EKB News: 06/26/2011

Saturday, July 02, 2011

EKB Capsule News...Kentucky...7-3-'11

An accident involving several vehicles in the Shelbiana community of Pike County late Friday evening resulted in the death of Shawn Thacker of Shelbiana. Kentucky State Police say the accident involving a car, motorcycle and pick-up truck shut down the southbound lanes of U.S. 23, both of which reopened shortly after midnight Saturday. Police believe the motorcycle was traveling south on US 23 and was struck by a pickup truck, which was turning northbound on US 23 onto the US 460 connector, causing the motorcycle to lose control and strike a passenger car entering US 23 from 460. Shawn Thacker, the driver of the motorcycle, was taken to Pikeville Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead. A woman also riding the motorcycle was taken to Pikeville Medical Center and later airlifted to Cabell Huntington Hospital, where she is in critical condition. The accident is still under investigation.

The Kentucky Cybercrimes Unit marked its third anniversary Friday. The unit, which operates out of Attorney General Jack Conway's office, has launched more than 230 child pornography investigations since its inception, resulting in 39 arrests. The unit is now a member of the U.S. Department of Justice Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and has helped train police and prosecutors across the commonwealth to handle and process digital evidence.

You don’t have to own a horse to get to ride one at six Kentucky State Parks. The six parks across the state offer guided trail rides during the summer months and into the fall period. Guests can enjoy a 45-minute ride while viewing forests, wildlife and lakes. The rides are a great family activity – especially for those who don’t have regular access to horseback riding. The cost for the ride is $18. Most parks offer rides seven days a week during the summer. The six parks that offer rides are: Barren River, Carter Caves, Cumberland Falls, Kentucky Dam Village, Lake Barkley and Lake Cumberland. Four parks also offer campsites for guests with horses – Taylorsville Lake, Dale Hollow, Pennyrile Forest and Carter Caves. (The last two opened this spring).

Congressman Hal Rogers presented Pike County's Get Five for PRIDE certificate to Kent Stacy, Sandy Looney, Marie Childers, Betty Brown and Jimmy Dale Sanders. Rogers joined PRIDE on June 28 to announce that Pike County met the "Get Five for PRIDE" challenge during PRIDE Spring Cleanup Month, the anti-litter campaign held in southern and eastern Kentucky in April. "Last year, I couldn't believe more than 30,000 people would volunteer to pick up trash across the region, but PRIDE volunteers had another record-breaking year for 2011," said Congressman Rogers. "The old tires and used appliances tossed over the hillsides are finally becoming a thing of the past. PRIDE volunteers have worked hard to educate our community members about the value of putting trash in its proper place and the importance of recycling. All the hard work is paying off and we invite more people to join PRIDE again this fall." The Get Five for PRIDE challenge set the goal of a five-percent increase in the number of volunteers who served during the 2010 Spring Cleanup. Pike County met the challenge by recruiting 991 volunteers in April 2011. The annual Spring Cleanup is hosted by Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, a nonprofit organization that encourages environmental cleanup and education in a 38-county region. Local governments organized the cleanup activities, and PRIDE provided supplies, volunteer T-shirts and funding assistance.

WHAT: July 4th Holiday Traffic Enforcement Period

WHEN:     Friday, July 1 (6:00 p.m.) through Monday, July 4th (11:59
p.m.)

WHERE: Statewide

WHY:       To reduce highway fatalities by targeting impaired drivers
with zero tolerance patrol.

WHAT:     July 4th Holiday Traffic Enforcement Period

WHEN:     Friday, July 1 (6:00 p.m.) through Monday, July 4th (11:59
p.m.)

WHERE: Statewide

WHY:       To reduce highway fatalities by targeting impaired drivers
with zero tolerance patrol.

                  *2010 July 4th Holiday Stats: During the official
holiday period, there were 1,237 crashes resulting in 7 fatalities. Of
that number, 66 crashes were alcohol related resulting in 52 injuries
and 1 fatality. (July 2, 2010 @ 6:00 pm - July 5 @ 11:59 pm).

Kentucky Speedway, Kentucky State Police, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet have collaborated on a comprehensive traffic and parking plan to accommodate more than 100,000 race fans who will converge at the Speedway July 7-9 for a NASCAR tripleheader weekend that will feature the inaugural “Quaker State 400.” “We want to make sure our guests have a safe trip to and from the Kentucky Speedway for the first of many Sprint Cup races,” said Kentucky Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock. “The Kentucky Speedway has worked with our cabinet and other local and state government agencies to accommodate the thousands of race fans who will be attending.” Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger said a plan was carefully crafted to ensure maximum ease and efficiency for race fans traveling to and from the Speedway, just off Interstate 71 at Sparta, in Gallatin County. “We consulted with officials from Atlanta Motor Speedway, our Speedway Motorsports, Inc., sister facility, and state officials to formulate the best possible plan for accommodating in-bound and out-bound traffic utilizing Interstate 71 Exits 57 and 55. We have an efficient blueprint under which fans will be directed to exit our facility in the same direction in which they entered. We encourage fans to build extra time into their travel plans, follow posted signage and exercise patience,” Simendinger said. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet suspended highway construction activity on I-71 to allow northbound and southbound lanes to operate at full capacity. Construction is scheduled to resume on Monday, July 10.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:43 PM

EKB Capsule News...West Virginia...7-3-'11

A vehicle rollover in the area of 5th Street Road in Huntington at 1:12 A.M. Saturday morning sent one woman to the hospital and 20 year old Joshua Barr to the Western Regional Jail charged with DUI causing injury. Police say Barr was heading south when he swerved, hit the median, flipped and landed on an SUV.

Talbert Dehaven III, who also goes by the name “Chip,” escaped from the Beckley Correction Facility, where he was serving time for forgery and uttering, between 2:00 - 3:00 A.M. Saturday morning. Police think he may have gone to Virginia, where he is originally from. Dehaven is 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighs roughly 200 pounds, has brown hair, blue eyes and a shaved head. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Dehaven is urged to contact Raleigh County’s detachment of the West Virginia State Police.

Kentucky State Police located an elderly West Virginia couple at about 5:00 P.M. Saturday afternoon after Wayne County 911 dispatchers had issued a Silver Alert for French James Napier, 86, and his 81 year old wife Elizabeth May, of Prichard, who were last seen Friday at approximately 4:30 P.M. at Chase Bank in Wayne. The couple was on their way to meet family at Pullman Square in Huntington. The couple's family was worried because French James has dementia and diabetes and Elizabeth has Alzheimer's. Dispatchers had gotten a call about a car swerving all over the southbound lane of I-75 at the 115 mile marker near Mt. Sterling. When KSP found the car on a side road, they realized it was the Napiers. Family msmbers picked them up at the KSP station in Morehead

Timothy David Chapman, 33, of Wayne has been arrested and charged with sexual abuse after state police say he had pictures of a 14 year old boy, partially-clothed with his wrists, arms and legs duct-taped or tied with a rope. The photos, taken in November and December of 2008, were found on a thumb drive by Chapman's ex-wife and taken to state police. Bond was set at $100,000.

