Author: Eastern Broadcasting

The Governor will request additional long-term care nurses, assistance with monoclonal antibody injections

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 2, 2021) – On Thursday during his weekly Team Kentucky update, Gov. Andy Beshear said Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) strike teams and Kentucky National Guard members are assisting Kentucky hospitals in need during the surge of COVID-19 cases sparked by the delta variant.

“With hospital staff and resources stretched thin, we need this additional help, and we thank all those serving on the front lines,” said Gov. Beshear.

He added: “Kentucky’s brave National Guard members have stood up to fight this virus since the beginning. From helping with testing efforts, to administering vaccines and now helping our health care heroes, their dedication to the people of the commonwealth has undoubtedly made a difference.”

Kentucky health care heroes shared their experiences in two of the state’s hospitals, emphasizing their need for additional support.

“Without a doubt, cases of COVID-19 have increased significantly in our hospital and our community. Like every other health care facility in Kentucky, Lake Cumberland is operating at the very edge of our capacity,” said Dr. Ted Qualls, emergency medicine physician at Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital. “Our team has been working tirelessly to care for our community, and we ask that the community please be patient and understanding as we work to respond to this surge with all of our available resources. Vaccination is the primary way we will avoid further overwhelming the health care system here at home, in our region and across the state.”

“I hear a lot that children aren’t getting affected by COVID. That’s no longer true,” said Dr. Beth Brooks, pediatrics, T.J. Regional Health in Glasgow. “Right now, they’re getting just as sick as adults. They’re ending up in the same ICUs. They’re on ventilators. They are getting treated the best we can, but they are getting sick.”

FEMA Medical Strike Teams Assist Kentucky Hospitals During COVID-19 Surge
Gov. Beshear updated Kentuckians on the status of FEMA strike teams his administration has requested or will request soon to assist strained Kentucky hospitals.

Emergency Medical Services Teams
Gov. Beshear said three FEMA Emergency Medical Services (EMS) strike teams are onsite in Kentucky tasked with transfers and transporting COVID-19 patients. The EMS strike teams are being managed by the Kentucky Board of Emergency Management Services (KBEMS) through American Medical Response.

Each team is comprised of five advanced life support ambulances and each ambulance is staffed with one paramedic and one emergency medical technician (EMT). Each strike team is positioned regionally, in Somerset, Prestonsburg and Louisville. They are centrally dispatched and can respond to any area in the state.

The Governor will continue to monitor the availability of teams.

Monoclonal Antibody Injection Teams
The Governor said a resource request form will soon be submitted to FEMA seeking two monoclonal COVID-19 antibody injection teams to administer the antibodies subcutaneously (applied under the skin, rather than through an infusion) to Kentuckians infected with the virus.

Long-Term Care Nurse Strike Teams
The Governor said two long-term care nurse strike teams are being developed by the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s Healthcare-Associated Infections program.

New Kentucky National Guard COVID-19 Mission
The Governor said as Kentucky hospitals continue to face challenges from the surge of the COVID-19 delta variant, his administration is working to ensure they have the support they need.

In total, 105 Kentucky National Guardsmen have been deployed for a new COVID-19 response mission, in seven teams of 15. So far, hospitals that have received Kentucky National Guard assistance include: St. Claire Regional Medical Center in Morehead, Appalachian Regional Healthcare in Hazard, The Medical Center at Bowling Green and Pikeville Medical Center.

“We are pleased to have the temporary assistance of 30 members of the National Guard who arrived at the Medical Center at Bowling Green Aug. 31. These men and women are serving in various general, non-clinical and non-administrative capacities throughout our facility. Their assistance and service is much appreciated and will offer relief to our staff. We are so very grateful,” The Medical Center at Bowling Green leadership team said in a statement.

Price-Gouging
The Governor extended an executive order prohibiting price-gouging.

Pharmaceuticals
The Governor signed an executive order that extends previous orders allowing pharmacists to dispense 30-day refills.

Team Kentucky All-Stars
Earlier this week, the Governor shared a story from a weekend event where Galen College of Nursing stepped up and offered to support health care heroes during the current COVID-19 surge. Today, Gov. Beshear welcomed the college’s chief executive officer, Mark Vogt; Dean of the Kentucky Campus, Lisa Peak; Dr. Brittney Welch, DNP, RN, director of clinical education; and three students: Sophia Allen, Jaquar Morris and Sabrina Hale.

