By Eleanor Klibanoff If Kentucky’s healthcare facilities become overrun with coronavirus patients, tough decisions may have to be made about who gets access to limited resources. But hospitals won’t be making those decisions in a vacuum — they’ll be guided by the state’s crisis standards of care plan. On March 30, Department for Public Health Commissioner Dr.…
LOUISVILLE, Ky (WDRB) — Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio says there is a slight chance that students could return to school to finish up the academic year. “I see a scenario,” said Pollio. “I think it’s possible that we could come back in the first or second week of May.” But with the…
BY JAMILAH MUHAMMAD | KENTUCKY BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — To stop the spread of the coronavirus, Governor Andy Beshear announced that state park cabins and cottages would be used as isolation housing for first responders. In his Wednesday briefing, Beshear and Dr. Steven Stack announced four medical students would be moving into rooms at Kentucky Dam Village…
By RACHEL COLLINS The Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet is currently training new employees to total 1,000 people available to manage incoming phone calls regarding unemployment insurance. Deputy Secretary Josh Benton said the department also restructured call priorities to ensure those with the most urgent need receive assistance first. He anticipates these initiatives will help…
Chad Mills and Kristen Shanahan HILLVIEW, Ky. (WDRB) — Despite pleas by Gov. Andy Beshear and others, a Wednesday night in-person worship service went on as scheduled at the Maryville Baptist Church in Bullitt County. There, the Rev. Jack Roberts said he won’t back down as health department officials use state authority to try to…
FRANKFORT, Ky. — The Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) is accepting public comments for Kentucky’s waivers for flexibility on K-12 education funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provides flexibility in K-12 education funding, particularly the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), with additional flexibility through waivers of…
BY VALARIE HONEYCUTT SPEARS Gov. Andy Beshear said 55 residents in 21 nursing homes in Kentucky have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Eleven of them have died. Twenty-two staffers have tested positive. The many positive COVID-19 cases connected to a single Fayette school bus garage demonstrate the challenges public health officials face in confronting…
BY WILL WRIGHT If you are laid off from your job, then you may be eligible for unemployment insurance, but you must abide by the rules. Some people misunderstand their legal responsibilities when they receive these benefits, which can lead to a commission of fraud. BY GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR This article has Unlimited Access. For more…
By Jess Clark Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order last week releasing 186 inmates from state prisons who were vulnerable to the coronavirus. Advocates are calling on the state to take similar steps to protect juveniles who are incarcerated. The ACLU of Kentucky has sent a letter to Kentucky Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner LaShana Harris, asking…
By ASSOCIATED PRESS Officials with the Kentucky Community and Technical College System have postponed the search for a new president due the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A statement from the school system’s Board of Regents says they hope to post the job again in August and announce a new leader by next January. Meanwhile, current President Jay…