Kentucky News Now

ARMED INMATE ESCAPES

Police capture escaped inmate in Estill County

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

IRVINE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police say they have captured an inmate who escaped earlier this week while being transferred from London to the Estill County Detention Center in Irvine.

Trooper Kenny Sandusky told WKYT-TV that police took 37-year-old Jason Gay into custody Thursday morning in Estill County. Police say he was riding a bicycle.

Irvine police said Gay somehow slipped out of his handcuffs during the transfer on Tuesday, got out of the cruiser and went to a water plant where he stole a truck that had a large knife inside.

Officers had been searching for him since then.

BELMONT TICKETS

8,000 tickets remain for Belmont Stakes

NEW YORK (AP) — Approximately 8,000 general admission tickets remain for American Pharoah's Triple Crown quest Saturday in the Belmont Stakes.

The New York Racing Association implemented several new policies this year. The crowd will be capped at 90,000, well below the record of 120,139 for Smarty Jones's failed Triple Crown bid in 2004.

"Interest has skyrocketed in the event since American Pharoah's arrival here this week," NYRA director of communications and public affairs John Durso said. "We anticipate a sellout."

All box and reserved seats are gone, and the restaurants are fully booked.

In another departure from tradition, no tickets will be sold at the track on race day.

"If you do not already have a ticket, please do not come to Belmont Park on Saturday," Durso said.

More information on ticket and admission policies can be found at BelmontStakes.com.

LAWMAKER INDICTED

Judge rules ex-lawmaker's estranged wife can't testify

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that a former lawmaker's estranged wife won't be allowed to testify at his trial about a conversation with him because of spousal privilege.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports U.S. District Chief Judge Karen Caldwell said at a motion hearing Thursday in Lexington that if former state Rep. Keith Hall's case goes to trial, the jury won't hear Stephanie Hall testify about a 2010 conversation in which she said he told her he was paying money to the state mine inspector assigned to his coal mines.

Prosecutors say Keith Hall paid about $46,000 in bribes to Kelly Shortridge, who was then a state mine inspector. Shortridge, who pleaded guilty in March, has said he agreed to ignore violations at Hall's mines in Pike County.

MAYFIELD NEWSPAPER SALE

Paxton Media Group purchases The Mayfield Messenger

(Information in the following story is from: The Mayfield Messenger.)

MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Paxton Media Group of Paducah has purchased The Mayfield Messenger from the Haskell family of Martinsville, Virginia.

Terms of the sale weren't disclosed.

Paxton Media publishes five other newspapers in the region, including The Paducah Sun, the Tribune Courier of Marshall County and newspapers serving Eddyville and Lyon County; Cadiz and Trigg County; and Metropolis and Massac County, Illinois. Paxton Media also owns WPSD-TV, which serves western Kentucky, southern Illinois, southeast Missouri and northwest Tennessee.

Paxton Media President and CEO David Paxton said combining The Messenger's strengths with other Paxton papers will enable it to provide even better service to readers and advertisers.

Paxton is a family-owned business serving the region since 1896.

The Messenger was first published as a weekly newspaper in 1900 and merged with the Mayfield Times in 1923.

DISABILITY FRAUD-ROGERS

Rogers: Disability pay to be restored for 900 recipients

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers says a suspension of federal disability benefits for 900 recipients in eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia is being lifted.

Rogers says he urged Social Security Administration officials on Wednesday to lift the suspension, saying the benefit payments were a matter of "life and death" for residents in the region. The Republican's district includes much of eastern Kentucky.

The Social Security Administration has said it is in the process of redetermining benefits for 1,500 people represented by Kentucky attorney Eric C. Conn, who was under investigation for suspected fraud. Benefits were recently suspended for 900 of those people before Rogers intervened.

Rogers, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, said in a conference call Thursday that the disability recipients were "innocent bystanders" to the alleged fraud conspiracy.

LAND BETWEEN LAKES-GAME

Free game available for young visitors to Land Between Lakes

GOLDEN POND, Ky. (AP) — Visitors to Land Between The Lakes' Woodlands Nature Station can download a mobile app that provides a free game for young people to play.

Land Between The Lakes says Agents of Nature can be played at the Nature Station and surrounding trails for nature-based challenges using a tablet or smartphone.

To use the app, download it and the Land Between The Lakes "mission site" at home or on a Wi-Fi hotspot. There are more than 20 mission sites across the U.S. and Canada, including the National Mall in Washington.

To download the app and find out more, visit http://www.agentsofdiscovery.net .

Land Between The Lakes manages more than 170,000 acres in western Kentucky and Tennessee.

STATE FIRE SCHOOL

Firefighters meeting in Lexington for training courses

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Hundreds of Kentucky firefighters are in Lexington this week learning more about how to handle different types of fires and specialized rescues.

The 86th annual Kentucky State Fire School started Wednesday at the Lexington Convention Center and Cox Street parking lot near Rupp Arena and continues through Sunday.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System said in a news release that more than 1,200 firefighters and first responders are attending the school. Those attending can choose from more than 40 courses including heavy vehicle rescue, technical rope rescue, airport firefighting, rapid intervention team training and foam fire streams.

KENTUCKY-CALIPARI

Calipari retools Kentucky roster 7 players bolted for NBA

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky coach John Calipari believes his overhauled roster can do something "crazy" like last season's one-loss squad — once they finally get together.

The new Wildcats have a tough act to follow after last year's group went 38-1 before a Final Four loss to Wisconsin that derailed unbeaten championship hopes. Calipari concedes he never thought that talented team would ever lose and still laments the what-ifs of the 71-64 loss.

The coach said Thursday, "We didn't play as well, but Wisconsin played great."

Calipari now faces the challenge of filling the void created after his top seven scorers entered the NBA draft, including four possible lottery picks. Though turnover isn't new for Calipari, he must figure out where offense and leadership will emerge from his returning veterans and newcomers.