Kentucky news

• Robert Tudor Jr.

  04-09-2026 15:50 via state-journal.com
  Robert Nelson Tudor Jr, 69, passed away Tuesday September 1, 2026. He is survived by his daughter, Meredith; and son, Joe. A memorial celebration will be held at Heritage Church in Shelbyville at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, with visitation preceding at 3 p.m. Arrangements are with Rogers Funeral Home.
  
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• J.C. Purvis

  04-09-2026 17:11 via state-journal.com
  
  VERSAILLES — James Clifford “J.C.” Purvis passed away Sunday, August 30, 2026, at Lexington Baptist Health. A Celebration of Life will be held at Harrod Brothers Funeral Home on Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 6 p.m. with Mr. Royce Blevins officiating. A gathering of friends and family will be held at Harrod Brothers Funeral Home from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m. on Thursday.JC was born in Versailles, Kentucky, on July 11, 1938 to the late James Franklin and Edna Mason Purvis. He gradua
  
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• JoAnn Spalding

  04-09-2026 16:09 via state-journal.com
  Services for JoAnn Spalding, 77, are pending at Harrod Brothers Funeral Home & Crematory. Spalding died in Hustonville on Wednesday.
  
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• Gary Gayheart

  04-09-2026 16:07 via state-journal.com
  Gary Ray Gayheart, age 87, of Frankfort, Kentucky, passed away on Sept. 1, 2026.He was born in Floyd County, Kentucky, to Ray E. and Audrey Fraley Gayheart on Aug. 5, 1939. He will be remembered as a beloved Papaw who constantly laughed at the antics of his great-grandchildren, and as a proud Kentuckian who loved Eastern Kentucky history and bluegrass music.
  Gary, while a staunch homebody, was an avid watcher of UofL, UK and the Chicago Cubs, but always extended his support to any sport or team
  
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• Kristy M. Cummins

  04-09-2026 15:53 via state-journal.com
  Services for Kristy M. Cummins, 54, were Friday at LeCompte Johnson Taylor Funeral Home. Online condolences may be shared at www.ljtfuneralhome.com. Cummins died Monday at Jewish Hospital in Louisville.
  
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• Rally for recovery held at Capitol

  04-09-2026 05:15 via state-journal.com
  
  Last year saw the lowest number of overdose deaths recorded in Kentucky since 2014, and there was much to celebrate at the 2026 Recovery Rally at the Capitol.
  Held in honor of National Recovery Month, an annual health observance that celebrates Americans in recovery from addiction, thousands of people gathered for the event — treating themselves to food trucks and learning about various addiction treatment and support organizations from across Kentucky.
  Some of these groups included Recove
  
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• No. 24 Louisville faces No. 9 Ole Miss in season opener

  04-09-2026 05:14 via state-journal.com
  
  It is rare that two top-25 college football teams knock heads on opening weekend.
  No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 24 Louisville will kick off Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (EDT) in the Liberty Mutual Music City Kickoff at Nissan Stadium.
  Ole Miss (10-2 in 2025) advanced all the way to the CFP semifinals last season before losing to Miami.
  Louisville (9-4) finished its season in the Boca Rout Bowl with a victory over Toledo. Both teams have several players returning plus have added portal transfers.
  It’s unus
  
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• Police, fire blotter (Sept. 2)

  04-09-2026 05:13 via state-journal.com
  
  The following calls were received by the Frankfort Police Department, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, Frankfort Fire and EMS, and Franklin County Fire Department on Wednesday:
  • At 3:11 a.m., officers conducted a fire investigation on Tracey Court.
  • At 8:26 a.m., officers were called to a hit-and-run motor vehicle accident on East Todd Street.
  • At 8:50 a.m., officers took a theft report on Skipper Drive. A caller reported items had been stolen from a vehicle.
  • At 1
  
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• CARTOON: What can A.I. not do?

  03-09-2026 22:02 via state-journal.com
  
  CARTOON: What can A.I. not do?
  
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• CARTOON: I come into the peace of wild things

  03-09-2026 22:00 via state-journal.com
  
  CARTOON: I come into the peace of wild things
  
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• Elizabeth Wilson

  03-09-2026 17:40 via state-journal.com
  A memorial celebration for Elizabeth M. Wilson, 71, will be 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, at Rogers Funeral Home. Visitation will be 4 p.m. until the time of service Tuesday at the funeral home. Wilson died Tuesday, Sept. 1.
  
