Thursday’s Kentucky News

LIGHTNING DEATHS

2 killed in central Ky. when lightning hits barn

RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) — A central Kentucky coroner says two men have died in Madison County where they were inside a barn when it was hit by lightning.

Garrard County Coroner Daryl Hodge told WKYT-TV that the men were killed near the community of Buckeye on Wednesday afternoon. Hodge says the site is in Madison County but he worked the case because he was initially called to the scene.

Hodge told the Lexington Herald-Leader the men were 25-year-old Scotty Elam Jr. and 29-year-old Bobby Lee Maggard, both of Lancaster.

Hodge said 10 men were hanging tobacco in separate barns. A group of men ran from one of the barns when a storm began to warn the others of the danger of lightning. Hodge said as they approached the other barn, lightning hit, killing Elam and Maggard.

LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANTS

Protection grants provide $143K to Ky. agencies

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — More than $143,000 has been awarded to 17 law enforcement agencies in Kentucky for protective gear.

The Kentucky Office of Homeland Security administers the Law Enforcement Protection Program grants. Homeland Security receives income from sales of confiscated weapons in conjunction with the Kentucky State Police.

Funds are provided to buy body armor, weapons, ammunition and stun devices.

Local governments receiving funds are Adair, Casey, Edmonson, Grant, Graves, Meade, Monroe, Spencer and Wolfe counties; and cities of Franklin, La Grange, Lawrenceburg, Madisonville, Mount Washington, Muldraugh, Oak Grove and Smiths Grove.

Oak Grove received the largest sum, $19,000 for body armor and stun devices.

PORK AND POLITICS

Pork and politics on menu at annual ham breakfast

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Pork and politics will be on the menu at the Kentucky Country Ham Breakfast and Auction at the state fairgrounds in Louisville.

A sellout crowd of 1,600 will be served 450 pounds of country ham along with other fixings at Thursday morning's event.

Then they'll hear speeches from some of the state's political leaders, including Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul and Gov. Steve Beshear.

For some, the main event will be an auction of the state fair's grand champion ham.

The prize ham will be garnished with roses on a silver platter held by Miss Kentucky while the auctioneer calls for bids.

Last year's 17.6-pound ham fetched a winning bid of $300,000. All the money raised from the auction is donated to the charity of the winning bidder's choice.

GUN IN BACKPACK

Man charged after 1st-grader takes gun to school

PRINCETON, Ky. (AP) — A 25-year-old western Kentucky man has been charged with wanton endangerment after his girlfriend's first-grader son took a loaded handgun to school in his backpack.

Caldwell County school superintendent Carrell Boyd said the man put the.38-caliber revolver in the child's backpack to hide it from friends. Boyd said the child and the boy's mother weren't home at the time.

The Times Leader of Princeton said the man told school officials he forgot about the gun. Boyd said the child discovered it the next day when he was asked to put something inside the bag but didn't say anything until telling two boys on the bus home. The boys' mother called school officials that afternoon, Aug. 15.

Police arrested Aaron W. Larue Monday on a first-degree wanton endangerment charge. The jail said Wednesday he had been released on $25,000 surety bond.

CHRISTMAS TOY THEFT

Man pleads guilty in Ohio Toys for Tots break-in

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

CINCINNATI (AP) — A 27-year-old man authorities say broke into a Toys for Tots warehouse on Christmas Eve has pleaded guilty to three charges.

Jesse Simpson of Covington, Ky., pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of breaking and entering. Two theft charges were dropped, and he faces up to three years in prison when sentenced next month.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that authorities describe a Grinch-like crime in which Simpson and an alleged accomplice broke into a Cincinnati warehouse in the early morning hours of Dec. 24, 2011. They allegedly took tens of thousands of dollars' worth of toys collected in the annual U.S. Marine Corps drive meant to benefit needy children.

Simpson remained jailed under $135,000 bond. His attorney declined comment.

Court records show that his alleged accomplice remains at large.

POLITICAL REDISTRICTING

House easily passes legislative redistricting bill

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A legislative redistricting bill has breezed through the House and now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Legislative leaders removed many of the partisan overtones that had been in previous proposals, a move that led to broader support among rank-and-file lawmakers of both parties.

The House passed the bill 83-17 Wednesday morning. The Senate is expected to rush the measure to a vote on Friday.

Lawmakers are working fast to complete redistricting because a three-judge panel is closely watching their efforts and is poised to step in if lawmakers fail to resolve the matter.

Redistricting is undertaken every 10 years to account for population changes recorded by the Census Bureau. Kentucky had major population shifts between 2000 and 2010, requiring reconfiguration of legislative districts in both the House and Senate.