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Kentucky AG to award $8M in opioid funds to treatment groups

Weighed down with people, roof collapses near Ohio State, injuring 14

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Part of a house collapsed and 14 people were injured near Ohio State University when people climbed onto a roof that was not designed to hold significant weight, authorities said.

Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin said his department responded to a call April 29 on East 13th Avenue and arrived to find the roof above a front porch had collapsed while the rest of the home remained intact.

First responders transported 14 people to area hospitals with various states of injuries, but all were in stable condition, Martin said.

a contraceptive to a woman after 12 months “unless the woman has been seen by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant” in the past year, the bill states.

Pharmacists also will be allowed to decline to prescribe the medications under “ethical, moral, or religious grounds.”

Army suspends air operations for training after fatal crashes in Kentucky, Alaska

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky commission assigned to distribute money from a massive settlement with opioid companies will award more than $8 million to two dozen organizations specializing in drug prevention, treatment and recovery services, Attorney General Daniel Cameron said.

The Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission will funnel the money to programs in small towns and the state’s largest cities. The awards will help combat a drug epidemic that Cameron has branded “the public safety challenge of our lifetime.”

The announcement comes amid a combative Republican primary for governor that has focused at times on drugs’ toll on Kentuckians. Cameron is a leading contender for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in the May 16 primary. GOP rival Kelly Craft has said the drug epidemic worsened during Cameron’s tenure as attorney general.

Cameron’s office secured nearly $900 million for Kentucky as part of settlements with companies for their roles in the crisis. The Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center found that 2,127 Kentuckians died from drug overdoses in 2022, down from 2,257 the prior year, the governor’s office said last week.

“It appears the roof was overloaded with students,” Martin said, with estimates ranging from 15 to 45 people.

The names of the homeowner or occupants were not immediately available.

Under Indiana law, women can receive birth control without doctor prescription

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Women in Indiana will be able to obtain birth control without a doctor’s prescription under a bill signed into law Monday, which grants broader access to contraception months after the Republican-dominated Legislature enacted a statewide abortion ban.

The new law signed by Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb takes effect July 1. It will allow pharmacists, not just physicians, to prescribe some hormonal contraceptives, such as the patch or the pill. Supporters say the measure will offer women quicker access to contraceptives, especially in areas where they struggle to receive primary care. But opposing lawmakers doubted pharmacists could provide the same level of care as physicians.

The law limits birth control prescriptions from pharmacists to no more than six months, and pharmacists cannot prescribe

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The U.S. Army grounded aviation units for training after 12 soldiers died in recent helicopter crashes in Alaska and Kentucky.

The suspension of air operations for all aviators except those involved in critical missions was effective April 28, with units grounded until they complete the training, said Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, an Army spokesperson. Active-duty units underwent training May 1-5. Army National Guard and Reserve units will have until May 31 to complete training.

“The safety of our aviators is our top priority, and this stand-down is an important step to make certain we are doing everything possible to prevent accidents and protect our personnel,” Army Chief of Staff James McConville said.

In March, nine soldiers were killed when two U.S. Army Black Hawk medical evacuation helicopters crashed during a routine nighttime training exercise about 30 miles northeast of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

All dogs welcome at Covington dog park

HOPE for Heroes raises funds for Kentucky veterans

The SFC Jason Bishop Memorial Dog Park in Covington was the scene of a recent grand opening welcoming local dogs and their people. Although it opened in December, city officials decided it was time to celebrate now that spring weather is bringing more people to the park. Located adjacent to Kenney Shields Park at Ninth and Philadelphia, the facility is named in honor of Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Bishop, a 1993 Holmes High School graduate who was killed in 2006 while serving in Iraq.

PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) introduces veterans and active-duty military personnel to the game of golf, which is recognized as therapeutic by the Veterans Administration. The free HOPE for Heroes program provides instruction and adaptive equipment, if needed. The Kentucky section held its second annual fundraiser at Polo Fields Golf & Country Club in Louisville in April, raising nearly $7,500 to support the seven Kentucky PGA HOPE chapters, including PGA HOPE in Florence. For information, email erowland@kygolf.org.

Crescent Springs teen part of team that raises $90,000 for leukemia research

Four students from St. Ursula Academy in Cincinnati raised more than $90,000 to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during the organization’s seven-week

Student Visionaries of the Year competition. Crescent Springs resident Mia Napier was on the team with Cincinnatians Molly Eppstein (Loveland), Madeline Lippert (Hyde Park) and Belle Grubert (Anderson Township). The students named themselves Team Luminosity and took a fourpronged approach to fundraising: personal connections, corporate sponsorships, events and raffles.

Covington welcomes new police officer in badge ceremony

The city of Covington welcomed new police officer Joseph Richer in an April badge ceremony. Richer, a graduate of Holmes High School, recently returned home after a deployment in Kuwait. Prior to joining the Covington Police Department, he was employed by the Kenton County Detention Center. He will soon begin his 20-week basic training at the police academy. Upon completion, he will return for a field training program in Covington.

Former Exhibitions Director Matt Distel to lead The Carnegie

The Carnegie has announced Matt Distel as the new executive director of the Northern Kentucky-focused multidisciplinary arts organization. Distel has served for almost a decade as the exhibitions director, curating and organizing numerous exhibitions and installations. He brings nearly 30 years of experience to the position, including curatorial roles at the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Contemporary Arts Center, as well as serving as executive director of Visions + Voices Cincinnati.