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Kentucky lawmakers to consider state Supreme Court justice’s impeachment

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Kentucky lawmakers to consider state Supreme Court justice’s impeachment


FRANKFORT, Ky. — Lawmakers in the Kentucky House have formed an impeachment committee to take up three petitions seeking to remove elected officials from office, including a state Supreme Court justice.

Legislators announced the committee had been launched on Jan. 20, with its first meeting set for Jan. 21.

Three impeachment petitions were filed before the start of the 2026 General Assembly. One concerns Ballard County Jailer Eric Coppess, and another is centered around Marshall County Family Court Judge Stephanie K. Perlow.

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The most notable, though, is an effort to impeach state Supreme Court Justice Pamela Goodwine, who was endorsed by Gov. Andy Beshear ahead of her landslide win in the 2024 election. She is the first Black woman to be elected to the state Supreme Court and had served as a judge on lower courts for 25 years ahead of her election win.

The petition was filed by Jack Richardson IV, a Louisville lawyer and Republican Party of Kentucky executive committee member, and alleges Goodwine had a conflict of interest as she ruled on a recent court case that found 2022’s Senate Bill 1 — which took power from the Jefferson County Board of Education and gave it to the Jefferson County Public Schools superintendent — was unconstitutional. That 4-3 ruling, with Goodwine in the majority, was a reversal of a previous ruling that took place before she was in office that found the bill was legally sound.

The seven-page petition for impeachment argues Goodwine “breached the public trust and engaged in a variety of inappropriate acts” by not recusing herself from the case.

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Her endorsement from Beshear drew public concern from the Kentucky Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee, though she said she would “continue to adhere to the highest ethical standards,” and her campaign drew six-digit contributions from PACs associated with Beshear, along with the Kentucky Education Association and the Jefferson County Teachers Association’s PAC.

A representative for the state Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The decision overturning the previous ruling drew strong criticism from Attorney General Russell Coleman along with Justice Shea Nickell, who wrote in his dissent that the court’s vote amounted to “a brazen manipulation of the rehearing standard.”

State Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Middletown, will serve as the committee’s chair but will recuse himself from Goodwine’s case because Richardson has previously donated to his campaign — he believes he could make an unbiased decision but wanted to avoid the appearance of impropriety. State Rep. John Blanton, R-Salyersville, is vice chair and will serve as chair in Goodwine’s case. The committee will be made up of seven Republicans and four Democrats.

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Richardson is the former chair of the Jefferson County Republican Party. He made headlines last year when he filed a symbolic resolution with the state GOP to censure U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie amid his feud with President Donald Trump.

“It’s time for the court system in this country to have some accountability,” Richardson said in October in an interview with Louisville Public Media. “They hold everybody else to account, but nobody oversees them. And it’s time for there to be some radical judicial reform in this country, and it’s going to have to start with the courts and start with the judges.”

The legislature took up an impeachment petition aimed at Beshear in 2021, but the effort was eventually dismissed. In 2023, the state took up its first impeachment trial in more than 100 years and barred former state prosecutor Ronnie Goldy from holding elected office in the state in the future over improper exchanges with a female defendant who sent him nude images at his request for court favors. Goldy was later convicted and sentenced to more than three years in prison.

Reach Lucas Aulbach at laulbach@courier-journal.com.



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Otega Oweh has struggled to get rolling against Tennessee

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Otega Oweh has struggled to get rolling against Tennessee


Kentucky senior Otega Oweh is having a career season in 2025-26. The former Oklahoma transfer is setting career highs in points (17.0), assists (2.6), steals (1.8), and two-point shooting percentage (52.8%). The senior has taken on a big offensive load this season and is delivering. Oweh is entering Saturday’s game riding a streak of four consecutive games of 20-plus points. Yet, the preseason SEC Player of the Year is still looking for his first big scoring performance against Tennessee.

Oweh is averaging 16.5 points on .486/.353/.757 shooting splits at Kentucky over 59 games. The veteran has come well short of those averages in four career games against Tennessee.

