Whitney Jones

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will close a portion of KY 1748 in Graves County starting Dec. 18. Workers will conduct substructure repairs to the Obion Creek Branch Bridge. The closure is between Bostick Lane and Calhoun Street about a mile southeast of US 45.

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear is urging U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell to sponsor and pass legislation that would force the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to release water from the Missouri River to raise levels on the Mississippi.  Drought conditions there could soon halt barge traffic. Beshear sent a letter to McConnell and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul Wednesday asking them to take action quickly. If the Mississippi continues to drop there could be negative economic consequences.

From NPR: Those yearning for a more homemade Christmas might turn to the online shop Etsy to find the perfect handmade gifts. But the website that was built as an alternative to mass production is now turning to the retail chain West Elm, connecting local Etsy sellers with the big name store. Every time a new West lm opens, it sells items wholesale from local Etsy sellers.

The GED is set to undergo drastic changes in 2014. Most pressing is that the cost of taking the exam will double from $60 to $120 beginning in January.  ACE2 Adult Education Direct Cris Crowley tells The Madisonville Messenger although Madisonville Community College currently covers $40 of the fee he’s concerned since more than 90 percent of adult education students in Hopkins County are at or below the poverty level.

Kentucky hunters killed 11 black bears last weekend, including one that set a record for its size. Doug Adkins of Jenkins killed the state-record bear estimated at more than 450 pounds in Letcher County. All the bears killed came from Harlan and Letcher counties. The hunting season was scheduled to continue through Monday but wildlife officials closed it down Sunday night because hunters killed the maximum number of bears.

A western Kentucky teacher is among the three chosen for the Gov. Louie B. Nunn Kentucky Teacher Hall of Fame. Juanita Park began teaching in Ohio County in 1944 and worked with student teachers from Western Kentucky University until 2012.

Tennessee House Democrats have voted to keep their top leadership in place. Rep. Mike Turner overcame a challenge Wednesday from Rep. Johnny Shaw to hold on to his chairman seat. Rep. Craig Fitzhugh was also re-elected as minority leader without opposition.

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway is warning people to watch out for scams throughout the season of giving.  Conway says donations to reputable charities can provide clothing or food for people who are struggling, but fraudulent groups take advantage of donors and prevent those who need help from receiving it.

City officials throughout Illinois are urging the state to appeal a court decision that would throw out Illinois' ban on concealed carry weapons. A federal appeals court ruled earlier this week the state’s ban is unconstitutional. The court gave lawmakers 180 days to come up with a law legalizing concealed weapons.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has upped Kentucky’s flu level from regional to widespread, the highest tier. That means at least half of all regions in the state have reported a flu outbreak. Purchase District Public Health Director Kent Koster says the best ways to stay well are getting a flu vaccination and keeping your hands clean.

“We are within the last two weeks seeing more of those being reported to the health department,” he says.