• Seventh Region champion Assumption will open play Wednesday against Calloway County.
• Sixth Region champion Bullitt East will face Franklin-Simpson in a first-round game Thursday.

The field is nearly set for the 2026 Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Girls Sweet 16.

The tournament is scheduled for Wednesday-Saturday, March 11-14, at Rupp Arena in Lexington.

The field will include at least nine of the 16 teams in the final Kentucky High School Basketball Media Poll — No. 1 George Rogers Clark, No. 2 Assumption, No. 3 Simon Kenton, No. 5 Calloway County, No. 7 North Laurel, No. 9 Taylor County, No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 14 Ashland Blazer and No. 15 Henderson County.

Fifteen regional champions have been decided. The last regional final is set set for Sunday night — Paul Dunbar (25-4) vs. No. 8 Frederick Douglass (23-7) in the 11th.

Here is the Sweet 16 schedule:

Wednesday, March 11

11 a.m. – 11th Region champion vs. Henderson County (24-9)

1:30 p.m. – Assumption (24-5) vs. Calloway County (33-2)

6 p.m. – Notre Dame (24-7) vs. Pikeville (22-8)

8:30 p.m. – Taylor County (27-6) vs. West Jessamine (22-12)

Thursday, March 12

11 a.m. – Bullitt East (19-12) vs. Franklin-Simpson (24-7)

1:30 p.m. – Ashland Blazer (26-5) vs. Simon Kenton (31-2)

6 p.m. – Owensboro Catholic (26-9) vs. Letcher County Central (23-10)

8:30 p.m. – George Rogers Clark (29-2) vs. North Laurel (25-6)

Friday, March 13

11 a.m. – Third Region champion-Henderson County winner vs. Assumption-Calloway County winner

1:30 p.m. – Notre Dame-Pikeville winner vs. Taylor County-West Jessamine winner

6 p.m. – Ashland Blazer-Simon Kenton winner vs. Owensboro Catholic-Letcher County Central winner

8:30 p.m. – Bullitt East-Franklin-Simpson winner vs. George Rogers Clark-North Laurel winner

Saturday, March 14

11 a.m. – Semifinal No. 1

1:30 p.m. – Semifinal No. 2

7:30 p.m. – Final

This story will be updated.

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Follow on X @kyhighs.

More girls basketball: Assumption dethrones Sacred Heart for Seventh Region title

House Bill 585 is about making sure Kentucky works for the people who do the work, not just those at the top.

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• Kentucky’s 2017 “right-to-work” law has weakened unions and is being blamed for stagnant worker wages.
• A recent poll indicates that a majority of Kentuckians support making it easier for workers to form unions.
• House Bill 585 seeks to repeal the “right-to-work” law and strengthen unions.

“Right-to-work” isn’t working in Kentucky. 

Kentuckians are struggling to keep up with rising costs and it’s not hard to see. Workers’ wages are not keeping up with basic needs, such as housing, groceries, health care and childcare. Some people need multiple jobs just to feed their families. While hardworking Kentuckians struggle, the wealthy and well-connected continue to receive tax breaks and special treatment from politicians in Frankfort and Washington. 

This didn’t happen by accident. This was by design. 

In 2017, we saw a dramatic shift against working families. The first order of business for the new Republican majority in the Kentucky House was passing so-called “right-to-work” legislation, House Bill 1. This legislation weakened unions and led to lower pay for workers. Nearly a decade has passed, and workers are not thriving in Kentucky like they said they would.

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Kentuckians want support for workers

Big business has virtually no limits on their influence in Frankfort. They spend exceedingly large amounts of money on lobbying the Kentucky supermajority to shape laws to further enrich themselves. When workers try to organize, demand fair wages, safe workplaces and decent benefits, big business uses the profits they’ve gathered off the backs of working people to directly advocate against them. 

Some wealthy business interests claim “right-to-work” has contributed to the state’s economic growth over the past several years, but whose growth is it, really? The fact of the matter is corporate profits are soaring and executives are cashing in, while families are left scraping by.

It’s true Kentucky has seen record-breaking economic momentum under the leadership of Gov. Andy Beshear, including $43 billion in private sector investments and over 63,000 new jobs. However, Beshear agrees Kentucky can attract businesses and investment without simultaneously suppressing unions. 

A recent statewide poll conducted by KyPolicy found that 85% of Kentucky voters want the state legislature to prioritize raising worker pay and improving worker benefits. This poll also found that 60% of Kentuckians support making it easier for workers to join or form a union.

Kentuckians are telling us they want us to focus on supporting workers, and our colleagues in the General Assembly should listen.

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A fight worth having

Bad faith politicians in Frankfort will tell you we have a worker shortage. They pin the problem on Kentuckians not willing to work, and absolve big business from any accountability. But in reality, we have a wage problem. Repealing “right-to-work” is a necessary step toward fixing that imbalance. 

That’s why we have introduced House Bill 585, legislation to repeal Kentucky’s “right-to-work” law and restore Kentucky’s ability to have strong unions fighting for workers’ rights. House Bill 585 is about making sure Kentucky works for the people who do the work, not just those at the top. 

Across the country, states with stronger unions have higher wages, better benefits and safer workplaces. Union workers earn more, are more likely to have health insurance and retirement security and are better protected on the job. When unions are strong, workers are strong. 

This is a fight worth having. It’s a fight working people are ready for, and it’s a fight we cannot afford to keep putting off. 

Standing together is how workers have always won dignity, fairness and opportunity. This is how Kentucky can build a stronger future for everyone.

Working Kentuckians deserve better.

Agree or disagree? Submit your letter to the editor.

Rep. Chad Aull represents Kentucky’s 79th House District in Lexington

Rep. Adrielle Camuel represents Kentucky’s 93rd House District in Lexington

BURKESVILLE, Ky. (WSMV) – A man was arrested Friday after a search warrant was executed at a Kentucky home, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

The search warrant comes after a weeks-long joint investigation between the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police.

CCSO said a search warrant was executed at a home at 4426 Glasgow Road about 1 p.m. Friday.

During the search, deputies found about one pound of methamphetamine inside the home.

Stephen Eaves, of Cumberland County, was arrested following the search, CCSO said.

“The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work with all first responding agencies to keep our community as safe as possible,” CCSO said.

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