Fayette Branch of the Women's Network

08/27/2026

Looking for ways to show your support for KWNPAC-endorsed candidates for the Kentucky General Assembly? This Saturday, August 29, join the Fayette County Democratic Party and the Fayette County Young Dems in canvassing for Rep. Lindsay Burke (House District 75). For more information and to register, go to www.mobilize.us/kydems/event/1001306/.

The following day, Sunday, August 30, FCDP and FCYD are canvassing for Chelsea Kirk (House District 73). You'll find information about this event at www.mobilize.us/kydems/event/1003563/.

To learn more about Lindsay and Chelsea and to contribute to their campaigns, go to lindseyburke.com/ and www.chelseakirk.com/.

08/27/2026

The Political Action Committee affiliated with the Kentucky Women's Network (KWN) is pleased to announce its endorsement of the following Democratic candidates from the Fayette County area for the Kentucky General Assembly: Chad Aull, KY House 79; Lindsey Burke, KY House 75; Adrielle Camuel, KY House 93; Anne Gay Donworth, KY House 76; Chelsea Kirk, KY House 73; and Adam Moore, KY House 45.

These endorsements are based on KWN's mission of supporting free and fair democracy through its 14 Principles. Endorsed candidates submitted a detailed questionnaire and participate in an interview with the KWNPAC board. You'll find a list of all the candidates KWNPAC has endorsed statewide as well as a link to the 14 Principles at https://kywomensnetwork.com/endorsements/.

We will be providing posts about each of these six endorsees in the coming weeks. And please help to support them in any way you can - volunteering, donating, and of course, voting on November 3.

08/25/2026

Thanks to UK's Dr. Marc Kiviniemi for his excellent presentation on vaccines and public health at the KWN meeting last week. His topics included the first FDA-approved mRNA-based flu vaccine, which will increase the vaccine's effectiveness; how the HPV vaccine now administered to girls prior to puberty has reduced or even eliminated deaths from cervical cancer; and the current outbreak of measles in Western and Central Kentucky.

Marc also offered suggestions for how to combat the erosion of confidence in childhood vaccines and the politicization of vaccine mandates. For a detailed synopsis, please see Chair Nancy Carpenter's August 2026 newsletter.

We also heard from State Senator Reggie Thomas (always a treat!) about his efforts to increase the number of Democrats in the state Senate and from two City Council candidates: Stephanie Spires, at-large, and Stephanie Hoelscher, 5th District.

Please plan to attend our next meeting on September 15, when the topic will be "Addressing Homelessness." Several Council candidates will also join us next month. All the at-large candidates have received invitations to appear, so please encourage any at-large candidates you know to sign up to speak. And if there is a district candidate you would like to hear from, let Nancy Carpenter know and she will invite them.

08/17/2026

Please join us for the Fayette branch's monthly meeting, scheduled for tomorrow evening, Tuesday, August 18, at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3564 Clays Mill Road.

With measles cases on the rise, the usual season for new flu and Covid vaccines approaching, and an executive order reducing the number of routine childhood vaccinations from 17 to 11, it's an ideal time to hear from UK social/health psychologist Dr. Marc Kiviniemi, who will discuss the current "landscape" for vaccinations, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations in Kentucky and on how policy changes might affect Kentuckians.

In addition, State Senator Reggie Thomas will update us about key races in the upcoming election. And two candidates for Lexington city council will join us: Stephanie Spires, at-large candidate, and Stephanie Hoelsher, 5th district council candidate.

We hope to see you at the meeting tomorrow evening. Until then, stay cool and dry!!

08/11/2026

One last reminder: Today, Tuesday, August 11, from 3 to 6 pm, you can take your school supplies donations to the Fayette County Democratic Headquarters at 431 S. Broadway, Suite 232. Alternatively, you can also drop them off from 10:30 am to 1:30 am on Thursday, August 13.

For more information about what items are most needed, go to https://www.mobilize.us/kydems/event/1001302/.

School Supply Drive Starts this Saturday!! Backpacks and pencil boxes shouldn't be one more thing families have to worry about in August. That's why Team Fayette is hosting our annual Back to School Supplies Drive, and we need your help filling the shelves. Drop off donations at Fayette Dem HQ, 431....

08/10/2026

The next KWN meeting is coming up Tuesday, August 18, at 6:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 3564 Clays Mill Road; this month's topic is how the current federal administration's vaccination policies are affecting the welfare of both children and adults.

