Kentucky Lottery announces record sales in 2018

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Lottery has announced record ticket sales in 2018.

A statement from the lottery says it recorded sales of $1.04 billion, which is 4 percent more than the previous year’s sales. It also gave $253 million to the state general fund, which is a record amount.

Officials say scratch-off tickets were once again the largest individual game category, finishing the fiscal year at just over $613 million. That’s up $9.3 million from 2017.

Mega Millions had the largest percentage increase of any Kentucky Lottery game, rising nearly 37 percent from $10.7 million to $39.8 million. Officials say several large jackpots during the year spurred the increase.

Markey Center earns renewal of national cancer designation

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The University of Kentucky says its Markey Cancer Center has had its national cancer center designation renewed for the next five years.

The Markey Center is one of 70 centers nationally, and the only one in Kentucky, with the designation from the National Cancer Institute.

UK says the renewal for Markey includes a five-year grant projected at $10.8 million to support research, faculty recruitment, education and clinical trials. The school says the previous five-year grant from NCI helped Markey recruit dozens of new researchers and clinicians. The school says the grant also helped it to pilot new research projects and launch initiatives aimed at changing the standard of cancer care in the state.

Kentucky faces some of the nation’s worst cancer rates.

City launches free bus pass program for homeless

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky city has launched a pilot program that aims to connect homeless people trying to find employment and housing with transportation resources.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Lexington and Lextran launched UpLIFT, a free bus pass program last week, providing unlimited access to public transportation to those living in emergency shelters or transitional housing. Eligible applicants must be working on a case plan with a case manager to obtain housing.

Lexington Office of Homelessness Intervention and Prevention Director Polly Ruddick says the pilot program is one of the firs in the state, and “goes a long way toward eliminating barriers that historically have made it difficult” to obtain housing.

With $6,516 allocated to serve a goal of 1,800 homeless adults and kids, the program will be evaluated in six months.

1 woman killed, 1 man injured in shotgun shooting

BARDWELL, Ky. (AP) — Police say a Kentucky man shot two people with a shotgun, leaving a woman dead.

Kentucky State Police spokesman Jay Thomas tells the Paducah Sun 52-year-old Kelly D. Clanahan was found dead and 42-year-old Harold Doug Compton was found injured Saturday. Police say 30-year-old Matthew K. Turnbow shot them both.

Thomas says the shooting followed an altercation at Turnbow’s home. It’s unclear what that involved.

Compton was airlifted to an Indiana hospital for critical injuries, and was listed in fair and stable condition Sunday.

Turnbow is charged with possession of meth and drug paraphernalia, and was served with an outstanding arrest warrant for violation of an emergency protective or domestic violence order. Information about further possible charges hasn’t been released.

It’s unclear whether Turnbow has a lawyer.