Kentucky News Now

LT GOV-SWEARING IN

Luallen becomes Ky.'s 56th lieutenant governor: public oath-taking Friday in Frankfort

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Lt. Gov. Crit Luallen will take the oath of office during a public ceremony Friday in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort.

Luallen, who was appointed to succeed Jerry Abramson, was sworn in during a private ceremony Thursday at the home of retired Kentucky Chief Justice John Palmore. Abramson resigned to accept a job as deputy assistant to President Barack Obama.

Palmore administered the oath of office to Luallen with about 25 of her friends attending.

Luallen is a former state auditor and has worked for six governors with positions including budget director and secretary of the finance and tourism cabinets.

She says she doesn’t expect to run for office later. She said although no one knows what the future may bring, she definitely will not be running next year.

CONGRESS-LEADERS

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky in line for top GOP post in January

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans and Democrats are picking their party leaders for the Congress that convenes in January, in separate elections utterly lacking in suspense.

Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is assured of becoming the next Senate majority leader, and Republican congressman John Boehner of Ohio is on track for a third term as House speaker.

Neither man faced public opposition on the eve of Thursday's party elections. The closed-door meetings are likely to be celebratory occasions for Republicans, and far less than that for Democrats who took a pounding in the midterm elections.

Despite sizable election losses, Democrats appear to be on track to hand Nevada Sen. Harry Reid and California congresswoman Nancy Pelosi another two years as party leaders, postponing a generational change that appears not far in the future.

HEALTH OVERHAUL-KENTUCKY

Kynect opens retail store in Lexington mall

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Holiday shoppers at Fayette Mall can now buy some health insurance to go with their Jamba Juice.

Kynect, the state's health insurance exchange, opened its first retail store on Thursday just across from the popular smoothie restaurant. Kynect has been lauded for signing up more than 521,000 people for health insurance, with most of those people added to the state's Medicaid program. Now state officials are turning their attention to the hard-to-reach groups as the second open enrollment period begins on Saturday, including the so-called "young invincibles," people in their 20s and 30s who don't think they need health insurance because they are young and healthy.

Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear said he hopes to sign up several thousand more people as Republicans fret about the cost of insuring the people added to the state's Medicaid program.

MINE EXPLOSION-INVESTIGATION

Ex-CEO of West Virginia mine that blew up, killing 29, indicted

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The former CEO who oversaw the West Virginia mine that exploded in 2010, killing 29 people, has been indicted on federal charges related to a mine safety investigation.

U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin said a federal grand jury indicted former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship on Thursday.

The charges include conspiracy to violate mandatory federal mine safety and health standards; conspiracy to impede federal mine safety officials; making false statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission; and securities fraud.

The indictment alleges Blankenship conspired to violate mine safety and health standards at the Upper Big Branch Mine from January 2008 until April 2010, when an explosion at the mine killed 29 coal miners.

FORT CAMPBELL-EBOLA

101st commander says soldiers taking precautions

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — The commander of the 101st Airborne Division says soldiers deployed to West Africa to build Ebola treatment centers are taking multiple precautions to avoid contracting the virus.

Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky says the roughly 700 Fort Campbell-based troops currently in Africa carry masks and latex gloves whenever they interact outside their operating base in Liberia. Volesky spoke Thursday to reporters via a teleconference at the post on the Kentucky-Tennessee state line. Volesky was scheduled to hold a similar session later in the day during a town hall meeting with families of service members.

The troops are among 3,000 troops the U.S. plans to send to Africa.

Families of some soldiers have expressed concerns about the deployment and how the soldiers will be handled before returning home.

WILDLIFE CENTER

Salato Center closing for winter later this month

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The days are numbered for fitting in a visit to the Salato Wildlife Education Center in Frankfort before it closes for the winter.

The center closes at 5 p.m. EST Nov. 26 and reopens March 3, giving staff time to perform maintenance and make upgrades on exhibits.

The center has about 75,000 annual visitors to see its native animals, including a black bear, an eagle, bobcats, elk, deer, bison, snakes, frogs and fish. There are also indoor and outdoor exhibits and miles of hiking trails open to the public.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources operates the center, off U.S. 60 about 1 ½ miles west of the U.S. 127 intersection.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

SURGEONS PRESIDENT

U of Louisville surgery professor to lead surgeons group

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — University of Louisville surgery professor J. David Richardson is the new president-elect of the American College of Surgeons.

Richardson has been vice chairman of surgery at U of L since 1985 and has been chief of surgery service and director of emergency surgical services at University Hospital since 2005.

He has held several leadership roles in the American College of Surgeons, the most recent as chairman of the board of regents from 2011 to 2012.

He was elected during the college's annual business meeting last month in San Francisco. He will be installed as president of the American College of Surgeons next October in Chicago.

The college is a scientific and educational organization founded in 1913 to raise practice standards and improve quality of care.

CHURCHILL-ROSIE NAPRAVNIK

Jockey Rosie Napravnik to be honored at Churchill

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Rosie Napravnik will be honored at Churchill Downs on Saturday, two weeks after the jockey surprised the racing world by announcing her retirement at the Breeders' Cup because she is pregnant.

The days' sixth race has been dubbed "The Run for Rosie," and she will be feted in the winner's circle afterward.

The 26-year-old jockey is expecting her first child with husband Joe Sharp in June. He is a trainer at Churchill, where Napravnik became the first female rider to win the $1 million Kentucky Oaks in 2012. She won the race again this year.

Napravnik won the $2 million Breeders' Cup Distaff with Untapable on Oct. 31 and retired the next day.

She ranks sixth among North American jockeys with purse earnings of $13,531,663, this year, with 189 winners.