MSHA Cites Leslie County Mine

{Washington, D.C.}...The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday that a coal mine in Kentucky was effectively shut down for eight days while problems found during a June 21st inspection were corrected. Inspectors issued 19 citations and 12 withdrawal orders to Bledsoe Coal Corp.'s Abner Branch Rider Mine in Leslie County after finding accumulations of coal dust and hydraulic oil, an improperly working methane monitor and other violations.  Federal regulators issued 177 citations, 22 orders and one safeguard during the latest round of monthly impact inspections.

Volunteers Help West Liberty Tornado Victims

{West Liberty, Kentucky}...Nearly five months ago, a deadly tornado tore through West Liberty. Tuesday, volunteers from Feed the Children, Kentucky Housing Management and various churches joined together to help. Hundreds of volunteers distributed truck loads of donated food and essentials. Volunteers are planning to hold another distribution event around 11:00 A.M. on August 7th at the Hawk Creek Baptist Church in London.

Charges Change In Baby Trading Case

{London, Kentucky}...Heather Kaminsky was back in Laurel County Court Tuesday afternoon after being accused of trading her newborn baby for a truck. Authorities say Kaminsky traded the baby to Jeremy and Jaimee Brown for $800 and some methamphetamines shortly after his birth in January. The Browns were were arrested July 12th on human trafficking charges. Kaminsky was arrested July 18th after she fled to Florida. Kaminsky's preliminary hearing was delayed until late August because her attorney also represents Jeremy and Jaimee Brown. Charges against Kaminsky were changed to a Class D Felony, which deals with payments in adoptions. Deputies say Kaminsky previously lived in Florida and the Department of Children and Families had taken two other children from her.

Group Seeks Statewide Smoking Ban

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Representative Susan Westrom, D-Lexington, has sponsored a statewide smoking ban for several years. During the 2012 legislative session, the House Health and Welfare Committee passed the measure, but the full House did not vote on it. Smoke Free Kentucky, a coalition of non-profit, business and other groups, stopped Tuesday at the Frankfort headquarters of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, a longtime supporter of a statewide smoking ban, while  taking their message on the road this week in hopes of getting legislation passed in the 2013 legislation session. The group kicked off its tour Monday in Louisville and Lexington and plans to visit Somerset, Bowling Green and Paducah. The weeklong tour will end Saturday at the annual Fancy Farm political picnic in Graves County. Westrom, who attended Tuesday's event, said she did not aggressively pursue the matter during the 2012 legislative session because all 100 members of the House are up for re-election in November.

Man Sentenced For Illegal U.S. Entry

{Lexington, Kentucky}...According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Lexington, U.S. District Judge Joseph M. Hood sentenced 47 year old José Eligio Pineda-Parada Monday to 71/2 years in prison for illegal re-entry into the United States by a previously deported felon. Pineda-Parada, originally from El Salvador, was convicted after a one-day trial in May. Evidence showed that in 1991, Pineda-Parada was convicted in Texas of felony assault and subsequently was deported. Since then, Pineda-Parada has re-entered the United States illegally four times. Lexington authorities picked him up in December 2011 for a DUI and related traffic offenses. Court records show Pineda-Parada legally entered the country in 1987. He received a two-year prison sentence for his 1991 assault conviction. A federal judge in Texas sentenced him to three years and 10 months in 2002 for illegally entering the United States a third time. He was deported to El Salvador in 2004. Pineda-Parada will have to serve 85 percent of his sentence.

KY To Get Millions In Mortgage Fraud Settlement

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Attorney General Jack Conway announced Monday that  Kentucky will receive $19.2 million as part of a national settlement with the country's five largest banks over deceptive mortgage lending practices. According to data provided by Conway's office, banks foreclosed on 66,997 properties in Kentucky between 2008 and 2011. More than 16,000 were in Louisville. Conway joined 48 other attorneys general in the lawsuit against Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citi and Ally/MAC. A settlement was reached in March 2012. The bulk of the settlement will go to programs that create more affordable housing, to legal assistance for those fighting to stay in their homes, and to programs that redevelop foreclosed properties. About $4 million will be used to update the Kentucky All Schedule Prescription Electronic Reporting program, commonly called KASPER.

Judicial Branch Taking Furlough Days

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Judicial Branch is shutting down for one day next week for the first of three furlough days in 2012. All court services will be unavailable and courthouses will be closed on August 6th as the Judicial Branch takes a day off to balance its budget. Non-elected court personnel will be off work without pay. The other two furlough days this year are September 4th and October 15th. In addition to courts, other services unavailable on those days will be driver's licenses, pretrial services, bond processing and release orders. However, existing after-hours protocol will be followed for processing domestic violence orders and emergency protective orders. The judiciary's 2013 budget, which ends next June 30th, saw a reduction of $25.2 million.

Kentucky Lottery Hits Record Sales

{Louisville,  Kentucky}...The Kentucky Lottery Corp. is celebrating a record-setting year for sales. Lottery officials said Monday that fiscal year sales totaled $823.5 million, breaking the 2009 record of $810.5 million. The 2012 total is up $51.2 million, or 6.6 percent, from last year. Chief Financial Officer Howard Kline says the growth is due to improving economic conditions and scratch-off ticket changes. He also cited the change of Powerball to a $2 game and a new 5 Card Cash game. Powerball sales were up $11.1 million for the year for a 15.4 percent increase, while 5 Card Cash added $10.8 million in new sales. The lottery said it returned a record $216.4 million to the state for scholarship and grants programs. The previous high was $214.3 million in 2010.

Special Senate Election Set

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...A special election has been announced for a successor to fill the Kentucky Senate seat formerly held by Republican Tim Shaughnessy of Louisville, who  resigned effective June 29th, six months ahead of his planned retirement. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes says the deadline to file is October 9th, but the special election doesn't change the deadlines for the regular election to choose a senator for the new term beginning January 1st. The special election and the regular election will both be held on November 6th. Shaughnessy had served in the Senate since 1989.

Bear Sightings Close Campgrounds

{London, Kentucky}...Daniel Boone National Forest officials say two campgrounds in the forest have been closed after a black bear encounter. Holly Bay Campground at Laurel River Lake was closed Saturday after a bear approached campers and raided a cooler for food. Great Meadows Campground in McCreary County was also closed Saturday after a bear closely approached visitors. Hemlock Grove was temporarily closed Sunday but reopened Monday. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources officials are trying to move the bears from the campgrounds, which will remain closed until the animals are captured and moved or until it's determined the bears have moved outside the campgrounds.

UK Employee Charged With Bank Robbery

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Lexington Police arrested have 29 year old Crystal R. Little, an administrative support associate in the Office of Research Integrity at the University of Kentucky. Little was arrested Saturday following the robbery of a PNC Bank branch. Police say bank employees gave them a description of the suspect’s car and tips led them to a home where they found Little. In addition to being charged with Saturday’s robbery, Little was also charged with three other robberies at different banks dating back to 2010. Police say in all four cases, the suspect wore a pink toboggan, sunglasses and a surgical mask.

Walmart Pharmacist Tech Arrested

{Ashland, Kentucky}...Boyd County Deputies arrested Margaret Campbell, a Walmart pharmacist tech, Saturday night after she allegedly stole 810 prescription pills while on the job. Investigators say Campbell was caught on video stealing Oxycodone pills seven different times at the Walmart on Route 60. Campbell is charged with theft of a controlled substance.

Woman Struck By Lightning Dies

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Sixty-seven year old Kathlyn Friend died at University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital Saturday after being struck by lightning Thursday evening while working outside on a farm she owned in Jessamine County. Friend was a longtime attorney in Richmond who unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Kentucky Court of Appeals in 1983 and 1991.

Drug Ring Leader Pleads Guilty

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Federal officials say they have broken up what could be the largest drug ring in Louisville.  Michael A. McCarthy Jr., in his 20s, a contract commercial cleaner who lives in Spencer County, is accused of leading a drug operation that  transported huge quantities of cocaine from Mexican drug cartel representatives in southern California and distributed 953 kilograms of cocaine, more than a ton, from December 2008 through February 2010. When the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives finally broke it up through an investigation dubbed “Operation Across the Pond,” authorities seized 41 kilograms of powder cocaine, 1 kilo of crack cocaine, an arsenal of 18 firearms and $4 million in cash. Thirteen of the 26 defendants indicted have pleaded guilty, including McCarthy. Facing a potential sentence of life in prison, McCarthy struck a deal in June in hopes of a lighter sentence. A sentencing date hasn't yet been scheduled. Cocaine was transported in 18-wheelers and race-car haulers and stored in three stash houses located near the Watterson and Gene Snyder expressways. The organization bought and sold as much as 100 kilos a month at about $30,000 a kilo.

