Cold Medicine Makers Hit Record Spending

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...According to reports filed with the state Legislative Ethics Commission, the Consumer Healthcare Products Association spent $457,053 on lobbying activities in the first three months of this year's legislative session lobbying Kentucky legislators in its fight to defeat a proposal aimed at reducing the number of methamphetamine labs by requiring a prescription for some cold medicines. The group's lobbying effort was so dominant that it spent more than the next five groups combined from January through March, the most money that any group has ever spent on lobbying in a legislative session. The group, which represents over-the-counter drug makers, advertised in the state's largest newspapers through the first three months of the session, and in other media, but it doesn't have to disclose that spending to the ethics commission.

Man Allegedly Threatens ATF Agent

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Ted Schlenker of Louisville, a former Kentucky Department of Corrections employee who owned Kentucky Gun Runners, a gun shop in La Grange, until January 2011, waived a federal detention hearing set for Monday after being arrested Saturday and charged with knowingly depositing a firearm in the mail and mailing a threatening communication to a federal law enforcement officer. Authorities say he mailed a 9 mm pistol and a threatening letter to Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent Dan Volk in Bowling Green who was overseeing an investigation into an explosion in which Schlenker was a suspect. Schlenker first came to the attention of the ATF in January 2010, when a hand grenade hidden under an orange traffic cone injured 21 year old Clarissa M. Tackett, the stepdaughter of Phillip Brierly, a senior captain at Roederer Correctional Center in LaGrange, where Schlenker worked. ATF Agent Kevin Funke wrote in an affidavit that Volk had been sent the pistol along with a note making reference to "getting a better gun if you want this to look like a suicide." Funke wrote that agents traced the gun to Schlenker and found writing on a notepad similar to the note at his home.

Department Of Agriculture Audit Released

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...State Auditor Adam Edelen released a financial review Monday, saying a team of auditors discovered what they believed to be "a toxic culture of entitlement" within the Kentucky Department of Agriculture during the administration of former Commissioner Richie Farmer, including evidence suggesting Farmer misused state employees by directing them to perform personal errands for him, including taking him hunting. The audit also says Farmer, who had state workers build a basketball court in his back yard while on state time, used $900 in concrete donated from a vendor to build the basketball court and a retaining wall at his Frankfort home and never reported the gift, as required by state ethics laws. Edelen said Farmer had state employees mow his yard and chauffeur his dog between Frankfort and Louisville during the State Fair because the hotel wouldn't allow dogs, all while on the clock. Edelen says he will refer the information to agencies including the Kentucky Attorney General, the Executive Branch Ethics Commission and the Internal Revenue Service. Farmer's attorney, Guthrie True of Frankfort, dismissed the audit as very political and self-serving, saying he doesn't see anything that any law enforcement agency is going to likely get excited about pursuing in terms of criminal prosecution.

Manchester City Worker Killed

{Manchester, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police were called about 10:30 P.M. Friday night after an embankment fell in and buried 51 year old Victor Gilbert, a city worker in Manchester who was attempting to repair a water main leak. He was freed with a backhoe and taken to Manchester Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Incumbent Lawmakers Unopposed

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Some 45 incumbent lawmakers in Kentucky, 40 state representatives and five senators, are running unopposed in both the spring primary and fall general elections this year. Of the 119 legislative seats up for election this year, only 36 will be on primary election ballots May 22nd. Twenty-eight are House seats and eight are Senate seats. University of Louisville political scientist Laurie Rhodebeck says the lack of competition in this year's races causes her to question whether potentially strong candidates want nothing to do with the chaos of Frankfort politics.

Judge Considers Sexual Harassment Case

{Lexington, Kentucky}...In a motion filed Friday, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government has asked Fayette Circuit Judge James Ishmael to set aside the verdict and judgment or grant a new trial in the sexual harassment case of jail employee Charlotte Trotter, a corporal at the Fayette County Detention Center. Trotter's attorney, Shane Sidebottom, filed an application in circuit court for $203,418 in attorney fees. Trotter was awarded $60,000 by a circuit court jury in March after the jury found she was sexually harassed on the job in 2009. The verdict was split, with the jury not finding that Trotter was the victim of retaliation and not finding that evidence proved Michael Korb, a major at the jail, touched Trotter's breast without her consent in October 2009. In the motion, Leslie Vose, an attorney for the local government, Korb and former detention center director Ron Bishop, all defendants in the case, said "the verdict and judgment are not supported by the facts and the law, that the verdict is not sustained by sufficient evidence and is otherwise contrary to law, and that errors of law occurred at trial."

Department Of Agriculture Audit

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...George "Doug" Begley, whose uncle is married to former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, worked for nearly five years in the Department of Agriculture out of Breathitt County inspecting amusement park rides in eastern Kentucky, despite never receiving certification to do the work. Begley was making a little more than $33,000 a year. Documents in Begley's personnel file show he voluntarily accepted a demotion to the department's fuel-testing division in March after Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, who took office in January, discovered Begley never received his certification. Kentucky's nine remaining amusement ride inspectors all have certifications from the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials, which provides training for inspectors. Comer asked state Auditor Adam Edelen to conduct an audit of the Department of Agriculture after finding several irregularities in the department when he took office in January. Edelen's office is expected to announce the results of that audit Monday.  

Danville Man Accused Of Trying To Buy Sex

{Danville, Kentucky}...Seventy-six year old Robert Sands of Danville has been charged with possession with intent to deliver and solicitation of prostitution after allegedly trying to buy sex with drugs from an off-duty female state trooper on a Boone County jogging trail. Sands apparently did not remember Sgt. L.J. McClung, who once arrested him for allegedly shoplifting women's underwear. McClung was in her civilian clothes when Sands allegedly offered her ten Percocet pills for sex.

Elderly Woman Sues Dentist

{Lexington, Kentucky}...In a lawsuit filed in Fayette Circuit Court in Lexington, 71 year old Lena David  is asking for an undisclosed amount of damages from Dr. W.B. Galbreath of Lexington, says the dentist dropped a small screwdriver down her throat, and the screwdriver ended up in her digestive tract, where surgeons at St. Joseph Hospital later removed it. The file includes an X-ray, purported to be David's, which shows the silhouette of the screwdriver in her pelvic region.

Nurse Anesthetists Exempt From Federal Requirement

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear is exempting nurse anesthetists from a federal requirement that they be supervised by a physician when administering anesthetics to patients, a move opposed by anesthesiologists. Beshear announced his decision Friday to opt out of the federal requirement, saying the change won't affect quality of care. The Kentucky Hospital Association supported the change, but the Kentucky Society of Anesthesiologists called on Beshear to reverse his decision, saying it threatens the safety of patients. The Kentucky Association of Nurse Anesthetists says Kentucky is the 17th state to opt out in the 10 years since the federal government gave states this choice.

Court Of Appeals Considering Wagering

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A panel of the state Court of Appeals in Frankfort is considering the legality of wagers on previously run races at Kentucky horse tracks, and Judge Sara Jones says the panel will issue a ruling on the matter in the next four to six weeks. The issue stems from a 2010 decision by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to allow patrons at tracks to bet on previously run horse races on slot-like machines. The Family Foundation has challenged whether the commission had the authority to make that decision. It is likely to be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

Day Care Worker Fired

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Christina Miller, a day care worker at the Mary Anita Nursery and Preschool, has been fired after being arrested on a third-degree criminal abuse charge. Miller is accused of pinning a 2 year old against a rocking chair and hitting the child several times, causing the toddler to suffer bruising to the head, ribcage and arm. Miller will be in court to face charges Friday.

Redistricting Law Unconstitutional

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that a newly passed redistricting law is unconstitutional because it doesn't adequately address population shifts of the past decade. The Supreme Court held that the populations of all of the state House and Senate districts shouldn't deviate more than 5 percent and that the plan should divide as few counties as possible. Redistricting occurs every 10 years to account for population changes found in the U.S. Census count. The latest count found that the state's overall population had shifted and grown from 4 million to 4.3 million between 2000 and 2010, requiring new legislative district boundaries. State law requires that legislative districts be of nearly equal size.

Deadly Weapons Allowed On College Campus

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday that guns and other deadly weapons may be stored in a car's glove compartment while on a college campus in the state. The ruling came in the case of University of Kentucky graduate student and anesthesia technician Michael Mitchell, who sued the university after he lost his job in 2009 after campus police found a semi-automatic pistol in his car. Fayette Circuit Judge Pamela Goodwine ruled in favor of the university, but the high court reinstated Mitchell's suit after concluding the law allows guns to be kept in a car's glove compartment.

Former ACLU Attorney Permanently Disbarred

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday that David Allen Friedman of Louisville, a one-time attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union in Kentucky, withheld a $115,000 judgment from two clients and used the money for personal expenses. Friedman admitted to six violations of professional ethics rules and did not contest being permanently disbarred. The punishment does not stem from any work Friedman did for the ACLU, including cases involving the posting of the Ten Commandments in courthouses.

Bush Postpones KY Visit

{Richmond, Kentucky}...Former President George W. Bush has postponed a fund-raiser visit to St. Mark Roman Catholic Church and School in Richmond, Kentucky that was scheduled for May 3rd. Father Jim Sichko, pastor at St. Mark, says says the postponement was beyond the church's control, and he offers apologies, and he says  people who bought tickets for Bush's appearance will receive refunds within a few weeks.

