Kentucky
KIDS COUNT Data Book ranks Kentucky toward the bottom for child well-being
Oldham County special education investigation press conference
A press conference was held after the Kentucky Department of Education investigated Oldham County and found it in violation of federal special education law on several counts.
The release of the KIDS COUNT Data Book on Monday, June 8, shows that Kentucky ranks lower than most states in child and family well-being.
The report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzes all 50 states across 16 indicators related to family and community, economic well-being, education and health. The commonwealth ranks 36th overall in the 2026 results, with improvements in some areas and declines in others.
Kentucky ranks 36th overall in 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book
Kentucky ranks 36th overall in the 2026 KIDS COUNT Data Book, showing improvements and declines in various areas.
Related to economic well-being, the number of children living in poverty in Kentucky decreased from 22% in 2019 to 19% in 2024, and the number of children whose parents lack secure employment dropped from 31% to 28%. The commonwealth ranks 39th for economic well-being.
Metrics related to education have worsened, with an overall ranking of 22. There was increase in young children not in school (ages 3-4) from 59% to 63%; an increase in fourth graders not proficient in reading from 65% to 67%; and an increase in eighth graders not proficient in math from 71% to 76%.
The rate of high school students not graduating on time has dropped from 9% to 8%.
Health metrics have also worsened, with an increase in low birth-weight babies from 8.7% to 8.8%; an increase in children without health insurance from 4% to 5%; and an increase in child and teen deaths per 100,000 from 29 to 31. The rate of children and teens who are overweight or obese has dropped from 37% to 33%. Kentucky ranks 31st for health.
Family and community metrics improved, with a drop in the percentage of children in single-parent families from 36% to 34%; a drop in children living in families where the household head lacks a high school diploma from 11% to 10%; a drop in children living in high-poverty areas from 15% to 11%; and a drop in teen births per 1,000 from 25 to 20. The commonwealth ranks 44th for family and community.
Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.
Kentucky
Cumberland Falls’ renowned moonbow draws visitors from across the country to Kentucky
CORBIN, Ky. (WTVF) — Road trippers are pouring in from across the country to Cumberland Falls near Corbin, Kentucky, for one of the rarest sights in nature.
“I would have never thought in Kentucky there was a waterfall like this,” Josh Sharp, a tourist from Ohio, said. “How often do you see nature like this?”
Alan Jett, a tourist from Pennsylvania, said his wife spotted the destination while looking at a map. “It’s gorgeous, it really is,” Jett said.
But it is not just the 70 foot waterfall drawing the crowds. It is the moonbow, that appears alongside it during the light of a full moon, that has every cabin booked and the phone at the park ringing nonstop.
“People are here for the moonbow,” Maggy Kriebel, park manager at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, said. “Cumberland Falls is the only place in the Western Hemisphere that you can see a regularly occurring moonbow.”
A moonbow is similar to a daytime rainbow, but instead of sunlight, the colors come from moonlight. “The moon lines up just right with this mist off this waterfall,” professional photographer Max Caswell said.
Caswell enjoys capturing moonbows so much that he arrived hours early just to secure a spot along the river, checking conditions before the show began.
“I was actually looking to see how much mist was running down river,” Caswell said.
The wait, however, requires patience.”It’s going to be another hour and a half at least,” Caswell said. “The moon’s just now at the horizon.”
As darkness fell and the full moon rose above the trees, hundreds gathered to witness the spectacle. To the naked eye, the moonbow appears as a ghostly white arc, but cameras with long exposure settings reveal it bursting with color. “Boy that looks really good now. It’s brightening up a lot!” Caswell said.
By the end of the night, the display did not disappoint. “You can actually kind of see almost a double [moonbow] starting right there,” Caswell said, showing us one of his pictures.
According to the park, Cumberland Falls is the only place on this side of the world to catch almost monthly moonbows. The only other location where moonbows can be seen regularly is Victoria Falls in Africa.
