Opinion

The season of frigid nights, warm gatherings, and good cheer is upon us as we prepare for 2018. This year was a whirlwind in the General Assembly as we passed historic legislation in the 2017 Session, held insightful policy discussions across the Commonwealth during the Interim, and analyzed proposed pension reform.

Autumn has always been my favorite season; for me, the best part of fall in Kentucky is that it’s not summer. Nothing against sunshine, but I really love wearing sweaters and all the things this season brings like football and hot tea, glowing pumpkins and long runs through crunchy leaves.

Another great part of autumn is the onset of the holidays and after Halloween here, I’m excited for more. Louisville had the most amazing Jack O’ Lanterns and Hodgenville had some fantastic costumes. (Check out the winners and pictures on page 22A and 23A, by the way.)

It’s no secret that Kentucky’s pension systems have been on a crash course for quite some time. Last November, we made a promise to Kentuckians to change the course of the Commonwealth, and with the collaboration of the Kentucky House, Governor Bevin, and the Kentucky Senate, that promise is fulfilled for current retirees and employees, and generations to come with the release of a plan to fix public pensions and ensure benefit obligations in the future.

Lincoln Days has come and gone, and whew— what a weekend! Quilt show, art show, all the contests and entertainment— for a “small town festival” there’s so much to see. As a first timer, I attempted to see it all and didn’t even come close.

Walking down Lincoln Boulevard, past the booths and open mic area, I looked around at the hundreds of people and wondered “What would Abraham Lincoln think about all this?”

So I decided to ask him—although it took a few tries.

How many of you, while your children were young, had a short bedtime story to help the kiddos wind down at the end of the day? If you were fortunate, it worked well enough to cause your children to develop an appreciation for reading.

A lot of people shared their thoughts on social media on Monday, September 11 as they remembered the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Events were held in our region and throughout the country to remember the 2,996 people that were killed during the attacks and the over 6,000 other people that were injured. A high percentage of the number that lost their lives or suffered injuries were first responders.

So many young adults have sincere interests in developing the skills they need to start a career in one of our region’s thriving industries. Too often, though, these job seekers are discouraged because they don’t think they can afford the training needed to qualify for high paying, in-demand jobs.

Got debt? You’re not alone. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York released a report recently that U.S. household debt—which includes home mortgages and home equity loans, credit card debt, auto loans and student debt—stood at $12.73 trillion in the first quarter of 2017. That’s a staggering amount, and surpasses the previous record set during the 2008 recession. The Fed also reported that 44 million Americans share a piece of over 1.34 trillion dollars’ worth of student loan debt. The majority of student debt holders are now over 30 years old.

If you want to make and can your own tomato juice, an average of 23 pounds of tomatoes is needed per canner load of 7 quarts, or an average of 14 pounds per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 53 pounds and yields 15 to 18 quarts of juice – an average of three and one fourth pounds per quart. Wash, remove stems, and trim off bruised or discolored portions.