FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky lawmakers have given final approval to a slimmed-down, one-year state budget. It lacks pay raises or increased education funding. Those priorities fell victim to the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Lawmakers sent the budget to Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday. It reflects the grim reality that state tax collections are expected to plummet…
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky lawmakers have taken unprecedented steps to change their way of doing business because of the coronavirus outbreak. The changes allowed them to keep their distance from each other while doing their work. The legislature reconvened Wednesday after a nearly weeklong break to take final votes on a new state budget. House leaders announced changes to…
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Lexington Herald-Leader) — The death of a 30-year-old contract employee who worked on a Lexington city garbage truck is under investigation. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the coroner’s office has ruled Whitney Gardner’s death from head trauma an accident but hasn’t disclosed how she was injured. Her job involved picking up loose garbage and retrieving trash cans. Employees can…
GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) — A popular thoroughbred retirement farm in Kentucky is reaching out to its supporters through virtual farm tours that showcase its equine retirees. Old Friends offered its first virtual tour on Monday. The series is called “Monday Mornings with Michael” and is hosted by Old Friends founder Michael Blowen. Each week, he’ll offer short visits with a…
BURKESVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Authorities say a Kentucky man has been fatally shot after he confronted police with a knife. Police say the shooting happened Tuesday morning when the man crashed into a ditch after a car chase with troopers in Cumberland County. Officials say the man confronted responding officers in an aggressive manner before he was fatally shot. Police…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial distracted the federal government from the novel coronavirus as it reached the United States in January. The Kentucky Republican told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday that the deadly virus “came up while we were tied down on the impeachment trial.” There were warnings at…
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Key Kentucky lawmakers say the legislature will be presented a one-year state spending plan. Lawmakers traditionally pass two-year budgets. Sen. Chris McDaniel on Tuesday said the rare move was caused by disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic. Rep. Steven Rudy says passing a one-year plan will enable lawmakers to meet their constitutional duty of passing a budget…
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is launching a campaign ad in his home state that touts his role in passing the $2.2 trillion economic rescue package. It’s an effort by the Kentucky Republican to capitalize on his leadership post during the coronavirus crisis. The TV ad is debuting across Kentucky on Wednesday. It boasts the benefits…
File PhotoFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky’s impact from the coronavirus pandemic has worsened. Gov. Andy Beshear on Tuesday announced 114 new cases and seven more deaths linked to the illness. It was the highest-number of cases and deaths reported in a single day in the Bluegrass State. The governor braced the state for the potential for even worse days from…
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The director of the Legislative Research Commission says a staff member for the Kentucky legislature has tested positive for the new coronavirus. The Monday announcement comes two days before lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Wednesday to vote on a new state budget. In his email, LRC director Jay Hartz said the staff member who tested positive…
