{Frankfort, Kentucky}...In an effort to raise awareness of traffic safety laws and encourage safe driving habits, the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety is partnering with state and local law enforcement on the "Blue Lights Across the Bluegrass" campaign throughout July. Transportation Cabinet Secretary Mike Hancock says the year started with a reduction in fatalities, but beginning in May, fatalities began a dramatic increase. As of June 27th, there were 356 highway fatalities, 41 more than at the same time last year. Over half of those killed were not wearing seat belts. Twenty-four percent involved a distracted driver, 16 percent involved an impaired driver, and over half of those killed in motorcycle crashes were not wearing a helmet.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Muhammad Ali Center, Park West Galleries Settle Dispute
{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Muhammad Ali Center and a Michigan art gallery have settled a dispute over whether and how to display more than 180 pieces chronicling the champion's career. In a joint statement, the Ali Center and Park West Galleries of Southfield, Michigan said Friday that the agreement allows the Louisville-based center to display artwork at its discretion as space becomes available. The two sides also agreed that only works included in an online authentication database or otherwise verified would be displayed by the center or sold by Park West Galleries. The Ali Center sued Park West on Tuesday, saying six pieces donated to the center had autographs that could not be authenticated.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Former Executive Sues The Courier-Journal
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Mike Huot, a former executive at The Courier-Journal, has sued the newspaper, alleging he was terminated because of his age. The suit says Huot was 62 when he was told last September that his job as vice president of circulation, which he had held since 1999, was being "eliminated." The lawsuit says the newspaper brought in a younger employee to replace him. The lawsuit was filed in Jefferson County Circuit Court this week against the newspaper and parent company Gannett. Huot said he received excellent reviews throughout 25 years with Gannett. He made more than $300,000 a year with bonuses and stock incentives.
Danville Psychiatrist Has License Suspended
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The state Board of Medical Licensure has issued an emergency order of suspension for Dr. Melborne Williams, a Danville psychiatrist. Officials are investigating allegations that at least 12 of his patients in Clay County died of drug overdoses in the past year. Williams allegedly overprescribed Xanax and other prescription medications. The suspension order says Williams prescribed 1.35 million Alprazolam, which is commonly known by the brand name Xanax, tablets on 12,622 separate prescriptions between April 2011 and March 12, 2012, making him the leading prescriber of that medication in Kentucky.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
KY To Create Statewide Health Insurance Exchange
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear said Thursday Kentucky is ready to move ahead to create a statewide health insurance exchange after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the federal health care federal health care overhaul. Beshear said he will issue an executive order "soon" to create the online exchange that's intended to help uninsured Kentuckians find affordable health coverage. Officials say the health care act will add 300,000 Kentuckians who can't afford health insurance to the Medicaid program. In February, Kentucky received a nearly $58 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to prepare for the implementation of the reforms.
Drought Conditions Hit Kentucky
Temperatures topped 100 degrees across Kentucky on Thursday. Kentucky officials say drought conditions exist in three-fourths of the state, and the dry spell has become severe in parts of western Kentucky, where farmers are at risk of low yields or no crops at all. Thursday, the state climatologist's office put 24 western Kentucky counties in the severe drought category. Another 66 counties are in moderate to severe drought. That area stretches from portions of western Kentucky to the state's Appalachian region. Louisville sweltered in 103-degree heat, making it the hottest June day recorded in Kentucky's largest city. In eastern Kentucky, it was the hottest June day on record in Jackson, where it was 100. London set its own heat record for the month at 99 degrees.
Site Chosen For New VA Hospital
{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced it has chosen the location for a new $883.2 million veterans hospital in Louisville to open in 2018. The site is east of downtown near the Brownsboro Road and Watterson Expressway interchange. U.S. Representative John Yarmuth, a Louisville Democrat, says he has been assured the VA will work to control traffic congestion and other concerns. Political leaders supported the announcement in 2006 that a new hospital would be built, noting complaints that the existing VA medical center is overcrowded and outdated.
Lawmakers Order Redistricting Legal Fees Paid
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Senate President David Williams and House Speaker Greg Stumbo have ordered payment of some $19,000 in legal fees incurred during this year's court battle over legislative redistricting which made its way to the Kentucky Supreme Court. The court ruled earlier this year that the newly drawn legislative districts were unconstitutional because their populations were out of balance. That means lawmakers have to tackle the contentious issue again in next year's legislative session.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Hate Crime Trial Set
{London, Kentucky}...A new trial date of October 15th has been set in the federal hate crime case against 20 year old Anthony Ray Jenkins and 37 year old Jason David Jenkins. Officials say the two kidnapped a man and severely beat him, because he is gay. Prosecutors say this is the first federal case involving the sexual orientation section of the hate crimes law. Anthony Jenkins' wife, Alexis Jenkins, and sister, Mable Jenkins, have pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced in August.
MSHA Cites Kentucky Mines
The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration announced Wednesday that inspectors issued 43 citations and orders at K and D Mining Inc.'s Mine No. 17 in Harlan County in May. The mine, which was shut down for nine days last month because of safety violations, was among nine nationwide cited during the special federal inspections. Federal inspectors also issued citations during the May special inspections at a surface mine in Magoffin County operated by Licking River Mining LLC. MSHA has done 452 impact inspections since April 2010, issuing more than 8,900 citations and orders.
Conway Announces $2.5 Million Settlement
At a news conference Wednesday, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway announced that a Web site designed to steer veterans to for-profit colleges must pay a $2.5 million settlement and turn over the site to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Kentucky is scheduled to receive about $325,000 of the $2.5 million settlement. The settlement stems from Conway's investigation of alleged deceptive recruiting practices by some for-profit colleges. State attorneys general and consumer advocates have said that for-profit colleges increased their recruitment of veterans after Congress passed a robust GI Bill in 2008, making billions of dollars available to veterans and service members. A recent report by a U.S. Senate committee showed that GI Bill funding at 20 for-profit colleges increased 683 percent from 2006 to 2010. For-profit colleges must receive 10 percent of their overall funding from sources outside of federal financial aid, but money from the GI bill does not count toward that cap. That means if a school recruits veterans, it could get 100 percent of its funding from the federal government.
State Lawmaker Among Layoffs
{Louisville, Kentucky}...State Representative Reggie Meeks is among about two dozen employees who have recently lost their jobs as the University of Louisville. University spokeswoman Cindy Hess says the cuts are an effort to trim costs before the start of the 2012-13 fiscal year, which begins Sunday. Hess says the school's deans and department heads have up to a year to make cuts to deal with a $49.7 million hole in the school's budget brought on by a 6.4 percent reduction in state funds. Since the 2007-2008 school year, the General Assembly has reduced its funding to the university to $163 million from $191 million, while the school increased tuition each year. Meeks has worked at the university for 22 years. He most recently worked as associate director for outreach programs in the College of Arts & Sciences. The University of Kentucky also recently announced that it had let go of 140 employees to close a $44 million shortfall.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Muhammad Ali Center Suing Art Donor
{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Muhammad Ali Center is suing art donor Park West Gallery of Southfield, Michigan, seeking to force the gallery to take back a gift of more than 180 pieces or allow the center to display it without any conditions set in the donation agreement. At issue is the authenticity of Ali autographs on six pieces donated in 2009. The center says the signatures are not Ali's and are not in an online database that authenticates signed artwork. Park West Gallery donated the pieces with the agreement that the Ali Center would retain the art in perpetuity, but had to display the pieces with plaques noting where the art came from.
