MURRAY WOMAN KILLED IN ONE-CAR CRASH
Kentucky State Police are investigating a Wednesday morning collision that claimed the life of a Calloway County woman. Just before 7 am, Post 1 dispatch responded to a single vehicle collision on West State Line Road. Initial investigation shows that 27-year old Megan Cossey of Murray was traveling west on State Line Road when her vehicle left the roadway and collided with a tree. The vehicle caught fire and Cossey was pronounced dead at the scene by the Calloway County Coroner. The investigation is ongoing by Trooper Tony Cornwell.
CCHD COVID UPDATE
The Calloway County Health Department reported 74 new cases of COVID-19 over the past four days. Currently, the county has 93 cases isolated at home and 3 are hospitalized. Calloway County’s latest reported COVID-19 positivity rate is 8.1% which is lower than the state rate of 9.1%. As of Tuesday, Calloway County is back in the red zone. Only 15 of the state’s 120 counties are outside of the red zone for COVID-19 Incidence Rates, including Hickman County in far west Kentucky. The state reported 1,728 confirmed new cases and 63 confirmed new deaths Wednesday. There are currently 1,144 COVID patients hospitalized in Kentucky, which is 196 more than last Wednesday, including 312 in ICU, which is 63 more than a week ago.
CITY COUNCIL TO MEET TONIGHT
The Murray City Council will meet tonight in regular session. The Council will hear the Long Range Planning Committee Report from Rose Elder, the Public Works Committee Report from Danny Hudspeth which includes two bids, the Temporary Park Board Report from Johnny Boaannon, including a vote on the Swimming Pool Bid, as well as a vote on a Fire Grant. The Council will also vote on the second reading of an Ordinance enacting and adopting a supplement to the City’s Code of Ordinances. The meeting begins tonight at 6 at City Hall.
CALLOWAY SCHOOL BOARD TO DISCUSS 2022-23 CALENDAR
The Calloway County School Board will also meet tonight in regular session. Among items on the agenda are votes on the Auxiliary Gym project, and the Calloway County Schools HVAC Project. The Board will also hear the first reading of the proposed 2022-23 School Calendar and makeup days. The meeting begins at 6 at the Board Office on College Farm Road.
LANE RESTRICTION TODAY ON I-24
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to restrict traffic to one lane on Interstate 24 at the 36 mile marker near the Lyon County Weigh Station today to allow additional equipment to be added to the electronic truck monitoring system at the weigh station. Motorists traveling I-24 should be prepared to encounter slowing and merging traffic as they approach the 36 mile marker. The work is expected to be completed in one day. However, some work at the site could continue into Friday.
HSIP BEGINS TODAY IN GRAVES COUNTY
A contractor for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet plans to ramp up work on a Highway Safety Improvement Project along a section of KY 80 in western Graves County starting today between Fancy Farm and Mayfield. Initial work will focus on widening 4 reinforced concrete culverts with one culvert to be replaced later in the project. Much of the initial construction activity is expected to be along the right-of-way with minimal traffic disruptions. Delays are expected to be rare. More extensive work will ramp up in spring.
DRUG COURT GRADUATION IS TONIGHT
Chief Circuit Judge Jamie Jameson and the staff of the Drug Courts for Marshall and Calloway Counties have set this year’s fall graduation for Drug Court participants for tonight at 6. The public, media, and all public officials are invited and encouraged to come and support these members of our community as we celebrate their sobriety and re-entry into society as contributing citizens. The ceremony will take place at Dexter-Hardin Methodist in Dexter.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
KENTUCKY—An active warrant is out for a Kentucky sheriff after a fight at a high school girls’ basketball game. Kentucky State Police say Owsley County Sheriff Brett Lynch is a coach and is accused of assaulting a teen girl while trying to break up a fight between players during a game in Perry County. Lynch has been asked to turn himself in, but hasn’t done so yet. KSP says more charges could be filed. Lynch was previously involved in a heated exchange with a fan at a 2019 boys’ game between Owsley and Estill County.
KENTUCKY—Kentucky Congressman Brett Guthrie has tested positive for COVID-19. The congressman said in a statement that he is glad he is fully vaccinated and is experiencing mild symptoms. Guthrie says his offices in Kentucky and Washington, DC will remain open to help constituents. He current condition hasn’t been released.
WASHINGTON DC—Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is calling himself a strong supporter of vaccines, but not mandates. Speaking on the Senate floor, McConnell again criticized President Biden’s vaccination mandate for large companies. The Kentucky Republican labeled it government overreach. Federal courts have temporarily halted the mandate, but some large companies are going ahead with it on their own.
FRANKFORT—Governor Andy Beshear is prioritizing the need for qualified social workers in Kentucky. Beshear announced a plan yesterday to recruit and retain more social workers in the state. The plan includes an immediate ten-percent pay increase for state social workers, a pilot program to expedite the hiring process, and a proposed student loan forgiveness program. The pay raise for social workers and family support staff across state government agencies takes effect December 16th.
LEXINGTON—A Lexington Christian Academy student was expelled after allegedly making a threat against the school. The superintendent alerted parents yesterday that a student had sent disturbing Snapchat message to several classmates on Monday. Lexington police are continuing to investigate the threat.
MCCLEAN COUNTY—A Calhoun man is facing 20 years in prison in connection with a deadly crash. Dylan Howard was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, along with several other charges. Three people were killed in the March crash, including passengers 23-year-old Shawna Rodney and her three-year-old, both from Owensboro.
MEADE COUNTY—Classes are being held virtually today for Meade County High School students. School is being held online due to a threat of a shooting. Meade County School District says the threat received yesterday mentioned the high school in Brandenburg. The Brandenburg Police Department and the Meade County Sheriff’s Office are investigating.
BOWLING GREEN—A man is under arrest for allegedly threatening a shooting on Western Kentucky’s campus. The threat of a shooting was made on social media on Tuesday. The man is charged with terroristic threatening. WKU police say the man didn’t have any weapons when he was arrested.
TENNESSEE—There are over 22-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 one-million-331-thousand. An additional 26 COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, with the total number standing at 17-thousand-670. There are nearly 950 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Tennessee.
TENNESSEE—A man accused of kidnapping a Middle Tennessee boy is pleading not guilty to multiple charges in Southern California. Jacob Clare is charged with kidnapping and sexual abuse of a minor after taking his three-year-old son and his teenage niece across the country last month. He pleaded not guilty to the charges in California yesterday. Clare is also facing kidnapping charges in Tennessee and Kentucky.
TENNESSEE—The mayor of Tennessee’s biggest county is running for a second term in office. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris launched his 2022 re-election campaign yesterday afternoon. Harris was sworn in as the sixth mayor of Shelby County in 2018. Harris said yesterday that during his time in office his administration has shown that the county’s strength is its people.
TENNESSEE—Today is the last day to ensure packages shipped through FedEx Ground Economy get to their destinations by Christmas. Packages being shipped by FedEx Ground need to be shipped by December 15th and that’s also the deadline for FedEx Home Delivery. 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. Memphis-based FedEx is encouraging shoppers to get their Christmas packages shipped as soon as possible.
