Eli Capilouto

UK President Eli Capilouto spoke in front of a state House committee Thursday in Frankfort, discussing how a possible $20 million budget cut would affect the university.

Capilouto sent an email to campus Thursday night, explaining his trip to the Capitol.

In a PowerPoint presentation Capilouto presented to legislators, he described UK as a “shining beacon for Kentucky” through its education, research and service. He also presented how the nearly $20 million budget cut would impact the university.

In the email, Capilouto discussed the governor’s proposed state budget.

“In as straightforward a manner as possible, I offered a sober assessment of how the current budget proposal would significantly impact our campus,” he said in the email.

The nearly $20 million cut “would take us below the level of funding we had at the beginning of the century,” Capilouto said.

He said there would be “painful, tough decisions,” with such reductions. He described his trip as a gratifying opportunity to speak to legislators, “but a sobering experience to hear the state of our budget and the lack of alternatives that many legislators believe they have for turning it around in short order.”

Campus must understand the reality of the budget, he said. And with a promise to keep UK informed, Capilouto said he will continue to make a case for the university.

“I will not cease in that effort,” he said.

See the full email below:

This morning, I testified in Frankfort before a House committee examining the proposed two-year budget for higher education in Kentucky. I’ve been meeting frequently in Frankfort the past few weeks with legislators individually and in small groups. Today, in front of the committee that will examine and make recommendations for our budget, we were offered an important opportunity to do four things:

1. I took great pride in touting the incredible accomplishments and progress this campus has made in the last several years because of your labors and your intellect – often in the midst of challenging economic circumstances. In the last 10 years, we’ve enrolled and educated record numbers of students, with increasing quality, diversity and commitment to their communities. And we’ve invested more resources in their success and preparation for lives of leadership, meaning and purpose than at any time in our history.

2. I talked about the profound service we render – through research, collaboration and educational efforts – throughout the Commonwealth. Lexington is our institution’s address, but our home is Kentucky. And it’s where our passion for service takes root and flourishes – from a hospital that reaches across the region and state to care for those with the most complex problems to extension centers that touch lives in all 120 counties to teacher training, energy security research and efforts to revitalize industries struck hard by the recession. We are the state’s beacon of hope and your efforts across this state shine a bright light for us to follow.

3. I discussed our steadfast commitment to earn our way. We know that the world is a much different place than it was only three years ago. People continue to struggle in every corner of our state, our nation and our world. And we are not immune from those challenges. That means we must – and we will – redouble already important efforts to be more efficient, more innovative and more creative. We’re taking a hard look at how we work, how we educate our students, conduct research and provide service to the Commonwealth. As you know, we’re examining whether public-private partnerships create opportunities to build better living and learning spaces for our students. We’re looking toward private support and philanthropy to help fuel our goal of revitalizing our campus so we can make the Kentucky Promise real to more Kentuckians.

To that end, the Governor’s proposed budget does allow us to proceed with our plans to renovate and re-build our residence halls. Moreover, it would give us the flexibility to pursue other on-campus projects that generate their own revenue streams.

4. Finally, in as straightforward a manner as possible, I offered a sober assessment of how the current budget proposal would significantly impact our campus. A nearly $20 million cut in our general fund appropriation – on top of several cuts in the last 10 years – would take us below the level of funding we had at the beginning of the century. That’s real. And the impact is undeniable. Such reductions would require us to make painful, tough decisions. While understanding the economy we all face throughout the state, I argued that investments in education – and, in particular, the beacon and promise that this institution represents – are the single best way to transform our Commonwealth.

In turn, our policymakers – while acknowledging the incredible work done and lauding our aspirations – were candid about the budget and the tough decisions they are making. In short, they pointed to growing needs across the state and an economy that is not recovering quickly enough to address all of them.

It was, at once, both a gratifying opportunity to discuss what we mean for Kentucky, but a sobering experience to hear the state of our budget and the lack of alternatives that many legislators believe they have for turning it around in short order.

 

Nevertheless,it’s critical that we are making our case, every day in a number of ways, that investment in UK today is critical for our state tomorrow. I will not cease in that effort.

 

Yet, at the same time, we must as a campus community understand that today’s budgetary realities make it even more important that we work together, looking at ourselves for how we can dictate our future course.

I will continue to keep you informed as we move forward throughout this important process.

Thank you.

Eli Capilouto

President

University of Kentucky

The Lexington Venture Club celebrated the success of regional early-stage companies that have contributed to economic development Wednesday.

The Venture Club, founded in 2002, is partnered with Commerce Lexington and UK to “take new technology and help build businesses,” said Warren Nash, director of Lexington Innovation & Commercialization Center.

Club and community members gathered at Buster’s Billiards & Backroom for the announcement of survey results conducted by the club. The event focused on the number of jobs created in the Bluegrass community and the amount of money that has been raised.

Seventy-eight Central Kentucky early-stage companies participated in the survey. Of the 78 companies, 279 people were hired in 2011, equating to a 16.2 percent increase. There was a 35.3 perecent increase in total revenue, totaling $127.2 million.

Dan O’Hair, dean of the College of Communications and Information Studies, said the high-paying, high-education jobs that the businesses create are beneficial for college graduates.

“When you think about entrepreneurship, you think outside the box,” O’Hair said.

He said the university and community have a symbiotic relationship in an effort to promote entrepreneurship.

“We see the university and community working together as one,” O’Hair said.

Entrepreneur study programs and course work are being developed across colleges, he said, and the goal is to “let students know they can start their own business.”

Provost Kumble Subbaswamy said UK is interested in making sure research is not only conducted, but also carried out.

“We hope we make a connection with entrepreuneurship and connect it with our students and our resarch,” he said.

Three companies were recognized at the event, and two were created as a result of UK research: Seikowave, which focuses on three-diminseonal measurement systems, and CoPlex, therapeutics development to prevent Alzheimer’s.

“We need to develop and attract entrepreuneurs,” Mayor Jim Gray said.

Tom Whitaker, senior supervisor at the coal powered plant on the University of Kentucky campus, gave a tour to students on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012. Photo by Latara Appleby | Staff

By Rachel Aretakis

One of the university’s two coal-fired steam plants opened its doors to UK students for a look inside how campus is heated.

More than 45 people toured the main campus plant Wednesday afternoon, organized by the Kentucky Energy Club.

The plant, located between South Limestone and South Upper Street, supplies all the steam for campus, said Tom Whitaker, a plant senior supervisor.

The 75,000-pound coal-fired boilers provide heat and/or hot water for campus buildings, he said.

UK’s chapter of the Kentucky Energy Club opened the tour to all students to show how the plant works.

“Energy power has never been taught,” Evan Schroader, the club’s president, said. “The energy IQ is generally low. We want to educate people because it’s never been taught.”

While students often pass the plant (which is near the Taylor Education Building and just down the street from Jamba Juice), many have never been inside, besides for class.

Todd Campbell, an operator at the plant, said in his two years working there, only engineering students have toured the plant. This was the first time he had seen an open tour to students, he said.

Touring students watched as Campbell pulled a chain down, slowly cranking an iron door open. He then grabbed a hoe and continually raked ashes out through a piping system to the ash silo.

Two times a shift, someone climbs down the narrow, industrial steps to “pull ashes.” About every four days, the ash is halled away in a truck.

Whitaker led the first group of students through the plant, which was built in 1934 and most recently renovated in 1978.

He said all of the coal comes from Perry County, Ky., and none of it is from strip mines. While many people think the plant produces electricity, it only produces steam, he said.

In response to several student questions, Whitaker discussed air pollution and steam on campus.

“We meet the (EPA) standards because you can’t see anything coming out of (the stacks),” Whitaker said.

He said he is required to go to school every six months to learn about new standards.

