Kentucky News Now

WINTER WEATHER-KENTUCKY

Parts of Kentucky could see up to 4 inches of snow

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Weather forecasters say parts of Kentucky could get up to 4 inches of snow by Monday morning.

Meteorologist Andrea Schoettmer with the Louisville National Weather Service says a winter weather advisory has been issued for central Kentucky.

She says Bowling Green to Lexington up to the Ohio River could get as much as 3 inches of snow, and areas to the northeast of Louisville might see 4 inches.

She says two systems are combining to create the wintry weather.

Emergency officials advise motorists to be careful because the frozen precipitation could hang around a while, with temperatures expected to get no higher than the mid-20s on Tuesday.

Temperatures in the 30s are expected later in the week.

WHITE HOUSE DECORATOR

Ky. artist to help decorate White House

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP) — Kate Bateman can add a huge checkmark to her bucket list.

The retired Hardin County Schools art teacher has been selected as a volunteer to decorate the White House for Christmas.

Bateman was conditionally accepted to participate pending the outcome of a background check. At that time, she was urged not to publicly share the news.

Last week, she officially was accepted and now can talk about it.

Bateman leaves Thanksgiving Day and has her first meeting with White House officials that evening. Volunteers will work for four days and conclude with a White House reception and a full tour to see the president's home in on Dec. 3.

Although the trip is self-funded, she says she may make it an annual tradition.

HIT-AND-RUN FATAL

Arrest made in fatal hit-and-run in Perry Co.

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

HYDEN, Ky. (AP) — Authorities have made an arrest in the death of a Perry County man who was killed in a hit-and-run.

According to WKYT-TV, 38-year-old Marcus Abner was arrested Sunday morning and charged with reckless homicide and leaving the scene of an accident.

Kentucky State Police say the body of Billy Ray Baker was found outside in the community of Saul near Hyden, Kentucky, around 3 p.m. Saturday. Officials didn't release details about the fatal accident, but says the case remains under investigation.

Abner was still being held Sunday in the Kentucky River Regional jail on $500,000 bond.

Jail records did not list an attorney for Abner.

MCCONNELL

McConnell confident Democrats will join EPA fight

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Newly elected Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he expects Democrats will join him in his quest to thwart the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to reduce the country's carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants.

McConnell told the state Republican Party of Kentucky's executive committee on Saturday that since his re-election about half of the people in the Senate who have called him have been Democrats. McConnell says he believe the Senate has a pool of between five and 10 Democratic senators who would vote with Republicans to block the new EPA emission standards.

The Senate is scheduled to vote next week on whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. McConnell called that vote an early indicator of how many Democrats would be willing to vote against the new EPA rules.

BOURBON'S RETURN

Hardin to get first legal bourbon since 1890s

(Information in the following story is from: The News-Enterprise, http://www.thenewsenterprise.com)

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP) — Hardin County will soon be legally producing bourbon for the first time since the 1890s.

The News-Enterprise reports the Boundary Oak Distillery will begin producing bourbon this year that will be aged two years and then sold.

The barrel to age the first batch of Boundary Oak bourbon was on display Thursday at a celebration marking the bourbon's official launch.

Brent Goodin, who owns the distillery with wife Melody, says that following the first barrel, they will age the bourbon for four years.

Goodin is also the master distiller. He says Boundary Oaks has "the best spring water in the state," and it's the water that will make their bourbon special.

Goodin hopes the distillery will eventually be part of the Bourbon Trail, which attracts around 600,000 people annually.

WHISKEY FUNGUS

Lawsuit over fungus from whiskey vapors revived

(Information in the following story is from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Court of Appeals has revived a lawsuit claiming vapors from Jefferson County bourbon warehouses are causing a black fungus to form on nearby houses and vehicles.

The Courier-Journal reports a lower court dismissed the suit, finding the federal Clean Air Act does not allow plaintiffs to sue in state court over air quality. On Friday, a three-judge appeals court panel unanimously overturned that decision.

The lawsuit targets Brown-Forman Corp. and Heaven Hill Distilleries. A joint statement says the companies are disappointed in the decision and considering an appeal to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

In 2013, Diageo Americas Supply Inc. agreed to move 185,000 barrels of whiskey to other warehouses in Kentucky and Tennessee after it was cited by the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District.

UK-BEVERAGE CLASSES

UK proposes certification in brewing, distilling

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The University of Kentucky agriculture college is proposing undergraduate certification courses for students interested in distilling bourbon and making wine.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the courses would cater to the beverage business, which is booming in Kentucky.

The college's undergraduate curriculum council has approved the proposal for an undergraduate certificate in distillation, wine and brewing studies, but it still needs final approval from the university.

The certification would be offered to any students who complete at least four classes, including spirit chemistry and wine, brewing and distillation science.

Program director Seth DeBolt says he got input for the classes from the Kentucky Distillers' Association, and from local breweries and Kentucky wineries.