Saturday, May 07, 2011
EKB Capsule News...Kentucky...5-8-'11
- Kentucky State Police are investigating after a body was found in a pond Friday in a rural area near Manchester in Clay County. Charles Sizemore and his family have been looking for Tammy Sizemore since she was reported missing on April 28th. On a tip that his niece, Tammy, may be in a rural part of Clay County, Sizemore went to a pond where he found a body in a metal storage cabinet that was sticking out of the middle of the pond. He says he was able to get the cabinet open and found a female wrapped in plastic and duct tape and called police to report it. Clay County Sheriff's Deputies were on scene for roughly two hours. An autopsy will be done for identification and to find the cause of death. KSP say foul play is suspected.
- It was a record-setting day at Churchill Downs when the biggest crowd on record turned out to watch the 137th Kentucky Derby. The track says 164,858 people crammed into the Louisville track on Saturday to watch the Run for the Roses. That beats the previous record crowd of 163,628 in 1974. Animal Kingdom, ridden by John Velazquez, held off Nehro to win the 2011 Kentucky Derby.
- UK's 6-foot-9 freshman forward Terrence Jones kept the Big Blue Nation waiting Saturday before making his much-anticipated announcement he has withdrawn his name from consideration for the 2011 NBA Draft and would return to Kentucky for his sophomore season. During a morning news conference held in Memorial Coliseum on the UK campus in Lexington Friday morning, Brandon Knight started by listing everything he loved about Kentucky and his time at the university, but he announced he is leaving his name in the NBA draft thus ending his UK basketball career. University of Kentucky Coach John Calipari has told John Wall and other former UK players in the NBA that they're welcome to work out in Lexington this summer if the league locks out its players in an expected labor dispute. Calipari has suggested Wall and other players could return to UK to take summer classes during the lockout and practice with the Wildcats to stay in shape.
- Governor Steve Beshear said Saturday his administration will implement the sixth planned furlough day for most executive branch employees even though the state budget is expected to end the fiscal year June 30th with a surplus of almost $70 million. Beshear has said the six furlough days this fiscal year, which the legislature authorized, will cut about $24 million from the budget.
- Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear insisted Saturday that his decision to meet with business executives at Churchill Downs over standing with President Barack Obama at Fort Campbell Friday wasn’t a snub of his fellow Democrat. Beshear said he didn’t have enough time to alter his Kentucky Oaks schedule to meet with CEOs to promote Kentucky as a place to do business. House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, says the governor should have adjusted his Friday schedule to be at Fort Campbell, where Obama honored the U.S. commandos he sent after terror mastermind Osama bin Laden. Stumbo says it wasn’t a political event, but it was an event to honor the bravery of those men, and he believes he should have been with the president. Stumbo says Beshear could have helicoptered back for the Oaks presentation. Beshear and Stumbo made their separate remarks Saturday while making social rounds at the Kentucky Derby.
- Kentucky Republicans have two choices in their May 17th primary for state auditor. Last year, State Representative Addia Wuchner of Florence settled a lawsuit against her insurance company in which she claimed to be "permanently and totally disabled" and unable to work more than 15 hours a week because of a car crash that seriously injured her knees, shoulders and back. She now says she's capable of working full-time as auditor. Lexington developer John T. Kemper III, whose campaign slogan is "A Debt-Free Kentucky," might lose his home soon in a foreclosure auction related to his personal bankruptcy. Kemper used $124 from his campaign fund to pay his vehicle tax in February. The winning Republican will face Democrat Adam Edelen, former chief of staff to Governor Steve Beshear, in November. Auditor Crit Luallen, a Democrat, is finishing her second term, the limit allowed by law. Some of Luallen's high-profile audits have led to criminal convictions.
- Sentencing has been set for July for a former central Kentucky Boy Scout leader and volunteer teacher who pleaded guilty to producing and possessing child pornography. Prosecutors say 56-year-old Robert G. Dundon of Lexington faces at least 15 years in prison when he is sentenced July 15. The U.S. attorney's office in Lexington says Dundon pleaded guilty April 22 to the charges and acknowledged he is a former volunteer at Estill County Middle School and former Scout leader in Fayette and Estill counties.
- A Warren County school and a Natchez casino are closing because of the flood threat. The National Weather Service said Friday the Mississippi River will crest at 64 feet at Natchez on May 22. Currently, all areas along the water body are above flood stage. Flood warnings have been issued for Warren and Issaquena counties, and several others in the Delta region. Vicksburg-Warren County School District Superintendent Liz Swinford says Redwood Elementary School was closed on Friday because it's located in a threatened area. An Isle of Capri spokeswoman says the Natchez casino will close at 3 a.m. on Saturday. Several Delta casinos have also closed because of the flooding. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Kavanaugh Breazeale says all the levees along the river are expected to withstand the flood.
- The Kentucky AP Broadcasters will hold its annual awards presentation and banquet on Saturday evening, May 21, at the Galt House in Louisville. At the request of broadcast members, KAPB is holding an evening event this year to honor the top broadcast journalism achievements of 2010. All broadcast finalists are urged to attend to support this event and enjoy an evening of fun and fellowship. The deadline to register for the banquet is Friday, May 13, 2011. There is an early bird discount available for registration for tables of 8. To receive the early bird discount, registration and payment must be received by April 29. The event will begin at 6 p.m. Eastern with a reception, followed by dinner and the awards presentation. For information about the banquet and discounted hotel rates at the Galt House, go to http://www.ap.org/kentucky/
- Louisville Metro Government has suspended two MetroSafe communications supervisors for failure to sound warning sirens when a tornado touched down in February. A report on the Feb. 28 incident -- reviewed by Mayor Greg Fisher and the Metro Council in March -- cited confusion in the dispatch center and technology failure, but concluded the alarms should have been set off manually. The National Weather Service had issued a tornado warning for Jefferson County. Edward Cox and DeAnna Glynn will serve five-day suspensions without pay. Supervisors now receive text alerts on cell phones and e-mail notifications from the weather service when warnings are issued.
- Emergency Management officials report that because of controlled water releases from some Kentucky lakes, the lower Ohio River will continue to rise slightly. No additional evacuations are expected at this time; however, officials remind residents to heed directions if asked to evacuate. According to river authorities, levels on the lower Ohio River from Smithland downstream are projected to rise an additional six inches before cresting this weekend. The expected rise is due in part from controlled water releases from Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 10:55 PM 
