KY To Change Execution Method

Kentucky officials said Thursday they will change how prisoners are executed, opening the door to using a single drug instead of the current three-drug method challenged by inmates who call it cruel and unusual punishment. The Kentucky Justice Cabinet filed notice in Franklin Circuit Court that it would propose new regulations by July 24th. The single-page motion does not say what changes will be made. The new method could be in place by late summer, allowing Kentucky to begin executions later this year. In April, Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd gave Kentucky 90 days to make changes or face a trial to defend the three-drug method. Shepherd said, if Kentucky adopts a new regulation allowing for a one-drug execution, any claims of cruel and unusual punishment by the inmates "will be rendered moot."

ARH And Coventry To Continue Negotiations

Appalachian Regional Healthcare and Coventry Health Care officials will begin negotiating again Friday. Negotiations resumed Thursday afternoon after coming to a halt earlier in the day. After Coventry said it would end its contract with ARH, which operates eight hospitals and other health clinics in eastern Kentucky, ARH filed a lawsuit. Earlier this month, Coventry agreed to continue its existing contract until June 30th while it negotiated with ARH for long-term coverage. Coventry filed a motion in U.S. District Court in Lexington that said when its contract with ARH expires June 30th, Coventry would pay ARH for treatments as a "non-contracted provider" and that coverage to its 25,000 Medicaid patient members in eastern Kentucky would not be interrupted. Steve Price, an attorney for ARH, said the motion means that ARH would be paid far lower payments than it currently is.

Sypher Appeal Rejected

{Cincinnati, Ohio}...In 2010, a jury convicted 52 year old Karen Cunagin Sypher of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliation against a witness. Prosecutors argued she sought millions in cash, cars and a house from University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino to stay quiet about a tryst in a Louisville restaurant. Thursday, a three-judge panel from the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati heard arguments from Sypher's lawyer that her trial counsel failed to adequately represent her. The panel repeatedly told attorney David Nolan that his assertions weren't backed by evidence in the trial record. Judge Martha Craig Daughtrey said the argument "appeared to be a waste of everybody's time."

State Official Pleads Not Guilty

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Jerry T. Lunsford, a division director for the state Finance and Administration Cabinet, pleaded not guilty Thursday to DUI, disregarding a traffic light, reckless driving and operating a vehicle without a license. The citation says Lunsford nearly hit a state trooper's vehicle a few minutes after leaving work on May 14th and that, after he was pulled over, his speech was slurred and he seemed slightly disoriented. The trooper said Lunsford stated he was tired. Police found pain medication in Lunsford's vehicle, and Lunsford told them he was taking it because of a cracked rib. A pretrial hearing in Franklin County District Court was set for August 16th.

Layoffs At King's Daughters Medical Center

{Ashland, Kentucky}...Some employees at King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland have lost their jobs. Declining patient volumes and shrinking payments from both Medicare and Medicaid are among the factors causing the hospital to make the move. Public Relations Director Tom Dearing  says the layoffs affect several areas of the hospital, but patient care areas will remain at appropriate staffing levels. The exact number of layoffs has not been released.

Guilty Pleas In Oxycodone Case

{Ashland, Kentucky}...Darnell Desman Butler, 27, Christina Mayhone, 25, and Charlie Nicole Angell, 25, all of Ashland, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to distribute Oxycodone and Leonard Eugene Vaughn, 41, of Lexington, pleaded guilty to attempting to possess with intent to distribute Oxycodone. According to court documents, Angell worked under the direction of 38 year old Richard Allen Young of Florida who distributed pills or used other co-defendants to sell pills in Boyd County. Angell acknowledged she was responsible for distributing 10,000 Oxycodone pills and admitted she directed Mayhone and Butler to sell pills. In October of 2011, a confidential informant bought pills from Butler and Mayhone in Ashland. 

Kentucky Power Files Motion With PSC

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Wednesday, Kentucky Power Co. filed a motion with the state's Public Service Commission to withdraw a $940 million plan for upgrades at its 800-megawatt Big Sandy No. 2 plant near Louisa. It had planned to build a scrubber by 2016 in order to meet federal environmental guidelines. The upgrade at the early 1960s-era plant would have increased the average customer's bill by $31 a month. After the utility applied to install the scrubber in December, environmental groups, including Earth Justice and the Sierra Club, argued that there were cheaper alternatives to installing expensive coal pollution controls, including burning natural gas. The groups said Wednesday that the best option would be to close the Big Sandy plant. Kentucky Power has 173,000 customers in 20 eastern Kentucky counties.

Arrests In Indiana-Kentucky Gambling Ring

{New Albany, Indiana}...Terry Crofford, 60, owner of TC Auto Center in Jeffersonville, and seven other Louisville area men were arrested Wednesday on federal charges alleging they ran an interstate sports bookmaking operation. The men were indicted May 23rd, but the charges were sealed until Wednesday. At a news conference in New Albany, Indiana, U.S. Attorney Joe Hogsett said authorities seized more than $126,000 in cash, several bars of pure silver, real estate and vehicles as a result of an 18-month investigation by federal, state and local officers when they raided Crofford's business May 22nd. The indictment alleges the men operated an illegal gambling business out of various locations in Jeffersonville, located across the Ohio River from Louisville, since at least January 2009. Prosecutors say the ring handled thousands of dollars of wagers on a daily basis. Others arrested were Jamie Duley, 54, and George Blair, 53, both of Jeffersonville, James Baker, 62, of Clarksville, Indiana, Steven Harkins, 55, Jeffrey Hash, 61, and Harold Joyce, 44, all of Louisville, and James Payne,44, of Pleasureville, Kentucky. If convicted, each man could face up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Amusement Park Needs Major Improvements

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The new partners who are working toward reopening the former Kentucky Kingdom amusement park say it may not reopen until 2014. The Koch family, which operates Holiday World theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana, submitted a development plan to Louisville officials, saying all or most of the park's attractions "need to be completely refurbished to ensure safety." The Kochs have estimated it would take $16.5 million to reopen the facility. The Koch family signed a 50 year lease earlier this year with hopes of reopening it next year. They have said it will be renamed Bluegrass Boardwalk and will feature free soft drinks, sunscreen and inner-tube use at its water park. Kentucky Kingdom closed two years ago amid bankruptcy proceedings. It was formerly operated by Six Flags.

McConnell Receives Hero's Welcome

• {Louisville, Kentucky}...Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell received a hero's welcome Wednesday at Cardinal Aluminum Co. in Louisville. The aluminum fabricating plant was strengthened by legislation McConnell helped usher through Congress, protecting some 400 jobs. This year alone, McConnell is credited with helping to preserve some 3,000 jobs in Kentucky. McConnell's focus on protecting jobs, besides endearing him to voters, is sending a no-so-subtle message about the value of re-electing him in 2014. U.S. Senator Rand Paul was in Paducah Wednesday, touring the gaseous diffusion plant. Paul, McConnell, U.S. Representative Ed Whitfield and Governor Steve Beshear all laid claim to helping broker a deal earlier this month to help keep the plant running for another year.

Laurel County Woman Sentenced

{Corbin, Kentucky}...Amber Hursey pleaded guilty Tuesday to solicitation of murder and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Police say, in November 2011, Hursey tried to hire someone to kill her husband, James Hursey, a disabled Iraq war veteran living in Corbin, in Laurel County. State Police say Hursey offered her husband's life insurance money in exchange for his murder, but the hit man turned out to be a friend of James Hursey's, who told him and police about the plan. Amber Hursey was arrested on November 10th and was indicted by a Laurel grand jury two months later. Police say the couple was going through a pending divorce and custody battle at the time.

Major Nursing Home Chain Leaving Kentucky

Extendicare Health Services Inc., a major nursing home chain, says it will no longer operate in Kentucky because of increased litigation and the 2012 General Assembly's failure to pass a law making it more difficult to file lawsuits against nursing homes. Extendicare has entered into an agreement to lease all 21 of its skilled nursing centers in Kentucky, representing 1,762 beds, to an unidentified long-term care operator based in Texas. The Kentucky facilities include two in Richmond and one each in Irvine, Stanton, Somerset and Salyersville. The lease is for a 10 year term, and the operator has the option of two five year extensions and the option to buy all of the centers.

Danville Man Found In Barn Identified

{Danville, Kentucky}...A body found in a barn in Lincoln County last week has been identified as 31 year old Clint Disken of Danville. Disken was last seen in Harrodsburg on March 3rd. His mother reported him missing May 21st. Disken had lived in a mobile home near Hustonville, in Lincoln County, with 39 year old Thomas Wayne Hager Jr., about the time he was last seen. Last week, Hager was charged in the shooting deaths of Ted Sparks, 54, of Danville, and Mark Snyder, 21, of Waynesburg. Police found Disken's remains Friday in a root cellar beneath a barn, about a mile north of Hustonville. Medical examiners could not immediately determine the cause of Disken's death.

