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07-02-09 Forester Rules Evidence Of Previous Case Against Lawson Cannot Be Used In Upcoming Trial

U S District Judge Karl Forester ruled Wednesday that he will not permit federal prosecutors to use evidence from a 1980 antitrust case against Leonard Lawson to be presented in his upcoming bid-rigging trial. Forester said in his ruling that the evidence could prejudice jurors against Lawson and former Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert and that the antitrust case wasn't "reasonably near in time" and that the charges were not
similar to those Lawson now faces. Prosecutors wanted to include evidence from the antitrust case that involved Mountain Enterprises, which entered a guilty plea in 1983 on a charge of conspiring and engaging in anti-competitive behavior to win state roadconstruction contracts.

07-02-09 KSP INCREASING PATROLS DURING JULY 4TH HOLIDAY

The Kentucky State Police is gearing up for heavy instate travel and will be participating in the National Highway Transportation Safety Association Fourth of July ‘Over the Limit. Under Arrest.’ holiday High Visibility Enforcement program. State troopers will be aggressively enforcing Kentucky's zero tolerance policy regarding impaired driving during the July 4th holiday period and will be working overtime to provide increased saturation patrols and traffic safety checkpoints in high crash, high traffic locations. The American Automobile Association (AAA) anticipates that approximately 37.1 million people will travel 50 miles or more away from home during the holiday period.

07-01-09 Drivers Must Place Young Children In Booster Seats Beginning July 1

Police in Kentucky started writing tickets Wednesday to motorists
who do not have young children in booster seats, according to Kentucky
State Police. Violators will be issued a $30 fine, but may purchase a booster
seat instead of paying the fine. Kentucky’s 2008 General Assembly approved a law that requires children younger than 7 and between 40 and 50 inches tall be
secured in a booster seat. A properly installed, belt-positioning booster seat lowers the risk of injury to children by nearly 60 percent, compared with seat belts alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

07-01-09 Somerset Houseboats To Shut down For Remainder of Summer

Somerset Houseboats, one of the largest producers of houseboats in the world, is shutting down production at its Somerset, Kentucky plant this summer, according to published reports. A spokesman for the company said Wednesday that it will stop production between July 17th and Nov. 1st. The company has gone from producing 100 boats per year and generating over $3 million dollars per month in revenue, with 253 employees last year, to just 60 employees this year. 57 of the remaining 60 employees will be laid off this month. Employees will be encouraged to file for unemployment during the shut down, but the company hopes to resume production in Nov. and call employees back as needed.

06-30-09 Minimum Wages Goes Up July 1st

Workers in Kentucky who are currently paid at a minimum wage of $6.55 per hour will see an increase in their wages after July 1st, when Kentucky's minimum wage increases to $7.25 an hour. Although the federal minimum wage mandated increase doesn’t become effective until July 24, 2009, the Kentucky General Assembly voted to have the wage hike take effect earlier. The minimum wage rate for tipped employees will remain at $2.13 per hour. Questions regarding the minimum wage increase may be directed to the Kentucky Labor Cabinet, Division of Employment standards, labor.desam@ky.gov or at (502) - 564-3534.

06-30-09 Lawson Nighbert Bid-Rigging Trial Moved To Lexington

U.S. District Judge Karl Forester entered an order Tuesday moving the Leonard Lawson-Bill Nighbert bid rigging trial to Lexington from Covington, according to published reports. Lawson, former Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert and Lawson aide Brian Billings are accused of conspiring to rig about $130 million worth of highway construction contract
bids for Lawson's companies. A trial date has not been set.

06-29-09 Charles Howard, Elliott County Jailer, Found Guity of Rape In Boyd Circuit Court

Elliott County Jailer Charles Howard, 51, of Sandy Hook, was
convicted Monday of first degree rape in Catlettsburg. The jury
deliberated for almost 4 hours before returning with the verdict.
after hearing closing arguments from both the prosecution and
defense. Howard took the witness stand Friday in his own defense and admitted
the he had sexual intercourse with the then 26-year-old female prisoner from Boyd County during the trip from Sandy Hook to the Boyd County Detention Center. But the jury didn't believe his story that the sex was consensual, choosing instead to accept the story of the victim, a 26 year old mother of three. He can receive up to 12 years in prison.

06-29-09 Thirteen Die on Kentucky Roadways Last Week

Thirteen people died in thirteen separate crashes on Kentucky roadways from Monday,June 22nd through Sunday, June 28th, 2009, according to Kentucky State Police. Eleven of the crashes involved motor vehicles and five of those victims were not wearing seat belts. Alcohol was a factor in the one crash. Two motorcycle-involved fatalities occurred and neither victim was wearing a helmet. So far this year there have been 312 motor vehicle fatalities and 172 of those victims were not wearing seat belts. Seventeen pedestrians have been killed. Thirty-six fatalities involved a motorcycle and five fatalities involved an ATV. A total of eighty-four fatalities have resulted from crashes involving the suspected use of alcohol. Through June 28th, 371 people have lost their lives on Kentucky highways during 2009.

