COMER BLASTS BIDEN EXECUTIVE ORDERS ON GUNS
First District Congressman James Comer issued a statement yesterday after President Biden announced a series of executive orders promoting gun control. Comer said, quote “the executive orders are the latest proof of the reckless disregard the Biden Administration has for the Second Amendment. By pushing unconstitutional red flag laws onto states and installing a radical gun control fanatic as head of the agency responsible for regulating firearms, President Biden is putting his anti-gun agenda front and center in Washington. If gun control laws were effective at stopping gun violence, major cities with strict gun laws would not see dramatic increases in homicide rates year after year. Gun control has not, and never will be, the solution to creating a safer and less violent society. It’s time for President Biden to follow his oath to defend the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans, rather than trampling on them at every turn.” Comer is a member of the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus, and has been a forceful advocate for the rights of gun owners in Congress.
MULLINS FACES ADDITIONAL CHARGE IN CAPITOL RIOT
WPSD TV reports that a West Kentucky man charged in connection to the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, now faces additional charges. Clayton Ray Mullins was released into house arrest last month as he awaits trial on charges that he assaulted a Washington Metropolitan Police officer at the Capitol during the riot. He’s accused of dragging the officer down the stairs at the lower west terrace tunnel entrance of the Capitol Building. The officer was hospitalized with a cut to his head that authorities say required two staples to close. Mullins is now charged with assaulting another officer that day, according to a superseding indictment unsealed in federal court this week.
STAHL NAMED NCAA SCHOLARSHIP WINNER
Christopher Stahl has been named one of 126 annual winners for the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship award. This award is given to various student-athletes who go above and beyond in their undergraduate studies and in their sport. Stahl is a double major in psychology and biology who currently has a 3.49 GPA and is a senior defensive lineman for the Murray State football team. Stahl joins current Vice Chair of the Murray State Board of Regents and All-American Eric Crigler as Racer football student-athletes who have earned the award. Stahl wants to become an orthopedic surgeon or a pediatrician. The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship is a one-time, non-renewable award that is given annually.
CALLOWAY INCIDENCE RATE INCREASES
The Calloway County Health Department reported 3 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the county case total during the pandemic to 3,430. Of that total, 3,362 have recovered, 19 are isolated at home, and none are hospitalized. There have been 49 Covid-related deaths in the county. Calloway County’s COVID-19 Incidence Rate per 100,000 on Thursday was 6.2%, which was higher than Wednesday’s rate of 3.6%. There are only six red zone counties for COVID-19 cases in the state.
STATE POSITIVITY RATE FALLS
At Thursday’s COVID-19 update for Kentucky, 645 new cases and 16 new deaths were reported, raising the total to 6,214 Kentuckians who are listed as Covid deaths. As of Thursday, there have been over 5.14 million coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky with a positivity rate of 2.81%, which is lower than last Thursday’s rate of 2.99%. There are 377 Kentuckians hospitalized which is 34 less than last Thursday, including 102 in ICU, which is 10 more than one week ago. At least 50,195 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
ALEXANDER FACING ANOTHER BURGLARY CHARGE
Marshall County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded on March 29 to a report of a burglary at the Gold-N-Gun Pawn Shop on US Highway 641 North. Deputies said 38-year-old Jason Alexander broke a window and stole several items from the business. Alexander was charged on Wednesday with burglary, criminal mischief, possession of burglary tools, and theft by unlawful taking. Alexander also faces charges for his alleged role in the burglary of a vacant home in Benton earlier last month. He’s being held in the Marshall County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond.
HOPKINSVILLE KILLED IN HUNTING ACCIDENT
A Hopkinsville boy was fatally shot in an apparent hunting accident Wednesday night. Christian County Coroner Scott Daniel said that the 11-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the face while hunting alone near his home on Prosperity Lane. He was pronounced dead from the injuries. The boy’s name hasn’t been released. Authorities said no foul play was suspected. Daniel said the shooting appeared to be accidental and self-inflicted.
ADAMS THANKS GOVERNOR FOR SIGNING ELECTION BILL
Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams thanked Governor Andy Beshear Wednesday for signing House Bill 574 into law. Adams said he and the Governor worked across party lines to accommodate the election process to the pandemic, and had the most secure and successful election we’ve ever seen. Adams said the General Assembly followed suit, working across party lines to enact the most significant reform of Kentucky’s election system since 1891. Adams said that while other states are caught up in partisan division, Kentucky is leading the nation in making it both easier to vote and harder to cheat.
