Kentucky editorial roundup

Summary of recent Kentucky newspaper editorials:

Aug. 21

The News-Enterprise on one of 25 veterans being inducted next month into the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame:

For Carey “C.T.” Christie, it all started with a vision of what he wanted to see in the area — a replica Vietnam Memorial Wall. The project wasn’t easy.

There had to be a place, there had to plenty of support and the cost was not insignificant.

Christie, a two-tour Vietnam War veteran, never wavered. He knocked on doors and stood in meetings. He posted his mission and how to contribute to the cause on his truck.

He was determined to make it happen and in April 2018, the $600,000 wall was unveiled.

Years of effort and persistence came to life in Elizabethtown Nature Park. The 80 per cent scale wall has had hundreds of visitors, many searching for names of people they served with or family members — often both.

Now, Christie, is one of 25 people to be selected for the sixth class of inductees into the Kentucky Veterans Hall of Fame. He is the lone selection from Hardin County and was one of 100 people from across the state nominated.

“… this is like the icing on the cake, getting to be in the Hall of Fame,” Christie said of his selection. The class represents all branches of the U.S. military and several different conflicts.

Christie also helped establish a POW/MIA monument at Kentucky Veterans’ Cemetery-Central in Radcliff, saying he always is mindful of bringing awareness of POWs and MIAs.

He also has been a member of the Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club, which sponsors the Vietnam Veterans Memorial when it comes to Kentucky and rides in parades honouring veterans, among other activities. He also has volunteered with Kentucky Patriots, an organization made up of on-call volunteers who attend services for deceased veterans at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery-Central.

He said he has taken part in more than 1,100 services.

Christie will receive his well-deserved honour Sept. 6-7 during ceremonies at Griffin Gate Marriott in Lexington.

In Hardin County, he has helped make an impact that will last a lifetime.

Online: http://www.thenewsenterprise.com/

___

Aug. 17

The Richmond Register on a drop in the number of overdose deaths in Kentucky:

In July, there seemed to be good news on the drug epidemic in Kentucky. For the first time since 2013, there was a drop in drug overdose deaths statewide.

A report indicated that 1,333 people died from drug overdoses in 2018, down nearly 15% from a record 1,566 deaths the prior year in the Bluegrass State. The statewide decline was by far the largest in at least a decade, state officials said. In 2013, the overdose death rate fell by close to 3%, they noted.

“The numbers are trending down, but our state still faces incredible challenges,” said state Justice and Public Safety Secretary John Tilley. “This crisis claimed more than 1,300 lives last year and inflicted untold heartbreak on our families and communities.”

Tilley is right. The state still faces an incredible challenge, and not every county saw decreases.

In Madison County, the numbers have continued to grow and are on pace to set a record for 2019.

Through Aug. 1, there have been 32 confirmed overdoses with five more pending, according to Madison County Coroner Jimmy Cornelison.

The confirmed number of overdoses nearly matches 2016 when there were 33 overdose deaths in the county. That increased to 40 in 2017 and 42 last year.

“I don’t think we’ve changed much of anything. I really don’t. Look at my numbers,” Cornelison told The Register earlier this month.

After a slight increase from 2017 to 2018, there was hope the worst was over here. However, we’re not sure.

The numbers do tell us what we’ve known for a long time — this fight is far from over, and more needs to be done.

There is good news though. Our leaders are still pushing forward with new programs and ideas.

Vice-President Mike Pence announced during a visit to Kentucky this month that another $400 million of federal grant money had been allocated to solve the drug epidemic nationwide — nearly $10 million coming to the commonwealth.

Just this week, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Fletcher Group will receive $6.6 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program, which supports evidence-based programs for the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders in rural communities. Its work will target 101 rural counties in eight states, including 47 in Kentucky.

However, the biggest investment was announced in April when the University of Kentucky was announced as one of the four research sites for the HEALing Communities Study. Researchers from UK’s Center on Drug and Alcohol Research and across campus — in partnership with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet — will lead a four-year, more than $87 million project. The goal of the study is to reduce opioid overdose deaths by 40% in 16 counties that represent more than a third of Kentucky’s population.

We’ve seen too many loved ones lost and families shattered by the drug epidemic. We are hopeful these announcements will make a difference.

Online: https://www.richmondregister.com/

___

Aug. 15

The State Journal on the significance of the name of a new state office building in Frankfort:

When it comes to buildings, the state is known for coming up with bland names that lack context and don’t exactly roll off the tongue. Recent local additions such as The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Office Building and The 300 Building immediately leap to mind.

So, we, like many in the community were excited Tuesday (Aug. 13) when officials unveiled the name of the new state office building where the Capital Plaza Tower once stood. The Mayo-Underwood Building, at 500 Mero St., proudly bears the name of Frankfort’s former African American school, which was located on the land known back in the day as The Craw or The Bottom, prior to the erection of the tower.

We applaud the Bevin administration for selecting a name that harkens back to the neighbourhood’s roots and acknowledges the achievements of those who attended the segregated school.

In his comments at Tuesday’s event, Finance and Administration Cabinet Secretary William Landrum III said the name honours the past while moving Frankfort to the future.

“Unfortunately, we cannot undo some of the injustices, but we can remember and recognize what was here before,” he told attendees at the ceremony.

We agree. So too do Franklin County Judge-Executive Huston Wells and Mayor Bill May, both of whom were in attendance at the unveiling of the name of the building that will house 23 state offices and approximately 1,500 workers.

The top city and county leaders commended Landrum for remembering the heritage of the area and never losing sight of the significance of the location throughout the redevelopment project.

Though The Mayo-Underwood Building is still a few months from being operational and employees aren’t expected to begin moving in until October, we are pleased by its historically significant name and re-welcome the Mayo-Underwood brand to the community.

As the 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, once said, “The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.”

Online: https://www.state-journal.com/

___