Fans Celebrate UK Win

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Player of the year Anthony Davis helped keep Kentucky in the game, scoring 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Wildcats held off Louisville 69-61 Saturday night in New Orleans. Louisville rallied from a 13-point deficit, tying the game at 49 on a 3-pointer from Peyton Siva with 9:11 to play. But, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who played sparingly because of foul trouble, made back-to-back buckets to give the Wildcats some breathing room. Darius Miller then made a 3, Kentucky’s second of the game. Thousands of University of Kentucky fans swarmed streets near the University of Kentucky campus, setting couches and a car on fire, after the Wildcats beat  Louisville in the Final Four. Police armed in riot gear patrolled the party areas, and sprayed fire extinguishers on fans who attempted to damage vehicles. UK and Lexington Police, expecting a rowdy night, had increased patrols on campus and prepared to close streets in party areas. A triage center was opened at a fire station on Woodland Avenue. A spokeswoman for Lexington Mayor Susan Straub says police made fewer than 10 arrests.

Escaped Inmates Back In Custody

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Three inmates who escaped from Blackburn Correctional Complex in Lexington are back in custody after two were caught in Texas and the third turned himself in to police. Kentucky correctional officials say 41 year old Anthony Kendrick and 31 year old Jerry Nation, who both walked away from the prison in October, were arrested in separate locations in Texas Friday. Jerod Mikel, who walked away from the prison a week ago, turned himself into Lexington Police Thursday. Mikel was serving a seven year sentence for trafficking in a controlled substance in Pulaski County. Kendrick was serving an eight year sentence for second-degree complicity to robbery out of McCracken County. Nation was serving a 10 year sentence on convictions from Anderson and Oldham counties for burglary and theft by unlawful taking.

House, Senate Approve $19.3 Billion Budget

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Senate voted 36-1 to approve a two-year, $19 billion state budget Friday that will require sharp cuts to most government agencies and programs. The Kentucky House voted 81-7 to approve the budget bill Friday evening. The bill is state government’s spending plan for the two-year period beginning July 1st.

Mine Safety Chief Visits Kentucky

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration Director Joe Main met with state officials and miners Friday in Frankfort. Main, who became MSHA director in 2009, met with Freddie Lewis, who was chosen to head Kentucky's Office of Mine Safety and Licensing earlier this month. Main said aggressive inspections at troubled mines are helping create safer working environments for coal miners. Main says MSHA's "impact inspections" take extra steps to keep coal operators from giving advance warning to miners when inspectors show up.

Senate Passes Pseudoephedrine Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Senate voted 29-8 Friday to pass a bill aimed at limiting access to large quantities of medicines containing pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient in the making of meth. The proposal would limit purchases to no more than 7.2 grams a month or 24 grams a year. That's the equivalent of roughly two packages per month or seven packages per year. Governor Steve Beshear said he would sign the measure into law.

Lawyer Gets New Trial

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Friday, the Kentucky Court of Appeals granted a new trial to William Otto Ayers, who was convicted by a jury in 2010 of failing to file Kentucky tax returns from 2002 through 2006. Ayers sought to hire an attorney on the eve of his trial in Jefferson Circuit Court in Louisville after representing himself for almost two years in pre-trial proceedings, but Circuit Court Judge Susan Schultz Gibson declined to delay the trial, forcing Ayers to represent himself. The appeals court concluded that decision violated Ayers' rights.

Lawmakers Reach Agreement On Budget

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Under a bare-bones budget proposal that legislative leaders have agreed to present to their colleagues for floor votes Friday, more than 30,000 government workers will go without pay raises and some 200,000 retirees won't get cost-of-living increases in their monthly pension checks. Three days of intense talks ended early Thursday morning when legislative leaders exited a conference room with a tentative deal on the two-year, $19 billion spending plan that still needs approval from the full House and Senate. Negotiators were set to tackle the state's road budget, a $3.5 billion construction plan that will likely involve another round of marathon negotiations. Lawmakers also are pushing to pass Governor Steve Beshear's tax amnesty plan that he believes could collect a badly needed $55 million over the next two years. It would be the state's first offer of tax amnesty in a decade and would forgive some penalties if people come forward and pay their taxes.

House, Senate Differ On Prescription Drug Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A House bill would give the Kentucky attorney general's office the responsibility of tracking doctors who overprescribe painkillers, and a version passed by the Senate would sharply limit the number of prosecutors given access to the monitoring data. Changes the Senate made to the measure on Wednesday were rejected by the House on Thursday, leading to the appointment of a conference committee to work out differences before the state Legislature's 2012 regular session ends April 12th. The original bill proposed by Democratic Speaker of the House Greg Stumbo of Prestonsburg would have given prosecutors access to prescription information under KASPER.

Bill To Oversee For-Profit Colleges Passes

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Under a bill that cleared the state legislature Thursday, for-profit colleges would be subject to stiffer oversight. The measure would create the 11-member Kentucky Commission on Proprietary Education made up of four representatives from for-profit colleges and four at-large members with backgrounds in education and business, plus the state's education secretary, education commissioner and the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education. The legislation gives the commission authority to hire staff to monitor for-profit colleges in Kentucky and to investigate complaints. Those colleges, under the bill, would have to publicly disclose a variety of information, including job placement rates. Attorney General Jack Conway has taken one for-profit college with several campuses in Kentucky to court, alleging the state's consumer protection laws were violated by deceptive claims about job placement successes.

House Passes Placement Agent Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Lawmakers have given final approval to legislation that would make placement agents involved in financial investments for Kentucky's pension program subject to the state's ethics laws. The House voted 94-0 Thursday for final passage. Democratic Representative Mike Cherry of Princeton, chairman of the House State Government Committee, has been pushing to hold placement agents more accountable. Cherry's bill, which now goes to Governor Steve Beshear, also requires placement agents to make public reports about their income and expenses.

Amazon.com Subsidiary Could Receive Tax Credits

{Winchester, Kentucky}...Under a proposal approved Thursday by the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, a subsidiary of Amazon.com would receive $10.25 million in tax credits from Kentucky if it opens a $20 million customer support. Winchester-Clark County Industrial Authority Executive Director Todd Denham says to receive the full tax credit from the state, the company, AMZN.wacs Inc, would have to create 550 full-time jobs and 600 part-time and seasonal jobs. The 70,000-square-foot center would be built on a seven-acre site to be determined. Denham said he and local leaders have been working on the project since October, and there are a few steps left, but an announcement should come in the near future.

Budget Talks Continue

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear on Wednesday called on lawmakers to reach an agreement on competing budget proposals so that he won't have to call them back to Frankfort to finish their work. But, House Speaker Greg Stumbo said budget talks had stalled, and he raised the specter of adjourning the legislative session without reaching an agreement. One of the major sticking point involves whether to pre-approve the authorization of $100 million in debt for the School Facilities Construction Commission to build new schools beginning in 2014. Late Wednesday, Senate Republicans, who had wanted to strike the authorization, agreed to keep it in the proposed budget as long as $50 million was taken from a bond pool for energy projects. Negotiations have been underway since Monday between House and Senate leaders to try to reach a compromise on a $19 billion budget that requires sharp cuts to most government agencies and programs.

House Approves Pseudoephedrine Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House voted 60-36 Wednesday afternoon to pass a bill that would limit purchases of some over-the-counter cold and allergy medications that contain pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient used to make methamphetamine. The proposal would allow individuals to purchase no more than 7.2 grams in a month or 24 grams in a year. People who need more would have to get a prescription.

Pharmaceutical Hopes To End Meth Labs

{St. Louis, Missouri}...Jim Bausch, president and CEO of Highland Pharmaceuticals, a small company in suburban St. Louis, says the company has received regulatory approval and hopes to have a formulation known as Tarex on the market by summer in the form of tablets under the brand name Releva. Bausch says his company's form of pseudoephedrine is just as effective as those currently on the market, but they can't be extracted and used to make meth. Bausch told members of the Missouri House Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee Wednesday that, "We can stop clandestine production of meth." Some narcotics officers believe the Tarex technology holds promise in finally turning the tide against meth labs. The Drug Enforcement Administration, which has done preliminary testing of Tarex using extraction and production techniques typically used by meth lab operators, says results are promising.

Senate Approves KASPER Move

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Wednesday, the Senate passed a bill by a vote of 26-9 that would put the attorney general's office in charge of the state's prescription drug monitoring program, known as KASPER, a move intended to allow prosecutors in that office to review and identify doctors who overprescribe painkillers. The legislation that now returns to the House for final passage also requires pharmacists to record prescription information and allows that information to be shared with state and federal law enforcement authorities, physicians and pharmacists. The measure also forbids pain clinics from being owned by anyone other than licensed physicians.

Man Indicted For Mother's Murder

{Lexington, Kentucky}...A Fayette County grand jury has indicted 28 year old Mark Adam Cave in the murder of his mother, 54 year old Sharon Howard. The indictment alleges Cave hit Howard in the head and/or neck in June 2011 with an unknown object, causing her death. Relatives had not seen Sharon Howard since June, and she was reported missing in December. Lexington Police found the badly decomposed body in early February in a garbage container. Police have said that, while Cave was in the Fayette County Detention Center on unrelated charges, he admitted killing his mother. In February, Cave pleaded not guilty to murder and tampering with physical evidence. Arraignment is set for April 5th.

