Paducah and McCracken County will soon garner statewide attention in consecutive months -- and for all the right reasons.

This month is the start of a new campaign to raise awareness about the First Amendment nationwide. The "Th1nk First" campaign was created in Nebraska, but media companies across the country have since joined the effort.

The McCracken County Fiscal Court floated a trial balloon earlier this week in response to a budget shortfall and mounting employee pension liabilities:

America is sick. Just about everybody recognizes it, and we didn't need two more mass shootings to convince anybody of anything. Most Americans think the country is on the wrong track, despite a roaring economy. You can blame Donald Trump, but Americans have been unsatisfied with the country…

C orruption stinks in all circumstances, none so much as when the bad actors are elected officials.

With summer travel season in full swing and more motorists taking to the highways, Kentucky State Police and troopers in five nearby states are collaborating on education and enforcement of the Move Over Law.

The following column is republished from The (Elizabethtown) News-Enterprise.

For all the bad raps Kentucky Oaks Mall seemingly takes -- it siphons shoppers off downtown, traffic is a hassle, popular stores close abruptly -- it nonetheless remains an important, if undervalued, part of Paducah and McCracken County's economic profile.

On Tuesday, Kentuckians woke to the news that Democrat Amy McGrath will challenge 34-year U.S. senator and current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his seat in next year's election.