Kentucky

‘It’s devastating’: Kentucky community remembers medical helicopter crew killed in crash

Published

1 year ago

October 8, 2024

‘It’s devastating’: Kentucky community remembers medical helicopter crew killed in crash

GRANT COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – The people of Grant County are dealing with the sudden loss of those three first responders.

Tuesday morning, Grant County Judge-Executive Chuck Dills ordered all county flags to be flown at half-staff in their honor.

Dills told WKYT that this tragedy is one of those losses you don’t plan for. He went on to say the accident is just devastating for the entire county.

He didn’t know the three first responders but saw them in passing. Dills says the Air Evac Lifeteam frequently flies out of the helipad in Williamstown, which is next to Saint Elizabeth Hospital Healthcare.

“It’s devastating and heartbreaking and it was just the… Evac is such an asset first responders to our community and region and the response and helps the community our condolences goes out to the family and evacs team of their loss,” Dill said.

Dry Ridge Constable and Firefighter Michael Neidigh knew the three crew members Bethany Aicken, Gale Alleman and James Welsh. He met them on the scene of several 911 calls.

“Great and professional, down to earth and laid back and willing to help you out the best they can,” Neidigh said. “All they did was care about their job. They loved their job.”

Neidigh and other Dry Ridge citizens are still trying to process what happened.

“It was just a freak accident. It was just crazy to hear when I got the phone call about it… I didn’t know how to respond to it. I was a little shocked,” Neidigh said.

A few miles away in downtown Williamstown, the county seat, you will notice there’s no shortage of honor.

“We can look back in our past and that blessing of the past reaches out to touch our future,” Neidigh said.

Inside the Kentucky Y’all Icebox, this ice cream shop puts an emphasis on honor. Monday through Friday, they express their appreciation for their community heroes, and on Fridays, they celebrate first responders.

“It keeps our community safe to appreciate them, and it sets an example for the younger generation about who to look up to,” said shop owner Rachel Morse.

Morse knows a scoop of ice cream won’t take away the pain the city is feeling right now, but she knows there’s something she can do to help the entire first responder community.

“I think after tragedies, you think about who can I bless?” Morse said. “How can I move forward differently than yesterday?”

So now Morse will expand her love for community heroes. She will begin to offer discounts to the families of first responders.

She knows it’s not a big deal but it’s her way of showing honor.

“It’s one way. One small way,” Morse said.

We have a statement from the Saint Elizabeth Grant Hospital:

We are heartbroken by the news of the tragic helicopter crash last night involving Air Evac Lifeteam 133. based adjacent to St. Elizabeth Grant Hospital, Air Evac Lifeteam 133 has been a critical extension of our emergency services since 2016. The flight crew members were well known to our Grant County team and others in our system, and their work has been invaluable to the entire community. Our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to the family and friends of the three heroic flight crew members who lost their lives last night in service to their community.

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Kentucky

Maverick McIvor rallies Western Kentucky to a New Orleans Bowl victory, beating Southern Miss 27-16

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1 hour ago

December 24, 2025

Press Room

Maverick McIvor rallies Western Kentucky to a New Orleans Bowl victory, beating Southern Miss 27-16

NEW ORLEANS (AP) Quarterback Maverick McIvor came off the bench to lead three second-half touchdown drives and Western Kentucky rallied to beat Southern Mississippi 27-16 on Tuesday night to win the New Orleans Bowl at Caesars Superdome.

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Kentucky

Kentucky Basketball defeats Bellarmine: 3 things to know and postgame cheers

Published

13 hours ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Kentucky Basketball defeats Bellarmine: 3 things to know and postgame cheers

The Kentucky Wildcats will head off into the Christmas break on a winning streak after defeating Bellarmine by a final score of 99-85.

In a game Kentucky was favored to win by 35.5 points, the Knights came out strong and stayed within striking distance much of the way.

Thankfully, big days by Kam Williams (26 points) and Mo Dioubate (20) helped the Cats get to the finish line for win No. 9.

Otega Oweh flirted with a triple-double, going for 10 points, 10 assists, and eight boards.

Jaland Lowe sat out this game as Kentucky manages his shoulder injury, while Jayden Quaintance played just eight minutes as he continues to improve his conditioning following a nine-month layoff from ACL surgery.

Here’s what you need to know from Kentucky’s final game of 2025.

