Kentucky is a pretty laid back place to call home. Some may even consider us too laid back in comparison to places like New York. Our residents may get excited over basketball or some catastrophic event, but otherwise, we’re calm, cool and collected. This doesn’t mean nothing shocking or strange ever happens here though. We get the occasional insane news story. At other times, interesting things slip right under our resident radar. In fact, here are 12 surprising things that have occurred in Kentucky:
12. Snake bites
No, not the piercing, but an actual snake bite… A snake handling preacher, Jamie Coots, of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro died a quick death in 2014, after being bit by one of the snakes during a service. His son Cody Coots jumped into his father’s snake handling shoes and has now suffered from venomous bites himself. He has survived thus far, though he, nor his father accept medical care when bitten. Only prayers.
11. Noah's Ark via Creation Museum
Though it was grounded centuries ago, Ken Ham of the Creation Museum decided to spend $73 million on a 510’ replica of Noah’s ark, as a biblically themed amusement park. It will be built on around 800 acres of land in Williamstown and Ham plans on using the multimillion dollar boat that doesn’t float in the same way as his Creation Museum, with a fee. Ironically, that $73 million could have easily fed some homeless, housed some homeless, or aided poverty stricken children, along with an abundance of other more charitable contributions.
10. Hardest places to live
According to the Upshot, Eastern Kentucky is one of the hardest places to live in the United States. Granted several states north of the Mississippi rate as difficult living, but pretty much our entire state is ranked as doing poorly in comparison to others. The deeper the orange, the worse the rating based on income, unemployment, education, disability, life expectancy and obesity.
9. Bubblehead
There is a little known place in Kentucky called Bubbleland, but it is also known and Madrid Bend, New Madrid Bend, and Bessie Bend. It is what geologists call a meander, and is caused by to many earthquakes. It is basically a detour created along the Mississippi, but in the case of Bubbleland, it actually looks like a word bubble.
8. Kentucky Politicians...
...are sneaky.
According to The Center for Public Integrity for 2015, from ethics to judicial accountability to civil process and keeping the public informed, Kentucky as a whole scored Ds and Fs. Our highest score was a B, and it was in political financing. Not surprising… For the record, the source, Center for Public Integrity won a Pulitzer in 2014.
7. 1800s Kentucky flag
Kentucky had a different flag that was dated between 1840 and 1848 that was discovered in an old shop. It is thought that to be a 4th Calvary Regiment or infantry flag from during the American-Spanish War. The flag itself was dated via the Winchester Heritage Museum in Kentucky. Daniel Boone is not depicted in this unique, century and a half old part of our history.
6. Chili buns
This is a real thing in Eastern Kentucky that I’d not heard of till recently. They are available at places like Weaver’s, in London and Dixie Café in Corbin. The easiest way to describe it is a chili dog without the dog. Those who love them compare the chili bun to the likes of a Sloppy Joe, or a Manwich with the addition of cheese, onion or whatever else to flavor up the bun. Others think some Kentuckians are getting hood winked into buying a chili dog without the hot dog.
5. Craft brewery explosion
Not as in a violent explosion, but in an explosion of businesses. There have been an abundance of craft microbreweries that have popped up over the last year in the Bluegrass State. You can experience an amazing array of speciality brews made right here in the state, especially in Louisville, Lexington, Frankfort, Bowling Green and Owensboro. Bluegrass Brewing Company is one of the more renowned microbreweries, serving a unique variety of ale, stout, porters and more.
4. Slow Internet
We have all likely struggled with a mind numbingly slow internet connection at some point and time, both at home and in public. If this happens to you a lot, you are not alone. According to cNet, Kentucky has some of the slowest internet in the county. As seen in this graph, we are in the red. Meanwhile, Virginia is rated as having the fastest service available.
3. The pancake incident
According to Lexington 18 news, reporter Kate Springer, a man’s pancake was flipped out of his pan, flew through his home and stuck to his vehicle during a storm. The evidence appears to be splattered all over the media.
2. The climate of Mars, according to State Senator Brandon Smith
This is a direct quote from the Senator according to the link. "I don’t see you as being one of the enemies. I know you’ve got a very tough job to do. As you sit there in your chair with your data, we sit up here in ours with our data and the constituents and stuff behind us. I don’t want to get into the debate about climate change, but I will simply point out that I think in academia, we all agree that the temperature on Mars is exactly as it is here. Nobody will dispute that.Yet there are no coal mines on Mars. There’s no factories on Mars that I’m aware of. So I think what we’re looking at is something much greater than what we’re gonna do."
1. Beer Cheese
Many of you may not know this, but Winchester is the home of the Beer Cheese Trail, and ultimately the home of beer cheese. In fact, the 2013 Kentucky General Assembly declared House Bill 54, making Winchester the actual birth place of beer cheese. If visiting you can find not only some fine variations of beer cheese for dipping or crackers, but also unique creations like Beer Cheese Soup.
I found some these to be a bit shocking, others… not so much. Everything strange that happens in Kentucky doesn’t make the media, and I had to do a little research. What other surprising things have happened in Kentucky that you have heard about?
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.