Josh James (KPR)

More than 7,300 soldiers are now a part of the Kentucky Army National Guard. That number exceeds the original goal set by the National Guard Bureau in Washington, D.C. this year by a hundred.

This is the ninth year in a row the Kentucky National Guard has met or exceeded recruiting expectations, and Major Fred Bates, Commander for 2nd of the 75th Recruiting & Retention Battalion with the Kentucky Guard, says that speaks highly of Kentuckians' support for the military.

A campaign against the practice known as "smurfing" was launched Monday in Lexington. Smurfing is the practice of buying drugs over the counter and selling them to illegal drug makers for profit. In Kentucky, meth cooks are using smurfs to avoid the state's real-time, stop-sell system that prevents pseudoephedrine buyers from going over the legal limit.

Sixth District Congressman-Elect Andy Barr says he'll get serious when it comes to cutting spending as Congress deals with the so-called "fiscal cliff." Barr made the remarks on KET's One To One with Bill Goodman this week. In the meantime, however, Barr urged members of Congress to create a temporary fix.

A domestic violence center honoring Amanda Ross, who was killed by former Kentucky lawmaker Steve Nunn, has officially opened its doors in Lexington. Amanda’s mother, Diana, spoke about her daughter’s passing at a press conference Monday and how her family hoped to turn grief into action.

"I know Amanda would be honored to become the name and the face for every victim of domestic violence," she said. "The thought that Amanda's life has made a difference lifted us up and gave us reason to carry on."

Governor Steve Beshear says Kentucky is on track to meet federal deadlines to create and manage its own health exchange, as mandated by the new health care reform law. That's despite heated debate inside the joint Health and Welfare committee last month over the legality of the governor's executive order creating the exchange.

With lingering concerns about the University of Kentucky's alcohol policy coming to light in recent meetings between UK and surrounding neighborhoods, UK President Eli Capilouto says he's willing to reexamine the rules, which banned alcohol on campus 14 years ago.

To help close a $50,000 budget gap created by state spending cuts, the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts is suspending its new media discipline. That area is comprised of film production, still photography, Claymation, and other digital arts.

Over the past three years, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has reported a dramatic jump in the number of veterans in search of mental health services. In Kentucky, the outbreak of prescription drug abuse is also taking a toll. To better coordinate local, state, and federal agencies that deal with veteran’s health, Governor Beshear has appointed a team of health and military specialists to reevaluate the state’s policies. Retired Col. David Thompson heads up the Kentucky Commission on Military Affairs.

Kentucky's business climate is consistently dragged down by low incomes, high poverty, and poor health. That's one of the conclusions of the comprehensive report released this week by the state's Chamber of Commerce.

A new survey aims to provide an estimate of how many horses live in the self-proclaimed "Horse Capitol of the World." Professor Jill Stowe, who is leading the portion of the project delegated to the University of Kentucky, is careful to distinguish it from a census.