TWO KILLED, ONE INJURED IN MURRAY MURDER-SUICIDE
At 7:36 Tuesday morning, the Murray Police Department responded to a residence on Chestnut Street in response to a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located a juvenile and two adults who all appeared to have a gunshot wound. The juvenile and 46-year old Katherine Bryan of Murray, were transported by EMS to Murray Calloway County Hospital and then were transported to another hospital by Air Evac. Bryan was later pronounced dead as a result of her injuries. 31-year old Anthony Amoroso of Murray was pronounced dead at the scene by Calloway County Coroner Ricky Garland. According to Murray Police, Amoroso shot Bryan, who was his girlfriend, and the juvenile, before shooting himself.
REGIONAL VACCINATION CLINIC SWITCHES TO NEW ONLINE FORM
The Murray Regional Vaccination Clinic is administering vaccines to the community by scheduling appointments online. There will be 1,100 available appointments for the upcoming vaccine clinic next Wednesday from 8 am to 5 pm, March 24th. If you are in Phases 1A-1C, you may book an appointment for the Murray Regional Vaccination Clinic. If you have previously called, or filled in the online form to be placed on the Calloway County Health Department call list, please use this online system to book your appointment at this time: www.murraykyvaccine.org If you have questions about the new scheduling process or do not have internet access, please call 270-762-1197. This is a collaborative effort among Murray State University, the MSU School of Nursing, the Calloway County Health Department, and Murray-Calloway County Hospital.
COMER’S CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION BILL PASSES THE HOUSE
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation led by First District Congressman James Comer which would strengthen federal efforts to recognize, prevent, and treat child abuse and neglect nationwide. The Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act helps states address this growing crisis by providing states and families with increased resources to reduce abuse and neglect through evidence and prevention-based services. The bill also streamlines duplicative administrative requirements on state and local providers, enabling them to better serve children and families in need. Comer serves as the primary co-sponsor of the legislation. According to a report released by the Administration for Children and Families, Kentucky has the highest rate of child abuse and neglect in the nation.
CCHD REPORTS 1 NEW COVID CASE
The Calloway County Health Department reported 1 new case of COVID-19 yesterday. That brings the total number of county cases during the pandemic to 3,393. Of that total, 3,328 have recovered, 14 are isolated at home, none are hospitalized, and there have been 49 deaths. The Purchase District Health Department announced 19 new cases in McCracken County, 2 in Ballard County, and 1 in Carlisle County.
CALLOWAY AND LYON COUNTY INCIDENCE RATES HOLD STEADY
Calloway County’s Incidence Rate per 100,000 on Wednesday was 5.5%, which was the same as Monday and Tuesday’s rates. Lyon County’s state leading rate held steady yesterday at 788.2% due mostly to over 550 active cases at Kentucky State Penitentiary. Lyon County’s rate is over 18 times times higher than second place Knox County’s rate of 43.6%. Neither the Murray Independent School District or Calloway County School District has reported any COVID cases or quarantines over the past week. Murray State University reported 1 student case last week.
STATE POSITIVITY RATE CONTINUES TO FALL
At Wednesday’s COVID-19 update for Kentucky, 963 new cases and 27 deaths were reported, raising the total to 5,056 Kentuckians who are listed as covid deaths. As of Wednesday, there have been over 4.71 million coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky with a positivity rate of 3.73%, which is lower than last Wednesday’s rate of 3.93%. There are 464 Kentuckians hospitalized which is 60 less than last Wednesday, including 114 in ICU, which is 24 less than one week ago. At least 48,882 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
GAS PRICE SURGE CONTINUES
Gas prices in West Central Kentucky are 12 cents higher this week at $2.70 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. Following last month’s winter storm in Texas, the national gas price average has jumped nearly 40 cents to $2.86 per gallon. Prices will likely continue to increase this week, especially following the Energy Information Administration’s latest weekly reports showing a second week of major decline in gasoline stocks and a substantial increase in U.S. demand. Americans are paying, on average, 14% more to fill-up compared to February. On the week, the national average is nine cents more expensive with 20 states seeing double-digit jumps.
WKCTC OFFERING NURSING ASSISTANT CLASS
West Kentucky Community and Technical College is offering a four-week nursing assistant class that begins March 29 and ends April 28. This class is one of ten, short-term nursing assistant classes offered each spring and fall at WKCTC. All nursing assistant classes can be completed in as little as four to ten-week sessions and prepare students for the state certification exam to work as a State Registered Nursing Assistant in Kentucky. The class that begins on March 29 is the last four-week class session for the spring semester. A nursing assistant provides direct care for patients in multiple settings under the direction of a practical nurse or a registered nurse. For more information about the program, visit westkentucky.kctcs.edu, search for nursing assistant.
SENATE LOOKING TO REPEAL DEATH TAX
Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell joined Senate Republican Whip John Thune of South Dakota, and dozens of their Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation to permanently repeal the federal estate tax, more commonly known as the death tax. Senator McConnell is an original cosponsor of Senator Thune’s bill, the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2021, which would finally end this purely punitive tax that has the potential to hit family-run farms and businesses as the result of the owner’s death. Companion legislation was introduced in the U.S. House Representatives by Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
WASHINGTON DC—The situation at the U.S. southern border is a crisis. That’s what Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said yesterday. This comes after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said a humanitarian crisis is separating families to deter future migration. More than 13-thousand migrant children are reportedly in U.S. custody at the border, and there’s a shortage of space to house the kids. However, McConnell says it’s about more than the children. The Kentucky Republican says the Biden administration isn’t doing enough to fix the problem.
