Mayfield

The Mayfield Community Foundation announced Tuesday is donating $250,000 dollars to the Mayfield-Graves County Long Term Recovery Group.

Officials at the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in western Kentucky say reforestation efforts are underway after two tornadoes ripped through sections of the recreation area in December, destroying countless trees along the way. Likewise, western Kentucky cities are pushing initiatives to bring a little green back into tornado-impacted communities.

A framed picture of Barbara and Billy Patterson standing on the dirt where their North 6th Street home once was now sits on a sparkling new counter in their newly rebuilt home.

Graves County churches are using funding collected in the wake of December’s tornado outbreak to build temporary housing for displaced tornado survivors, hoping to have their first “tiny home” occupied by early February.

A historical Black church in Mayfield plans to use a $100,000 donation from a national nonprofit to help rebuild its house of worship, preserve a mural painted by a renowned Kentucky artist and eventually expand to better serve its community in the years ahead.

A Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson says undocumented immigrants may be eligible for storm-related FEMA aid through a child or minor in their family who has a social security number. If someone in their family does not have, other aid locally and nationally may be available.

Western Kentucky residents impacted by the tornadoes can apply now for federal disaster assistance. But the process for obtaining relief from FEMA isn't automatic — or available to everyone for every loss.

Gov. Andy Beshear said the death toll remained at 74 after weekend tornadoes. The ages of the deceased ranged from 2 months to 98 years old.

As more employers across the country are requiring employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, religious exemptions to opt out of receiving the vaccines have increasingly come into the national spotlight. Some western Kentucky church leaders are weighing the need for religious exemptions and are offering guidance on the vaccines to congregations.

Residents in some western Kentucky communities are planning to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday this Saturday with gatherings featuring local businesses, a voter registration drive and in one case, a protest.