Latest news with #EKU
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Board approves proposed tuition increases at Murray State, WKU
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – Students who are currently residing at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU), Murray State University (MSU) or Western Kentucky University (WKU) will probably need a bit more money this upcoming school year. Officials say at its June meeting, the Council on Postsecondary Education (CPE) board approved a recommendation to raise undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees for resident students at EKU, MSU and WKU by $420 for the 2025-26 school year, in accordance with CPE's tuition parameters. The CPE says the university boards approved these increases prior to CPE board approval: At EKU, this action will increase base undergraduate resident tuition and fees from $10,020 to $10,440, or by 4.2%. This revenue will offset a projected 3.8% increase or $10.3M, in fixed costs. At MSU, this action will increase base undergraduate resident tuition and fees from $9,900 to $10,320, or by 4.2%. This revenue will offset a projected 4.6% increase, or $9.1M, in fixed costs. At WKU, this action will increase base undergraduate resident tuition and fees from $11,452 to $11,872, or by 3.7%. Despite this increase, anticipated revenue is projected to decrease by $326,000. However, fixed costs also are projected to decrease by 1.3%, or $3.2M. Jim Irsay to be inducted into Colts Ring of Honor The CPE says the board also took the following actions: Approved two new academic programs: a Bachelor of Science for surgical first assistants at the University of Kentucky and a Master of Science in nonprofit leadership studies at Murray State University. Approved tuition reciprocity agreements between select Kentucky public postsecondary institutions and institutions in Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia. The agreements enable Kentucky residents to attend these out-of-state schools at in-state rates, and vice versa. Approved the reallocation of dollars in Kentucky State University's performance improvement fund, authorized by House Bill 250, which will be passed by the 2022 Kentucky General Assembly. Unspent funding in the amount of $2 million originally designated for the development of an engineering program will now support new online programs and enhanced accounting and auditing functions. Approved the CPE agency budget for fiscal year 2025-26. Approved changes to the statewide dual credit policy to align with the passage of House Bill 193 and House Bill 4 during the 2025 legislative session, as well as other technical changes. Approved a revision to CPE's Tuition and Mandatory Fee Policy to make student-endorsed special use fees and certain asset preservation fees subject to tuition and fee parameters, beginning in 2025-26. Previously, these fees were exempt. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Yahoo
Woman charged with vehicular homicide in connection to KY crash that left another dead
A woman has been charged with vehicular homicide in connection with an April crash that left another woman dead in Madison County, according to media reports. Elizabeth Fox, 48, is charged with vehicular homicide and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, according to the Madison County Detention Center's website. She is charged in connection with the April 9 collision that left Victoria McQueary dead, LEX 18 reported. Fox was arrested by the Berea Police Department on Thursday and was being held on $100,000 cash bond, according to the jail website. The Berea Citizen reported that she was arrested at a home in Jackson County. Berea police said they were called to the scene of the fatal two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Richmond Road and the Berea Bypass at 8:48 a.m. April 9. The collision reconstruction unit of the Richmond Police Department investigated the crash, Berea police said in a Facebook post at the time. McQueary, 27, was an Eastern Kentucky University graduate who had a career as 'CHI Practice Manager at Primary Care at Kingston, Richmond, and Berea Family Medicine at St. Joseph Hospital in Berea,' according to her obituary. 'She was a talented model, an avid learner of the Japanese language, and a globetrotter whose heart was set on exploring every corner of the world,' the obituary stated..
