IRS rebate

Ever wonder how much your rebate is going to be? Here is a little blurb from Newschannel5.com:

The Internal Revenue Service announced Monday that it will begin sending more than 130 million economic stimulus payments starting May 2.

The IRS announced Monday that the initial round of weekly economic stimulus payments will be completed by early July. The IRS also announced the availability of a new online calculator on http://www.irs.gov to help people determine the amount of their stimulus payments. Anyone who has prepared a 2007 income tax return can use the calculator. It will ask taxpayers a series of questions, so they should have their 2007 tax returns handy. After answering the questions, the calculator will provide the projected dollar value of the payment.


Just a little warning about the calculator; don't even try it without your tax paperwork in hand.

It is, after all, the IRS!

Sharon Grove Fire

Here are some photos of the Sharon Grove School fire last week provided to us by Randy Faughn. The cause is still under investigation and some officials are saying it is possibly arson. Look for more details in this week's Standard.

Other than Billy

It seems every week that news of the sheriff headlines the Standard. It also seems that is all people talk about. When I deliver papers on Wednesday in Elkton, I am often mobbed by people wanting to buy papers as I put them in the racks (not that I'm complaining) and get asked the question: "What's he done this week?"

While we are glad people are interested in the news of the county, we don't want other news to be overlooked because they are not as — for lack of a better word — sensational.

In this week's paper we had stories that are very important for readers to read and pay attention to; these stories include:

• Investors are looking into purchasing delinquent tax bills. For the taxpayers this could mean a greater expense and possibly foreclosure.

• Last Friday morning, an earthquake with an magnitude 5.2 shook the area. Shocks were felt from Kansas to Georgia. The county is in the process of updating its earthquake plan with the state emergency management office.

• Sharon Grove residents are at odds over flowers and mementos being removed from graves in Gant Cemetery. In a meeting Tuesday night about 50 residents showed up to express their disdain for the artifacts being removed from the cemetery. Signs are posted in the cemetery mandating that items will be removed twice a year; some are mad because flowers and saddles were removed from the top of the headstones, despite not being mentioned in the rules. Some residents requested that commitee member, Nelda Snead, resign her post on the cemetery board.

• The debate over a day care in downtown Guthrie continued during a special-called meeting of the city's board of adjustments. The board will hand down its final decision during a meeting at 1 p.m., May 2.

This was only a few of the other hard-hitting news items in this week's paper. Of course we had our ususal lighter fare in the form of a column from Ryan Craig, Larry Craig and Good Old Toby Hightower plus society items and students excelling in school.

All news is important, unfortunately it sometimes gets obscured by other events that are a little more Hollywood-ish.

Posted by Stephanie

Stokes has hearing

Todd County Sheriff W.D. "Billy" Stokes pled "not guilty" to misdemeanor charges this morning (April 21) in Logan District Court.

There will be a pre-trial conference on May 12 at 10 a.m. — though officials did say the time might be subject to change.

Stokes told the Standard that he wouldn't hire an attorney and would represent himself.

For more reaction from Stokes and the Logan County Attorney's office, see the Wednesday (April 23) edition of the Todd County Standard.

Where have all the Sitter's gone?

In today's world, everyone needs to work. This is especially true for parents, whether they have one kid or four kids. Both parents need to work outside the home just to make ends meet and know that those babies are taken care of. I'm know that there are some out there that can make it on one income and kudo's to you. But, the majority of us have gotten so caught up with a certain standard of living that we refuse to give any of it up.

All this to ask, where are the babysitters? Sure, there are daycares out there but they all have a waiting list of about TWO YEARS.

I can remember when I was little and even when my oldest was a baby, having in-home sitters. Ladies that loved knowing they could care for someone else's baby in the comfort of their own home. They were a dime a dozen. It seemed as, (if this is even possible), there were too many.

Now, the wind has shifted because they are as scarce as a needle in the haystack.

I would rather have my teeth pulled then to hunt for a sitter. My sister currently keeps my children but she will soon be in college. So, I am faced with the horendous chore of finding someone to keep my babies. Two are in school full time, one will be in pre-school and then there is the rambunctious baby.

There are people all over Todd County that are in desperate need of a job, most people need a sitter so bad that they would just about pay any amount within reason, I know I'm one of them. I don't understand why more people aren't jumping on the opportunity to make a few bucks.

It's a win-win situation for everyone. We get babysitters and You get a paycheck. Why isn't more people in Todd County keeping children? I have always heard that it takes a village to raise a kid. The longer I search for a suitable caretaker, the harder it is to believe that.

