Kentucky News Now – August 27th 2015

GAY MARRIAGE-KENTUCKY

Appeals court upholds gay marriage ruling in Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling ordering a Kentucky county clerk to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis objects to issuing same-sex marriage licenses for religious reasons. She stopped issuing marriage licenses the day after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned state bans on same-sex marriage.

Two gay couples and two straight couples sued her. A U.S. district judge ordered Davis to issue the marriage licenses, but later delayed his order so that Davis could have time to appeal to the 6th circuit. Wednesday, the appeals court denied Davis' request for a stay.

An attorney for Davis said he was disappointed in the ruling and that Davis could appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. He said he did not know how Davis would react to the ruling.

ACT SCORES

Kentucky ACT results lagging national levels

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky lags behind national averages for ACT college-readiness benchmarks in core subjects, with the biggest deficit in math.

The best performance among Kentucky's 2015 high school graduates was in English, with 60 percent of students meeting the ACT college-readiness benchmark. The national average was 64 percent, according to data released Wednesday by the organization that administers the exam.

The report says Kentucky's lowest scores were in math and science. Thirty-two percent of Kentucky test-takers achieved the college-readiness measurement both in math and science. National averages were 42 percent in math and 38 percent in science.

Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday, who is retiring, says the low math score should be a motivator for action. Holliday says it's time the state puts together a math task force and looks at teacher preparation.

COURTHOUSE SHOOTING

Police: Kentucky defendant kills self with bailiff's gun

PINEVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police say a man being escorted through a courthouse by a bailiff after a court hearing has killed himself with the bailiff's weapon.

Trooper Shane Jacobs said 25-year-old Eric Barnett of Pineville had a court appearance Wednesday and was taken into custody. Jacobs said a bailiff, whose name wasn't available, was escorting Barnett to the basement for transfer when the bailiff was knocked to the ground in an altercation inside an elevator and his weapon taken by Barnett.

Jacobs said Barnett, who wasn't handcuffed, shot himself while still in the elevator and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The bailiff wasn't injured.

The death remained under investigation. An autopsy was scheduled for Thursday.

KENTUCKY GOVERNOR

Conway backs more severance tax money for coal counties

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Democrat Jack Conway says he would push to return more severance tax money to Kentucky's coal-producing counties if he's elected governor.

His Republican opponent, Matt Bevin, says he would be open to considering a formula change that would give coal counties more revenue but he didn't commit to it. Both candidates acknowledged financial challenges facing Appalachian counties where coal production has dropped sharply.

Bevin and Conway spoke Wednesday to a gathering of local officials from counties that produce coal, oil and natural gas. The downturn in the Appalachian coal economy has become a key issue in statewide elections in Kentucky. Coal severance tax revenue has dropped sharply in recent years.

The two are running in the Nov. 3 election to succeed Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear.

IMMUNIZATION FORMS

Officials: Missing forms needed for students to attend class

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Officials with Jefferson County Public Schools say they are still waiting on immunization forms from about 1,200 of its youngest students.

The Courier-Journal reports officials say Early Head Start, Head Start and state Pre-K students without the proper forms Wednesday will not be allowed into the classroom on the first day of school.

In November, the district eliminated the 10-day window in which parents could turn in proof of immunization after classes started.

Early Childhood Education Director James Francis says the recent change allows the district to better comply with state and federal requirements for public school districts to have the records on file.

Francis says parents were notified of the change when they enrolled their children in the program and that staff sent several reminders throughout the summer.

ANTI-BULLYING-SHEPARDS

Parents of slain Wyoming student to participate in forum

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The parents of a 21-year-old gay Wyoming college student who was tortured and killed more than a decade ago aare visiting with high school students in Lexington.

The appearance Thursday of Dennis and Judy Shepard is part of an anti-bullying forum. Mayor Jim Gray, Fayette County school Superintendent Manny Caulk and U.S. Attorney Kerry B. Harvey are also expected to participate.

Hundreds of freshmen and juniors will gather at the district office for the program, and others will participate from their schools through a live classroom feed.

A panel discussion is also planned, and students will be able to submit questions through email and text for the Shepards and others participating.

MEGA DUMP

Hearing over future of large landfill draws nearly 500

CANNONSBURG, Ky. (AP) — About 500 supporters and opponents of a large landfill in eastern Kentucky have attended a hearing on the future of the facility.

The Independent (http://bit.ly/1Ud3MiU) reports the state Department of Environmental Protection held the public hearing Tuesday in Cannonsburg to record comments as the state considers a controversial permit renewal application from Big Run Landfill.

The hearing comes amid several complaints from community members about offensive odors at the site. Last month, county officials said they favored a shutdown or placing more restrictions on the facility and the company said last week that it would reduce its total waste intake by the end of next year.

Opponents want the state to close the landfill.

Supporters said the landfill provides jobs to the community and should remain open.

KENTUCKY-ESCAPED INMATE

Inmate who fled Kentucky prison in April caught in Texas

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) — An inmate who escaped from a minimum-security prison in Kentucky has been caught in Texas after nearly five months on the run.

The Galveston County Sheriff's Office says Kelly Craig Conway, of Des Moines, Iowa, was captured Tuesday coming out of a house in Galveston.

The 46-year-old Conway fled April 7 from the Blackburn Correctional Complex in Lexington, Kentucky. Conway was serving a 17 year sentence for a robbery conviction when he walked away from the lockup.

Investigators say Kentucky State Police earlier this month traced a phone call, made by Conway, to Galveston.

Conway faces return to Kentucky.

WILDLIFE CENTER

Wildlife education center adds bobcat kitten, bald eagle

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Salato Wildlife Education Center at Frankfort has added a young bald eagle and a bobcat kitten to its collection of exhibit animals.

The center says it recently acquired the 4-month-old bobcat kitten from a wildlife rehabilitation facility.

The center's acting director, Brent McCarty, says the new arrival will be separated from the center's adult bobcat until the kitten is older.

The kitten is expected to be on exhibit from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time Tuesdays through Saturdays. The center encourages visitors to call ahead to confirm the kitten will be out. The number is (502) 564-7863.

The center says it also acquired a new bald eagle. The 3-year-old bird came from a rehabilitation center in Wyoming. The bird still displays juvenile plumage that's mostly brown throughout.