Among the students touring was Kristen Vinson, a journalism senior who thinks every student should go on a tour. She said she is interested in the Beyond Coal movement.

“I think (students) like coal because they think they have to,” she said, regarding the university being associated with Friends of Coal.

Groups learned the plant’s process from when the coal comes in on trucks, to when it is burned. Brock Meade, a psychology freshman, said he would characterize himself as having an anti-coal stance.

“It is nice to come in and see how the coal-fired power plant works,” he said.

He said his opinion about coal didn’t change after the tour.

Related Link: Cost of energy: UK officials discuss power plants, conservation

Club Coordinator Bree McCarney said this is the first time it has done a campus plant tour, but members have traveled to other plants throughout the state. She said she wants to make this a regular occurance.

“We’re just about education,” McCarney said. “We don’t have a political stance.”

McCarney and Schroader started the club at UK with a state grant “to elevate the energy IQ for the community,” Schroader said.

The club, which was started last year, is focused on community outreach, education and fact-based analysis, McCarney said.

“The politics behind (coal) are kind of distorted,” Schroader said. “We want to focus on facts, not politics.”

Schroader, who is a mechanical engineering senior, also works in the Center for Applied Energy Research with Jack Groppo, the club’s faculty adviser.

Groppo wanted to do the tour to “let people see how heat is generated and how campus is heated.”

“Energy affects everyone,” he said.

He said he was thrilled with the number of people who came to the tour, and hopes this sparks interest in coal issues.

“Everyone is going to form an opinion,” Groppo said. “At least form it on fact, not hearsay.”

For more information, the Kentucky Energy Club is sponsoring a panel with Bob Wiseman, UK’s vice president of facilities, and Shane Tedder, its sustainability coordinator, to discuss the plant as well as other campus energy issues.

The panel is at 7 p.m. Thursday in Student Center room 230.

Follow @kernelaretakis

Eli Capilouto

The Rupp Arena, Arts and Entertainment District Task Force released a final report on the proposed renovations to downtown Lexington.

The renovation would cost $250 to $300 million and said the project “will require a mix of local, state and private funding for construction,” according to the report.

UK President Eli Capilouto said in a statement that he wants to put state funding toward campus needs rather than the Rupp Arena renovation. His statement in full:

“Our position has not changed. Our steadfast focus has been – and will continue to be – the revitalization of our campus core. We have concerns about anything that competes for state dollars with that focus. Revitalizing our campus represents the best way we can honor the Kentucky Promise of ensuring the best possible undergraduate education for the Commonwealth’s students and future leaders as well as the kind of research that addresses the state’s challenges. As a result, everyone needs to clearly understand the specifics of what the proposed Rupp Arena, Arts and Entertainment District will cost and who would ultimately pay for it.”

Junior broadcasting major Candice Cruz, left, and Junior mathematical economic major Haley Goode enjoy a smoothie at Jamba Juice's grand opening on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012, in Lexington, Ky. Photo by Quianna Lige | Staff

By Kristin Martin

January is cold, but for some it may not be too cold for a smoothie.

“Not from Jamba Juice,” said Samantha McKeough, a mechanical engineering freshman. Jamba Juice, a smoothie shop, opened at 7 a.m. Monday in Center Court on South Upper Street, joining more than 700 other locations across the country.

Jamba Juice offers 34 types of smoothies in three different sizes, breakfast wraps, oatmeal, bagels and pretzels. It will soon offer California flatbreads and more.

The Razzmatazz contains mixed berries, bananas and orange sherbet.

It’s franchise owner Don Marquess’ favorite smoothie, but he said there’s a reason to love them all.

“It’s all natural, no preservatives, no additives and everything is fresh,” he said. “So when you order a mango-pineapple smoothie, we have real mangoes and real pineapples, and that’s all you get in there.”

Marquess said the fruit and vegetables are shipped after being flash frozen — a process that freezes produce within seconds to lock in nutrients and flavors.

Billy Korinko, men’s programming specialist at the VIP Center at UK, ordered the Razzmatazz on Monday during his first visit to a Jamba Juice.

“It’s refreshing, light and I’d definitely come back,” he said.

The calories are posted on the menu, and Marquess said neither the calories nor the prices are too high.

“If you’re coming in for breakfast, you can get coffee and a wrap for under five bucks,” he said. “If you get a 32-ounce smoothie loaded up with everything, it’s around six bucks.”

After looking at several locations, the franchise owners chose the former J. Gumbo’s location.

Marquess said it’s sad that a business closed and people lost jobs.

“For us, though, it opened up a fantastic location,” he said.

Marquess said students from out of town who had seen Jamba Juice elsewhere started calling him, because they were excited to see something that reminded them of home.

McKeough is also no stranger to Jamba Juice. She’s from Illinois and has been to one there.

“I actually, like, jumped up and down, literally. I was so excited,” she said, describing the moment she found out about Lexington’s Jamba Juice opening.

Marquess said students are welcome to sit and eat or study, and Jamba Juice will have free Wi-Fi.

“We’re one of the only Jamba’s, when you look around, that has seating inside and will have seating outside,” Marquess said. “Most of the Jamba’s were created originally as a smoothie shop and we’ve just started adding food in the last year to year and a half.”

After experiencing Jamba Juice in Houston and Hawaii, Marquess and his wife, Emmy, wondered why there wasn’t something like it in Kentucky.

Marquess connected with his former colleague from the food business, John Speaker and Speaker’s wife, Mary, to begin the yearlong process of opening the franchise.

He said they plan to open a minimum of seven Jamba Juice locations in the Kentucky, southern Ohio and southern Indiana area. The next one will open in Fayette Mall this March.

“Opening up your own business, you’re going, ‘What if we open the door and nobody’s there?’ That fear is always kind of there until you get going,” Marquess said.

However, Zach Rose, a psychology and kinesiology sophomore who works at Jamba Juice, said a lot of people visited it on opening day.

Jamba Juice is open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m Sunday.

Lexington offers a varied cuisine. From Indian to Thai, people have many options when it comes to finding a place to eat.

However, hot dog restaurants are few and far between.

W.C. Wieners, an authentic Chicago-style hot dog restaurant, opened New Year’s Eve to statisfy the cravings of hot dog lovers in Lexington.

Located on the corner of Maxwell and South Limestone, W.C. Wieners is ready to bring the taste of Chicago to Lexington.

“We figured we can’t be the only ones in search of a good dog every now and then,” Lucy Ochoa, the restaurant’s hot dog prep said. “We offer a quality dog.”

Every aspect of these hot dogs is true to Chicago. Just like in the Windy City, which is what W.C. stands for, all hotdogs are made with 100% authentic Vienna Beef, Ochoa said.

They are served on a warm poppy seed bun with a side of sport peppers. From now until the end of January, a classic hot dog, topped with mustard, onions, relish and sport peppers, is offered at $1.79, as opposed to the usual price of $2.49.

With the authentic Vienna beef and fresh vegetables chopped daily, W.C. Wieners has already gained a positive reputation among some UK students.

Jenny Zimmerman, a freshman kinesiology major, enjoyed a Perro Fresco hotdog, which is topped with pico de gallo and ranch dressing.

“It’s obvious that their hotdogs taste better than most,” Zimmerman said. “It just has more flavor.”

W.C. Wieners also offers Polish sausages. Megan Kurzendoerfer, a senior integrated strategic communications student, said she was pleasantly surprised with the taste.

“It was the best hot dog I’ve tasted,” Kurzendoerfer said. “I’m definitely going to go there again.”

Full story and additional photos to be posted shortly.

Members of UK's greenthumb club lay down a 40 foot banner on the bowl of William T. Young Library at 10:45 a.m. on the Rose St. side entrance. The group protested coal and kept the sign on the grass for 15 minutes. Photo by Brandon Goodwin | Staff

The Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky Initiative, a program under the UK College of Public Health, has launched a campus campaign to raise awareness of cervical cancer.