Posted by Rosa.

The cost of gas

I never thought I'd see the day I'd be hoping and praying for $3 a gallon gas. Well, that day is here. As I was delivering newspapers to Wal-Mart in Hopkinsville yesterday I noticed that gas was $3.31 a gallon. It made me think and sick. I drive a very small car. Four cylinders with a 14 gallon tank. When I bought the car in 2000, I could fill it up on empty (with the light on, which I do not do often because I am one of those people) for $14. When I went off to Bowling Green to school, gas was about $1.20, that was just after 9/11. For a few weeks, the price of gas crept back down to about 98 cents a gallon. I remember because my roommate and I pulled off to the side of the road to take a picture of the sign. In those first days of $1.25 gas then $1.50 I remember thinking how expensive that was. Now I'd LOVE to see gas at that price. I'd LOVE to see it at $2.50 a gallon. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening in the near future. An alternative energy source needed and soon. 

Posted by Stephanie

Date Changes for Sheriff Court Appearance

Todd County Sheriff W.D. "Billy" Stokes was scheduled to appear before a judge on Wednesday, April 16 at 1 p.m. to answer charges stemming from a Logan County man's complaint over a disagreement recently in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

According to the Logan County Attorney's office the new date for Stokes to appear before a special-called judge is 9 a.m. on April 21. 

Stokes has been charged with improper parking in a handicapped space, menacing and official misconduct (second degree).

Guthrie day care

Hackles are raised over the location of a day care in Guthrie.

The city council met Tuesday night during its regularly scheduled meeting in a standing-room only crowd to debate the facility. Kathy Smith, owner of Guthrie Schoolhouse Daycare, is wanting to purchase a building next to the Opera House in downtown Guthrie. A November fire destroyed Smith's business — and home — forcing her to relocate. Now Smith is wanting to place her residence and business at a Ewing Street location.

Guthrie's Planning and Zoning board voted 3-2 not to allow the day care to relocate, saying that it is not part of the "aura of what downtown should be." The building in question is a conditional use building, a day care is one of the businesses that would have to be approved.

While Guthrie is in need of a day care, perhaps a downtown historic building is not the best place.

Guthrie has an alcohol referendum that could someday be used. There is also safety issues since the building faces the town's main drag and would put children exiting the building on the street. State fire laws are also on book that require day cares to have amenities that the historic building does not have and ordinances exist that says you cannot compromise the building's historic value by adding them.

The Smiths and the city should work together to find a compromise to the situation. Remember the true losers would be the kids.

Presidential Election

The Kentucky Presidential Primary Election is roughly six weeks away. The showdown is really between Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. John McCain is the Republican nominee and will face the winner in the November election.

Do you plan on voting? YOU SHOULD!

But my vote won't matter. IT WILL THIS YEAR!

Why? BECAUSE THERE IS NO CLEAR WINNER YET BETWEEN CLINTON AND OBAMA MEANING THAT THE KENTUCKY PRIMARY STILL MEANS SOMETHING IN THE DELEGATE COUNT.

Do you know who you are going to vote for? THAT'S OK YOU STILL HAVE TIME LEFT TO DECIDE. THIS FAR INTO THE RACE BOTH CANDIDATES HAVE PRETTY MUCH MADE ALL THEIR STANCES KNOWN.

But despite their different stances on the issues what it really comes down to is who will be a better president --- A WHITE WOMAN or A BLACK MAN.

Neither group of people have ever been called COMMANDER IN CHIEF.

But does it really matter? Their competition this fall is a WHITE MALE.

What are your thoughts?

(They are also some local elections but we'll get to that at another time.)

Farewell "Mr. Wildcat"

UK fans were shocked this week by the news that "Mr. Wildcat," Bill Keightley, died Monday from internal bleeding caused by a previously undiagnosed tumor. He was 81.

Keightley has been associated with the Cats since 1962. He has worked under five head coaches, including the great Adolph Rupp, Joe B. Hall, Eddie Sutton, Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith during his 46 years with the team. Keightley was honored in 1997 with a retired jersey, which hangs in Rupp arena. He and Cawood Ledford are the only non-players or coaches to have a jersey retired at Kentucky.

According to SportingNews.com, approximately 3,000 people — decked out in the traditional UK blue — paid final respects to Keightey on Thursday at Rupp Arena where his casket was placed at center court.

A fitting tribute.

Keightley will be missed come next season and every season after.

Farewell "Mr. Wildcat."