Louisville Hit By Flooding

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Emergency workers rescued U.S. Representative John Yarmuth's mother from a creek swollen by heavy rains Tuesday after a strong thunderstorm swept through the Louisville area, producing lightning that sparked an apartment complex fire near the University of Louisville. Portions of the campus were swamped by flash flooding that seeped into some buildings and caused daytime classes to be canceled. Yarmuth's mother, 85 year old Edna Yarmuth, was rescued from Goose Creek after her vehicle was partly submerged in the swift current following a crash.

Deadly Memorial Day Holiday Weekend

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Fourteen people died in 11 separate crashes on Kentucky’s roadways during the Memorial Day holiday weekend, which began at 6:00 P.M. Friday and ended at 11:59 P.M. Monday. Four single-fatality crashes occurred in Barren, Harrison, Perry and Russell Counties. Three double-fatality crashes occurred in Harrison, Ohio and Wayne Counties. Four single-fatality crashes involved motorcycles in Boone, Breathitt, Lewis and Scott Counties. Seven people died last year during Memorial Day weekend. So far this year, 285 people have died on Kentucky roads. That’s thirty nine more than last year at this time.

Mountain Parkway Repairs

{Campton, Kentucky}...Monday, traffic became restricted to one lane at milepoint 48.5 on the Mountain Parkway in Wolfe County, as repairs could begin to the bridge crossing Baptist Fork Road located on the two-lane section of the Mountain Parkway, east of Campton. Traffic will be controlled by temporary signals while the repair project is underway. Loads wider than 13 feet will be required to use a detour. Alternate routes include KY 191 between Campton and Helechawa via Hazel Green, or KY 15 and KY 205 via Vancleve. The lane closure should be in effect no longer than 30 days.

Man Shoots Around Campers

Fifty-seven year old Paul Nicely has been arrested after police say he used a high powered rifle, shotgun, and pistol to fire shots around several people, including children, who were camping over the weekend off Kentucky 934 in northeastern Pulaski County. Police say Nicely tried to flee on a dirt bike and then tried to flee on foot before they caught up with him at 9:22 P.M. Sunday night. Officers had to use a taser to arrest him at his house. He now faces charges that include nine counts of wanton endangerment, fleeing/evading police and resisting arrest. Police seized 60 guns as well as large knives and ammunition.

Hail Storm Racks Up Millions In Damages

{Louisville, Kentucky}...A major baseball-sized hail storm in Louisville and surrounding areas on April 28th has been estimated to have caused $175 million in insured losses and damages, and the uninsured damage from the storm would likely add many millions of dollars to the total cost. Rhonda Sloan, public information officer for the Kentucky Department of Insurance, says the damage was so severe that insurance adjusters in Kentucky needed assistance from out-of-state adjusters to handle the claims. Bob Hook Chevrolet of Louisville had about 500 cars damaged and insurance adjusters were going through the inventory for nearly two weeks. Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance by itself had more than $37 million in claims.

Darley Farm Hopes For Triple Crown

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Kentucky's Thoroughbred breeding industry has suffered since the 2008 market downturn. There are predicted to be 3,500 fewer foals born this year than in 1975, the year Affirmed was born. In two weeks, Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another will take his shot at the Belmont Stakes. If he succeeds, a Triple Crown winner could revive the sport. Since 1978,  I'll Have Another is the 12th horse to win the first two legs. Affirmed, who died in 2001, is buried just outside the stallion barn at Jonabell Farm in Lexington. While racing fans watch one race June 9th, horse breeders will be watching the race to build the next stallion dynasty.

Group Home Resident Suspected Of Arson

{Lexington, Kentucky}...An area of west Lexington that was plagued by arson fires earlier this year has seen another spate of suspicious fires. Early Sunday morning, a series of fires were set in three dumpsters, a car and a shed, all on or near Hill Rise Drive. Sunday afternoon, Ray R. Giattino, 45, was placed under emergency detention, meaning he could be detained involuntarily for up to 72 hours for a psychological evaluation, and longer, depending on the outcome of the evaluation. Giattino is accused of setting a room on fire inside an occupied cottage at the Messner Home, a private facility for men who are troubled or mentally ill or disabled. Giattino is a resident of the home. Investigators do not think Giattino committed all the arsons that have plagued the area.

Jockey Robby Albarado's Suspension Blocked

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Franklin County Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate issued a restraining order Friday that prevents the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission from enforcing the suspension of jockey Robby Albarado. Albarado, represented by Lexington attorney Jim Deckard, sought the judge's intervention after a committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission turned down a request to have his suspension lifted. Albarado was suspended in Kentucky following his May 4th arrest on an assault charge.

Female State Workers Fired

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Two female state workers, Scarlett Perry and Dawna King, were fired earlier this month after admitting to investigators that they had sex with a male Franklin County Regional Jail inmate who was performing janitorial work at the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. The investigation began when the Franklin County Regional Jail intercepted a sexually graphic letter from the inmate to Perry. A third Housing, Buildings and Construction Department employee, Benjamin Lawyer, was suspended for five days for failing to properly supervise the inmate and allowing him access to pornographic material that he viewed at work. The reports also noted allegations that moonshine was repeatedly brought to the department and that department workers improperly sold copper fittings that plumbers used when taking exams. The inspector general's office did not substantiate the moonshine allegations. It did make recommendations regarding the plumbing materials, including logging cash from the sales and documenting all purchases made with that cash.

Two Plead Guilty To Prostitution

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Marco Antonio Flores-Benitez, 38, and Roxana Serna-Olea, 36, two people arrested last fall, along with others who were part of a large prostitution ring pleaded guilty Friday in federal court in Lexington. Flores-Benitez, identified in court documents as "somewhat of a leader" in the organization, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. Serna-Olea pleaded guilty to one count of inducing or persuading a person to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution. Authorities say Spanish-speaking women from states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Maryland were recruited or forced to come to Kentucky to work in prostitution. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Marye said at Friday's court hearing that Flores-Benitez and Serna-Olea operated a prostitution-delivery service for customers in Fayette, Woodford, Oldham and Jefferson counties, beginning in December 2006. They also operated a brothel on Cross Keys Road in Lexington. Flores-Benitez lived on Delaware Avenue in Lexington, where some of the prostitutes also stayed,

Hardin County Increases Jail Security

{Elizabethtown, Kentucky}...A Kentucky jail has increased security around its perimeter. Hardin County Jailer Danny Allen put up more fences and poured concrete slabs about 18 inches wide and 10 inches deep under the existing fences after four inmates escaped in the last six months by digging a hole and crawling out under the fence. Allen says the added security measures will stop inmates from escaping the buildings. Allen said he's also considering taking away the privilege of allowing inmates to wear civilian clothes while at work sites. Two of the escapes happened six months ago, while the other two happened last week. Three of the four inmates have been caught.

Fictitious Facebook Woman Lures Wanted Man

Thirty-nine year old Aaron D. Fraser of Paducah was surprised when he stepped off a bus from Michigan Thursday expecting to meet a woman he had chatted with on Facebook. Instead, Fraser who was wanted in Ballard, Carlisle and McCracken counties, was met and arrested by 10 plainclothes deputies. Fraser fled in April to avoid arrest. Detectives found him on Facebook and used a fictitious woman to lure him back to Kentucky.

KSP Searching For Missing Man

{Danville, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police are searching for 31 year old Clint Disken, a man last seen in March with 39 year old Thomas Wayne Hager Jr. of Danville. Hager is charged with killing 21 year old Mark Snyder of Waynesburg and 54 year old Ted Sparks of Danville and attempting to kill Phillip White of Lancaster on Monday at Sparks' home. Disken's mother contacted police after hearing about Hager's arrest, but Hager denies any involvement in Disken's disappearance. Disken's mother, Patricia Devine, says she last saw her son when he and Hager came to her Harrodsburg home on March 3rd. Friday, Kentucky State Police found human remains on a property outside Hustonville in Lincoln County where Hager and Disken once lived.

Man And Former Girlfriend Die

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Randall Derickson of Stanton died early Thursday at University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His former girlfriend, Lori Hall Boswell, died about 4:20 P.M. Derickson shot himself in the head after shooting and wounding Hall-Boswell Tuesday in Stanton and fatally shooting Rhonda Rogers, who was wielding a bat trying to chase him away from another house where Derickson was hunting for Hall-Boswell's new boyfriend.

New Trial Ordered In Louisville Murders

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Supreme Court ordered a new trial Thursday for a man convicted of three slayings after finding that the cases should have been split and testimony was improperly allowed at the trial. Prosecutors will have to retry 26 year old Lloyd W. Hammond in separate cases for the June 2006 deaths of William Sawyers, Terell Cherry, and Kerry Williams which occurred in Louisville. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty for Hammond, but jurors recommended life in prison. Justice Daniel Venters ruled that a judge improperly allowed prosecutors to present all three deaths during the same trial although no serious contention was made that the Williams murder was connected to the other crimes.

Death Row Inmate Loses Appeal

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Kentucky death row inmate 59 year old Thomas Clyde Bowling has lost an appeal to his death sentence. The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Bowling is not entitled to have his sentence overturned based on a claim of mental disability. The court also ruled that, because Bowling has raised the issue before, he's now barred from bringing it up in the future. Bowling was convicted for the shooting deaths of Eddie and Tina Early of Lexington. The husband and wife were shot on the morning of April 9, 1990 while sitting in their car before opening their family-owned dry cleaning business. Their 2 year old child was wounded. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2002 ruled that executing the mentally disabled amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, a violation of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. The ruling left it to each state to set guidelines for determining whether a person is mentally disabled.

