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2010-04-19T21:17:00.001-04:00

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Clay County Sentencing Goes Light

2010-04-19T21:09:00.002-04:00

KENTUCKY....
D. Kennon White, Paul Bishop and Charles "Dobber" Weaver all received light sentences Monday, while U.S. District Judge Danny C. Reeves said the eight Clay County officials convicted in the vote-fraud trial won't get the same breaks. Former Clay County School employee Paul Bishop was sentenced to three years in prison after he admitted to taking part in widespread vote fraud in Clay County between 2002 and 2007. He was the only one of the nine indicted in the vote buying conspiracy to plead guilty. White was sentenced to five years probation, with six months on home detention and ordered to repay the city $30,000 for illegal paving work. Reeves sentenced Weaver, the former Manchester fire chief, three years probation, including five months of home detention.

London Woman Pleads Guilty

2010-04-19T21:08:00.001-04:00

KENTUCKY....
Under a plea agreement, 41 year old Lisa Lynn Johnson of London has pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree wanton endangerment and first offense DUI. Authorities say, last September 22nd, Johnson told officers she had used meth about an hour before hitting a Laurel County school bus with 53 students on board. Under the agreement, Johnson will serve five years for wanton endangerment and five years for the DUI charge, to be served at the same time. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21st.

Elkhorn City Groundbreaking

2010-04-19T20:29:00.001-04:00

KENTUCKY....
For residents in Elkhorn City, drainage problems that cause raw sewage to flow onto Stillhouse Avenue when it rains has been a problem that's prompted local and state leaders to see it as a health threat for the entire area. Officials say often sewage will reach the waterways, creating more problems. Several agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, PRIDE, and Elkhorn City officials have signed an agreement to spend more than $230,000 on a solution to fix the problem. The U-S Army Corps of Engineers is funding nearly $175,000 through a PRIDE program, and the state and city will pay for the rest. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Monday afternoon to begin building a new pump station and collection lines near Stillhouse Avenue. The project is hoped to be completed by the end of the summer or early fall.

Beshear Wants Meeting With State Leaders

2010-04-19T19:45:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY....
Governor Steve Beshear sent a letter Monday to the top two legislative leaders, House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Senate President David Williams, stating he wants a meeting with them “as soon as possible.” Beshear said he understood the two chambers were “very close” to reaching a budget agreement before the session ended, and a budget resolution must be reached by June 1st to restructure debt “or we will lose the opportunity to capture $113 million for the General Fund and $64 million in the Road Fund that both chambers counted on in their budget proposals. He says, if the two chambers cannot agree on a budget, he would need at least one month to prepare the government for partial shutdown when the new fiscal year begins July 1st.

US460 Repairs Finished In Record Time

2010-04-19T15:40:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY...
How refreshing when something gets done on time...so, what is it when it's finished in record time...amazing? What engineers thought would take as long as a month has been finished in less than two weeks. The section of US 460 at Shelbiana which was damaged on Saturday, April 3, is now open to all traffic. Repairs are finished to the roadway, but there is more work to do. Replacement of the guardrail and restoration of the riverbank. The road will not be completely closed, but there may be times when one lane traffic is necessary for brief periods. This is still a work zone, so people need to be respectful of that. District 12 is gratified that the work was finished so quickly.

Ashland Workers Protest AT&T Contract

2010-04-19T15:02:00.001-04:00

KENTUCKY....
Sunday, members of the Communication Workers of America employed by AT&T lined the streets of Ashland in protest of the terms of the new contract they've been offered. Union workers say they're concerned about out sourcing and the increased costs of benefits AT&T is asking them to pay, and, as a last resort, they've authorized to strike. The contract effects 11,000 workers in the southeastern United States, about 500 in the Ashland area.

Recertification Of Pineville Floodwall

2010-04-19T11:55:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY...
Is the floodwall functioning properly? The answer to that question may be more than one town can stand. An eastern Kentucky town is facing a $500,000 tab as it seeks to have its floodwall recertified later this year. Pineville officials said getting the wall in condition to pass inspection in June could put a pinch on the city's budget.
Mayor Sherwin Rader said the city will get $300,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Association to help with recertification. The city still has to clean up all the stumps and trees around the wall before getting recertified, according to Rader, and address a situation with the railroad tracks. Clerk Ina Robbins said that there's a possibility of receiving money to help with that expense, but didn't say where the funds may come from.

Land Between The Lakes Controlled Burns

2010-04-19T11:52:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY...
Managers at Land Between the Lakes have proposed burning almost 24,000 acres of the federal recreation area this year and early next year. The U.S. Forest Service plan for five prescribed burns on the 170,000-acre reserve would be the most burned in any year. LBL forester Jamie Hernandez said controlled burns are good tools to reduce fuel for wildfires and help the forest grow oak and hickory trees, which are beneficial to wildlife, and take out young shade-tolerant trees like maples. Burns so far this spring have included 3,359 acres in the southern end of LBL near Dover, Tenn., and one near Wranglers Campground.

