Police Make Arrest In Toys For Tots Theft

• {Covington, Kentucky}...Police in St. Bernard, Ohio say two tipsters led officers to search a home in Covington, Kentucky Friday night, where they found an estimated $10,000 worth of toys stolen from a Cincinnati-area Toys for Tots warehouse around Christmas. Early Saturday morning, police found a storage bin in Cincinnati containing more stolen items. In all, police say they recovered about 16 refrigerator-size boxes of toys with a total estimated value of $30,000, along with a stolen microwave oven and a small refrigerator belonging to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve which nationally runs Toys for Tots. Forty-one year old Nathan Rose and 25 year old Jessie Simpson, were jailed in northern Kentucky on charges of receiving stolen property.

Early Releases Could Hurt Nonprofits

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...In 2008, the Pew Research Center found that Kentucky had the fastest growing prison population in the nation. Currently, the state's correction facilities house 4,547 Class D inmates. Incarceration costs nearly $22,000 annually per inmate. The Department of Corrections says 9 of the state's 14 correction facilities are over capacity, but some of those inmates are set to be released Tuesday. State lawmakers hope the early releases will save the Department of Corrections about $30 million by putting 1,000 inmates across the state on parole, but some say it could have an unintended negative effect on nonprofits who rely on the inmates to help with their workload.

Child Protection Summit Set

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Kentucky Youth Advocates have planned a January 14th "Summit to End Child Abuse Deaths" they hope will provide ideas on how to improve the state's child-protection system. Recent news stories about several deaths, including 9 year old Amy Dye who was beaten to death by her adoptive brother, have prompted lawmakers to vow to make changes. Several lawmakers, including Senator Joey Pendleton, a Hopkinsville Democrat whose district includes Todd County, expressed concern at a legislative hearing last month that the system had failed Dye.

Former Associate Pastor Found Dead

{Corbin, Kentucky}...Corbin Police say a preliminary investigation suggests 49 year old Jeffrey Stephenson and 33 year old Rebecca Manning, who were found unresponsive inside a rental house Thursday, died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The incident came just two weeks after Stephenson resigned his role as associate pastor of the Cornerstone Assembly of God Church in London.

State Officials To Be Sworn In

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Winners in Kentucky's November general election are set to take office Monday. Attorney General Jack Conway and Treasurer Todd Hollenbach will begin second terms when they're sworn in at the Capitol in an 1100 A.M. EST ceremony. Democratic Secretary of State Allison Lundergan Grimes will be sworn in during the same Capitol ceremony, as will Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, a Republican, and Auditor Adam Edelen, a Democrat. Governor Steve Beshear and Lt. Governor Jerry Abramson were sworn in separately earlier this month.

Beshear Rejects Hospital Merger

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear announced Friday that he has rejected a proposed merger of University Hospital in Louisville and Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System, saying it wouldn't be in the best interest of the state. Beshear says he made his decision after exhaustive discussions and research that caused him to believe the risks to the public outweigh any potential benefits.

Death Row Inmates Seek Clemency

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky death row inmates Ralph S. Baze Jr. and Parramore Lee Sanborn are hoping that brain scans and mental tests will bolster their cases for a rare grant of executive clemency that would spare their lives. Baze, condemned for killing a sheriff and deputy in eastern Kentucky in 1992, has asked a federal judge to grant him funding for testing as he prepares a petition for Governor Steve Beshear. Baze's request comes just more than two weeks after U.S. District Judge Jennifer Coffman in Louisville granted $7,500 to Sanborn to pursue a possible claim of brain damage after being convicted for the 1983 kidnapping, rape and murder of  Barbara Heilman in Henry County. Governors have granted commutations to only two death row inmates in Kentucky in the last 35 years.

Hall To Face No Ethics Consequences

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...House Speaker Greg Stumbo says State Representative Keith Hall, D-Phelps, will face no consequences for his recent ethics sanctions when the 2012 General Assembly convenes Tuesday. In October, the Legislative Ethics Commission publicly reprimanded Hall and fined him $2,000 for appropriating state money for Mountain Water District, a Pike County sewer project from which B.M.M. Inc., one of  Hall's companies, took more than $171,000 in no-bid contracts. In a plea deal, Hall denied guilt but agreed that enough evidence existed to make a case against him. It was the strongest ethics penalty handed down to a Kentucky state lawmaker in more than a decade.

Stumbo Focuses On General Assembly

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Beshear study on the feasibility of adding UPike to the state university status will be completed in six to eight weeks. House Speaker Greg Stumbo says he has already written a bill to make the University of Pikeville a state university and that it will be brought up when the general assembly convenes in January. Stumbo says he is behind the idea one hundred percent but knows some people are not in favor of the move. Stumbo says other things on the agenda include a proposed bill would ban the sale of  over the counter cold medicines containing the meth making ingredient pseudoephedrine, redistricting and expanding gaming.

Sears Holdings To Close Local Stores

{Hazard, Kentucky}...Sears Holdings Company plans to close between 100 and 120 Sears and K-Mart stores nationwide. The first list of 79 closings released Thursday include the Sears in Middlesboro and K-Marts in Winchester and Hazard. The closing date has not been determined.

Corbin To Hold Wet/Dry Election

{Corbin, Kentucky}...The city of Corbin will hold a special election to see if voters want to allow the sale of packaged alcohol. The Whitley County clerk plans to ask the Judge-Executive for a special election on February 21st, but says that could change if Williamsburg files their alcohol petition within the next few days. A total of 692 signatures were collected and certified from Knox and the Whitley County side of Corbin. That’s nearly 300 more than were needed to place the measure on the ballot. Packaged alcohol sales petitions are also circulating in London and Mount Vernon. Corbin already allows the sale of alcohol in restaurants.

Supreme Court To Hear Fen-Phen Case

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A group of people will get a chance to argue that a $42 million fen-phen judgment awarded to them from their one-time attorneys should be reinstated. The Kentucky Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case brought by former clients of William Gallion, Shirley Cunningham Jr., and Melbourne Mills, three now-disbarred lawyers who once represented them in a $200 million settlement that has resulted in criminal and civil litigation, prison terms and attorney disciplinary actions. Former clients sued the attorneys, claiming they mishandled the settlement and improperly kept a significant portion of the funds for themselves, while keeping clients in the dark about the full amount of the agreement to end the litigation. In 2007, a judge awarded the $42 million to 431 people. The Kentucky Court of Appeals overturned that decision in February, saying that Special Judge William Wehr lacked sufficient evidentiary and legal grounds for ruling against Gallion, Cunningham and Mills and awarding the funds. A related civil case against class-action guru Stanley Chesley of Cincinnati is pending. A former associate of Gallion's, David Helmers of Lexington, and retired state judge Joseph F. "Jay" Bamberger, have also been disbarred in connection with the fen-phen settlement.

Beshear Considers Proposed Hospital Merger

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear is expected to weigh in on a proposed merger of University Hospital in Louisville, Jewish Hospital & St. Mary's HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System by the end of the week. Beshear says he will examine a report on the proposed merger from Attorney General Jack Conway and will base his decision on that information. Beshear has authority to approve or reject the proposed merger.

Upcoming Budget Challenging

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear says the upcoming budget cycle is expected to be the "most challenging" yet. Beshear said Wednesday that finances will be especially tight now that federal stimulus money has been used up. He said he will push for tax reforms to raise revenue and for a gambling amendment that could be a source of cash for the state, but he doesn't expect to apply any potential revenue from those sources to a budget he will propose early in a legislative session that begins next week.

State Board Of Elections Director Fired

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Democratic Secretary of State Elaine Walker, chairwoman of the State Board of Elections, says members voted 5-0 Wednesday to remove director Sarah Ball Johnson from the appointed position she's held for the past eight years. Johnson had worked for the state board for 17 years. The state board's attorney, Maryellen Allen, will serve as interim director.

Supreme Court Urges Black Lung Change

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Less than 300 coal miners have received workers' compensation since 2002. Each year nearly 400 coal miners die from black lung disease. The Kentucky Supreme Court says legislators need to amend a state law that violates the rights of coal miners, specifically miners suffering from black lung disease. Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott says it's much more difficult for a coal miner to get compensation for pneumoconiosis than it is for any other members of the same class. Coal miners have to see a panel of three doctors to prove they have black lung, and the Supreme Court says unconstitutional procedures dating back to 1996 need to be changed.

