Kentucky
Feed the fishes: Kentucky agency will recycle your Christmas tree
If you are wondering what to do when it’s time to take down your natural Christmas tree at the end of the year, those used trees can have a second life after the end of the holiday season.
Natural trees donated to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources annual “Christmas for the Fishes” tree recycling program can give a home to fish in many Kentucky lakes in the coming year. This annual program uses evergreens donated after the holiday season to create underwater habitats that help fish thrive.
“Donated Christmas trees are put to work in local reservoirs as fish habitat, where they’re arranged in clusters that create dense branches and small pockets for young fish to hide,” said Spencer Phillips, a fisheries biologist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “These structures also attract sportfish, offering opportunistic feeding as smaller fish venture out from cover.”
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife will be accepting evergreen trees from Dec. 26 through Jan. 16, 2026, at 37 drop-off locations across the state. Trees should be real, not artificial, and should be free of lights, garland and decorations. Limbs, wreaths, brush or other plants will not be accepted.
(In Hopkinsville, there will be a drop-off at Walmart on Clinic Drive.)
Fish thrive in an environment that is full of different types of cover including trees and logs. The donated trees will help restore woody structures that have previously decayed in our lakes, providing protective cover and shade for a variety of fish species.
“Every tree counts,” Phillips said. “Each tree can provide benefits for local fisheries for several years, gradually enhancing fish habitat that has been lost over time. Local anglers also benefit from the creation of reliable fishing hotspots around the sunken brush piles.”
Donated trees will be anchored to environmentally friendly weights and submerged at various depths in different lakes and reservoirs across Kentucky to provide places for fish to feed, shelter and spawn. They make great refuge and feeding habitat for game fish, as well as small fish and invertebrates that are crucial for a thriving ecosystem.
For more information about the Christmas tree recycling program or to find a drop-off location, visit the department’s website (fw.ky.gov) or call 1-800-858-1549, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (ET) weekdays, excluding holidays.
This story is republished with permission from the Northern Kentucky Tribune. Read the original.

Tom Latek has been the Frankfort correspondent for Kentucky Today, the online news website of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, since 2016. Previously, he covered news for radio and television stations in Frankfort, Lexington, and Louisville.
Kentucky
Watch: Blast brings down Northern Kentucky bridge
COVINGTON, Ky. (WKRC) – The Licking River Bridge was demolished Monday morning in a controlled blast, clearing the way for a replacement structure.
Authorities established a 1,000-foot safety perimeter, closed nearby roads and asked residents to shelter in place before the demolition. The bridge collapsed within seconds of the blast.
“Today we say goodbye to a bridge that has served Kentuckians for nearly a century and we make room for something new. A signature bridge that is safer, stronger and we make room for something new,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “This region, like the rest of the commonwealth, is evolving, it is booming, it’s economy growing every day. What we’re doing together is building our new Kentucky home.”
The Licking River Bridge is now history after crews brought it down with a controlled demolition Monday morning. (WKRC)
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Crews will begin construction on the new bridge after debris removal is complete. The replacement bridge is expected to open in the summer of 2028.
Kentucky
Kentucky Lottery Cash Ball, Pick 3 Evening winning numbers for March 1, 2026
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 Sunday, March 1, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
03-07-16-32, Cash Ball: 25
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 4-5-5
Midday: 3-1-4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 3-8-0-2
Midday: 6-2-3-9
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04
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.
Kentucky
Woman dies in head-on collision in Bullitt County
Kentucky State Police is investigating after a Shepherdsville woman died Feb. 28 in a two-vehicle crash in Bullitt County.
A preliminary investigation shows the crash, which occurred at 7:34 p.m. at the intersection of KY 44 East and Watergate Drive, began when the passenger-side tires of a Toyota Tacoma heading westbound on KY 44 East dropped off the right side of the roadway and onto a steep shoulder, Master Trooper Bryan Washer said in a statement March 1.
The teenage driver “overcorrected, causing the vehicle to cross the centerline into the eastbound lane and into the path of a Ford Escape.”
Due to a head-on collision, the Ford Escape went down a small embankment and overturned on its roof before coming to rest, Washer said. The driver of the Ford Escape, Sarah Weisman, 27, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Bullitt County Coroner’s Office. The driver of the Toyota Tacoma was not injured from the crash.
Trooper Scott Wheatley and Detective Brad Holloman of the State Police conducted the initial investigation into the crash, Washer said. Holloman continues to investigate.
Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@usatodayco.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter
-
World5 days agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts5 days agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Denver, CO5 days ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Louisiana1 week agoWildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
-
Technology1 week agoYouTube TV billing scam emails are hitting inboxes
-
Politics1 week agoOpenAI didn’t contact police despite employees flagging mass shooter’s concerning chatbot interactions: REPORT
-
Technology1 week agoStellantis is in a crisis of its own making
-
News1 week agoWorld reacts as US top court limits Trump’s tariff powers