Kentucky students are why we can have nice things.

Look at these two pictures of Papaw Beshear and Mayor McCheese:

You know what to do.

Just please try to keep it clean.

This year’s theme was Celebrating Kentucky’s Forests.

Here’s the winning photo:

CLICK TO ENLARGE

It’s a tree that survived the 2009 ice storm. “The Greenway Trail is a fairly new trail off of our local Bob Noble Park,” she wrote. “Many people, like myself, go there to admire the beauty of the trees….the tree is lucky to be standing because many trees around our area collapsed due to the amount of ice that built up on them.”

Other students to be recognized with certificates include:

• Second place – Nate Simpson, 12, Bondurant Middle School, Franklin County
• Third place – Emma Rogers, 12, Royal Springs Middle School, Scott County
• Honorable Mention – Jade Hammontree, 13, Metcalfe County Middle School
• Honorable Mention – Ann Postolowski, 14, Gray Middle School, Boone County

These kids are why Kentucky can have nice things.

Here’s a damning story about the Ohio River Bridges Debacle in Louisville that you will never see in A Kentucky Newspaper. [News & Tribune]

Handing open-government advocates a partial victory in a better than decade-long battle, the Federal Communications Commission voted Friday to require major network affiliates in the top 50 TV markets to post information about their political ads online. [Sunlight Foundation]

Don’t miss Comment on Kentucky tonight at 8:00 P.M. Eastern on KET. Scheduled gusts: Ryan Alessi, Joe Gerth, Greg Stotelmyer. [KET]

A Senate investigation reveals that there is little evidence that torture produced anti-terror breakthroughs. [HuffPo]

Here’s your chance to win a copy of The Kentucky Derby. It’s all about the Run for the Roses becoming America’s premier sporting event. [Page One]

A southern Kentucky town is up in arms over a request by a local tavern to allow pole dancers to be paid for entertaining patrons at a bar straddling the Kentucky-Tennessee line. [WLEX18]

Can you imagine suing your dentist because he dropped a small screwdriver down your throat? Lawwwwd. Talk about an awesome surgery. [H-L]

Remember the Clay County magistrate who stabbed his wife earlier this week and then killed himself? The 911 tape has been released. This is one of the most shocking and tragic stories we’ve seen in months. [WKYT]

The Kentucky Supreme Court says universities can’t ban guns in staff and student vehicles on campus. [C-J/AKN]

The esteemed KARL ROVE & CO. firm is out with its first electoral map of the season, and whoo boy does it show some kinda landslide for Barack Obama, giving him approximately 700 electoral votes. All in a push to skeer meemaw and your racist poppop into throwing cash at him. [Wonkette]

Just like that, the White House caved an scrapped child labor farm rules. So you can get back to enslaving your children. [HuffPo]

It’s tough not to roll your eyes when “leaders” get together to exchange ideas for transforming the economy of Eastern Kentucky. [H-L]

Do you feel safer now? The House of Representatives passed cybersecurity legislation Thursday aimed at protecting American companies from hackers who steal intellectual property. [HuffPo]

Greg Stumbo’s little redistricting plan? The Kentucky Supreme Court reiterated that it was unconstitutional. [C-J/AKN]

While we’ve always thought of Denise Harper Angel as a yes man and lackluster legislator, it’s tough to hit her on returning a campaign contribution that’s above the maximum. Four months isn’t that big of a deal when it comes to backwater Kentucky politics. At least she returned it. [Curt Morrison]

You can’t even make dinner in Lexington these days without almost getting shot in the head. [WLEX18]

New research suggests that global warming is causing the cycle of evaporation and rainfall over the oceans to intensify more than scientists had expected, an ominous finding that may indicate a higher potential for extreme weather in coming decades. [NYT]

It’s hilarious watching the mouth-breathers freak out because the Obama Campaign is mentioning the death of Osama bin Laden. Can you imagine what would happen if a teabagger had gotten the guy? Or if Dubya had done so? [Wonkette]

Urgent circumstances did not exist for Lexington police to enter an apartment without a warrant in 2005, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday. [H-L]

Awww, let’s all pretend that the entire world doesn’t know Faux News is a homophobic cesspool of urine and feces. [HuffPo]

Here’s your chance to win a copy of The Kentucky Derby. It’s all about the Run for the Roses becoming America’s premier sporting event. [Page One]

It’s kind of a sad day for teabaggers. Stephen Colbert’s SuperPAC out-raised and has more cash in the bank than Ron Paul’s. [ABC News]

The guy who didn’t give Sarah Lynn Cunningham her cash in the whistleblower case against the Metro Sewer District in Louisville was finally disbarred. You’ll absolutely want to read this story for Tom Riner’s creepy quote. [C-J/AKN]

“You may never get to experience the thrill of entering the winner’s circle and smelling the wonderful aroma that emanates from the garland of roses that signifies the greatest achievement in the sport of Thoroughbred racing, but this wonderful book will take you on a journey that gets you as close as any piece of writing possibly could.” — From the foreword by Chris McCarron, two-time Kentucky Derby winner and Hall of Fame inductee

We’ve had a chance to read it and think any Derby fan should grab their own copy right away.