UK Coaching Staff Honorary Grand Marshals Of Pegasus Parade

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari and his coaching staff will serve as honorary grand marshals of the Pegasus Parade in Louisville on Thursday, May 3rd. The coaching staff will bring along the national championship trophy. Singer Cyndi Lauper will be the grand marshal in the parade. Kentucky Derby Festival President and CEO Mike Berry is encouraging Kentucky fans to show their pride by wearing blue apparel in support of the Wildcats' eighth national championship.

Clay County Magistrate Fatally Shoots Himself

{Manchester, Kentucky}...Manchester Police Chief Chris Fultz says 47 year old Sharon Lyttle was taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center Wednesday after her husband, Clay County Magistrate 51 year old James "Jimbo" Lyttle, stabbed her several times then killed himself. Authorities say died of a gunshot to the head from a .38-caliber revolver after he shot himself in an outbuilding.

Senate Approves Bill To Delay Post Office Closings

{Washington, D.C.}...The Postal Service is criticizing a bill passed by the Senate that would delay closings of thousands of low-revenue post offices and mail processing centers. The Senate bill, which passed Wednesday, gives the mail agency an $11 billion cash infusion but bars many closings, requiring further studies instead. The measure now goes to the House, which has yet to consider a separate bill. The board of governors for the mail agency says the measure "falls far short" and would do little to stem financial losses. The board also called the Senate bill "totally inappropriate," saying it would keep unneeded mail facilities open. Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said if the bill became law, the agency would return to Congress in a few years to get emergency help.

Judge Orders State To Consider Executions

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Wednesday, Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ordered the state to consider changing how it executes prisoners by lethal injection, saying it should look into using one drug instead of three. Judge Shepherd wrote that the state's three-drug method may no longer be necessary now that other states have successfully used a single drug to execute condemned inmates. The ruling comes 20 months after Shepherd halted all executions in the state after inmates challenged the three-drug method. The order gives Kentucky 90 days to study the changes. If the state sticks with a three-drug method, Shepherd wrote, the challenge by the inmates will be allowed to go to trial.

Louisville Mom To Meet President Obama

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Myrdin Thompson of Louisville is one of a dozen people from across the country meeting with President Barack Obama Thursday to mark the one-year anniversary of his White House Champions of Change program that recognizes community leaders. She was named to the program last year for her volunteer work in public schools. Thompson, who has three children in the Jefferson County public school system, has been a volunteer and advocate since 2002 and served as president of the state's largest PTA district.

Beshear Issues Warning To Unethical Doctors

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Before signing legislation to fight prescription drug abuse Tuesday, Governor Steve Beshear issued a warning to doctors who skirt ethical standards. Surrounded by legislative leaders and law enforcement officials, Beshear said we're here for the signing of the bill, "but we're also here to deliver a loud and clear message to the pill pushers in white coats and the illegitimate pill mills in Kentucky, and that message is, get out of this state, because we're coming after you." Beshear was joined by Attorney General Jack Conway, the legislation's sponsor House Speaker Greg Stumbo, Senate Majority Leader Robert Stivers and other leaders. House Bill 1 requires that prescribers use an electronic prescription monitoring program and that pain clinics be owned by medical practitioners. Conway said about 90 percent of doctors who have used KASPER have reported that it resulted in changes to their prescribing practices, but only about a quarter of the state's doctors are currently using the monitoring program, and the bill will change that.

Attorney Criticizes Karen Sypher's Book

• {Louisville, Kentucky}...Karen Sypher, the woman convicted of trying to extort cars, cash and a house from Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino has self-published a book titled "Guilty Until Proven Innocent" complaining that while she "eats canned spinach" at a federal prison camp, Pitino is "puffing away on his Cuban cigars and drinking his Bourbon." Sypher repeats her claims that Pitino raped her twice in 2003. Pitino has said he briefly had sex with Sypher once, after hours at a restaurant. Pitino's lawyer, Steve Pence, says Sypher is "repeating the same lies that a federal jury unanimously rejected." Sypher says the government protected Pitino by falsely portraying her as the "biggest prostitute in Louisville" who accomplished everything "on an office floor or restaurant table."

UMWA Endorses Janet Stumbo

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The United Mine Workers of America has endorsed Janet Stumbo in her race for a seat on the Kentucky Supreme Court. Stumbo, a former Supreme Court justice now serving on the Kentucky Court of Appeals, is challenging incumbent Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott to represent a judicial district that covers the state's eastern coalfields and outlying counties. UMWA regional vice president Steve Earle said in a letter that his union is committed to fully supporting Stumbo in the nonpartisan race. With only the two candidates in the race, they won't face off until the November general election.

Jackson County Residents Charged With Assault

{McKee, Kentucky}...Jackson County residents Casey Lynn Farra, 25, Junetta Farra, 48, and Orville Mosley, 48, have been charged with assaulting Devona Ward, a woman they thought had cooperated with authorities in a federal drug case. Ward was a defendant in a drug case with Casey Farra’s mother, Shannon Martin. Ward told authorities the three gave her a ride to the store on April 17th, but they pulled over on the way home and attacked her. FBI agent Christopher A. Hubbuch says Ward had not been an informant in the case, but she had later talked with authorities and could have been a witness at the trial.

Attorney General Sets Date For New Laws

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Attorney General Jack Conway has set July 12th as the date for most new laws passed this year by the General Assembly to take effect. The Constitution requires those laws to take effect after the Legislature has been adjourned for 90 days. Lawmakers convened in Frankfort in early January and finished the regular legislative session on April 12th.

UK Renames Residence Hall

{Lexington, Kentucky}...The University of Kentucky held a formal ceremony Tuesday in front of the residence hall known as North Hall to rename the building the David P. Roselle Hall in honor of former university president David P. Roselle. The UK board of trustees approved the name change last October. Roselle was the university's ninth president and served from July 1987 to December 1989. He left to become president of the University of Delaware and is now director of Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library in Delaware.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

State and federal leaders want people to empty their medicine cabinets of unused drugs, particularly prescription pain relievers, and bring them from 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. Saturday to one of 75 drop off sites around Kentucky. The drop off program is part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. To find drop-off locations in Kentucky, visit: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html.

ARH Sues Coventry Care

A lawsuit filed by Appalachian Regional Healthcare is seeking millions in unpaid claims from Coventry Care. In a letter written to ARH, Coventry CEO Timothy Nolan calls the lawsuit counter-productive, a waste of resources and baseless. ARH CFO Joe Grossman says patients with Coventry make up ten to 12% of the services ARH provides and less patients means less money. CEO Jerry Haynes says officials are looking at reductions in staff that will affect at least 300-400 workers. Those still covered by Coventry Care have until May 3rd to change their insurance.

Clinton Talks Environment

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Speaking to several thousand people at Rupp Arena in Lexington Monday, former President Bill Clinton said the most effective way to protect the environment is to show that it can be good business. Clinton said the only way to adequately deal with climate change is to develop a business model that shows it will boost the economy. He said retrofitting schools and local government buildings would create thousands of jobs.

Manchester Doctor Faces Child Pornography Charge

{Manchester, Kentucky}...Dr. Kishore Jadhav of Manchester has been charged with producing child pornography. Kentucky State Police arrested Dr. Jadhav Friday. Kentucky State Police say their investigation started in March from a complaint they received but it was quickly forwarded to federal authorities who are continuing their investigation to determine if there are additional victims.

Man Pleads Guilty To Reckless Homicide

{Greenup, Kentucky}...A re-trial for Willam E. Gullett was supposed to start Monday morning in Greenup Circuit Court with jury selection, but Gullett pleaded guilty to reckless homicide in the 2009 death of his wife, 45 year old Vivian Gullett. Gullett was originally tried in 2010, but the case ended with a mistrial when, after three and a half hours of deliberations, the jury could not agree on a verdict. During that trial, Gullett admitted to drinking before driving but said his wife grabbed the steering wheel, causing him to to hit a tree. He claimed she wanted to kill both of them. Gullett faces five years in prison when sentenced June 28th.

Bill Cinton To Speak At Rupp Arena

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Monday, former President Bill Cinton will speak at the Bluegrass Youth Sustainability Council Earth Day Celebration at Rupp Arena. Clinton was originally scheduled to speak to about 6,000 students, parents, teachers and community leaders from noon to 1:00 P.M. at the Alltech arena at the Kentucky Horse Park, but the event has been moved to Rupp Arena. Free tickets will be available for parents, guardians, friends and school community partners at 9:00 A.M. on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors will open at 10:30 A.M. People must be seated by 11:45 A.M.

Fayette County Inmate Escapes

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Authorities say Fayette County inmate 22 year old Anthony Curtis Wallen was working Saturday at Fresh Approach as a community service worker when he walked away from custody. Wallen was serving 12 months for receiving stolen property and failure to appear on receiving stolen property, and failure to appear on theft by unlawful taking. Wallen is described as a white male who is 5-foot-10 and 220 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Patriot Coal Announces Mine Closing

{Henderson, Kentucky}...Patriot Coal Co. is permanently closing its Freedom mine in eastern Henderson County this summer, meaning at least 156 miners will lose their jobs. A notice Patriot filed with county and state officials Friday said the closing could also idle another seven people at the Bluegrass mining complex office in Henderson and up to 37 people at the Grand Eagle coal preparation plant in Henderson. The mine produced 1.2 million tons of thermal coal last year. Earlier this year, Patriot closed three Appalachian thermal coal mines that produced a total of about 1.2 million tons in 2011.