Ellis Park Preparing For "Instant Racing"
{Henderson, Kentucky}...Ellis Park owner Ron Geary said Tuesday the track is going ahead with installing gambling machines known as "Instant Racing" in hopes of having them functioning before the Henderson track's summer meet ends on Labor Day. Geary says he's negotiating with investment groups and is seeking a partner to provide $3 million needed to finish remodeling part of the clubhouse into a casino-style facility. In Instant Racing, patrons bet on historic races without knowing the names of the trainers, jockeys or horses involved.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Stumbo...Highest Paid Legislator In 2011
Bill To Crack Down On Stolen Metals
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Metal recyclers in Kentucky will soon be required to register and keep records of their purchases under legislation sponsored by Representative Tanya Pullin. Governor Steve Beshear signed a bill Monday that will give Kentucky State Police the ability to track not only sellers of stolen metals, but those who knowingly purchase those metals. HB 390 requires a registry for second metal recyclers. That registry will require applicants to pay the Kentucky State Police for conducting background checks. The legislation also limits payments for restricted metals to be done by check or electronic bank transfer rather than cash. It also requires the registry to keep records of restricted metal purchases such as manhole covers, guardrails, traffic signs, etc., and makes those records available to law enforcement at all times. It also recommends the creation of a Recyclable Metals Theft Prevention Working Group.
Knott County Woman To Appear In Court
Home Invasion Suspects To Appear In Court
{Hindman, Kentucky}...Thirty-four year old Steven Short and 28 year old Heath Slone, both of Mousie, who pleaded not guilty last week to assault and burglary charges, will be in court Tuesday after being charged in a Knott County home invasion. Willie Patton says the pair pistol whipped him on the forehead after taking prescription pills and money from him. Police say Short and Slone also invaded the home of Nero Patton.
Manchester Doctor To Plead Guilty
{Manchester, Kentucky}...An attorney for Kishore Kumar Jadhav, a Manchester doctor, filed a request Monday for a hearing for Jadhav to plead guilty on one charge against him. The motion did not say which charge. Jadhav faces federal charges of producing and possessing child porn. He allegedly paid three juvenile girls to perform sexual acts and used an iPhone to videotape them. Jadhav lives in Laurel County but practiced in Manchester. He has been held without bond since he was arrested in April.
EPA Concerned About Louisville Landfill
{Louisville, Kentucky}...The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is calling for a new study of the 112-acre Lees Lane landfill in Louisville because of new reports of waste found during routine monitoring. The Lees Lane landfill was removed from the nation's Superfund list of most toxic places in the 1980s. In 1975 methane at the dump caused flash fires in nearby homes. Testing over the last decade found explosive levels in one methane gas monitoring well between the landfill and homes on several occasions. New methane monitoring wells installed in 2010 have not shown elevated gas readings. The EPA says the review would determine if the monitoring system needs to be replaced. EPA officials have called a public meeting for July 19th.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Beshear Reports 2011 Income
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear and his wife, Jane Beshear, reported nearly $200,000 in income on their latest joint federal income tax return. Beshear publicly released the tax return on Friday, as he has done each year since he became governor. The Beshears' total income included his gubernatorial salary of just more than $129,000, plus $45,000 in dividends and $24,000 in Social Security benefits. The Beshears got a federal tax refund of $8,189. They reported $53,262 in total itemized deductions. The couple gave $17,799 to charities and checked two designated donation boxes on their state taxes: $2 each to the Kentucky Democratic Party and $10 for breast cancer research.
Beshear To Attend National Convention
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Some Democratic officials from coal-producing states plan to boycott this year's national party convention because of discontent with President Obama's energy policies. Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear said Friday he will support Obama as the party nominee at the national convention September 3rd through 6th in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kentucky Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson says that's a mistake. Robertson says elected officials will have to answer to whether they support Obama, a president who has declared war on coal, or Kentucky. Robertson says Obama's enforcement of stringent regulations is the reason for the Arch Coal layoffs, and Kentucky Democratic officials should follow the example of neighboring party colleagues, including Democratic West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, and skip the Democratic presidential convention in protest. State Democratic Party spokesman Matt Erwin says no one has informed Kentucky Democratic Party officials that he or she will bypass the party convention because of Obama. He says every Democratic delegate representing Kentucky will support the Democratic ticket, Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Lexington Man Convicted
{Lexington, Kentucky}...Friday, a federal jury convicted James Norman Turek, 66, of Lexington, on eight counts of securities fraud and five counts of tax fraud. Turek, the former president of a Lexington-based company, was found guilty on all counts of defrauding thousands of investors nationwide of $18 million. According to the evidence, from 2004 to 2006, Turek lured about 8,500 investors to buy Plasticon stock by falsely claiming that Plasticon was profitable when he knew that the company was losing millions of dollars. U.S. District Chief Judge Jennifer B. Coffman found Turek was a flight risk, and he was taken into custody by a U.S. Marshal. Turek is scheduled for sentencing on September 27th. Turek faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years on each count of securities fraud and three years on each count of tax fraud. However, Coffman must consider sentencing guidelines and the applicable statutes before imposing the sentence.
Urban County Government Owes Attorney Fees
{Lexington, Kentucky}...The Urban County Government owes more than $200,000 in attorney fees after Charlotte Trotter, a jail employee at the Fayette County Detention Center, claimed she was sexually harassed on the job by her boss, Maj. Michael Korb. Trotter's attorney, Shane Sidebottom, initially requested $203,418 in court fees, but Fayette Circuit Court Judge James Ishmael reduced that amount by $2,720 after reviewing a lengthy bill submitted by Sidebottom. The judge granted a total of $200,698 for all costs incurred through Thursday, which does not include the cost of fees from possible future appeals. Trotter sued Korb, former jail director Ronald Bishop and the Urban County Government in 2009, claiming Korb sexually harassed her and touched her breast, and Bishop and the city failed to take corrective action against Korb and that she was retaliated against for reporting the abuse. A jury awarded Trotter $60,000 in a split verdict when the case went to trial in March, but jurors found no evidence that Korb touched Trotter's breast. But, they found by majority vote that Korb sexually harassed her.
Early Inmate Release A Problem For County Jails
County jails across Kentucky are experiencing a financial crunch under the state's mandate that has, so far, released 2,100 state inmates early in an effort to save money and help rehabilitation. Some of the inmates are housed at county jails. Christian County officials thought their jail in Hopkinsville was a moneymaker since it housed both county and state inmates, and officials expanded it from 94 beds in the 1990s to its current 707 beds, but Jailer Brad Boyd says some years its income outweighed its expenses, but now that 58 state inmates have been released early it has more beds than needed and may need $2.5 million from the county to help offset losses. Jails in Kentucky have 19,727 beds today, which is almost double what it had in 2000, jails across the state have been overbuilt to accommodate more state inmates. The reduction in inmates is expected to save the state $40 million annually, but it will be hard on counties, which also rely on inmates for work programs. The Kentucky Jailers Association, the Kentucky Association of Counties and the Kentucky County Judge-Executive Association gave their endorsements to the early-release law knowing they might take a hit to their budgets.
Judge Rules Juvenile Screening Unconstitutional
{Lexington, Kentucky}...U.S. Senior District Judge Karl S. Forester recently ruled that an eastern Kentucky juvenile facility's screening of naked teens in 2009 was unconstitutional. The case stems from intake screenings at the Breathitt Regional Juvenile Detention Center, where two half-siblings were taken after being charged with underage drinking. The charges were dropped, and the teens' parents sued the guards, the center, its director and state juvenile justice officials. Forester noted in his ruling that the U.S. Sixth Judicial Circuit has held since 2004 that unclothed visual observation of a juvenile accused of a non-violent offense violates the Fourth Amendment in the absence of individualized reasonable suspicion of possession of contraband. At the time the teens were picked up, the department's policy called for all detainees to disrobe before being screened during which time guards checked them for illness, injury, abuse or neglect, but Forester said guards at the facility weren't medically qualified to make that determination.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Fort Campbell Soldier Sentenced
{Hopkinsville, Kentucky}...Christian County Circuit Judge John Atkins has sentenced 22 year old Joshua Huntley, a Fort Campbell soldier who was convicted of trying to hire a hit man to kill his ex-girlfriend, to 11 years in prison. Huntley was arrested in June 2011 after discussions with an undercover police officer posing as a hit man. During the hearing, Huntley apologized to the ex-girlfriend and told Adkins he didn't really want to go through with the hit, but was afraid to sever communications with the undercover officer.