WVU Adopts Campus Weapons Policy

{Bowling Green, Kentucky}...Western Kentucky University's board of regents have approved a change to the campus weapons policy to allow weapons in cars parked on campus. The Kentucky Supreme Court ruled in April that students and staff members at Kentucky universities may keep guns and other deadly weapons in a car, but the schools may continue to regulate them elsewhere on campus. The change comes after the state Supreme Court ruled that Michael Mitchell, a graduate student at the University of Kentucky, had a right to store his gun in his car while parked on campus, Wilkins said. Mitchell sued UK after he was dismissed from the university when police found a gun in his car. People with a concealed carry permit can store a weapon anywhere in their car, while those without a permit can place one somewhere in their car that would take two motions to reach. If someone takes the weapon out of the car or has a weapon anywhere else on campus, the person will be in violation of the policy.

Fayette County Health Department Holding HIV/AIDS Conference

{Lexington, Kentucky}...The Lexington Fayette County Health Department is holding a two-day conference to help stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and focus on improving services. Officials say the conference is open to health care and social services professionals as well as members of the community who want to improve the quality of life of those who have the disease. The 2012 Kentucky Conference on HIV/AIDS and Viral Hepatitis will be August 14th and 15th.

For more information, visit http://www.kyconference.com or call 420-7431.

Man Convicted Of Transporting Kentucky Girl

{Owensboro, Kentucky}...A federal jury in Owensboro convicted 45 year old Archie M. Whalen of Bristol, Maine Thursday of  transporting a 13 year old Kentucky girl across state lines to engage in sexual activity. Police say, in 2009, Whalen took the girl from her home in Owensboro to Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The girl was found a day after an Amber Alert was issued. Officials said Whalen met the girl when she and her mother lived briefly in Maine. Whalen is scheduled for sentencing on October 19th. The maximum penalties are life in prison, a $250,000 fine and supervised release for five years to life.

Croatian Woman May Be Extradited

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Magistrate Judge Robert Wier ruled Friday that treaties are in place to allow 52 year old Azra Basic to be extradited to Bosnia-Herzegovina to face charges that she committed war crimes there in 1992. Prosecutors say 26 witnesses alleged acts of torture at three camps near the Serbian-majority settlement of Cardack in Derventa. Witnesses identified Basic as a soldier in the Croatian army and said she killed one prisoner and tortured others by forcing them to drink human blood and gasoline and having them kneel on broken glass. The U.S. State Department has the final decision about whether to extradite Basic. Basic's attorney, Patrick Nash of Lexington, says he may ask the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals to review the case and expects that authorities would delay returning Basic to Europe during that process. Basic, known as "Isabella," had been living for several years in eastern Kentucky, where she worked at a nursing home and a food factory before her arrest in March.

Woman Being Extradited To Kentucky

The Laurel County sheriff's office says 30 year old Heather Kaminskey was apprehended in Florida and is being returned to Kentucky to face charges after being accused of trading her infant son for a pickup truck. Thirty-one year old Jeremy Brown and 33 year old Jamiee Brown were charged earlier this month with human trafficking. Kaminskey will face the same charge along with pending methamphetamine-related charges when she arrives in Kentucky. Officials said earlier that the baby was swapped for a 1999 Dodge Dakota and that Kaminskey allegedly sold the truck for $800 and meth.

Gambling Machines Seized

{Corbin, Kentucky}...Whitley County Sheriff Colan Harrell says deputies executed a search warrant on the New Friendly Food Mart in the Woodbine community Wednesday and seized nine gambling machines from the backroom of the store. Store owner Mahindrakumar Patel, 48, of Williamsburg, and store manager Nileshbhai Patel, 35, of Woodbine, were both arrested and charged with conspiracy to promote gambling, which is a class D felony. Employees Dipa Patel, 35, and Pina Patel, 32, both of Woodbine, were each cited with second-degree promotion of gambling, which is a misdemeanor. Harrell says the machines aren't illegal if they are used only for entertainment purposes, but using them for gambling is illegal.

Two Indicted On Murder

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Louisville police appealed Thursday for the public’s help finding two men detectives warned could be armed and dangerous. Officials say 22 year old Jeffrey Kingdon and 20 year old Martin Keehn Jr. were indicted Thursday on charges of complicity to murder, complicity to first-degree wanton endangerment and complicity to first-degree tampering with physical evidence in the fatal shooting of Rico Cortez Robinson Jr. which occurred Monday aboard a TARC bus in Louisville. Rico was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head. He died at the scene.

Oral Arguments Set For Horse Racing Steward

An August 1st hearing has been scheduled in the appeal of fired Kentucky chief state steward John Veitch.
Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate will hear oral arguments on Veitch's one-year suspension. Veitch was fired in November without cause. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission later approved a critical report on his handling of the investigation into the horse Life At Ten's failure to perform as expected in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic. Veitch has appealed his firing in court and with the state personnel board. Separately, Veitch won a motion to depose state regulators on licensing practices. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has refused to license Veitch to act as a private steward without a definite job offer from a track even though his suspension is on hold. Wingate issued a stay of the suspension in April.

Grimes To Help Soldiers Vote

The Federal Voting Assistance Program and the Department of Defense has asked Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes to spend two weeks in September traveling in Afghanistan, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to meet with American uniformed soldiers to assist them to vote. The program administers the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986 and acts on behalf of the U.S. secretary of defense. Grimes says no state money will be used, and no staff or family will travel with her. Grimes says she is honored to be part of the project and wants to learn more about challenges military voters face in order to improve the process.

Thousands Cited During "Click It Or Ticket" Campaign

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police say 19,594 people received citations because they didn't buckle up during this year's "Click It Or Ticket" campaign. Officers set up 642 safety checkpoints during the campaign and arrested 1,003 suspected drunk drivers. The annual effort was supported by more than 220 state and local law enforcement agencies. It was held from late May to early June. State Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock says the campaign's goal is not to write tickets but to save lives.

Former Fort Campbell Soldier Pleads Guilty

{Paducah, Kentucky}...U.S. Attorney David J. Hale said Wednesday that former Fort Campbell soldier 25 year old Timothy Lee Hansen entered a guilty plea Tuesday to a four-count indictment in federal court in Paducah on charges of possessing and transporting child pornography while living at the military installation on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line and while deployed to Iraq. Hansen was accused of downloading, storing and trading digital images of child pornography in 2011. The FBI tracked the IP address to a computer belonging to Hansen and located in barracks at Fort Campbell. Hansen faces a statutory mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison.

Two Sentenced On Sex Trafficking

{Lexington, Kentucky}...The U.S. attorney's office says 38 year old Marco Antonio Flores-Benitez was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty this month to conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking in Kentucky. Co-defendant, 36 year old Roxana Serna-Olea, was sentenced Wednesday to 46 months in prison. She pleaded guilty to persuading someone to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution. Two others have entered guilty pleas and are awaiting sentencing. The defendants were accused of recruiting Spanish-speaking women from North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Maryland to become prostitutes.

Governor Beshear Traveling to Europe

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear is traveling to Europe for business meetings aimed at creating more jobs for Kentucky and strengthening ties with European companies already operating in Kentucky. Beshear's office said Wednesday that he has meetings planned in Germany and France. Kentucky has more than 400 foreign-owned facilities employing nearly 76,000 workers. Direct foreign investment coming into Kentucky totaled more than $28.2 billion in 2007, the most recent data available. Kentucky opened an office in Hamburg, Germany, last summer. Beshear plans to follow up on several business opportunities developed from the state's presence there.

Pain Clinics Closing

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear said Tuesday that four pain management clinics have notified the state they can not comply with the new prescription drug law. In an effort to stop drug abuse, Governor Steve Beshear has signed emergency regulations that require doctors to meet tougher prescription standards. The rules, given to state boards that oversee the medical industry Friday and presented to lawmakers Monday, will remain in effect until permanent regulations are adopted. Under the order, pain clinics will be more regulated and doctors are required to use the state's prescription drug tracking system. Some physicians have raised concerns that the order exceeds the original goal of a bill passed by lawmakers, but Beshear says his office worked diligently to make sure the emergency regulations match the intent of the bill. Jill Midkiff, a spokeswoman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, says the  state is aware of 44 pain management clinics but expects there are others.

