It doesnt take expert knowledge to grow your own plants in a garden. One Madison County organization is delivering resources to community members to help people start or grow their own gardens at home.

Sustainable Berea and Berea Urban Farm work to educate the community about the health benefits and impacts of gardening and growing food at home.

The driving force here is if you look at the needs that the community has to be sustainable, food is basic, director Richard Olson said. Everybody needs that, and our food system is under some pressure now.

There's lots of reasons for people to at least grow some of their own food for that local food security, and we try to help households obtain the means to grow a garden and the education and the skills to do that too, he added.

Along with educating, events like the Victory Garden Blitz running from Thursday, April 9 until Saturday, April 11 also connect the community to the proper gardening resources.

The fundamental parts are the cedar raised beds, Olson shared. Then we provide a soil and compost to fill those beds with, as well as a bag of fertilizer and some instructions.

This is the 12

year of the Victory Garden Blitz. Volunteers will deliver around 100 raised beds during this years blitz. Deliveries also include volunteers filling the beds with the soil, compost, and fertilizer.

For Olson, the blitz does more than just provide resources. Its also a way to connect with the community.

Going around later and seeing what the people have done with their beds and be able to talk to them, Olson said of the best part of the blitz. Its especially fun when they have kids and the kids haven't gardened and you can go and they're saying Look, look, I grew this. That that makes me feel good."

The Victory Garden Blitz runs until Saturday and Olson said they are still taking orders. If you would like to try to get a last minute order in, visit sustainableberea.org.

Volunteer firefighters are not at the station all the time. When an emergency happens, they stop what they are doing and get to the scene as fast as they can, sometimes using their own personal vehicles.

Kristen Collins, a volunteer firefighter for Bethel/Sharpsburg Fire Department, said the costs add up quickly for crews.

"One of us will come and grab a rescue truck and the rest of will use our personal vehicles to respond and a lot of us at the department have big trucks," Collins said. "It's a lot of money to fuel one of those up. Especially if use them a lot to respond to a scene."

Fire engines and tankers run on diesel, which has seen significant price climbs. Owingsville Fire Department Fire Chief Christopher Hall knows the impact firsthand.

"Back then to fuel it up from empty," Hall said. "$210. Now it's average above $5 a gallon. $350."

The Owingsville Fire Department and Bethel Fire Department receive some government funding. However, Collins and Hall noted that the funding cannot be spent on fuel alone.

"We only get $2,000 a month to spend not only on gas, but for other bills. It can be a hinder not just our department, but other departments," Collins said.

If the cost keeps rising, Hall warned that some volunteers may not be able to afford the fuel to get to scenes. This could ultimately affect who is able to respond to a crisis.

"The cost to get here is going to affect somebody," he said. "As family first and they have to keep their home going. If they can get those taken care of and keep coming here is ideal."

There is some relief available. At the end of the year, the government provides mileage reimbursement for the volunteers. For Collins, the job is not about the money.

"If I had to take a loss with my money and paying for more gas to help somebody or save a life. I will do that," Collins said.

The tight-knit community of Owingsville is rallying to support a longtime 911 dispatcher who is battling colon cancer for a second time.

For nearly two decades, Donna Vanlandingham has been the kind and caring voice Bath County residents hear in a crisis. In 2022, Vanlandingham was diagnosed with colon cancer. She pulled through, but this past February, the cancer returned.

Bath County Dispatch is helping Vanlandingham through an online auction. To participate, people can head to the Facebook group "Donna Vanlandingham Benefit Auction," browse the items, and place a bid.

The auction runs through Saturday April 11, with all proceeds going toward Vanlandingham's medical expenses. It is a way for the community to help Vanlandingham, who has helped so many others in her hometown.

Bath County Dispatch Director Justin Welch says they average 6,000 calls a year.

"She is friendly, down to earth, everyone in the community knows her. She is the backbone," Welch said.

Vanlandingham uses her voice to help not only those in an emergency but the first responders answering the call. Owingsville Fire Chief Christopher Hall has worked with Vanlandingham and describes her as irreplaceable.

"She is one of the calming voices over the radio. Very little gets her shook," Hall said.

Hall says this time, the road ahead is harder.

"She's a pretty independent person, so for her to say she needs help. There were some issues," Hall said.

In her time of need, her community wants Vanlandingham to know she can rely on them for support.

"When times of the essence. We come together like they are right now," Hall said.

