Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal

U.S. 127 Yard Sale Draws Hundreds

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 15:37:44 +0000

Hundreds of bargain hunters, some from as far as England, have been rummaging their way through Franklin County as they check out the 25th annual 127 Yard Sale. For more than two decades, vendors have been setting up tents and selling their knick-knacks along U.S. 127 across six states. The sale spans 690 miles from Michigan to Alabama and calls itself “The World’s Longest Yard Sale.”

Franklin County Health Workers Face Furlough Days

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 13:53:08 +0000

To ease budget cuts, Franklin County Health Department employees will have to take 12 furlough days next year, director Paula Alexander announced Friday. “Yes, that is considerable,” Alexander said after the news was met with a collective gasp at Friday’s Fiscal Court meeting. “That is little over a paycheck.”

Groundbreaking Held for New Emergency Operations Center

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Wed, 30 May 2012 19:31:03 +0000

Government and military representatives officially broke ground Tuesday on the state’s new $9.8 million Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort that officials say will help them be more efficient during natural disasters and state and federal emergencies. At present, emergency personnel are located in several spots across Frankfort. The new facility will bring them under one roof.

Early Spring Concerns Farmers

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:41:09 +0000

This year’s unusually warm weather has brought some concerns to farmers and horticulturalists on whether the summer-like start to spring will affect the commonwealth’s abundance of spring flowers and crops. The media reported that Churchill Downs horticulture director Matt Bizzell said the warm winter means the track’s tulips will bloom about two weeks too early for the first Saturday in May, meaning derby goers won’t see the 6,000 to 12,000 tulips typically blooming at the track during Derby Week.

Court Considers Smoking Ban in Franklin

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 14:57:30 +0000

More than five years after Frankfort enacted a smoking ban, Fiscal Court is considering extending it to all of Franklin County. “There’s been several citizens over the last few years that’s mentioned it to me,” Judge-Executive Ted Collins told The State Journal Friday. “I just finally realized that it’s time for county government to step up and do their part.”

Funding Deficit Closes Center

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:09:20 +0000

After serving Franklin County’s special needs children for more than 30 years, PUSH Early Childhood Development Center announced Thursday it will be closing its doors next week. The Board of Directors passed a motion in its meeting Wednesday night to suspend the center’s operations starting Feb. 24, citing deficits and a decline in funding. Founded in 1979 by parents of children with special needs, PUSH is a learning center that specializes in working with economically, physically and socially disadvantaged children. There are currently 41 kids, ranging from infants to 5-year-olds, enrolled.

Mountain-Top Removal Protest

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:23:27 +0000

For the last several years on Valentine’s Day, hundreds have gathered at the Capitol to protest mountaintop removal mining, saying the process pollutes Kentucky’s waterways and causes health problems. Now they say they can prove it. “We finally have the peer-reviewed studies to back what we’ve been saying all along, that mountaintop removal’s been killing our people,” said Teri Blanton, a Berea resident and member of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, as she prepared for Tuesday’s rally at the Capitol.

'I love Mountains Day' Protest

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:05:17 +0000

Dozens of protesters have staged sit-ins outside the governor’s office leading up to “I Love Mountains Day,” but the last shift before today’s big rally went to Footprints for Peace. The group deserved a break – its members spent the last two weeks walking here from Eastern Kentucky. About a dozen people, hailing from New Jersey to rural Kentucky, spent the last 12 days walking from Prestonsburg to Frankfort – about 150 miles – to protest mountaintop removal mining.

Determining a Tornado

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:51:11 +0000

Officials from the National Weather Service will visit Franklin County today to determine if Tuesday’s downed power lines and roof damage were caused by straight-line winds or a tornado. About seven storage units at Ratliff’s Self Storage Center on U.S. 421 were damaged after strong winds tore through the area around noon Tuesday, said manager Leslie Driskell. One of those units belongs to KB Construction, and the owner, Kevin Breeck, was inside when the storm came through. He said he was just leaving when the winds picked up.

