Kentucky News Now – April 18th 2016

FLOYD COUNTY FIRE

Woman found dead in Floyd County house fire

(Information from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com)

LANGLEY, Ky. (AP) — Authorities say a woman has died in a house fire in Floyd County.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports a coroner identified the body Sunday as 50-year-old Cathy Rena Marshall Kirkland.

Kentucky State Police say in a news release that the fire occurred Saturday night in Langley.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation and autopsy results on the victim are pending.

One other person was able to get out of the house safely.

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CHARITY RIDE FATAL

Motorcyclist in Kentucky charity ride killed in accident

UNION, Ky. (AP) — Authorities say a motorcyclist who had been participating in a fundraiser has died in an accident.

Media outlets report 46-year-old Chester Morling of Guilford, Indiana, was involved in a three-vehicle accident Saturday on Kentucky Route 338 in Union.

The Boone County Sheriff's Office says in a news release that Morling's motorcycle crossed the center line and collided with a pickup truck and another motorcycle.

Morling was riding in a motorcycle event to raise money for the Rabbit Hash General Store, which was heavily damaged in a fire in February. Hundreds of motorcyclists participated in the event.

Morling, who was not wearing a helmet, was pronounced dead at the scene. The release stated he was not wearing a helmet. The driver of the other motorcycle was taken to a Cincinnati hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

EXCHANGE-2017 ECLIPSE

2017 solar eclipse to draw crowds in Paducah, Hopkinsville

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — Officials in portions of Kentucky and southern Illinois are planning for next year's arrival of tourists hoping to snag the best spot for a rare solar eclipse.

A 140-mile track is considered the best viewing spot for what's expected to be a less than three-minute event on Aug. 21, 2017. Rob Milner, manager of the Golden Pond Planetarium at Land Between the Lakes, called the path from Carbondale, Illinois, to Hopkinsville the "hot seat" for the best view.

Hopkinsville officials began planning years ago for the tourism draw.

Mary Hammond, executive director of the Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau, tells the Paducah Sun that hotels have been receiving inquiries about reservations for the event for about a year.

BOWLING GREEN FATAL

Bowling Green woman killed, 4 hurt in accident

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police say a 20-year-old woman has died and four others were hurt in a single-vehicle weekend accident near Bowling Green.

Media outlets report Samantha Thomas of Bowling Green died in the accident early Saturday.

Trooper B.J. Eaton says in a news release that Thomas was driving a car that went off a road, struck a utility pole's support wires and then went into a guard rail.

The release says four passengers were injured, including a teenager with life-threatening injuries who was flown to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee.

RIVER BODY

Jackson man's body pulled from North Fork of Kentucky River

JACKSON, Ky. (AP) — Authorities say the body of a Jackson man has been pulled from the North Fork of the Kentucky River.

The Herald-Leader reports Breathitt County coroner George Griffith identified the body as 39-year-old Maxwell McGee.

Griffith says two canoeists found the body in the middle of the river on Saturday.

Griffith says an autopsy was planned Sunday to determine the cause of death.

POLICE CHIEF-PLEA

Former police chief admits to pocketing water bill payments

SOMERSET, Ky. (AP) — A former city police chief in south central Kentucky has pleaded guilty to two counts of tampering with public records.

The Kentucky Attorney General's office says former Science Hill Chief Robbie Gossett had pocketed cash payments from city water customers.

As part of a plea agreement, Gossett will have to pay $30,000 in restitution to the city, which is in Pulaski County. He also has to surrender certification as a police officer and serve 21 days of home incarceration.

In court on Friday, Gossett admitted to taking cash from citizens intended to be deposited as payment for their water bills, according to Attorney General Andy Beshear's office.

Gossett's illegal actions took place between 2008 and 2009. He was indicted in December.