UK Officials Plan Tuition Hike

{Lexington, Kentucky}...President Eli Capilouto says UK has lost $50 million in state funding since 2007, and, over the next two years, it faces another $20 million loss in the state budget and another $23 million gap from rising fixed costs, such as utilities and health care. University of Kentucky officials want to raise tuition by 6 percent for students and rule out raises for faculty and staff next year as they deal with a $43 million hole in the school's budget. For in-state freshmen and sophomores, that means tuition would jump from $9,128 this year to $9,676 in the 2012-13 academic year. For out-of-state students, tuition would increase from $18,740 a year to $19,864. While there will be no raises in 2012-2013, Capilouto said there will be a 5 percent merit pool for raises in 2013-2014. In addition, administrative units will be cut at higher rates to "help protect the academic core."

UK Student Dies

{Lexington, Kentucky}...University of Kentucky student 19 year old Austin Armstrong died Friday morning at UK's Chandler Hospital from blunt-force trauma after losing control of his motorcycle in Lexington. Witnesses told police Armstrong was driving at an extremely high rate of speed when he lost control of his bike, overcorrected and wrecked around 2:00 A.M. Armstrong is the second Lafayette High School graduate to die in a crash on New Circle Road in the last two weeks.

Special Session Wraps Up

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky lawmakers wrapped up a  5-day special session about 6:00 P.M. Friday after passing a measure intended to curb prescription drug abuse in a state where more people die from overdoses than car wrecks. A compromise passed by the House and Senate would require all physicians in the state to use a prescription drug monitoring system. The measure passed the House 68-19 and the Senate 26-11. The House had pressed to give the attorney general control of the monitoring system so investigators could more easily identify and arrest unscrupulous doctors who overprescribe painkillers. In a compromise, that system was left in the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

Murder Victims Bodies Ordered Preserved

{Richmond, Kentucky}...Madison District Judge Brandy Brown has ordered two bodies be preserved for possible testing for evidence in the case of an Eastern Kentucky University student and an Iraqi war veteran charged with murder. Judge Brown ruled that defense attorneys may have someone examine the remains of Sonsaray "Sonsi" Warford and Charles "Chew" Walker, whose bodies were found March 27th after being reported missing in 2010. Police have charged 25 year old Daniel Keene, a student, and 27 year old Matthew Denholm, a military veteran, with the killings. Commonwealth's Attorney David Smith says the case should go to a grand jury in May.

Preliminary Work Begins On Rupp Arena Upgrade

{Lexington, Kentucky}...At a monthly meeting Thursday, Bill Owen, president and CEO of the Lexington Center Corp., announced that preliminary work has begun on upgrading the University of Kentucky men's basketball locker room and related improvements at Rupp Arena. Construction is scheduled to start May 21st. Owen said the center has received five responses to its advertisement for a construction manager, and, hopefully, a decision will be made in the next week or two. Once the construction manager is selected, direct bidding for the rest of the project will begin. In March, the Lexington Center board approved an upgrade to the locker rooms that was initiated by coach John Calipari. Calipari has received $2.5 million in commitments from private donors for the $2.9 million project. The remaining $400,000 would come from the capital reserve fund of the Lexington Center Corp.

Former News Reporter Loses Appeal

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Former television news reporter Jerry Sander has lost an appeal of his lawsuit against former employer Lexington CBS affiliate WKYT. Wednesday, the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled 2 to 1 in favor of WKYT's parent company, affirming a previous decision by federal district judge Karl Forester that Sander voluntarily quit after a meeting in February 2008. Sander alleged he had not quit, but rather that he was terminated for other reasons, including his age. Sander was the station's highest-paid reporter, earning in the mid- to upper $80,000 range as part of an eight-year deal signed in 2005 with previous news director Jim Ogle. Sander's pay would have topped out at $96,510 in 2012.

Supreme Court Hears Harlan Circuit Judge's Appeal

{Harlan, Kentucky}...An attorney for Harlan Circuit Judge Russell D. Alred argued to the state Supreme Court Thursday that Alred was treated unfairly when he was ordered removed from office for misconduct and should be allowed to keep his job. Alred is appealing a decision by the state Judicial Conduct Commission, which ordered him removed last September. The panel judged Alred guilty of numerous ethics violations, including having improper involvement in cases, failing to dispose of cases fairly, using his office to advance personal interests and misrepresenting his actions. The commission had offered a deal in which Alred would receive a 90-day suspension if he would admit ethics breaches, but he refused. Alred agreed not to preside over cases after the commission ruling last year, but still receives his salary. He is the fourth judge since 1984 to be removed from office by the commission.

Committee Approves Transportation Budget

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Senate Appropriations and Revenue Committee approved a $4.5 billion transportation budget Thursday after inserting language that would restore nearly $50 million for road construction projects that had been vetoed by Governor Steve Beshear. Appropriations and Revenue Committee Chairman Bob Leeper cited a "fit of conscience" for his push to put the $50 million in road projects into the transportation budget. Leeper said he felt the projects, all of which were in Senate President David Williams' district, had been unfairly stricken from the state's road construction plan. The spending measure now advances to the Senate floor for a planned vote on Friday.

Laurel County Family Members Arrested

{London, Kentucky}...Attorney General Jack Conway announced Thursday the arrest of four people following an investigation into a federal disability benefit program. On April 13, 2012 investigators from the Attorney General's office and Social Security Administration's Office of Inspector General arrested 44 year old Barbara Sands, 47 year old Versie Partain, and their two daughters, 24 year old Amy Partain and 21 year old Melinda Partain, all of London, on one count each of possession of a forged instrument, identity theft and theft of a U.S. Treasury check over $500. During the course of the investigation, Eric Partain, son of Sands and Versie Partain, died on March 29, 2012. On March 30, 2012, Sands, Amy Partain and Melinda Partain allegedly forged and cashed a Supplemental Security Income check issued to Eric Partain, which he was not entitled to receive after his death. All four entered not guilty pleas at their arraignment in Laurel District Court earlier this week.

Beshear Signs Road Construction Plan

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Wednesday, Governor Steve Beshear signed off a $4.5 billion road construction plan after using his line-item veto power to remove nearly $50 million in projects slated for a largely rural district represented by Senate President David Williams. Beshear vetoed 10 projects in Williams' district ranging in cost from $777,000 to $11.5 million. Beshear said a review of the road plan legislation over the last few days revealed Senator Williams took extraordinary steps to enrich his district at the expense of other priority projects in the state, but Williams denied that was true. Williams said Beshear's action on the road plan cleared the way for lawmakers to pass a transportation budget this week and wrap up a special legislative session that is costing taxpayers more than $60,000 a day. Williams said he believes the special session is now on pace to conclude Friday.

Prescription Drug Bill Passes House

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House voted 70-28 Wednesday to approve legislation that would make it easier to identify and prosecute doctors who overprescribe painkillers that are being widely abused in Kentucky. The measure would require all physicians to tap into the state's prescription monitoring system to determine if patients seeking painkillers or anti-anxiety drugs have recently gotten similar medications from other doctors. Investigators from the attorney general's office also would monitor the prescribing practices of doctors, allowing quick investigations into questionable behavior. The Kentucky Medical Association opposes the House measure, but House Speaker Greg Stumbo, who sponsored the measure, says it is crucial in a state where nearly 1,000 people are dying from drug overdoses each year.

Superseding Indictment Returned In Breathitt County

{Jackson, Kentucky}...A federal grand jury indicted Breathitt County School Superintendent Arch Turner in March on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and lying to a federal agent. A superseding indictment returned Wednesday charges Turner with conspiracy, lying to the FBI, telling someone else to lie to a federal grand jury and trying to get a witness not to talk. The indictment also charges that Turner and John L. Turner conspired with several others in a vote-buying scheme, and that Arch Turner provided money to buy votes. Arch Turner, who previously pleaded not guilty, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted, and John L. Turner faces up to five years. A total of seven people have pleaded guilty or been convicted of vote fraud in connection with the May 2010 primary in Breathitt County.

Neo-Nazi Group Planning KY Rally

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Heightened security is expected in Frankfort for a neo-Nazi group's weekend protest against illegal immigration. State troopers, Frankfort police officers and sheriff's deputies will be present Saturday for the National Socialist Movement's planned march from Todd Street to the Capitol steps, where the rally is scheduled to be held. The city and state have issued permits for an estimated 200 demonstrators from the Detroit-based group.

Unemployment Rate Falls

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky's unemployment rate dropped in March to 8.6 percent from 8.7 percent in February. While it's improving, the state's unemployment rate continued to lag behind the national rate, which fell to 8.2 percent in March from 8.3 percent in February. Six of the state's 11 major economic sectors reported employment increases in March with the state adding 3,200 non-farm jobs during the month. Leading the growth were the trade, transportation and utilities sector, which added 1,900 jobs, and the leisure and hospitality sector, which grew by 1,800 positions. The latter's growth came primarily from retail stores and restaurants. The financial activities sector added 900 jobs, while the educational and health services sector rose by 600 positions.