National Guard Unit Readies for Deployment

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 21:29:11 +0000

Although the U.S. is withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, the war is not over for more than 60 members of the Kentucky National Guard in Frankfort. They were honored in a farewell ceremony Tuesday as they prepare to go to Afghanistan in the next several weeks. The members – officially Agribusiness Development Team 4 – will focus on teaching Afghanis how to be agriculturally self-sufficient in a war-ravaged nation.

Ordinance Permits Liquor Sales on Sunday

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:04:12 +0000

Fiscal Court has passed an ordinance 5-2 that permits Buffalo Trace and other local distilleries to hand out samples and sell packaged liquor on Sundays.It passed after a heated discussion at Thursday’s work session, which the court was forced to move to the courtroom after nearly 30 showed up in support or opposition. Jason Underwood, a lobbyist for Buffalo Trace, said the ordinance was proposed to help Buffalo Trace “level the playing field” with other nearby distilleries.

American Bar Association Asks KY to Suspend Executions

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:22:19 +0000

The American Bar Association is asking Kentucky to temporarily suspend executions, citing errors and inconsistencies in how the state deals with cases involving capital punishment. In a two-year study released today, the ABA’s Kentucky Assessment Team on the Death Penalty found that of the last 78 inmates sentenced to death in Kentucky, 50 had their sentences overturned on appeals, and 10 were represented by a defense attorney who was later disbarred. The team also found that once a person is incarcerated, police are no longer required to keep evidence in the case, which has prevented post-conviction DNA testing for a number of death row inmates because of missing evidence.

Ghost Tours at Buffalo Trace Distillery

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:51:47 +0000

Halloween may be over, but the haunting continues at Buffalo Trace Distillery where new Ghost Tours start. The tours will feature places explored in Wednesday episode of SyFy’s paranormal reality show “Ghost Hunters.” “There are more spirits here than the ones aging in our warehouses,” said tour guide Teresa Barney, who will be leading the Ghost Tours. The “Ghost Hunters” crew filmed an episode at the distillery in August after viewers alerted them to “strange happenings” at the more than 200-year-old distillery.

Division of Surplus Bid Sale

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:35:43 +0000

It may be another week until Black Friday, but the government is already slashing prices and rolling out the deals. The Division of Surplus Property will have a spot bid sale (similar to a silent auction) for the public Wednesday at its warehouse on Frankfort's Chenault Road. It’s an appendage of the Finance and Administration Cabinet for selling excess federal and state property. The warehouse contains everything from old desks and chairs to toenail clippers and pocketknives – all sold at a fraction of the price new.

Franklin Co. Puppies Contract Deadly Virus

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:07:04 +0000

The Franklin County Humane Society remains on lockdown after several more puppies were put down after testing positive for the canine parvovirus, bringing the total number of dogs euthanized to 11. The society has been under quarantine since Monday after the virus was first discovered last weekend. Since then, seven more puppies were brought in with symptoms and were euthanized after testing positive for the parvovirus. Humane Society Vice President Trudi Johnson said two of the sick puppies may have visited the East Frankfort Dog Park while contagious.

Deadly Virus Locks Down Animal Shelter

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 17:08:22 +0000

The Franklin County Humane Society is under a mandatory quarantine after a few puppies in the shelter tested positive for canine parvovirus, says one of its officials. The shelter can’t accept or release animals for adoption for at least five days. Four puppies were euthanized between Saturday and Monday after showing signs of the deadly disease, said Trudi Johnson, vice president for the humane society.

Rallying for Jobs, Justice

Lauren Hallow, Frankfort State Journal — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 20:01:59 +0000

Nearly 50 people gathered on the Old Capitol lawn Saturday to rally for job creation and against Washington, possibly rehearsing for future protests. Sponsored by the local chapter of MoveOn.org, a public policy group for “democracy in action,” the hour-long rally featured several speakers, including Rep. Carl Rollins, D-Midway, who expressed their concerns with the government and the nation’s lackluster economy. Members of MoveOn.org organized the rally after being inspired by the Occupy Wall Street protests, which denounce economic inequality, particularly focusing on the 1 percent of people who control about a third of the nation’s wealth.