Jefferson County waste­water provides details about COVID, flu and RSV

BY DAVID WILLIAMS KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville researchers said testing wastewater is the best way to monitor community infection and predict possible hospital surges. What You Need To Know The data show an increase in the amount of COVID-19 in Jefferson County’s wastewater The number of hospitalizations of people positive with COVID-19 has also increased, according to…

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Baptist Health extends Medicare Advantage dispute to United Healthcare, WellCare

One of Kentucky’s largest healthcare providers is at odds with three private insurers over Medicare Advantage plans by Chris Otts LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — One of the largest health care providers in Kentucky is now off limits to even more seniors who have Medicare Advantage plans from private insurance companies. As of Jan. 1, Louisville-based…

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Fewer and fewer children in Kentucky’s foster care system are being reunited with their families

By Jasmine Demers Louisville Public Media The rate of children in Kentucky’s foster care system who are reunited with their families has been steadily declining for years — and now it’s the lowest it’s been in over a decade. Less than a third of children exiting foster care were reunified with their parent or primary…

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‘Nobody likes being spied on’ | Kentucky bill would crack down on drones, police camera data

by Marcus Green LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A wide-ranging privacy bill filed in the Kentucky General Assembly would set limits on how long police can keep data captured by license plate readers and create new restrictions for other emerging technologies. House Bill 45 seeks to rein in the information, images and other personal data increasingly…

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Kentucky De­mo­c­ratic Gov. Andy Beshear forms PAC to support can­di­dates across the country

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS | KENTUCKY FRANKFORT, Ky. — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who defeated Donald Trump-backed rivals twice in Republican-leaning Kentucky, announced the formation of a federal political action committee on Monday to support candidates across the country as he seeks to broaden his influence beyond the Bluegrass State. What You Need To Know Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has…

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Advocates renew crusade to gain more assistance from lawmakers for Kentucky’s ‘kinship care’ families

By Deborah Yetter Kentucky Lantern For Barry Shrout, raising four granddaughters is a role he willingly took on — and that he acknowledges is exhausting and expensive. “The financial part of it is a big thing with me,” said Shrout, 66, a single grandfather from Maysville who has custody of the girls ages 10, 11,…

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Kentucky House leaves its rules unchanged, despite calls for less control, more transparency

BY: MCKENNA HORSLEY  FRANKFORT — Despite recent calls by several Republicans to loosen House leadership’s control of the legislative process, the House voted Tuesday to make no changes in its rules. Four Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the rules resolution, which was sponsored by House Speaker David Osborne and adopted by a vote of  72-23.…

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Osborne says Kentucky House budget will dip into record ‘rainy day’ fund, mum on what for

Advocates urge lawmakers to fund housing, education, other unmet needs BY: LIAM NIEMEYER  FRANKFORT — The GOP speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives says he expects House Republicans’ two-year budget proposal to utilize some of the state’s record “rainy day” fund balance, though he declined to say how much or for what. House Speaker David…

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Kentucky utility regulators investigate LG&E/KU over Winter Storm Elliott

Louisville Public Media | By Morgan Watkins – Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities organized rolling blackouts that impacted nearly 55,000 customers in December 2022. Now, the state’s Public Service Commission is launching its own investigation. In the days leading up to Christmas that year, Kentuckians weathered subzero temperatures. Winter Storm Elliott wreaked havoc across the state…

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KY School Boards Association members will be keeping an eye on Frankfort during legislative session

WEKU | By Stu Johnson The Kentucky School Boards Association has more than a few items of interest as the General Assembly enters into session this week. Those include requests for more state dollars for instruction. It’s also seeking support for all-day kindergarten, facility improvements, and wrap-around social services. Josh Shoulta is KSBA communications director. Shoulta…

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