Supreme Court Rules On Search Warrant
{Louisville, Kentucky}...In the early hours of September 10, 2008, Lexington police told Crystal Lynn Guzman that, unless she agreed to allow a search of her apartment, an officer would remain with her while another got a warrant. Guzman consented to a warrantless "protective sweep," and officers found cocaine and drug paraphernalia and arrested Guzman. The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the threat of getting a search warrant amounted to an impermissible ruse by officers, who had no probable cause for a warrant. The ruling threw out Guzman's conviction as well as the evidence seized in the search. The ruling sets new limits in Kentucky on how far police officers may go to gain access to homes and vehicles without a search warrant. "Even when a search is authorized by consent, the scope of the search is limited by the terms of its authorization," five justices wrote in an unsigned opinion.
Case Of Buried Cash Sent Back
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Federal prosecutors and bankruptcy trustee Michael L. Baker are locked in a tug-of-war over $250,000 that belonged to a convicted con man, and, until three years ago, remained buried in a cooler at a northern Kentucky golf course. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that federal prosecutors didn't give proper notice of their intent to seize the money for restitution. The court sent the case back to U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith of Cincinnati to decide if 51 year old A. William Erpenbeck, former president of Edgewood, Ky.-based Erpenbeck Development Co., will get the money or his creditors. Judge Jeffrey Sutton wrote that prosecutors did not properly give Baker notice of forfeiture proceedings, depriving him of an opportunity to lay claim to the cash. Erpenbeck is serving a 25 year prison sentence at the federal prison in Coleman, Florida. His projected release date is November 14, 2025. The bizarre case stretches back almost 10 years in northern Kentucky and southern Ohio.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Temporary Injunction Issued Against Coventry Cares
{Lexington, Kentucky}...Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Karl Forester ordered Coventry Cares to continue its contract with Appalachian Regional Healthcare through November 1st so Medicaid patients in eastern Kentucky will have time to decide whether to change their managed care organization. Coventry planned to sever its contract with ARH on May 4th, but the hospital chain filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the termination. Coventry agreed to continue its contract until June 30th while negotiating with ARH, but negotiations stalled. About 25,000 eastern Kentucky Medicaid patients are affected by the ruling. Michael Murphy, president and CEO of Coventry Cares of Kentucky, told state lawmakers Wednesday that the company has lost $50 million in the first quarter of 2012 in Kentucky. He said the company is trying to mitigate those losses by renegotiating contracts with health care providers.
McConnell Votes Against EPA Resolution
Senator Mitch McConnell urged his colleagues Wednesday to force the Environmental Protection Agency to rewrite stringent regulatory standards on emissions from coal-fired power plants. The Senate voted down a resolution Wednesday that would have prevented the EPA from implementing the so-called "Utility MACT" regulation that McConnell and others insist is part of a "war on coal." The resolution was defeated 46-53. McConnell said the regulation would expand the already massive powers given to the EPA by increasing red tape and costing the taxpayer over $10 billion dollars each year. He said, in Kentucky alone, it threatens the jobs of over 1,400 people working in aluminum smelter plants as well as approximately 18,000 coal miners, not to mention those engaged in industries that support these jobs. McConnell said Kentucky Power Co. plans to shut down a coal-fired generating plant rather than bear the cost of nearly $1 billion in upgrades to meet the environmental standards.
Man Dies While Rappelling In Wolfe County
{Rogers, Kentucky}...The Wolfe County coroner's office has identified the man who died while rappelling in the county Tuesday as Robert Curtin, 45, of Newark, Delaware. Curtin fell about 30 feet down an 80-foot cliff before his harness and ropes stopped the fall. The incident occurred about 4:15 P.M. in Muir Valley, which is in the Rogers community.
Lawmakers Request Plan For Mining Fines
California Representatives George Miller and Lynn Woolsey are asking Kentucky coal mine operators of K and D Mining and Kentucky Darby Mine No. 1 in Harlan County to submit a plan by Monday for paying $1.5 million in overdue fines. Five miners were killed in 2006 at the Kentucky Darby Mine, and K and D Mining was closed for nine days last month after federal Mine Safety and Health Administration inspectors found dangerous conditions. Miller is the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Woolsey is the ranking Democrat on that panel's workforce protections subcommittee. They have been outspoken advocates for tougher mine-safety laws.
Court Of Appeals Dismisses Lawsuit
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Wednesday, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit by Kentucky-based Republic Bank after it lost at least $14 million by investing in mortgage-backed securities sold by Bear Stearns. The Court found Republic Bank officials did not read the documents describing the securities and how the company functioned before investing $32 million in October 2006. Republic Bank bought about $52 million worth of the securities, which were backed by home loans, from Bear Stearns over a three-year period. Republic Bank sued Bear Stearns in 2009 in U.S. District Court in Louisville, claiming an official from the investment bank lied about the profitability of the securities.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Forfeiture Ordered In Diet Drug Scam
{Lexington, Kentucky}...U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves in Lexington has ordered that all the assets from 61 year old William Gallion and 57 year old Shirley Cunningham Jr. be sold with the proceeds going to repay more than 400 former clients defrauded in a fen-phen diet drug settlement. A federal appeals court in May upheld the convictions of Gallion and Cunningham and ordered them to pay $127,678,834 in restitution. The former attorneys have been ordered to forfeit six houses in Kentucky and Florida, a dozen financial accounts, seven vehicles and cash in lieu of five pieces of property to repay former clients.
Personnel Board To Consider Farmer Audit
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The state Personnel Board plans to consider an audit involving former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer in July. The board directed its staff in May to review seven findings that dealt with personnel issues in the audit released April 30th by state Auditor Adam Edelen and report back as soon as possible. During a board meeting Monday, executive director Mark Sipek distributed information to board members about the audit and additional information provided by the agriculture department. The board decided to consider the information at its July 13th meeting. The audit listed findings dealing with misuse of state employees and resources, including pre-selection of candidates for state merit jobs and the agriculture department's handling of monetary awards to employees and their reclassifications. Farmer's attorney, Guthrie True, has dismissed the audit as political and self-serving and says he does not think law enforcement will be interested in it.
UK Approves Budget
{Lexington, Kentucky}...Tuesday, University of Kentucky trustees approved a $2.6 billion budget for the coming year that's slightly smaller than the current one. The spending plan for the fiscal year starts July 1st. The budget offers no pay raises, but UK President Eli Capilouto says he's hoping to set aside money for 5 percent merit pay raises for faculty and staff for the 2013-2014 fiscal year. The new budget includes an extra $10.3 million to cover existing scholarship commitments and expand some scholarship programs. The near-flat budget comes amid a $20 million cut in state appropriations to the state's flagship university for the coming year.
Lawmakers Refuse Special Session Pay
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Democratic state Representatives Tom Riner and Jim Wayne have refused to be paid for a weeklong special legislative session held earlier this year, returning nearly $7,000 to the state treasury. Governor Steve Beshear had called lawmakers back to Frankfort in April to pass a $4.5 billion transportation budget after they failed to do so during a regular legislative session. Lawmakers met for five additional days in late April to finish their work, costing taxpayers more than $300,000. Riner and Wayne were the only lawmakers out of 138 serving in the House and Senate who refunded their salaries and expenses.
