Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed an executive order Tuesday directing the Office of Medical Cannabis to issue an emergency regulation clarifying qualifying conditions for medical cannabis. In 2023, the legislature legalized medical marijuana for Kentuckians suffering from chronic illnesses including any type or form of cancer, chronic or severe pain, epilepsy or other intractable seizure disorder; multiple sclerosis, muscle […]
Category: Health
Posted inNews
State board allows optometry graduates to practice without passing national exam
The state board that oversees Kentucky’s optometrists is standing by its decision to allow optometry graduates who haven’t passed all parts of a required national licensure exam to provide eye care – even as the number of people it improperly granted licenses to has increased from 21 to 30. Despite mounting criticism, the state board […]
Posted inCulture
Fort Thomas runner uses second chance to champion youth heart health
When Fort Thomas resident Kyle Rust went in for a routine physical in 2021, he expected a clean bill of health. Instead, the then-22-year-old learned he needed open-heart surgery. Four years later, he’s turning that second chance into a mission to save young lives through heart health advocacy, fundraising and his goal of running 2,000 […]
Posted inNews
First responders discuss mental health, communication at annual symposium
Chris Perry said he remembers the day a young police officer asked him for help. Not with an emergency call. Not with an unruly suspect. And not with something commonly associated with police work. “He comes to me asking for a referral,” Perry said during the first day of the annual First Responder Brain & […]
Posted inNews
New fund aims to address food insecurity among cancer patients
Horizon Community Funds has launched a new fund aimed at helping cancer patients at the St. Elizabeth Yung Family Cancer Center in Edgewood get reliable access to food. Dubbed the St. Elizabeth Nourish Food Pantry Fund, donations to the fund will support the Nourish Food Pantry at the center, which “provides patients and their families […]
Posted inNews
Kentucky overdose deaths declined in 2025 in four-year downward trend
Help is available to Kentuckians living with addiction. For resources, visit https://findhelpnow.org/ky. In physical emergencies, call 911. For mental health crises, call or text 988. Locate free Naloxone (Narcan), which can reverse overdoses, near you here. For the fourth year in a row, the number of Kentuckians who died from drug overdoses declined in 2025, according to […]
Posted inNews
Kenton County’s aging plan director joins Meals on Wheels
Laura Allen, who previously headed up Kenton County’s Aging Readiness Plan, has joined the local branch of Meals on Wheels. Allen’s previous work aimed to establish a five-year plan for addressing issues of long-term care, housing, transportation and social connection for older adults in Kenton County. She brings a long career of exploring issues of […]
Posted inNews
Fixes to KY optometry licensing problems fall short, say national board, state lawmaker
The state board that oversees optometrists has established an advisory “work group” as it considers changes in response to a controversy about optometrists it improperly licensed in recent years by waiving testing requirements. But the plan doesn’t sit well with Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, whose measure to create an outside task force to review operations of the Kentucky Board […]
Posted inHealth
City of Ludlow, local educator honored for anti-smoking work
The City of Ludlow and a local substance-abuse prevention educator were honored this week for their work on smoke-free policy in NKY. Casey Baker-Romans, a substance abuse prevention educator with the Northern Kentucky Health Department, joined Ludlow Mayor Sarah Thompson in accepting the awards at the conference. The awards were issued by the Kentucky Center […]
Posted inNews
NKY couple undergoes back-to-back spine surgery
One morning while making breakfast, Ron Hoerst’s back pain had become so severe that his eggs, bacon and toast made it to the kitchen table, while he crawled to the couch to sit down. “I went back half an hour later and ate my cold eggs,” Ron Hoerst said. “They were delicious.” What’s more is […]