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
London man paralyzed by tornado, family asks for help
LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56) — Shawn Cupp was overcome with emotion as she looked at the dirt patch where her home on Philpot Road in London once stood. It is also where her brother, David, nearly died in Friday's tornado. 'It's amazing that he made it,' Cupp said through tears. 'He said he remembers it picking him up and it slinging him through the wall.' London mayor warns of stolen pets after deadly tornado EKU offers help to students impacted by deadly southern Kentucky tornado: How to receive it London man paralyzed by tornado, family asks for help She said David was diagnosed with spinal meningitis as a baby, which caused long-term damage to his brain. After their mother passed, Shawn became the primary caregiver of her now 46-year-old brother. Shawn was on her way home from work when the tornado came through, which meant that David was home alone. Fortunately, though, neighbors heard his cries for help. 'My brother was lying on his bedroom door when they found him, so they just grabbed the bedroom door and slid him out of the rubble that was down there, about 80 feet from where he started at,' she said. David is still in the ICU, but his life will never be the same. His injuries from the storm left him paralyzed from the waist down. 'He tried to stand up, and he couldn't, so he said he knew he was paralyzed,' Cupp said. Kentucky's most misspelled word, according to study Drug overdoses see major decline: How Kentucky measures up UFO sightings in Kentucky: A look back on past 30 years When David was found, Shawn told FOX 56 that their mother's urn was lying just feet from David, almost completely intact. 'God and I believe wholeheartedly my mom was with him. There's no other explanation as to why he's still here,' she said. Now, a GoFundMe account has been set up to help get them a new home. But not just that, one that's accessible for David, and what Shawn calls their 'new normal.' 'We just have absolutely nothing left, and they said I'm looking at a couple of months before he comes home, and I need to have him home and have everything accessible,' Cupp said. 'I want to have everything to make him as comfortable as possible, to give him the best life that I can. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In wake of new law, EKU swaps ‘diversity,' ‘inclusion' for ‘viewpoint neutrality'
Students walk on Eastern Kentucky University's campus in Richmond, May 14, 2025. (Kentucky Lantern photo by McKenna Horsley) RICHMOND — With approval of its governing board, Eastern Kentucky University became the first in the state to formally adopt policies that bring it into compliance with a Republican-backed state law banning diversity, equity and inclusion practices at Kentucky public universities. In its Wednesday meeting, the EKU Board of Regents passed a policy to uphold viewpoint neutrality and a resolution showing EKU plans to comply with the recently passed House Bill 4. The board also approved removing words such as 'diverse' from its strategic goals. No board members voted against the measures in a voice vote. Kentucky public universities have been reviewing HB 4 since its passage by the Republican-controlled General Assembly earlier this year. GOP caucuses in the House and Senate easily had the votes to override Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of the law, which he said 'is about hate.' In his veto message, the governor wrote, 'Acting like racism and discrimination no longer exist or that hundreds of years of inequality have been somehow overcome and there is a level playing field is disingenuous.' He also said the law would prevent universities and colleges from investigating allegations of bias except in limited circumstances. EKU's board members had little discussion on the new policies before they cast votes. Regent Laura Babbage asked questions about how the university will still support students from a variety of backgrounds. She added that she hoped as an institution, EKU 'believes that we have responsibility to our brothers and sisters, regardless of their race, creed, beliefs or whatever the case might be.' 'I'm not speaking for the board. I'm speaking for Laura Babbage, but I am just saying that that is an essential part of who I am,' she said. 'And so as we have issues that come before us that perhaps need a voice, I will, in fact, be that voice.' EKU President David McFaddin said in response to Babbage that supporting all students would remain a focus of the administration. 'Student success will continue to be our focus. Supporting students — every student — in every way that we can will continue to be a part of the institution,' he said. The newly adopted university policy — titled 'Institutional Viewpoint Neutrality' — says that EKU 'does not discriminate against individuals or groups based on their social or political viewpoints and values the contributions of all community members to robust dialogue and the free exchange of viewpoints to contribute to an intellectually diverse campus community.' The university may not require anyone to 'endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint to be eligible for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, promotion, admission or graduation.' Directing the state's public universities to adopt such viewpoint neutrality policies was a tenet of HB 4. The university policy says that the EKU president has the only authority to issue official statements on behalf of the university, and may designate someone else to issue statements as needed. The board chair has a similar authority to issue official statements of the board. The president and board chair are prohibited from issuing official statements 'on