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in Kentucky, which has one of the highest rates of cervical cancer in the country.

“The main reason, I feel, that we have such high rates compared to other states is that much of Kentucky is rural,” said Dr. Baretta Casey, the director of the program. “Many live in poverty, many are uninsured, and that makes it difficult for people to access the health services that they need.”

Most cervical cancer is caused by a virus called human pappilomavirus, otherwise known as HPV. HPV causes abnormal cell changes, which can lead to reproductive health problems and death, if left untreated.

In Kentucky, hundreds of women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and of those, about 20 percent will die, said Elisia Cohen, an assistant professor in the communication department who is involved with the campaign.

Women can prevent the disease by receiving the HPV vaccine and regular pap tests.

“I think it’s important for people to know that this is the only immunization that truly prevents a cancer,” Casey said. “If we had an immunization to prevent breast cancer or prostate cancer, I think everyone would be lined up to get that shot.”

The campaign, known as “Cause the Movement,” includes a Facebook application that helps explain why the disease is so prevalent in Kentucky, as well as methods for prevention. By using pictures of the viewer’s Facebook friends, the application provides a personal experience.

“The most important message that people should take away is that no woman in the state of Kentucky should die from cervical cancer, because it’s entirely preventable with timely vaccines and regular pap tests,” Cohen said.

Through this project, information about cervical cancer and some funding will be provided to nine health departments throughout the state to help spread the word about available vaccines and testing, said Paula Keyes of the Rural Cancer
Prevention Center, who is assisting with the project.

The Fayette County Health Department will be providing HPV vaccines at little to no cost, depending on insurance coverage, to girls and women ages 9 to 26 through Friday.

Those involved with the campaign are hopeful that its effects will be far-reaching and will help lower rates of cervical cancer in Kentucky in the future.

“The goal, once we increase awareness and understanding, is to figure out the best policy to help provide affordable testing and vaccines for women across Kentucky,” Cohen said.

For more information about the Cervical Cancer-Free Kentucky Initiative, visit cervicalcancerfreeky.org.

Capilouto

President Eli Capilouto expressed his concerns with the proposed budget cuts Tuesday evening, in an email to the UK community.

Gov. Steve Beshear is presenting a six-year budget-cut and state-improvement plan, including a $19.4 million cut from UK’s operating budget.

“Such reductions without question would have a significant impact on the University of Kentucky,” Capilouto said in the email.

Capilouto also said the budget will be more difficult than any in memory.

“I think the president set the news in a framework that makes it clear it will take some time to get our budget stabilized,” Ernie Yanarella, a political science professor and former UK faculty trustee, said.

In former President Lee Todd’s term, there was a similar budget cut that led to increases in student tuition and a decrease in faculty salaries.

“It prompted the budget offices to look for other areas to find money,” Yanarella said. “This led to tuition increases.”

Not only will tuition increase, but the budget cuts for the university will lead to using the private funding for the renovation plans, rather than the state funding.

“My hope is that Capilouto will be able to find efficiencies throughout the university to prevent the need to go to double-digit budget increases,” Yanarella said.

Over the past few years, tuition has increased, but never has the threat of a double-digit tuition increases occurred until now, Yanarella said.

“As a parent, this is not good news with two children going off to college,” Yanarella said. “My hope is that Capilouto will be vigilant in searching other areas for profit.”

Before approving a tuition increase, a percentage will be proposed and Capilouto and the UK Board of Trustees will make the decision.

“The students know that President Capilouto is trying to reduce the burden on the school and on the students,” Micah Fielden, Student Government president, said.

Capilouto predicts that the state appropriation has mirrored the state appropriation in 2001.

Although there is no word on an official tuition increase and the specifics of this budget cut, Capilouto said UK will strive to keep the university in the light.

“Let me assure you, UK will be in Frankfort every day to make our case about the importance of investment in this institution,” Capilouto said. “We have a compelling story to tell, and we intend to tell it vigorously — sharing the incredible stories I have heard across campus about the ways in which we prepare our students, reach breakthroughs in our laboratories and uplift communities across Kentucky.”

The budget cut not only effects UK, but the entire state.

Beshear said in his budget address that most departments and cabinets, including the governor’s office, will receive an 8.4 percent cut in the next fiscal year.

This doesn’t include the bonds being taken out for the renovations to Rupp Arena.

“We’re at the point where drastic cuts will do more damage to Kentucky’s long-term future than realized savings will help,” Beshear said. “There are those who continue to insist that Kentucky can cut its way to prosperity. If that were the case, we’d all be wealthy.”

Students walk into the White Hall Classroom Building at the start of the first day of classes on Wednesday. Photo by Brandon Goodwin | STAFF

Thursday’s forecast calls for rain showers before 4 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Snow showers are forecast after the rain. A high of 43 is expected in Lexington, with a low of 18 at night. Less than half an inch of new snow accumulation is expected.

Shaughnessy

Proposed legislation would require UK and the University of Lousville to play each other in men’s basketball and football each year, but it is more about graduation rates than sports.

“This bill is not about UofL and UK playing basketball and football,” said state Sen. Tim Shaughnessy about Senate Bill 45.

“The fact of the matter is (graduation rates) aren’t increasing at the levels they need to,” he said. “The purpose of the legislation is to bring this up as an issue, to set this up as a priority and to engage the universities.”

While the bill has caught the attention of Kentucky sports fans, it would affect Kentucky’s public universities and their governing boards.

The proposal calls for the universities’ Board of Trustees and Board of Regents to adopt a strategic plan “to increase the number of students who graduate with a bachelor’s degree in a minimum amount of time and course hours accrued,” according to the bill.

Each university’s governing board will create the plan with goals, strategies, incentives, programs and timelines to do this.
Shaughnessy said the plan would be unique to each university and its student body.

“Too few students are graduating from college,” he said. “At the University of Kentucky, less than a third of … attending students graduate in four years.”

Shaughnessy said at the University of Louisville, 19 percent of students graduate in four years.

This isn’t the first time the bill has been introduced to legislature.

“The last two years, it hasn’t done very well,” he said. But he said the issue needs to be talked about and people need to be held accountable for progress.

Shaughnessy said he included the part about requiring UK and UofL to play each year in men’s basketball and football in order to draw attention to the legislation.

“At a time when every other state in the nation is putting an emphasis on increasing bachelor degree attainment, Kentucky needs to get with the program,” he said.

He said universities need the same standard of success that they require of sports programs.

“Athletics shouldn’t be the only aspect of higher education in Kentucky where there is accountability at the top,” he said.

Shaughnessy is encouraged by President Eli Capilouto and his recent plans to renovate UK’s campus, and is supportive of those efforts. But graduating students on time, he said, should be the core mission of an institution.

UK Spokesman Jay Blanton said university officials had no comment about the issue.

“It’s great to be a top-20 research institution,” Shaughnessy said, “but if the university cannot have a commitment to graduate students in four years, that isn’t going to be the institution that discovers a cure for cancer.”

A national environmental club hopes to spread its message throughout Big Blue Nation, starting right at its heart — UK basketball.

The Sierra Club will sponsor the Jan. 17 men’s basketball game against Arkansas. This is the first time the club has sponsored an athletic event, said Kim Teplitzky, its spokeswoman.

The organization advocates the use of clean energy sources, and its goal is to “safeguard air and water to make sure people don’t get sick from the energy sources we are using,” Teplitzky said.

Friends of Coal, an organization that aims to inform Kentuckians about the coal industry, also sponsored both 2011 UK-University of Louisville football and men’s basketball games. The group is funded by the Kentucky Coal Association.