Pain Clinic Owner Convicted

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Tuesday, a federal jury in Lexington convicted Louisiana businessman 46 year old Michael D. Leman and Urgent Care Services clinics in Cincinnati and Philadelphia. Prosecutors say Leman conspired with several of his employees from 2004 through 2008 to prescribe Methadone and Oxycodone to bogus patients who would travel five to 16 hours from Kentucky to clinics in Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio to pick up prescriptions for drugs that would be distributed in areas such as Pike and Floyd counties. Evidence and testimony at the trial showed that about 90 percent of patients who visited the Pennsylvania and Cincinnati clinics were from eastern Kentucky. U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove set an August 2nd sentencing date.

Budget Negotiations Continue

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...House and Senate budget negotiators agreed Tuesday to allow the state to book savings generated by lower-than-expected interest rates, but the two sides locked horns on some issues, such as requiring Governor Steve Beshear to cut an additional $98 million from the state's contracts. Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said Senate Republicans believe the state spends between $400 million and $500 million on private contracts for such things as lawyers, architects and other professionals, and the Senate believes the administration can make the cuts. Democratic House leaders expressed reservations, saying some agencies have cut more than 35 percent of their spending over the past four years. House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said the House was not opposed to some limitations on the number of contracts but it has concerns that little information is available about the effects of cutting contract spending. House and Senate leaders did not address a scholarship program for eastern Kentucky students that was included in the House budget but not the Senate budget.

Committee Approves Bill To Regulate Pain Clinics

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-2 Tuesday, approving a bill by Speaker of the House Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, after one change. The bill would transfer oversight of the state's prescription monitoring system, or KASPER, from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the attorney general's office. It requires doctors to report pain pill prescriptions within 24-hours starting July 1, 2013. It does not charge health care providers a fee for using the system. The bill allows only physicians to own pain management clinics. Stumbo says the move is necessary to make the monitoring system a more efficient investigative tool.

Warrants In Iraqi Case Released

Search warrants approved last May and obtained by The Associated Press Tuesday as a public record provide details of recorded conversations between Iraqi refugees 24 year old Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, 30 year old Waad Ramadan Alwan and a confidential informant from late 2009 through early summer 2011 in Bowling Green. During multiple conversations in 2010 and 2011, FBI Special Agent Richard Glenn says Alwan discussed planting roadside bombs he used in Iraq between 2003 and 2006 to destroy American vehicles and talked about losing fellow insurgents when the devices malfunctioned. Hammadi faces 12 charges, including perjury and attempting to send material support to Al-Qaida. His trial is scheduled for July 30th. Alwan pleaded guilty to 23 terrorism-related charges and is to be sentenced October 2nd.

Illegal Immigrants Welfare Benefits Bill Fails

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A Senate measure to keep illegal immigrants from getting welfare benefits failed in the House Local Government Committee Tuesday. The bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Mike Wilson of Bowling Green, would have required documentation of U.S. citizenship or legal residency to qualify for benefits. People who couldn't produce a document such as a birth certificate or driver's license within 30 days could sign an affidavit. Kentucky Equal Justice Center Director Richard Seckel said stringent rules already make it rare for illegal immigrants to get benefits.

Owensboro Man Pleads Guilty To Fraud

{Owensboro, Kentucky}...Twenty-seven year old Gory George of Owensboro, who owned the investment company G3 Capital Management, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to mail and wire fraud. According to the plea agreement, George defrauded investors between December 15, 2009 and April 27, 2011 by promising 3 to 5 percent returns on investments. Prosecutors say George never put the money in certificates of deposit, but instead used the funds for trading in the commodities market or spent the money on personal expenses, scamming investors out of nearly $500,000. U.S. Marshals arrested George in Las Vegas on May 11th after the criminal complaint was filed. George is scheduled for sentencing June 16th.

Senate Approves Drug Testing For Coal Miners

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Senate has approved a bill that would close loopholes in the drug-testing law for coal miners in Kentucky, more than 1,500 of whom have tested positive for drug use since the state began screenings six years ago. The legislation would revoke the mine certifications for three years for first offenders, five years for second offenders and life for third offenders. Current law allows miners to be retested after 10 days. In some cases, those who test negative can then return to work. The legislation also would allow Kentucky to revoke certificates of miners who have tested positive in other states. It also would allow miners to seek treatment, after which their certificates could be reinstated.

Jury Deliberating In Pain Clinics Case

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...A federal jury in Lexington deliberated about two hours Monday after hearing closing arguments in the case of Michael Leman, a Louisiana businessman accused of conspiring to distribute prescription drugs in eastern Kentucky through multiple pain clinics, most of the patients from Floyd and Pike counties. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger West told jurors that Leman made $1.26 million over 26 months by dealing Oxycodone and Methadone through Urgent Care Services clinics. Leman and clinics in Philadelphia and Cincinnati are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Over the last four weeks, jurors heard multiple former employees of Urgent Care Services testify that the clinics were merely a front to sell the pills to people who weren't using it for medicinal reasons. Leman's attorney, Richard Simmons, told jurors that government witnesses were unreliable and were testifying because they thought it would get them lower sentences, and they were willing to lie under oath to get it.

House And Senate Negotiate Budget

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...On the first full day of negotiations over a two-year, $19 billion budget, House and Senate leaders met three times Monday to work out differences between the two budgets. Leaders have agreed to cut a $30,000 annual living expense for Lt. Governor Jerry Abramson. Legislators said Abramson lives in Louisville and drives to Frankfort each day, and he does not need a housing allowance. The Senate version does not authorize a $3.5 million state bond for the downtown Lexington redevelopment project around Lexington Center and Rupp Arena, eliminates an additional $3.5 million appropriation to the Kentucky Horse Park, does not include the Kentucky Appalachian College Completion Program, a proposed college scholarship for kids in Eastern Kentucky that would be financed by coal severance taxes and asks the governor to cut nearly $100 million in contracts over the two years. The House version includes millions of dollars in coal severance projects and authorizes $552 million in borrowing, while the Senate authorizes $391 million. The two sides need to reach an agreement by 3 a.m. Thursday for a budget bill to be printed and ready for a vote by both chambers Friday.

Supreme Court Sets Oral Arguments For Former Judge

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Supreme Court has set oral arguments for April 19th in the case of former Harlan County Circuit Judge Russell Alred who was found guilty of judicial misconduct last year and ordered removed from the bench. The Judicial Conduct Commission found Alred guilty of nine counts of judicial misconduct for using his office for political and personal gain. Alred charged that the judicial panel had been duped into sanctioning him by people with a political agenda.

North American Racing Academy Expanding

{Lexington, Kentucky}...The North American Racing Academy, which was founded to train jockeys in 2006, is expanding its scope and will become a workforce development school for horse racing farms. NARA will offer a one-year certificate program in exercise riding and racehorse care and training in addition to its current two-year program for jockeys and horsemen. It will prepare students at the school to work in jobs ranging from exercise riders to grooms and will emphasize horsemanship skills, racehorse care and barn management. A pre-admission orientation for the program will be held for interested applicants on April 16th at Keeneland in Lexington.

Bill To Stop Copper Theft Clears General Assembly

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Under legislation that has cleared the General Assembly, people who sell copper and other recyclable metals would be paid by check that would be sent by mail, a move that could give police names and addresses if the metals are later found to be stolen. The House voted 92-0 Monday for final passage of the bill, which now goes to Governor Steve Beshear to be signed into law. The bill's sponsor, Democratic state Representative Tanya Pullin of South Shore, says metal thieves have taken guardrails, manhole covers, catalytic converters, utility lines and even rooftop air conditioning units. Nationwide, copper thefts are estimated to cost businesses $1 billion a year.

Senate Approves Concealed Weapons Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Under a bill approved by the Senate Monday, retired prosecutors could carry concealed weapons to protect themselves even in restricted locations, including courthouses. Kentucky already allows people to carry concealed weapons if they have permits to do so, but under the measure, the prosecutors would be allowed to take guns where the general population can't.

Trial Set For Former EKU Student

{Richmond, Kentucky}...Former Eastern Kentucky University student 19 year old Samuel McFarland of Williamsburg is set for trial on June 11th on charges he set two hallway bulletin boards on fire and endangered the lives of building residents. Police arrested McFarland on October 14th and charged him with first-degree arson, first-degree criminal mischief, first-degree wanton endangerment and first-degree promoting contraband. Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Jennifer Smith says McFarland has been offered five years in prison if he pleads guilty, but that offer hasn't been accepted.