Death Row Inmate Wins Hearing

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Supreme Court has ordered a hearing on whether death row inmate 55 year old Gregory L. Wilson is ineligible for execution because he may be mentally disabled. Wilson is awaiting execution in the 1987 murder, kidnapping, rape and robbery of 36 year old Deborah Pooley in Kenton County. Kenton Circuit Judge Gregory Bartlett rejected Wilson's mental disability claim in September 2010, just days before Wilson was scheduled to be executed. Another judge halted the execution after finding problems with the method Kentucky uses.

KSP Fatally Shoot Carter County Man

{Olive Hill, Kentucky}...A Carter County man was shot and killed by state troopers after police say he pointed a rifle at them and refused to put it down. Kentucky State Police with Post 14 in Ashland responded to a call about an armed man at a home in Olive Hill about 4:15 P.M. Wednesday. Troopers Kris Kirk and Joseph Borbeck responded to the call. When they arrived, 55 year old Kenneth Doug Dyer pointed his rifle at them and did not obey their commands to drop it. Both troopers fired, and Dyer died from at least one gunshot wound. Dyer had been released on bond Wednesday morning after being arrested Tuesday on charges of first-degree wanton endangerment for firing a weapon close to his neighbors and their homes.

KSP Unveil 3D Scanner

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...At a news conference Wednesday in Frankfort, Kentucky State Police unveiled the Leica ScanStation C10, a state-of-the-art 3D scanner that provides a realistic view of crime scenes and crash sites. State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer says the agency is the first in Kentucky to buy and actively use the device. Brewer says the scanner is expected to cut the time necessary to investigate crime and crash scenes. The agency purchased the device for $65,000, partially with funds from a Violence Against Women Act grant. Sgt. Chad Mills of the state police Collision Analysis and Highway Safety Branch says tool allows police to virtually revisit and measure the scene any time in the future.

Fayette County Detention Center Lawsuit Settled

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Lexington Mayor Jim Gray's office has released a document showing the Lexington-Fayette Urban County government paid $60,000 to settle a lawsuit filed over the July 2010 death of Fayette County Detention Center inmate 54 year old Dean Ferguson of Lexington. Ferguson was serving time at the jail on weekends after he was convicted of drunken driving. He collapsed at the jail and was pronounced dead of a pulmonary embolism at University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital the next day. Douglas Ferguson and Lisa Ferguson Day, the man's siblings and co-administrators of his estate, sued the local government and others in federal court in June. The lawsuit was settled through mediation this month.

Fayette County Detention Center Inmate Dies

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Thirty-seven year old Jeffrey M. McKinney of Frankfort, an inmate at the Fayette County Detention Center, died Tuesday night following what was called a medical emergency. The Lexington Fire Department EC Unit transported McKinney to the University of Kentucky Hospital at about 7:00 P.M. The inmate was pronounced dead at 7:35 P.M.

Improved Oversight Sought For University Hospital

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Auditor Adam Edelen is calling for improved oversight over the Quality and Charity Care Trust that disburses some $30 million a year in state and local indigent care money to University Hospital in Louisville. Edelen said Wednesday an audit found no evidence that public funds were being misused, but staffers found shortcomings that need to be addressed. The trust receives about $25 million a year from the state and about $7 million a year from the city of Louisville to cover University Hospital's cost of treating indigent patients.

Activists Protest Yum Brands

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Greenpeace activists unveiled a banner depicting a Sumatran tiger on the front pillars of the building that's home to Yum Brands Inc. in Louisville Wednesday, claiming deforestation is threatening the tigers. Activists pressed their claims that the chain uses wood harvested from Indonesian rain forests to make its chicken buckets. Nine people were cited for trespassing, and four protesters who scaled the building were cited with criminal mischief. Rolf Skar of Greenpeace says packaging from rain forests shows up at KFC stores in China, the United Kingdom and Indonesia.

Two In Five Kentucky Democrats Vote 'Uncommitted'

About two out of every five Democratic voters in Tuesday's presidential primary in Kentucky chose "uncommitted" instead of voting for President Barack Obama. State Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson contended that the Democrats who vote most regularly, those he termed "the Democrats of Democrats," said 'no' to their president. If the Kentucky Democratic Party doesn't get it after this race, they need to stare long and hard at the results. This shows that Obama has even more than an uphill battle to win Kentucky in the fall." State Democratic Party Chairman Daniel Logsdon said Robertson should temper his exuberance. He noted that Obama was getting more votes than presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Romney swept the Kentucky and Arkansas Republican presidential primaries. Romney is within 110 delegates of winning the nomination, a threshold he should reach next week, when voters go to the polls in Texas.

Barbourville Man Severly Beaten

{Barbourville, Kentucky}...Barbourville Police are searching for a suspect caught on tape knocking a man out and then stomping his head into the pavement at a Barbourville intersection Saturday. Police say Billy Mills ended up at UK Hospital after a man beat him until he was on the ground, unconscious and continued to stomp on his head. Mills was released from the hospital Tuesday.

Former Social Worker Pleads Guilty

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway says former social worker 61 year old Margaret Murphy has pleaded guilty to tampering with public records. Murphy entered pleas to nine felony counts in Anderson Circuit Court, admitting she falsified documents in nine cases between April 2006 and October 2010 to make it appear she had investigated claims of child abuse and neglect. Five of the cases involved allegations of sexual abuse. Anderson Circuit Judge Charles Hickman scheduled sentencing on July 24th.

Winchester Woman Charged With Double Murder

{Winchester, Kentucky}...Winchester Police say they have charged 48 year old Lillie Stanton with two counts of murder in the stabbings of her daughter, 23 year old Danel Korrey Stanton, and her grand-daughter, 22 month old Kaydence Ray Miers. Lillie Stanton is still being treated at the University of Kentucky Medical Center for self-inflected knife wounds.

Prestonsburg Native Arrested

{Mount Sterling, Kentucky}...Prestonsburg native William Chaffins, 42, of Mount Sterling, was arrested Saturday by Kentucky State Police and charged with first-degree rape. Chaffins was until recently a Lexington firefighter. He had been employed with the department since 2006 before he resigned from his post Friday. Chaffins is being held in the Montgomery County Regional Detention Center on a $50,000 full cash bond after being indicted May 11th. Chaffins is scheduled to be arraigned June 8th.

Kentucky Voters Head To Polls

Kentucky voters head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in a primary election that includes races for president, Congress and the state legislature. The polls are open from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Any voter in line by 6:00 P.M. will be allowed to cast a ballot. Employers are required by law to allow employees who are eligible to vote to be absent from work for at least four hours in order to vote. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes has projected that just 10 percent to 12 percent of voters will show up at the polls. That would be the lowest turnout of any presidential primary in Kentucky in at least 30 years and the second or third worst percentage in any primary over that period. The presidential races have largely been decided with President Barack Obama wrapping up the Democratic nomination early and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney expected to claim the GOP nomination next Tuesday in Texas.

KSP Troopers Awarded

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky State Police announced the 2011 Trooper of the Year, Detective of the Year, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer of the Year and other awards for acts of bravery, life-saving, professionalism and dedication to duty Monday at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort. Williamsburg-resident Sr. Trooper Clyde Dingess, an eight-year veteran, was named 2011 Trooper of the Year.  He is assigned to KSP Post 11 in London. Madisonville-resident Detective Daniel Morck was named 2011 Detective of the Year. Morck is assigned to KSP Post 2 in Madisonville. Frankfort resident Officer Jeremy Younger was named the 2011 Jason Cammack Officer of the Year for the KSP Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division. A two-and-a-half year veteran of the division, Younger serves as a CVE Officer I in Region 3 based in Georgetown.

Texas Man Sentenced In KY

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Monday, U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II sentenced Exsaul Silva-Garcia of McAllen, Texas to 10 years in prison and five years of supervised release after a federal jury in Louisville found Silva-Garcia guilty in February of possession with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana. Silva-Garcia and five others were arrested on February 25, 2010, after police found a semitrailer carrying 3,766 pounds of marijuana stored in a hidden compartment. Four other men were convicted and given sentences ranging from 3 to 26 years in prison.

Three Arrested On Drug Charges

{Flatwoods, Kentucky}...Agents with the Fiveco Area Drug Enforcement Task Force and local officers in Kentucky arrested 31 year old Artis Jenkins and Keyte Duncan, both of Detroit, and Stacie Parsons, 23, of Flatwoods, on drug charges Saturday. The arrests were the result of an investigation focused on a prescription pain pill pipeline from Detroit to the Tri-State Area. Jenkins was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, three counts of trafficking in a legend drug and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on similar charges earlier this month in Boyd County. Duncan was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, three counts of trafficking in a legend drug and possession of drug paraphernalia, and Parsons was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance. Detectives recovered prescription pills, cash and drug paraphernalia from a Flatwoods apartment as part of the investigation.

