Statewide smoking ban gets a push

Rep. Susan Westrom, a Democrat from Lexington, has filed a bill for a statewide public smoking ban. It's her third attempt.

As I reported earlier this week, more Kentuckians are supporting this kind of legislation every year. A poll released on Monday estimated public support at 54 percent. But the bill's chances of getting a vote this session still look slim.

Regardless, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has just launched an interesting campaign directed straight at Kentucky. "Kentucky has a lot to be proud of, but not the fact that we have the nation's highest smoking and lung cancer rates. It's hurting our health and our economy," the ad states.

Kind of a clever strategy. We’ll see whether it gives HB 193 a boost.

Dollar General to sell tobacco

Company official expects a short-term bump in sales

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

Four months after stocking their coolers with beer and their shelves with wine, the Dollar General corporation now plans to introduce cigarette sales as well.

It’s a “dying category,” said Mary Winn Gordon, vice president of investor and public relations. But for now, store managers are reporting that customers want them. So even if it only creates a one-time “bump” in revenue, Dollar General will take it.

Some Crofton residents are already boycotting the store just outside their town’s boundaries because it sells beer and wine. They’ve mostly given up the fight to have the store’s alcohol license revoked.

So the introduction of tobacco products is basically moot to them.

Growing up in Kentucky: Study finds discouraging trends for children

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

A new overview of Kentucky children’s advantages and disadvantages, from birth through high school, shows a heavy dependence on social safety nets, such as public preschools and subsidized meals.

Figures for Christian County reflect trends similar to the state’s.

They also show potentially discouraging gaps in parenting and education: low rates of college readiness, high rates of smoking during pregnancies.

The Kids Count County Data Book study, released by Kentucky Youth Advocates, consists of more than 100 datasets. It gives some broad recommendations but doesn’t delve far into causes. But walking through the numbers, in chronological sequence, gives a unique and useful perspective.

Birth indicators bode poorly for Todd’s future

Study: Nearly 40 percent of births to high school dropouts

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

Nearly 40 percent of children born in Todd County from 2007 to 2009 were born to mothers without high school diplomas, according to state records.

It’s a figure widely disproportionate to the percent of adults over 24 who have finished high school or gotten equivalency degrees — 74.9 percent, according to U.S. Census data.

Regardless, it doesn’t bode well for the future of Todd County’s population, according to literature from Kentucky Youth Advocates. Children born in these circumstances have higher rates of infant mortality, and it can hurt their school readiness skills, academic achievement and health outcomes, the Kentucky Youth Advocates study reports.

St. Luke receives $4,000 grant from local group

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

St. Luke Free Clinic received a $4,000 grant this month from the Hopkinsville Junior Auxiliary.

It’s the clinic’s first grant in recent years, let alone since the announcement this summer that it must seek financial independence.

So far the board hasn’t identified other grants to apply for, Chairman Brandon Garnett said. But between a few fundraisers and the money from the grant, it’s in comfortable shape for the remainder of this fiscal year.

Changes outlined for mental disabilities programs

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer

Compared to other states, Kentucky has a poor record of helping the mentally disabled find regular jobs and build stable romantic relationships. The University of Kentucky established this in a survey.

The state wants improvement. But it has people concerned that disabled members of their families will get pushed into jobs they’re not ready for or will be left with no options.

On Monday night, two representatives of the state came to speak at the Pennyroyal Mental Health Center. They wanted to allay the concerns of any locals whose relatives work at Trace Industries, a sheltered jobs program the Pennyroyal Center runs.

Integrated health plan proposed for schools

Health department says it could alleviate nurse shortage

By Nick Tabor, New Era Senior Staff Writer 

Donna Crick no longer needs to worry about the school nurse being absent from Crofton Elementary, where her insulin-dependent daughter attends.

The school no longer shares a nurse with Lacy Elementary School — because Lacy now has a diabetic student as well.  

The Christian County Health Department's initial plan for saving on payroll costs hasn't worked out. So in the midst of serious budget shortfalls, the department is now considering an alternate model, called Coordinated School Health, that would depend more heavily on educators.

"There is so much more that should be done in the schools with school health other than nursing," Health Department Director Mark Pyle wrote in an email. "As a community we will need to figure out how to use all tax dollars (school system, health department, others) to efficiently offer a coordinated school health program."