Free, AI-powered local news for Lexington, Kentucky
An elementary school teacher's experience choosing a low-cost health plan highlights how many Kentuckians struggle to understand high-deductible health plans and the financial strategies available to manage them, including Health Savings Accounts.
The Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is offering a free webinar on genetic counseling in cancer care April 22 as part of its Health for a Change training series for nonprofit professionals and health advocates.
A UK HealthCare physician explains the difference between ultra-processed and minimally processed foods, offering practical guidance for Lexington residents looking to make healthier dietary choices.
The 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be held Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at nearly 4,200 locations nationwide, including at least 60 sites in Kentucky, allowing residents to safely dispose of expired and unused medications.
University of Kentucky researchers have created RADOR-KY, a new surveillance system that uses artificial intelligence and real-time data to predict and prevent opioid overdoses, giving health departments and policymakers access to county-level insights to better target prevention efforts.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton announced significant changes to the city's winter storm response, including a $5.1 million budget increase and contracts with eight additional snow removal contractors, following an internal review that found operational strategy, coordination and communication failures during recent winter weather events.
Governor Beshear signed four bills expanding mental health and eating disorder insurance coverage requirements in Kentucky while allowing two other bills to lapse.
Mayor Linda Gorton will ask the Urban County Council to approve agreements with eight contractors to help manage winter weather operations. The move follows an after-action review of a devastating ice storm that caused more than 150 crashes and prompted leadership changes.
Rudolph G. Buchheit, dean of the University of Kentucky's Pigman College of Engineering since 2018, is departing to become provost and chief academic officer at the University of Cincinnati effective June 1.
Lexington's Reforest the Bluegrass returns to Coldstream Park on April 18 for its annual tree planting festival, continuing a 25+ year tradition that has restored over 200 acres of floodplain and improved local water quality.
The third-annual Kentucky Reads to Succeed Summer Conference will be held June 8-9 at Louisville's Galt House, with registration opening soon and early hotel booking already available.
The Department of Criminal Justice Training announced the graduation of 24 students from Public Safety Dispatch Academy Class 170, continuing Kentucky's efforts to develop trained emergency communication personnel.
Lexington's Urban County Council will review options for relocating the leaking Mint Lane pump station, with costs ranging from $19 million to $48 million depending on the chosen location.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will conduct pavement marking work at intersections in Boyle and Mercer counties April 13-17, with flagging operations in Boyle County and a lane closure in Mercer County.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has scheduled a lane closure on KY 713 in Montgomery County on April 14 to install traffic monitoring equipment, with work expected to take four to five hours beginning around 9 a.m.
A house fire caused by an explosion on Orlean Circle left one person injured Sunday morning. One suspect is in custody as federal and local authorities investigate the incident.
Gov. Andy Beshear signed four House Bills aimed at protecting children and supporting survivors of sexual assault and rape in Kentucky.
Lexington's budget season is underway with Mayor Linda Gorton presenting her priorities April 14th, followed by council review meetings in April and May. Residents can weigh in through a public survey, public comment sessions, and a May 14th budget hearing.
Kentucky State Police Post 12 in Frankfort welcomed two new telecommunicators, Andrew Hall and Emily Isom, among 22 graduates from the KSP Telecommunications Academy's latest class.
The University of Kentucky's Arts in HealthCare program is accepting submissions for its 12th annual juried art competition, open to all UK employees and their immediate family members with a June 5 deadline.
Lexington's Urban County Council will review progress on the Affordable Housing Fund, which has supported 3,826 units since 2014 despite facing obstacles including rising costs and land acquisition challenges. The city needs approximately 22,000 additional affordable housing units to meet demand.
Five poets share the poems they rely on during difficult times, demonstrating how literature provides hope, insight and beauty during hardship.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will close the left lane on portions of Interstate 64 in Scott and Fayette counties April 14-17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for shoulder repair ahead of a resurfacing project.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will close lanes on I-75 in Fayette County on April 14-15 for bridge deck pothole repairs, with work scheduled from 6 p.m. to midnight each night.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is conducting maintenance work with scheduled shoulder closures on I-75 and New Circle Road in Fayette County from April 13-17 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The U.S. Army has officially designated Kentucky's JROTC Directorate as a Program of Record, providing formal recognition and enhanced support for the military educational program across Kentucky's high schools.
The Kentucky General Assembly has approved House Bill 257, legislation to overhaul the state's assessment and accountability systems, which now awaits the governor's signature.