For Welch, it all comes down to one thing.

"We're family," Welch said.

Kentucky SAVE is an animal rescue operating out of For Paws Unleashed in Madison County. The groups also work closely with the Madison County Animal Shelter.

For Paws went into the shelter to help get it kind of back up on its feet, get it kind of structured in a better way, said Kentucky SAVE president Ashley Renton. Through that partnership, Kentucky SAVE also partnered with the shelter to work together. It's really beneficial when rescues and shelters can work together, because it's a huge team effort.

While Renton says a lot of work has been done already to improve the county animal shelter, theres still a need for better facilities.

They've tried a lot to make it better, but the outcome is just they need something better, Renton said. Even if it's not new, it just needs to be a better facility.

Kentucky SAVE is hoping to help bring facility improvements by hosting a fundraiser and theyre doing it in a unique way.

We're trying to bring something that we had not heard of that other organizations had done, Renton said.

In order to do something a little bit different, Kentucky SAVE is hosting a casino night at Chenault Vineyards. The funds raised will help the rescue and benefit the Madison County Animal Shelter as well.

It's an evening where people could come out and they can just enjoy an evening of playing different games, Renton said. While you're betting and enjoying the games, all that money that's being raised is going back to these causes.

This will be the second time Kentucky SAVE has put on a casino-style fundraiser event, designed to look like a night in Vegas. Renton says events like this and community support are a big need.

The community has to now step up and say, you know, I didn't like how it was, and I said something and you all changed it, and now we got to support it.

The Kentucky SAVE Casino Night is scheduled at Chenault Vineyards from 7 to 11 p.m. on April 24. You can find more about tickets and donations here.

A former Army combat medic and Eastern Kentucky University alum is impacting the level of care provided by paramedics with an intubation tool he designed. He returned to campus to speak to students and make an equipment contribution to the Emergency Medical Care program.

During his time as a combat medic, Andrew Napier, M.D. saw a lot in a deployment to Afghanistan.

Those are my friends that are out in the rocks in Afghanistan that, you know, we're putting tourniquets on, that we're intervening on to save their life, he said. That's not just a patient, that's not a number, that's my friend.

During this time, Napier saw firsthand the importance, and difficulty, of managing an airway in medicine.

I did watch a soldier succumb to wounds that he sustained a battle because we did not have the right tool to be able to manage his airway, Napier told the students. That moment never left me.

After his service, Napier earned a degree in biomedical sciences from EKU. Combining his experience in the Army with his education, he designed a tool that helps medical professionals see more clearly during the intubation process.

To be able to place a breathing tube you have to be able to see where you're going and what you're doing, he said. To be able to clear off that lens during that intubation changes that game.

Students like Christopher Block, who is a senior in the paramedic program, had the opportunity to learn more about the IntuBlade devices Napier invented.

I think it's a really neat innovative device that hopefully could revolutionize the game, he said. We're supposed to be the future leaders of EMS with the program, that's what they strive for.

Napier announced that IntuBlade will be donating a fleet of its video laryngoscopes to EKU's Emergency Medical Care simulation lab and program for students to use.

We're looking for an opportunity here for us to not just donate devices, it's for us to be able to improve the level of care these paramedics are providing, Napier said.

Dan Wells was known throughout Bath County simply as Eddie. When retirement came, Wells couldn't just sit still, so he went to the Bath County Schools bus garage and found a new purpose.

Director of Transportation for Bath County Schools Phil Dettwiller said Wells wanted to give back to the community.

"He said he got bored at home. He is too much of a busybody to just sit at home, and wanted to give back to his community. So he came in wanting to drive a bus," Dettwiller said.

No matter the route, Dettwiller said Wells made a point to know every child on his bus.

"He just loved every individual kid that got on that bus and he can tell you stories about every single one of them," Dettwiller said.

Driving a bus was not his only passion; his friend Sammy Knell, said when Wells was not on the road, he was on the water.

"Eddie loved fishing. He would travel to Canada every year. And usually during spring break he would go to Alabama to fish," Knell said.

During the school district's spring break on April 1, Wells was on a fishing trip when he died unexpectedly.

"Eddie couldn't have gone in any other way. He was fishing with his best friends. He sent pictures just hours before he passed away," Dettwiller said.

While the district works to fill his routes, Dettwiller knows firsthand how the children felt about losing their bus driver.