Nursing students from Galen will be joining hospitals and health care teams in need by offering assistance with testing, clinical needs and other services.

“This will make a huge difference in our fight against COVID, while also offering these students real-life training,” said Gov. Beshear. “Thank you. What you and these students are doing is the true spirit of Team Kentucky. We are grateful for your bravery and dedication to caring for our people, supporting our health care teams and furthering education in such a critical field. For that, I am honored to name Galen College of Nursing’s students and staff this week’s Team Kentucky All-Stars.”

“Never before in our history have we seen a need for nursing care like we are seeing today. We are receiving calls daily from our clinical partners around the commonwealth in dire need of nursing staff,” said Vogt. “We acknowledged at Galen College early on that we wanted to do our part. As nurse educators, we feel like it is our obligation and opportunity to give this time for our students to provide that support. In these most vulnerable times, Galen students have spent hundreds if not thousands of hours supporting the commonwealth. We’ve delivered over 100,000 vaccinations with our partnership with the Kentucky Nursing Association. We’ve administered thousands of tests related to COVID for our students, and we’re continuing to do that today.”

Kentucky’s Economic Momentum Grows Despite COVID-19 Challenges
Even though COVID-19 is surging in the commonwealth, Gov. Beshear said Kentucky’s economic momentum continues to grow.

• School Districts Awarded $75 Million to Upgrade Vocational Education Centers: In another significant step forward in his Better Kentucky Plan, which is creating jobs and opportunities in every corner of the commonwealth, yesterday Gov. Beshear announced $75 million has been approved to go to Kentucky school districts to fund renovation projects at Local Area Vocational Education Centers.
• Gov. Beshear: Martinrea to Expand Hopkinsville Facility, Create 33 Jobs: Martinrea Hopkinsville LLC, a Tier 1 automotive supplier of lightweight structures and propulsion systems, will expand its presence in Christian County with an investment of more than $31 million that will create 33 quality job opportunities, Gov. Beshear announced this week.

Setco To Relocate Headquarters to Boone County, Create 30 Well-Paying Jobs: Setco Sales Co., a manufacturer of spindles and other precision parts and specialty products for the automotive and aerospace industries, will relocate its headquarters to Boone County and create 30 quality jobs in the coming years, Gov. Beshear announced this week.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (September 2, 2021) – Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced today that a Christian County man was sentenced for the murder of three Kentuckians.  Christian Richard Martin, of Christian County, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

An investigation discovered that on November 18, 2015, Martin fatally shot three of his neighbors, Edward Dansereau and Calvin and Pamela Phillips. Calvin Phillips was found dead in his Pembroke home on November 19, and the remains of Dansereau and Pamela Phillips were discovered in a burned vehicle in a field.

Martin was indicted by a Christian County grand jury on May 10, 2019. He was arrested at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport the following day. Martin’s trial was initially scheduled to occur in Christian County, but the trial ultimately occurred in Hardin County.

After a two-week trial, a jury convicted Martin of all charges, including three counts of murder, one count of arson in the first degree, one count of attempted arson, two counts of burglary in the first degree, and three counts of tampering with physical evidence.  The sentencing occurred today in Christian Circuit Court.

Barbara Whaley and Alexander Garcia prosecuted the case on behalf of the Commonwealth.  The case was investigated by the Kentucky State Police, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, and the Department of Criminal Investigations within the Office of the Attorney General. Aaron Ash, a victims’ advocate from the Attorney General’s Office, assisted the families of the crime victims during the case.

Paducah, Ky. (September 1, 2021) — The Kentucky State Police (KSP) Electronic Crime Branch arrested Robert Garrett Barrett, 18, on charges related to child sexual abuse material.

Barrett was arrested as the result of an undercover Internet Crimes Against Children investigation. The KSP Electronic Crime Branch began the investigation after discovering the suspect sharing images of child sexual exploitation online.

The investigation resulted in the execution of a search warrant at a residence in Paducah, KY on August 31, 2021. Equipment used to facilitate the crime was seized and taken to KSP’s forensic laboratory for examination. The investigation is ongoing.

Barrett is currently charged with three counts of distribution of matter portraying a minor in a sexual performance and one count of possession of matter portraying a minor in a sexual performance. These charges are Class-D felonies punishable by one to five years in prison. Barrett was lodged in the McCracken County Detention Center.