A fire that started in a garage of a Chelyan home on Church Street belonging to Becky Adkins quickly spread to the adjacent Paul White Chevrolet car dealership Friday afternoon, destroying the business's storage building and body shop. Paul White Chevrolet Inc. general manager Margie Hancock said employees rushed to salvage whatever they could from the two buildings before they were destroyed, including a 1981 Corvette.

Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper wants to ban the use of electronic cigarettes for county workers on the job. The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department recently banned their use on Health Department property and in Health Department vehicles, and the state banned them for state employees on state property. Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, thinks there are enough questions about the safety of electronic cigarettes that health officials decided to ban the devices on Health Department property, and he would love to ban electronic cigarettes countywide but doesn't have the science to back the move up.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:40 PM

Friday, July 01, 2011

EKB Capsule News...Kentucky...7-2-'11

Friday, Dr. Eli Capilouto took over as the 12th president of the University of Kentucky. Dr. Capilouto says he's going to spend his first couple of weeks in office listening to student input before he makes any big changes. Capilouto had served as provost at the University of Alabama, in Birmingham, since 2005.

U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar has issued a temporary restraining order commanding CAM Mining LLC in Pikeville to stop giving coal miners advance warning about searches for cigarettes and lighters. The order comes a week after the Labor Department sued CAM Mining in federal court under a little-used provision in federal mine safety law that allows regulators to seek an injunction from a federal judge, bringing the mine under the jurisdiction of the judge to ensure the law is followed. Federal inspectors had planned to search CAM Mining's No. 28 mine on June 17th after receiving a tip about smoking underground. Federal officials say, since the federal Mine Safety and Health Act was passed in 1977, there have been four major mine explosions blamed on smoking.

Governor Steve Beshear is expected to make an announcement next week regarding Medicaid managed-care contracts. The Beshear administration had pledged earlier this year to have the contracts in place by Friday. Beshear says the Cabinet for Health and Family Services is in the final stages of evaluating managed care organizations for potential contracts that are key to filling a $166 million deficit in the Medicaid budget.

More than 1,300 soldiers from the Kentucky National Guard of the 149th Maneuvering Brigade are training for deployment to Iraq to help decommission hundreds of bases, guard convoys and weapons and handle security at U.S. bases as the military prepares to pull out of Iraq. The mission is the Guard's largest overseas deployment since World War II.

Greg Harkenrider, deputy executive director of the Governor's Office for Economic Analysis, said Friday that raising the state's cigarette tax from 30 cents to 60 cents a pack in 2009 appears to have caused people to smoke less. Kentucky smokers purchased 120 million fewer packs of cigarettes over the past two years. The American Heart Association's advocacy director in Kentucky, Tonya Chang, says the state, with one of the highest smoking rates in the nation, needs to do more to discourage people from lighting up. Chang said she'd like to see Kentucky's cigarette tax raised to the national average, which now stands at $1.45.

In 2009, state lawmakers approved Senate Bill 1, which calls for the creation of more demanding state education standards that are aligned from preschool to college. Approximately 23,000 Kentucky children were enrolled in state preschool programs and an additional 17,000 in federal Head Start preschool programs in 2010. Lisa Gross, spokeswoman for the Kentucky Department of Education, says state education officials have their eye on a new federal "Race to the Top" education grant proposal that focuses on making improvements in early learning. Public input on the new grants, called "Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge" will be allowed through July 11th.

Independence Day usually brings thoughts of parades, backyard barbecues and, of course, fireworks. This year, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) wants the public to focus on safety in addition to celebrating the holiday, particularly when using certain types of fireworks recently legalized in Kentucky.
House Bill 333, signed by Gov. Steve Beshear in March, expanded legal fireworks in the state from ground devices and novelties to include a full line of consumer fireworks, such as Roman candles and other fireworks that shoot into the air. The law regulates the sale, storage, location and display of the explosives.
“Fireworks can be a fun way to celebrate and add to the festivity of the holiday, but don’t forget injury prevention,” said DPH Commissioner William Hacker. “This year, the types of fireworks that can be legally sold in Kentucky have expanded and some might be new to consumers. Make sure you know how to properly use these items and are working to avoid injury.”
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is asking states to join its nationwide effort to prevent injuries related to fireworks. According to the CPSC, fireworks-related injuries in 2010 were associated with approximately 1,900 people ending up in emergency rooms. CPSC’s annual death and injury report on fireworks incidents indicates that nearly half of these injuries affected children younger than 15 years of age.
“Although fireworks play a major role in Fourth of July celebration, you have to keep public safety in mind – even with smaller items,” said Kathy Fowler, director of the public health protection and safety division in DPH. “Firecrackers, bottle rockets and sparklers are some of the biggest culprits of injury. Please use caution if you are using these items.”
In fact, according to the CPSC, a sparkler can get as hot as the flame on some blow torches and can easily ignite clothing.
No fireworks can be considered safe enough to let young children play with them without direct adult supervision under any circumstances,” Fowler added, emphasizing the following guidelines when using fireworks:
· Never allow young children to ignite fireworks.
· Adults should always supervise fireworks activities.
· Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that fizzle and don’t go off.
· Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
· Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
· After fireworks fully complete their functioning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding to prevent a fire.
ndence Day usually brings thoughts of parades, backyard barbecues and, of course, fireworks. This year, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) wants the public to focus on safety in addition to celebrating the holiday, particularly when using certain types of fireworks recently legalized in Kentucky. House Bill 333, signed by Gov. Steve Beshear in March, expanded legal fireworks in the state from ground devices and novelties to include a full line of consumer fireworks, such as Roman candles and other fireworks that shoot into the air. The law regulates the sale, storage, location and display of the explosives. “Fireworks can be a fun way to celebrate and add to the festivity of the holiday, but don’t forget injury prevention,” said DPH Commissioner William Hacker. “This year, the types of fireworks that can be legally sold in Kentucky have expanded and some might be new to consumers. Make sure you know how to properly use these items and are working to avoid injury.” The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is asking states to join its nationwide effort to prevent injuries related to fireworks. According to the CPSC, fireworks-related injuries in 2010 were associated with approximately 1,900 people ending up in emergency rooms. CPSC’s annual death and injury report on fireworks incidents indicates that nearly half of these injuries affected children younger than 15 years of age. “Although fireworks play a major role in Fourth of July celebration, you have to keep public safety in mind – even with smaller items,” said Kathy Fowler, director of the public health protection and safety division in DPH. “Firecrackers, bottle rockets and sparklers are some of the biggest culprits of injury. Please use caution if you are using these items.” In fact, according to the CPSC, a sparkler can get as hot as the flame on some blow torches and can easily ignite clothing. No fireworks can be considered safe enough to let young children play with them without direct adult supervision under any circumstances,” Fowler added, emphasizing the following guidelines when using fireworks:

                              · Never allow young children to ignite fireworks.
                              · Adults should always supervise fireworks activities.
                              · Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that fizzle and don’t go off.
                              · Never throw fireworks at a person
                              · Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:09 PM

EKB Capsule News...West Virginia...7-2-'11

Testimony is set to continue Monday, July 11th, in the murder trial of 38 year old Christopher Bowling, a Raleigh County man accused of fatally shooting his wife Tresa in their Daniels home in January 2010. The proceedings were put on hold for a week Friday to accommodate some jurors with vacation plans. This is Bowling's second trial after the first ended in a mistrial after two jurors were dismissed.