Here’s how to win a copy from Page One and The ‘Ville Voice:

Leave a comment on this post, email Jake or tweet about your favorite memory of the Kentucky Derby.

We’ll select two winners this Sunday so they can be in the mail on Monday.

Have at it!

What would you do if your home, place of employment and entire community were wiped off the face of the earth by a tornado? Recovery in Eastern Kentucky will take a long time and only the Red Cross remains on the ground supporting the people who most need it. [Click Here To Give]

Here’s an interview with Bill Adkins, who will lose to a Republican in November. Really, he’ll lose in May. Because that’s the end of the race. [Ryan Alessi]

Earlier today Papaw Beshear used his line-item veto power on the six-year road plan. He says road projects should be based on need and not on politics. Though, he sure let the House get away with trying to trade schools for votes when it came to gambling. [Press Release]

Clean energy is abundant in Oregon. So what happens there? Coal gets exported. [NYT]

Audrey Haynes was official sworn in today as the Secretary of the Health and Family Services Cabinet. [SoS]

We didn’t write about this bazillion-page press release Steve Beshear’s staff sent out about him being named ‘Person of the Year’ because it was, well, bogus. Leave it to the Lane Report to do so! Especially after the stories John Cheves did proving Papaw didn’t create even half the jobs he claimed to have created. [Click the Clicky]

Justice Department officials have known for years that flawed forensic work might have led to the convictions of potentially innocent people, but prosecutors failed to notify defendants or their attorneys even in many cases they knew were troubled. [WaPo]

Of course the mouth-breathers are lining up with the mormon cultist. Of course they are. [Politico]

We’re all for workers and their rights to unionize. But is it really necessary to force companies to hang posters discussing union rights? It’s 2012. Most people know they can unionize. If they don’t, they’re probably too stupid to function. [The Hill]

A coalition of more than 2,000 U.S. farmers and food companies said Wednesday it is taking legal action to force government regulators to analyze potential problems with proposed biotech crops and the weed-killing chemicals to be sprayed over them. [Reuters]

What happens when science and politics collide? All kinds of mouth-breathers go crazy. That’s what happens. [NPR]

Wow, these fancy little monkey rat things act just like people in Frankfort. [BBC]

Awards will be presented at each student’s school.

Winners:

• Emily Larson – Taylor County High School, Campbellsville
• Stephen Welch – North Bullitt High School, Shepherdsville
• Erin Downs – North Bullitt High School, Shepherdsville
• Jacob Turner – Western Hills High School, Frankfort
• Kisako Takeuchi – Lyon County High School, Eddyville
• Amber Pyle – Pleasure Ridge Park High School, Louisville

“The impact of the winners’ artwork can be far-reaching, helping Kentuckians across the state gain a new appreciation for preserving the beauty and resources of our Commonwealth,” said First Lady Jane Beshear. “It is our hope that every eligible Kentucky high school student will submit artwork for this contest in future years.”

We’ll update with photos of winning works if/when they’re made available. Because you know we love these sorts of things.

What would you do if your home, place of employment and entire community were wiped off the face of the earth by a tornado? Recovery in Eastern Kentucky will take a long time and only the Red Cross remains on the ground supporting the people who most need it. [Click Here To Give]

We hear that Keith Hall freaked out today and asked that his office in Frankfort be immediately relocated. He also wanted his wife to be monitored during the final days of the legislative session. What the hell kind of crazy crack is the man smoking these days? [Deep Frankfort Failures]

Kentucky mothers who lost children to abuse are going public to help prevent future deaths. [Debby Yetter]

Dick Cheney has a new heart, and is ready to tell the world of the darkness that is inside it. [Wonkette]

You can’t even live in Lexington these days without getting shot inside your own home. [H-L]

Why are the feds cracking down on marijuana in states that allow it? We don’t support weed but it seems silly even to us. [The Economist]

Have you ever listened to what Allen West has to say? If not, it’s highly entertaining. He’s like Bill Cosby mixed with Dick Cheney Mixed with about ten teabaggers mixed with Michele Bachmann’s denial mixed with a hateful meemaw. Lawwwwwwwd, he is crazy. [HuffPo]

At the Americas Summit, allies nudged the United States to change direction. This won’t make too many people happy. [NPR]

It would be highly entertaining watching Jim Gooch try to explain how Iceland may be able to harness the power of its volcanoes for energy exportation. [BBC]

We extended the Cornbread Mafia contest an additional day because of all the interest. This is your final call to jump in. [Page One]

There was such a huge email response that it seemed only fair to give everyone a shot. And… we’re expecting to have more copies than planned to give away.

So enter by midnight tonight.