Kentucky
Kentucky student competes in 2024 Braille Challenge Finals
Krishna Malhotra, a student going into the 7th grade at the Kentucky School for the Blind, participated in the 2024 Braille Challenge in Los Angeles on June 21-23. Photo courtesy Virren Malhotra
Krishna Malhotra was among the top 50 students selected to participate in the 2024 Braille Challenge Finals. The event hosted by the Braille Institute in Los Angeles on June 21-23, included competitors from across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“It was really cool to me to meet kids from other states like Missouri and stuff like that,” said Krishna. “It was a cool experience because I’ll have these friends forever and it was really fun.”
Krishna, a 13-year-old going into 7th grade at the Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB), participated in the sophomore division. The competition was conducted in a way similar to the Regional Braille Challenge hosted by KSB in February that Krishna won: students were graded on charts and graphs, proofreading, reading comprehension, speed and accuracy, and spelling.
“Saturday (the day of the contest) was a little scary because you were competing against some really experienced kids,” he said.
Krishna said the time each student had to complete the challenges was longer than the regional, so it was a little bit less stressful. He also said it felt good to be among the best at the Braille Challenge.
“Every kid in that group was nice,” he said. “I didn’t really get to talk to them as much because we were testing, but it felt good to be with other people in a group with them.”
Krishna previously qualified for the Braille Challenge Final in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, everything was virtual and he competed from home.
“It wasn’t as fun (in 2020),” he said. “It was still fun, but everything was on Zoom and there were different sessions that we did, but this was more fun.”
Virren Malhotra, Krishna’s father and a member of the KSB Advisory Council, said there were plenty of events for the parents to connect and learn more about emerging technology to help the blind and visually impaired.
“It’s a great way to network with parents that are probably in a similar position as we are – where we are wanting to encourage Krishna to explore his possibilities after high school, to challenge himself to not set these societal boundaries as to what he is or is not capable of,” he said.
The 2024 Braille Challenge, presented by the Braille Institute, was hosted by the University of Southern California. Krishna Malhotra, a student at the Kentucky School for the Blind, got the chance to interact with the university’s marching band while he wasn’t competing. Photo courtesy Virren Malhotra
Virren Malhotra said it was a unique opportunity to watch his child perform in a competition that was specifically designed for blind and visually impaired children, as opposed to events that are adapted for them, like sports.
“To see Krishna put on his game face for something that was not adapted, that was purely for blind people, was something I don’t think I’ve seen before,” he said.
And he said he’s proud his son got the chance to compete.
“We’ve been following the arc of Krishna’s life since he was born, and these kids that make the national competition, they’re the best of the best,” he said. “Some of the older kids had already written down that they were on their way to Stanford University or Caltech (California Institute of Technology). … It’s inspiring when you sit across from a blind person that you know is studying biochemistry at the high school already and on their way to college.”
Despite not placing among the winners of the competition, Krishna said he’s happy with his performance.
“I’m just happy I got to this level, especially since I got to go to Los Angeles,” he said. “I understand that there are other kids that did a little better than I did, but I’m proud that I made it to the national stage.”
GRAYSON, Ky. (WSAZ) – New information has been released in the search for a missing woman at Grayson Lake.
According to game wardens with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Marly Kinney, 19, of Ashland, was last seen at Grayson Lake on Wednesday afternoon.
They say search efforts are focused on the water at this time and include Kentucky State Police aerial support, drones, boats, and K9 assistance.
Crews suspend search for missing teen for the night
The search is now into its third day, with officials saying on and off rain has hindered their search and that a group of 50 volunteers are walking the banks of the lake to help in the search.
Search and rescue boats have been seen at the lake as well.
Officials say there are still many questions, including if Kinney is still alive and where exactly she went missing.
They also say they’ve been using a variety of equipment, including sonar and thermal detectors, as well as helicopters and underwater drones.
WSAZ received a statement from Kinney’s family Friday afternoon:
“We are very appreciative of the absolute surplus of support from law enforcement, search and rescue, 1st responders, and all of the community and its volunteers that are here with us and for us searching for Marly. We do not even know how to express our absolute gratitude to you all. We continue to have faith she will be found and brought back to us. We know we have the very best people doing all they can to bring her home.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 911.
We are still working to get more information.
Previous coverage can be found here.
Copyright 2026 WSAZ. All rights reserved.
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 Thursday, June 25, 2026 winning numbers for each game.
Cash Ball
02-08-24-32, Cash Ball: 09
Check Cash Ball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Evening: 6-3-0
Midday: 9-6-0
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 5-7-6-0
Midday: 5-2-6-6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Millionaire for Life
03-13-14-34-45, Bonus: 01
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.
On Thursday, Kentucky’s home and away SEC opponents for the 2026-27 season were revealed and on top of learning the three opponents who they will play twice, there are some very intriguing matchups. In conference play, Kentucky will face six teams who are among the top 25 in many preseason rankings.
In SEC play, Kentucky will play Tennessee, Vandy and Ole Miss all both home and away. The home matchups include Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Vandy. As for the road tilts, the Wildcats will face Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and Vandy. Let’s take a look at some interesting developments from the schedule release.
John Calipari returns to Rupp Arena (again)
In Calipari’s first year with Arkansas, he got the best of Kentucky when he came into Rupp Arena and left with a 10-point victory, a game where you could really feel the tension all game long in the building from Kentucky fans, which translated onto the court with the players. Last season, it was Kentucky who shocked everyone when they stole one on the road against a top 20 Arkansas team after a rough up-and-down season up to that point. Now, the two will face off again as Kentucky will look to get the win in Rupp and make sure Calipari doesn’t get two in a row in the building. It’ll be another highly-anticipated showdown.
Kentucky hits the road at Texas
This is shaping up to be a major challenge for Kentucky next season and may even end up being one of the biggest games of the season. Texas is seen by many as a clear top 10 team, with some even having them within the top five and when you combine that with the fact that the game is on the road, the Wildcats will have their hands full. The Wildcats fell to the longhorns in the 2024-25 season, and it’ll be a much stiffer challenge this time.
Which game could be a trap?
We don’t have the game-by-game dates yet, so it’s hard to say with a lot of confidence, but opponent-wise, Georgia could really give Kentucky fits. In Pope’s first year, his team struggled handling the physicality of the Bulldogs and now, they’ve retained one of their best guards for another year and have added physicality through the portal. Mike White’s teams love to make opponents uncomfortable and they could do that once again down in Athens. Another sneaky team to watch is Oklahoma, who will have very good guard play. Kentucky will face both teams on the road.
Overall, it’s a pretty fair SEC schedule for a Kentucky team who has the capability of a return to being atop the conference once again. Mark Pope has such a system-fit squad and he can do some damage in the SEC.
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