iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

I will miss the Herald-Leader more than I can express. This newsroom has introduced me to some of the best colleagues I've ever known. Everyone is supportive, a team-player and dedicated to the work. It has the healthiest culture of anywhere I've been. A good newsroom, with even better people.

140

John's last big project we worked on together was a deep dive into Kentucky's troubled nursing homes. No one else in the state is a watchdog for the vulnerable quite like John. Nursing homes, day care centers, DJJ and more.

KY keeps a list of nursing homes where neglect, abuse pile up. Why can’t it fix them?

Critics say the Special Focus Facility program doesn’t do much to fix the safety problems at nursing homes where residents suffer.

Last but not least, John Cheves. I've read John's work since I was in college and have long admired his talents. Imagine how delightful it was to find out he's also kind and funny! John is known for his accountability work, but he can write anything. Take this for example:

Kentuckians feared the post-war world. So they burned their kids’ comic books

A new online history project shows how anxious Americans in the 1940s and ‘50s blamed comics for juvenile delinquency and other social ills.

110

Do you know how intimidating it is to edit a living legend like Bill freakin' Estep??? Very!! Not because of his personality — he's literally one of the nicest men ever — but because he's talented and knows everyone and everything. So when he told me I made this piece better, I nearly cried.

Surface mine reclamation in Eastern KY ‘alarmingly slow,’ leaving problems in its wake

A new report says hundreds of surface-mined coal sites across Eastern Kentucky have not been fully reclaimed as quickly as they should have, leaving barren ground and continued potential for environme...

121

This is not @piperjhansen.bsky.social's most important or consequential work with us, but it is a story I remember vividly. You give her an idea, and she runs with it. This time it was feuding with a chatbot (and winning, btw).

UPS plane crash: No, Grok, Gov. Andy Beshear’s photo isn’t from 2021 tornadoes

The AI-powered chatbot amplified an inaccurate claim that a recent photo post by the Kentucky governor was from a previous disaster.

But he's also kind and empathetic. Austin cares about the people of the region, because it's been his community, too. That's the kind of coverage you can't get from hundreds of miles away.

‘I can’t replace it again.’ Flooding batters isolated pockets in Eastern Kentucky

The region remains at a slight risk for continued flash flooding this weekend as an unusual weather pattern sends storms southward.

110

Beth Musgrave is another reporter I began editing in the last year or so. She's a real pro, whip-smart and doesn't take crap from the folks she covers. She knows her stuff, and it shows in her work. I love this piece where she took UK to task over shady travel records:

What did UK officials buy in Grand Cayman? They refuse to show travel receipts

The University of Kentucky says the Herald-Leader’s requests for these international travel receipts are “unreasonably burdensome.”

I didn't get to work with Hannah Pinski for long, but I think she's a talented young journalist. She works hard, takes feedback well and gets better every single day. A real joy to work with, basically. This was her last story, and one of her best:

Both KY Democrats running for governor were once ‘pro-life.’ Will voters care?

Jacqueline Coleman and Rocky Adkins used to be “pro-life” Democrats. Will that affect Democrats’ decisions in the race?

The duo of @austin-horn.bsky.social & @aacquisto.bsky.social deserve a lot of credit for being the only reporters to tirelessly run down the stream of sexual harassment/misconduct allegations against Rep. Daniel Grossberg. They handled these stories with the appropriate care and seriousness.

Former college classmate of KY Rep. Daniel Grossberg alleges he assaulted her

The woman said Daniel Grossberg assaulted her in 2005 when she was a freshman and he was a senior at Grinnell College in Iowa.

240

It would literally be impossible for me to pick my favorite @austin-horn.bsky.social story because he's such a prolific and versatile reporter and writer, but he did a particularly excellent job covering Massie vs. Gallrein and Trump. Details from this piece live rent-free in my mind.

In Massie’s Northern KY district, voters say they’re torn between him and Trump

What do Northern Kentucky voters think of Thomas Massie? The Herald-Leader visited gas stations, McDonald’s, bowling alleys & rallies to ask.

I also edited @taylorsixhl.bsky.social for a time. Taylor was dogged in covering all things Judge Julie Muth Goodman before it blew up into the statewide story that it was this past General Assembly. She's a phenomenal beat reporter, and readers are lucky she's still on staff.

A Lexington judge tossed a murder charge. The KY attorney general wants it reinstated

The indictment was against Cornell Thomas, 37, who was arrested in Sept. 2020 in connection with the death of Tammy Botkin.

150

This is, perhaps, my favorite story I wrote for the Herald-Leader. Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman showed remarkable vulnerability despite this being our first one-on-one, and I appreciate her for opening up that way. The resulting story resonated with a lot of women across Kentucky.

From motherhood to mastectomy: KY Lt. Gov. Coleman has lived out womanhood in public eye

Despite her preference for privacy, Jacqueline Coleman has shared some of her most personal moments with Kentuckians in hopes of supporting other women.

161

One of the best perks of being in Kentucky media is, undoubtedly, getting credentials to the Derby every year. All in all, I went to five! I loved it every time! The assignment? Just walk around and talk to people having fun! (This one had a Star Wars twist.)

For Kentucky Derby first-timers, spectacle and fashion make bucket list trips complete

The 150th running of the Kentucky Derby brought tens of thousands of spectators to Louisville’s iconic Churchill Downs, where bourbon and fashion rounded out the experience.

151

Once the election was over and Gov. Andy Beshear had begun his second term, we sat down in the Capitol to discuss what came next. "It’s OK with me if this is my last political job," he said. My, how things change!

Gov. Andy Beshear: It’s ‘OK with me’ if I don’t hold another elected office

Kentucky’s Democratic governor has grabbed national attention after winning re-election in a GOP-controlled state.

240

Covering the governor's race in 2023 was insanely stressful — especially being in a wreck that totaled my car just a few weeks before Election Day — but we had some fun along the way. This recounting with @austin-horn.bsky.social captures much of that:

By the numbers: How Herald-Leader journalists covered this historic election

Our journalists have worked tirelessly for almost two years to deliver the most comprehensive political coverage in the commonwealth.

261

My first story for the paper was on a familiar topic — Daniel Cameron's handling of the investigation into the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor in 2020. When the feds announced charges against LMPD officers for their roles, I was well-positioned to tackle this story: Why didn't Cameron?

The DOJ charged 4 Louisville cops in the Breonna Taylor case. Why didn’t Daniel Cameron?

The federal charges against four current and former Louisville Metro Police Department officers in connection with Breonna Taylor’s 2020 death have drawn renewed scrutiny to the GOP gubernatorial hope...

162

Today is my last day at the Lexington Herald-Leader. After more than seven years as a journalist in my home state of Kentucky and more than four on this wonderful team, I'm embarking on a new (and unknown) chapter. But first, I'd like to recap some of my favorite work for @kentucky.com.

1346