MURRAY MAN FACING CHILD PORN CHARGES
The Kentucky State Police Electronic Crime Branch have arrested 73-year-old Gary Roger White of Calloway County on charges related to child sexual abuse material. A search warrant was executed at a residence in Murray yesterday where equipment used to facilitate the crime was seized and taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory. White was charged with ten counts of distribution and two counts of possession of matter portraying a minor in a sexual performance. He was lodged in the Calloway County Jail.
MAYFIELD MAN INJURED IN ROLLOVER ACCIDENT
Graves County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched yesterday morning to a single vehicle, injury collision on Interstate 69 near the 28-mile marker. According to police, 24-year old Christopher Alfaro of Mayfield, was southbound when his vehicle dropped off of the left shoulder, came back across both lanes, collided with a ditch, and overturned several times, ejecting him. He was transported by Air Evac to an Evansville area hospital. Alfaro was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision.
CALLOWAY/KENTUCKY COVID UPDATE
The Calloway County Health Department reported 1 new case of COVID-19 yesterday. Currently, 7 cases are isolated at home, and none are hospitalized. The county positivity rate as of Thursday was 2.2%, which was down from Wednesday’s 2.76% rate. At yesterday’s COVID-19 update for Kentucky, 204 new cases and 4 new deaths were reported. The state’s current positivity rate is 1.85%, which is lower than last Thursday’s rate of 2.06%. There are 196 Kentuckians hospitalized which is 33 less than last Thursday, including 55 in ICU, which is 11 less than one week ago.
PJ CLARK EXPANDING TO CADIZ
Governor Andy Beshear announced yesterday that PJ Clark Lumber LLC plans to locate in an existing facility in Trigg County with a $5 million investment. PJ Clark will occupy the former Little River Dry Kiln facility on Cerulean Road in Trigg County. Company leaders expect to create 13 full-time jobs during the first year of operation, ramping up to a staff of at least 35 by 2023.
SENIOR CENTER RAMPING UP SERVICES
After 15 month of closure due to the pandemic, the Murray-Calloway County Senior Citizens Center reopened on June 14. While activities came to a halt, Meals-On-Wheels service did not, with the numbers of those served almost tripling during the pandemic with over 58,000 meals served. But with the reopening earlier this month, activities are gradually being phased back in according to Services Director at the Center, Dacia Barger. Senior Citizen trips are also coming back, with the first coming sometime in July according to Barger.
RAIL IMPROVEMENTS COMING TO MARSHALL COUNTY
Six railroad companies will receive grants to fund multimodal freight transportation improvements in Kentucky. The grants will fund 24 safety improvement projects, ranging from signal upgrades and new signage to removing obstructive vegetation to improve sight distance. The award recipients will provide a 20 percent local match. In Marshall County the grant will be used for separate projects at North Main Street and Industrial Parkway at a total cost of nearly 240,000.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
FRANKFORT—Some unemployed Kentuckians returning to work are getting a boost. Governor Andy Beshear announced a back-to-work incentive program yesterday during his Team Kentucky update. The program began yesterday and will provide 15-hundred-dollar payments to qualified Kentucky residents who reenter the workforce before July 30th. To receive the payment, residents must be 18 or older and have an active unemployment claim at the time they return to work.
FRANKFORT—Kentucky student-athletes are now allowed to receive compensation for the use of their name, images and likeness. Governor Andy Beshear signed an order yesterday okaying the practice. He is the first governor to allow such compensation by executive order. The order takes effect July 1st.
WASHINGTON DC—Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is calling out President Biden for “caving” to Democrats. The Kentucky Republican slammed the President yesterday for endorsing the scaled-down bipartisan infrastructure plan, then later threatening to veto the bill if it’s not accompanied by a larger reconciliation package. McConnell accused Biden of flip-flopping on the bipartisan effort to appease Democrats. The GOP leader says the conflicting messages from Biden raises serious doubts if he’s actually serious about getting bipartisan infrastructure framework passed through Congress.
EDMONSON COUNTY—Fun times at Edmonson County’s Redneck Rave are being interrupted by a number of injuries and arrests. Organizers say up to 15-thousand people attended the event last weekend, which has made international headlines. County authorities say they responded to a good amount of calls about severe injuries and criminal activities surrounding the event, and over a dozen arrests were made. Founder Justin Time says the atmosphere of the event was mostly positive, and that it provided a boost to the local economy.
OWENSBORO—A new restaurant and brewery is opening in Owensboro. The Goodwood Brewing Company is moving into the Enclave building. The Louisville-based brewery is set to open in December or January. Other locations include Frankfort, Lexington, and Indianapolis.
FORT CAMPBELL—-Fort Campbell is upgrading its security. The army post is installing a new access system at its gates. The bar-code system technology will increase background check capabilities and better detect fake identification cards. It’s expected to go live on Monday.
FORT CAMPBELL—-Changes are coming to Fort Campbell. Army officials say the post will have a new middle school by 2023, and renovated barracks over the next nine years. Colonel Jeremy Bell made the announcement this week at the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce Power Breakfast. The address was a sort of farewell by Colonel Bell who will be leaving Fort Campbell soon for his next duty station.
TENNESSEE—Search crews from Tennessee and five other states are looking for a missing East Tennessee girl. The crews from over 100 agencies have searched more than four-and-a-half-square miles near the Rogersville home of Summer Wells in Hawkins County. Crews say the rough landscape near where the five-year-old was last seen makes the search slow and exhausting. Wells was first reported missing last Tuesday and an AMBER-Alert was issued the next day.
TENNESSEE—There are over 60 new coronavirus cases in Tennessee. The Tennessee Department of Health reported the new cases yesterday, bringing the total since the outbreak began to 866-thousand-670. An additional four COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, with the total number of coronavirus-attributed deaths standing at over 12-thousand-540. There are nearly 270 people with COID-19 hospitalized in Tennessee.
ILLINOIS—Southern Illinois University is giving students attending classes on campus a choice: get vaccinated for COVID-19 or be prepared to mask up and get tested regularly. SIU system officials say students have been informed of their options for attending classes on the Carbondale or Edwardsville campuses in the fall. Officials say students must either be vaccinated by the start of the fall semester, or plan to wear a mask and participate in regular testing for the virus. Asymptomatic testing of unvaccinated students will continue until health experts determine that it is no longer needed.