This is four fewer than for the same time period in 2008.

3 Killed In Montgomery County As Result Of Home Invasion

3 people were killed Monday in Jeffersonville, KY, a small community about 8
miles east of Mt. Sterling, as a result of a home invasion, according to
Kentucky State Police. Police said that 44-year-old Tony Patterson apparently broke into the home of Amy Davis, 29 and shot her and another unidentified man.
Patterson was reportedly under an emergency protective order to stay
away from Davis. Police said that Patterson was shot and killed, but it has not been determined how he was shot.

06-28-09 Elliott jailer Says Sex Was Consensual...

Elliott County Jailer Charles Howard took the witness stand Friday
on the 5th day of his rape trial in Boyd Circuit Court. and denied raping
a woman he transported to the Boyd. Howard, 51, of Sandy Hook, is on trial for the alleged rape of a prisoner he was transporting to the Boyd County Detention Center.
He admitted to jurors that he had sexual intercourse with the then-26-
year-old female prisoner as he was driving her to the Boyd lockup on
Aug. 31. But, he said it was consensual and the woman was the one who
initiated it. Howard was elected Elliott jailer in 2003. He is charged with first-degree rape and could get 10-20 years if he is convicted.

06-27-09 Black Diamond Coal Company Shutting Down

Black Diamond Coal Company will be ceasing operations at the end of August, according to published reports. The company will be shutting down its 10,000 square foot headquarters on South Lake Drive in late August or September.
The company cited the reduced demand for coal and the main reason for closing. The company was forced into Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 2008, but the U.S. Bankruptcy Court sustained creditors' motion to convert the bankruptcy to Chapter 7 liquidation
In June of last year, the company retained the services of Miller Buckfire and Company to provide financial advice in connection with Black Diamond’s plans for restructuring after the Chapter 11 filing. In March, company officials announced a withdrawal of a motion to enter into Chapter 7 Bankruptcy, which would have required liquidation.
Company officials were not available for comment on Thursday, and a representative from Miller Buckfire and Company referred questions about the closing to the Jones Day law firm, saying that the firm represented Black Diamond Mining.
Larry W. Hall, CEO and president of Black Diamond, commented on the company’s plan to come out of Chapter 11 in March. “Thanks to the loyalty of Black Diamond’s customers and the dedication of its employees, we have made significant progress toward emerging from Chapter 11 despite challenging market conditions,” Hall said. “Further, the withdrawal of the conversion motion should resolve any concerns about liquidation or doing business with Black Diamond long term. I am optimistic that Black Diamond will exit bankruptcy as a going concern during the first half of 2009.”
Since its incorporation in 2005, Black Diamond Mining produced around 2 million tons of coal per year and operated three surface mines and 10 underground mines in Eastern Kentucky.

06-27-09 Work Product of Special Session Now Law

Gov. Steve Beshear signed into law Friday the two bills which were the
work product of the General Assemply in the special legislative session
which ended last week. He signed the bill into law that solves the $1 billion deficit for the
2010 Fiscal Year in the state budget that begins July 1st, 2009. He also signed into law the legislation which funds the so called mega-transportation projects and economic development incentives, which includes a tax credit for the purchasers of new houses and cars.

06-27-09 Old Jenny Willy Golf Course To Reopen

The new par 3 golf course at Jenny Wiley State Park will open on July 3rd, though it will be used in its original 9 hole, par 34 configuration, until new greens are ready for play, according to published reports. It was converted to a disc golf course, after the opening of the nearby Stone Crest Golf Course. Disc golf apparently failed to attract many users.
Players will have the option of playing the course as a par 34, configured much as it was before, or as a par 3 with 2 par four holes. The course is within walking distance of the Jenny Wiley Resort Hotel and Marina.

06-26-09 100 New Jobs Coming To Pike... EQT Corp.

EQT Corporation, a natural-gas company, plans to expand its regional headquarters in Pikeville and add 100 jobs, according to an announcment by the state Economic Development Cabinet, Thursday. EQT has natural-gas production, transmission and distribution operations. It is the largest producer in Appalachia, with about
13,000 wells. The company plans to build a 45,000-square-foot complex at Scott
Fork. The new jobs will have an average annual wage of $55,000.

06-25-09 Noose Tighening Around Sypher's Neck in Pitino Extortion Case

Federal prosecutors have charged a Louisville man named Lester Goetzinger with aiding and abetting alleged extortionist Karen Cunagin Sypher in her alleged attempt to extort millions from from University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, according to published reports. Prosecutors have entered into a plea deal with Goetzinger that
requires him to go through a pretrial diversion program. The deal
means charges against Goetzinger will be dismissed after a year
if he complies with the terms of the agreement. WKYH News contacted
Paintsville Attorney C K Belhasen for his take on what the deal with
Goetzinger means: "It appears that prosecutors are very serious about
bringing Sypher to trial". From reading between the lines, I'd say
Goetzinger is going to provide testimony for the prosecution and that
they are getting ready to try the case", said Belhasen. Sypher has pleaded not guity.

