A photo of the entrance sign outside of Gate 3 at Fort Campbell, Ky., on June 4, 2015. Fort Campbell is home to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) "Screaming Eagles". (U.S. Army Photo by Sam Shore/Released)
Fort Campbell Could Be Impacted By New Incentive For Soldiers
Fort Campbell could get a boost from the U.S. Army. The Army is offering its largest bonus ever. Qualifying recruits who sign on for a six-year active-duty enlistment can get up to 50-thousand dollars. Previously enlistment incentives for full-time soldiers couldn’t exceed 40-thousand dollars.
Gov. Urges Kentuckians To Lift Each Other Up
Governor Andy Beshear is urging Kentuckians to lift each other up in the spirit of Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior. The governor yesterday said on this day of commemoration we are reminded that to create a better Commonwealth and a better country we must all work together. Beshear says we must not only remember the words of Doctor King but we must live by them to bring lasting change.
Prominent Kentucky Republican Larry Forgy Laid To Rest
Prominent Kentucky Republican political figure Larry Forgy is laid to rest. Services were held yesterday, with organizers requesting donations to the United Way for tornado relief in lieu of flowers. Forgy’s death at 82 was announced Thursday and he had been in declining health following a heart attack in 2017. Forgy was a successful Lexington attorney and started his political career in the 1960s. He ran unsuccessfully for governor three times, narrowly losing out on his last bid in 1995 to Paul Patton.
Murray Man Arrested During Traffic Stop
On Sunday, evening,a Calloway County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped a vehicle on Beane Road for a traffic violation. During the stop, a stolen license plate and a handgun were located.
Mark “Tony” Hutson, age 40, of Murray, Kentucky, was arrested and charged with Theft of Motor Vehicle Registration Plate, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, and Destruction of Vehicle Identification Number. He was lodged in the Calloway County Jail.
Shortly thereafter, Calloway County Sheriff’s Deputies served a search warrant at Hutson’s residence. During the search, suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were located. Hutson was then additionally charged with 1st Degree Possession of a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine) and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Kentucky State News Brief
State’s Largest School District To Stick With NTI This Week
(Louisville, KY) – The state’s largest school district will stick with non-traditional learning this week. Jefferson County Public Schools made the announcement yesterday afternoon. The district also used a few NTI days last week over staffing shortages caused by COVID-19. Students were already out of school yesterday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
GRDHD To Update COVID-19 Numbers
(Owensboro, KY) — The Green River District Health Department is expected to update its COVID-19 numbers today. The GRDHD reported over 12-hundred new confirmed cases on Friday. There were nearly 470 cases in Daviess County alone. There have been over 47-thousand-470 cases in the seven county district since the start of the outbreak. During that time there have been more than 700 COVID-19-related deaths.
KSP Investigating Shooting Involving Trooper
(Williamsburg, KY) — Kentucky State Police are investigating a Williamsburg shooting involving a trooper. KSP says a man fired shots inside a home and wouldn’t let his wife and children leave, then pointed the gun directly at troopers after negotiations failed. He was shot and was taken to the hospital in critical condition. State police say the critical response team is leading the investigation.
Fayette County Public Schools Using NTI Weather Day
(Lexington, KY) — Fayette County Public Schools are using an NTI weather day today. District officials announced the decision last night because of unsafe road conditions following Sunday’s snowfall. A number of other districts across the commonwealth are using delayed start times, virtual learning, or cancelling classes because of the weather conditions.
New Details On Lexington Ice Rink Fire
(Lexington, KY) — New details are being released about a fire at the Lexington Ice Center over the weekend. An owner of the center says employees were replacing a propane tank on the Zamboni machine Saturday when a leak led to an explosion. The official said no damage was done and nobody was injured. The fire department and gas company responded to the scene to ensure everything was safe. The ice center was set to reopen Sunday, but remained closed because of the winter weather before resuming normal operations yesterday.