UK Undergraduates To Enter NBA Draft

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...University of Kentucky sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb and freshmen Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague jointly announced Tuesday at the Joe Craft Center on the UK campus that they will enter the NBA Draft. They will be joined in the June 28th draft by senior Darius Miller, who started only 11 of 40 games but averaged more than 26 minutes in what was, for the most part, a six-man rotation. Davis is forecast to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, and Kidd-Gilchrist is projected in the top five. The other four could potentially go in the first round, which would surpass the five Wildcats that were selected in the first round in 2010.

UK Groundbreaking Ceremony

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Officials from the University of Kentucky and the private development firm Memphis-based Education Realty Trust broke ground Tuesday on a $26 million, 600-bed residence hall.

UK and Education Realty Trust are negotiating the second phase of the deal, which would replace or build 9,000 beds on campus. That agreement would put all of UK's housing under private management. For the first new dorm, an honors residence hall complete with classrooms, Education Realty Trust is putting up all the equity, meaning UK will incur no debt. UK Treasurer Angie Martin says the school rejected starting a non-profit foundation that would be able to issue tax-free bonds and be allow an exemption from property taxes. However, those bonds would still be counted against UK's total debt capacity. Martin says, if UK can figure out how to get tax-exempt status for the new dorms, the rent costs for students would be lower. UK does have General Assembly approval to issue as much as $175 million in debt for the next few phases of the rebuilding plan, so it's possible UK could form a foundation in the future.

Attorney Ordered To Forfeit Millions

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell in Lexington ordered Kentucky attorney Bryan Coffman to forfeit $3.1 million in cash as well as a yacht and a condo in South Carolina that were proceeds from an oil drilling scam involving clients of his business, American Oil & Gas Resources. Caldwell found that money tucked away in bank and investment accounts held by Coffman, his wife Megan, or various business entities facilitated the money laundering part of the oil drilling scheme and should be forfeited. A federal jury convicted Coffman and 59 year old Gary Milby in May 2011 on multiple charges of mail, wire and securities fraud. Coffman, who was also convicted of money laundering and money laundering conspiracy, is scheduled for sentencing on May 2nd, while Milby is set for sentencing on May 3rd. The jury acquitted Megan Coffman of money laundering charges. Bryan Coffman was found not guilty of two money laundering counts. Prosecutors dismissed charges against co-conspirator Vadim Tsatskin after he was sentenced to three years in prison in Canada.

House Committee Passes Drug Abuse Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee voted 12-0 approving a prescription drug abuse bill that would require all physicians to tap into the state's prescription monitoring system to determine if patients seeking painkillers or anti-anxiety drugs have recently gotten similar medications from other doctors. Investigators from the attorney general's office also would monitor the prescribing practices of doctors, allowing quick investigations into questionable behavior. The Kentucky Medical Association opposed the measure, citing the "broad and overarching authority" given to the attorney general to gain access to what members believe should be private medical information and a provision that will require doctors to pay a fee of up to $50 a year to the attorney general's office to maintain the drug monitoring system. House Speaker Greg Stumbo, the Prestonsburg Democrat who sponsored the legislation, says the changes are crucial in Kentucky where nearly 1,000 people are dying from drug overdoses each year.

House Committee Approves Transportation Budget

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The House Appropriations and Revenue Committee voted 25-2 Tuesday, approving a $4.5 billion transportation budget that would widen interstate highways, expand airports and dredge river ports over the next two years. The bill also appropriates $2.6 billion for two bridges across the Ohio River in Louisville and $200 million to widen the heavily traveled Interstate 65, where numerous fatal traffic crashes have occurred in recent years. Stan Lampe, President of Kentuckians for Better Transportation, heralded the highway appropriations bill as a measure that will improve all modes of travel in the state. Lampe said the bill includes $1 million to dredge silt that is clogging up Kentucky's river ports, $3.2 million to upgrade railroad crossings around the state and $10 million to improve more than 50 of the state's smaller airports.

Theft In Knox County

{Barbourville, Kentucky}...Kenneth Hooker, Johnny Saylor, Debra Kelly, Sandy Allen Rice, Jerry Middleton, Ted Ray Davis and David Davis have been arrested in connection to a theft in Knox County. Charles Collins says thieves have stolen items from his scrap yard for months, but he feared for his life when he encountered the thieves on his property near Barbourville. Collins says, when he saw four of the men, he blocked the road with his vehicle and got his shotgun, and, while three of the men ran away, Kenneth Hooker, stayed and wrestled for the gun. Collins says, during the fight with Hooker for the gun, he found a knife on the ground and he ripped Hooker twice. The suspects ran away from the scene before deputies arrived.

Closed Pretrial Hearings Opposed

{Paducah,  Kentucky}...Paducah Sun attorney Mark Whitlow is opposing a prosecutor's request to close pretrial hearings in a deadly 1998 dorm fire at Murray State University. Prosecutor Mark Blankenship filed motions this month to close hearings in the case against Jerry Wayne Walker of Paducah, who faces trial in July on charges of manslaughter, arson, assault and wanton endangerment. The fire in Hester Hall killed 19 year old Michael Minger of Niceville, Florida and later prompted broad changes in campus fire security in Kentucky. Walker went to trial in 2001, but a mistrial was declared after jurors deadlocked. Prosecutors charged Walker again in September.

Wildcats To Announce Draft Intentions

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Projected No. 1 NBA draft pick Anthony Davis, freshmen Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marquis Teague, along with sophomores Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb will appear together Tuesday in Lexington to announce their draft intentions at a joint news conference. The five underclassmen made up the University of Kentucky's starting lineup in the 2011-2012 season and helped Kentucky win its eighth national championship. Davis, a 6-foot-10 power forward, won The Associated Press, Naismith and Wooden awards for national player of the year, the first player from Kentucky to win the honors. Wildcats coach John Calipari is also scheduled to attend.

Lawmakers Kick Off Special Session

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Lawmakers have kicked off a special legislation session to pass a transportation budget and a prescription drug abuse bill. The House gaveled in shortly after noon Monday, and the Senate followed at 4:00 P.M. Governor Steve Beshear was angry that lawmakers ended their 2012 session late Thursday night without passing the two key bills that would appropriate money for road construction projects and attempt to curb overdose deaths from widespread prescription drug abuse in the state. The session is expected to cost more than $60,000 a day. Beshear says he hopes lawmakers can wrap up their work by Friday. Kentucky lawmakers need a minimum of five days to get legislation through both the House and Senate. If lawmakers can wrap up their work by the end of this week, the cost of the session would be limited to some $300,000. House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, says House committees will act on the bills Tuesday, and the full House will vote on them and send them to the Senate by noon Wednesday.

Sex Offender Invades Laurel County Home

{East Bernstadt, Kentucky}...Police say Mark Copeland had been in another part of his house on Pennington Drive in the East Bernstadt area of Laurel County Monday morning when, just after 6:00 A.M., he went into the kitchen and found 36 year old Michael White, a sex offender convicted in Massachusetts in 1993, helping himself to a bowl of cereal. Copeland, a truck driver, called police and prevented White from leaving until deputies arrived. White, who was allegedly impaired, scuffled with deputies after they arrived. Police charged White with controlled-substance public intoxication, failing to comply with sex-offender registration, resisting arrest, giving police a false name and third-degree criminal mischief. White told police he thought the house belonged to his girlfriend.

Former UK Player Dies

Dr. Layton "Mickey" Rouse, 93, a retired dentist who was the first University of Kentucky men's basketball letterman to have his jersey retired, died Saturday at Twin Oaks Assisted Living in Henry County. Dr. Rouse was a 6'1" guard for UK during the 1938 through 1940 seasons. He scored 353 points and played in 57 games during his three years on the team. He was captain of the team and an All-Southeastern Conference player during his final season. At the annual banquet that year, Coach Adolph Rupp surprised him by presenting him with his entire uniform. Rouse was inducted into the UK Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. After graduating from UK, Dr. Rouse, a native of Ludlow, earned a degree from the University of Louisville School of Dentistry and practiced dentistry for 40 years before retiring from his practice in Carrollton in 1982. Dr. Rouse was also a U.S. Army veteran who repaired servicemen's teeth on troop carriers in the Atlantic Ocean during World War II.

New Management Suggested For KFC Yum! Center

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Among the recommendations from a review presented Monday to the Louisville Arena Authority, a new management approach was suggested for KFC Yum! Center in which the building’s employees would no longer be state workers. The move is meant to reduce the “high” salaries and wages of the arena’s Kentucky State Fair Board staff. The arena’s general manager, a position now vacant, should have a greater say in booking events, and arena operators should work more closely with the University of Louisville to bring in more events during basketball season. The authority committee, headed by businessman Dan Ulmer, also will look at bringing in a new arena manager or using authority personnel to run the facility. Ulmer says resolving the arena’s long-term management is a first step toward addressing the findings in consultant Venue Solutions Group’s report.