"America's Best High Schools"

{Bowling Green, Kentucky}...The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, a residential high school on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, has topped the list of 1,000 schools on Newsweek's 2012 list of "America's Best High Schools." The school, which opened in 2007 and is funded by the state, ranked fifth in Newsweek's 2011 list. Schools were ranked based on a variety of measurements, including: graduation rates, college matriculation, Advanced Placement tests per student, average SAT and ACT scores, and average Advanced Placement test scores. The school's average ACT score was 31.2 out of a possible 36. The average SAT score was 2,010 out of a possible 2,400. The magazine noted that "nearly all courses are university-level" at The Gatton Academy. "In 2011, the school averaged almost five AP exams per student."

KY Joins Corporate Campaign Spending Battle

Twenty-two states, including Kentucky, and the District of Columbia are backing Montana in its fight to prevent the U.S. Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision from being used to strike down state laws restricting corporate campaign spending. Virginia-based American Tradition Partnership is asking the nation's high court to rule without a hearing because the group says the state law conflicts directly with the Citizens United decision that removed the federal ban on corporate campaign spending. Law professor Richard L. Hasen of the University of California-Irvine says it's highly unlikely that the Court would reverse its decision. Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock argues that political corruption in the Copper King era led to the state ban on corporate campaign spending, and a clarification of Citizens United is needed to make clear that states can block certain political spending in the interest of limiting corruption.

The states who filed the brief in support of Montana are New York, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Hazard Deputy In Critical Condition

{Hazard, Kentucky}...Around 2:30 Friday afternoon, Deputy Daniel Fugate was traveling southbound on Combs Road in Hazard on his Honda motorcycle when 67 year old Melvin Smith pulled out in front of him. Smith was not injured, but Deputy Fugate was flown to the UK Medical Center where he was listed in critical condition. Fugate was not on-duty at the time of the crash. 

Man Fails To Appear For Arraignment

{Pineville, Kentucky}...Johathan Brock Stansbury of Middlesboro has been charged with failure to appear after not showing up for his arraignment Friday. Stansbury is charged with attempted murder and arson. He's accused of setting fire to Clorah Falconer's home in February while she was asleep.

Former Actor Faces KY Drug Charge

{Bowling Green, Kentucky}...Sixty-nine year old Paul Michael Glaser of Venice, California, the actor who played David Starsky in the 1970s police drama "Starsky & Hutch," is scheduled to appear in Warren County District Court on May 31st after being arrested by Bowling Green police hours after he read an excerpt of his young adult novel, "Chrystallia and the Source of Light," to students at a middle school on May 10th. According to a citation, Glaser said he had medical marijuana prescribed to him in California, but Bowling Green-Warren County Drug Task Force Director Tommy Loving says Kentucky doesn't recognize medical marijuana licenses. Glaser is charged with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Former Corrections Officer Sentenced

{Greenup,  Kentucky}...Causetta Michelle Tackett, a former corrections officer at the Greenup County Detention Center, was sentenced Thursday after she pleaded guilty last month to first-degree drug trafficking and first-degree promoting contraband. Greenup Circuit Judge Bob Conley rejected Tackett’s plea for probation and sentenced her to the term of incarceration she agreed to accept when she pleaded guilty, giving her 10 years in prison for selling drugs to inmates and five years on the contraband count, with the terms to run concurrently. Conley told Tackett he couldn’t “in good conscience” grant her request because of the nature of her offense and the position she held. Tackett and her husband, Charles Tackett, 37, were arrested in August, about three weeks after Greenup Jailer Mike Worthington launched an investigation into drug trafficking in the detention center and brought the matter to the attention of Sheriff Keith Cooper.

Low Voter Turnout Predicted

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is predicting that up to 90 percent of Kentucky's voters will skip Tuesday's primary election. Grimes says early voting has been minimal so far, a sure sign that interest is lagging. Based on that and other indicators, Grimes predicted turnout at between 10 and 12 percent. Grimes says the lack of interest among Kentucky's nearly 3 million voters has to do with the already sewn-up Republican presidential primary, as well as limited opposition for congressional and legislative seats that are up for election this year.

Woman Testifies Against Former KSP Trooper

{London, Kentucky}...Twenty-eight year old Regina West of Corbin testified in federal court in London Thursday that former Kentucky State Police Trooper Fred Pennington told her last year that he would ignore a drug offense if she would have sex with him. Pennington went to West's home in September 2011 with a child-welfare worker investigating a report that one of West's sons might have been physically abused. West testified Pennington saw a crushed pain pill in West's bedroom, but instead of arresting her, he let her snort the pill and solicited her to have sex with him. West cooperated with state police to catch Pennington, who had been a state police officer for a little over 10 years. Pennington resigned after the incident. A federal grand jury indicted Pennington this year on charges of possessing and distributing drugs, for allegedly giving West a pain pill, and also on a charge of carrying a gun, his state-issued Glock .40-caliber pistol, in furtherance of a drug crime. Pennington pleaded guilty this week to the drug charges, but he is fighting the gun charge. A conviction on that count would add at least five years in prison to whatever sentence he receives on the drug charges.

Officials Debate Death Row Inmate's Surgery

A condemned inmate's fight to receive surgery for agonizing hip pain has pushed Kentucky officials into an uncomfortable debate. Robert Foley, 55, was convicted of killing six people in eastern Kentucky in 1989 and 1991, making him the most prolific killer on the state's death row. His status as an extremely dangerous prisoner was a key factor in the state's difficulty finding a surgeon and hospital to perform the $56,000 operation. Foley, who still hasn't had the surgery, filed a lawsuit in March. Foley's attorney, Jamesa Drake, says the state needs a way to care for condemned inmates, even those with complex needs. The Department of Corrections acknowledged his degenerative hip in a response to the lawsuit, but also said he has been receiving adequate care. It's not unusual for inmates to receive treatment outside of prison, and Foley has twice left death row for other surgical procedures.

Minton Re-Elected Supreme Court Chief Justice

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. has been re-elected by his colleagues to a second term to lead the Kentucky Supreme Court. Minton has been chief justice since 2008. In his most recent cost-cutting move, Minton ordered three days of unpaid leave for court employees across the state. Minton was elected to the Supreme Court in 2006. He previously served three years on the Kentucky Court of Appeals and 11 years as a Warren County circuit judge.

Boyd County Drug Court Gets National Recognition

{Catlettsburg, Kentucky}...As part of National Drug Court Month, bikers are taking part in a cross country trip which began in Santa Ana California on May 1st to celebrate the success of drug courts and honor those who have graduated from the program and have left drugs behind. Chris Deutsch says the goal is to visit 25 drug courts in 25 days while carrying a courtroom gavel with the words "All Rise" inscribed on it. Judges and staff at the Boyd County drug court got some national recognition Thursday when the national organization "All Rise" presented the judge with a special gavel which will be  passed to the next judge awarded in another city until the group reaches Washington, D.C. on May 24th. Staff members say the drug court system is a great alternative to sending someone to jail because drug offenders are strictly supervised as they learn how to get off drugs. They take random drug tests and are made to find employment. The course takes 15 months to complete and they just celebrated the first graduating class.

KY Unemployment Rate Declines

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...According to numbers released from the state's Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, fewer people filed for unemployment benefits in Kentucky in April. The Blue Grass State's unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent in April, a 0.3 percent decline from March and a 1.3 percent drop from April 2011. Economist Manoj Shanker says demographic evidence shows the number of Baby Boomers retiring is higher than the number of young workers entering the labor force, and the diminished inflow of new workers lowers the labor force.

Albarado Remains Suspended

{Lexington, Kentucky}...A committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission turned down a request from suspended jockey Robby Albarado to have his suspension lifted. Albarado's attorney said it would be unfair to keep him sidelined until his July trial in Louisville. Albarado was suspended in Kentucky following his May 4th arrest when he was charged with fourth-degree assault after being accused of accosting a woman who said she was trying to break up with him. Since then, Albarado, who's third on the all-time wins list at Churchill Downs, has been unable to ride not only in Kentucky but in other states that are honoring the decision.

Powell County Woman Pleads Guilty

{Stanton, Kentucky}...Pamela Sue Helton of Powell County pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Lexington to embezzling money from the Social Security Administration and to concealing information when applying for benefits. Helton admitted she concealed an insurance settlement of more than $356,000 in order to get federal and state benefits and did not disclose that she owned and worked at Bruen's Restaurant in Stanton. Helton was approved in 2006 to get Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid after providing incorrect information about her income, work and resources. From September 2006 to September 2011, Helton received a total of $125,635 in income and health benefits she wasn't entitled to. Helton faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced in August.

Debate On Race-Day Drug Ban To Continue

{Lexington, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission says its debate will continue on a proposal to ban the use of an anti-bleeding drug on race days in graded or listed stakes races, including the Kentucky Derby. At a regular monthly meeting Wednesday, commission members voted down a motion to delay the issue for a year. If approved, Kentucky would be the first state to take the action against the drug, which is banned internationally. Furosemide, which is marketed as Lasix and Salix, is the only medication allowed to be given to horses on race day in the U.S. A public hearing will be held next month in Frankfort.

