Kentucky News Now – June 10th 2014

VETERANS-HEALTH-KENTUCKY

2 Ky veterans facilities tabbed for second look

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Two Veterans Administration clinics in Kentucky are being considered for a second look, but overall the agency has a better track record of seeing veterans than facilities across the country.

The clinics at Fort Knox, which is home to an Army post, and Dupont Circle in Louisville, were marked in an audit released Monday for a closer examination of their practices.

The audit of 731 VA hospitals and large outpatient clinics around the country found that a 14-day goal for seeing first-time patients was unattainable given the growing demand among veterans for health care and poor planning. The VA has since abandoned that goal.

Auditors found the VA hospital in Louisville scheduled 98 percent of all appointments within 30 days, while the facility in Lexington had a 97 percent rate.

ELECTION AUDITS

6 Kentucky counties to face post-election audits

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Attorney General Jack Conway will take a closer look at election results in six Kentucky counties for audits following the May 20 primary elections.

State law requires the attorney general to randomly select six counties for an audit within 20 days of each election. Conway selected Meade, Allen, Clark, Warren, Breathitt and Russell counties during a public drawing on Monday.

The state election fraud hotline received 205 calls for the May 20 primary elections. Fifteen calls came from Breathitt County, the most of any county in the state.

Conway noted auditors did not find anything wrong with the six counties audited in the previous election. But he said tips to the election hotline resulted in the conviction of three people in Floyd County.

PRISONERS-EARLY RELEASE

Study: Supervised inmates less likely to re-offend

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — An independent study has found that inmates released early under a new state law are less likely to re-offend.

The Courier-Journal reports the study by the nonprofit Pew Charitable Trusts is the first to quantitatively measure how successful the law has been.

The measure took effect in 2012. It is aimed at saving $420 million over 10 years by decreasing the number of prisoners in part by releasing some early under supervision.

The Pew study tracked some of the first prisoners released and found that they were 30 percent less likely to commit new crimes compared to inmates released in previous years with no supervision.

Louisville Metro Department of Corrections Director Mark Bolton says it's still early in the reform effort, but things seem headed in the right direction.

SOMERSET-GAS BUSINESS

Somerset to start selling gasoline

SOMERSET, Ky. (AP) — Officials in Somerset say they expect the city to start selling gasoline to the public in a couple of weeks.

Economic development business coordinator George Wilson told The Commonwealth Journal that the city has ordered the equipment it needs. He says it should arrive in the next couple of weeks and will take a few days to set up.

City officials decided to start offering gas to the public after getting complaints about high fuel prices in the area.

Wilson says the city plans to purchase the gas from Somerset-based Continental Refining Company and prices will be based on an average of how much cities within a 50-miles radius are charging.

HOUSING FORUM

Forum to address gay housing discrimination

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights is hosting its second annual fair housing forum for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.

The forum is part of the commission's work with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to reach the LGBT community on housing discrimination.

The forum will include presentations by Ronni Sanlo, who focuses on LGBT history, and Maya Rupert, policy director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights. It will be in Louisville on June 12, starting at 10 a.m.

The Kentucky cities of Covington, Frankfort, Lexington, Louisville, Morehead and Vicco have passed local ordinances expanding civil rights based on sexual orientation.

CALIFORNIA CHROME-OWNER APOLOGIZES

California Chrome co-owner apologizes for outburst

NEW YORK (AP) — California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn has apologized for his bitter remarks after his horse failed to win the Triple Crown.

On ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday, Coburn says he was "very ashamed of myself. Very ashamed. I need to apologize to a lot of people, including my wife, Carolyn." She tried to intervene as Saturday's interview got out of control.

He also apologized to the connections of winning horse Tonalist, saying: "I did not mean to take anything away from them."

On Saturday, he had said that Tonalist took "the coward's way out" by skipping the first two legs of the Triple Crown.

Coburn says he "wanted this so much, for this horse to win the Triple Crown for the people of America."