Lexington approves FY 2026 budget with sidewalk and safety funding
Lexington’s Urban County Council approved a nearly $1 billion FY 2026 budget, including $400,000 for unsafe sidewalk repairs and public-safety funding.
Kentucky
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Owensboro Police, Fire and Schools Complete Safety Training
Owensboro police, firefighters and public schools completed a two-week active-shooter training operation focused on coordinated emergency response.
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Six University of Kentucky researchers selected for federal Genesis Mission, including grid-resilience project
Six University of Kentucky researchers are part of the first cohort of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission, including a UK-led project studying power-grid resilience during extreme wind events.
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Kentucky Medicaid provider payments cut 4% beginning Aug. 1
Kentucky Medicaid has notified participating providers that reimbursement rates will be reduced 4% starting Aug. 1 because the state budget does not provide enough funding to maintain current payment levels.
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Beshear disputes claimed Aug. 3 deadline for Kentucky Senate special election
Gov. Andy Beshear challenged the legal basis for a widely circulated Aug. 3 deadline to call a special election for Kentucky’s U.S. Senate seat, while questions about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s status remain unresolved.
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Henry County school transportation registration deadline passes for New Castle families
Henry County Public Schools’ July 31, 2026 transportation-registration deadline has passed. Drivers are scheduled to contact families Aug. 7-11 with approximate pickup times.
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Hopkinsville receives $22,500 grant to update historic-property surveys
Hopkinsville was awarded a $22,500 federal grant to update surveys of historic properties through Kentucky’s Certified Local Government program.
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Kentucky highway plan includes new aquatic-center access road in Barbourville
A 2026-2028 Kentucky highway plan includes a Barbourville project intended to improve safety and provide safer access to the city aquatic center.
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Bardstown City Schools adds second school resource officer for elementary campuses
Mike Medley joined Bardstown City Schools on July 1 as its second School Resource Officer, with an office at Bardstown Elementary School and a primary focus on preschool-through-fifth-grade campuses.
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Federal SNAP Data Lawsuits Put State Benefit Privacy in Court
The Justice Department sued four states over five years of SNAP records, escalating a dispute over federal oversight, privacy and data security.
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Brown-Forman board rejects Sazerac approach, leaving Louisville spirits company independent for now
Brown-Forman’s Louisville board said Sazerac’s unsolicited proposal was not actionable, leaving ownership, jobs and headquarters unchanged for now as a CEO transition remains pending.
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WKU students can apply for second Downtown BGKY Ambassador Academy
WKU sophomores, juniors and seniors can apply through Sept. 7 for a free Downtown BGKY Ambassador Academy cohort meeting monthly and completing a community capstone.
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Lexington council’s South Broadway zoning case advances toward Aug. 26 hearing
Lexington approved a South Broadway-area zone change July 2 for a proposed high-density, student-oriented housing project, but final development approval remains ahead and planners still want answers on transit, sidewalks, design and parking.
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Beshear uses $255 million to block Kentucky Medicaid cut, but long-term funding remains unresolved
Kentucky will use unexpected surplus and corporate-tax revenue to prevent a scheduled 4% Medicaid reimbursement reduction for affected fee-for-service providers. The move protects services through the current fiscal-year period, while lawmakers still face a recurring-funding question.
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Pikeville Elementary Receives $30,450 Federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant
Pikeville Elementary School has been named for a $30,450 Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program award, although the district has not announced when the program will begin or how snacks will be provided.
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Ashland teacher appointed to Kentucky Board of Education for 2026-27 term
Stephanie Phillips, a Family & Consumer Science teacher at Paul Blazer High School, is serving from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, as Kentucky’s non-voting teacher member on the Kentucky Board of Education.
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Lexington’s $3 Million Opioid-Grant Application Deadline Is Friday
Eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofits with a physical presence in Fayette County have until 2 p.m. Eastern Friday to apply through Lexington’s IonWave system.
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Kentucky employers prepare for Aug. 17 unemployment tax-portal launch after TPA deadline
Kentucky’s new unemployment tax portal is scheduled to launch Aug. 17. Employers and TPAs must track new credentials, legacy-system cutoff dates and authorization steps.
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Louisville commuters are adjusting to two major transportation changes at once
I-65 reopened through Louisville’s central corridor with reduced capacity, while TARC’s redesigned network changed routes, stops and transfer patterns beginning August 2.
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Senate moves toward contempt action after Fauci refuses COVID questions
A Senate committee is expected to vote during the week of August 3 on contempt action after Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times.
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Carrollton Area Drivers Face Ongoing I-71 Widening Work Through Carroll County
Northbound I-71 lane and ramp closures are scheduled between mile markers 53 and 57 beginning at 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, as KYTC crews perform median drainage work. The temporary phase is expected to end by 5 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, weather permitting, while the broader widening project continues through Nov. 1, 2026.
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Louisville residents can weigh proposed Clariant air permit before Aug. 17 deadline
Written comments are due Aug. 17 on a proposed permit for a new bulk alumina container at Clariant’s Louisville West Plant.