The Sierra Club will also sponsor Thursday’s basketball game between Indiana University and the University of Minnesota.

The club’s national Beyond Coal campaign has been an ongoing effort to switch to clean energy, she said, and it prompted UK students to suggest the $17,500 sponsorship.

Teplitzky hopes the sponsorship will generate a discussion on campus and throughout the state.

“The purpose is to connect with Wildcats fans,” she said, “and show it’s about making UK the best it can be.”

Patrick Johnson, a natural resources and environmental sciences senior and the co-coordinator of the UK Greenthumb Environment Club, said he approached the Sierra Student Coalition about the sponsorship to “diversify what is being said
across the state in terms of energy policy.”

“We want to help educate the state and reach out to people who are willing to listen,” he said, “and help formulate an opinion based on factual information.”

Twenty campuses throughout the U.S. have announced they are in the process of shutting down coal-fired power plants, Johnson said.

“We are so tied to coal that we are afraid to say anything against it,” said Alice Howell, chair of the Cumberland Sierra Club chapter. “The reality is that power plants put a lot of toxins into the air.”

As an avid UK fan, Johnson hopes the athletic sponsorship can bring awareness to many throughout the state.

“I was raised in a household that bled blue,” he said. “I recognized how great it is at bringing people together.”
The sponsorship includes giveaways, game-day advertising and a 30-second radio spot, said Lauren McGrath, a Kentucky Sierra Club representative.

McGrath said the sponsorship is a way of “connecting the dot” between athletics and the use of clean energy resources in the state.

“We want UK to lead on the clean energy front,” she said.

Johnson said raising awareness about the coal industry is a step toward a cleaner future.

“By educating people, they will understand, for the sake of our grandchildren and other generations, that we have to make changes now,” Johnson said.

Galbraith

5-time governor candidate dies
Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington lawyer and longtime political figure in Kentucky, died Jan. 4. He was 64.
An undergraduate and law school graduate of UK, Galbraith ran for state office many times, including five times for governor. His most recent run for governor was with Shelbyville, Ky., native Dea Riley.
The morning his death was announced, Galbraith’s name was trending on Twitter.
The Kernel has covered Galbraith several times in recent years, including when he spoke at a rally against government spending in September 2009, his announcement in December 2010 to run for governor a fifth time, his debates as a 2011 gubernatorial candidate and his Election Day party in 2011. See kykernel.com for links to those stories and more.

Capilouto

Capilouto determined to work with legislature
UK President Eli Capilouto sent an email to faculty Sunday expressing his intentions to work with state legislators, donors and other supporters “regarding our university’s funding and building needs.”
Capilouto said he, men’s basketball head coach John Calipari and a student leader, Stephen Bilas, spoke to more than 75 legislators about academic changes UK has made and the infrastructure changes it needs to make.
At the end of the email, Capilouto promised to keep faculty updated on these efforts.

Calipari

Freedom Hall game’s future questioned
Before the Jan. 3 men’s basketball game in Freedom Hall, head coach John Calipari was non-commital about UK’s annual game in Louisville remaining on the schedule in future years.
The game itself didn’t help matters.
An official attendance of 14,747 was about 4,000 short of capacity. The consistent lack of sellouts was one of the reasons Calipari cited for his reservations about the game.
Calipari said Jan. 4 he and Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart would probably sit down to discuss the future of the game, “looking at what’s right for this program.”

UK beats Louisville in annual intrastate rivalry
UK won 69-62 at Rupp Arena, with freshman forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scoring 24 points and 19 rebounds. A reported 24,387 people attended. UK moved to No. 2 in both the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll and the Associated Press Top 25 poll following the win. UK is still ranked No. 2.

As temperatures drop in the coming winter, heating bills may increase as students try to stay warm.

Forty-six percent of energy is spent on heating and cooling in the home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

“If you adjust your thermostat from 74 degrees to 72 degrees, you could save up to 6 cents for every $1 in heating costs,” according to the Family Financial Management magazine.

With the cost of living rising, some students are staying optimistic about paying more.

“I am really not expecting my bill to increase very much,” said Samantha Michaelis, a biology sophomore. “I understand with winter comes colder weather, but that should not reflect on heating bills if you know how to keep it moderated.”

According to the Department of Energy, following multiple tips could save up to $180 a year. Here are tips to stay warm and cut down the costs on heating:

• Have the heating and cooling system checked seasonally, and clean or change the air filter monthly. A dusty air filter can result in increased energy use, higher energy costs and premature equipment failure.
• Check your house for air leaks. Fill gaps and cracks with caulk or insulation.
• Open curtains and shades during the day to allow the sun warmth in, and close them during the night to prevent heat loss.
• Use multiple layers of bedding to stay warm without adjusting the thermostat.
• Use area rugs on tile, wood or laminate floors.
• When leaving the house for the day or for extended periods of time, turn the thermostat down several degrees.
• If you need to replace heating equipment, purchase an energy star replacement. Ask for energy star products when purchasing a furnace, heat pump, boiler or programmable thermostat.

*Information taken from the Department of Energy’s website

Not only will these tips help students keep a moderate temperature in their apartments or houses, but they will help them save a few dollars each month.

Other tips suggest closing rooms, turning off air conditioning and opening windows when the temperature is
tolerable, according to Moneywise.com.

Many students who live off campus use Kentucky Utilities as their electricity provider, which provided advice for lowering the bill over the year.

According to KU, one can save up to $45 a year by adjusting the thermostat either up two degrees in the summer or down two degrees in the winter.

Gatewood Galbraith, a Lexington lawyer and long-time political figure in Kentucky, died Wednesday evening. He was 64.

An undergraduate and law school graduate of UK, Galbraith ran for state offices many times, including five times for governor. His most recent run for governor was with running mate Dea Riley.

After the news of his death was announced on Wednesday morning, Galbraith’s name was trending on Twitter.

The Kernel has covered Galbraith several times in recent years, including when he spoke at a rally against government spending in September 2009, his announcement in December 2010 to run again for governor, his debates as a 2011 gubernatorial candidate and his Election Day party in 2011.

http://kykernel.com/2010/05/02/uk-grad-tries-again-for-governor/

http://kykernel.com/2010/12/01/galbraith-running-for-governor-as-independent-campaign-marks-his-fifth-time-running/

http://kykernel.com/2011/10/23/gubernatorial-candidates-discuss-education-economy/

http://kykernel.com/2011/09/27/ket-studios-host-gubernatorial-debate/

http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/galbraith-says-he-ran-for-the-strength-of-his-message-loses-fifth-governors-race/

“In what remains a challenging economy, we must be unified as a campus community about our priorities as we seek private support and finite state dollars to help fund our dreams for the University and for the Commonwealth. To that end, our Board of Trustees, our faculty and staff, and our students have spoken with a clear and unequivocal voice: Our primary focus should — and must — be the construction and renovation of facilities and living and learning spaces so that we can revitalize the core of our campus and, in particular, further strengthen the undergraduate education we provide. Targeted investments in athletics facilities will be part of that equation as we continue to improve our competitive position across all sports. We also will further utilize this powerful brand to recruit and retain Kentucky’s best students.

“We cannot at this time and in this economy support initiatives — such as infrastructure proposals being made relative to Rupp Arena — that compete with pressing on-campus priorities for scarce state operating dollars and capital construction funds. We have communicated with Mayor Gray about this issue. He understands our perspective and has graciously engaged with us in ongoing, productive dialogue. We have pledged to continue to be an active partner in this process as the health and vibrancy of UK and Lexington are inextricably linked. We are fortunate to be in such a terrific and historic venue for college basketball and we are committed to our long-term future there.”

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray sent out a statement a few hours later: In full:

“Just as the university needs to invest in its buildings and brand to stay competitive, so does the City. By working together, we can provide jobs and inspiration for citizens across Kentucky.

