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Baptist Health Richmond Offering Pre-Surgery Coronavirus Drive-Through Testing

By Stu Johnson • May 29, 2020

Beginning Monday, Baptist Health Richmond is providing drive through COVID-19 testing for patients who have a scheduled surgery or procedure.

Patients who have a scheduled surgery or procedure are required to complete the COVID-19 test 72 hours prior to their appointment.

Baptist Health Richmond Vice President Pat Olds said the hospital’s top priority is to ensure patients and staff are safe while continuing to provide the best patient experience. All drive-through COVID-19 tests will be scheduled for each patient with an upcoming surgery or procedure.

Tips Offered For Planting "Victory Gardens"

By Stu Johnson • May 29, 2020

A Wartime effort is being resurrected as Kentuckians battle coronavirus. The Kentucky Agriculture Department along with the help of University of Kentucky are promoting the establishment of “victory gardens.”

Kentucky Nutrition Education Program Director Marisa Aull says the effort is similar to a message sent out during World War I and II. “Most important it was for food security, but it was also to bring people together, rally around an idea of that we were going to be self-sufficient self-sustaining and victorious in our efforts,” said Aull

McConnell Says Next Coronavirus Aid Bill Will Be The Last

By Kelsey Snell • May 29, 2020

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he expects Senate Republicans will begin considering proposals for a "fourth and final" coronavirus response bill to address the needs of the country "in about a month."

McConnell said the bill will be narrowly crafted and will focus in particular on jobs and schools. He said there could be funding for small businesses and health care, but he will not support extending the additional $600 per week in federal unemployment benefits that run out at the end of July.

Seven Shot During Louisville Protest

By wfpl staff • May 29, 2020

Seven people were shot, leaving at least one in critical condition, during a protest Thursday evening in downtown Louisville over the death of Breonna Taylor.

Louisville Metro Police Department spokesperson Alicia Smiley said police made some arrests, but she couldn’t say how many as “the situation is ongoing.” LMPD spokesperson Jessie Halladay said in an email that no officers fired their weapons.

Somerset Music Shop: Business Strong So Far After Reopening Amid Pandemic

By Rhonda Miller • May 29, 2020

Businesses across Kentucky are reopening with safety guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

A music store in Somerset is one of the thousands of businesses across the Bluegrass State adapting to the new reality.

Josh Parker enjoys demonstrating one of the most popular guitars at the shop he owns in Somerset, Earl Brooke’s Piano and Music Center.

Colleges Face Student Lawsuits Seeking Refunds After Coronavirus Closures

By Anya Kamenetz • May 29, 2020

Columbia, Brown, Penn, Purdue — universities with hallowed traditions, proud alumni and another thing in common: Right now they're being sued by disgruntled students.

The students claim that when campuses shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic, they should have been entitled to more of their money back. And the list of institutions facing such challenges is growing, including private institutions and entire public systems in California, Florida, North Carolina and Arizona.

For Opioid Users, Pandemic Means New Dangers, But Also New Treatment Options

By Nina Feldman • May 29, 2020

Before Philadelphia shut down to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Ed had a routine: most mornings he would head to a nearby McDonald's to brush his teeth, wash his face and — when he had the money — buy a cup of coffee. He would bounce between homeless shelters and try to get a shower. But since businesses closed and many shelters stopped taking new admissions, Ed has been mostly shut off from that routine.

The Battle Between The Masked And The Masked-Nots Unveils Political Rifts

By Tovia Smith • May 29, 2020

It has become a political and cultural flashpoint, drawing a clear divide between the "masked" and the "masked-nots." The disdain runs between the consciously unmasked president of the United States and his deliberately mask-donning Democratic rival, all the way on down to those crossing paths — and often crossing each other — in the cereal aisle of the grocery store.

Governor Says Flexibility In High School Athletic Scheduling May Be Needed

By Stu Johnson • May 28, 2020

By mid-June all Kentucky state parks and lodges are expected to be open for visitors. That includes four state parks, Lake Cumberland, Lake Barkley, Blue Licks Battlefield, and Buckhorn Lake, which had been designated for temporary housing for low acuity COVID-19 patients.

Anti-Hunger Advocates Worry Ohio Valley Overlooked In Federal Food Box Program

By Liam Neimeyer • May 28, 2020

A new federal program is buying more than $1 billion in farm products such as dairy, produce and meat unable to be sold due to the pandemic’s disruptions to the food supply and send “food boxes” to needy families. But some anti-hunger advocates worry that parts of the Ohio Valley may be overlooked in getting this aid.

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Eastern Standard

Eastern Standard for May 28, 2020

By Tom Martin • May 28, 2020

Changes coming to Kentucky’s colleges - on and off campus. | A look at the history of pandemics with the author of “Russia in the Time of Cholera.” | Introducing “Future Tense” - anthropologist and author Chris Begley peers into a post-pandemic future through the visions of his guests. | The latest in our monthly series on the 19th Amendment | How the coronavirus has brought things to a standstill at the Appalachian Center for the Arts in Pikeville.

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Contact: Tom Martin at es@eku.edu or leave voicemail at 859-622-9358

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