Saturday, August 29, 2009
Gillispie Lawyers Gear-Up For Depositions
Thursday afternoon, lawyers for former University of Kentucky basketball coach Billy Gillispie filed notice in Dallas of upcoming depositions for U.K. President Lee Todd and University of Kentucky Athletics Association Director Mitch Barnhart and requests for documents related to the breach of contract lawsuit. University lawyers have asked the lawsuit be dismissed, saying Gillispie sued the wrong entity by naming the athletics association when he was actually employed by the university. They are also seeking a change of venue, saying the Texas court has no jurisdiction. The deposition for Todd is scheduled for September 21st., and the deposition for Barnhart is scheduled for September 23rd., while lawyers for Gillispie have until September 23rd. to respond to the motion to dismiss.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:35 PM
Prosecutors Seek Psychological Exam In Pitino Case
Prosecutors in the extortion case against University of Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino are asking for a psychological exam for Karen Sypher. A status conference which was set for Friday was stricken from the docket by U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson who has declared the case complex, exempting it from speedy trial provisions.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:26 PM
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Pikeville College Names Vice-President
James Hurley of Pikeville, who has served as principal at Belfry Middle School for the past five years, has been named vice-president and special assistant to Pikeville College President Paul Patton. Patton says Pikeville College has many things to offer the young people of eastern Kentucky, and he has employed Hurley to communicate advantages the college has to offer. He says Hurley has the experience needed to relate to the needs of the students.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:31 PM
Former U.K. Coach Charged With DUI
Former University of Kentucky men's basketball coach Billy Gillispie was released from the Franklin County Jail after being charged with DUI around 5:20 A.M. Thursday (today) following his arrest by Lawrenceburg Police around 2:45 A.M. Charles F. O'Connor was arrested along with Gillispie and charged with alcohol intoxication. Gillispie, who police say refused breath and blood tests, when arraigned, pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court October 5th.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:21 PM
Kentucky Man Shoots Himself While At Methadone Clinic
Twenty-three year old Corey Hughes of Turkey Creek was recently transported to South Williamson Applachian Regional Hospital with minor injuries after shooting himself while at the Williamson Treatment Center. Hughes was at the methadone clinic when he accidentally cocked a pistol while placing his hand inside his pocket, causing the gun to discharge a bullet into his foot. Hughes had a permit for the gun but was in violation when he brought the gun to the clinic.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:14 PM
First Feature Film Under Kentucky's New Legislation Set
A horse from North Dakota has been chosen to play the lead role in the upcoming movie "Secretariat"...Cyclone Larry, a three year old race horse owned by Heather Benson, the general manager of Fargo's North Dakota Horse Park. This is the first film to be produced in Kentucky under new legislation passed by the the Kentucky Legislature during the special session. An $800,000 tax incentive was approved for the project. The legendary Secretariat is the great, great, great granddaddy to Cyclone Larry. A subsidiary of Disney Studios is producing the film.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:38 PM
Floyd County Couple Faces Child Sex Abuse Charge
A January 11th. trial date has been set for Michael and Martha Pitts of Martin (Floyd County). On March 2nd., the couple was arrested and charged with multiple criminal and sexual abuse charges in connection to one male victim, between the age of 6 and 8, and one female, between the age of 4 and 6.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:31 PM
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Special Election Could Leave Elkhorn City Wet
Wednesday (today), Pike County Judge Executive Wayne T. Rutherford signed an order allowing a November 3rd. special wet/dry election for citizens of Elkhorn City. The original petition was nullified when it fell short of the 128 required signatures, while only 102 signatures appeared on the petition. A supplemental petition containing enough signatures was then filed, allowing the petition to be certified. The election could leave Elkhorn City wet.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:45 PM
Hillbilly Christmas In July Releases Progress Report
Wednesday (today), the charitable organization, Hillbilly Christmas in July, gave media and observers a progress report as their fiscal year recently came to an end. In talking with Jimmy Kinney, he reinforced the position of the group in returning 100% of proceeds to the Shriners' Hospital in Lexington. Also attending the press conference was Ben Pruitt, Director of Planned and Major Giving for Shriners' International. During the press conference, corporate and individual donors generously got the fiscal year for Hillbilly Christmas in July underway.
Hillbilly Christmas in July...an unlikely name for a charitable organization that does their work all year...is quickly becoming a major player for Shriners' International. Their next event takes place Saturday with a Car Show and Cruise In at Harley-Davidson in Pikeville. Hillbilly Christmas in July...an organization where the compassion shows through.