Harlan County Fire Departments Lose Recognition

The Kentucky Fire Commission has revoked its recognition of the Lower and Upper Clover Fork fire departments in Harlan County after an audit found both had inadequate manpower and training hours. Harlan County Judge-Executive Joe Grieshop says other fire departments have been assigned to cover the area, but it leaves many homes in jeopardy. Lower Clover Fork Fire Department Chief R. Petie Osborne says the audit is wrong, and he plans to meet with state officials and hopes to resolve the issue by early January.

Pitino To End Coaching Career

{Louisville, Kentucky}...University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino said Tuesday that he won't coach past the 2016-2017 season when his current contract ends. Louisville's Athletic Association granted Pitino, the only men's coach to lead three different programs to the Final Four, a four-year contract extension in August. He'll make $3 million in base salary until the end of the 2013 season, followed by $3.9 million a year. Pitino is 253-96 in his 11th season at Louisville, which reached the Final Four in 2005. Pitino went 219-50 in eight seasons at Kentucky and won the 1996 national championship.

Fewer Deaths On Kentucky Highways

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police spokesman David Jude says, over the last several years, Kentucky has experienced fewer deaths on its highways than in previous years, and 2011 is no different. Officials say three people died in crashes during the Christmas holiday weekend. The crashes were in Hardin, Hart and Warren counties. More than seven hundred people have died on Kentucky roads this year. State police have been conducting an enhanced traffic enforcement period dubbed "Drive sober or get pulled over," which began December 16th and runs through Monday in an effort to reduce collisions and fatalities.

Beshear Pushing For Expanded Gambling

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear says Kentuckians have to cross the state line into Indiana, Illinois and West Virginia to plays slots and other casino games, and they want to decide for themselves whether more forms of gambling should be allowed in the state. Beshear said Tuesday that political leaders shouldn't make Kentucky voters wait any longer to have their voices heard and that allowing voters to decide on changing the state constitution to allow gambling could keep that money in Kentucky. A survey released Tuesday by the Washington, D.C.-based polling firm Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group found that 87 percent of Kentuckians support having a ballot measure and 64 percent would favor an amendment to authorize casino gambling. It also shows broad support for a statewide vote across political parties.

Farmer Divorce Case Nearly Settled

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Lawyers for Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer and his wife, Rebecca Farmer, say their divorce case is nearly settled. Frankfort attorney Richard Guarnieri, representing Richie Farmer, says all that's left is for the judge to sign off on the settlement. Brian Logan, the lawyer for Rebecca Farmer, says his client is happy with the settlement, the details of which haven't been disclosed. Rebecca Farmer filed suit in Franklin Circuit Court in April to dissolve her 13 year marriage to Richie Farmer. Attorneys say a final decree will be filed soon.

Company Donates To UNITE Foundation

{Hazard, Kentucky}...Officials of Kentucky River Properties recently provided the third annual $100,000 installment of a five-year pledge to the UNITE Foundation which provides substance abuse treatment vouchers to low-income residents of Perry, Knott, Leslie and Letcher counties and supports Drug Court programs in those counties. UNITE director, Karen Kelly, says 45 people from those counties have entered treatment programs in the past two years thanks to the company's funding. For those qualifying, UNITE treatment vouchers pay up to $3,000 for shorter-term treatment lasting up to 89 days, or up to $5,000 for longer-term treatment.

Fatal Fire Victims Had Kentucky Ties

• {Stamford, Connecticut}...Lomer Johnson, 71, and his wife, Pauline Johnson, 69, who died along with three grandchildren in a Connecticut fire on Christmas morning, had ties to Louisville, Kentucky. The Johnsons were visiting their daughter, Madonna Badger, at her $1.7 million Victorian house in Stamford when fire broke out. Badger, an advertising executive in the fashion industry, and her male acquaintance escaped. Badger’s three daughters, a 10 year old and 7 year old twins, died with her parents. Lomer Johnson worked at Brown-Forman in Louisville as safety director. He worked at Brown-Forman for about 25 years and retired about 10 years ago. Pauline Johnson was a retired electrical contractor who had owned John Waters Inc., a Louisville heating and cooling company. The Johnsons moved to the New York area about five years ago to be near their grandchildren. This Christmas season, Lomer Johnson had worked as Santa Claus at Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship store in Manhattan. 

Inmates Prepare For Release

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Next Tuesday, January 3rd, 696 inmates will be released from Kentucky prisons. State Representative Leslie Combs says the program was initially a concern for elected officials but as a group they decided this was the best move for the state as well as the inmates. Officials say the forty million dollars they expect to save will be reinvested into programs for inmates.

Woman Hospitalized With Second-Degree Burns

{London, Kentucky}...Ruth Baker was taken to London’s St. Joseph Hospital with second-degree burns and was airlifted to UK Hospital where she was listed in critical condition after her log cabin home on Baker Ridge Road in the Lily community of Laurel County caught fire about 9:00 A.M. Friday morning.

Deputies Search For Attempted Burglar

{London, Kentucky}...Laurel County Deputies say a man fled the scene after he attempted to break into a home on Joe Hooker Lane in London on Christmas Eve. Deputies say, around 10:00 P.M. Saturday night, Jeffrey Hooker was walking on his brother's property when he noticed a man kicking in the door of his brother's house. Hooker told deputies he attempted to confront the man, but the man ran around the outside of the home, and when Hooker caught up to him, the man pointed a gun at Hooker. That's when police say Hooker fired his gun, possibly shooting the man in the foot before he escaped into the woods.

Lawyer Seeks To Have Judge Disqualified

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Louisville attorney Monroe Freedman, who teaches ethics at Hofstra University, is asking that Jefferson District Judge Annette Karem be disqualified from a case after offering an unusual plea bargain. Last year,  lawyer Amelia Adams appeared before Karem seeking the court's permission for a 17 year old girl to have an abortion without her parents' consent. Karem told Adams she needed the girl's name because the teen had testified that she and a sister were possibly being neglected. Kentucky law requires that Child Protective Services be notified in cases of neglect and abuse. Adams refused, and Karem sentenced her to jail for not obeying a court order. Adams appealed. Judge Karem said she would reduce a six-month contempt sentence to one weekend for Adams if she would pay legal fees that the judge could incur while fighting the lawyer's appeals. Adams says Karem should no longer be allowed to oversee the case and has asked Kentucky's chief justice to disqualify her, saying her financial request gives the appearance, if not the actuality, of impropriety. Freedman says, "the judge should be removed from the case, if not from the bench."

Soldiers Return To Fort Knox

{Fort Knox, Kentucky}...Three hundred soldiers with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division arrived at their central Kentucky Army post at Fort Knox early on Christmas eve after a yearlong deployment in Afghanistan. Family and friends gathered at the Natcher Physical Fitness Center to welcome them back.

"Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over"

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" holiday enforcement campaign began at 6:00 P.M. Friday night and continues through Monday at 11:59 P.M. Kentucky State Police will be out in full force looking for speeders, drunk drivers, those without seat belts, and even those that are following too close behind other drivers.

KY Wins "Race To The Top" Grant

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Education Department says seven states have won a share of $200 million in federal "Race to the Top" dollars to improve K-12 education programs. The winning states are Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Kentucky officials said Friday they plan to use a $17 million grant to expand a math and science program aimed at preparing students for Advanced Placement exams and other needs related to public school reforms. The state had requested $175 million. Kentucky was among seven states to win grants in the third round of "Race to the Top" competition, in which a total of $200 million was available. Kentucky had been passed over in the first two rounds, and last week lost a "Race to the Top" grant that would have focused on improvements in early childhood education.

U of L President Gets Pay Raise

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The University of Louisville Foundation has approved a 25 percent pay raise for U of L President James Ramsey. That puts his base pay at $600,000 annually starting January 1st. Ramsey will also get $2 million in retention bonuses if he continues to serve in his current role through 2020. His current salary is $478,939 annually. He has been president at U of L since 2002.

Lawmaker Drops Proposal Banning Sweets

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...After facing heated criticism in Bell and Harlan counties, Democratic Kentucky state Representative Rick Nelson of Middlesboro has withdrawn a proposal that would have banned welfare recipients from buying candy, soda and other sweets with food stamp cards.

Social Security/Unemployment Benefits Extension

{Washington, D.C.}...After days of wrangling, House Republican leaders agreed Thursday to a two-month extension of Social Security payroll tax cuts and federal unemployment benefits. The breakthrough almost certainly spares workers an average $20-a-week tax increase January 1st. If the cuts had expired as scheduled, 160 million workers would have seen a 2 percentage point increase in their Social Security taxes, and up to 2 million people without jobs for six months would start losing unemployment benefits averaging $300 a week.