House Rejects Senate Budget Proposal

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Friday morning, the House rejected a budget proposal made by the Senate, opening the way for negotiators for the House and Senate to begin talks to resolve differences in a two-year, $19.5 billion state budget. Those talks aren't expected to begin until Monday. The Senate passed a budget proposal late Thursday that would cut spending in multiple ways, eliminating the lieutenant governor's housing allowance, taking away proposed scholarships for Appalachian college students, and scrapping cost-of-living increases in the monthly pension checks of some 200,000 government retirees. House Speaker Greg Stumbo said he sees no insurmountable issues.

Kentucky Lottery Sales Increase

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Lottery Corporation says sales were higher than anticipated in February were $77.3 million, which is $6.7 million higher than budgeted. Sales for the fiscal year to date are $527.2 million, which is $6 million less than budgeted. Corporation board President and CEO Arch Gleason says rising gas prices are still a concern to affect sales.

Arguments Set In Pitino Extortion Case

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati has set oral arguments for May 31st in the case of Karen Sypher. In 2010, a jury convicted Sypher of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliation against a witness. Prosecutors said she sought millions in cash, cars and a house from University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. Sypher, who is serving a seven-year sentence at a federal prison in Marianna, Florida, claims a broad conspiracy involving Pitino, the federal trial judge and Sypher's former attorney.

KY Tornado Death Toll Reaches 24

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky toll from the March 2nd tornadoes has risen to 24 after 37 year old Mary A. Pruitt of Laurel County died Friday. Mary Pruitt had been in critical condition at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital since the tornado. Her mother, 64 year old Ethel Pruitt, died in the tornado.

Senate Approves Ammended State Budget

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Senate approved the two-year, $19.5 billion state budget late Thursday on a 32-4 vote. The proposal would eliminate the lieutenant governor's housing allowance, take away proposed scholarships for Appalachian college students, and scrap cost-of-living increases in the monthly pension benefits of some 200,000 government retirees. The proposal would eliminate a $30,000-a-year appropriation to provide a housing allowance to Lt. Governor Jerry Abramson. He receives that in lieu of living in the mansion provided for him and his wife. The Senate plan also strips a proposal to create the Kentucky Appalachian College Completion Program, which would provide grants of up to $6,000 a year to students attending a handful of private colleges in the mountain region. The cost would have been about $6.5 million over the next two years. The Senate proposal also cuts the amount of new debt in the budget to $391 million. That's $161 million less than the House had authorized and $577 million less than Governor Steve Beshear  authorized.

Concealed Weapons For Retired Prosecutors Approved

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill Thursday that would allow retired prosecutors to carry concealed weapons anywhere in the state, including inside courthouses. Democratic state Representative Bob Damron of Nicholasville is sponsor of the bill on behalf of retired commonwealth's attorneys and county attorneys. Kentucky already allows people to carry concealed weapons if they have permits to do so, but Damron's measure would allow retired prosecutors to carry them into restricted areas where the general population wouldn't be permitted to carry guns.

House Passes Tax Relief For Tornado Victims

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House voted 96-0 Thursday to approve emergency legislation to provide sales tax relief for those who rebuild homes or businesses in 21 tornado-ravaged counties declared federal disaster areas after the March 2nd tornadoes. It would also give school districts 10 extra days that don't count toward their average daily attendance and ensure that school employees in the affected counties not lose any pay or benefits as a result of lost work days.   

Hearing On Drug Bill Postponed

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A bill sponsored by House Speaker Greg Stumbo, a Prestonsburg Democrat, to control prescription drug abuse in Kentucky may get a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday after it was removed from the committee's meeting agenda Thursday because the chairman, Republican Senator Tom Jensen of London, said he is trying to work out a compromise on the bill. Jensen said there are parts of the bill he needs to talk about with Stumbo. Senator Jensen said the issues include addressing some concerns of doctors.

KY State Fair Board President Retiring

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Kentucky State Fair Board, which manages the KFC Yum Center which opened in 2010, expects about $500,000 in net income from operations in 2011. That's less than half of the $1.2 million that officials budgeted for and a far cry from the $3.7 million predicted when the project was financed in 2008. Harold Workman, whose job status as president of the Kentucky Fair Board has been involved in controversies recently over the firing of the general manager of the KFC Yum Center, announced Thursday he is retiring at the end of the year, after more than 42 years in state government. Workman made his announcement during a meeting of the fair board, which voted to extend his contract six months to December 31st. Workman, fair board president and CEO since 1993, makes $249,260 a year.

Abortion Bills Rejected

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House Health and Welfare Committee voted 9-5 Thursday, rejecting a proposal that would have required doctors to allow women seeking abortions to see ultrasound images. Its sponsor, Senator Joe Bowen, R-Owensboro, said it would ensure women receive vital information needed to make their decisions. The perennial bill, sponsored by a series of senators over the years, has routinely passed the Republican-controlled Senate only to die in the Democratic-led House. It was not the only anti-abortion bill that died in the committee Thursday. Others would have required a face-to-face consultation with medical providers and would have barred abortions in instances where doctors hear fetal heartbeats.

Bill Aimed At Stopping Copper Theft Passes

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Under legislation that cleared the Senate Wednesday by a vote of 33-0, scrap yards would be barred from paying cash for copper and other recyclable metals. The measure requires people who sell scrap metal to be paid by check that would be sent by mail, a move that could give police names and addresses if the metals are later found to be stolen. Nationwide, copper thefts are estimated to cost businesses $1 billion a year.

Sales Tax Relief For Tornado Victims

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...At a special called meeting Wednesday, the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee unanimously approved a proposal for sales tax relief for victims of the March 2nd tornadoes that damaged several Kentucky counties. The bill would provide a rebate of the state's 6 percent sales tax on materials used to rebuild houses, business buildings and other structures in the 21 counties that were declared eligible for federal disaster area assistance by President Barack Obama. The bill would also help school districts by authorizing the state commissioner of education to authorize 10 additional emergency or disaster days that would not be counted against their average daily attendance figures. It would give those districts the option to use last year's ADA figures instead of this year's if attendance is lower so that their funding would not decrease.

Former U Of L Employee Faces Federal Charges

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The U.S. attorney's office said Wednesday that 41-year-old Alisha Ward of Louisville, a former employee of the University of Louisville equine industry program, has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering. Ward, who was senior program coordinator when the acts allegedly occurred, was fired last March from the $42,000-a-year post. The university last year released results of an audit that said a lack of oversight allowed Ward to spend nearly a half-million dollars from the program on personal expenses, ranging from a motorcycle to lingerie.

Senate Passes Pretrial Home Incarceration Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Wednesday, the Senate voted 32-2 to pass a proposal by Senator Robin Webb, a Grayson Democrat, under which defendants who are given home incarceration prior to trial would be given credit for the time served as part of their sentences. The original version of the bill would have made the measure apply retroactively to defendants granted pretrial home incarceration on or after July 15, 1996, but that provision was deleted before the Senate voted. Republican Senators Damon Thayer of Georgetown and John Schickel of Union voted against the measure.

Committee Approves Measure To End Confederate Pension Fund

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Senate State and Local Government Committee voted 7-0 Wednesday in favor of a measure aimed at ending pensions for Confederate veterans nearly 150 years after the Civil War ended and more than a half century since anyone was eligible to receive the pension benefits. The House of Representatives passed the bill 98-0 on February 29th. The sponsor, Republican Representative Adam Koenig of Erlanger, assured senators that no money remains in the fund. The Senate committee chairman, Senator Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, says he was tempted to amend it, because it included the word "pensions," but it would have "sailed through the Senate," only to have died in the House, so he refrained.

FEMA Approves Additional Counties

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear announced Tuesday the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved aid for seven more Kentucky counties affected by severe storms and tornadoes, bringing the total number of Kentucky counties eligible for aid to 14. The additional counties to get approved are Ballard, Johnson, Kenton, LaRue, Pendleton, Trimble, and Wolfe. The federal aid will reimburse county and local governments as they repair public infrastructure and remove debris from deadly storms that moved through the state on February 29th and March 2nd.

Legislators Offer Help For Tornado Victims

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Representative John Will Stacy, D-West Liberty, and Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers, R-Manchester, were joined by Speaker of the House Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, Senator Tom Jensen, R-London, and other lawmakers in announcing Tuesday that leaders of both parties in the legislature are working together to provide sales tax relief to residents of the 21 counties declared disaster areas by President Barack Obama following March 2nd tornadoes. The bill would also include provisions to help schools and school staff by authorizing the commissioner of education to declare 10 additional disaster days and to assure teachers and other employees that they will not lose any pay or benefits as a result of the disaster.

House Passes Seat Belts Measure For Vans

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Under a Senate measure that passed the House Tuesday by a vote of 61-33, vans that carry 15 or fewer passengers would be required to have seat belts. Representative Hubert Collins, a Wittensville Democrat who proposed the bill in the House, says it would change the current law, which applies only to vans that carry 10 or fewer passengers. The bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Ernie Harris of Crestwood, passed the Senate 31-5 early in the session.

Senate Passes School Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A bill, sponsored by Republican Senator Dan Seum of Louisville, passed Tuesday by a partisan vote of 21-15 would allow parents in Jefferson County to send their children to the schools nearest their homes. Seum said after the vote that the bill's chances aren't good in the House. Democratic Senator Gerald Neal of Louisville spoke against the bill and offered three floor amendments seen by supporters as "unfriendly" measures to kill the bill. One, however, did pass 35-3. It would make the measure apply to all school districts rather than Jefferson County only.

