Kentucky News Now

INTERNET CRIMES

Kentucky lawmakers OK bill to protect children

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky lawmakers have given final passage to a bill aimed at strengthening efforts to protect children from Internet predators and human traffickers.

The bill cleared the House on a 100-0 vote Tuesday and now goes to Gov. Steve Beshear.

The measure would increase money flowing into the Kentucky State Police's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The additional money would come from a $10 fee assessed as part of court costs in criminal cases. The fee would apply to felony and misdemeanor cases but not to violations.

Another part of the bill seeks to crack down on human trafficking.

Under those provisions, people charged in human trafficking cases could no longer use as a defense that they were mistaken about a young victim's age.

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE

Barber sworn in as Kentucky Supreme Court justice at Capitol

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The newest member of the Kentucky Supreme Court has been sworn in as a justice.

David A. Barber was joined by his wife, children and grandchildren at the ceremony Monday in the Supreme Court Courtroom at the state Capitol. Chief Justice John D. Minton Jr., other Supreme Court justices and House Speaker Greg Stumbo were among those speaking at the event.

Gov. Steve Beshear appointed Barber to serve as the justice from the 7th Supreme Court District in eastern Kentucky. Barber was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Justice Will T. Scott, who is running for governor.

Barber was a Court of Appeals judge from 2000 to 2007 and has been an attorney in private practice and public service for more than 33 years.

OFFICIAL-THEFT

Ex-University of Louisville official sentenced in theft case

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The former executive director of the Department of Family and Geriatric Medicine at the University of Louisville has been sentenced to more than five years in prison and ordered to pay $2.8 million in restitution.

Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Kuhn Jr. in Louisville said in a news release that 37-year-old Perry Chadwick Vaughn of Sellersburg, Indiana, diverted contractual checks and patient payments for his personal use.

He was sentenced Tuesday to 63 months.

Vaughn pleaded guilty in December to theft and other charges in federal court. He was fired in September.

The Courier-Journal reported that the government alleged Vaughn used the money to buy or lease nine luxury vehicles and pay for real estate, luxury vacations and a $9,000 necklace.

LEXMARK-KOFAX

Kentucky-based Lexmark says it will buy software maker Kofax for $1billion

NEW YORK (AP) — Kentucky-based Printer maker Lexmark International will buy software developer Kofax Ltd. for about $1 billion.

The deal values Kofax at $11 per share. That's a 47 percent premium to the stock's Tuesday closing price of $7.50.

Lexmark says the purchase nearly doubles the size of its enterprise software business, giving that unit about $700 million in annual revenue. Lexmark, based in Lexington, Kentucky, had $3.7 billion in adjusted revenue in its latest fiscal year, while Kofax of Irvine, California, reported $297 million in revenue.

The companies expect the purchase to close during the second quarter assuming approval from shareholders and regulators. They say Kofax's board supports the sale, and shareholders who own about 25 percent of Kofax stock will vote in favor of the deal as well.

HOMELESS SHELTER-INVESTIGATION

Lexington homeless complaint referred to Justice Department

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — An investigation into the revocation of a permit for a homeless shelter in Lexington has been turn over to the U.S. Justice Department.

According to a March 10 letter provided to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sent the case to the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division for review.

The nonprofit Lexington Fair Housing Council filed the complaint in 2012 with HUD after the city revoked a permit for the Community Inn on Winchester Road. The agency alleged the city's action violated federal fair-housing laws, which prohibits discrimination.

City officials have said the permit was properly revoked because the Community Inn applied for a condition use permit to operate as a church, not a homeless shelter.

INTERSTATE RESTRICTION

Bridge inspections prompt lane closures on I-75

CORBIN, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says to expect some lane closures on Interstate 75 in southeastern Kentucky this week.

The cabinet says the right lane of northbound I-75 at the Laurel-Whitley county line at mile point 27.9 will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday for bridge inspections.

On Wednesday, the right lane of southbound I-75 will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to finish the inspections.

The cabinet says there may be delays during the closures and asks motorists to use caution in the work zone. Inclement weather or other circumstances may alter the date and duration of the work.

The work is occurring during Work Zone Safety Awareness Week, when the cabinet urges motorists to use extra caution and slow down in work zones.

PEREGRINE FALCONS

Peregrine falcon nesting pair starring in webcam role

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A peregrine falcon nesting pair has company from the Internet while waiting for their five eggs to hatch in Louisville.

The eggs are inside the nest box at Louisville Gas and Electric Co.'s Mill Creek Generating Station. In 2013, LG&E and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources installed the state's first peregrine falcon webcam.

The webcam has drawn nearly 200,000 viewers during the last three seasons, including more than 12,000 already this season.

The nest box is in the window of a concrete power plant stack about 300 feet above the ground. LG&E says power plant crevices and alcoves remind the falcons of natural nesting locations, such as mountain cliffs and ledges.

The nesting box can be seen at https://lge-ku.com/environment/mill-creek-falcon-cam .

HOUSING-EMERGENCY AREA

NCAA Tournament: Streets near Kentucky campus declared 'emergency area' by authorities in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Lexington officials have declared an "emergency area" where off-campus housing sits near the top-seeded University of Kentucky as NCAA Tournament celebration time nears and the possibility of couch fires approaches.

Councilman Jake Gibbs says in his newsletter that the city's Division of Code Enforcement declared the emergency area during the NCAA men's basketball tournament weekends beginning this Thursday and continuing through the morning of April 7, after the championship game is played.

The agency says the area will be monitored for nuisance violations including the placement of indoor furniture outdoors and says such items will be removed.

Some recent celebrations near campus during tournament runs have sent thousands of fans into the streets near campus, with police putting out fires involving sofas, trash and other debris.

LOUISVILLE-PITINO-CALIPARI

Pitino: Kentucky's Calipari his choice for coach of the year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Count Louisville coach Rick Pitino among those who believes Kentucky's John Calipari deserves national coach of the year honors.

Asked Tuesday about the U.S. Basketball Writers Association voting Virginia's Tony Bennett ahead of the coach of top-ranked and unbeaten Kentucky (36-0), Pitino said he would've selected his in-state archrival.

Calipari has won seven of eight meetings with Pitino, including this season.

Pitino, who has never won the award himself, praised Bennett and others for coaching jobs they have done this year. But the Louisville coach says, "I think John Calipari has done a brilliant job, so I'd put him at the top" of the list of candidates.

Pitino added, "When you're undefeated and nobody's beaten you, it's clear cut who the coach of the year is right now."