Kentucky News Now – July 31st 2015

MISSING GIRL-BODY FOUND

Body of missing western Kentucky girl found in pond

WICKLIFFE, Ky. (AP) — The body of an 8-year-old western Kentucky girl has been found in a pond about a quarter-mile from her home.

Kentucky State Police said the body of Skyleigh Pool was located around 8 a.m. CDT Thursday, some 15 hours after she went missing.

State police said officials from several agencies searched through the night in the area where Skyleigh had been last seen before the body was found.

An autopsy was scheduled for Friday. No foul play is suspected.

FORMER COACH ARRESTED

Indictment against ex-coach dismissed in eastern Kentucky

HARLAN, Ky. (AP) — An eastern Kentucky judge has dismissed an indictment that was brought last fall against a former Harlan County High School basketball coach.

WYMT-TV reports Harlan County Circuit Judge H. Kent Hendrickson on Thursday dismissed the indictment accusing former girls coach Anthony Nolan of four sex-related charges last October. Nolan is still a teacher at the school.

Prosecutors argued Nolan tried to record players inside their locker room on his cellphone.

The judge said former Sheriff Marvin J. Lipfird testified to the grand jury that the cellphone's camera faced where girls exited the shower. But statements made by alleged victims indicated the phone was in a bag and couldn't have recorded the shower exit.

The judge said there was no evidence of criminal activity found on Nolan's phone or computers.

GUNS AT SCHOOL

Bus driver charge dropped in Kentucky guns at school case

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A judge has dismissed a charge that was brought against a Kentucky bus driver who was accused of not telling school officials that two boys had guns in their backpacks.

WYMT-TV reports the judge ruled Thursday there was a lack of criminal intent by Charles Honce and dropped the charge of facilitation to unlawfully possess a weapon on school property.

Police say two boys, a first-grader and his brother in kindergarten, took two handguns on a bus to school in Flat Lick in Knox County in April.

Authorities said the boys apparently thought the guns were toys. The firearms, one of which was loaded, were taken when the boys reached school and another student told a teacher. No one was hurt.

MEAT PACKAGING EXPANSION

Expansion adding jobs at meat packaging company in Kentucky

OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) — A meat packaging company in business for more than 100 years in western Kentucky is celebrating an expansion that will add dozens of jobs.

Specialty Foods Group Inc. invested $2.6 million into the project and will create at least 65 new jobs.

The company's portfolio of brands includes Kentucky Legend, Field, Fischer's, Kentuckian Gold and Mickelberry's.

Gov. Steve Beshear joined Owensboro-area officials for a ribbon cutting for the expanded facility on Thursday.

The project included updating equipment to increase production capacity.

Specialty Foods opened its manufacturing facility in Owensboro in December 1914. Currently, the company employs 501 people in Kentucky.

APPALACHIAN DISTILLERY

Groundbreaking held for Pikeville brewery-distillery

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Ground has been broken for a combined brewery and distillery in downtown Pikeville in eastern Kentucky.

Alltech says its Dueling Barrels Brewing & Distilling Co. is expected to open in spring 2017 at a cost of $13 million. Alltech said Thursday the facility will feature its own range of beers and spirits, including a legal moonshine and bourbon.

The company says a design team has worked for more than a year on a building that will reflect the region's history and culture. It says the story of the Hatfields and McCoys, along with the region's music heritage, will be part of the overall strategy.

The distillery's name was inspired by the Hatfield and McCoy feud.

LOTTERY SALES

Kentucky Lottery reports record sales for fiscal year

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Lottery says despite falling sales for multistate games, it produced record sales in fiscal year 2015.

Total sales for the year were just over $899 million, which includes $12 million in free tickets. The number broke last year's mark of $858 million.

The lottery transferred $236 million to the state, breaking the record of $225 million but still $16 million below budget.

The lottery said in a news release that scratch-off ticket sales climbed $39 million from fiscal year 2014 to a record $560 million. Multistate Powerball and Mega Millions games continued declining.

Keno sales showed the greatest increase of any draw game, rising 60 percent to $47 million. Overall, draw game sales held at $338 million, which was $1.3 million more than the previous year.