Former School Superintendent Pleads Guilty

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Former Breathitt County School Superintendent 66 year old Arch Turner pleaded guilty Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to distributing money to others to buy votes for candidates in the May 2010 primary election. According to his plea agreement, he also accepted money from another person to be used to purchase votes. Ten others, including former Breathitt County Sheriff John Turner, have pleaded guilty or have been convicted of taking part in vote-buying in the same election. Turner faces up to five years in prison when sentenced October 24th. Turner was released on bond Tuesday. JudgeCaldwell told Turner he was not to leave Fayette County without permission, and he was not to return to Breathitt County under any circumstances. He was ordered to wear an ankle monitor that tracks his location.

Anti-Drug Camp Kicks Off

{Williamsburg, Kentucky}...More than 200 youths from 26 counties in eastern and southern Kentucky are attending an anti-drug camp this week at the University of the Cumberlands. The camp, offered by Operation UNITE, offers activities designed to educate participants in the dangers of drug abuse, skill classes, games and awards. This year's camp will also feature youth motivational speaker Jeff Yalden, who will address the crowd on Friday. The camp is sponsored by Toyota Motor Manufacturing-Kentucky, Alpha Natural Resources, the City of Williamsburg, and the University of the Cumberlands.

Former Social Worker Sentenced

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway announced Tuesday that former social worker 61 year old Margaret Murphy has been sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty in May to nine felony counts for falsifying reports on child abuse and neglect cases in Anderson County between April 2006 and October 2010 to make it appear that she had investigated claims of child abuse and neglect. At least three of the cases involved allegations of sexual abuse. Conway says his office opposed a request from Murphy's attorney for probation.

Former Motorcycle Gang President Sentenced

Carlos Wesley Rose Sr., also known as "PitBull," who was president of the Kentucky chapter of the Wheels of Soul Outlaw Motorcycle Gang and a former corrections officer at the Kentucky State Reformatory, was sentenced Tuesday to nearly seven years in prison. Rose pleaded guilty to a federal racketeering charge in St. Louis in April. Federal prosecutors say Rose admitted to conspiring on two occasions to make pipe bombs to use against members of rival clubs in the Chicago area. Twenty-two people allegedly affiliated with Wheels of Soul were indicted last year by a federal grand jury in St. Louis on charges ranging from arson to kidnapping to murder.

Youth Leader Charged With Rape

{Ashland, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police arrested 28 year old Nathanael Handloser of Ashland Monday and charged him with third-degree rape. Troopers say they received a call on July 22nd about possible illegal sexual activity between a 16 year old female and Handloser, who was a youth leader at the Hillcrest-Bruce Mission in Ashland. Handloser had been with mission for about two years at the time of the allegations.

Man Drowns At Yatesville Lake

{Louisa, Kentucky}...The body of 25 year old Shawn Blackwell of Matewan was located around 3:00 P.M. Monday. Blackwell was swimming with several friends in the Boones Landing area at Yatesville Lake in Lawrence County around 3:30 P.M. Sunday when he went under and never came back up. Crews searched until around 10:00 P.M. Sunday and then resumed the search at 8:00 A.M. Monday. Blackwell was located using radar and a K-9 unit.

"American Idol" Tour To Visit Bowling Green

{Bowling Green, Kentucky}...The "American Idol" 12th season audition tour is scheduled to make a stop in Bowling Green. The "Small Town Audition Bus Tour" begins next month, but specific dates and locations have yet to be announced. Bowling Green is among 10 towns scheduled for the tour. The bus tour is also heading to towns in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado.

Legislature Could Make Changes In Drug Bill

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...State lawmakers say they are open to suggestions for changes in the controversial new law designed to crack down on Kentucky's increasing problem with prescription drug abuse. A legislative oversight committee on House Bill 1 heard Monday from Dr. Steven Stack, an emergency room doctor at St. Joseph East in Lexington who says doctors share the commitments of solving the drug abuse problem, but the measure and state regulations for it are overreaching and will restrict access by legitimate citizens to much needed relief of pain and suffering. Stack says an 80 year old woman who comes to an emergency room with a broken wrist doesn't need a KASPER report or extensive counseling on why she is to take pain medicine, as the law now requires. Senator Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, one of six lawmakers on the law's oversight committee, says he expects the legislature will make changes in the law during the 2013 General Assembly.

Supreme Court Upholds Judge's Ousting

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Supreme Court has denied former Harlan County Circuit Judge Russell Alred's bid to return to the bench after the state's Judicial Conduct Commission found him guilty of nine counts of misconduct in September, saying he used his office for political and personal gain. Alred, who was elected in 2006, appealed, saying the judicial panel was duped by people with a political agenda. The Supreme Court upheld eight counts of misconduct and reversed one. Accusations against Alred included that he directed local government leaders to spend $500,000 in forfeited bond money to build a water park in Harlan County and that he appointed a special grand jury in April 2010 to investigate alleged drug dealing by county Judge-Executive Joe Grieshop, who was being opposed for re-election by Alred's cousin. The commission said Alred tried to discredit Grieshop as the election approached. A grand jury exonerated Grieshop.

Appeals Court To Consider School Shooting Plea

{Paducah, Kentucky}...The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati has set an October 10th hearing date to consider whether 29 year old Michael Adam Carneal waited too long to try and withdraw his guilty plea to killing three classmates and wounding five when he took guns to school and opened fire on a prayer group at Heath High School near Paducah on December 1, 1997. Carneal was then 14 years old. A federal judge in Paducah ruled in August 2011 that Carneal could have moved sooner to pull back the guilty plea, but Carneal's attorneys say he wasn't mentally competent to plead guilty or withdraw the plea within the proscribed time limits. Carneal is serving life in prison with a chance at parole after 25 years.

Prison Inmate Pleads Guilty To Escape

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Monday, U.S. District Judge Joseph M. Hood set a September 4th sentencing date in federal court in Lexington for 39 year old Derek A. Capozzi. Capozzi had been moved from a Maryland prison to the Grayson County Detention Center because he was a witness in a federal case in London.
During a brief hearing Monday, Capozzi admitted to kicking out the doors of a jail transport van carrying prisoners in Woodford County on April 15, 2010. He spent three days on the lam before being captured in Versailles. Capozzi claims he escaped to seek medical care for a heart condition. Judge Hood rejected the claim and barred its use in any trial. Capozzi's attorney, Steven Milner of Lexington, says the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals will be asked to reverse Hood's decisions. Capozzi is in prison for his role in the 1996 killing and dismemberment of 19 year old Aislin Silva in Massachusetts in what prosecutors described as a Mafia-related killing. Capozzi faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years supervised release.

Escapee To Appear In Court

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Derek A. Capozzi is set to appear Monday before a federal judge in Lexington on an escape charge. Capozzi is serving 55 years for his role in the 1996 killing and dismemberment of 19 year old Aislin Silva in Massachusetts. Prosecutors say she was ordered killed by the leader of the Mafia-affiliated gang Capozzi belonged to. Capozzi, who was on the lam for several days in Kentucky in 2010, claims he escaped because he can't get the medical treatment he needs, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Malloy says, when Capozzi was on the lam, he never sought any treatment. Capozzi claimed in court documents that several doctors have determined he needs to have his heart repaired after he was stabbed in the chest in 2008 while in a federal prison in California.

Former Group Home Employee Sentenced

{Lancaster, Kentucky}...Twenty-two year old Tyler Brock was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in June to second-degree manslaughter in the 2011 death of 35 year old Shawn K. Akridge, a disabled resident at a group home in Paint Lick. Brock's attorney, Gary Crabtree, argued for probation saying his client was named valedictorian at his high school, had completed three years of college and had never been arrested. Akridge's brother, Wayne Akridge, asked that Brock be sent to prison. He said his brother functioned at the level of a 7 year old, and Brock was supposed to protect him.

Jury Duty Scam

The Lewis County Sheriff's Department is warning residents of a jury duty scam that has been making the rounds nationwide. Several residents have received phone calls from people saying they are affiliated with the court system, while telling the person they had been previously selected for jury duty and did not appear. The caller then says there is a warrant out for your arrest, but then gives the option to pay with a credit card and asks for personal information like birth dates and social security numbers. The Sheriff's Department warns you should never give personal information over the phone and to be wary of calls asking for it.

