Beech Tree News Network

AROUND KENTUCKY... A new report from Moody's Analytics says that while states across the U.S. are better prepared than ever to weather a potential recession, Kentucky is in poor shape when it comes to having enough reserves on hand to survive an economic downturn. As The Associated Press reported Monday, the Moody's Analytics report found 10 states have a greater than 5 percentage point shortfall in the amount of reserves necessary to survive a moderate recession. Louisiana ranked the worst, followed by Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma and New Jersey. Rounding out the bottom 10 were Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Arkansas, New Hampshire and Florida. --Courier-Journal * * *Kentucky Board of Education members unanimously approved a legislative agenda Wednesday that they may not be able to see through. Education officials plan to push for full-day kindergarten, reading interventions for the youngest learners and more flexibility for schools in Kentucky's 2020 legislative session, according to documents made public Wednesday morning. And they'll ask lawmakers to solidify Gov. Matt Bevin's reorganization of an education board through executive order — the very power Gov.-elect Andy Beshear said he will use to disband the board of education. --Courier-Journal * * * As the time grew near for Samara Heavrin’s oath of office ceremony Monday, the lobby of the Grayson County Gov­ern­ment Annex began to fill with well wishers. To accommodate the guests, tables were removed from the fiscal court meeting room and chairs rearranged in neat rows. The 27-year-old Re­pub­li­can, who becomes the young­est woman ever to serve in the Kentucky General Assem­bly, shared the spotlight with her parents, Ray and Monica Heavrin, as they each rested a hand on a Bible given to Sa­mara by her late grandmother, Barbara Bishop. --News Enterprise