Kentucky News Now – January 8th 2016

OFFICER SHOOTING

Police: Officer fatally shoots 1 after search in Daviess

OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) — Police say a law enforcement officer in western Kentucky fatally shot an armed person who fled into a wooded area while officers were investigating a burglary call.

Kentucky State Police said state police, Owensboro police and the Daviess County sheriff's office responded Thursday afternoon and searched the area in western Daviess County.

Police said the person was found within about 15 minutes and told to surrender. A news release from state police said he knelt, and an officer prepared to use a Taser. The release said the person raised a firearm in the officers' direction, and a different officer fired a rifle, hitting the person. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

No additional information has been released.

ALCOA-WARRICK SMELTER

Alcoa to close southwestern Indiana smelter, cut 600 jobs

NEWBURGH, Ind. (AP) — Alcoa says it will permanently close its Warrick Operations smelter in southwestern Indiana, eliminating 600 jobs.

Alcoa said Thursday it will close the 269,000-metric ton smelter east of Evansville by the end of the first quarter 2016.

The company says the Warrick Operations' rolling mill and power plant will continue to operate. However, it will cut alumina production by 1 million metric tons by mid-year. It says that includes cutting the remaining 810,000 metric tons of refining capacity at its Point Comfort operations in Texas.

Alumina is used in the production of aluminum.

The company cited market conditions for the moves: It says the Midwest transaction aluminum price dropped by about 30 percent last year and the Alumina Price Index fell about 40 percent.

KENTUCKY-DRONE CRASH

Student pleads guilty to misdemeanor in stadium drone case

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A University of Kentucky student who operated a drone that crashed inside a stadium before a football game has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in the case.

The Lexington Herald-Leader cites court documents in reporting that 24-year-old law student Peyton Wilson pleaded guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor criminal trespassing and paid a $100 fine.

Wilson originally faced a charge of second-degree wanton endangerment. University police said in September that no one was injured when the drone crashed into suite-level glass on the south side of the stadium prior to Kentucky's game against Louisiana-Lafayette. The stadium wasn't damaged.

Pregame festivities included military parachutists, and police said one skydiver reported he had to alter his flight path to avoid the drone.

FATAL CRASH-SELF-DEFENSE

Man who crashed SUV into truck claims it was self-defense

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The lawyer for a western Kentucky man facing two murder counts for his role in a fatal crash says his client acted in self-defense.

The Kentucky New Era reports that defense attorney William G. Deatherage Jr. is asking a judge to dismiss charges against his client, Travis Orten. Deatherage says Orten was justified in striking a truck with his SUV in Hopkinsville in July 2015 because the occupants of the truck had attacked Orten beforehand and threatened to kill him and his family.

Two of the truck's passengers died from injuries in the resulting crash. Twenty-three-year-old Jacob Ort and 19-year-old Kendra Lee were both from Montgomery County, Tennessee.

A report from the Christian County Sheriff's Department says a "home invasion" happened at Orten's address shortly before the crash.

VETERANS CENTER

Group seeks to honor US Navy's fist black Master Diver

(Information in the following story is from: The News-Enterprise, http://www.thenewsenterprise.com)

RADCLIFF, Ky. (AP) — A veteran's group is spearheading an effort to rename the Radcliff Veterans Center after a U.S. Navy officer who was the first African-American to become a Master Diver.

Bob Casher of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association tells the News-Enterprise (bit.ly/1Z8hyFZ) he started an online petition to rename the center after Command Master Chief Carl Brashear a couple of weeks ago.

Brashear grew up in nearby Sonora and retired from service in 1979 as a Master Chief Petty Officer and Master Diver. Casher says he was told by Brashear's son, Phil, that if the center is renamed he will donate memorabilia belonging to his father for display.

The idea has gained support from Dave Jarett of the Joint Executive Council for Veterans Organizations, who will be helping Casher draft a letter to present to the state legislature.

STIVERS' WIFE-APPOINTMENT

Senate president's wife hired as deputy cabinet secretary

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Gov. Matt Bevin's administration says the wife of Senate President Robert Stivers has been hired as a deputy cabinet secretary.

Bevin spokeswoman Jessica Ditto said Thursday that Regina Stivers will serve as deputy secretary of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet.

Ditto says Regina Stivers will start work on Monday.

Regina Stivers has worked with several of the state's most prominent Republicans.

She currently works in the Lexington field office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Ditto says Regina Stivers also worked in Gov. Ernie Fletcher's administration and as a member of former U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning's staff.

The Courier-Journal first reported the story.

INFANT DEATH

Letcher County teenager pleads guilty to killing baby

(Information in the following story is from: WYMT-TV, http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews)

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A 17-year-old Letcher County boy has entered a plea deal in which he admitted to killing an infant.

WYMT-TV reports that Keaston Taylor pleaded guilty Tuesday in Pike County Circuit Court to an amended charge of second-degree manslaughter.

Prosecutors say Taylor killed 4-month-old Blayze Alexander Smith by throwing the baby down an embankment in June 2014. Smith's body was found about 50 feet away from his home.

After consulting the victim's next of kin, Letcher County Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Tyler Ward recommended a seven year prison sentence for Taylor, followed by five months of probation. Taylor is scheduled for sentencing Feb. 19.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, the court could order additional psychiatric treatment if Taylor continues to pose a threat to himself or others after his sentence.

FORMER MINISTER CHARGED

Ex-Danville youth minister pleads not guilty to sex charges

DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A former Danville youth minister pleaded not guilty to seven felony counts related to illegal sexual activities with minors.

Media outlets report 28-year-old Bobby Cassady's attorney entered the plea Tuesday in Boyle Circuit Court.

Cassady is charged with three counts of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor, two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, promoting a sexual performance by a minor and possession of material portraying a sexual performance by a minor.

He previously served as youth director at Gethsemane Baptist Church. He also volunteered with high school football teams and was a substitute bus driver for Danville schools.

The investigation began after a 17-year-old boy said Cassady asked him to send a sexually explicit video to him.

Commonwealth Attorney Richie Bottoms says there are multiple victims involved in the case.