The fatal police shooting of 28-year-old Katelyn Hall during a Louisville mental health crisis is prompting city leaders to reconsider how police respond to psychiatric emergencies, with officials exploring a co-responder model pairing mental health professionals with officers.
Lexington concluded its first civic assembly, with 36 randomly selected residents recommending significant changes to city governance including higher council pay and stronger accountability measures.
Kentucky's 2025-26 Poet Laureate Kathleen Driskell will lead a three-day writing workshop called "Postcards from Pine Mountain" at Pine Mountain State Resort Park May 8-10.
Gov. Beshear signed three pieces of legislation establishing Kentucky's first reentry campus, designed to help formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into their communities while enhancing public safety.
The University of Kentucky will host its inaugural Art Trail on April 16, a free self-guided art walk featuring five campus gallery stops. Participants who visit at least three stops will receive a free artwork by a UK faculty member.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Environmental Commission is accepting nominations for its 2026 Environmental Awards, which recognize significant contributions to environmental improvement in five categories. Nominations close April 30, 2026.
The City of Lexington is hosting a free trash disposal day Saturday, April 11, for Fayette County residents to dispose of up to one pickup truck load of non-hazardous household waste at the Bluegrass Regional Transfer Station. The event is one of four free disposal days offered annually.
University of Kentucky students are expanding a plastic bag collection program that transforms discarded bags into sleeping mats for Lexington's homeless population, reducing campus waste while supporting the community.
Rhonda Logsdon, executive director of Kentucky Special Involvement Network, received the 2026 Robinson Award for Diversity and Equity in Public Education from the Kentucky Board of Education at its April 9 meeting.
Kentucky received $13.6 million in federal funding to replace eight bridges along U.S. 60 in Bath County, removing weight restrictions and improving safety on the critical eastern Kentucky route.
Kentucky lawmakers approved millions in sales tax subsidies for Churchill Downs and Keeneland in a last-minute legislative maneuver, allowing the racetracks to retain state sales taxes during race meets while state agencies face significant budget cuts.
Governor Andy Beshear signed Senate Bills 57 and 157 aimed at reducing utility and mortgage costs for Kentucky residents.
Kentucky students and graduates formalized their commitment to STEM and career and technical education careers at the Going Pro signing day event on March 31.
Glenn Doneghy, 49, was arrested and charged with assault and robbery in connection with a March 29 stabbing near W Seventh Street and Elsmere Alley. Doneghy was previously convicted in the 2010 hit-and-run death of Officer Bryan Durman.
The University of Kentucky's Gaines Center for the Humanities will host textile artist Kimberly English for the 2026 Thomas D. Clark Lecture on April 23, where she will discuss how craft and labor practices interrogate American mythologies in the South.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department confirmed a rabid bat in the Seven Parks/Elizabeth Street area and is urging residents to ensure pet vaccinations are current and to avoid contact with wildlife.
ICE deportations in Kentucky have surged under Trump's second term, with 78% of those arrested now facing deportation compared to 42% during Biden's final years, according to data analyzed by the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting.
A 30-year-old Lexington man was arrested after robbing a vehicle passenger at gunpoint on Old Frankfort Pike on April 2, 2026. The Lexington Police Department used its Real-Time Intelligence Center to quickly locate the suspect's vehicle.
Gov. Beshear has unveiled 10 new stops on the Kentucky African American Heritage Trail to expand recognition of African American contributions to the state and nation.
Governor Andy Beshear has unveiled the official 2026 Governor's Derby Celebration poster, designed by artist Alexandrea Pangburn, according to the Kentucky Tourism, Arts & Heritage Cabinet.
Kentucky lawmakers failed to advance a controversial amendment that would have barred transgender teachers from the state, marking the first legislative session in several years without new anti-LGBTQ+ laws passing.
A 49-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly firing a gun into the roof of a Lextran bus during an altercation with another passenger on April 1, 2026. Paris Hilliard was charged with eight counts of first-degree wanton endangerment.
The Kentucky General Assembly sent more than 100 bills to the governor this week, including a new state budget and major reforms to gaming, child care and Kentucky State University.
Kentucky lawmakers approved a two-year state budget cutting most agencies by 7% while leaving Medicaid underfunded by $691 million and providing minimal increases to K-12 school funding. The agreement freezes funding for higher education at reduced levels and includes no cost-of-living adjustments for retirees.
Eric Adams, 31, was arrested April 1 and charged with first-degree assault, first-degree robbery, and felon in possession of a handgun in connection with a March 17 shooting and robbery on Cantrill Drive that left one man with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Kentucky General Assembly passed a $6.2 billion executive branch budget Wednesday that emphasizes disciplined spending while investing in education, health care and public safety, though some Democrats questioned Medicaid funding levels.
The Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill 185, comprehensively restructuring Kentucky State University with a shift toward a polytechnic model while preserving its HBCU status and historic mission. The measure passed both chambers with bipartisan support and includes enhanced financial oversight and enrollment standards.
Kentucky has passed comprehensive gaming legislation that raises the sports wagering age to 21, creates regulations for fantasy sports, and implements new consumer protections. The bill passed 24-13 in the Senate and 64-19 in the House despite some concerns about impacts on major racetracks.
Body camera footage from a March 2026 arrest at Central High School contradicts the JCPS district's account that the incident occurred outside the school campus, according to a Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting investigation.
A Kentucky proposal to ban transgender teachers, refiled as a floor amendment to an unrelated bill, faces procedural obstacles that make passage unlikely as the 2026 legislative session winds down.
Gov. Beshear's administration has opened applications for $386,000 in grant funding to support youth crime prevention programs across Kentucky through the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet.
Kentucky's 2026 legislative session ends April 15, with lawmakers having only days remaining to pass bills before a gubernatorial veto period. Most LGBTQ-focused legislation has stalled, with only two bills remaining in contention as time constraints make new bill advancement unlikely.
Louisville Metro Police Department drones monitored at least three protests including a January anti-ICE rally, raising concerns from civil rights groups about surveillance of First Amendment-protected activities as the department rapidly expands drone capabilities.
Kentucky lawmakers have advanced multiple bills to combat educator sexual misconduct, including legislation criminalizing child grooming that was signed into law in April. Additional proposals ban school NDAs in abuse cases and establish stricter reporting requirements for alleged abusers moving between districts.
The Bowling Green Independent School District is sharing updates on Kentucky's budget bill and expressing priorities for district funding as the state legislature works through budget negotiations.
Democratic speakers have cited concerning health statistics for Kentucky women and girls, calling on state officials to take action to improve health outcomes and address healthcare disparities.
Kentucky Democrats are seeking to repeal the state's right-to-work laws, a move that would strengthen union protections and collective bargaining power in the state.
Kentucky lawmakers employ shell bills, committee substitutes, and accelerated voting schedules to introduce major legislation after official filing deadlines, often with limited public notice.
The University of Kentucky will host a free 'Stop the Bleed' training event April 29 to teach community members lifesaving techniques for controlling severe bleeding in emergencies.
Kentucky's Main Street communities achieved $75.6 million in total investment during 2025, creating 395 new jobs and 72 new businesses through a combination of $23.6 million in private and $8.9 million in public investments.
Kentucky's 19 state park campgrounds will open March 13, offering outdoor enthusiasts access to camping and recreational opportunities throughout the state.
Gov. Beshear has certified Clark, Johnson, Madison and Mason counties as Recovery Ready Communities, recognizing their coordinated efforts in substance abuse prevention and recovery support initiatives.
Kentucky's recidivism rate has declined for the second straight year, according to Gov. Beshear and the state Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, suggesting that the administration's rehabilitation and reentry programs are helping to reduce repeat offenses.
Kentucky's VINE victim notification system has been restored following a temporary outage that prevented crime victims from receiving alerts about offender releases and court proceedings.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is accepting nominations through Feb. 28 for the 2026 Dr. Rice C. Leach Public Health Hero Award, which recognizes individuals dedicated to improving public health in the community.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has alerted residents to a potential measles exposure at the Hyatt Place Hamburg and Hamburg Panera following a visit by an unvaccinated traveler from out of state in early January.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has launched the PATH mini-grant program, offering organizations up to $5,000 to support community health projects in priority areas. Applications are open through January.
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department has confirmed 37 pertussis cases since October 2025, with the majority involving school-age children, 35 of whom were vaccinated. Health officials urge vaccination and booster updates while advising caregivers to monitor for symptoms.
Kentucky has extended the application deadline to Sept. 2 for disaster food benefits for residents in 12 flood-affected counties, according to Gov. Beshear's administration.
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services is accepting nominations for the Governor's Service Awards, with submissions due by Sept. 30.
Kentucky has launched a new coordinated care program to help vulnerable older adults remain independent in their communities while receiving cost-effective services, according to the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
Kentucky will distribute more than $25 million across housing, food, education and health services to support residents facing economic hardship and access to essential programs.
Kentucky reported its first probable case of monkeypox, though state health officials say the risk to the general public remains low.