Proposal To Cap State Debt Meets Skepticism

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Tuesday, a Senate bill that would cap the amount of debt Kentucky could accumulate was met with skepticism from House Appropriations and Revenue chairman Rick Rand who said after the hearing on Senate Bill 1 that he was not sure whether the Democratic House would vote on the measure, which the Senate approved 34-2. The bill would not allow debt payments to exceed 6 percent of state revenue. Rand says the bill has an admirable goal, but reducing the state's debt will take a long-term commitment, and the Senate's proposal is a short-term political answer. The bill's sponsor, Republican Senator Joe Bowen of Owensboro, says concerns about the state's growing debt prompted him to write the bill.

Renovation Planned For Rupp Arena

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...University of Kentucky Wildcats coach John Calipari has commitments of $2.5 million from private donors for an approximately $2.9 million renovation Calipari instigated in mid-January that will provide a brand-new locker room at Rupp Arena. Bill Owen, president and CEO of the Lexington Center, says the remaining $400,000 would come from the capital reserve fund of the Lexington Center Corp. Donations to pay for the work will be made by individuals to the Blue Grass Community Foundation. The board of Lexington Center Corp. last week approved the project, which would expand the men's basketball team's locker room, improve the training room to add hydro-therapy treatment whirlpools, add a medical room with X-ray machine and add a team meeting room, another coach's office, a team lounge and food service area and a new press area. Four other athletic locker rooms would be upgraded, and eight small dressing rooms would be converted into four large ones for a wide range of performers who play Rupp, from rock stars to Disney on Ice skaters. A new second floor mezzanine for storage will be constructed on the west side of Rupp Arena.

Medicaid Audit Underway

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...State Auditor Adam Edelen told the Program Review and Investigations Committee Monday that an in-depth audit of the state's Medicaid system should be completed by early 2013. Edelen reported to the committee the findings from an initial review his office completed of the switch to Medicaid managed care after the state moved more than 560,000 people in Medicaid to managed care on November 1st. Edelen said he believes in managed care, but the managed-care companies did not have adequate staff and the providers and third-party billing companies used by doctors to submit claims to insurance companies were not prepared for the November 1st switch. Edelen said that he has established a special unit in his office to handle the $6 billion Medicaid program.

Bell County Man Charged With Indecent Exposure

{Corbin, Kentucky}...Police say they found 30 year old William M. Hoskins of Stoney Fork sitting naked in the bathroom of the Pilot Oil Truck Stop in Corbin, 12 miles south of London, around 1:56 A.M. Saturday morning after several children who had seen him told managers at the truck stop, and they called police. When Deputy Kirk Mays arrived, he told Hoskins to put on some clothes, which he did, but he had allegedly stolen the shirt he put on from the truck stop. Hoskins was charged with indecent exposure and shoplifting.

House Judiciary Committee Passes Meth Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House Judiciary Committee voted 10-4 Monday, approving an anti-methamphetamine bill that would limit the amount of cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine that Kentuckians could buy without a prescription. The bill, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers, calls for allowing Kentuckians to buy as much as 7.2 grams of pseudoephedrine in cold medications a month and 24 grams a year without a prescription. Representative Johnny Bell, D-Glasgow, who voted for the bill had sharp criticism for the pharmaceutical industry that has conducted a heavy media campaign against the bill, saying the industry has put money before people. Representative Stan Lee, R-Lexington, says it penalizes citizens for the criminal acts of others.

Fish And Wildlife Commission Reconsidering Bear Hunt

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Hunters have persuaded the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission to reconsider a proposal to set aside a week each year for shooting a limited number of bears that dogs have chased up trees or cornered on the ground after wildlife officials decided to scrap the proposal two weeks ago after the Humane Society of the United States criticized the practice as cruel and unsporting. Under the proposal, hunters, known as houndsmen, would have about four weeks set aside each year to chase bears with dogs and to allow them to shoot some of the bears during one of those weeks.

GM Preparing For Next-Generation Corvette

{Bowling Green, Kentucky}...The General Motors plant in Bowling Green is in the midst of a $131 million expansion that will allow workers to begin making the next-generation Corvette. The plant will shut down in July to allow construction crews to do extensive interior construction in preparation for production of the new model. The facility will be closed for public tours during the shut-down and will close again to the general public beginning on September 14th, both to keep parts of the new model under wraps and for safety.

Beshear Takes State Plane To SEC Tournament

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Beshear spokeswoman Kerri Richardson said the Kentucky Democratic Party will pay for the trip after Governor Steve Beshear used a state plane to go to the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament in New Orleans on March 9th and to take first lady Jane Beshear to Florida to visit friends. State Republican Party chairman Steve Robertson said personal use of state property was not appropriate, and he noted that the governor used a state plane last April to take his family to the NCAA Final Four in Houston. Richardson says the Kentucky Democratic Party will pay for the trip because Beshear "participated in some Democratic Party activities" during the trip.

Murder Fugitives Arrested In Kentucky

{Wingo, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police Troopers say 20 year old Jabroski Lloyd and his brother, 22 year old Cordarious Lloyd, both of Gunnison, Mississippi, wanted on murder charges, has been arrested after a traffic stop Thursday night in Wingo in Graves County. State Police Trooper Thomas Clifton pulled their truck over after they passed him without dimming their headlights on U.S. 45, and he discovered both were wanted in Bolivar County, Mississippi.

Murray State Student Committed Suicide

{Murray, Kentucky}...Officials with Murray State University say a student found dead near an on-campus building around 9:30 A.M. Thursday morning committed suicide. The body of 20 year old Jacob Derting of Bardstown was found by students passing near the Price Doyle Fine Arts Center.

Basic Phone Service Bill Withdrawn

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Senator Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, withdrew a bill Thursday that would have taken another step in telephone deregulation. Hornback said the proposal had run into stiff opposition that he attributed to a misconception that people living in remote areas of the state could have been left without reliable telephone service. Telephone companies have been pressing lawmakers for legislation that would lift a requirement that they provide basic landline service in areas where other options, like cell phones, are available. Opponents claim the legislation would be especially harmful for the poor who can afford only the low-cost basic service.

Committee Approves Budget For Roads, Bridges

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Thursday, the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee voted 25-1 to approve the construction plan that would funnel money to several major projects already underway, including widening dangerous stretches of Interstate 65 in western Kentucky and the Mountain Parkway in the east. The lone dissenter in the budget committee was Representative Jim Wayne, D-Louisville, who objected to what he considered tacit approval in the transportation budget of tolls to pay for two proposed Ohio Rivers bridges in Louisville. The transportation budget appropriates more than $300 million over the next two years for the Louisville bridges, which are expected to be completed by 2018 at a cost of nearly $2.6 billion.

Fort Campbell Soldier Arrested

{Oak Grove, Kentucky}...Police in Kentucky have arrested Fort Campbell Staff Sgt. Michael Korolevich in the shooting death of his wife, 30 year old Kathleen McGee. Korolevich has confessed to shooting and killing McGee on December 3rd at their home in Oak Grove, on the outskirts of the Army installation. Korolevich told sheriff's deputies she shot herself in the head, but lab results and interviews with family members led investigators to suspect foul play.

Former Clinton Aide Named New CHFS Secretary

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear has named Audrey Tayse Haynes to take over as the new secretary for the Cabinet of Health and Family Services in Kentucky, starting April 16th. She replaces former Secretary Janie Miller, who resigned last month. Haynes served as director of the White House Office for Women's Initiatives and Outreach under President Bill Clinton and as chief of staff to Tipper Gore during the second Clinton-Gore administration.

Measure To Protect Religious Freedom Passes

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The state Senate on Thursday cleared a proposed state constitutional amendment that would limit government's right to intervene in religious matters. The measure sponsored by Senator Jimmy Higdon, a Lebanon Republican, passed the Senate by a vote of 34-4. Higdon said it was ironic that on the same day the Senate was voting on the proposed amendment, the Kentucky Supreme Court was hearing a case involving some Amish men in western Kentucky who were arrested for refusing to use orange reflectors on their horse-drawn buggies because the triangular shape and the bright color are offensive to their religious beliefs. The Senate has passed a bill that would let the Amish cover their buggies with reflective silver tape rather than use the triangular signs, and the House is considering a similar measure.

Medal Of Honor Plaque Unveiled

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Thursday, Pfc. Ernie West, a Korea veteran, Staff Sgt. Don Jenkins, a Vietnam veteran, and the newest honoree, Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer, who served in Afghanistan, three of Kentucky's five living Medal of Honor recipients, attended the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate those who have earned the nation's highest military award. The three were honored when Governor Steve Beshear revealed the bronze plaque that will hang outside the Capitol Rotunda. Two other Medal of Honor recipients, Sgt. 1st Class Gary Littrell of Vietnam and Pvt. Wilburn Ross of World War II, couldn't attend. The names of the five are included among the 60 Kentuckians who have earned the Congressional Medal of Honor since 1861.

