LAKE WIND ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON
There is a Lake Wind Advisory in effect from noon today until 8 this evening. West winds becoming northwest will produce gusts up to 30 mph. Strong winds and rough waves on area lakes will create hazardous conditions for small craft.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATES FALL IN EVERY KENTUCKY COUNTY
Unemployment rates fell in all 120 Kentucky counties between April 2020 and April 2021, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics. Cumberland and Woodford counties recorded the lowest jobless rates in the commonwealth at 2.8% each. Carlisle County tied for third at 2.9%. Magoffin County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate at 10.3%. The Purchase Area jobless rate for April was 3.8% with Carlisle County’s rate the lowest and Fulton County’s 4.3% rate the highest. Calloway County’s unemployment rate was 4% in April.
JP DISTILLERY LLC ADDING 30 JOBS IN FULTON COUNTY
Yesterday, Governor Andy Beshear announced startup bourbon producer Jackson Purchase Distillery LLC will upgrade a long-idled facility and create 30 well-paying jobs as part of the company’s plans for a new, $8.76 million distilling operation in Fulton County. Company leaders expect to complete this expansion phase by next April. Hickman Mayor Heath Carlton said the distillery marks an encouraging development for the area.
CALLOWAY DEMOCRATS ELECT NEW LEADERS
The Calloway County Democratic Party has elected Vonnie Hays-Adams as chair and Terry Strieter as vice-chair. The new 20-member executive committee was elected as part of the statewide reorganization, and selected the new leaders earlier this week via Zoom. Hays-Adams is a lifelong Calloway County resident and is currently the Director of Patient Access at Murray Calloway County Hospital. Strieter is a Vietnam War era Army veteran who taught history at Murray State University for thirty-seven years, and retired in 2014. He currently serves on the Murray Planning Commission. The Calloway Democrats will host their next meeting at 7 pm on June 15. A location will be determined at a later date.
CALLOWAY COUNTY COVID UPDATE
The Calloway County Health Department did not issue a COVID-19 update yesterday. As of yesterday, 33.4% of Calloway County residents have been fully vaccinated including 68.8% of those 65 and older. Calloway County’s COVID-19 positivity rate as of Thursday was 1.12%, which is higher than Wednesday’s rate of .89%.
KENTUCKY COVID UPDATE
At Thursday’s COVID-19 update for Kentucky, 421 new cases and 2 new deaths were reported, raising the total to 6,748 Kentuckians who are listed as Covid deaths. As of Thursday, there have been over 6.6 million coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky with a positivity rate of 2.51%, which is lower than last Thursday’s rate of 2.70%. There are 328 Kentuckians hospitalized which is 29 less than last Thursday, including 96 in ICU, which is 8 less than one week ago. At least 52,702 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus. As of Thursday, 2,020,760 Kentuckians have been vaccinated for a 46% total, including 81% of those 65 and older.
ARREST MADE AFTER ALLEGED JUVENILE ASSAULT
Marshall County Sheriff’s detectives were contacted by Child Protective Services last week about a possible assault case. The complaint was that a staff member at a local juvenile center had assaulted a resident under the age of 12. The incident reportedly happened at Purchase Youth Village in Benton on May 19. Through a joint investigation with Child Protective Services, the juvenile center, and the sheriff’s office, Hunter Suiter was arrested on a charge of criminal abuse of a child under 12.
I-24 ROAD WORK BEGINS TUESDAY
A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to ramp up preparations for a project to replace or repair concrete along the westbound lanes of Interstate 24 in Kentucky starting Tuesday. The work zone runs from the 69 to 51 mile markers through parts of Trigg, Caldwell, and Lyon counties. Eastbound I-24 traffic will be restricted to one lane with the lane restriction lengthening as the barrier wall installation progresses over several weeks.
RED CROSS SERVICES MERGING INTO ONE LOCATION
The American Red Cross of Western Kentucky will be joining Red Cross blood services at their location on 4635 Falconcrest Drive in Paducah. The move from its current location on North 8th Street in Paducah will take place by June 15. This move will bring all Red Cross services to one location enabling better efficiency in providing all Red Cross services under one roof.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
FRANKFORT—Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Dr. Ryan Quarles is renewing his call for Governor Andrew Beshear to immediately end Kentucky’s participation in the federal pandemic unemployment assistance program and instead offer a “back-to-work” bonus to encourage Kentuckians to reenter the workforce. Quarles said Kentucky now has employers competing with government checks, adding that there are plenty of jobs in Kentucky and if the Governor is serious about getting back to normal and fully reopening our economy, he should encourage people to reenter the labor force. Kentucky’s labor force participation rate in March is nearly 5 percent lower than the national average and Kentucky’s border states. The report suggests that a larger share of workers who lost jobs are not looking for work in Kentucky compared to the rest of the nation.
