Meet Fritz: Cincinnati Zoo’s hippo team selects name for Fiona’s brother!

CINCINNATI, OH. (WTVQ) — Fiona’s little brother, born at the Cincinnati Zoo earlier this month, is named Fritz! The zoo’s hippo care team selected two names, Fritz and Ferguson, from thousands of name suggestions and asked the public to weigh in on which they preferred. Fritz won with 56 percent of the 223,542 votes (or 125,183). “We would have been…

Maker’s Mark honors co-founder with new vestibule in Loretto

LORETTO, Ky. (WTVQ) — Maker’s Mark Distillery in Loretto is honoring its co-founder Marjorie Samuels with the opening of a special, permanent vestibule this month. The Margie Vestibule features her pewter collection surrounded by stained-glass windows. Her collection is displayed in cabinets made of oak — the same wood used for bourbon barrels. The glass windows show colorful images of…

PHOTOS: Biden, Beshear, McConnell, others survey Eastern Kentucky flood damage

BREATHITT COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) — President Joe Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman were in Breathitt County Monday to survey firsthand the devastating flood damage that has swept Eastern Kentucky. The Bidens landed in Lexington and then left for Lost Creek where they were briefed on ongoing response efforts to the recent…

Tents damaged at Lexington Farmers Market

The Farmers Market says strong winds Wednesday destroyed tents, art and other items

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Lexington Farmers Market says donations have come in to help vendors who lost items when strong winds hit the area ahead of storms Wednesday. The Farmers Market was set up on Alexandria Drive near the post office. According to organizers, vendors were preparing for the storms and packing up, when strong winds hit. The Farmers…

UPDATE: Golden Alert cancelled, missing man in Lexington found and is safe

According to police, 62-year-old Byron Carter was last seen on Nicholasville Road

UPDATE: (JUNE 19TH 2022) – Golden Alert has been cancelled. Byron Carter has been found and is safe. —–   LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Lexington Police Department has issued a Golden Alert for a missing man. According to officers, 62-year-old Byron Carter was last seen on June 15 around 9:00 p.m., in the 1000 block of Nicholasville Road. Police…

Search continues for two escaped inmates in Pike County

Kentucky State Police say the inmates walked away from work release

PIKE COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – A search is underway for two inmates who walked away during work release for the Pike County Detention Center. According to Kentucky State Police, the initial investigation indicates 30-year-old Logan Hall and 42-year-old Larry Foster walked away from work release on June 16th at 1:00 p.m. while working near Power Drive in Coal Run. State…

UK HealthCare announces plans for new hospital in Hamburg area

The plans include a purchase agreement acquiring about 27 acres of property for approximately $20.3 million in the Hamburg development along I-75

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – UK HealthCare has announced plans for a new medical campus in the Hamburg area of Lexington, that could include a regional hospital facility, a medical office building and/or other clinical facilities. According to UK HealthCare, the plans include a purchase agreement initially acquiring about 27 acres of property for approximately $20.3 million in the Hamburg development…

School building under demolition catches fire in Irvine

The Fire Department says the fire was accidental

ESTILL COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – The Irvine Fire Department says an accidental fire started at an old school building Tuesday morning at around 11:30 a.m. during demolition. According to the Fire Department, the fire was sparked by crews cutting metal while working to tear the building down. Categories: Featured, Local News, News Tags: Estill County, fire, irvine, school building

R. J. Corman to host Nicholasville’s Fourth of July Fireworks Show

The launch site will overlook an iconic display of trains on U.S. 27

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (WTVQ) – R. J. Corman Railroad Group is once again hosting Nicholasville’s annual Fourth of July Fireworks Show. According to R. J. Corman, the launch site of the fireworks will be the same as it has been for the past two years–overlooking its iconic display of trains on U.S. 27. According to R. J. Corman, there will be…

Fayette County Public Schools looking to hire more bus drivers

The district will host a Transportation Job Fair on June 18

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) is hosting a job fair on June 18, 2022 with aims to fill open transportation positions before the upcoming school year. Interested applicants can visit the John D. Price Administration Building to learn more about open positions and benefits, receive application assistance, and complete on-site interviews. According to the district, Fayette…