Naming Rights To Louisville Areana Bought

2010-04-19T11:48:00.004-04:00

KENTUCKY...
The Louisville Arena Authority has announced that Yum! Brands has bought naming rights for the downtown arena. Yum! Brands, which once said it wasn’t interested in the naming rights, has agreed to a $13.5 million, 10-year contract to be the building’s main sponsor. After eight years, Yum! Brands will have the option of renewing its sponsorship for an additional five years. Although the value of the naming rights fell short of Team Services’ projections that sponsors would be willing to pay $2 million to $2.5 million a year, officials say they're tickled to death with the way it worked out. Effective immediately, the city's downtown arena will be known as the KFC Yum! Center. The new arena will be home to the Louisville Cardinals as well as other attractions.

Couple Charged With Murder Gets Trial Date

2010-04-19T11:45:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY...
The murder trial for 24-four-year-old Christopher Chandler of Georgetown and 23-year-old Amanda Tolson of Winchester has been set to begin October 25th. The couple faces charges in the death of their 16-day-old son Lucas which occurred on March 25, 2009. Attorneys expect the trial to last about a week. Chandler and Tolson have pleaded not guilty. Police records show the couple called for an ambulance on March 22, saying their son "wasn't breathing right." The boy died three days later at a Lexington hospital of a skull fracture at the back of his head.

Methane Plant Near Maysville Begins Construction

2010-04-19T11:40:00.006-04:00

KENTUCKY...
As Pike County gears up for methane production, the method used has already gained the attention of the federal government officials who are praising the construction of a plant fueled by methane gas collected from a landfill in northeastern Kentucky. The new plant is the sixth methane gas facility erected by East Kentucky Power Cooperative. Victoria Ludwig, program manager for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Landfill Methane Outreach Program, traveled last Wednesday from Washington for a dedication in Maysville where she told officials their persistence in getting the plant was "impressive."

Voter Registration Deadline Here

2010-04-18T16:18:00.004-04:00

KENTUCKY....
Monday is the registration deadline for those who wish to vote in the upcoming May 18th primary election. County Clerks’ offices throughout Kentucky will accept voter registration cards until the close of business day, while mail-in voter registration applications must have a postmark of April 19th. Registration cards can be obtained over the internet at www.vote.ky.gov/register. Minors who are 17 years old but will be 18 years old on or before the general election (November 2, 2010) are eligible to register and entitled to vote in the primary but are not eligible to vote in special elections.

Former Harlan County City Clerk Pleads Guilty

2010-04-18T16:17:00.001-04:00

KENTUCKY....
Former Lynch city clerk 34 year old Kellie Maggard pleaded guilty last week to a charge of abuse of public trust. She was accused of stealing approximately $138,000, which she told Harlan Circuit Court Judge Russell Alred she spent on clothes and bills. Maggard is scheduled to be sentenced to 10 years in prison on May 13th, and she will pay $113,000 in restitution.

Floyd County Man Indicted

2010-04-18T15:38:00.005-04:00

KENTUCKY....
Thirty-seven year old Alonzo “Lonnie” Bradley, of Conley Fork (Floyd County) has been indicted after being charged in March with beating and imprisoning his wife over the course of the past year, although prosecutors say it took place over several years. Bradley faces numerous felony counts, including three counts of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault, first-degree unlawful imprisonment and third-degree terroristic threatening. It is alleged he beat and abused his wife by using a coat hanger, a floor lamp and various rubber and cloth-covered cords, shocked her with an electrical cord, burned her with a hot frying pan and told her during a hunting trip that he could shoot her “and call it a hunting accident.”

Nursing Home To Honor Memory Of CNA

2010-04-18T14:55:00.005-04:00

KENTUCKY....
A “Celebration of Tonja” service is planned to be held this week by the staff at Parkview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to honor the memory of 44 year old Tonja Slone, the woman fatally shot last Monday by her ex-husband, David “Crazy Dave” Slone, as she was leaving a beauty shop in Bevinsville. Last week, Parkview staff members wore purple lapels, and purple ribbons were placed throughout the center in memory of Slone, who was a CNA at the center for the past five years.

Floyd County Widow Files For Husband's Seat

2010-04-18T14:17:00.002-04:00

KENTUCKY....
Governor Steve Beshear has not yet appointed anyone to fill an empty seat on the Floyd County Fiscal Court left by the death of Jackie Edford Owens, a former District 2 magistrate whose name will remain on the ballot for the May 18th election, though the votes cast for him cannot be counted. His widow, Hattie Owens filed paperwork last week as a write-in candidate to fill her late husband’s seat. Hattie Owens says she filed in response to a flood of requests to do so. Owens also says she worked closely with her husband from 1986 until his death on April 1st. Jackie Edford Owens served for more than 20 years as a county magistrate.