"I was actually driving his bus yesterday morning. The kids got on feeling somber. Most of them understood what happened. They gave me a hug and told me sorry for your loss," Dettwiller said.

The grief extends beyond the bus garage. Friends are feeling his absence, too.

"It's going to be hard without him. For last three years he would be coming here, so it will be a little rough," Knell said.

Morehead Rowan County E9-1-1 is launching a new "Adopt a Dispatcher" program to recognize the crucial work of emergency dispatchers.

The program gives the community a chance to learn who is on the line and show appreciation for the first line of communication during an emergency. Community members can participate by writing a thank-you note, putting together a care package, or making any gesture big or small.

Assistant 9-1-1 Director Kerri Moran has been a part of the center for more than eight years.

"In our world we are the first, first responders," Moran said.

Dispatchers are often the first to respond, but they rarely get the recognition they deserve. It is a sentiment shared by the first responders who work alongside them, including Morehead Firefighter Curtis Coleman.

"Dispatchers don't show up on scene. So nobody sees them. They just know it's a person on the phone. They are definitely underappreciated," Coleman said.

Dispatchers answer a wide variety of calls and provide detailed instructions to callers and first responders, helping resolve situations quickly, no matter how unusual.

"Chase a pig on Main street trying to get it back to its owner," Moran said.

When every second counts, dispatchers direct first responders in real time. During a working structure fire on West Main, dispatchers alert all available units.

"When we are on our way they will tell us exactly what is on fire. If there is any exposure, or any houses around, and how involved it is," Coleman said.

Without those details, emergencies could become deadly and cost first responders critical time.

"We would be pulling in blind without knowing what we were going into," Coleman said.

Dispatchers carry the weight of these moments so the public does not have to face them alone.

"A bad day is when You have a parent call you and they found their child unresponsive. Most of us here are parents. It's really hard, you have to put your emotions to the side, so you can help them," Moran said.

The "Adopt a Dispatcher" program is a chance for Rowan County to say thank you to the people answering the call for those who need help. Donations can be dropped off at the Morehead Police Department at 309 W. Main Street, Morehead KY 40351.

Less than a week ago, Kentucky officials announced the states budget will continue to match local contributions for Dolly Partons Imagination Library. Since 2023, Better With Books has worked with Imagination Library to send books to kids around Madison County.

Early literacy is of such an importance because it's an indicator of future success, said founder and director Whitney Hamilton.

Hamilton operates Better With Books out of her own home, mailing books to kids around the county each month. Kids who are a part of the program receive these monthly packages from birth until their fifth birthday.

After the discussions about funding at the state level, Hamilton is glad the state decided to continue its dollar-for-dollar match funding.

We are so thankful that they decided to keep all of that fifty-fifty in the budget, she said.

Heres what that means. Each book costs $5.20. The Dollywood Foundation covers half the cost, which is $2.60. The state and groups like Better With Books both split that remaining cost.

They're only having to pay $1.30 per book instead of $2.60 because of that state's 50/50 deal to do that match for us, Hamilton explained.

That match funding is part of what allows Better With Books to send books to around 2,800 kids in the county.

Of those eligible children right now we've only so far been able to reach just under half of those who could be receiving a book, said Hamilton.

While the match funding is sticking around for now, the recent focus on funding has Hamilton working to raise money on a local level through donations and fundraisers.

We're already at about $4000 that we have to secure every month to keep this program running, Hamilton said. Its so worthy of it, but that's not an easy feat.

No matter the cost, however, Hamilton says its worth it.

When a child feels seen and receives a book in the mail addressed to them every single month, that lets them know they matter.

One of the Better With Books fundraisers is coming up on April 25. Its a pickleball tournament fundraiser at Lake Reba. You can learn more at bwb-ky.org.

After days of searching, the Madison County Sheriffs Department captured Christopher Morphis Friday afternoon near a restaurant just off of I-75 in Berea. The sheriffs department says Morphis is the suspect in a shooting and assault that occurred on March 27.

The sheriffs department has been responding to tips of Morphis sightings throughout the week. A Ring doorbell camera captured the 38-year-old over the weekend, and deputies were tipped off about a gas station visit in Richmond on Wednesday.

On Friday around 11 a.m., officers in Berea were alerted to a sighting at a restaurant.

A bystander said that he was approached by who he thought was Christopher Morphis in reference to giving him a ride for $200 out of the city, said Berea Police Department Officer Austin Scholes.

