Kentucky
Efforts underway to protect Kentucky farmland through new bill
BOURBON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — As farmland values continue to rise, experts warn that it’s becoming increasingly difficult for farmers to acquire land.
With the future of America’s farmlands at risk, agricultural advocates are urging for the passage of a new bill aimed at protecting these vital resources. Recently, Senator Mitch McConnell introduced the Protecting Americans Farmland Act.
In Bourbon County, one family of farmers is voicing support for the legislation. Unlike many of the multi-generational farms of Kentucky, Ben and Savannah Robin didn’t inherit their land, but built it from the ground up. They’ve seen firsthand the viable farmland that’s rapidly declining.
Ben Robins said, “A lot lately has been sold into development, and that’s what we don’t want to happen. We see highly productive farmland that’s now a subdivision.”
In the 2022 Census of Agriculture, stats showed that from 2017 to 2022, Kentucky lost 546,000 acres of farmland, averaging about 290 acres lost each day. In Bourbon County, 20% of farms have ceased operations in the last 40 years.
Savannah Robins emphasized the need for balance.
“If we look around and see where we were, we need housing and people to come to rural spaces, but we have to find a balance and we have to protect what we currently have,” she said.
Agricultural experts point out that many families do not wish to continue farming once the head farmer retires. When these farmers sell their land, the options to retain it for agricultural use are limited.
What’s more, outside investors are increasingly purchasing land for non-agricultural purposes or leasing it back to farmers, which restricts farmers’ ability to build equity.
“We have a lot of incentive to get into farming, and there’s been work on young farmers or beginner farmers to get them to buy into farming and get that access to capital, but there hasn’t been a lot of incentive on the other side to sell that property into an agricultural space and keep it in ag production,” Savannah said.
As agricultural land increasingly gives way to developments like housing and office space or industrial use like solar farms, those in the agricultural sector are concerned.
Ericka King, Director of National Affairs and Government Relations with the Kentucky Farm Bureau, stressed the importance of maintaining farmland.
“We promote development that is good for the country, it’s good for everyone, but we also have to strike that balance to ensure that we have enough farmland to feed, clothe and fuel the country,” said King.
King explained the purpose of the Protecting American Farmlands Act, telling LEX 18, “This bill would allow a farmer or landowner who has land in active production to sell that land to another active farmer. If the buyer promises to keep the land in active agricultural production for at least 10 years, the gains from that sale can be placed into a qualified retirement account so that that seller is able to have a viable retirement option.”
With increased incentives for farmers to keep farmland within ag production, families like the Robins hope for a brighter future for the next generation, which includes their daughters.
“If we want to be able to create a space for them to come back to the farm or have their own entities or to even grow our own farming operations, we’ve gotta be able to purchase land and we have to have land to be able to purchase,” said Savannah.
As discussions surrounding the Protecting American Farmland Act continue, advocates remain hopeful that the bill will make it across the finish line, saving vital farmland before it’s too late.
GRAYSON, Ky. (WSAZ) – New information has been released in the search for a missing woman at Grayson Lake.
According to game wardens with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Marly Kinney, 19, of Ashland, was last seen at Grayson Lake on Wednesday afternoon.
They say search efforts are focused on the water at this time and include Kentucky State Police aerial support, drones, boats, and K9 assistance.
Crews suspend search for missing teen for the night
The search is now into its third day, with officials saying on and off rain has hindered their search and that a group of 50 volunteers are walking the banks of the lake to help in the search.
Search and rescue boats have been seen at the lake as well.
Officials say there are still many questions, including if Kinney is still alive and where exactly she went missing.
They also say they’ve been using a variety of equipment, including sonar and thermal detectors, as well as helicopters and underwater drones.
WSAZ received a statement from Kinney’s family Friday afternoon:
“We are very appreciative of the absolute surplus of support from law enforcement, search and rescue, 1st responders, and all of the community and its volunteers that are here with us and for us searching for Marly. We do not even know how to express our absolute gratitude to you all. We continue to have faith she will be found and brought back to us. We know we have the very best people doing all they can to bring her home.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
We are still working to get more information.
Previous coverage can be found here.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
13 things more likely to happen than winning the Powerball jackpot
Hoping to win the Powerball jackpot? Here are 13 things more likely to happen than becoming an instant millionaire.
The Kentucky Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Thursday, June 25, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
02-08-24-32, Cash Ball: 09
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 6-3-0
Midday: 9-6-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 5-7-6-0
Midday: 5-2-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
03-13-14-34-45, Bonus: 01
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Courier Journal digital producer. You can send feedback using this form.
On Thursday, Kentucky’s home and away SEC opponents for the 2026-27 season were revealed and on top of learning the three opponents who they will play twice, there are some very intriguing matchups. In conference play, Kentucky will face six teams who are among the top 25 in many preseason rankings.
In SEC play, Kentucky will play Tennessee, Vandy and Ole Miss all both home and away. The home matchups include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vandy. As for the road tilts, the Wildcats will face Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Vandy. Let’s take a look at some interesting developments from the schedule release.
John Calipari returns to Rupp Arena (again)
In Calipari’s first year with Arkansas, he got the best of Kentucky when he came into Rupp Arena and left with a 10-point victory, a game where you could really feel the tension all game long in the building from Kentucky fans, which translated onto the court with the players. Last season, it was Kentucky who shocked everyone when they stole one on the road against a top 20 Arkansas team after a rough up-and-down season up to that point. Now, the two will face off again as Kentucky will look to get the win in Rupp and make sure Calipari doesn’t get two in a row in the building. It’ll be another highly-anticipated showdown.
Kentucky hits the road at Texas
This is shaping up to be a major challenge for Kentucky next season and may even end up being one of the biggest games of the season. Texas is seen by many as a clear top 10 team, with some even having them within the top five and when you combine that with the fact that the game is on the road, the Wildcats will have their hands full. The Wildcats fell to the longhorns in the 2024-25 season, and it’ll be a much stiffer challenge this time.
Which game could be a trap?
We don’t have the game-by-game dates yet, so it’s hard to say with a lot of confidence, but opponent-wise, Georgia could really give Kentucky fits. In Pope’s first year, his team struggled handling the physicality of the Bulldogs and now, they’ve retained one of their best guards for another year and have added physicality through the portal. Mike White’s teams love to make opponents uncomfortable and they could do that once again down in Athens. Another sneaky team to watch is Oklahoma, who will have very good guard play. Kentucky will face both teams on the road.
Overall, it’s a pretty fair SEC schedule for a Kentucky team who has the capability of a return to being atop the conference once again. Mark Pope has such a system-fit squad and he can do some damage in the SEC.
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