Regional

The planned expansion of Kentucky's Medicaid program coupled with a push to help the uninsured obtain health coverage could exacerbate the state's shortage of physicians, according to a report released Wednesday.

Deloitte Consulting, a technology firm that's helping to set up the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange, unveiled the report showing Kentucky's 10,475 primary care physicians and specialists are far short of the actual need.

However, the firm concluded that Kentucky would need to find ways to increase the number of doctors and other medical professionals even if it didn't expand medical coverage to more than 600,000 new patients.

A magazine says Kentucky is #1 when it comes to whitetail deer hunting. The latest edition of "Outdoor Life" ranks the Bluegrass state as the top whitetail trophy state in the country.

The publication says western Kentucky was especially noteworthy for producing a relatively high number of trophy bucks.

In tallying the scores, Kentucky ranked second in the number of record-book bucks. But the state reached the top of the rankings due to a low hunter density, relatively low costs for guided hunts and hunter-friendly laws and regulations.

A construction worker has died following an accident at the site of the Owensboro “Blue Bridge” painting project. Daviess County Coroner Jeff Jones says the man—whose identity has not been released—died Monday evening after being taken to the Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.

Co-workers found the 35-year-old unconscious in safety netting at the work site. He was cut from the netting and taken to the hospital with burns on his hands, indicating that he may have come into contact with energized electrical wires on the bridge.

The contractor and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet safety personnel will conduct an investigation into the incident.

The Glover H. Cary Bridge—also known locally as the “Blue Bridge”—is closed until November while it gets a fresh coat of paint. The bridge connects Owensboro with southern Indiana, and is used by an average of 8,500 vehicles a day.