The investigation into the January 27th mine death of 19 year old John C. Lester Jr. is complete. Investigators say it appears Lester attempted to cross a moving conveyor belt where a suitable belt crossing facility was not provided and became trapped in the structure. The accident occurred at Jim's Branch No. 3B mine near New Richmond in Wyoming County.

Charleston Police say an argument on Washington Street East in Charleston Thursday night turned violent when James Wesley Green, 56, of Charleston, struck Bruce Morgan, 56, several times with a hammer, causing him to suffer several minor injuries to his face and hands. Green was charged with malicious wounding.

About 20 new laws went into effect Friday, July 1st, the start of the new fiscal year for West Virginia. West Virginia’s Division of Veterans’ Affairs became the Cabinet-level Department of Veterans’ Assistance. Marcellus shale natural gas field developers are eligible for new tax credits, and both public and private insurers are required to cover autism spectrum disorder treatment. Insurers do not have to adjust their coverage until the 2012 plan year.

More than 300 uninsured West Virginia children are now eligible for coverage by the state Children's Health Insurance Program. Medicare and Medicaid Services has approved the coverage expansion proposed by the program's board in February, extending coverage to children of families with a gross income of up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. A family of four can have a household income of about $67,000, up from about $55,000. Families also must pay a $35 monthly premium for one child or $71 per month for two or more children.

Public Service Commission staff lawyer John Auville has asked the regulatory agency to require American Electric Power, FirstEnergy and other electric utilities to report the conditions of their high-voltage transmission lines and provide plans to ensure their continued service. Auville is asking that the utilities submit their reports within 30 days. The state has more than 5,700 miles of high voltage transmission lines.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:08 PM

Thursday, June 30, 2011

EKB Capsule News...West Virginia...7-1-'11

Mingo County attorney Letitia “Tish” Chafin has filed to run for the state Supreme Court of Appeals in 2012. Chafin will be running as a Democrat for one of two open seats on the state’s highest court. Justice Robin Davis has also announced her intention to run for re-election. Chafin made it clear she is not running against Davis, who has served on the Supreme Court since 1996. Justice Thomas McHugh has announced he is not running. Chafin is a past president of the West Virginia State Bar and is managing partner at the H. Truman Chafin Law firm, where she works with her husband, state senator Truman Chafin. She also sits on the Marshall University Board of Governors and is a member of the West Virginia Education Alliance and West Virginia Children’s Home Society Board of Directors. In an e-mail to potential supporters earlier this month, Chafin announced that Kanawha County Commission President Kent Carper will chair her campaign, former state senator Oshel Craigo will head her fundraising committee. Former Democratic Party Chair Chuck Smith will be campaign treasurer, and lawyer Anthony Majestro will serve as the campaign’s attorney.

A Cabell County grand jury has indicted Pamela Faye Taylor, 63, of Huntington, a former daycare owner, on a charge of child neglect resulting in injury. Taylor was arrested in October 2010 after a 10-month-old child was found with a red mark on his face in the shape of a hand and a bruise on his forehead. The child is believed to have received the injuries while at Pam's Kids Daycare in Huntington. Taylor is set to be arraigned July 13th.

Eighteen year old Telisa McCauley of Charleston was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison for first degree robbery. Police say, last May, McCauley and Whitney Avery robbed Robert "Jeff" Moore, 53, of Charleston, after Earl Moore brutally beat him on Fife Street in downtown Charleston, leaving him in a coma.

William Porter, 34, of Charleston, has been arrested for arson for allegedly setting his neighbor's house on fire on Kilby Street in February. Police suspect him of setting at least seven homes on fire during the past eight years, two of which were his own.

Chester Wilkinson, 57, of Charleston, has been charged with possessing child pornography. Kanawha County Sheriff's Deputies say Wilkinson’s computer contained several illegal images of minors engaging in sexual activities.

Michael Moore, 28, of Charleston, has pleaded guilty to distributing heroin in the Charleston area from December 2010 to March 2011. Moore told officers he purchased heroin from his associates and let them drive his car to distribute the heroin. Moore faces up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine when sentenced October 6th.

New charges of second degree sexual assault by a parent, guardian or custodian were filed against Michael David Adams, 27, of Pliny, Thursday. Putnam County Deputies say he raped a 14 year old girl while out on bond after raping another 14 year old girl. He's being held on a half million dollar bond on the new charges and no bond while awaiting sentencing for his conviction on sexual abuse charges in August. He was convicted last week of molesting his wife's 14 year old cousin. Court documents say Adams raped the other girl June 21st while his wife was taking a shower. The victim and her father were living in the same home along U.S. 35 as Adams and his wife. Adams has admitted he had a prior felony conviction. This could allow the judge to double the 25 year potential sentence he faces for the recent conviction.

Kanawha County Prosecutor Mark Plants says a program aimed at reducing truancy at Kanawha County elementary schools has surpassed expectations and resulted in a significant decrease in the number of children missing classes. Plants developed the program prior to the school year after more than 5,100 students in Kanawha County were listed as habitually truant in the 2009-10 school year. Under the initiative, prosecutors worked with parents and school administrators to put an end to truancy. The program is expected to continue next year. Plants says he'll talk with teachers and school officials to determine if they need to tweak anything.

After more than thirty years of public service, state Insurance Commissioner Jane Cline retired Thursday. Cline, who announced her retirement last month, worked as commissioner for 10 years. Cline, who recently turned 55, now qualifies for retirement benefits, which was a major factor in the decision to step down. Cline first started working in state government in 1978 in the accounting department of the state Division of Highways. She later moved on to become the commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles for eight years under Governor Gaston Caperton's administration. In 2001, Governor Joe Manchin named her insurance commissioner. Interim Insurance Commissioner Mike Riley has worked in the office since 2001.