Ambulance Company Agrees To Medicare Settlement
{Louisville, Kentucky}...The U.S. Justice Department announced Tuesday from Louisville that Rural/Metro Ambulance, an ambulance company operating in Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama, has agreed to pay more than $5.4 million to settle a Medicare fraud lawsuit over claims three of its subsidiaries filed false claims to Medicare for services that were not covered under the program, such as transporting patients for dialysis treatments. Carl Crawly, a former employee of Rural/Metro of Central Alabama had filed a federal whistleblower action against the ambulance company in 2009 saying the company was submitting false claims for government funds. Crawly will receive more than $1 million of the settlement. Rural/Metro Corporation, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, provides ambulance transportation services to Medicare beneficiaries in approximately 20 states.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Man Charged In Daughter's Death
{Catlettsburg, Kentucky}...Thirty year old John Elliott, Jr. of Catlettsburg, was arrested Monday afternoon on manslaughter charges in connection with the death of his daughter, 2 year old Summer Adkins. Boyd County Sheriff Terry Keelin says Adkins lived with her mother in Carter County, but was at a babysitter's home in Boyd County when she died in March. The cause of death was determined to be compression.
Former State Representative Dies
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Former state Representative Al Bennett, who represented part of Jefferson County in the Kentucky House of Representatives for more than a decade, died Friday at his home. He was 88. A native of Grayson County, Bennett graduated from Louisville's Manual High School and later served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Bennett first ran for office in 1973 and served through 1985. A funeral Mass is scheduled for Tuesday at Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church in Louisville.
Former UK President Retiring
Head Prosecutor Resigns
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Todd Lewis, head of special prosecutions for Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway’s office for the past four years, resigned Friday. Lewis says he has been discussing new opportunities in public service for some time after serving the last 12 years as a prosecutor, including as an assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Louisville. Lewis, who prosecuted hundreds of cases, ranging from elder abuse and fraud to murder and public corruption, says he and Conway agreed they would part on mutually pleasant terms, and he expects he will continue to receive only the highest commendation from Conway for his service to his office and to the prosecutorial system.
Surface Miners Suffer Black Lung
A new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that about 2 percent of surface miners tested in 2010-2011 had black lung disease. That's 46 of 2,257 miners. Twelve had the most severe form, and most of them never worked underground. The report found it was more prevalent in surface miners in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia than in other coal mining states, with 31 of the 46 cases occurring in Central Appalachia. Researchers noted that miners in Central Appalachia typically worked in the coalfields about eight years longer than their counterparts in other states. CDC researcher Cara Halldin says Kentucky's rate was the highest at 5.7 percent, or 13 cases. Federal law sets a limit for respirable dust in both underground and surface coal mines but requires monitoring for the prevalence of black lung only at underground operations. Researchers suggest the limit may need to be lowered because it might be insufficient to protect against disease.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
County Health Departments To Cut Back
Beginning July 1st, many county public health departments across Kentucky will be open fewer hours, and some will have smaller staffs. Linda Sims, president of the Kentucky Health Department Association and executive director of the Lincoln Trail District Health Department, which covers Hardin and six other counties, says the upcoming fiscal year will be one of the toughest in recent years for local health departments. Each of Kentucky's local health departments is an independent quasi-governmental agency and receives a portion of its budget from local taxes. The minimum tax for county health departments is 1.8 percent. Some counties' public health tax is as a high as 4 percent. With the recession, many local health departments saw local tax revenue flatten or decrease. The departments also receive state and federal money and may charge for clinical services such as family planning. Shawn Crabtree, executive director of the Lake Cumberland District Health Department, which covers 10 southeastern Kentucky counties, says his department will not have furloughs this year. In fact, state funding for his district actually increased, partly because the district serves one of the highest-poverty areas in the state. Crabtree says his department has downsized during the past three years, and the district has taken about a $4 million hit during the past few years as other costs such as retirement and insurance have increased and state funding has gone down.
Former Social Worker Indicted
{Hopkinsville, Kentucky}...A Christian County grand jury handed down a felony indictment Friday against 41 year old Donna Currey, a former social worker in western Kentucky, on a charge of tampering with public records. Currey, who handled investigations into two high-profile abuse cases that ended when the children were killed, quit her job in October after being accused by a state official of falsifying records. Currey was involved in the cases of Amy Dye, whose adoptive older brother beat her to death, and 3 year old Alayna Adair, who died from brain trauma. Adair's father, Charles Timothy Morris, has pleaded not guilty to murder.
Death Penalty To Be Sought In Murder Case
{Georgetown, Kentucky}...Kentucky prosecutors say they will seek the death penalty against Percy Hargrove of Georgetown and his ex-girlfriend, Sheena Tipton, both 26, in relation to the December 2011 murder of Andrew David Ingram of Winchester. Ingram, Tipton's boyfriend, was found dead under the back porch of a neighboring house. Hargrove is charged with murder and first-degree burglary, and Tipton is charged with complicity to murder and complicity to first-degree burglary. A trial date is expected to be set in September.
Panel To Study Middle School Sports Regulations
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A state panel has been tasked with studying the lack of regulations on middle school sports and making recommendations before the next General Assembly. Task force members are to be named by August 1st and report back to legislative committees with recommendations by December 7th. The move comes after Kentucky High School Athletic Association director Julian Tackett suggested that not having "minimum requirements" for health and safety could put students at risk. The association oversees high school athletics, but there's no panel that oversees safety, coach education and play regulations for middle school athletes.
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Williams Considering Bid For Attorney General
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Former district court judge Robyn Williams, the wife of Kentucky state Senate President David Williams, is weighing a bid for state attorney general in 2015. Williams is a graduate of Chase Law School at Northern Kentucky University and served as a judge in Russell, Wayne and Clinton counties from 2004 through 2010. The current attorney general, Democrat Jack Conway, cannot seek re-election in 2015 because of term limits. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010 and has been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor in 2015.
Couple Arrested On Drug Charges
Plan To Reopen Kentucky Kingdom Abandoned
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Bluegrass Boardwalk Inc., the company that planned to reopen the former Kentucky Kingdom amusement park in Louisville, announced on its website Friday that it is withdrawing due to government regulations and stipulations. Bluegrass Boardwalk CEO Natalie Koch says she and her partners have determined that leasing a park instead of owning it would not fit their business model. Koch's family owns and operates Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana.
Instant Racing Case Returned To Franklin Circuit Court
{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Court of Appeals has overturned a judge's ruling allowing race tracks to allow betting on historic horse racing. Friday's decision sends the case back to Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate who upheld a proposal allowing tracks to accept pari-mutuel bets on rebroadcasts of the old races, stripped of the names of the horses, jockeys and trainers. The Family Foundation of Kentucky challenged a decision to allow instant racing. Officials at Kentucky Downs announced shortly after the ruling that the game would continue at the Franklin, Kentucky track. The court didn’t address the legality of the game and ruled only that the Family Foundation of Kentucky, an organization that opposes expanded gambling, should have been allowed to gather evidence as it sought to prove the game illegal.
Community And Technical College Hikes
{Versailles, Kentucky}...Under a $921 million budget the Kentucky Community and Technical College System board of regents approved at a meeting in Versailles Friday, community and technical college students from Kentucky will pay 3.7 percent more in tuition, and full-time faculty and staff will receive a 2.5 percent raise. The salary increase will apply to regular full-time faculty and staff members who meet or exceed job requirements on performance evaluations.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Gas Tax Set To Increase
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...On July 1st, the state's gas tax will increase 2.1 cents per gallon. That means motorists will be paying nearly 30 cents in state taxes for each gallon they purchase. The increase is automatic because Kentucky's tax is tied to the average cost of wholesale gas, which has been rising. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Chuck Wolfe says the increase is expected to generate about $57 million next year for the state Road Fund. The state's gas tax has increase more than 80 percent since 2003. When added to the federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, motorists pay a total tax of 48.3 cents for each gallon of gas purchased.
Churchill Downs Looking To Expand
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Speaking at a shareholders meeting in Louisville, Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Robert Evans said Thursday the Louisville-based company is looking for growth opportunities while coming off its successful financial performance in 2011. Evans says the company has the resources to do more deals, and its taking a close look at casinos up for sale. Shareholders approved bonuses for four Churchill executives, the largest of which is up to $1.1 million for Evans. Shareholders also approved a performance-based incentive plan for top executives that could pay up to $5 million.
