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A seven-month investigation by game wardens with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife into illegal commercial catfish harvesting resulted in the serving of multiple search warrants Friday.

Operation River Raid was a coordinated statewide enforcement effort on September 12 during which 10 search warrants were executed “from Paducah to Ashland.” The KSP says: “The investigation focused on individuals and entities suspected of violating state law governing commercial fishing and the sale of wildlife.”

KFW says illegally harvesting wildlife poses a threat to Kentucky’s natural resources, harms the economic stability of local communities, and undermines lawful commercial and recreational fishing operations. KFW Director of Law Enforcement Colonel Jeremy McQueary said Operation River Raid demonstrates the department’s commitment to protecting Kentucky rivers and lakes and the people who use them.

KFW says the investigation remains active and ongoing, and more information including names of the people and operations facing charges will be released at a later date. Members of the public with possible information on illegal fishing activity are encouraged to report that information through the Kentucky Wildlife Tipline at 1-800-25-ALERT or through the KFWLaw app.

CASA of the Heartland is among the organizations receiving support from the WHAS Crusade for Children.

According to a release from the organization, CASA of the Heartland was awarded a $12,000 grant. The release states: “The funding will provide training, resources, and ongoing support for CASA volunteers, ensuring they are fully equipped to give children in vulnerable circumstances a consistent voice in court and in the community.”

CASA of the Heartland currently serves more than 270 children in Breckinridge, Grayson, Hardin, LaRue, and Meade counties, and Executive Director Michelle Kail says they are always looking for volunteers willing to commit to the cause.

“We are really looking for community members who are just really interested in helping children, and maybe just want to sit down and have a conversation about what does it look like to volunteer, because our judges typically appoint us to the most egregious cases to be that extra set of eyes and ears in the homes and for the courts,” Kail said.

Learn more on the CASA of the Heartland website or Facebook page.

While some portions of Kentucky saw some rainfall in the past week, the mainly dry weather has led to continued drought conditions.

“So the D-0 drought is in the northern part of Hardin County as well as Meade, Breckinridge, and parts of Grayson, and D-0 means that we’re looking at abnormally dry soil conditions right now, and D-1 drought is a little bit more severe on the scale,” said Meteorologist Samantha Wilson with the National Weather Service in Louisville. “It’s a moderate drought and that’s in E-Town, LaRue, Nelson, Hart, and those areas.”

Worsening drought conditions are expected over the next few weeks.

“It does look like this will persist for the next week because we don’t have any rain in the forecast as of right now, and even beyond that it’s looking pretty minimal for any rainfall that we could get, so we are expecting these drought conditions to worsen to either one or two categories more than what we’re seeing right now,” Wilson said.

Burn bans are currently in place in LaRue County and Hodgenville, and the risk is high across the area.

“Fire weather conditions will become increasingly more likely, which means we could have some very light or gusty winds, hot conditions, drying soils, things like that,” Wilson said. “Anything can really spark a quick fire. Of course, cigarettes are a big one. Just be aware of putting those out correctly because fire conditions will become more likely going into the next few weeks.”

Check with your local municipalities on burn bans or restrictions, and learn more about drought monitoring on the NWS Louisville website.