Opinion

Who knew something considered fake could pose such a real threat in Spencer and surrounding counties?
Admittedly, I know very little about synthetic cannabinoids/synthetic marijuana/fake pot/whatever you want to call it.
Many of you know my professional background — I spent three years, 2008-2011, as news editor at The Anderson News in neighboring Anderson County. Because of my history there and because of my current residence there, I made it a point to follow the “fake pot” saga when the fiscal court there passed its ordinance last month.

As we enter 2012 with high expectations, there have been several changes in the direction litter abatement and waste removal have taken.
Several of the largest cities in the U.S. have taken a look at the cost of garbage elimination, and have come up with new ideas on disposal.
Landfills cost a lot of money to buy, regulate and operate due to health and environmental issues. We all know the fact that our government units are short of money in seemingly every area. So, the new idea is to recycle, renew, and reuse all possible scrap material.

Every parent wants his or her child to succeed in life. Early on, parents can help by making sure that their children can read. And they need to keep them in school. This is the parent’s responsibility, but some in Frankfort want to take that responsibility away from them by mandating school attendance until they’re 18 years old.

Parts of this year’s legislative session have reminded this reporter of the comedy sketch, “Who’s on First?” made popular by the vaudeville act Abbott and Costello.
Though not nearly as humorous, the jockeying around of state representatives — especially as they pertain to Spencer County — has been just as confusing.
Just when we think we’ve figured out an answer to the question, “Who’s our representative?” one side or the other throws a curve ball to mix us up once again.

In his state of the Commonwealth address, Governor Steve Beshear laid it out fairly straight — we have to tighten our belts. Again. Like every responsible family in the Commonwealth we need to establish a reasonable budget, and exercise the discipline to stick to it. We’ve been doing a pretty good job of that for the last four years, although we haven’t been shy about our bonding (which is borrowing money on a 20-year payback.)

We are now a quarter way through session. Bills are flowing through the committee process and arriving on the Senate floor for consideration before the entire chamber.
Three bills won passage last week and will now head to the House of Representatives. Senate Bill 55 allows for interstate mutual aid agreements among first-responders and other emergency response personnel. That is to say, that if an emergency occurs near local or state borders, emergency personnel can respond regardless of their home base.

As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee, I have voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and participated in dozens of hearings that revealed astronomical costs, billion-dollar slush funds, and countless other negative consequences of the health care law.

I really didn’t want to write any more about redistricting, but I’m getting so many questions — about who represents whom? And why did this happen? And why did you make it an emergency? — that it might serve to explain things in a more comprehensive way. I don’t plan to write any more columns on this, so (with apologies to Lewis Carroll) I’ll “begin at the beginning, and go on until I come to the end: then stop.”

Over the course of the last seven days, my colleagues and I have had the pleasure of meeting some Spencer County High School students who are wise beyond their years.

You may have already read the following quote from freshman Christen Housley in our main story about the tragic wreck that took place last week.

“We’ve really come together,” Christen said. “We’re not a community, we’re a family now.”