“Lexington has always supported UK, and always will. We’re proud to be UK’s hometown. UK is asking for significant investment for its infrastructure and dorms. We are making a request for beginning funds for a project that will help fill up those dorms and encourage the best and brightest students, faculty, and staff to come here.

“The Arena, Arts and Entertainment District is more than about Rupp, but Rupp is of course the centerpiece. Just look down the road to Louisville and see what remarkable things can happen when a City, state, and University work together.

“By creating an economic engine in our downtown around a great brand like Rupp Arena, we lift-up Lexington and the whole state.”

Another statement was sent from the city minutes after Gray’s from Brent Rice, chair of the Lexington task force. In full:

“The Task Force is right on schedule. Its mission continues: to examine this complex project and great opportunity, and submit a final report in January. We are doing a complete evaluation, with the best talent, of all the possibilities and costs associated with the full 46 acres the city owns around and including Rupp Arena.

Our main focus is to develop a master plan, which will create a big and exciting economic engine for the City’s future. One thing the Task Force members have seen clearly is that cities that planned ahead and didn’t sit idle are way ahead of the others, in terms of attracting arts, convention and entertainment business, and creating a competitive quality of life.

I can tell you part of our recommendation will be that the city start planning immediately and be shovel ready when the current economy turns around.”

Capilouto also sent out a video message to UK Monday:

• A robbery occurred Saturday at the Shell Gas Station at 905 S. Limestone. The suspect implied he had a weapon, the UK alert said.

• A pizza delivery man was robbed at gunpoint by two men Tuesday at the intersection of University and Crescent avenues.

• An armed robbery occurred Thursday in a vehicle after the victim gave the suspect a ride from the Shell station on South Limestone.

The bulletin was issued at 1:39 p.m. on Thursday.

UK Police Chief Joe Monroe said the bulletin was issued because UK police thought it could impact students living in the areas where these robberies occurred.

“They were isolated incidents that were off campus,” Monroe said. “We aren’t required to, but because these things are happening within a short time span, just on the cusp of campus, we felt like it was beneficial for our student population that live off campus and especially in those areas, (to be) aware of what is going on.”

Monroe said students need to take care and watch out for themselves and friends.

“The No. 1 thing is (students) should always be aware of their surroundings,” Monroe said. “Don’t pick up strangers or give them a ride; if something just doesn’t look normal, don’t hesitate to call the police, so we can get over there and take a look at it immediately.”

Monroe said students living off campus can call Lexington or UK police for an emergency, but the main thing is to get it reported immediately.

“We usually have a faster response time, because we’re usually close in the area. The Lexington police have a larger jurisdiction they have to take care of. Sometimes their officer may be a minute or two farther away than what our officer would be,” Monroe said.

UK Police advise members of the campus community to call 911 if they notice any suspicious activity.

The Lexington police department can be reached at 859-258-3600. UK police can be reached at 859-257-UKPD (8573). Call #UKPD (or #8573) from a cellphone for a free call.

Check back to kykernel.com for more information.

A student jumps over a puddle near White Hall Classroom Building on Monday. Photo by Tessa Lighty | STAFF

It might seem like rain boots and colorful umbrellas are the latest fashion trend on campus — but it turns out their ubiquity is for a good reason.

The National Weather Service had reported 63.8 inches of rain in Lexington this year as of midnight Tuesday, making 2011 the second-wettest year on record.

The wettest year was 1935, when 65.76 total inches of rainfall was recorded in the city.

And other Kentucky cities are feeling the downpour, too. 2011 broke Louisville’s wettest-year record, previously held by 2004. The new record puts River City at 65.7 inches of rainfall, up from 64.6 inches.

Bowling Green, Ky., home of Western Kentucky University, has 2011 down as its seventh-wettest year on record, with 60.91 inches so far. (Of all three cities, Bowling Green holds the highest record, at 75.56 inches in 1979.)

Following an expected quarter or half inch of rain Monday night, a chance of drizzle is expected Tuesday, according to the weather service, with a high near 43.

A 20 percent chance of rain is expected Tuesday night and Wednesday, and weather is expected to be partly cloudy Wednesday evening.

No rain is forecast for the rest of the week, and highs will be in the 30s and 40s.

The Lexington Arts & Entertainment Task Force discussed the terms of progress Thursday for the potential of a new downtown district, which may include a new Rupp Arena.

Among those speaking at the public forum was Space Group co-founder Gary Bates.

As the project’s master architect, Bates made a presentation to members of the Lexington community about the downtown district development plan options.

He made it clear that the aim of the project is not only to revamp or reconstruct the Mecca of basketball, but also to make the area from Newtown Pike to Woodland Avenue more accessible and attractive to the community and the university.

“Everything that we’re doing is directly involved with UK,” Bates said. “The school is such a major driver of the city, itself.”

He discussed everything from expanding the trolley line, to adding more bicycle paths and creating more pedestrian walkways that are all meant to make UK closer to the downtown district despite the distance between them.

Bates wants to implement as much growth as he can for now and the future with regard to UK and the metropolitan area.

“In terms of the development of the school, one of the things we looked at previously was the expansion of the UK law school as well,” he said.

Some of the main ideas Space Group has for connecting the UK campus to downtown Lexington concerns pre-game and post-game activities.

“The possibility of the Cat Walk is a kind of physical manifestation between the connection between UK and the city,” Bates said.

The so called “Cat Walk” will serve for the purpose of a “procession to the arena and entertainment district” before and after games, Bates said.

Its most likely location will be along Maxwell and it will cut through the current High St. parking lot.

He admits that with the two entities being about a twelve minute walk away from each other it will mean come other types of commercial developments will need to take place as well.

“There seems to be a split there between the two and that’s why we came up with the idea of the Cat Walk,” Bates said.

He pointed out that the area surrounding Rupp Arena will need to serve as a way to keep fans downtown at the conclusion of UK basketball games, so there can be economic growth in the city.

“The arts and entertainment district has to have diversity within it,” Bates said. “It can’t just cater to one audience. That’s the exciting thing about Lexington, and that’s the exciting thing about the area downtown – the diversity. UK automatically brings that idea, because it is so diverse.”

Even though everyone is talking a lot about buildings right now, Bates feels that it is important that “we make good use of the outdoor space we have to use to connect the campus to the arena and downtown.”

“I think it’s important that things are multipurpose and multiuse,” he said. “That’s one of the things we’re most excited about and will give downtown a new identity.”

Mayor Jim Gray is also very enthusiastic about the principle concept that UK will be more connected to downtown than it currently is.

“That connection to the UK’s vitality and the vitality that the arts and entertainment district together makes for a lot of exciting potential,” Gray said.

Lexington residents enjoy ice skating in the newly renovated Triangle Park in downtown Lexington Saturday night, November 19, 2011. Photo by Scott Hannigan | Staff

By Brooke Talbot

It didn’t feel like winter on Saturday, but it certainly looked the part at Triangle Park.

A new ice-skating rink opened downtown Saturday at Triangle Park across from the Lexington Center.

“We wanted to see what it was like,  said Warren Wheeler, who was there with his 8-year-old son. ”“We will definitely be back. It’s good exercise, a good time and a great idea.”

Christmas music played as families and couples skated at the outdoor rink.

“We wanted to check it out, so we made it a date,” said Aria Brunner, 17, who was there with her boyfriend.

Employees hope the rink attracts more people to the downtown area.

“We hope this will bring more families downtown in the day and evening, and hopefully they will do other things while they are down here,” Renee Lacy, an employee at the rink, said.

However, some people do not agree with the prices.

