CALLOWAY COUNTY SLIDES BACK INTO RED ZONE
Calloway County’s latest reported COVID-19 positivity rate is 7.6% which is lower than the state rate of 9.1%. As of Tuesday, Calloway County is back in the red zone. Only 12 of the state’s 120 counties are outside of the red zone for COVID-19 Incidence Rates, including Hickman County and Fulton County in far west Kentucky. The state reported 1,510 confirmed new cases and 49 confirmed new deaths Tuesday. There are currently 1,109 COVID patients hospitalized in Kentucky, which is 179 more than last Tuesday, including 306 in ICU, which is 40 more than a week ago.
ROADS REOPEN
KY 893 and KY 1536 in Calloway County were among several roadways in the county that were blocked by downed trees and power lines during the overnight hours Sunday. KY 1536, also known as Outland Schoolhouse Road, is open near the 1 mile marker just north of the Clayton Road and A.B. Lassiter Road intersection. KY 893, also known as Cherokee Trail reopened yesterday morning near the 8 mile marker once debris was pushed off the roadway. Motorists should be alert for one lane traffic as KYTC personnel and the Calloway County Road Department may have one-lane traffic at some locations as they remove downed trees from the right of way over the next several days.
WHITE HIRED BY CCSO
The Calloway County Sheriff’s Office has added Deputy Zachary White to the Department. Deputy White is a native of Calloway County and is a graduate of Calloway County High School. White joins the Calloway County Sheriff’s Office after beginning his career with the Murray Police Department in 2020. He graduated from Kentucky’s Department of Criminal Justice Training Basic Police Academy in March after serving as a Squad Leader for his class as well as receiving the Physical Fitness Excellence Award.
MSU NAMES OUTSTANDING SENIORS
Murray State University has named Presley Woodrum and Dalton York as the Outstanding Senior recipients for fall 2021. Woodrum is the daughter of Brett and Lona Woodrum of Liberty. She is majoring in Agriscience Technology with an emphasis in Communications and Public Relations. York is the son of Tim and Angie York of Benton. He is majoring in History and minoring in Nonprofit Leadership Studies. The fall 2021 commencement ceremony will take place at 10 am Saturday at the CFSB Center.
RED CROSS HAS BLOOD SHORTAGE
As the nation gathers again for celebrations this season, the American Red Cross, which provides 40% of the country’s blood, is facing historically low blood supply levels. Donors are urged to schedule an appointment now by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS. There is no blood donation waiting period for those who have received a flu shot or a Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine or booster, so long as they are symptom-free.
ROAD CLOSURE IN GRAVES COUNTY
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to close a section of KY 849 in Graves County today and tomorrow to allow a cross drain to be replaced. This is along KY 849 immediately west of the Bee Mason Road intersection and about 1/2 mile east of the KY 945 intersection. The roadway will close promptly at noon today and is expected to reopen to traffic around 3 pm Thursday.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
LEXINGTON—Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff is set to travel to Kentucky. The husband of Vice President Kamala Harris will be visiting Lexington Monday as part of a nationwide effort to encourage more people to get children ages five to eleven vaccinated against COVID-19. Emhoff was originally scheduled to arrive Friday, but his visit was delayed.
LEXINGTON—Lexington City Councilman David Kloiber is entering the race for Lexington mayor. Kloiber is set to kick off his campaign this evening at LexArts on Mill Street. He will face incumbent Mayor Linda Gorton in November 2022. Gorton received 63-percent of the vote in 2018 and says she’s ready for another term.
FRANKLIN COUNTY—A Franklin County home is damaged after a tornado touched down. The National Weather Service has confirmed that an EF-1 tornado hit the house yesterday morning outside the Frankfort city limits, off Highway 127. The family says part of the home’s roof was torn off and nearby trees were damaged. No warnings were issued before the tornado touched down.
LEXINGTON—Governor Andy Beshear is one of many people who were on hand for the opening of a new Four Roses Distillery visitor center. The expanded center opened its doors yesterday in Lawrenceburg. The facility will feature a full bar, four tasting rooms, and an expanded gift shop. Kentucky Distillers Association President Eric Gregory says the renewed interest in the bourbon industry is driving the demand for more facilities like the one Four Roses expanded in Anderson County.
OWENSBORO—An Owensboro organization is set to build new long-term housing for homeless teens. The Empowerment Academy recently bought land with plans to build a place for teens in need. Officials say as many as three to four hundred students in Daviess County are experiencing homelessness. No timeline is set for when the facility will be built, but donations toward construction and operation are being accepted.
OHIO COUNTY—Hospice of Ohio County is honoring the community’s lost loved ones. Hospice families and community members who have suffered a loss were invited to the lighting of a memory tree last night. The second annual memorial service was held in Beaver Dam at the city park’s north pavilion. Those attending had the option to drive in and participate from their vehicle.
ELIZABETHTOWN—Kentucky State Police are investigating a deadly officer-involved shooting in Elizabethtown. The Elizabethtown Police Department says an officer shot and killed a man at a home on Pleasant View Drive last evening. EPD says officers were at the home for a criminal investigation at the time of the shooting. The officer wasn’t injured.
OWENSBORO—The headliner for the 2023 Owensboro Air Show is being announced. Owensboro officials say the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will participate in the show. The 2023 Owensboro Air Show is set for September 15th through the 17th. The Thunderbirds last performed in Owensboro in September of 2015.
TENNESSEE—Governor Bill Lee is taking a step to slow the flow of drugs into the United States. Governor Lee announced yesterday he’s sending 50 members of the Tennessee National Guard to the Texas-Mexico border. They’ll deploy early next year. More than 200-thousand pounds of fentanyl and methamphetamine have been seized so far this year, while Tennessee recorded over three-thousand overdose deaths last year.
TENNESSEE—There are over two-thousand new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported the new cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to over one-million-329-thousand. Over 160 additional COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, with the total number standing at 17-thousand-650. There are more than 920 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Tennessee.
TENNESSEE—Memphis-based FedEx is encouraging shoppers to get their Christmas packages shipped as soon as possible. Tomorrow is the last day to ensure packages shipped through FedEx Ground Economy get to their destinations by the big day. Packages being shipped by FedEx Ground need to be shipped by December 15th and that’s also the deadline for FedEx Home Delivery as well. Packages going via two day delivery must be sent by December 22nd., while the overnight services deadline is December 23rd and the FedEx Same Day shipping cutoff is December 24th.
