Kentucky schools see closures as flu and COIVD cases rise

Health officials urge precautions amid increasing illnesses

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Health officials and school leaders are responding to a spike in flu and COVID-19 cases across multiple Kentucky counties. “It is spreading and it is spreading rapidly and we need people out there to slow this down,” said Kevin Hall, spokesperson for the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department. According to the Lexington-Fayette County Health…

Laurel County Sheriff’s Office issues Golden Alert for missing teenager

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – The Laurel County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Golden Alert D for 16-year-old Tanner Harness, who was reported missing early Wednesday morning. According to the sheriff’s office, Harness was last seen around 1 a.m. on February 7, near Sizemore Road, about three miles south of London. He is described as a white male,…

Cooler & quiet Friday ahead of more active weather

Meteorologist Dillon Gaudet has the latest in your full ABC 36 Storm Team forecast

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – After several rounds of rain and storms, we’ll get a brief break on Friday before the next system moves in late tonight. Expect a mix of sun and clouds through the day with afternoon highs reaching the low-to-mid 40s across northern Kentucky and the low-to-mid 50s to the south. Rain Returns Late Tonight…

Laurel Co. crews rescue driver from flooded truck

Intersection closed after high water incident

LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — Crews in a boat rescued a person from a pickup truck that got stuck in high water on a flooded street in Keavy on Thursday night, according to first responders. The fire department said it happened just after 9 p.m. at the intersection of East State Highway 552 and Cooper Hill Lane….

Officials report cases of bird flu across Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed cases of bird flu across Kentucky. The department says there are ten confirmed cases in wild birds in areas including Franklin, Jefferson and Kenton Counties. There are still test results pending for other areas. Click this link for more information.   Categories: Featured, Local…

Health department reports surge in flu and covid-19

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department is reporting a surge in flu and covid-19 cases. Health officials say flu cases have more than doubled, reaching the highest total so far this season. There were 597 lab-confirmed flu cases reported for the week ending February 1st. There were 286 reported the previous week. Health officials…

Lexington murder suspect due in court for preliminary hearing

Fayette County Detention Center LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — The suspect accused of killing a man outside a laundromat in Lexington is due in court today for a preliminary hearing. According to court records, 54-year-old Shawn Blanks is accused of shooting 63-year-old Maurice Elliot outside the Laundry Connection on Newtown Pike on December 26th. Elliot later died at…

A quick break from the active weather pattern to end the week

Temperatures will continue to bounce around from cool to mild the next few days

A quick out of season severe weather event greeted folks across Southern and Southeastern Kentucky to kick off Thursday with a number of Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and even a couple of Tornado Warnings. These storms did do some damage as they raced through the area during the morning hours before things settled down a bit into the afternoon. An EF-1…

Two rescued from flooded Lexington road as officials warn drivers

Fire crews urge caution after Bowman Mill Road rescue

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — According to the Lexington Fire Department (LFD) two people are safe after being rescued from their cars Thursday morning when they became stuck in floodwaters on Bowman Mill Road, officials say one one was injured. A creek overflowed due to heavy rainfall, turning into fast-moving water that covered the road. LFD says they responded…

Morning strong storms exit east on Thursday

Meteorologist Dillon Gaudet has the latest in your full ABC 36 Storm Team forecast

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) – Heavy overnight rain and strong storms have exited east, but we aren’t done with the impacts. Runoff from the soaking rains will continue to flow downstream, leading to rising river levels through the morning and afternoon. While the severe threat is now behind us, flooding concerns will linger, particularly along rivers and streams….

Multiple KY school districts cancel classes for severe weather and floods

(ABC36 NEWS NOW) – Several Kentucky school districts have canceled classes Friday following severe weather and flooding overnight. Among the districts that canceled in-person classes are Bath, Garrard, Montgomery, Morgan, and Powell County Schools. According to Morgan County Schools, Friday marks the district’s last Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) day for the school year. Officials continue to monitor flooding impacts across affected…

U.S. Supreme Court Justice receives prestigious award in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor accepted the University of Louisville’s Brandeis award on Wednesday. This award is the highest honor offered by the Brandeis School of Law. It recognizes those who have fought for economic, social or political justice during their years of public service. Justice Sotomayor is the seventh supreme court…