06-25-09 Elliot County Jailer's Rape Trial Underway In Boyd County

Elliott County Jailer Charles Howard, 51, of Sandy Hook, who is
on trial for rape, gave two totally differing statements to a Kentucky
State Police detective Erik Kouns, who testified Wednesday in Howard's
Boyd Circuit Court trial. Howard allegedly raped a female prisoner
while transporting her to jail, according to the indictment.
Kouns testified that Howard denied engaging in any sort of improper
behavior with the alleged victim, a 28-year-old Boyd County resident
who’d been arrested in Elliott County on an outstanding warrant.
However, in the second statement, Howard
admitted to having sex with the woman, but said it was consensual
and that she was the one who initiated it. Both of Howard’s interviews
with Kouns took place on Sept. 1, the day after the alleged rape.
Howard, who is charged with first-degree rape, in on trial in Boyd
Circuit Court. He could get 10 to 20 years in prison if he is convicted.

06-24-09 Sherman Neace, Former Perry County Judge and Former State Treasurer, Chester Jones Indicted For Vote Fraud and Mail Fraud

Former Perry County Judge-Executive Sherman Neace, 68, and Chairman of the Perry County Democrat Party, Chester Jones, 65, were indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury for vote fraud, mail fraud and conspiracy, according to published reports. The indictment alleges they diverted $7,500 from the state Democratic Party and used it to buy votes for themselves last November and then committed mail fraud by sending a false report to the state election finance agency. Neace was a candidate for magistrate in 2008. He was the Perry County judge-executive before losing re-election in 1998. Jones is a former state treasurer. The mail-fraud charge carries a sentence of up to 20 years.

06-24-09 Beshear Urges General Assembly To Solve Budget And Approve Other Legislation

After the bill to allow video lottery terminals at race tracks was killed by the Senate, Gov. Steve Beshear urged House Democrats Tuesday to approve three remaining issues he said of are “vital importance.” He asked that the General Assembly deal with the nearly $1 billion shortfall in the 2010 state budget that begins July 1, approve an economic incentives package and pass a measure to fund mega-transportation projects such as the Ohio River bridges projects in Jefferson County House and Senate conferees are to meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday to work out differences between the two chambers on the issues and possibly end special session Wednesday afternoon.

Deal Reached On Budget Deficit, Tax Credits For New Cars, Houses

The Kentucky House and Senate agreed Tuesday evening on a compromise to resolve the nearly $1 billion dollar budget deficit, thereby clearing the way for a vote Wednesday or Thursday and a conclusion to the special session which began on June 15th, according to published reports. They also agreed on a compromise bill that would overhaul the state’s economic development incentive programs and fund mega-transportation projects, including $4.1 billion dollars for new bridges between Louisville and Indiana. A 50 million dollar incentives program was included which will provide tax credits for citizens who buy new homes or cars.

06-24-09 Prestonsburg Council Moves Closer To Passing Smoking Ban

A group called Floyd County Breathe Easy Coalition attended the Prestonsburg City Council meeting Monday to press council members for a smoking ban within the city limits of Prestonsburg, according to published reports. The group filled up council chambers during the regular council meeting seeking a comprehensive smoking ban passed in businesses throughout Prestonsburg. After hearing the presentation City Attorney Jim Webb was ordered by council to draft a proposed ordinance for future council consideration. The ban, if passed into law, would be a complete ban on smoking in all businesses and other public buildings in the city.

06-22-09 Senate Committee Kills Slots Bill Without Giving Full Senate A Chance To Vote

The Senate received House Bill 2, the racetrack slots bill, from the
House shortly after 4 p.m. on Monday and the Senate Budget Committee
killed the bill, just 3 hours later, after hearing the pleas of Kentucky's
racetracks and of those opposed to the bill.
The committee voted against the bill 10-5, with two abstentions.
After the vote, Gov. Steve Beshear said, “It is too early to determine
what steps we will take in the future to try to protect our signature
business, but I will continue to work on ideas and proposals that will
ensure this vital industry’s continued health.”
Beshear urged the General Assembly to continue to work : "as
expeditiously as possible” to find solutions to the state's budget cricis. He was critical of the committee depriving the full senate of a chance to vote.

06-23-09 Lawson Bid-Rigging Case Gets 4th Judge In Less Than A Week... Karl Forester

The bid-rigging case against Pikeville contractor Leonard Lawson and former Transportation Secretary Bill has a new judge, the 4th in less than a week. Chief U.S. District Judge Jennifer Coffman appointed Senior Judge Karl Forester, In an order entered Monday, to replace Senior Judge Joseph Hood, who disqualified himself last Saturday. Forester is the forth judge to have the case in less than a week The case was supposed to go to trial Tuesday, but the trial was continued by Judge Danny Reeves when he discovered a potential conflict of interest earlier this month.

