JOBLESS RATES FALL STATEWIDE
Unemployment rates fell in all 120 Kentucky counties between August 2020 and August 2021. No county unemployment rates rose or stayed the same, according to the Kentucky Center for Statistics. Oldham County recorded the lowest jobless rate in the commonwealth at 2.7% while Magoffin County recorded the state’s highest unemployment rate at 10.4%. The Purchase Area jobless rate was 3.9% with Carlisle County’s 3% rate the lowest, and McCracken County’s 4.3% rate the highest. Calloway County’s August jobless rate was 4.1%. Unemployment statistics are based on estimates and are compiled to measure trends rather than actually to count people working.
LOCAL AND STATE POSITIVITY RATES FALL SLIGHTLY
The Calloway County Health Department did not issue an updated COVID-19 yesterday. Calloway County’s latest reported positivity rate is 9.63% which is lower than the state rate of 11.33%. Thursday, the state reported 2,648 confirmed new cases and 36 confirmed new deaths. There were 2,223 hospitalized as of Thursday, which is 230 less than last Thursday, including 625 in ICU, which is 42 less than a week ago.
SIGNAL OUTAGE IN MAYFIELD
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet reports a temporary traffic signal outage in Mayfield may continue for several days. A SEMI truck hit and destroyed the meter base and power connection for a traffic signal at the KY 121-Business/South 6th Street intersection with East Water Street in Mayfield. Temporary 4-Way Stop signs have been placed at the intersection. Substantial work is required to rework the meter base and electrical connection to restore power to the signal. It is expected to be out of service for about 1 to 4 days. Motorists should use appropriate caution at this intersection as an electrical crew will be working at the intersection to return the signal to normal service.
BREAKFAST ON THE FARM DATE SET
The Hutson School of Agriculture is partnering with the Murray-Calloway County Chamber of Commerce to merge two outstanding events into one spectacular event. Breakfast on the Farm at The Arboretum on MSU’s Pullen Farm will be held October 19 from 7:15-9 am, with the program beginning at 8 a.m. There will be an awards portion of the program that will include the winner of the annual Murray-Calloway Agriculturalist of the Year as well as others. The meal will again spotlight Kentucky Proud products, and Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr. Ryan Quarles, will be the keynote speaker. Those interested may purchase a ticket at murraystate.edu/giving/events.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
FRANKFORT—Governor Andy Beshear yesterday said he has now deployed 505 Kentucky National Guard members to 29 hospitals throughout the state, expanding the Guard’s presence by 94 members and to four more hospitals. As of yesterday, 64 of 96 Kentucky hospitals are reporting critical staffing shortages. Already this week, 90 acute care hospitals have administered 4,385 monoclonal antibody treatment courses. Kentucky will receive 4,960 treatments for the entire week.
FRANKFORT—Governor Andy Beshear has directed that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise until sunset today in honor of all of the Kentuckians lost to COVID-19, including more than 30 educators and school employees. This tribute coincides with the funeral of a 29-year-old Jenkins Independent Schools teacher and the interment of a Lee County educator, the third person from that school system to die from COVID-19 in the recent surge of the virus. To date, there have been more than 8,000 COVID-19 related deaths in Kentucky.
FRANKFORT—Health experts say they are hopeful that Kentucky’s COVID-19 statistics are trending down. Lexington Emergency Physician Dr. Ryan Stanton believes the commonwealth’s COVID-19 numbers have peaked and should start dropping. Governor Andy Beshear announced yesterday that the positivity rate and some hospital admissions are down. Stanton also says caution should still be a priority as the country enters the season where flu, RSV, and other illnesses become prevalent.
LEXINGTON—The Fayette County Public Schools community is mourning after a high school student has died from COVID-19. Superintendent Dr. Demetris Liggins announced yesterday that 15-year-old Christopher “CJ” Gordon Jr. had died earlier in the day. Gordon was a sophomore at The Learning Center. He is the first student in the district to die from the virus. District officials are making grief counselors available to students and staff.
DAVIESS COUNTY—The Windy Hollow Bridge in Daviess County is under inspection. Crews visited the bridge yesterday, leading to lane restrictions in the early part of the day. The bridge spans Panther Creek on Kentucky 81. Officials inspect the bridge every 24 months.
HENDERSON COUNTY—A Henderson man is facing 20 years in prison for the murder of his estranged wife. Mohamud Abdikadir pleaded guilty yesterday and was sentenced. Prosecutors say he admitted to killing 20-year-old Chloe Randolph in 2019. Chloe’s mother Kristie Randolph says the sentence is not enough.
TENNESSEE—There are nearly four-thousand new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported the new cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to one-million-203-thousand-930. Over 60 additional COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, with the total number standing at 14-thousand-740. There are nearly 31-hundred COVID-19 hospitalizations in Tennessee.
TENNESSEE—A West Tennessee police chief says a deadly shooting at a Kroger is “the most horrific event that’s occurred” in the town’s history. A subcontractor doing work at the store killed one person and injured about a dozen others during yesterday’s shooting in Collierville. The gunman also apparently killed himself. Chief Dale Lane said police found people hiding throughout the store when they went inside.
TENNESSEE—Sevier County-native Dolly Parton and her Smoky Mountain businesses are helping the victims of recent flooding in Middle Tennessee. Parton says she and her businesses wanted to return the support Middle Tennessee gave to Sevier County following the 2016 wildfires, including fellow country music legend Loretta Lynn. Dollywood and Parton’s dinner shows will each donate a portion of ticket sales from October 2nd and 3rd to benefit the United Way of Humphreys County.