“I am disappointed because we brought our own skates, started skating and got pulled aside because we didn’t have wristbands on,”said Rula Said. “They made us go pay. You shouldn’t have to pay admission at an outdoor rink if you bring your own skates.”

The Unified Trust Company Ice Rink costs $10 to skate for an hour and a half, including skate rental. It is open from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays. During the holiday season it will stay open until 10 p.m. on weekdays.

A Q-and-A with New York Times film critic A.O. Scott.

Q: What do you love about movies?

A: They are entertainment, escapism, they are still a relatively inexpensive way to experience narrative.

Q: What made you want to be a critic?

A: For me, part of the enjoyment of music and movies was forming my own opinions about them. I was always interested in what people who seemed smart and interesting and good writers had to say about these things.

Q: What is the objective of a critic?

A: The job of a critic is to get a discussion going. If movies are worth the attention we give them, they are worth talking about.

Q: Do you go to many film festivals?

A: I haven’t gone to as many in the past few years as I previously had. The nice thing is in New York they do tend to come, we get a lot at the festivals.

Q: How many movies do you review a year?

A: I see around 300 to 400 movies a year and review about 150 to 200 for the Times.

Q: How do you think films today have changed how today’s generation view movies?

A: The specialness or uniqueness of going to the movies as a way of experiencing film narrative has changed — the uniqueness is certainly not there.

Q: What advantages/disadvantages do you think young film fans face?

A: Now you have better home viewing conditions than ever before. You have more and more stuff every year being rediscovered, restored and put back in to circulation. The challenge facing your generation is to get out from under all this history, do your own thing and do something new.

Q: In what ways are appreciation of film changing?

A: I think one way movies are changing is because there are so many different ways to watch them, the scale of them are changing. So, 3-D and other large scale spectacles are the way people are going to movies.

Q: Do you think the American audience will ever be fully desensitized to film content?

A: It’s funny because if you go back to “The Wild Bunch,” which at the time was shocking and controversial for its violence, now there is gore that puts that to shame. It’s a little difference with sex and sexuality. Compared to the 1970s there has been a retreat with how frank movies are willing to be.

Read the story about Scott’s Thursday speech here.

Internationally renowned New York Times film critic A.O. Scott discussed film and reality with UK students and faculty in Memorial Hall.

The American Studies Program held the discussion with Scott in Thursday night.

The American Studies Program, a subfield of the English department, held an open discussion with Alan Nadal, the William T. Bryant professor, and Scott for nearly two hours. At the end of the discussion, Scott took questions from the audience of nearly 250 people.

“At a time when the world is shrinking its repertoire of critical engagements with the arts of the life of the mind in general, Tony (Scott) makes the critical enterprise feel compellingly alive,” said Michael Task, a personal friend of Scott’s who introduced him.

The discussion between Nadal and Scott was an opportunity for students and faculty at UK to get a view inside the mind of, as Task said, “the most literate and learned film critics writing English today.”

Isaac Davidson, a student as well as an aspiring filmmaker, said, “It was a great opportunity to connect with someone who is so in touch with the industry.”

Nadal and Scott dug in to the broad subject of film and reality, specifically how movies engage reality and how filmmakers are able to portray their view of reality to the audience.

“Because movies present such a powerful image of something that often looks very, very real,” Scott said, “how we judge that representation is always an interesting question.”

The question of reality is often the “extra thrill” filmmakers are trying to bring to audiences. An example is in “Paranormal Activity” — the images aren’t real, but how the director films the movie it seems real, Scott said. There are so many images coming from different sources, it is hard to find the truth in images.

Filmmakers take a stance when they create films and organize the series of events, Scott said. Where is the line drawn for mediating reality?

“If there is no unmediated representation of reality, you have to decide case by case what the political implications of the interpretation are,” Scott said.

Read a Q-and-A with Scott here.

November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and one Kentuckian has decided to take awareness into her own hands.

Stephanie Gamblin of Princeton, Ky., is taking a stand for the non-curable disease.

In an effort to raise awareness and support research, Gamblin decided to create a specialty Kentucky license plate for Alzheimer’s.

A design has been created, and Gamblin needs 900 people in Kentucky to commit to buying one.

The goal is to get the 900 people committed to the license plate by this summer, and she hopes to receive as many as possible by Dec. 31.

Ashley Schaffner of the Alzheimer’s Association also helped get the project started.

“Personally, I think the plates are a beautiful way for Kentucky drivers to express their concern and support for ending the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States,” Schaffner said.

Gamblin’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2004 at the age of 62. She said he has progressively become worse over the years and now he lives in a nursing home.

“I just felt helpless,” she said. “I kept asking myself, what can I do to help?”

For the past few years, Gamblin has wanted to raise awareness and has participated in numerous memory walks to end Alzheimer’s disease.

Alzheimer’s is an irreversible brain disease and a form of dementia that gets worse over time and has no cure.

The disease causes memory impairment, thinking inabilities, judgment problems and a change in personality and behavior.

The risk builds as a person gets older and can run in family history. Having a close blood relative who developed this disease increases the risk of obtaining it.

Gamblin got the idea for the plate while at the Princeton County Clerk’s Office when she noticed the specialty license plates for cancers.

“I wondered why there wasn’t one for Alzheimer’s, so I decided to make this my personal project,” she said.

After talking with the clerk’s office and, Gamblin’s wish has been granted.

“I wanted to do something for my dad,” she said.

There is no cure for Alzheimer’s and many elderly people are being diagnosed with this disease. Gamblin asks for help in getting the word out and raising awareness.

Schaffner said 80,000 Kentuckians are affected by the disease.

“The license plates are meant to raise funds that will support local education initiatives,” she said.

Those who apply for the plate will be notified by the local county clerk when the plate is ready, around three months after the 900 commitments are a definite.

There will be a $25 deposit that will be applied to the initial or renewal fee. Applicants will also have the option of including a $10 add-on donation to Alzheimer’s awareness and education in Kentucky.

Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear (right) and Lt. Gov.-elect Jerry Abramson (left) celebrate their victory in the Frankfort Convention Center. Photo by Scott Hannigan | Staff

By Chase Sanders

FRANKFORT — Gov. Steve Beshear’s day started off early Tuesday morning as he voted at 10:30 at Mt. Zion Church in his home precinct of Winchester, Ky.

By 7:36 p.m. Tuesday evening, Beshear found out he had won 56 percent of the vote, confirming another 4-year term for Beshear.

His night ended on a high note for the Beshear/Abramson campaign, even though Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson did not sing for the crowd at the Frankfort Convention Center, as he has been known to do at celebratory occasions in the past.

“This election was never about parties,” Beshear said. “It was about who could best bring the commonwealth together to tackle the challenges we have.”

The incumbent has a vast background in the Kentucky political sphere as the former state’s lieutenant governor from 1983-87, the attorney general from 1979-83, and a state representative from 1974-79.

Beshear, who won his first gubernatorial election in 2007 with current Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, teamed up with Louisville native and “Mayor for Life” Jerry Abramson.

This past Sunday, Abramson urged Kentuckians to get out and vote in speech he gave at Louisville’s West End Democratic Headquarters. The speech was given as Beshear’s statewide campaign tour came to an end Monday in Louisville.

The new duo has more than 30 years of experience in collaborative efforts with each other.

“The governor and I have been friends since he was attorney general back in ‘79 and I was counsel to Gov. (John) Brown,” Abramson said.

Beshear and Abramson worked together to bring more jobs to the Bluegrass State during the last term. “Right off the bat we’ll continue to work on economic development and creating jobs,” Abramson said.

Abramson served as Louisville mayor from 1986-99 and after the city’s merger from 2003-11.

According to the last Survey USA poll before the election, Beshear was in the lead with approximately 54 percent of the vote.

Kentucky, a state that historically votes conservative for national elections, marked yet another popular consensus for the Democratic gubernatorial candidate.

