SUMMARY: On August 26, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce honored the inaugural class of its Fellowship for Civic Leadership, launched in 2024 to boost civic engagement and encourage business-minded individuals to pursue public service. Participants engaged with elected officials, including Senator Mitch McConnell, gained policy and campaign expertise, and networked with peers statewide. Representing diverse industries and regions, fellows are committed to principled leadership rooted in free enterprise values. Kentucky Chamber CEO Ashli Watts emphasized the program’s lasting impact on community leadership across Kentucky. A full list of participants and program details is available at kychamber.com/fellowshipcivicleadership.

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by McKenna Horsley, Kentucky Lantern
August 27, 2025

At least one Kentucky school district has rejected a proposal from Ohio-based LifeWise Academy which has plans in the works across Kentucky to offer Bible lessons to public school students.

The board of Warren County Public Schools voted 3-2 against the nonprofit organization’s proposal, the Bowling Green Daily News reports. If the board had approved, students with their parents’ permission would have been able to leave an elementary school with LifeWise volunteers and travel to a nearby church for instruction.

LifeWise has started planning teams in 45 school districts across Kentucky to ask boards for approval to offer weekly Bible-based education classes.

The push comes after the Republican-controlled General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 19 over Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto earlier this year. The legislation initially required moments of silence at the start of school days. Toward the final days of the session, the House added a section to allow boards of education to permit “moral instruction” programs for students off campus and during school hours with parents’ permission. 

A local program director told the Daily News that LifeWise plans to again propose Bible-based education to Warren County Public Schools despite the school board’s Aug. 21 rejection of the first proposal.

According to its Statement of Faith available online, LifeWise “maintains a high view of the authority of Scripture and we align ourselves with historic, orthodox Christian beliefs as expressed in the Nicene Creed,” 

The Oldham County Schools Board of Education is weighing a similar proposal. On Monday, Oldham board members heard from dozens of community members for and against LifeWise’s plan but did not take a vote during the board meeting. The Oldham County board has asked the Kentucky attorney general’s office for more clarification on the legality of moral instruction proposals. 

WPSD Local 6 reported last week that LifeWise is working on a proposal in McCracken County that will be submitted to the local board of education for consideration. 

One Kentucky school district, Marshall County, has had an active Lifewise program since 2023. Six schools in that district will have the program this fall. State law previously allowed school- based decision making (SBDM) councils to decide if off-campus moral instruction programs could be offered to students.

The Heritage Foundation awarded LifeWise one of its Innovation Prizes earlier this year, which included a financial award. LifeWise reported in its most recent IRS filing that its revenue exceeded expenses by $17 million. The organization reported its revenue grew from $13.8 million to $35.3 million from 2023 to 2024.

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.

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Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

This content presents information about a religious education program seeking access to public schools, highlighting legislative support from a Republican-controlled assembly and backing from a conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation. The coverage is factual and neutral in tone but focuses on a topic often associated with conservative and religious values, reflecting a center-right perspective without overt editorializing.

SUMMARY: Germel Hughes, 45, from Dayton, Ohio, was sentenced to 222 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and aiding distribution. In January 2024, law enforcement arranged a controlled fentanyl purchase from Earnest Bryson and co-defendants Julius Cole and Gerald Young, who were arrested in Kentucky after attempting to destroy the drugs by mixing them with Coca-Cola. Hughes supplied over 100 grams of fentanyl for distribution. Cole and Young pleaded guilty and received 132 months and 18 months, respectively. Hughes must serve 85% of his sentence and 10 years supervised release. The case was prosecuted by U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow.

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