Kentucky News Now

ALVARADO-EMERGING LEADER

GOP training group names Alvarado as 'emerging leader'

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A national Republican political action committee has named Kentucky state Sen. Ralph Alvarado as one of its emerging leaders in 2015.

GOPAC chairman David Avella made the announcement Wednesday morning at the Republican Party of Kentucky's headquarters in Frankfort. Alvarado defeated former Senate Minority Leader R.J. Palmer in November. A medical doctor, he sponsored lots of medical bills during his first session including one that became law making it easier for people to be screened for colorectal cancer.

Earlier this month, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul tapped Alvarado to introduce him before an audience of international media as he announced his run for president.

As part of the program Alvarado will have access to speech coaches and fundraisers to help him potentially run for higher office one day.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment lawsuit headed for mediation

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A sexual harassment lawsuit involving a former lawmaker is headed to mediation.

The Courier-Journal reports attorneys for all sides have agreed to mediation in an effort to resolve the case.

The lawsuit was filed by former state worker Yolanda Costner and current state employee Cassaundra Cooper, who at one time both worked for the Democratic House leadership. They say former Democratic state Rep. John Arnold sexually harassed them multiple times over several years and that the Legislative Research Commission worked to cover it up. Arnold has denied the allegations.

Attorneys for the women and the LRC, who is named as a defendant, say a closed mediation session has been set for May 26.

AIRPORT FARES

Cincinnati airport no longer has highest fares in nation

HEBRON, Ky. (AP) — New data from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows that the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport no longer has the highest fares in the nation.

The Kentucky Enquirer cited the new data in reporting that the airport in Hebron, Kentucky, dropped to No. 3 in the fourth quarter of 2014.

The newspaper reports the change comes with the growth of discount airlines at the airport, including Allegiant Air and Frontier Airlines. The airport still has rates higher than the national average.

According to the data, an airport in Madison, Wisconsin, had the nation's highest fares in the fourth quarter while an airport in Sanford, Florida, had the lowest average ticket price.

GEOGRAPHY BEE

Louisville 6th-grader competing in National Georgraphic Bee

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Louisville sixth-grader is heading to Washington, D.C., next month to represent Kentucky in the 27th annual National Geographic Bee.

Pranav Kanmadikar (PRAH'-nahv kan-MAD'-ih-kar) attends Meyzeek (may-ZEEK') Middle School. He's one of 54 students remaining in the national championship from millions of participants.

The national competition is May 11 through 13, with the top 10 finalists competing May 13 in the championship round. It will air May 15 and May 20 on National Geographic television channels and later on public television stations.

Top prize in the competition is a $50,000 college scholarship, a paid trip to the Galapagos Islands and a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society.

ARMY VOLUNTEERS

Army recruiters volunteering for community service projects

FORT KNOX, Ky. (AP) — Fort Knox officials say thousands of Army recruiters will volunteer Friday in community service projects across the U.S.

They say the projects include feeding the homeless, cleaning parks, helping build homes and working with veterans and children.

In all, nearly 5,000 Army recruiters will participate in more than 175 service projects in the U.S. and Germany.

The U.S. Army Recruiting Command is headquartered at Fort Knox in Kentucky. The command manages about 9,000 recruiters in the U.S. and overseas who recruit more than 80,000 new soldiers each year for the U.S. Army and Army Reserve.

In Kentucky, some recruiters will help pack food boxes in Elizabethtown for distribution to Kentuckians in need. In Bowling Green, recruiters will volunteer at a home that provides services to abused and neglected children.

CHRIS JONES CLEARED

Ex-Louisville basketball player Jones cleared on rape charge

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A grand jury has cleared former Louisville basketball player Chris Jones on rape and sodomy charges.

The decision came Wednesday, two months after Jones was arrested on allegations that he and two other men sexually assaulted two women, ages 19 and 20, at a party at an off-campus apartment.

Jones was initially charged with two counts of rape and two counts of sodomy.

Jones' co-defendants, 21-year-old Jalen Tilford and 19-year-old Tyvon Walker, also were cleared of the same charges.

All three pleaded not guilty to the original charges in February.

The charges came days after Jones was kicked off the basketball team for violating curfew.

Jones was released from home incarceration earlier this month as prosecutors prepared to present the case to the grand jury.

MADISON SLAYING

Indiana man won't waive extradition in Madison slaying

MADISON, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana man accused of killing a teenager has declined to waive extradition from Kentucky.

The Madison Courier reports 31-year-old Vaughn Whitt is charged with the murder of 17-year-old Brennan Stewart two weeks ago. He is accused of shooting Stewart after a scuffle in Madison.

During a hearing Tuesday, Whitt requested production of a governor's warrant, which could take up to 90 days. Waiving extradition would have allowed Kentucky officials to take Whitt back to Indiana immediately.

A new extradition hearing was set for May 26 in Trimble County District Court in Kentucky.

Whitt also faces a charge of tampering with physical evidence in Trimble County. Online jail records did not indicate whether he has a lawyer.

SHARK BRIDGE

Rope suspension bridge opens over shark exhibit in Newport

NEWPORT, Ky. (AP) — A rope suspension bridge opens Thursday at Newport Aquarium in northern Kentucky, allowing visitors to walk across an open tank displaying nearly two dozen sharks.

The 75-foot-long, V-shaped bridge goes over the exhibit's 385,000-gallon tank. Visitors who cross the bridge will walk over sharks, shark rays, stingrays and hundreds of fish.

The aquarium this week added scalloped hammerhead sharks that it says are extremely rare. The scalloped hammerhead sharks were born last June and July in Hawaii in one of the most stable breeding grounds for the endangered species. Adult scalloped hammerhead sharks can grow up to 14 feet long and more than 300 pounds.

KENTUCKY DERBY

Bob Baffert has top 2 early favorites for Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — American Pharoah has been made the early 5-2 favorite for the 141st Kentucky Derby, with Dortmund the second choice in the full field of 20 horses, giving trainer Bob Baffert the top two choices on the morning line.

American Pharoah drew the No. 18 post Wednesday. Only one horse has won from there, Gato Del Sol in 1982.

Baffert's other horse, undefeated Dortmund, drew the No. 8 post and is 3-1 for the 1 ¼-mile race Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The dreaded No. 1 spot in the starting gate was the last to be filled, leaving Baffert, Todd Pletcher and D. Wayne Lukas sweating it out while hoping to avoid the inside position that can derail a winning bid.

Carpe Diem, one of Pletcher's four entries, is the 8-1 third choice from the No. 2 post.

Another Pletcher horse, Materiality, and Firing Line are co-fourth choices at 12-1 odds.