"Bad Hair Bandit" Trial Date Set

• {London, Kentucky}...An April 30th trial date is set for Jason Fox, the "Bad Hair Bandit," and his wife, Tasha Fox, from Williamsburg. They are expected to appear in U.S. District Court in London after being indicted on charges of armed bank robbery and conspiracy to carry and use a firearm during a violent crime. In addition, Jason Fox was charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Police say Jason Fox confessed to seven bank robberies in Kentucky and Tennessee. If convicted, Jason Fox would face a mandatory prison sentence of seven years on the firearm charge. He also could face a sentence of up to 25 years on the other charges. Tasha Fox could face a sentence of up to 25 years. The pair allegedly robbed several banks at gun point and got away with more than $60,000 in cash. Fox was arrested in Barbourville in December 2011.

Bill To Pay Interest On Unemployment Insurance Passes

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House voted 97-0 approving a bill that would let the state borrow money to pay interest on money it borrowed to provide unemployment insurance to Kentuckians. During the recession, the state borrowed $948.7 million from the federal government so it could continue to pay unemployment benefits. Businesses argue that if the state doesn't come up with a way to make sure interest payments are made, the federal government would raise its unemployment insurance tax on employers from $63 to to $420 per employee next year. The bill would allow Kentucky Employers' Mutual Insurance to purchase a $79 million revenue bond to pay the 2011-2013 interest payments.

Court Of Appeals Upholds Conviction

{Louisville, Kentucky}...When a jury in Louisville convicted Michael Anthony Peak of murdering a Hispanic man, identified in 2008 as 34 year old Miguel Garcia of Freer, Texas, it did so largely on the weight of a taped statement of co-defendant Patrick Meeks, who never testified at the trial, even though he waived his right against self-incrimination and could have been called to the stand. Peak and Meeks were convicted in 2002 of killing the man as part of a plan to steal a kilogram of cocaine from him in Louisville in 1998, then dump the body in Henry County. Wednesday, a split panel from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Peak's conviction and sentence of life without parole for 25 years. Judge Danny Boggs wrote that while Peak's constitutional rights "may well have been violated," the court cannot find a reason to overturn his conviction under recent Supreme Court decisions. Judge Eric Clay said the constitutionally guaranteed right to confront one's accusers should be enough to give Peak a new trial. Clay called on the Supreme Court to consider taking Peak's case for review.

Senate Delays Land-Line Vote

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Senate delayed a vote Wednesday on a bill drafted by AT&T that could limit the availability of land-line phone service in Kentucky after they learned House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, has major concerns about the bill. Stumbo says there are some areas of the state, including parts of his district in eastern Kentucky, where it is difficult to communicate with certain rural parts of the county via cell phones, and eliminating land lines would eliminate access in case of emergencies and for elderly people who don't have or are not accustomed to cell phones. Opponents claim it would let the state's three major phone carriers, AT&T, Windstream and Cincinnati Bell, abandon rural communities where poor and elderly residents depend on basic land-line service, including operator assistance and 911.

Beshear Signs Executive Insurance Order

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Wednesday, Governor Steve Beshear signed an executive order prohibiting insurance companies from canceling policies or changing rates in counties hit by deadly tornadoes. The executive order also requires insurance companies to allow more time for people in storm-ravaged communities to pay their premiums for health, life and property insurance. Under the order, cancellations and rate increases will have to wait until at least April 15th.

House Passes Bill Extending Domestic Violence Protection

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House Judiciary Committee gave unanimous approval Wednesday to a bill to extend domestic violence protection to people in dating relationships. Under Kentucky’s current law, protection orders are available only in cases in which couples have been married or divorced, have lived together or have a child in common. Representative John Tilley, a Hopkinsville Democrat who is the committee chairman and sponsor of the bill, said others in romantic or intimate relationships need similar protection should they fall victim to violence from their partner.

Legislation To Deregulate Land-Line Phone Service Passes

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Despite objections that AT&T and other companies would be allowed to abandon land lines in unprofitable areas, a Senate committee passed legislation Tuesday that largely completes the deregulation of land-line telephone service in Kentucky. Under Senate Bill 12, phone companies wouldn’t have to provide land lines to all homes and businesses if a competitor were available to provide those services. If there were no competitor, a company could substitute cell phone service instead. Mary Pat Regan, president of AT&T in Kentucky, says her company has no plans to abandon existing lines but would simply like the opportunity to stop the expansion of land lines where it’s not economically feasible.

House Panel Approves Public Smoking Ban

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House Health and Welfare Committee voted 10-2 Tuesday for a public smoking ban aimed to protect people from secondhand smoke inside workplaces, jails, bars, restaurants and even private homes if those residences are used for child care or adult daycare. House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Tuesday he supports calling the measure for a floor vote. Proponents had worried that House leaders might opt to let the bill die this year, a legislative election year, to avoid forcing incumbent lawmakers to take a stand on what is considered a hot-button issue in Kentucky.

House Votes To Ban Synthetic Drugs

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House voted 96-0 Tuesday for a bill to ban synthetic drugs. The legislation would ban any substances intended to mimic better-known drugs such as marijuana and methamphetamine. People caught selling synthetic drugs could be sentenced to up to a year in jail.

Additional Counties To Receive Federal Aid

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear announced Tuesday that residents of five additional counties in Kentucky are now eligible for assistance following tornadoes and severe storms earlier this month. The new counties are Grayson, LaRue, Ohio, Russell and Trimble. Governor Beshear's office says the total number of counties receiving federal aid is now 21. People may receive grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover. Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated counties can apply for assistance online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired.

Measure To Create Child Abuse Review Panel Passes

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A measure to create an external panel to review child abuse cases involving fatalities or near fatalities was approved Tuesday by the Kentucky House of Representatives by a vote of 96-0. The 13-member state panel of experts would review how child abuse cases were handled by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. A child fatality review team would be created to refer information to the panel which would include members with specific professional backgrounds, including a pediatrician, a family court judge, a court-appointed special advocate, a prosecutor and a coroner, and others. The bill also would create an Independent Office of Investigation for Child Protective Services that would investigate and make recommendations for improvements. Both the panel and the office would have the power to subpoena records. The bill would expand the list of household members about which reports of abuse or neglect are initially reported to the cabinet without immediately notifying law enforcement.

DOE Names Green Ribbon Schools

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Department of Education has honored three public schools in Kentucky for their contributions to environmental impact, health and education. Rosa Parks Elementary in Fayette County, Georgetown Middle in Scott County and Richardsville Elementary in Warren County will serve as the state's nominees for the national 2012 Green Ribbon School award to be named by the U.S. Department of Education on April 23rd. The award recognizes efforts toward energy efficiency, sustainability and healthy environments.

ABC News Series To Highlight Steve Nunn

• ABC's Revenge for Real news series has scheduled a segment called "The Governor's Son" for 10:00 P.M. Wednesday which will highlight convicted murderer Steve Nunn, a former state lawmaker and son of the late Kentucky Governor Louie B. Nunn. Steve Nunn pleaded guilty last June to the 2009 murder of his former fiancée, Amanda Ross and is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Monday, the gun and bullets used in the fatal shooting of Ross were displayed publicly for the first time in response to a request by ABC under the Open Records Act. ABC journalist Chris Cuomo says Revenge for Real will tell the story of Nunn "crossing the line from someone who didn't meet expectations to someone who wound up being a killer." Tracey Damron, who was married to Nunn from 1996 to 2006, says she still loves Steve Nunn the man but doesn't know Steve Nunn the murderer. Damron describes most of her marriage to Nunn as "a fairy-tale experience." She says Nunn began to exhibit very odd behavior after they moved into the governor's Pin Oak Farm near Versailles. Damron is working with true-crime author Corey Mitchell of Texas on a book about Nunn. Damron is one of several people connected to the murder case who have talked with ABC for its Revenge for Real news series. Others who have spoken with ABC include Ross' mother, Diana Ross, and Fayette Commonwealth's Attorney Ray Larson.

Transportation Department Paid Inflated Price For Land

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Public records show that the Kentucky Transportation Department paid an inflated price for land in Columbia that it needed to build a bypass. The state paid more than $1.1 million for land after Adair County banker Randy Murray divided his land and shifted deeds among family and friends to inflate the value of the property originally appraised for $673,500. The highway project, now known as Veterans Memorial Highway, opened in 2008. Transportation Cabinet spokesman Chuck Wolfe says the cabinet was well aware of what he was doing but had no practical or legal way to prevent it, and the only alternative was to cancel a $27 million highway project. Wolfe says the maneuvers were legal in Kentucky.

