Kentucky News Now

FORT CAMPBELL-EBOLA

Soldiers fighting Ebola to begin coming home

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — Fort Campbell soldiers will soon begin returning home from their Ebola-fighting mission in West Africa.

WPLN-FM reports the World Health Organization will retake the lead in training health care workers in how to handle Ebola patients beginning Jan. 1.

Since arriving in late October, Defense Department teams have trained some 1,500 doctors, nurses and other workers.

Troops will begin the journey to their home bases this week. They include 140 troops from the sprawling Fort Campbell base on the Tennessee-Kentucky border. But first all troops will undergo 21 days of monitoring.

U.S. Africa Command plans to make a final decision by mid-January on whether the soldiers remaining in Liberia will respond to Ebola outbreaks in neighboring countries or continue returning home.

STATE PARKS-GRANTS

Ky. State Parks Foundation awards grants

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky State Parks Foundation has awarded matching grants to two state parks and a rail trail.

Parks officials say a $3,354 grant was awarded to Barren River Lake State Resort Park to help the park use technology to promote nature education to visiting groups that include students and senior citizens. The grant will be used to build a butterfly garden, purchase GPS units for geocaching and provide more information on nature trails through cell phones.

Old Mulkey Meeting House State Historic Site at Tompkinsville received a $388 grant to help purchase portable wheelchair ramps.

The Dawkins Line Rail Trail, which is managed by the state parks, received a $250 grant to help the trail's friends group file for tax-exempt status. The trail covers 18 miles in Johnson and Magoffin counties.

WOMAN FOUND SLAIN

Man avoids possible death penalty with plea

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

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Frankfort man who had been charged with murder has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, avoiding the possibility of the death penalty in the 2013 beating death of his girlfriend.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports 42-year-old Brian Earle Reed also pleaded guilty Tuesday to violating a domestic violence protection order in the death of 28-year-old Gypsy Reyes.

The plea deal recommends a 20-year sentence. Sentencing is Feb. 6.

The agreement said the charge was amended because of "evidentiary considerations."

Reyes was found dead in her apartment in Frankfort. A friend told investigators that Reed came to the apartment and that Reed and Reyes fought in another room. The friend said Reed later told the friend to leave. Reyes told the friend not to call police.

The next day, the friend returned and saw what appeared to be Reyes' body under a blanket.

TORNADO TOWN-INDICTMENT

Prosecutor seeking longer sentence in Morgan case

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — An eastern Kentucky judge-executive has a sentencing date this month in a corruption case, and the prosecutor is asking that he be sent to prison for more time than federal guidelines suggest.

Morgan County Judge-Executive Tim Conley pleaded guilty in August to fraud. Court records indicate he received at least $130,000 in kickbacks from a contractor between 2009 and 2013.

Prosecutors said the scheme continued as the town struggled to rebuild from a deadly March 2012 tornado.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Conley's top sentence would be seven years and three months under advisory guidelines. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew T. Boone's motion urges a sentence of 11 years and four months.

Defense lawyer R. Michael Murphy said the defense team will vigorously oppose the motion.

Sentencing is set for Tuesday.

HOUSE-GOP LEADERSHIP

Rep. Carney opts not to seek re-election to leadership job

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — State Rep. Bam Carney says he is stepping down from his leadership role as House Republican whip.

The Campbellsville lawmaker said Tuesday that he informed House Minority Floor Leader Jeff Hoover of his decision not to seek re-election to the leadership position. Carney has been House GOP whip since 2013.

Carney cited family considerations for his decision to step down from the GOP leadership team in the Democratic-controlled House.

Carney was first elected to the House in 2008 and represents Adair and Taylor counties. He says he looks forward to continuing to serve in the House and working with the Republican leadership team.

Rep. Adam Koenig of Erlanger has said he will try to unseat Hoover as the GOP's top House leader when the General Assembly convenes in January.

KENTUCKY LAWMAKER INDICTED

Kentucky lawmaker's trial date moved

(Information in the following story is from: Appalachian News-Express, http://www.news-expressky.com)

PIKEVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge has moved the trial date of an outgoing Kentucky lawmaker and a retired state mine inspector who are facing bribery charges.

The Appalachian News Express cited court documents in reporting that the trial date of state Rep. W. Keith Hall and retired inspector Kelly Shortridge is now set to begin on April 13 in Pikeville instead of Jan. 5. U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell set aside five days for the trial.

Prosecutors accuse Hall of paying Shortridge more than $46,000 to ignore repeated violations at Hall's Pike County coal mines. Shortridge is also accused of trying to extort more money from Hall.

Both men have pleaded not guilty.

Hall, a Democrat who represented Pike County for 14 years, lost in the May primary.