Kentucky News Now

GAY MARRIAGE-COUNTY CLERKS

Ky. Clerk: Let people buy marriage licenses online

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky clerk of court wants the state to issue marriage licenses online so he doesn't have to.

Casey County Clerk Casey Davis says same-sex marriage violates his religious beliefs. He stopped issuing marriage licenses following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that legalized gay marriage.

Monday, Davis tried to meet with Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear to ask him to call for a special session of the state legislature so it can pass a law allowing people to purchase marriage licenses online, similar to the process of purchasing a hunting or fishing license.

Beshear was in Louisville meeting with Humana officials. But his staff promised Davis the governor would meet with him.

A spokesman for Beshear said the governor would have to evaluate Davis' proposal.

DOWNTOWN FIRE

Fire breaks out in historic building in downtown Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Firefighters were battling a blaze Monday at a historic row of buildings on Louisville's Main Street.

A huge plume of dark smoke was rising and flames were visible in an area of historic buildings known as Whiskey Row.

No injuries have been reported and the buildings are vacant, thought they are located near several restaurants and the KFC Yum Center.

Louisville Fire Capt. Salvador Melendez says the fire started in the basement or first floor of a building and involves three structures. Firefighters were called to Main Street about 4:30 p.m.

Melendez says the fire appears to be contained, and firefighters are working to protect nearby business.

Some of the Whiskey Row properties were built in the 1850s and used for warehousing barrels of whiskey produced at area distilleries.

CAPSIZED BOAT-KENTUCKY

Search resumes for 3 missing after boat capsized

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A fire chief says crews have resumed searching in Kentucky for three people missing after their pontoon boat hit a barge and capsized in the Ohio River.

Louisville Fire Chief Greg Frederick says the search has turned into more of a recovery effort given the amount of time since the incident.

Frederick says nine people were aboard the boat when it capsized Saturday night. One adult and one child died. Four people, including three children wearing life jackets, were rescued. Frederick says one of those still missing Monday is a child.

The barge that the pontoon boat hit was in a construction site about a mile upstream from the Clark Memorial Bridge.

Frederick says officials expect the search effort to be challenging because of treacherous river conditions.

WOMEN'S PRISON

Kentucky women's prison will be split to add men's section

FREDONIA, Ky. (AP) — State corrections officials are converting a western Kentucky women's prison into two facilities to make room for male inmates.

The change at the Western Kentucky Correctional Complex in Fredonia will create a 200 bed, minimum-custody facility for women and a 470 bed facility for men.

The Department of Corrections says the conversion is estimated to save more than $700,000 annually and increase the number of female offenders in jails eligible to work in community service.

The men's side will have a perimeter fence, separating it from the women's prison.

Corrections officials say reforms including substance abuse treatment and changes in sentencing guidelines have lowered the number of women serving prison time in Kentucky.

The prison was converted from a male prison to a facility for women in 2010.

LOUISVILLE CLOCK

Whimsical Louisville Clock being moved to storage

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The whimsical Louisville Clock is being moved back to storage to make room for a construction project downtown.

The Courier-Journal reports the clock will be taken to a warehouse until a permanent location can be found.

It's at least the fourth time the clock has been moved. It languished in disrepair for a decade before a nearly complete rebuild funded by businessman Adam Burckle and his Adam Matthews Foundation. But now it has been inoperative for months.

Burckle says the clock should be "cherished, preserved and proudly displayed."

Louisville Downtown Partnership Executive Director Rebecca Matheny says she's confident the clock can be safely moved.

The clock features five iconic figures — Daniel Boone, Thomas Jefferson, King Louis XVI, George Rogers Clark and the Belle of Louisville — that race around a tilted clock face designed by the late artist Barney Bright.

GOVERNOR'S CUP AWARD

Beshear, Governor's Cup visit Lexington to tout success

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Gov. Steve Beshear says he's taking the Governor's Cup trophy that the state won recently for its economic development success on the road, in the same way Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari took the national championship trophy on tour a few years ago so fans could see it.

Beshear had the trophy in Lexington on Monday. It was presented earlier this year after Site Selection magazine recognized Kentucky as the top state for economic development projects per capita last year.

The governor's office said since January 2008, the Fayette County area has announced 115 new and expansion projects projected to create more than 3,700 jobs and about $377 million in new investment.

Kentucky announced more than 350 new industry location and expansion projects last year, projected to create nearly 15,000 jobs and more than $3.7 billion in new investment.