News
Jobs were hard to find in Dawson Springs. Then a tornado struck.
DAWSON SPRINGS — A long line of cars and trucks trails out of downtown, waiting to pick up bags carried by volunteers, cartons of eggs and more from a food pantry giveaway on a cold November morning.? The need is there, said Lisa Barnes, one of the volunteers loading food into each passing vehicle. As […]
What can Kentucky do to prepare for the next pandemic or epidemic? Experts weigh in.
Even as Kentucky reels and recovers from COVID-19 in what some have touted as the “new normal,” experts say there are systemic steps we could take now to prepare for the next big health crisis.? Chief of all, experts told the Kentucky Lantern, is building trust between the general public and health officials, the shortage […]
U.S. House Democrats make history electing first Black party leader in Congress
WASHINGTON — The three U.S. House Democrats who have led their party through four presidencies and thousands of floor votes formally passed the torch to the next generation Wednesday, when the party gathered behind closed doors to elect its top leaders for the 118th Congress.? House Democrats named Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, as their […]
U.S. House votes to avert calamitous rail strike, but Senate prospects murky
The U.S. House moved Wednesday to avoid an economically disastrous nationwide rail strike, voting to codify an agreement that members of some unions had already rejected and separately add paid sick leave that workers had demanded. The two-track approach allows Democrats to avert a strike that could cost the U.S. economy up to $2 billion […]
U.S. House GOP to keep earmarks for local projects — with some ‘tweaks’
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans voted Wednesday to keep earmarks in place when they take over the chamber in January, a move that solidifies GOP support for the controversial spending practice that was brought back under new guardrails and transparency mechanisms less than two years ago.? Earmarking has become especially important to members of both […]
Kim Schatzel leaving Towson to become University of Louisville president
Kim Schatzel, president of Towson University in Towson, Md., will become the University of Louisville’s 19th president. Schatzel, 66, will begin Feb. 1, a U of L news release said.? She succeeds interim President Lori Stewart Gonzalez, who had served in the role since December 2021. Gonzalez will return to her previous role as executive […]
Republicans poised to cut Kentucky income tax again based on revenue boom that could be fleeting
FRANKFORT – Kentucky House Majority Leader Steven Rudy recently told a receptive audience at a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce forum that the first bill the House will consider when it convenes in January will be a measure to cut the Kentucky income tax rate from 4.5% to 4%. “I think it is very cool for […]
Kentucky tornado survivors living in limbo
MAYFIELD?— Makayla Puckett didn’t feel comfortable with talking about what happened until recently. She would speak about that December 2021 night and have to sometimes stop herself, the trauma too much to recollect.? The 25-year-old mother of two kids remembers squeezing into a small closet of their Mayfield home with her partner, the train-like roar […]
As anniversary of deadly tornadoes nears, mental health experts are on alert
This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.? Army veteran and crisis counselor Brian Bowen fought in an Iraq war zone.? But even the devastation he saw in combat didn’t compare to the leveling of Mayfield after an EF4 […]
Kentucky lags on farm-to-school purchases
The food-service director at Bowling Green Independent Schools will often get texts from a farmer in a neighboring county asking her if she wants the latest produce, like a fresh batch of purple cauliflower.? “We’re not ever going to say no. We can always add something fresh,” said Dalla Emerson. “We try to bake them […]
Same-sex marriage protected under bill passed by U.S. Senate with GOP support
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate approved legislation Tuesday that would enshrine protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, codifying many of the rights that would disappear if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn those landmark decisions the way it overturned the nationwide right to an abortion this summer. The 61-36 bipartisan vote sends the bill […]
State should not withdraw safety net as disasters compound childhood trauma, advocates say
In 2020, more than 1,000 Kentucky children were physically abused, more than 15,000 were neglected and almost 800 were sexually abused.? Experts say these numbers, which come from a new Kentucky Youth Advocates report on adverse childhood experiences, are only what’s reported. They’re likely worse.? Adverse childhood experiences, more commonly known as ACEs, refer to […]