Kentucky News Now

ELECTIONS

Bill to move governor's election advances in Senate

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A state Senate panel has approved a proposal to move Kentucky's election for governor to even-numbered years.

Kentucky is one of the few states that elects its governor and other statewide constitutional officers in odd-numbered years. State Sen. Chris McDaniel, a Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in November, said moving the election would save local taxpayers $3.5 million every four years.

But Democratic state Sen. Dorsey Ridley of Henderson said the added expense of the elections is the cost of democracy. He said having the election for governor separate from a presidential or congressional campaigns gives the race more attention and prestige.

The Senate State and Local Government Committee has passed similar bills the past two years that ultimately failed.

HEROIN

House panel OKs bill to combat heroin

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A bill to combat Kentucky's growing heroin problem has won approval from a House committee and could get a vote in the full House later this week.

The measure won bipartisan support in clearing the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. House Speaker Greg Stumbo said the bill could be voted on by the Democratic-led House on Friday.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Tilley of Hopkinsville said he's confident a heroin bill will pass the General Assembly. He says the legislation will undergo more changes before it reaches the governor's desk.

The Republican-led Senate passed its version last month.

The House and Senate versions have some key differences. The House bill would let local governments create an exchange where heroin users could swap out dirty needles for clean ones.

LANDLINES

Senate advances telephone deregulation bill

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Republican state Senate has advanced a bill that would likely accelerate the death of Kentucky's traditional landline service after a similar proposal seemed to falter in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

Supporters were optimistic the bill would get a vote in the House after it easily cleared a committee last week. But since then House members piled on eight amendments, a sign the body is far from a consensus.

The bill wouldn't require telephone companies to maintain traditional landline service in areas that have more than 15,000 households. AT&T of Kentucky President Hood Harris vowed no one with an existing landline would lose service.

Opponents say the state is moving too fast, arguing alternative services are not reliable for home security systems and medical monitoring devices.

HASLAMS INVESTIGATION

Judge allows claims to proceed against Pilot Flying J

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge has allowed several trucking companies to press claims they were cheated by a truck-stop company owned by Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and his family.

The judge also granted Pilot Flying J's motion to dismiss several other counts against the retailer Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Amul Thapar dismissed seven of 11 civil claims against Haslam, the company's CEO, and allowed four others to go forward. Haslam has not been charged with any crime.

The trucking companies claim they were cheated out of fuel rebates and discounts promised by Pilot Flying J, the nation's largest diesel retailer.

One of the plaintiffs' attorneys, Leonard Leicht, said the ruling means Pilot's efforts to delay the case are over. Pilot attorney Aubrey Harwell said the retailer will fight the ongoing claims.

FORT CAMPBELL-EBOLA

Troops returning to Fort Campbell from Senegal deployment

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — More Fort Campbell soldiers are returning from their deployment to West Africa and the fight against Ebola.

The post on the Kentucky-Tennessee state line says about 50 soldiers from the 101st Sustainment Brigade are scheduled to arrive at Fort Campbell on Friday. The unit was deployed to Senegal and provided logistics support for the effort.

Fort Campbell said the soldiers are returning directly to the post without the controlled monitoring that other troops have undergone because Senegal was Ebola-free during their deployment.

OVERPASS COLLAPSE

Family of worker killed when overpass collapsed sues Ohio

CINCINNATI (AP) — The parents of a worker killed when a highway overpass collapsed have sued Ohio's Department of Transportation.

They sued on behalf of the estate and family of 35-year-old Brandon Carl of Augusta, Kentucky. The father of four died Jan. 19 during demolition work to remove an Interstate 75 ramp bridge in Cincinnati.

The lawsuit charges that the department was negligent and breached its duty of care by allowing improper and unsafe conditions at the site for work it had contracted to have done by Kokosing Construction Company Inc. of Columbus.

The lawsuit this week was filed in the Ohio Court of Claims, which handles legal claims against the state and state agencies. It seeks unspecified damages and payment of $11,295 in funeral expenses.

A message was left Wednesday for ODOT.

FATAL SHOOTINGS-KENTUCKY

Western Kentucky woman indicted in family killings case

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A western Kentucky woman has been indicted in connection with the killings of a couple and their adult daughter last fall.

Kentucky State Police said 41-year-old Ann L. Plotkin of Hopkinsville was arrested Wednesday after a Trigg County grand jury indicted her.

Plotkin is charged with complicity to commit capital murder and resisting arrest. She is being held in the Christian County jail. Online jail records didn't indicate whether she is represented by a lawyer.

Ryan Champion has pleaded not guilty to murder, complicity to murder and complicity to kidnapping in the deaths of his parents and sister and a 22-year-old man, Vito Riservato. Prosecutors have said they believe the 36-year-old Champion enlisted help from Riservato in killing his family, then killed Riservato.

SCHOOL BUS REPLACEMENT

2 districts to receive rebates to help replace diesel school buses

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Two Kentucky public school districts are getting some help with replacing older diesel school buses.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced this week that the Fleming Board of Education and the Bell County Board of Education have been awarded a portion of more than $3 million in rebates to acquire new buses that are cleaner and reduce pollutants.

The EPA says the funding will provide rebates for 76 school bus fleets in 30 states.

The agency says applicants were randomly selected. It was the second round of the rebate program.

SPEED SCHOLARSHIPS

University of Louisville scholarship set up for competitors in robotics tournament

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The University of Louisville's engineering school and a foundation that puts on an annual robotics competition are starting a scholarship fund.

The J.B. Speed School of Engineering's partnership is with the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation. The foundation runs the annual VEX Robotics World Championship, which is being held in Louisville in April.

The total value of the scholarships is $60,000. Interested students must be participants in the VEX competition, and they must apply by January 2016.

To learn more about the foundation's scholarship program, go to http://www.roboticseducation.org/scholarships or http://www.louisville.edu/admissions/aid .

The robotics championship will be April 15 to 18 at the Kentucky Exposition Center.