HORSE PARK

Bill trimming horse park's governing body passes Senate

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A proposal to reduce the size of the Kentucky Horse Park's governing body has passed the Senate in a partisan debate focusing on the attraction's top manager.

The bill seeking to trim membership of the park's commission from 17 to nine cleared the Senate on a 26-10 vote Monday. The bill was opposed by Democrats.

The debate focused on Jamie Link's stewardship as the park's executive director. Democratic Sen. Reginald Thomas said the park has been more profitable and efficient since Link took over.

Link was deputy chief of staff to then-Gov. Steve Beshear when he was selected for the horse park job.

Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer pointed to a decision by Gov. Matt Bevin's administration scaling back the park's purchasing authority as proof that the park has problems.

ABORTION-KENTUCKY

Kentucky Senate OKs requiring ultrasounds prior to abortions

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Senate has passed a bill that would require doctors to perform ultrasounds prior to abortions and to describe what's seen to the pregnant woman.

It's part of a series of measures being pushed by abortion opponents in Kentucky.

Under the bill, the pregnant woman could avert her eyes from the ultrasound images, without risk of penalty. The doctor would be required to provide a medical description of the images, including the dimensions of the embryo or fetus and the presence of internal organs.

The bill passed the Senate on a 32-4 vote Monday. It heads to the House, where abortion-related bills stalled in past years but abortion foes have won a battle this year.

Gov. Matt Bevin has already signed a bill updating the state's informed consent law.

LEXINGTON SHOOTINGS

Woman, man dead in Lexington shootings

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A woman and man have died after a shooting at a Lexington residence.

Lexington police say officers were called to the house Sunday morning after a report of an assault with a weapon. When police arrived, the woman had already died.

The man was taken to the hospital with what police say appeared to be self-inflicted injuries and died there.

Fayette County Coroner Gary Ginn identified the people as 36-year-old Sukenia Rice and 37-year-old Antonio Brooks. Rice's death was listed as homicide and Brooks' as suicide.

The deaths remain under investigation.

PADUCAH PLANT

Lockheed Martin agrees to $5M settlement over Paducah plant

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — Lockheed Martin Corp. and its subsidiaries have agreed to pay $5 million to the federal government over contamination from hazardous waste at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in western Kentucky.

The plant owned by the U.S. Department of Energy hasn't operated since 2013. Prior to that it enriched uranium for nuclear power plants.

WFPL-FM says Bethesda, Maryland-based Lockheed Martin is settling two lawsuits that contend the company knowingly didn't properly handle hazardous waste. The lawsuits cover the period between 1984 and 1998.

WFPL says lawyers representing the plaintiffs and a spokesperson for Lockheed Martin didn't return calls. But the company's annual report to the Securities and Exchange Commission said it is admitting no liability or wrongdoing and is settling to avoid further costs of litigation.

BAKING PLANT-JOBS

New baking plant to create more than 300 jobs in Versailles

(Information in the following story is from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com)

VERSAILLES, Ky. (AP) — A new baking plant that's coming to Versailles is expected to create over 300 jobs.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports More Than a Bakery LLC announced plans Thursday to build the plant on 100 acres in the city.

The company, which is affiliated with Richmond Baking, one of the oldest family-owned cookie and cracker bakeries in the U.S., will make cookies, snack crackers and specialty gourmet crackers for national distribution.

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority gave preliminary approval to an incentive package for the plant Thursday.

Mayor Brian Traugott says the new plant is a big step toward diversifying the area's economy.

The company says in a statement that construction of the facility is expected to begin this summer, with manufacturing likely to start at the end of 2017.

FIRST RESPONDER MEMORIAL

Plan for first responder memorial in Daviess County underway

(Information in the following story is from: Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer, http://www.messenger-inquirer.com)

OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) — A plan for a memorial honoring Daviess County's emergency responders who have died in the line of duty is underway.

The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer reports the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 16 is planning and raising money for what it's calling the Emergency Service Memorial Project.

James Wyatt, the FOP's board state trustee, says the group has received permission to place the memorial on the Daviess County Courthouse lawn.

Wyatt says the memorial will not only be for police officers but for firefighters and EMS as well.

The estimated cost for the memorial is between $40,000 and $60,000.

Wyatt says the FOP began raising money and planning the project about two years. He says he expects it may take at least two years before the entire project is finalized.

 

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

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