Author

Sarah Ladd

Sarah Ladd

Sarah Ladd is a Louisville-based journalist from West Kentucky who's covered everything from crime to higher education. She spent nearly two years on the metro breaking news desk at The Courier Journal. In 2020, she started reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic and has covered health ever since. As the Kentucky Lantern's health reporter, she focuses on mental health, LGBTQ+ issues, children's welfare, COVID-19 and more.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

Kentucky doctors could get burnout help under bill with Senate approval

By: - February 21, 2023

This story discusses suicide, burnout and mental health. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. The Kentucky Senate unanimously passed a bill aimed at preventing burnout among physicians on Tuesday.? Republican-backed Senate Bill 12 cleared committee last Wednesday, also unanimously.? The bill […]

Kentucky House approves bill aimed at increasing Alzheimer’s awareness

By: - February 21, 2023

FRANKFORT — The Kentucky House unanimously passed a bill aimed at spreading awareness about Alzheimer’s disease on Tuesday.? The bipartisan House Bill 125 would require the Kentucky Department of Public Health to include information about Alzheimer’s in regularly published materials in health departments around the state and online.? The goal, the bill states, is to […]

Postpartum mental health support bill sails out of committee?

By: - February 21, 2023

This story discusses suicide and mental health. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. FRANKFORT — A bill aimed at providing education and resources for new Kentucky parents sailed unanimously out of a committee Tuesday morning. ? Republican-sponsored Senate Bill 135 would […]

Jim and Sharon Jackson

University of Kentucky works to understand how to prevent Alzheimer’s. You might be able to help.

By: - February 21, 2023

FRANKFORT – Every two weeks, Jim and Sharon Jackson travel an hour from Morehead to Lexington to help scientists better understand how to treat Alzheimer’s disease.? Jim is a study participant in a clinical trial called AHEAD, and the University of Kentucky is one of about 75 study sites around the country.? During regular visits, […]

Coyotes are on the move because it’s their mating season. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife offers these tips if you see one.

By: - February 17, 2023

During coyote mating season Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officials say there are more sightings both in cities and the country.? The winter mating season is in its peak this month and will continue through March.? “Coyote sightings typically increase this time of year when they are mating, and through July when they are raising pups,” […]

abortion, amendment 2

Kentucky Supreme Court keeps abortion ban in place

By: - February 16, 2023

The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled against an ACLU request to uphold an injunction that had briefly reinstated access to abortion in Kentucky.? That means the commonwealth’s six-week abortion ban will remain intact as the case is litigated.? The high court decision came down Thursday more three months after arguments on the issue were heard […]

Reps. Keturah Herron and Lisa Willner, both Louisville Democrats. Photo by Sarah Ladd for the Kentucky Lantern.

Lawmakers want to bring Louisville juveniles home

By: and - February 15, 2023

FRANKFORT — While there’s bipartisan support for returning Louisville kids in the juvenile justice system to Jefferson County, at least two Louisville Democratic lawmakers said they would invest in preventive services rather than detention. The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday advanced House Bill 3, which provides $8.9 million to renovate and reopen a 40-bed Jefferson […]

Bill assuring Kentucky physicians confidential access to mental health support clears committee

By: - February 15, 2023

This story discusses suicide and mental health. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. A bill aimed at preventing burnout in Kentucky’s physician ranks by supporting mental health access sailed out of committee Wednesday morning.?? Republican-sponsored Senate Bill 12 easily passed the […]

abortion

Anti-abortion amendment to Kentucky Constitution given little chance this session

By: and - February 15, 2023

Roughly three months after voters rejected?Amendment 2, which would have specified there is no right to an abortion in Kentucky’s Constitution, a similar amendment was proposed Tuesday by the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Whitney Westerfield.? But the amendment isn’t likely to move this session.? Senate Majority Floor Leader Daymon Thayer said Tuesday […]

Edward "EJ" LaGant-ta Photo: Kentucky Youth Advocates

EJ was in middle school when he entered Kentucky Juvenile Justice

By: - February 14, 2023

When Edward “EJ” LaGantta was arrested for the first time, he was in middle school. Not yet a teenager, he was arrested after being in a fight with a white boy.? Louisville’s LaGantta, who is Black, went into juvenile detention for the first of five times, including for truancy.? The white boy, LaGantta heard, went […]

Federal report shows 11 children died from maltreatment in Kentucky in 2021

By: - February 13, 2023

The number of Kentucky children who were victims of abuse or neglect improved in 2021, according to a new report, but the commonwealth’s is still worse than the national maltreatment rate. The Child Maltreatment 2021 report, from the United States Department of Health & Human Services, found that Kentucky had 14,963 child victims in 2021. […]

Kentucky bill would offer scholarships to bolster health care workforce

By: - February 8, 2023

A house bill introduced Tuesday would provide health care scholarships for underprivileged Kentuckians through a private-public partnership aimed at lessening the state’s health care workforce shortages in the future. House Bill 200, seeks to create a healthcare workforce fund administered by the Council on Postsecondary Education. Most of the money in the fund – 65% […]