Kentucky News Now

SPENDING BILL-VETO

Beshear vetoes portion of state spending bill

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear has vetoed portions of a state spending bill that he says will prevent budget cuts to a variety of state programs.

Beshear vetoed portions of House Bill 510, whose chief purpose was to spend an extra $68 million the state received in a settlement with tobacco companies. Lawmakers spent $23.5 million of that money on preschool, agriculture development and health care programs, and they spent $26.6 million to plug an estimated deficit.

But state budget officials now say the deficit has grown to $37.8 million. The original bill called for automatic budget cuts to fix the budget if that happened. Beshear on Monday vetoed a portion of the bill to prevent those automatic budget cuts. Instead, Beshear said his actions ensure the affected programs will have access to some of the extra money.

HEMP-KENTUCKY

Experimental hemp production expanding in Kentucky

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's hemp production is taking deeper root as pilot projects expand in the second year of testing its potential.

Adam Watson, the state Agriculture Department's hemp program coordinator, says spring planting season is expected to include at least several hundred acres of hemp. Statewide hemp plantings totaled about three dozen acres last year.

He says more than 100 farmers and processors — mostly growers — are expected to participate in the next round of pilot projects.

Last year's tiny production turned into the state's first legal hemp crop in generations. Growing hemp without a federal permit was banned in 1970 due to its classification as a controlled substance related to marijuana.

Hemp got a limited reprieve with the federal farm bill, which allows hemp research projects in states such as Kentucky.

UPIKE PRESIDENT

Hurley resigns as president of University of Pikeville

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) — James Hurley has resigned as president of the University of Pikeville, and former Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton has returned temporarily to the president's office.

Hurley and the university announced his resignation Monday, effective last Thursday, "due to personal reasons."

The university said Patton, who is chancellor and past president of the school, will be interim president while the board of trustees begins a national search for a new president.

A statement from the school credited Hurley with record growth at the university; adding colleges of business, education and optometry; and creating public-private and global education partnerships.

Hurley is an alumnus of the school and was its vice president before succeeding Patton in 2013.

ABUSE ALLEGATIONS

Woman charged in girls' death had 19 social services reports

DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Boyle County woman charged with murder in the beating death of her 3-year-old step-granddaughter had been reported to Child Protective Services and Adult Protective Services 18 times previously.

The Advocate Messenger reports most of the allegations against Shila Raley were for child neglect, though there also were accusations of physical and sexual child abuse, domestic violence and drug abuse.

Until the investigation into Alex Raley's June 2014 death from internal bleeding, no abuse allegation was substantiated. The bleeding was caused by blunt force blows to Alexa's abdomen and occurred while she was in Raley's care.

The Cabinet, through a spokeswoman, declined to comment about Alexa's death or Raley.

Raley has pleaded not guilty. She is in the Boyle County Detention Center on a $1-million bond.

MURRAY STATE-PAYNE

Murray State guard Cameron Payne will enter NBA draft

MURRAY, Ky. (AP) — Murray State sophomore guard Cameron Payne will forego his final two seasons to enter the NBA draft.

The Memphis native earned honorable mention for The Associated Press All-American team after leading the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring at 20.2 points per game last season. Payne ranked 13th nationally in scoring and assists (6.0 per game).

Payne was voted OVC Player of the Year and chosen Lute Olson National Player of the Year. The Racers (29-6) reached the NIT quarterfinals this season before losing 72-69 to Old Dominion on a last-second 3-pointer; they won the CollegeInsider.com tournament last season.

KFC ROAD TRIP

Canadians make 2,000-mile trip for Kentucky Fried Chicken

CORBIN, Ky. (AP) — Two thousand miles might seem like a long way to go for fried chicken.

Two men from Canada who took their sons on a journey to the original home of Kentucky Fried Chicken say it's a trip they'll never forget.

The Times-Tribune reports this was the third trip to the Harland Sanders Cafe and Museum for Brian Lutfy, one of the fathers who piled the four sons into a van for the 34-hour pilgrimage from Montreal, Quebec. His tales of earlier visits inspired the trip.

The friends left on Thursday, traveling to Colonel Sanders' birthplace and burial place before arriving at the Corbin restaurant Saturday afternoon.

For three of the sons, it was the first time they had tasted KFC.

And 10-year-old Jesse Janna said it was "delicious!"