“This is a very important time. We need a person in charge like the governor who has brought us through these tough economic times without raising taxes,” Abramson said.

Despite criticism about the governor’s lack of a budget plan during his first term in office, Beshear was able to make more than $1 billion in budget cuts.

“During the worst recession of our lifetimes, we have balanced the state budget nine times and we’ve modernized our economic incentives program to create jobs,” he said.

He also plans on leading the initiative to increase the dropout age to 18 for students across the state, and will continue to support research funding for the state’s colleges and universities.

The incumbent governor-elect was also criticized during the campaign period for being hard on the coal industry in the action he’s taken to make Kentucky a state that’s friendly to green energy.

“I am not against coal. We make sure we strictly enforce the rules, so coal can be mined and at the same time we want to protect the environment,” Beshear said at the last gubernatorial debate. “We joined the Kentucky Coal Association in legal action against the EPA.”

Beshear also faced some controversy with regard to his attendance in debates that took place during the campaign season, or lack thereof.

Although he missed most of the dialogues both David Williams and Gatewood Galbraith participated in, he still knows he can relate to Kentuckians and their needs. “We make decisions that affect real people in real ways, and that’s something that I’ve never forgotten,” Beshear said.

Even though Beshear did not make it to the gubernatorial dialogue sponsored by UK Student Government, Beshear and Abramson promise to do as much as they can to support college students in the commonwealth.

Abramson, whose son Sidney is a college student, said he understands what is necessary for college students because of experience.

“I’m looking forward to working with school systems so we can make sure students are staying in school and making it to college,” he said.

In fact, during the last debate the governor predicted his own re-election by suggesting that he was more in touch with the lives of Kentuckians.

“I think I’m going to win. I think people are tired of obstructionist kind of politics. People want us to sit down as Kentuckians find a common ground and get things done,” Beshear said.

Beshear came to a conclusion Tuesday, about the message conveyed to citizens in the commonwealth through the election results.

“This overwhelming victory is a mandate for both parties to put partisanship aside and work together,” he said.

]]> http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/gubernatorial-race-beshear-wins-second-term/feed/ 0 111108sahElection204A Democratic governor Steve Beshear (right) and Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson (left) celebrate their victory in the Frankfort Convention Center. Photo by Scott Hannigan | Staff http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/attorney-general-race-conway-wins-re-election-over-ppool/ http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/attorney-general-race-conway-wins-re-election-over-ppool/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:10:51 +0000 News Staff http://kykernel.com/?p=52114  

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway gives his victory speech at the Kentucky Democratic party election party in Frankfort, Ky. Photo by Mike Weaver | Staff

By Drew Teague

FRANKFORT — Incumbent Jack Conway was re-elected to another four-year term as the state’s attorney general on Tuesday, in a landslide victory, keeping the position for the Democratic Party for the past 63 years.

Conway had won the Democratic primary for U.S. senator on May 18, 2010, but was defeated in the general election that November against Republican Rand Paul. Conway confirmed he would be seeking a second term as Kentucky’s attorney general on Jan. 21, and he did not face any Democratic opponents in the May primary.

“You know we won this race because we focused together on what it means to be the attorney general of the commonwealth of Kentucky,” Conway said during his victory speech. “There were a lot of people in this campaign who wanted the opportunity to write my political obituary. I’m here tonight to tell you the reports of my demise are awfully premature.”

As of three weeks before the election, Conway had raised more money than Republican Todd P’Pool, even with P’Pool donating $250,000 of his own money to his campaign. Conway raised more than $817,000 since the May primary, while P’Pool raised $522,000.

Polls leading up the Tuesday’s election showed Conway had a firm lead on the challenger, by up to 20 percentage points. Conway will become the chairman of the Democratic Attorneys General Association and will create a national platform to fight issues, but he does not want to stray away from his Kentucky roots.

“As Kentucky attorney general, I’m going to continue to stand up for people who need someone to stand you for them,” Conway said. “I’m going to continue my efforts to go after the few, not all, of the for-profit colleges, that are more interested in getting their hands on federal student loan money than education.”

One of the issues Conway has pointed out to voters is how he has cut more than $4 million from his budget and reduced his staff by nearly 20 percent, from 237 to 190 employees currently.

Both candidates focused on the issue of fighting drugs across the commonwealth.

“I think people would be surprised at how aggressive Gov. Beshear and I will be with the prescription painkiller problem in this upcoming session of the General Assembly,” Conway said. “We are going to get entrepreneurs out of the pill-mill business. We want all 50 states to monitor their pills.”

One of the dividing issues of the race was Obamacare, and P’Pool has commented on Conway’s support of the legislation. P’Pool pledged to fight against the bill during his first month in office, if elected.

“I accepted the will of the voters a year ago, but what a difference a year makes,” Conway said. “What I tried to do in this election is to take the opportunity to tell the people of Kentucky about the job I’ve done as attorney general. I think by focusing on that here, I think the voters have rewarded me.”

Conway is a Louisville native who attended St. Xavier High School, then went on to graduate from Duke University and George Washington University, where he got his law degree. He served as an aide for former Gov. Paul Patton.

Conway began his political career in 2002, when he ran unsuccessfully against former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup. Afterward, he went to work for his father as a trial lawyer and returned to the political scene in 2007 when he was first elected attorney general.

 

Todd P'Pool, Republican attorney general candidate, gives his concession speech with his family at the Republican election night celebration at Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington. Photo by Brandon Goodwin | Staff

By Les Johns

Todd P’Pool conceded defeat to incumbent Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway at the Griffin Gate Marriot Tuesday night.

“I have contacted General Conway and offered concession,” P’Pool said. “I offered prayers to he and Elizabeth and wished them a successful term for the people of Kentucky.”

P’Pool’s attempt to federalize the state-wide election proved unsuccessful.

He used several prominent Republican figures in his campaign including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

P’Pool, the current Hopkins County Attorney, also campaigned against President Barack Obama’s health care bill, pledging to lead the state into the legal fight against the legislation.

“My eyes are firmly fixed on the horizon,” P’Pool said. “Meet me in this very room one year from tonight. Tomorrow the countdown begins to replace President Barack Obama.”

Although both campaigns resorted to personal attacks ads in the final days, Conway spent most of his time and money detailing his first-term accomplishments.

The P’Pool campaign boasted that the polls were tightening late in the race. They also were bolstered by the final week endorsement from Palin.

Many members of the UK College Republicans worked for P’Pool, and six members interned at Republican Victory Headquarters this semester.

Tatum Dale, public service and leadership senior, interned for the P’Pool campaign and is the UK College Republicans chairwoman.

“We have been all over the state making phone calls for Todd,” Dale said. “We have been the heart and soul of the grass-roots effort here in Kentucky.”

Brian Rose, a political science junior and chairman of the Kentucky Federation of College Republicans, said that P’Pool was a charismatic candidate.

He said they were always happy to help him, and that he was enthusiastic.

“College students were out talking about Todd more than anyone else,” Rose said.

]]> http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/attorney-general-race-conway-wins-re-election-over-ppool/feed/ 2 Conway Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway gives his victory speech at the Kentucky Democratic party election party in Frankfort, Ky. Photo by Mike Weaver | Staff P’Pool Todd P'Pool, Republican attorney general candidate, gives his concession speech with his family at the Republican election night celebration at Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington. Photo by Brandon Goodwin | Staff http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/galbraith-says-he-ran-for-the-strength-of-his-message-loses-fifth-governors-race/ http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/galbraith-says-he-ran-for-the-strength-of-his-message-loses-fifth-governors-race/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:10:36 +0000 News Staff http://kykernel.com/?p=52160  

Gatewood Galbraith signed an autograph for 11-year-old Atlanta Harrison after conceding the 2011 Kentucky governor's race to Steve Beshear at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Lexington. Photo by Latara Appleby | Staff

By Cassidy Herrington

Gatewood Galbraith may not be hanging his wide-brim fedora at the governor’s mansion this year, but his pre- and post-election commentary may be resurrected in future political discussions.