Supreme Court Rules In Favor Of Miners

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the state is violating the constitutional rights of coal miners suffering from black lung disease by setting up an arduous system of medical screenings to qualify for worker's compensation. A divided high court concluded that a state law requiring miners to undergo tests that workers in other occupations aren't subjected to runs afoul of the constitutional guarantee of equal protection under the law.

Flynt Seeks Kentucky License

{Florence, Kentucky}...Jimmy Flynt, the brother of Hustler magazine founder Larry Flynt, is planning to open a store in northern Kentucky if he can get an occupational license from city officials in Florence. The application is being reviewed to see whether Flynt's Sexy Gifts is a sexually oriented business. Flynt says it is not. He says the store will sell products such as lingerie, massage devices, lotions and oils.

Hepatitis Linked To KY Donor

{Atlanta, Georgia}...According to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, organs and tissue from a Kentucky donor have apparently caused three patients to test positive for hepatitis C virus infection. Two of the patients received kidney transplants at Jewish Hospital in Louisville, and a child in Massachusetts received tissue while being treated at Children's Hospital Boston. A man who received a liver from the same donor had been diagnosed with hepatitis C before receiving his transplant. Hepatitis C, transmitted by blood and body fluids, can result in liver failure and liver cancer.

Police Retrieve Suspected Robbery Weapon

{Williamsburg, Kentucky}...On December 14th, a federal grand jury indicted Jason Fox, the "Bad Hair Bandit," and his wife, Tasha Fox, with armed bank robbery and conspiracy to carry and use a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence for the December 1st armed robbery of the L&N Federal Credit Union in Williamsburg. Less than a week later, Williamsburg police believe they have recovered the weapon used. Williamsburg Police Chief Wayne Bird says police got information shortly after Fox and his wife were arrested that the gun had been discarded in a pond off Golden's Creek in Knox County. Emergency officials spotted the gun on sonar and used a magnet to retrieve it from the pond. Tabatha and Jason Fox had told investigators that Jason Fox only used a BB gun during the robberies. Jason Fox has confessed to robbing a total of seven banks, and of being the so-called Bad Hair Bandit, as he was dubbed by the FBI because of the wigs and various disguises he allegedly wore during the robberies in southeastern Kentucky and northern Tennessee.

Modest State Revenue Growth Predicted

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Consensus Forecasting Group predicted Wednesday that Kentucky's General Fund revenue will reach slightly more than $9 billion in the current fiscal year, then rise to $9.2 billion and $9.5 billion, respectively, in the next two fiscal years. Governor Steve Beshear says spending pressures and critical needs in priority areas will result in the most difficult budget the commonwealth has faced in some time.

Louisville Officers On Administrative Leave

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Louisville Metro Police Officers Lt. Greg Burns, Detective Dennis Beatty and Officer Paul Paris are on administrative leave while the police department investigates an incident that left 26 year old Norman G. Smith dead and officers Lt. Greg Burns and Kevin Smith injured Tuesday. Police say Norman Smith led officers on a chase after they responded to reports of shots fired in the area of 10th and Jefferson Streets about 12:30 P.M. When officers got to Nelligan Avenue, police say Smith got out of his vehicle and began firing at officers as he walked toward them. Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Jim Wesley says Norman Smith died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound through the mouth. Smith was released from Eastern Kentucky Correctional Center on November 1st after serving a sentence on a second-degree manslaughter charge after being convicted on January 19, 2010 in the shooting death of 19 year old Rayshon Myers.

Funding For Abandoned Mine Reclamation

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear announced Wednesday that the Kentucky Department for Natural Resources has received $47 million in funding from the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to restore abandoned mine lands. Beshear says the money will go toward reclamation of abandoned mine lands and projects for water supply replacement.

Bunch To Serve Remainder Of Husband's Term

{Corbin, Kentucky}...Regina Bunch, the wife of former lawmaker Dwayne Bunch, was elected Tuesday to serve as state representative for the 82nd House District, which covers parts of Whitley and Laurel counties. The special-education teacher at Whitley County Middle School was the sole candidate on the ballot. Dwayne Bunch  resigned in October after suffering a head injury while trying to break up a fight at Whitley County High School, where he was a teacher. Bunch was in his first term as a lawmaker when he was injured.

State Budget...Tough Road Ahead

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear is expected to deliver his budget address on January 3rd, providing more details about his proposal to spend the state's money and balance its books. Lawmakers will then wrestle with the spending plan until April. Kentucky state budget director Mary Lassiter told the House Tuesday that the next two-year state budget will be the toughest yet for lawmakers to craft, and more cuts to state agencies are likely. Lassiter says Beshear will not propose any broad-based tax increases, and he will not be basing a budget on expanded gaming revenues. Lassiter says the state tapped more than $3 billion in federal stimulus dollars to help plug holes as state revenues plummeted during the recession, but that money is now gone. Lawmakers also have used one-time fixes, such as delaying state paychecks by a day to push them into another fiscal year and delaying debt payments, to save money and not cut key areas such as education, but the state can no longer use those one-time tricks.

Morehead Woman Victim Of Murder-Suicide

• {Owingsville, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police say Valerie K. Stevens, 43, of Morehead, and Richard N. Spillman, 53, of Grayson, both died of gunshot wounds early Tuesday in an apparent murder-suicide. Stevens, an employee of St. Claire Regional Medical Center, was killed outside a house on Old Midland Trail in Bath County where she was going to care for a home-health patient. Police say Spillman pulled into the driveway behind Stevens' car, and they got into an argument before Spillman pulled a gun and shot Stevens then turned the gun on himself. Police say the two had previously lived together.

Boone County Judge-Executive Running For Congress

{Florence, Kentucky}...Republican Boone County Judge-Executive 54 year old Gary Moore of Florence has announced he's running for Congress in Kentucky's 4th District, where U.S. Representative Geoff Davis said last week he would not seek another term. Moore is in his fourth term as judge-executive, a post he was elected to in 1998 in his first run for public office. Republican state Representative Alecia Webb-Edgington of Fort Wright announced Monday she would seek the 4th District seat. Davis has represented the district that stretches from the Louisville eastern suburbs to the West Virginia border since 2005.

Beshear On Environmental Naughty List

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Martin Mudd, a Lexington teacher and member of the environmental group Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, dressed in a Santa suit Monday to deliver  lumps of coal for Christmas to Governor Steve Beshear and lawmakers, including Democratic Representative Jim Gooch of Providence, chairman of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. Mudd says they were on his naughty list because they have done nothing to halt mountaintop removal mining. Beshear and Gooch have been proponents of the mining industry. Mudd and a handful of other environmentalists sang anti-mining songs that were remakes of traditional carols. One remake included the lyrics: "Go tell it on the mountain. We wish we could but it ain't there."

Attempted Assassin Detained Without Bond

Monday, U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola ordered that Idaho Falls, Idaho native 21 year old Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez be detained without bond after being charged with attempting to assassinate President Barack Obama. Obama and his wife, Michelle, were out of town on the evening of November 11th when authorities say Ortega used an assault rifle with an attached scope to fire up to a dozen shots at the White House from his vehicle. Two bullets and one bullet fragment were recovered from the grounds of the executive mansion, including one that was stopped by bulletproof glass. Investigators found five bullet impact points on the south side of the building on or above the second story, where the first family resides.  Investigators say friends and associates told them that Ortega has long been obsessed with Obama and referred to the president as the antichrist. Ortega, who has shoulder-length dark hair and a long beard, called himself "the modern-day Jesus Christ" and told at least one person he intended to kill the president. Prosecutors have raised concerns about Ortega's mental state, although an initial psychiatric screening found him competent to stand trial.

UofL Announces $25 Million Donation

• {Louisville, Kentucky}...University of Louisville officials announced Monday they had received a $25 million cash donation from Louisville philanthropist Owsley Brown Frazier, a great-grandson of Brown-Forman Corp. co-founder George Garvin Brown. U of L officials say the donation will be used to improve academic, research and athletic programs. Frazier holds a law degree from the university and is past president of the school's Board of Trustees. Louisville has raised $582 million toward a $1 billion goal for its capital campaign.

Beshear Urged To Disclose Pension Payments

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Taxpayers United of America vice president Christina Tobin, delivered a letter to Governor Steve Beshear's office Monday urging him to disclose pension payments being made to state government retirees. Tobin said her group calculated pension payments for many of the state's highest paid employees and found that many could be pulling down more than $100,000 a year in retirement. Tobin says Kentucky is one of the nation's most secretive states when it comes to pension payments to retirees, and Kentuckians have a right to know how much money retirees are getting.