06-22-09 News-Fill Transportation Cabinet Extends Scholarships To Engineering Tech. Students At Prestonsburg

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is expanding its competitive
scholarship program to include students pursuing an associate’s
degree in civil engineering technology at the Prestonsburg campus
Big Sandy Community and Technical College.
First-year students would receive $1,800 per semester toward tuition
and fees. Second-year students would receive $120 per credit hour
toward tuition and fees. Scholarship students agree to work a year for
the cabinet for every year they receive the scholarship. The application,
with terms and conditions, is available at www.transportation.ky.gov
and follow the education link. To date, the Transportation Cabinet has awarded nearly 1,700 scholarships, worth about $12 million.

News 06-21-09 Slots Bill Passes House, Williams Vows To Kill, Ohio Gov. Switches Positions.. Now Supports Slots For Ohio Tracks

The Kentucky House of Representatives passed the House Bill 2 late Friday by a vote of 52 to 45, sending the measure to the Kentucky Senate, where Senate President David Williams opposes the bill and has vowed to kill it. It is unclear if Ohio Gov. Ted Stricklandswitching his position and coming out in favor of slots for Ohio racetracks will affect deliberations in the senate. Williams supports having the state loan money to the race tracks as an alternative to expanding gambling. Jay Blanton, a spokesman for Gov. Steve Beshear, said the Ohio governor's move "dramatically punctuates the need for Kentucky to move forward and move forward now".

06-21-09 Judges Run From Lawson-Nighbert Case

Three judges have withdrawn from the bid-rigging case against Pikeville contractor Leonard Lawson and former Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert in less than a week, according to published reports Judge Danny Reeves stepped down last Wednesday, citing a conflict of interest,   The case was assigned to Judge Karen K. Caldwell who
recused last Friday. Then It was then assigned to Judge Joseph M.
Hood, but he withdrew over the weekend.  The chief judge for the
Eastern District of Kentucky will assign it to another judge.  The case
could be assigned to one of the remaining judges, Jennifer Coffman,
David Bunning, Gregory Van Tatenhove or Amul Thapar or to one of the
other senior judges, William Bertelsman, Wix Unthank, Henry Wilhoit or Karl Forester.

06-18-09 Williams Threatens To Adjourn Senate After Slots Bill Appears Headed For Passage In House

Republican Senate President David Williams said Thursday that he may end the special legislative session on Friday without considering Gov. Steve Beshear’s proposal to allow slots at racetracks. Williams made the statement after a House budget committee approved the bill in a 19-9 vote, setting up the first floor vote that an expanded gambling bill has gotten since lawmakers began debating the issue more than a decade ago. House Democrats say they have enough votes to pass the bill Friday and send it to the Senate. Williams said there is not enough support in the Senate to pass the slots bill, so there’s no need to waste taxpayer money extending the special session beyond one week. House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, responded that Williams has previously promised to give the slots bill a fair hearing in the Senate.

06-18-09 Unemployment Up Sharply In Kentuckyl.... May = 10.6%

Kentucky’s unemployment rate shot up to 10.6 percent in May, according to a press release from the office of Governor Steve Beshear, the highest rate in over 25 years and up sharply from April's 9'9 percent rate. The news triggered an unusual response from the governor in which attempted to rally support in the General Assembly to act on his budget proposals. The Governor said, "we need to find every way possible to save jobs and creat new ones. We need to act — and act now — on the measures under consideration in this special session. We need to lead — and lead now — on these measures". Among the legislation the governor is pushing are an economic incentives bill which the governor said "will create jobs and stimulate hundreds of millions in investment."

06-18-09 Sandy Valley Transportation To Offer Taxi Service To County Residents For Only $1.00

06-18-09 City Attorney To Meet With ABC Board... Preparing Ordinance For Alcohol Sales In Paintsville

Paintsville City Attorney Jeff Baldwin will be meeting with representatives of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board soon concerning what the city will need to do to enact an ordinance rules for businesses selling alcoholic beverages in Paintsville, according to a published report. Mayor Bob Porter was quoted as saying he expected the ordinance to be ready to be presented to City Council in July. Only the ABC Board will determine who will be awarded licenses to sell alcoholic beverages within the city, but the council will need to pass a general ordinance governing some guidelines, such as hours during which alcoholic beverages can be sold.

06-17-09 Reeves Disqualifies Himself As Judge In Lawson-Nighbert Case

U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves stepped down as judge Wednesday
in the bid-rigging case against Pikeville contractor Leonard Lawson
and former Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert.
He cited a potential conflict of interest in his recusal order.
U.S. District Judge Karen K. Caldwell was assigned to replace
Reeves on the case. The case had been scheduled for trial next week, but was posponed
by Reeves last week, while he considered if he should disqualify
himself.