political, social or cultural matters that are not directly related to the operations, mission or legal obligations of the University.' The policy says that any violation 'will be handled through the normal University processes.' The board also approved changes to the university's strategic goals, removing a reference to supporting 'EKU's diverse learners' and replacing the word 'inclusivity' with 'respect.' The changes also remove 'Inclusion' as a guiding value of the university, which was defined as 'Community engagement, Diversity of people and perspectives, Professional growth, Hospitality, Celebration' and replaces it with 'Opportunity,' defined as 'Community Engagement, Multiple Perspectives and Lived Experiences, Professional Growth, Hospitality, Celebration.' The resolution approved by the board says EKU will follow the state law. An EKU spokesperson previously told the Kentucky Lantern the university planned to comply with the law. The bill's primary sponsor, Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, said in a statement after filing the legislation that it sought 'to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin, and ensure that our university campuses are free from the failed and misguided DEI policies that have proven only to make higher education less attainable for Kentuckians.' In a statement ahead of Wednesday's board meeting, Decker said the law ended 'discriminatory and wasteful practices on our public postsecondary campuses.' Decker added that the law ensures Kentucky public colleges 'provide equal treatment to all of their students and judge students on their individual merits, not on their race, color, or creed.' 'These are institutions of learning and must focus on improving the quality of education on their campuses and increasing enrollment among all Kentuckians,' Decker said. HB 4 directs the governing boards of Kentucky's public universities to enact a policy by June 30 to meet requirements under the law such as not restricting scholarship eligibility criteria on the basis of religion, race, sex, color or national origin and not requiring or encouraging students to complete courses 'of which the primary purpose is to indoctrinate participants with a discriminatory concept.' Next year on July 1, each institution must begin submitting annual certification to the Council on Postsecondary Education to verify the institution has not spent money to support DEI programs. The law largely had support from Republicans in both the state House and Senate throughout the legislative session earlier this year. It comes on the heels of Republicans nationwide aiming to rollback DEI programs. President Donald Trump has taken actions against such programs, including issuing an executive order early in his second term aimed at curbing DEI in private sector businesses. More recently, Trump signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Education to overhaul university and college accreditation programs to root out DEI standards. Before the General Assembly passed the law, Kentucky college students held protests against the legislation on their campuses, including EKU. Students also voiced opposition in committee hearings and protests at the Capitol. 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Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Nicholasville community resource will soon come to local park
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — For years, the people of Jessamine County have been waiting for a community resource that can bring everyone together, and the wait is almost over. The area in Nicholasville's John Preece Park will soon be home to the new community recreation center. Nicholasville and Jessamine County parks and recreation director Anessa Snowden said this is something community leaders have wanted to do for years. 'It truly means everything for the community, because we have nothing like this here. There are no community centers to go to, and nothing really for kids and families or individuals of all ages and ability levels to come and experience,' Snowden said. Jessamine County sheriff warns against increasing scams Kentucky school officials warn community of 'dangerous' TikTok trend Thursday's groundbreaking is the first step in changing that. County leaders like Jessamine County Judge Executive David West said the community has been pushing for a resource like this. 'We have hoped and wished for a facility that could house sporting events and community events for years. We've been developing these parks, and we purchased 111 acres. That made the dream come true. We finally had enough land to build a community and recreation center,' West said. It'll be a multi-purpose resource, one that's expected to make a huge impact on the people who will use it. Nicholasville Mayor Alex Carter said he can't wait for the community to start using this new hub. 'I've been on the city commission for about 7 years now, and even people before me laid the groundwork. The former mayor and commissioners here in the city of Nicholasville have laid the groundwork, and we're excited for the opportunity to get this off the ground and come to fruition,' Carter said. Will Andy Beshear run for president? Here's what political experts think Coroner finds former Kentucky football player died from heart disease and irregular heartbeat EKU students push back against proposed fees for those enrolled in over 15 credit hours After years of waiting, Snowden is reminding the public that the wait isn't much longer now. 'Optimistically, we're hoping 12 to 18 months. Probably more like 18 months, since you never know about the weather and all the delays that could happen. We look forward to hopefully the end of next summer being open,' Snowden said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