The West Virginia Public Service Commission has approved a $98.7 million rate increase for Appalachian Power Company and Wheeling Power Company. The increase amounts to 7.9 percent. A typical residential customer can expect a $6.40 increase. In 2008, the PSC agreed to implement rate hikes over four years that would help companies recover costs of coal. The case is now in its third year. During a hearing in May, company leaders told the PSC that the gradual increases were needed to avoid a huge upward swing in rates. Rates increased 12 percent in 2009 and 8.2 percent in 2010.

U.S. Representative David McKinley says the Environmental Protection Agency’s deadline for coal-fueled power plants to comply with proposed tighter emissions regulations is proof the federal agency needs to be reined in. EPA wants plant operators across the nation to significantly reduce emissions of toxic materials, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, in some cases by the end of 2014. McKinley says forcing compliance in the time frame EPA has mapped out will have a devastating effect on West Virginia, costing jobs and stifling economic growth in the state. American Electric Power is hoping to persuade EPA to extend the deadline for complying and grant a reprieve of sorts to the 242 workers in West Virginia alone who would otherwise see their jobs eliminated until 2020.

West Virginia ended the fiscal year Thursday with almost $300 million in tax revenue surplus. Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin says he couldn't be more pleased. The state’s revenue collections outdistanced projections in almost every month of the fiscal year while several taxes performed at a much higher rate than anticipated. Tomblin says more than half the surplus has already been earmarked to go into the Rainy Day Fund. The legislature has already appropriated about 45 million dollars. The new budget year begins Friday.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:49 PM

EKB Capsule News...Kentucky...7-1-'11

Christopher Cello Smith, 50, of Prestonsburg, who served as vice president of Target Oil and Gas Co. in Albany from 2003 to 2008, was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison after being convicted by a federal jury of seven counts of mail fraud last July. He also was sentenced to three years supervised release, a $500 mandatory assessment and a forfeiture judgment in the amount of $3 million. Former Barrackville, W.Va., geologist Ray Garton, 60, was sentenced to five years probation, and six months community confinement followed by six months home incarceration and a $100 mandatory special assessment. Garton pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in September 2009. Both men were involved in luring $13.4 million from hundreds of investors in Kentucky, California, New Jersey and other states by distributing false information about oil and gas investments. Smith gave investors false reports that drilling programs had hit oil and gas. Garton worked with Smith's brother, Michael Smith, former president of Target Oil and Gas, to prepare brochures for potential investors containing false information. Michael D. Smith, 55, of Lancaster was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and 11 counts of mail fraud in U.S. District Court in Lexington last July. He was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and was ordered to forfeit $3.2 million.

A traffic stop has led Prestonsburg police to an alleged major player in the Florida pill pipeline to eastern Kentucky. Prestonsburg police say during a traffic stop they found around 300 pills and nearly seven thousand dollars cash inside Billy Craft's car, but police say they later discovered the pills came from Florida. Craft was originally charged with drug possession. Craft was released on a 500 dollar bond, but when the judge heard the new evidence in court, he ordered Craft back to jail. Craft's bond is now 100-thousand dollars cash.

As Kentuckians take to the roads to celebrate the nation's independence, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet encourages motorists to do so safely. "If you're hosting a party this holiday weekend, remind your guests to plan a safe way home ahead of time," said Boyd Sigler, Director of the Kentucky Highway Safety Programs. "Always offer alcohol-free beverages during the event and make sure all of your guests leave with a sober driver. Impaired driving is simply not worth the risk. The consequences are serious and real." Of the 760 highway fatalities that occurred in Kentucky last year, 20 percent were due to alcohol. Seven deaths occurred on Kentucky roadways over the 2010 Independence Day weekend.

Congressman Hal Rogers joined PRIDE on Tuesday to announce that a record-breaking 33,100 volunteers picked up litter across southern and eastern Kentucky during PRIDE Spring Cleanup Month in April, and he presented trophies to the counties, cities, schools and nonprofit agencies that recruited the most Spring Cleanup volunteers. The Spring Cleanup campaign removed 32,840 bags of trash and 27,513 tons of trash from the region's landscape. Ten tons of junk appliances and 52 tons of other materials were recycled. 203 tons of old tires were gathered for proper disposal.

A special judge will be appointed to decide whether two teenagers will be tried as adults on charges they hit teacher and state Representative Dewayne Bunch during a fight at Whitley County High School in Williamsburg on April 12th. Whitley County District Judge Cathy E. Prewitt recused herself from the case at the request of attorneys for the teens. It will be about six weeks before a new judge takes the case and can decide how the teens, ages 15 and 16 at the time, will be tried. Bunch is continuing his recovery at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta from a brain injury caused by a punch and fall.

The tax on gasoline in Kentucky will go from 25.9 cents a gallon to 27.8 cents on Friday, July 1st. This means drivers will pay 1.9 cents more per gallon. The increase is a result of a law tying the state's gas tax to the average wholesale price of gas. Although the tax often changes, the increase will be one of the bigger hikes. Across the nation, prices are down 30 cents from a month ago and almost ten cents in just the past week. The nation-wide average for a gallon of regular is $3.54 a gallon.

Kentucky law now allows the sale of fireworks like bottle rockets and Roman Candles. Fireworks retailers are defying an order by the city of Florence not to sell items determined to be illegal in Boone County, but permitted under state legislation passed earlier this year. Rick Lunnemann, Florence city coordinator, says those who are selling the fireworks previously illegal in Kentucky were notified that they are not legal in the city of Florence. Lunnemann says they must cease selling them immediately, and, if they choose not to, they will receive a citation from the code board staff, be required to pay a fine and attend a code board meeting. Some fireworks retailers have indicated they would consider litigation, which could include claims for damages from lost sales, if they were shut down for selling the questionable fireworks.

After three days of testimony, the unusual hearing into the actions of Kentucky's top racing steward, 66 year old John Veitch, wrapped up Thursday. Veitch is accused of failing to properly enforce the state's racing regulations last fall at the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic at Churchill Downs in Louisville. In that race, second-favorite Life At Ten finished last. Her jockey, John Velazquez, had made comments on television beforehand that she "was not warming up" as she usually did. After a four-month investigation, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission voted 9-1 in March that there was probable cause that Veitch had violated rules by not investigating potential racing infractions, failing to scratch a horse not in "sound racing conditions" and failing to collect a post-race sample from the horse. Charges also were referred against Velazquez for failing to ride out the horse and for failing to act in the best interest of racing by not taking the horse to a veterinarian to be checked.

The KSP in Hazard, Letcher County Sheriff's Department, Drug Enforcement Special Investigations, HIDTA Drug Task Force and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement arrested 20 people on drug-related charges in Letcher County. A total of 49 warrants were issued from a six-month investigation, and 20 of them were executed Thursday. Brittany Golda Collins, Terry Chris Cantrell Jr., John Russell Simmons, Jerry Alden Hall, Patricia M. Slone, Mitchell Alan Sanders, Jeffrey Lynn Sexton, Jatanna Griffie, Stephen Buddy Hall, Peggy Collins Jones, Michael Wayne Sexton, Randall Holbrook, Edgar Lucas, Roy Eldridge, James Fox, Claude Eldridge Jr., Bert Dale Holbrook, Claude V. Meade, Harold D. Meade and Patricia Amburgey Bowling were taken to the Letcher County Jail. A criminal summons was served on Deavin Nicole Bentley.