Day Care Owner Closing Louisville Centers
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Lavonia Lewars, the owner of Heavenly Angels Childcare, has notified the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services that she will voluntarily close her three Louisville centers after a fatal crash Tuesday involving a van from the day care center left 31 year old Tiffany Belk dead and injured the driver and 14 children. Five of the children are still hospitalized, three in intensive care, one of them in critical condition. One Heavenly Angels site that was not related to Tuesday's crash had its transportation license suspended in May 2011. That location later closed voluntarily. State officials say they will continue their investigation into Heavenly Angels despite the voluntary closing.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Commission Approves Anti-Bleeding Drug Ban
{Lexington, Kentucky}...Wednesday, Kentucky became the first state in the nation to approve a ban on the race-day use of an anti-bleeding drug. The proposed regulation would phase in the race-day ban on furosemide, called Lasix or Salix, in graded or listed stakes races, beginning with 2 year old horses in 2014. The ban would apply to the Kentucky Derby in 2015. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved the proposal 7-5. The measure still needs the approval from state lawmakers. Racing commission chairman Bob Beck says he thinks other states will follow Kentucky.
Former Breathitt County Sheriff Pleads Guilty
Terror Suspect Moving From Isolation
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Iraqi national 24 year old Mohanad Shareef Hammadi had been held in isolation at the Grayson County Jail since his arrest in May 2011. During a hearing Wednesday in federal court in Louisville, defense attorney James Earhart said he would not seek to have Hammadi released pending trial as part of a deal with prosecutors that will remove him from isolation until he faces trial August 27th in Bowling Green. Hammadi pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a superseding indictment charging him with 12 charges, including attempting to send material support such as rocket-propelled grenade launchers, sniper rifles, machine guns and explosives to al-Qaida.
Attorney General Settles With Johnson & Johnson
State Employees Appealing Terminations
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Two state employees are appealing their terminations. Mark Cassity, who was an Alcohol Beverage Control investigator, was terminated in March after an Office of Inspector General investigation found he had repeatedly had dinner with a then 18 year old girl who was used by the ABC in undercover investigations of bars and stores that sell to minors. Cassity allegedly asked the girl to kiss him after the dinner. Matthew Finley, a former lawyer with the Department of Insurance, was terminated in March after an Office of Inspector General investigation found he had been answering questions on a legal Web site, JustAnswers.com, despite being told by department officials several months before that he could not do so. Finley was suspended for 25 days in 2010 for using his state computer and other state resources to answer questions on JustAnswers.com while he was on state time. Hearings on the appeals in both cases are scheduled for August.
State Approves Amusement Park Incentives
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The state has approved incentives up to $3.9 million over 10 years for a company that plans to reopen an amusement park in Louisville. Bluegrass Boardwalk is the name planned for the former Kentucky Kingdom by the Koch family, which operates Holiday World theme park in Santa Claus, Indiana. The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet says Bluegrass Boardwalk proposes investing $15.6 million to open the park in 2014. The Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet says the net fiscal impact is projected to be approximately $48 million over the 10-year period. That estimate includes a lease agreement with the Kentucky State Fair Board.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Coventry, ARH To Submit Proposals
{Lexington, Kentucky}...Coventry Cares and Appalachian Regional Healthcare were in court in Lexington Tuesday for a hearing on whether Coventry has an adequate network without ARH to meet the medical needs of 25,000 eastern Kentucky Medicaid patients. After Coventry said it would sever its contract with ARH, the hospital filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Lexington, and Coventry agreed to continue its contract until June 30th while renegotiating for long-term coverage. Testimony at Tuesday's hearing centered on the method by which Coventry determined that its members would have an adequate network at hospitals and other health care providers within 60 minutes' driving time of their homes without ARH. Stephen Amato, an attorney for Coventry, says by no means should anyone conclude that Coventry is not committed to giving the members full access to health care. Christina Heavrin, an attorney for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said Tuesday that Coventry's network was adequate without ARH. U.S. Senior Judge Karl S. Forester did not make a ruling, but he asked both sides to submit proposed findings to the court by Thursday.
Woman Arrested In Morgan County Robbery
Tuesday morning, Tamara Smallwood of Ezel was arrested and lodged in the Montgomery County Jail on burglary charges after police say she and Marsha Risner went to the home of Scott and Eva Kemplin in Morgan County and stole what they could following the deadly March 2nd tornado. Risner was charged with burglary in April. Smallwood says they took copper coils to sell.
Armed Robberies In Knott County
{Mousie, Kentucky}...State police were called to the Mousie community of Knott County around 3:20 A.M. Tuesday morning after Willie and Nero Patton were each robbed in their homes at gunpoint. Police say 34 year old Steven Short and 28 year old Heath Slone, both of Mousie, used force to enter the first residence and rob one of the men. They then went to the second home, entered with a shotgun and robbed and assaulted the other man. Short was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary, first-degree assault and theft by unlawful taking of a firearm. He was taken to the Kentucky River Regional Detention Center. Slone was taken into custody and then taken to Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center for treatment.
Prostitution Charges Dropped
{Lexington, Kentucky}...Monday, a Fayette County grand jury chose not to indict Danella Santos-Evangelista, a woman who had been accused of engaging in organized crime and promoting prostitution as part of a multi-state prostitution ring. Authorities say Spanish-speaking women from a number of states were recruited or forced to come to Kentucky to become prostitutes. U.S. Attorney Kerry Harvey says some were enticed to come to Lexington or another area with the promise of legitimate work, then induced or persuaded to work as prostitutes when they found out there were no jobs. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Marye says one woman was told that her children would be killed if she did not work as a prostitute.
Monday, June 11, 2012
ARH And Coventry To Appear In Court
{Lexington, Kentucky}...Appalachian Regional Healthcare and Coventry Health Care officials will be in court in Lexington Tuesday morning. Patients covered by Coventry are being given the option to switch to Wellcare after contract negotiations between the two companies stalled repeatedly during the last two months. The contract between Appalachian Regional Healthcare and Coventry Health and Life Insurance Company is set to expire at the end of the month. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health Services has stated its willingness to process requests for conversion to an alternate plan within 10 days. It is therefore recommended patients needing changes file their requests no later than June 20th. ARH is in negotiations with another carrier, Kentucky Spirit, but no agreement has been reached at this time. ARH has alleged Coventry has failed to pay in a timely manner and filed suit in U.S. District Court in Lexington. As of April 16th, ARH reportedly was waiting on approximately $12,500,000 in claims submitted to Coventry since November 1, 2011.
Terror Suspect Seeks Home Detention
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Twenty-four year old Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, an Iraqi man facing terrorism charges in Kentucky, is asking U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell to release him to home detention until his August 27th trial in Bowling Green. Russell has postponed the trial from the original date of July 30th because of a scheduling conflict. Attorney James Earhart is due in federal court Wednesday in Louisville for a hearing on the bail request. Earhart says his client has been held in solitary confinement for more than a year under an assumed name and with no contact with other inmates or access, television, radio or outdoor recreation during the daytime, violating Hammadi's constitutional rights. Charles Rose, a former Army intelligence officer and military attorney, says there may be intelligence or national security reasons for keeping Hammadi under an assumed name and in isolation. Hammadi faces 12 charges, including attempting to send material support such as rocket-propelled grenade launchers, sniper rifles, machine guns and explosives to al-Qaida. Co-defendant, 30 year old Waad Ramadan Alwan, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing on October 2nd.
Beshear Tours Kentucky Motor Speedway
{Sparta, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear toured the Kentucky Motor Speedway in Sparta Monday to view new infrastructure improvements designed to ease traffic problems that marred the track's debut race of NASCAR's top series last year when traffic backed up as much as 15 miles. The state contracted $3.7 million for road improvements to expand Kentucky 35 and Interstate 71, and Speedway general manager Mark Simendinger estimates the track has spent $8 million to $10 million focused on parking an additional 15,000 to 20,000 vehicles. The track's signature event, the Quaker State 400, is set for June 30th. More than 100,000 attended last year's Quaker State 400, but Speedway Motor Sports Inc. Chairman Bruton Smith estimates nearly 50,000 fans never made it.