Anti-Bleeding Drug Ban Fails

{Lexington, Kentucky}...A proposal to ban an anti-bleeding drug on race days in Kentucky lost by a nose on Monday. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission ended a tense discussion on the use of furosemide with a 7-7 roll call vote on the proposed regulation that would have prohibited the drug from the Kentucky Derby in 2014, and in the whole state starting in 2015. The race-day ban would have first applied to 2 year olds racing in 2013. The proposal would have made Kentucky the first state to ban race-day use of furosemide, marketed under the brand names Lasix or Salix. The drug is used to treat pulmonary hemorrhaging in racehorses. Furosemide is the only medication allowed to be given to horses on race day in the United States. Its use is banned in other countries because it enhances performance.

Louisville Pilot Killed In Plane Crash

{Hardinsburg, Kentucky}...Breckinridge County coroner Tim Bandy has identified the pilot who died in a crash about 2:30 P.M. Saturday when a single engine propeller Lancair airplane crashed in a Hardinsburg field as 54 year old Donald E. Klein, Jr. of Louisville. Brekinridge County Sheriff Todd Pate says three planes left the Rough River airport in Grayson County at the same time Saturday. After take-off, the county dispatch got a call from the two other pilots saying they had been in contact with the pilot that was in distress. The two pilots lost contact with Klein and landed at the Hardinsburg airport to try to help him. A resident in the area called dispatch and said they saw the experimental plane go down. The wreckage was found by a hunter on Barry Elliott's family's land. Elliott, a former pilot, says neighbors say Klein was flying low and slow like nearly in a power out situation, and it appears Klein may have been attempting to do an emergency landing and, with the wind direction and the path he was traveling, he was going to go into a pond so he was going to dodge the pond. Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Jim Peters says the aircraft sustained substantial damage.

Body Recovered From Ohio River Identified

{Louisville, Kentucky}...A body recovered from the Ohio River near Louisville Saturday has been identified as 57 year old Harry “Glen” Risinger of Everett, Washington. Risinger had been missing since April 7th and a missing persons report had been filed with the Louisville Metro Police Department. A commercial barge employee discovered the body Saturday morning downstream from New Albany. An autopsy determined the death is consistent with drowning, but a final determination is awaiting toxicology results.

Work On Greenup Locks And Dam Set For June

{Lloyd, Kentucky}...The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say work to replace a set of aging mite gates at the Greenup Locks and Dam on the Ohio River will begin in June. The $12 million project will replace a set of hydraulic doors and will close down the 1,200-foot-long main lock chamber on the Ohio River between Greenup County, Kentucky and Lawrence County, Ohio for about 12 weeks. The Greenup Locks and Dam is one of the country's 10 busiest inland navigation locks.

Fort Campbell Soldier Apprehended

{Cartersville, Georgia}...Authorities say a Fort Campbell soldier has been apprehended after a high-speed chase involving Georgia State Police. Bartow Sheriff Clark Millsap said the suspect reached speeds of up to 120 mph before being forced to stop near Lake Allatoona just before 3:00 A.M. The 80-plus-mile chase began in Hamilton County, Tennessee. Fort Campbell officials say the suspect had shot himself and was in critical condition Saturday evening. Army officials say they were responding to a report of a domestic dispute on post-housing Friday evening when they discovered the body of the soldier’s wife who had been fatally shot.

Crash Kills Clay County Man

{Richmond, Kentucky}...A Clay County man died just before 10:00 A.M. Friday in a single-vehicle accident on U.S. 150 in the Crab Orchard community of Lincoln County. Richmond Police say James Layton, 51, of Manchester, was pronounced dead at the scene. A preliminary investigation indicates Layton was westbound on U.S. 150 in a pickup truck when the vehicle went onto the right shoulder of the road, and Layton overcorrected, causing the vehicle to cross both lanes of the highway and overturn.

Williamsburg Man Sentenced

{London, Kentucky}...U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove sentenced 35 year old James Meradith of Williamsburg to 33 months in prison Friday for a conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Meradith admitted he gave three Oxycodone pills to former Whitley County Sheriff Lawrence Hodge in December 2010 in exchange for a sheriff's department issued shotgun and that he made trips to Jellico, Tennessee to obtain pills for Hodge. According to Meradith's plea agreement, he was part of a drug conspiracy with Hodge and others in which Meradith distributed more than 300 pills. Once he's released, he will serve 36 months of supervised release.

Kentucky Man Sentenced For Wounding Texas Trooper

{Odessa, Texas}...Marcus Christopher Lott Jr. of Radcliff, Kentucky was sentenced Thursday to 99 years in prison after being convicted of attempted capital murder of a peace officer in the shooting of a Texas trooper. Police say, during a drug-related traffic stop  on Interstate 20 near Odessa last May, Lott shot Department of Public Safety Trooper Max Honesto in the arm. Lott on Tuesday pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and evading arrest. He was sentenced to two years on those counts. Two other people who were in the vehicle still face charges.

Guilty Pleas In Hate Crime Unsealed

{London, Kentucky}...Mable Ashley Jenkins and Alexis LeeAnn Jenkins, both 19, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the kidnapping and hate crime assault in the April 4, 2011 attack on Kevin Pennington at Kingdom Come State Park in Harlan County. The U.S. District Court in London unsealed the guilty pleas Friday. Mable and Alexis Jenkins will be sentenced in August. David Jason Jenkins and Anthony Ray Jenkins have been indicted and have a trial date set for June 18th. They have pleaded not guilty. All four face a maximum sentence of life in prison. Federal prosecutors say this is the first federal case in the nation charging a violation of the sexual orientation section of the Matthew Shepard-James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which was passed in 2009. The women's guilty pleas were the first convictions under that section of the law.

Beshear Calls Special Session

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Friday, Governor Steve Beshear called lawmakers back for a special session to begin Monday. Lawmakers adjourned this year's legislative session late Thursday night without completing work on a transportation budget and a prescription drug abuse bill. Beshear blamed Republican Senate President David Williams for thwarting passage of the bills. Williams pointed his finger back at Beshear, claiming he was playing politics. Williams had insisted Thursday that the nearly 400-page state road construction plan should be signed before the Senate would pass the accompanying transportation budget that would have provided funding for the projects. Beshear said during a press conference Friday morning that Williams had inserted $288 million worth of construction projects for his rural district into the road plan. Beshear charged that Williams feared those projects would be vetoed. Kentucky's last three budgets were adopted in special legislative sessions.

Mine Permits Public Hearings Set

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Three public hearings have been set on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's objections to dozens of coal mining water quality permits. Kentucky Environmental Protection Commissioner R. Bruce Scott says state officials believe the permits satisfy the EPA's objections. State regulators requested the hearings to help work out a long dispute over how to enforce water quality regulations at new or expanded mines. Scott says the first hearing will be June 5th in Frankfort, and the other two will be June 7th in Pikeville. The issue is whether 36 state permits issued to mining companies in 2010 and 2011 sufficiently protect water quality from mining activities that include blasting mountains to get at coal and filling in streams with waste rock.

Fatal Shootings In Pulaski County

• {Burnside, Kentucky}...Burnside Police in Pulaski County responded to a shooting inside an apartment on Stone Crest Drive late Wednesday night, where they found a man and woman dead. Police say Robyn R. Slone, 37, of Ashland was murdered, and Mark A. Willis, 31, committed suicide, by turning the gun on himself. Burnside Police Chief Craig Whitaker says Slone was staying in Burnside because she worked for a company doing a construction project at the Cooper Station power plant, which overlooks Lake Cumberland just outside the city. Willis had been Slone's boyfriend at some point and had come to see her.

Senate Approves Road Construction Plan

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Thursday afternoon, the Senate voted 37-0 for a two-year road construction plan and 36-0 for the six-year plan. Lawmakers moved quickly on the final day of this year's legislative session to pass the plan that includes $3.5 billion worth of construction projects over the next two years and more than $10 billion worth over the next six years. Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Ernie Harris, R-Crestwood, said the proposal includes funding for the state's single largest project: $2.6 billion for two bridges across the Ohio River in Louisville. Harris said the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-led Senate agreed that project is a top priority. The appropriations bill also includes $200 million to widen the heavily traveled Interstate 65, where numerous fatal traffic crashes have occurred in recent years.

Former Clay County Constable Sentenced

{Manchester, Kentucky}...Jackie "The Tireman" Roberts, a former Clay County constable, has been sentenced to serve 19 years and seven months in prison. Roberts was sentenced in federal court in London for three firearms counts and for trafficking in Hydrocodone. He was convicted after a trial last November. Roberts, who operated a used-tire store in Manchester and used his nickname in political campaigns, was convicted of selling pain pills, being a felon in possession of a gun and possessing a gun while he was an illegal drug user. Roberts sold pain pills to an undercover informant at his store last summer, when he was a constable. In a search the next day, police found a gun where he had stayed. The sentence for Roberts was enhanced because he had several previous convictions, including robbery, burglary and assault. Roberts' wife, Jennifer, pleaded guilty in the case and is to be sentenced in May.

Somerset Man Mails Drugs To Kentucky

{Somerset, Kentucky}...Shannon R. Helton, 31, of Somerset, has been charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance after police say he broke into a business in Florida and stole drugs to mail back to Kentucky. State police received information that Helton was mailing pills to Kentucky from Captiva, Florida, where he allegedly had burglarized a business. Police seized a total of 565 OxyContin and Hydromorphine pills, worth an estimated $11,300 on the street, Wednesday in Somerset and arrested Helton. Charges are pending against Helton in Florida.

