Kentucky News Now – May 11th 2015

HEROIN DEATHS

Statistics: Heroin overdose deaths down in 3 Ky. counties

(Information in the following story is from: The Kentucky Enquirer, http://www.nky.com)

COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) — New statistics indicate heroin-related overdose deaths declined in 2014 in three northern Kentucky counties hard hit by the drug epidemic.

Citing the latest statistics from the Kentucky Medical Examiner's office, The Kentucky Enquirer reports that Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties had a combined 64 heroin-related overdose deaths in 2014, down from 72 in 2013.

Leaders of the Northern Kentucky Heroin Impact Response Task Force say the drop shows community efforts are beginning to yield results.

Dr. Tracey Corey, Kentucky's chief medical examiner, released to The Enquirer the latest count of overdose deaths statewide that included heroin in the bloodstream. Her analyst noted that the medical examiner does not get all heroin-related overdose deaths cases, however.

The medical examiner had 233 such deaths in 2014, up from 230 in 2013.

CAMPUS ASSAULTS

Sexual assaults under-reported in official campus tallies

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — University of Kentucky police reported 12 sexual assaults on campus in the 2013-14 school year. That same year, 67 people went to the UK Violence Intervention and Prevention counseling center to say they had been victims of sexual assault.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the same disparities occurred on some other college campuses in Kentucky.

The University of Louisville and Western Kentucky University each reported one sexual assault that same school year.

The newspaper says 43 people went to UofL's Prevention, Education and Advocacy on Campus and in the Community center. And the WKU counseling center saw 21 victims. The counseling center numbers were collected by the Herald-Leader through open records requests.

The gap highlights how complicated the issue of campus sexual assault is and why it's so difficult problem to solve.

POLICE SHOOTING

Suspected car thief shot during confrontation with police

BARDSTOWN, Ky. (AP) — Authorities say a man suspected of stealing a vehicle from a car lot has been shot during a confrontation with police in Bardstown in central Kentucky.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Jeff Gregory says the suspect has been airlifted to University of Louisville Hospital and is undergoing surgery. He says the suspect's condition is not immediately known.

Gregory says the officer-involved shooting occurred Sunday morning after officers from the Bardstown Police Department and Nelson County Sheriff's office were pursuing the stolen vehicle. Gregory says the vehicle was taken from a local car dealership.

The trooper says witnesses indicated the suspect rammed police cruisers and tried to run over officers.

He says the officers involved sustained minor injuries and will be placed on administrative leave consistent with the policy of each department.

TODDLER IN LAKE

Toddler pushed into western Ky. lake, taken to hospital

(Information in the following story is from: The Gleaner, http://www.thegleaner.com/)

HENDERSON, Ky. (AP) — A toddler whose stroller was pushed into a lake by a 2-year-old was found and taken to a hospital.

Police say the 1-year-old was submerged in about 15 feet of water for several minutes. Henderson Lt. Col. David Crafton told The Gleaner emergency officials and a relative were diving and swimming in the water looking for the child.

CPR was performed by a sheriff's deputy before the toddler was taken to a nearby hospital.

The toddler was being treated at an Evansville hospital Saturday afternoon.

Police got the call from a residence near the lake shortly before 10 a.m. The sheriff's department has not released the identity of the child.

OZZY-DONATION

Ozzy Osbourne gives $10,000 to children's percussion group

(Information in the following story is from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Ozzy Osbourne has donated $10,000 to a Kentucky children's percussion group after watching a video of the students performing Osbourne's signature hit, "Crazy Train."

The Courier-Journal reports the rock star saw a YouTube video of the Louisville Leopard Percussionists, a group comprised of more than 60 students, aged 7-14.

The group is a community nonprofit organization funded by donations, performance revenue and album sales. The students come from 48 schools in the Louisville area and practice after school.

Founder Diane Downs uses a modular approach, teaching each student a specific part of a song.

The group has performed with My Morning Jacket, Dave Samuels, Louie Bellson and Ruben Alvarez.

WOUNDED VET-HOUSE

Wounded Army veteran given new home in Ringgold

(Information in the following story is from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, http://www.timesfreepress.com)

RINGGOLD, Ga. (AP) — An Army veteran who lost his legs in Afghanistan is moving into a free home in Ringgold.

The Times Free Press reports Sgt. Jason Smith and his wife, Lauren, received the keys to their new home Saturday.

Smith lost both his legs after stepping on an improvised explosive in Afghanistan in 2012. Kentucky-based philanthropist Mike Fitzpatrick and the Tennessee-based nonprofit Steps 2 Hope picked the couple to receive the home for free.

More than a thousand volunteers from a dozen states participated in the building project.

The couple has a five-month-old daughter.

SOMERSET EMPLOYEE-FACEBOOK

Somerset paramedic critical of mayor settles suit

(Information in the following story is from: Commonwealth Journal, http://www.somerset-kentucky.com)

SOMERSET, Ky. (AP) — The city of Somerset has settled with a paramedic who filed suit last year claiming she was fired from her job for criticizing the mayor in a Facebook post.

Crystal Norton was reinstated to her job and will receive nearly $26,000 in damages and lost pay from the city.

The Somerset Commonwealth Journal reports Norton's lawsuit was filed in September. It said she was terminated for criticizing Mayor Eddie Girdler several weeks before the November election.

Norton was upset over the razing of a Somerset resident's home.

A lawyer for Norton says the city "engaged in illegal, oppressive and discriminatory conduct" by firing Norton.

Norton said she was told her critical posting was a violation of the city's social media policy.

MINE LAYOFFS

Harlan mine lays off more than 60 workers

(Information in the following story is from: Harlan Daily Enterprise, http://www.harlandaily.com)

HARLAN, Ky. (AP) — A coal mine closing in southeastern Kentucky has put 64 miners out of work.

The Harlan Daily Enterprise reports the layoffs happened at Clover Lick No. 3 mine in Harlan County. It is owned by Bristol, Virginia-based Alpha Natural Resources.

The newspaper reports nearly 500 coal jobs have been lost in Harlan County in the last two years.

The company says the layoffs were due to a downturn in the economy.

The mine was temporarily idled along with three other Alpha mines in January 2013. The company said the mine shutdowns were due to "the evolving demands of the changing global coal market."