06-17-09 Borel among hundreds at Ky. rally for video slots

Two-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey Calvin Borel was among the demonstrators on the steps of the Capitol in Frankfort Wednesday, urging lawmakers to legalize video gambling at Kentucky race tracks. Borel said he is worried that Kentucky's horse industry is falling behind other states. Pennsylvania and New York have passed similar
legislation and it passed the Illinois Senate last month.
Gov. Steve Beshear has called the legislature into a special session
June 15th to consider an estimated $1 billion budget shortfall as
well as and the proposal to allow race tracks to operate video slot
machines from which some of the proceeds would go to enhance
racing purses at KY tracks, as well as help fix the budget deficit
and replace old school buildings in the state. The House is expected to vote this week.

06-16-09 New Offutt-River Bridge Completed, Ready For Official Opening Next Month

The new bridge between the River and Offutt in Johnson County is nearing completion, according to a spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Transportation. The new bridge will open up a large area in Johnson County to vehicular traffic which had long been isolated and inaccessible, especially during bad weather. Previously, residents of the area had to drive a narrow, treacherous road across steep hills, just to reach Offutt, then on to Williamsport where the Offutt road connected with Kentucky Route 40 at Meade Memorial Elementary School, and then another 8 miles to Paintsville. The new bridge will reduce the distance to Paintsville by about 1/2. Official ribbon cutting and opening of the bridge will occur in mid-July.

06-16-09 Dems Propose Some Slots Income Go To Replace Older Schools

Led by Representative Greg Stumbo, House Democrats rolled out a proposal Tuesday to use gambling proceeds from slots at racetracks to fund a large-scale program that would spend up to $700 million dollars to replace some of Kentucky's oldest school buildings. Stumbo said the proposal would help stimulate the economy and improve schools at the same time. It would use tax revenues generated by video lottery terminals to pay off
bonds that would fund the replacement of all schools that are 40 years
or older, known as category five schools, and some that are 30 to 40 years old, known as category four schools.

06-15-09 Williams Out of Consideration As Candidate For U S Senate

Senate President David Williams took his name out of contention Monday, by announcing that he will not seek the U.S. Senate seat presently held by Senator Jim Bunning next year and will instead seek re-election to the Kentucky Senate.
Williams said he thinks Republican incumbent Jim Bunning will stay in the race.
Other Republicans thought to be considering the race are Trey Grayson,
presently serving as KY Secretary of State, who is thought to be the
favorite of Bunning if he doesn't run; Bowling Green ophthalmologist
Rand Paul, son of 2008 presidential candidate Ron Paul; Cathy Bailey,
of Louisville, former ambassador to Latvia; and Bill Johnson, a Todd
County Navy veteran and businessman.

06-15-09 Conway Says Constitutional Amendment Not Needed For Slots

Attorney General Jack Conway issued an Attorney General's Opinion Monday in which he wrote that the state does not need a constitutional amendment to place slots at Kentucky's race tracks. Conway said the state could run the video lottery terminals under the Kentucky Lottery Corporation, which is similar to Gov. Steve Beshear’s
proposal currently before the General Assembly.
Conway's opinion agrees with one authored by former Attorney General
Greg Stumbo in 2005. Beshear has placed the issue on the agenda for the special legislative session that began Monday. . If the General Assembly approves the video lottery terminals the Kentucky Lottery Corporation will be able to move forward with the plan to place them at the state's 8 racetracks.

06-14-09 Boy, 11, drives church van into 6 vehicles at Hazard McDonald's

An 11-year-old boy was arrested Saturday after he stole a church van in Knott County and crashed it into six vehicles on the parking lot of McDonnell's in Hazard, 20 miles away from where the van was taken. The boy was pursued by a State Fish and Wildlife official from Carr Creek State Park near Sassafras, where he allegedly stole the vehicle.
The incident was brought to a halt when Hazard police shot the tires
out on the van. The boy was turned over to juvenile authorities
The boy had been on an outing with his family at the park.No one was injured.

06-14-09 Marine On Leave Killed In Wolfe County Motorcycle Crash

Steven Adkins, 21, of Mount Sterling, who was on leave from the Marine Corps, died Saturday when he lost control of his motorcycle on Ky. 191 in Wolfe County. He was thrown from his motorcycle and into a guard rail, According to Kentucky State Police. Adkins was pronounced dead at the scene. He was not wearing a helmet.

06-14-09 Prestonsburg Mayor In Trouble With KY Registry of Election finance

The Kentucky Registry of Election Finance ruled last week that Prestonsburg Mayor Jerry Fannin violated several campaign finance laws during his re-election campaign in 2006.
The Registry found that Fannin accepted illegal in-kind contributions from T&K Signs and More and for failing to report the signs and campaign materials on his campaign finance report. He was a part owner in that business. The registry Also found that Fannin failed to list cash disbursements totaling $5,618 in his pre-election statements. However, thedisbursements were reported in Fannin's 30-day post-election statements.
The registry’s ruling came as a result of complaints filed by Prestonsburg chiropractor Phillip R. Simpson.. Fannin could be fined or removed from office as a result of theviolations.