Daycare Owner Charged With Criminal Abuse

{Barbourville, Kentucky}...While investigate a report that the business was operating illegally, an official from the Office of the Inspector General went to the Great Start Educational Center, a daycare center in Barbourville, Friday. When no one answered the door, the inspector called police. A teenager eventually let police inside where they found five young children in a 102 degree attic which also contained boards with exposed nails, loose wiring and dead animals. Daycare operator Larinda Tuttle was charged with criminal abuse and lodged in the Knox County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

State Proposes New Execution Drug Plan

Under a new set of regulations filed Friday, Kentucky will switch to a single drug to carry out the execution of condemned inmates. The new regulations allow the state to use either three mgs of the anesthetic sodium thiopental or 5 mgs of pentobarbital, a short-acting barbiturate. Kentucky joins at least seven other states that use one drug for lethal injections. In April, Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled state officials had until July 24th to propose any changes, or they would face a trial to defend the three-drug method. A public hearing on the execution proposal is scheduled for September 25th in Frankfort. If the procedure is adopted, the state could resume lethal injections later this year. Governor Steve Beshear has two requests for executions on his desk, one for 56 year old Ralph S. Baze for killing a sheriff and deputy in 1991 and another for six-time convicted killer Robert Foley. The new regulations also allow the state to use two drugs, the anti-seizure medication midazolam, better known as Versed, and hydromorphone, an analgesic known commonly as Dilaudad, if the chemicals used in a single-drug execution are not available seven days before a scheduled injection. Prison officials will have to notify the inmate a week before the execution which method will be used.

Police Continue Search For Escapee

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Police say 29 year old John Buckley IV cut off an ankle bracelet and escaped custody while at the Fayette Circuit Courthouse in Lexington on July 12th, just minutes before the jury convicted him of rape. While police continue to search for Buckley, the woman assaulted by him has been taken into protective custody. Buckley, a former Army Ranger, is considered dangerous. Buckley's father, John Buckley III of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is pleading for his son to surrender.

Delta Air Lines Makes Emergency Landing

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Delta Air Lines flight 2035 from Milwaukee to Atlanta, carrying 149 passengers and a crew of five,  made an unscheduled landing at Louisville International Airport about 6:30 P.M. Friday. After the plane's cockpit received an engine alert, the plane landed and taxied to the gate. Passengers were transferred to another plane to continue on to Atlanta.

Nineteen Mining Deaths Recorded

Federal regulators say 19 mining deaths occurred during the first six months of the year, including 10 in coal mines and 9 in metal and nonmetal mines. Mine Safety and Health Administration chief Joe Main says the 19 midyear deaths are the second-lowest number recorded. Three of the 10 deaths inside mines resulted from slips or falls, and two occurred during rib collapses in underground mines.

New York Court Upholds Rick Dutrow's Ban

{Albany, New York}...A New York court has upheld Kentucky Derby-winning thoroughbred trainer Rick Dutrow Jr.'s 10-year ban from the sport for drug violations. Dutrow has been working under a court-ordered stay after his license was ordered revoked by the New York Racing and Wagering Board in October. The three-member board cited infractions including syringes containing a painkiller and sedative found in Dutrow's desk and the painkiller butorphanol, an opioid analgesic, found in the urine of his horse Fastus Cactus in November 2010 after it won at Aqueduct Racetrack. The board also fined him $50,000. The Appellate Division unanimously rejected Dutrow's argument that his hearing was unfair and that a top New York racing official should have recused himself from the disciplinary case. The five judges also concluded that the punishment is not excessive considering the trainer's recent violations and disciplinary history. Attorney Michael Koenig says he and Dutrow will appeal to New York's top court and seek a further stay of the penalty. They have 30 days to do that once they are formally served with the decision, meaning Dutrow will be able to keep training horses at least through Saratoga's summer racing season.

Former Daycare Owner Indicted

{Louisville, Kentucky}...A Jefferson County grand jury has returned two indictments against Levonia Lewars, the former owner of Heavenly Angels Childcare Center in Louisville. Lewars is charged with theft and fraud after a June 12th crash involving a van from the center killed Heavenly Angels staff member 31 year old  Tiffany Belk and injured the driver and 14 children. Lewars is facing one count of a fraudulent scheme or plan to obtain fraudulent benefits over $10,000, and one count of theft by deception over $10,000. Lewars shut down the three locations of Heavenly Angels after the crash.

State Supreme Court Review Sought

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky's racetracks and Governor Steve Beshear's administration has filed a motion asking the Kentucky Supreme Court to review a recent appeals court ruling that would send instant racing gambling back to Franklin Circuit Court. Dick Brown, spokesman for the Public Protection Cabinet, including the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, says they're seeking review in the Supreme Court because they believe the trial court was correct in concluding that the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission had statutory authority to adopt the regulation permitting pari-mutuel wagering on historical horse races. The Family Foundation, which challenged the case and won before the Kentucky Court of Appeals, called the racetracks' move "ill-advised." The Family Foundation has 30 days to respond to the state's motion.

Man Pleads Guilty To Murder

{Falmouth, Kentucky}...As jury selection was to begin in Pendleton County Wednesday, 32 year old Bass Webb of Means, in Menifee County, pleaded guilty to murder in the death of his former girlfriend, 31 year old Bryia Runiewicz, who was found dead in her home in Harrison County on July 31, 2009. A jury could not be seated last year in Harrison County because of pretrial publicity. Webb could have faced the death penalty, but public defender Tom Griffiths says the recommended sentence under a plea agreement is 50 years. Sentencing will be August 15th. Webb is also accused of murder in the death of Sabrina Marie Vaughn in Montgomery County, whose skeletal remains were found in January 2010, seven years after she had gone missing. That trial is scheduled for April 2013.

Man Acquitted In Deadly Fire

{Benton, Kentucky}...A Marshall County Circuit Court jury deliberated nearly 4 1/2 hours Wednesday before acquitting  former Murray State student Jerry Walker Jr. in connection with a deadly 1998 fire at Hester Hall, a Murray State University dormitory. Michael Minger of Niceville, Florida was killed in the fire. Walker had been charged with manslaughter, arson, assault and wanton endangerment. Authorities began investigating Walker after he claimed he found a letter that blamed someone else for the fire. A jury in 2001 deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquitting Walker of Minger's death, and a mistrial was declared. Walker was charged again last September. After Minger's death, legislators passed laws requiring state universities to install dorm sprinklers and ordered campuses to report fires and crimes immediately.

Former Wayne County Assistant Attorney Indicted

{Monticello, Kentucky}...A Wayne County grand jury has indicted former assistant county attorney 42 year old Roderick A. Tejeda on a charge of murder. Special prosecutor Allen C. Trimble, the commonwealth's attorney in Whitley and McCreary counties, says Tejeda was exceeding the speed limit in  a 35 mph zone when he wrecked his vehicle on April 19th in Monticello, resulting in the death of 54 year old Jerus Helen Neal of Monticello.

Former School Superintendent To Plead Guilty

{Jackson, Kentucky}...Former Breathitt County School Superintendent Arch Turner is expected to be in court July 24th for re-arraignment, where he plans to plead guilty in a federal vote-buying case. He's accused of being involved in a scheme to buy votes in the May 2010 primary. Turner resigned in May. Ten others have pleaded guilty or have been convicted of taking part in the vote-buying scheme.

UK Chandler Hospital Ranked No. 1

The University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital is ranked No. 1 in Kentucky by U.S. News & World Report in its Best Hospitals report released Tuesday. It is the first time the magazine has provided statewide rankings for hospitals. Previous rankings have included specialty areas. UK was among 140 of 4,825 U.S. hospitals ranked in one or more of 16 specialties. Baptist Hospital East and Norton Healthcare in Louisville were named No. 2 in the state and tied for the best in Louisville. Among national rankings, top marks were given to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Environmental Study Focuses On Power Plants

The Sierra Club and the Kentucky Environmental Foundation released a study Tuesday suggesting that nine Kentucky power plants emit dangerous levels of sulfur dioxide, leaving areas of Kentucky in violation of national air-quality standards. The study says the dangerous levels of sulfur dioxide can cause and compound breathing problems, cardiovascular disease and other ailments. In its report, the environmental groups say the study showed that all of Lexington and most of Louisville aren't meeting the standard set for sulfur dioxide presence. The power plants targeted in the report include Kentucky Utilities' Cane Run, Green River and Tyrone power plants, Kentucky Power's Big Sandy plant and East Kentucky Power Cooperative's Cooper, Dale and Spurlock plants. Chris Whelan, spokeswoman for Kentucky Utilities, says the utility is spending upwards of $3 billion to build new natural gas-fired power plants.

