Briefs
Virginia Marsh Bell, Nikky Finney to receive honorary doctorates from UK
Two women will soon be recognized by the University of Kentucky for their influence on the institution and contributions in their fields. The UK Board of Trustees approved the honorary degrees for Virginia Marsh Bell, known for her approach to dementia care, and celebrated poet and professor Nikky Finney, a university press release said. They […]
Prichard Committee sounds alarm as Kentucky drops in some key education rankings
Reading proficiency among Kentucky’s fourth-graders ranks its lowest since Kentucky began participating in the 50-state National Assessment of Educational Progress, according to a new report by the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. The report also shows Kentucky slipping in eighth-grade math proficiency and pre-school and postsecondary participation in recent years when compared? to other states.? […]
VA holding town hall in Louisville Tuesday for veterans who may have suffered toxic exposure
Veterans who may have been exposed to a toxic substance while serving in the military and their survivors can learn about new benefits at a town hall in Louisville on Tuesday. The town hall will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. ET Dec. 13 at the Louisville VA Medical Center, 800 Zorn Avenue. A […]
Flu picking up in Kentucky after mild seasons during COVID-19
More cases of flu are popping up in Kentucky after masking during the pandemic kept the last few seasons relatively mild.? The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department posted on social media Wednesday that “flu is hitting hard in Lexington” with more cases in the first two months of the season than in the last three years.? […]
Beshear files to run for second term, GOP assembling large field of prospective challengers
It’s official — Gov. Andy Beshear will seek a second term.? The Democratic incumbent filed his candidacy papers Monday afternoon with the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office. He filed initial paperwork to announce his reelection campaign in October 2021. He has raised more than $4.5 million, according to reports filed with the Kentucky Registry of? […]
Hindman medical clinic reopens after flooding closed it for four months
Damage from severe flooding forced UK HealthCare’s June Buchanan Medical Clinic in Hindman to close for four months. On Monday, the clinic reopened.? The University of Kentucky said in a news release that UK HealthCare oversees several clinics in areas overwhelmed by last summer’s flooding. The Hindman clinic, which is at 59 Cowtown Road, “took […]
Lack of bidders increasing costs to plug abandoned oil and gas wells in Kentucky
Contractors? have started plugging some of the thousands of oil and gas wells abandoned by the fossil fuel industry across Kentucky, using new federal funding. But a lack of companies able or willing to bid on the work is increasing costs, a Kentucky official said recently.? Kentucky received an initial $25 million grant through the […]
Report: Biden says South Carolina should be first primary state, Michigan first in Midwest
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is recommending to the Democratic National Committee that South Carolina become the first primary state in the presidential nominating process in 2024, and that New Hampshire and Nevada follow a week later — leaving Iowa out of the early lineup, the Washington Post reported on Thursday night. Georgia and Michigan […]
U.S. House GOP to keep earmarks for local projects — with some ‘tweaks’
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans voted Wednesday to keep earmarks in place when they take over the chamber in January, a move that solidifies GOP support for the controversial spending practice that was brought back under new guardrails and transparency mechanisms less than two years ago.? Earmarking has become especially important to members of both […]
Kim Schatzel leaving Towson to become University of Louisville president
Kim Schatzel, president of Towson University in Towson, Md., will become the University of Louisville’s 19th president. Schatzel, 66, will begin Feb. 1, a U of L news release said.? She succeeds interim President Lori Stewart Gonzalez, who had served in the role since December 2021. Gonzalez will return to her previous role as executive […]
Kentucky is sacrificing its workforce to lack of affordable child care, lawmakers say
What happens when a promotion and small pay-raise effectively impose an $18,000 penalty on a working parent? It’s not only a hardship on the affected family but also makes it hard for employers — not to mention the state of Kentucky — to build a workforce, according to findings by Kentucky lawmakers who have been […]
Invasive zebra mussels discovered in popular Northern Kentucky lake
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is urging vigilance by anglers and boaters after the discovery of invasive zebra mussels in Williamstown Lake in Grant County. The lake is near the Licking River, home to some of Kentucky’s rarest native mussels. Native mussels help clean water sources but are threatened by competition from the non-native species. Zebra […]