Area News

By Ralph Dickerson The Lewisport City Council held a unique meeting Thursday due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The council met online, meaning council members joined in via the Internet from the safety of their homes, and Mayor Chad Gregory live streamed from the city hall council meeting room. “This is rather historic because we are…

By Ralph Dickerson The Hancock County Board of Education met in a brief meeting at the high school last Thursday. The major action taken by the board of education was the Declaration of Authority for COVID-19 Response. The declaration approved by the board gave Superintendent Kyle Estes the authority to take steps necessary to enact…

By Ralph Dickerson The unexpected loss of income creates financial hardships for many people. “We all know people that work there that we are related to or are friends with, or sometimes both,” Hancock County Judge/Executive Chic Roberts said. “They are concerned about when they go back. We are just like them. We share their…

By Ralph Dickerson When the COVID-19 pandemic hit the shores of the United States, people began to panic and purchase hand sanitizers, cleaners and toilet paper. These products started to fly off the shelves, and have been in short supply since. In an interesting note, especially here in Kentucky, people began to purchase firearms and…

By Ralph Dickerson Blackford Baptist Church normally hosts a food give away on the last Saturday of the month, but the COVID-19 pandemic swirling across the country, and into Hancock County, changed the church’s plans. The church calls its good give away ‘Monthly Care and Share.’ “We thought that since this stuff’s going on, and…

By Ralph Dickerson In response to the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the country, Hancock County Fiscal Court created a virus hotline for county residents. The number to call is 888.510.0582. This hotline number is for coronavirus related issues only, not for general emergencies. It is for residents that need coronavirus related items including food and…

In response to the rise in unemployment caused by actions taken to combat the coronavirus, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced changes to the state’s unemployment insurance program. People filing unemployment claims must follow a schedule enacted by the state to begin the process. The new procedure now goes by a person’s last name. The filing…

By Dave Taylor Quite possibly the largest economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was announced Wednesday afternoon when Aleris released its plan to temporarily shut down production at the Lewisport mill. In what the company is calling a response to “our major automotive customers announcing temporary production shutdowns, coupled with uncertainty in other markets” it’s…

By Ralph Dickerson Public fear over the coronavirus, commonly called COVID-19, resulted in many items becoming hard to find. Ironically, though a respiratory disease, it caused a run on toilet paper, with people stocking up on massive supplies of the item. Other scarce items include milk, bread, meats, potatoes and sanitation cleaners. “ A lot…