Kentucky News Now

GAY MARRIAGE-KENTUCKY

Marriage ruling for Kentucky clerk expires Aug. 31

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge clarified on Wednesday that his decision to let a Kentucky county clerk continue not issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples will expire on Aug. 31.

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis stopped issuing all marriage licenses in June after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. Davis said it would violate her religious beliefs to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple.

Two gay couples and two straight couples sued her. Last week, U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered Davis to issue the licenses. On Monday, Bunning agreed to give Davis more time to appeal his decision to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Bunning decided Wednesday to add a deadline to his decision after reviewing federal rules of appellate procedure.

GOP PRESIDENTIAL CAUCUS-KENTUCKY

Paul hasn't yet transferred $250K for presidential caucus

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Rand Paul's campaign says he hasn't transferred money to the Republican Party of Kentucky despite saying he made a $250,000 installment as part of his pledge to fully fund a proposed GOP presidential caucus in the state, which would allow him to run simultaneously for president and re-election to his Senate seat.

The campaign told media on Tuesday that the money has been set aside in a dedicated fund and will be handed over after the party's central committee approves the caucus plan.

Paul told fellow Kentucky Republicans in a weekend letter that he made a $250,000 installment and pledged another $200,000 to pay for the proposed March 5 caucus in the Bluegrass state.

Committee members are scheduled to vote on the new rules Saturday.

GOP 2016-PAUL

Rand Paul: a humanitarian in Haiti, a pit bull in 2016

CAP-HAITIEN, Haiti (AP) — Republican presidential contender Rand Paul has left Haiti after spending four days on a humanitarian mission to the island nation.

Paul is an ophthalmologist by training and joined six eye surgeons who restored vision to dozens of impoverished Haitians. Many lived for years in blindness because of ailments such as cataracts that are easily treated in the United States.

The trip offered the Kentucky senator a brief respite from a presidential campaign in which his standing has slipped substantially in recent weeks. But the 2016 election — especially billionaire businessman Donald Trump's part in it — was a regular topic of conversation when Paul wasn't in the operating room.

The tea party firebrand intensified criticism of rivals in both parties and vowed to continue pressing Trump "until he fades away."

EX-TEACHER CHARGED

Ex-parochial school teacher pleads guilty in child porn case

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A former parochial high school teacher and assistant football coach has pleaded guilty to child exploitation in federal court in Louisville.

The U.S. attorney's office says 33-year-old Patrick Newman pleaded guilty Wednesday to 16 counts of producing child pornography and one count each of online enticement of a minor, transporting child pornography and possessing child pornography.

Prosecutors say the charges involved 16 boys ages 12 to 17 from Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah and the United Kingdom.

The investigation began this year after authorities received a tip from Twitter about material uploaded to a video sharing website.

Newman has been in custody since he was charged in June. He was fired from Trinity High School the next day.

Sentencing is Dec. 16.

BOURBON THEFT

Details of alleged bourbon theft ring described in records

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A self-described middleman in an alleged bourbon theft ring in Kentucky says he bought barrels of whiskey from the accused ringleader and arranged more purchases.

In court records, Dustin Adkins says Gilbert "Toby" Curtsinger sold cases of Pappy Van Winkle bourbon. Adkins says Curtsinger indicated the supply was available because labels were "messed up."

Adkins says he started out buying quarts of bourbon before acquiring two barrels from Curtsinger. Wanting his friends to share in a "good deal," Adkins says he arranged nine more barrel purchases.

Adkins recently pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal conspiracy to receive stolen property over $10,000.

Curtsinger has pleaded not guilty to charges that include engaging in organized crime. Defense attorney Whitney True Lawson says releasing such documents jeopardizes chances for a fair trial locally.

FATAL CHILD BEATING-KENTUCKY

Man pleads not guilty to murder charge in infant's death

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP) — A central Kentucky man who police say was seen driving down a highway beating an infant in a car seat has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in the death of his 4-month-old son.

The News-Enterprise reports 35-year-old Daniel A. Cox appeared in court Tuesday with a public defender, who requested a reduction in his client's $500,000 bond. Judge Ken Howard denied the request.

A Hardin County grand jury indicted Cox of Radcliff last week in the death of Jayceon Chrystie.

Court records say witnesses called 911 on Aug. 6 after seeing a man repeatedly hitting a child in a car seat while driving along a highway. After Cox left the unresponsive infant with the baby's mother, she called police.

The baby died two days later.

TENNESSEE WRECK-6 KILLED

Kentucky man waives extradition in deaths of 6 in Tennessee

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky truck driver has waived extradition to Tennessee, where he faces six counts of vehicular homicide following a crash this summer near Chattanooga.

Federal investigators say 39-year-old Benjamin Scott Brewer of London, Kentucky, had been driving for 15 consecutive hours before his tractor-trailer crashed into multiple vehicles on June 25, killing six and injuring six others. He was arrested Aug. 7 in Lexington.

Media report Brewer appeared in Fayette County District Court on Wednesday and waived extradition. He also faces felony drug charges, and that case was sent to a grand jury.

Charity Pennington, who was with Brewer when he was arrested, was taken into custody Wednesday. A judge said she didn't take a drug test after being released from jail on bond. She's charged with trafficking in a controlled substance and hindering prosecution.

MEGA DUMP

Landfill to gradually stop taking out-of-state trash trains

ASHLAND, Ky. (AP) — A landfill near Ashland has announced that it will gradually stop accepting train deliveries of out-of-state trash by the end of next year.

Local media outlets report the amount of rail delivered waste to the Big Run landfill will drop 30 percent by the end of this year and terminate by the end of 2016, which will cut the dump's total intake by 75 percent.

Parent company EnviroSolutions CEO Dean Kattler also says that rail deliveries containing sewage sludge will end within three weeks. The landfill will continue to accept sludge from local municipalities, including Ashland and Huntington.

The announcement comes as the company and local and state officials face lawsuits from citizens and as the landfill seeks a permit renewal from state environmental regulators amid ongoing odor fines.

PRISON ESCAPE CONVICTION

Sentence upheld for man in 2009 Mississippi prisoner escape

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A state appeals court has upheld seven life sentences for a Kentucky man convicted of helping his cousin escape when the cousin and another inmate were taken to an eye clinic outside a Mississippi prison.

Courtney Logan of Louisville, Kentucky, remains in prison in Mississippi.

After fleeing the doctor's office in in 2009 in Greenwood, Mississippi, Logan and his inmate cousin, Joseph Jackson Jr., drove to Tennessee and were stopped for a traffic violation. While Nashville Police Sgt. Mark Chesnut checked their driver's licenses, Jackson shot Chesnut five times, but the officer survived.

In 2012, Logan was found guilty on five counts of kidnapping, one count of aiding escape and one count of being a felon with a firearm.

The Mississippi Court of Appeals on Tuesday upheld the convictions and sentence.