Kentucky News Now

GOVERNOR-FLOODING

Beshear declares statewide emergency due to flooding

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Gov. Steve Beshear has declared a statewide emergency in response to heavy rains and flash flooding in many counties across Kentucky.

The heavy rain that started Thursday caused flash flooding that killed a woman, stranded a school bus and forced more than 160 rescues in Louisville.

According to WKYT-TV, several counties declared states of emergency Friday.

The state emergency declaration gives local officials immediate access to state resources to assist in public safety and recovery efforts.

Officials say many roads are covered in water, and some have washed out entirely. They urge motorists to check travel routes before getting on the roads.

Weather forecasters are predicting more rain for most of the state this week.

GIRL KILLED

8-year-old dies after being hit by driver in Jefferson Co.

(Information in the following story is from: WHAS-TV, http://www.whas11.com)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville police say an 8-year-old girl died after being struck by a driver in Jefferson County.

According to WHAS-TV, the accident happened around 8 p.m. Saturday in a Louisville suburb.

Officials say the girl, who has not been identified, was leaving a playground near an apartment complex when she was hit.

She was taken to a local hospital where she later died.

The name of the driver also has not been released.

The case remains under investigation.

STUDENT TESTING

Education commissioner: Students can't opt out of testing

(Information in the following story is from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday says school districts cannot honor requests from parents who want to opt their children out of participating in standardized tests.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Holliday sent an email to superintendents saying students who don't participate in assessments will receive a "0'' score, and that will be part of the school's accountability calculation.

He encouraged district officials to review policies and to communicate them to parents.

Nancy Rodriguez, education department spokeswoman, said last week that a couple of districts had sought guidance on how to handle such requests.

Terry Donoghue, a member of Kentuckians Against Common Core, said the group isn't urging families to opt out of testing but says they are protected by the U.S. Constitution if that's the route they choose.

DONATING A HOME

Angels for Ashley to build house for paralyzed man

WHITESVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Angels for Ashley are taking flight again, building a house for Aaron "Bubba" Knott, the Whitesville man paralyzed after being shot in 2013.

Jerry Morris formed the Angels for Ashley foundation five years ago.

Knott and his now-fiancée were going into her house when they found her ex-boyfriend, Christopher Matthew Johnson, there.

Johnson was found guilty in December on two counts of first-degree assault and one count of first-degree burglary in the Nov. 8, 2013, shooting of Knott and Andrea Ward.

Ward and Knott were each shot three times, which left Knott paralyzed below the waist.

BIGFOOT RETURNS

Bigfoot returns: Couple happy to have missing statue back

(Information in the following story is from: The News-Enterprise, http://www.thenewsenterprise.com)

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP) — An Elizabethtown couple says a Bigfoot statue that went missing from their yard in February has been returned.

Rita Day told The News-Enterprise the 3-foot-tall statue was brought back on Tuesday night by a man and his son.

They told Day the son had purchased the statue a couple of weeks ago, but when the man read about the missing Bigfoot they knew it needed to be returned.

Day said she and her husband plan to put "Harry" back in his old spot, in a corner of the yard alongside two other new matching Bigfoot statues. But first, they plan to pour a concrete pad and use an adhesive to keep the statues in place.

FLOODING DEATH

Woman's body found after car swept away by flood waters

BEATTYVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A woman whose car was swept into a flooded creek in eastern Kentucky was found dead Friday evening, and police say reports that a child had been with her are now believed to be false.

Officer Rufus Cravens with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife said the car was swept off a rural Lee County highway into Sinking Creek, as pounding rain caused flash floods across the state.

Rescue crews searched the rushing waters for nine hours Friday before the car was found submerged in the creek with a body inside.

WLEX-TV reported the Lee County coroner identified the victim as 63-year-old Lois McGovern.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Robert Purdy said it remains unclear why responders initially believed a child was also in the car.