Attempt To Seat Jury For Bass Webb

The second attempt to seat a jury in the capital murder case of 32 year old Bass Webb is scheduled to begin Wednesday in Falmouth, a town of more than 2,000 residents about 50 miles north of Lexington. Webb was to have gone on trial in December in Cynthiana, but, after several days of jury selection, Circuit Judge Jay Delaney issued an order saying a change of venue was necessary because of extensive publicity about the case. Webb is accused of killing his estranged girlfriend, 31 year old Bryia Runiewicz, who was found dead in her Harrison County home on July 31, 2009. Runiewicz, a one-time employee at the Bourbon County Detention Center, was studying to become a law enforcement officer. She died three days before she was to begin a job with the Department of Homeland Security. If convicted, Webb faces penalties ranging from death, life in prison without the possibility of parole, life without parole for 25 years, life, or 20 to 50 years in prison. Last year, he was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder for trying to run over a pretrial officer and a deputy sheriff outside the Bourbon County jail in 2009. Webb is serving a 50-year prison sentence at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex in West Liberty. In March 2011, Webb was found guilty of assaulting a Fayette County Detention Center officer and was sentenced to 15 years. Webb also is accused of murder in the death of Sabrina Marie Vaughn in Montgomery County, whose skeletal remains were found in January 2010, seven years after she had gone missing.

Prosecutors Seek To Extradite Death Row Inmate

Lisa Hill became a widow at age 21 when her young husband was shot and left to die in the New Mexico desert after he was kidnapped by two fugitives. Texas prosecutors hope to extradite Kentucky death row inmate 55 year old Michael Dale St. Clair and 52 year old Dennis Gene Reese, an inmate at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary, in the next few weeks. A grand jury in New Mexico handed up indictments against St. Clair and Reese in April for the 1991 slaying of 22 year old Timothy Keeling. Lisa Hill of Dallas began pushing for charges in the death of her husband in October, after seeing St. Clair condemned to execution for a slaying in Kentucky. Reese is an Oklahoma prisoner serving life for other crimes.

Churchill Downs Applies For Gambling License

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Churchill Downs Inc. has applied for a license to provide online interactive gambling services, including poker with the Nevada Gaming Control Board. If Churchill receives a license, the company could legally allow real money to be wagered on Internet poker as long as the gambling takes place in Nevada. Earlier this year, Churchill bought Bluff Media, which operates a poker magazine and an online counterpart.

Cabinet For Health And Family Services Held In Contempt

{Lexington, Kentucky}...U.S. Senior Judge Karl S. Forester said Monday he would consider possible sanctions for the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services at a later date. Forester said the cabinet failed to comply with a May court order allowing transfers from Coventry Cares, which wants to sever its contract with Appalachian Regional Healthcare. ARH, which has eight hospitals in eastern Kentucky, has claimed the cabinet has hindered transfers of thousands of patients who want to switch to WellCare of Kentucky, which still has a contract with ARH. Monday’s contempt charge reprimands the cabinet for not processing those requests fast enough, but still requires patients to remain with their current Medicaid companies until a new open enrollment period takes effect. In Forester's order Monday, he said approximately 6,000 transfer requests were being held by the Cabinet. Forester's order said the Cabinet will not be required to complete those requests at this time, but it is ordered to proceed promptly with an open enrollment period to all Kentucky Medicaid beneficiaries between August 20th and October 19th.

Pawn Shop Owner Arrested

{Barbourville, Kentucky}...Forty-three year old Randy Hale, the owner of a pawn shop at the Vendor’s Mall in Barbourville, has been arrested and charged with receiving stolen property. Police say a theft victim found his stolen tiller at Hale's shop, and Hale refused to release the tiller back to the owner so the owner had to buy back his own property. State law requires pawn shops to keep record of all items they receive, but police say Hale failed to provide any information on how or when he got the stolen tiller.

Child Abuse Death Review Panel Created

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear issued an executive order Monday establishing the Child Fatality and Near Fatality External Review Panel, an independent panel that will review deaths and serious injuries in case of child abuse and neglect. The 17-member panel will be attached to the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and will be made up of representatives of law enforcement, social services and all three branches of state government. Members will meet quarterly to review child deaths and serious injuries. Their findings will be made public and published in an annual report submitted to the governor, health secretary, Supreme Court and the legislature.

President Obama, Governor Beshear Discuss Bridge

President Barack Obama visited briefly with Governor Steve Beshear and his wife, Jane Beshear, at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airport Monday for a follow-up discussion about a proposal to replace the Brent Spence Bridge that connects Kentucky and Ohio at Cincinnati. Beshear says President Obama remains very interested in getting that project going, and he assured President Obama that he would be working with Ohio Governor John Kasich to make something happen. Funding for the $2.4 billion project remains elusive.

Hundreds Attend Bunch Funeral

{Williamsburg, Kentucky}...Sunday, more than 450 people attended the funeral of former Republican state lawmaker 50 year old Dewayne Bunch, who died Wednesday. Bunch suffered a severe head injury in April 2011 while trying to break up a fight against two boys at Whitley County High School in Williamsburg, where he was a teacher. The teens were charged with one count each of first-degree assault and two counts of third-degree assault. Whitley County Commonwealth's Attorney Allen Trimble says he expects the charges to be changed. Bunch had spent 20 years in the Kentucky National Guard before being elected in the fall of 2010 to the legislature. He also served in Iraq as a first sergeant, and earned numerous honors. Governor Steve Beshear did not attend, but, at the start of the funeral service, it was announced that he had posthumously awarded the Kentucky Distinguished Service Medal to Bunch. The attendance included 35 members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a group of veterans who often provide motorcycle escorts at the funerals of service men and women. On the way to Highland Park Cemetery, the funeral procession passed beneath a large American flag hung from the ladder of a fire truck.

Patriot Bioenergy Has Plans For Energy Beets

{Corbin, Kentucky}...Patriot Bioenergy Corporation has more than 20 acres of energy beets growing in Whitley County, and officials are hoping to build an ethanol plant that would use energy beets as fuel instead of corn. CEO Roger Ford says the company would use natural gas to spark the process to glean fuel from the produce. Ford says Patriot is eyeing a 99-acre plot in Williamsburg for the plant.

Lawmaker Pushes For Alcohol Sales

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Democratic state Representative Arnold Simpson of Covington told a legislative committee Friday that the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages during voting hours is costing the state better than $600,000 in lost revenue during primary and general elections. Simpson said all of Kentucky's neighboring states now allow alcohol sales, while Kentucky and South Carolina are now the only two states that ban liquor sales. Simpson, who has been pressing to lift the ban since 2006, said he will introduce a bill in the next session that would allow communities that object to election day liquor sales to opt out.

International Bluegrass Music Center Considered

{Owensboro, Kentucky}...The vision for an International Bluegrass Music Center in Kentucky is coming closer to reality. City Commissioners in Owensboro say they favor a plan to contribute $3 million toward the project if the International Bluegrass Museum comes up with another $7 million. Museum officials say they want the center to include an indoor theater and an outdoor performance area. They plan to host banjo camps, hold bluegrass shows and concerts and offer a bluegrass opry with national talent. Commissioner David Johnson says the success of the annual ROMP: Bluegrass Roots & Branches Festival, which drew about 20,000 people this year, made the decision easier.

Lexington Man Flees Fayette Circuit Court

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Police and U.S. Marshals are looking for a 29 year old John C. Buckley IV, a Lexington man who fled the Fayette Circuit Court Thursday just before a jury found him guilty of rape and sodomy. Lexington police say Buckley left court when the jury began deliberating and cut off an ankle monitor that he was wearing as a part of the conditions for release on bond. Lexington police spokeswoman Sherelle Roberts says Buckley's training as a former Army Ranger gives him the ability to engage in defensive and combative tactics at a very high level. The jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree sodomy, first-degree rape, fourth-degree assault and unlawful imprisonment.

