Kentucky News Now

SCHOOL EVACUATED-KENTUCKY

911 calls released from Kentucky school shooting

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Two women whose children called them when a student was shot inside a Louisville high school described hearing chaos in the background.

The calls were among four to 911 released by Louisville police on Thursday. The calls were made after a shooting that took place at Fern Creek High School on Sept. 30.

One caller tells the dispatcher that her daughter called her.

"She said they're shooting, she's crying. I heard all the kids are hysterical. They're hiding in the office."

One student was hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries. A 16-year-old boy was charged with assault, wanton endangerment and weapons counts.

Three of the callers were parents who had heard about the shooting from their children. The fourth was a student, who said he was calling from a room next to the gym.

SENATE-KENTUCKY-DEBATE

Judge weighing Senate debate lawsuit

A federal judge is weighing whether to force a Kentucky public broadcaster to include a Libertarian U.S. Senate candidate in its televised debate Monday between Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes.

U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove said it gives him pause that Kentucky Educational Television changed the criteria for participating in the debate in the middle of the election cycle. But he also said he does not see anything in First Amendment case law that requires KET to include all viewpoints.

Attorneys for Libertarian candidate David Patterson argued KET officials were trying to keep Patterson out of the debate by changing the criteria and not telling Patterson about it.

Attorneys for KET argued the criteria is objective and said there was no proof KET changed the criteria to specifically exclude Patterson.

HANKOOK TIRES-TENNESSEE

Hankook breaks ground on new plant

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Hankook Tire has broken ground on an $800 million plant in Clarksville that is expected to create 1,800 jobs.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander joined local and company officials Thursday for the event.

Hankook, the world's seventh-largest tire maker, announced last year that it will build the facility, and the Tennessee State Funding Board approved $16 million in incentives for the project Wednesday.

Hankook officials plan to begin making high-end performance tires by early 2016 and hope to make 11 million tires annually.

Clarksville near the Tennessee-Kentucky state line is also home to a steel cord plant for Japanese tire maker Bridgestone, which has its Americas headquarters in Nashville.

Nissan, General Motors and Volkswagen have assembly plants in Tennessee, and more than 900 further automotive sector companies are active in the state. Ford, GM and Toyota build vehicles in neighboring Kentucky.

COCKFIGHTING CHARGES

Ky. Couple, son sentenced in cockfighting case

ABINGDON, Va. (AP) — An eastern Kentucky couple and their son have been sentenced in Virginia for participating in a major cockfighting enterprise.

A federal judge in Abingdon on Thursday sentenced Walter Stumbo of Floyd County, Kentucky, to 18 months. His wife, Sonya Stumbo, and their son, Joshua Stumbo, each got 10 months.

Sonya Stumbo was convicted at trial and the other two pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including conspiring to operate an illegal gambling enterprise and illegally conduct cock fights.

Jonathan Robinson of Wise County, Virginia, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for his role in the enterprise Wednesday. His father, Wesley Robinson, previously was sentenced to six months. Both had pleaded guilty.

Authorities say the McDowell, Kentucky, cockfighting venue featured arena-style seating, multiple fighting pits and a restaurant.

FARM MARKETS

Enrollment starts for 2015 roadside farm markets

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Roadside farm markets are still open for business in Kentucky, but organizers are already looking ahead to next year.

Kentucky Farm Bureau says enrollment is now open for the 2015 Certified Roadside Farm Market program.

The initiative started in 1996 as a way to help farmers market their fruits and vegetables directly from roadside markets to consumers across the state.

Since then, membership has expanded to include greenhouses, landscape nurseries, Christmas tree farms, vineyards and meat and cheese farm markets. Markets certified through the program are identified by the cornucopia logo.

Farm Bureau says all enrollment applications must be postmarked by Dec. 31 to guarantee placement in the annual membership directory.

HARVEST MOON DAYS

Harvest Moon event canceled at state park

CORBIN, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Parks Department says it has canceled an event for this weekend near Corbin because of rainy weather in the forecast.

The Harvest Moon and Trade Days event was scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park.

The event is dedicated to the traditional culture and history of Native Americans.

HISTORIC DIARY

University releasing diary entries of 1910 student

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The personal writings of the first woman to receive a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky are being released in pieces as the university nears its sesquicentennial next year.

Virginia Clay McClure's diary covers her junior and senior years at the State University of Kentucky, now UK, from 1910 to 1912. She received an AB degree in 1912 and a master's degree in 1928, also from UK. Eventually she took off 2 ½ years from teaching to complete her doctorate.

She said her department chairman didn't want a woman to earn a doctorate but she did so anyway in 1934, in American history.

After receiving her AB, she taught at Middlesboro, Paducah and Cynthiana, then returned to Lexington and taught in Fayette County schools.

The Virginia Clay McClure papers are housed at the Special Collections Research Center.

STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

Storytelling festival is Friday at University of Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Family-friendly stories and spooky tales are on the program for this year's Corn Island Storytelling Festival at the University of Louisville.

The festival runs from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. EDT Friday at the Red Barn on the university's Belknap Campus. Col. Bob Thompson of the Kentucky Homefront radio program serving as master of ceremonies.

There are also activities for children from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. with pumpkin painting and crafts. Children may dress in Halloween costumes to be entered to win a prize.

The festival is named after Louisville's first settlement. The festival ran for three decades before ending in 2007. Organizers and U of L revived the event last year.

For more information, visit http://uofl.me/cornisland2014 .