MURRAY WOMAN CHARGED WITH FELONY THEFT
On Wednesday, the Murray Police Department began an investigation into a possible theft from an elderly individual. Through investigation, detectives learned that 40-year old Jessica Crouch of Murray had stolen over $25,000 from the individual’s bank account. Crouch was charged with 4 counts of Forgery, 4 counts of Felony Theft by Unlawful Taking, and 4 counts of Knowingly Exploiting an Adult. Crouch was lodged in the Calloway County Jail.
MCCH SELLS SPRING CREEK
Murray-Calloway County Hospital yesterday announced the sale of Spring Creek Health Care Nursing & Rehab Center to Plainview Healthcare Partners. The ownership transition is expected to be complete by June, subject to regulatory review and requirements. Residents and patients will have continuous access to the care and services they need with the same staff onsite to provide care. All Spring Creek Health Care employees in good standing will be hired by Plainview Healthcare Partners when the transaction is complete. Spring Creek Health Care offers a 226-bed long-term care, Medicare-certified facility, which provides comprehensive rehabilitation and restorative services.
KSP OFFERS DETAILS ON TRIGG COUNTY SHOOTING
The Kentucky State Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred at approximately 12:30 Thursday morning in Trigg County. Trigg County Sheriff’s Deputies traveled to a residence on Gold Dust Trail in the Rockcastle community in an attempt to serve an arrest warrant and were met with resistance by a man who was identified as the subject of the warrant. A deputy shot and wounded the suspect, then immediately provided medical care until Trigg County EMS responded. The man was eventually airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville for treatment of life-threatening injuries. There were no additional injuries. The investigation is ongoing.
GOVERNOR SAYS STATE WILL FOLLOW CDC MASK GUIDANCE
Governor Andy Beshear says Kentucky will follow yesterday’s new guidance from the CDC that fully vaccinated people can immediately stop wearing masks indoors and outdoors. Full vaccination is reached two weeks after an individual receives their final COVID-19 vaccine dose. The CDC’s new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor spaces, such as buses, planes, hospitals, prisons, and homeless shelters. It is unclear whether following the CDC guidance immediately means the state’s mask mandate has been lifted, or if that will not happen until it expires in two weeks. The Governor is expected to discuss the change in greater detail during a news briefing this morning. The total number of Kentuckians vaccinated as of Thursday is 1,897,117 which is up over 6,000 from Wednesday’s total. That means 43% of Kentuckians are vaccinated including 80% of those 65 and older.
CALLOWAY COUNTY COVID UPDATE
The Calloway County Health Department reported 1 new case of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the county case total during the pandemic to 3,497. Of that total, 3,434 have recovered, 13 are isolated at home, and 1 is hospitalized. There have been 49 COVID-19 related deaths in the county. As of yesterday, 28 percent of Calloway County residents have been fully vaccinated including 64.7% of those 65 and older. Calloway County’s COVID-19 positivity rate as of Thursday was 1.21%, which is lower than Wednesday’s rate of 1.56%. The Calloway County School District has reported 1 new student case this week. The Murray Independent School District had no new cases this week and no students from either system are currently quarantined. Murray State University has reported one student case over the past week.
KENTUCKY COVID UPDATE
At Thursday’s COVID-19 update for Kentucky, 674 new cases and 4 new deaths were reported, raising the total to 6,637 Kentuckians who are listed as Covid deaths. As of Thursday, there have been over 6.39 million coronavirus tests performed in Kentucky with a positivity rate of 3.04%, which is lower than last Thursday’s rate of 3.51%. There are 411 Kentuckians hospitalized which is 3 more than last Thursday, including 117 in ICU, which is 4 more than one week ago. At least 52,076 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.
MURRAY BOARD GETS HEAD START FUNDS
Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell announced yesterday that 27 community service agencies and educational organizations received a total of 4.3 million dollars to provide necessary childcare and learning services during the coronavirus pandemic. The federal funding was distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Head Start. The Murray Board of Education received 160,016 dollars. Last year, Kentucky organizations participating in the Head Start program received a total of 13.2 million dollars from the CARES Act.
