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Kentucky wants colleges to redesign admissions with focus on low-income, first-generation students
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KY NEWS CONNECTION Kentucky is one of a handful of states that’s been awarded a $150,000 grant from Lumina Foundation to test changes to the college admissions process. Colleges nationwide are struggling with enrollment post-pandemic, and over the next decade fewer traditional-age students are expected to enroll. Lilly Massa-McKinley, Ph.D – executive…
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Kentucky bill would strengthen trauma-informed resources in schools
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KY NEWS CONNECTION Suicide rates among young Kentuckians are rising and proposed legislation would strengthen trauma-informed care in schools and boost youth suicide prevention resources. According to the latest state data, one in seven high school students reported having seriously considered suicide within a 12-month period. Sheila Schuster, executive director of the…
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Kentucky child-care providers face uncertain future when federal funding expires
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KY NEWS CONNECTION Child-care providers in Kentucky are bracing for severe funding cuts when $330 million in annual federal funding expires in September. A recent survey of hundreds of child-care directors in the Commonwealth shows most expect to raise tuition rates and cut staff pay. Research shows kids who have access to…
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Kentucky lawmakers consider bill that would expand felony offenses
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN KENTUCKY NEWS CONNECTION Under proposed legislation being considered by Republican lawmakers, Kentucky renters would face harsher criminal penalties for property damage. Penalties would increase for sleeping in a tent in public areas, and for violent offenses, among other measures. Ben Carter, senior litigation and advocacy counsel with the Kentucky Equal Justice Center,…
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Report: Kentucky lawmakers increasingly fast-track bills, reducing transparency
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE Kentucky lawmakers convene this week for the 2024 legislative session, and a new report finds state representatives are increasingly fast-tracking legislation while eroding citizen participation. The League of Women Voters of Kentucky analysis finds lawmakers are replacing original versions of bills with last-minute substitute versions, leaving little or no…
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Kentucky leads nation in advanced cervical cancer fatalities
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN January is Cervical Health Awareness Month and health experts said they are concerned about the growing number of cervical cancer diagnoses nationwide. Kentucky already has the highest rate of cervical cancer in the U.S., with the state’s Appalachian region having cases at twice the national rate. Rebecca Gibran, CEO of Planned Parenthood…
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Webb music shop to be featured on Kentucky Life
Memorial Day banjo workshop and jam draw crowd BY PHILL BARNETT MOUNTAIN CITIZEN TOMAHAWK — James E. Webb Musical Repair and Sales, located in Tomahawk, will soon be gracing screens across the state as part of KET’s Kentucky Life. Filming was underway Monday during a Memorial Day banjo workshop and all-star jam that drew music…
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Animal tranquilizer in fentanyl found in 48 states, including Kentucky
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE Fentanyl in Kentucky may now be laced with an animal tranquilizer called Xylazine, what drug officials are calling the “third wave” of the opioid epidemic. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, in the Commonwealth, Xylazine has so far shown up at DEA labs in the Florence/Covington area and in…
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Older Kentuckians want aging-in-place support, affordable medication
BY NADIA RAMLAGAN PUBLIC NEWS SERVICE Kentuckians age 50 and older across the state continue to struggle with high prescription drug costs, caregiver stress, and lack of long-term care options. Advocates say most residents want aging-in-place resources to stay in their homes longer. Dwight Butler, executive council member of AARP Kentucky, explained increasing support for…