Kentucky News Now

KENTUCKY GOVERNOR-REPUBLICANS

Republicans focus on background in crowded, agreeable field

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The Republican primary for governor is a little more than three months away, but a clear front-runner has emerged: undecided voters.

Two recent polls showed a majority of likely Republican primary voters have not decided whom to vote for in the May 19 primary. The four Republican candidates agree on most major issues. That's why candidates touted their professional backgrounds during a forum on Tuesday in Lexington.

James Comer says he can use his relationships with lawmakers to get things done. Hal Heiner has relied on his personal wealth to air TV commercials highlighting his outsider status. Matt Bevin is known for his unsuccessful primary challenge to Sen. Mitch McConnell last year. And Will T. Scott has staked early policy positions, including promising to shutter the state's health insurance exchange.

APPALACHIAN HEALTH

Project to examine Appalachian health trends, 'bright spots'

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A new health research project is underway to find why people in some parts of Appalachia have better health outcomes than expected based on economic hardship and other factors.

Experts will try to determine what causes the better outcomes in certain areas and why outcomes in other areas aren't as good as would be expected.

The Appalachian Regional Commission and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are funding the project, and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky is administering it.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation senior program officer Dr. David Krol says it's hoped the project will enable good results to be spread to other communities.

The Kentucky foundation said the project's work will include producing a database showing county-level health and economic data and identifying "bright spots" that show positive health outcomes.

DUI

MADD president backs ignition interlock bill to combat DUI

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A national advocate against impaired driving has endorsed a bill aimed at cracking down on drunken driving in Kentucky by having ignition interlock devices installed in the vehicles of DUI offenders.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving President Colleen Sheehey-Church told a state Capitol rally on Tuesday that interlock devices can save lives.

She said the devices keep offenders from driving drunk but allow them to continue their daily lives.

Rep. Dennis Keene said his bill would require repeat DUI offenders to have the devices installed in their vehicles in order to drive. He said first-time offenders could be back on the road sooner with the devices.

Drivers must blow into the devices in order to start their vehicles. If their blood alcohol concentration exceeds a certain level, the vehicles won't start.

NOAH'S ARK PARK

Ky. ministry says state's denial of tax break "unlawful"

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A lawyer for the Christian ministry building a wooden ark attraction in Kentucky says the state committed "an unlawful action" by rescinding a tax rebate benefit worth about $18 million.

Answers in Genesis released an online video Tuesday in which the group's founder Ken Ham says they will sue the state in federal court over the tax benefit. The lawsuit has not been filed.

In December, the state withdrew the tax benefit for the Ark Encounter, a Noah's ark-themed park with a 500-foot long wooden ship. State tourism officials say the group changed the mission of the project from tourist attraction to ministry.

Mike Johnson, a lawyer for Answers in Genesis, says in the video that Kentucky officials were wrong to block the group from the rebate program.

APP CHALLENGE

Kentucky middle school team wins national award for Log 'N Learn app they designed

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A team of Kentucky middle-schoolers is among eight groups receiving national honors for a mobile app they designed.

The Log 'N Learn app concept gives information about driver education to help young drivers become more experienced.

The team at Meyzeek (may-ZEEK') Middle School in Louisville won tablets, and the school receives $20,000 from the Verizon Foundation. The students will work with trainers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop the app.

One of the team members, Mark Raj, said in a statement the recognition allows the students to leave their mark on the school.

The Verizon Innovative App Challenge is aimed at boosting student interest in science, technology, engineering and math.

Meyzeek and the seven other teams were chosen as Best in Nation winners in the competition.

NICHOLAS BRIDGE

Nicholas County brige being replaced

CARLISLE, Ky. (AP) — Work has begun in northeastern Kentucky on a $3 million bridge replacement project.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says land clearing and utility relocations are underway at the location near the Myers community in Nicholas County.

Contractors are building a new bridge adjacent to the old steel truss crossing Scrubgrass Creek and TTI Railroad about five miles east of Carlisle on Kentucky 32.

Construction is scheduled to take place this spring through late summer. Demolition of the old bridge is expected in the fall.

Kentucky 32 will remain open during construction, but contractors will temporarily widen the highway near the existing bridge to divert traffic away from work zones. The cabinet says motorists should watch for flaggers and obey warning signs.

RAND PAUL-VACCINATIONS

Paul: I did not say vaccinations cause mental disorders

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Rand Paul now says he thinks vaccinations are safe.

The potential 2016 presidential contender, said Monday he was aware of "many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines."

Late Tuesday, the Kentucky Republican issued a statement in which he denies saying immunizations cause disorders.

Paul says he noted that they were "temporally related," or connected by time. The senator says he "did not allege causation."

He adds that he believes vaccines have saved lives and should be administered to children. He also tweeted a photograph of himself receiving a booster vaccination Tuesday for the immunizations he received last year.

Paul, an ophthalmologist, says he's had his own children immunized.

MOTHER CHARGED-POISONING

Defense: Lack of evidence against mom in NY poisoning death

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (AP) — A defense lawyer says there are no eyewitnesses or direct evidence in the murder case against a woman accused of fatally poisoning her 5-year-old son with salt and documenting his decline on social media.

Attorney Stephen Riebling (REEB'-ling) also told jurors in his opening statement Tuesday that there is no legitimate evidence of a motive.

But prosecutor Doreen Lloyd countered that Lacey Spears purposely sickened her son, Garnett-Paul, for "attention and sympathy."

She says the Scottsville, Kentucky, woman repeatedly dosed her son with salt, forcing a deadly amount into a feeding tube attached to his stomach.

Lloyd says video recordings will show the mother watching for the sodium to take effect, then summoning help when her son starts writhing.

Riebling says Spears showed the care and support expected of a mother.

WHISKEY SALES

Bourbon, Tennessee whiskey sales up in US; exports top $1B

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — New figures show producers of Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey scored another round of U.S. sales growth in 2014, while exports topped $1 billion.

The Distilled Spirits Council said Tuesday that when mixed together, U.S. revenues for bourbon and Tennessee whiskey rose by 9.6 percent to $2.7 billion last year.

It says domestic volume shot up 7.4 percent to 19.4 million cases.

Revenue and volume gains last year were similar to increases registered in 2013.

The domestic numbers reflect sales from producers or suppliers to wholesalers.

In another good sign for producers, the category's pricier super premium products notched 19.2 percent gains in both revenues and volumes.

The council says demand for bourbon and Tennessee whiskey remained strong with overseas drinkers, with exports projected to top $1.02 billion for 2014.