COVID-19 Cases Plateauing After Weeks Of Decline
Governor Andy Beshear says the number of new COVID-19 cases is plateauing after weeks of decline. Beshear announced over 725 new cases yesterday, along with ten additional deaths. The governor is continuing to urge people to get themselves and their children vaccinated against the virus. He says children make up between 25 and 30 percent of all new COVID cases in Kentucky.
Kentucky Legislators, Athletic Leaders Discuss Proposal For Name, Likeness, Image Measure
Kentucky legislators and athletic leaders from three Kentucky universities are discussing a proposed measure that would benefit college athletes. The proposal would allow student-athletes to profit from the use of their name, image, and likeness. An executive order by Governor Andy Beshear already allows the NCAA’s rules on the issue to apply In the commonwealth. The proposed legislation will go before the General Assembly in February.
New Book: Sen McConnell Tried To Disinvite Trump To Biden’s Inauguration
A new book says Republican Senator Mitch McConnell reportedly tried to disinvite former President Trump from President Biden’s inauguration. An ABC reporter wrote the book and claims that after the January 6th riot, the Senate Minority Leader from Kentucky was worried about giving Trump another chance to “disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.” But House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy balked at the idea and said having Trump at the event would be “an important message of unity.” Trump ultimately did not attend.
MSU With Stable Enrollment
MURRAY, Ky. — Murray State University’s Fall 2021 enrollment indicates many positive trends, including stability with overall enrollment as well as continued growth in multiple student classifications.
Below is a snapshot of this fall’s enrollment:
- Both first-time transfer students and first-time graduate students reflect double digit percentage increases when compared to Fall 2019 – an 11.8% increase in first-time transfer students and a nearly 30% increase in first-time graduate students from two years ago.
- Total graduate student enrollment of 1,692 students is the largest since 2016 and reflects a 25% increase from two years ago.
- Total international student enrollment of 511 students reflects a 48% increase from two years ago.
- This year’s freshman class comes from 27 different states, 77 counties in Kentucky, has 9.3% more valedictorians from last year and grew 2.7% in underrepresented minority students from Fall 2019.
- Total headcount as of Fall 2021 census day is 9,427 students — just 29 students fewer from last fall’s overall enrollment. In 2021, a total of 2,197 degrees were conferred to Murray State graduates.
- The student body represents 47 states, 50 countries and 113 counties in Kentucky.
The University offers 146 academic programs and more than 170 student organizations, encompassing a variety of shared academic and personal interests.
Murray State continues to offer financial assistance to Racers and their families. Based on the University’s most recent annual reports, more than $115 million was awarded in financial aid and scholarships and 99 percent of Murray State’s freshman class received financial aid or a scholarship.
Kentucky State News
FBI Fixes Damage Caused As Part Of Crystal Rogers Case
(Bardstown, KY) — The FBI is spending 28-thousand dollars to repair damage to a Bardstown home where it searched for evidence in the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. The home was built by the only person suspected in Rogers’ 2015 disappearance, her boyfriend Brooks Houck. Houck has never faced any charges in the case. The FBI says multiple items “potentially relevant” to the case were found during the search over the summer.
Owensboro Has New Dispatch System
(Owensboro, KY) — Owensboro has a new dispatch system that will help police, fire and EMS respond to calls more quickly. The Owensboro-Daviess County Central Dispatch Center says it’s upgraded to a next generation 911 system called Rapid SOS. The system allows dispatchers to process calls more efficiently, immediately sending the information to the patrol unit nearest to where the call was made instead of sending someone who is just working the general area. The new system goes live today.
Deer Hunting Season Brings In Hundreds Of Millions For The State
(Undated) — It’s deer hunting season in Kentucky. Archery, crossbow and modern gun deer hunting season are all ongoing. Archery and crossbow deer hunting season will run until January 17th of 2022, while modern gun deer hunting season will close on November 28th. With over one-million acres of public land available for hunting, Kentucky can support the harvest of more than 130-thousand deer annually with more than 550-million dollars of total economic benefit for the Commonwealth.