Williams Responds To Farmer Audit

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Former gubernatorial candidate and Kentucky Senate President David Williams has responded to a question asking why he chose Richie Farmer to be his running mate in his bid for governor. Williams says he chose Farmer, a former University of Kentucky basketball star, because he was the most popular political figure in the state at the time, and he had no idea there were possible problems brewing in the agriculture department. Farmer has stayed out of the public eye since leaving office in January, and this is the first time Williams has commented on the audit. Farmer says he encouraged current Agriculture Commissioner James Comer to request an investigation of Farmer’s time in office.

Juvenile Incarcerations Declining

A new report released by Kentucky Youth Advocates shows the number of juveniles being incarcerated for non-criminal offenses is declining, but Kentucky still has one of the highest rates in the nation for putting children behind bars for status offenses such as running away or skipping school. The report recommends that officials continue to shift to more effective alternatives than incarcerations that also would hold youth accountable for their actions.

Bond Denied In Hate Crime Case

{London, Kentucky}...Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Hanly A. Ingram ordered 20 year old Anthony Ray Jenkins of Partridge and 37 year old Jason David Jenkins of Cumberland, two eastern Kentucky men charged in a hate crime, held until a June 18th trial. A federal grand jury returned a three count indictment charging Jason and Anthony Jenkins with kidnapping and assaulting Kevin Pennington in April of last year. The indictment also charges the men with conspiracy, and says  the defendants enlisted the help of two women to lure Pennington into a truck. According to the indictment, Anthony and Jason Jenkins transported Pennington to a secluded area of the Kingdom Come State Park in Harlan County and assaulted him. Prosecutors say Pennington was assaulted because he is gay. Anthony Jenkins' wife, Alexis Jenkins, and sister, Mable Jenkins, have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in August. Federal prosecutors say this is the first federal case charging a violation of a hate crime law passed in 2009.

Emergency Text Messaging To Launch Soon

In the coming weeks, cell phone carriers and the federal government will launch a system that will automatically send text messages to warn people of dangerous weather, amber alerts, and other emergencies. The government alerts are free and you don't have to sign up for anything to get them.

Former UK Basketball Player Arrested

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Former University of Kentucky basketball player 25 year old Michael James Porter was arrested about 1:45 A.M. Tuesday morning and charged with six counts of third-degree sodomy and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse. The charges are felonies. Porter, who is being represented by Lexington attorney Jim Lowry, pleaded not guilty to the charges Tuesday afternoon during his arraignment. Porter allegedly had sexual contact with an underage girl in 2009 and 2010 that he met while serving as a group leader during a church function. Porter played at Kentucky from 2006-2007 through 2008-2009 but left in his junior year to spend more time with his wife and child. According to police reports, the sex acts took place from August 2009, about five months after Porter announced he was quitting the basketball team, to December 2010.

Manchester Doctor Pleads Not Guilty

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Kishore Kumar Jadhav, a Manchester doctor charged with producing and possessing child pornography, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in federal court in Lexington. The FBI and state police began investigating Jadhav in March after two girls told police they went to his office to take a survey, but Jadhav had them undress then touched them inappropriately and recorded video images of them with an iPhone and paid them $200 each. Authorities did not find video images that appeared to be of the two girls on the phone seized from Jadhav during an April 3rd search, but they did find images of a third girl who said, after an initial session that included only questions and basic screening activities such as taking her blood pressure, she wanted to get out of the study, but Jadhav told her both of them and others could get sued if she dropped out, so she agreed to take part in another session at Jadhav's home in London. The girl said while Jadhav's children played outside, the doctor touched her inappropriately, and, later, he came to her home for another session, where he used an iPhone to record video of her and paid her $500.

Corrections Corporation Of America Sued

A group of  six current and former shift supervisors at the Marion Adjustment Center in St. Mary's, a private prison in central Kentucky, have sued Nashville, Tenn.-based Corrections Corporation of America, claiming the company forced them to work extra hours and wouldn't pay overtime, denied them meal and rest breaks, as well as required employees to attend training sessions without pay. The group is seeking a temporary injunction forcing CCA to compensate employees who work more than 40 hours a week. Attorney Tom Miller of Lexington says the lawsuit may also affect employees at the Lee Adjustment Center in Beattyville and Otter Creek Correctional Center in Wheelwright. Kentucky is in the process of removing its inmates from Otter Creek and, unless CCA finds a new client, the prison will close this summer.

Supreme Court To Hear Fen-Phen Appeal

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in an appeal from a group of people sickened by the diet-drug fen-phen who say that a $42 million judgment awarded to them from their one-time attorneys should be reinstated. The high court has set oral arguments in the case for June 13th at 11:00 A.M. in Frankfort. Former clients of attorneys William Gallion, Shirley Cunningham Jr., and Melbourne Mills claim the men improperly kept a significant portion of the funds, while keeping clients in the dark about the amount of the $200 million settlement.

U.S. Postal Inspection Service Offers Reward

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in connection with an April 13th robbery at the Burgin post office. A man who robbed the post office assaulted the employee on duty, causing significant injuries. The robber is described as a white man in his early 20s, 5 feet, 7 inches tall, with a thin build and short, dark hair. The man wore a long-sleeved camouflage hooded sweatshirt, jeans, and a full face mask similar to the one worn by a person who robbed a convenience store in Danville on April 12th. Anyone with information about the robbery of the post office is asked to contact the U. S. Postal Inspection Service National Law Enforcement Communication Center at 1-877-876-2455, (option 2), and refer to Case #1922942. The line is open at all times, and callers may remain anonymous.

Coventry Cares Reverses Suboxone Decision

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Attorney Anna Whites says Medicaid provider Coventry Cares has reversed its decision to discontinue paying for Suboxone, an expensive medication that helps drug addicts. Whites represents SelfRefind, which operates addiction treatment centers in Kentucky. Coventry spokesman Mat Eyles said in an email Monday that the company will continue covering Suboxone and similar medicines and has asked to meet with the state, SelfRefind and others to talk about the best practices for addiction recovery treatment. SelfRefind had threatened to sue Coventry in federal court, saying the managed care company's decision to stop paying for Suboxone violated it's contract with the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services and federal disability laws. The cabinet, which oversees Medicaid, also sent a letter to Coventry last week warning that its decision to drop coverage of Suboxone would be a contract violation.

PVAs To Pay Ethical Fines

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Three property valuation administrators have been ordered to pay fines for hiring family members to work in their offices. The Executive Branch Ethics Commission ordered Leslie County PVA James Wooten and Taylor County PVA Julie Shields to pay $4,000 each. Laurel County PVA Joyce Parker must pay $2,000. The charges against the PVAs had initially been dismissed in 2009 by a trial court judge who ruled PVAs aren't subject to the ethics panel. That ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeals.

Judges Named In Sypher Appeal

• {Louisville, Kentucky}...The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday named judges Boyce F. Martin of Louisville, Kentucky, Martha Craig Daughtrey of Nashville, Tennessee and Paul Maloney of Kalamazoo, Michigan to hear the appeal of 52 year old Karen Sypher in Cincinnati on May 31st. A jury convicted Sypher in 2010 of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliation against a witness. Prosecutors say she sought millions in cash, cars and a house from University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino.

Scoville Withdraws As Nunn's Attorney

• {Lexington, Kentucky}...Warren Scoville, the London attorney who has represented former state lawmaker Steve Nunn since 2009, has withdrawn as his counsel. Scoville wrote in his motion to withdraw that Nunn is "currently incarcerated and unable to pay his attorney fees." Fayette Circuit Judge James Ishmael approved the motion Friday. Nunn is serving a sentence of life without parole in the September 11, 2009, shooting death of his former fiancée, Amanda Ross. Judge Ishmael rejected a motion for partial summary judgment in a wrongful-death lawsuit against Nunn by Ross' mother, Diana Ross, citing a rule that requires the court to appoint an attorney if a prisoner is unable to defend an action. The judge did not say when he would make the appointment. Diana Ross argues that Nunn's guilty plea establishes his liability. Also Friday, Fayette Circuit Judge Thomas Clark granted a motion to consolidate the 2009 wrongful-death lawsuit with a 2010 lawsuit in which Diana Ross alleges that Opera House Square allowed Nunn to gain access to her daughter after Amanda Ross told them she had an active emergency protective order against him.

Personnel Board To Consider AG Audit

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Monday, the Personnel Board is expected to consider an audit of the Agriculture Department under former Commissioner Richie Farmer. The audit, requested by state Auditor Adam Edelen, found evidence that candidates for merit positions were pre-selected, monetary awards were issued without input from supervisors and that a merit employee's responsibilities were removed without documenting the action in a personnel file. Former personnel director Danita Fentress-Laird told auditors that sometimes the interview panel knew which candidate Farmer wanted hired and it would recommend that person first. Laird also said Farmer would pick employees to receive monetary rewards for work excellence and then tell her to create a reason for them. Edelen also referred results of the audit to the Internal Revenue Service, Attorney General Jack Conway and the Executive Branch Ethics Commission. Farmer's attorney, Guthrie True, said he thought an investigation focused on his client would be unlikely. "I would think most of their investigation would be focused in conjunction with the current administration in the Department of Agriculture," True said. Current Agriculture Commissioner James Comer says he has fired about 20 employees, and, while he hasn't filled any of the merit positions vacant when he took office, if and when he fills the positions, the appointments will be consistent with merit laws and regulations and will be chosen from the recommendations made by the interview panel.

