Governor

It's always fun to see old campaign advertisements when you know what the outcome was. About 30 years ago, Martha Layne Collins was on the campaign trail, working on what would be a successful bid to become Kentucky's 56th governor - and it's first (and so far, only) female governor. Collins was slated to make an appearance at the old Lincoln County Harvey Helm Memorial Library, and she ran this ad in the April 7, 1983, issue of The Interior Journal. Interior Time Machine is curated by IJ Editor Ben Kleppinger.

Gov. Steve Beshear canceled his visit at 11 a.m. today at the Community Arts Center due to inclement weather. Margaret Fuqua with the state Transportation Cabinet said there are no immediate plans to reschedule; however, if a make-up event is planned, it likely will not be until after Christmas. The governor was expected to present $273,000 in transportation enhancement funds to the city of Danville for streetscape improvements.

Dear Editor: I was concerned about a recent letter to the editor written by a ?Jim Duncan? who lives here in Danville. I, too, am a Jim Duncan, and even though the letter was eloquently written, I would like to express that ?the other? Jim Duncan?s views radically differ from mine. As a physician here in town who is intimately involved with many of the issues brought up by ?the other? Jim Duncan, I would like to say that having a trial lawyer as governor of Kentucky is a frightening proposition.

Gov. Steve Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear will be at Boyle County High School at 10 a.m. Dec. 20 to congratulate all Boyle County students and staff on being recognized as a District of Distinction in Kentucky. The district earned the title for ranking in the Top 10 school districts in Kentucky based on KPREP scores released in mid-October. All Boyle County students and staff will be in attendance to hear the governor's address. The event, to be held in the BCHS gymnasium, will showcase the Boyle County band, chorus, cheerleaders and other students from within the district.

Dear Editor: This is just to let the people of Kentucky know what a corrupt government we have. When Gov. Ernie Fletcher was running for governor, his main theme was that he was going to "clean up the mess in Frankfort. " When he first started in Frankfort as governor, there was a mess with his budget and with the teacher health insurance program. The driver's license fee went from $8 to $20. The state of Kentucky is deeper in debt than any time in its history. He let his hiring get out of hand by using the good old boy system.

Now it's the crap shoot we always thought it would be. Who wants to be governor of Kentucky? Besides the governor of Kentucky, that is. Not I, said the favorite son. Congressman Ben Chandler's decision to forego a run for governor next year was not a big surprise, even if his reasoning included a little more than we expected. Chandler has said from early on that if the Democrats took back the U.S. House of Representatives he would be inclined to remain in Washington, but he always left the door open, and he appeared to be battling with the decision right up to the end. Despite encouragement from many (including yours truly)

Wilma Brown of Danville is one of four people appointed last week to the Kentucky Arts Council by Gov. Ernie Fletcher. Brown is the founder and executive director of the Community Arts Center of Danville/Boyle County and a professional portrait artist. She also is a founding member of the Gathering Artists of Danville and a founding member of the Arts Commission of Danville/Boyle County. The Kentucky Arts Council is made up of 16 members appointed by the governor. The council develops and promotes a broadly conceived state policy of support for the arts in Kentucky.

LANCASTER - David L. Williams, Republican candidate for governor, and Richie Farmer, his running mate for lieutenant governor, will make a campaign stop Friday in Lancaster. They will meet the public from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Garrard County Extension Office, 1302 Stanford Road.

Democratic candidate for governor Steve Beshear votes in his home precinct of Becknerville with his wife, Jane. Beshear has been a resident of Clark Couny for more than 10 years.

As the May 2007 primaries draw near, several Republican senators signed a letter endorsing Gov. Ernie Fletcher's bid for re-election, earning him support in several key districts that include Jessamine and Fayette counties. Senators Damon Thayer, Tom Buford, and Alice Kerr, representing districts 17, 22 and 12, respectively, are among the governor's backers. In a Jan. 18 press release, the senators pledged their undivided support to Fletcher and the work he has achieved in Kentucky.

