Tom Eblen, Lexington Herald-Leader

Tom Eblen

Lexington Herald-Leader

Lexington, KY, United States

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Recent:
  • Unknown
Past:
  • Lexington Herald-Leader
  • McClatchyDC
  • The Modesto Bee
  • The Tribune
  • Bradenton Herald
  • TriCityHerald

Past articles by Tom:

Do you have a special ‘old Kentucky home’ of any size? Authors want to hear from you.

Authors plan book on variety, diversity of old Kentucky homes. → Read More

‘Way out people, way out there.’ Rediscovering the South’s quirky folk artists.

‘Walks to the Paradise Garden’ by Jonathan Williams, Roger Manley and Guy Mendes tells the stories of quirky Southern folk artists of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Book was written, photographed 20 years ago, but just found a publisher. → Read More

Ex-slave helped build Lexington courthouse in 1899. Now Henry Tandy is honored there.

New exhibit in Lexington’s restored old courthouse honors Henry Tandy, a former slave who became one of Kentucky’s most successful black entrepreneurs. His company built the brick structure in 1899. → Read More

A solar power grab. An obsolete coal plant. Here’s why politicians hold Kentucky back.

Bowing to pressure from powerful special interests, GOP leaders are trying to give big utilities a monopoly on solar power’s future in Kentucky and save an old coal-fired electricity plant TVA wants to close. → Read More

Ed McClanahan, Gurney Norman keep fans laughing at Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame.

Ed McClanahan and Gurney Norman joined the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame along with four deceased writers: Sue Grafton, Jane Gentry Vance, Helen Thomas and Alice Allison Dunnigan. → Read More

Ralph Steadman recalls his ‘decadent and depraved’ Kentucky Derby with Hunter Thompson.

Ralph Steadman retrospective features his long collaboration with writer Hunter S. Thompson, which began in 1970 with an alcohol-fueled trip to do the famous “decadent and depraved” Kentucky Derby story. → Read More

Lexington bishop says he’s been threatened with defamation suit over MAGA hat op-ed

Lexington bishop says he has been threatened with defamation lawsuit for criticizing Covington Catholic students for wearing “Make America Great Again” caps at the March for Life in Washington, D.C.. Bishop John Stowe says boys shouldn’t have been wearing Trump caps at March for Life. → Read More

State officials quietly gave away a historic park where Daniel Boone lived. What’s next?

With no public input, notice or comment, Kentucky officials gave Boone Station State Historic Site to a church. What historic site will be next to go as part of “reducing the footprint of state government”? → Read More

Sound, fury, ‘school choice.’ Beyond social media frenzy, a serious public policy issue.

The viral videos of confrontation between Covington Catholic boys in MAGA caps and other protesters in Washington underscore argument that private schools with political agendas shouldn’t get tax subsidies. → Read More

Angry politicians have messed with Kentucky’s court system before. They unleashed chaos.

Since the Kentucky Supreme Court upheld a judge’s ruling that the state pension overhaul was unconstitutional, Gov. Matt Bevin and GOP lawmakers have talked “judicial reform.” History shows that’s a bad idea. → Read More

Trump has a wall. Bevin has a pension plan. Both are bad fixes to exaggerated crises.

Fitch Ratings debunks Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin’s claim that failure to overhaul state pension system will cause credit downgrade; points instead to need for more revenue to meet spending needs. → Read More

Is Capitol the ‘people’s house’ or King Matt’s castle? Here’s why they want you out.

Gov. Matt Bevin again tries to limit public access, protests in Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort. He and Republican legislators hate criticism, but their actions show why they are getting so much of it. → Read More

How will Mayor Jim Gray be remembered? He inspired Lexington to think big.

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray’s 8-year tenure will be remembered for many accomplishments, but perhaps most of all for his big-picture thinking and dedication to bringing in top talent to rejuvenate downtown. → Read More

Mysterious faces, magical creatures — and the man behind a hidden Lexington art display.

Restoration of the old Fayette County Courthouse has highlighted fine limestone carvings by noted Southern sculptor Frederick Bullen Miles, who also did Biltmore mansion and Atlanta’s Candler Building. → Read More

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin had a very bad week. Blame some of it on his worst enemy.

Gov. Matt Bevin had a rough week. The Kentucky Supreme Court unanimously struck down pension law. He attacked journalists planning to investigate him. A report refuted some of his economic development claims. → Read More

GOP leaders outraged by Supreme Court spanking on pension law. They should be ashamed.

Kentucky Supreme Court strikes important blow against “sewer” politics by voiding the Republican pension overhaul. Gov. Matt Bevin and legislative leaders respond by attacking the court. They should be ashamed. → Read More

Artists remember Thomas Merton. Famous Kentucky monk, writer was killed 50 years ago.

Thomas Merton, a Trappist monk and best-selling author before he was killed in a freak accident 50 years ago, had close friendships with several artists and writers not far from his Kentucky monastery. → Read More

They vowed to save this abandoned train depot. Now, it’s a restaurant, bourbon bar.

Paris, Kentucky’s L&N Railroad depot is restored as a restaurant, bourbon bar. Until family’s historic preservation project, the 1882 depot had mostly been empty since passenger train service ended in 1968. → Read More

Al’s Bar is for sale. Live music, poetry venue ‘has been such a cultural phenomenon.’

After 11 years, the partners who transformed Al’s Bar from a dangerous North Limestone hangout into a live music and poetry venue want to sell it to focus more time on children and their Stella’s Kentucky Deli. → Read More

Cowgirl Attic is for sale. Architectural salvage wrangler is ready to retire.

Cowgirl Attic, a Lexington architectural salvage business for 27 years, is being put up for sale because founder Karen Payne is ready to retire. → Read More