Former Governor Brereton Jones, 84, dies after a long illness; remembered as dedicated leader

By Jack Brammer
NKyTribune reporter
Former Kentucky Gov. Brereton Jones, who emphasized healthcare reform and ethics in his administration from 1991 to 1995 and who was a major figure in the state’s horse industry, has died at the age of 84 after a long illness.
Governor Jones, official portrait
Gov. Andy Beshear announced the death late Monday on social media.
“I was sad to learn that former...
Kentucky shares in multi-million dollar settlement with Tempoe LLC in consumer protection on leasing

By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced that Kentucky will share in a multi-million dollar settlement involving over 40 states with Tempoe, LLC, in a consumer protection case involving leasing versus buying.
The agreement settles allegations that Tempoe systematically misled its customers, leading them to believe that they were agreeing to an installment plan to purchase...
Kentucky’s quota hunt application period for deer, waterfowl and pheasant open through Sept. 30

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources offers annual quota hunts for deer, waterfowl and pheasant at state wildlife management areas and other public lands, and for sandhill cranes on a statewide basis. Randomized drawings are conducted to determine recipients of the hunt opportunities that are each limited to a specific quota number.
(Photo from KDFWR)
Hunters can apply for these quota...
Big Blue Madness set for October 13 at Rupp Arena; tickets available September 29

By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Big Blue Madness is set for Oct. 13 at Rupp Arena.
Tickets for the annual event will be available beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29.
Big Blue Madness (File photo/UK)
Big Blue Madness, which will showcase the Kentucky men’s and women’s basketball teams, will begin at 7 p.m. and tickets are free.
Because of ongoing renovations at Memorial Coliseum, there will be...
Art Lander’s Outdoors: Once nearly absent in the state, the house wren now most abundant in NKY

The House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) has the distinction of being one of the very few songbirds that were rare or absent during the early settlement of Kentucky, but has become established during relatively recent times.
Author Brainard Palmer-Ball Jr. wrote in The Kentucky Breeding Bird Atlas that “Audubon did not observe the species during the early 1800s, and even as late as the early 1900s it was...
Daniel Boone National Forest to hold clean up event, waive fees for National Public Lands Day Sept. 23

In honor of the 30th annual National Public Lands Day, the Daniel Boone National Forest is supporting a trash clean up in the Red River Gorge and waiving fees at recreation areas across the Forest on Saturday, September 23.
National Public Lands Day was first established in 1994 by the National Environmental Education Foundation and is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public...
Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Laurance VanMeter announces he will not seek re-election

By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Laurance B. VanMeter officially announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election to the high court bench when his current eight-year term expires at the end of 2024.
In making known his decision, VanMeter said, “The greatest privileges of my professional life have been to serve the people of Central Kentucky as their Justice on the Court...
Appalachian Regional Commission awards $14m in grants to help people in recovery re-enter workforce

By McKenna Horsley
The Kentucky Lantern
The Appalachian Regional Commission announced nearly $14 million for projects that help people recovering from substance use disorders to re-enter the workforce.
Across 11 states, 43 projects were selected to receive part of the funding through ARC’s Investments Supporting Partnerships In Recovery Ecosystems (INSPIRE) Initiative. Federal Co-Chair Gayle...
State seeing uptick in cases of ‘whooping cough,’ a highly contagious respiratory illness

By Sarah Ladd
Kentucky Lantern
Kentucky is seeing an uptick in cases of pertussis, more commonly called whooping cough, a highly contagious respiratory illness.
File photo
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services said in a newsletter: “Recent cases have occurred primarily in central Kentucky but cases are being seen throughout the Commonwealth.”
Whooping cough can be a life threatening...
Small Business Administration finalizes rule to increase financial support for disaster survivors

By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced it has finalized a rule to increase support to disaster survivors and small businesses needing relief following a federally declared disaster.
The rule becomes effective for all disasters declared on or after July 31, 2023.
(Image from Kentucky Today)
“The Biden-Harris Administration has prioritized maximizing resources...
Public Service Commission denies energy subsidies for proposed cryptomining facility in Eastern KY

By Nadia Ramlagan
Public News Service
China-based company Ebon International will not be getting discounted energy prices for its proposed cryptomining facility in eastern Kentucky, the state’s regulators announced.
The Public Service Commission is also expected to issue a decision this month on rate discounts for another cryptomining facility in Hatfield.
Foreign-owned cryptomining companies...
Art Lander’s Outdoors: Grant County’s Williamstown Lake is a popular boating and recreation destination

Editor’s note:This is the seventeenth article in an occasional series on small lakes in central and eastern Kentucky.
Williamstown lake is a popular boating destination (Photo from Lemons Landing)
Williamstown Lake is east of Interstate-75 in Grant County, reached via US 25, Ky. 467, Ky. 22, Ky. 2360, and Ky. 489.
Impounded from south fork of Grassy Creek, a tributary to the Licking River, the...
Sports betting legal in Kentucky today; Governor, Lt. Governor making first bets at state sites

By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Sports wagering, which was legalized by the General Assembly earlier this year, begins today at 12 brick-and-mortar licensed retail facilities across Kentucky, while the use of approved mobile apps won’t begin until Sept. 28.
Gov. Andy Beshear said he’s looking forward to it.
“I’ll be excited to be at Churchill Downs, a little before 10 a.m., to make the first bet....
Mitch McConnell reports to Senate about recent work trip to Kentucky: ‘will keep concerns at forefront’

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks Tuesday on the Senate floor regarding his recent Kentucky state work period:
“I kicked off the month in West Kentucky and then in my hometown of Louisville, where I met with small businesses and community leaders. We had a candid conversation on the critical issues facing our state, from relentless inflation straining...
DOCJT basic training academy graduate 26 law enforcement officers from agencies across state

Gov. Andy Beshear announced that 26 law enforcement officers from agencies across the state have graduated the Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training’s (DOCJT) basic training academy. These law enforcement officers will now serve and protect the commonwealth to create safer communities.
“Congratulations to these graduates who have dedicated themselves to 20 weeks of extensive basic training,”...