Kentucky News Now

STATE AQUARIUM-FISH KILL

Texas State Aquarium back to near capacity after fish kill

(Information in the following story is from: Corpus Christi Caller-Times, http://www.caller.com)

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — The Texas State Aquarium is nearly full of fish again after a chemical accident in April killed hundreds of creatures.

Aquarium president Tom Schmid told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times that as of Monday the fish collection topped 95 percent.

Nearly 400 fish died when a mislabeled container led aquarium personnel to put a poisonous chemical in the water.

Schmid says the aquarium in Corpus Christi should be back at 100 percent fish capacity by the end of June.

Most of the new fish were donated from aquariums and zoos around the country. Officials say aquariums in Texas, Louisiana, Virginia, Kentucky, Florida and Michigan have provided about 130 fish representing more than 30 species.

The Texas State Aquarium receives no government funding.

SUPERFUND SITE-CLOSURE

Radioactive waste disposal site in its final capping phase

(Information in the following story is from: The Independent, http://www.dailyindependent.com)

HILLSBORO, Ky. (AP) — A low-level radioactive waste disposal site near Morehead is in its final closure stage.

The Independent reports Gov. Steve Beshear helped shovel the first load of dirt onto part of the permanent protective cap at the Maxey Flats landfill Monday morning.

According to officials with the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection, the landfill, which holds about 4.7 million cubic feet of radioactive waste, has been designated a Superfund site by the federal government.

The site was purchased by the state in 1978. Earlier this year, a meeting was held to inform the public about the final capping stage.

Full construction of the permanent cap is expected to be completed by November 2016.

After the closure, state and federal agencies plan to spend 100 years monitoring and maintaining the facility.

GAY RIGHTS ORDINANCE

Midway becomes 8th Ky. city to adopt LGBT Fairness ordinance

MIDWAY, Ky. (AP) — Midway has become the eighth Kentucky city to adopt an ordinance prohibiting discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

Multiple media outlets report Midway has joined Lexington, Louisville, Covington, Danville, Frankfort, Morehead and Vicco as cities with similar ordinances.

City council member voted on Monday for the ordinance, which will become law next week.

Proponents say the ordinance signals that Midway is a welcoming community, while opponents say it is unnecessary.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift says he proposed the ordinance after he learned that a person could be fired from a job, evicted from a residence or denied public service because he or she is gay or transgender.

Anyone found to have violated the ordinance may face civil penalties of $100 to $500.

OBIT-RITCHIE

Kentucky folksinger, dulcimer player Jean Ritchie dies at 92

BEREA, Ky. (AP) — Jean Ritchie, the Kentucky-born folksinger who brought the centuries-old ballads she grew up with to a wide audience from the 1950s onward, died Monday evening. She was 92. Ritchie died in her home in Berea, Kentucky, with family around her, her niece Judy Hudson said.

The tall, red-haired Ritchie, who grew up in Kentucky's Cumberland mountains, sang ballads with a clear soprano voice. She accompanied herself on the guitar, autoharp or the mountain dulcimer, a string instrument played while placed on the performer's lap that Ritchie helped rescue from obscurity.

Among the hundreds of songs she performed were "Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair," ''Old Virginny," ''One Morning in May" and "Aunt Sal's Song."

Hudson said Ritchie suffered a stroke several years ago and moved back to Kentucky from the East Coast.

POLICE STRUGGLE-DEATH-KENTUCKY

Man dies after struggle with police in eastern Kentucky

LOUISA, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police say they're investigating the death of a man after a struggle with officers in the eastern part of the state.

A police statement says that 56-year-old Billy J. Collins became combative at the Louisa Police Department after his arrest Friday and that he struck Sgt. Steven Wilburn multiple times before fleeing into a foyer, where he barricaded himself.

Police say that Collins was hit twice with a stun gun but continued to be combative, and that officers had a physical confrontation with him before bringing him under control.

Police say he was restrained and put in a sitting position when he began showing signs of a medical emergency. Police say he was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Results of an autopsy weren't released. Police say a preliminary investigation has found no criminal activity on the part of officers.

BODY BETWEEN BARGES

Police investigate discovery of body between barges on Ohio

ALEXANDRIA, Ky. (AP) — Authorities in northern Kentucky are investigating the discovery of a body found wedged between coal barges on the Ohio River.

Campbell County police said a barge crew member saw the body and the captain notified authorities Tuesday afternoon.

Police said it's not known when the barge came into contact with the body but that it appeared the body had been in the river for some time.

Investigators are seeking help identifying the man and described him as about 5 feet 6, 180 pounds and about 50 years old, wearing cut-off jeans with a black leather belt. The man had a long vertical surgical scar extending across the length of the abdomen.

Report information to police at (859) 547-3100 or the county coroner's office at (859) 441-8800.

BENGALS-OTAS

Bengals defense trying to get up to speed in workouts

CINCINNATI (AP) — Defensive end Michael Johnson is practicing like he'd never left Cincinnati. The rest of the Bengals defense is trying to get back to the way it was as well.

One of the main focuses in Cincinnati's offseason workouts is getting the defense back to where it was two years ago, when it was the backbone of a playoff team.

Johnson left for Tampa Bay as a free agent last season, and the defense slipped from one of the NFL's best to 22nd overall in yards allowed.

The Bengals still don't know when linebacker Vontaze Burfict might be able to play. He missed most of last season with concussions and a pair of knee operations. He's not cleared to participate in offseason workouts.