Convicted Murderer Released

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Monday, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Irv Maze dismissed a 1998 indictment against Kerry Porter, who has served 14 years of a 60 year sentence in prison for the 1996 murder of Tyrone Camp. Camp was married to Porter's former girlfriend when the slaying occurred. Judge Maze ordered Porter freed "immediately and without delay" from the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex. He was released hours later. Porter's attorney, Melanie Lowe, says the commonwealth's attorney's office decided to free Porter based on recent police interviews with witnesses who said he didn't commit the crime.

Senator Demands Resignation Of Child-Welfare Secretary

{Fankfort, Kentucky}...During a joint House-Senate Health and Welfare Committee meeting in Fankfort Monday, legislators berated the state’s top child-welfare officials, saying they failed to accurately report child-abuse fatalities. The purpose of Monday’s hearing was for cabinet officials to explain its annual report on child abuse and neglect fatalities, which it released December 1st, three months past the deadline under state law. Senator Julie Denton, accusing the cabinet of obstructing lawmakers and withholding information, demanded the resignation of secretary Janie Miller.

Markey Cancer Center Adds New Technology

{Lexington, Kentucky}...The Markey Cancer Center at the University of Kentucky is offering a new technology in its Comprehensive Breast Care Center. Digital tomosynthesis, a process which allows the technician to take multiple X-ray pictures and combines them all into one 3-D image, will be available for the first time in Kentucky at the center beginning in February. The university says it allows radiologists to see individual breast structures without the confusion of overlapping tissues.

Plans Approved To Renovate Rupp Arena

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Lexington Mayor Jim Gray has announced the initial approval of plans to renovate Rupp Arena. A 12-member planning committee voted unanimously Saturday, approving a design that would strip the arena's industrial siding and replace it with a glass and translucent covering. The planning committee supported plans for replacing the convention center with a campus-like facility of five buildings linked by a covered walkway, with a small park in the center. The new civic center would be on the west side of Rupp in what is now the Cox Street parking lot. Town Branch, which now runs underground through the area, would be brought to the surface to flow through a green space surrounding the civic center. The Jefferson Street viaduct would be removed. Within the arts and entertainment district would be underground parking, an amphitheater, retail stores on Main Street and High Street and arts and education facilities. The renovation and and a new convention center is estimated at up to $260 million. A feasibility study released in November showed that renovating Rupp would cost $110 million to $130 million, compared to $300 million to $325 million for a new arena. Expanding Lexington Center to add convention and exhibition space would carry a price tag of $70 million, compared to $100 million to $130 million for a new convention center. City officials estimate the entire project would take 10 to 20 years to complete.

Advocates/Lawmakers Focus On Young Offenders

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Currently, judges in the state are sending youths who commit noncriminal offenses such as skipping school or running away to detention facilities at one of the highest rates in the nation. Hasan Davis, deputy director of juvenile justice for the state, says runaways and truants don't belong in a facility with juveniles who are charged with offenses such as murder and rape. Kentucky Youth Advocates said studies show Kentucky pays $210 a day for each child it incarcerates, with counties picking up $94 of the expense. Kentucky Youth Advocates and detention officials have teamed together to push for alternatives. Key lawmakers say they are interested in a proposal from Democratic Representative Kelly Flood of Lexington that would reduce the number of juveniles sent to detention centers. The issue could be taken up during the next legislative session in January.

"Cram The Crusier" Campaign Doubles

{Frankfort, Kentucky}... The statewide Kentucky State Police "Cram The Crusier" campaign collected more than 49,000 pounds of food. That is double the amount collected last year. State Police collected enough food to fill a state police cruiser at each of its 16 posts throughout the state and at its headquarters in Frankfort. The food will be distributed to shelters, churches and other organizations throughout the state.

Officer's Widow Settles Civil Lawsuit

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Brandy Durman, the widow of former Lexington Police Officer Bryan Durman, has settled a civil lawsuit filed last year in the officer's hit-and-run death. Durman died after being hit by an SUV while investigating a routine complaint in April 2010. Brandy Durman sued 35 year old Glenn Doneghy, who was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Bryan Durman was the first officer to die in the line of duty in Lexington since 1985.

Prosecutions Demanded In UBB Mine Disaster

{Washington, D.C.}...In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder Friday, ranking House Education and Workforce Committee member George Miller, D-Calif., along with 15 other Democratic committee members, demanded the Justice Department pursue criminal prosecutions in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster. Specifically citing former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship, the Democrats said in the letter, "This tragedy was completely preventable had the managers and senior executive responsible for this mine complied with the requirements of the Mine Act and its regulations." Twenty-nine men died and two were injured when an explosion occurred inside the mine near Montcoal on April 5, 2010. Several  investigations have declared the accident preventable, saying Massey Energy ignored basic safety measures. The committee says individuals established the deadly practices at the mine, and those individuals should be held accountable. Massey was bought by Virginia-based Alpha Natural Resources in June. Alpha recently reached a $210 million settlement that spares the corporation criminal prosecution, but does allow prosecution of individuals.

Iraqi National Pleads Guilty

{Bowling Green, Kentucky}...Friday, 30 year old Waad Ramadan Alwan appeared in federal court in Bowling Green to plead guilty to conspiring to attack American soldiers in Iraq and to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material support to terrorists. Alwan was arrested in May in Bowling Green and had previously pleaded not guilty to charges in a 23-count indictment that also named fellow Iraqi Mohanad Shareef Hammadi.

Williams Holds Senate Leadership

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...After a two-day caucus meeting of Senate Republicans, Senate President David Williams said Thursday he will remain in his Senate leadership role, at least through the remainder of his term. He declined to speculate on any plans beyond his term as Senate President, which ends in 2012. Members of leadership will next be chosen in January 2013 under the normal schedule. Williams reiterated his stance on expanded gambling Thursday, saying that Beshear should first vet his position in public and recruit members of the House and Senate who favor his agenda. But he called for a halt to “gamesmanship” over which chamber should take the lead on the legislation.

Former Kentucky Coal Association President Dies

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Thomas D. "Tom" Duncan, a longtime journalist, who also served as president of the Kentucky Coal Association for nearly two decades, died Tuesday night at Cardinal Hill Rehabilitation Hospital in Lexington at the age of 83. Duncan began his career in 1947 and worked at the Lexington Leader, the Lexington Herald, The Associated Press and The Courier-Journal before becoming WAVE-TV's first live correspondent from Frankfort. He left journalism in 1972 and became president of the Kentucky Coal Association two years later.

Instant Racing Tax Revenue Up

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...In November, instant racing wagering jumped to $8.4 million, up $1.65 million, or 24.38 percent. In October, almost $6.8 million was wagered at Kentucky Downs. The figures, reported to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, show that the track's 200 machines averaged almost $2 million a week in bets last month. About 91 percent was paid back to gamblers in the form of winnings, while $725,903, was divided between the track and the state, which gets about 17 percent of the takeout in pari-mutuel taxes. Half of the pari-mutuel tax goes into the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund, which puts the money back into purses for Kentucky-bred racehorses. In November, more than $63,000 was paid into the purse fund. For 2011, about $147,000 has been generated for purses through instant racing tax revenue.

Powell County Inmates Escape

{Stanton, Kentucky}...Powell County Jail officials say, early Thursday morning, 24 year old Josh Abner from McKee and 26 year old Phillip Wells from Richmond crawled through a ceiling panel to escape. The men were booked on December 5th for burglary, theft, and criminal mischief charges. Abner was also charged for being a persistent felon. Police say soon after the inmates escaped, a car was stolen from an apartment parking lot near the jail. They believe Abner and Wells could be the thieves. Investigators are looking for a 1993 Honda Civic.

Convicted Killer Dies

Fifty-six year old William Bennett, the man sentenced to 120 years in prison for killing Fayette County Deputy Sheriff Joe Angelucci in 1988, has died in custody after being seriously ill since September when he was found unconscious in his cell. He had been in a coma ever since.The Kentucky state parole board recently declined to approve medical parole for Bennett, although he met statutory guidelines for early medical release.

House Briefings Scheduled

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...House Speaker Greg Stumbo has scheduled meetings for Tuesday and Wednesday in the House chamber to give lawmakers a chance to hear briefings on issues regarding budget development and managed care within the Medicaid program. At the top of the agenda for the legislative session that begins Jan. 3 is adoption of a two-year state budget. Medicaid is among the most expensive programs in the budget, and a managed care plan has been developed to help control costs. Legislative and executive branch experts will lead the briefings. All 100 state representatives have been invited.