Elderly Woman Honored For Educational Achievement

{Greenup, Kentucky}...Seventy-nine year old Martha McCoy was honored, along with other recipients, during a ceremony Friday night at Greenup Methodist Church after recently receiving her GED from the Greenup County Learning Center. Clad in her cap and gown, McCoy spoke at the ceremony about why it’s important to never lose sight of your goals. While addressing her fellow graduates, McCoy told them she may never get to use the knowledge she's learned, but she's glad she tried and succeeded, and, while they have a greater opportunity to use their education, use it wisely. McCoy said she's grateful to live in a country where it's possible for an elderly person to receive an education.

Board To Investigate Allegations Against Farmer

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Personnel Board has decided to open an investigation into alleged improprieties at the Department of Agriculture under former Commissioner Richie Farmer, who served from 2004 to 2011. The auditor's report charged that Farmer used state employees to take him hunting and shopping, mow his yard and chauffeur his dog between Frankfort and Louisville during the state fair because the hotel he was staying in wouldn't allow dogs. The board approved an investigation into only some of the claims made in the audit, including an allegation that people were preselected for certain merit positions and that Farmer and other managers gave bonuses to people without receiving recommendations from the employees' supervisors.

McConnell Focused On Sixth Term

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has banked another $1 million, pushing his campaign bank account to more than $6 million for an election that's still more than two years away. Democrats are certain to target McConnell in 2014, just as they did in 2008 when he won re-election to a fifth term and gained the distinction of being Kentucky's longest serving senator, but McConnell is bent on winning a sixth term. He spent some $20 million on the last election and won by 6 percentage points. Chief of Staff Josh Holmes says McConnell has more than double what he had at this point in his last re-election campaign.

Jury Convicts Albarado Of Assault

{Louisville, Kentucky}...A Jefferson County District Court jury in Louisville convicted jockey Robby Albarado Thursday of fourth-degree assault and recommended that he pay a $500 fine. Albarado was accused of assaulting his one-time girlfriend, Carolina Martinez, in late April. He was arrested a few days later, hours before he was to ride in the $1 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Prosecutors said Albarado intentionally hurt Martinez, but the defense maintained Martinez had barged into Albarado's home.

MSHA Fines Harlan County Coal Mine

The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has fined Manalapan Mining Co. Inc.'s P-1 Mine near Smith, in Harlan County, more than a half-million dollars in relation to the death of a miner, saying operators failed to identify and correct numerous hazardous conditions involving the mine roof and rock pillars. A section of rock that was nearly 7 feet long, 3 feet wide and 11 inches thick hit 49 year old David A. Partin in the June 29, 2011, collapse of a mine rib, or pillar. MSHA investigators issued five citations with total proposed penalties of $594,100. The company is contesting the fines.

Kentucky Offering "I Support Veterans" License Plate

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear announced Thursday that Kentucky is now offering a license plate that supports veterans. Beshear says the new "I Support Veterans" plate not only serves as a visible reminder of support for veterans, but part of the fee for the plate will go to support programs for veterans. State Representative Tanya Pullin, who sponsored a bill in the 2011 General Assembly that created the plate, which is available to veterans and non-veterans, says it will provide an opportunity for all Kentuckians who wish to support veterans' services to do so.

Senate Hearing Focuses On Horse Doping

{Washington, D.C.}...At a Senate hearing Thursday, Barry Irwin, whose Team Valor ownership group won last year's Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom, called on Congress to pass legislation to rid horse racing of drug use. Irwin said the sport needs federal oversight to ban doping because states don't do a good enough job policing the sport. Kent Stirling of the National Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, which represents thoroughbred horse owners and trainers, says the federal government has no experience or expertise to regulate the sport. Senator Tom Udall, a New Mexico Democrat who is chairing the hearing, has proposed legislation to ban race-day medication in horse racing.

Beshear Considers Statewide Health Insurance Exchange

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear sent a letter this week to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebellius informing her of his intention to create a statewide health insurance exchange to help Kentuckians find affordable coverage. The declaration makes Kentucky the 16th state to commit to an exchange that will allow people to comparison shop online for insurance. The federal government will create exchanges starting in 2014 for states that do not develop their own.

Miss Kentucky Pageant Set

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Thirty-one contestants from scholarship pageants throughout the state will be vying this week to become Miss Kentucky 2012. The pageant will be at the University of Kentucky Singletary Center for the Arts. Preliminary competitions will be at 7:00 P.M. Thursday and Friday. The finals will begin at 7:00 P.M. Saturday, culminating with the crowning Miss Kentucky. More than $38,000 in cash scholarships will be awarded to contestants in addition to numerous prizes and in-kind scholarships to colleges and universities. The winner will represent Kentucky in the Miss America Pageant in January in Las Vegas, telecast live on ABC.

Wynonna Judd Sues Former Stepfather

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Country singer Wynonna Judd filed a lawsuit this week in Jefferson County Circuit Court in Louisville against Michael Ciminella, her former stepfather and father of actress Ashley Judd. The lawsuit alleges Ciminella defaulted on a mortgage, dating to 1994, on property in the Old Louisville neighborhood where Ciminella lives. Records filed with the lawsuit show Judd's representatives wrote to Ciminella in September demanding principal and interest of $242,051. Ciminella's lawyer, Jeffrey Thompson, says the money was a gift, not a loan, and Judd had never asked that it be repaid until now.

Derby Horses Test Negative

{Louisville, Kentucky}...The Senate Commerce Committee, chaired by Senator Jay Rockefeller, D.-W.Va., will have a hearing at 2:30 P.M. Thursday on "Medication and Performance Enhancing Drugs in Horse Racing." The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission said Wednesday that no traces of the powerful painkiller dermorphin were found in samples taken from horses running in this year's Kentucky Derby. The Association of Racing Commissioners International lists dermorphin among the most harmful substances that might be given to horses, and regulators say the drug has no legitimate use in horses. Dermorphin is a substance more powerful than morphine. The announcement follows a story by The New York Times that says Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another was treated with painkillers before the Belmont Stakes, but does not name the drug. The colt was retired from racing the day before the Belmont.

Kentucky Woman Sues Porn Producers

{Louisville, Kentucky}...It's a common tactic for pornography producers to sue online pirates who illegally download movies. Often, representatives will call up the defendants, offering quick settlements of $1,000 or $5,000 to avoid facing $150,000 claims and public embarrassment. A Kentucky woman, Jennifer Barker, is suing five companies out of California and London that targeted her. Barker is seeking class-action status to hold the companies accountable for harassing calls for settlements. The five companies have filed more than 500 lawsuits in 17 states in recent years. Barker's attorney, Ken Henry of Louisville, who filed the lawsuit, estimates 500,000 people have been sued or gotten calls from representatives of the companies since 2007.

Coal Supporters Urged To Join Hands

{Pineville, Kentucky}...Coalfield residents are being called on to join hand-to-hand across Bell County as part of a 17 mile human chain to show support for Kentucky's coal industry. The "Hands of Coal Across Bell County" event is scheduled for 2:00 P.M. EDT August 11th along U.S. 25E. Bell County Judge-Executive Albey Brock says he hopes the event will call attention to the difficulties facing Kentuckians who depend on coal mining for their livelihoods and send a message to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to back off regulations that are hurting the coal industry. Organizer Joe Harris says some 20,000 people would have to participate for the event to be successful.

Knott County Man Indicted For Murder

{Hindman, Kentucky}...Donald Combs, 34, of Fisty, in Knott County, has been indicted on one count each of murder, leaving the scene of an accident, driving under the influence second offense, and driving on a DUI suspended license. Police say, on May 9th, Combs was driving under the influence when he lost control of his vehicle, causing it to go over an embankment on Lost Creek Road and land on its top in the creek. Combs then fled the scene, leaving behind a passenger, 51 year old Burley Combs, who was later pronounced dead at the scene. Combs' bail is set at $1 million cash.

Pawn Shop Case Going To Federal Court

{Barbourville, Kentucky}...Lewis Gray, the owner of T and L Pawn in Barbourville, who faced more than 4,000 charges, was not in court Tuesday when some charges were dropped so the case could be transferred to federal court. In March, police seized bank cards, checks made out to cash, computers, and other electronics from the store. Police say Gray was making loans against checks, then having people pay him more than the loan although he is not licensed to do that. Police filed more than four thousand misdemeanor deferred deposit violation charges. Gray also faced two felony charges involving the misuse of computers and credit cards. The county attorney moved to dismiss the two felonies, and the judge dismissed them without prejudice. A trial date is set for October 18th. Gray's defense attorney is Warren Scoville.

