Author

Jack Brammer

Jack Brammer

Jack Brammer, a native of Maysville, has been a news reporter in Kentucky since 1976. He worked two years for The Sentinel-News in Shelbyville and then from 1978 to 2021 in the Lexington Herald-Leader's Frankfort bureau. After retiring in December 2021 from the Herald-Leader, he became a freelance writer for various publications. Brammer has a Master's degree in communications from the University of Kentucky and is a member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame.

Joe Wright, a leader in Kentucky legislative independence movement, dies at 82

By: - July 17, 2023

Former state Sen. Joe Wright, a leader in the Kentucky General Assembly’s fight to become independent from the control of the governor more than four decades ago, died Saturday at Louisville’s Baptist East Hospital. He was 82. Joseph “Joe” Richard Wright of Breckinridge County served in the state Senate from 1976 to 1992. From 1981 […]

Kentucky Methodists tally congregations lost to LGBTQ rift as a conservative alternative grows

By: - June 26, 2023

Jacob Wilson, 28, was excited about starting as the pastor of a church in southeastern Kentucky on June 25. Both he and his new congregation in Hindman had left the United Methodist Church in opposition to gay clergy and same-sex marriage — and joined the new Global Methodist Church. Subscribing to conservative views of the […]

United Methodist Church in Kentucky?losing congregations to rift over LGBTQ inclusion

By: - June 2, 2023

On a cold morning last winter, some of the 50 to 75 members of a church on Forest Avenue in Maysville used pens in their small, but beloved, house of worship for a most symbolic action. They carefully used the sharp points to cut out the word “United” on the front of their hymn books […]

Republican Greg Elkins wins special election in 28th state Senate District

By: - May 16, 2023

Former Clark County Magistrate Greg Elkins, a Republican, won a special election Tuesday to fill a vacancy in Central Kentucky’s 28th state Senate District. The vacancy was created when Republican Ralph Alvarado left the seat Jan. 6 to become commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Health. Elkins, chief executive officer of Central Kentucky Hauling, defeated […]

Secretary of State Adams survives challenge from election deniers

By: - May 16, 2023

Michael Adams’ gloomy prediction last week that he might lose to two election deniers in Tuesday’s Republican primary election for Kentucky secretary of state did not materialize and the state’s top election official since 2019 has a chance to run against Democrat Charles “Buddy” Wheatley in the Nov. 7 general election. The race for secretary […]

Image of Andy Beshear, Kentucky's Democratic governor

Gov. Andy Beshear handily wins Democratic nomination in Kentucky primary

By: - May 16, 2023

A crowd of several hundred joined Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear in shouting “Four more years” at a victory rally for Beshear early Tuesday night at the Kentucky History Center in downtown Frankfort. Beshear trounced his two opponents in the Democratic primary election for governor — Peppy Martin and Geoff Young — and now faces Republican […]

‘Down ticket’ races include election denier’s challenge of Republican secretary of state

By: - May 11, 2023

The harsh words Michael G. Adams and Steve Knipper have exchanged started long before they became rival candidates in Tuesday’s Republican primary election for Kentucky secretary of state. Adams, who has held the office of top state election official since 2019 and is seeking a second four-year term, and Knipper, who was chief of staff […]

Craft’s GOP rivals have little to say about her absenteeism as U.S. ambassador to Canada

By: - April 3, 2023

Kelly Craft’s four major rivals for governor in the May 16 Republican primary were mostly mum when asked about reports that she had a high absenteeism rate as U.S. ambassador to Canada. In 2019, the Democratic staff of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued a critical minority report on Craft’s nomination by then-President Donald […]

Kentucky lame-duck lawmakers flew to Hawaii on taxpayers’ tab

By: - March 24, 2023

Seven lame-duck lawmakers were among 26 members of the Kentucky General Assembly who attended a conference last December in Hawaii.?The trip cost taxpayers more than $86,000. The conference of the Council of State Governments in Honolulu, which attracted more than 1,000 state legislators from across the country, offered workshops on various governmental issues. It was […]

Northern Kentucky University sets up search for new president amidst gloomy financial picture

By: - March 16, 2023

The Northern Kentucky University Board of Regents took several big steps Wednesday to select a new president after its budget officials outlined financial woes that may lead to higher tuition and student services fees. The board hired at an undisclosed amount a firm to conduct a national search for a new president and appointed a […]

Bill moves to let Kentucky Horse Park hire outside merit system, share in local ‘bedroom’ tax

By: - March 3, 2023

A state legislative panel unanimously approved a bill Thursday that would allow the Kentucky Horse Park to exclude its new hires from the state merit system designed to protect employees from political influence and enable the park to share in the “bedroom tax” collected by hotels, motels and other providers of overnight lodging in Fayette […]

‘Moms for Liberty’ gets three books removed from Campbell County school libraries

By: - February 16, 2023

Campbell County’s public schools have removed three books from their libraries at the urging of Moms for Liberty, a group that says it is “dedicated to the survival of America” by defending parental rights. But PEN America, a national organization founded in 1923 that defends and celebrates free expression, says the efforts by Moms for […]