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• Japan festival to be hosted downtown

  02-09-2026 22:51 via state-journal.com
  
  Residents and visitors can now experience another nation in the heart of downtown.On Saturday, Sept. 12, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. the Japan Festival arrives.
  The festival is a showcase of Japanese culture with activities ranging from Martial Arts demos, origami, Japanese calligraphy, cosplay parades and informational booths.Musical performances with various Japanese influences are also planned.
  Food and drink vendors will serve cuisine from Japan.The festival is a collaborative effort from the Cap
  
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• Immanuel Baptist Church to host annual ImmanuelFest

  02-09-2026 22:50 via state-journal.com
  
  Immanuel Baptist Church in Frankfort will host its annual ImmanuelFest on Saturday, Sept. 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event for the community features free food, games, live music, and a free yard sale offering gently used clothes, household goods, and toys. Items are offered first come, first served.Local organizations will have booths present, providing information about their respective services.
  The event will be held on the front lawn of Immanuel Baptist Church, located at 1075 Collins L
  
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• No return date set for Frankfort High after fire

  02-09-2026 22:49 via state-journal.com
  
  Cleanup continues at Frankfort High, but how long the school will remain closed is up in the air.
  A fire at the school Sunday morning forced FHS to be closed. The closure was originally listed for this week, but it could be extended.
  “At this time, we do not have a definitive return date,” Frankfort Independent Schools Superintendent Dr. Sheri Satterly told The State Journal on Wednesday. “The safety of our students and staff is our utmost priority, so we will return when the b
  
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• Letter: ‘Stivers ignores the data’

  02-09-2026 22:49 via state-journal.com
  Dear editor,
  Sen. Robert Stivers’ opinion piece on Aug. 12 advocating for the construction of AI data centers in Kentucky once again demonstrates how out of touch Republicans are with the concerns of Kentuckians, and the American people writ large.
  Despite his feeble attempts to allay the fears of the public vis-a-vis data centers’ impact on energy, water and noise pollution, the construction of data centers throughout the country remains an apposite concern to most people.
  New York
  
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• Tee It Up With C.O.C.O. scramble set for Sept. 15

  02-09-2026 22:48 via state-journal.com
  
  The 17th annual Tee It Up With C.O.C.O. nine-hole ladies charity golf scramble and dinner will be held Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the Frankfort Country Club.
  The scramble will have a shotgun start at 4:30 p.m. with a silent auction and dinner to follow. This is a night of fellowship, fun, dinner and many prizes.
  Through proceeds from the golf scramble and sponsorships, C.O.C.O. (Capital Ovarian Cancer Organization) supports and contributes to the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center Ovarian Sc
  
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• PHOTOS: Frankfort’s girls volleyball team falls to Woodford County 3-0

  02-09-2026 22:48 via state-journal.com
  
  Frankfort High School’s volleyball team played Woodford County High School on Thursday, Aug. 27, at F.D. Wilkinson Gymnasium. Woodford County won 3-0 (25-21, 25-19, 25-17).
  
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• Letter: Keep the forests roadless

  02-09-2026 22:47 via state-journal.com
  Dear editor,
  There are places in America where the forest still speaks without the sound of engines.
  Where rivers begin clean and cold. Where salmon return. Where wolves, bears, elk, birds, and countless other species can move through an unbroken landscape. Where people can walk into the forest and experience something increasingly rare: silence.
  These are our roadless forests.
  For nearly 25 years, the 2001 Roadless Rule has helped protect nearly 45 million acres of undeveloped National Forest l
  
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• Guest columnist: Swim With Purpose bigger than a single pool

  02-09-2026 22:47 via state-journal.com
  
  When we started Swim With Purpose three years ago, our goal was simple: to restore the indoor pool at Kentucky State University and bring back a valuable resource for students, families and the Frankfort community.
  We believed in that vision then, and we still believe this community deserves access to a public pool. But as we worked to make the project a reality, it became clear that the long-term support needed from local government and the university would not be available. That was disappoint
  
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• Guest columnist: Remember in November

  02-09-2026 22:47 via state-journal.com
  
  Each election cycle, we as voters make an important decision: Who will we trust to represent us? We consider the candidates, their qualifications, their experience and their ideas for the future, and then we cast our votes.
  Once elected, however, it is our representatives who begin casting votes on our behalf. Those votes determine how our tax dollars are spent, which projects move forward and what priorities will shape our community. Over the course of a term, those decisions create a record &m
  
