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Health committee to discuss ibogaine as a potential treatment for opioid addiction on Aug. 27
By Melissa PatrickKentucky Health News The Interim Joint Committee on Health Services will hold an informational hearing on the potential role of ibogaine in treating substance use disorder and co-occurring mental health conditions at its Wednesday, Aug. 27, meeting at the Capitol Annex in Frankfort. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. Ibogaine is a…
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Goliath vs. David: Optum Rx invokes open meetings law to fight Kentucky counties on opioid suits
UnitedHealth Group’s multibillion-dollar pharmacy benefit manager, Optum Rx, is suing five Kentucky counties in an attempt to force them out of national opioid litigation against the company. Pharmacy benefit managers, often called PBMs, act as middlemen that negotiate prescription drug prices between drug companies, insurance plans and pharmacies. Some lawyers and advocates say PBMs…
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First of its kind clinical trial offers new hope for Kentuckians at risk of dementia
By Sarah LaddKentucky Lanter Kentucky advocates for people with Alzheimer’s are excited by new research showing that lifestyle interventions like exercising and learning can slow cognitive decline. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in July, the U.S. POINTER Randomized Clinical Trial showed that being social and keeping the brain active can improve…
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Beshear administration bans deadly ‘designer Xanax’
By Melissa PatrickKentucky Health News Gov. Andy Beshear banned the sale of bromazolam, also known as “designer Xanax,” on Aug. 18 through an emergency state designation that changes the drug to a Schedule 1 controlled substance. This change gives law enforcement the ability to arrest anyone selling or possessing the drug. “Team Kentucky has…
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What Kentucky’s nonprofit food markets learn from their communities and each other
There’s more than enough food to go around, say food access organizers across landscapes. That’s hard to imagine in Kentucky, home to some of the lowest-income and food insecure counties nationwide. The true surplus becomes apparent when a dozen pallets of peaches are loaded in for the Hazel Green Food Project, stretching across the…
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FCPS Board schedules public hearing for potential OLT increase
In August 18th’s Regular Meeting, the Fayette County Public School (FCPS) Board of Education scheduled a public hearing for September 5th to discuss potentially raising the occupational license tax (OLT). What’s happened so far with FCPS’ OLT increase? The FCPS Board voted in May to increase the OLT from .50 cents per $100 of…
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A proposed limit on rooster ownership in Lexington
🚩 Update: This ordinance was officially adopted by Council on September 11th, 2025. The ordinance will take effect on November 1st, 2025. In August 26th’s Social Service and Public Safety (SSPS) Committee, 8th District Councilmember Amy Beasley will propose changes to ordinances regulating “restricted animals” inside the Urban Service Area (USA). Regulated animals include…
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Mayor joins Coach Mark Stoops to kick off football season, Lexington Football Week
Mayor Linda Gorton today joined University of Kentucky Football Coach Mark Stoops, Kentucky High School Athletic Association Commissioner Julian Tackett, former University of Kentucky football players, and local high school football coaches to kick off the UK football season and Lexington Football Week, part of the city’s year-long celebration of its 250th anniversary. “Football…
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Council revises solar panel regulations, allows (some) rural solar
🚩 Update: These regulations were officially adopted by Council on September 11th, 2025. In August 19th’s Council Work Session, Council made a number of amendments to the Solar Panel ZOTA (Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment) that create new regulations for where different types of solar panel installations can be located in Fayette County. While the…