Kam Williams stole the show

Kentucky may have beaten Bellarmine by 14, but this game didn’t start like a runaway. It started like exactly what it was: a 1 p.m. Tuesday tip right before Christmas, with Kentucky taking a while to find its legs.

If you’re naming an MVP, it’s Kam Williams, no debate.

He buried 8 of his 10 3s and finished with 26 points, giving Kentucky the exact kind of perimeter punch that changes how defenses have to play them. Kentucky has been searching for a dependable shooter to emerge, and this was the loudest answer they’ve had in a while.

Bellarmine never let Kentucky run away

Kentucky led 46-38 at halftime, but Bellarmine made it work early by shooting well and living at the line.

Bellarmine shot 52% in the first half and went 10-for-10 on free throws. Kentucky shot even better (55%) and hit 7 threes, but the Knights were annoying in the way you don’t want a midweek opponent to be.

They cut it to three late in the half, and you could feel the “are we really doing this today?” vibe for a moment.

Thankfully, Kentucky flipped the game with a much better second-half start.

The Cats came out of the locker room sharper, built the lead to 74-56 with just over 10 minutes left, and basically removed the drama, though the Knights would stay within 12-14 points down the stretch as both teams traded score for score.

Balance shows up with 10 scorers

Kentucky had 10 different players score, which is an underrated reason the second half never got weird again. Brandon Garrison is the only player who played for the Cats who didn’t score, and he didn’t attempt a shot.

On days when the start is sluggish, balance keeps you from pressing. It also keeps your rotation engaged, which matters heading into a stretch where Kentucky is going to need everyone ready to contribute.

Bellarmine deserves credit for hanging around early, including 14 first-half points from Jack Karasinski, but Kentucky’s shooting punch and depth eventually made the gap feel inevitable even though Karasinski finished with 24.

Kentucky didn’t play a perfect game. It played a winning one. And when Kam Williams shoots like that, it’s a lot easier to look like yourself.

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Drew Holbrook has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion

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Kentucky

Is Kentucky basketball looking for a mid-year addition at backup point guard?

Published

1 day ago

December 23, 2025

Press Room

Is Kentucky basketball looking for a mid-year addition at backup point guard?

It’s clear that this Kentucky team relies very heavily on its starting point guard, Jaland Lowe. It has been evident that when he’s out, Kentucky struggles to create any offense, but when he’s in, it couldn’t flow any smoother. A big part of that is the fact that the Wildcats don’t really have a backup point guard. Denzel Aberdeen isn’t really a true point guard, and Jasper Johnson has flashy moments through a bunch of struggles as a young freshmen. But, it all comes down to Lowe’s health, who could go out any second with his shoulder injury.

We’ve already seen it multiple times this season, in the last two games specifically. Lowe went out against Indiana during the first half, playing just 9 minutes before following it up with a 16-minute second half, when the Wildcats rallied down the stretch. Then, Saturday against Rick Pitino and St. John’s, Lowe hurt his shoulder again just seven seconds after checking into the game. He then returned early in the second half before his team rallied yet again. He’s a difference-maker, clearly, but is Mark Pope interested in adding a mid-year player through the transfer portal to back him up in case things go south? He addressed those swirling rumors on his radio show Monday night.

First of all, Pope fully expects Lowe to remain healthy, or at least continue playing through the pain. “I have every expectation Jaland is going to be with us the whole season,” Pope said. As far as a mid-year addition goes as a backup for Lowe, Pope has the utmost confidence in his guys to get it done, in particular Denzel Aberdeen and Jasper Johnson, who he says are getting more and more comfortable at that position. “We have a great roster. I’m not sure we’re shopping a lot right now,” Pope said when asked about a possible addition to the roster. “We have an unbelievable amount of faith in our guys, first of all, with Jaland. Jasper is going to grow into a starring role. He’s been so good. D.A. is becoming more and more and more comfortable becoming a full-time point, but also being on the move at the two. …I think we have an incredible, incredible run ahead of us. That’s what we’re thinking about with this roster right now.”

Well, there you have it. Mark Pope is comfortable with guys he has. He likely doesn’t want to also take the chance of interrupting the team chemistry either, especially right now as Kentucky is coming off back-to-back wins over quality opponents and as soon as they’ve gotten healthy.

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