Weather permitting, a moonbow is visible at Cumberland Falls every full moon — and that is what keeps photographers like Caswell coming back. “You never know what to expect. You don’t know if it’s going to be spot on. But that’s what keeps you going back out there and trying to chase that perfect shot,” Caswell said.
2026 Cumberland Falls moonbow dates
Cumberland Falls State Resort Park has released its 2026 moonbow viewing schedule. All times are approximate (in the Eastern Time Zone) and based on the evening of arrival.
July
- July 1: 12:30 am – 2:30 am
- July 27: 10:00 am – 12:00 am
- July 28: 10:30 pm – 12:30 am
- July 29: 11:00 pm – 1:00 am
- July 30: 11:30 pm – 1:30 am
- July 31: 12:00 am – 2:00 am
August
- Aug. 26: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
- Aug. 27: 10:00 pm – 12:00 am
- Aug. 28: 10:30 pm – 12:30 am
- Aug. 29: 11:00 pm – 1:00 am
- Aug. 30: 11:30 pm – 1:30 am
September
- Sept. 24: 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm
- Sept. 25: 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
- Sept. 26: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
- Sept. 27: 10:00 pm – 12:00 am
- Sept. 28: 10:30 pm – 12:30 am
October
- Oct. 24: 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Oct. 25: 8:30 pm – 10:30 pm
- Oct. 26: 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm
- Oct. 27: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
- Oct. 28: 10:30 pm – 12:30 am
November
- Nov. 22: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Nov. 23: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
- Nov. 24: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Nov. 25: 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Nov. 26: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
December
- Dec. 21: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
- Dec. 22: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
- Dec. 23: 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
- Dec. 24: 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
- Dec. 25: 9:30 pm – 11:30 pm
Do you have any great shots from recent Moonbows at Cumberland Falls, Kentucky? Share them with me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
Tenn. seniors make a splash on a giant slip-and-slide
A slip-and-slide for seniors?! Who knew it could stir laughter and tears. Photojournalist Angie Dones captures a story filled with so much joy and one that will tug at your heartstrings.
– Carrie Sharp
Kentucky
Kentucky Wildcat News: Milan Momcilovic explains why he chose UK
There is plenty of excitement surrounding the Kentucky Wildcats this summer as Mark Pope and his staff look to make some noise in Year 3. One of those key players? Milan Momcilovic.
The Iowa State sharpshooter chose the Cats over Louisville and Arizona, and is now set up to be one of the key players on the roster this season. With a quick recruitment, however, and no campus visits, how did Milan come to the decision of heading to Lexington?
Here is what he told the UK Sports Network for why he chose Mark Pope and Kentucky:
“Playing against him at BYU really stood out to me,” Momcilovic said. “I think the first year or two at Iowa State, we played against him, and his teams are tough to play against. A lot of shot-making they had, that really stood out. He likes playing with a lot of shooters, and obviously that’s my strength. We mesh so well together.”
It was widely talked about how well he fit into the shooting role that we have seen from players in Coach Pope’s offense. Koby Brea shined in his first season, and it was Colin Chandler last year. Now all the pieces are set up for Momcilovic to become the great shooter for the Cats this year.
THAT IS WHAT IM TALKING ABOUT!
It is Mitch Barnhart’s last day.
A cool story about one of the new UK transfers.
Kentucky
Kentucky Cares, Lexington Humane Society offer free pet food after floods
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – Kentucky Cares has partnered with the Lexington Humane Society to offer free pet food to residents affected by recent flooding.
The nonprofit said it is focused on providing family-friendly service opportunities to anyone who needs them across Central Kentucky.
Players with Kentucky Baseball Club volunteered to distribute food to pet owners in need on Monday.
One volunteer said the experience was meaningful.
“Just happy to help people who can’t afford food for their animals and glad to help animals that sometimes don’t get to eat every day,” Clayton Johnson said. “It just feels good.”
A representative with Kentucky Cares said the event reflected the value of community service for young people.
“We’re just really thankful to them,” said executive director Madison Carey said. “I think we all feel better when we serve and this is a really great example of how kids can have fun and help others at the same time.”
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
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