Beshear Signs Unemployment Insurance Bill

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Wednesday, Governor Steve Beshear signed into law a bill he says would save Kentucky employers millions of dollars in higher federal unemployment insurance taxes. The bill, sponsored by Democratic House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark of Louisville and by Republican Senator David Givens of Greensburg, would allow the state to issue revenue bonds to pay the first three years of interest on $963 million in federal loans that kept the state's unemployment insurance program operating during the recession. Beginning in 2014, employers would be assessed a $21-per-employee surcharge that would cover the $79 million for the first three years of interest payments and future interest on the debt to the federal government. Beshear says, if the state had not been able to make the interest payments due September 30th, employers would have lost a $600 million federal tax credit, and the amount of federal unemployment insurance tax that businesses pay would have gone from $63 to $420 per employee.

NCAA Championship Trophy Going On Tour

The University of Kentucky won its eighth national title by beating Kansas on April 2nd. Kentucky's NCAA basketball championship trophy is going on a tour around the state, and coach John Calipari will meet fans at the stops. Calipari will take the trophy to eastern Kentucky on Thursday and then on to central and western Kentucky on Friday. Sites include the Kroger in Ashland, Pikeville's Expo Center, the Old Capital Annex in Frankfort and Kroger stores in Elizabethtown, Owensboro and Paducah. At each stop, the coach will speak to fans and take questions. The trophy will also be on display at two Verizon Wireless stores in Lexington and Louisville Saturday.

Lawmakers To Reconvene

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Wednesday, Governor Steve Beshear vetoed 45 provisions of the state budget, saying they either unduly tied his hands as the state’s chief executive or spent non-existent state funds. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Thursday to wrap up their work, which began in early January. Governor Steve Beshear called Wednesday for lawmakers to work quickly on the final day of this year's legislative session to approve a massive road construction plan and a measure intended to crack down on prescription drug abuse. Beshear warned that failing to pass a transportation budget and a two-year, $3.5 billion road plan would require him to call lawmakers back to Frankfort for a special session that could cost more than $60,000 a day. Negotiators for the House and Senate worked throughout the day Wednesday to decide which road projects would go into the two-year road construction plan and a six-year, $10 billion plan.

Breathitt County Residents Convicted

{Lexington, Kentucky}...A federal jury in Lexington has convicted 61 year old Naomi Johnson and 44 year old Earl Young of conspiring to buy votes and vote buying in the May 2010 primary election in Breathitt County. U.S. Attorney Kerry Harvey's office said Wednesday that another co-defendant, 61 year old Jackie Jennings, pleaded guilty to two counts of vote buying and a conspiracy charge during the first day of the 2 1/2-day trial. The three were accused of buying votes for county magistrate candidate Michael Salyers. Salyers pleaded guilty to conspiracy in February and will be sentenced May 23rd. Johnson, Young and Jennings will be sentenced July 26th.

Former Emergency Manager Sentenced

Brian Reams, a former emergency manager in Laurel County, was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay $241,000 in restitution after he fraudulently steered a federal contract to a woman he was dating in 2006 and later married. Melody Vess Reams, also pleaded guilty. She received three years' probation and was ordered to repay the government $215,134. The fraud involved federal money that several Kentucky counties received to prepare for a potential leak from the chemical-weapons storage site in Madison County. Brian Reams rigged the bid process to help his girlfriend's company, which then supplied equipment such as trailers and generators that were not as good as the contract specified, according to court documents.

Breathitt County Residents Convicted

{Lexington, Kentucky}...A federal jury in Lexington has convicted 61 year old Naomi Johnson and 44 year old Earl Young of conspiring to buy votes and vote buying in the May 2010 primary election in Breathitt County. U.S. Attorney Kerry Harvey's office said Wednesday that another co-defendant, 61 year old Jackie Jennings, pleaded guilty to two counts of vote buying and a conspiracy charge during the first day of the 2 1/2-day trial. The three were accused of buying votes for county magistrate candidate Michael Salyers. Salyers pleaded guilty to conspiracy in February and will be sentenced May 23rd. Johnson, Young and Jennings will be sentenced July 26th.

Rogers Kicks Off Drug Abuse Summit

• {Orlando, Florida}...Tuesday, U.S. Representative Harold “Hal” Rogers kicked off the inaugural National Rx Drug Abuse Summit hosted by the southern and eastern Kentucky non-profit anti-drug organization Operation UNITE in Orlando, Florida. "We are here to join forces on an epidemic that quietly began in rural parts of Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia one doctor's office at a time and now grips every corner of our great nation in prolific fashion," said Rogers. "When we leave Florida this week, we need everyone on board, echoing the same message we started with when UNITE launched in 2003: "If you're thinking about using drugs, get educated; If you're already addicted, get help; If you're a drug dealer, get out."

Stumbo Urges Support For Prescription Drug Bill

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene in Frankfort on Thursday for the final day of this year's legislative session. The prescription drug bill is one of several matters on the agenda. Despite opposition from the Kentucky Medical Association, House Speaker Greg Stumbo issued a memo  Tuesday calling for lawmakers to support legislation aimed at curbing prescription drug abuse. Stumbo cited research that suggests doctors are prescribing high doses of painkillers that are being abused by addicts, many of whom are dying from overdoses. Under the legislation, all doctors would be required to use the prescription monitoring system, known as KASPER, and that pain management clinics be owned by physicians licensed in Kentucky. Stumbo says, "It is a reasonable, fair and much needed law that will encourage doctors to ensure that these powerful drugs are used in appropriate cases and not freely given out and diverted to the black market."

Beshear Proposes National Painkiller Monitoring

{Orlando, Florida}...Kentucky has one of the nation's highest rates of prescription drug overdose deaths, with more than 1,000 each year. Speaking at a drug summit in Florida Tuesday, Governor Steve Beshear told the group that, if the nation is going to crack down on pill mills and painkiller abuse, the 50 states need to link their prescription drug monitoring programs. Beshear told 700 people at the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit in Orlando that prescription painkiller abuse is "a scourge and an epidemic" that is "causing untold misery on families, filling jails and treatment centers and draining our resources." The three-day summit at Walt Disney World was organized by the Kentucky-based Operation UNITE and includes government officials, law enforcement officers, pharmacists and doctors.

Former President Bill Clinton Coming To KY

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Former President Bill Clinton will be in Lexington this month as a youth group is honored during an Earth Day event at the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park on April 23rd. Bluegrass Youth Sustainability Council spokeswoman Whitney Glass says more than 5,000 people are expected at the event. Glass says Jane Brady Knight of Henry Clay High School had the idea to invite Clinton to the event.

Beshear Urging Lawmakers To Finish Transportation Budget

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear is urging lawmakers to finish their work on a transportation budget and six-year road plan on the final day of this year's legislative session. Beshear said Tuesday that the state's roads and bridges are the state's economic lifeblood, and not passing legislation to ensure their continued maintenance would do more than threaten public safety. Beshear said he would make State Budget Director Mary Lassiter, Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock and their staffs available to lawmakers to help finalize a deal before adjourning the legislative session.

Derby Ticket Lawsuit Reinstated

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Court of Appeals has reinstated a lawsuit that alleges former Louisville assistant basketball coach Steve Masiello backed out of a $70,000 deal to obtain tickets to the Kentucky Derby and Oaks and kept most of the money he had been given. Ticket broker Scott Davis filed the lawsuit, which was thrown out in December 2010 by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Charles Cunningham Jr., who said scalping tickets was a criminal act in Kentucky, and "the courts of justice are not in the business of facilitating criminal acts.” The Court of Appeals ruled Friday that Davis' business, DerbyDeals.com, is based in Indiana, where scalping is legal. The ruling said there was no evidence that tickets were being sold in Kentucky above face value. Davis' co-counsel, Garry Adams, says the ability of the courts of Kentucky to “reach acorss the river is prohibited regardless of their opinions on the law of a different state.” Adams says there is nothing illegal about purchasing tickets at or above face value in Kentucky, just selling above face value, and there has been no proof filed in the case showing that happened.

Tax Filing Deadline Extended

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...The state Department of Revenue is reminding Kentucky taxpayers that this year they will have two extra days to file their income taxes. The 2012 deadline is on April 17th because of Emancipation Day, a holiday observed in the District of Columbia, which falls on April 16th. All valid six-month extensions filed on or before April 17th will extend the due date for filing a 2011 calendar year income tax return to October 15, 2012. Also, the IRS is postponing certain tax deadlines for those who reside or have a business in a disaster area until May 31, 2012.

KY Leaders/Lawmakers Attending Drug Abuse Summit

• {Orlando, Florida}...Top health leaders and lawmakers from Kentucky who are trying to end multistate prescription drug trafficking and abuse are attending the National Rx Drug Abuse Summit, which runs Tuesday through Thursday in Orlando, Florida. The event is being organized by the eastern Kentucky anti-drug group Operation UNITE and will feature remarks by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin and R. Gil Kerlikowkse, the nation's "drug czar." It is expected to draw around 700 people. Karen Kelly, president of Operation UNITE, says Kentucky is not an island when it comes to prescription drug abuse, which kills more Kentuckians than car wrecks.