Restitution Ordered In Target Oil & Gas Scam

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Senior U.S. District Judge Joseph M. Hood found Friday that six convicted men deliberately misled investors about the risks and possible rewards of investing in a company called Target Oil & Gas. Prosecutors say the company raised $15 million from investors between 2003 and 2008, but only paid out about $1.19 million in royalties, while the company asked investors to fund drilling projects in Kentucky, Texas, West Virginia and Tennessee. Judge Hood ordered the men to pay a total of $13 million in restitution. Judge Hood ordered 56 year old Michael D. Smith of Lancaster to pay $5.4 million, Christopher Cello Smith of Prestonsburg, Shaun Michael Smith and Mark Irwin, both of Cookeville, Tennessee, and Joshua Scott Harris and Ray Garton of Barrackville, West Virginia each to pay $1.6 million in restitution. Michael Smith was president of Target Oil and Gas in Albany and controlling interest holder of Kentucky Indiana Oil and Gas in Danville. His brother, Christopher Smith, was the company's vice president. The men were sentenced to federal prison in 2011, with Irwin and Shaun Michael Smith each ordered to serve 30 months, Michael D. Smith sentenced to 10 years, Garton to five years of probation, Christopher Cello Smith to five years in prison, and Harris to a year in prison.

Teen Charged With Murder

• {Georgetown, Kentucky}...Edgar Noel Vieyra, 18, of Georgetown, was charged with murder Friday and pleaded not guilty after Librado Romero, died from his injuries two days after police say Vieyra shot three people in an act of domestic violence. Vieyra was originally charged with three counts of first-degree assault. Romero, his wife, Maria, and his daughter Nallely were all shot after Vieyra broke into their Wayland Drive home early last Monday. Family members say Vieyra was upset because Nallely, the mother of his children, had taken out a restraining order against him. Vieyra is also charged with violating a domestic violence order, first-degree burglary and second-degree assault for allegedly hitting another family member with the gun. He is scheduled to return to court Monday.

Shooting Ruled Stray-Bullet Incident

• {Flatwoods, Kentucky}...Police have determined a shooting Thursday afternoon that injured a worker at the Oakmont Manor in Flatwoods was a stray-bullet incident. Flatwoods Police Chief Tom Haynes says investigators were able to trace the path of a second bullet that struck a vehicle in the Oakmont Manor parking lot to an area on a ridge in Raceland, directly across from Oakmont Manor, where they found about 50 spent shell casings of five different calibers. Haynes says the area from which the shots were fired was 200 to 250 yards from the nursing home. Police located two 18-year-old men believed to have been the ones who did the shooting, Haynes says one of them turned the weapons over to police for examination. The police department is turning its findings over to the office of Greenup Commonwealth’s Attorney Cliff Duvall to determine whether charges should be filed.

Capilouto/UK Administrators Headed To China

{Lexington, Kentucky}...University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto will leave for China on Monday with six high-level administrators. The purpose of the trip is to develop new student pipelines and programs. The two-week trip will cost about $43,000. The travelers will go to Beijing, Shanghai, Changchun and Xi'an, visiting ministries, universities, energy companies and high schools in all those cities. The trip will focus on three main areas: equine, energy and education. UK is reeling from budget cuts and tuition increases, but officials say the trip is aimed at finding new resources, from research funding to more student tuition, that can help academics and finances in the future.

Police Searching For Missing Morehead State Student

{Morehead, Kentucky}...Police are searching for 20 year old Daniel T. Hiser, a missing Morehead State University student who last contacted a friend via text message Wednesday night. An alert for Hiser has been sent out in the Christy Creek and Elliottville areas of Rowan County. University police say Hiser's 2000 Ford Expedition struck a building and he left the scene. The property owner discovered the damage early Thursday morning, along with a bumper and license plate registered to Hiser. Multiple attempts to contact Hiser have failed and there's been no activity on his cellphone records since the text message. Hiser was last seen on campus Wednesday afternoon. Hiser is 6'3" and 240 lbs. with brown hair and brown eyes.

Conway Senate Campaign Files Lawsuit

• {Paducah, Kentucky}...The U.S. Senate campaign of Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court in Paducah against the Federal Elections Commission over a $4,950 fine levied over a year-end campaign finance report. The campaign says it sent the report to the FEC on January 25, 2011 and provided two affidavits backing that statement, but he FEC says it never received Conway's filing.

Beshear Taking Trade Mission To Taiwan

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear is scheduled to leave Sunday on a seven-day trade mission to Taiwan where he will promote the sale of bourbon whiskey. The trip will also include stops in Japan where Beshear will work to strengthen existing economic ties and talk with businesses considering new investments in Kentucky, which is already home to a massive Toyota manufacturing plant and some 150 others.

Beshear Appoints Lexington Adviser To PSC

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Friday, Governor Steve Beshear appointed Lexington-based energy adviser Linda Breathitt to the Kentucky Public Service Commission, replacing Charlie Borders who resigned in December. Breathitt is the federal representative to the Southern States Energy Board, a position she was appointed to by President Barack Obama. She is familiar with the Public Service Commission, having previously been a member and chairwoman. Her term will begin May 21st.

Manchester Doctor Indicted

{Manchester, Kentucky}...Thursday, a federal grand jury indicted Kishore Kumar Jadhav, a Manchester doctor accused of producing and possessing child pornography. The indictment alleges Jadhav used three minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce visual depictions and that he also possessed illegal images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Jadhav, a doctor of internal medicine, lives in London but had an office near Manchester Memorial Hospital in Clay County. He trained at a medical school in India and was licensed in Kentucky in 1997. The indictment charges that Jadhav made illegal images of children twice in Laurel County in March and once in Clay County in February 2010. Police found illegal images when they searched his office in early April.

Coventry Cares Accused Of Illegally Denying Coverage

Coventry Cares ignited another dispute over health-care coverage Thursday by refusing to authorize new payments for Buprenorphin, a narcotic commonly prescribed under the brand name Suboxone, an expensive medication that helps treat people with drug dependencies. Harrodsburg-based SelfRefind, a network of addiction clinics, alleges that Coventry violated its state contract and federal law by denying the coverage. The company, which operates about a dozen clinics across the state, is asking the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to intervene and could file suit as early as Friday seeking a court-ordered injunction against Coventry Cares. The cabinet has issued a statement citing a violation of contract and calling on the company to continue payments. The cabinet believes that Coventry cannot take this unilateral action without the cabinet’s approval.

Jury Convicts Man On Child Porn Charges

{Harlan, Kentucky}...Clarence P. Curtis of Evarts was convicted Wednesday in Harlan Circuit Court after being indicted on 13 counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of distribution of child pornography. Katheryn Reed, a 14-year veteran of the Attorney General’s Office, testified investigations uncovered child pornography materials on Curtis's computer and tracked him down through use of his IP address. Curtis was using the file sharing program Limewire to facilitate downloading and distributing the material. After a short deliberation, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all 15 counts, recommending one year in prison for each count, to run consecutively. Curtis remains in custody pending sentencing, which is set for July 19th.

Attorneys General Seek Crime Victims Fund Increase

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway was among 51 members of the National Association of Attorneys General who signed a letter that arrived on Capitol Hill earlier this week calling on Congress to raise the cap on the federal Crime Victims Fund to at least $1 billion. The Crime Victims Fund gets money through collections of fines, special assessments and other penalties paid by criminals. The fund is nearing a $7.4 billion balance.

Kentucky Sees Drop In Government Revenue

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...State Budget Director Mary Lassiter says Kentucky's general government revenue dropped in April after 10 months of growth. Lassiter says revenue of $838 million was down nearly 1 percent, largely because of drops in collections from corporate income tax, cigarette tax and property tax. Sales tax collections grew by 4.3 percent in April and individual income tax receipts rose by 2.2 percent. The sharpest decline was in collections from coal severance tax, which fell by more than 26 percent. Kentucky Coal Association President Bill Bissett says coal companies were hit by difficulties in getting government permits to open new mines and a mild winter that required less electricity to heat homes. The tax on mined coal generates nearly $250 million a year for state government.

Fayette County Sheriff's Deputies Charged

{Lexington,  Kentucky}...Fayette County Sheriff's Deputies 55 year old Sgt. Merle McDaniel, 37 year old  Maj. Chris Tudor were arrested Thursday and and former 47 year old Sgt. Bill Beers was cited following an investigation into missing guns at the Fayette County sheriff's office. The investigation revealed that guns confiscated by McDaniel and Beers had not been booked into the office's property vault. Sheriff Kathy Witt said at a news conference Thursday that it was later discovered that two of the weapons had been sold at pawn shops. All but one of the guns have since been recovered and either booked into the sheriff's vault or returned to their owners. McDaniel was charged with two counts of theft by unlawful taking, failing to book six weapons. Beers was charged with three counts of theft by failure to make required disposition after allegedly failing to book eight weapons. Tudor was cited for official misconduct, accused of creating a false report to cover up four missing guns.

