Friday 29th March 2024

TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2021

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RED CROSS FACING SEVERE BLOOD SHORTAGE
The American Red Cross is experiencing a severe blood shortage. Donors of all blood types – especially type O and those giving platelets – are urged to make an appointment to give as soon as possible to prevent further impact to patients. In comparison to 2019, the Red Cross has seen demand from trauma centers climb by 10% in 2021. You can give at today’s blood drive in Murray at First Financial Bank at 210 North 12th Street from 10:30 this morning until 3:30 this afternoon.

MPD ARRESTS BICYCLIST ON DRUG AND WEAPONS CHARGE
At 12:26 Saturday morning, an officer with the Murray Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a bicyclist. During the stop with 40-year old Benjamin Jones of Murray, the officer located a firearm and methamphetamine in his possession. Jones was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance-Firearm Enhanced, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Public Intoxication, and Failure to Comply with Bicycle Safety Regulations. Jones was lodged in the Calloway County Jail.

FISCAL COURT MEETS TODAY
The Calloway County Fiscal Court will meet this morning in regular session. On the agenda is a public hearing followed by the second reading of the 2021-22 County Budget. Also on the agenda is a discussion of surplus property, approval of road bids, and votes on personnel and resolutions. Today’s meeting begins this morning at 9 at the Court House Annex.

NCES TEACH NAMED TO TEACHERS ADVISORY COUNCIL
Fourteen Kentucky public school educators have been named to the Kentucky Department of Education’s Teachers Advisory Council. Among the new council members are Kaysin Higgins, a First Grade teacher at North Calloway Elementary School. The council is designed to improve Kentucky’s educational landscape by providing the commissioner of education with direct input from classrooms. New members will begin their three-year term at the council’s next meeting on Thursday.

LEADERSHIP MURRAY, BUSINESS AWARD DEADLINES APPROACHING
Leadership Murray applications are due on June 25. The class will be announced in July, and will kick off the opening retreat on August 20th. The class will be introduced at the September Business at Breakfast which will take place at 8 am on September 14 in The Murray Room with MSU President, Dr. Robert Jackson, giving an update on the university. The Annual Chamber of Commerce Business Celebration is planned for October 15th with business award nominations ending June 25. To make a nomination or find out more about Leadership Murray, go to the Chamber website at mymurray.com.

CALLOWAY COUNTY COVID UPDATE
The Calloway County Health Department reported 7 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday through Monday, bringing the county’s total during the pandemic to 3,545. Of that total, 3,479 have recovered, 17 are isolated at home, none are hospitalized, and there have been 49 deaths, but none since April 15. As of Monday, 34.8% of Calloway County residents have been fully vaccinated including 69.3% of those 65 and older. Calloway County’s COVID-19 positivity rate as of Monday was 5.65%, which is up from Sunday’s rate of 2.34%.

KENTUCKY COVID UPDATE
At Monday’s COVID-19 update for Kentucky, 129 new cases and 5 new deaths were reported, raising the total to 7,163 Kentuckians who are listed as Covid deaths. As of Monday, there have been over 6.75 million coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky with a positivity rate of 2.08%, which is lower than last Monday’s rate of 2.28%. There are 223 Kentuckians hospitalized which is 60 less than last Monday, including 65 in ICU, which is 27 less than one week ago. At least 53,221 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus. As of Monday, 2,114,258 Kentuckians have been vaccinated for a 48% total, including 82% of those 65 and older.

MAYFIELD WOMEN ARRESTED AFTER DRUG TIP
Acting on a drug tip, Graves County Sheriff’s Department deputies obtained and executed a search warrant on the Mayfield home of 45-year old Jennifer Dowdy. Deputies allegedly found over one pound of crystal Methamphetamine, along with 13 dosage units of ecstasy, cash believed to have been the proceeds of illegal drug sales, electronic scales, packaging material, and other related items. Dowdy was charged with trafficking in Methamphetamine, possession of a Controlled Substance, possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and trafficking in a 2nd Degree Controlled Substance. Dowdy has a 2005 conviction of trafficking meth in Graves County.

AREA GAS PRICES LOWER
Gas prices in West Central Kentucky are four cents lower this week at $2.84 per gallon according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. At $71 per barrel, crude oil has increased to its highest price since October 2018 and is now $23 per barrel more expensive than it was this past January. Crude prices have steadily climbed this year along with optimism for the COVID-19 vaccine and the promising impact it will have for global gasoline demand. Motorists are paying, on average, 37% more to fill up than the start of the year. Prices for the rest of the month are likely to be more expensive, but if crude production increases as forecasted, there is the possibility of seeing some relief at the pump later this summer. Today’s national gas price average is $3.08 per gallon, which is three cents more on the week, a nickel more on the month and 98 cents more on the year.

WKCTC OFFERS INFO SESSION FOR BUSINESSES
Workforce Solutions at West Kentucky Community and Technical College is offering a free informational session to Kentucky businesses on June 22 from 9 am until 11 am. The free event will showcase the colleges’ customized training options for Kentucky businesses. The event also serves as the official launch of the KCTCS Apprenticeship Services. Attendees will learn about the return on investment these businesses are experiencing because of their partnership with KCTCS Workforce Solutions. Speakers will showcase their customized training programs for incumbent workers and new hires and highlight important topics such as diversifying their talent pipelines and tapping into financial resources. For more information or to register, visit the Propel 2021 web page.

