The federal government is giving Kentucky $3.7 million over the next four years to fight prescription drug overdoses. The funding will go to the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, a partnership between the Kentucky Department for Public Health and the University of Kentucky College of Public Health. Governor Steve Beshear said in a news release legislation that took effect in 2012 has brought a decline in so-called "doctor shopping" and prescriptions for heavily abused medications. He said the funding will help the state continue educating the public about the dangers of drug use and abuse. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office said earlier the money will also will be used to target interventions in counties with some of the highest rates of drug overdoses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the $20 million program. It is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Opioid Initiative. … [Read more...]

he U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration opened a mine rescue station in western Kentucky. The facility opened at Noon Friday is to serve mines in the Midwest in case of emergency. Similar stations are located in Beckley, West Virginia; Pittsburgh; and Price, Utah. The station at 150 School Avenue in Madisonville includes a fully equipped mine emergency unit team truck, surface communication system, first response underground communication system, infrared gas monitoring and a mobile gas chromatograph laboratory. A tour of the facility will followed remarks by Assistant Labor Secretary for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main, other MSHA officials and representatives of Alliance Coal, Alpha Natural Resources and the Kentucky Division of Mine Safety. … [Read more...]

Three men are facing arson charges after investigators say they intentionally set fire to a storage shed. William "Trey" Conley, 18; Isaac Clark, 18, and Derek Emerson, 18, were arrested by the Louisville Metro Arson Bureau on September 16. Arson investigators say the three set fire to the shed in the 4200 block of Narcissus Drive on the morning of September 14. The arrest report states the shed belonged to Emerson's mother. … [Read more...]

State officials are evaluating a roadside drug test that could help police counter the growing number of drivers who are high behind the wheel. State Office of Highway Safety is partnering with authorities in Louisville, Paducah and Madison County to test portable kits that police officers could eventually carry into the field to test drivers for controlled substances. If the tests prove reliable, lawmakers say they will consider legislation next year to expand their use. Louisville defense attorney Larry Forman says the tests could lead to invasive searches or give officers false pretense for arrests. According to Kentucky State Police, authorities suspected that drugs were a factor in nearly 1,600 traffic collisions across the state last year, resulting in 939 injuries and 214 deaths. … [Read more...]

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan's message for students thinking about college is simple: You can do it, and the federal government can help pay for it. Duncan visited Louisville on Thursday as part of a back-to-school bus tour with stops in 10 cities. He told a group of prospective college students during a discussion at the University of Louisville that too many of them never fill out federal financial aid forms. He said they miss out on about $150 billion in grants and loans made available by the federal government every year. Duncan said he worries that many students with the grades to go to college believe that it will be too expensive. Those skeptical students have a point: nationally, student debt is near $1.3 trillion dollars and the average price for in-state students at public four-year universities is 42 percent higher than it was a decade ago, according to the College Board. … [Read more...]

Vandals have spray-painted multiple anti-Islamic messages on the outside of the Louisville Islamic Center in Kentucky. Center spokesman Muhammad Babar says members found the graffiti Wednesday evening when they arrived for a prayer service. Vandals left phrases like "this is for France" and "Nazis speak Arabic." Babar said he filed a police report and has spoken to the FBI about the incident. Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer responded by asking the community to help the center paint over the graffiti on Friday. Louisville Police Chief Steve Conrad told reporters Thursday that the FBI is investigating the incident as a hate crime. … [Read more...]

The hand sanitizer used for getting rid of those nasty germs and bacteria can be dangerous and even deadly. Just swallowing two to three squirts of hand sanitizer can be extremely dangerous. In fact, it can make people, especially children and teens, drunk and give them alcohol poisoning, according to the Kentucky Regional Poison Center at Kosair Children's Hospital. Dr. Ashley Webb from Kentucky Regional Poison Control Center at Kosair Children's Hospital says they get about 100 calls each year regarding hand sanitizer. The cases they receive regarding children swallowing hand sanitizer under six is usually accidental. Cases involving children ages 7 to 18 often involve abuse of the product. Dr. Webb said if you have older children in the home and seem to be going through an abnormal amount of hand sanitizer, that could be a red flag and you should start asking questions. For children, exposure to the hand sanitizers that are scented can be appealing. With scents like strawberry, grape, orange and pumpkin spice, children often mistake them for candy. In November 2013, Jefferson County Public Schools banned hand sanitizer except for temporary or emergency use for a number of reasons including the fact that students were drinking it and some young children were licking their hands after using it with some ending up with alcohol poisoning. If your child has swallowed hand sanitizer call poison control at 1 (800) 222-1222. … [Read more...]