Beshear/Williams Differ On Expanded Gambling

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...In his inaugural address Tuesday, Governor Steve Beshear called for the legislature to pass a gambling amendment and said he believes it should start in the Senate and not the House, which passed gambling legislation in 2009 only to see it die in a Senate committee. Wednesday, Senate President David Williams, who lost to Beshear in the November general election, said it's premature to talk about whether Senate Republicans would allow a constitutional amendment authorizing expanded gambling to start in their chamber in next year's legislative session. A constitutional amendment requires a three-fifths vote in both the House and the Senate. Voters then make a final decision in the next general election. Senator Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, who voted for the 2009 gambling bill in committee, said he doesn't think any Senate Republicans will want to take up the issue before it clears the Democratic House. Buford says its unlikely the amendment could pass if Beshear stands firm and insists the Senate deal with it first.

Judge Asked To Hold Officials In Contempt

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Courier-Journal said Wednesday it is asking Franklin County Circuit Judge Philip Shepherd to hold child-welfare officials with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services in contempt for heavily redacting files related to child deaths before releasing them. The Courier-Journal and the Lexington Herald-Leader sued to get information in the files. The cabinet initially refused but relented after Governor Steve Beshear intervened last month and told the cabinet to hand over the files. The cabinet released its first records Monday while also filing a motion to withhold more information that it had previously agreed to.

Farmer Unveils Tax Reform Plan

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Republican state Representative Bill Farmer of Lexington unveiled his tax reform plan Wednesday, a day after Governor Steve Beshear called for unspecified tax reforms in his inaugural speech. Farmer, a tax accountant who has served in the legislature since 2003, said the state's existing tax code is more than 70 years old and needs overhauling. His plan would bring major changes to the way income taxes and sales and use taxes are assessed.

Governor Steve Beshear Officially Sworn In

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear is only the third Kentucky governor to serve consecutive four-year terms. Beshear has a broad political resume, having served as a state legislator, attorney general and lieutenant governor before political setbacks pushed him into private law practice through his middle-aged years. He returned to the political scene in 2007 when he defeated Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher. Beshear was officially sworn in for a second term during a private midnight ceremony but repeated the oath of office again in a public ceremony outside the Capitol. During the midnight ceremony, some 300 people watched Beshear recite the traditional and archaic constitutional oath that included language requiring him to swear that he has never fought a duel with deadly weapons, a holdover from Kentucky's frontier days. Beshear arrived at the Capitol on Tuesday in a horse-drawn carriage. Accompanied by his wife, Jane, Beshear was trailed by a parade of other newly elected state officials and scores of high school marching bands. Beshear kicked off daylong inaugural festivities with a worship service in the Frankfort Convention Center. In an inaugural speech Tuesday afternoon on the front steps of the Capitol, Beshear briefly mentioned he's open to tax reforms as Kentucky comes out of the economic recession. Beshear says the state's political leaders must find the political courage to lay a foundation for a better tomorrow. He said that foundation "requires" restructuring the state's tax system "to make it more fair and efficient."

Beshear Vows To Push Expanded Gambling

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky has a long tradition of betting on horse races, but political leaders have been reluctant to open the state to slot machines or other casino-style games. On the first day of his second term, Governor Steve Beshear told reporters Tuesday that changing the constitution to allow gambling could generate needed revenue for state government. He said he intends to "go all out" to try to get the legislature to allow Kentuckians to vote on whether gambling should be expanded.

Kentucky Inmates Prepare For Early Release

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky's current prison population is more than 20,000. On January 3rd, the Department of Corrections is mandated to release 969 prison inmates from its facilities across the state and about 260 more every month after that. House Bill 463, or the Criminal Justice Reform Bill, recently passed by the state legislature, is aimed at saving Kentucky millions of dollars. The legislation calls for the release of the approved segment six-months prior to the completion of their sentence. The bills sponsor, Representative John Tilley, says the most violent offenders are not eligible for the program. He says most are considered 'low risk' and must have planned and approved residences when they get out. The inmates will be supervised after their release. Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Larson says he always has concerns with programs giving criminals a 'get out of jail early card.' Representative Tilley says, he understands Larson's concerns but believes this program, modeled after other states, where it's proven successful, will work in Kentucky. The Department of Corrections estimates the program will save the state $42 million in the first year and more than $420 million in ten years.

Laurel County Proposes Ban

{London, Kentucky}...Laurel County Sheriff John Root says his department has proposed a county wide ordinance to stop the possession or sale of synthetic cannabinoids. Synthetic cannabinoids mimic the effects of marijuana and are often marketed as “herbal incense” or “potpourri,” under such brand names as Scuby Snax, Klimax, K2 and Spice. Root says these substances are harmful and can result in hospitalization or even death if consumed. Sheriff Root will make a presentation before the Laurel County Fiscal Court requesting the proposed ordinance and public readings be held on December 20th and January 20th. Under the proposed ordinance, the sale of or possession of these substances will be classified as a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a $500 fine and/or 12 months in the county jail.

UK Trustees Approve Capilouto's Plans

{Lexington, Kentucky}...The University of Kentucky is in talks with a Tennessee real estate firm about taking over campus dormitories. Memphis-based Education Realty Trust could spend as much as $500 million over the next several years to tear down and rebuild most of UK's student housing that now accommodates up to 6,000 people. UK Vice President for Budget and Finance Angie Martin says UK has roughly $1 billion in construction needs across campus, from dorms to classrooms to research space. UK's housing department has an annual budget of $30 million, but its deferred maintenance needs top $200 million. Tuesday, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved President Eli Capilouto's sweeping plans for nearly every corner of the school with no questions or discussion. In other business, the board gave final approval to replace the UK Athletics Association Board with an athletics committee as part of the Board of Trustees and approved spending $7.5 million from UK Athletics to upgrade UK's softball facilities, among other things.

Cabinet Releases Reviews

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Cabinet for Health and Family Services released dozens of internal reviews Monday that it conducted in 2009 and 2010 after children under its supervision died or nearly died from neglect and abuse. The documents were released after a two-year legal battle between the Cabinet and the Lexington Herald-Leader and The Courier-Journal of Louisville. A November 3rd court mandate from Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd ordered the cabinet to turn over the records. Shepherd has ruled twice in the past two years that child-protection records in the case of a death or near-death should be public. But the cabinet resisted releasing the records until Governor Steve Beshear announced November 29th that they would be made public. The cabinet has said it will release 180 case files at a later date after they have redacted limited information from the files.

Lexington Mayor To Seek Rupp Arena Funding

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Lexington Mayor Jim Gray said Monday he will ask for about $20 million from the General Assembly in the upcoming session to start working on potential changes to Rupp Arena. The Rupp Arena task force is considering replacing or renovating Rupp Arena. A consultant is expected to make a final recommendation in January. University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto says he won't get involved in asking for state funding for Rupp Arena because his priority is campus construction, and he can't support requests that compete with campus needs. The university is preparing to build a new dorm in the next year and has some $1 billion in construction needs on the aging campus.

Trial Continued For Former Whitley County Sheriff

{London, Kentucky}...Former Whitley County Sheriff Lawrence Hodge has already been sentenced to 15-and-a-half years in prison on federal charges for taking 150-thousand dollars from the Whitley County Sheriff's Department. Monday, Hodge's trial on state charges of abuse of the public trust was continued. James Meradith, 35, a man connected in a federal affidavit to Hodge pleaded guilty to drug charges in London’s U.S. District Court Thursday after being indicted in September on three counts of selling Oxycodone and one count of having a 12-gauge shotgun. Meradith faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced April 12th.

Man Pleads Guilty To Fraudulent Permit

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Peter Grimes, of Nolensville, Tennessee faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 when sentenced March 13th in U.S. District Court in Louisville. Grimes pleaded guilty to creating a fake permit to build two gas pipelines under Barren River. The U.S. attorney's office in Louisville says Grimes, who was working as a consultant, submitted a fraudulent Army Corps of Engineers permit authorization letter to an inspector for the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection in Bowling Green in January 2008. Two pipelines had been built in 2007. Grimes also submitted the letter to an employee of the Corps of Engineers.