Hillbilly Christmas in July...an unlikely name for a charitable organization that does their work all year...is quickly becoming a major player for Shriners' International. Their next event takes place Saturday with a Car Show and Cruise In at Harley-Davidson in Pikeville. Hillbilly Christmas in July...an organization where the compassion shows through.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:23 PM
League Of Cities Executive Director Resigns
Sylvia Lovely, who's worked for the Kentucky League of Cities since 1988 and served as the organization's attorney before becoming executive director in 1990, has announced plans to resign, effective January 1st. Her decision to resign came following revelations of questionable organizational spending which includes her 2008 compensation package of $315,000, including the use of a BMW sports utility vehicle, and her involvement as one of the three executives in the organization who spent more than $300,000 on travel, meals, sports tickets and other items during a three year period. Lovely says she wants to accept responsibility for the loss of credibility the organization has suffered.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:35 AM
Special Election Result Could Lead To Victory For Slots
Voters in Carter, Greenup, Lewis, Bracken, Mason and Robertson counties headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their vote in a hotly contested special election to fill the vacant seat for the 18th. District state Senate. The seat, left empty earlier this year when Charlie Borders accepted a job with the Kentucky Public Service Commission, was being sought by Republican Jack Ditty, Democrat State Representative Robin Webb and Independent candidate Guy Gibbons. Democrat Robin Webb narrowly defeated Republican Jack Ditty, leaving Republicans holding a 20-17 margin. Some see this as a step closer to allowing slot machines at horse tracks.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:17 AM
Kentucky Volunteer Fire Departments Get Grant
The U.S. Forest Service has provided more than $490,000 in grants to the Kentucky Division of Forestry. The funding will enable volunteer fire departments across the state to pay for training and equipment, such as pumps, hoses, protective gloves and fire shelters, while helping communities guard against forest fires and decreasing the risks to homes in fire-prone areas.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:10 AM
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Two Charged In Connection To Floyd County Robbery
Kentucky State Police say they believe they found the two men who robbed the Rite Aid Pharmacy in the Glynview Plaza in Prestonsburg. Police charged Michael Kimmell of Betsy Layne and Larry O. Blackburn of Gulnare with the theft of 10,000 pills from the Floyd County pharmacy after they were arrested and transported to the Pike County Detention Center last week on unrelated charges. At the time of the arrest, 5,000 pills were found inside their vehicle.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 8:21 PM
Massey Faces Protestors At Blasting Site
In an effort to prevent blasting, 25 year old Nick Stocks and 24 year old Laura Steepleton, both from Rock Creek, perched themselves atop trees around 6:30 A.M. Tuesday (today) at the edge of Massey Energy's Edwight mountaintop removal site above Pettry Bottom and Peachtree in Raleigh County. Protestors associated with Climate Ground Zero and Mountaintop Justice unrolled two banners reading "Stop Mountain Top Removal" and "DEP--Don't Expect Protection."
# posted by Homer Owens @ 8:11 PM
Groundbreaking For Mingo County Airport
The beginning of construction of the new Mingo County Air Transportation Park is now officially underway. Tuesday (today) officials gathered at the site located on Mystery Mountain, just off U.S. 52 south of Delbarton. The land, located near Varney, was a former mountaintop mining location which includes nearly 900 acres of property and was donated for the project by Alpha Natural Resources. The FAA and the state Aeronautics Commission recently awarded $3.6 million for the first phase of the project, and an additional $3.9 million for the second phase has been applied for. Upon completion, the airport will have a 5,000 ft. runway and will be a state-of-the-art facility which will serve private, corporate and industrial aircraft.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:54 PM
Monday, August 24, 2009
Former Magoffin County Official Gets Twenty Years
Former Magoffin County Deputy Judge Executive, 29 year old Walter Hardin, was sentenced Monday (today) to 20 years in federal prison, following a plea deal which recommended seventeen and one-half years. Hardin was arrested last October, as the result of an online investigation by an undercover investigator who had chatted with Hardin while pretending to be a 14 year old girl. Through further investigation, 14 videos and more than 600 photographs depicting children engaged in sex with adults and other children were recovered from his computer at the Magoffin County Courthouse. Explicit chats about children were also found. At the sentencing, Hardin told the judge he suffers from bipolar disorder and needs help.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:48 PM
Pike County Animal Shelter Breaks Ground
Officials broke ground Monday (today) for the new Pike County Animal Shelter, a new building which will be located off Lykins Creek Road. The new facility will contain 7,000 sq. ft. in which to house approximately 5,000 animals a year, allowing new space to hold animals longer for adoption and rescue. David Stratton, chairman of the building committee, says the project has been ten years in the making. The new facility should be up and running by April or May 2010. Judge Executive Wayne Rutherford says it's a great day for animals and animal lovers in Pike County.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 7:35 PM
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Traffic Device Proposed For Shelby Valley
The recent traffic death of a 69 year old motorist on U.S. 23, near the entrance to Shelby Valley and numerous other public agencies, has prompted Senator Ray Jones to propose a special traffic device for that area. Jones says the volume of traffic warrants this action. In addition to the school, the outlet to U.S. 23 also serves a senior citizens center, a medical clinic, a church, a nursing home and a public housing multi-storied complex that serves hundreds of people. Senator Jones will make his request for additional traffic control at the site through the transportation cabinet. The site has been the scene of numerous accidents and deaths in recent years.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 5:20 PM
Prison Riot Under Investigation
Although there were no escapes and no hostages taken, a fiery prison riot Friday afternoon at Northpoint Training Center located at Burgin, 5 miles north of Danville, resulted in the transfer of 700 of the medium-security prison's 1,200 inmates. The inmates were quarantined in the prison yard overnight after fire was set to several buildings, causing damage to visiting areas, the multi-purpose building and all but one of the dormitories. Eight staff members and 8 inmates sustained minor injuries. The prison had been on lockdown since Tuesday, when several Hispanics assaulted a black and a white inmate. The cause of the riot is under investigation.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 5:10 PM
Shoot-Out Results In Death
A property dispute just after 6:00 P.M. Friday along KY 30 East in Jackson led to a shoot-out between two neighbors. Exchanged gunshots between Randall Carpenter and Bill R. Caudill resulted in the death of Carpenter and sent Caudill to the University of Kentucky Hospital with several gunshot wounds.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 5:05 PM
Complaint Settled For Floyd County Bus Driver
A jury trial set for September for Floyd County school bus driver Victor Harper was canceled last week when the case was settled out of court. In April 2007, while traveling on Poplar Fork near Weeksbury, Harper crashed into a vehicle driven by Stacey Scott. The accident resulted in "very serious injuries" for two children, Kenzie and Gary Little. Kenzie Little suffered damage to her face, brain and spine which required surgery. The complaint against the school board alleged negligence, saying they should have terminated Harper who had already been involved in two prior accidents. The terms of the settlement were kept confidential.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 4:53 PM