U.S. Postal Service Unveils New Option

• The Postal Service unveiled a new option Wednesday, backing off original plans to close as many as 3,700 small post offices across the U.S. in the next few months. Now the Postal Service will consider keeping the post offices open while reducing daily retail hours after residents made it clear at community meetings they wanted their post offices to stay open. The Postal Service will do another review with new criteria and hold another round of community meetings and make final decisions during the next two years. The Postal Service still plans to keep other options open, including offering services at a nearby post office, creating a village post office and providing delivery service through a new rural route.

Coventry Cares Considering Contracts

Coventry Cares, which had threatened to drop its contract with Appalachian Regional Healthcare, has said it wants to renegotiate its agreement with Baptist Healthcare System or it will let its current contract expire on November 1st. Baptist Healthcare has five hospitals located in Lexington, Louisville, La Grange, Paducah and Corbin. Coventry also has notified King's Daughters Medical Center in Ashland that it will terminate its contract after May 26th, though hospital officials say they are in talks and hope to reach an agreement to extend services. Coventry has said the re-negotiations stem from not getting enough reimbursement from the state for very sick patients.

Amazon Investing More Than $20 Million In Winchester

{Winchester, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear joined Amazon.com officials Wednesday in announcing that the company is investing more than $20 million open a service center in Winchester that will create 550 full-time jobs and 600 seasonal ones. The company plans to open a temporary customer service center in late summer until construction on the permanent 70,000-square-foot facility is finished in 2013. It will be Amazon's first customer service facility in Kentucky.

Albarado Pleads Not Guilty

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Jockey Robby Albarado was taken off his Kentucky Oaks mount last Friday after being arrested on a charge of domestic violence. Tuesday, his attorney, Scott Barton, pleaded him not guilty. Albarado did not attend the arraignment in Jefferson District Court in Louisville, which wasn’t required because he faces a misdemeanor charge. A jury trial was set for July 18th, and Albarado is not to have any contact with the prosecution witness. Barton says he is confident Albarado will be exonerated. Churchill Downs stewards suspended Albarado indefinitely. He will not be able to ride again until he goes before the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's license review committee, which is scheduled to meet May 16th. Albarado was also arrested last year in a domestic abuse case involving his wife. After that, he was permitted to ride again under an agreement with the racing commission. That agreement, signed April 8, 2011, provides conditions for Albarado to continue riding, one of which is that he not be arrested.

UK Increases Tuition And Fees

{Lexington, Kentucky}...The University of Kentucky board of trustees voted Tuesday to increase student tuition by 6 percent for the upcoming academic year, bringing the total cost of tuition, fees and housing for in-state undergraduates to $16,518 a year. In the past 10 years, UK tuition has increased 147 percent. According to a recent study, UK's in-state tuition now is more than in-state tuition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Texas at Austin. Trustee Jo Hern Curris pointed out that while the Council on Postsecondary Education allowed UK to raise tuition up to 6 percent, it wasn't required to do so. Curris said that after this year, she no longer could support 6 percent increases and that she was pleased to see that a 3 percent tuition increase is being proposed for 2013-14. The change for in-state tuition for underclassmen will be $274, from $4,564 to $4,838, per semester in the 2012-13 academic year. Upper division students will also see costs climb from $4,696 to $4,978. University President Eli Capilouto says declining state support, research funding and endowment resources have strained the university budget, prompting the tuition increase.

Fort Campbell Soldier Convicted

{Fort Campbell, Kentucky}...A Fort Campbell military panel has convicted Fort Campbell soldier Brent Burke in the 2007 shooting deaths of his estranged wife, Tracy Burke, and her former mother-in-law, Karen Comer, after civilian authorities in Hardin County dismissed charges against him due to four mistrials. Jurors, who began deliberations Tuesday morning, found Burke guilty of premeditated murder, breaking and entering, child endangerment and obstruction of justice. Defense attorneys for Burke rested their case Monday after calling state police detective Mark Gilligham who testified about inconsistencies in what Burke's stepson and son said they saw the night of the slayings. Both boys testified Saturday that Burke was the shooter. Carter said their stories changed and weren't credible. Prosecuting attorney Capt. Janae M. Lepir noted in her closings that shortly before the killings Burke told others he was going to kill his estranged wife, that a piece of glass found on Burke's jacket after the killings was "indistinguishable" from shattered glass at the scene and that witness testified Burke had inquired about the fastest way to travel to Fort Campbell from Rineyville and about the location where the children were sleeping in Comer's home where the shootings occurred.

Bell County Tourism Commission Rejects Project

{Pineville, Kentucky}...Tuesday afternoon, the Bell County Tourism Commission voted against using restaurant tax dollars to fund bonds for the proposed $14 million Wasioto Hotel and Resort in Pineville. Judge-Executive Albey Brock says the county needs it desperately, and leaders claim the Wasioto Hotel project would create hundreds of jobs and boost tourism, but the Tourism Commission questioned whether it is legal and appropriate to use the restaurant tax dollars for it. County and city leaders say, without the restaurant tax money, there is not enough funding for the project. Some Bell County leaders say they will continue to lobby for the project.

Derby Week Earnings Increase

• {Louisville, Kentucky}...Churchill Downs drew a record Derby crowd of 165,307 Saturday and the second-largest crowd for the Kentucky Oaks at 112,552 the day before. Churchill CEO Robert L. Evans says the handle on the Oaks Day race card from all sources totaled a record $39.9 million, up 7 percent from last year, and, on the Derby alone, it was up 19 percent from last year, to $133.1 million. All-sources handle for the 13 Derby Day races at Churchill totaled a record $187 million, up 13 percent from last year. According to its quarterly results released late Monday, Churchill had first-quarter revenue of $138.2 million, up 5 percent from the year-ago period. The first-quarter results didn't include the Kentucky Derby week.

Toyota To Increase Engine Assembly In Georgetown

{Georgetown, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear announced Tuesday that Toyota will increase its engine assembly capacity at its Georgetown plant, beginning in August 2013. The $30 million project will increase the annual assembly capacity of four-cylinder engines by more than 100,000. The latest investment will increase engine production at the Kentucky plant to more than 500,000 annually. Workers at the Georgetown plant currently assemble engines for the Avalon, Camry and Venza. The increased capacity will supply engines for Camry and Camry Hybrids built at Georgetown and for RAV4 vehicles made in Canada. It also will raise total employment at Toyota's Georgetown operations to about 6,700 and total plant investment to nearly $6 billion.

Georgetown Man Sentenced

{Georgetown, Kentucky}...Carl Lewis, 60, of Georgetown, was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter and five years for wanton endangerment, the sentences to run consecutively. Glen Bussell, 22, a wrestler known as "Ice Pick" with the Southern Wrestling Association and assistant manager of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Georgetown, was killed in an April 3, 2010, crash when a vehicle driven by Lewis, who was under the influence, crossed the center line on U.S. 460 and hit three other vehicles. Lewis was indicted on a charge of murder and four counts of wanton endangerment, but the murder charge was amended to manslaughter, and the four counts of wanton endangerment were consolidated into one.

Son And Stepson Testify Against Fort Campbell Soldier

• {Fort Campbell, Kentucky}...The young son and stepson of Fort Campbell soldier Brent Burke testified against him Saturday. Burke is the midst of a court martial charged with the 2007 murder of his estranged wife, Tracy Burke, and her former mother-in-law, Karen Comer. The younger boy, who was 4 at the time of the slayings, testified that he saw his father in the home with a gun. The older boy, who was nine at the time of the slayings, testified that he didn't see the shooter's face, but recognized his stepfather's voice. Burke's attorneys questioned the reliability of the boys' testimony by asking about discrepancies between their testimony and what they told police right after the shootings.

Teen Found In Lake

{Harlan, Kentucky}...The Harlan County Rescue Squad found the body of 15 year old Jeffrey Mullins of St. Charles, Virginia Sunday evening in the Martins Fork Lake. Harlan County Rescue Squad Captain Chris Allen says witnesses told him Mullins and his family were horse playing in the water when the teen began having problems, and the Mullin's family members tried to hold on to him. The Harlan County Rescue Squad and other agencies tried to save Mullins, who went underwater without a life jacket. Crews took three hours to find and recover his body about sixty feet offshore, where the water is nine feet deep.

KY Included In Abbott Settlement

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Attorney General Jack Conway announced Monday that, as part of a legal settlement with Illinois-based Abbott Laboratories, Kentucky will receive $4.6 million. Abbott agreed to pay $1.5 billion to the federal government and several states to resolve allegations that it promoted the anti-seizure drug Depakote for uses that were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Attorney Timothy Heaphy said people at top levels in Abbott carried out a strategy of systematically marketing the drug for purposes other than what federal regulators had allowed. Depakote is an anti-seizure and mood-stabilizing drug prescribed for bipolar disorder. Abbott admitted it had marketed the drug for unapproved uses, including treatment of schizophrenia, agitated dementia and autism.