06-14-09 Premier Elkhorn Lays Off 100 In Pike County

Premier Elkhorn Coal Company's mines 4 and 5, in Pike
County, has laid off about 100 coal miners. The company announced
its intention to lay off employees last April because of sagging coal
demand, according to published reports. Company officials say the layoffs are permenant, but that the company has no plans for further layoffs. Laid off employees will be paid through June 19th.

06-14-09 Another Round Of Damaging Storms In Pike County Last Week

A state of emergency was declared Friday in Pike County after a series of strong storms caused flooding and property damage last week, according to the Pike County Pike Emergency Management Coordinator. Two homes in Pike were destroyed, seven were uninhabitable and 23 more were classified as damaged but habitable as a result of floods and mudslides, according to the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management. Officials are asking people to report losses and damages to their local county emergency director.
Damage from Friday's storms are not eligible for disaster assistance
under the federal declaration received from the flooding in May,
according to a spokesman for the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management
There were no reports of injuries or fatalities from the storms.

06-11-09 Magoffin Eligible For FEMA Help

06-11-09 Court Throws Out Most of Police Lawsuit

Special Boyd Circuit Court Judge Lewis D. Nicholls dismissed all but two counts Wednesday in a long-running civil lawsuit filed by four former Ashland police officers who either resigned or were fired from the force in 2005 after refusing to take polygraph tests during an internal investigation involving allegations of on-duty sexual activity by them and others. Nicholls dismissed all of the officers’ claims against the city, its police department; former police chief and current mayor, Tom Kelley; and other current and former city officials.

06-11-09 Kentucky Banks 8th Most Profitable

The Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions announced Wednesday that Kentucky banks are ranked eighth in the nation in terms of return on average assets (ROAA), which is a primary measure of profitability.
ROAA is an indicator of how profitable a bank is relative to
its total assets. ROAA shows how effectively management
uses assets to generate earnings. Historically, a ROAA of
approximately 1.0 percent is considered the benchmark
goal for most banks. In the First Quarter Banking Profile issued by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corp.the annualized ROAA for the 199
financial institutions headquartered in Kentucky equaled 0.9
percent in first quarter of 2009.

06-09-09 Allen Doublekwik Robbed At Knife Point

The Allen Doublekwik on Route 1428 at Allen was the victim of an armed robbery Tuesday morning when a man entered the store, pulled a large hunting knife and demanded money from the clerk, according to the Kentucky State Police.
The bandit was described as a male wearing gray sweatshirt,
bluejeans, white tennis shoes, and gloves with a bandana covering
his face. He escaped on foot with $293. dollars.
The case is being investigated by the KSP Pikeville Post. Anyone
with information is requested to call 1-800-222-5555 OR 606-433-7711.

06-09-09 Paintsville Goes Wet!!!

The citizens of Paintsville said "yes" to legal alcohol sales Tuesday, by a
vote of 650 to 594, clearing the way for restaurants, taverns and liquor
stores to begin to begin the process of applying for licenses to sell
alcoholic beverages, as soon as the vote is certified and the Kentucky
Alcoholic Beverage Control Board sets up the application process.
The yes vote came as a surprise to many. A much more restrictive measure,
which would have only allowed sales of alcoholic beverages in restaurants
which derive 75% of their business from the sale of food, failed in 2004.
The turnout was large, especially for a special election, with 60% of the nearly 1,700 registered voters casting a ballot.

06-09-09 Bid-Rigging Trial Continued.. Fed. Judge May have Conflict

U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves announced Tuesday that he is continuing the June 23rd bid-rigging trial of Pikeville road contractor,Leonard Lawson and former Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert because he has discovered a conflict of interest concerning himself and Lawson, according to published reports. A former law firm for which Reeves worked represented Lawson in 1983. Reeves said he will decide whether to disqualify himself after reviewing briefs from both sides. A new trial date will be set after Reeves decides whether he will remain on the case.

06-09-09 KSP REVISITS CRIME SCENE TO LOOK FOR EVIDENCE

Kentucky State Police returned to the pond in Magoffin County where the
remains of Gregory G. Back were recovered last May 19th and drained
the pond in an attempt to find additional evidence in the homicide investigation.
Investigators found additional evidence at the pond which is connected to the twenty-year-old murder of Back. His vehicle and remains were recovered from the pond in the Rockhouse Road area of Magoffin County on May 19th. Any members of the public having information relating to Back's murder are asked to contact Lt. Sean Welch or Det. Ben Cramer at (606) 433-7711. Those providing information may do so anonymously.

