Murray State University Assistant Football Coach Sherman Neal first called for the monument's removal in a June 1 open letter to county and Murray city leadership.
Among the new cases Sunday and Monday, 61 were in Louisville Metro and 48 were in Lexington. The state has had 11,476 people with the virus, 3,359 of whom have recovered and 472 of whom have died.
After two weeks of general decline, the state began seeing rises in cases May 29, when 283 were reported. Including that day, seven of the last nine days have had case numbers higher than 213.
The minister stopped in-person services in late May after several congregants tested positive, but he told a Lexington Herald-Leader reporter he plans to resume them on June 21 at a “huge tent revival.”
Benton Police Chief Stephen Sanderson said law enforcement asked a group of 2nd Amendment advocates, who had planned to attend the protest out of fears local businesses would get looted, to set up a couple blocks away from the protest. Those advocates were mostly out of view from the protest on the courthouse square.
While as of Thursday Kentucky was one of only six states that met basic federal criteria to reopen its economy safely, the state's number of cases and rate of transmission are up.
Sen. Whitney Westerfield, a Republican from Crofton and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the legislature should take a look at banning the use of no-knock warrants and other policies.
Kentucky briefly celebrated a two-week downward trajectory in new cases just last week, but starting May 28 the number jumped to 283, and for five of the last seven days the case numbers have been over 213.
Distilleries are expected to welcome visitors on June 8 with several safety precautions in place. Recommendations include the use of masks and gloves for employees, plastic barriers, disposable cups and glasses, and social distancing.