Dawson Springs Holding Mental Health Event For Tornado Survivors
(Dawson Springs, KY) — An event in Dawson Springs is intended to help tornado survivors there process the trauma of the storm. The event was held yesterday at the West Kentucky 4-H center. North Carolina-based nonprofit Warrior Families Ministries led the event that focused on moving forward from the initial crisis phase. The volunteers have training in crisis management, certification as mental health coaches, and will be available for one-on-one counseling today and tomorrow.
Prominent Kentucky Republican Larry Forgy Laid To Rest
(Lexington, KY) — Prominent Kentucky Republican political figure Larry Forgy is laid to rest. Services were held yesterday, with organizers requesting donations to the United Way for tornado relief in lieu of flowers. Forgy’s death at 82 was announced Thursday and he had been in declining health following a heart attack in 2017. Forgy was a successful Lexington attorney and started his political career in the 1960s. He ran unsuccessfully for governor three times, narrowly losing out on his last bid in 1995 to Paul Patton.
Owensboro-DC Senior Center Closed All Week Over Staff COVID Cases
(Owensboro, KY) — Officials with the Senior Community Center of Owensboro-Daviess County say the facility will remain closed for the rest of the week. Center officials say COVID-19 cases among the staff led to the closure. Meals on Wheels has been put on hold, but workers hope to resume service Thursday. Staff hope to reopen the center on Monday.
JCPS To Stick With NTI This Week
(Louisville, KY) – Jefferson County Public Schools will stick with non-traditional learning this week. JCPS made the announcement yesterday afternoon. The district also used a few NTI days last week over staffing shortages caused by COVID-19. Students were already out of school yesterday for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Members Of Kentucky National Guard Helping At Baptist Health La Grange
(Louisville, KY) – Members of the Kentucky National Guard are helping out at Baptist Health La Grange. Several members arrived yesterday to help with non-clinical duties. Baptist Health La Grange is one of 30 facilities across the state getting help from the Guard as COVID-19 cases are rising. The hospital previously received help from the National Guard last fall.
Red Cross Says Louisville’s Blood Supply Is At Crisis Level
(Louisville, KY) – The Red Cross says Louisville’s blood supply is at a crisis level. The Muhammad Ali Center hosted a blood drive yesterday on what would have been Ali’s 80th birthday. Ali Center officials say it was the perfect way to celebrate Ali’s legacy. The Red Cross says it’s currently unable to guarantee any blood beyond what’s allotted to each hospital system.
Funeral Services Set For Former St. Matthews Police Chief
(Louisville, KY) – Services are set for former St. Matthews Police Chief Norm Mayer. The 92-year-old’s passing was announced on Saturday. Mayer’s funeral is set for 10 o’clock tomorrow morning at St. Edwards Church on Sue Ellen Drive in Louisville. Mayer will be buried at Calvary Cemetery on Newburg Road immediately after the funeral.
Bearno’s Pizza Supporting Fallen LMPD Officer
(Louisville, KY) – Bearno’s Pizza is supporting the family of an LMPD officer who died on the job. Bearno’s announced all Louisville and Southern Indiana locations will donate 20 percent of sales next today to the family of Officer Zach Cottongim. Officer Cottongim was hit and killed on I-64 last month while checking on an abandoned vehicle near Mellwood Avenue. Officer Cottongim left behind a wife and two young children.
Tennessee State News Brief
Report: Nashville Has High Crime Rate Among Capital Cities
(Nashville, TN) – Tennessee’s capital city ranks poorly among state capitals when it comes to crime. A WalletHub study shows Nashville has the fourth highest crime rate in the country among capital cities per one-thousand people. Little Rock, Arkansas has the highest crime rate among the nation’s state capital cities while Concord, New Hampshire has the lowest.