ONE ARRESTED IN LIVINGSTON COUNTY BURGLARY
One of multiple suspects involved in the burglary of a residence on Tom Doom Road in Grand Rivers on April 25th has been apprehended in Tennessee. On Tuesday, deputies with the Obion County Sheriff’s Office arrested 35-year old Zachery Winters of Union City for Driving on a Revoked/Suspended License and a Warrant of Arrest for Crime in Another State. Winters was lodged in the Obion County Detention Center and is awaiting extradition back to Kentucky on charges of Burglary. Kentucky State Police are still attempting to identify the other male suspect involved in the burglary. The investigation is ongoing.
COMER CO-SPONSORS USPS BILL
As part of an effort to improve the efficiency and financing of the United States Postal Service, First Distrrict Congressman James Comer has joined Oversight Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney in introducing the bipartisan Postal Service Reform Act. The plan will provide more financial flexibility for the agency to improve its’ operations, incorporate innovative ideas to modernize the agency, and maintain a minimum of six-day delivery for mail and packages by USPS. The legislation was passed by the House Oversight and Reform Committee, which Comer serves as Republican Leader of, and will now move to the full House for consideration.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
FRANKFORT—Scientists say this year’s emergence of cicadas could also lead to a wild turkey boom in the state. The last time cicadas came there was a 95-percent jump in turkey reproduction, leading to a record-setting harvest of 36-thousand turkeys two-years later. That was back in 2008, when a different breed of cicadas emerged. Cicadas provide a protein both turkeys and their predators thrive on. The big boom from this year’s cicadas would likely be seen in 2025.
LEXINGTON—The University of Kentucky will host nearly a dozen in-person graduation ceremonies. Ten ceremonies will be held this weekend at Rupp Arena for May 2021 and all 2020 UK graduates. Each graduate is allowed to invite four guests, and the ceremony will also be live-streamed.
FRANKFORT—Governor Andy Beshear is ordering flags to fly at half staff tomorrow in honor of a Hawesville sailor who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Navy Fireman Martin Young will be laid to rest tomorrow in Lewisport, in Hancock County. Young’s remains from the USS Oklahoma were not identified until last year. Young was 21-years old when he died on December 7th, 1941.
WASHINGTON DC—Senator Mitch McConnell says Republicans want to reach a deal on rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure. However, during a virtual meeting of Kentuckians for Better Transportation yesterday, Senator McConnell said if a deal is reached it won’t look anything like President Biden’s two-trillion-dollar plan. McConnell said he knows the White House wants a lot bigger deal, but he said the nation already has a debt the size of its economy. He said Republicans want a plan that’s limited to traditional infrastructure projects like roads and bridges.
LEXINGTON—Today is the last day to get a coronavirus vaccine at UK’s Kroger field in Lexington. UK and Wild Health say they’re shutting down the vaccination site because of low demand. Testing will still be available at Kroger Field through the end of next month. UK says about 250-thousand doses have been administered at Kroger Field.
LEXINGTON—Everyone is okay after an Allegiant Air plane made an emergency landing at Lexington’s Blue Grass Airport. Flight 1313 was enroute to Fort Lauderdale, Florida after taking off from Cincinnati when it turned back for Cincinnati about 25 minutes into yesterday’s flight. The flight then diverted to Blue Grass because of an odor in the cabin.
TENNESSEE—There are over 840 new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported the new cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to nearly 856-thousand-430. An additional nine COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, with the total number of coronavirus-attributed deaths standing at over 12-thousand-300. More than 700 people with COVID-19 are hospitalized across the state.
TENNESSEE—Tennessee is taking steps to fight human trafficking. Governor Bill Lee said yesterday over five-million dollars from the state’s budget will go towards several nonprofits to help victims. Governor Lee said human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises in the country. He also said cases have been reported in all 95 Tennessee counties.
TENNESSEE—Governor Bill Lee is talking to high schools students in East Tennessee. Governor Lee spoke to a leadership class during a stop at Morristown-Hamblen West High School yesterday. Lee talked about the challenges students have faced during the coronavirus outbreak. He said it was a privilege to speak to the future leaders of Tennessee’s communities.
ILLINOIS—Illinois is one step closer to fully re-opening. Governor J.B. Pritzker announced that the state is entering the Bridge Phase today. This means there will be expanded capacity limits for businesses, restaurants, and events. Pritzker says the state could move into Phase 5 as early as June eleventh.
