Kentucky
Kentucky lawmaker wants to drop penalties for killing hawks. Conservation groups not happy
A Kentucky lawmaker is seeking to remove penalties for the killing or capture of two protected species of hawks, drawing the ire of conservation groups.
Under Senate Bill 59, sponsored by Sen. Gary Boswell, R-Owensboro, killing red-tailed hawks or Cooper’s hawks would draw no fines or penalties in Kentucky, and the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources would be prohibited from taking enforcement action.
Both species are currently protected by federal law. Regulations in Kentucky and neighboring states also prohibit killing hawks, with multiple state wildlife agencies pointing to their importance for ecosystems and agriculture as a form of pest control.
Boswell said the two species are overpopulated in Kentucky and pose an outsized threat to smaller animals, including songbirds, game birds, rodents, turkeys, farm chickens and cats.
In a Facebook post, he said one constituent “reported his cat was taken away by a hawk in his front yard in the city of Owensboro in front of his young son.”
“I’m not looking to go out and kill all the hawks,” Boswell told The Courier Journal. “I love hawks, but there’s too many.”
The bill’s filing drew quick condemnation online and from local environmental groups, including the Louisville Audubon Society, which came to the defense of the “iconic bird species” in a letter to Boswell.
“These raptors play crucial roles in maintaining the balance of our ecosystems by controlling populations of rodents and other small mammals,” the letter said. “By regulating their numbers, they help prevent outbreaks of diseases and reduce crop damage caused by these animals.”
Brainard Palmer-Ball, a Kentucky ornithologist, said the legislation “is so ignorant as to not even give it a second.”
Decades of protection
Both red-tailed and Cooper’s hawks have enjoyed protected status across the United States for decades, after their addition to the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1972.
“Despite the problems they may cause, hawks and owls provide important benefits and environmental services,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as they “hunt and kill large numbers of rodents, reducing crop damage and other problems.”
And states across the country, including Kentucky, have their own protections on the books, empowering state agencies to take enforcement action against those who kill or capture protected species.
Kentucky law currently calls for a fine of between $100 and $500 and up to six months imprisonment for killing one of the birds. Federal protections bring fines of up to $15,000 per bird, and up to six months imprisonment.
“These birds are extremely beneficial,” says the Ohio Department of Natural Resources of the red-tailed hawk, “and it is illegal to kill them.”
Habitat degradation and free-ranging cats “are a far greater threat than raptors” to songbirds and game birds, according to a publication of the Missouri Department of Conservation, and “killing raptors could actually hurt populations of birds since raptors help control rodents and other small mammals that prey on ground-nesting birds.”
Boswell conceded that cats and habitat losses are a serious issue for bird populations, but said hawk overpopulation poses a bigger threat. Asked for a source to support that position, the senator cited his own decades of experience as a hunter and farmer around Henderson County, and run-ins with the two species named in the bill.
“They don’t have any natural predators,” Boswell said. “And I know the biologists may say they do, but they don’t. I’m out here.”
Both the red-tailed hawk and Cooper’s hawk are listed as “apparently stable” in population for Kentucky, according to NatureServe’s current conservation status data. But in every state bordering Kentucky, the Cooper’s hawk is deemed “vulnerable” by the organization’s assessment.
‘A dangerous precedent’
Officials from the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources had little to say about the bill, and Boswell said he did not speak with officials from the department before filing the legislation.
“We discovered the bill when it was filed, just like the general public,” Lisa Jackson, a spokesperson for the department, said in a statement. “This is not an initiative of the department.”
Jackson also pointed to existing federal regulations, adding, “In cases where a protected bird species is causing damage, such as instances of black vulture depredation on livestock, lethal control measures require a federal permit and should be considered a last resort after non-lethal deterrents have been tried.”
Even if Boswell’s bill passes, killing a hawk would remain a violation of those long-standing federal protections.
The Kentucky Resources Council, in a recent statement of its positions on various environmental bills in the new legislative session, opposed Boswell’s bill, saying its contradiction with federal protections “might result in confusion and result in individuals violating and being prosecuted under federal law.”
“I’m trying to, at the very least, send a message that Kentucky … we should be in charge of our own laws regarding wildlife,” Boswell said.
He added he intends to meet with hunting and agriculture groups to gain support for the bill, including the Kentucky Farm Bureau, which he said had not given an official position yet as of Monday.
The bill has been assigned to the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee.
In its letter to Boswell, the Louisville Audubon Society called on him to withdraw the bill, which the group said “would set a dangerous precedent by suggesting that our state is willing to compromise the well-being of its wildlife for short-term gains.”
Connor Giffin is an environmental reporter for The Courier Journal and a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. The program funds up to half of corps members’ salaries, but requires a portion also be raised through local community fundraising. To support local environmental reporting in Kentucky, tax-deductible donations can be made at courier-journal.com/RFA.
Learn more about RFA at reportforamerica.org. Reach Connor directly at cgiffin@gannett.com or on X @byconnorgiffin.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Severe weather across the Commonwealth has led to downed trees, traffic impacts and thousands of power outages.
Extensive coverage will be available on air and on WKYT+, where people can stay updated on the latest storm threats and impacts.
Franklin County Damage
A house fire was caused by lightning striking the attic space above two bedrooms, the Franklin County Fire Department reports.
A child was reportedly awakened by smoke, and alerted the residents to danger. Everyone was able to get out of the home safely before fire crews arrived.
Crews say they were able to contain the fire to the attic, which reduced further damage to the home.
