Kentucky News Now – April 22nd 2016

CHILD-VEHICLE DEATH

Day care shut down after child forgotten in hot SUV dies

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The state has forced a Louisville day care to shut down days after a toddler forgotten in a hot SUV by a staff member died.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services issued an emergency, indefinite suspension Wednesday for Lil Kings and Queens Learning Academy and ordered it close immediately.

The agency's order says a staff member picked up 2-year-old Lavontae Swain at home about 9:30 a.m. Monday and forgot to deliver him to the center. The driver arrived at an elementary school about 3:45 p.m. to pick up other children, who discovered the boy unresponsive in the backseat. The cabinet wrote that the child's whereabouts for those six hours remain unknown. The coroner found that the child died from hyperthermia.

A woman who answered the phone at the day care declined to comment.

STATE ENGINEER

Patty Dunaway appointed state highway engineer

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's Transportation Cabinet says it has hired a woman to serve as state highway engineer for the second time in the cabinet's history.

Transportation Secretary Greg Thomas announced Patty Dunaway's appointment on Wednesday. Her appointment is effective May 1.

The state highway engineer oversees the Department of Highways.

Dunaway has had numerous roles during her 26-year career at the Transportation Cabinet, working in construction, design and planning. Since 2006, she has been chief district engineer for the District Four highway office in Elizabethtown.

Dunaway has been involved with various planning studies, including the Heartland Parkway and the U.S. 31W Safety Corridor. She was responsible for overseeing the Base Realignment and Closure highway projects at Fort Knox.

She received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Kentucky.

THEME PARK FUTURE

Cave City attraction sells at auction for $295,000

(Information from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com)

CAVE CITY, Ky. (AP) — A south-central Kentucky country music radio station owner has bought a closed recreational park in Cave City.

The Courier-Journal said David Froggett Jr. purchased the two tracts of land and buildings for $295,000 at auction Wednesday.

Froggett, of Edmonton, owns WHSX-FM. He told the Daily News of Bowling Green last week that he plans to turn the attraction into a "resort park-nature park combination."

The park started as the Western-themed Guntown Mountain in 1969. It was purchased in May by a Louisville businessman who planned to turn it into a Kentucky-themed park, but he was unable to follow through due to health issues.

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KENTUCKY FUGITIVE-ARREST

Kentucky fugitive found hiding under clothes pile in Alabama

SELMA, Ala. (AP) — Authorities say a man sought in the shooting death of a Kentucky father of three has been captured in Alabama after he tried to hide from deputies under a pile of clothes.

Dallas County District Attorney Michael Jackson tells news outlets that Bobby Walker Jr. was arrested Wednesday by sheriff's deputies who were responding to a domestic violence call.

Dallas County Sheriff's Office Captain Mike Granthum tells WSFA-TV that deputies chased Jackson through the woods and found him inside a home's closet, underneath some clothes.

Court documents show that Walker and another man, Kevin Bower, were indicted in connection with a March 15 shooting in Louisville that left 19-year-old La'Mont'e Harris dead and another man injured.

Walker is awaiting extradition to Kentucky. It's unclear whether he has an attorney.

DEM 2016-CLINTON-KENTUCKY

Clinton hires Grimes' veteran to lead Kentucky campaign

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has hired a veteran of Alison Lundergan Grimes' 2014 Senate run to lead her Kentucky campaign ahead of next month's presidential primary.

The Clinton campaign has hired Elizabeth Cantrell Brooks as their state director ahead of the May 17th Kentucky presidential primary. Brooks worked for Grimes' unsuccessful Senate campaign and was the campaign manager for state Rep. Lew Nicholls' successful special election for the House of Representatives last month.

The campaign also hired former Kentucky Democratic Party Political Director Christian Motley, who also worked for former Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear's 2011 re-election campaign. Other hires include Communications Director Tim Hogan and Organizing Director Justin Vollmer.

Clinton and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are battling for the Democratic nomination. Clinton won the New York primary on Tuesday.

GLASGOW PLANT CLOSING

Glasgow plant to close, lay off 191 employees by mid-2017

(Information from: Glasgow Daily Times, http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com)

GLASGOW, Ky. (AP) — Dana Corp. employees in Glasgow have learned the plant will close by mid-2017.

The Glasgow Daily Times reports the company plans to reduce employment by half by the end of the year. The plant employs 203 people and produces gear sets, shafts and secondary gearing components for commercial vehicles.

Dana Holding Corp. spokesman Mark Burd said the reason for the closure is deterioration of the commercial vehicle market.

A notice filed with the state on Tuesday said Dana will let 191 employees go as a result of the plant closure. Burd said the facility employs 186 hourly workers and 17 salaried workers, though some are currently laid off.

Burd said employees will be eligible for severance pay, and some may relocate to other Dana facilities.

The plant was built in 1972. Dana acquired it in 1998.

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