The National Education Association announced Thursday that Governor Steve Beshear is this year's recipient of the America's Greatest Education Governor Award. The annual award recognizes and honors governors who have made major, state-level education strides that improve public schools. Despite repeated budget shortfalls, Beshear has protected the main education funding formula from cuts. During his term, Kentucky has moved into the top 20 in the United States in fourth-grade and eight-grade reading scores. He also signed legislation to make it easier for higher education students to transfer credits from a community or technical college to any of Kentucky's four-year universities.

A volunteer fireman with the Woodbine Fire Department pleaded guilty earlier this week to setting fire to the Daniel Boone National Forest in Whitley County. Michael Luttrell admitted in U.S. Federal Court in London to setting several fires along the Whipporwill Trail in March, destroying over 100 acres of land. Luttrell faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and up to three years of supervised release.

Thursday afternoon, a Fayette County jury convicted 34 year old Glenn Doneghy of second-degree manslaughter in the death of Lexington Police Officer 27 year old Bryan J. Durman. Durman died in April 2010 after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver in a sport utility vehicle as he answered a complaint about loud music. Doneghy was also found guilty of leaving the scene of an accident, assault and possession of marijuana and cocaine.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Tony Watts says a tip led officers to a stolen bulldozer and a 27-foot RV trailer on William Everage Road in the Emmalena community in Knott County. The RV trailer, stolen from Union City, Tennessee, and the bulldozer, stolen from a Clay County construction site, valued at $140,000. James Eric Everage, 31, already being held in the Kentucky River Regional Detention Center on unrelated charges, admitted receiving the stolen items. Everage will be charged with receiving stolen property over $10,000, a class D felony. Everage was arrested June 23rd by state troopers on a dozen charges, including possession of marijuana, possession of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence.

Kentucky officials say four people were charged Thursday with lottery fraud in a sting designed to catch dishonest retailers. A Jefferson County grand jury handed up the charges against two people in Louisville and two in Lexington, saying they kept scratch-off tickets worth $8,000 and tried to cash them in for prize money after telling customers the tickets weren't winners. Kentucky Lottery CEO Arch Gleason says the charges, believed to be a first in the state, were the result of an operation in which an undercover security person presented 33 retailers with a ticket and asked them to check to see if it was a winner. The person at the store said the ticket wasn't a winner, kept it and later tried to cash it in. Gleason says the stores were targeted because of prior complaints, but the charges against the four people aren't indicative of how the majority of the 2,800 lottery retailers operate.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:16 PM

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

EKB Capsule News...Kentucky...6-30-'11

It took a Pike County jury nearly 12 hours Wednesday to convict Harold Scott of reckless homicide in the death of Sonny Charles who was shot last September in Phelps. At one point, jurors sent out a note saying they were a hung jury, but then a few minutes later, they sent out another note saying they had reached a verdict. During the trial, Scott claimed he shot Charles in self-defense. Judge Eddy Coleman has to be in Frankfort on Thursday, so the penalty phase is scheduled for Friday. Scott is also facing a weapons charge that will be part of the proceedings on Friday.

State officials say 46 year old David Partin of Pineville died while working at the Manalapan Mining Co.'s P-1 mine in Pathfork in Harlan County around 11:50 A.M. EDT Wednesday. A statement from the state's Energy and Environment Cabinet says preliminary reports show the miner was killed in a roof fall. The mine has been closed, and officials from the Kentucky Office of Mine Safety and Licensing are investigating the incident. It is the second fatality at a mine in Kentucky this year. Robert L. Cook of Inez died in March when he was pinned between a continuous miner boom and a mine wall at a mine in Martin County.

Former state Representative and confessed murderer Steve Nunn is eligible to get about $28,210 a year in state retirement benefits, plus cost-of-living increases, once he turns 62. Kentucky law does not allow the pension benefits of state lawmakers to be withheld unless they commit a crime while in office. It's doubtful that Nunn's state benefits can be stopped now, but the chairmen of the House and Senate state government committees say they want to study the issue.

Kentucky State Police say, Tuesday evening, Sarah Melton, 42, fired a shotgun, injuring her brother, Bill Couch and killing Couch's girlfriend, Cindy Caudill, at a home on Browns Fork Road in Hazard. Melton is in the Kentucky River Regional Jail facing charges of murder and attempted murder. Couch remains at UK Hospital.

The Williamsburg Police Department, Whitley County Sheriff's Department, Kentucky State Police and the Jellico Police Department joint task force on drugs conducted a drug roundup Wednesday morning. Thirteen people were arrested throughout the county and downtown Williamsburg and lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center. Police are actively looking to serve 7 more arrest warrants. Three suspects are out of the state. Authorities have contacted officials in those states to arrest them.

Those arrested are listed below.
1. David Centers
2. Roger Keith
3. Ralph Rains
4. Ronald Ball
5. Lois Jones Vanover
6. Anita Brown
7. Scott Jones
8. Johnny Hubbard
9. Jeff Combs
10. Connie Reeves
11. Christy Stephens
12. John Kanter
13. Raymond Douglas

Two arrests have been made in the death of Lafe Humble, an Owen County, Kentucky man found dead in a burning truck in San Bernadino, California on June 17th. Police in California arrested Gerald Lee Nance last Friday and Lori Anne Whipple was arrested Monday in Oro Grande, California. Police in San Bernadino say Hunble was a patron at a bar where Whipple worked. Whipple gave Humble a ride home, and that's when police say Whipple and Nance robbed and killed him. Police say blunt force trauma was the cause of Humble's death. Humble's body will be brought back to Kentucky to be buried in Gallatin County.

During the past five weeks, the Kentucky attorney general's office has received four complaints from people who say they lost money as victims of a "grandparent scam." The Office of Consumer Protection has received nearly a dozen complaints this year from victims of the hoax who reported losing nearly $40,000 after people falsely claiming to be their grandchildren called asking for money. The caller asks that money be sent through a money-transfer service.

Darrell Patrick, a suspended North Magoffin Elementary teacher, will be re-arraigned and is expected to change his plea next month in federal court. Patrick originally pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in February. A federal indictment accuses him of selling OxyCodone in 2009 and having more than 100 guns.

