MASK MANDATE ISSUED FOR KENTUCKY SCHOOLS
Governor Andy Beshear is mandating masks inside all Kentucky schools. Beshear announced yesterday that he had signed an executive order requiring masks in all schools, public and private. The governor said he made the decision because of the vulnerability of kids to the more contagious delta variant. The Kentucky Education Association has issued a statement supporting Beshear’s order.
CAMERON EXPECTED TO CHALLENGE MASK MANDATE
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is reacting to Governor Andy Beshear’s executive order requiring masks in schools and says more information will be revealed following a filing to be made with the Kentucky Supreme Court today. The attorney general says his office must protect “the law-making prerogative of the General Assembly” and respect “the judicial power of the courts.”
CCHD REPORTS NEW COVID CASES
The Calloway County Health Department yesterday reported 67 new cases of COVID-19 from Saturday through Tuesday. The county currently has 160 cases isolated at home and 11 are hospitalized. Calloway County’s current positivity rate is 12.7% which is higher than the state rate of 11%. Yesterday, the state reported 2,500 new cases and 7 new deaths. There were 1,251 hospitalized as of yesterday, which is 427 more than last Monday, including 339 in ICU, which is 78 higher than a week ago.
ONE INJURED IN TWO CAR ACCIDENT
The Murray Police Department responded to a two-vehicle injury collision Monday at the intersection of North 12th Street and Keepers Way. 24-year old Jared Fuentes of Benton told police that he was driving south on 12th Street when another vehicle turned left in front of him causing him to strike it. 79-year old Thomas Baty of Murray said he started to make a left turn into a parking lot when he was struck by a vehicle. Baty was transported to the emergency room by EMS for treatment of possible injuries.
CONTRACTOR POSTPONES R-CUT SHIFTS
A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has postponed a permanent traffic shift to the R-Cut installations at two intersections along U.S. 45 between Mayfield and Paducah. The traffic shifts planned for today had to be delayed due to rain holding up construction activities. The new schedule calls for the traffic shift at the KY 408 intersection north of Mayfield to occur tomorrow morning at 9, then the shift at the KY 1288 intersection south of Lone Oak to occur next Wednesday morning at 9.
NEW SPEED LIMIT FOR PORTION OF I-24
Motorists traveling Interstate 24 westbound in the immediate Paducah area should be aware that a reduced speed limit from 65 to 55 miles per hour has been posted and is now enforceable from near the 7 mile marker to mile point 0. The new speed limit begins near the Elmdale Road Overpass extending westward to the I-24 Ohio River Bridge. The speed reduction is part of ongoing efforts to enhance safety for westbound traffic entering the merge point for an extended work zone in Illinois.
MCCH GOLF CLASSIC SET
The tenth annual Golf Classic hosted by the Foundation at Murray-Calloway County Hospital will be held September 17 at Miller Memorial Golf Course. The last tournament brought in around 100 golfers, raising close to $27,000. One hundred percent of the proceeds go toward the Enduring Hope Campaign in the building of a new regional cancer center. The golf tournament is a 4-person scramble with morning and afternoon sessions available. Registration forms are available by calling 270-762-1291. Pre-registration is required.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
FRANKFORT—The Kentucky Health Statewide Call Center is expanding its weekday and weekend hours. The center provides screening and referral specialists who can connect people dealing with substance abuse or trying to help someone who needs treatment get it. The new hours are 7:30 am to 9 pm Monday through Friday, and 7:30 am to 4:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Nearly two-thousand Kentuckians died from drug overdoses last year, which was almost a 50-percent increase from 2019.
FRANKFORT—Governor Andy Beshear says the passing of the federal infrastructure bill will mean the Brent Spence Bridge project won’t require tolls. Beshear made the remarks yesterday, saying the project would “absolutely qualify” for funding under the bill. The governor says with federal funding in place, the commonwealth would be able to pay for its portion of the project in cash. The bridge carries nearly three- percent of the country’s annual gross national product in freight.
FRANKFORT—Senator Rand Paul is under suspension by YouTube after posting a video with controversial comments about COVID-19 and masks. Paul posted the video last week, where he claimed that “cloth masks don’t work” and over-the-counter masks don’t prevent infection. The CDC has consistently said that cloth and over-the-counter masks offer some protection from COVID-19. The Senator called the deletion of the video by YouTube and his suspension censorship and “incredibly anti-free speech, and truly anti-progress of science.”
OHIO COUNTY—A motorcyclist is dead following an Ohio County crash. Authorities say the crash happened yesterday morning at the intersection of State Route 54 West and Hawesville Road in Fordsville. Deputies say a food delivery truck turned into the path of a motorcycle driven by 48-year-old Phillip Hall. Hall was killed, and the crash remains under investigation.
LOUISVILLE—Kentucky’s law enforcement community is gathered in Louisville today for the funeral of a murdered Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy. The funeral for 26-year-old Deputy Brandon Shirley will be held this afternoon at Southeast Christian Church. Hundreds of people showed up at Owen Funeral Home yesterday for Deputy Shirley’s visitation. Louisville police say Deputy Shirley was killed in a targeted ambush while he was working an off-duty security job at a car lot early last Thursday morning.
TENNESSEE—There are nearly 35-hundred new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported the new cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to over 927-thousand. Over 40 additional COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, with the total number standing at nearly 12-thousand-900. There are about 18-hundred COVID-19 hospitalizations in Tennessee.
TENNESSEE—A Middle Tennessee pastor says Governor Bill Lee has authorized creation of “quarantine camps” for those who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19. During service at Global Vision Bible Church, in Mt. Juliet on Sunday, Pastor Greg Locke said Governor Lee has “authorized the Tennessee department of FEMA to build” quarantine camps. Locke added it’s happening in Tennessee, not East Germany. Locke told the congregation if it doesn’t bother them, they should “show up at another church next week.”
TENNESSEE—A Knoxville man is facing federal charges for his alleged role in unrest at the U.S. Capitol Building. Clifford James Meteer appeared in a federal court in Knoxville yesterday. Meteer is facing multiple charges, including entering and remaining on the floor of Congress and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol Building. On January 5th, Meteer posted to social media that he would be in Washington, DC on the 6th, protesting, what he called, “the stolen election.”
TENNESSEE—Elvis Week starts today and runs through next Tuesday in Memphis. The annual event marks the passing of Elvis on August 16th, 1977 and celebrates his life and music. Among the first events is an acoustic concert by veteran Elvis tribute artist Dean Z at the Guest House Theater this afternoon. Tickets for events and a full schedule can be found at ElvisWeek.com. For those who can’t make it to Memphis, there’s the Virtual Elvis Week 2021: Live From Graceland option.
ILLINOIS—Illinois is expanding access to family and medical leave for education support staff. Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law yesterday that will allow school district, public university, and community college district employees to be eligible for family and medical leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act. Employees must have been on the job for at least 12 months and have worked at least a thousand hours in the past year. Pritzker says it’s important that educational support professionals be able to care for themselves and their families.
