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Manhunt for Kentucky shooting suspect forces authorities to search rugged terrain:

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Manhunt for Kentucky shooting suspect forces authorities to search rugged terrain:


The search for the suspect in last weekend’s Kentucky highway shooting has taken authorities into a massive, dense forest that’s been compared to a jungle in the southeastern part of the state. The manhunt for Joseph Couch, 32, has been going on since Saturday, when authorities say he shot and wounded five people who were traveling on Interstate 75.

The shooting happened near London, Kentucky, a city of about 8,000 outside Daniel Boone National Forest, which has “some of the most rugged terrain west of the Appalachian Mountains,” according to the U.S. Forest Service. The terrain includes “steep forested slopes, sandstone cliffs and narrow ravines,” according to the agency.

“It is like a jungle,” Kentucky State Police Master Trooper Scottie Pennington told reporters Monday, “and we have cliff beds, we have sinkholes, we have caves, we had culverts that go under the interstate. We have creeks and rivers and the dense brush. I mean, it’s not something I can just take my dog for a natural walk through.”

A photo posted to social media by Kentucky State Police Master Trooper Scottie Pennington shows what he said was a snapshot of the area being searched for Joseph Couch, Sept. 9, 2024.
A photo posted to social media on Sept. 9 by Kentucky State Police Master Trooper Scottie Pennington shows what he said was a snapshot of the area being searched for Joseph Couch.

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Kentucky State Police


The forest spans more than 2.1 million acres, including state and privately owned land, according to the Forest Service. The agency manages over 707,000 acres of the area and Pennington said it’s been assisting with the search.

In addition to the Forest Service, multiple law enforcement agencies are also helping with the search effort, including the FBI, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, local police forces, sheriff’s departments and the U.S. Marshals Service, Pennington said. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has also provided boats to navigate rivers in the forest.

Pennington posted a video to social media Tuesday showing the dense brush that search teams are combing through with the help of dogs.

He noted that while investigators are looking for the suspect, they’re also gathering anything he may have left behind.

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“Our ground teams, you know, they’re like snails, they’re going very slowly to make sure they don’t leave anything unturned,” he said. “It might be a tree that’s knocked over, and it doesn’t look right the way it’s knocked over or something, a piece of trash on the ground, a candy bar wrapper, anything like that. I mean, we have to collect those because that might be part of the evidence.”

Meanwhile, helicopters and drones have been searching from the air, with the helicopters able to track heat sources on the ground.

As difficult as the area has been to search, Pennington said he hopes a lack of resources in the forest helps drive the suspect out of hiding.

“I hope he doesn’t have water, I hope he doesn’t have food, and I hope he’s just, he’s wore out, and eventually he’ll walk out of them woods,” he said.

Authorities are also looking for signs that the suspect may have died in the forest, like buzzards circling overhead.

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“We’re going to stay in the woods till we find him, and, you know, that’s our job,” Pennington said. “If he’s dead or alive, it’s our job to try to find him, and that’s what we’re going to do.”



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Hardley Gilmore returns to Kentucky Football

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Hardley Gilmore returns to Kentucky Football


A wide receiver from Belle Glade, Florida, Gilmore totaled 28 receptions for 313 yards and one touchdown for the Wildcats during the 2025 season. The 6-foot-1 sophomore has had a very interesting offseason as he entered the portal, flipped a commitment, and is now back in Lexington.

After the 2025 season, Gilmore committed to Louisville when he entered the transfer portal, then flipped his commitment to Baylor, and ultimately signed with the Bears. To end Gilmore’s portal saga, he’s now back in a familiar place with the Wildcats.

When the 2026 season begins, Gilmore will have two years of eligibility remaining.

Gilmore had a solid sophomore campaign with the Wildcats, appearing in all 12 games. His best game of the season came in the late-season loss against Vanderbilt. He tallied six catches for 55 yards in the game.

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With Kentucky losing most of its wide receiver production from last season, this is a significant pickup, and it won’t be surprising if Gilmore is back in the starting lineup this fall.



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Kentucky vs. Texas A&M Injury Report: The usual suspects are out

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Kentucky vs. Texas A&M Injury Report: The usual suspects are out


As for the Aggies, the only name on the report is Mackenzie Mgbako, a one-time Kentucky target who remains out for the season after undergoing foot surgery. Texas A&M head coach Bucky McMilan said today that Mgbako will return next season, which would be a big boost for the Aggies before the offseason begins.

Kentucky vs. Texas A&M Injury Report



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Watch: Blast brings down Northern Kentucky bridge

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Watch: Blast brings down Northern Kentucky bridge


COVINGTON, Ky. (WKRC) – The Licking River Bridge was demolished Monday morning in a controlled blast, clearing the way for a replacement structure.

Authorities established a 1,000-foot safety perimeter, closed nearby roads and asked residents to shelter in place before the demolition. The bridge collapsed within seconds of the blast.

“Today we say goodbye to a bridge that has served Kentuckians for nearly a century and we make room for something new. A signature bridge that is safer, stronger and we make room for something new,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “This region, like the rest of the commonwealth, is evolving, it is booming, it’s economy growing every day. What we’re doing together is building our new Kentucky home.”

The Licking River Bridge is now history after crews brought it down with a controlled demolition Monday morning. (WKRC)

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Crews will begin construction on the new bridge after debris removal is complete. The replacement bridge is expected to open in the summer of 2028.



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