Possible Jumper At Kennedy Bridge

(Lancaster, KY - Feb. 14 - 3:35pm) - Reports are coming in through dispatch that EMS and local police are in route to Kennedy Bridge in response to a woman attempting to jump from the bridge.

Update (3:45pm): The latest reports indicate that police are on scene attempting to locate the possible jumper.

Update (3:50pm): Police were unable to locate a jumper at the bridge.

No other information is available at this time.

School Bus Involved In Accident

(Lancaster , KY - Feb. 6 - 4:15 p.m.) - A Garrard County school bus has been involved in an accident on Mt. Hebron Road near Burdette Knob in northern Garrard.

Though little information is available at this time, initial reports indicate that multiple children were still on the bus at the time and there are least two injuries, with one child suffering a reported broken nose and another appearing to be in shock.

No other information is yet available.

Respiratory illnesses to watch for in Kentucky

(Lexington, KY.) January 30, 2020  — While the new strain of coronavirus that originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan is making headlines, there are many serious respiratory illnesses to watch for right here at home including flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and pneumonia.

Symptoms of these illnesses, such as a cough, runny nose, and fever, might start out as mild, but in the very young, older adults, or people with weakened immune systems, they can develop into a severe illness.

So, how do you protect yourself from these diseases?

Germs that lead to these respiratory illnesses can be spread to others up to 6 feet away through droplets made from coughing or sneezing.

“Avoid contact with those who are sick,” said Dr. Mark Dougherty, who is affiliated with Baptist Health Lexington.  “And avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Also, clean and disinfect surfaces and items that might be contaminated with germs.”

If you think you have a respiratory illness, avoid contact with others, except to seek medical care.

“In an adult, a fever isn’t necessarily a cause for concern unless it reaches 103 degrees or more,” Dougherty said. “But those at risk of complications should visit a clinic or urgent treatment center right away. That includes people 65 years and older, pregnant women, and those with chronic health problems.”

For information about Baptist Health Lexington clinics, urgent treatment centers, and other facilities, go to Baptisthealth.com/Lexington.

Nerve Agent Destruction Begins at Blue Grass Army Depot

RICHMOND, Ky. – Full-scale chemical agent destruction operations at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (BGCAPP) on the Blue Grass Army Depot (BGAD) began Jan. 17 with the destruction of the first 8-inch projectile containing GB nerve agent in the main plant. 

Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant workers place the first 8-inch projectile containing GB nerve agent in a tray to begin the destruction process in the Munitions Demilitarization Building Jan. 16, 2020.

“This is another major milestone toward eliminating the total chemical weapons stockpile in Kentucky,” said Dr. Candace Coyle, BGCAPP site project manager. “With each munition destroyed, we are making Madison and surrounding counties a safer place to live.”  

The plant will destroy munitions containing nerve agent through a two-step process calledneutralization followed by supercritical water oxidation, known as SCWO. Automated equipment takes the munitions apart and drains the chemical agent. The agent is mixed with water and caustic to produce hydrolysate. The hydrolysate is then pumped from tanks to SCWO reactors where it is subjected to high temperature and pressure. The resulting products are water, carbon dioxide and a salt solution. Remaining metal parts from the munitions are thermally heated to more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit and can be safely recycled.

“Our highly skilled team is dedicated to the task of safely destroying the chemical munitions,” said Ron Hink, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass (BPBG) project manager. “We’ve trained extensively for this stage of the project and we’re confident we can safely complete the mission.”

The chemical weapons stockpile at BGAD originally consisted of approximately 523 tons of chemical agent configured in 155mm projectiles containing H mustard and VX nerve agent, 8-inch projectiles containing GB nerve agent, and M55 rockets containing GB and VX nerve agent. In June 2019, theStatic Detonation Chamber (SDC), an explosive destruction technology, began destroying the mustard stockpile. The SDC is augmenting the main plant and increasing worker safety, as it was determined the mustard agent had solidified, making those rounds difficult to process using the main plant’s automated equipment. As of Jan. 10, more than 15 tons of chemical agent have been destroyed in Kentucky.

Destroying 8-inch projectiles filled with GB marks the first nerve agent destruction in the United States in more than a decade, as the last VX landmine was destroyed at the Anniston Chemical Agent Disposal Facility in Anniston, Alabama, Dec. 24, 2009.

The Program Executive Office, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives is responsible for destroying the remaining U.S. chemical weapons stockpile in Colorado and Kentucky. The organization oversees the contract for design, construction, systemization, operation and closure of BGCAPP with BPBG and subcontractors AECOM, Battelle Memorial Institute and GP Strategies. The project employs more than 1,250 government and contractor employees.

The stockpile sites in Colorado and Kentucky account for the last 10 percent of what was originally a national stockpile of more than 30,000 tons of chemical weapons. The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Activity destroyed the initial 90%, which was stored at seven other sites across the U.S. and on Johnston Atoll in the Pacific. Chemical weapons destruction in Colorado began in 2015. Both sites will complete destruction of chemical weapons by Dec. 31, 2023.