EKB News

• The Kentucky Labor Cabinet, Messer Construction Co. and the Pikeville Medical Center have entered into a formal safety partnership aimed at preventing accidents and injuries among workers involved in an expansion project in Pikeville. Labor Cabinet Secretary Mark Brown said, "The Labor Cabinet is thrilled to again partner with Messer on another Kentucky project. Messer has a proven track record of commitment to safety in Kentucky. And we are extremely pleased that Pikeville Medical Center has also signed on as a partner. With Pikeville Medical's exemplary reputation, we hope this partnership will help the Labor Cabinet expand our outreach in Eastern Kentucky."

            The Construction Partnership is a voluntary arrangement in which safety
and health experts from the Division of Education and Training, Kentucky
Office of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), make quarterly,
consultative visits to the building site to provide extensive safety and
health surveys.
            Education and training on Kentucky OSH standards are provided when
applicable. As a result of OSH's continuous engagement with training,
education and safety process implementation, random compliance
inspections are unnecessary as long as requirements are met.
Visits begin with an on-site conference of employees and subcontractors, followed by
a walk-through inspection to identify hazards. Findings are discussed in a closing
conference, followed within days by a detailed presentation of any hazards. In
addition, abatement dates are set for deficiencies that have not already been
corrected. The last step is a detailed written report for the company.
Messer Construction, founded in 1932, is a regional general contractor and
construction manager providing leadership for complex building projects in Kentucky,
Tennessee, Ohio and Indiana.  This is the third construction partnership between
Messer and the Labor Cabinet.
The expansion project at Pikeville Medical Center includes construction of a parking
garage and 316,000-square foot office building. The project is scheduled to be
completed in early 2013.

• A murder trial continues Tuesday for Harold Scott, a Pike County man accused of gunning down Sonny Charles outside the Phelps Laundromat last September. Witnesses say Charles tried to drive away after he was shot and claim Scott kept shooting. Charles' truck later crashed in Peter Creek. Police say he died from several gunshots to the head. Monday, the medical examiner testified Charles died from multiple gunshot wounds.

• Police say 45 year old Phillip Silcox of Ashcamp was taken to Pikeville Medical Center in stable condition Monday afternoon after being shot in the back while riding his motorcycle on Ashcamp Road in Pike County. Police arrested 47 year old Raymond Stewart of Elkhorn City and charged him with assault.

• The University of Pikeville recently introduced Erica Erb as its first women’s Lacrosse coach as the university announced women’s Lacrosse to be its 20th varsity sport. A native of Boyertown, Penn., Erb realized her dream of playing Division I Lacrosse when she signed on at Old Dominion University. As a senior, Erb and her Monarch teammates were ranked as high as 17th in the country. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in political science with a minor in geography in 2009. UPike President Paul E. Patton says the university is excited about the opportunity to bring Lacrosse to the campus and allow female students another opportunity to participate in athletics.

• University of Kentucky men's basketball coach John Calipari has been given a two-year contract extension worth up to $5.75 million. UK documents show Calipari received an eight-year contract worth a total of $36.5 million and the opportunity to earn up to $850,000 a year in incentives for NCAA and SEC tournament wins and championships. Calipari, who led the Wildcats to the Final Four this year for the first time in over a decade, is entering his third season as coach for the Big Blue. In his first two seasons as coach, the Wildcats have gone 64-12. Mitch Barnhart, UK's director of athletics, says the school wanted to show Calipari it wants him to stay in Lexington for a long time.

• Testimony resumed Monday morning in the murder-for-hire trial of Gary Robinson, a Greenup County businessman. Robinson, 62, of Ashland, is charged with attempted murder and conspiracy murder. The trial was put on-hold Thursday afternoon due to an accident between the car Robinson was driving and a vehicle driven by relatives of the victim. Robinson is accused of  hiring confessed hit man Wesley Allen to shoot and kill his love triangle rival, 47 year old John Jamison. Allen admits that, in January 2010, he shot Jamison multiple times, leaving him in a vegetative state.

• Pulaski County Sheriff’s Deputies say 44 year old David Friel was driving on KY 192 around 1:00 A.M. Saturday when he missed a curve and lost control of his vehicle, causing it to flip and eject him. The truck rolled on top of Friel, killing him instantly. Friel, who had just moved to Pulaski County earlier in the week from Georgia, leaves behind 7 children and had no life insurance. His family is asking for help with medical bills. Donations can be made at First National Bank under the David Friel Memorial Fund.

• A manhunt is underway after 47 year old Leslie Southwood escaped from the Three Forks Regional Jail in Lee County on Sunday. Because of previous run-ins with police involving weapons, he is considered dangerous.

• The Crowne Plaza Lexington-The Campbell House sold Monday at a master commissioner's sale for $9 million. The Campbell House, a Lexington landmark, was built in 1951 by Ralph Campbell. The Campbell House was in default on its $21 million mortgage held by JPMorgan Chase of Atlanta and was sold at auction inside the Fayette County Circuit Courthouse to the plaintiff in the case. Circuit Judge Pamela Goodwine awarded a judgment against the hotel's owners, Thoroughbred Campbell House LLC, on April 28th and ordered the property sold.

• Fayette County Detention Center inmate Anthony Dwayne Davis, 26, of Lexington, died at 9:16 P.M. Saturday night after being transported to the University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital. The coroner's report says Davis was found unresponsive in a cell and taken to the jail's medical unit before being transported to UK. Davis' mother, Janet Davis, says her son had atrial flutter, an abnormal heart condition, for which it is very important to take medication twice a day.

• Governor Steve Beshear said Monday that the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games held at the Kentucky Horse Park from September 25th through October 10, 2010, had an economic impact of $201.5 million. The economic impact included $128.2 million spent at the horse park, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and retail outlets. More than $55 million was spent on tickets, food, souvenirs and other items. It was the first time the international event had been held outside of Europe. The Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet and the Alltech World Equestrian Games Foundation reported more than 400,000 spectators at the events.

• Through June 26th, preliminary statistics indicate 297 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways during 2011. This is forty-three less fatalities than reported for the same time period in 2010. There have been 241 motor vehicle fatalities and 137 of those victims were not wearing seat belts. Nineteen of those crashes involved a commercial motor vehicle. Twenty-one crashes involved a motorcycle and eleven victims were not wearing helmets.  Seven crashes involved an ATV and six of the victims were not wearing a helmet. Twenty-five crashes involved pedestrians and two involved a bicycle. One crash involved a scooter. A total of forty-six fatalities have resulted from crashes involving the suspected use of alcohol.