COMER WANTS CONGRESS TO INVESTIGATE COVID-19 ORIGINS
Yesterday, First District Congressman James Comer called on the Democrat leadership in Congress to investigate the origins of COVID-19. In a letter to Select Subcommittee Chairman James Clyburn and Oversight Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, Comer wrote that there is evidence the Chinese Communist Party started the pandemic, covered it up, and is responsible for the deaths of almost 600,000 Americans and millions more worldwide. Comer said the House Democrat majority’s refusal to follow the science, listen to the experts, and investigate the origins of COVID-19 raises serious questions about the credibility of the Select Subcommittee. Comer added that the Democrat House majority’s inactions appear intended to advance a political narrative at the expense of accountability for the CCP. He added that he hopes they will abandon what he called a partisan agenda and join the investigation into the origins of COVID-19.
CALLOWAY COUNTY COVID REPORT
The Calloway County Health Department reported 1 new case of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the county case total during the pandemic to 3,512. Of that total, 3,453 have recovered, 10 are isolated at home, and none are hospitalized. There have been 49 COVID-19 related deaths in the county, but none over the past 2 months. As of yesterday, 29.8 percent of Calloway County residents have been fully vaccinated including 66.5% of those 65 and older. Calloway County’s COVID-19 positivity rate as of Tuesday was .89%, which is lower than Monday’s rate of .93%.
KENTUCKY COVID REPORT
At Tuesday’s COVID-19 update for Kentucky, 580 new cases and 4 new deaths were reported, raising the total to 6,725 Kentuckians who are listed as Covid deaths. As of Tuesday, there have been over 6.57 million coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky with a positivity rate of 2.52%, which is lower than last Tuesday’s rate of 2.79%. There are 353 Kentuckians hospitalized which is 47 less than last Tuesday, including 108 in ICU, which is 5 less than one week ago. At least 52,610 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus. As of Tuesday, 2,006,742 Kentuckians have been vaccinated for a 45% total, including 81% of those 65 and older.
MPD, CCSD JOINS CLICK IT OR TICKET CAMPAIGN
The Murray Police Department and Calloway County Sheriff’s Office are joining the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety in reminding motorists to Click It or Ticket. The annual campaign is part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s high-visibility enforcement effort that starts now and continues through June 6. The goal is to encourage and remind individuals to use their seatbelts in an effort to decrease the number of injuries and fatalities related to vehicle collisions. Last year in Kentucky, 342 people died in vehicle collisions while not wearing their seatbelts. Both the Murray Police Department and Calloway County Sheriff’s Office remind you buckle up, because it saves lives.
WANTED MAYFIELD MAN CAPTURED AFTER SHOPLIFTING INCIDENT
Mayfield Police responded Tuesday to a local business on a report of a shoplifter. When officers arrived at the store, 31-year-old Levon Whitt fled on foot. Whitt was captured by police and charged with burglary and fleeing or evading police. Whitt was also served with two active arrest warrants. One was out of Graves County for trafficking in methamphetamine, tampering with physical evidence, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The second warrant was a bench warrant out of Carlisle County for a probation violation. Whitt was lodged in the McCracken County Regional Jail.
MOTORISTS SEE HIGHEST MEMORIAL DAY GAS PRICES IN 7 YEARS
Gas prices in West Central Kentucky are one cent lower this week at $2.80 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. AAA expects 37 million Americans to travel, mostly by car and plane, for the Memorial Day holiday weekend and they will be greeted with the most expensive Memorial Day weekend gas prices since 2014. The national average has stabilized following the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, but pump prices are likely to fluctuate leading up to the holiday weekend. Over the past weekend, the national gas price average declined a penny to $3.03, the first decrease in two weeks. While barely cheaper on the week, the average is 17 cents more than last month and $1.12 more expensive than last year.
WKCTC HOSTS KIDS CULINARY CAMP
Kids ages 10-12 can enjoy fun in the kitchen with a week-long culinary camp at West Kentucky Community and Technical College June 14-17. This is the first year for the Kids Culinary Camp, and it will be held each day from 9 am to 1 pm in the Bistro located in the Anderson Technical Building. Participants will learn about meal planning, food preparation, cooking, nutrition, kitchen rules, sanitation, food safety, table manners and service. The cost of the week-long camp is $200. To register, contact Tina Clark via email or by calling 270-534-3821.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
WASHINGTON DC—Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is no fan of a commission to investigate the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol. He called it a “purely political exercise.” The Kentucky Republican said Democrats want to continue debating issues of the past. He also noted the hundreds of pending cases that have come out of the riot. The House voted to create an independent commission to investigate what happened that day. However, it faces a tough road in the Senate.
FRANKFORT—Kentucky is at a major milestone in the fight against COVID-19. Governor Andy Beshear announced yesterday that the commonwealth had surpassed the two-million mark for COVID-19 vaccinations among those who are eligible. The high number of vaccinated residents has led to the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions in Kentucky, with remaining capacity limits set to expire June 11th.
BREATHITT COUNTY—The pilot in a deadly Breathitt County single-engine plane crash is being identified. Kentucky State Police and federal officials say 62-year-old Timothy Pankiewicz of Green Cove Springs, Florida was killed in Monday’s crash near the intersection of Kentucky-1812 and Kentucky-378. The cause of the crash hasn’t been determined. The FAA and the NTSB are continuing to investigate.
OWENSBORO—Owensboro authorities are investigating after a house fire was ruled to be arson. Police say the blaze broke out Monday night in the 700-block of Jackson Street. The home was unoccupied. No other details have been released.
UNDATED—Senator Rand Paul is blaming social media for a threat against him. A suspicious package containing a white powder and an envelope with a threat arrived at Senator Paul’s Bowling Green home on Monday. Paul says Twitter allowing “C-list celebrities to encourage violence” against him and his family led to the threat. Earlier this week, 1980s pop star Richard Marx tweeted that if he ever met the Senator’s neighbor who broke his ribs in a 2017 property dispute Marx would “hug him and buy him as many drinks as he can consume.”
TENNESSEE—There are nearly 350 new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported the new cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to over 861-thousand-300. An additional seven COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, with the total number of coronavirus-attributed deaths standing at 12-thousand-400. There are 540 people with COVID-19 hospitalized in Tennessee.
TENNESSEE—Phase one of the I-40 bridge repair in Memphis is complete. The Tennessee Department of Transportation said yesterday that crews worked around the clock to install steel plates on each side of the cracked I-beam. TDOT says phase two of the repair is still being planned. However, officials say the permanent fix will include extending the platform and removing and replacing the damaged beam.
TENNESSEE—Dolly Parton is helping Tennessee celebrate 225 years of statehood. In a video released by Governor Bill Lee yesterday, Dolly sings a track from her 1973 album, My Tennessee Mountain Home. The track plays while the video shows the state’s main streets, landmarks and natural scenery. Dolly grew up in Sevier County within the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
TENNESSEE—Vols fans can support the Alumni Scholarship program by showing their loyalty to the school. The official UT license plates featuring the “Power T” logo are now available at DMVs across the state. The plates also include the school’s signature checkerboard. The annual fee for the plates is 61-dollars-and-50 cents with 35 dollars going to the school.
ILLINOIS—The nonpartisan group CHANGE Illinois is criticizing General Assembly Democrats’ approach to the state’s redistricting process. The co-chair of the group that advocates for ethics and efficiency in state government says the organization is very frustrated with how the process is turning out. Brad McMillan says the maps should be drawn in a transparent way by an independent commission to create fair, competitive districts. McMillan also says Democrats should have waited for 2020 Census data before releasing their proposed map Friday.
