The University of Kentucky Police Department released its 2026 Annual Campus Safety and Security Report, covering crime statistics from 2023–25 and campus safety policies in Lexington. On the main campus, it lists 24 reported rapes and 48 motor vehicle thefts in 2025; 22 rapes occurred in student housing, down from 30 in 2024. Required under federal and state law, the report also covers emergency response, crime reporting, housing security and fire safety. UKPD urged the campus community to check its daily
The Georgetown Scott County Regional Airport received $1.7 million from the state for water infrastructure upgrades. The project will install up to five fire hydrants, giving the airport direct access to high-flow water for the first time since it opened in 1993. The Scott County Fire Department will advise on hydrant placement, and the lines are expected to improve fire protection in nearby rural areas of Scott and Bourbon counties. Construction is expected to finish by spring 2027.
Kentucky Rep. Morgan McGarvey said White House videos praising President Donald Trump, funded with at least $1.5 million in taxpayer money, depart from past public-service announcements and amount to campaigning. The White House defends them as public service announcements, and the House Oversight Committee
The White House is defending three taxpayer-funded ads praising President Donald Trump, which are nearing at least $1.5 million in public spending, as public service announcements. Kentucky Democratic Rep. Morgan McGarvey called them campaigning and propaganda, while outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie criticized the use of taxpayer money. The House Oversight Committee is investigating, and legal experts told The Associated Press the ads appear to violate federal laws on propaganda and partisan
Danville police will send their Honor Guard to Sunday’s funeral for Kentucky State Trooper Hayden Phillips at E.A. Diddle Arena at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. Phillips was shot and killed during a traffic stop Monday. Assistant Chief Glenn Doan said officers from across Kentucky and possibly beyond are expected to attend and pay their respects. Phillips will be buried at a cemetery in Glasgow after the service.
Kentucky has no blanket winter ban on utility shutoffs. From Nov. 1 through March 31, gas and electric utilities must delay termination at least 30 days for qualifying customers who submit proof of eligibility for energy assistance or income at or below 130% of the poverty level, and agree to a payment plan. Winter Hardship Reconnection requires paying one-third of the balance or $200, whichever is less; Kentucky Utilities says it avoids nonpayment shutoffs in freezing weather.
Fire crews from across central Kentucky battled a large fire Wednesday afternoon at Glenn’s Creek Distilling in Woodford County. The blaze destroyed several historic buildings.
Kaydence Carpenter, 20, is due in court Thursday to ask a judge to lift her pretrial license suspension and amend a bond condition barring her from driving. Her attorneys say she has served the maximum six-month suspension for operating a vehicle under the influence, and Carpenter cites medical needs and rides to health appointments. Police say she drove into a crowd and the wrong way down Short Street in downtown Lexington in March, injuring four people. She faces four assault counts and other charges.
Kentuckians can share concerns about data center proposals with state lawmakers at a public listening session Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Capitol Annex in Frankfort. Rep. Adam Moore of Lexington is organizing the session after months of disputes over projects across the state. Residents have raised concerns about electricity demand and utility bills, water use, noise, land use and local infrastructure; Moore says he wants stronger protections and rules before development moves ahead.
Investigators used cellphone data and Flock license plate readers to track Branch from Warren County to Louisville, helping capture the man accused of killing a Kentucky State Police trooper.
The Lexington Woman’s Club must leave its clothing center at 701 East Main Street in Lexington by Dec. 31, 2026, after Fayette County Public Schools said the building will no longer be available as the district plans to sell it. The nonprofit provides clothing to an estimated 1,200 to 1,400 elementary students each year and is seeking a new location. Co-president Renea Dixon said the club may have to put its inventory in storage if it cannot find a site.
Lexington Animal Care & Control rescued 74 animals from a Lexington home last week, including six rabbits and more than 60 ducks and chickens. The animals are seeking homes through the Lexington Humane Society, which created four temporary enclosures for the birds. Marketing manager Hannah Ferrell said it is the largest group the shelter has taken in at one time during her tenure.
Barnes & Noble bought Joseph-Beth Booksellers’ last two locations in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Lexington, Kentucky, on Sept. 15. The company says the stores will keep their names and current employees. The purchase follows other acquisitions and store openings under CEO James Daunt; the opinion piece questions how the expansion may affect local bookstores and communities, and notes Daunt’s support for stocking clearly labeled AI-written books.
Speed Kentucky LLC will invest $1.47 million in a new UTV manufacturing and distribution facility in Owsley County, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Wednesday. The project is expected to create 60 full-time jobs, the largest investment and job creation announcement on record for the county. The facility will handle final assembly and distribution of several Speed UTV models, establishing the company’s first Eastern U.S. operation.
A former correctional officer at Federal Medical Center Lexington was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting an inmate and filing a false report.
A former correctional officer at Federal Medical Center Lexington was sentenced to three years in prison for assaulting an inmate and filing a false report.
Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett said Wednesday that officers placed fallen Trooper Hayden Phillips’ handcuffs on Emonnie Branch after arresting him in Louisville, about four hours after Phillips was fatally shot during a traffic stop on I-65 in Warren County. Branch, 51, of Portland, Tennessee, is charged with murder. Gov. Andy Beshear ordered flags at state buildings lowered to half-staff Oct. 4 in Phillips’ honor.
Kentucky’s fall fire season begins Thursday and runs through Dec. 15, when dry ground cover, low humidity and wind can help fires spread quickly. Scott County Fire Marshal Joshua Cromer said crews responded to three grass fires in the past week, including one Tuesday night. He advises residents to notify their local fire department before burning, stay with fires and make sure they are fully extinguished.