Accused Murderer Sent To Psychiatric Center
{Winchester, Kentucky}...Forty-eight year old Lillie Stanton, the Winchester woman accused of killing her daughter and granddaughter last month, was transferred from the Clark County jail to the Kentucky Correctional Psychiatric Center at La Grange Monday. Stanton was scheduled for an appearance Wednesday in Clark District Court on two murder counts in the deaths of Danel Korrey Stanton, 23, and her 22 month old daughter, Kaydence Ray Miers. Lillie Stanton admitted to Winchester police that she slashed their throats because she feared that Kaydence's father, Jonathon Miers, was about to gain more visitation time. She also admitted that she cut her own throat and wrists after the killings. Clark County Attorney Brian Thomas says attorneys have agreed to postpone the case until July 18th so that all necessary information can be presented to the court.
U.S. Supreme Court Reinstates Death Sentence
Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated the death sentence of 63 year old David Eugene Matthews, a Kentucky man who has been awaiting execution for three decades. The ruling overturned a U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals decision that had granted a new trial to Matthews, who was sentenced to death in 1982 for the slaying of his estranged wife, Mary "Marlene" Matthews, and mother-in-law, Magdalene Cruse, in Louisville on June 29, 1981. A new trial would have been on reduced charges and likely would have led to Matthews release even if he was convicted, because of the length of time he's already served. Matthews is Kentucky's second-longest serving death row inmate. The state is currently in the process of altering its execution method to comply with a state judge's order. Kentucky has executed three men since 1976. The last person executed was Marco Allen Chapman by injection in November 2008. The state has 35 people on death row.
Ashland Native Wins Tony Award
Sunday night, Ashland native 36 year old Steve Kazee won the Tony Award for best lead actor in a musical for his heartfelt and touching performance in "Once." Kazee, who grew up in Ashland, attended Fairview High School and then Morehead State University before moving to New York. Kazee, a rising star and guitar player has gone from replacement parts in "Spamalot" to an understudy role in "Seascape" to starring in "110 in the Shade." He also starred on CMT's series "Working Class." In accepting the award, Kazee paid tribute to his mother who died in April following a long battle with cancer.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
KSP Searching For Morgan County Woman
Kentucky State Police need your help in locating a Morgan County woman. Tamara K. Smallwood of Ezel is wanted on a Morgan County warrant for allegedly burglarizing a home that was damaged by a tornado. Smallwood is believed to be living in Montgomery or Clark County, Kentucky. Smallwood is 41 years-old, 5'4", weighs about 127 pounds, and has brown eyes. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Kentucky State Police at (606) 784-4127.
Indiana To Build $255 Million Tunnel In Kentucky
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Indiana is preparing to pay $255 million to build a tunnel in Kentucky although opponents insist it will be a taxpayer boondoggle. The tunnel will be built to preserve 11 acres of Kentucky woodlands along the Interstate 265 Ohio River bridge that will be built in 2013 because the site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Under a deal reached by the two states, Indiana agreed to build the I-265 bridge and tunnel, while Kentucky will expand the existing Interstate 65 bridge to the southwest. Each state will pay about $1.3 billion. Indiana is currently seeking contractors to bore a 1,940-foot-long tunnel under one corner of the 55-acre National Register plot known as the Drumanard property. The project will be the first tunnel the Indiana Department of Transportation has ever built along a highway. Anne Northup, Louisville's congresswoman from 1996 to 2006, says the tunnel is a terrible abuse of taxpayers' money and an outrage in terms of what it accomplishes versus the cost.
Funding For Kentucky Courts Decreased
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Speaking Friday at a criminal justice summit in Louisville, Kentucky Chief Justice John Minton said funding for Kentucky courts has dropped by nearly 50 percent since 2009, and about 235 employees have been lost due to layoffs or unfilled positions. Minton says courthouse doors will be shut three days this year because of the funding cuts. Minton was part of a panel of speakers that included Court of Appeals Judge Denise Clayton and Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Stengel. Stengel said the three-day court closing would still cost county jails, where people will spend extra time awaiting trial. Stengel suggested alternatives including ankle bracelets and take-home breathalyzers to allow people awaiting trial or serving certain sentences to be monitored at home. He said it's better than putting people in jail and prison, where there is little if any rehabilitation.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Alpha Natural Resources Announces Cutbacks
Alpha Natural Resources announced a plan Friday morning to cutback on coal mining at its operations in Kentucky. Alpha says it will close four mines and idle two coal preparation plants in Pike and Martin Counties. Alpha says it's making the move due to continued market pressures and new regulations on coal-fired power plants that make production from certain mines in those areas uneconomical. The moves will reduce thermal coal production by six million tons through the end of 2013. The changes will impact 436 of its workers in Kentucky, 150 of them losing their jobs in 60 days. The other workers will be offered jobs at Alpha sites in Kentucky, southern West Virginia and Virginia. Alpha Chairman and CEO Kevin Crutchfield says utilities are expected to burn the least amount of steam coal this year than in the last 20 years. Some utilities are switching coal-fired power plants to natural gas.
West Liberty Man Arrested
{West Liberty, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police arrested 58 year old William J. Howard of West Liberty Friday morning and charged him with 12 counts of sex abuse involving a victim under 12 years old. A grand jury recently indicted Howard.
Court Of Appeals Limits Powers Of Attorney General
{Louisville, Kentucky}...The state Court of Appeals ruled Friday that the Kentucky Attorney General's office has limited powers to initiate criminal investigations and that it overstepped its bounds in helping bring a drug conviction in eastern Kentucky, which has been reversed. Judge Glenn Acree, writing for the court, found that the Attorney General is limited to offering advice in most probes and has limited prosecutorial abilities, but criminal investigation is not among them. Acree, joined by judges Denise Clayton and Donna Dixon, also found that an opinion by the attorney general's office spelling out a specific request in writing is needed to intervene in an investigation. Attorney General Jack Conway spokeswoman Allison Gardner Martin described the decision as "disappointing" and said the Kentucky Supreme Court will be asked to review the ruling.
Mental Health Board Facing Audit
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Auditor Adam Edelen sent a letter to the Bluegrass Regional Mental Health-Mental Retardation Board letting the state-backed provider of mental health care know there will be an audit after the nonprofit agency has been accused of spending lavishly on executive compensation, political lobbying and real estate. Bluegrass is chiefly funded by the Kentucky Health and Family Services Cabinet, which paid it $126.2 million last year plus $32.5 million in Medicaid. Edelen says the audit is necessary to ensure the public's money is being spent in the best interests of the taxpayers. Scott Gould, chairman of the Bluegrass board of trustees, said they intend to be fully transparent and cooperative with the audit.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Appeals Court Rules In Favor Of Inmate
{Louisville, Kentucky}...Thursday, the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that 66 year old Raymond Miller showed enough evidence that his legal mail had been reviewed by prison employees to raise a claim under the First Amendment. The decision allows Miller to pursue damages over the issue. U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II dismissed the lawsuit in 2011, saying Miller couldn't show that his legal mail had been reviewed. Miller is being held at Blackburn Correctional Complex in Lexington, where he is serving eight years for theft in Boone County.
Former Breathitt County Sheriff To Plead Guilty
{Jackson, Kentucky}...The attorney for former Breathitt County Sheriff John L. Turner filed a motion Wednesday in federal court seeking a hearing for him to enter a guilty plea in a vote buying scandal. Turner, along with former Breathitt County School Superintendent Arch Turner and others, are accused of buying votes in the May 2010 primary election. Arch Turner's trial is scheduled to start July 30th.