GRDHD To Update COVID Numbers
(Owensboro, KY) — The Green River District Health Department is expected to update its COVID-19 numbers today. On Friday, the GRDHD reported 213 new confirmed cases with 128 in Daviess County, 45 in Henderson County, 17 in Ohio County, eight each in McLean and Webster counties, four in Hancock County and three in Union County. There have been over 37-thousand cases in the seven-county districts since the outbreak began. There have been about 600 COVID-related deaths since the start of the outbreak.
Ten Eastern Kentucky Counties To Share Over Nine Million in Grant Money
(Frankfort, KY) — Ten Eastern Kentucky counties are each set to receive a share of over nine-million dollars in grants. Governor Andy Beshear and U.S. Representative Hal Rogers announced the grants yesterday as part of the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Program. The funds will go towards economic development projects in Martin, Letcher, Floyd, Leslie, Knox, Knott, Owsley, Boyd, Pike, and Perry counties. Beshear says the program has “a proven record of creating jobs” in the region.
Georgetown Mayor Won’t Seek Re-Election
(Georgetown, KY) — Georgetown Mayor Tom Pranther says he will not be seeking re-election. Pranther says he is announcing his intentions early to give people who may consider running time to prepare. He has served two separate terms as mayor after serving nine years on the Georgetown City Council. He also spent over 15 years as a county magistrate.
One Person Injured After Vehicle Flips In Daviess County
(Owensboro, KY) — One person is injured after a car flipped in Daviess County. The Masonville Fire Department responded to the single-vehicle crash on Wendel Ford Expressway Sunday afternoon. The vehicle was found flipped and blocking traffic just before the New Hartford Road exit. One occupant was taken to the hospital in unknown condition, though it is unclear how many people were in the vehicle.
Mayor Fischer In DC For Huge Infrastructure Bill Signing
(Washington, DC) — Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer is cheering the new one-trillion dollar infrastructure bill signed into law by President Biden. Mayor Fischer was at the White House yesterday for the signing. Fischer said a lot of the bill is “bread and butter stuff that people just need,” like better roads, bridges and expanding broadband internet access into everyone’s home at a low cost. The 120-million dollars TARC is expected to get over the next couple of years will allow for modernizing its bus fleet.
New Head Of Louisville FBI Has Plan To Fight Violence
(Louisville, KY) — The new Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Louisville has a plan to deal with violent crime. Jodi Cohen said yesterday there are a number of resources the agency can use to help LMPD fight gun violence, gang activity and carjackings. Cohen said her plan includes expanding the relationship with other federal agencies in Louisville like the ATF and the DEA. She said the FBI will also work closely with LMPD, offering the department the tools and federal charges that may be applicable.
Candlelight Vigil Held For Child Gunshot Victims
(Louisville, KY) — Louisville’s child gunshot victims are being remembered. Norton Children’s Hospital held a candlelight vigil for them yesterday. More than 20 children in Jefferson County have died from gunshot wounds this year and another 85 have been injured. That’s up from 14 who died from gun violence last year.
FBI Fixes Damage Caused As Part Of Crystal Rogers Case
(Bardstown, KY) — The FBI is spending 28-thousand dollars to repair damage to a Bardstown home where it searched for evidence in the disappearance of Crystal Rogers. The home was built by the only person suspected in Rogers’ 2015 disappearance, her boyfriend Brooks Houck. Houck has never faced any charges in the case. The FBI says multiple items “potentially relevant” to the case were found during the search over the summer.
Body Pulled From Ohio River Near Louisville
(Louisville, KY) — Work is underway to identify a body pulled from the Ohio River near Louisville. The body was found near the Clark Memorial Bridge yesterday afternoon. It was caught up in some debris along the waterfront. LMPD says foul play is not suspected.
Tennessee State News Brief
UT System Drops Mask Mandate
(Knoxville, TN) — The UT System is dropping its mask mandate effective immediately. UT president Randy Boyd made the announcement yesterday. It was made after Governor Bill Lee signed a new state law on Friday preventing state entities from having COVID mask or vaccine mandates unless exempted from the law by the State Comptroller when federal funding is at risk. Boyd says UT has also applied for exemptions for its employees for its federal contracts.
