WQXE News

The Kentucky State Police on Thursday recognized 61 troopers, detectives, and officers from across the commonwealth during their Sworn Awards Ceremony. The awards recognize KSP personnel who went above and beyond the call of service.

Each post recognized a Detective of the Year and a Trooper of the Year. For KSP Post Four, Detective of the Year was presented to Master Trooper and Public Affairs Officer Bryan Washer.

“Anytime you’re rewarded with that kind of award, it makes you feel really good about the work that you put in that year,” Washer said. “2024, we had a lot of homicides, we had assaults and sexual assaults, and there’s just a lot of investigations that I was a part of and working that year, but it feels good to be recognized.”

The KSP Post Four Trooper of the Year award was presented to Trooper Jesse Harp. Post Four Trooper Matthew Hendricks was presented with the Lifesaving Medal for his response to a collision in November 2024.

“What he did that night, there was a tractor-trailer involved with another car,” Washer said. “The car was on fire and he had to break out the window of the passenger car and get a one-year-old out of the vehicle, and then while the car was still on fire, he had to go back into the car and get another child, I think it was a six-year-old, out of the car. He took the door off of the car and cut the seatbelt off and got the six-year-old out of the vehicle.”

Washer said the officers will tell you they were doing what any other officer would do, but he was happy to see them recognized.

“This post is extremely busy when it comes to investigations and activity, and what these guys are doing out on the road,” Washer said. “If you had a radio on or were able to listen to some of the calls that they’re getting, they’re constantly going from call to call, or we’re doing safety work on the interstates. The troopers are super busy all the time.”

For KSP Post Three, Detective of the Year was presented to Detective Allen Shirley, and Trooper of the Year was presented to Trooper Grant Robinson. Six Post Three officers received other awards and citations.

The KSP says statewide troopers responded to more than 412,000 calls for assistance last year. Learn more and find a complete list of award-winners on the KSP’s website.

Unemployment rates across the Lincoln Trail District saw declines in August. 

The Kentucky Center for Statistics says unemployment rates decreased in 119 counties and increased in one when comparing August 2025 with August 2024.

The state unemployment average for August was 4.3 percent. That’s down from both the 5.6 percent average in July as well as the 5.3 percent average reported in August of 2024.

Hardin County’s unemployment rate for August was just above the state average at 4.6 percent. That is down from the 5.9 percent rate reported in July and from the 5.4 percent rate from August 2024.

Grayson County posted the highest August unemployment rate in the district at 5.4 percent, followed by Breckinridge County at 5.1 percent. Washington County posted the lowest unemployment rate in the district, and tied for the tenth lowest rate in the state, for August at 3.8 percent, followed by Nelson County at 4 percent.

Learn more about how the unemployment rate is calculated and find more labor market information by visiting kystats.ky.gov.

Area law enforcement was included in the latest round of federal funding aimed at fighting drug crimes in the commonwealth.

Governor Andy Beshear on Thursday announced more than $1.4 million had been awarded through the Edward J. Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. The program allows “Kentucky’s law enforcement agencies, drug task forces, and nonprofit organizations to purchase critical resources, provide drug prevention programming to community residents, offer counseling to crime victims, ensure officers receive specialized training, and work with individuals leaving incarceration for successful reentry skills.”

“Each of these organizations is receiving over $100,000,” said Governor Beshear during Thursday’s Team Kentucky Update. “Thank you to these groups for all they’re doing. With three straight years of declines in overdose deaths, we can finally see real hope, especially after last year where we saw a 30 percent decline. We’re still losing too many people. Each one, a child of God, loved by their family and their friends. Let’s keep working until we end this epidemic that arose in our lifetime, and I think we have an obligation not to leave it to our kids or to our grandkids.”

Included in the latest funding recipients are the Greater Hardin County Narcotics Task Force, which received $196,307, and the Kentucky State Police, which received $333,595.

Learn more about the grant program on the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet’s website.