Statewide Testing Begins For Students

2010-04-18T13:41:00.003-04:00

KENTUCKY....
For approximately 500,000 public school students, state-wide testing begins Monday and lasts through May 21st, with students taking the Kentucky Core Content Test in reading, math, science, social studies and on-demand writing. The results will be used to determine whether students are meeting federal math and reading standards under the No Child Left Behind Act in which schools are required to have specific percentages of students reach proficiency in reading and mathematics and meet other criteria, including participation and attendance goals. Although some major changes of testing have been made over the past two years, even more is riding on this spring's tests. If a school meets all academic goals for a second straight year, they will no longer be labeled as failing.

Manhunt Ends For Prison Escapee

2010-04-18T13:39:00.002-04:00

KENTUCKY....
After escaping from a prison van in Woodford County early Thursday morning, an extensive manhunt for federal inmate 37 year old Derek A. Capozzi ended when he was captured by Versailles police and U.S. Marshals at 5:45 P.M. Saturday afternoon. Capozzi was apprehended without incident while lying on railroad tracks behind Central Kentucky Stair Co. Inc. at 331 Kentucky Avenue in Versailles. He was taken to the Fayette County jail and is now facing a federal escape charge.

Huntington Police See Link In Bank Robberies

2010-04-17T14:00:00.003-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
You can expect a lot from your bank, but, for one armed bank robber, Huntington Police say he is expecting and getting too much from the Peoples Bank located in the 1100 block of 20th Street. For the third time in two months, the bank was robbed Saturday morning around 10:15 A. M. Police say a white male wearing a hooded sweatshirt, a black ski mask, gloves and sunglasses came into the bank, showed a weapon and demanded money before escaping out the back door. Police believe this robbery is likely connected to two others when Peoples Bank was robbed at gunpoint on March 2nd and again on March 26th.

Charleston Police Chase Gets Guilty Plea

2010-04-17T13:55:00.002-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
Courtney Sheldon plead guilty Friday morning to attempted kidnapping, battery on a police officer, fleeing causing property damage and reckless driving. According to a criminal complaint, Shelton and his girlfriend, Samantha Wine had engaged in a fight while traveling in Charleston. Wine secretly called 911 and, when officers tried to pull Shelton over, he began passing cars on the right, causing a police cruiser and a coal truck to collide. The chase continued through Dunbar and ended when Shelton stopped the car by the train tracks on Dunbar Avenue and started running. Shelton was tased and fought with an officer before being arrested. He faces up to five years and three months behind bars when sentenced May 28th.

W. Va. Liquor Bids Set To Open

2010-04-17T13:53:00.001-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
West Virginia changed its retail liquor sales business in 1991 when it eliminated state liquor stores and put state retail liquor licenses up for bid every 10 years. This coming week, bids for the remaining 135 licenses will be opened and reviewed. Forty-six free standing liquor retailers accepted the purchase option last year and are not part of the bidding process. Bids for the remaining 135 licenses began February 22nd, with bids being random throughout the state. The state Retail Liquor Licensing Board is overseeing the process.

Georgia Men Enter Guilty Pleas In Huntington

2010-04-17T13:51:00.001-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
Thirty-four year old Charles "Goldie" Williams, 26 year old Nekoase "Shadow Fly" Vinson and 21 year old Thomas "30" Redding, all from Macon, Georgia, entered guilty pleas Friday on charges of conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of cocaine base in Huntington and surrounding areas. Federal authorities say, from 2001 through 2009, Williams and Vinson led a drug ring while employing five or more street-level drug dealers to conduct the operations of cooking cocaine, supplying dealers and collecting cash, while they also recruited dealers from their hometown. Sentencing is set for July 19th for Williams and Vinson and August 2nd for Redding. All three face up to 40 years in prison.

Dog Track Quarantined

2010-04-17T13:50:00.001-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
Fifty-two dogs were placed under quarantine until further notice at Tri-State Racetrack & Casino in Nitro following an outbreak of kennel cough. While no new dogs may enter the facilities, and no dogs currently at the track can leave, one high-stakes event was canceled because some dogs were coming from other states. However, other races are running normally.

Widow Files Lawsuit Against Massey

2010-04-17T13:47:00.005-04:00

WEST VIRGINIA....
Marlene Griffith, the widow of William Griffith, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Raleigh County Circuit Court targeting Performance Coal, the Massey Energy subsidiary that operated the Upper Big Branch underground mine where her husband was killed in the April 5th explosion. The lawsuit argues Massey's handling of working conditions at the mine, plus its history of safety violations, amounted to aggravated conduct that rises above the level of ordinary negligence. The Board of Directors at Massey Energy issued a statement Friday saying they're committed to a thorough investigation of the explosion, are firm believers in accountability and will ensure that Massey Energy works with state and federal agencies to discover the cause of this terrible tragedy.