Chief Supreme Court Justice Seeks Funding

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Friday, Chief Supreme Court Justice John D. Minton told the Interim Joint Committee that Kentucky's courts desperately need a new computer system, 25 more staffers and more new family court judges. The courts are asking for an additional $62 million for the next fiscal year, about $20 million for new projects, positions or pay raises and the vast majority for other increased costs, such as health care and contributions to the retirement system. Minton says the passage of House Bill 463 earlier this year, which was designed to divert more non-violent, first-time offenders from the state's prisons and jails, has meant more work for the state's pretrial officers. Minton says he will ask in his two-year budget request to hire an additional 25 pretrial officers, which would cost about $2.1 million. The legislature will tackle the two-year budget when it reconvenes in January, but state leaders have cautioned agencies not to expect much new money during the next two years given that projected revenues are expected to fall several hundred million dollars short of what's needed to maintain current programs.

Woman Killed In Harlan County Accident

{Putney, Kentucky}...Police say 45 year old Wilma Rigney of Putney was pronounced dead at the scene after her vehicle left the roadway, hit a gravel road embankment and flipped on Highway 522 in the Ross Point community of Harlan County early Sunday morning. Police say Rigney's vehicle airborned 70 feet in the air, ejecting her and pinning her underneath it.

U.S. Labor Department Wants Safety Director Reinstated

{Washington, D.C.}...Friday, the U.S. Department of Labor filed a request asking for safety director Jonathan Gregory to be reinstated after an investigation found he was fired for trying to correct safety issues. If a federal judge approves the request, Gregory would get his job back while the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission considers his discrimination claim that T&T Energy LLC fired him for reporting safety issues at a Leslie County strip mine. Gregory worked with the company for 18 months before he was fired on November 7th. Freddie Fugate, a special MSHA investigator, says Gregory had several conflicts with company management. In early October, Gregory told federal and state officials that he thought a job applicant had provided false documentation about required annual training. The company's chief financial officer, Bill Woods, then told Gregory the company wouldn't discipline him for calling authorities, but that he needed to make the matter "go away." In late October, a worker fell off a bulldozer and broke his ankle. T&T Energy chief executive Tony Hamilton tried to get Gregory not to report the injury to MSHA. Hamilton and Gregory also argued about following the mine plan with respect to a 25-foot-wide bench at the base of the highwall to catch any large rocks and prevent them from falling into the pit where employees were working. On November 7th, Gregory and Hamilton argued about a rock-hauling truck Gregory had ordered removed from service. Hamilton ordered that the truck be kept on the job and said "the only time equipment was going to be repaired was between shifts and that if Gregory didn't like it, he could quit."

Fracking Equipment Malfunctions

{Harlan, Kentucky}...Magnum Hunter Resources Corporation Manager Russell Hamilton says the company was using hydraulic fracturing, called "fracking," to drill for gas on Grays Knob Mountain Friday morning when the apparatus used to catch balls failed, and a 4-inch ceramic ball, weighing approximately one pound was ejected, embedding itself in the ground near the ARH Hospital. The ball created a 6-inches wide and 5-inch-deep hole. Hamilton says company officials are taking measures to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Breathitt County Man Sentenced

{Jackson, Kentucky}...Jeffery Noble has been sentenced to ten years in prison after a Breathitt County jury convicted him of manslaughter in the death of two year old Destiny Tincher who was found unresponsive in May 2010. She later died at UK Medical Center. Noble was the boyfriend of Destiny's mother Ashley Tincher. Noble has already served about a year of the ten year sentence.

Environmental Groups Challenge Agreement

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Environmental groups Appalachian Voices, Kentucky Riverkeeper, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth and Waterkeeper Alliance filed a petition in Franklin Circuit Court Thursday asking a judge to reject the agreement between the Kentucky Energy and Environmental Cabinet and Bardstown-based Nally & Hamilton Enterprises requiring the coal company to pay $507,000 in fines. The environmentalists say the agreement was reached in secret, and the amount is far below what the company should owe, which they estimate to be hundreds of millions of dollars.

Human Trafficking Legislation

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...State Representatives Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, who sponsored human trafficking legislation in the House in 2007, and John Tilley, D-Hopkinsville, are seeking changes to the state's human trafficking laws when the General Assembly meets in January. They would like to see Kentucky become a safe harbor state. State prostitution laws don't specifically apply to adults. A child prostitute could be charged criminally and found delinquent in the juvenile court system rather than treated as a victim. Laws that identify child prostitutes as victims of sex trafficking are typically referred to as safe harbor laws. Fewer than 10 states have enacted such statutes.

Food Stamp Bill Prefiled

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...State Representative Rick Nelson has prefiled a bill that might make using food stamps more difficult for people in Kentucky. Nelson wants to stop food stamp users from buying "junk food" such as sodas, cookies, and candy. Nelson says sweets or junk food is not an appropriate purchase with the food stamp money that the tax payers provide for them. Two other bills are in the works for food stamp users. One requires food stamp shoppers to present a photo I.D. to the cashier and the other allows random drug testing.

Inaugural Celebration Planned

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...A cannon shot from the Kentucky Military History Museum will officially kick off the inaugural parade for Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear at 10:00 A.M. Tuesday, December 13th, in downtown Frankfort. More than 4,150 parade participants, including 54 high school marching bands, will travel up Capital Avenue toward the Capitol where Governor Beshear will take the oath of office at 2:00 P.M. for his second term as the state's 61st governor. The parade for Kentucky's 59th inauguration will travel along Broadway and proceed directly through Frankfort's historic downtown district, where many merchants along the route have planned special activities for parade spectators. Governor Beshear, First Lady Jane Beshear, Lt. Governor-elect Jerry Abramson and Madeline Abramson will travel the parade route in open horse-drawn carriages provided by the Kentucky Horse Park. They will also greet parade participants from the reviewing stand at the steps to the Capitol. 2012 Teacher of the Year Kimberly Shearer is Grand Marshal.

Long John Silver's And A&W...New Owners

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...A Great American Brand, the new owners of the Long John Silver's and A&W Restaurants, announced Thursday that it will continue to run the companies from Kentucky after the purchase from Louisville-based Yum Brands is completed later this month. Long John Silver's, which was founded in Lexington, will continue to be based in Louisville. A&W will return to Lexington, where it was based for a time before being acquired by Yum. Thursday, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority approved state tax incentives for the ownership, which estimated costs of $1.89 million to place its headquarters in Lexington. Assuming the company hires 30 people within 10 years, the tax incentive deal will allow it to keep $600,000 that it would otherwise pay in taxes. Kevin Bazner, who is leading A Great American Brand, was president and chief operating officer at the time of A&W's sale to Yum Brands in 2003. Since the sale to Yum, A&W and Long John Silver's have been overshadowed by Yum's KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands. A&W and Long John Silver's accounted for less than 5 percent of Yum's 37,000 restaurants worldwide when the company announced its intention earlier this year to sell the chains and focus on its core brands.

Appalachian States Increase Marijuana Production

• {Washington, D.C.}...Appalachian states have seen an increase in marijuana production. Ed Shemelya, head of marijuana eradication for the Office of National Drug Control Policy's Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, says helicopter spotters and ground crews found and cut more than 1.1 million plants worth in excess of $2 billion in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia during the 2011 growing season. That was an increase of more than 100,000 plants over 2010. Shemelya says authorities confiscated 550,000 plants in Tennessee, 385,000 in Kentucky and 185,000 in West Virginia.

Former State Legislator Dies

{London, Kentucky}...Gene Huff, who served more than 26 years in the state legislature, died at Saint Joseph-London Hospital early Thursday at the age of 82. Huff had pulmonary fibrosis, a condition that causes scarring in the lungs, and had been on oxygen the last year. Huff pastored First Pentecostal Church in London for more than 25 years, served two terms in the state House of Representatives before he was elected in 1971 to the state Senate, where he spent more than 22 years. Huff retired in June 1994, the same day the tower went up for WYGE, a 50,000-watt Christian radio he owned with his wife, Ethel Dayberry Huff. Huff, who rejected abortion, the Kentucky lottery, expanded gambling and higher taxes, opposed then-Governor Louie Nunn, the first Republican governor in more than 20 years, when Nunn pushed an increase in the state sales tax in the late 1960s.

Louisville Mayor Asked To Return Donation

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Louisville businessmen Ed Hart and Bruce Lunsford have asked the city Mayor Greg Fischer to return $10,000 that was donated for his inaugural gala. Hart and Lunsford say contributions from them and five others weren't used for the gala. Instead, the men say Fischer's election campaign used the money to repay personal loans he made to the campaign. Fischer said both men contributed to his campaign account and should have known that the campaign could use the money for other reasons, but he will "seriously" consider the request. Hart and Lunsford say, if the money is returned, it will be donated to charity.

