Kentucky News Now

ROADSIDE DRUG LITTER

Volunteers cleaning roadsides warned about drug litter

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — An increase in dangerous drug paraphernalia along roadsides has led the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to issue warnings to its 700 Adopt-A-Highway groups.

WAVE-TV reports state officials posted a video warning to the cabinet's website in April and has added similar wording to training brochures handed out to the groups.

Adopt-A-Highway coordinator Keith Buckhout says the major dangers are the increasing number of heroin needles and mobile meth labs.

The new warnings tell groups to step back if they find such drug paraphernalia and call police or the state highway department so that specially trained crews can safely dispose of the litter.

APPALACHIAN ARTS

NEA chair highlights arts in eastern Kentucky

HINDMAN, Ky. (AP) — The nation's leading art official has toured eastern Kentucky communities that are attempting to reinvest in folk arts as their coal economies dwindle.

Jane Chu is chairwoman of the National Endowment for the Arts. On Tuesday, she visited the Dulcimer Project at the Appalachian Artisan Center in Hindman, and Appalshop, an arts center in Whitesburg.

The NEA has invested $300,000 in the effort to revitalize Appalachian Kentucky through arts. The agency's grants have funded a dulcimer workshop in Hindman, a mural and multimedia walking tour of coal history in Jenkins, filmmaking training for high school students in Appalachia, theater productions and traditional music training.

TVA-GALLATIN PLANT

Environmental groups sue TVA over Gallatin plant pollution

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two environmental groups claim toxic pollution from a Gallatin power plant is seeping into the Cumberland River and state regulators are not doing enough to stop it.

The allegations are part of a lawsuit filed in federal court on Tuesday against the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The groups first threatened to sue in November, claiming that state regulators have known about problems with the plant for years. In response, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation sued TVA in state court in January. That complaint claims coal ash storage ponds are leaking contaminants into local groundwater.

The new lawsuit claims TDEC's January suit does not address all of the problems.

TVA said in an emailed statement that studies have concluded the leakage is not harming the environment.

INMATE DEATH

Fayette County inmate found unresponsive, dies

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Officials in Lexington say a 46-year-old jail inmate has died after being found unresponsive in his cell.

The Fayette County coroner's office says Steven W. Lieras was found in his cell early Tuesday at Fayette County Detention Center and taken to the University of Kentucky Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Preliminary autopsy results indicate the death was due to natural causes. The coroner's office said Lieras was originally from Louisville.

A news release from city government said Lieras was arrested at 1:19 a.m. EDT on charges of alcohol intoxication and failure to appear in court. The release said he was found unresponsive at about 4 a.m. and that corrections officers tried to resuscitate him as they called emergency workers. He was pronounced dead at 4:36 a.m.

Police are investigating, but the city said it didn't appear the death was suspicious.

HIGHWAY SHOOTING

Man pleads not guilty in highway shooting

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A man charged in a deadly highway shooting in Louisville has entered a not guilty plea.

WAVE-TV reports 43-year-old Christopher L. McCullum appeared Monday in Jefferson Circuit Court.

He is charged with murder in the death of 42-year-old Mukhtar Ahmad (MOOK'-tar AHK'-mahd) of Louisville. Police have said they believe the shooting was an act of road rage.

Police said Ahmad was driving an SUV southbound on Interstate 71 at mile marker 7 when the driver of a van alongside him opened fire. The SUV ran off the road and crashed into a guardrail.

Officers found Ahmad dead in the driver's seat. Bullet holes had pierced the window.

WESTERN KENTUCKY-PROGRAM SUSPENDED

W. Kentucky suspends swimming, diving program for 5 years

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Western Kentucky has suspended its swimming and diving programs for five years after the school and Bowling Green police found violations of Title IX sexual misconduct and assault, harassment and the student conduct code.

Hilltoppers athletes and coaches were told of the decision Tuesday morning by WKU president Gary Ransdell and athletic director Todd Stewart. Athletes can transfer to other schools; the positions of swimming coach Bruce Marchibroda, assistant Brian Thomas and diving coach Chelsea Ale will be eliminated on June 30.

A release said complaints by a former team member led to an investigation by police and Title IX coordinator Huda Melky that found evidence of violations.

Stewart said in the statement that the "findings of a consistent pattern of disappointing conduct is troubling and not acceptable at WKU."