Game Points Two-Point Shooting Three-Point Shooting Free Throw Shooting
Kentucky at Tennessee (Jan. 28, 2025) 14 4-of-10 0-of-1 6-of-9
Tennessee at Kentucky (Feb. 11, 2025) 13 3-of-10 1-of-1 4-of-6
Kentucky vs. Tennessee (March 28, 2025) 13 5-of-11 0-of-1 3-of-4
Kentucky at Tennessee (Jan. 17, 2026) 12 2-of-6 1-of-5 5-of-9

Otega Oweh is averaging just 13 points per game on 37.8% shooting from two, 25% shooting from three, and 64.3% shooting at the line. All those numbers are much lower than his career averages at Kentucky. For some reason, Kentucky’s top scorer has struggled to get rolling against the Vols. The inefficient scoring has not stopped UK from recording a 3-1 record against Tennessee over the last two seasons, but Rick Barnes‘ defense has been able to take away Kentucky’s top scorer.

In the win over Tennessee earlier this season, Otega Oweh did not get going on the offensive end until crunch time. The Vols typically have a defensive plan that neutralizes Oweh. Kentucky could need some other scoring threats to emerge on Saturday night at Rupp Arena.

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Otega Oweh’s next big scoring output against Tennessee will be his first. The senior has reached at least 20 points against nine SEC teams. Can he get there against a 10th in a fourth attempt on Saturday?



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FDA announces recall on M&M’s products in several states, including Kentucky

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FDA announces recall on M&M’s products in several states, including Kentucky


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  • The FDA is recalling several M&M’s products due to the presence of undeclared allergens.
  • The recall affects over 6,000 units of repackaged Peanut and classic M&M’s.
  • Affected products lack proper labeling for milk, soy, and peanuts.
  • The recalled items were distributed in 20 states, including Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas.

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration is recalling several packages of M&M’s after unidentified allergens were found in repackaged products distributed in 20 states, including Kentucky.

The recall was issued by Beacon Promotions Inc. on Jan. 26 and classified by the FDA on Feb. 4. It affects more than 6,000 units that were repackaged without proper labeling to warn consumers they may contain milk, soy and peanuts.

The FDA labeled the recall as Class II, meaning consumption of the products could cause “temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.” Here’s what to know.

M&M’s products distributed in 20 states being recalled by FDA

The voluntary recall includes 1.3-ounce packs of Peanut M&M’s and classic M&M’s sold in various branded promotional packages. The recalled peanut M&M’s feature “Make Your Mark” labels, lot code M1823200, and a best-before date of April 30, 2026.

The recalled classic M&M’s were distributed in multiple promotional formats and include four lot codes.

  • L450ARCLV03: best by Dec. 1, 2025
  • L502FLHKP01: best by Jan. 1, 2026
  • L523CMHKP01: best by June 30, 2026
  • L537GMHKP01: best by Sept. 1, 2026

Which states are being impacted by the recall?

The recalled products were distributed in 20 states, including Kentucky. Other affected states are Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

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Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.



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At the Buzzer: No. 16 Kentucky women’s basketball drops late lead in 84–83 loss to No. 7 Vanderbilt

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At the Buzzer: No. 16 Kentucky women’s basketball drops late lead in 84–83 loss to No. 7 Vanderbilt


No. 16 Kentucky women’s basketball (18-6, 5-5 SEC) was unable to maintain its lead on the Commodores, falling to No. 7 Vanderbilt (22-2, 8-2 SEC).

The Wildcats entered the court to the largest sea of blue that Historic Memorial Coliseum has seen so far this season.

Kentucky asserted control from the tip, with Key earning the Cats the first chance at offense. A three from Amelia Hassett from the jump enabled Kentucky to find a fast start to the night.

Kentucky would go on to hold the Commodores off for two minutes until leading scorer Mikayla Blakes found success from the mid-range.

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The Cats led Vandy for the first six minutes of action, shooting 57% from the field and 67% from the three. A three from Vanderbilt’s Justine Pissott sealed the Commodores’ first lead of the game at 12-11 with just over four minutes left in the first.

After the first, Vanderbilt would have the largest lead of the game so far, leading the Cats 19-16. Whether Kentucky was ahead or the Commodores, a one-point margin was the average between the two teams.

To close out the first quarter, the stat line proved to be similar between the two teams. Kentucky shot 43% from the field and 60% from the three, while Vandy shot 41% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. 