Yum! Brands Dodges Corporate Income Taxes

• {Louisville, Kentucky}...According to "Corporate Tax Dodging in the Fifty States, 2008-2010" report released Wednesday, Louisville-based Yum! Brands, parent of such companies as Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell, paid no net corporate income taxes to states over the past three years, even as it generated more than a billion dollars in profits for shareholders. Yum! Brands is one of 68 companies nationwide that paid no state corporate income tax in at least one of the past three years. Twenty of those companies averaged a tax rate of zero or less during the 2008-2010 period, including Yum! Brands.

Conway Joins Robo-Calling Opposition

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Wednesday, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway joined other attorneys general across the country in asking Congress to oppose legislation targeting consumers' telephone privacy. The "Mobile Informational Call Act of 2011 would amend the Communications Act of 1934 and allow for robo-calling to all cell phones, leaving consumers to foot the bill. Debt collectors and other businesses could place automated "informational" calls to cell phones, impacting those who pay by the minute or have a limited number of minutes available. Since businesses frequently have the wrong contact information, consumers could be getting and paying for repeated robo-calls on their cell phones that are not intended for them.

Representative Furiously Attacks Blankenship

{Washington, D.C.}...Wednesday, Representative George Miller of California, the senior Democrat on the House Education and Labor Committee, said in remarks on the House floor, “People who live in coal-mining states like Kentucky should be aware that a serial violator of basic mine safety law is coming to your state soon seeking to operate a mine.” Kentucky records show that former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship has started a new mining company in Kentucky. Miller, one of the most outspoken coal-mine safety advocates in Congress, says his office congressional staff is looking more closely into Blankenship’s new operations, though federal records do not indicate that the company has any active mines. Miller furiously attacked Blankenship saying, “Mine companies under his leadership have engaged in dangerous and deadly practices that would pose a threat to mine workers in your state.”

Bar Association Calls For Suspended Executions

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The American Bar Association is calling on Kentucky to suspend executions, saying there are too many errors in the system. Wednesday, the association released a 2 year study of Kentucky's capital punishment system. In the study, American Bar Association team said there are serious flaws in Kentucky's administration of the death penalty. The study found that more than 60% of capital convictions in the state had been overturned. The study says problems include high case loads and low pay for public defenders who represent people accused of capital crimes, no rule to preserve evidence for as long as someone is in prison, meaning they might miss a chance for DNA tests that could exonerate them, and confusion among jurors about their role in deciding whether to recommend a death sentence. The study found that of the 78 people sentenced to death in Kentucky since 1976, 52 later had that initial sentence overturned because of errors at the trial. Kentucky executions are already on hold pending the outcome of a case in Franklin Circuit Court.

Federal Grants To Clean Up Waterways

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky is making $1.8 million in federal grants available to pay for cleaning up polluted streams, rivers, lakes and underground aquifers and to protect already clean waters from pollutants. The grants are for watershed restoration projects and for watershed implementation plan development, as well as for other projects that reduce and prevent runoff pollution. The funds are provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and can be used to pay for up to 60% of the total cost for each project. The Kentucky Division of Water determines which projects receive the funding.

Digital Learning Presented To BOE

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A draft called Digital Learning 2020 was presented to the Kentucky Board of Education at the board's meeting in Frankfort Wednesday. The draft calls for ensuring all students in Kentucky have access to digital learning, gravitating toward all-digital textbooks and teaching materials, and looking at options such as linking funding to student performance in online courses.

Electronic Billboards Help Capture Robber

• {Greeneville, Tennessee}...Thirty-nine year old Chad Schaffner of Indianapolis, Indiana was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Greeneville, Tennessee to 26 life in prison sentences for holdups in 2009, including 11 banks, one credit union and one retail store. Fourteen of the sentences are to run consecutively. The robberies occurred in Tennessee, North Carolina, Kentucky, South Carolina, Indiana and Illinois. Schaffner was identified as a suspect within 24 hours of bank surveillance photos popping up on wall-size electronic highway signs in Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

Legislation To Seek Tax Break For School Items

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Republican state Representatives Julie Raque Adams of Louisville and Donna Mayfield of Winchester promised Monday to file legislation in the upcoming January session that would lift the state's sales tax for one weekend shortly before the start of each school year. Their proposed exemption would be extended only to school supplies, clothing, computers and printers. Twenty other states, including Tennessee and West Virginia, offered a period of tax-free shopping this year.

Convicted Attorney Sues Lexington Bank

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Kentucky attorney Bryan Coffman, who is awaiting sentencing for his role in an oil drilling scam, has filed a lawsuit against Lexington-based Central Bank & Trust Co. claiming the bank improperly handed over information about his personal accounts and the finances of his business, American Oil & Gas Resources, after federal investigators started probing the business in 2008. A federal court jury deliberated about seven hours over two days before convicting Coffman and 57 year old Gary Milby in May on multiple charges of mail, wire and securities fraud. Coffman was also convicted of money laundering and money laundering conspiracy. Coffman is set for sentencing January 19th, and Milby is scheduled for sentencing January 18th, both in Lexington. Coffman's wife Megan was found not guilty of money laundering. Prosecutors on Monday dismissed charges against Vadim Tsatskin after he was sentenced to three years in prison in Canada.

Social Services Commissioner Resigns

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Patricia R. Wilson, who was appointed commissioner of the state Department for Community Based Services in 2008, has resigned amid growing criticism of the department. Wilson says her resignation takes effect December 19th. The department has come under increasing criticism for its handling of child abuse cases after records were released in the beating death of 9 year old Amy Dye of Todd County who died February 4th. The files in her case show that social workers ignored reports that the girl was being abused and has led to calls for a review of the state's child-welfare system. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ordered files in Dye's case released and criticized the cabinet for turning a "blind eye" to suspected abuse. The girl was killed by her adoptive brother.

Mine Safety Leader Resigns

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...One state official says the Kentucky Office of Mine Safety had a strong and capable safety advocate in its leader, Johnny Greene. Now Greene is to become the second-ranking mine industry regulator to leave his post in a matter of days. He says he will retire at the end of the year. Carl Campbell, the commissioner of the Department for Natural Resources, was fired from his job last week by Energy and Environment Secretary Len Peters. Peters says he tried to convince Greene to stay on in the job, saying miners couldn't have a stronger or more capable safety advocate.

Borders Resigns From PSC

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Former state Senator Charlie Borders confirmed Tuesday that he has resigned as a member of the Kentucky Public Service Commission. Borders, a longtime executive of Ashland Inc. and King's Daughter's Medical Foundation, had served about 2 1/2 years on the panel that decides utility rate increases. Governor Steve Beshear appointed Borders to the position amid criticism from Republicans who accused him of trying to weaken the GOP's majority hold in the Senate by appointing Republican lawmakers to posts that required them to leave the Senate. Beshear appointed Senate Republican Dan Kelly of Springfield to a judiciary seat around the same time Borders went to the PSC.

KSP Investigating Harlan And Lynch Finances

• {Harlan, Kentucky}...Harlan City Attorney Scott Lisenbee has confirmed an ongoing investigation by Kentucky State Police into the city’s finances after accounting discrepancies came up in the last audit. The investigation is being led by KSP Det. Kenny Abner, who is also conducting an investigation into missing money at the Lynch City Police Department, which is believed to exceed $9,000 seized during a drug raid.

Kentucky Power Announces $940 Million Investment

{Louisa, Kentucky}...To meet increasingly stringent federal EPA environmental regulations, Kentucky Power Co., an operating unit of American Electric Power, has announced plans to invest approximately $940 million to construct a "scrubber" system on the plant's 800-megawatt electricity generation unit at its Big Sandy Power Plant near Louisa. The current plan is to retire the plant's older generating unit, rated at 278 megawatts, at the end of 2014. AEP's original plan announced this past summer was to convert the plant from coal to gas power. An application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity has been filed before the Kentucky Public Service Commission, which must approve the project and investment. If approved, a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours per month would see their bill increase approximately $31 per month.

Kentucky Speedway Contract Awarded

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky state Transportation Cabinet officials announced Monday that they have awarded a contract for road work near Kentucky Speedway at Sparta. Last summer, the track's inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event was marred by a massive traffic jam that kept some fans from seeing the race. Sunesis Construction Co. of West Chester, Ohio submitted the low bid of $3.7 million to expand an interstate ramp and a state highway near the speedway. The cabinet says the winning bid came in more than $220,000 below its estimate.