VACCINATION APPOINTMENT AVAILABLE
The Murray Regional Vaccination Clinic is scheduling online appointments for administration of Moderna COVID-19 first doses at the Murray Regional Vaccination Site located at the CFSB Center from 11:45 am to 6 pm on April 15, and from 8 am until 2:15 pm on April 16. Appointments are currently available for those 18 years of age and older. Please visit MurrayKYvaccine.org to schedule an appointment and make sure you select April 15 or 16 to see available appointments. If you, or a loved one, are homebound or lack internet access, please contact the Calloway County Health Department at 270-753-3381.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
FRANKFORT—The Kentucky unemployment system is temporarily shutting down in an effort to combat fraudulent claims. Governor Andy Beshear announced the closure yesterday, which started last night at midnight and will last until Tuesday. Officials will be working on beefing up security during the downtime. Claims will be backdated so no benefits will be lost.
OWENSBORO—Kentucky Wesleyan College is hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics for its on campus faculty and students. The clinics will be held today and on April 30th. The vaccination clinics are being offered in partnership with Poole’s Pharmacy Care in Owensboro. President Dr. Thomas Mitzel announced yesterday that KWC intends to return to being a fully operational residential campus in the fall.
LEXINGTON—One person is dead after a shooting in Lexington. The shooting happened Wednesday night on Colchester Drive. Two men were injured and had left the scene before police arrived, but were later discovered at the scene of a crash at South Limestone and Virginia Avenue. Both victims were taken to the hospital, where 20-year-old Herbie Booker died. The other victim’s condition is unclear. No arrests have been made.
LEXINGTON—Lexington’s Central Bank Center is hosting the Central Kentucky Home and Garden Show. The event is celebrating its 45th year after last year’s show had to be canceled. The show is spread out through the exhibit halls to allow for social distancing. The event brings homeowners together and is expected to provide a boost to possibly struggling local businesses.
FRANKFORT—Kentucky is reaching a new milestone in the fight against COVID-19. Governor Andy Beshear said yesterday that over one-and-a-half-million Kentuckians have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. However, Governor Beshear also said there are still many appointments open.
CORBIN—An elderly Corbin man is accused of trying to buy a toddler from his grandmother. Online records show Ronnie Lou Helton is charged with kidnapping of a minor and promoting human trafficking. The 73-year-old is being held without bail in the Whitley County Detention Center. Helton allegedly tried to kidnap the boy from his grandmother’s front yard before offering to buy him for one-thousand dollars.
LOUISVILLE—The Kentucky Truck Plant won’t go through a traditional summer shutdown this year. Ford Motor Company announced yesterday the Louisville plant will join others in Michigan, Ohio and Illinois in working during late June and early July. The Kentucky Truck Plant produces the Ford F-250 and F-550 Super Duty Trucks, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. The plant has been shut down multiple times this year due to a global semiconductor shortage.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY—Everyone is okay after an EF-0 tornado hit Pleasant Hill. The National Weather Service says the tornado with 80-mile-per-hour winds damaged buildings and knocked down trees yesterday afternoon. Emergency crews were dispatched to an area near Pleasant Hill Elementary School due to the severe weather. Cumberland County Schools will be closed today so damage can be assessed.
TENNESSEE—There are close to 15-hundred new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported one-thousand-460 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to nearly 821-thousand. Over 20 additional COVID-19-related deaths were reported, with the total number of coronavirus-attributed deaths statewide standing nearly 12-thousand. There are over 13-thousand active cases across Tennessee.
TENNESSEE—Tennessee’s constitutional carry bill will go into effect on July 1st. Governor Bill Lee signed the permitless carry bill yesterday. It will allow military members ages 18-to-20, and adults 20 and older to carry open or concealed handguns without a permit. Gun owners currently have to take a training course before they’re allowed to carry a handgun.
TENNESSEE—Many Tennesseans are excited to travel after more than a year of coronavirus restrictions. A new Triple-A survey says nearly half of Tennesseans are comfortable with the idea of going somewhere for a getaway. That’s up ten percent from when the same survey was done in January. The most common reasons cited for the increase are vaccinations and confidence in safety measures and how they’re being implemented.
ILLINOIS—Governor J.B. Pritzker says Illinois is opening up COVID-19 vaccinations to the public. Pritzker announced yesterday that any Illinoisan 16-years old and up will be eligible to receive the vaccine starting Monday. The governor says 150-thousand first dose appointments will be available to all residents next week at eleven mass vaccination sites in Cook County and the surrounding suburbs. Hospital and county sites throughout the state will also continue with vaccinations.
