Mr. Smiley Gets The Ax

The smiling sun on Kentucky's license plates was just a bit too cheerful for most drivers and were met with ridicule when then-Gov. Paul Patton unveiled the design in December 2002. Gov. Ernie Fletcher is scheduled to announce Mr. Smiley is getting the hook at an upcoming news conference. "A lot of people found them to be so obnoxious they wouldn't put them on their cars," Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins said. "I think it's a fortunate situation that Mr. Smiley will disappear," said Republican state Sen. Tom Buford. "The state was not served well with an odd plate like that."