FRANKFORT—A bill that would allow parents a choice in where their children go to school is headed to Governor Andy Beshear’s desk. Lawmakers spent until late last night working to pass the Education Opportunity Account Act. The bill would provide a tax credit to let students move to public or private schools outside their district. Supporters say the measure will help struggling families, while opponents say it drains funding from public schools. The bill passed by one vote in the House and was approved 21 to 15 in the Senate. Beshear is expected to veto the measure.
FRANKFORT—A new measure could take rural Kentuckians a step closer to faster Internet speeds. Both the House and Senate unanimously passed a bill yesterday that could create partnerships to bring broadband service to areas of the commonwealth that have little or no access to high-speed internet. General Assembly members say faster internet speeds are critical to maintaining a working economy and caring for the good of the people in the commonwealth.
FRANKFORT—The Kentucky General Assembly is sending legislation to Governor Andy Beshear’s desk that could give students the chance to redo the last school year. The measure passed the House overwhelmingly yesterday and cleared the Senate unanimously. The bill would apply to K through 12 students in public and non-public schools and would allow students to remain in their current grade regardless of academic status. It would also allow students to retake supplemental classes they took during the pandemic.
OWENSBORO—The ROMP Festival is returning to Owensboro in September. The music festival is set to take place September 15th through 18th at Yellow Creek Park. The festival will celebrate its 18th year and is produced by the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The artist lineup is set to be announced soon.
WASHINGTON DC—Kentucky is among over a dozen states suing the Biden administration for scrapping the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Texas is leading the suit with 20 other Republican states, most of which aren’t near where the proposed pipeline was set to run before it was canceled. They say the pipeline would’ve had a ripple effect and boosted the economy, even in states the pipeline doesn’t pass through. The group says President Biden overstepped his authority by revoking the pipeline’s permit.
WASHINGTON DC—Senator Mitch McConnell is warning Democrats not to change the filibuster rules. Speaking from the floor on Tuesday, the Senate minority leader defended the 60-vote threshold on the legislative filibuster, adding it won’t open up an easy pathway for the Biden administration to push through its agenda. McConnell said instead, Republicans would use every rule and option to grind the chamber to a halt, comparing it to “a 100-car pileup” with nothing moving. He added that Republicans will eventually be in control of Congress and the White House again and when they are, they’ll push an agenda Democrats would strongly oppose.
OWENSBORO—Owensboro Public Schools is hiring to fill a new position. The new “Schools Service Assistant” will help maintain Healthy at School guidelines as the district returns to in-person learning. OPS says roughly one per school is needed throughout the district. The positions will last until the end of the school year, which is June 30th.
TENNESSEE—There are over 18-hundred new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported one-thousand-826 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to nearly 796-thousand. Nearly ten additional COVID-19-related deaths were reported, bringing the total number of coronavirus-attributed deaths statewide to over eleven-thousand-650. There are about 680 COVID-19 patients hospitalized statewide.
TENNESSEE—A Tennessee lawmaker says failure to identify with your biological gender is a mental illness. During a House subcommittee hearing yesterday, Oak Ridge Republican Rep. John Ragan also compared transgender children’s wish to align with their gender identity to “childhood desires,” like becoming a firefighter. Ragan is backing a bill that would make it more difficult for transgender kids to access gender-affirming care in Tennessee. LGBTQ advocates say the bill would further restrict already-slim access to health care for transgender children.
TENNESSEE—A medical marijuana bill advancing through the Tennessee General Assembly is expected to be heard by the senate health and welfare committee today. If the bill passes, it would ask the Tennessee Department of Health to do a study on medical marijuana licensing and regulations in neighboring states. The findings would be reported to the general assembly’s health committees by December 15th of this year. Republican Senator Janice Bowling of Tullahoma reintroduced a bill to allow the use of medical marijuana earlier this year.
TENNESSEE—A chase that started in Marshall County and ended with an officer-involved shooting in Fayetteville County is being investigated by the TBI. It started Tuesday afternoon when an Alabama man driving a side-by-side utility task vehicle refused to stop for Marshall County Sheriff’s Office deputies. Giles County deputies and the Tennessee Highway Patrol joined the chase that led into Lincoln County. Jaylen Edward Jordan of Athens was eventually wounded after apparently pulling a gun.
TENNESSEE—A Mid-State man is unbelievably lucky. Not only did Nick Slatten win over one-million dollars playing Tennessee Cash last week, but he also found the winning ticket after losing it in the parking lot of an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store in Sparta. Lottery tickets are just like cash, so if someone had picked up the ticket while it was loose in the parking lot, it could have been cashed. Lottery officials say players should sign their tickets immediately after buying them.
ILLINOIS—Governor J.B. Pritzker is set to make an announcement about a phased reopening plan and expanded vaccine eligibility. Multiple reports say Pritzker will announce the initiatives later today. The governor is expected to announce a new phase in the Restore Illinois plan between Phase Four and Phase Five. The new phase will take into account vaccination rates in each region and allow higher capacity at bars, restaurants, and gatherings. Pritzker is also expected to announce expanded vaccine eligibility to anyone 16 and older by April 12th.
