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Police shift focus in search for Kentucky highway shooting suspect: ‘Boots on the ground’

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Police shift focus in search for Kentucky highway shooting suspect: ‘Boots on the ground’



On Tuesday, law enforcement officials scaled back on their search to focus on increasing their presence in nearby residential areas.

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The search for a man accused of opening fire on vehicles and injuring five people on a Kentucky highway stretched into its 11th day on Tuesday as authorities pivoted their focus from the woods to surrounding communities.

Authorities said the suspect, identified as Joseph Couch, 32, shot at motorists on Interstate 75 in southeastern Kentucky on Sept. 7 — hitting a dozen vehicles and wounding five people. The shooting spree spurred a massive manhunt that sprawled 28,000 acres of rugged, dense forest, and utilized helicopters, drones, and on-the-ground search techniques.

But on Tuesday, law enforcement officials scaled back on the search to focus on increasing their presence in nearby residential areas. While Kentucky State Police will lead the search effort at Daniel Boone National Forest, which spans more than 700,000 acres and 21 Kentucky counties, the agency will withdraw its personnel and use aircraft and cameras throughout the forest.

“On day 11, we know that bringing the boots on the ground from the forest into the communities is going to give the best reassurance to our citizens that if he’s still out there, we are right here with you — where you go to school, where you go to church — in the communities with a significantly enhanced presence,” Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said at a news conference Tuesday.

Beshear noted that reallocating resources into the community will provide a “better public safety outcome.” Since the shooting, Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. said police have received more than 400 tips with a majority of the tips pointing to outside of the forest.

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State and local law enforcement will bolster patrols on roadways and increase security at local schools, bus routes and sporting events, according to Burnett.

“We know that people are scared,” Beshear added. “The goal is for the community — even with it being kind of scary — to get back to day-to-day life, and the best way we make that transition is a saturation, or even an oversaturation, of law enforcement.”

What happened in the Kentucky highway shooting?

Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 7 following reports of a gunshot victim on I-75 near Exit 49 and U.S. Route 25, about eight miles north of London, a city about 75 miles south of Lexington, Kentucky. Officers discovered multiple vehicles parked on the side of the highway with broken windows and visible bullet holes when they arrived.

Authorities said 12 vehicles were found shot on both sides of the roadway and five people were injured with some “severely” wounded. All of them survived.

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The shooting caused an hours-long closure of the highway as authorities searched for the suspect. The incident caused multiple counties to hunker down and schools to close.

Laurel County Public Schools returned to in-person instruction on Tuesday with enhanced security measures for bus transportation services, school campuses, and extracurricular activities, school district officials said.

Authorities located Couch’s car the night of the shooting and the next day, found an AR-15 in the wooded area near Exit 49 of the highway, along with fully loaded magazines. Authorities said at the time that the weapon may have been used in the shooting.

An employee of a nearby gun shop, Center Target Firearms, confirmed to police that Couch had purchased an AR-15 and 1,000 rounds of ammunition from the store the morning of the shooting, according to an affidavit released by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office. The firearm discovered by police matched the description of the one Couch purchased that day.

Couch also told the mother of his child in a text message that he was planning to “kill a lot of people” less than an hour before the incident, according to the affidavit. He added that he planned to kill himself afterward.

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Joseph Couch named a fugitive by U.S. Marshals

Both Beshear and Burnett acknowledged Tuesday that authorities did not have evidence or details that would lead to Couch’s arrest.

“We don’t have a conclusion,” Beshear said. “We have an individual that committed a horrific act of evil, that tried to kill numerous people, and we have not located him or brought the investigation to a close.”

The U.S. Marshals Service has named Couch a fugitive, according to spokesperson Jeremy Honaker. The Federal Fugitive Task Force, a law enforcement body focused on capturing wanted violent criminals, will provide resources to local and state agencies in the search for Couch.

Couch has been charged in the incident by Commonwealth’s Attorney Jackie Steele, the felony prosecutor for Laurel County, with five counts of attempted murder and five counts of first-degree assault.

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Officials are offering a $35,000 reward for information leading to Couch’s arrest.



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Virginia woman arrested 30 years after newborn was found in a Kentucky landfill

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Virginia woman arrested 30 years after newborn was found in a Kentucky landfill


More than three decades after a newborn’s remains were discovered in a Kentucky landfill, investigators say advances in forensic science have finally led to an arrest.

Jennifer Cummins of Fairfax County, Virginia, was taken into custody on January 6 in connection with the death of an infant known for decades only as “Baby Jane Doe,” Kentucky State Police announced this week.

The case dates to 1991, when a sanitation worker discovered the remains of a baby girl at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University.

Despite early investigative efforts, authorities were unable to identify the baby or determine who was responsible, and the case eventually went cold.

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Kentucky State Police detectives recently reopened the investigation using modern forensic tools and updated investigative techniques. With assistance from the State Medical Examiner, it was determined that the infant was born alive and healthy before being placed in a dumpster on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University.

An arrest has been made in the death of a baby whose remains were found in 1991 by a sanitation worker at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University

An arrest has been made in the death of a baby whose remains were found in 1991 by a sanitation worker at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University (Google Maps)

The new information ultimately identified Cummins as a person of interest. In late 2025, the case was presented to a Madison County grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Cummins with murder.

“Even after decades of time that has passed, with the collaboration of new technologies, advancements, and persistence, we’ve been able to discover new leads in this case,” said Kentucky State Police Trooper Justin Kearney. “That’s why it’s so important for people to know these cases never go cold to us.”

