Kentucky News Now – August 28th 2015

GAY MARRIAGE-KENTUCKY

Kentucky clerk again refuses to grant marriage license in rural county

MOREHEAD, Kentucky (AP) — A clerk in a rural Kentucky county continued to refuse marriage licenses to same-sex couples Thursday in defiance of a mounting pile of federal court orders that reject her claim that her Christian faith should exempt her from licensing a gay union.

The United States Supreme Court, which two months ago legalized gay marriage across the nation, will now be asked to consider whether Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis can continue to deny marriage licenses until her appeal is complete, a process that could drag out for several more months.

"It's getting tedious. We get torn down, built back up, torn down, built back up," said David Ermold. He and his partner, David Moore, have been rejected by Davis' office twice. "It's emotionally draining that this keeps happening over and over."

Days after the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage ruling, Davis announced that her religious convictions prevented her from sanctioning a gay marriage. She refused to issue licenses to any couple, gay or straight.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued her last month on behalf of four couples. U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered Davis to issue marriage licenses two weeks ago. He later delayed that ruling until Aug. 31 or until the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling. The appeals court did so on Wednesday, denying Davis' appeal.

The latest in the refusal of a Kentucky county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples (all times local):

UNIVERSITY-GUN

Northern Kentucky student charged after gun spotted

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) — A Northern Kentucky University spokeswoman says a student has been charged after she was seen with a gun in the school library.

The spokeswoman says the student didn't brandish the weapon, which was determined to be inoperable.

Spokeswoman Amanda Nageleisen (NAY'-geh-ly-sehn) says another student reported the situation at about 9:45 a.m. EDT Thursday. Nageleisen says university police arrived within one minute of receiving the call.

Nageleisen says some students were evacuated from the library briefly but that there was never an immediate danger. She says no alert was issued because of the rapid police response.

Nageleisen said the student was charged with carrying a concealed deadly weapon without a license and lodged at the Campbell County jail. She said the student's name isn't being released, in keeping with university policy.

EDUCATION COMMISSIONER

Kentucky Board of Education releases candidate names

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Board of Education has announced the names of the five people being considered to succeed Terry Holliday as state education commissioner.

One of the five is currently working in Kentucky. He is Buddy Berry, who is in his sixth year as superintendent of Eminence Independent Schools. He's also been a high school math teacher, guidance counselor and football coach.

The other candidates are Kathleen M. Airhart, who is deputy commissioner and chief operating officer for the Tennessee Department of Education; Christopher A. Koch (COOK'), the interim president of the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and former Illinois state education superintendent; Lloyd D. Martin, CEO of Universal School Solutions, a consultancy firm in Jacksonville, Florida; and Stephen L. Pruitt, senior vice president of Achieve Inc., an education reform organization.

Second interviews are Friday and Saturday in Lexington.

JOBLESS RATE-COUNTIES

Jobless rates drop in 115 Kentucky counties

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — State officials say unemployment rates declined in 115 of Kentucky's 120 counties between July 2014 and last month.

The state Office of Employment and Training says Woodford County had the lowest jobless rate at 4 percent. It was followed by Fayette and Owen counties at 4.1 percent each. The next lowest rates were Boone County at 4.3 percent and Scott County at 4.4 percent.

Three counties each had a 4.5 percent rate — Campbell, Jessamine and Kenton.

Magoffin County had the state's highest jobless rate at 12.8 percent. It was followed by Harlan County at 12 percent, Leslie County at 11.1 percent, Letcher County at 10.8 percent and Carter County at 10.3 percent.

COUNTRY HAM BREAKFAST

3 arrested at Kentucky State Fair breakfast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A leading gay-rights activist and two others were arrested for protesting at the Kentucky Farm Bureau's Country Ham Breakfast and Auction, an event at the state fair that draws many of the state's top political leaders.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Paul Blanton said the three were arrested Thursday for refusing to sit down once the event started. He said those arrested on misdemeanor charges were Fairness Campaign director Chris Hartman, Carla Wallace and Sonja Devries.

Blanton says Hartman was charged with disorderly conduct and failure to disperse. The others were charged with failure to disperse.

The Fairness Campaign said it was protesting the Farm Bureau's stance on gay rights and other issues.

A highlight of the event is the auction for the state fair's grand champion ham. This year's winning bid was $400,000.

BLACKBURN-ESCAPED INMATES

Lexington residents call for changes after prison escapes

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Lexington residents are on edge after Kentucky Department of Corrections officials say a second inmate has escaped from a local minimum-security prison in a nine-day span.

WKYT-TV reports that 26-year-old Justin Canada on Wednesday afternoon became the seventh inmate to escape the Blackburn Correctional Complex this year. Canada was serving a 15-year sentence for convictions including robbery and wanton endangerment. Another inmate, Richard Shell, was confirmed missing Aug. 18, but was recaptured the next day.

Resident Adam Berrones' backyard is adjacent to the complex property. He says he has urged Blackburn's Warden Steve Haney to increase security at the prison. A six-foot wooden fence is currently the only barrier installed.

In June, Haney said he would have the prison install additional security cameras and order dorms locked after 9 p.m.

GRANDSON CHARGED

Juvenile charged in shooting death of grandfather

HARLAN, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police say a 14-year-old boy is charged with fatally shooting his grandfather.

Police say the boy was taken into custody Wednesday evening after troopers responded to a home in Harlan County where they found a 56-year-old man deceased, apparently from a gunshot wound. Police charged they boy with reckless homicide, tampering with evidence and wanton endangerment.

The boy is being held at the Breathitt County Juvenile Detention Facility. The AP is not naming the man to protect the identity of the boy, whose case is in juvenile court, where proceedings are confidential.

An autopsy on the man is scheduled for Friday.

The investigation is continuing.

UNITED STATES-AFGHANISTAN

Air Force: 2 special ops troops killed in Afghan attack

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says the two Americans killed in Afghanistan in an apparent insider attack by Afghan soldiers were Air Force special operations troops.

They are identified as 27-year-old Capt. Matthew D. Roland of Lexington, Kentucky, and 31-year-odl Staff Sgt. Forrest B. Sibley of Pensacola, Florida.

Roland was assigned to the 23rd Special Tactics Squadron based at Hurlburt Field, Florida, and Sibley was assigned to the 21st Special Tactics Squadron based at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina.

Hurlburt Field is home to the Air Force Special Operations Command.

The attack was carried out Wednesday at a military base in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province. Early reports said three other Americans were wounded.

The attackers were wounded in an exchange of gunfire but survived.

LOUISVILLE MUSIC AWARDS

Louisville Music Awards to honor wide range of artists on Nov. 5

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Louisville Music Awards will celebrate its third year as it honors local musicians at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts.

The Nov. 5 event will give awards to a wide range of musicians.

Award categories include folk, Americana, hip hop, jazz and even Live DJ of the Year. The awards will also name Song of the Year and Singer/Songwriter of the Year.

Nominations are being accepted through Do502 via http://do502.com/p/louisville-music-awards through midnight Sept. 13.

The event held at the Bomhard Theater will be free to the public.