The Kentucky Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force is comprised of more than twenty-six local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. The mission of the ICAC Task Force, created by the United States Department of Justice and administrated by the Kentucky State Police, is to assist state and local law enforcement agencies in developing a response to cyber enticement and child sexual abuse material investigations. This support encompasses forensic and investigative components, training and technical assistance, victim services, prevention and community education. The ICAC program was developed in response to the increasing number of children and teenagers using the internet, the proliferation of child sexual abuse material, and the heightened online activity of predators searching for unsupervised contact with underage victims.

Operation United Front rescues 59 victims, including two minors, and leads to 102 arrests across the country

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 1, 2021) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Operation United Front – a multistate human trafficking sting carried out Aug. 26 by 29 agencies across Kentucky – rescued 21 victims, including two minors, and yielded 46 arrests.

The 12-state human trafficking operation, led by the Missouri Attorney General’s Office and Missouri Highway Patrol, is believed to be the first multistate operation of its kind.

Kentucky conducted four trafficking operations simultaneously in Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, McCracken County and Northern Kentucky. The Kentucky State Police (KSP) organized and led the commonwealth’s effort.

“Operation United Front is a great example of creating a better and safer Kentucky, one that is free of this hideous crime,” Gov. Beshear said. “Thank you to all the law enforcement agencies and organizations involved for rescuing these victims and holding these heinous offenders accountable. Unfortunately, this crime is occurring in every county, in every community across the commonwealth, but we will keep fighting to make life better and safer for all Kentuckians, especially our children.”

Officials in participating states rescued a total of 59 victims, providing needed medical services to 41, and arrested 102 suspects across the country in connection with human trafficking. Each state conducted its own operation simultaneously, while sharing information with the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. Prior to the operation, Missouri offered training and information about how to conduct these operations to participating states.

“Operation United Front was a success because of the hard work and dedication of all law enforcement professionals working together,” said KSP Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. “This sends a message to human traffickers across the country that their actions will not be tolerated. We will be vigilant in finding those who prey upon our most vulnerable, especially our children. While we as law enforcement are responsible for investigating the cases and arresting the individuals involved, there is a whole other dynamic to these cases and that is the care provided by the victim services community.”

In addition to KSP, several Kentucky agencies supported the commonwealth’s efforts in Operation United Front contributing to the overall success.

These agencies include: Anderson County Sheriff’s Office; Boone County Sheriff’s Office; Bowling Green Police Department; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport Police Department; Department of Homeland Security; Elizabethtown Police Department; Florence Police Department; Grayson County Sheriff’s Office; Greater Hardin County Drug Task Force; Hart County Sheriff’s Office; Homeland Security Intelligence; Homeland Security Investigations, Louisville; Kenton County Police Department; Kentucky Office of the Attorney General; LaRue County Sheriff’s Office; Lawrenceburg Police Department; Marshall County Sheriff’s Office; McCracken County Police Department; Nelson County Sheriff’s Office; Paducah Police Department; Radcliff Police Department; U.S. Secret Service; Shepherdsville Police Department; Simpson County Sheriff’s Office; South Central Kentucky Drug Task Force; Warren County Drug Task Force; and Western Kentucky University Police Department.

Additional organizations provided victim support services including medical, housing, food and other needed services. Among the organizations providing aid were Barren County Area Child Advocacy Center, Catholic Charities, Department for Community Based Services, Kentucky State Police Victim Advocates, Northern Kentucky Children Advocacy Center, Refuge for Women, Southeast Christian Church, Salvation Army and Salvation Army of Cincinnati.

“The unique part of Operation United Front is that we utilized a victim-centered approach,” says Detective Rugina Lunce, KSP Human Trafficking Task Force Coordinator. “All agencies involved worked together to provide victims with the help they need to become survivors with a chance for a fresh start.”

The Kentucky Office of Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations and Human Trafficking Investigation Unit led the operation in McCracken County and supported operations in Warren County.

“We know that human trafficking transcends county and state lines, and multistate efforts like Operation United Front are essential to addressing the human trafficking crisis in our communities,” said Attorney General Daniel Cameron. “Every arrest made leads to one less trafficker on our streets and sends a message that we will not allow any person to exploit another through labor and sex trafficking. I’m incredibly grateful for the collaboration and for the partnerships exhibited throughout this operation, and I extend my sincere thanks to law enforcement across Kentucky who worked tirelessly to carry out Operation United Front.”

