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Researchers to spend five years, $3.7 million looking into Eastern Kentucky COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
University of Kentucky researchers announced Wednesday they will spend the next five years and $3.7 million to better understand COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Eastern Kentucky. Researches from the colleges of Medicine, Public Health, Communication and Information and from the Department of Public Health will work on the project, named Kentuckians Vaccinating Appalachian Communities (K-VAC). The […]
Their family home is flood-prone. Flood insurance is too expensive.
JACKSON — Last time she checked, flood insurance would cost Carolyn Combs and husband Lou about $1,100 per month. That was before the 2021 and 2022 floods swept through her family’s home in Jackson, destroying everything inside. “I couldn’t imagine what it is now,” Combs told the Kentucky Lantern in mid-December. “But I already work […]
Months after flooding, many still lack basic household supplies, building materials
JACKSON —About five months after deadly flooding and heavy rains displaced thousands of Eastern Kentuckians and killed at least 44, many still need help to replace basic household supplies. The plea from many in Breathitt County going into hard winter is, they told the Kentucky Lantern: Don’t forget about us. And: there are still many […]
Months after Eastern Kentucky floods, survivors weigh the future
JACKSON — When the 2021 Eastern Kentucky floods came, Nancy Herald’s basement filled to the rafters. She lost roughly 50 years of cherished Christmas decorations stored along the concrete wall, along with the washer, dryer and refrigerator. Because of that experience, the family thought they’d be ready when the 2022 floods came more than a […]
$1.3 million in donations will bring expansion, study of substance use recovery program
FRANKFORT –Volunteers of America Mid-States on Friday announced an expansion of its substance abuse recovery program and a long term study to look at its effects and success thanks to $1.3 million in donations. The five-year study is being called Project Strong. Through it, researchers will follow graduates of the Freedom House program for five […]
Kentucky Youth Advocates outlines 2023 goals to help children and families
On the first day of the regular legislative session, Kentucky Youth Advocates outlined priorities to achieve its 2023 goal of making the state “the best place in America to be young.” Kentucky ranks high for adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, which are traumas or stressors in a person’s life before their 18th birthday. They can […]
Rotunda rally supports constitutional amendment legalizing cannabis
Saying that legalization without decriminalization is “simply not an option,” state Rep. Nima Kulkarni on Tuesday introduced a constitutional amendment to ask Kentucky voters to weigh in on the cannabis debate. In addition to the amendent, which would legalize personal possession and use of marijuana in Kentucky, the Louisville Democrat also introduced legislation to codify […]
New poll shows many Kentuckians believe COVID-19 is over
Most Kentuckians will celebrate the holiday season regardless of COVID-19 levels, according to a new poll funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. Many also believe the pandemic is now over. These insights come from researchers with the University of Cincinnati’s Institute for Policy Research, who interviewed 855 Kentucky adults by telephone for the Vaccines […]
OCD in Kentucky is a serious condition but remains misunderstood
This story discusses suicide and self harm. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. The signs that Alexa Quinter had obsessive compulsive disorder even as a child were there, but she wasn’t diagnosed until well into her 20s. After witnessing an attempted […]
Awaiting Kentucky Supreme Court’s abortion ruling with ‘anxiousness’ and uncertainty
A Kentuckian seeking an abortion now must travel to another state for it, with Illinois being the nearest where the procedure is accessible with few or no restrictions. Virginia has some access as well, though less than Illinois. This is true despite the defeat of the anti-abortion Amendment 2, which would have specified there’s no […]
Flu picking up in Kentucky after mild seasons during COVID-19
More cases of flu are popping up in Kentucky after masking during the pandemic kept the last few seasons relatively mild. The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department posted on social media Wednesday that “flu is hitting hard in Lexington” with more cases in the first two months of the season than in the last three years. […]
Too many pregnant Kentuckians and their babies lack access to care. Midwives say they could help.
During three of her four pregnancies, Laura Browning drove three hours round-trip past hospitals to get prenatal care from midwives in Lexington, the only place that offered what she needed. She even made the trip while in labor with her first baby, feeling that “the care that I was receiving” from the midwives “was worth […]