Hardin County Circuit Judge Kelly Mark Easton dismissed murder charges Wednesday against former Fort Campbell soldier Brent Burke but did not order him freed. Easton left the door open for charges to be brought back in the future if prosecutors see fit. Burke has been tried four times in the 2007 shooting deaths of his estranged wife, Tracy Burke, and her former mother-in-law, Karen Comer, in Rineyville in Hardin County. There have been two mistrials and two hung juries. Burke will be turned over to the Judge Advocate General at Fort Campbell. Easton's order does not say why military authorities requested custody of Burke, a sergeant in the Army.

A team of environmental groups says two coal companies that were fined in Kentucky last year for violations of the Clean Water Act continue to break the federal law. The groups say ICG and Frasure Creek Mining exceeded the limits of pollution discharge allowed under law more than 4,000 times in the first three months of 2011. They made the allegations Tuesday in intent-to-sue letters required by the Clean Water Act. Last year, the environmental groups took a similar action against the coal operators, but never filed suit because Kentucky officials and the companies reached a $660,000 settlement. The environmental groups are challenging the settlement in court, saying it's not enough. Appalachian Voices, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, Kentucky Riverkeeper and New York-based Waterkeeper Alliance say they filed notices this week to force the companies to comply with federal law.

Pulaski County Judge-Executive Barty Bullock says the county will seek a loan through the Kentucky Association of Counties to help pay half of the nearly $457,000 in legal bills from a long court battle over hanging the Ten Commandments in government buildings. The battle began in 1999 when the American Civil Liberties Union and citizens sued officials in Pulaski, McCreary and other counties contending that hanging the Ten Commandments in government buildings was unconstitutional. In 2005, the case went to the Supreme Court, which said the display had a predominantly religious purpose and upheld a ban on it. There were further hearings after the counties altered the displays.

Republican Senators Damon Thayer of Georgetown and Democratic Representative Mike Cherry of Princeton, co-chairmen of the Joint Committee on State Government, have failed in the past in their efforts to get pension reforms through the General Assembly. Thayer and Cherry say a newly released audit that criticizes oversight of the state's $13 billion Kentucky Retirement Systems pension fund could provide what's needed to get the legislature to act when it convenes in January. The retirement plan isn't in immediate danger of collapsing, but it has been consistently underfunded, a point that state Auditor Crit Luallen made to lawmakers on Wednesday. Luallen says the long-term viability of the retirement system has been dramatically impacted by the state's consistent underfunding of its employer contributions since 2003.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:48 PM

EKB Capsule News...West Virginia...6-30-'11

U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration officials have released their findings in the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster of April 2010. Federal investigators have concluded the explosion was a coal dust explosion not a methane explosion contrary to what former Massey Energy officials have said. During a briefing Wednesday, MSHA Administrator Kevin Stricklin said there was only a small amount of methane that contacted with a spark from the longwall machine. He says two methane sensors on that machine were working and did not shut it down so neither of those sensors saw two percent of methane before an individual hit the emergency stop button. MSHA investigators maintain UBB was not properly rock dusted, allowing the explosive coal dust to build up. In a meeting Tuesday with family members of the 29 miners killed, MSHA revealed that agency investigators believe Massey’s Performance Coal Co. subsidiary was essentially keeping two sets of books about safety problems and hazards at the UBB operation. One set, called the “official” book, was shown to government inspectors. The other set, called the “production” book, included notations about safety problems or hazards discovered at the mine. MSHA coal administrator Kevin Stricklin says it is very unusual, but not necessarily illegal to have two sets of mine examination books. MSHA’s top lawyer, Patricia Smith, says both MSHA and the U.S. Department of Justice are closely examining the two sets of books for potential violations of civil and criminal statutes that require accurate recording of hazards. MSHA investigators have apparently completed a more than 200-page draft of their report on the disaster, but don’t expect to make it public in final form until sometime late this fall.

Putnam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Sorsaia has filed a notice to appeal the order setting Joseph Lavigne Jr. free. Lavigne spent 15 years in prison after he was convicted of the brutal rape of his then 5-year-old daughter in 1996. Putnam County Circuit Judge O.C. Spaulding overturned his conviction on April 29th and gave him a new trial. In granting Lavigne's habeas corpus petition, Spaulding said Lavigne had been denied a fair trial because the victim did not identify her father as her attacker in court. He also found that a jury instruction was improper, and limiting him to four character witnesses fatally harmed his case. Lavigne was released May 5th after posting $150,000 bond.

Nationally known comedian Andy Dick was indicted Wednesday by a Cabell County Grand Jury on two counts of first degree sexual abuse. Dick is accused of sexually abusing two men in January 2010 while he was in Huntington to perform at the Funny Bone Comedy Club. According to the indictment, he allegedly grabbed the crotch of two men at Rum Runners, a nightclub on 3rd Avenue, kissed one of the victims and licked the neck of the other. Dick is scheduled to be back in court July 13th.

Michael Fannin, 41, of Huntington, has been indicted on one charge of death of a child by a parent, guardian or custodian, or other person, by child abuse. Fannin was arrested in May for allegedly shaking four-month-old Emma Beaty to death while babysitting her in his Huntington apartment.

Testimony continued Wednesday morning in Raleigh County for Christopher Bowling whose defense team maintains shot his wife in a tragic accident after a long day of drinking. Bowling, 38, of Daniels, is accused of shooting his wife, Tresa, in the head on the night of January 31, 2010. His attorney, Richard Weston, says Tresa was lying on the couch when Bowling went to sit with her. Weston says, at that point, Bowling felt the gun pinching his side, and, in the process of removing the weapon, he inadvertently shot Tresa Bowling. On Tuesday, Christoper Bowling's cellmate, Robert Harmon, took the stand and testified Bowling had discussed his wife's shooting with him, saying he had made arrangements in advance to make the shooting look like an accident.

West Virginia State Police troopers have arrested Erving "Tubby" Page of Sissonville and charged him with grand larceny in connection with the theft of copper phone and data lines from the state Department of Agriculture's headquarters in Guthrie, knocking out phone and Internet service at the department.

Medicaid pays for the health care of more than one in five West Virginians, including three of every four nursing home beds. A budget approved by the U.S. House of Representatives in April would cut 40 percent of West Virginia's Medicaid dollars, a loss of more than $15 billion, over the next 10 years. Under the proposal, West Virginia would lose more than 10,000 health-care jobs over the next ten years. In a letter to U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, Senate Health and Human Resources Chairman Ron Stollings, D-Boone, and House Health and Human Resources Chairman Don Perdue, D-Wayne, warn of terrible consequences to West Virginia if the federal government slashes the state's Medicaid funding. Stollings and Perdue say it would not only be devastating to families, it would also be devastating to the economy and totally detrimental to any hope of job creation in the state. In a statement Tuesday, Manchin said he opposes the House Medicaid plan, which he called "draconian."