Elderly Woman Registers To Vote

{Harrodsburg, Kentucky}...One hundred five year old Margaret Harris of Harrodsburg hasn't voted in an election in 84 years, but she intends to vote in Kentucky's election on November 6th. Harris registered Friday as a Democrat but has not said who she intends to vote for. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes helped Harris to register during a visit to her home. Harris raised nine children and has more than 50 grandchildren and 50 great-grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren. Grimes says she's hopeful that Harris' example inspires others to get involved in the political process.

General Fund Revenues Exceed Projections

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Budget Director Mary Lassiter said Tuesday the state's General Fund tax revenue for the fiscal year that ended June 30th was $83 million more than expected. Lassiter said she hasn't yet determined if the state ended the fiscal year with a budget surplus because all expenditures for the year haven't yet been accounted for. If there is a surplus, Lassiter said the money would be applied to necessary government expenses or deposited in the state's rainy day fund.

Man Found With Several Weapons

{Raceland, Kentucky}...A Raceland Police officer says he was charged and attacked by a knife-toting madman. Officer Eric Ross says when he finally got wild-driving, DUI suspect Tommy Lee Gumbert, 50, of North Carolina pulled over around 3:30 A.M. Monday on U.S. 23, Gumbert charged at him with a knife in his pocket. With his gun drawn, Ross says he got into a knockdown, drag-out fistfight for his life. When backup arrived and Gumbert subdued, a search of the van turned up a small arsenal of weapons, including  a .357 Magnum, a sawed-off shotgun, a high-powered rifle and a pipe bomb. A bomb squad robot removed and safely exploded a pipe bomb that police say was powerful and ready to fire. They estimate it had an explosive radius of 200 feet. Gumbert also had some wigs and changes of clothing in the van that's registered to a woman from Greensboro, North Carolina. Gumbert, a former Greenup County resident, was arrested on concealed weapons charges, assault on a police officer and possession of explosive devices. Police say there will likely be federal weapons and explosives criminal charges filed very soon. Greenup County Sheriff Keith Cooper says Gumbert has a history of threatening to kill local family members.

Former University Of Louisville Employee Sentenced

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Monday, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Coffman sentenced 41 year old Alisha Ward, a former employee of the University of Louisville equine industry program, to 37 months in prison and three years on supervised release and ordered her to pay more than $460,000 in restitution to the university. The U.S. attorney's office says the plea agreement indicated Ward fraudulently obtained funds from the Equine Riding and Racing Club student account and fraudulently used a university procurement card for personal use, including remodeling her home. Ward pleaded guilty in April after being fired from her $42,000-a-year job as senior program coordinator.

Appeals Court Won't Block Child Abuse Records

Monday, the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 to release thousands of pages of documents about children who were killed or seriously injured from abuse and neglect. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services had filed a motion for a stay, pending the outcome of an appeal after Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled in February that the cabinet had 90 days to provide the Lexington Herald-Leader and The Courier-Journal of Louisville with 180 case files of children who died or nearly died as a result of abuse and neglect in 2009 and 2010. The newspapers filed a lawsuit under the Kentucky Open Records Act. Shepherd has ruled twice in the past two years that the newspapers are entitled to child-protection records when a child dies or nearly dies as a result of abuse or neglect. All other state child-protection records are confidential. In January, Shepherd fined the cabinet more than $16,000 for improperly withholding records on abused children and set rules restricting what information the agency may keep private in such cases. Shepherd also ordered the cabinet to pay more than $57,000 in legal fees incurred by three newspapers challenging the cabinet's refusal to release the records. The cabinet appealed Shepherd's order. In Monday's decision, the Court of Appeals denied the newspapers' request to dismiss the cabinet's appeal.

Lawmaker Seeks To End Alcohol Sales Ban

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Representative Arnold Simpson, a Covington Democrat, says he will discuss with colleagues in Frankfort a bill he has championed for four years to do away with the commonwealth's election day alcohol sales ban. Simpson says the state doesn't need to worry as much about losing votes to alcohol as it does losing tax revenue to the ban. Kentucky and South Carolina are the only two states that suspend alcohol sales on election days.

Battle Of The Bands Set

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Judging for the preliminary competition of the Kentucky State Fair Battle of the Bands gets under way this week in Louisville. The contest features 24 bands from Kentucky and Indiana and begins at 11:00 A.M. EDT Saturday at Mom's Music. A panel of music industry judges will choose the 15 bands to advance to the Battle of the Bands finals August 18th at the state fair. The winning band earns a session in the studios of Jetlag Recordings.

Trial Begins For Former Murray State Student

Attorneys gave opening statements Monday in the trial of Jerry Wayne Walker, a western Kentucky man accused of starting a fatal fire when he attended Murray State in the late 1990s. Walker is facing arson, manslaughter and 14 counts of wanton endangerment charges for the 1998 fire that killed student Michael Minger. Minger, a Niceville, Florida sophomore studying music, died of smoke inhalation on September 18, 1998, as he tried to flee the fourth- floor fire in Hester Hall on Murray State's campus. The blaze also seriously injured another student. Walker was originally tried for murder in 2001, but the jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of acquittal, and the judge declared a mistrial. State police revisited the case and brought the new charges last year, more than a decade after Walker was originally charged. Walker, now 35, was working as an assistant principal and minister at his church in Paducah when he was charged in September. The trial has been moved to Marshall County from Murray.

Former State Treasurer...Good At Poker

Former Kentucky state treasurer Jonathan Miller finished eighth overall in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, walking away with $69,896 in winnings. Miller, a Lexington lawyer, was one of nine players left in a No-Limit Hold 'em tournament that started with 4,620 players. Miller says he plans to give part of his prize money to his temple and that a good portion of the rest will probably go into his daughters' college funds. The winner, Dominik Nitsche of Germany, received $654,797. Miller wrote Saturday on his Web site that most of the competitors left in the tournament were professionals. But he quipped that "being Kentucky's State Treasurer has equipped me with some pretty good money management skills. And being in state and national politics for two decades has empowered me to cope with tables filled of liars and posers."

No Funding For Aging Bridge

Since President Barack Obama stood in front of the Brent Spence Bridge last year proclaiming the need to replace it, no clear funding source has materialized for the $2.4 billion needed. The nearly half-century-old span that connects northern Kentucky and southern Ohio is considered terrifying by some. Some in Congress and in the local community wonder whether money for beautification projects could fund a sizable portion of the bridge. The money for such projects usually comes from transportation enhancement grants, but federal stimulus funds have also been used. Transportation officials say all the enhancement grants in the country would account for less than half of the Brent Spence Bridge replacement costs.

Man Charged With Kentucky Murder

{Corbin, Kentucky}...Kentucky State Police say 49 year old Howard M. White, of Bagdad, Kentucky was killed when a white panel truck hit him while he had his wrecker pulled to the side of the road alongside Interstate 75 in Laurel County around 4:00 A.M. Saturday morning. His two passengers were unharmed. The truck's driver, 24 year old Austin T. Meredith of Sevierville, Tennessee, was arrested after police decided he was under the influence of alcohol. Meredith has been charged with murder, DUI, wanton endangerment and several commercial vehicle violations.

Karem School Board Chairmanship Rescinded

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear has rescinded his designation of David Karem as chairman of the state school board. Beshear issued an executive order last Monday reappointing Karem to the board. The order also designated the former state senator from Louisville as board chairman. Beshear issued another order Thursday without the chairman reference. He doesn't have the power to name the board's chairman...only the board can do that.

Paul Calls Affordable Care Act Unconstitutional

{Hopkinsville, Kentucky}...Speaking in Hopkinsville Thursday, U.S. Senator Rand Paul said, despite the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, he believes the law doesn't stand up to legal scrutiny. A week earlier, Senator Paul said, "Just because a couple people on the Supreme Court declare something to be 'constitutional' does not make it so. The whole thing remains unconstitutional." The high court voted 5-4 to uphold the sweeping health care law, saying that Congress didn't have the power under the Commerce Clause to force everyone to buy health insurance, but it could penalize or tax people for not doing so. Paul says the Supreme Court's decision lifts the limits on what Congress can tax.

