Kentucky News Now

HEALTH INSURANCE RATES

Most health insurance companies ask for higher rates in 2016

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Health insurance companies selling plans on Kentucky's state-run exchange have requested rate increases of as much as 25 percent for 2016.

The biggest proposed increase was 25.1 percent for the Kentucky Health Cooperative, the nonprofit that started with the help of a $58.8 million federal loan and has sold the most private plans of any health insurance company on kynect. The company got a 19.99 percent rate increase for 2015 along with another $65 million federal loan to help it stay solvent.

Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky asked for a 14.6 percent increase, CareSource asked for an 11.83 percent increase while Humana asked for a 5.2 percent increase. WellCare Health asked for a 9.28 percent decrease.

The rate requests are all averages based on the products those companies sell. Individual rates may vary.

JUSTICE-MINE FINES

Kentucky officials say billionaire paying mining fines

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky officials say a billionaire West Virginia coal operator is making progress in addressing dozens of environmental violations at strip mines he owns in this state.

The Courier-Journal reports Jim Justice's companies still have 79 environmental violations pending against them, but that's down from 129 nearly a year ago.

Kentucky Natural Resources Commissioner Steve Hohmann says the effort by the Justice companies "seems to be sufficient to meet terms of the agreed order."

The order required Justice to pay $1.5 million in penalties and post additional bonds and put up his personal assets to guarantee land reclamations at mining sites in eight counties.

Last month, Justice announced that he is seeking Democratic nomination for governor in West Virginia.

FATAL FIRE

2-year-old dies in southeastern Kentucky mobile home fire

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Authorities in southeastern Kentucky are investigating a mobile home fire that claimed the life of a toddler.

The Laurel County sheriff's office says neighbors and passers-by tried to enter the home Wednesday morning but couldn't because the fire was out of control. Firefighters were able to get the boy out of a back bedroom, but he was pronounced dead by the coroner's office.

The coroner's office identified the child as 2-year-old Josiah Vickers.

The sheriff's office says other children and adults inside the mobile home were able to escape and were taken to hospitals for treatment.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation, and an autopsy was planned to determine the child's cause of death.

LRC DIRECTOR

Lawmakers begin search for LRC director

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — State lawmakers have agreed to spend up to $25,000 to search for a new director of the Legislative Research Commission.

The commission assists lawmakers in writing and researching legislation. It has been without a director since 2013, when then-director Bobby Sherman resigned. Marcia Seiler has been the interim director.

Republicans and Democrats that make up the 16-member commission have been squabbling over hiring a new director. Republicans blocked an effort to hire a director last year because they wanted to wait for the National Conference on State Legislators to complete a performance audit of the agency.

Wednesday, the commission appointed six lawmakers to a search committee and asked them to conduct a nationwide search. Lawmakers hope to have three finalists by September.

CYCLIST DEATH

Case sent to grand jury for man charged in cyclist's death

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) — A judge has sent a case involving a man accused of hitting and killing a Lexington bicyclist to the grand jury after finding probable cause from a preliminary hearing.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports police revealed new details about the incident while at a Scott County hearing on Tuesday for 29-year-old Odilon Paz-Salvador.

Paz-Salvador was charged with murder following the death of 57-year-old lawyer Mark Hinkel.

Authorities say Hinkel was participating in a cycling event last month when he was struck head-on, landing in the bed of Paz-Salvador's pickup, where he was driven for three miles.

Georgetown police officer Robert Tackett says he saw blood pouring off the back of the truck and stopped Paz-Salvador.

Hinkel died shortly after at a nearby hospital.

The judge left Paz-Salvador's bond at $100,000.

GRADUATION PARTY-CHARGES

2 adults charged, 3 teens hospitalized after grad party

WOODBURN, Ky. (AP) — Two adults are facing felony charges after three Bowling Green teens were hospitalized following a graduation party.

The Bowling Green Daily News reports 47-year-old James Christian and 43-year-old Stephanie Christian of Woodburn are charged with three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment, three counts of third-degree unlawful transaction with a minor and one count of failure to render aid.

Simpson County Sheriff's Sgt. Eddie Lawson says the two were charged after the teens were treated at area hospitals over the weekend following a party hosted by the Christians.

Police say 18-year-old Quang Le remains hospitalized at The Medical Center after suffering a minor brain bleed from a fall. As of Tuesday, he was listed in serious condition.

Police say a 17-year-old girl and 15-year-old boy were also hospitalized.