Across the country, the following agencies participated in or conducted separate state level operations: Missouri Attorney General’s Office; Missouri State Highway Patrol; Iowa Department of Public Safety; Kentucky Attorney General’s Office; Kentucky State Police; Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; Nashville Metropolitan Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force; North Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; Oklahoma City Police Department; Tulsa Police Department; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; Texas Attorney General’s Office; Texas Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance Task Force; Round Rock Police Department; Austin Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Results from Operation United Front by State:

• Missouri: Two arrests made, four victims rescued
• Illinois: Three arrests made, one victim rescued
• Iowa: Three arrests made, 10 victims rescued
• Kentucky: 46 arrests made, 21 victims rescued (including two minor victims)
• Minnesota: Three arrests made, eight victims rescued
• Nebraska: Seven arrests made
• North Dakota: Three arrests made, six victims rescued
• Oklahoma: 13 arrests made, one victim rescued
• Tennessee: Six arrests made, two victims rescued
• Texas: Two arrests made, four victims rescued
• Wisconsin: Five arrests made

South Dakota previously conducted a weeklong operation during the Sturgis Biker Rally, and arrested nine individuals.

Gov. Beshear has made fighting human trafficking a core mission during his time in elected office.

As attorney general, Beshear’s office established itself as the leading agency in Kentucky’s fight against human trafficking. He created the Office of Child Abuse and Human Trafficking Prevention and Prosecution, assigned staff to assist local law enforcement with resources in an effort to resolve human trafficking complaints and trained thousands of individuals statewide.

The Office of the Attorney General also arrested a historic level of child predators during Beshear’s term. He also created the Survivor’s Council, which provided a way for survivors of violent crimes, including human trafficking, to advise and assist the office on matters related to victims of crime.

In 2020, Gov. Beshear announced $37 million in grant funding from the Victims of Crime Act program, known as VOCA, to 133 crime victim service providers in Kentucky to respond to the emotional and physical needs of survivors and provide a much-deserved measure of safety and security.

In May 2021, Gov. Beshear announced a $1 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will help the state address key findings of the University of Louisville (UofL) Human Trafficking Research Initiative’s Project PIVOT: Prevention and Intervention for Victims of Trafficking, a two-year research project.

When Gov. Beshear served as Attorney General, his office collaborated with Project PIVOT on the research. Now that he is Governor, his administration is working to carry out the project’s recommendations, which include the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) creating an advisory council; launching a human trafficking and child labor screening tool to identify high-risk children; and hiring a full-time child protection specialist.

Gov. Beshear also reminds Kentuckians of the legal duty to report suspicions of children involved in the commercial sex trade to DCBS at 1-877-KYSAFE1 and to local law enforcement. Other concerns about possible trafficking activities should be reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.

Governor included funding for vocational centers in Better Kentucky Plan

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 1, 2021) – In another significant step forward in his Better Kentucky Plan creating jobs and opportunities in every corner of the commonwealth, Gov. Andy Beshear today announced $75 million has been approved to go to Kentucky school districts to fund renovation projects at Local Area Vocational Education Centers (LAVEC).

The Kentucky School Facilities Construction Commission Board approved the grant funding Wednesday.

“Our vocational programs are essential – providing education for our students, opportunities for our workers and a skilled workforce for our businesses to move our communities forward and continue our economic momentum,” said Gov. Beshear. “This funding will ensure that Kentucky workers have access to state-of-the art vocational facilities to learn the skills and trades they need to compete in our workforce.”

On Wednesday, the construction commission board voted to offer grants to nine school districts which operate LAVEC programs. Funding can be used to cover the cost of renovations, which include updating, expanding, repairing, replacing or rebuilding a structure.

The following school districts have been approved for LAVEC grants by the commission. The districts will allocate funds to the projects for which they applied.

• Magoffin County – $4,369,318
• Christian County – $10,000,000
• Bardstown Independent – $10,000,000
• Johnson County – $10,000,000
• Lawrence County – $9,280,350
• Fayette County – $10,000,000
• Knox County – $10,000,000
• Trigg County – $10,000,000
• Ballard County – $68,896

Most LAVEC programs are connected to — or housed in — area high schools. The school districts chosen for funding were among nearly three dozen qualified applicants. Applications were evaluated by the commission based upon: age of current vocational education facility, financial need, county unemployment rate and LAVEC enrollment.

“This is a unique opportunity to upgrade and improve the quality of vocational education for hundreds of Kentuckians. We have hundreds of millions worth of building and renovation requests in the queue. These General Fund dollars shortens that list and gets shovels in the ground by 2022,” said Chelsey Couch, executive director of the Kentucky School Construction Facilities Commission.