Kentucky was forced into five turnovers in the first, where the Commodores managed to convert six points from the Kentucky mistakes. 

Kentucky would hit 11 turnovers before Vanderbilt was forced into its first one. 

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Vandy would lead by as much as seven with 4:26 left in the first half, yet Kentucky managed to regain its footing and close the margin. 

Kentucky wasn’t letting up just like that, though. 

With only 39 seconds left in the half, Kentucky was holding one of the best teams in the nation to a 3:47 scoring drought, while holding a 10-0 run itself. 

A 3-pointer from Asia Boone during the Vanderbilt drought returned the lead to Kentucky, and in typical fashion, Boone closed out the first half with another beyond the arc to give the Cats a 38-34 lead. 

Kentucky also capped the half performing at some of the best numbers it has seen this season. The Cats were sitting at 54% from the field, 67% from the arc and 67% from the charity stripe. 

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Conversely, the Commodores were seeing some of its worst numbers this season, shooting 36% from the field and 31% from the arc. 

Getting the second underway, it was the Dores’ turn to keep their foot on the gas. Vanderbilt’s Blakes found herself open from the three and immediately fired 30 seconds in to close the margin back up to one. 

A layup from Vanderbilt’s Sacha Washington, followed by a Blake’s layup would see the Dores regain its lead at 41-38. Kentucky, however, was leading once again a minute later. 

With just under three minutes left in the third quarter, Kentucky extended the lead to nine to force the Commodores to call a timeout. 

Coming out of the break, Vanderbilt managed to close the deficit back to four, forcing yet another turnover from Kentucky. 

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At this point in the game, Kentucky had 15 turnovers compared to Vanderbilt’s three. 

The Commodores were successful in forcing turnovers due to their intense, double-team pressure when any Wildcat got on the ball. Sometimes, the Cats would see three players on them as soon as the ball hit their hands. 

Kentucky’s height did well to expose the gaps on the court in situations where they weren’t forced into the turnover. 

After three, Kentucky was leading 58-54. 

Into the fourth, Vanderbilt’s Blakes managed to get the Commodores back on top by three, forcing the Cats into a timeout.

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At this point in the night, Tonie Morgan also asked Head Coach Kenny Brooks to leave the court, where she was seen limping off after a hard foul. 

She returned following the Kentucky timeout. 

Kentucky had the chance to get within one when Teonni Key was fouled, yet she went 1-2 from the charity line and Vanderbilt was rewarded a free throw of its own immediately after. 

With 6:31 left in the game, Vanderbilt would earn the next largest lead of the game at 10, to move to a 72-62 lead over the cats. 

At this point in the game, Vanderbilt found itself on a 6-8 run courtesy of Blakes and freshman Aubrey Galvan, who were the key contributors to the run. 

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Moreover, at this point in the game, Blakes had reached 31 points on the night. Kentucky, however, found its groove again, going on an 8-0 run over 2:30. 

Blakes is the one to answer to the Commodore scoring drought, where she went to the line and built the margin back up to four. With 2:25 left to go, the Commodores were up by six. 

With just 90 seconds left in the game, a Key offensive rebound put the Cats back within four, and a Key defensive rebound allowed Kentucky to get Strack on the ball to get it within two. 

Kentucky and Vanderbilt would go back and forth with under a minute left, where Kentucky would find success from the field, and then foul to send a Dore to the line. 

Brooks called a timeout on the game with just 19.5 seconds left in the game, where the Cats trailed 82-79. 

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Morgan drove towards the bucket to get it back within one with 13 seconds left in the game. 

The Cats and Commodores would continue to do the same song and dance, and a final layup of the night from Key would close out the game. 

The Cats finished off shooting on a 6-7 run. Kentucky led most of the game, but Vanderbilt did more to make the win happen in its favor. 

Thursday’s loss now moves Kentucky to 3-3 against top AP teams so far this regular season. 

The Commodores now lead the Wildcats 34-28 all-time. 

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Kentucky women’s basketball will return to the road, traveling down to No. 4 Texas (21-2, 6-2 SEC) on Sunday, Feb. 9, where the Cats will look to get back to winning against top AP teams.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. EST and can be streamed on the SEC Network. 



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