06-09-09 Eight Highway Deaths on Kentucky Roads Last Week

Nine people died in eight separate crashes on Kentucky roadways from Monday, June 1 through Sunday, June 7, 2009, according to Kentucky State Police. Seven of the crashes involved motor vehicles and five of those victims were not wearing seat belts. Alcohol was a factor in four of the crashes. One motorcycle fatality occurred and the victim was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. Through June 7th, 325 people have lost their lives on Kentucky highways. This is 14 more than reported for the same time period in 2008. Of the 276 fatalities and 153 of those victims were not wearing seat belts. Sixteen pedestrians have been killed. Twenty-eight fatalities involved a motorcycle and five fatalities involved an ATV.

06-08-09 Pikeville Woman Shot... Man Arrested

Andrea Dull, 31, of Pike County was shot and wounded Saturday Morning, allegedly by Keith O. Williams, also of Pike County, according to the Kentucky State Police. Dull is recovering from a gunshot wound to the chest and is listed in "stable condition" at the Pikeville Medical Center. Pikeville Medical Center notified Kentucky State Police just before 1 a.m. Saturday that they were treating Dull for a single gunshot wound. Williams was arrested and charged with assault. He is being held in the Pike County Detention Center. The case remains under investigation.

06-08-09 Phyllis Man Killed, Another Seriously Injured In Accident In Pike County

Donnie Abshire, 51, of Phyllis, was killed Monday when the vehicle in
which he was a passenger went out of control on Ky. Rt. 195, struck utility
poles which were lying beside the road, turned over and came to rest in
a creek, according to the Kentucky State Police. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
James B. Mullins, 34, also of Phyllis, the driver of the vehicle was air
lifted to Holston Valley Medical Center in Tennessee. No information on his condition was provided by police. The accident remains under investigation.

06-08-09 Delaware Man Gets 25 Years For Death of Bell County Deputy In 2008

David Joseph Poppiti of New Castle, Delaware plead guilty Monday to murder and fleeing and evading police in Bell Circuit Court as part of a plea bargain with the Bell County Commonwealth's Attorney. Poppiti was attempting to escape on Jan. 10, 2008 after driving away without paying for gas at a Bell County service station when he
rammed his vehicle into a cruiser driven by Bell County deputy,
Sean Pursifull, and his K-9 service dog, King, killing them both. He was sentenced to 25 years.

06-06-09 Big Sandy RECC Gets Another Rate Increase

The Kentucky Public Service Commission has approved a rate increase for Big Sandy RECC which will raise rates its customers by $1.74 million dollars, according to the Kentucky Public Service Commission. The flat monthly rate for each customer was increased from the current monthly rate of $7.70 to $10.00, or a $2.30 monthly increase for all customers. In addition, the rate for electricity went up from 7.48 center per kilowatt hour to 8.13 cents. The new rates, which took effect last week, will see a customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours each month pay about $8.80 more a month for their electric service, an increase of approximately 10 percent. A kilowatt hour is the amount of electricity used by a 100-watt light in 10 hours. Big Sandy RECC serves residential and commercial customers in Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin, Morgan, Knott and Breathitt counties.

06-04-09 Salyersville Man Overcome While Cleaning Out Well

Ricky Allen, of Salyersville, was overcome with carbon monoxide Wednesday
while cleaning out a well on Eddie Adams Road, near Salyersville.
Adams and his nephew were cleaning out the well with a gasoline powered
pump when they were overcome by carbon monoxide. The nephew was able
to escape and summons help, but Allen was totally unconscious and had to be
pulled from the well when the rescue squad arrived.
A rescue squad member was lowered into the well with oxygen and Allen was
pulled out and taken to a local hospital. His condition is not known.

06-04-09 Sloan Transfers To Morehead... Full Scholarship

Landon Slone, an all state basketball player for Paintsville High School, who saw limited play with the Kentucky Wildcats last season as a walk-on freshman, is transferring to Morehead State University, where he will was offered an academic scholarship next year and a full basketball scholarship thereafter. Slone was not offered a basketball scholarship at UK next year by new coach John Calipari. Unless he wins an appeal to the NCAA, Slone will have to sit out next season with the Eagles.

06-03-09 Madison County Woman Charged With Rape of 14 Year Old Boy In Jessamine County

Barbara Waters, 36, of Richmond, was arrested Tuesday in Madison County and charged with the rape of a 14 year old boy during Memorial Day weekend. Waters allegedly committed 3rd degree rape and sexual abuse and sodomy of the boy in Jessamine County, according to the Jessamine County Sheriff's Department. She entered a "not guilty" plea in Jessamine District Court Wednesday. The charges against Waters are class D felonies punishable by one to five years in prison. She remains in the Jessamine County Jail pending a $25,000 bond.