Motorcycle Crashes Increase

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police report that 2012 has already shown a spike in motorcycle-related crashes. KSP spokesman Lt. David Jude says, through April 4th, there have been 249 motorcycle-related crashes resulting in 167 injuries and 9 deaths. When compared to crashes in 2011 for the same time period, a 69 percent increase in crashes, 75 percent increase in injuries and 44 percent increase in deaths. With over 40,000 followers on Facebook, 2,900 followers on Twitter and an active YouTube, Flickr and blogger accounts, the agency plans a weeklong social media campaign to blast out motorcycle safety messaging via social media. Jude says the increase in motorcycle crashes and fatalities has stepped up the emphasis on the agency’s annual Motorcycle Safety Day awareness program. This will be the 5th year that the agency will host the event that includes safety exhibits, motorcycle vendors, a news conference and a police escorted ride through scenic Kentucky. This program is scheduled for Friday, June 22nd, at KSP Headquarters in Frankfort.

Track Reports Instant Racing Wagering Increase

• {Franklin, Kentucky}...Despite the death of the casino bill in the General Assembly in February, Kentucky Downs in Franklin posted a nearly 20 percent increase in wagering on Instant Racing in March. From September through March, more than $67.5 million was wagered on the game. Last month, players bet more than $15 million on the game, up almost $2.5 million from February. Most of the revenue was returned in the form of winnings, but Kentucky Downs netted more than $1 million for the month for the first time. March's Instant Racing revenue generated almost $145,000 for purses, while the state received more than $225,000, including more than $52,500 in taxes for the General Fund. The Family Foundation, a conservative advocacy group, is challenging the legality of Instant Racing. The Kentucky Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the case April 25th.

Lawmakers Consider Road Budget

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Lawmakers still haven't come to terms on a six-year, $10.6 billion proposal to fund road and bridge projects across Kentucky. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene Thursday for the final day of this year's legislative session. That means negotiators have only two more days to work out differences in the competing proposals offered by the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-led Senate. State Rep. Sannie Overly, D-Paris, the leading negotiator for the Democrats, said Monday that lawmakers also haven't reached accord on $3.5 billion worth of road construction projects for the next two years. The House and Senate have agreed on funding for the state's single largest project, $2.6 billion for two bridges across the Ohio River in Louisville. Yet to be decided are the hundreds of relatively small road and bridge projects that lawmakers are pushing for in their local communities.

Woman Found Dead In Lake

{Elizabethtown, Kentucky}...Elizabethtown Police say 50 year old Jane E. Davis was found late Friday lying face down in a lake at Pine Valley Golf Resort. She was treated at the scene by EMS and taken to Hardin Memorial Hospital, where Deputy Coroner Pat Elmore pronounced her dead. Elizabethtown Police Department public information officer Virgil Willoughby says an investigation is ongoing and it is "too early" to speculate about the case.

Toddler Found In Grandparents' Pool

{Georgetown, Kentucky}...The Scott County coroner says an autopsy Sunday morning confirmed that 2 year old Katelynn Cook drowned. The girl's grandmother found the child in a pool Saturday evening and attempted CPR, but the youngster was later pronounced dead at Georgetown Community Hospital. The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate the death, but deputies say it appears the girl accidentally fell into the pool.

Money Left From Beshear Inauguration Fund

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear's inaugural fund still has more than half the money it raised after paying for the December 11th inauguration in Frankfort. The committee's report with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance shows it raised $634,950, and through the end of March, it had spent $312,381, leaving  $322,569 in the bank. Matt Erwin, head of communications for the inauguration and communications director for the Kentucky Democratic Party, and Beshear spokeswoman Kerri Richardson say no decision has been made on how to dispose of the cash.

FEMA Approves Millions For Tornado Victims

More than $14 million in federal disaster assistance has been approved for Kentucky homeowners, businesses and others affected by tornadoes and other storms between February 29th and March 3rd.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that as of Friday, more than $6.3 million has been approved for housing assistance in Kentucky, including short-term rental assistance and home repair costs, and nearly $1.6 million has been approved to cover essential disaster-related needs like medical and dental expenses and the loss of personal possessions. FEMA also reported that the Small Business Administration has approved more than $6.7 million in low-interest disaster loans for Kentucky homeowners, renters and businesses.

KY Power Proposes Rate Increase

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The EPA has KY Power officials searching for the least costly way to implement new environmental regulations. The electric company's proposed plan could mean a 30 percent increase for customers in 20 counties by 2016 after a rate increase 18 months ago left some struggling to make ends meet. KY Power officials say it is due to the EPA enforcing new regulations for coal producing plants throughout the country, and a scrubbing method, which would decrease pollution, is the least costly way, but it is still expensive. A hearing April 30th could determine what happens next.

Man Gets Additional Prison Time

• {Louisville, Kentucky}...Stephen C. Netherton, a man already serving jail time for defrauding investors, has been sentenced in federal court in Louisville to another two years in prison for conspiring to defraud banks and mortgage lenders. Netherton pleaded guilty March 30th of devising a scheme in which fraudulent mortgage loan information was used to buy 19 properties in Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana. Netherton was sentenced Friday and also ordered to pay $870,000 in restitution. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson III ordered his time to run concurrently with a five-year state term he is serving for defrauding 14 investors out of more than $250,000.

KY Man Cited In Iowa Bus Crash

{Des Moines, Iowa}...Thirty-seven year old Irfan Dervisevic, of Lousiville, Kentucky, the driver of a semi that slammed into the back of a school bus in Des Moines, Iowa Friday afternoon, injuring two people, has been cited for failing to stop. Polk County Sheriff's Deputies say the bus had stopped on a set of railroad tracks as required by state law, when the semi pushed the bus across the tracks, and a pickup then rear-ended the semi. An associate teacher and a 16 year old student were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Man Injured While Mowing

{Sandy Hook, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police say 66 year old David Dennis of West Liberty was mowing his yard on a riding lawnmower along Ky. 173 Friday afternoon when he pulled out onto the highway and was hit by a pickup. Dennis, who was thrown from the mower, was flown to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington with non-life threatening head injuries. KSP says the driver of the pickup, Jerry Green, 54, of Sandy Hook, was arrested and charged with driving on a suspended license and no insurance.

Occupy Louisville Ordered Out Of Park

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer has denied Occupy Louisville's request for a permit to say in a downtown park and has ordered protesters to leave by April 13th.  Jim Mims, the city's director of codes and regulations, sent the group a letter saying it has made Founder's Square inaccessible to the public and that several "altercations" have been disruptive. Fischer's spokesman, Chris Poynter, says the park has "in essence become a homeless camp." Protester Lorrie Neal says a Louisville police officer visited the encampment Thursday with the letter and she plans to leave. Attorney Chris Harrell, who represents the group in a lawsuit, says the litigation is pending and it is up to Occupy Louisville to decide whether to press on with the case.

KY Man Fatally Struck By Train

{Knoxville, Kentucky}...Knoxville Police have identified the man struck and killed by a train early Thursday morning as Michael Frye, who was a homeless person. Frye was originally from the Lily community, north of Corbin, Kentucky. Police say Frye stepped in front of a Norfolk Southern train near the World's Fair Park. Police say Frye had been living in Knoxville.

Cincinnati Bengals Wide Receiver Sentenced

{Covington, Kentucky}...Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Jerome Simpson was sentenced Thursday to 15 days in jail and three years probation on a drug-related charge. A judge in Covington reduced the jail time from the 60 days recommended by prosecutors in their plea agreement with Simpson, now an unrestricted free agent after four seasons with the Bengals. Simpson pleaded guilty March 1 to the felony charge resulting from about 2 pounds of marijuana shipped to his northern Kentucky home in September. He was indicted on a felony charge of marijuana trafficking, but the plea agreement changed the charge to a prohibited act relating to controlled substances, also a felony.

UK Success...Almost $1 Million In Bonuses

{Lexington, Kentucky}...The University of Kentucky's success in NCAA basketball tournaments this year means bonuses totaling almost $1 million for men's Coach John Calipari, women's Coach Matthew Mitchell and Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart. The largest is a $350,000 bonus for Calipari for winning the NCAA title. For UK's season of success, Calipari will receive total combined bonuses of $750,000. 

Churchill Downs/Indianapolis Motor Speedway Partnering

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Two sports titans are partnering for the first time to sell ticket packages for both the May 5th Kentucky Derby and the May 27th Indianapolis 500. Churchill Downs and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway have dubbed it “Horsepower vs. Horsepower.” Besides the Derby and the Indy 500, the packages include tickets for the May 4th Kentucky Oaks and Miller Lite Carb Day on May 25th, which includes the final practice session for the 500-mile race. One package that includes general admission tickets to the races costs $115. A Club Pack for $995 includes first-floor reserved grandstand bleacher seating for the Oaks and Derby, a lunch buffet in the Infield Club, reserved grandstand seats for the 500. The Club Pack is a limited supply offering through April 15th. The general admission package is available through May 3rd.
More information is available at http://www.churchilldowns.com/ or http://www.imstix.com/.

