Kentucky
Lexington immigration attorney advises residents to know their rights after Lexington ICE sighting
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – A Lexington immigration attorney is urging residents to know their rights after a reported ICE sighting Wednesday morning.
The nonprofit Kentucky Neighbors Immigration Clinic posted to social media confirming the sighting. Immigration and family attorney Heather Hadi said she received a flood of messages from clients and local businesses before the nonprofit made its post.
“We started getting frantic texts and screenshots and even local businesses contacted me because they had heard from their employees that ice was spotted on Alexandria this morning,” Hadi said.
Hadi said the sighting triggered a “knee-jerk fear reaction” among many of the clients she serves.
“It starts elevating the feeling that there is a level of threat here, that there may be ICE enforcement operations happening similar to what we are seeing across the nation,” she said.
A photo posted by the Kentucky Neighbors Immigration Clinic appears to show two individuals dressed in civilian clothing wearing police vests, standing in front of the driver’s side door of a vehicle.
Hadi said she believes the sighting was an isolated incident but stressed that residents should be prepared if approached by ICE officers.
“Have a safety plan. Know where all of your important documentation is. Make sure you have a scanned copy of that important documentation as well,” she said.
Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton told WKYT she had no prior knowledge of the situation and said she saw no reason for residents to be concerned.
“I haven’t seen a reason to be concerned. I know some people want to stir things up like things got stirred up in Minneapolis, but we are just kind of going about our business every day,” Gorton said.
Hadi said she would not be surprised if Lexington sees additional isolated ICE sightings.
“This administration has enacted a certain amount of quotas for people to be detained per day or deportations per week, and because of that they are issuing a lot of old deportation orders, they are re-issuing them, so now there are active warrants,” she said.
WKYT reached out to the Kentucky Neighbors Immigration Clinic and ICE officials about Wednesday’s activity. Neither had responded as of publication.
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
Kentucky
Bass fishing titles on the line for 5 Northern Kentucky teams at state
In these days of cell phones, social media and hundreds of TV channels, teenagers have a lot of distractions.
To be good in fishing, you have to set all of that aside and be locked in to what you’re doing for eight or more hours.
Ten Northern Kentucky high schoolers will take on that challenge this weekend at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association state bass fishing tournament. The event is a two-day competition, May 8-9, at the Kentucky Dam Marina in Gilbertsville, western Kentucky.
Anglers can catch a maximum of five fish per day. Teams win by accumulating the highest total weight of fish.
“I’m pretty excited,” said Covington Catholic junior Drew Berling, one of the competitors. “Fishing up in Northern Kentucky doesn’t get a lot of recognition and hopefully we can do pretty well.”
Berling and teammate Eli Scroggins are one of five two-person teams that will have a boat in the competition after qualifying from the Region 2 tournament in Jamestown. They finished 14th in the regional.
Grant County has two boats. Hunter Lilly and Kyle Lilly finished third in the regional, Brian Hamm and Raymond Hamm finished 27th. Bishop Brossart’s Cooper Lackey and Paxton Litmer finished sixth. Ryle’s Tanner Norman and Owen Miller placed 28th.
Berling and Scroggins finished 49th in the state meet last year. Scroggins is competing at state for the third straight season.
Northern Kentucky has never won a bass fishing state title. CovCath has a strong recent history of success, with three top-10 finishes in the past five seasons, including second place by Brandon Smith and Phoenix Parks in 2024.
Grant’s Hunter Lilly finished 14th last year with a different partner. Dixie Heights had a fourth-place showing in 2015.
Berling, who has been fishing since seventh grade, said constant communication is a key between the partners.
“I like being out in the water and hanging out with my buddies,” he said. “Being out in the water is fun.”
While it’s fun, you have to be laser focused on what’s going on in the water. Patience is key.
“You can’t just be screwing around in the boat,” Berling said. “You got to really lock in and focus on the goal, which is to win the tournament. If you’re not focused, you’ll lose fish. You might pass over something that potentially holds the tournament-winning fish.”
The closest competition water to Northern Kentucky is Williamstown Lake, where Berling and others compete once or twice a week.
Berling said like any other sport the ability to stay in the present after a mistake is also important.
“If you’re angry and frustrated it’s pretty easy to lose your focus,” he said. “You just have to move past it.”
Kentucky
Kentucky Kingdom opens May 9. See hours, dates, ticket costs, holiday events
Bourbon and Beyond 2025 recap: See day one of music festival
Bourbon & Beyond brought thousands to the fairgrounds to enjoy the music, vibes, food and even Kentucky Kingdom. Recap day one.