06-03-09 Former Employees of Appalachian Wireless File Discrimination Lawsuits

Another Five former employees of Appalachian Wireless have filed lawsuits against the company in Floyd Circuit Court, alleging gender discrimination under the Equal Employment Opportunity Act as well as wrongful discharge from their jobs and other charges. The cases were filed by Heather White, Angela Haney, Miranda Music, AncillaHymer and Anita Runyon, all past retail sales associates at Appalachian Wireless.
A similar case had already been filed by Vickie Case, bringing the total number of women suing the company to six. The lawsuits claim that only females were fired from their jobs because of an alleged misapplication of referral bonus cards in relation to a referral program.

06-03-09 Beshear Calls Special Session....Outlines His Budget Proposal

Gov. Steve Beshear formally called Wednesday a special session of the legislature
beginning June 15th. He proposed cutting $200 million dollars in spending
and using more than $700 million of federal stimulus money to correct a projected
$1 billion budget deficit. Beshear proposed a 2.6% cut in the budgets of many state agencies, but did not cut education and Medicaid and actually proposed to increase their budgets and also increased the budgets of prosecutors, prisons and state parks by about $24 million. Teachers and state employees will still receive a one percent pay raise, but state workers will not be paid for some holidays. Those who make less than $50,000
annually would forfeit three paid holidays while those making $50,000 or more would
lose five holidays. State workers currently get 11.5 paid holidays

06-02-09 11 Die On KY Highways Last Week

Eleven people died in eleven separate accidents on Kentucky Highways from Tuesday,
May 26th through Sunday, May 31st, according to the Kentucky State Police.
All of the crashes involved motor vehicles and six of those victims were not wearing seat belts. Alcohol was a factor in two of the crashes.
Through May 31, 312 people have lost their lives on Kentucky roadways during
2009. This is 13 more than reported for the same time period in 2008.
There were 266 motor vehicle fatalities and 147 of those victims were not wearing
seat belts. Sixteen pedestrians have been killed. Twenty-five fatalities involved a motorcycle and five fatalities involved an ATV. A total of seventy-one fatalities have resulted from crashes involving the suspected use of alcohol.

06-02-09 Unemployment Up In All 120 Counties.. Magoffin Leads

Unemployment rates rose in all 120 Kentucky counties between April
2008 and April 2009, according to the Kentucky Office of Employment
and Training. Magoffin County had the highest unemployment rate at 16.7
percent, followed by Jackson, 15.9 percent,Trigg and Menifee,
15.8 percent each, Bath, 15.2 percent and Allen and Powell, 14.5 percent.
Fayette and Woodford counties recorded the lowest jobless rates
at 6.9 percent. They were followed by Calloway, 7.3 percent; Oldham,
7.5 percent; Hickman, 7.6 percent; McCracken, 7.7 percent; Boyd, 7.8 percent; and Pike County, 8 percent.

06-01-09 Kentucky Corvette Plant Spared By GM

General Motors notified officials at the Bowling Green Corvette plant and Frankfort Monday that GM will continue to produce the Corvette in Kentucky, according to a release from the governor's office. Governor Steve Beshear said that Kentucky will do whatever it can to ensure the viability and longevity of the Bowling Green Assembly Plant. The Bowling Green GM plant's impact is not only felt through the assembly plant in Bowling Green, but with its supplier network throughout Kentucky. This came as good news not only to the GM Workers in the Bowling Green area, but to auto workers throughout Kentucky whose plants supply GM and other auto makers with parts.

06-01-09 G E To expand Plant In Louisville To Build Hybrid Water Heaters.. Up To 420 New Jobs By 2011

General Electric has decided to build its new line of energy-efficient,
hybrid electric water heaters in Louisville, beginning in 2011, creating
approximately 420 jobs. The heaters are presently built in China.
The company will invest over $69 million in the product design and facility
construction necessary to make the hybrid electric heater at Appliance Park,
along with several other investments to be made at Appliance Park over the
next several years. The new hybrid technology will allow GE to be the first manufacturer to introduce a water heater that will meet the new 2009 ENERGY STAR standard for this
new category of water heaters. The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority has approved up to $10 million in state incentives through the Kentucky Industrial
Development Act, plus the company will be allowed up to $150,000 in sales and use tax
refunds to help with the purchase of equipment. The Cabinet for Economic Development also approved $660,000 in training grants to support the retention of nearly 3,500 jobs at Appliance Park, plus an additional $200,000 to provide training to up to 400 new jobs created by this project.

06-01-09 Beshear Announces Call For Special Session Beginning June 15

Governor Steve Beshear announced Friday that he will call a special
session of the General Assembly, beginning June 15th to deal with
a nearly $1 billion shortfall in the budget. Legislative leaders have said that an effort to generate revenue by adding slots at horse racetracks appears unlikely to succeed and
members of both parties have said that a tax increase is off the table.
Senate President David Williams has said there he is opposed to
slots or any form of enhanced gambling. He also says that neither
gambling nor tax increases can pass the senate, and he said Friday
that the shortfall is not severe enough to call a special session. He
called on the governor to use federal stimulus money to shore up the budget.