MURRAY BZA TO MEET WEDNESDAY
The Murray Board of Zoning Adjustments will meet at 4:30 Wednesday afternoon. Public Hearings will be conducted on a Request to have three unrelated persons occupy the property located at 821 North 19th Street. On a Request to have a screen printing and vinyl t-shirt business located at 225 North LP Miller Street. On a Request for a two-foot height variance on placement of fence in secondary street side yard at 1501 Chaucer Drive. And a public hearing on a Request to install a forty-eight foot driveway located at 147 Saratoga Drive.

IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
LOUISVILLE—The Better Business Bureau warns of a Louisville-area reshipping employment scam targeting individuals searching for work-from-home opportunities. Listings from an organization calling itself Century Post and claiming to be a logistics company have appeared on sites such as Indeed.com and Monster.com. The listings advertise work-from-home job positions that involve receiving and reshipping packages. Multiple individuals have reported to BBB that after accepting a position with Century Post, they have been required to submit paperwork containing personal information and have never received payment from the company. In many cases, reshipping scams involve purchases made using stolen credit cards. Additionally, there is the potential for job applicants to become victims of identity theft since they submit personal information such as social security numbers under the guise of completing new hire paperwork. It is important to remember that there are no legitimate work opportunities that involve receiving packages and shipping them to a new address from your home.

LEXINGTON—Kentucky Representative Bam Carney is home again after spending more than a year in the hospital. Carney has been battling a severe case of pancreatitis. He was hospitalized just before Christmas in 2019. Carney was elected in 2009 and served as House Majority Leader before his illness.

LEXINGTON—A policy change by the state Parole Board is on hold after a judge’s ruling. A judge granted a temporary restraining order yesterday, keeping dozens of convicted murderers in prison. The board previously was allowed to issue a serve out order after the first parole hearing for people serving sentences of life or life without parole. The new policy wouldn’t allow that order until the second parole hearing. The policy change would have allowed 45 people to get new parole hearings, even though they had been ordered to serve out their sentences. Attorney General Daniel Cameron joined a lawsuit opposing the change.

LAUREL COUNTY—Southern Kentucky residents are cleaning up after severe storms. The storms hit over the weekend, causing power outages and damages in Laurel and Whitley counties. Crews worked throughout the day yesterday to remove trees and limbs and restore power.

UNION COUNTY—A Union County leader is under arrest, accused of stealing taxpayer money. Terry Green was taken into custody late yesterday morning. Green was the Chief of the Union County Water Rescue, a volunteer agency that receives funds from the fiscal court. The county Judge-Executive says he personally removed Green from his position in response to the allegations. Authorities believe he stole more than 28-thousand dollars, with 13-thousand of that as cash withdrawals. Josh Gorton has been appointed to replace Green.

OWENSBORO—Owensboro Police are investigating a shooting. The shooting happened Sunday night in the area of West Fourth Street near Frederica Street. Police say the victim was a passenger in a vehicle and was shot twice. The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. No suspect information has been released.

LOUISVILLE—A new lawsuit alleges Louisville police violated the constitutional rights of Kentucky Rep. Attica Scott. The suit filed yesterday against two officers and former interim Chief Robert Schroeder says the Democrat and two other women had their rights to due process and equal protection violated when they were arrested on felony rioting charges during protests over the police shooting death of Breonna Taylor. The suit claims Scott, her daughter and an activist were arrested prior to a curfew issued during protests last September. All charges against the women were later dropped.

LEXINGTON—Kentucky drivers have a chance to avoid lines while renewing their licenses. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet unveiled a website yesterday to renew driver’s and motorcycle licenses online. Online renewal is for drivers whose license is expiring within six months or has been expired for less than a year. Changes to your name, address or to upgrade to a REAL ID will still require an in-person visit.

TENNESSEE—There are 140 new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported the new cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to over 865-thousand. An additional two COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, with the total number of coronavirus-attributed deaths standing at nearly 12-thousand-500. There are over 320 people with COVID-19 hospitalized in Tennessee.

TENNESSEE—The man who pleaded no contest to the murder of a Tennessee Department of Corrections administrator will spend the rest of his life in prison. Curtis Watson has been sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 25 years. Watson pleaded guilty to nine of 15 charges related to the murder of Debra Johnson yesterday. Authorities say Watson sexually assaulted and killed Johnson during his escape from the West Tennessee State Penitentiary in Lauderdale County in August of 2019.

TENNESSEE—The Tennessee Department of Transportation says traffic is flowing better on the I-55 bridge over the Mississippi River in Memphis. TDOT said yesterday the improved flow of traffic is due to work on an interchange that was finished on Sunday. TDOT also says the contractor is making significant progress on repairs to the I-40 bridge. Officials say phase two of repairs to the bridge consists of two major components and they’re working on the first.

TENNESSEE—The world’s largest Protestant denomination is holding its annual meeting starting today. Over 17-thousand Southern Baptists are expected to attend the two-day meeting at the Music City Center in Nashville. President and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee Ronnie Floyd says the meeting is a time for Southern Baptists to come together and celebrate how God is moving through their convention and churches. The SBC is based in Nashville.

ILLINOIS—Governor J.B. Pritzker is activating state agencies to head to Rockton to fight the Chemtool Plant fire. The Illinois State Emergency Operations Center in Springfield and the Illinois National Guard activated yesterday to assist with the blaze. The fire broke out yesterday morning at the chemical plant and has consumed the building. About 150 homes within a mile of the plant have been evacuated while the fire burns off. At least 40 agencies are on the scene. A firefighter has suffered a minor injury.

 

 

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