By Sheila AshThe Kentucky State Fair gets underway this Thursday and for the first time in more than 20 years, Kentucky Kingdom will not be a part of the event. Fair Board spokesperson Vicki Glass says this means more and newer rides for the midway. "Our midway operator, North American Entertainment, will bring more than 50 midway rides and that’s up from 42 last year. So there are a lot of returning favorite rides, but there’s also a lot of new rides they’re going to offer so I think people will not miss Kentucky Kingdom," she said.Earlier this year the Six Flags corporation announced the closure of Kentucky Kingdom, but the park is expected to re-open in 2011 under new ownership. The Kentucky State Fair runs August 19th through the 29th.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.