Note: The video attached to this story was produced by reporter Alex Suckow, from CNN Affiliate WLKY in Louisville. LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky firefighter Leslie Leatherman answered the call for help, rushing into harm’s way as he steadfastly did for decades, when a late-night tornado plowed through his community in the Appalachian foothills. It was his final act of…
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accepted a gifted Boeing 747 from Qatar for President Donald Trump to use as Air Force One, the Pentagon said Wednesday. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department will “work to ensure proper security measures” on the aircraft to make it safe for use by the president. He said the plane was…
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — Governor Andy Beshear, along with county and city officials, has issued a mandatory evacuation order for two of the areas hardest hit by the May 16 tornado in Laurel County. The order applies to residents of the Sunshine Hill Subdivision and lanes off of Court Road, and will be in effect Tuesday from…
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — Laurel County Public Schools has officially ended the 2024–2025 school year as of Friday, May 16, following the devastating tornado that impacted much of the community over the weekend. According to Superintendent Denise M. Griebel, district administrators have been in regular contact with the Kentucky Department of Education to determine the best course…
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — As recovery continues from Friday night’s devastating tornado outbreak, officials have released the names of the 17 people who lost their lives in Laurel County, now confirmed by Coroner Doug Bowling. The victims range in age from 25 to 88 years old, and many were found in or near their homes that were…
PULASKI COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — In response to recent severe weather, Pulaski County Judge Executive Marshall Todd has issued a curfew for parts of the county beginning Sunday night. According to the official declaration, the curfew applies to the Parkers Mill Road area and adjacent side roads, including Parkers Mill Way. The curfew will be in effect nightly…
JACKSON COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — Kentucky State Police is investigating a homicide after a man was found shot to death inside a vehicle in McKee. According to KSP, troopers were called just before 3 p.m. on Sunday, by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department to assist with the investigation. The victim, identified as 40-year-old James D. Carmack of Irvine,…
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — The Laurel County Fire Department has confirmed the tragic line of duty death of Major Leslie Leatherman, who was killed during Friday night’s tornado response. According to the department’s release, Major Leatherman was responding to an emergency fire alarm when the tornado struck the Sunshine Hills community. He was later found deceased in…
By MATTHEW BROWN and CAROLYN KASTER Associated Press LONDON, Ky. (AP) — More severe storms were expected to roll across the central U.S. this week following the weather-related deaths of more than two dozen people and a devastating Kentucky tornado. The National Weather Service said a “multitude of hazardous weather” would impact the U.S. over the next several days —…
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — In the wake of Friday night’s deadly tornado outbreak, Laurel County Sheriff John Root is urging residents to stay strong and take advantage of the relief resources now in place across the county. In a statement released Sunday, Sheriff Root said the tornadoes that tore through the area left behind a path of…
HARRISON COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — The Harrison County Coroner’s Office has confirmed that the body found Saturday night in the 1400 block of Russell Cave Road is that of 16-year-old Ali Haider Naqvi, one of two Lexington teenagers reported missing since May 11. Naqvi and 15-year-old Aoun Ismail Basboos were last seen entering the back seat of…
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — Governor Andy Beshear delivered an emotional update from Laurel County Saturday evening, as Kentucky continues to recover from deadly storms that tore through the state Friday night. Beshear confirmed that 18 people have died—17 in Laurel County and one in Pulaski County. He warned that the death toll could rise as search and…
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — The Laurel County Fire Department has announced the death of one of its own during overnight tornado response efforts. According to a post from the department, Major Roger Leslie Leatherman was fatally injured while assisting in the aftermath of a tornado that struck the area. The department said Major Leatherman had served the…
This nighttime video taken just after the tornado went through Laurel County is courtesy of the Laurel County Fiscal Court This short video clip was taken in Laurel County by one of the ABC 36 News Now crews This video was taken by our ABC 36 News Now crew in Somerset, Pulaski County. Note how hard-hit the Social Security office…
LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — Officials say donations are no longer needed for tornado victims, after an overwhelming response from individuals, churches and businesses. However, volunteers are still needed to help at the donation distribution site at South Laurel High School, located at 201 South Laurel Road. Anyone displaced by the storm and in need of housing is…
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Storm systems sweeping across parts of the Midwest and South have left at least 21 dead, including nine people killed after what appeared to be a devastating tornado in southeast Kentucky. In Kentucky, some 14 people were killed by severe weather, and the death toll is likely to rise, according to Gov. Andy Beshear. Earlier, local…
UPDATE: From Governor Andy Beshear: I’m sad to report the death toll from last night’s severe weather has grown to 18; 17 from Laurel County and one from Pulaski County. Please join Britainy and me as we pray for these families during this difficult time. The nighttime video of tornado aftermath is courtesy of the Laurel County Fiscal Court. UPDATE:…
UPDATE FROM LEXINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT 5:12 PM: Dive crews searched the bank area of a pond with sonar, but found nothing. Crews have decided to discontinue the search until more information becomes available as to the reason for the search. ABC 36 News Now will continue to ask for more information and will update the story as we learn new…
FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Gov. Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency as strong storms move across Kentucky Friday afternoon and evening, bringing threats of damaging winds, hail, flooding, and possible tornadoes. The Governor urged Kentuckians to stay alert, monitor weather updates, and have a safe place to go if conditions worsen, according to a news…
UPDATE: Mount Vernon police say the suspect, Bradly Wyatt, has been arrested and is in custody. MOUNT VERNON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — The Mount Vernon Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating a man wanted on multiple serious charges and considered armed and dangerous. According to a public safety alert posted by the department, Bradly…
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Bluegrass Crime Stoppers is offering a $5,000 reward (2,500 for each individual) for information leading to the whereabouts of Aoun Ismail Basboos, 15 and Ali Haider Naqvi, 16. Lexington Police say they’ve found the vehicle of interest connected to the disappearance of two missing teens, but the search for the boys continues. Officers…
LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – A new report from Feeding America’s “Map the Meal Gap” study shows hunger has surged to the highest levels ever recorded in central and eastern Kentucky. God’s Pantry Food Bank, which serves 50 counties across the region, says nearly 20 percent of people are now facing food insecurity—impacting more than 280,000 Kentuckians. The…
RICHMOND, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Six of the nine individuals charged in connection to an ongoing child abuse investigation at A Step Ahead Childcare in Richmond appeared in court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing. Amaris Hamilton, Theodrick Hersey, Jessica Houck, Brooklyn Houck, Khrystian Greer, and Elizabeth Thomas all had their cases waived to a Madison County grand jury….
UPDATE: CLAY CITY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — A 25-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with vehicular homicide following a deadly crash in Clay City, according to Kentucky State Police. KSP says it was called in by Powell County dispatch to investigate the crash, which happened on Main Street near Dairy Queen. Troopers say Alyson Marie Kay Martin,…