We’re pretty sure if we hold our breath for another week, the heat will finally begin to leave us? Heat and humidity continues this weekend and there’s an opportunity for rain throughout. Might even hear some fun thunder this fine Friday – at least into the afternoon hours. [WxOrNot]
Kentucky will receive $358 million from a $17 billion settlement Meta is paying to resolve a landmark case over teen social media addiction. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, along with several other states, took Meta to court alleging the company knowingly harmed kids’ mental health by designing and using harmful features on Facebook and Instagram that caused children and teens to become addicted to the apps. [WTVQ]
September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time meant to draw attention to a crisis affecting families nationwide and in South-Central Kentucky. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States, according to the CDC. CAYA Collaborative Care regional prevention center manager Kaitlyn Slaughter said the national suicide average is 14.4 per 100,000 people. In Kentucky, that rate is higher. [WBKO]
This week the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced 16,000 semifinalists and 19 of those students are in Bowling Green. Just 187 Kentuckians were named in total and, impressively, Bowling Green High School and Gatton Academy are two of the top in the entire state. Go check them all out. [Buy Local BG]
August voter registration data have been released by the Kentucky Secretary of State and there’s been a rare Democratic Party increase. Republicans make up 48% of registered voters with a total of 1,624,505 and increased by 1,849 – a 0.11% jump. Democrats make up 41% of voters with a total of 1,371,014 and increased by 260 voters — a 0.0019% jump. Independents and others make up 11% of voters with a total of 386,382 voters and increased by 2,493 – a 0.65% jump. On top of all this, the current Secretary of State, Michael Adams, has removed a whopping 753,181 voters from the rolls with zero push back by the Kentucky Democratic Party. [Press Release]
In the upcoming general election, voters won’t only be asked to choose between candidates, they’ll also decide whether or not to limit the governor’s pardoning powers. The 2026 election’s single ballot measure will ask voters if they support amending Section 77 of the Kentucky Constitution to limit future governors’ abilities to issue pardons in the final stretch of a term. [Courier-Journal]
It’s hot, it’s uncomfortable, it’s a weird time of year. We get it. So you know what you should do to feel better? Go see Who Framed Roger Rabbit for free at The Capitol Theater downtown on Monday. And, on Tuesday, go see Coco because it’s the start of spooky season. [Capitol BG]
Your writer here is a big liberal and this made us laugh because the guy should be in prison for life. You shouldn’t get to be an islamist (not islamic – read it again and google it if you’re confused) terrorist should never be set free. A Bowling Green man convicted of crimes stemming from his membership in ISIS has formally petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his appeal. [BG Daily News]
Oof, the month of August was not so lovely on the economic front in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The State Budget Director announced that the General Fund dropped another 1.7% and the Road Fund increased by 1.3% but are down a whopping 7% overall. Individual income taxes fell 8.1%, mostly due to a 10.1% drop in withholding receipts. Sales taxes grew 3.4% and are up 6.5% for the year, in part, because of the tax and spend lot in Frankfort. Business taxes fell 8.2%. Cancer stick taxes fell 15.4%. Property taxes jumped 13.9%. Coal severance taxes increased 33.5%. Lottery revenue was flat. Investment income sank an insane 29.1%. Motor fuels declined 1.1%. Motor vehicle use taxes increased 5.3%. License and privilege taxes fell another 0.9%. But don’t worry, kids, everything is fine here! [Press Release]
There’s no way Bowling Green’s litigation insurance is going to be able to afford the eventual First Amendment lawsuits stemming from this. The Bowling Green Board of Commissioners voted on an ordinance that restricts pedestrians from idling in the right-of-way during its first reading [last] Tuesday. Ordinance BG2026-16, approved on its first of two readings after amendments were created, allows local police to fine pedestrians who are standing in the grassy area next to busy connector roads, known as the right-of-way. Pedestrians may purchase a permit allowing them to be in the right-of-way section as long as orange traffic cones are placed to alert oncoming vehicles. Pedestrians using sidewalks are exempt from fines. [WKU Herald]
An analysis by a Kentucky policy center shows the number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in the commonwealth continues to grow as the number of local agencies helping ICE has exploded over the past year. The Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, using data from the Deportation Data Project, showed the number of ICE arrests in Kentucky is at close to 5,000. [Herald-Leader & Deportation Data Project]
Surprise! Brett Guthrie remembered that he represents a congressional district in Kentucky. He came to town for one of the only times the past decade and brought an absolute character of a guy with him. They toured hospitals in attempt to have some kind of fight with our Howdy Doody governor. Yes, it’s as weird as you think it is. [WNKY]
Your writer isn’t a sportsball person but it seems like it’s probably a bad idea to have Andy Beshear running offense against Donald Trump…? We strongly dislike orange man and can think of a million better ways to campaign against him. Is everyone asleep? Heads in the sand? What is going on? How is anyone taking Beshear seriously when they go beyond scratching the surface? Someone please explain it to us. [WFPL]
Newly obtained surveillance video gives us our first look at the arrest of former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin in central Kentucky. The footage, obtained by WKYT through an open records request, shows Bevin being processed at the Bourbon County Detention Center following his arrest in Paris last Thursday. [WKYT]