End of The Week Kentucky News

LAND PROTECTION

State fund helps buy Campbell Co. land

MELBOURNE, Ky. (AP) — A purchase with funding from the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund is protecting a 165-acre natural area in northern Kentucky along the Ohio River.

A statement from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet says the Campbell County Conservation District used a fund grant to buy the St. Anne's Woods and Wetlands near Melbourne.

The grant is aimed at protecting mature forest and improving wetland habitat. The land was sold by the Sisters of Divine Providence.

The state cabinet says the area is one of the best wetland areas along the Ohio River in northern Kentucky and supports many native species.

The sisters had been stewards of the wetlands since 1945.

The state says the fund has now protected and conserved more than 80,000 acres in 67 counties.

COURT SYSTEM

Chief justice to update lawmakers on judiciary

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr. is scheduled to address lawmakers on the state of the judiciary next week in Hopkinsville, hometown of House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Tilley.

Minton will speak to the Interim Joint Judiciary Committee at 10 a.m. CDT next Friday in the Christian County Justice Center.

Minton said changing demographics, budget woes and technological advances are forever altering how courtrooms operate and are placing new demands on judges and other personnel.

In his remarks, Minton is expected to brief lawmakers on how the judicial system is adapting to these changes.

As chief justice, Minton oversees the state's entire judicial system.

MILITARY YOUTH

Fort Knox teen wins national honor, scholarship

FORT KNOX, Ky. (AP) — A teenager from Fort Knox is the Boys & Girls Clubs of America's Military Youth of the Year and will receive a $20,000 scholarship.

Fort Knox says RaShaan Allen will be the organization's official youth advocate for military teens.

Allen and the five other finalists met with President Barack Obama at the White House.

The award was given Sept. 13 during a reception at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va.

Those competing had to advance through local, state and regional competition, demonstrating academic success as well as contributions to family, school, community and Boys & Girls Clubs of America youth center, while overcoming personal obstacles.

The post says Allen is studying and playing football at Western Kentucky University.

ROADSIDE BODY

ID of body found in eastern Ky. confirmed

HINDMAN, Ky. (AP) — A coroner in eastern Kentucky says the identity of a body found by a group looking for a missing woman has been confirmed.

Knott County Coroner Jeff Blair told the Lexington Herald-Leader that the state medical examiner's office used dental and medical records and fingerprints to identify the body as that of 34-year-old Christina Renee Barnett of Johnson County, who had been missing for a week.

Blair said the cause of death is still being investigated.

David Fairfield told WYMT-TV that the body he found Wednesday while searching along Highway 80 near Hindman in Knott County was burned and covered by a television.

Fairfield was among friends and family searching for Barnett, who was last seen in Hazard.

DESTROYED DOCUMENTS

State police to investigate shredded documents

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky State Police will investigate whether any laws were broken when former Legislative Research Commission Director Bobby Sherman shredded documents in his Capitol office Sunday, two days after he resigned.

Sgt. Rick Saint-Blancard said Thursday the case has been assigned to the state police special investigations unit.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo had turned over memos to state police on Wednesday, including his own note suggesting that investigators take whatever action they deem appropriate.

Stumbo's move came after Louisville attorney Thomas Clay and House Republican Floor Leader Jeff Hoover called for an investigation. Clay said he's concerned that Sherman might have destroyed documents related to sexual harassment complaints that two legislative staffers filed against former western Kentucky lawmaker John Arnold, who resigned earlier this month.

JOBLESS RATES

Harlan County records state's highest jobless rate

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Coalfield counties, reeling from job losses in the mining industry, are reporting rampant unemployment.

The Kentucky Office of Employment and Training released a report Thursday showing Harlan County at the top of the list in August with a 16.3 percent unemployment rate. Leslie and Magoffin counties tied for the second spot with a rate of 15.7 percent. Letcher, Bell and Knott counties had jobless rates ranging from 13.4 to 14.9.

Fulton County, in far western Kentucky, recorded an unemployment rate of 14.5 percent.

Woodford County in central Kentucky had the lowest jobless rate at 5.5 percent. Scott County had a 5.9 percent rate. And Fayette, Oldham and Shelby counties were at 6.1 percent.

Jobless rates decreased in 97 Kentucky counties in August, rose in 19 and were unchanged in four.