Morgan Watkins

1 week ago | wvxu.org | Morgan Watkins |Giselle Rhoden

Health care providers in eastern Kentucky fear potential cuts to Medicaid in a bill that passed the U.S. House could have devastating effects on the health of its people and deal another blow to the impoverished Appalachian region. Tawnya Brock worked as a nurse in the region for decades and now serves on the board of groups representing rural health care providers across the state and country.

2 weeks ago | wvxu.org | Morgan Watkins

Kentucky continues to have higher rates of children in poverty, teen pregnancies, and child and teen deaths than the national average, according to the KIDS COUNT Data Book released Monday. The state also followed national trends of poor academic performance, following pandemic-era learning loss according to the data, which reflects 2024 statistics.

2 weeks ago | lpm.org | Morgan Watkins

For 30 years, drivers in Jefferson County, plus parts of Bullitt and Oldham counties, have had to buy reformulated, rather than conventional, gasoline under a federal initiative to improve the region’s ozone problem. But now, state and local government officials say enough progress has been made to safely opt out. Federal data from early June show regular reformulated gas cost 34 cents more per gallon than conventional gas, on average, in the Midwest.

2 weeks ago | wvxu.org | Morgan Watkins

Kentucky's state gas tax is set to decrease to 26.4 cents per gallon on July 1. Gov. Andy Beshear announced the drop Thursday saying those savings can add up for families. "Whether you're driving to school, to work, headed to church, or headed out on a family trip, at least here in Kentucky your gas is going to cost a little bit less starting July 1st," Beshear said.

1 month ago | wvxu.org | Morgan Watkins

Students from across the state and the nonprofit Kentucky Student Voice Team packed a small courtroom Tuesday as they allege the state has failed in its constitutional obligation to provide an adequate public education for Kentucky children.