Kentucky
Kentucky looks to make athletic department LLC
Kentucky will ask its board of trustees Friday to approve a plan to convert its entire athletic department into an LLC, a move the school says will position it to adapt to the new climate of collegiate sports.
Champions Blue, the name of the school’s proposed Limited Liability Company, would allow Kentucky to create a public-private partnership and raise funds and handle expenses as collegiate sports shifts into a new era if the House settlement is approved and schools are allowed to share revenue with athletes in the years ahead, the school said in a statement.
A board composed of business and professional sports experts will advise athletic director Mitch Barnhart and school president Eli Capilouto under the proposed model, which the school is calling one of the first in Division I sports.
“We believe this is an innovative approach — a new structure and governance model that thoughtfully contemplates how we strengthen athletics, protect and promote the university and open up new opportunities for growth,” Capilouto said. “It’s a foundation and model that we are calling Champions Blue. Athletics and its success have always been the result of an incredible and productive partnership with campus. It will continue to be in the future — if we seize the opportunities in front of us to meet the challenges that lie ahead.”
The public-private partnership could give the school access to unorthodox revenue streams like real estate as collegiate sports undergo a transformational shift with schools — under the terms of the House settlement — expected to be able to give a pool of $20 million to athletes who may also still have the opportunity to capitalize on outside NIL deals. The school said the proposed model, which would make the athletic department a holding company, is one it has used outside athletics to acquire a pair of local hospitals.
Last week, a study led by former Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs advised that schools should consider hiring human resources departments and operating like businesses instead of traditional athletic departments.
Shortly after the school’s announcement of the proposed model for sports, Kentucky football head coach Mark Stoops tweeted: “Big news! Thankful for the leadership we have at [University of Kentucky].”
Kentucky is one of the most financially formidable schools in the country. The school’s athletic department generates more than $166 million in revenue, according to U.S. Department of Education data. That’s a top-20 mark, according to USA Today’s database of athletic department revenue.
But the proposed model, the school said, is necessary to thrive in the next chapter of collegiate sports.
“Our mission remains the same: to put championship rings on fingers and diplomas in hands,” Barnhart said in a statement. “But how we accomplish that goal — how we finance our teams, protect our future and support our student athletes — will have to change.
“That’s what this new model represents — an understanding that in the market we are in that we have to be creative. We have to find new ways to generate revenue, manage expenses and think about opportunities to grow.”
Kentucky
Kentucky woman, 35, charged with homicide after using abortion pills then burying fetus in backyard
A Kentucky woman was charged with fetal homicide after allegedly using abortion pills and burying the fetus in a Christmas-wrapped lightbulb box in her backyard — when she got pregnant following an affair.
Melinda Spencer, 35, was arrested Wednesday after going to a Campton health care clinic, where she told staff members she used medication purchased online to end her pregnancy, which is illegal in the state, according to Kentucky State Police, FOX 56 reported.
Police said Spencer allegedly admitted to taking the pills on Dec. 26 and burying the fetus — described as a “developed male infant” — two days later in a shallow grave at her Flat Mary Road home.
After obtaining a search warrant, cops found the remains wrapped in a white rag and stuffed in the holiday-decorated box inside a plastic bag, court documents showed.
Spencer later confessed that she allegedly ordered the pregnancy-ending drugs after conceiving with a man who was not her boyfriend, claiming she didn’t want him to find out, police said, per the outlet.
Authorities said she wanted to “abort the fetus on her own.”
It’s unclear how long she was pregnant before taking the pills.
An autopsy has reportedly been scheduled to establish how developed the fetus was.
In Kentucky, nearly all abortions are illegal, with a doctor only authorized to perform one to prevent death or serious injury to the mother.
There are no exceptions for rape or incest.
State law also bars the distribution of abortion medication.
Spencer was charged with first-degree fetal homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and first-degree promoting contraband, the outlet reported.
The homicide offense makes her eligible for the death penalty. She also faces life behind bars if convicted.
Spencer is being held at Three Forks Regional Jail in Beattyville.
Kentucky
Lancaster resident describes Kentucky earthquake experience
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A 3.1 magnitude earthquake hit Kentucky Sunday afternoon with an epicenter between Richmond and Lancaster, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The USGS “Did You Feel It” survey received reports from people in Richmond, Danville, Stanford, Lancaster and Lexington.
Caroline Boyd, a retired nurse from Lancaster, was reading at home when the earthquake began at 12:47 p.m.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say shaking but it felt like a rumbling in my basement or even outside,” Boyd said.
Boyd said she felt and heard the ground beneath her rumble followed by a loud boom.
“I thought to myself what on earth is that? Because there is no trains or train station nearby, so I knew it was not a train. So, I just sat there and listened. I would say it lasted about 10 to 15 seconds,” Boyd said.
After the tremor, Boyd called her neighbors and then the sheriff’s office. Dispatchers told her there had been an earthquake.
Dustin Price, deputy director and public information officer for Garrad County Emergency Management Agency, said the agency first heard from Bluegrass 911 about reports of a loud boom and shaking.
“Approximately we were able to confirm through the state that there was a confirmed 3.1 magnitude earthquake that hit through Garrad County,” Price said.
No injuries or property damage were reported, according to Price.
Boyd said she was thankful the earthquake did not cause more serious problems.
“Even if I would’ve had to relocate if there was a problem. I have two pets, so it could’ve been really bad,” Boyd said.
Garrad County EMA said they are thankful for all the agencies who helped respond to the incident.
Copyright 2025 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Kentucky
3.2 magnitude earthquake with no immediate reports of damage confirmed in Garrard County
GARRARD COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Governor Andy Beshear reports that a 3.2 magnitude earthquake has been reported in Garrard County.
“This range does not typically produce sizable damage – just shaking – and thankfully, that is all that’s been reported so far,” Beshear said on social media Sunday.
According to the Lincoln County EMA, the earthquake happened around 12:47 p.m. with a shallow depth of 8 kilometers.
NWS Louisville reports the location of the quake to have been near the Garrard/Madison County line.
Multiple agencies are also reporting no immediate reports of damage.
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