Briefs
Kentucky’s next agriculture commissioner names transition team
Kentucky’s next agriculture commissioner has appointed more than two dozen people including farmers and Republican elected officials to a transition team that plans to begin its work at the end of the week.? Republican Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture-Elect Jonathan Shell named Steve Kelly of Anderson County and Jon Copley of Oldham County as co-chairs of […]
Lawsuit alleges federal agencies failing to protect ‘imperiled’ crayfish, darter from coal mining impacts
Two environmental advocacy groups are suing federal agencies for allegedly failing to implement conservation protections for hundreds of coal mines, including those in Eastern Kentucky, whose discharges into waterways could harm endangered and threatened aquatic life.?? Appalachian Voices and the Center for Biological Diversity, in a lawsuit filed in federal district court Wednesday, alleged hundreds […]
Kentucky’s 2023 voter turnout was 6 points lower than four years ago
More than 1.3 million ballots were cast in Kentucky’s general election — a turnout of 38.07% of registered voters, according to unofficial results from the Kentucky State Board of Elections. This year’s turnout was down from four years ago by about 6 percentage points. In 2019, the general election turnout was 44.2%. Democratic Gov. Andy […]
Treasurer-elect Metcalf announces his transition team co-chairs
Kentucky Republican Treasurer-elect Mark Metcalf named his transition team co-chairs — state Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon, and Caroline Cash, U.S. Rep. James Comer’s chief of staff.? A press release said both Bray and Cash “share Metcalf’s vision of the Treasurer’s office doing more with less, protecting pensions, advocating for taxpayers, and faithfully serving the […]
Kentucky’s next attorney general names transition team co-chairs
After winning his election Tuesday, Republican Attorney General-elect Russell Coleman announced the co-chairs of his transition team.? Coleman, a former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, named former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky Rob Duncan and former state senator Wil Schroder to lead the transition team over the next few […]
Morgan McGarvey, Kentucky’s lone Democrat in U.S. Congress, launches reelection campaign
Kentucky Democratic U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey launched his 2024 reelection campaign Thursday.? McGarvey, who represents the state’s 3rd Congressional District, said in a social media post “he’s not done yet” serving Louisville in Washington, D.C. He was first elected during the 2022 midterm elections to succeed former U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth. He is the only […]
Flu is rising in Louisville
Kentucky’s largest city is seeing a “significant” rise in flu’s presence ahead of normal peak, Louisville scientists said Thursday.? The Envirome Institute, which operates through the University of Louisville, tracks wastewater in the city and reports trends in infectious diseases.? The wastewater dashboard shows the presence of flu, which usually peaks in December and January, […]
Democrat Adrielle Camuel wins special legislative race in Lexington
Democrats kept control of a state House seat in Fayette County Tuesday in a special election needed due to the unexpected death of freshman Rep. Lamin Swann last May at the age of 45. In Tuesday’s special election to fill the remainder of Swann’s term which runs through 2024, political newcomer Adrielle Camuel defeated Republican […]
What you need to know to vote in Kentucky today
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, as Kentuckians decide their constitutional officers, including who will be governor, for the next four years. Voters must present a photo ID. (There are provisions in the law for registered voters who lack a photo ID, including presenting other forms of identification and […]
Infant mortality fell in Kentucky in 2022 while increasing nationally
For the first time in 20 years, the rate of infant mortality in the U.S. ?showed a statistically significant increase in 2022, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national baby-death rate rose 3% from 2021, but in Kentucky it dropped 6%. The rate measures the percentage of babies […]
Lantern reporter Sarah Ladd recognized by Kentucky Psychological Association for ‘Breaking the Stigma’ series
The Kentucky Psychological Association has recognized Lantern reporter Sarah Ladd with its 2023 Mental Health in Media Award.? At a Friday awards ceremony in Lexington, the organization’s president Patti Weiter singled out the Lantern’s “Breaking the Stigma” series as an “impressive work of public service journalism.”? Ladd created the series in 2022 with the goal […]
How to protect against new COVID-19 variants as holiday gatherings near
New COVID-19 booster shots are available around the state as new strains of the virus cause more people to contract it, but not necessarily get severely ill. Dr. Hugh Shoff, the associate chief medical officer of UofL Health’s UofL Hospital in Louisville, said Monday that the holiday season puts people at greater risk of catching […]