Child Advocates Rally At State Capitol

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...More than 5,000 silver pinwheels glittered on the front lawn of the state Capitol Thursday representing child victims of sexual abuse served by the children's advocacy centers across Kentucky in 2011. The gathering was a celebration of hope and healing that was part of the National Children's Alliance's ONE With Courage campaign and coincided with April's designation as Child Abuse Awareness Month. Meghan Wright, state coordinator of the Kentucky Association of Children's Advocacy Centers, Laura Kretzer, the association's board president, and Chief Deputy Attorney General Patrick Hughes spoke at a rally on the front steps of the state Capitol to call attention to the problem of child abuse and efforts being made to deal with it. Wright thanked the advocates' supporters and partners, including legislators for their work on several child abuse bills during this year's session of the General Assembly. Two bills in particular stood out, one which would broaden the definition of incest and raise the age of consent from 16 to 18 in some cases and a bill regarding human trafficking. Both bills are still on the table, and advocates hope they will pass on the last day of the session, April 12th.

Circuit Judge Endorsed For Court Of Appeals

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Citizens for Better Judges has endorsed Jefferson Circuit Judge James Shake in the contested primary for a vacant seat on the Kentucky Court of Appeals. Shake is one of several candidates seeking to succeed Judge Tom Wine, who resigned to run for commonwealth’s attorney. Earlier this week, the judicial nominating commission named Irv Maze, Ruth Ann Cox Pence and Harold Gwyn Wren, all of Louisville, for appointment to the seat. Governor Steve Beshear will appoint one within 60 days to serve until the vacancy is filled by election. The candidates are competing to serve the final two years of Wine’s term. The winner will have to run again in 2014 for a full eight-year term.

McConnell Criticizes President Barack Obama

{Lexington, Kentucky}...During a speech to Lexington civic leaders Thursday, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell criticized President Barack Obama, saying he was trying to influence an upcoming Supreme Court decision on the federal health care reform law. In a Supreme Court hearing last week on the 2010 health care overhaul, conservative justices seemed doubtful of the law's constitutionality. The White House has struggled to explain Obama's statement from Monday that a Supreme Court reversal of the case would be "unprecedented." McConnell accused Obama of trying to "publicly pressure the court into deciding a pending case in the way he wants it decided." McConnell said the President was no longer trying to embarrass the Court after a decision, but rather, he tried to intimidate it before a decision has been made, and that should be intolerable to all of us. McConnell says he'll be disappointed if the health care reform law is upheld, but he'll respect the Supreme Court's independence and continue doing all he can to repeal the law through legislative channels. McConnell called for the president to back off.

Roman Catholic Archidiocese Raising Funds For Tornado Victims

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Roman Catholic Archidiocese of Louisville says it expects to reach more than $200,000 by the end of the week in funds collected for victims of the tornadoes that devastated parts of Kentucky and southern Indiana on March 2nd. The archdiocese says parishes have held special collections for several weekends to collect the funds and had reached $194,718 as of Monday.

Appeals Court Upholds Bank Robber's Conviction

• {Cincinnati, Ohio}...A three-judge panel from the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati has upheld the conviction and 56 year prison sentence of a Kentucky man for two bank robberies in 2003. The Court of Appeals found that while police used an "unduly suggestive" photo array to identify 54 year old Richard Allen Washam as the man who robbed banks in Bowling Green and Florence, the trial court handled the matter correctly by holding a hearing on the issue. A jury found Washam guilty in 2007 of robbing a U.S. Bank in Bowling Green, then a PNC Bank in Florence a few weeks later.

Wildcats Return To Rupp Arena

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...University of Kentucky coach John Calipari and his Wildcats returned home to throngs of adoring fans Tuesday evening after winning the school's eighth NCAA championship. Blue-clad fans packed Rupp Arena to watch replays of Kentucky's 67-59 win over Kansas in New Orleans Monday night. Senior Darius Miller carried the NCAA trophy as players stepped off a sleek blue bus emblazoned with “national champions” after it pulled into the packed arena to joyous cheers and screams. Each team member was introduced to loud ovations as players and coaches took the stage in the middle of the arena. Senior Darius Miller, a basketball net draped around his neck, toted the NCAA championship trophy to a table. Coach John Calipari pumped his fist and raised his arms in triumph as he basked in the cheers. Calipari reminded the crowd that his goal three seasons ago when he took the Kentucky coaching job was to once again make the Wildcats the “gold standard” in college basketball and to raise more championship banners. Then on cue, the 2012 title banner slowly unfurled from the rafters at Rupp as the Kentucky pep band played and fans cheered. Calipari thanked the fans and said there were about 5,000 that welcomed the team at the Blue Grass Airport, and more lined the roads between the airport and Rupp Arena. Calipari told the crowd, "You people never cease to amaze me." Calipari said the Wildcats won the national title because Kentucky had "the best players and the best team" this year.

President Barack Obama Congratulates UK

{Lexington, Kentucky}...President Barack Obama called coach John Calipari Tuesday to congratulate him and the UK team on their 2012 NCAA national championship. According to a statement from the White House, President Obama commended Calipari on his first national title and told the coach he looks forward to congratulating the entire team in person at the White House. Calipari passed the phone to star freshman Anthony Davis, and Obama congratulated the Chicago native on earning the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player Award.

Foot Amputated After Shooting

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Doctors amputated the foot of 31 year old Harold Calloway, who remained hospitalized Tuesday afternoon after being shot around 2:00 A.M. as Kentucky fans were celebrating Kentucky’s NCAA basketball championship in the street. Lexington police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts says police don’t typically identify wounded victims, but Calloway has outstanding criminal warrants on drug-related charges in Indiana.

Kentucky Youth Advocates Praising General Assembly

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky Youth Advocates are praising the General Assembly's passage of a handful of key bills aimed at making life better for Kentucky's vulnerable children. Jamie Cotton, a former foster child, pushed for a bill that gives foster children more time to decide whether they want to stay in state care until age 21.

Some of the key victories cited by advocates include:

■ The House and Senate agreed to keep in the state budget an additional $21 million proposed by Gov. Steve Beshear to hire 300 more social workers, about 100 of whom will be assigned to beef up child protection.

■ Approval of House Bill 168, which prohibits superintendents from assigning teachers to alternative schools as punishment. Advocates say that too often, a school district's worst teachers are assigned to alternative schools.

■ Approval of House Concurrent Resolution 129, a measure that creates a juvenile justice task force charged with reforming Kentucky's juvenile criminal code.

■ Approval of Senate Bill 213, which requires state social workers to give foster children specific information and support when they are age 17½ . The bill also gives foster children extra time to decide whether they want to extend their time in the state system until age 21.

Churches Attempt To Stop Pole Dancing

{Adairville, Kentucky}...Churches in Kentucky and Tennessee are uniting in an effort to stop Tenn-Tucky State Line Tavern, a tavern located just outside Adairville on the state line, from allowing pole dancing. Around 300 Adairville Baptist Church members gathered Sunday to pray that the owner would have a change of heart. Tavern owner Sheila Haley says she runs a clean establishment, dancers are fully clothed, and she made an economic decision recently to add pole dancing. While Haley waits to hear whether Logan County officials will approve her request for an entertainment license, she says she is allowing people to pole dance for fun. Logan County Judge-Executive Logan Chick said last week that, because all of her business is conducted in Tennessee, he's not sure they can regulate it.

Former Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty To Embezzlement

• {Louisville, Kentucky}...Fifty-four year old Mary "Kathy" Montfort, a former bookkeeper for the Little Sisters of the Poor, has pleaded guilty to embezzling more than $300,000 from the charity and using the money to buy herself a new car, among other items. Montfort entered the guilty plea Monday to 16 charges including forging checks and money laundering. The charges arose in November when a nun with Little Sisters of the Poor, who operate St. Joseph's Home for the Aged in Louisville, called police to report suspicions that Montfort was embezzling from the organization. Sentencing is set for July 2nd.

Lawmakers Left With Big Workload

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...When state lawmakers return to Frankfort April 12th to end Kentucky's 2012 General Assembly, their biggest jobs will be to consider any vetoes issued by Governor Steve Beshear and to decide what to do with legislation left hanging when they departed from the Capitol Friday night. High on that list are two measures pushed by House Speaker Greg Stumbo: an anti-drug bill to regulate pain-management clinics in hopes of curbing prescription drug abuse, and a bill to set up a scholarship program for students in coal-producing counties. They also will have to finalize a state road-building plan for the next two years. Beshear has not vetoed any of the 123 bills the General Assembly sent him through Friday.

EPA Closer To Approving 15 Percent Ethanol Gas

{Washington, D.C.}...The federal government announced Monday it has taken a step toward wide distribution of gasoline mixed with 15 percent ethanol by allowing manufacturers to register as suppliers. E15 still must clear another set of federal tests and become a registered fuel in individual states. Ethanol makers then must convince petroleum marketers to sell it at gas stations. Most ethanol fuel sold for passenger cars and pickups is 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gas. The new blend that boosts ethanol to 15 percent would only be sold for use in 2001 and newer vehicles. The industry trade group Renewable Fuels Association says EPA's move is the most significant in a three-year effort to get E15 approved for the market, and Midwestern states that have started the regulatory process could see E15 for sale as early as this summer. Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy, another ethanol industry trade group, says, "Our nation needs E15 to reduce our dependence on foreign oil - it will keep gas prices down at the pump and help to end the extreme fluctuations in gas prices caused by our reliance on fuel from unstable parts of the world." The American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers has challenged the government's efforts to offer E15 in court, and president Charles Drevna issued a statement saying with a lawsuit pending, the EPA should not rush E15 to market.