Kentucky Kingdom opens for the 2026 season on May 9.
Whether you’re looking to soak up some sun at Hurricane Bay or check out the new $14 million roller coaster, the Flying Fox, it may be time to plan your next visit.
Here’s what to know.
When does Kentucky Kingdom open for the 2026 season?
Kentucky Kingdom will reopen for its 2026 season on May 9.
When does Hurricane Bay at Kentucky Kingdom open?
Hurricane Bay opens for the 2026 season on May 23.
How much is a season pass to Kentucky Kingdom?
Season passes start at $79.99 and go up to $209.99. Pre-K children’s passes are free.
How much is a single-day ticket to Kentucky Kingdom?
Single-day ticket costs vary by day. There is currently an opening sale, with single-day tickets available for $34.99. Tickets are valid for one day admission from May 9 to June 15.
When is Kentucky Kingdom open in May?
Beginning May 9, the park operates on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The park opens on weekdays beginning May 25, which is Memorial Day. Typical weekday hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekend hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
What are Kentucky Kingdom’s hours during the summer?
During most of June and July, Kentucky Kingdom is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The park stays open longer from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 3-4 for its Bluegrass & Booms event.
When is Kentucky Kingdom open in August?
After Aug. 5, Kentucky Kingdom is closed on weekdays. The park will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 8-9, before hours switch to 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting Aug. 15.
The park will also be open on Sept. 7 for Labor Day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
When does the summer season end at Kentucky Kingdom?
Hurricane Bay closes after Sept. 7, and Kentucky Kingdom closes for the season after Sept. 13. Hours will be reduced to 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 12-13.
When do Halloween hours start at Kentucky Kingdom?
The Halloween-themed Pumpkins at Kentucky Kingdom event begins on Oct. 2 and operates from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays. The last day for the event is Nov. 1.
When are Christmas hours at Kentucky Kingdom?
Christmas at Kentucky Kingdom opens on Nov. 21. Hours and days of operation vary. Visit kentuckykingdom.com for more details.
Reporter Maggie Menderski contributed. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.
Kentucky
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will skip Preakness
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not run in the Preakness Stakes next weekend, trainer Cherie DeVaux announced Wednesday.
DeVaux and owners decided to skip the Preakness and set their sights on the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. DeVaux, who became the first woman to train a Derby winner, is from Saratoga Springs, which is hosting the Belmont for a third and final time this year.
“We are incredibly appreciative of the excitement and support surrounding the possibility of a Triple Crown run,” DeVaux said in a statement. “Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in the Kentucky Derby, and we believe the best decision for him moving forward is to give him a little more time following such a tremendous effort. His health, happiness and long-term future will always remain our top priority.”
Golden Tempo is the third Derby winner in the past five years not to be entered in the Preakness. For various reasons, it is the sixth time in eight years the Preakness will happen with no chance of a Triple Crown on the line. American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 are the only horses to sweep all three races over the past four decades.
The two-week turnaround from the Derby to the Preakness, which used to be commonplace, is considered a nonstarter for many trainers and owners given that most elite thoroughbreds now typically go a month or more between races. It has caused endless debate in horse racing circles about the spacing of the Triple Crown in modern times.
Maryland racing officials are considering moving the Preakness back from the third Saturday in May to the fourth to increase the chances of not just the winner but other horses from the Derby being considered for the second leg of the Triple Crown. None of the 18 who ran this year at Churchill Downs are heading to the Preakness, with Golden Tempo the only one considered.
The Preakness is taking place at Laurel Park between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., this spring while its longtime home, Pimlico Race Course, is rebuilt as part of a massive construction project that included demolishing the debilitating old structure. Pimlico is set to become the site for year-round racing in Maryland beginning next year when the state takes control from 1/ST Racing, with Laurel becoming a training venue.
Golden Tempo won the Kentucky Derby as a 23-1 long shot in spectacular fashion, making a charge from the back of the pack down the stretch to the finish line a neck ahead of morning line favorite Renegade. DeVaux and co-owner Daisy Phipps Pulito said they would see how the colt came out of the race before making any decisions.
They followed the lead of trainer Bill Mott and Godolphin Racing, which last year chose to bypass the Preakness with Derby champion Sovereignty to give him extra rest for the Belmont. Sovereignty rewarded them by winning the Belmont and the Travers Stakes and is back racing as a 4-year-old.
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