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The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services is confirming an outbreak of measles across five counties, noting more cases have been confirmed in the commonwealth this year than in any year since 1991.

The health cabinet says 15 cases of measles have been confirmed in Christian, Owen, Todd, Trigg, and Washington counties in the last four days. That number is expected to increase as the Kentucky Department for Public Health is actively investigating additional reports. Updated case numbers can be found on the KDPH measles dashboard.

The health cabinet says all 19 cases reported in 2026 have been for individuals who were not vaccinated against measles. The American Academy of Pediatrics and other experts say two doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine are 97 percent effective against the disease.

The health cabinet says the immunization rate among Kentucky kindergartners has recently increased to 90.7 percent, but this remains among the lowest rates in the nation. This comes as the United States is experiencing its largest measles outbreak since the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.

Contact your local health department or primary care provider for more information on measles and the MMR vaccine.  

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Chancellor Dr. Juston Pate said Tuesday’s groundbreaking for an expansion to the college’s Science Building is not just a kickoff for a construction project, it’s a kickoff for the next 40 years of the Science Building.

“Local workforce development is really the point for this,” Pate said. “When we talk about adding value to students’ lives and then returning that value back out into the community, it’s largely evident in the careers that they take.”

Pate discussed the expansion during ECTC’s annual Community Breakfast. The $16 million expansion to the west and south sides of the building is expected to be completed in 2027. Pate said biology and chemistry programs are important to the healthcare field, and the expansion comes at a time where healthcare worker shortages are seen across the area.

“By both expanding and providing more relevant experiences through this renovation, we’re really going to be enhancing our workforce through our students’ lives,” Pate said.

During the breakfast event, Jennifer Swope was presented with the ECTC Chancellor’s Pathfinder Award in recognition of her chairing of the ECTC Home for Hope campaign, which helped fund construction of the Family Scholar House housing facility.

Learn more about ECTC’s ongoing projects at ectc.us/grows.

Six months after damage from winter weather forced them out of the building, students returned to the Radcliff Head Start facility for a grand reopening and back-to-school event last Thursday.

The Central Kentucky Community Action Council, Head Start’s parent agency, said despite extensive structural repairs being necessary, the work on the facility was completed ahead of schedule.

“This reopening is a true testament to what can be accomplished when a community rallies together,” said CKCAC Executive Director Bryan Conover. “From the immediate emergency response through the entire restoration process, the support we received was remarkable.”

Despite the severe weather damage, Head Start operations continued uninterrupted after classes were temporarily moved into Radcliff Elementary School.

Central Kentucky Head Start Director Jennifer Akin expressed her gratitude to Hardin County Schools, highlighting the support of Superintendent Teresa Morgan and Radcliff Elementary School Principal Dan Mahon.

“Their willingness to step up allowed our program to remain a steady anchor for our students when we needed it most,” Akin said.

The CKCAC managed building repairs on behalf of Head Start, partnering with Goff Construction on the $105,000 restoration project.