Art Lander’s Outdoors: Late winter, early spring offers some of KY’s best largemouth bass fishing
March is the beginning of some of the best fishing of the year for largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).
When water temperatures climb into the 40s and low 50s, bass begin to travel from their winter, deepwater haunts, to flats at the backs of bays, and areas where creek or river channels are close to the banks.
Telephone a marina on the lake you want to fish for information on current lake levels,...
Kentucky Derby shines spotlight on Commonwealth’s proud equine and agriculture traditions
On the first Saturday in May, all eyes around the world will be on Kentucky for the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby – the longest continually held sporting event in the country.
While the Kentucky Derby, set for May 4 this year, is known for thoroughbreds, mint juleps, and fashion, those fastest two minutes in sports mean more to Kentucky and Kentucky agriculture than just a day of pageantry.
“The...
Re-enactment of 1964 Freedom March on Frankfort to take place March 5; gather at Capital City Museum
Focus on Race Relations (FORR) will reenact the 1964 Freedom March on Frankfort which was attended by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackie Robinson, Peter Paul and Mary, and 10,000 Kentuckians.
The Freedom March led to the passage of the Kentucky Civil Rights Act of 1966. Kentucky was the first state south of the Mason-Dixon Line to pass its own state-level Civil Rights Act.
On Tuesday, March 5, the...
Secretary of State reports Kentucky voter registration increased for 10th consecutive month in January
Secretary of State Michael Adams on Monday announced voter registration continued to increase in January, for the tenth month in a row.
“These numbers suggest that this November we could have the highest voter turnout in decades,” said Adams. “It is critical that the General Assembly leave early voting days and our election integrity measures intact.”
Voter registration has increase in Kentucky...
Kentucky completely drought free for first time since May, 2023; expect near-normal precipitation ahead
The precipitation of last week means Kentucky is drought free, according to the weekly U.S Drought Monitor that was issued last Thursday, based on precipitation that accumulated through Tuesday morning.
It was just one week ago that the Drought Monitor reported there was still 22.18 percent of the state that was considered “Abnormally Dry,” or D0 on the scale that goes up to D4 indicating “Exceptional...
Climate Corps initiative could speed up reforestation of abandoned Appalachian mine lands
By Nadia Ramlagan
Public News Service
A Biden administration program called the American Climate Corps aims to hire and train 20,000 people in conservation, climate, and clean energy jobs.
Still in the early stages of development, groups in Appalachia say the program could potentially steer a significant number of young people in the region into well-paying jobs.
In 2023, the USDA Forest Service and...
KDFWR now selling Kentucky fishing and hunting licenses for 2024-25 license year
Licenses and permits to fish, hunt and trap in Kentucky in the coming license year are on sale now. The commonwealth offers some of the finest outdoor opportunities available anywhere.
The 2024-2025 license year starts March 1 and runs through Feb 28 of next year. License and permit fees for Kentucky residents and nonresidents are unchanged from the 2023-2024 license year. Both license years are available...
Art Lander’s Outdoors: News and updates for the 2024-25 fishing license year set to begin March 1
The new license year begins March 1st and continues through the last day of February the following year (2025). Here’s some points to consider before wetting a line:
Who needs a fishing license?
New licenses and permits are required annually for everyone except resident and non-resident boys and girls ages 15 and younger, resident landowners, their spouses and dependent children, and tenants, their...
KDLA, Dollywood Foundation announce JC Morgan as state director, Libby Suttles as engagement head
The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives and The Dollywood Foundation officially announced the hiring of JC Morgan as state director of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Kentucky and Libby Suttles as its community engagement director.
JC Morgan (Image Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library)
“Education has been a top priority for my administration since day one, so I am really excited...
New report chronicles community concerns, priorities for local waters in Ohio River basin
Toxic pollution. Sewage contamination. Flooding. These are some of the concerns people in the 14-state Ohio River region have about local waters, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Ohio River Basin Alliance and the National Wildlife Federation.
The report’s findings stem from 31 community listening sessions held in 2022 and 2023 for residents in the 14-state Ohio River Basin that...
Kentucky Afield Outdoors: February’s longer days, occasional warm fronts, revive hope for anglers
By Lee McClellan
Kentucky Afield
Not long ago, wind chills bottomed out at 15 degrees below zero. After this arctic wave passed, Kentuckians endured monsoon rains that prompted rivers and streams to jump up quickly and run high for weeks.
It is enough to give outdoors enthusiasts the blues. January came in like a lamb, then roared out like a lion. February, with its gradually longer days and an occasional...
Six law enforcement officers from Northern Kentucky among graduates of DOCJT Basic Training Class 545
The Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training’s (DOCJT) basic training academy last week celebrated the graduation of 34 law enforcement officers from agencies across the state, including six from Northern Kentucky.
“Congratulations to these officers and deputies on their outstanding accomplishment,” said Gov. Andy Beshear. “We send them our support for the work they will do in the...
‘Wrong-Way’ crash prevention project to improve safety, to start with Fayette and Jefferson counties
A design build team has been selected for a $9.5 million project to monitor and bolster safety on Kentucky corridors prone to wrong-way crashes, says Gov. Andy Beshear. The team is collaborating with state transportation officials to create a pilot project this summer to test new technologies along select ramps in Fayette County before deploying to other locations starting this fall.
“Wrong-way driving...
Rural Kentucky attorney John Rosenberg honored for ‘unending commitment’ to the Commonweatlh
By Liz Carey
The Daily Yonder
John and Jean Rosenberg thought they’d stay a few years in Eastern Kentucky and then move on. Fortunately for families throughout the region, those “few years” turned into more than half a century – and counting.
In 1970, John Rosenberg had spent eight years as a civil rights attorney with the U.S. Attorney’s office. He and his family were returning from a camping...
Art Lander’s Outdoors: A winter migrant, the white-crowned sparrow flashes distinctive plumage
Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing series on backyard birds.
In the scramble for seed at the feeder you may have seen this sparrow with distinctive plumage — the white-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys).
An adult white-crowned sparrow (Photo by Kevin Rutherford, courtesy National Audubon Society)
A member of family Passerellidae, this sparrow is only in Kentucky during...
