Lexington, KY — A recent investigation by The Lexington Times has revealed substantial spending on dining by VisitLex, financed through the transient room tax assessed on hotel accommodations in Fayette County. This spending is part of broader financial activities that have raised eyebrows, including costly trips to Las Vegas, Italy, and an all-inclusive resort…
This database presents the credit card transactions of VisitLex employees from July 2022 to March 2024. During this period, VisitLex employees accumulated charges totaling $427,201.15, with a significant amount spent on dining, bars, and entertainment venues. These statements were disclosed by VisitLex in accordance with the Kentucky Open Records Act. The Lexington Times initially…
On April 22, 2024, the Supreme Court will hear a case that could radically change how cities respond to the growing problem of homelessness. It also could significantly worsen the nation’s racial justice gap. City of Grants Pass v. Johnson began when a small city in Oregon with just one homeless shelter began enforcing a local anti-camping law…
LEXINGTON, Ky.–A tipped employee of Drake’s filed a collective action lawsuit Wednesday against the restaurant’s parent company, Lexington-based Bluegrass Hospitality Group, LLC (BHG). The federal lawsuit, led by plaintiff Lauren Boyer on behalf of herself and other similarly situated servers and bartenders, was filed in the Eastern District of Kentucky. It accuses BHG of…
In a federal lawsuit filed Friday, former University of Kentucky swim team members accused Lars Jorgensen, the former head coach of Kentucky’s swim and dive team of sexual violence and harassment. Jorgensen resigned in mid-2023, but at the time, the University of Kentucky did not disclose the reasons for his departure. The Lexington Times…
LEXINGTON, KY. — In a plea agreement filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Cameron S. Spencer admitted to possession with intent to distribute a significant quantity of fentanyl following an incident involving a short-term rental property in Fayette County. According to the plea agreement, on February 19, 2022, Spencer made…
Lexington, Ky. – The Lexington Social Services and Public Safety Committee is set to review the proposed Humane Pet Sales Ordinance on Tuesday. Spearheaded by Todd Blevins, Kentucky State Director of the Humane Society of the United States, the ordinance seeks to disrupt the notorious puppy and kitten mill to pet store pipeline that…
LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Lexington Convention and Visitors Bureau (VisitLex), a city government component unit tasked with promoting tourism and economic development in Lexington, has come under legal and ethical scrutiny following the allocation of substantial bonuses to its employees. The bonuses were funded through the transient room tax assessed on overnight accommodations in…
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Jeffrey Goldberg, Editor-in-Chief of The Atlantic, withdrew from a scheduled speaking event at the University of Kentucky (UK) Wednesday, citing a last-minute schedule change, amidst concerns from students about his past as a former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) prison guard and his views on Zionism. The event, titled “The Future of…
Lexington, KY– Tuesday, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced Voices of Hope – Lexington, Inc. as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States. Voices of Hope received $2 million. Voices of Hope is a nonprofit recovery community organization founded by…