State Attorney General 74 year old Darrell McGraw has announced his intention to run for a record sixth term as the state's lead law enforcement officer. McGraw was first elected as Attorney General in 1992. Prior to that, he served on the state Supreme Court where from 1976 to 1988 he was the chief justice. McGraw says he's built the state Consumer Protection Division into a "nationally recognized powerhouse." During his time in office, the division has recovered more than $2 billion by enforcing laws against large corporations. McGraw is married to Jorea Marple, the first woman to serve as state superintendent of schools.

Former Belle police officer 28 year old Daniel Dodd no longer faces felony intimidation and stalking charges after his ex-wife, Jennifer Totten, admitted to sending herself messages allegedly from her ex-husband. Totten had accused Dodd of sending her threatening messages through email and instant messenger. Contacting his wife would have been a parole violation for Dodd, who is accused of hitting Totten during an argument in March. Totten admitted to logging in to Dodd's account and sending the messages to herself. She's been charged with filing a false police report. Dodd resigned from the Belle Police Department earlier this month. Dodd still faces misdemeanor domestic battery and domestic assault charges.

State regulators are scrutinizing Frontier Communications' request to tap $13.8 million from a special account. In March, Frontier asked the PSC to release $13.8 million in funds from a $72 million state-controlled escrow account. The Public Service Commission and Consumer Advocate Division say Frontier has done little to improve service quality since purchasing Verizon's telephone landline business in West Virginia last summer, even though the company has spent millions of dollars to upgrade facilities and equipment during the past year. Fix the system," said Byron Harris, who directs the consumer advocate office. "The proverbial bottom line is: More customers have been out of service for a longer period of time under Frontier than under Verizon." Frontier disputed Harris' assertions Tuesday, saying the company's investments have produced positive results, and network problems, or trouble reports, have decreased 18 percent between the first three months of this year, compared to the same months in 2010.

Yeager Airport's governing board on Wednesday got a first look at a design for a makeover of the Charleston airport's general aviation terminal. A gas log fireplace, a departure lounge with seating for more than 50 passengers, a new conference room and enlarged and upgraded restrooms are among features of the new design scheme created by the Cincinnati-based Bascon architecture and engineering firm. Yeager Airport Director Rick Atkinson says work on the renovation would likely begin in October or November, after a final design is completed and approved and the project is sent out to bid.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:31 PM

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

EKB Capsule News...Kentucky...6-29-'11

Former state Representative Steve Nunn pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to murder with aggravating circumstances in the shooting death of his former fiancée, 29 year old Amanda Ross. Nunn, who was set to go on trial in August, waived formal sentencing and was sentenced to life without parole. He also was given 12 months for violating a domestic-violence order of protection. That sentence is to run concurrently. Ross was gunned down outside her residence at Opera House Square Town Homes in Lexington on September 11, 2009. Nunn's attorney, Warren Scoville, asked that Nunn be sent to LaGrange right away, saying he had medical problems. Scoville said first-degree manslaughter was the best-case scenario and that, even with that charge, Nunn would have spent the rest of his life in prison. Nunn faced a potential death penalty if his case had gone to trial and he was convicted. The same day Ross was found shot dead, Nunn, the son of former Kentucky Governor Louis B. Nunn, was apprehended in a cemetery in Glasgow where his parents are buried. Steve Nunn spent some 15 years in the state legislature and made an unsuccessful run for governor in 2003. He failed to win re-election to the state House in 2006. He returned to state government in 2007 as deputy secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services but was put on administrative leave and then resigned in March 2009 after he was charged with domestic violence against Ross.

When University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd, Jr. steps down from his post on June 30th, he will join UK's engineering faculty as a tenured professor with a salary of about $162,000 a year. But first, Todd will take a year-long unpaid leave of absence. Instead of a salary, he will receive the retention bonus guaranteed in his contract for staying 10 years. It's worth $511,000, his base salary during his last year of work. The board's executive committee approved Todd's new contract as a professor late Tuesday.

Gary Robinson, 62, of Ashland, was convicted Tuesday of conspiracy to commit murder in a murder-for-hire scheme. The Greenup businessman got the maximum 20 year prison sentence. Because of the severe physical injury suffered by John Jamison, Robinson will not be eligible for parole for 17 years. Robinson hired Wesley Allen to kill John Jamison to resolve a love triangle in January 2010. Allen, who pleaded guilty to shooting Jamison 10 times and was sentenced to 17 years in prison, testified against Robinson. John Jamison remains in a nursing home. The prosecutor says Robinson’s arrogance, power, money and ego drove him to pay the convicted felon and crack cocaine addict 25 thousand dollars and a truck to shoot and kill the husband of his on again off again mistress Dana Jamison, who is also the mother of Gary Robinson’s child.

The Mine Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday that, during May inspections, fifteen coal mines and four non-coal operations in 10 states received citations for safety violations. Federal inspectors issued 339 citations to coal mines in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Utah. Another 62 citations were issued to non-coal operations in Texas, California, Nevada and Iowa. MSHA says it's issued more than 5,000 citations since the special inspections began after 29 miners died in an explosion at the Upper Big Branch coal mine in southern West Virginia in April 2010.

The New York Racing Association, Inc., announced Monday that New York native Joseph Cornacchia, co-owner of Kentucky Derby winners Strike the Gold and Go For Gin, died Sunday in New York of natural causes at the age of 78. Cornacchia, raised in Queens, made a fortune manufacturing the popular board game Trivial Pursuit. He founded The Games Gang, which also produced Pictionary and Balderdash. He partnered with B. Giles Brophy and William Condren to buy Strike the Gold as a 2 year old in 1990 and won the Derby a year later. Cornacchia and Condren won the 1994 Derby with Go For Gin and the 1996 Preakness with Louis Quatorze. He served on the NYRA board of directors from 1998-2008.

Franklin County Family Court Judge Squire Williams took no action Tuesday on a motion to schedule a trial date in the divorce case of state Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer because of the absence of Farmer's attorney, Richard Guarnieri who cited a scheduling conflict with Tuesday's hearing. Brian Logan, an attorney for Farmer's wife, Rebecca Ann Farmer, says he will seek another hearing July 12th to finalize a date. Rebecca Farmer filed for divorce in April, only saying their marriage is broken and giving no reason why. After the divorce petition was filed, Richie Farmer, the state agriculture commissioner, former University of Kentucky basketball star and the running mate of Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams, appealed for privacy in what he termed a "private family matter." GOP opponents didn't make the pending divorce an issue in the May primary election.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has ordered Kentucky death row inmate 62 year old David Eugene Matthews be retried within 180 days in the death of his estranged wife, Mary "Marlene" Matthews, and mother-in-law, Magdalene Cruse, which occurred in Louisville on June 29, 1981. Judge Eric Clay wrote that the trial judge misinterpreted Kentucky's law on an extreme emotional distress defense and allowed prosecutors to claim during closing arguments that Matthews and his attorneys concocted the issue in an attempt to avoid conviction. Clay, joined by Judge Karen Nelson Moore, also ordered the state to determine if Matthews can legally be retried or must be released because the constitutional prohibition on being tried twice for the same crime applies in this case. Judge Eugene Siler Jr. dissented, saying the judge properly interpreted the law, and prosecutors withdrew the offending statement in closing arguments. Matthews has been on death row for 29 years.