Galbraith garnered 9 percent of the vote. At his reception at the Crowne Plaza Tuesday evening, Galbraith said he was “ticked off” by the results.

“That’s what got me out here to begin with,” Galbraith said. “Some ticked-off people never quit. It’s too early to tell.”

The 2011 election marks Galbraith’s fifth run for governor, but this was his first and most notable attempt as an independent.

Before the results were released, he showed no signs of doubt and predicted he would beat Beshear by two percentage points.

“I’m predicting victory,” Galbraith said.

The polls didn’t bode well for Galbraith. Leading up to the election, he held a steady 10 percent at best. His budget was tight, with $200,000 in campaign financing, compared to Beshear’s $10 million and Williams’ $2 million.

“I could never ever run again without the money,” Galbraith said. “We do it because of the strength of the message.”

Although the tides were seemingly against Galbraith, he made memorable talking points on the campaign trail. His creation, the Commonwealth Incentive, pledged to provide $5,000 vouchers to high school graduates in Kentucky that would go toward tuition and fees at universities, vocational schools or work training.

“I’m not going to shut up whether I run for office or not,” Galbraith said. “I’m still going to be a representative of trying to do what’s right for the kids.”

In January, Willie Nelson and the Teapot Party extended an endorsement. Galbraith was frank about his 40-year pot-smoking habit and pledged to legalize the plant for medical purposes.

Galbraith also distinguished himself from Beshear and Williams in his stance against mountaintop removal mining. When the election results were released, Galbraith said he was “sad for the mountains.” He called on Beshear to be open to the issues.

“I hope we didn’t burn any political bridges here, if we could possibly be utilized to help put Kentucky in the right direction, we would like to do so,” Galbraith said.

Although Galbraith’s fedora-topped silhouette may not make it to the Capitol, he anticipates his “grassroots revolution” ideologies will.

“I hope someone would come along and pick up the ideas and score victories with them because they would be victories for Kentucky,” Galbraith said. “I don’t need the accolades, I just want somebody to do what needs to be done.”

]]> http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/galbraith-says-he-ran-for-the-strength-of-his-message-loses-fifth-governors-race/feed/ 1 Gatewood Gatewood Galbraith signed an autograph for 11-year-old Atlanta Harrison after conceding the 2011 Kentucky governor's race to Steve Beshear at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Lexington. Photo by Latara Appleby | Staff \"\" http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/despite-loss-williams-says-he-wants-to-continue-serving-kentucky/ http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/despite-loss-williams-says-he-wants-to-continue-serving-kentucky/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 01:09:49 +0000 News Staff http://kykernel.com/?p=52216

Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams gives his concession speech at the Republican party election night celebration at Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington. Photo by Brandon Goodwin | Staff

By Brian Hancock

In what came as no surprise, Republican nominee David Williams lost to Democratic incumbent Steve Beshear in Kentucky’s race for governor Tuesday night.

Beshear defeated Williams by a margin of 56 percent to 35 percent of the popular vote. Independent Gatewood Galbraith claimed 9 percent of the vote.

“We had a long year,” Williams told a crowd of supporters at Lexington’s Griffin Gate Marriot. “I have a lot of people to thank.”

Williams consistently lagged behind Beshear in polls throughout the election season. He experienced several setbacks early in his campaign, including the resignation of his campaign manager, Luke Marchant, in early August. Williams continued his campaign without a manager.

He also pulled in significantly less funding than Beshear, who out-raised Williams nearly six to one since the May primary.

Despite the defeat, however, Williams maintained that he had the winning vision.

“The candidate wasn’t nearly as popular as I’d hoped he be,” he said, “but the agenda is the correct agenda.”

Conservative UK students lamented the loss, but expressed hope for the future.

“I think it’s a shame for Kentuckians, really,” said public service and leadership senior Tatum Dale, who is the UK College Republicans Chairman.

Junior Jonathon Nunley, the appropriations and revenue chair for UK Student Government Senate, said compromise is what’s needed.

“If both sides work together, we have a chance to really move forward,” Nunley said.

Brian Rose, a political science junior and the chairman of the Kentucky Federation of College Republicans, said Williams ran a good race.

“He will continue to do well at his position as president of Kentucky’s Senate,” Rose said.

Williams’s platform had called for budget and tax reforms, as he repeatedly criticized Beshear’s inability to balance Kentucky’s budget throughout his campaign.

“I hope that regardless of the outcome tonight, major issues get addressed,” said Ryan Quarles, a UK graduate and member of the Kentucky House of Representatives. “We’ve been treading water for way too long.”

Despite the loss, Williams maintained his desire to continue to work for the people of Kentucky through his position as the state’s senate president.

“I’m not going to be satisfied until every person has an opportunity to do what he or she wants to do,” he said.

]]> http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/despite-loss-williams-says-he-wants-to-continue-serving-kentucky/feed/ 0 williamsppool Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams gives his concession speech at the Republican party election night celebration at Marriott Griffin Gate in Lexington. Photo by Brandon Goodwin | Staff http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/grimes-wins-secretary-of-state-race/ http://kykernel.com/2011/11/08/grimes-wins-secretary-of-state-race/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:40:55 +0000 News Staff http://kykernel.com/?p=52115 By Taylor Riley

Grimes

FRANKFORT — Votes swung Alison Lundergan Grimes’ way as she continued the Democratic landslide victory on Tuesday to become Kentucky’s third secretary of state in a year.

Grimes won with 61 percent to Bill Johnson’s 39 percent of the vote, according to the Kentucky State Board of Elections.

Grimes’ two grandmothers were present to help her accept the position. The women starred in Grimes’ campaign commercial.

“It has been 293 days, 100,000 miles, 15 parades … and one commercial with my fierce, fine grandmothers until the day,” Grimes said in her acceptance speech, ”we have crossed that finish line successful.”

After Trey Grayson left an unexpired term to become director of Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, current Secretary of State Elaine Walker was appointed to fill the unexpired term Jan. 7 and sworn in Jan. 29, before she filed as a candidate for the office. In May, Grimes defeated Walker in the primaries.

According to the Kentucky State Government’s website, the secretary of state position is responsible for the integrity of the election process in the state. When elected, the secretary of state is supposed to strengthen Kentucky’s future and the future of its citizens by ensuring clean elections and restoring civic engagement.

Grimes became the 76th secretary of state of the commonwealth and said “the work begins tomorrow.”

The head-to-head race between Bill Johnson and Grimes ultimately came between whether Kentucky was ready for a person with a law degree or a business background.

Johnson

Johnson said on his campaign website that his work in two major Fortune 500 companies would ensure a “hands-on” approach to business advocacy. Throughout the campaign, he stressed his conservative values with a focus on civic education and his involvement in the U.S. military.

Both candidates said they would protect the polls from voter fraud and corruption.

Voter fraud has been a problem in recent years in the commonwealth; most recently in the 2004 elections where “pay-per-card” voter registration surfaced.

A comment by Johnson created a controversy at a recent debate on PBS when he said that he would work to require a government-issued photo ID and a valid address in order to vote stating security reasons.

Grimes disagreed saying that all people should have the right to vote, not just the rich.

“We are going to make all voices heard, whether it is on Park Avenue, on a park bench or in a parked car,” Grimes said in her acceptance speech.

Grimes promised early that she would preserve and protect the right to vote for everyone in Kentucky saying that the Democratic system will last only as long as “the next generation values it.”

“We are here and help is on its way,” Grimes said.