WQXE News
The American Red Cross says winter storms have taken a toll on an already severe blood supply shortage.
According to the Red Cross, more than 500 blood drives were cancelled due to the winter weather, resulting in more than 20,000 blood and platelet donations going uncollected since January 23. That goes on top of the more than 400 blood drives that were cancelled the previous month due to winter weather.
The Red Cross encourages anybody who can safely travel to schedule an appointment to donate blood or platelets. Keeping donations going at this time will help ensure lifesaving medical procedures are not delayed.
Red Cross Account Manager Tammy Ritchie says the need for Type O donors is urgent.
“The need for Type O, O-positive and O-negative, is in an emergency need right now,” said Ritchie. “Transfusions are happening when needed, but because that is the most common blood type, it is also the most needed, and in an emergency situation, that is what’s going to be transfused until we know that patient’s blood type.”
As an added incentive, donors between now and February 28 will receive a $20 e-gift card to the merchant of their choice. Visit www.redcrossblood.org for more information on donating and to find a blood drive near you.
Kentuckians have an opportunity to support survivors of domestic violence this weekend.
ZeroV, the statewide coalition against intimate partner violence, will be hosting their annual Shop and Share event this Saturday, February 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
According to a release from the office of Kentucky First Lady Britainy Beshear, Shop and Share is a one-day donation drive in which shoppers at participating grocery stores are asked to “shop” for what they need and “share” an item with their local domestic violence program. The annual drive “will provide critical supplies for the commonwealth’s state-designated regional domestic violence shelters.” In addition to food items, last year’s event raised more than $349,000 to support more than 2,300 people housed in domestic violence shelters in 2025.
Volunteers will be at participating locations with lists of items in need such as food, diapers, and other essentials. Participating grocery stores include both the Dolphin Drive and Towne Mall Kroger stores in Elizabethtown, benefiting SpringHaven Inc. A list of times requested by SpringHaven can be found on the Shop and Share page at www.zerov.org.
The Kentucky Department of Corrections says the Victim Information and Notification Everyday System is temporarily offline.
According to the DOC, a vendor-caused issue resulted in false alerts through the VINE System being issued. The alerts falsely indicated certain inmates had been released. The DOC says the information is false and should be disregarded.
The VINE System has been temporarily disabled in order to address the issue and notifications are not being sent. The DOC says the system should be back up and running by the end of the day Thursday, at which time a notification will be sent to affected users.
The DOC says no personal data or information was hacked or compromised.