Kentucky News Now – June 17, 2015

TEACHER PENSIONS

Beshear appoints work group to study teacher pensions

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Gov. Steve Beshear has appointed a work group to study the financially struggling Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System.

Beshear appointed 19 people to the group Tuesday. Four lawmakers are to be added by legislative leaders.

Lawmakers failed to reach an agreement this year on what to do with the retirement fund, which is projected to run out of money by 2036 if it isn't stabilized. House Democrats passed a bill to borrow $3.3 billion to prop up the system for another eight years, but Senate Republicans balked at the prospect of going into debt to pay off a debt.

Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Republican Senate President Robert Stivers praised the appointment of the heavily Democratic work group in a news release from Beshear's office. But House Republican Floor Leader Jeff Hoover said in a separate news release that he was disappointed the group was not more independent and nonpartisan.

FIGHTING HEROIN

Gov. Beshear reveals state's $10M plan to fight heroin use

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has revealed how a pledged $10 million dollars will be used to tackle the state's heroin epidemic.

Multiple media outlets report that the destinations for the next fiscal year's funds were announced on Monday.

Starting July 1, the money will be divided in eight primary ways, including $2.6 million going to community centers for substance abuse treatment, $1 million to care for babies born addicted to opiates and $1.5 million aimed at treatment programs for county and state inmates.

Democratic state Rep. Sannie Overly, who is from Paris, offered the amendment that provided the funding. Overly says the money will make a big difference toward addressing the problem.

Heroin use in Kentucky has skyrocketed recently, with overdoses increasing 207 percent between 2011 and 2012, according to state data.

WOMAN RECANTS-JAILED

Woman jailed in Kentucky after recanting abuse claims

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Jasmine Stone entered a Kentucky courtroom as the prosecution's named victim in a domestic violence case. She left in handcuffs after recanting her assault claims against her boyfriend.

Jefferson District Judge Sheila Collins ordered Stone jailed last week on a charge of filing a false report.

Stone was released about six hours later when another judge set aside her $10,000 bond. Prosecutors and her public defender cooperated in winning her release, and a third judge dismissed the charge the next day.

Now advocates for domestic violence victims worry Stone's treatment could discourage other victims from going to court.

Kim Susser is director of the New York Legal Assistance Group's Matrimonial & Family Law Unit. She says Stone was revictimized in a way that could have a chilling effect.

POLICE SHOOTING

Kentucky State Police: Deputy shot man who fired at him

CRITTENDEN, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police say they are investigating a shooting in which a northern Kentucky man was shot by a sheriff's deputy after police say he fired at the deputy.

The man, 22-year-old Shane D. Propes of Crittenden, was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after the shooting around 8:30 p.m. EDT Monday. Police said he is in stable condition.

Police said the Grant County deputy, who hasn't been identified, and a state trooper responded to a report of a suspicious person possibly carrying a gun and the deputy located the man, who began to run and started shooting at the deputy.

Police said the deputy returned fire, and the man was hit. The deputy wasn't injured.

ARMORY DEATH

Workers killed, hurt at Boone National Guard Center named

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Department of Military Affairs has identified a civilian contractor who was killed and another who was injured in an accident at the Boone National Guard Center in Frankfort.

Spokesman David W. Altom said in an email that the man killed was 23-year-old Brandon Cloud of Harlan. Another worker, Wade Massingale, was airlifted to the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington and is in serious but stable condition.

Altom says the accident happened around 11:45 a.m. EDT Monday when an extension lift collapsed and fell.

The lift was being used to install siding on an aircraft hangar. Altom said the men were working for Davis Brothers Roofing of Church Hill, Tennessee.

Altom said the Kentucky Labor Cabinet is investigating.

BODY ON ROOF

Fayette County coroner investigating body found on roof

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Authorities are investigating after a body was found on the roof of a building on the University of Kentucky's campus in Lexington.

Multiple news outlets report a woman notified authorities about 3:30 p.m. Monday after she looked up and saw a man on the roof of the former Lexington Theological Seminary. That building is now owned by UK.

Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn identified the man as 51-year-old Kurt A. Bouren of Richmond.

Ginn said the cause and manner of death are pending toxicology results, but there does not appear to be any foul play. Authorities don't know why the man was on the roof.

Lexington fire officials say they used ropes and ladders to remove the body.

DISCOVER-MORTGAGE UNIT

Discover says it will close mortgage unit, cutting 460 jobs

NEW YORK (AP) — Discover Financial Services says it will close its home lending business and will eliminate 460 jobs, or about 3 percent of its workforce.

Discover says the business isn't meeting its financial expectations and it wants to focus on its banking services, which are more profitable. It will continue to offer home equity loans through Discover Bank.

The Riverwoods, Illinois-based company bought the home lending business from LendingTree.com Inc. in 2012, paying $55.9 million.

Discover says its Irvine, California, office will stop accepting mortgage applications Tuesday. An office in Louisville, Kentucky, will keep accepting applications until July 31. It says AmeriSave Mortgage will start processing applications to that office in August, and AmeriSave will also offer jobs to about 125 Discover employees.

As of Jan. 31, Discover had 14,676 employees.

NASCAR-KENTUCKY-NEW RULES

NASCAR to go to lower downforce for July race at Kentucky

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR will use a rules package with lower downforce for next month's race at Kentucky Speedway.

The change announced Tuesday by chief racing development officer Steve O'Donnell is only for the July 11 race in Sparta, Kentucky.

The package will include a reduced spoiler height, a wider splitter extension and tires with more grip. The track will open July 8 for teams to setup their cars with the new rules.

The change comes after lengthy discussions from all corners of the industry on how to improve the on-track product. NASCAR has been trying to set rules for 2016, but so far this year's rules have provided uninspired racing, particularly at 1.5-mile speedways.

NASCAR last week discussed Kentucky with key industry executives, and recently met with a new drivers' council.

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