Latest Kentucky News

POWER PLANT SECURITY

Ky. power plants' online security to be assessed

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A consulting firm has been selected to assess online cyber risks to Kentucky's electric cooperatives.

The Kentucky Public Service Commission has been awarded a grant to study vulnerabilities at smaller electric utilities.

The study will include between three and six cooperatives. It will assess the cyber risks to the cooperatives and how to mitigate the risks.

Kentucky Association of Electric Cooperatives president Bill Corum says the study will have far-reaching benefits for the state's smaller power suppliers.

C.H. Guernsey & Co. has been selected to conduct the study. The grant money was awarded by the National Association of Utility Regulatory Commissioners, with funding from the Department of Energy.

Kentucky's PSC has jurisdiction over 19 electric cooperatives in Kentucky, which serve about a quarter of the state's 2.3 million electric customers.

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS

Ethics Commission wants to limit campaign gifts

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Legislative Ethics Commission wants to prohibit campaign contributions from employers of lobbyists and political action committees to lawmakers or legislative candidates when the General Assembly is in session.

The panel is asking lawmakers to approve that change when they convene in January.

The proposal would broaden an existing law that prohibits lobbyists from contributing to legislative campaigns.

If passed, more than 650 companies employing lobbyists would no longer be able to contribute to lawmakers or legislative candidates during sessions, nor would more than 140 state-registered PACs.

PRESCRIPTION DISPOSAL

Prescription disposal available throughout Ky.

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — State officials are urging residents who have prescription medications they no longer need to dispose of them safely, with dozens of permanent locations now throughout the state.

Gov. Steve Beshear's office says there are about 150 permanent disposal locations in about 100 counties.

No questions are asked when the drugs are dropped into the boxes, which are monitored and located in law enforcement buildings.

Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy Executive Director Van Ingram says more than 60 percent of adolescents who use prescription drugs for other than their prescribed purpose report they obtained them from family and friends.

To find disposal box locations and hours of operation, visit http://odcp.ky.gov and click on "Prescription Drug Drop Box Sites."

MADISON-MILTON BRIDGE

Part of old Milton-Madison Bridge being demolished

MILTON, Ky. (AP) — People near the old U.S. 421 bridge between Milton, Ky., and Madison, Ind., may be required to take precautions Thursday when explosive demolition of part of the structure is scheduled.

The 400-foot-long northernmost section of the old truss will be taken out around 9 a.m. EDT on that day, weather permitting. People who live in a residential area of Madison will need to stay inside starting at 8:45 a.m. until after the blast.

Law enforcement officials will enforce a safety perimeter, and spectators must stay outside of it.

The new Milton-Madison Bridge will close around 9 a.m. and is expected to reopen before 11 a.m. Roads within the 1,000-foot safety perimeter will also be closed at 8:45 a.m. River traffic will be closed at about 9 a.m. and will reopen shortly after the blast.

BODY FOUND

Body found of woman swept away in flood waters

(Information in the following story is from: WLKY-TV, http://wlky.com )

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Authorities have identified the body of a woman who was swept away by flood waters in LaRue County.

According to WLKY-TV, the body is that of 28-year-old Valerie Holt.

Officials say Holt and a man were riding a four-wheeler at Otter Creek on Saturday when they lost control in a flash flood and Holt disappeared.

Her body was found Sunday afternoon.

The man, who has not been identified, wasn't injured.

LOUISVILLE-PITINO

Rick Pitino prepares for Hall of Fame induction

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Rick Pitino is once again studying video of Michael Jordan and John Stockton to learn from them.

The Louisville coach wants to be sure he knows what to say and not say when he is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame on Sunday.

Pitino is among a seven-member class to be enshrined on Sunday in Springfield, Mass, that includes former college coaches Jerry Tarkanian and Guy Lewis, former NBA players Bernard King and Gary Payton, Virginia graduate and current South Carolina women's coach Dawn Staley and North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell.

Former coaches-turned-TV analysts Dick Vitale and Hubie Brown will introduce Pitino, who's preparing to stay within the five-minute acceptance speech time and promised Monday to be "more thankful" than Jordan, who was criticized for taking shots at others during his induction speech.

TENNESSEE-WKU'S WARNING

Vols insist they won't look past Western Kentucky

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee is treating Western Kentucky as if it's a Southeastern Conference opponent instead of a Sun Belt team.

The Volunteers insist they'll resist the temptation to look past Saturday's game against Western Kentucky with trips to No. 3 Oregon and No. 10 Florida looming in the next couple of weeks. They know Western Kentucky and Hilltoppers coach Bobby Petrino too well.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones says the Hilltoppers "have SEC talent."

They also have a former SEC coach who knows how to beat teams in the nation's toughest conference.

Western Kentucky coach Bobby Petrino went 34-17 at Arkansas from 2008-11 and was 21-5 over his last two seasons. Petrino took over Western Kentucky's program in December and beat SEC program Kentucky 35-26 in his debut as the Hilltoppers' coach.

CARDINALS-REDS

Reds hit Wainwright hard again, beat Cardinals 7-2

CINCINNATI (AP) — Shin-Soo Choo and Joey Votto homered as Cincinnati roughed up Adam Wainwright for the second start in a row Monday, leading Mat Latos and the Reds to a 7-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a four-game series between the NL Central rivals.

Latos (14-5) gave up four hits in his first complete game of the season.

The Cardinals took two of three in St. Louis last week, the only loss coming when the Reds tagged Wainwright (15-9) for nine runs in a career-low two innings. They had his number again on Monday, piling up six runs and 10 hits in six innings.

Cincinnati now trails the Cardinals by 2½ games. St. Louis opened the day tied with Pittsburgh for first place. The Reds maintain a comfortable lead for the final NL wild-card spot.