From Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeighFor the first time in state history, all Kentucky National Guard units have been activated to help the commonwealth recover from this week’s deadly ice storm. Governor Steve Beshear says that will put 4,600 troops in the field, and door-to-door canvassing will be one of their top priorities. "Obviously, we are in the middle of the biggest natural disaster that this state has ever experienced in modern history. We have 91 counties and 69 cities who’ve declared states of emergencies. We already have 178 shelters set up across the state helping about 64-hundred people right now," Beshear said. Beshear says the guard units will help provide relief to exhausted emergency personnel, who have been working around the clock since Monday, when the storm first hit. The troops will also set up generators, provide security, deliver water and help with debris removal. The governor is also asking the federal government to declare Kentucky a major disaster area, which would result in even more federal aid than is currently being provided. At least 21 deaths are now being blamed on the storm.(Photos courtesy of Kentucky National Guard)
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.