Smoking Ban Vote Postponed

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A proposed statewide ban on smoking in public places could receive a vote in the House Health and Welfare Committee Wednesday after Chairman Tom Burch, D-Louisville, called off a meeting Monday because some lawmakers who support the proposal were unavailable to attend. The measure had been expected to come up for a vote last week, but a Republican boycott forced it to be postponed because the panel lacked a quorum. The bill, intended to protect Kentuckians from second-hand smoke, would prohibit lighting up indoors at a wide range of businesses, including bars and restaurants. The ban would extend even to private homes if those homes are used for child care or adult daycare. Such a measure has been discussed in Kentucky for years, but lawmakers in the major tobacco-producing state have been reluctant to tackle the issue. Representative Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, says she is confident the measure will pass the committee, but she doesn't think it has the votes to get out of the Senate.

Measure Allows Concealed Weapons

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...House Representatives voted 90-4 Monday for a measure that would allow retired prosecutors special privileges to carry concealed weapons anywhere in the state. The bill that extends to commonwealth's attorneys and county attorneys the same right that already has been given to retired judges is intended to allow retired prosecutors to defend themselves if attacked. Kentucky already allows people to carry concealed weapons if they have permits to do so. Democratic state Representative Bob Damron's measure would allow retired prosecutors to carry them into restricted areas, like courthouses, where the general population wouldn't be permitted to carry guns.

Humana Lawsuit Settled

{Louisville, Kentucky}...A dispute over the name "Concentra" that was triggered by a backlash over ads that ran on Rush Limbaugh's radio program on March 5th has been settled. Louisville-based Humana is the parent company of Concentra Health Services, a nationwide chain of health care clinics. Maine-based Selfworx.com is affiliated with the Preval Group, which aired an ad for Concentra memory-enhancement pills on Limbaugh's show. Humana sued Preval for trademark infringement on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Louisville, saying it received angry phone calls, emails and web postings after the Concentra pill ad aired. The Preval Group agreed to stop marketing its pills as Concentra and either rebrand or destroy any stock bearing that name. Jackaline Rutter, a brand manager for Preval, said the company didn't buy an ad targeted at Limbaugh's show. Instead, Preval purchased Concentra pill advertising to air anytime between 7:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. that day and it just happened to air during Limbaugh's broadcast in the New York market. Rutter said Preval, a marketing company that sells the memory pills, has discontinued advertising on Limbaugh's show.

Legal Aid Of The Bluegrass Makes Cuts

{Covington, Kentucky}...Federal funding cuts have led Legal Aid of the Bluegrass to cut nine positions, including two lawyers in Covington, where the nonprofit is based, two in Lexington and one in Morehead. Legal Aid of the Bluegrass provides assistance in civil cases to low-income families in 33 counties. The staff reduction is part of a trend after federal funding to the nation’s 135 legal aid societies was reduced this year by $72 million, to $348 million. Before the most recent cuts, Legal Aid of the Bluegrass was already turning away 7,062 people who requested help and were eligible in terms of income.

Farmer's Attorney Defends Convention Expenses

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Records released Friday show an investigation of former Agriculture Department Commissioner Richie Farmer's tenure found that about $60,000 in gifts were purchased for the 2008 gathering of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture in Lexington. Visiting agriculture commissioners each got a Remington rifle with case, an engraved pocketknife and a custom-made wooden hat, among other gifts. Sponsorships paid by corporations, agricultural associations and individuals covered at least 80 percent of the convention's $208,851 cost. The convention expenses are being examined as part of a special audit of Farmer's 2003-2011 tenure. Current Agriculture Commissioner James Comer requested the audit after questions were the raised about Farmer's management, purchasing and hiring practices. Farmer's attorney, Guthrie True, says he doesn't think there's any reason to think state resources were used on any of the gifts.

Lawmakers Want Plant To Remain Open

{Paducah, Kentucky}...About 1,200 workers are in danger of losing their jobs if the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant closes later this year. U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield and Senators Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell met with U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu Friday in an effort to keep Paducah's government-owned nuclear enrichment plant operating.. They want the Energy Department to allow the plant to re-enrich its leftover uranium so it can be sold on the market. The lawmakers said Chu vowed to explore all avenues to save the workers' jobs and laid out multiple short-term options for the plant. Chu committed to work toward an agreement in the next 30 days.

VA To Choose Site In Louisville

{Louisville, Kentucky}...U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell says he talked with Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki Thursday to express concerns about delays in building the new VA hospital in Louisville. McConnell says Shinseki indicated the agency hopes to pick a final site this spring. The current VA hospital opened in 1952, and although it has undergone expansions, officials say it lacks adequate space to keep up with demand for its health services. The VA announced in 2006 that it plans to build the new hospital.

Woman Killed In Hardin County Wreck

• {Elizabethtown, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police say 32 year old Sarah Martin of Custer was killed Friday afternoon in a single-vehicle accident west of Elizabethtown, in Hardin County. Police say Martin overcorrected when her vehicle ran off the roadway on northbound St. John Road near Howevalley Road, and the vehicle overturned several times. Martin was pronounced dead at the scene, while her 14 year old son was flown to Kosair Children’s Hospital with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening.

Senate Likely To Add Budget Cuts

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Senate is likely to make additional spending cuts to Kentucky's budget to reduce the amount of debt that's proposed to keep state government running. Senator Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, a member of the Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee, said Friday his GOP colleagues are bent on capping the debt level at 6 percent. The state's debt would be 6.8 percent of revenues under a plan approved by the House earlier this week. That's down from 7.1 percent in the governor's original proposal.

Lawmakers Delay Statewide Smoking Ban Vote

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Debate over a proposal to conduct random drug testing on welfare recipients delayed a vote Thursday on legislation that would impose a statewide ban on smoking in public places. Republican lawmakers boycotted a meeting of the House Health and Welfare Committee because Chairman Tom Burch had refused to call the drug testing bill for a vote. That boycott left the committee without a quorum. The drug testing bill, sponsored by state Representative Lonnie Napier, R-Lancaster, has proven popular among lawmakers, more than 60 of whom have signed on as co-sponsors. Napier says job applicants typically require employees to pass drug screenings, and he believes welfare recipients should face that same scrutiny.

MSHA Sues Harlan County Mine

• {London, Kentucky}...The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration is suing D&C Mining Corp. in Harlan County for more than $1.6 million owed in delinquent fines for violations of safety laws. MSHA says it issued 1,244 citations and orders to the mine from January 24, 2006 to February 8th of this year. The suit filed in federal court Thursday in London says the penalties amount to $2.7 million, though the company has settled about $1 million of that. The suit asks a judge to order the mining company to pay a total of $422,809.57 in interest, plus accrued interest after February 8th.

Lawmakers Pass Drug Control Measures

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House voted 81-7 Thursday to approve Speaker Greg Stumbo’s bill which would move control of the state’s electronic prescription monitoring program to the Attorney General’s office from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the state Board of Medical Licensure. Stumbo and other critics say the board has not been aggressive enough in using it. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 8-1 to leave control of the program with the health cabinet. Sponsors of both bills say they remain optimistic that the 2012 General Assembly will ultimately pass a measure to deal with a problem that claims the lives of nearly 1,000 Kentuckians a year through the overprescribing of prescription drugs, but it’s unclear what final form such a bill will take. Senator Ray Jones, D-Pikeville, said about 82 Kentuckians die each month from prescription drug abuse, and that allowing the licensure board to write regulations for doctor participation in KASPER “is like letting the fox run the henhouse.”

Nursing Home Bill Tabled

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...House Health and Welfare Chairman Representative Tom Burch said Thursday that a controversial proposal that would require lawsuits against nursing homes to go before a medical review panel before being filed in court will not be voted on this legislative session. Burch says the bill will need further study and work, but it's possible the issue will be reconsidered this summer. Lawyers for the nursing home industry testified that personal injury lawyers know nursing homes will settle rather than pay for three to five years of litigation, even if the nursing homes believe a claim is bogus. They say lawsuits are driving up malpractice insurance and the cost of care in Kentucky.

Committee Approves Change In Open Records Act

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House State Government Committee voted 21-1 Thursday to exempt some private companies that have government contracts from having to publicly disclose information under the Kentucky Open Records Act if the revenue is received through competitive bidding. The Act now requires firms that get 25 percent or more of their revenue from local or state government to make public disclosures. Kentucky Press Association Executive Director David Thompson says he sees no problem with a tweak to the Kentucky Open Records Act because information about those contracts is available from the public agencies that award them.

Tornado Death Toll Rises

{Somerset, Kentucky}...Officials say the death of a Pulaski County woman found in a closet after deadly tornadoes swept through the state last week has raised the death toll to 23 in Kentucky. Somerset Police Lt. Shannon Smith says officers found 74 year old Helen Placke in a closet in her home Monday. Smith says the closet door handle had apparently fallen off, trapping Placke inside. Police believe Placke was hiding during the storms that passed through the area.

Man Charged With Stealing Donated Food

{West Liberty, Kentucky}...Daniel Leland, 54, was arrested Monday night at a Red Cross shelter in West Liberty and taken to the Big Sandy Detention Center on a charge of second-degree robbery after Kentucky State Police say he was posing as a Red Cross employee and trying to make off with about $150 worth of food intended for storm victims. Police say Leland went to the shelter wearing a Red Cross vest and gathered a large cache of food items, including bottled water, 13 cases of ready-to-eat military-type meals, and 10 to 15 "care packages" of food and threatened Red Cross staffers when they questioned him about taking the food. Leland claimed he was taking the food for distribution in another county. The food was recovered from Leland's van.

