The Kentucky State Fair begins this morning at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.Gates open at 7am each day.Governor Steve Beshear and state Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer will speak at this morning's annual commodities breakfast at 7:30. The governor will also preside over a kickoff ceremony this afternoon.The state fair typically draws about 600-thousand people during its ten-day run.Activities include hundreds of exhibits, contests, concerts and a midway that was expanded this year in response to the closing of the adjacent Kentucky Kingdom amusement park.It was shut down as part of bankuptcy proceedings by the Six Flags company.Access to the park was previously included in the fair admission price.
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.