Apple

An apple tree usually is one of the first fruit crops backyard fruit growers think about planting in their yard. However, they are one of the more difficult fruit crops to grow, primarily because of the wide range of pests that like them. One of the more difficult diseases for home fruit growers to combat is apple scab. This is a fungus that causes lesions on the fruit and can also defoliate the tree and kill the spurs - the structures that produce the flower buds. Several other diseases Kentucky fruit growers must contend with are fire blight, cedar apple rust and powdery mildew.

To the editor, I know most insurance companies are reliable and that sometimes a reasonable increase in insurance premiums is justified. I don't like when it happens, but I understand that it can happen. Even the most reasonable person would agree, however, that three increases over a six-year period, cumulatively totaling over a 100 percent hike in premiums, would be unjustified, harmful, and un-conscionable. That is what is being done to thousands of seniors and pre-retirees in Kentucky who bought long term care insurance years ago from Life Investors Insurance Company of America, now called Transamerica.

Nothing captures the essence of all and the upcoming holidays better than fresh apples. The scents of warm apple cider, applesauce and apple pie complement the chilly air. With more than 100 varieties of apples grown in the U.S., there is an apple for everyone and every occasion. In general, sweet apples are best for eating raw and tart apples are best for pies, applesauce and other baked goods. Like all fruits and vegetables, apples contain no fat, sodium or cholesterol. A medium apple has only 80 calories and five grams of dietary fiber.

When Cinderella's coach turned into a pumpkin, she knew her time was up. When the Cinderella pumpkin - and the knot head pumpkin, cushaws and gourds - appear on the shelves at the Beech Springs Farm Market, owner John Hendricks knows he's in the home stretch too. Pumpkin sales start picking up during the last week of September, Hendricks said, and last right up to the week before Halloween. Mums, apple cider and homemade caramel apples are also big sellers, but these popular items mark the end of the year for farm markets.

Larry Ayres has seen a lot of bad apples in his day, but they weren't all of the fruity variety. The Owen County native spent more than half of his 61 years at the Kentucky State Police Crime Lab in Frankfort, working in forensic science. He performed DNA analysis and used his expertise in the field to testify in more than 300 criminal cases. Ayres retired from police work in 2001, but is still giving testimony as he sits on the back of his apple-laden pickup truck outside the Owen County Courthouse.

LIBERTY - This year, the Casey County Apple Festival might be serving up its biggest treat since the world's largest apple pie was introduced 34 years ago. Country singer Ronnie McDowell, whose tribute to Elvis Presley, "The King is Gone," has sold 5 million copies around the world, gets Saturday night going with a free performance at 5 on Stage 1 at the Courthouse Square. "He's the biggest name they've had to date. I'd say he's the biggest name to come to Liberty in a long, long time," said Raymond Overstreet, whose consulting firm helped put the deal together with financial backing from Monticello Bank.

LIBERTY - Winners in Casey County Apple Festival pageants Monday are: McKenzie Faith Goens was named Miss Preteen Casey County Apple Festival, and Cheyenne Skye Gosser was named Miss Preteen Casey County. Runners-up are Bailey Lauren Gibson, first; Katelin Marie Denney, second; and McKenna Blair Wade, third. McKenzie, 11, of Stanford also won the interview award. She is the daughter of David and Paula Brown and is a sixth-grader at Lloyd B. McGuffey Sixth Grade Center. Cheyenne, 11, is the daughter of Jeff Gosser of Liberty and Tonia Gosser of Hustonville.

5-7 pounds of boneless pork loin 1 quart plus 3/4 cup good quality apple juice 1 large yellow onion 3 red delicious apples 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 large red onion 6 tablespoons clarified butter 3 tablespoons bread flour 1 cup Merlot 1 quart heavy whipping cream 1. Using a sharp knife, butterfly the whole length of the loin. Then spread the loin flat into a deep pan and cover with 1 quart apple juice. Let marinate under refrigeration for two hours, turning after the first hour.

Asbury College communications students spent a week in New York City learning how top media professionals bring their faith to work. Nine students in Prof. Peter Kerr's COM 393 Communications class toured the Big Apple, visiting 60 Minutes with Kevin Tedesco, CBS and NBC studios. They were cheering in the background of "Good Morning America," met Diane Sawyer and toured Fleishman-Hillard and Ogilvy, world-famous public relations firms. "The New York trip is an eye-opening experience for students," said Kerr, who accompanied the group.

STANFORD - In Lincoln Circuit Clerk Teresa Reed's office, the deputy clerks all can file and assist the public with kindness. They're also all pretty handy around the kitchen. "Everybody here is a really good cook," said Tanya Jones, one of the deputies. Jones' office mates say she is probably the best of all of them, especially when it comes to sweets. So, when Jones brought some Mountain Dew apple dumplings that she had whipped up that morning, the deputies were anxious for a visitor to photograph the treats so they could sample the goods.