Fayette County back in the red on CDC COVID-19 map

The health department says the Coronavirus 7-day rolling average is 156 new cases

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – According to the latest CDC COVID-19 community level map published on June 10, 2022, Fayette County is one of 19 counties now back in the red, and at a high risk level for the spread of the Coronavirus. According to the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department, there were 154 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Friday. The…

City of Lexington to celebrate Juneteenth

Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of slaves in states that were in rebellion against the Union during the Civil War

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) –  Community organizers in Lexington are offering a number of events in celebration of Juneteenth. Flags and banners through downtown will be joined by businesses lighting up their buildings to support and raise awareness about the holiday. Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, became an official federal holiday last year. It celebrates the emancipation of slaves in…

65 new Kentucky State Police cadets report to Training Academy

Recruits embark on 24 weeks of intense training

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ/PRESS RELEASE) – Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky State Police (KSP) announced on June 7, 2022, that 65 new cadets reported to Frankfort on Sunday to begin their 24 weeks of intense training to one day serve and protect the Commonwealth of Kentucky as troopers. The new recruits include 57 traditional and 8 LEAP (law enforcement accelerated…

UPDATE: Three people taken to hospital after car crashes into building in Laurel County

According to London Police, the accident happened around 3:30 Thursday morning

Update from June 2, 2022 at 5:26 p.m. LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ – The London-Laurel Rescue Squad has shared photos on social media showing the wreckage from Thursday morning’s vehicle collision into a building near 4th Street and Highway 192. According to London Police, the accident happened around 3:30 a.m. London Police say three people were taken to the hospital…

15th annual U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Yard Sale this weekend

The event starts in Greenup County and ends in Letcher County

LAWRENCE COUNTY, Ky. (WTVQ) – The 15th annual U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Yard Sale continues through Memorial Day Weekend. It kicked off on Thursday, May 26th, and wraps up on Monday, May 30th, 2022. Starting in Greenup County and running along U.S. 23 through Eastern Kentucky counties, the yard sale ends in Letcher County near the Virginia state border….

Gov. Beshear orders flags to half-staff in honor of Floyd County firefighter

Firefighter Phillip Ray Caudill of Wayland died Sunday

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ/PRESS RELEASE) – Gov. Andy Beshear has ordered flags at all state buildings to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Sunday, May 29, in honor of a Floyd County volunteer firefighter. Firefighter Phillip Ray Caudill of Wayland died on Sunday, May 22, after suffering a heart attack while assisting with traffic control for the Floyd…

City of Lexington to purchase 30 acres on Kentucky River

The city has signed an agreement of sale for the property with John Kelley, whose family has owned the property for decades

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ/PRESS RELEASE) – Mayor Linda Gorton today announced plans to purchase 30 acres on the Kentucky River, the only public access to the river in Fayette County. “I have been working on this project since my first day in the Mayor’s Office, and I am thrilled that it’s finally happening,” Gorton said. “This will provide new opportunities for…

Gov. Beshear orders flags to half-staff in honor of Jessamine County Sheriff

Sheriff Kevin Corman died Sunday, May 22

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – Gov. Andy Beshear has ordered flags at all state buildings to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday, May 27, in honor of Jessamine County Sheriff Kevin Corman, who died while at his home, Sunday, May 22. The preliminary autopsy results from the state medical examiners office show Corman died of natural causes….

Gov. Beshear orders flags to half-staff in honor of Calloway County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy killed in the line of duty

Chief Deputy Jody Cash was shot and killed in Marshall County on Monday

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ) – Gov. Andy Beshear has ordered flags at all state buildings to be lowered to half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, May 21, in honor of the Calloway County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy who lost his life in service to the commonwealth. Kentucky State Police say Calloway County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jody Wayne Cash, of…

Polls open from 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Election Day Tuesday

Voters must vote at their precinct location on Election Day

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – Kentucky’s Primary Election is Tuesday, May 17, 2022. According to Fayette County Clerk Don Blevins, voters should have received a mailer with their precinct and voting location included. Voters can also find this information and a sample ballot HERE. Voting is available from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST Tuesday. Early in-person voting closed on Saturday….