Governor Beshear hired outside consultants, listened to health care advocates and hospital officials, did the math, and decided to expand Kentucky's Medicaid coverage through the Affordable Care Act.   More than 300,000 additional Kentuckians will be covered, and he concluded it would cost the state more ($38.9 million additional) to turn down the expansion than to approve it.  The coverage would be extended to family units at or below 138 percent of the poverty line (i.e. to single adults making as much as $15,856 and to families of four with incomes up to $32,499)

FRANKFORT - Twenty-six works of art by Kentucky artists were chosen from 163 entries to be displayed in the Governor's Derby Exhibit, part of the Governor's Derby Celebration. The exhibit showcases paintings, drawings, cut paper portraits, and photographs from artists across the Commonwealth. Any Kentucky artist could submit work for consideration in the exhibit that runs through May 6 in the Capitol Rotunda, 700 Capitol Ave., Frankfort. The annual show is coordinated by the Kentucky Arts Council on behalf of Governor Steve Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear.

Employees of the Donaldson Company in Nicholasville dropped their tools for a few minutes one Thursday last month, and, joined by Nicholasville Mayor Russ Meyer and the company's director of operations, waited to receive a well-earned reward. The company was presented with the  Governor's Safety and Health Award for the third consecutive year. Mark Brown, secretary of the Kentucky Labor Cabinet, presented the award. Plant manager Tony James called up the company's most senior employees to accept a plaque and an OHSAS (Occupation Health and Safety Assessment Series)

It's always fun to see old campaign advertisements when you know what the outcome was. About 30 years ago, Martha Layne Collins was on the campaign trail, working on what would be a successful bid to become Kentucky's 56th governor - and it's first (and so far, only) female governor. Collins was slated to make an appearance at the old Lincoln County Harvey Helm Memorial Library, and she ran this ad in the April 7, 1983, issue of The Interior Journal. Interior Time Machine is curated by IJ Editor Ben Kleppinger.

 Danville High School won the District 46 Governor's Cup competition, held Monday and Tuesday. This marks the 16th consecutive year that the DHS Academic Team has won the event. Rockcastle County High School finished second. Lincoln County, Garrard County and Boyle County also competed. Each year, the Kentucky Association for Academic Competition sponsors the Governor's Cup Competition for high-, middle- and elementary-school students. Schools compete in individual and team events at the district, regional and state levels.

LIBERTY - Residents in the Dry Ridge Road area of Casey County now have a safe road to travel on Ky. 1649, a 1.8-mile portion of road near Liberty. During a ribbon-cutting ceremony Monday at Central Kentucky Ag Expo Center in Liberty, Gov. Steve Beshear commended the people of the area for pushing for this change over the course of more than 10 years. “You've proven, time and time again, that you'll help yourselves,” Beshear said of Casey Countians. “It's important for residents to stand up and make these needs known.” The hill was formerly at a 16 percent grade but has been smoothed and expanded, decreasing the grade to 6 percent.

Gov. Steve Beshear launched Kentucky's HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers on Friday, encouraging people to participate in designated driving programs throughout Kentucky and the nation. The national campaign was established by the family of Navy Ensign John Elliott of Atlantic County, N.J., who was killed in 2000 in a head-on collision with a drunken driver. “The HERO Campaign's mission is to end drunk-driving fatalities, injuries and accidents nationwide by promoting designated driving and reminding the public to drive sober,” Beshear said.

Gov. Steve Beshear was on hand Thursday to meet students enrolled in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, sponsored locally by the Danville/Boyle County Chamber of Commerce. The local program was the first in the state, which prompted the press conference attended by Beshear and YEA! Executive Director Heather Forbes, who was thrilled to be in Kentucky, despite the bad weather. “It's been wonderful,” she said. The program is now being implemented in other schools around the state, which Forbes said had been “exciting” to see. Beshear echoed those sentiments, adding that he knows entrepreneurship is the future of Kentucky.

Right now, we have focused our attention on Washington and have forgotten the problems that we have growing in our state. Governor Steve Beshear has sat on his hands and done nothing but watch our state decline. We've had over 9,000 miners put out of work - numbers growing by the day - and he has done nothing.  Companies with jobs are shying away from us. He and Attorney General Jack Conway have done nothing to stop the federal government from destroying the health care industry in this state.

Gov. Steve Beshear and First Lady Jane Beshear will be at Boyle County High School at 10 a.m. Dec. 20 to congratulate all Boyle County students and staff on being recognized as a District of Distinction in Kentucky. The district earned the title for ranking in the Top 10 school districts in Kentucky based on KPREP scores released in mid-October. All Boyle County students and staff will be in attendance to hear the governor's address. The event, to be held in the BCHS gymnasium, will showcase the Boyle County band, chorus, cheerleaders and other students from within the district.