School districts submitted 32 applications with $229 million in requested financial assistance for their vocational centers, exceeding the $75 million in funding available through this program. The Governor will be reviewing qualifying projects for potential inclusion in his upcoming recommended budget he will submit in January.

Through a bipartisan agreement with legislators, the Governor’s Better Kentucky Plan aims to create 14,500 jobs and will help Kentucky lead in the coming post-COVID economy. The plan allocates more than $750 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to build schools, expand access to broadband and deliver clean drinking water and quality sewer systems across the commonwealth.

In August, Gov. Beshear announced a Request for Proposals from broadband providers for the first $50 million to expand broadband access in unserved communities. The Governor has awarded $13.6 million from the Cleaner Water Program for projects in Shelby and Fayette Counties. Gov. Beshear has also announced $127 million dollars in funding for 12 local school to fund construction and renovation projects.

Read about other key updates, actions and information from Gov. Beshear and his administration at governor.ky.gov and kycovid19.ky.gov.

Project earns regional “operations excellence” award in America’s Transportation Awards program

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Sept. 1, 2021) – Today, Gov. Andy Beshear announced that the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) emergency project to quickly repair and reopen the Brent Spence Bridge following a disastrous truck crash and fire has earned a prestigious award.

The project was singled out for regional recognition in the America’s Transportation Awards “operations excellence” category, sponsored annually by AAA, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).

“Quickly restoring safe access to this critically important bridge was an all-out effort by our Kentucky Transportation Cabinet team members and their partners,” Gov. Beshear said. “It was never about awards, but it was an extraordinary project, and it’s gratifying to see their hard work recognized.”

The America’s Transportation Awards competition serves as a way to recognize state transportation agencies and highlight the projects they deliver to make their communities better places to live, work and play. All nominated projects first compete on a regional level against other projects of like size. The Brent Spence Bridge emergency repair project was nominated for “Operations Excellence, Small Category” – less than $25 million – in a nine-state Mid-America region.

From regional competitions, 12 projects will be selected to compete for a national Grand Prize selected by an independent panel of industry judges and a People’s Choice Award chosen by the general public through online voting.

The two-deck Brent Spence Bridge carries 160,000 vehicles a day across the Ohio River between Covington and Cincinnati on Interstate Highways 71 and 75. It was abruptly closed Nov. 11, 2020, after two tractor-trailers collided about midway on the bridge’s lower deck, causing fire damage to a portion of the bridge. Forty-one days later, on Dec. 22, 2020, the bridge was reopened to traffic, fully restored, under budget and ahead of schedule.

“We appreciate the recognition symbolized by this award,” Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said. “At the time, no one was thinking about awards. Our team was laser focused on restoring a vital interstate connection under challenging circumstances: a global pandemic, cold weather, the holiday season and a major interruption to one of the most commercially important river crossings in the Eastern United States.”

“As the COVID-19 pandemic forced many Americans to drastically change work patterns, state DOT employees continued the harrowing work of keeping our transportation systems operating safely and efficiently for those who had to travel, whether by vehicle or other means,” AASHTO Executive Director Jim Tymon said. “The America’s Transportation Awards program highlights just a few of the projects and programs across the country that had a positive impact on our communities’ quality of life during an otherwise uncertain time.”

The Brent Spence Bridge emergency repair project has won other honors, including Public Works Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association and the 2021 Project Award ($5 million or less) by the American Society of Highway Engineers, Bluegrass Chapter.

Temporarily lifts restrictions on commercial drivers involved in restoring power, removing debris
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 30, 2021) – Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray has signed an official order temporarily suspending certain restrictions on motor carriers engaged in restoring power and removing debris in areas stricken by Hurricane Ida.
“Our Cabinet is ready to help ensure that needed relief gets quickly to areas that have lost electric power and experienced heavy damage as a result of high winds and flooding from Hurricane Ida,” Secretary Gray said.
The order is effective through 12:01 a.m. EDT on Sept. 9, 2021 and may be extended, if needed. It temporarily relieves commercial drivers from maximum driving times and weigh station stops if providing response to affected areas.
In addition, the order authorizes the Transportation Cabinet’s Department of Vehicle Regulation to waive permit fees for overweight/over-dimensional vehicles. To ensure the safety of the traveling public, carriers must comply with safety requirements and have a copy of the order in the truck cab if operating under the authority of the official order.

