WQXE News

Kentucky’s biggest hunting season gets under way this weekend.

Modern Gun Deer Season in Kentucky opens on Saturday, November 8, continuing for 16 days and ending on Sunday, November 23.

According to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, hunters in Kentucky harvested nearly 150,000 deer last year, with the Modern Gun Season accounting for the most deer harvested annually. KFW says the state’s bountiful white-tailed deer herd provides many hunting opportunities and a sustainable source of lean protein.

Harvest limits are based on deer density in each of the state’s four deer zones. Under Kentucky’s statewide deer permit, hunters may take up to four deer, with hunters limited to one buck per year regardless of zone. Consult the state’s Hunting Guide for more information.

Special restrictions related to carcass transportation and baiting remain in place for deer harvested in the state’s Chronic Wasting Disease Surveillance Zone, which includes Breckinridge, Hardin, and Meade counties. Hunters can assist state biologists by donating the heads of legally harvested and telechecked deer for testing through the state’s CWD sample drop-off sites or with a CWD sample mail-in kit.

More information on deer hunting in Kentucky can be found by searching for “deer season” at fw.ky.gov or by downloading the Kentucky Deer and Elk app.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenburg, and Kentucky Third District Congressman Morgan McGarvey provided an update on the UPS Flight 2976 crash after touring the crash site Wednesday afternoon.

Beshear described the scene of the crash as “violent.”

“Where the plane hit, at best, is destroyed,” Beshear said. “What you see are mangled remnants of what was in its path, completely burnt and blackened.”

The Governor confirmed the number of total fatalities as of Wednesday afternoon was 11. A 12th fatality was confirmed Wednesday evening.

Beshear said operations are moving from rescue to recovery.

“We do not expect to find anyone else alive in the area,” Beshear said. “Because of that, we now move and put the safety of the first responders at the top of the list, and so we’re going to have limited operations at night because if you walk through this debris field it’s very easy for somebody to get hurt, and we want to make sure that everyone on site is safe. After disasters, we have lost people, and I don’t want that to happen here.”

A victim family reunification center has been established at the Louisville Metro Police Training Academy, located at 2911 Taylor Boulevard.

McGarvey said the National Transportation Safety Board is in charge of the investigation.

“They are going to do their best to get us answers,” McGarvey said. “As much as we’re hurting right now, we want those answers quickly. They want to make sure though that they’re both thorough, that they’re right, that they’re showing respect for everyone involved. We will continue working with them and giving them everything they need.”

Anybody that believes they have possible debris from the crash on their property is asked to not disturb it but report it to witness@ntsb.qov.

The Governor has declared a state of emergency in response to the crash. Kentuckians can support victims by contributing to the Team Kentucky Emergency Relief Fund.

The United Way of Central Kentucky recently distributed $5,000 in mini-grants to two area organizations. 

The United Way made a $3,000 donation to the Elizabethtown Police Department and a $2,000 donation to Fort Knox Alphas – Omicron Nu Lambda.

According to the United Way, the EPD donation “will support crime victims in Elizabethtown with emergency needs such as food, shelter, personal care items, clothing, transportation assistance, and animal boarding.” The donation to the Fort Knox Alphas will support their Men of the Light Youth Mentorship Program, which aims to empower young men “to develop strong character, pursue academic excellence, and build the confidence needed to become future community leaders.”

The United Way’s mini-grants program is used by the organization to support community projects and initiatives that fall outside of the organization’s traditional funding structure. Mini-grants are distributed to support small projects on an as-needed basis. Learn more about the program and more information on the United Way of Central Kentucky’s mission at www.unitedwayck.org.