‘Permitless carry’ puts good citizens at a disadvantage

The Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides U.S. citizens the right to bear arms. The amendment, adopted in 1791, reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” For nearly 228 years, Americans have been debating and arguing over its […]

State legislature wastes time naming state fish. Now they need to work.



In the great mockumentary “Best in Show,” when Harlan Pepper isn’t doing what he does best — raising bloodhounds — he’s naming nuts. Peanuts. Hazelnuts. Cashew nuts. Macadamia nuts. “It used to drive my mother crazy because she used to say, ‘Harlan Pepper, if you don’t stop naming nuts …,’” Pepper recalled in the movie. Here in Kentucky, when the […]

Critics of Vance’s‘Hillbilly Elegy’ respond with their own book



J.D. Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy,” the surprise best seller published in 2016, is a frisky memoir with a bit of conservative moralizing dangling off, like the price tag on Minnie Pearl’s hat. Nearly everyone likes the memoir sections. (His portrait of his grandmother, a “pistol-packing lunatic,” is indelible.) The moralizing has been divisive. A new anthology, “Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds […]

Bernie Sanders, it’s over


Before the 2016 presidential race, Bernie Sanders exuded some charm as an unapologetic lefty with a Brooklyn accent. But when his campaign gained traction, the authoritarian took over. Unwilling to concede that Democratic primary voters preferred Hillary Clinton to him — she had amassed nearly 4 million more votes — he continued to undermine her all the way up to […]

The Way We Were

Clips from available Mountain Eagle pages since our founding in 1907 THURSDAY, MARCH 4, 1909 Letcher County’s taxable property is assessed for $1,790,701 for the 1909 tax year. . Former Harlan County resident P.F. Hensley, now living at Paint Lick in Garrard County, struck it rich the other day when while remodeling a large home on a small farm he […]

The Way We Were

Brigitte Bardot makes first screen appearance in Letcher County

French actress Brigitte Bardot was photographed in 1959 while playing guitar in Saint-Tropez, France. Sixty years ago, a movie in which she starred, “La Parisienne,” was showing at Isaac’s Alene Theatre in downtown Whitesburg. Released in July 1958, some eight months before it came to Letcher County, the film grossed $29.3 million at the box office after being made for […]

SPEAKING OF SOAPS

RECAPS: FEBRUARY 25 – MARCH 1

GENERAL HOSPITAL — Curtis kept vigil. Finn tried to explain. Carly confided in Jason. Valentin met with Sasha. Peter accepted a surprising invitation. Lulu prepared to face Franco. Drew was sent a secret message. Ava wanted to share her news. Jason avoided getting busted. Alexis had a therapy session. Ryan was furious. Liz was concerned for Drew. Maxie helped Lulu. […]

Students should take FAFSA verification process seriously

The federal government requires many students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to verify the information on the FAFSA. The students are chosen by the U.S. Department of Education. Used to apply for most federal and many state student aid programs, the FAFSA asks detailed questions about the income and resources of students. Parents are required […]

Now Here’s a Tip!

• There are good reasons to recaulk your baseboards from time to time. Not only will it give you a clean look, but it will help to stop drafts and block out bugs, which can creep in through the tiniest of cracks. • “Here’s a tip for making a box cake taste like it was made from scratch: Add an […]

No rain today, but a cold wind



I do believe we have gone this whole day, Monday the 25th, without one drop of rain. That just made me want to stay outside all day, but when I tried filling up Mom’s birdfeeders the wind was so strong and cold I had to come back in. When I opened the door and Mommy felt that cold wind, she […]