Kentucky News Now – April 21st 2016

GAY MARRIAGE-KENTUCKY

Appeals court dismisses Kim Davis' lawsuit against Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit that a Kentucky clerk filed against the state for requiring her to issue marriage licenses that contained her name to same-sex couples.

Kim Davis refused to issue such licenses to same-sex couples, arguing it violated her religious beliefs. The American Civil Liberties Union sued her. A federal judge ordered Davis to issue the licenses.

Davis sued then-Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and another state official, but Beshear left office in December. Republican Gov. Matt Bevin replaced him and signed an executive order removing the names of county clerks from marriage license forms.

The court dismissed the case, saying Davis is not experiencing irreparable harm.

The ACLU's lawsuit is still pending.

DEM 2016-CLINTON-KENTUCKY

Clinton hires Grimes' veteran to lead Kentucky campaign

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has hired a veteran of Alison Lundergan Grimes' 2014 Senate run to lead her Kentucky campaign ahead of next month's presidential primary.

The Clinton campaign has hired Elizabeth Cantrell Brooks as their state director ahead of the May 17th Kentucky presidential primary. Brooks worked for Grimes' unsuccessful Senate campaign and was the campaign manager for state Rep. Lew Nicholls' successful special election for the House of Representatives last month.

The campaign also hired former Kentucky Democratic Party Political Director Christian Motley, who also worked for former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear's 2011 re-election campaign. Other hires include Communications Director Tim Hogan and Organizing Director Justin Vollmer.

Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are battling for the Democratic nomination. Clinton won the New York primary on Tuesday.

STATE ENGINEER

Patty Dunaway appointed state highway engineer

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's Transportation Cabinet says it has hired a woman to serve as state highway engineer for the second time in the cabinet's history.

Transportation Secretary Greg Thomas announced Patty Dunaway's appointment on Wednesday. Her appointment is effective May 1.

The state highway engineer oversees the Department of Highways.

Dunaway has had numerous roles during her 26-year career at the Transportation Cabinet, working in construction, design and planning. Since 2006, she has been chief district engineer for the District Four highway office in Elizabethtown.

Dunaway has been involved with various planning studies, including the Heartland Parkway and the U.S. 31W Safety Corridor. She was responsible for overseeing the Base Realignment and Closure highway projects at Fort Knox.

She received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Kentucky.

RETIREMENT SYSTEM-CHAIRMAN

Seeking 'fresh start,' Bevin removes pension system chairman

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has issued an executive order removing the chairman of the Kentucky Retirement Systems board of trustees.

Thomas K. Elliott was reappointed to the board by former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear last year. His term does not expire until 2019. Bevin said the Kentucky Retirement Systems needs "a fresh start" and said the board was opposed to transparency under Elliott's leadership.

The board of trustees has a meeting scheduled for 8 a.m. Thursday, where Elliot was expected to be re-elected as the chairman. Kentucky Retirement Systems Executive Director William Thielen said Bevin does not have the authority to remove Elliott.

The Kentucky Retirement Systems is among the worst funded systems in the country. It has an unfunded liability of more than $19 billion.

THEME PARK FUTURE

Cave City attraction sells at auction for $295,000

(Information from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com)

CAVE CITY, Ky. (AP) — A south-central Kentucky country music radio station owner has bought a closed recreational park in Cave City.

The Courier-Journal said David Froggett Jr. purchased the two tracts of land and buildings for $295,000 at auction Wednesday.

Froggett, of Edmonton, owns WHSX-FM. He told the Daily News of Bowling Green last week that he plans to turn the attraction into a "resort park-nature park combination."

The park started as the Western-themed Guntown Mountain in 1969. It was purchased in May by a Louisville businessman who planned to turn it into a Kentucky-themed park, but he was unable to follow through due to health issues.

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KENTUCKY FUGITIVE-ARREST

Kentucky fugitive found hiding under clothes pile in Alabama

SELMA, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say a man sought in the shooting death of a Kentucky father of three has been captured in Alabama after he tried to hide from deputies under a pile of clothes.

Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson tells news outlets that Bobby Walker Jr. was arrested Wednesday by sheriff's deputies who were responding to a domestic violence call.

Dallas County Sheriff's Office Captain Mike Granthum tells WSFA-TV that deputies chased Jackson through the woods and found him inside a home's closet, underneath some clothes.

Court documents show that Walker and another man, Kevin Bower, were indicted in connection with a March 15 shooting in Louisville that left 19-year-old La'Mont'e Harris dead and another man injured.

Walker is awaiting extradition to Kentucky. It's unclear whether he has an attorney.