Election Totals Certified
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky State Board of Elections has certified vote totals from the May 22nd primary election. The move seals President Barack Obama's win of Kentucky's Democratic primary and Republican Mitt Romney's victory in the state's GOP primary, though neither had challengers. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes says the vote totals show that 13.8 percent of Kentucky's registered voters cast ballots in the primary.
Edelen Launching Transparency Initiative
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...State Auditor Adam Edelen is launching an initiative intended to bring more transparency to local taxing districts that receive $500 million to $1.5 billion in taxes and fees each year. The idea is to create an electronic database that will allow taxpayers to determine precisely how much money flows through the taxing districts that fund such entities as libraries, fire departments, airports, and water and sewer utilities. Edelen says the taxing districts that now operate in the dark should be accountable to taxpayers.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Farmer's Home Up For Sale
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer has put his Frankfort home up for sale a month after a bank filed a foreclosure lawsuit on the property. The eight year old house is assessed at $230,000. First National Bank of Manchester is seeking to foreclose on the property, saying no mortgage payments were made on the property since at least January. The foreclosure suit says the Farmers borrowed $321,561 from the bank in October 2004. In April 2010, the Farmers signed a promissory note with the bank for $307,192 at 5.75 percent interest. The loan was to be repaid in monthly payments through April 2017, followed by a single large, lump-sum payment. The former University of Kentucky basketball star served two terms as Agriculture Commissioner before waging an unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor in 2011 on a ticket with Senate President David Williams. The state attorney general's office and state ethics commission are reviewing an audit issued about Farmer's time in office. Frankfort attorney Guthrie True, who represents Farmer on the audit, has said the audit was politically motivated.
Education Commissioner Gets Four-Year Contract Extension
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Board of Education has voted to give state Education Commissioner Terry Holliday a four-year contract extension. The new contract runs through August 2017, but it does not include a raise on his $225,000 a year salary. The board unanimously agreed on the extension at its regular meeting Wednesday morning. Holliday was hired by the board in 2009.
Attorney General Recovers Millions For Medicaid
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Attorney General Jack Conway has recovered nearly $2.3 million for the Kentucky Medicaid program in a settlement with Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Aventis Behring LLC., also known as ZLB Behring, Inc. Both drug companies are now owned by Sanofi-Aventis U.S. LLC. The lawsuits filed by the Attorney General allege that the drug companies published false, inflated and deceptive prices for their drugs, which did not bear any relationship to the prices actually charged. Since Attorney General Conway took office in January 2008, his Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control has recovered or been awarded nearly $235 million for the state and federal Medicaid programs. These cases range from lawsuits and settlements against pharmaceutical companies to cases against individual providers. The Attorney General’s Tip Line for reporting allegations of Medicaid fraud is 1-877-228-7384.
Workshop On The History Of Melungeons
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A workshop on the history of people known as Melungeons is being held Saturday in Frankfort. The multiethnic Melungeons have been the subject of folklore, speculation and occasional scientific inquiry in the southern Appalachian region for two centuries. Melungeons sometimes faced legal and social stigma because they did not fit into America's accepted racial categories. The Kentcky Historical Society and Kentucky Genealogical Society free family history workshop on "Melungeon Ancestry" is at 10:30 A.M. at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History. Speaking will be Wayne Winkler, author of "Walking Toward the Sunset: The Melungeons of Appalachia," who will trace the known history of the Melungeons and changes in attitude.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Environmentals Forced To Leave Rogers' Offices
{Washington, D.C.}...Environmental activists seeking an end to mountaintop removal mining were forced by Capitol Police to leave the Washington, D.C. offices of Kentucky Congressman Hal Rogers Wednesday. Protesters from Kentucky were requesting to speak with Rogers. Dana Kuhnline, a volunteer with Appalachia Rising, says about 20 protesters were led away in handcuffs by Capitol Police after refusing to leave the congressional offices. The activists were also protesting at the offices of Democratic Representative Nick Rahall of West Virginia and Republican Representatives Morgan Griffith of Virginia and Jimmy Duncan of Tennessee.
ARH And Coventry Returning To Court
{Lexington, Kentucky}...Appalachian Regional Healthcare and Coventry Health Care officials will be back in a Lexington federal courtroom on June 12th negotiations have stalled again. Tuesday's meeting will be about whether the managed care organization can maintain a strong support network without ARH. The two companies agreed to maintain status quo on their current contract until June 30th. If an agreement is not reached by then, state officials have announced they will allow patients covered by Coventry be allowed to enroll in another program.
Gambling Operation Busted
{London, Kentucky}...Laurel County Sheriff John Root says 45 year old Raymond C. Wright of Williamsburg and 32 year old Shannon R. Jones of Rockholds, in Whitley County, were running gambling machines out of an old funeral home building a mile north of U.S. 25 in London. Wright and Jones were arrested in a raid that also resulted in the seizure of 19 machines and nearly $10,000. Jones was also charged with possession of methamphetamine. Root says the gambling parlor had an ATM and surveillance cameras, including one used to see who wanted in the building before opening the door remotely.
Corbin Man Enters Guilty Plea
{Lancaster, Kentucky}...Twenty-two year old Tyler Brock of Corbin entered a guilty plea Tuesday in the June 2011 beating death of 35 year old Shawn K. Akridge, a Garrard County group-home resident. Brock was an employee of the group home near Paint Lick. Brock is set for sentencing on July 20th after pleading guilty to second-degree manslaughter. Garrard County Commonwealth's Attorney Tom Lockridge has recommended a 20 year prison sentence. Under Kentucky law, Brock will have to serve four years to become parole eligible if he receives a 20 year sentence. Community Ties of America of Brentwood, Tennessee shut down the home, as well as the homes the company ran in Richmond and Waco.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
EPA Hearing Held In Frankfort
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...More than 500 coal miners and supporters and over 100 environmentalists held separate rallies in Frankfort Tuesday before going into a public hearing the EPA scheduled to get comments on 36 stalled mine permits. State officials have approved the permits, but the EPA is holding them up. Environmentalists urged the EPA to stand its ground because they believe the proposed mining operations would pollute streams. U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell added to the heated issue Tuesday in Washington, charging in a floor speech that his coalfield constituents are under siege by the EPA. McConnell said the people of Kentucky are amongst the hardest-working people on the planet, but far too many Kentuckians are unemployed and the prospect for future employment remains daunting. McConnell asked how they can be expected to compete if their own government is working against them. McConnell said 18,000 Kentuckians work in the coal industry, and nearly 200,000 others rely indirectly on the coal industry for their jobs, accounting for more than $1 billion in wages each year. Matt Wasson, a spokesman for the environmental group Appalachian Voices, said coal operators and politicians are attempting to mislead the public by saying the EPA's hold on the permits is costing jobs. The environmental activists said coal operators, by sponsoring the mass demonstration in Frankfort, were attempting to bully the EPA to cave in on the permits. Kentucky Coal Association President Bill Bissett said he really doesn't believe, even with the tremendous turnout and the powerful voices for coal, that the EPA is going to change its mind.
Horse Racing Commission Considering Ban
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...During a public hearing Tuesday in Frankfort, thoroughbred owners and trainers voiced their warnings about the potential of blood spurting from horses' noses if the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission institutes a race-day ban on the anti-bleeding drug furosemide. Several veterinarians voiced similar warnings, saying the ban would endanger not just horses but also jockeys who could be hurt if the animals suffer pulmonary hemorrhages and collapse during races. The proposal would phase out race-day use of furosemide in graded or listed stakes races, including the Kentucky Derby. If approved, Kentucky would be the first state to take action against the drug, which is banned internationally. Furosemide is marketed as Lasix and Salix and is the only medication allowed to be given to horses on race day in the U.S. A June 13th meeting is scheduled in which the panel will consider a proposal to phase out the use of the drug on certain race days.
