Lexington Daily Local Headlines: School Board, Tornado-Drill Mix-Up, and Traffic

School board talks continue after closed meeting

The Fayette County school board ended a special meeting without taking new action tied to an outside review of superintendent Demetrus Liggins’ budget oversight. Board leaders said discussions will continue as the district works through next steps and internal fixes.

The review, commissioned by the board, said key financial information did not reach elected members in a complete and timely way. Liggins has acknowledged shortcomings in oversight and has said he plans to correct processes going forward.

Test tornado alert caused confusion during statewide drill

Lexington’s tornado sirens sounded Wednesday morning during the scheduled statewide drill, but many people also received what looked like an actual tornado warning. The National Weather Service later said a coding issue caused the test message to appear like a real alert in some places.

Local meteorologists and emergency managers warned the mix-up can erode trust if residents hesitate the next time a warning is truly urgent.

Nicholasville Road backups after overturned semi

Thursday started with a major traffic headache at Nicholasville Road and New Circle Road after a tractor-trailer overturned, closing outbound lanes for hours. Officials said the driver suffered minor injuries, and the scene was cleared by early afternoon.

Education and civic notes

• A community partnership is again offering Be the Change scholarships for Fayette County public school seniors. The program is awarding multiple $5,000 scholarships, with a possible renewable add-on, and the application deadline has been extended to March 10.
• Separately, Lexington’s first Civic Assembly has begun digging into whether council pay should be changed, as part of a broader look at the city charter and how local government works.

Sources

• https://www.wuky.org/wuky-news/2026-03-05/no-action-taken-on-superintendent-following-fayette-school-board-meeting
• https://www.wkyt.com/2026/03/04/national-weather-service-says-coding-issue-blame-false-tornado-warning/
• https://www.lex18.com/traffic/outbound-lanes-of-nicholasville-road-at-new-circle-road-shut-down-due-to-semi-crash
• https://spectrumnews1.com/ky/northern-ky/news/2026/03/04/one-lexington-offers-dollars-for-education
• https://www.wuky.org/wuky-news/2026-03-03/should-city-council-pay-be-increased-lexingtons-first-civic-assembly-is-beginning-its-exploration-of-the-topic