Shelby Co. Updates COVID-19 Numbers
(Memphis, TN) — The state’s largest county is updating its COVID-19 numbers. The Shelby County Health Department reported over 16-hundred new cases and four additional deaths yesterday. SCHD officials say there have been over 28-hundred COVID-19-related deaths since the start of the outbreak. There are over 25-thousand active cases in Shelby County.
Southern Christian Leadership Conference Holds Celebration Of Life For MLK, Jr
(Memphis, TN) – The impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Junior is being remembered in Memphis. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference held a celebration of life for Reverend King yesterday. Dr. King demonstrated in the streets of Memphis in the name of civil rights over 50 years ago. King was shot and killed at what’s now the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis on April 4th, 1968.
Knox Co. Schools Closed Today Due To Illness
(Knoxville, TN) – Knox County Schools are closed today. KCS announced yesterday classes would be canceled over staffing challenges brought on by illness. Students were out of class yesterday due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
World/National Headlines
Stocks Drop On Bank Earnings, Inflation Fears
(New York, NY) — Wall Street is opening sharply lower on inflation worries. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 550 points after the opening bell while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were down more than one-percent. Stocks dropped to start the shortened trading week after Goldman Sachs missed expectations for fourth quarter earnings. Tech shares tumbled as Treasury yields hit a two-year high.
Senate Poised To Take Up Voting Rights Today
(Washington, DC) — One day after the nation marked Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Senate is preparing to begin debate today on voting rights legislation. The House has already passed both the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, but passage in the Senate is seen as nearly impossible. That’s because there’s no Republican support in the 50-50 Senate. A vote to change the rules to allow passage by simple majority is expected to fail.
Gas Prices Unchanged
(Heathrow, FL) — There’s no change in the national average price of gas. Today’s Triple-A stations survey finds the average price of regular at three dollars and 31 cents a gallon for the second day in a row. There are statewide averages below three dollars a gallon. They include Texas, where today’s average of two-94 is a penny higher than Monday.
GOP Congressman Slams ICE For Delayed Report
(Washington, DC) — A Texas Republican is accusing the Biden Administration of slow-walking a federal immigration report. Congressman Mike McCaul says he believes the White House is stalling in order to find a way to spin some unflattering information. Authorities arrested more than one-point-seven-million illegal immigrants during the 2021 fiscal year. That’s a new record. ICE has made a point of releasing its annual report on enforcement operations and investigations around the end of the calendar year since at least 2011.
Sec Of State Blinken Heading Overseas
(Washington, DC) — The Secretary of State is heading overseas. Antony Blinken will travel to Ukraine and Germany starting today with the trip ending on Thursday. It comes after diplomacy with European allies about a united approach to address the ongoing threat Russia is posing to Ukraine and the joint efforts to de-escalate the situation. Blinken will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy [[ VLO-doe-meer ze-LEN-skee ]] on Wednesday before traveling to Germany to meet with its Foreign Minister.
Push To Make Changes To King-Lee Holiday In AL, Confederate Holidays In FL
(Montgomery, AL) — Another movement is underway to change the King-Lee holiday in Alabama. Democratic state Representative Chris England is sponsoring a bill that removes a state holiday commemorating Confederate General Robert E. Lee. It comes on the third Monday of January, which coincides with the federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Junior. In Florida, a lawmaker there is behind an effort to eliminate some Confederate holidays. Democratic state Senator Lauren Book has introduced a bill to remove Confederate Memorial Day and two holidays honoring Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis. Lee’s birthday is tomorrow.
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid Set To Have Close Encounter With Earth
(New York, NY) — A skyscraper-sized asteroid is on track to make a very close encounter with Earth later today. It’s like something out of the Netflix movie, “Don’t Look Up,” which involved a comet except that this space visitor is an asteroid named 74-82 that won’t hit our planet. Still, it’s classified as “potentially hazardous” because it’s more than twice the height of New York’s Empire State Building and will come within one-point-two-million miles of Earth. NASA has been monitoring it since 1994, along with hundreds of other asteroids.