UK Announces Layoffs
Lexington Woman Suing State
Leslie Young of Lexington is suing the state claiming prison wardens around Kentucky have barred her from visiting her husband, 39 year old Gerald Young, but won't give a valid reason why her access was cut off on December 1, 2010. The couple, who married at Western Kentucky Correctional Center on March 2, 2009, last visited at Northpoint Training Center in Burgin on November 29, 2010. The Youngs allege Gerald Young was placed in segregation while officials investigated a complaint he made against a Northpoint guard. Steve Haney, the warden at Northpoint, sent Leslie Young a letter two days later informing her of the permanent ban from all Kentucky prisons until further notice. Gerald Young is serving life in prison for complicity to commit murder in June 1997. He was originally sentenced to death for hiring a hit-man to kill Osama Salash in Lexington as part of a drug dispute. The Kentucky Supreme Court in 2001 overturned the death sentence, finding no aggravating circumstances to warrant capital punishment. Gerald Young has been transferred to Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex in West Liberty.
Monday, June 4, 2012
Former UK Player's Case Sent To Grand Jury
{Lexington, Kentucky}...At a hearing in Lexington Monday, Judge Megan Lake Thornton ordered the case against former University of Kentucky basketball player 25 year old Michael James Porter be sent to the grand jury. Porter was arrested May 15th on charges of felony sodomy and having sex with an underage girl he met while serving as a group leader during a church function. Porter is accused of engaging in sexual activity with the girl in 2009 and 2010, when she was 14 and 15. Porter has pleaded not guilty. According to a search warrant filed in Fayette District Court, Porter told police, at the time of his arrest, that he got involved in a relationship with the girl because he was addicted to pornography. According to police reports, the sex acts took place about five months after Porter announced he was quitting the UK basketball team after three seasons. Porter played at Kentucky for three seasons, from 2006-2009, but left in his junior year to spend more time with his wife and child. During his last year, he played in 36 games, averaging 4.1 points and 2.5 assists per game.
Hayes Appointed Louisville Arena Authority Chairman
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Less than a month after Jim Host resigned as chair of the Louisville Arena Authority, Monday, Governor Steve Beshear appointed Larry Hayes, the current secretary of the Cabinet for Economic Development, as the new chair of the group. Hayes has served on the Authority as vice-chair since its creation in 2005. Governor Beshear says, "The KFC Yum! Center would not have happened without Jim Host. His work over the last seven years helped to create a world-class sports and entertainment facility that has attracted some of the world's biggest touring acts and sports events." Hayes will continue to serve as secretary of the Cabinet for Economic Development, a position he has held since 2008.
UK Police Officers' Case Appealed
{Lexington, Kentucky}...Lexington attorney Robert Abell, who represents six current and former University of Kentucky female police officers, filed a notice of appeal Monday in Fayette Circuit Court. UK police Capt. Bobbye Carpenter, Lisa Blankenship (now Shuck), Laura Marco, Tiua Chilton, Gina Wilson, Lori Creech and Brenda Palmer filed a lawsuit against the UK board of trustees and others in 2007, alleging they faced discrimination and retaliation on the job. The women previously had filed a gender discrimination complaint, alleging that then-acting UK police chief Joe Monroe created an uncomfortable work environment by discussing his exploits drinking and partying at strip clubs. Monroe is now UK's police chief. Fayette Circuit Judge Pamela Goodwine dismissed Palmers allegations. The trial involving Carpenter was the first to be held. Another trial had been scheduled to start Monday, but it did not. Abell said in the notice that a directed verdict in April in the part of the case involving Carpenter and the fact that the case has been divided up, with separate trials involving each woman, was being appealed to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
Oldest KY DAV Honored
{Mayfield, Kentucky}...A ceremony was held Sunday at a Mayfield retirement center in honor of John Baldree of Mayfield, who turned 102 on March 2nd, making him the oldest Kentucky member of the Disabled American Veterans. State DAV officials presented Baldree with a 60-year service pin. Randie Baldree, John Baldree's nephew, said the elder man was an engineer in the U.S. Army and helped build airfields for the Army Air Corps in the Philippines and Australia during World War II.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
London Man Charged With Murder
{London, Kentucky}...A London man has been charged with murdering his roommate. Fifty-six year old Freddy Couch is accused of beating 36 year old Kenneth Edward Vincent to death in an alcohol-fueled fight on April 29th. Couch told deputies in April that he found Vincent dead on the living room floor where he'd fallen asleep the night before. Couch told investigators the two were fighting when Vincent grabbed a knife, but that he was able to disarm him. Neither man called the police after the fight ended. They went to sleep and Couch said he found Vincent the next morning.
New Veteran Cemetery Planned
Four state veteran cemeteries have been built across Kentucky, and a fifth one is being planned in Leslie County. The cemeteries will meet the need arising mostly from the deaths of World War II veterans, but they will frequently also serve veterans from Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. The first state veterans cemetery opened in 2004 in Hopkinsville, and, when the cemetery in Leslie County opens, Kentucky will be close to meeting a national goal to have such cemeteries within 75 miles of 90 percent of veterans.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
KSP Launch Summer Traffic Safety Campaign
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police are beginning a new summer traffic safety campaign in hopes of reducing the number of traffic fatalities and serious injury collisions. Kentucky State Police want people to think Blue when driving this summer, and they want everyone to know you will see blue lights behind you if you do not follow the rules on Kentucky roadways. B is for basic travel safety and vehicle maintenance, L is for lower speed in work zones and look out for motorcycles, U is for undivided attention on the road, E is for enforcement. Trooper Don Trosper says, so far this year, there has been 296 total fatalities, and, last year, there was 721 fatality crashes with 123 involving alcohol.
UK Chooses Rupp Project Manager
{Lexington, Kentucky}...Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto announced Friday that former University of Kentucky executive vice president for finance and admission Frank Butler has been tapped as the new project manager for the Rupp Arena Arts and Entertainment District. Butler will focus on design details for the district and how to pay for it. The 47-member Rupp Arena Arts and Entertainment Task Force has developed a plan that recommends reinventing Rupp Arena, building a new convention center and constructing new commercial, residential and educational space downtown.
Couple Takes Part In International Kidney Exchange
{Louisville, Kentucky}...As part of a rare international kidney exchange, an Elizabethtown couple, JoAnn Breckenridge and her husband William, is participating in an organ swap program that will eventually benefit six people reaching halfway around the world to Greece. JoAnn Breckenridge received a new kidney from a stranger in April, and William donated one in May. The couple underwent surgeries at Jewish Hospital. Louisville surgeons Michael Marvin and Mary Eng were hailed by Greek Ambassador Vassilis Kaskarelis on Friday at the Greek Embassy in Washington, D.C., for the part they played in the donor exchange. The remaining transplants in the chain will take place soon in Atlanta and Denver.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Officials Consider Harlan County Mine
{Frankfort, Kentucky}...At the request of a former state and federal mine-safety official, Kentucky regulators are investigating whether to revoke coal-mining licenses at a Harlan County operation. Lexington attorney Tony Oppegard wrote a letter Friday urging the head of Kentucky's Office of Mine Safety and Licensing, Freddie Lewis, to file charges that would lead to revocation of foremen licenses at K and D Mining Inc.'s Mine No. 17 in Highsplint in Harlan County. On May 16th, federal inspectors found little or no ventilation where miners were working, accumulations of coal dust, a broken methane warning light and fire hazards on a conveyor belt. The mine was shut down for nine days after the surprise inspection. Lewis wrote a letter to Oppegard saying, “If there are any charges we can file, we will take appropriate action. We will not tolerate these types of mining practices and unsafe behaviors in our coal mines.”
Laurel County Man Arrested
Twenty-seven year old Vernon Emler has admitted he stole guns from the home of 80 year old Hurskin Saylor in the Lily community of Laurel County. Saylor says his home has been hit three times in the past month urging him to buy a home security system which caught Emler committing the crime. Emler admits he stole the guns to get money for pills. Emler is being held at the Laurel County Detention Center charged with first degree burglary on a 50,000 dollar cash bond.
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