Opinion

Nothing has hit me quite this hard since that fall morning in 2007, the morning I got in my car and turned on the radio to hear Porter Wagoner’s classic “Green, Green Grass Of Home.” I had assured myself that since I was starting my day off with Porter, it was sure to be a red letter day. As the last few notes of the song drifted off the airwaves, the DJ’s voice was solemn as he announced that one of country music’s last great gems had died.

The Senate had a full week of legislation and committee meetings, in addition to logging in long hours working on the state’s biannual budget. With 10 days remaining, you will see a flurry of bills voted through the chambers and updates on the budget and state’s road plan these last few working days.
This week, the Senate considered and approved many important measures. Two in particular propose constitutional amendments.

Republican U.S. House candidates Gary Moore and Marcus Carey of Owen County addressed the Owen County Republican Party meeting at the Smith House Restaurant March 1.
Boone County Judge-executive Moore said he expected most people from Owen County would vote for one of their own, Marcus Carey, but he hoped they would vote for him.
Moore said he is a conservative, and very conservative Boone County has elected him many times, and he’s conservative on both fiscal and social issues.

It’s time to say goodbye to Damon Thayer.
But it’s not him who’s moving.
It’s us.
Last week, the Kentucky General Assembly passed and Kentucky Gov. Steve Bashear signed into a law a new map of state senate districts. The changes were made necessary by the 2010 U.S. Census that indicated the several state senate districts had either lost or gained population.
The old Senate District 17, which contained Grant, Owen, Scott and part of Kenton counties, was now about 13,000 residents over the ideal number for a senate district.

I’m not much a New Year’s resolution kinda person.
I feel that if you are going to make a commitment to something, why wait until the calendar changes when you should probably start as soon as possible.
I’ve made a few resolutions over the years but I’m still overweight and still carry most of my vices.
But this year will be different.
• I turn 47 in a few days. That’s when things that used to hold no concern for me start becoming a concern.
It’s time to get everything checked out.

If Joe B. Hall, Denny Crum or Rick Pitino had any role in protecting a child molester, I can’t believe there would be many people in Kentucky willing to stand up and defend them.
Over the past few days, former players, fans and students at Penn. State have come out in support of legendary coach Joe Paterno after he was fired after 48 successful years at the university.

It’s taken a  while to organize my thoughts on the “Occupy” protests.
One phrase keeps running through my head.
“DON’T BLOW THIS.”
Who is that exclamation pointed at?
Everyone.
To the protesters:
The right-wing media is already trying to portray you as latter-day hippies — lazy malcontents unwilling to work hard and get ahead.

When country music’s most notable figure, Hank Williams, died in the back of his Cadillac en route to a show in Canton, Ohio, on Jan. 1, 1953, America’s rural people had lost their first superstar. Three days later, the legendary singer-songwriter was buried in Montgomery, Ala., his funeral drawing a record crowd — the largest since Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as president of the Confederacy in 1861.

In the great, grand scheme of the universe, it’s really not that big of a deal.
Last week, the members of R.E.M. announced they will “call it a day” after a 31-year career.
The decision registered as a blip on most of the national news outlets.
But for me and a lot of my friends, it’s the end of something more than a band. It’s pretty much the end of something else. I won’t call it “youth” because, at 46 years old, I think that ship has pretty much sailed and beached itself on the rocky shores of middle age.