OWENSBORO, Ky. — Nearly 3,000 students in Owensboro Public Schools — about 55% of the district's enrollment — have been thrust into food insecurity as federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits halted this month because of the federal government shutdown.

This prompted the district to launch an emergency food drive.

The lapse, which began Nov. 1, affects more than 600,000 Kentuckians reliant on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for groceries, according to state figures.

Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., has redirected state funds to food banks and declared a state of emergency, but the interruption has left families scrambling, especially as the holidays approach.

"We have close to 3,000 students who come from families that are receiving SNAP benefits monthly, out o

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