Volunteers Needed for Operation Christmas Tuesday Event in
Mayfield and Graves County
The City of Mayfield and Graves County are seeking volunteers to help deliver holiday cheer to city and county residents who were impacted by the catastrophic tornado.
Operation Christmas Tuesday, scheduled for Tomorrow, is in need of about 150 volunteers. Groups of volunteers are preferred. To sign up, call the Graves County Emergency Hotline Today, at 270-727-5114 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. You must have your own transportation.
Those who register on Monday will be asked to arrive at a central meeting point in Mayfield around 9 a.m., CST, on Tuesday, December 21, and be available to assist Operation Christmas until about 4:30 p.m., that day.
The volunteers will assist with distributing a 4-day supply of food and water, gift cards, and basic supplies to families, plus deliver toys to every child in the Mayfield tornado corridor.
Omicron Variant Arrives In Kentucky
Cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 are now being detected in Kentucky. Governor Andy Beshear announced the positive tests in Campbell, Fayette, and Kenton counties on Saturday during his Team Kentucky update. Beshear also said the variant had been detected in a wastewater sample in Jefferson County. State leaders and health officials are bracing for the impact of the new variant on case numbers and hospitalizations. The governor is continuing to urge masking in school and work settings, as well as getting vaccinated and boosted.
Governor, Lt. Gov Hand Out Shoes To Displaced Tornado Victims
Governor Andy Beshear is continuing his work on the ground assisting in areas devastated by tornadoes. Beshear was joined yesterday by Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman to pass out shoes to displaced tornado victims staying at two Kentucky state parks. University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari and the president and CEO of Samaritan’s Feet also participated in the effort, along with UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart and former men’s basketball players Darius Miler and Jack Givens. Beshear says “we are all neighbors in Kentucky,” and Coleman commented that Kentuckians have equal measures of grit and compassion.
FEMA is opening more Mobile Registration Centers at the following locations: MARSHALL COUNTY
Joe Creason Community Center1600 Park Ave., GRAVES COUNTY The old Walmart location Mayfield Plaza, 1102 Paris Rd. All centers are open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily until further notice.
FEMA personnel at these centers can help residents who were affected by the Dec. 10 severe storms and tornadoes apply for federal assistance and provide information about recovery resources.
Survivors who are unable to visit the centers may continue to apply for assistance by calling 800-621-3362, going online to DisasterAssistance.gov, or using the FEMA App.
Kentucky State News Brief
McConnell Tours Tornado-Ravaged Western Kentucky
(Dawson Springs, KY) — Senator Mitch McConnell says he’ll do his best to help provide funding for as long as possible throughout the long tornado recovery in western Kentucky. Senator McConnell made the comment while speaking at City Park in Dawson Springs on Saturday, a week after deadly tornadoes rolled through. He said he spoke with President Biden earlier in the week and is pleased with his response to the disaster. McConnell also toured Mayfield over the weekend.
Longtime State Rep. Retiring
(Frankfort, KY) — A longtime Kentucky State Representative is retiring. Democrat Reginald Meeks announced his retirement from the Kentucky House of Representatives on Friday. He won’t serve out the rest of his term representing District 42. A special election for his seat representing the Louisville area has yet to be announced.
Peoples’ Christmas Parade Exceeds Expectations In Owensboro
(Owensboro, KY) — Organizers of Owensboro’s first Peoples’ Christmas Parade say it exceeded their expectations. The parade headed down Second Street towards the Owensboro Convention Center after setting off near Owensboro Grain Saturday afternoon. It featured about 60 entrants, including some traditional-style floats. By 10 o’clock Saturday night, video of the parade on the Owensboro Times Facebook page had been viewed more than 13-thousand times.
GRDHD Updates COVID-19 Numbers
(Owensboro, KY) — The Green River District Health Department is updating its COVID-19 numbers. On Friday, the GRDHD reported 455 new confirmed cases with 215 in Daviess County, 86 in Henderson County, 55 in Union County, 48 in Ohio County, 25 in Hancock County, 14 in McLean County and 12 in Webster County. There have been over 41-thousand-300 cases in the seven-county district since the outbreak began. There have been nearly 680 COVID-related deaths since the start of the outbreak.
Tennessee State News Brief
24 Tornadoes Touchdown In Tennessee
(Undated) — Forecasters say Tennessee was hit by two-dozen tornadoes. The National Weather Service says 24 tornadoes touched down across the state between December 10th and 11th. The severe weather caused the death of five people.
Tennessee Reports Lowest Unemployment Rate Since March Of 2020
(Nashville, TN) — Tennessee’s unemployment rate is at its lowest since before the COVID-19 shutdowns. The unemployment rate fell to four percent last month. That’s the same rate it was at before the coronavirus outbreak. The state recorded its highest unemployment rate ever at nearly 16 percent in April of 2020.