Board Rejects Early Medical Parole

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Parole Board has decided not to grant early medical parole for 56 year old William Bennett, a man sentenced to 120 years in prison for fatally shooting Fayette County Sheriff's Deputy Joseph Angelucci in 1988. Bennett, who is seriously ill, won't be eligible for parole again until 2016. Witnesses testified during the trial that Bennett had a history of mental problems dating back to childhood, at times imagining himself to be a nuclear scientist or a twin of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.

Former Governor Accepts Beshear Invitation

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...In December 2007, former Governor John Y. Brown Jr., who served from 1979 to 1983, declined fellow Democrat Steve Beshear's offer to be an honorary co-chairman of Beshear's inaugural committee with other former governors, saying he didn't respect Beshear and didn't want to be part of it. Brown said he resented Beshear's unsuccessful 1987 campaign "distortions" of his administration's record. Brown and Beshear competed for the governor's office in the 1987 Democratic primary election, but they lost to Wallace Wilkinson. Last week, Beshear called Brown and asked him to be an honorary co-chairman of Kentucky's 59th governor's inauguration on December 13th with the other former governors. This time, Brown accepted. Brown says he worked with Beshear and first lady Jane Beshear on the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games last year at the Kentucky Horse Park, and he likes Beshear and thinks Jane Beshear is super. The theme of the inauguration is "Kentucky Tomorrow."

Barbourville Police Capture "Bad Hair Bandit"

• {Barbourville,  Kentucky}...Barbourville Police say that, after almost six months of evading authorities, they've captured the serial bank robber dubbed the "Bad Hair Bandit" who has confessed to seven bank robberies. Police in Kentucky and Tennessee were searching for a bank robber wearing wigs as disguises. He also has been known to wear sunglasses, bands, bracelets and gloves. Police took 30 year old Jason Fox to the Whitley County jail Friday evening after a Barbourville police officer pulled over a vehicle that matched the description of a getaway car seen in a survelliance video taken Thursday night before a robbery at the L&N Federal Credit Union inside Walmart in Williamsburg. Police also arrested and charged Fox's wife, Tosha Fox, with first degree complicity to robbery. The "Bad Hair Bandit" is suspected of robbing the First Volunteer Bank in Jellico, Tennessee on June 9th, and, in Kentucky, a Barbourville bank on June 17th, a London bank on July 15th and a bank in Barbourville again on August 19th.

Harlan Man Charged With Murder

• {Harlan, Kentucky}...State police in Harlan arrested 32 year old William Anderson of Flat Lick Saturday night and charged him with the murder of 61 year old Bobby Wiggins of Middlesboro. Wiggins was found dead in the Beverly community of Bell County.

Patriot Seeks Permit

• {Henderson, Kentucky}...At its December 6th meeting, the Henderson City-County Planning Commission will hear a request from Patriot Coal which is asking to change the zoning on almost 500 acres of land so that it can surface mine near the Sloughs Wildlife Area and the county's Sandy Watkins Park. Patriot is seeking mining permits from the state and federal governments to operate near the wildlife preserve. If Patriot gets approval, mining could begin in 2013. County engineer Bill Hubiak says they have to rezone before the state will approve the permit, and then they'll have to come back with their full-blown plan to seek the permit. Patriot mining engineer Bob Calvert says the company has mined near some of the properties in question so residents should know what to expect. Paperwork filed with the rezoning petition says all residents within one-half mile of the mine will be offered the chance to get a survey of their homes before any blasting takes place, and the company plans to use existing roads to haul coal away.

Schools Preparing For New Testing System

• {Frankfort,  Kentucky}...Kentucky schools are preparing for results they will get under a new state testing system that will be administered to students in the spring. State Senator Ken Winters, R-Murray, who introduced legislation to overhaul the state's testing system, says it decreases testing time and emphasizes individual student scores instead of school and district results. Elementary and middle school students will be tested over five day during the last two weeks of school. Students in high school will take end-of-course exams in four subjects this spring: U.S. history, algebra II, biology and English II. The new system will lend greater importance to the performance of at-risk students.

"Breakfast With Santa Claus"

{Lexington, Kentucky}...It won't be long until you can leave milk and cookies under your tree for Santa, his elves and reindeer, but Saturday, Santa spread a lot of Christmas cheer as he had eggs, bacon and waffles in Lexington. Dozens of children and their parents got up early Saturday and headed to the UK Chandler Hospital cafeteria for "Breakfast With Santa Claus" and visits with University of Kentucky athletes and cheerleaders. Midway through the festivities, Santa strolled into the room to the tune of Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, sung by the UK Chorus, bellowing out deep "ho, ho, ho's" and expressing wishes of a Merry Christmas for all. Up close, Santa bore a striking resemblance to Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn, but no one seemed to notice as the Kentucky Children's Hospital mascot Stitches and UK Wildcat mascot Scratch wound their way through room, interacting with the children. Saturday's party, a tradition at the hospital for about 25 years, was sponsored by UK HealthCare Volunteer Services.

Man Caught With Stolen Equipment And Moonshine

{Olive Hill, Kentucky}...Randall D. Porter, 61, of Olive Hill, was arrested Friday and charged with seven felony counts of receiving stolen property after an anonymous tip led police to search an area along U.S. 60 West in the Globe area of Carter County. During the search, police found nearly $100,000 worth of stolen equipment and machinery, including a Bobcat Skid-steer, two John Deere tractors, four equipment trailers and a box trailer, along with fifteen gallons and 13 quarts of moonshine that were seized to be turned over to agents with the Kentucky Alcohol and Beverage Control Commission for prosecution.

Florida..."Ground Zero" For Nation's Drug Abuse

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...An annual state Health Department report  issued Friday says Florida  is "ground zero" for the nation's prescription drug abuse problem and should share data from its new prescription drug monitoring system with other states. The tracking system began operating September 1st as part of efforts to crack down on "doctor shopping" and "pill mills" that supply drug dealers and addicts. The report says 223,700 prescriptions written in Florida were filled in other states in 2009, including Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, North Dakota, Arizona and Vermont. The report says changing state law to allow for an exchange of data would help out-of-state doctors, pharmacists and law enforcement officials determine whether prescriptions came from Florida. It also says 21 million prescriptions for controlled substances were reported to the data base in its first two and a half months.

Former UofL Athletic Ticket Manager Pleads Guilty

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Former University of Louisville athletic ticket manager Kerry D Johnson has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $100,000 from the university. A judge placed Johnson on probation for five years and ordered her to pay restitution and enter drug treatment. Johnson was fired from her job at the athletic department on October 6th during a probe into the theft of $96,228 from the UofL Athletic Association.

Beshear To Push For Expanded Gambling

{Louisville, Kentucky}...At the annual Kentucky Farm Bureau convention in Louisville Thursday, Governor Steve Beshear announced he will renew his push for expanded gambling when Kentucky lawmakers reconvene in January for their 2012 session. Beshear says expanded gambling revenues would be an important supplement to state tax collections that have slumped amid the economic downturn. Beshear pushed for expanded gambling during his first term, but it failed to pass in the General Assembly. Beshear suggested he’s willing to shape the legislation into whatever workable form can muster support from a majority of lawmakers.

Farmer Defends Hiring Of Girlfriend

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Outgoing Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer says he did nothing improper in hiring his girlfriend, Stephanie L. Sandmann, as a special assistant in his Frankfort office. He says Sandmann is qualified for the job, which is a non-merit position paying $5,000 a month. Farmer's successor James Comer said Sandmann will have to make her case before a transition team and says he "wouldn't bet on her staying." Farmer lost his bid for lieutenant governor in November on the Republican ticket with Senate President David Williams.

“Committed To Peace In Kentucky Homes” Award Presented

{Lexington, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Domestic Violence Association presented Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, (D-Sandy Hook), with a “Committed to Peace in Kentucky Homes” award Thursday at the 13th Annual Ending Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Conference held in Lexington. Representative Adkins was honored for both his legislative support of domestic violence survivors and his long-standing support of Safe Harbor, the regional domestic violence program serving the FIVCO Area Development District.

Former Northpoint Inmate Convicted

{Danville, Kentucky}...A jury has convicted 40 year old Newell Stacy, one of five inmates charged with setting fires at Northpoint Training Center in Danville on August 20, 2009, destroying six buildings and leaving five dorms uninhabitable. The jury found Stacy guilty of rioting but was deadlocked when it came to the arson charge. Prosecutor Richie Bottoms says he hasn't decided whether to offer Stacy a plea deal on the arson charge or pursue another trial, but he said the charges won't be dropped. The prison is currently being rebuilt at a cost of $18.8 million.