Our speaker will be Dr. Marc Kiviniemi, the Development Dimensions International Endowed Professor of Health, Behavior and Society at UK's College of Public Health, who will address the issue both generally and with a particular focus on Kentucky. State Senator Reggie Thomas will also join us, along with two candidates for the city council.

On another important topic, there's still time to participate in the Fayette Dems' school supples drive. You can drop items off at their headquarters (431 S. Broadway #232) Tuesday, August 11, from 3-6 pm or Thursday, August 13, from 10:30 am - 1:30 pm. For more information, visit www.mobilize.us/kydems/event/1001302/.

08/03/2026

This Saturday, August 8, join the Fayette County Democratic Party and the Fayette County Young Dems as they canvass for Adam Moore, who's running to retain his seat as representative for Kentucky's 45th District. The event begins at 10 am at Higbee Mill Park, 1421 Higbee Mill Road, in Lexington.

For more information and to sign up for the event, go to https://www.mobilize.us/kydems/event/999462/. We hope to see you there!

Join us Fayette County Democratic Party and Fayette County Young Dems as we canvass for Rep Adam Moore on Saturday, August 8 at 10am at Higbee Mill Park (1421 Higbee Mill Road).

07/29/2026

The summer has flown by, and our kids are returning to school in just a couple of weeks. So the Fayette County Democratic Party's annual school supplies drive is once again in full swing. The dates and times for dropping off supplies at the Fayette Dems' headquarters are listed in the graphic below.

The most-needed items include: Primary composition notebooks, pre-sharpened pencils, colored pencils, crayons, student backpacks, dry erase markers, headphones with mics, glue sticks, tissues, Clorox wipes, bandaids, and hand sanitizer.

As FCDP Chair Karen Summers says, "every notebook and every box of crayons goes directly to a Fayette County student who needs it. If you're picking up school supplies for your own kids [or grandkids], grab an extra set while the sales are on. It will make a real difference in a classroom this fall."

07/28/2026

If you would like to share your opinions and concerns about data centers in Lexington, please attend the Planning Commission's public hearing this Thursday, July 30, at 1:30 pm in the Government Center's 2nd-floor Council Chamber at 200 East Main Street.

On June 9, the Urban County Council unanimously passed a moratorium on data center development in our community effective through October 31. On the same date, the Council passed a Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment (ZOTA) initiating the formal process of changing zoning ordinances related to data centers. The July 30 public hearing is our opportunity to weigh in on what those zoning ordinances should be. See engage.lexingtonky.gov/DataCenters for additional information.

For background information, visit the Kentucky Resources Council website at kyrc.org/datacenters/ where you'll find a Data Center Toolkit, a map of proposed projects, and more.

If you are unable to attend the hearing, you also can send your feedback to staff in the Division of Planning by emailing [email protected].

The emergence of Artificial Intelligence is changing the internet. It is also threatening to change the physical landscape of communities across Kentucky, as

07/24/2026

Last Tuesday, Chair Nancy Carpenter made the difficult decision to move the monthly KWN meeting to Zoom because of the threat of storms and torrential rain. But everyone rallied, and we had an excellent online meeting about the issues around data centers and their proliferation. Thanks to Ashley Wilmes, executive director of the Kentucky Resources Council, for her clear and comprehensive overview. You can find the Data Center Toolkit that Ashley highlighted at kyrc.org/datacenters/.

And thanks to Emma Curtis, Council District 4, and Adam Moore, House District 45, for adding their observations about how the proliferation and regulation of data centers are being addressed at the local and state level. Both Emma and Adam are running for reelection in the fall. You can read more about their campaigns at www.emmaforlex.com/ and www.kydeservesmoore.com/home.

Please check out Nancy's excellent email newsletter for information about the upcoming Planning Commission hearing at 1:30 pm, July 30, on the second floor of the Council Chamber at 200 E. Main Street. It's your chance to present the Commission with your ideas and opinions about building data centers in Lexington and Fayette County.

Next month's topic is "Vaccine 101 in 2026" - the current situation for vaccinations in Kentucky and nationwide. Our speaker will be Dr. Marc Kiviniemi, social/health psychologist, national board certified public health professional, and endowed chair at the University of Kentucky.

Also joining us will be Sen. Reggie Thomas and several council candidates. Invitations have been extended to all at-large council candidates; please encourage any at-large candidates you know to sign up and speak briefly.

Hope to see you in person on August 18!

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