LEXINGTON—The University of Kentucky is not requiring students to be vaccinated for COVID-19 when they enter the fall semester. University officials say a large number of faculty, staff, and students are already vaccinated, and they are still encouraging others to get the shots. Mass testing and vaccination sites will no longer be available because the football team will be using Kroger Field for the season. Officials say the fall 2021 semester will look much more like normal.
OWINGSVILLE—Kentucky State Police are searching for an Owingsville man wanted for trying to run down a police officer with his vehicle. KSP says 45-year-old James Bussell sped away from a Mt. Sterling officer during a traffic stop yesterday, then made a u-turn and tried to hit the officer with his car. Bussell attempted the maneuver a second time before the vehicle got stuck, and he ran from the scene. He is also wanted for fleeing or evading police and wanton endangerment.
LETCHER COUNTY—Kentucky State Police are investigating a death related to a lawnmower accident in the Letcher County community of Mayking. Troopers say 59-year-old Charles Hall was found underneath an overturned mower Wednesday evening on Wild Fox Drive. He was taken to the hospital, where he died. KSP hasn’t released further details.
OWENSBORO—Owensboro is receiving national attention after Rolling Stone magazine named the city as a must-visit destination. The city was one of seven locations listed recently on the magazine’s “Must-Visit Places Country Music Fans Should Flock To Now.” Other destinations on the list include Nashville, Southwest Virginia, Austin, Cheyenne, Branson, and Pigeon Forge.
FRANKFORT—Four hospital workers are facing jail time for abusing adults in their care. Attorney General Daniel Cameron says Saint Elizabeth’s Hospital employees Ellyssa Klein, Sandra Nobbe, Gary Ray, and Ashley Flower participated in the improper restraint of an elderly patient in the Behavioral Health Unit at the beginning of July 2015. Klein, Nobbe, and Ray pled guilty April 1st to reckless abuse or neglect of an adult and were each sentenced to twelve months in jail. Flower pled guilty to the same charge May 20th and received the same sentence. She also agreed to give up her professional license as part of the plea agreement.
TENNESSEE—State health officials report Tennessee has recorded 392 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 22 new fatalities. In total, Tennessee has recorded 862-thousand-98 confirmed cases since the pandemic began. The death toll stands at 12-thousand-428. Health officials report 844-thousand-470 Tennesseans have recovered from the coronavirus so far.
TENNESSEE—The Warren County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public for help in locating a man they say kidnapped a woman yesterday morning. The sheriff’s office issued an alert last night for the suspect, identified as Jason Bouldin, for the kidnapping and assault of a 26-year-old woman. The woman escaped and is being treated for trauma. Authorities believe Bouldin could be in Grundy County.
TENNESSEE—The University of Tennessee at Knoxville is dropping ACT and SAT test scores as a requirement for students applying to the university. The decision will extend through the fall 2025 admissions cycle. UT at Knoxville had initially dropped the ACT and SAT test score requirements last year during the pandemic. Yesterday, the campus announced it would extend that decision four more years.
TENNESSEE—The Tennessee Highway Patrol is urging travelers to play it safe and drive to arrive alive this holiday weekend. The patrol urges motorists to make a plan and include a designated driver if their holiday celebration includes drinking. More troopers will be assigned to roadways across Tennessee this weekend. This year, there have been 499 fatalities on Tennessee roads so far. That’s an almost 27-percent increase over last year.
ILLINOIS—Illinois Senate Republicans want Governor J.B. Pritzker and Democratic leaders to eliminate tax increases from consideration for the 2022 budget. Pritzker’s administration said yesterday it is hoping to save nearly a billion dollars by getting rid of or altering nine tax incentives. Pritzker calls the incentives loopholes and thinks they need to be addressed to balance the budget. Republicans say Illinois has generated 16-billion in unexpected revenue, so there is no need to eliminate incentives.