Johnson Co. Has State’s Highest 14-Day COVID Case Rate
(Johnson Co., TN) — Under Tennessee’s new law, just one of the state’s 95 counties currently has the “severe conditions” required for a school mask mandate. They’re defined as a governmental state of emergency and “an average rolling 14-day COVID-19 infection rate of at least one-thousand new known infections for every 100-thousand people. Johnson County’s 14-day rate was over eleven-hundred yesterday.
Shelby Co. Drops Lawsuit Against Gov. Lee, Executive Order
(Memphis, TN) — The state’s largest county is dropping its lawsuit against Governor Bill Lee over his executive order allowing parents to opt their children out of school mask requirements. Shelby County dropped its lawsuit against Governor Lee and the executive order after he signed legislation that bans masks in schools altogether on Friday. The new law is on hold due to a temporary injunction issued by a federal court. A suit against Lee and the executive order filed by two Shelby County families is ongoing.
State Senator Has Trial Date Set
(Nashville, TN) — A trial date is set for a state senator from West Tennessee. Germantown’s Brian Kelsey is accused of violating multiple campaign finance laws during his unsuccessful 2016 run for Congress. His trial is set for January 18th in Nashville. A pretrial hearing is set for January 10th.
Tennesseans Can Tour Governor’s Mansion This Christmas Season
(Nashville, TN) — Tennesseans are invited to tour the governor’s mansion this Christmas season. The free, self-guided tours of the Tennessee Residence will be held from December 10th through the 12th and December 16th through the 19th. Tennessee first lady Maria Lee says she and Governor Bill Lee are excited to open the Tennessee Residence to guests and hope they’ll “be filled with the joy and hope this season brings.” Reservations for the tours are required.
SCHD: Masks Still Required In Schools
(Memphis, TN) — The Shelby County Health Department says masks are still required in schools. SCHD sent a memo to school officials yesterday saying despite Tennessee’s new law banning health departments and schools from requiring masks, the requirement remains in place. The memo says the health order remains in effect because of an injunction issued by a federal court. The requirement covers Shelby County Schools and smaller municipal school districts within the county.
Shelby Co. Drops Lawsuit Against Gov. Lee, Executive Order
(Memphis, TN) — Shelby County is dropping its lawsuit against Governor Bill Lee over his executive order allowing parents to opt their children out of school mask requirements. Shelby County dropped its lawsuit against Governor Lee and the executive order after he signed legislation that bans masks in schools altogether on Friday. The new law is on hold due to a temporary injunction issued by a federal court. A suit against Lee and the executive order filed by two Shelby County families is ongoing.
SCHD Updates COVID-19 Numbers
(Memphis, TN) — The Shelby County Health Department is updating its COVID-19 numbers. SCHD reported nearly 70 new cases yesterday, bringing the total to close to 147-thousand-500 since the outbreak began. Health department officials say there have been nearly 23-hundred COVID-19-related deaths since the start of the outbreak. There are nearly eleven-hundred active cases in Shelby County.
Germantown State Senator Has Trial Date Set
(Nashville, TN) — A trial date is set for a Tennessee state senator from Germantown. Brian Kelsey is accused of violating multiple campaign finance laws during his unsuccessful 2016 run for Congress. His trial is set for January 18th in Nashville. A pretrial hearing is set for January 10th.
Tigers Take On Billikens Tonight
(Memphis, TN) — The UofM basketball team will be on the court tonight. The Tigers will face Saint Louis at FedExForum. The Tigers are 2-and-0 so far this season and ranked 16th nationally. The game is set for 7 o’clock.
TDOT, Vandy, TSU Studying Conversion Of HOV Lanes To HOT Lanes
(Nashville, TN) — The Tennessee Department of Transportation is studying converting high Occupancy Vehicle lanes to High Occupancy Toll lanes. TDOT is partnering with Vanderbilt and TSU on the study. Vanderbilt researchers say previous research shows HOV lanes in Nashville are underused during peak commute times. The study will look at the implementation, operation and perception of converting HOV to HOT lanes.