When the attempt at buying a ride proved unsuccessful, Scholes says witnesses told them that Morphis went across the street, past the Dollar General, and to the tree line where he took cover in a drain that goes underneath the road. He hid in a drain culvert.

We set up a perimeter with the Madison County Sheriff's Office, Scholes said.

At that point we just had boots on the ground and uniforms in the wood line and in the creek line until we identified where he was, said Madison County Sheriff's Deputy Jennifer Kermeen.

Kermeen first spotted Morphis as he stuck his head out of one of the culverts in the area. She then headed to her cruiser to get her K-9 dog Spike.

I came down that pathway and I began giving my challenges that were required to give, Madison County Sheriff's Office canine unit, show yourself or you will get dog bit, Kermeen explained. So three times. First one, as I'm still going down the embankment. Second challenge, Spike clears the first culvert, clears the second one, clears the third one, no suspect.

Morphis exited the fourth culvert as Kermeen gave her final warning. Morphis was unarmed when deputies arrested him, after which he was transported to the Madison County Detention Center.

Kermeen never had to let Spike off of the leash, and believes the K-9 challenge led to a peaceful surrender.

We've got exceptional dogs and we've got exceptional handlers, and having that tool at our disposal and on our belt is something that you can't put money on," she said. "There's a huge psychological factor.

Kermeen is thankful for the assistance from other law enforcement agencies around the county as well, and she especially proud of Spike.

It has been a team effort, Kermeen said. I'm thankful for the outcome today and that the community can enjoy the, the Easter weekend.

Morphis was charged with attempted murder, assault, terroristic threatening, strangulation, among other charges.

From firefighters with tenure to those new to the job, one requirement is to pass a series of yearly fire truck driving skill checks. This week, firefighters with the Madison County Fire Department tested their skills at the Blue Grass Army Depot.

Making sure you can handle one of these in good conditions is important, said Jake Fuller, a firefighter and EMT with the Blue Grass Army Depot. Going through some of the obstacles, make sure you can back them up appropriately, know your clearances, know your turning radius, all that, so you don't drop a wheel off the side of a little county road in the middle of a thunderstorm and you're trying to go help somebody that really needs it.

Fuller helped Madison County firefighters navigate the course, which included practicing lane changes, three-point turns, and had cones set up for drivers to navigate a slow serpentine in drive and reverse.

It's a driving course we have to do every year, Madison County Fire Department Chief Tim Gray said. The drivers all have to maintain to be on the fire department.

The practical portion of it... gives them familiarization of the truck, gets you used to just even driving how the truck operates, said Assistant Chief Wayne Adams with the Blue Grass Army Depot Fire Department.

Adams is a drivers trainer and EVOC-certified instructor as well.

To fulfill their requirements, each firefighter has to drive the course in one of the fire engines as well as one of the tanker trucks which Gray said are new to the department.

It's first tandem axle the county's ever had, so everybody's driving it to get familiar with it, he said. It handles a little different than what the other trucks do. Each truck handles different, and that's the reason we have them driving, so everybody learns how that truck handles.

Events like this also build up the mutual aid connection the two fire departments have. They work together for these trainings, and they will assist each other in fire responses on the base and in the county.

We only have one engine crew right here right now, and for most structure fires, that's not even going to start to cut it, Fuller said.

My guys get to respond off base and catch a few fires and help out with the rescues, Adams said. It just makes a lot more knowledge for my guys.

This is just another way that we get to train with one another, added Gray.

A Berea College student is having an international impact by helping physics students around the world learn through a variety of online academic platforms.

Sophomore Aliaksandr "Alex" Melnichenka traces his love of science back to his childhood.

When I was eight-years-old, I tried to assemble a telescope from parts, like attach mirrors together to get the focused image of the moon, Melnichenka said.

As a native of Belarus, that telescope introduced Melnichenka to a world of equations relating to math and physics. It didnt take long for him to join a club to compete in the physics Olympiad. The only problem? Melnichenka had no teacher.

I decided to create the biggest national physics Olympiad platform, he said, So, other people from our club could prepare for the physics Olympiads.

Melnichenka built belpho.org to help his club prepare for the Olympiads. The website became a resource for students all across the country to prepare for the competition as well. Its that experience that inspired another project savchenkosolutions.com.

