Kentucky
FCPS student becomes one of the youngest pilots in Kentucky
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A Lexington teenager is taking to the skies this summer as a licensed pilot.
Bryan Station High School rising senior, Griffin Humfleet, is one of the youngest licensed pilots in the state.
He says he never even thought about being a pilot until boredom struck during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I just kind of picked it up and I started loving it,” said Humfleet. “I started buying models and flying in simulators.”
Humfleet spent about a year doubling down on studying, studying for high school classes and flying.
“It can take a few weeks to a few years,” he said.
Humfleet spent about 10 months in flight school at Kentucky Airmotive in Mount Sterling.
“You get something called the flying bug.”
Humfleet says that bug is here to stay now, but believe it or not, he was once scared of flying.
“I’ve been like ‘pilots, I don’t know how they do that. They’re so high up in the air,” said Humfleet.
By facing his fear and hitting 40 hours of flight time, Humfleet passed his private pilot flight test in May.
“There’s definitely points where you feel like giving up, and there’s definitely points where you feel like you’re on top of the world. It was just kind of like ‘I can’t believe I’ve done this. I’m a pilot.’”
Humfleet says he flies a Cessna 172 single-engine airplane that actually weighs less than his car.
“You’ll just get random people coming up to you in the hall saying, ‘When are you taking me up for a flight?’ Or ‘hey, when can we go fly?’”
His focus for the summer and senior year, he said, is to build up flight hours with the goal of one day becoming a commercial pilot.
“I’ll need to fly to my college visits instead of driving to them. It just feels like so free, very free.”
Griffin says his next planned trip is on Sunday. He and his father are going to go out to London to get an aerial view of the tornado damage.
Copyright 2025 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Kentucky
Former Kentucky education commissioner to leave California superintendent job
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A former Kentucky education commissioner is out of a superintendent job he took in California.
A joint statement from the Governing Board of the Laguna Beach Unified School District and Jason Glass said Glass and the district has reached a mutual agreement to conclude his service.
Glass will be superintendent until the end of May, and the district thanked him for his service and dedication to the students, staff and families of the district.
“Dr. Glass expresses gratitude for the opportunity to serve this exceptional community and wishes the District continued success,” the statement said.
Serving as the Commonwealth’s education commissioner for three years, Glass had resigned from the position in 2023.
Glass had cited anti-LGBTQ laws and changes to future commissioner of education confirmation procedures as reasons for his departure
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Kentucky
Former Kentucky FOP spokesperson pleads guilty to wire fraud
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – A former spokesperson for the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police pleaded guilty Thursday to wire fraud after stealing thousands of dollars from the union and fellow officers.
Ryan Straw entered his plea at the Eastern District federal courthouse in Kentucky.
Straw was under investigation for embezzlement as of last November, according to a letter from the FOP board.
According to that letter, Straw convinced other officers to give him money for an investment club. That money was never invested. Straw was also suspected of taking funds from the lodge itself.
The FOP gave Straw the chance to return the money, but he did not.
Straw previously conducted media interviews and spoke about police matters, including accountability issues at the state level.
He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Sentencing is pending.
Copyright 2026 WAVE. All rights reserved.
Kentucky
Which Kentucky Derby horses are running in the 2026 Preakness Stakes?
Warm and humid weather for Preakness Stakes this weekend
The second race of the Triple Crown is May 16 in Laurel, Maryland. Conditions at Preakness Stakes are expected to be warmer with humidity. There could be a spotty thunderstorm after the race.
Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby. He won’t be at the Preakness. And that’s becoming a familiar story.
This marks the second straight year and the third time in five years that the Derby winner has decided not to compete in the Preakness Stakes despite having a healthy horse. The reason is almost always the same: two weeks isn’t enough time.
Trainer Cherie DeVaux made the call quickly after Golden Tempo’s dramatic last-to-first Derby victory on May 2.
“Golden gave us the race of a lifetime,” DeVaux said in a statement. “We believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort.”
DeVaux and Golden Tempo are focused on the June 6 Belmont Stakes instead.
The pattern is pretty clear.
From 1997 to 2018, every Kentucky Derby winner ran the Preakness, keeping the Triple Crown path intact. That streak ended with Country House, who won the Derby on the disqualification of Maximum Security, was scratched from the Preakness. The sport has been wrestling with the question ever since. Maryland’s racing leaders have considered moving the Preakness one week later, from the third Saturday in May to the fourth, though no change has been made.
Of the 14 horses entered in the Preakness Stakes at Laurel Park on May 16, just three made the trip from Churchill Downs. None of them won the Derby. One nearly caused the biggest upset in recent memory.
Ocelli (Post 2, 6-1)
The most intriguing Derby returnee. Ocelli finished third at 70-1 odds on May 2, giving trainer Whit Beckman and jockey Tyler Gaffalione a surprise ticket to Laurel Park. He was the lone maiden in the Derby field and remains a maiden heading into Saturday. Nobody expected him to be here.
Incredibolt (post 12, 5-1)
The morning-line co-favorite among Derby runners. Incredibolt finished sixth at Churchill Downs and trainer Riley Mott moved quickly to point him to Laurel Park. Jockey Jaime Torres won the 2024 Preakness aboard Seize the Grey. The connections believe the 1 3/16-mile distance suits Incredibolt better than the Derby’s mile and a quarter.
Robusta (Post 4, 30-1)
The longest shot of the Derby trio is Robusta, who finished 14th of the 14 in the Derby. The question with any horse coming back this quickly after a tough Derby is how much the race took out of him. At 30-1, it seems the market has answered that question.
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