No Injuries Reported Following Massive Auto Salvage Fire
(Nashville, TN) — No one is injured following a massive fire at an auto salvage lot. The fire at One Time Auto Sales caused part of West Trinity Lane, near Liberia Street to be blocked last evening. Multiple vehicles were involved in the fire. It’s not yet known what caused the fire.
Food-Delivery Driver Leads Police On 40-Mile Chase
(Spring Hill, TN) — A Nashville woman is facing charges after leading police on a close to 40-mile chase from Spring Hill to near the Alabama state line. It started late Sunday night when Spring Hill officers found 62-year-old Susan Benson asleep at the wheel of her car in a Taco Bell parking lot. Police say Benson appeared to be confused as she refused to stop, saying she needed to make her food deliveries. She’s charged with aggravated assault, DUI, evading arrest, reckless endangerment and failure to maintain a lane.
Spring Hill GM Plant Hiring
(Spring Hill, TN) — The General Motors plant in Spring Hill is hiring. GM says it’s looking to fill more than 120 temporary production positions. A hiring event is being held today from ten o’clock in the morning until four in the afternoon. GM says it will do interviews and on-site drug testing to make same day hiring decisions for the positions that start at nearly 17-dollars an hour.
National/World Headlines
Biden Visiting New Hampshire After Signing Infrastructure Bill
(Washington, DC) — President Biden heads to New Hampshire today to visit a bridge in need of repair. The White House says it’s just one example of what his trillion-dollar infrastructure bill will do. Biden signed the bill into law Monday, promising it will change Americans’ lives for the better. The money will go toward fixing roads, helping to clear backlogs at ports, upgrading rail systems, replacing lead drinking pipes, and improving internet access.
Rittenhouse Trial In Jury’s Hands
(Kenosha, WI) — It’s now up to a Wisconsin jury to decide whether Kyle Rittenhouse is guilty of murder. Rittenhouse is the 18-year-old who claims he killed two men and injured a paramedic in self-defense during protests in Kenosha last year. Jurors can consider lesser charges in one of the shootings. Jurors got the case after closing arguments ended on Monday and they’ll begin deliberations this morning.
Flight Attendant Union: Unruly Passengers Causing “Hostile Environment”
(Washington, DC) — The leader of a major flight attendants union says unruly passengers are creating a “hostile environment” for the industry. Association of Flight Attendants president Sara Nelson told the Washington Post incidents have been happening regularly and it “really chips away at people.” FAA data shows there have been more than five-thousand incidents involving unruly passengers this year. Nelson will testify on the subject during a House subcommittee hearing today.
Border Patrol Arrests 164,000+ Illegal Immigrants In October
(Washington, DC) — Border Patrol officers arrested more than 164-thousand illegal immigrants on the Southwest border last month. That word yesterday from Homeland Security. Focusing on what he said were positive developments, Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Troy Miller said October was the third straight month of declining encounters with illegal immigrants. That included sharp drops in families and unaccompanied children.
California, Amazon Agree On COVID Notifications
(San Francisco, CA) — Amazon and the state of California have reached an agreement over labor practices that concealed COVID-19 case numbers from workers. The complaint argues Amazon violated California’s “right-to-know” law. In the first-in-the-nation judgment, Amazon agreed to modify its COVID-19 notifications to workers and local health agencies, submit to monitoring of its COVID-19 notifications, and pay 500-thousand dollars toward further enforcement of California’s consumer protection laws.
U.N. Reveals How $6.6B Could Tackle World Hunger
(New York, NY) — The United Nations’ food assistance branch is telling the world’s richest man how his money could fight the hunger crisis. SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently said he would answer the call to donate six-billion dollars if the World Food Program could describe how it’d be spent. The U.N. said on Monday it has a plan will prevent 42-million people from starving. The World Food Program’s executive director also tweeted a “one-time appeal” to other billionaires for donations.