State police in Rowan County and a dive team were on the scene Tuesday when a body was found inside a vehicle believed to have been driven into a pond on Cranston Road in Morehead Monday night. Officials say someone with the fire department was checking hydrants around 10:30 A.M. and noticed one that had been knocked over along with some tire tracks leading into the water. A dive team was then called in from Grayson to help in the search. Frank E. Christeson, 49, of Morehead, who worked at a local Huddle House restaurant, was pronounced dead at 3:15 P.M. Rowan County Coroner John Northcutt says drowning is the primary cause of death.

Hundreds of sex offenders live in Kentucky, and every year they must register their current address with the state. Under a roundup, dubbed "Operation Frontier Trails" Tuesday, U.S. Marshals in Bath, Clark, Estill, Fleming, Menifee, Montgomery, Nicholas, Powell and Rowan counties hit the streets searching for 15 who are somehow breaking the rules, including one offender living with a child. Marshals say they are working with 18 agencies in the nine counties.

State Auditor Crit Luallen called Tuesday for stronger oversight by the Kentucky Retirement Systems' board of trustees in the management of nearly $13 billion in investments. Luallen released a review of the state government retirement systems that included 92 recommendations for improving oversight of investments on behalf of about 330,000 government employees and retirees. Luallen says, based on information reviewed, auditors saw no evidence of a `pay to play' scheme involving placement agents, as has been found in other states, or of conflicts of interest that benefited KRS officials, but some information regarding the agents will be turned over to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to determine if further investigation is needed.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:34 PM

EKB Capsule News...West Virginia...6-29-'11

U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration officials met privately with families of the victims of the April 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County Tuesday to release their latest findings into what caused the explosion that killed 29 coal miners and injured two others. MSHA is still investigating, but inspectors believe the explosion was sparked by a mixture of coal dust and methane gas, and has blamed the mine's former owner, Massey Energy, for allowing the explosive gas to build up. MSHA says it will release the findings to the public on Wednesday. Massey claimed the explosion was caused by a sudden innundaton of gas into the chamber.

During a hearing Tuesday, the murder trial of 32 year old David Kinney of Charleston was scheduled for November 14th. Kinney is accused of fatally shooting 31 year old Jeremy Parsons on Charleston's West Side last July. Kinney was indicted on murder charges in October. He has been on home confinement since posting bond.

Brandon Gray, 19, is accused of fatally shooting 26 year old Timothy Thompson Jr. on June 9th when they met on First Avenue on Charleston's West Side after police say Gray, who was Thompson's friend, had been texting Thompson about a drug deal. Investigators say, when Thompson arrived to buy $250 worth of marijuana, Gray shot him. Thompson suffered two gunshots to the head and one to the torso. Gray's lawyer argued Monday that there is no proof Gray had anything to do with the murder, but a Kanawha County magistrate forwarded the case to the grand jury.

Police arrested five people Monday after finding marijuana, prescription pills and cash in a Super 8 Motel room in Dunbar. Corey Armstead of Charleston, Timothy Harper of Poca, Adam Halstead of Cross Lanes, Cassandra Gentry of Nitro, and Curtis Conway of Liberty face felony charges of possession with intent to deliver. Police say a caller reported a funny smell coming from the room. When officers arrived, one man opened the door, while another man threw a purple baggie out the window. Police found marijuana in the bag and got a search warrant. Police determined the suspects intended to sell some of the drugs.

The driver of a tractor-trailer was killed around 4:14 A.M. Tuesday morning when the truck he was traveling southbound in went off the roadway near mile marker 31 just north of the Ghent toll booth on Interstate 77 and went over a hill before catching fire.

A Kanawha County judge has put the city of Huntington's occupation and sales tax om hold. A hearing was held Tuesday afternoon in Kanawha County Circuit Court challenging Huntington's one-percent occupation and sales tax set to take effect Friday July, 1st. At Monday's regularly City Council meeting, council members went into executive session to discus the five lawsuits filed against the city last Wednesday. They voted to hire Mike Farrell to represent the city in court. Cabell County Commissioner Bob Bailey said Monday, "We're trying to get the city to understand that some parts of the home rule are good, but the bad part is the one-percent tax because you can't tax people if they've got no one to represent them."

At Monday's Huntington City Council meeting, the firefighter's union announced the results of a "vote of no confidence" held within the department. Of the 83 valid votes cast, 81 voted they did not have confidence in the ability of Fire Chief C. Creig Moore to lead the Huntington Fire Department. Two voted they did. Reasons for a vote of no confidence against Moore include Moore's dishonesty with City Council on several occasions, causing harm to the reputation and integrity of the Huntington Fire Department, Moore's continuous use of derogatory statements when referring to Local 289 and West Virginia State Civil Service Law, his inability to operate within the current fiscal budget year and an unwillingness to address safety issues brought forth by the Union Executive Board.

Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin is holding a series of roundtables across the state to discuss a growing drug abuse problem with police, local officials and lawmakers. Tomblin kicked off the roundtables Monday with discussions in Beckley and Bluefield and followed with discussions in Bridgeport Tuesday and one in Jefferson County on Wednesday. Other roundtables will be announced later. Tomblin says he wanted to hold the discussions throughout the state so he can hear directly from the police, sheriffs, city and county leaders as to what they are experiencing. Senator John Unger says he requested the Eastern Panhandle meeting because the region's proximity to several major cities makes it ripe for drug and substance abuse issues. Tomblin plans to appoint a task force to deal with the issue.

St. Mary's Medical Center in Huntington is now tobacco-free after a ban on tobacco use on the hospital's campus went into effect Monday. St. Mary's spokesman Doug Korstanje says the hospital sees the impact of tobacco-related health problems daily, and hospital officials believe it's important for St. Mary's to take a leadership role and prevent smoking on its campus, joining at least 10 other hospitals in West Virginia that have adopted similar bans. The hospital has offered classes and support outlets to employees who smoke.

A recent audit by the Department of Energy found that West Virginia has mismanaged a $38 million federal weatherization grant. Problems identified by the audit included work awarded without bids and prioritization of projects. Representative Shelley Moore Capito sent a letter Monday to the department requesting a full briefing on the audit and a detailed plan on how the department will ensure the problems are corrected, along with status updates. Capito states in the letter that the audit's findings are disturbing, given the nation's current fiscal situation.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 11:32 PM

Monday, June 27, 2011

EKB Capsule News...Kentucky...6-28-'11

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.

# posted by Homer Owens @ 10:49 PM

EKB News