In the post-Soviet countries, there is a widely known problem textbook named Savchenko Problems in Physics, and for 30 years, no solutions existed, Melnichenka explained.

The Savchenko Solutions platform is collaborative, involving people from around the world. The Savchenko textbook needed translating, and Melnichenka was up to the task.

Soon after we translated the textbook on the English language, the United States became the top three most popular countries that uses our website, he said.

Melnichenka is majoring in physics and mathematics at Berea College now, with a minor in computer science. He enjoys learning, and seeing others learn.

For me the most captivating part is when I see the people who discuss the problems that they cannot solve and another person on the website shares his own thoughts, and the other person understands how the problem could be solved, he said. That's the most interesting part, when I see the real impact on how it helps.

Melnichenka shared that over winter break, he visited Cambridge, Massachusetts to work with professors at MIT. He also turned down a monetary offer for his Savchenko Solutions platform in order to keep it free under Creative Commons.

NASA is making final preparations for the launch of Artemis II Wednesday night, sending astronauts on a 10-day trip around the moon for the first time in over 50 years.

The SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft will take off to begin the journey. Even before the engines fire, history is already being made.

Ground Station Engineer and Operations Lead Chloe Hart noted the significance of the crew.

"It's historic. The first woman will be going to the moon, first person of color, first Canadian," she said.

A successful mission requires precise coordination from teams around the world. Research Scientist at Morehead State, Andrea Togni, emphasized the difficulty of the work.

"Space missions are extremely complex," Togni said.

That's where the Morehead State Space Science Center comes in, ready to assist with the mission.

"Our 21-meter ground station is an assist for NASA deep space network. It's the most powerful collection of antennas around the world," Hart told LEX 18.

Over the course of the 10-day mission, the university will contribute tracking data from its 21-meter high antenna. Students will steer the antenna, tune and record radio signals, process raw data, and send their observations to NASA.

Staff and students have been working on this mission since late January. They will gather around Wednesday evening to watch the launch as it will mark a big moment for both the space program and the students' future careers.

MSU student Carrie Bruce shared her feelings ahead of the launch.

"I don't really have words. I'm just so overwhelmed with excitement," she said.

MSU student Mitchell McCulley also expressed anticipation, similar to Burce.

"Off the back it will be nerve racking. Once I see it launch and everything is good, I will have a feeling of relief. Then, it's getting the ball rolling," he said.

The short crew mission serves as a launching pad toward careers in space exploration for the students.

"I think it's invaluable experience for our students to be able to get with this mission now and bring it back to their career as space engineers," Togni said.

A Tennessee man is in custody facing attempted murder and other charges after authorities say he shot his girlfriend, assaulted her mother, and evaded police for days in Madison County.

A complaint warrant reads that 38-year-old Christopher Morphis of Lenoir City, Tennessee, surrendered to authorities April 3 near Giovanni's Pizza in Berea. The Madison County Sheriff's Office said Morphis attempted to flee on foot into a culvert but surrendered without incident after being challenged by patrol K-9 Spike. The Berea Police Department and the United States Marshals Service assisted in the arrest.

Morphis faces charges of attempted murder, first-degree assault, fourth-degree assault, first-degree strangulation, failure to comply with sex offender registration, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.

The charges stem from a March 27 altercation at a home on Kentucky River Drive. According to complaint warrants, Morphis and his girlfriend argued throughout the day after reportedly consuming alcohol, the warrant reports.

The warrant states the woman retrieved a revolver to defend herself, but Morphis grabbed the gun, allegedly shot her in the leg, and struck her in the head with the firearm. Morphis also allegedly strangled her twice until she began to black out.

When the woman's mother attempted to call 911, Morphis reportedly grabbed the phone, breaking two of her fingers. The warrant alleges Morphis then pointed the gun at the woman's head and threatened to kill her, stating he had killed three people and did not care to kill more. Authorities noted Morphis fired all six shots from the revolver before fleeing.

Morphis fled the scene in a Chevrolet Astro van, which deputies later found abandoned with two flat tires on Carver's Ferry Road. Despite searches using K-9 units and drones, and a doorbell camera sighting early Saturday morning, Morphis eluded capture until his arrest in Berea.

Court documents also reveal Morphis is a registered sex offender in Tennessee and had been living in Kentucky for at least a month without registering. The firearm used in the incident has not been recovered.

Morphis' bond is set at $350,000 in total for both cases.