ONE KILLED IN GRAVES COUNTY SHOOTING
Kentucky State Police responded last night to a shooting in the Hickory community of Graves County. At approximately 6:35, Post 1 Dispatch began receiving reports of gunshots near the apartment complexes on McKenzie Circle. One person was reported dead as a result of the shooting. Law enforcement believes the shooting was an isolated incident and there is no evidence to indicate a further threat to the surrounding area. Post 1 detectives are following multiple leads at this time. Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact the Kentucky State Police.
CCHD REPORTS COUNTY’S 55TH COVID-RELATED DEATH
The Calloway County Health Department reported 21 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday with 18 of those cases under 60 years of age. The Health Department also announced the county’s 55th death. The county currently has 192 cases isolated at home and 5 are hospitalized. Calloway County’s latest reported positivity rate is 8.54% which is lower than the state rate of 12.89%. Tuesday, the state reported 3,106 confirmed new cases and 13 confirmed COVID related deaths. There were 2,014 hospitalized as of Tuesday, which is 411 more than last Tuesday, including 589 in ICU, which is 148 higher than a week ago.
KCTCS AWARDS RECORD NUMBER OF CREDENTIALS
Despite the significant disruption to the 2020-21 academic year, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System awarded a record number of credentials to a record number of graduates. The 16 KCTCS colleges awarded 39,458 credentials, which included degrees, diplomas and certificates. KCTCS saw a nearly 5 percent year-over-year increase in Associate in Applied Science degrees, designed to prepare graduates to directly enter the workforce. There also was an increase in Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees for students who want to transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree.
FARMERS SET RECORD FOR AG TAG DONATIONS
Kentucky farmers donated over $731,000 to the Ag Tag Program for 2021 – the highest ever in program history. The amount donated this year was almost $120,000 more than last year’s amount, and more than the previous highest donated amount, which was almost $630,000 in 2017. The voluntary donations are divided equally among Kentucky 4-H, Kentucky FFA, and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. This year each group will receive nearly $244,000.
IN AND AROUND KENTUCKY
LOUISVILLE—The top Senate Republican is blasting President Biden for his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called it a “foreign policy blunder of gargantuan proportions.” The Kentucky Republican went after Biden yesterday for taking troops out of the war-torn country, as well as having no plan to execute the withdrawal. The Taliban quickly advanced throughout the country before eventually taking Afghanistan’s capital city more than a week ago.
FRANKFORT—Kentucky state Representative Robert Goforth is stepping down as he faces domestic violence charges. Goforth indicated in his resignation letter yesterday that he was resigning because of “family and personal circumstances” that require his full attention. The domestic violence charges stem from an April 2020 incident where police say Goforth tried to tie his wife up several times, hit her, and tried to strangle her while their three children were inside the home. He won re-election last year despite calls for his resignation.
FRANKFORT—Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers is proposing COVID-19 vaccination incentives in his home area in Clay County. Stivers announced yesterday that those getting vaccinated in Manchester will receive a free pizza coupon and be entered into a drawing for 250-dollars. Other drawing prizes include Kentucky basketball tickets and the opportunity to help their local school win new sports equipment. Stivers says he’d like to see incentives put in place in the 20 counties with the lowest vaccination numbers.
HOPKINS COUNTY—The Hopkins County Jail is reporting that an inmate has tested positive for COVID-19. Officials announced the case yesterday, the first among inmates at the jail. Jailer Mike Lewis says the case was discovered during the facility’s quarantining procedures for a new inmate. The jail is suspending visitation, community service programs, in-house programs, and volunteer services.
OWESNBORO—Owensboro Police are investigating after a man was stabbed. Police say the stabbing happened yesterday morning in the 13-hundred-block of Independence Avenue. The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers say 65-year-old Pamela Totten has been charged with assault in connection with the case.
BOWLING GREEN—Senator Rand Paul is talking about America’s exit from Afghanistan. While in Bowling Green yesterday, Paul said there’s a lesson to be learned from the American military’s time in the Asian nation. He said it’s not that the U.S. left too soon, rather that it stayed too long. The Republican said he wanted the U.S. to get out of Afghanistan more than ten years ago and called the exit “chaotic.”
LOUISVILLE—There are just a few days left in the Kentucky State Fair. P.O.D. with special guest All Good Things headline the music acts at the fair tonight. The World’s Championship Horse Show will also be held this evening in Freedom Hall. The Kentucky State Fair wraps up on Sunday at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.
TENNESSEE—Tennessee is surpassing a grim milestone. There have been over one-million COVID-19 cases in the state since the outbreak began. The Tennessee Department of Health reported over 51-hundred new cases yesterday. Over 30 additional COVID-19-related deaths were also reported, bringing the total since the outbreak began to over 13-thousand-230.
TENNESSEE—Governor Bill Lee’s request for a disaster declaration for the state is being approved by President Biden. The declaration makes federal funding available to help recovery in the counties that saw historic flooding over the weekend. The declaration covers Humphreys, Dickson, Hickman, and Houston counties. At least 18 people died in Saturday’s flooding after more than 17 inches of rain fell on parts of Middle Tennessee.
TENNESSEE—A West Tennessee assistant principal is being reassigned. Janna Matykiewicz was investigated after making an alleged antisemitic social media post. Matykiewicz questioned the difference between COVID-19 vaccination papers and the yellow Star of David Jewish people were forced to wear during the Holocaust. Germantown Municipal School District said yesterday Matykiewicz is no longer an administrator at Houston High School, but is still employed by the district.
TENNESSEE—A former Olympian from West Tennessee is making a huge donation to the University of Tennessee at Martin. Equestrian Olympic gold medalist Melanie Smith Taylor has agreed to donate a 350-acre Germantown farm to the school upon her death. The property valued at over 79-and-a-half-million dollars is the largest commitment in UT system history. The school plans to use the space to expand its veterinary health technology and several agricultural programs.
ILLINOIS— New CDC data shows that every Illinois county is now at high risk for COVID-19 transmission. The update includes data collected from August 17th through August 23rd. Governor J.B. Pritzker spoke about yesterday’s data release, warning “significantly greater mitigations” could be put into place if numbers don’t begin improving. Pritzker was not specific about what measures may be taken to bring down case numbers.
