CITY COUNCIL MEETS TONIGHT
The Murray City Council will meet in regular session tonight. As part of the Mayor’s Report, Zach Warren will give a Sound System update. The Council will also consider Resolution 006 which will accept a portion of Spruce Street which is situated East of Industrial Road into the City’s regular maintenance schedule. The Council will vote on dispersal of Surplus Property at 201 Cross Street, and consider the second reading of Ordinance 1813 which adjusts the current city budget. The meeting begins tonight at 6:30, and due to technical issues, will not be streamed.
CALLOWAY BOARD CALLS SPECIAL MEETING
The Calloway County Board of Education will have a Special Called Meeting at 8 this morning. On the agenda is a discussion of insurance coverage including workers compensation. The meeting will be at the Board office on College Farm Road.
CALLOWAY BEGINS PLANS FOR BICENTENNIAL
Calloway County will celebrate its bicentennial in 2022 and the Fiscal Court is sponsoring a commemorative history book as part of the observance. According to Calloway County Deputy Judge Executive Gina Winchester, the book is being written by local author Bobbie Smith Bryant. County officials encourage community submissions for the book and you can drop those off at the Calloway County Courthouse Annex or email them to gwinchester@callowayky.com or bobbiebryant40@gmail.com. The submission deadline is September 1.
CALLOWAY/KENTUCKY COVID REPORT
The Calloway County Health Department reported no new cases of COVID-19 yesterday. Currently, 8 cases are isolated at home, and none are hospitalized. The county positivity rate as of Wednesday was 2.76%, which was down from Tuesday’s 2.81% rate. Currently, 35.7% of Calloway County residents have been fully vaccinated including 69.5% of those 65 and older. At yesterday’s COVID-19 update for Kentucky, 210 new cases and 2 new deaths were reported. The state’s current positivity rate is 1.85%, which is lower than last Wednesday’s rate of 2.07%. There are 196 Kentuckians hospitalized which is 42 less than last Wednesday, including 55 in ICU, which is 10 less than one week ago. As of Wednesday, 49% of Kentucky residents have been vaccinated including 82% of those 65 and older.
AREA COUNTIES TRANSITION TO NEW LICENSING MODEL
Ten more Kentucky counties will make the transition in July to a new, secure driver-licensing model, administered by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, that gives Kentuckians more choices and modern services. The traditional system of licenses and permits being issued by the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each county is being phased out. Making the transition in July in our area will be Ballard, Carlisle, Fulton, Hickman, and Livingston counties. The Office of Circuit Court Clerk in each of those counties will cease nearly all in-person driver licensing services on July 26. With the July transition, one-third of Kentucky’s 120 counties will have made the transfer of services.
KIDS ENCOURAGED TO GO WILD READING
A summer reading program is going to make four Kentucky kids one-thousand dollars richer this year. The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives is teaming up with other groups for the “Go Wild! College Savings Summer Reading Sweepstakes.” To enter, parents have to sign kids up for a summer reading program and fill out an entry form. Then, four winners will be chosen and given one-thousand dollars toward higher education. Each winner’s public library also gets 500-dollars toward a summer reading program.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
FRANKFORT—A new report details how Kentucky’s CARES Act funding was spent. State Auditor Mike Harmon released a report yesterday saying that most of the allocation decisions were made by Governor Andy Beshear and the state budget director. Harmon says the largest category of spending fell under qualified state government expenditures. The state budget director says the broad category covered expenditures for things like SEEK formula and payroll.
FRANKFORT—The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife is receiving hundreds of reports about birds suffering from an illness that blinds them and renders them unable to fly. So far about 700-reports have been recorded. Now, officials are going to try to test these birds and figure out what’s going on. People are asked to take-down bird feeders to help stop the spread.
FRANKFORT—Kentucky lawmakers are pre-filling a bill prohibiting vaccine requirements across the state. If passed, it would ban businesses and universities from asking people to disclose their vaccination status. Republican State Representatives Savannah Maddoz, Mark Hart, and Felicia Rabourn pre-filled the bill. Health officials say vaccinations keep people safe from illness.
FRANKFORT—The number of gun-related homicides in Lexington is skyrocketing over the same time last year. Officials say gun-related homicides are up 67-percent over last year, with at least 20 this year. Advocate for at-risk youth Logan Avritt says a combined effort by city officials and the community is needed to make neighborhoods safer. Mayor Linda Gorton’s office says crime prevention is a top priority.
MADISONVILLE—A Madisonville toddler who died in a fire Sunday is being laid to rest. Visitation and funeral services are being held today for two-year-old Calvin Colson at Dawson Springs Baptist Temple. Burial will follow at Dunn Cemetery.
HENDERSON—Two people are facing charges in connection with a reported stabbing in Henderson. Police say a man was found Wednesday night in the 400-block of South Adams Street with cuts and stab wounds on his arms and legs. Officers say the man accused a woman of attacking him, while the woman told police she was defending herself. Both were arrested on domestic assault charges.
LOUISVILLE—A police officer who was put on administrative leave after praying outside an abortion clinic in Louisville apparently won’t face any further punishment. It was initially believed the unidentified Louisville officer was protesting when he was seen in uniform while off duty outside Kentucky’s only abortion clinic in February. His lawyer said yesterday the officer had been praying the Rosary with his father and was not protesting, adding any formal punishment would violate his First Amendment rights.
FORT CAMPBELL—The 101st Airborne Division is flexing at Fort Campbell. Soldiers showed off helicopter capabilities with an Air Assault Demonstration this week. Multiple helicopters transported vehicles, artillery and soldiers to the field during the demonstration. It was part of Fort Campbell’s Week of the Eagles events.
OWENSBORO—An employee at an Owensboro fireworks store is being charged with a crime. Owensboro police say the employee sold fireworks to someone under the age of 18. Police say the employee of Marvina’s Fireworks on Highway 54 was caught during a special operation conducted at several stores. Enforcement is expected to continue leading up to Fourth of July celebrations.
TENNESSEE—Nearly 30-thousand dollars is being offered for information leading to the discovery of a missing East Tennessee girl. The money for information about Summer Wells is being put up by a Kingsport man and another man who has a domestic and child abuse prevention non-profit. The five-year-old has been missing since last Tuesday evening. Summer was last seen outside of her Rogersville home in Hawkins County.
TENNESSEE—The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says there’s no evidence linking a missing East Tennessee girl to the disappearance of her aunt. Rose Marie Bly was last seen leaving her home in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin on August 21st of 2009. Bly’s car was found days later 30 miles from her home. Bly is the sister of Candus Bly, the mother of missing Hawkins County five-year-old Summer Wells.
TENNESSEE—There are 200 new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported the new cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to over 866-thousand-600. An additional five COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, with the total number of coronavirus-attributed deaths standing at nearly 12-thousand-540. There are over 220 people with COID-19 hospitalized in Tennessee.
ILLINOIS—Illinois is a leader in a six-state region for its vaccination effort. The state has a COVID-19 vaccination rate of nearly 71-percent. Wisconsin is second in the region with nearly 65-percent, followed by Iowa with just over 63-percent, and Kentucky with nearly 61-percent vaccinated. Indiana and Missouri round out the region with about 55-percent vaccinated. Illinois is the only state in the Midwest that has met President Biden’s goal of 70-percent of the 18-and-over population receiving the first dose by July 4th.
