Sunday, January 30, 2011
EKB Capsule News...Kentucky...1-31-'11
- Massey Energy Company has agreed to be taken over by Alpha Natural Resources. Massey has been struggling with losses after an explosion that killed 29 workers at a West Virginia coal mine last spring. Alpha is paying $7.1 billion in cash and stock for Massey, the nation's fourth-largest coal producer by revenue. Massey operates 19 mining complexes in Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky including the Upper Big Branch mine where the April 5th disaster occurred. Alpha is offering 1.025 share of its stock for each share of Massey, plus $10 per share in cash. Together, that represents a bid of $69.33 per share, a 21 percent premium over Massey's closing share price Friday.
- Kentucky Ale is getting popular outside the state. Alltech announced last week that it will triple the output at the Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co. so the beer could be sold in six more states and China.
- The Mining Safety and Health Administration has cited a coal company in the death of a coal miner in Harlan County. The agency released an investigation report into the June 16 death of 42-year-old David Carmack, who was killed when a 12-foot-long rib in the mine fell, dislodged a roof jack and struck him in the head. MSHA says the operator of the mine, Lone Mountain Processing Inc., failed to provide adequate support for the ribs and ignored the hazardous situation. The company was cited in four areas, including failure to conduct examinations of the section of the mine where ribs had become loose.
- A former Lexington businessman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for trying to break into the home of several female college students. Police say Terry Alan Grossman had also previously recorded the University of Kentucky students in the nude. He was sentenced Friday on charges of second-degree burglary, 12 counts of voyeurism and other charges.
- The Kentucky Lottery Corp. is launching a new game in which players can win a top prize of $250,000 each year for 30 years. The new multi-state game, called Decades of Dollars, will be announced on Monday. They are also ending another game called Win For Life. The drawings will start on Feb. 3 and run on Mondays and Thursdays. Players will choose six numbers from 1 through 47 and any ticket matching three numbers will get $10. Matching four numbers will win $100 and five numbers will win $10,000. Matching all six numbers will earn the top prize.
- A special domestic violence court in Jefferson County set up for first-time, non-felony offenders is being run by lawyers and judges who volunteer their time. The informal court meets once or twice a week before Jefferson District Judge Angela Bisig. The Family Enhanced Supervision Court is set aside specifically for first-time offenders who opt for intensive supervision.
- A western Kentucky airport is set to put the final piece of an $18 million, 15-year runway extension project in place. The Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport is waiting for Congress to approve the Federal Aviation Administration's new appropriation and for the funds to be released. Once that happens, the Florida firm Reliant Contractors can relocate the runway's instrument landing system. Airport Manager Bob Whitmer said the last phase will cost $1.489 million. The instrument landing system for the north-south runway is still set for the previous 6,500 square feet.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:39 PM 