Body Found At Churchill Downs

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The discovery of a man's body Sunday in the stable area of Churchill Downs is being investigated as a homicide. The man was identified as 48 year old Adan Fabian Perez, a native of Guatemala. Jo-Ann Farmer, the chief Jefferson County deputy coroner, said Perez’s 19 year old son, who also works at Churchill, identified his father. Marc A. Guilfoil, deputy executive director of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, said Perez was a groom for trainer Cecil Borel. He lived on the backside and had been licensed by the commission since 2008. Alicia Smiley, spokeswoman for Louisville Metro Police, says it doesn't appear to have any association with Churchill Downs or the Derby itself. Churchill Downs security called police at 4:50 A.M. after the body was found by a track security officer. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday. Churchill Downs saw a record attendance of more than 165,000 at its Kentucky Derby Saturday.

Delay In State Workers' Pay

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Lawmakers approved a plan that delays the last paycheck for state workers in the current fiscal year until the first day of the new fiscal year. The move means $72 million in personnel costs are transferred out of the current budget and into the next one. But it also means that paychecks, which would have gone out to 33,000 state workers on June 29th, won't be available until July 2nd. A letter has been sent to all employees explaining the delay. Kentucky Personnel Cabinet spokeswoman Crystal Pryor Staley says officials are working with employee groups, banks and others to minimize any impact.

Higher Reclamation Bonds For Coal Mines

• {Frankfort, Kentucky}...Under an emergency rule filed by state regulators Friday, the state Energy and Environment Cabinet announced coal companies will have to post higher reclamation bonds for surface mines. Companies must post bonds with the state so that, if the company goes out of business or fails to reclaim strip-mined land, there will be money available for the state to pay a contractor to do it. Environmentalists and others have long complained that the bond amounts the state required were too low to cover the actual cost of reclamation in many cases.

Fort Campbell Soldier's DNA Not Found

{Fort Campbell, Kentucky}...Fort Campbell soldier Brent Burke is in the midst of a court martial at Fort Campbell on charges of murder in the deaths of his estranged wife Tracy Burke and her former mother-in-law, Karen Comer, who were found fatally shot at Comer's Rineyville home in 2007. Friday, DNA expert Steven Barrett and forensic biologist Sara Green both testified that Brent Burke's DNA wasn't found on any of the items tested at the scene. The Army charged Burke in the shootings after civilian authorities in Hardin County dismissed charges against him due to four mistrials.

Murray State Trial Moved

{Murray, Kentucky}...Former Murray State University student Jerry Walker, 35, of Paducah, is facing manslaughter, assault and arson charges in the September 18, 1998 fire at Hester Hall that killed student Michael Minger and seriously injured student Michael Priddy. At a hearing Friday, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to move the trial from Calloway County to Marshall County. Jury selection is scheduled to begin July 9th. Walker, who has pleaded not guilty, was first tried in 2001 when a mistrial was declared after a jury was unable to reach a verdict.

Calipari And Assistants Get Lucrative Contracts

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Friday, University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari and his three assistants who got new, lucrative contracts. Calipari received an 8.3 percent increase in his guaranteed annual compensation over the final seven years of his current agreement, making his amended deal worth a total of $36.5 million before performance incentives, which breaks down to $5.2 million over the next six years and $5.3 million in 2018-19. Assistant coaches Orlando Antigua, Kenny Payne and John Robic each got new contracts. Not counting incentives, Antigua got a two-year deal worth $525,000, Robic got a two-year deal worth $575,000 and Payne got a three-year contract worth $1.05 million. According to a March story by Forbes, Calipari’s new guaranteed compensation, which increased by $400,000 annually and does not include up to $850,000 in potential bonuses each season, would make him the fourth-highest paid coach in the NBA. Calipari, who has a 102-14 record with the Cats and hasn’t lost a home game in his three seasons in Lexington, says he has the best job in basketball and wants to finish his career at Kentucky. He has said he’d like to chase UCLA’s record 11 NCAA titles.

Elderly Kentucky Native Graduating

{Cincinnati, Ohio}...Eighty-nine year old Clell Elliott, a Sandy Hook, Kentucky native who started his education in a one-room schoolhouse in eastern Kentucky, will graduate Saturday from a university in southern Ohio where he began as a freshman more than 50 years ago. Elliott, who now lives in the Ohio River town of Franklin Furnace, says an adult studies program at the University of Rio Grande, about 120 miles east of Cincinnati, has allowed him to combine previous college credits with seven decades of work experience and realize his lifelong ambition with a bachelor of science degree in business management. His sharecropper father insisted he drop out as a high school sophomore in 1938 to work the 201-acre farm in Carter County where the family grew tobacco, corn and other crops. Elliott says marrying at a young age, serving in the Navy in World War II and raising three children with his late wife, Maggie, kept him from thinking about his college goal for years.

Man Sentenced In Oil Scam

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Friday, U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell sentenced Campbellsville businessman 58 year old Gary Moss Milby to 20 years in prison for mail, wire and securities fraud. A federal jury convicted Milby and 48 year old Bryan S. Coffman in May 2011 of defrauding investors in an oil-and-gas drilling scheme. Caldwell ordered Milby and Coffman jointly to pay full restitution in excess of $36 million. From 2004 through 2008, Milby and Victor Tsatskin of Canada solicited more than $36 million from about 600 investors across the United States and Canada. Tsatskin is currently serving a prison sentence in Canada. Prosecutors say Coffman and Milby used the money to pay for boats and vehicles, real estate, jewelry, parties, family travel and trust funds. Coffman was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in prison.

State Not Liable In informant's Death

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Police informant LeBron Gaither got into a car for a controlled drug buy in July 1996 with a man named Jason Noel, unaware that someone tipped Noel to his role as a police informant in Taylor County as the two traveled from Taylorsville to Casey County, where Gaither was tortured, stabbed, beaten, dragged and killed. The Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the state's Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and state police can't be held liable for the death of Gaither. Judge Michelle Keller wrote for a divided court that while the discretion and judgment of the detectives in the case was "tragically flawed," their actions were protected by governmental immunity. The decision upholds a 2011 ruling by Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate to overturn a $168,000 award by the Kentucky Board of Claims to Gaither's family.

Indiana Refuses Contract With UK

{Indianapolis, Indiana}...Indiana Hoosiers athletic director Fred Glass says Indiana has decided it won't sign a new contract to play the University of Kentucky in men's basketball, ending a rivalry that has been played every year since 1969. Glass says the two schools could not agree on where games should be played. The Wildcats wanted the games played at off-campus sites in Louisville and Indianapolis, as they were from 1991 through 2005. Kentucky lost its only regular-season game last season at Indiana's Assembly Hall after Christian Watford hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to win it. The Hoosiers prefer to keep the games on campus, where they've been played since 2006. Glass says Indiana would reconsider if the games stay on campus.

Bank Files Foreclosure Suit Against Farmer

{Manchester, Kentucky}...First National Bank of Manchester has filed a foreclosure suit against former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer and his wife, claiming that more than $300,000 is due on their mortgage loan of 2004, and no mortgage payments have been made since at least January. Rebecca Farmer filed for divorce in April 2011, and her attorney, Brian Logan, says Richie Farmer is responsible for making the mortgage payments under an agreement made in the divorce case. The parties agreed Richie Farmer would be solely responsible for the mortgage payments on the marital residence and assume all liability for the loan. Logan says Richie Farmer agreed to refinance the loan on the marital residence solely in his name.

Indictment In Clay County Sheriff's Murder

{Manchester, Kentucky}...A grand jury in Clay County returned an indictment Thursday for 61 year old Oran Brumley, a current inmate at the Ross Correctional Institution in Chillicothe, Ohio. He was convicted in 2004 of murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary. The indictment charges Brumley in the June 1, 1969, slaying of Sheriff James M. "Matt" Sizemore who was found shot to death southwest of Manchester. Kentucky State Police Trooper Don Trosper says investigators received a tip in the last six to eight months that led them to interview Brumley again about the slaying.

Court Martial Begins For Fort Campbell Soldier

{Fort Campbell, Kentucky}...Testimony has begun in the court martial of Brent Burke, a Fort Campbell soldier facing murder and other charges in the 2007 slayings of his estranged wife, Tracy Burke and her former mother-in-law, Karen Comer, who were fatally shot at Comer's home in Rineyville. The Army charged Burke in the shootings after civilian authorities in Hardin County dismissed charges against him due to four mistrials. Kentucky State Police detective Matthew Johnson testified that police found Comer near the back door, which had been forced open. She had been shot twice. Tracy Burke's body was found in a back bedroom in a partial fetal position. She also had been shot twice. Brent Burke's attorney, William Carter, questioned the accuracy of the crime scene evaluation, noting that officers didn't photograph text messages on Tracy Burke's phone and missed shell casings, which were found the next day by a cleaning crew. He also noted that Burke wasn't the only suspect at the beginning of the investigation into the shootings. Burke has pleaded not guilty.