Beech Tree News Network

This week, I’ll delve into the world of Steven Van Zandt.  Steven Van Zandt embodies both the frustration and beauty of the arts.  There is no official title, no one way to do the job.  He’s discovered it’s easier to be this creative furnace, this volcano of artistic output when you are not the focus.  The longtime guitarist and musical director of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band was also an underboss of a different kind: acting in one of history’s most influential television shows (T

I am proud to represent some of our nation’s most dedicated workers who live here in Western Kentucky. For generations, Western Kentuckians have woken up before sunrise and returned home well after sunset, working hard in coal mines and at power plants to keep our energy grid powered with American-made energy. 

One of my granddaughters is a senior. That last year of high school is a year of memory making and wondering what to do next. I believe the decisions about jobs and careers are some of the most stressful decisions we make.

We spent last week digging through Garey’s mom (Aggie’s) basement.  She was 94 when she passed last November, and parts of everything she bought or was given over her 94 years on this earth reside in that basement.

A heartfelt thank you to Kentucky veterans

As Veterans Day approaches, I reflect on the immeasurable courage and sacrifice exhibited by our military members. Author and philosopher G.K. Chesterton once said, "Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of readiness to die." It takes an exceptional individual to leave the comforts of home, family, and the peaceful corners of Kentucky to serve in the military, embodying unbridled bravery and selflessness. Veterans are heroes deserving of our deepest gratitude. 

Most everybody loves popcorn, right? It’s a great snack! Pop some corn or get a bag of Skinny Pop, grab some Coke Zero and you’re good.  If I’m popping, I prefer Orville Redenbacher.  This week, we’ll learn more about the man behind the brand.

Mark Twain left instructions for what to do after his death.  He died in 1910 with hundreds of pages of memoirs.  His instructions were not to publish these pages until one hundred years later.  The pages were kept in a vault at the University of California, Berkely, where they were removed and published in 2010.

Magicians’ sleight of hand fools most people when it is done correctly. When watching them, we are wise when we heed the warning, “Don’t believe your eyes.” In entertainment, many a short man has been made taller on television and in the movies by filming him next to his “leading lady” while standing on a box! CGI, or computer-generated imaging, has created scenes and events that could never have happened otherwise.

Pop superstar Barry Manilow is taking on a brand-new role: composer of a Broadway musical.  This, after a career that has truly made him a legend.  CBS Sunday Morning’s David Pogue: “If you were around during the ‘70’s and ‘80’s, you could probably sing along with many of Barry Manilow’s 50 top 40 hits.  From “Could It Be Magic” to “Mandy” “Looks Like We Made It” and, of course, “Copa Cabana”.