Somerset Woman Found Dead

{Somerset, Kentucky}...Pulaski County Sheriff's Deputies are investigating after the body of 58 year old Myrtle Bratton of Somerset was found in a barn off Barnesburg Road east of Somerset Wednesday morning. Deputies say Bratton did not appear to have suffered any obvious trauma. Family members told investigators she had been staying with a friend in Indiana and they had not been able to contact her for several days. Investigators are looking into circumstances surrounding the death and an autopsy has been schedule for Thursday at the Kentucky State Medical Examiners Office in Frankfort.

Tornadoes Severely Damage Schools

Schools in Magoffin, Morgan and Wolfe counties sustained severe damage from last week's tornadoes and thunderstorms. District spokeswoman Jennifer Salyer said Wednesday that West Liberty Elementary and the central offices of Morgan County Schools were so badly damaged that both have been condemned. Salyer said the plan is for West Liberty Elementary students and the district offices to move into the former Boneal factory building so that classes may resume Monday, if families in the storm-ravaged community are ready. Major storm damage to Herald Whitaker Middle School and Salyersville Grade School in Magoffin County have left more than a third of the district's 2,100 students with no place to attend classes. Magoffin Superintendent Joe Hunley said the two buildings were so badly damaged that neither can be repaired before the end of this school year. Wolfe County Schools Superintendent Kenny Bell says hail punctured hundreds of holes in the roof at Wolfe County High School during the storm, causing much of the interior to be flooded, and most of the district's school buses were damaged and will need extensive repairs.

House Passes Budget

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Wednesday, the House voted 78-17 to pass a $19.5 billion biennial budget that imposes 8.4 percent cuts on most state agencies. Education, public safety and a handful of other programs would be spared under Governor Steve Beshear's plan to close a $742 million shortfall. State Representative Rick Rand, chairman of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee, said Beshear's budget went largely unchanged, with some notable exceptions. The House extended the 8.4 percent cuts to the state judicial system, and the legislature took the same level of cuts. The House budget also whittled Beshear's proposal for some $950 million in new debt down to $350 million. Rand said House lawmakers also removed from Beshear's budget proposal several construction projects at the state's public universities, even though those projects were being paid for without General Fund appropriations. House lawmakers recommended additional spending in some high-priority areas, including nearly $4.3 million over the next two fiscal years to expand the state's prescription drug monitoring program known as KASPER. The House also approved Beshear's proposed tax amnesty plan that lawmakers believe could collect $55 million over the next two years. The state also would step up collections by hiring 85 additional Department of Revenue staffers to find delinquent taxpayers.

Federal Disaster Declaration For Kentucky

{Washington, D.C.}...President Barack Obama has declared a disaster declaration for Kentucky and has ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds and flooding during the period of February 29th to March 3, 2012. The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Johnson, Kenton, Laurel, Lawrence, Menifee, Morgan, and Pendleton. Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster. Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire commonwealth.

House Committee Approves College Completion Grants

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...A measure approved by the House Education Committee Tuesday would provide Kentucky Appalachian College Completion Grants to be funded by coal severance tax revenue earmarked for multi-county economic development projects in the region. Students with 60 credit hours could get as much as $6,000 per academic year if they attend private schools that offer four-year degrees, and $2,000 a year if they go to public university extension campuses in the area. HB 260 was approved by the House Education Committee with 21 yes votes, three nos and one pass. Paul Patton, president of the University of Pikeville, said that while he still thinks UPike should be a public regional university, the debate revealed the extent to which students in eastern Kentucky have fallen behind the rest of the state in college attainment. House Speaker Greg Stumbo said the bill probably would incorporate an idea from House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, that would put aside some of the grant money for students to be able to attend a regional school outside of eastern Kentucky if they wanted to get a specialized degree. Stumbo says he hopes the grant program can help as many as 1,500 students a year.

KSP Accepting Donations For Storm Victims

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police posts across the commonwealth are accepting donations of nonperishable food and cleaning supplies for storm victims. Collection began Tuesday at all KSP posts and will continue through the weekend. The agency says only food, cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, bedding and the like should be brought to police posts. Monetary donations should be made to service organizations, such as the Red Cross.

Residents Returning To West Liberty

{West Liberty, Kentucky}...Residents whose homes and belongings were destroyed by an EF-3 tornado that hit West Liberty last week were being allowed back into town Tuesday, but officials say the area remains hazardous. Banks in the small town opened up temporary locations and were allowing cash withdrawals of up to $500. The city's main shelter at Morgan Central Elementary was shutting down and moving to the Assembly of God Church at 558 Ky. 519. Tuesday, about 1,400 electric customers statewide remained without power, though that number did not reflect outages by small municipal utilities or TVA customers. The Public Service Commission said about 1,200 customers of Licking Valley RECC, which services Morgan County, were without power. Kentucky Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. and Justice Will T. Scott inspected the century-old Morgan County Courthouse and a new justice center under construction. Vance Mitchell with the state Administrative Office of the Courts said both buildings would probably be considered a total loss.

Prayer Breakfast Focuses On Storm Victims

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...During the 47th annual Governor's Prayer Breakfast at the Frankfort Convention Center Tuesday, Governor Steve Beshear prayed for the victims of the storms that ravaged the state last Wednesday and Friday and for the first responders, volunteers and others who have been working tirelessly to help them. Beshear spoke about "the faith that inspires us to look out for others in these troubled times, the faith that has made this country great, and the faith that has made this state grow strong." Beshear told a gathering of hundreds that the theme for the Breakfast, "A Humble Resilience," was chosen before last week's tornadoes claimed the lives of at least 22 people and injured about 300 others, but it couldn't have been more appropriate. Before Beshear's speech, Colmon Elridge, executive assistant to the governor, read the names of the 22 storm victims. He said Kentuckians have "stood strong and have stood united, knowing that as the song says, `We shall overcome.'" The Rev. Alan Keiran, chief of staff for the chaplain of the United States Senate and a retired Navy chaplain, was the keynote speaker. He commended those who persevere in difficulties, and those who dedicate their lives to serving others. Keiran said, "The happiest people I know on this planet are the ones who live to be a blessing to others."

Committee Approves Budget Bills

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House Appropriations and Revenue Committee approved the two-year, $19.5 billion executive branch budget plan on Tuesday by a 26-2 vote. The budget proposal would eliminate cost-of-living increases for state and local government retirees. Some 200,000 retirees had been slated to receive 1.5 percent increases. The committee largely accepted cuts originally proposed in January by Governor Steve Beshear: 8.4 percent to most state agencies and 6.4 percent to state universities. The committee also accepted Besher’s proposal to hold base funding for public schools at the current year level through each of the next two years. It eliminated requests by state universities to use their own revenues to finance about $450 million in bonds for projects, and it cut by half the $15 million increase Beshear had proposed for preschool in 2013-14. The House panel also passed a proposed legislative branch budget by a 28-1 vote and a judicial branch budget by 25-3. All three proposed budgets included spending cuts of more than 8 percent. They now go to the full House for consideration, possibly as early as Wednesday.

Attorney General Receives Price-Gouging Complaints

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Attorney General Jack Conway said Monday several complaints of possible price-gouging at gas stations in eastern Kentucky have been reported since tornadoes demolished portions of the state Friday. Governor Steve Beshear signed a consumer protection executive order over the weekend to implement Kentucky's price-gouging laws statewide. The order empowers the attorney general to investigate and prosecute, where appropriate, those who sell gasoline, generators, building supplies, chain saws, hotel rooms and other necessary goods and services at a price that is "grossly in excess" of the pre-declaration price. Complaints related to price gouging can be emailed to pricecomplaints@ag.ky.gov or consumers can call the state's price-gouging hotline at 502-696-5466.

Lawmakers Consider Budget

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Some 200,000 state and local government retirees had been slated to receive 1.5 percent increases, but House lawmakers, faced with tight finances, are recommending those hikes be suspended. Representative Rick Rand, D-Bedford, chairman of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee, says he expects his committee to vote on the state's proposed two-year, $19.5 billion budget Tuesday, and a House floor vote could come as soon as Wednesday. Governor Steve Beshear presented a budget proposal to lawmakers in January. House lawmakers recommended several adjustments to that proposal, including cutting about $32 million from the proposed judicial branch budget over the next two years. House lawmakers proposed nearly $4.3 million over the next two fiscal years to expand the state's prescription drug monitoring program, known as KASPER. House lawmakers also proposed an additional $5 million a year for the "Meals on Wheels" program that provides hot meals to needy senior citizens and an additional $250,000 to the Kentucky Division of Water to hire additional personnel to review applications for mine permits. Beshear and lawmakers have steadfastly refused to consider tax increases to bolster revenue, saying that could further damage the state's still fragile economy.