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• Guest columnist: Kentucky working on access to maternal care

  02-09-2026 22:47 via state-journal.com
  
  Less than a week after a March of Dimes study brought attention to the fact that almost half of Kentucky’s 120 counties are classified as maternity care deserts, state regulations were approved to clear the way for freestanding birthing centers will provide expectant mothers with another option.
  According to the study, mothers in these areas travel up to three times farther for maternal care. Also, more than 100,000 Kentucky women live more than half an hour from labor and delivery service
  
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• Kentucky State’s Cyprian named SIAC offensive player of the week

  02-09-2026 22:45 via state-journal.com
  
  Kentucky State wide receiver Darius Cyprian was named the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.
  Cyprian powered the Kentucky State passing attack in the Thorobreds’ season-opening 41-14 victory over rival Central State.
  The senior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, led the Thorobreds with eight receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. He caught eight of his nine targets, averaged 12.3 yards per reception, and added 33 yards after
  
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• Church Women United hosting Human Rights Celebration Sept. 11

  02-09-2026 22:45 via state-journal.com
  
  Church Women United Frankfort/Franklin County will host a Human Rights Celebration Friday, Sept. 11, at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1800 Louisville Road.
  The event is to celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a global milestone that defends the rights of all people.
  The celebration will start at 10:30 a.m. with coffee and fellowship, and the program will begin at 11 a.m.
  Det. Ricky Lynn with the Frankfort Police Department will talk about how social media is affecting the liv
  
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• Martin Anthony Elder

  02-09-2026 22:43 via state-journal.com
  LAWRENCEBURG — A funeral mass for Martin Anthony Elder, 75, husband of Terry Ann Elder, will be 1 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, 120 N. Gatewood Ave., Lawrenceburg. Visitation will be 11 a.m. until the time of mass Thursday at the church. Arrangements have been entrusted to Ritchie & Peach Funeral Home in Lawrenceburg. Elder died Tuesday, Sept. 1.
  
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• Louis Dalton Tandy Sr.

  02-09-2026 19:12 via state-journal.com
  
  Louis Dalton Tandy Sr., age 83, passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at the Frankfort Regional Medical Center. He was born on May 5, 1943, the son of Gavin McQueen Tandy and Mary Elizabeth Gatewood Tandy.He will be greatly missed by family and friends. Mr. Tandy retired from the Kentucky Department of Parks as the director of accounting in 2000. He spent over 20 years coaching baseball for the department of recreation.Survivors included his wife of 61 years, Barbara Berrie Tandy; s
  
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• Robert Whitaker

  02-09-2026 17:05 via state-journal.com
  LAWRENCEBURG — Services for Robert “Bobby” Scott Whitaker, 56, husband of Carol Ann Hall Whitaker, will be 2 p.m. Friday at Ritchie & Peach Funeral Home. Visitation will be 11 a.m. until the time of service Friday at the funeral home. Whitaker died Monday, Aug. 31.
  
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• Glenda Martinez

  01-09-2026 21:49 via state-journal.com
  No services for Glenda Martinez, 81, were held. Martinez died Dec. 22, 2025.
  
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• Rena W. True

  01-09-2026 21:48 via state-journal.com
  
  Rena Wells True, 89, of Frankfort, Kentucky, passed away on August 29, 2026. Services will be held at Harrod Brothers Funeral Home on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at 1 p.m. with Pastor Chris Parrish officiating. Burial will follow at Frankfort Cemetery. Visitation will be held at Harrod Brothers Funeral Home from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Tuesday.Born December 30, 1936, Rena was the daughter of Jesse Wells and Florence Jones Wells. She was a loving mother and grandmother and a woman of strong faith
  
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• CARTOON: Data centers squeezing resources

  01-09-2026 21:32 via state-journal.com
  
  CARTOON: Data centers squeezing resources
  
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• Franklin Circuit Court indictments (Sept. 1)

  01-09-2026 21:17 via state-journal.com
  
  The following people were indicted by a Franklin Circuit Court grand jury on Tuesday:
  • Timothy J. Bittinger, 35, of Frankfort, first-degree possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), first offense, a Class D felony; possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class A misdemeanor; possession of marijuana, failure to notify address change to Department of Transportation, failure of owner to maintain required insurance, first offense, and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of
  
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