Man Accused Of Car Theft

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Louisville Police have arrested 20 year old Herbert Lee after he was found driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen from a rental car agency. Lee was released late last year after serving one year on manslaughter charges stemming from the deaths of four teenagers in 2008. In that case, Lee was giving the boys a ride home from a youth event in a stolen car when he crashed into a tree.

Louisville Firefighter Faces Drug Charge

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Louisville firefighter 45-year-old Sgt. Willie McBride Jr. has been arrested after police say they found 31 pounds of marijuana, guns, cash and drug paraphernalia in his home. According to an arrest citation, officers found a "large quantity" of marijuana, several guns, including a shotgun and 40-caliber Glock pistol, along with more than $400 in McBride's pocket. He will be arraigned in Jefferson District Court on July 10th.

Sypher Appeal Rejected

A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of 52 year old Karen Sypher, the woman who tried to extort millions in cash, cars and a house from University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino in exchange for staying quiet about a tryst in a Louisville restaurant. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday found that attorneys for Sypher "advanced no arguments of merit on appeal." In 2010, a jury convicted Sypher of extortion, lying to the FBI and retaliation against a witness. Since being convicted, Sypher has put forth a variety of conspiracy theories which have been rejected by a federal judge and law enforcement. Sypher is serving a seven-year sentence at a federal prison in Marianna, Florida.

Beshear Urged To Opt Out Of Medicaid Plan

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...House Republican Leader Jeff Hoover is calling on Governor Steve Beshear to opt out of one of the more expensive provisions of the federal health care reforms, opening the state's Medicaid program to more people. Senate Republicans say doing so could add $500 million in costs to the program that traditionally has served the poor, elderly and disabled. The additional Medicaid costs could jeopardize the state's ability to pay for other government services. Under the health care reforms, the federal government would initially cover the increased Medicaid costs. But in future years, part of that cost would shift back to the state. Hoover says that would leave lawmakers with the decision to cut other state programs or raise taxes.

BOE Chairman Reappointed

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Governor Steve Beshear has reappointed former state senator David Karem of Louisville to the Kentucky Board of Education for a term expiring April 14, 2016. Karem serves as chairman of the board. Also this week, Beshear reappointed Brigitte Ramsey, of Falmouth, to the board. Beshear appointed Leo Calderon, of Edgewood, to the board to replace Billy Harper, of West Paducah, whose term has expired. The appointments of Ramsey and Calderon are also good through April 14, 2016.

Pit Bull Dog Bites Teen

{Lexington, Kentucky}...A 16 year old boy was taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital on the Fourth of July after a pit bull bit him in the groin. Lexington paramedics were called to a fireworks stand behind Thornton's on Woodhill Drive in Lexington where Megan Childers of Lexington, who was operating the fireworks stand, said her 2 year old dog Saint had bitten a boy in the groin. Childers said the dog had been staked to the ground on a leash behind the tent. Animal control cited Childers' fiance, Terry Spencer of Winchester, for having a dog without a license. Childers said they were told to take the dog home and keep it quarantined.

Two Escape From Bell County Forestry Camp

The search continues for 37 year old Timothy Bowling and 28 year old Sammy Chilton, two inmates who escaped around 6:00 P.M. Monday from the Bell County Forestry Camp. Officers say the two were present at the 3:30 P.M. count but they were not present for the 6:00 P.M. count. Officials say a dog followed their scent into the woods next to the camp, but then lost them. Tuesday, Kentucky State Police searched several places in the Wallins area of Harlan County where Bowling is from but still did not find them. Chilton is serving a five year sentence for drug trafficking in Marshall County. Bowling is serving a seven year sentence for theft and drug charges in Harlan County.

Churchill Purses Down Slightly

{Louisville, Kentucky}...Churchill Downs says its average daily purses and horse fields were down slightly during its just-ended spring meet. Officials say the Louisville track's effort to present a strong daily racing product was made more difficult by competition from tracks in other states where purses are padded by casino revenues. Kentucky lawmakers have refused to allow slot machines at the state's tracks. Churchill Downs track President Kevin Flanery says the track continues to compete on a playing field that is far from level, and the impact of that competition becomes more evident with each racing meet. Daily purses for Churchill's racing program during the spring meet averaged $549,759. That's down 1 percent from a year ago when the daily average was $555,242 during the spring meet. The track drew an average of 7.7 horses per race during this year's spring meet, down slightly from a year ago. This year's spring meet was highlighted by record attendance and betting for the Kentucky Derby. All-sources wagering on the Derby was up nearly 19 percent. Wagering from all-sources on the Derby race card was up 13 percent from last year.

Pulaski County Teen Drowns

{Somerset, Kentucky}...Pulaski County Coroner Richard New says 16 year old Jesse Pratt of Mount Victory was swimming with two friends Sunday at Bee Rock when he jumped into the Rockcastle River, went under "once or twice" and then did not resurface. He had been under water for about a half-hour when his body was found. New says the death is consistent with drowning.

No Change In Property Tax

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Kentucky Department of Revenue has announced Kentuckians will continue to pay taxes of 12.2 cents on each $100 worth of property they own over the next year. Kentucky's property tax rate has remained the same since 2008.

Beshear Lifts Restrictions On Utility Trucks

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...To help restore electricity in areas hit by severe weekend storms, Governor Steve Beshear has lifted some restrictions on utility trucks making their way into or through Kentucky. Beshear says the hot temperatures make this a terrible time to be without electricity, and that's why he felt it important to remove the bureaucratic red tape that might delay restoration of power. Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock issued the emergency declaration Monday, allowing utility crews to bypass weigh stations in their trucks.

Conway Announces GlaxoSmithKline Settlement

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...Attorney General Jack Conway has announced Kentucky will recover more than $28 million from a legal settlement resolving a dispute with prescription drug maker GlaxoSmithKline. Kentucky was one of 44 states involved in the case that resulted in a $3 billion settlement to resolve a case alleging the drug company engaged in various illegal schemes in marketing and pricing the drugs it manufactures. The settlement calls for GlaxoSmithKline to pay the states and the federal government $2 billion. Additionally, the company has agreed to pay a $1 billion criminal fine. Of Kentucky's share, nearly $20 million will be turned over to the federal government, and $8.5 million will go the state Medicaid program.

Ethics Charge Filed Against Former Social Worker

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Executive Branch Ethics Commission has issued an ethics charge against 61 year old Margaret "Geri" Murphy, a former social worker who pleaded guilty earlier to tampering with public records when she was investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect for the state. The commission says it found probable cause during a preliminary investigation that Murphy failed to fulfill her state job duties while receiving wages and benefits. Murphy pleaded guilty May 22nd in Anderson County Circuit Court. She is to be sentenced July 24th.

Ethics Commission Fines Former Tourism Commissioner

{Frankfort, Kentucky}...The Executive Branch Ethics Commission has fined former Tourism Commissioner Mike Cooper $2,000. Cooper resigned in February after being accused of misusing state resources for his own financial gain. Cooper, who was publicly reprimanded Monday, waived his right to appeal. Cooper acknowledged that he had traveled to England and participated in events organized by GOSH PR, a firm that had a contract with the Kentucky Department of Tourism. The firm paid for Cooper's meals and taxi rides. Cooper, who said the trip was personal, later approved an invoice for the Department of Tourism to reimburse GOSH PR for his expenses. The panel also found Cooper charged personal items to a state-issued credit card and conducted personal business while on approved state travel.

Keselowski Wins Quaker State 400

{Sparta, Kentucky}...A new $11 million traffic strategy gave fans at Saturday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta a much smoother experience compared to last year's inaugural race. The infrastructure improvements included widening roads near the track and adding 220 acres of gravel-covered parking lots, a pedestrian tunnel and a shuttle system. Fans arrived early and without delay. Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, milked his fuel mileage to the fullest over the final 56 laps to capture the second running of the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. Keselowski was the only driver to compete in all three NASCAR races this weekend, finishing second in Thursday's Camping World Truck Series outing and seventh in the Nationwide Series test Friday evening.

Man Robbed...Cited For Soliciting Prostitution

{Lexington, Kentucky}...Charity Sands, 21, was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery Saturday night, while her boyfriend, 21 year old Andrew Penn, 21, was charged with possession of narcotics and arrested on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear. Police say a man who went to the Catalina Motel in Lexington on Saturday night to solicit the woman for prostitution was robbed of his cell phone and money. Sands ran, but she was later caught behind the motel. The victim was cited for soliciting prostitution but was not taken into custody.