Kentucky News Now

OBAMA-MCCONNELL

Obama to meet with new Senate leader McConnell

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is hosting incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for a private White House meeting this afternoon.

The White House says Obama will meet with the Kentucky Republican in the Oval Office. Reporters won't be allowed in for the meeting.

It's their first one-on-one since Republicans won control of the Senate in November. The election positioned McConnell to take the helm of the Senate when the new Congress is seated in January.

The meeting comes as Congress rushes to pass a year-end spending plan to avert a government shutdown. Obama and Republicans are also at odds over Obama's executive actions on immigration.

After the election, Obama said he'd enjoy sharing some Kentucky bourbon with McConnell. There was no indication of whether Wednesday's meeting will include bourbon.

AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER-EPA

Ag candidates focus on new EPA rules

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) — You've heard of the war on coal? Get ready for the war on farming.

Kentucky's candidates for state Agriculture Commissioner are building their campaigns around opposing new proposed rules by the Environmental Protection Agency that they say would hurt Kentucky farmers. The political moves come after a closely-watched U.S. Senate race where Sen. Mitch McConnell used a similar strategy on fighting the EPA's coal regulations to a victory.

The new rule would give the EPA authority to regulate smaller waterways. Republican candidate Ryan Quarles and Democratic candidate Jean-Marie Lawson Spann say the rule would allow the EPA to dictate what farmers can do with their land, which often includes streams, ponds and marshes.

The EPA says currently 60 percent of the nation's streams and wetlands are not protected from pollution.

GOP 2016-RAND PAUL

Rand Paul to run for Senate re-election in 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kentucky Republican Rand Paul says he will seek re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2016.

Paul said in a press release Tuesday that he hopes to continue "the task of repairing and revitalizing our great nation" in the Senate.

Paul is also considering running for the Republican nomination for president in 2016. His team believes there are ways around a Kentucky law that seems to prohibit running for Senate re-election and president at the same time.

Fellow Kentuckian Mitch McConnell, who will be Senate majority leader after the new year, said Paul was "essential in the U.S. Senate."

KENTUCKY TREASURER

Democratic lawmaker files for treasurer's race

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democratic state Rep. Rick Nelson of Middlesboro has filed to run for Kentucky state treasurer.

Nelson is an eight-term lawmaker and a retired teacher.

He said in a statement announcing his filing Tuesday that one of the treasurer's office's most important jobs is oversight of the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System.

No other candidate has filed to run for state treasurer next year.

ADELPHI PRESIDENT

NY's Adelphi U. names Kentucky educator president

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) — The provost at the University of Kentucky has been named the 10th president of the New York-based Adelphi (uh-DEHL'-fy) University.

Trustees at Adelphi said on Tuesday that Christine M. Riordan was unanimously chosen to succeed Robert A. Scott. He's served as president since 2000.

Riordan, who starts July 1, 2015, will be the first woman to lead Adelphi in its 118-year history.

She has spent the past two years as provost at the University of Kentucky.

From 2008 to 2013, Riordan served as dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.

Adelphi, based in Garden City, New York has about 8,000 undergraduate students.

It also has facilities in Manhattan, Suffolk County and Poughkeepsie.

CHILD PROTECTION PANEL

Child abuse panel recommends drug-testing parents

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

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A panel reviewing severe child abuse cases has released nine recommendations to improve protective services, including drug-testing parents who have a child die unexpectedly in their care.

The Courier-Journal reports the Child Fatality and Near Fatality Review Panel released the recommendations Monday.

The panel was tasked by the governor with reviewing 116 case files of children who died or nearly died from abuse or neglect and making recommendations to improve the state's child protection system.

Along with drug screenings, the committee recommended several other changes including a public awareness campaign on safe sleeping practices for infants, making court proceedings more transparent and studying the caseload of social workers.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services said in a statement that officials will review the report and evaluate the proposals.

RV REBOUND

Rolling along: RV industry maintains momentum

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — RV manufacturers have made up more ground since being sideswiped by the Great Recession, and production of the rolling homes could soon rise to levels seen before the economic downturn.

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association said Tuesday that recreational vehicle shipments from manufacturers to dealers are expected to increase by nearly 4 percent to 361,400 units in 2015. Wholesale shipments are a key measure of consumer demand.

Shipments totaled 353,400 units in 2007, the last year before the industry's downturn.

For 2014, shipments to dealers' lots are forecast to total 348,000 units, up 8.4 percent from the prior year.

The RVIA issued the forecasts at an industry trade show in Louisville, Kentucky.

The projections are more than twice shipment volumes posted during the recession-driven low five years ago.

GRANDMOTHER CHARGED

Woman charged in crash that killed granddaughter

LONDON, Ky. (AP) — A grandmother is facing charges including murder and driving under the influence in the death of her 6-month-old granddaughter.

Laurel County Sheriff John Root says deputies arrested 46-year-old Melissa Worstell on Monday night after being called to a single-vehicle accident. Root says the car struck a culvert, overturned and ended up wrapped around a utility pole. He says the baby was in the right front passenger's seat and wasn't properly restrained.

Worstell was taken to the Laurel County Detention Center, where online records don't say whether she has an attorney.

She is also charged with tampering with evidence, wanton endangerment, prescription controlled substances not in proper container, possession of a controlled substance and booster seat violation.

QUARTER HORSE TRACK

Keeneland wins approval to acquire harness track

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The Keeneland Association has won approval from Kentucky's horse racing regulators to acquire an Appalachian horse track.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's consent is an initial step forward in Keeneland's plan to purchase Thunder Ridge harness track and shift its license to build a quarter horse track in the Corbin area.

Keeneland Association executive Vince Gabbert said Tuesday the goal is to open live racing at the Corbin-area track in the summer of 2016. Keeneland also hopes to tap into the Tennessee market by offering the slot-like Instant Racing game at the proposed Corbin facility.

Keeneland would still have to win approval from regulators to relocate the racing license.

Kentucky Downs, a small track at Franklin near the Tennessee line, has reaped financial rewards from offering the Instant Racing game.