Authorities have not released details about Cummins’ relationship to the child or the specific circumstances surrounding the infant’s death.

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Kentucky State Police say the investigation remains active, and that investigators say they are still seeking the public’s help to resolve some unanswered questions.

Cummins is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center while awaiting extradition to Kentucky.



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Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville

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Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville


LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Montavin Quisenberry isn’t the only former Kentucky wide receiver to switch out blue for red this offseason.

Hardley Gilmore IV announced Thursday that he has committed to the Louisville football program.

He’s the fifth Wildcat to transfer to the Cardinals in this cycle, following Quisenberry, who committed earlier in the day, cornerback D.J. Waller plus defensive ends Jerod Smith II and Jacob Smith.

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Gilmore is also the 11th portal pickup for UofL in the last three days, and their 15th transfer commitment overall in this cycle, beginning to offset 23 portal defections that UofL has seen so far. The 14-day transfer window officially opened up this past Friday, and is the only opportunity for players to enter following the removal of the spring window.

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Despite Kentucky’s instability at quarterback this past season, Gilmore put together a productive 2025 campaign. Playing in all 12 games while starting five, the 6-foot-1, 165-pound receiver caught 28 passes for 313 yards and a touchdown. His reception and yardage total was second on the team to Kendrick Law.

The Belle Glade, Fla. native got immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2024. Appearing in seven games, Gilmore was able to haul in six passes for 153 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown vs. Murray State.

While Gilmore has shown high end potential on the field, he comes with some off-the-field baggage from last offseason. Last January after opting to transfer to Nebraska following his true freshman season, he was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching someone in the face at a storage facility in Lexington. Then this past April, he was dismissed from the Huskers for unknown reasons, and wound up returning to Kentucky.

“Nothing outside the program, nothing criminal or anything like that,” Huskers head coach Matt Rhule said at the time regarding Gilmore’s dismissal. “Just won’t be with us anymore.”

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Gilmore and Quisenberry are the first of likely multiple transfer pieces that Louisville will add to their wide receiver room. Between graduation and the portal, the Cardinals are losing six receivers – including Chris Bell & Caullin Lacy.

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In their third season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 9-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 27-22 win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.

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(Photo of Hardley Gilmore IV: Jordan Prather – Imagn Images)

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You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X and @mattmcgavic.bsky.social on Bluesky





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Spotted lanternfly confirmed in 8 new Kentucky counties. About invasive insect

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Spotted lanternfly confirmed in 8 new Kentucky counties. About invasive insect


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  • The invasive spotted lanternfly has been confirmed in eight new Kentucky counties in 2025, bringing the total to 16.
  • Native to China, these insects pose a significant threat to agriculture, including orchards, vineyards, and various trees.
  • Spotted lanternflies damage plants by feeding on them and leaving behind a waste product that encourages mold growth.
  • Officials advise residents to inspect their property for the bugs and their egg masses, especially around dusk.
  • Sightings in Kentucky should be reported to the Department of Forestry or the University of Kentucky.

Entomologists have confirmed spotted lanternflies in eight more counties in Kentucky during 2025, according to a recent announcement.

These include Fayette, Franklin, Harrison, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Trimble and Woodford. The invasive insect was first found in the commonwealth in October 2023, in Gallatin County, and spread to counties including Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Grant, Henry, Kenton and Owen in 2024.

Here’s what to know.

What is a spotted lanternfly?

In short, the spotted lanternfly is a moth-like bug that’s not supposed to be in the U.S. The bugs tend to be red with black and/or white spots on their wings, according to the Department of Agriculture.

They’re native to China and first showed up in the U.S. in 2014. They’ve mostly been found in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the USDA reports, but they’ve also been found in Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia.

One of the things that makes them so risky as an invasive species is that the eggs are thought to travel well, on everything from packages being shipped to moving boxes on U-Hauls. 

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Why are spotted lanternflies dangerous?

Spotted lanternflies can pose a major threat to the things such as orchards, vineyards and logging facilities. How? They tend to swarm and devour what they land on quickly, causing serious damage. 

Their “waste product” — known as “honeydew” — can also attract molds and other bugs that further damage plants.

They pose a threat, according to the USDA, to everything from almonds, apples and hops to maple, oak and pine trees and more.

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Is the spotted lanternfly in Kentucky?

Yes. The Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist said in a post to Facebook that the spotted lanternfly was confirmed in eight new commonwealth counties during 2025.

The species has been located in 16 counties total — Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Trimble and Woodford.

What to do about spotted lanternflies

The biggest thing you can do, according to the USDA, to help control the spread of the spotted lanternfly is to keep an eye out for them.

It is recommended that you inspect trees, plants and other surfaces on your property for bugs. It’s best to do that around dusk, the USDA says, because that’s when bugs tend to congregate, making them easier to spot.

Signs that a plant may be infected include the plant oozing, becoming moldy or developing a fermented odor, according to the USDA. You may also see a “buildup of sticky fluid” beneath the infected plant.

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The agency also recommends you keep an eye out for egg masses on everything from plants to boxes that hold things such as holiday decorations and often sit unattended for much of the year. If you spot an egg mass, you should scrape it “into a plastic zippered bag filled with hand sanitizer, then zip the bag shut and dispose of it,” according to the USDA.

In Kentucky, you should report sightings to your Department of Forestry regional office or reach the UK at 859-257-7597 or forestry.extension@uky.edu. UK experts also ask that anyone who finds one send a picture with the location to reportapest@uky.edu.

Contributing: Mary Ramsey, The Courier Journal. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.



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