Kentucky News Now

GOVERNOR'S RACE-COMER

Comer to file for governor's race on Thursday

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Republican James Comer says he will officially file for governor Thursday morning.

The first-term agriculture commissioner has been raising money since September along with running mate state Sen. Chris McDaniel from northern Kentucky. But Thursday will mark the official start of his 2015 campaign.

Comer will be the second Republican to file for governor following former state Supreme Court Justice Will T. Scott. Former Louisville Metro Councilman Hal Heiner also plans to run but has not officially filed yet.

Attorney General Jack Conway and former congressional candidate Geoff Young are the only Democrats to have filed so far. Candidates have until 4 p.m. Jan. 27 to file for statewide office.

GRADUATION RATE

Graduation rate higher in Kentucky than in US overall

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Department of Education says the latest figures on statewide graduation rates are in, and Kentucky's rate is higher than the national mark.

The National Center for Education Statistics figures show Kentucky's graduation rate in the 2012-13 school year was 86 percent. The state Department of Education says only nine states have a higher rate and six are tied with Kentucky.

The national rate is 81 percent.

Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday says efforts are being made to keep students in school to help them be better prepared for college or a career. Holliday said in a news release that the college/career-readiness rate of Kentucky students is now 62.4 percent, up from 34 percent in 2010.

ELAINE CHAO

Sen. Mitch McConnell's wife resigns from Bloomberg Philanthropies over coal issues

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's wife has resigned from Bloomberg Philanthropies' board of directors after the charity announced plans to expand its efforts to shutter coal-fired power plants.

Elaine Chao joined the board one year after it announced a $50 million, four-year commitment to the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal initiative. Alison Lundergan Grimes made Chao's membership on the board an issue during her failed bid to unseat McConnell last year.

At the time, McConnell defended his wife's position on the board and said she would not resign. But a McConnell spokesman said Wednesday Chao decided to resign after learning the charity planned to expand its Beyond Coal commitment, saying her service on the board was incompatible with her commitments to Kentucky.

About 90 percent of Kentucky's electricity comes from coal-fired power plants.

PARKING FEES-REFUNDS

Parking authority to refund wrongly assessed late fees

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The Lexington Parking Authority says it made mistakes in collecting late fees on parking tickets and will issue refunds.

Parking Authority Director Gary Means told media that there were about 6,300 citations that incorrectly added a $15 late fee for a total of almost $100,000.

The tickets were issued between late July 2008 and mid-April 2012, after the city changed from handwritten tickets to printing them on electronic devices.

Lexington Parking Authority Board Chairman James Frazier said Means brought the error to the board's attention "following a review of its internal procedures."

He said in addition to a refund, those affect will also receive a $3 parking voucher.

POET LAUREATE

Kentucky's Poet Laureate Frank X. Walker to give a reading

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Poet Laureate Frank X. Walker will read from his work next month at the University of Louisville as part of a reading series put on by the English department's creative writing program.

The readings and master classes given by the authors are open to the public.

Walker's reading is at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 in Bingham Poetry Room of the Ekstrom Library. He leads a 10 a.m. master class Feb. 20, also on campus.

Other writers taking part in the Anne and William Axton Reading Series are novelist and journalist Sayed Kashua, Feb. 12 and 13; University of California-Irvine professor and author Michelle Latiolais, March 26 and 27; and U of L professor and author Paul Griner, April 2.

FERRY REOPENING

Dorena-Hickman Ferry reopening after being closed 2 months

HICKMAN, Ky. (AP) — After more than two months, the Dorena-Hickman Ferry in western Kentucky is reopening.

The ferry closed down on Nov. 18, and officials expected it to be out of operation for a few weeks while a new barge went through final outfitting and inspection. Instead it took about nine weeks.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says ferry captain Edward Floyd and the crew spent Tuesday becoming familiar with the operation of the new barge. The ferry should be back in service at 7 a.m. CST Wednesday on the regular winter operating schedule.

The ferry connects Kentucky 1354 at Hickman with Missouri Route A and Route 77 near Dorena, Missouri. The ferry is the only direct route between the two states.

For more information, visit http://www.dorena-hickmanferryboat.com or call (731) 693-0210.

DOCTOR CHARGED

Doctor accused of prescribing drugs that led to 5 deaths

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A doctor with offices in Louisville and southern Indiana has been charged with prescribing pain medications that resulted in the deaths of five patients.

The U.S. attorney's office in Louisville said 47-year-old Jaime Guerrero was charged Wednesday in a 32-count indictment with unlawfully dispensing pain medications to 30 patients without a legitimate medical purpose and beyond the bounds of professional medical practice. The five deaths occurred between 2010 and 2012.

Guerrero was also charged with health care fraud for alleged fraudulent billing.

The U.S. attorney's office said Guerrero's offices were in Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Guerrero's attorney, Scott C. Cox, didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. He told The Courier-Journal that Guerrero is board certified and has been a "conscientious physician for many years."

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Woman in sexual harassment case loses job, attorney says

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The newest member of the state House Democratic leadership team has terminated a woman who has a pending sexual harassment case against a former Democratic lawmaker.

Yolanda Costner's attorney, Thomas Clay, said she was notified of her dismissal on Wednesday. Costner worked for former House Democratic whip Tommy Thompson. But state Rep. Johnny Bell ousted Thompson earlier this month in a leadership election.

Bell did not return a phone call from The Associated Press seeking comment.

It is not uncommon for new leaders to hire their own staff. But Costner was at the center of a high profile sexual harassment lawsuit against former Democratic state Rep. John Arnold. Clay said he intends to add Bell as a party to Costner's lawsuit.