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State officials launching carbon monoxide safety initiative

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Kentucky government is launching a new statewide initiative aimed at carbon monoxide safety. 

Governor Andy Beshear on Wednesday said as part of the initiative, the state will be working with local building personnel and the Department of Education to conduct proactive inspections of aging buildings, beginning with schools, daycares, and senior living facilities. These inspections will include checks of furnace rooms, HVAC systems, kitchen equipment, and emergency monitoring devices to ensure current safety standards are met.

The Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet says carbon monoxide is responsible for hundreds of preventable injuries and fatalities nationwide each year. Symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure include headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion, and fainting.

Officials recommend the following safety tips related to carbon monoxide:

-Install carbon monoxide detectors on each level of a building and near sleeping areas. Replace the batteries in the devices twice a year.
-Have HVAC systems, chimneys, and vents inspected annually. Never block ventilation openings or air returns.
-Don’t use ovens, stovetops, or grills to heat indoor spaces. Keep fuel-burning equipment outdoors and at least 20 feet from buildings.

If you suspect symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure, evacuate immediately. Visit the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings, and Construction website for more information.

E-Town man held responsible for teen overdose death gets 10 years in prison

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An Elizabethtown man charged in the accidental overdose death of a Hardin County teenager received his sentence Monday.

Hardin Circuit Judge Larry Ashlock accepted the commonwealth’s plea deal with Damien Felker, who pleaded guilty to all of the charges a grand jury indicted him on in December of 2024 including first-degree Trafficking in a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. Under the terms of the deal, Felker will serve 10 years in prison. He is eligible for parole after five years, but the deal is contingent on Felker testifying against other defendants, with the deal voided and Felker serving 20 years if he testifies untruthfully.

Prior to Ashlock’s decision, statements were made to the court by Kristin and Scott Willitt regarding the death of their son, 17-year-old Hayden Willitt, in December of 2024. That month, the Elizabethtown Police Department disclosed their investigation into the death of an Elizabethtown teenager who ingested a tablet designed to look like a prescription narcotic that was actually laced with fentanyl.

Felker is the second person to be sentenced in the investigation after Aaydn Kristopher-Nelson Durbin was sentenced to 10 years in prison in October of 2025. Additionally, Tyler Wayne Cull of Louisville was indicted on federal drug charges in August of 2025 in relation to the case.

West Point mayor says progress in 2025 sets stage for more in 2026

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West Point Mayor Richard Ciresi says the city has continued to make efforts to make the city aesthetically pleasing in order to attract new residents and tourism.

Ciresi says the city accomplished several goals in 2025, including the opening of a Dollar General store, which he believes is the first national retailer to open in the city in decades.

“That filled the big demand,” Ciresi said. “Now you can buy some groceries and pick up some things without going five or six miles in either direction, so that was a big one. We completed our bank stabilization study, which is going to put us in a position to apply for funds to fix our river bank so it doesn’t continue to slip into the river.”

Ciresi says the city also found new opportunities for revenue in 2025.

“We sold the long-term lease on our water tower, which gave us some cash, and we also sold the 99-year lease for the cell tower property on Dixie Highway, which again generated some cash,” Ciresi said.

The mayor says progress made in 2025 looks to support goals for 2026.

“I would like to get development started on the (city-owned) 55 acres and start building some new homes,” Ciresi said. “I would like to start doing in-fill on the vacant lots here in West Point. We should, hopefully, get the grant to complete our bank stabilization or riverbank stabilization. We are also in pursuit of a grant to perhaps build a new firehouse that would be above base flood.”

Ciresi also said park improvements are on the agenda for 2026, which in addition to benefiting residents creates opportunities such as the Kentucky Folklore Festival held at Veterans Memorial Park in October.

Red Cross blood donors in January could win trip to Super Bowl

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Two of the 14 teams in the NFL playoffs will head to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, to play in Super Bowl 60 on February 8, and if you support the American Red Cross this month you might be joining them.

Now through January 25, Red Cross blood donors will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl 60. The winner and a guest will receive game tickets, access to day-of in-stadium pregame activities, tickets to the Super Bowl Experience, round-trip airfare, three-night hotel accommodations, and a $1,000 gift card.

According to the Red Cross, the national blood supply has seen a dip as donors are held up by winter weather and busy schedules during the holiday season. A- and B- blood are in particular demand, and the need for Type O donors has not gone away.

“The need for Type O, O-positive and O-negative, is in an emergency need right now,” said American Red Cross Account Manager Tammy 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.”

Visit www.redcrossblood.org for more information on donating and to find a blood drive near you.

2026 legislative session for Kentucky General Assembly begins Tuesday

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With the Kentucky General Assembly legislative session that begins Tuesday being a long session, 10th District State Senator Matt Deneen says the state budget is top priority.

“We have a lot of issues with housing and Medicaid that we’re going to have to deal with, and we’re always going to be concerned with looking at ways to invest in education as we always have, and of course infrastructure across the state, but there’s a multitude of issues that we will have to address as the COVID money comes to an end, and we are back into a session here that really reflects what the commonwealth’s revenue is,” Deneen said.

Deneen says he hopes to see the continued structured reduction of the state income tax, along with progress on workforce development and infrastructure issues.

“A lot of those things are in the works, and I work closely with the Veterans Military Affairs and Public Protection Committee as the chairman, so I do have some bills related to veterans benefits and national security issues around our military installations,” Deneen said. “I serve on several other committees, so there’ll be lots of bills related to those committees as well.”

Deneen encourages Kentuckians to follow the progress of the legislative session, and those with concerns can contact their representatives and senators.

“Several local constituents call me with issues related to health care, related to insurance, related to all kinds of topics from disaster relief and all of it,” Deneen said. “It’s a wide gamut, but I look forward to having those conversations with them and doing the very best I can to be honest, transparent, and forthcoming with the answers they need to help them.”

Contact information for legislators, information on bills as they are filed, and a schedule for the session can be found on the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission’s website.