The primary election is nearly upon us here, and on Tuesday, Johnson County residents will go to the polls to choose both national and local officials to represent them.

It is every able American’s duty to vote, and we hope others agree and find their way to the polling places.

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week.

A double-edged sword for Frankfort, the amount of money spent on lobbying grows to record levels every year.

Through its legislative newsletter, the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission announced Monday that legislative lobbying grew to a record $8.4 million through the end of March, a 17 percent increase compared to last year’s spending at the same point. Many of the biggest spenders shelled out cash related to tobacco tax increases or health-related issues.

“If you build it, they will come” is not very conventional wisdom. For Ray Kinsella in “Field ofDreams,” it sounded like lunacy at first.

But that wisdom is true, and for Eastern Kentucky, the pieces are coming together. Slowly.

Already, between the Haas eKentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute and the American Metal Works facility downtown, humble Johnson County is home to some of the nation’s most advanced computer numerical control training and equipment. 

Thanks to a dedicated team of superheroes, one particular form of plight and suffering is being combatted across Paintsville and Johnson County.

The problem is unspayed, unneutered strays and pets being kept outdoors and others released as strays. Left unchecked, the problem would be much worse than it is. 

Thankfully, the General Assembly session is over.

Most people don’t vote. 

In 2015, with 17,787 registered voters in Johnson County and Kentucky’s governorship up for grabs, 4,726 turned out in November and a scant 2,360 showed up in May. Things were a little better in 2016, with presidential candidates on the ballot, with 9,701 of the 17,877 registered voters showing up for the general election, though only 3,038 voted in the primary.

Do you, or someone you know, pay a lot of money for flood insurance? Of course you do. The average Paintsville resident in the flood plain pays nearly $1,200 a year.

Ever wish you could do something about it? Now you can!

Last week’s town hall meeting may have been a breakthrough for the City of Paintsville.

It was refreshing to see the idea of an open, public meeting with nearly every city agency present to update the public on their purposes and goals. It was refreshing to see the meeting go from a concept discussed a month ago to fruition so quickly. It was refreshing to see dozens of people in the audience, and the interest sufficient for there to be another such meeting later this year. 

It’s easy to lament a lack of transparency in government, or the feeling that elected officials turn a deaf ear to the needs of their constituents. In reality, however, work is going on to make that a thing of the past. 

School violence, campus shootings and threats are becoming the norm, and we must act to turn that back

This week, U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers’ office announced the Social Security Administration is planning a second round of redeterminations for former clients of Eric C. Conn. While the first round initially targeted approximately 1,500 individuals, with more than half of them losing their benefits,…