Following the EF4 tornado that struck Laurel County in Kentucky, the city and neighboring counties united to restore and rebuild the community. The tornado hit Laurel County around midnight on Friday, May 16, leaving 17 dead and two in critical care, according to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. The tornado damaged the southern part of the city, knocking down houses and businesses, including the London-Corbin airport and Levi Jackson State Park, according to London Mayor Randall Weddle. Weddle said first responders quickly arrived at the damaged neighborhoods, transporting over 80 victims to the hospitals Saturday morning and pulling hundreds more out of the rubble caused by the storm. Weddle said the county mobilized all its resources for tornado relief, accepting aid from neighboring counties in Kentucky such as Fayette, Clay and Castle. “You have 50 men and they're being pulled 1000 ways,” Weddle said. “But once the call went out from our communication center that we needed help, they (mutual aid) came from everywhere.” (fb)

Arkansas and Georgia won the men’s and women’s SEC titles, respectively, as the University of Kentucky hosted the SEC Outdoor Track and Field Championships from May 15 to 17 at the Outdoor Track and Field Facility in Lexington, Kentucky. (fb)