PIKEVILLE, Ky. – University of Pikeville Professor of Molecular Biology Kevin Wang, Ph.D., has been awarded a $351,311 National Institutes of Health grant to develop a rapid, plant-based method for producing reteplase, a potentially lifesaving medication used in the emergency treatment of certain severe heart attacks. The 33-month project, titled “Rapid Production of Nonglycosylated Reteplase for Affordable Thrombolytic Therapy,” is supported by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, an institute within the NIH, through an R15 award. The award marks the first NIH grant awarded to a faculty member in UPike’s undergraduate division. Wang’s research will investigate whether plants […]

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FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear has launched a new program aimed at eliminating $250 million in medical debt for more than 130,000 Kentuckians. Beshear signed an executive order Tuesday establishing the Team Kentucky Medical Debt Relief Program. The initiative directs $2.5 million to Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit that purchases medical debt from participating hospitals and collection agencies and then forgives it. For every dollar Kentucky spends through the program, officials say approximately $100 in medical debt will be eliminated. “Medical debt isn’t a choice — it’s what people are faced with after a serious accident, cancer diagnosis […]

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FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Kentucky lawmaker is proposing legislation that would clarify that artificial intelligence cannot be considered a person under state law or used as a defense against criminal responsibility. State Rep. Adrielle Camuel, D-Lexington, submitted the bill request Tuesday for consideration during the 2027 Regular Session. Camuel said the proposal comes as artificial intelligence continues to advance rapidly and concerns grow over how the technology could be used. A report released Monday highlighted warnings from AI executives, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, about the need for safeguards as AI systems become increasingly capable. […]

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PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — Two California men were arrested Friday in Prestonsburg, after police say they were found with more than half-a-million dollars’ worth of stolen copper. Kentucky State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Det. Dwight Isaac was contacted by Cargonet, a company that monitors trackers placed in high-value shipments, to alert him that a load of copper had been stolen out of Illinois Thursday and was at that time showing it was located at a warehouse on Riverside Drive in Prestonsburg. Isaac contacted Prestonsburg Police Det. Dennis Hutchinson and asked him to go to the warehouse to see if there was […]

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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Pike County Central High School Marching Hawks placed First in Class AA at this past weekend’s Thunder on the Hill competition at Huntington High School in Huntington, W.Va. Adding to that accolade, their percussion section took First Place Percussion, color guard earned Second Place Guard, and senior trombonist Hunter Allen won Best Soloist for his featured performance. In a press release issued by the school, Director of Bands Jason Johnson said, “Our students have worked incredibly hard to get this production on the field, and this was a great way to begin our competitive season. Winning […]

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