Kentucky

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

Published

2 weeks ago

January 8, 2026

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

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.

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.

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.

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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Kentucky

Saturday Headlines: Ole Miss Gameday

Published

38 minutes ago

January 24, 2026

Press Room

The Cats take on the Rebels bright and early at 11 AM ET at Rupp Arena. You can watch the game on ESPN.

Kentucky is riding a four-game winning streak after losing its first two SEC games. The last time we saw them on Wednesday, surprisingly, they held the lead for much of the game.

It’s not something this team or these fans are used to, so it felt strange.

Let’s see if they can do it against a struggling but scrappy Ole Miss team.

Sadly, it’s not all good, as Kam Williams broke his foot against Texas. He probably won’t be back for the rest of the year, so that means no Kam, no Jaland Lowe, and probably no Jayden Quaintance for the rest of the year.

A fun note: this will be Travis Perry’s first game back in Rupp. Sadly, it’s for the Rebels. He’s having a pretty solid Sophomore campaign, averaging 15.5 MPG, scoring 5.7 PPG on 36.4 FG% and 36.1 3P%.

It’ll be great to see him back home.

Sheesh, the editors snapped with this one.

The women are in action right after the men!

Could Giannis really be on the move?

Give me Mendoza, Brady, and $100M in cap space.

It sounds like a lockout is imminent.

I like Allen being involved, but he shouldn’t be the final decision maker by any means.

Good, this is the game everyone will want to watch.

Wow, this was surprising. Glad to hear he’ll be ready for Spring.

College Sports are hilarious.

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Kentucky

Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Injury Report: 3 Wildcats ruled out

Published

13 hours ago

January 23, 2026

Press Room

Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Injury Report: 3 Wildcats ruled out

As the Kentucky Wildcats get set to host the Ole Miss Rebels, the SEC injury report is out for Saturday’s matchup at Rupp Arena.

For Kentucky, Jayden Quaintance, Kam Williams, and Jaland Lowe have been ruled out as expected. Lowe remains out for the season, while Williams is on the mend after his foot injury vs. Texas, which could sideline him for over a month, if not the rest of the season.

As for Quaintance, he continues to experience swelling in his surgically repaired knee after tearing his ACL last February. It remains to be seen when/if we’ll see the sophomore big man suit up for Kentucky again.

As for Ole Miss, everyone is good to go for Saturday’s showdown.

Kentucky vs. Ole Miss Injury Report

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Kentucky

Convicted sex offender returned to Kentucky for sentencing after fleeing United States

Published

1 day ago

January 23, 2026

Press Room

Convicted sex offender returned to Kentucky for sentencing after fleeing United States

GRAYSON COUNTY, Ky. (WKYT) – A convicted sex offender was returned to Grayson County for sentencing after fleeing the United States.

William Lee “Scott” Carter was arrested June 11, 2023, and later pled guilty to one count of rape in the second degree, four counts of rape in the third degree and one count of sexual abuse in the first degree, according to Kentucky State Police Trooper Bryan Washer.

Photo from Kentucky State Police(wkyt)

In September 2025, before his sentencing date, Carter fled the United States, Washer said, and was later located and temporarily lodged in Chicago.

Kentucky State Police traveled to Chicago on Wednesday, Jan. 21 to transport Carter back to Grayson County, where he is now lodged in the Grayson County Detention Center awaiting sentencing.

Washer said no further details would be released at this time due to the nature of the crimes and to protect the identity of the victim.

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