Report: Midwest Grocery Store Chain Expanding To Tennessee
(Des Moines, IA) — An Iowa-based grocery store brand is expanding into Tennessee. The Des Moines Register reports Hy-Vee announced its plans to expand in Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky and Indiana in an internal company communication earlier this month. The paper reports Hy-Vee plans to open two stores in the Nashville area and one each in Knoxville and Memphis in 2023. It’s distribution facility is also expected to be built in Tennessee.
Shelby County Updates COVID-19 Numbers
(Memphis, TN) — Tennessee’s largest county is updating its COVID-19 numbers. The Shelby County Health Department reported nearly 370 new cases yesterday, bringing the total to nearly 153-thousand since the outbreak began. Health department officials also reported two new deaths, bringing the number of COVID-19-related deaths since the start of the outbreak to over 24-hundred. There are over 24-hundred active cases in Shelby County.
Tennessee Church Gives Away Thousands Of Dollars During Reverse Offering
(Mt. Juliet, TN) — A Middle Tennessee church is blessing believers with a reverse offering. During yesterday’s service at Global Vision Bible Church in Mt. Juliet, Pastor Greg Locke surprised the congregation with a reverse offering. The church asked families and others in need to come to the altar to receive an offering. The church gave away 66-thousand dollars.
Snow Not Likely In Tennessee This Christmas
(GSMNP) — Tennesseans hoping for a white Christmas will have to head to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Data from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration shows the best chance for snow this Christmas is in Mt. Le Conte. The Sevier County town has a nearly 49-percent chance of snowfall on Christmas. Crossville has the next best chance at just over 12 percent.
National/World Headlines
AOC Not Surprised By Manchin
(Undated) — Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she’s not surprised at all that West Virgina Senator Joe Manchin announced he won’t be supporting President Biden’s nearly two-trillion-dollar Build Back Better plan. The New York Democrat took to Twitter yesterday after fellow Democrat Manchin announced his decision on Fox News Sunday. His vote is critical in the evenly divided Senate if the social spending plan has any hope of passing. Ocasio-Cortez said many progressive lawmakers had warned this would happened if the Build Back Better Act was decoupled from the one-point-two-trillion dollar infrastructure bill passed earlier this year.
Fauci Warns Holiday Travel Presents COVID Risk
(Undated) — The nation’s top infectious disease expert says holiday travel will give the Omicron [[ ahm-ih-cron ]] COVID-19 variant an increased risk of spreading. Dr. Anthony Fauci told NBC’s Meet The Press Sunday that if people do travel, they should be vaccinated, boosted, and wear a mask inside places like airports. Fauci warned that regardless of how careful people are, there are going to be breakthrough infections, especially given how contagious the Omicron variant is.
Closing Arguments Today In Former MN Officer’s Manslaughter Trial
(Minneapolis, MN) — Closing arguments get underway today in the trial of a former Minnesota police officer charged with killing an unarmed Black man during a traffic stop. Kim Potter maintains she shot Daunte Wright on accident, mistaking her service weapon for her Taser. On the stand Friday, Potter told defense lawyers things got “chaotic” after pulling the 20-year-old driver over and learning he had an outstanding warrant. Potter is facing manslaughter charges which carry a maximum sentence of 15 years.
Mayor To Make Decision Before Xmas About Times Square NYE Celebration
(New York, NY) — The surge in COVID cases could have an impact on the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says he’ll make a decision before Christmas about whether the city is changing its plans. Currently the event is a go, with de Blasio noting its an all vaccination event and outdoors. Meantime the giant, seven-foot-tall numerals for “2022” are arriving in Times Square today after a cross country trek.
Chile Elects Leftist Millennial As Youngest Ever President
(Santiago, Chile) — Voters in Chile have elected a new president, the youngest one the South American nation has ever seen. Thirty-five-year-old Gabriel Boric [[ Gabrielle Bor-ich ]] is a leftist former student activist who has promised to raise taxes on the rich to do things like improve social services and ensure environmental protections. He won Sunday’s election with around 56-percent of the vote. But the win stirred up some anxiety in Chile’s Jewish community due to his outspoken criticisms of Israel.
Teen Jumps Out Drive-Thru Window To Save Choking Customer
(Eden Prairie, MN) — A Minnesota teenager is being called a hero after she jumped out of the McDonald’s drive-thru window she was staffing to save a customer’s life. When 15-year-old Sydney Raley noticed a woman she’d served was “coughing profusely” and knew she was choking, she jumped out, got the woman out of her car and told her daughter to call 911. She got a man who was nearby to help perform the Heimlich maneuver and dislodge a chicken nugget that was stuck in the woman’s throat.
Tiger Woods, Son Charlie Place Second At PNC Championship
(Orlando, FL) — With his son Charlie by his side, Tiger Woods is making a strong comeback to competitive golf. The pair finished second in the PNC Championship in Florida this weekend. The event, which partnered champions with their family members, was won by John Daly and his son, John Daly the second. It is also Woods’ first event since he was seriously hurt in a car wreck near Los Angeles in February.