UK Hospital Implants Artificial Heart

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Twenty year old Zak Poe of Hebron appeared at a news conference Monday at the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital after receiving a SynCardia Total Artificial Heart implant on February 10th and a second implant last Wednesday. Poe, who grew up in Maysville, was otherwise healthy before seeking treatment in January for what he thought was an ulcer. Poe is the first Kentucky recipient of the SynCardia device. UK Hospital is one of 29 U.S. centers certified to perform the procedure, which is a bridge while waiting for a donor heart. The heart can be driven with a portable device called a Freedom Driver that fits into a shoulder bag.

Tax Reform Commission Schedules Public Meetings

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear's tax reform commission is scheduled to hold its first public meeting at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet headquarters in Frankfort at 12:30 P.M. Tuesday. The commission was set up to review Kentucky's tax code and recommend changes to better enable the state to withstand economic downturns and to make taxes more equitable for taxpayers. The recommendations are expected by November 15th. Additional meetings have been set for April 10th and May 8th in Frankfort, May 29th in Paducah, June 19th in Bowling Green, July 10th in Louisville, July 24th in Covington, August 7th in Prestonsburg, August 21st in Lexington and September 19th, October 2nd and November 8th in Frankfort.

House Passes Bill To License Social Workers

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Under a bill that passed the House Monday by a vote of 74-18, state social workers hired after next July 1st will have to be licensed by a national accrediting organization and those already on staff who have degrees in social work will have three years to obtain their licenses. Representative Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, the sponsor of the bill, says the bill would help restore respect to social workers and, in turn, allow the state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services to recruit and keep more highly trained social work professionals. State social workers who don’t have social work degrees would not be required to obtain them, nor would they be required to be licensed. The cabinet had been concerned how those social workers, many of whom have bachelor’s degrees in related fields such as psychology, could find time to obtain those degrees.

Weather-Related Fatalities

Updated: Mar 04, 2012 7:26 PM EST

A string of violent storms demolished small towns in Indiana and cut off rural communities in Kentucky as an early season tornado outbreak killed more than three dozen people. Below is a state-by-state look at the current death toll numbers.

Total deaths: 39

By state:

Alabama: 1

Georgia: 1

Indiana: 13

Kentucky: 21

Ohio: 3

Tornado Survivor Dies In Louisville Hospital

• {Louisville, Kentucky}...Doctors at Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville worked hard as 15 month old Angel Babcock clung to her life after she was found in a field near her home in New Pekin, Indiana Friday. But, Sunday, after being taken off life support, Babcock died at 4:10 P.M. of a traumatic brain injury. Angel Babcock had been the sole family survivor of a tornado that ripped through their home, killing her parents and two siblings. A neighbor says, in their last moments, the girl’s parents, Joesph Babcock, 21, Moriah Brough, 20, and her two siblings, Jaydon Babcock, 2, and Kendall Babcock, two months, who perished in the tornado were lying face-down in a hallway in their mobile home, holding hands and praying. Beverly Lanham, who lives next door, said her boyfriend, Jason Miller, tried in vain to save the family, going outside as the funnel cloud neared to warn them to get inside, while offering a place in his bigger, double-wide mobile home. Lanham said the twister picked Miller up and threw him and members of the family across the neighborhood off Old Pekin Road.

Storms/Tornadoes Cause Widespread Devastation

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...President Barack Obama phoned Governor Steve Beshear Saturday, while Beshear viewed the storm damage in southern Kenton County, and pledged federal support for the victims of the severe storms in Kentucky this week. Beshear took the call from President Obama while at the Piner-Fiskburg Fire Department. Governor Beshear and Lieutenant Governor Jerry Abramson and other lawmakers toured devastated areas across the Commonwealth Saturday after powerful storms and tornadoes caused widespread damage in forty Kentucky counties Friday. Beshear and Abramson, along with Senator Robert Stivers and Senator Damon Thayer, toured heavy damage in communities in West Liberty in Morgan County, Salyersville in Magoffin County and Piner in Kenton County. They were joined by Representative John Will Stacy in West Liberty, Representative John Short in Salyersville, and Representative Adam Koenig in Piner. Lieutenant Governor Abramson also visited East Bernstadt in Laurel County  with Senator Tom Jenson. More than 220 National Guard Troops have been deployed to assist Johnson, Laurel, Magoffin, Menifee and Morgan counties with storm-related damages. After visiting catastrophic damages from Friday's severe storms and tornadoes, Governor Steve Beshear spoke with both President Barack Obama and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to relay critical emergency information and reaffirm Kentucky's commitment to get relief to citizens quickly. Governor Beshear said, "The scope and magnitude of devastation in some of our communities is unlike anything I have ever seen." Governor Beshear says he's been in close contact with President Obama since Thursday to ensure we will have the resources our families will need to recover from these storms.

Beshear Signs Executive Orders

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Beshear has signed an executive order that will allow Kentuckians displaced by the storms to get up to a 30-day supply of needed medicines from a pharmacist. This is the first time this particular executive order has been issued. People who depend on regular supplies of maintenance medicines may have lost track of their medications in the aftermath of the storms. This order will not only allow for a temporary restoration of those drugs but will also allow pharmacists to dispense those prescriptions from facilities outside their regular pharmacies. This order will not allow for emergency refills of controlled substances. Governor Beshear declared a statewide emergency on Friday afternoon in order to allow local communities to access state resources and assistance without delay after multiple tornadoes and severe storms caused heavy damage across the state. Saturday, Governor Steve Beshear also signed a consumer protection executive order at the request of Attorney General Jack Conway to implement Kentucky's price-gouging laws.

Message From Congressman Hal Rogers

Congressman Hal Rogers released the following statement today, regarding the deadly
storms that swept across Kentucky March 2, 2012:

"Our region has suffered catastrophic loss from the deadly storms that swept across
the state over the last two days. My staff and I have been in contact with the
Governor's office, FEMA and Kentucky emergency management officials, along with
local first responders and volunteers. I commend all of our dedicated emergency
response teams and the Kentucky National Guard who have been diligently working to
save lives and provide immediate assistance. The people of Southern and Eastern
Kentucky are always resilient, and now it is time to pray and band together once
more. Cynthia and I send our deepest sympathies to those who have lost loved ones
and we offer our prayers for peace and strength across the region."
--Congressman Rogers

Governor Beshear To Survey Tornado Damage

FRANKFORT, Ky.  (March 3, 2012) -- Governor Steve Beshear and Lieutenant
Governor Jerry Abramson are touring devastated areas across the
Commonwealth.  The powerful storms caused widespread damage in forty
Kentucky counties.

Gov. Beshear will view damages in West Liberty (Morgan County),
Salyersville (Magoffin County), and Piner (Kenton County) today along
with Adjutant General Ed Tonini, Senator Damon Thayer, of Georgetown,
and Senator Robert Stivers, of Manchester.  Lt. Gov. Abramson will visit
East Bernstadt in Laurel County.

More than 220 National Guard Troops have been deployed to assist
Johnson, Laurel, Magoffin, Menifee and Morgan counties with
storm-related damages. 

The Kentucky Department of Public Health has reported a total of 17
fatalities reported to the agency by local coroners.  Due to a
discrepancy in reporting, the number of fatalities in Menifee has been
changed.  Four fatalities have been reported in Laurel County, four in
Morgan County, three in Kenton County, two in Johnson County, two in
Menifee County, and two in Lawrence County.  Approximately 300 injuries
have been reported.

Gov. Beshear declared a statewide emergency Friday to allow local
officials immediate access to state resources to assist in public safety
and recovery efforts.  Ten counties have declared states of emergency:
Bath, Campbell, Johnson, Kenton, Laurel, Lawrence, Magoffin, Pendleton,
Rowan, and Trimble counties as well as the city of Paintsville. 



Trained spotters and law enforcement officers throughout the state
reported 13 tornadoes in Kentucky, according to Kentucky Emergency
Management.



Damage assessments and rescue missions continue.  Severe storms began
rolling across the Commonwealth Friday afternoon beginning in the far
western part of the state and moved north and east of the Ohio River
from Indiana. 





Donations and Assistance

Citizens are strongly discouraged from driving through damaged areas, or
traveling to damaged areas in an unsolicited effort to assist.
Emergency responders need unfettered access to roads to continue rescue
missions and assessment efforts.

Individuals wishing to provide assistance should contact their local Red
Cross agency to determine ways to help those affected by the storms.



Missing Persons

Friends or family who have been unable to locate loved ones since
Friday's storms are encouraged to register the missing person's
information on the Kentucky Emergency Management website at
www.kyem.ky.gov <http://www.kyem.ky.gov/>  or through the American Red
Cross Safe and Well Program at www.americanredcross.org
<http://www.americanredcross.org/> .  



Shelters Open

Several shelters have opened by the Red Cross to accommodate citizens
displaced by the storm:

*        Elliott County High School

Main Street

Sandy Hook, KY



*        Lawrence County High School

100 Bulldog Lane

Louisa, KY 



*        Grant County High School

715 Warsaw Rd.

Dry Ridge, KY



*       Laurel Fire Dept.

911 TLC Lane

London, KY