Views Archives

The season of canned cranberry sauce and family stories

by Constance Alexander
November 29, 2020

No one would have missed the cranberry sauce but Mother. She always remembered. At the last minute, still quivering from the rush to get it out of the can, a plate of glistening ruby circlets appeared at the table, thus completing the feast.

Opinion: Ron Howard’s film seems to tell Appalachia, ‘Get a job’

by Graham Marema
November 25, 2020

Eastern Tennessee resident believes J.D. Vance’s version of success shouldn’t define an entire region and its people.

What artifact would you leave at a coronavirus museum?

by Constance Alexander
November 17, 2020

Constance Alexander asked the students in her Murray State University humanities class what they would donate to their imagined Coronavirus Museum. One student offered her great-grandma’s recipe for zucchini bread.

Opinion: Mitch McConnell has the switch to stop Trump, but will he use it?

by Al Cross
November 13, 2020

A public break with an unpredictable president could split the Republican Party into Trump and anti-Trump factions, alienating Trump’s base from party leaders.

Personal COVID-19 stories help explain why health department needs community’s support, cooperation

by Kayla Bebout
November 6, 2020

Behind every coronavirus number and statistic, there is a real person affected by the pandemic.

Scourges, miracle drugs and a ‘vaccine for society’

by Dee Davis
November 5, 2020

For people who did not live through the polio era, it was a time of explicit fear. Everyone knew FDR had been a victim, and everyone knew victims.

Opinion: Kentucky crime victims deserve equal rights provided in Marsy’s Law

by Whitney Westerfield
October 12, 2020

We need Marsy’s Law in Kentucky because it would finally give victims of crime a constitutionally protected right to be notified, be heard, and be present at key court proceedings without infringing upon the rights of the accused and convicted.

Opinion: Constitutional Amendment 1 designed to make us believe it fixes a problem that doesn’t exist

by Angela M. Rea
October 12, 2020

Anyone wondering how Marsy’s Law will affect the local court system should speak to trusted prosecutors, judges, and lawyers. What they will likely hear is that Marsy’s Law will not make anything better and will in fact make the system less efficient and less reliable.

What pandemic grade will Kentucky’s city and county officials earn?

by Al Cross
October 9, 2020

The governor is looking to the political leaders of Kentucky’s 120 counties and 418 cities to help enforce the mask mandate, or at least publicly encourage compliance with it.

Constance Alexander: During National Newspaper Week, celebrating local news starts at home

by Constance Alexander
October 8, 2020

In recognition of National Newspaper Week, Hoptown Chronicle Board member Constance Alexander writes about the importance of community journalism and looks back at the origin of this nonprofit news organization.

The virus pushed Kentucky into different ways of voting, and we’ll probably never go back

by Jennifer P. Brown
October 3, 2020

This year marks the passing of an era. There's more convenience for voters, but we're also giving up tradition that was deeply rooted in community.

Contradicting science is bad for public health

by Al Cross
September 18, 2020

For the first time ever, research — but not the scientific kind — is at the fingertips of anyone who knows how to use an internet search engine. The research often stops when the searcher finds information that confirms their suspicions and fits their belief system.