Kentucky
Ex-Kentucky clerk who denied marriage licenses to gay couples faces $360,000 payment
(LEX 18) — Former Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis, known for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples back in 2015, now faces a payment of more than $360,000, according to a ruling by a federal judge.
U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning of the Eastern District of Kentucky ruled that Davis must pay $260.084.70 in fees and expenses to attorneys who represented a same-sex couple. The judgment also includes $100,000 in damages a jury said she should pay to a gay couple ($50,000 for each individual) after a federal judge ruled their constitutional rights were violated.
Shortly after the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling granted same-sex couples the right to marry nationwide, David Ermold and David Moore tried to get a marriage license when Davis was the Rowan County clerk. Davis refused and said she wouldn’t do it because it was a violation of her religious rights. The story gained national attention and led to lawsuits against her, with a judge later ordering Davis to issue the licenses. She spent five days in jail for being found in contempt of court after refusing to do so.
Davis had argued that a legal doctrine called qualified immunity shielded her from being held liable, the plaintiffs argued that Davis had violated their constitutional rights, and their right to marry was clearly established at the time of Davis’s violation, and therefore, Davis was not entitled to qualified immunity.
The court said her decision not to issue marriage licenses “further illustrates that she knowingly violated the law.” The ruling also states, “Davis ‘chose to stand for what [she] believe[s] in over what was contrary to that’—the law.”
The Liberty Counsel, who represents Kim Davis, said they will appeal the case to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and from there, to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The finding of liability and the Ermold damages jury verdict are unsound and easily set up this case on an eventual route to the U.S. Supreme Court, where religious freedom will be central to the argument along with the issue that the 2015 case of Obergefell v. Hodges was wrongly decided and should be overturned,” the Liberty Counsel says in a statement.
Davis, a Republican, ultimately lost her bid for reelection in 2018. Democrat Elwood Caudill Jr. is now the county’s clerk.
Kentucky
Northern Kentucky claims 4 titles at Class 3A indoor track state meet
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association indoor state track meet rolled on on Wednesday, March 4. One day after Beechwood claimed the Class 1A boys team title, three Northern Kentucky big schools combined for four individual state titles in Class 3A.
Cooper’s Paul Van Laningham won the 3,200-meter run in 9:09.49 and took second place in the 1,600-meter run in 4:07.88. It was a reversal of his results at the 2025 indoor state meet and earned him his fifth overall state title. He scored all of Cooper’s points, good for ninth place in the team standings with 18 points.
Van Laningham’s teammate, Ava Dunn, got the day started with a shot put title, throwing the 8.82-pound ball 39 feet, 3.25 inches.
Simon Kenton’s Alexis Howard won the long jump with an attempt of 18 feet, 7.25 inches, then claimed the triple jump title with a distance of 37 feet, 4.25 inches. It is her second straight indoor long jump title and third overall as she also claimed the 2024 outdoor title. Taking fifth place in the 55-meter dash, she scored all 24 points for SK, finishing in a tie for eighth place. Cooper was right behind with 22 points.
Finally, Conner’s Avery Vanlandingham win the 800-meter run in 2:17.55, out-leaning North Oldham’s Millie Huang at the line.
Kentucky
Arkansas women’s basketball blown out by Kentucky in season-ending loss at SEC Tournament | Whole Hog Sports
Kentucky
Hardley Gilmore returns to Kentucky Football
A wide receiver from Belle Glade, Florida, Gilmore totaled 28 receptions for 313 yards and one touchdown for the Wildcats during the 2025 season. The 6-foot-1 sophomore has had a very interesting offseason as he entered the portal, flipped a commitment, and is now back in Lexington.
After the 2025 season, Gilmore committed to Louisville when he entered the transfer portal, then flipped his commitment to Baylor, and ultimately signed with the Bears. To end Gilmore’s portal saga, he’s now back in a familiar place with the Wildcats.
When the 2026 season begins, Gilmore will have two years of eligibility remaining.
Gilmore had a solid sophomore campaign with the Wildcats, appearing in all 12 games. His best game of the season came in the late-season loss against Vanderbilt. He tallied six catches for 55 yards in the game.
With Kentucky losing most of its wide receiver production from last season, this is a significant pickup, and it won’t be surprising if Gilmore is back in the starting lineup this fall.
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