FRANKFORT, Ky., Aug. 30, 2021 – The public is invited to virtual town hall meetings in September to discuss improving outcomes for Kentucky children and families involved in the state foster care system. Anyone with an interest in making the foster care system better is encouraged to attend one of the regional meetings that will take place Sept. 14, 17, 22 and 24. Registration is required.

Citizen Foster Care Review Boards statewide are hosting the events. The meetings are among the reforms called for in House Bill 1, which was passed in 2018 to address issues with foster care and adoption processes. The legislation requires CFCRBs to offer regional meeting at least twice a year to get public input on the foster care system.

At the September meetings, CFCRBs will lead discussions on identifying barriers to getting children in foster care into safe, permanent homes. Due to confidentiality, specific cases will not be discussed.

Findings from the meetings will be reported to the Kentucky Citizen Foster Care Review Board and included in the CFCRB’s annual recommendations to the Supreme Court of Kentucky, governor and legislature.

For more information, contact the Kentucky CFCRB at cfcrb@kycourts.net.

Town Hall Schedule

Sept. 14, 2021

11 a.m.-noon CT/noon-1 p.m. ET

Registration required. You will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom meeting link.

For citizens residing in these counties: Allen, Ballard, Barren, Breckinridge, Butler, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Daviess, Edmonson, Fulton, Graves, Grayson, Hancock, Hardin, Hart, Henderson, Hickman, Hopkins, LaRue, Livingston, Logan, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken, McLean, Meade, Metcalfe, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Ohio, Simpson, Todd, Trigg, Union, Warren and Webster

Sept. 17, 2021

11 a.m.-noon CT/noon-1 p.m. ET

Registration required.  You will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom meeting link.

For citizens residing in these counties: Adair, Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Elliott, Floyd, Green, Greenup, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Leslie, Letcher, Lewis, Magoffin, Marion, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Perry, Pike, Powell, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Taylor, Washington, Wayne, Whitley and Wolfe

Sept. 22, 2021

11 a.m.-noon CT/noon-1 p.m. ET

Registration required.  You will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom meeting link.

For citizens residing in these counties: Bullitt, Fayette and Jefferson

Sept. 24, 2021

11 a.m.-noon CT/noon-1 p.m. ET

Registration required. You will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom meeting link.

For citizens residing in these counties: Anderson, Boone, Bourbon, Boyle, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Clark, Estill, Fleming, Franklin, Gallatin, Garrard, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Jessamine, Kenton, Lee, Lincoln, Madison, Mason, Mercer, Nicholas, Oldham, Owen, Owsley, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Trimble and Woodford

Citizen Foster Care Review Boards
CFCRBs are teams of court-appointed volunteers who make a difference in the lives of local children who are in foster care in Kentucky. The children are in care due to dependency, neglect or abuse. The 700-plus volunteers review cases and make recommendations to state courts and the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services on behalf of the children. The volunteers work to ensure that children’s needs are met while in care and that they are placed in safe, permanent homes as quickly as possible. The CHFS administers the state foster care program.

The Kentucky General Assembly created the Kentucky CFCRB in 1982 to decrease the time children spend in out-of-home care. In Fiscal Year 2020, volunteers reviewed 23,641 cases involving 13,838 children in out-of-home care. View the latest CFCRB Annual Report.

Volunteer with a CFCRB

Make a difference for the children in your community by serving as a CFCRB volunteer. CFCRBs throughout Kentucky are in need of volunteers.

Administrative Office of the Courts
The Administrative Office of the Courts provides support services to the CFCRB program. The AOC is the operations arm for the state court system and supports the activities of nearly 3,300 employees and 406 elected justices, judges and circuit court clerks. The AOC also executes the Judicial Branch budget.

​​​​​​​FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 30, 2021) – Gov. Andy Beshear has directed that flags at all state office buildings be lowered to half-staff from sunrise until sunset on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in observation of Overdose Awareness Day in Kentucky.

Overdose Awareness Day is a global event held on Aug. 31 each year to raise awareness of drug overdoses, to reduce the stigma of drug-related deaths and to acknowledge the grief felt by families and friends as they remember those who have died or have a permanent injury as a result of a drug overdose.

Gov. Beshear encourages individuals, businesses and organizations throughout the commonwealth to join in this tribute.

Flags at state facilities are currently flying at half-staff until sunset on Monday, Aug. 30, in honor of the U.S. service members and others killed in the terrorist attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday. Flag status information is available at https://governor.ky.gov/flag-status.