Grant County damage
The Grant County Judge Executive Chuck Dills declared a state of emergency for Grant County due to severe weather damage.
Mason County damage
The Washington Fire Department says crews have been busy with storm damage reports from early morning storms.
The Mason County Judge Executive Owen McNeill says most of the damage seems to be west of US 68 within or near the Maysville city limits. McNeill says trees and debris are in roads county wide, with several power lines down.
Jessamine County damage
Jessamine County Emergency Management posted on social media that multiple weather-related incidents and power outages Thursday morning have taxed their Emergency service teams
Officials say crews have responded to multiple flooded out roads, downed trees and at least four damaged structures including some commercial occupancies that had collapse of roof or structures.
If you experienced any damage, you are asked to message Jessamine County Emergency Management or submit a damage assessment report.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 7 said KY 1267 at Cushingberry Lane in Jessamine County is closed due to a downed tree on a phone line.
Following severe weather, Ollie’s bargain outlet’s roof partially collapsed in Jessamine County according to emergency management. Emergency management is on the scene handling the situation.
The whole strip mall is closed due to a water leak and potential gas leak.
Show us your photos
Viewers are encouraged to submit any photos and videos of storm damage and impacts to WKYT. People can submit entries below.
Power outages
As of 8 a.m. on Thursday, June 18, over 4,000 customers in Fayette County are without power, and over 57,000 customers are without power throughout Kentucky, according to Kentucky Power Outages.
In a social media post, Woodford County said it was monitoring outages and was in coordination with utility partners to work to restore power.
The main transmission line that provides power to Falmouth was damaged, leading the city to be without power according to Pendleton County Emergency Management. An LG&E crew is reportedly enroute to fix the problem, but Falmouth will have no power until the damage is repaired.
Road Conditions
Garrard County Emergency Management says several state and county roads are being covered in water due to the weather conditions. They advise for anyone travelling to use extreme caution and be aware of flooded areas.
If encountering a water covered road, turn around and don’t drive through it, Garrard County Emergency Management says. An alternate route is the safest option.
Rolling Acres is closed between Bender Drive and Rancho Drive in Frankfort due to storm damage according to the Frankfort-Franklin County Office of Emergency Management. Utility crews are making preparations for repair onsite.
U.S. 127 Business at mile point 1.4 in Anderson County was closed due to a downed tree, according to KYTC, and Midway Road is closed between Old Frankfort Pike and US 60 in Woodford County.
KYTC reports a downed tree at mile point 3.1 on Bryan Station Road in Fayette County. The road is currently blocked. Information will be provided as updates become available.
Old Frankfort Pike is also closed between Pisgah Pike and the Fayette County line due to a tree on utility lines, KYTC said.
The Harrodsburg Police Department says that the road at Moberly Road and Scooter Avenue is not drivable due to high water, and barricades are in place to prevent drivers from attempting to cross.
KYTC encouraged drivers to use caution while traveling and watch for roadway hazard, including downed trees, debris and powerlines.
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
By West Kentucky Star Staff
Jun. 17, 2026 | 10:25 PM
| PADUCAH
A drug trafficking investigation landed a Paducah man behind bars.
The weeks-long investigation by Paducah Police led them to 54-year-old Byrone K. Burns. Burnes was believed to be involved in moving illegal drugs through the area.
An undercover purchase was arranged, and detectives reportedly came away with more than ten grams of methamphetamine. Burns was arrested at his job just before 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Following his arrest, detectives searched two locations in Paducah connected to Burns. They reportedly seized more than two pounds of marijuana, a hydrocodone pill, several thousand dollars in cash, and items consistent with trafficking.
Burns, who is said to have an extensive criminal history related to drugs and weapons, was charged with trafficking in methamphetamine and marijuana, and possession of hydrocodone. He was booked into the McCracken County Regional Jail.
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Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, once labeled by ESPN as the No. 1 sports bar in America, is coming to Lexington, Kentucky.
The new dining establishment will be located at 1030 S. Broadway, in the former Tilted Kilt space, and will use the next-door site of KSBar & Grille, which closed in June, as a game-day location with a Kentucky Sports Radio presence.
The first Walk-On’s location in Kentucky — although its Clarksville, Indiana, location is just minutes from downtown Louisville — will feature at least 50 TVs for fans to watch UK games and other sporting events.
Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux will open ahead of the 2026 football season. The new restaurant will be led by business partners Jamie Daniel and KSR founder Matt Jones.
“As a Kentucky native and die-hard Kentucky fan, opening a Walk-On’s here was a long time coming,” Daniel said in a news release. “By partnering with Matt and the KSR community, we’re serving a fan base that lives and breathes Kentucky sports. We believe this creates a destination unlike anything else in the market.”
KSBar opened in Lexington in 2018 and has been a staple for Kentucky sports fans. Jones wants to keep the space alive by opening it for game days and other special events while allowing fans to order from the Walk-On’s scratch-made menu.
“KSBar has always been about bringing Kentucky fans together,” Jones said in the release. “This partnership allows us to preserve that spirit while giving fans access to a bigger experience, a larger menu and the resources of one of the most successful sports bar brands in the country. We’ll still be here on game days, broadcasting KSR live and celebrating Kentucky sports, but now with Walk-On’s helping take the experience to the next level.”
Walk-On’s was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2003 by former LSU basketball walk-ons Brandon Landry and Jack Warner. Since then, the restaurant has opened over 80 locations across the United States with partners like Dak Prescott, Dabo Swinney and co-owner Drew Brees.
Reach sports trending writer Alaina Morris at amorris@gannett.com and follow her on X at @alainammorris.
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