Civil War battle.

  Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s Union army would win the battle of Fort Donelson, Tenn., fought on Feb. 12-16, 1862. Grant would capture the earthen bastion on the Cumberland River near Dover, Tenn. He would also bag about 12,000 prisoners, including Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner, a Kentuckian, the Second and Eighth Kentucky Infantry regiments and Graves’ Kentucky Artillery Battery.

The USS Essex - most powerful gunboat on the Mississippi River

In January 1862, Capt. “Dirty Bill” Porter of the Yankee navy was itching to blast Rebel skipper Marsh J. Miller to the bottom of the Mississippi River.

Editor's Note: It's a pleasure to publish another installment of the hidden history of West Kentucky from historian Berry Craig.

The 20th Kentucky received its baptism of fire at Shiloh TN.

(Mayfield, KY, Jan. 27, 2012) - On this date in 1862, the Wallers were maybe the most hated family in Marshall County.

Like the rest of the Jackson Purchase, dubbed "The South Carolina of Kentucky," Marshall County was staunchly Confederate. No matter, the Wallers were devout Unionists; four Waller men donned Yankee blue.

Four Western Kentucky high school programs shared in funds to promote nutrition, physical activity and prevention of tobacco use. Each school received a $500 grant in the Students Taking Charge program.

For a list of recipients, turn the page.