Kentucky News Now – April 10th, 2014

3-D PRINTING-HUMAN HEART

Scientists try 3-D printer to build human heart

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — It may sound far-fetched, but scientists at the University of Louisville are attempting to build a human heart with a 3-D printer.

Ultimately, the goal is to create a new heart for a patient with their own cells that could be transplanted. It is an ambitious project to make a heart and maybe even more so to get it to work in a patient.

It could be years — perhaps decades — before a 3-D printed heart would ever be put in a person.

But the technology is not all that futuristic: Researchers have used 3-D printers to make splints, valves and even a human ear.

Stuart Williams, a cell biologist leading the project, believes the biggest challenge is getting the cells to work together like a normal heart.

CORVETTE MUSEUM-SINKHOLE

Workers recover last Corvette from Ky. sinkhole

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — The last of eight classic Corvettes gobbled up by a giant sinkhole in Kentucky has been recovered, but the mood was somber as the mangled car was pulled to the surface.

The 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette was buried in dirt and rocks, dozens of feet below the surface of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. The man who donated the car to the museum, Kevin Helmintoller, says the vehicle looks like a piece of tin foil.

The prized cars were swallowed by the sinkhole that opened up in February beneath part of the museum.

Museum spokeswoman Katie Frassinelli says the damage was progressively worse as each car was pulled out.

The museum will display the cars through August. The ones deemed fixable will be shipped to Michigan for repairs.

KENTUCKY SENATE-SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Grimes will keep donation

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Two women at the center of a sexual harassment scandal told U.S. Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes to keep a $250 campaign donation from a former Democratic lawmaker they have accused of touching them inappropriately at the state Capitol.

Cassaundra Cooper and Yolanda Costner are both aides to House Democratic leaders. They spoke with Grimes on Wednesday after the Legislative Ethics Commission voted not to fine or sanction former Democratic state Rep. John Arnold. They told Grimes to use the donation to fight for women's rights.

Grimes has made women's issues a focal point of her campaign against U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell. But she has refrained from speaking publicly about the alleged sexual harassment.

A spokeswoman for Grimes said she will keep the donation.

EASTERN KENTUCKY CONFERENCE

Economic issues on agenda at leadership conference

SOMERSET, Ky. (AP) — Leaders from southern and eastern Kentucky are planning to discuss key economic issues facing the Appalachian region at the 27th annual East Kentucky Leadership Conference.

The two-day conference is set for April 24-25 at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset.

Gov. Steve Beshear and U.S. Rep. Harold Rogers are scheduled to attend the event.

Topics will include employment, education, broadband access, entrepreneurship and opportunities for young people. The conference theme is "Transforming Crisis into Opportunity." The event will give participants a chance to discover and develop creative solutions to the region's problems.

FINAL FOUR-TEAMCASTS

NCAA semis on TNT draws millions of viewers

NEW YORK (AP) — The Final Four broadcasts on TNT on Saturday drew millions of viewers, even though the main coverage was on TBS.

Turner Sports and CBS experimented with school-specific "TeamCasts" with different announcers and camera angles during the NCAA semifinals.

Kentucky's 74-73 win over Wisconsin averaged 16.3 million viewers, with 10.4 million on TBS. TNT's Wildcats TeamCast had 4.3 million and truTV's Badgers-themed broadcast 1.6 million.

UConn's 63-53 victory over Florida was watched by a total of 11.7 million viewers. Of that, according to Nielsen, 7.1 million were on TBS. There were 3.7 million on TNT, which had the Gators TeamCast, and 900,000 on truTV, which aired the UConn-centric coverage.

BLUE GRASS STAKES DRAW

Bobby's Kitten a 3-1 favorite in Blue Grass Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Bobby's Kitten is the early favorite for Saturday's $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

Javier Castellano will ride the Chad Brown-trained bay colt, who drew the fifth post position Wednesday for the Grade 1 event awarding 170 points toward the Kentucky Derby. The winner earns 100 and all but assures a spot in the 140th Run for the Roses.

Bobby's Kitten is a 3-1 shot for another stakes win Saturday after claiming the Grade 3 Pilgrim in October at Belmont. He has three wins and two thirds — one of which was in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita.

Medal Count drew the 13th position and is the 9-2 second choice. Gala Award will start 14th at 5-1.

Asserting Bear will start from the first post at 15-1.