Kentucky News Now – August 7th 2015

Fourth defendant pleads guilty in bourbon theft ring

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A fourth defendant is facing up to a year in jail in connection with a Kentucky bourbon theft ring that investigators say sold thousands of dollars of bourbon illegally.

The Lexington Herald-Leader (http://bit.ly/1hmWc99 ) reports that 42-year-old Dustin Adkins of Georgetown pleaded guilty on Thursday in Franklin Circuit Court to an amended charge of criminal conspiracy to receive stolen property over $10,000.

In his plea agreement, Adkins says he acted as a middleman for Gilbert "Toby" Curtsinger of Frankfort in the sale of stolen bourbon from Frankfort's Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Adkins was among nine people indicted in April on charges of stealing more than $100,000 worth of bourbon from two distilleries.

Adkins says he will cooperate in the investigation and prosecution of co-defendants. He has agreed to testify if called upon.

University of Kentucky hires new public health dean

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The University of Kentucky has hired a former president of the American Heart Association as its next dean of the College of Public Health.

The school says Donna Arnett was selected by UK Provost Tim Tracy for the job.

Arnett has been associate dean at the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Public Health.

UK says that during her term as president of the American Heart Association from 2012 to 2013, Arnett built relationships with business and health care leaders around the world. Arnett, a Kentucky native, has published more than 450 peer-reviewed papers and two books.

New tempered glass company startup to open in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A new glass tempering business opening in Louisville hopes to create 150 jobs in the next five to 10 years.

310 Tempering is opening a facility in Jeffersontown and investing $6 million in the project.

The startup will begin with about 30 new jobs, but officials say the company plans to hire an additional 120 employees within the next five to 10 years.

The company will purchase an existing facility in an industrial park in Jeffersontown to house its operations. The company will design and fabricate custom glass pieces, including shower doors, glass railings, office partitions and storefront entrances.

The company was started in April by Greg Abrams and Chris Murphy.

They plan to begin hiring employees in September and begin production later this fall.

Work progressing on Mountain Parkway expansion project

SALYERSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Transportation Cabinet official says travelers passing a new bridge on the Mountain Parkway are seeing progress in an expansion project that started six months ago.

Construction crews placed more than 90 tons of concrete beams this week to create a new crossing in Magoffin County. Workers set 18 beams to support a 275-foot bridge over the Middle Fork of the Licking River. The bridge will carry two lanes of eastbound traffic near the new Gifford Road interchange.

Cabinet engineer and project manager Marshall Carrier says when work starts next year on a segment to extend the parkway from its eastern end at U.S. 460 to the beginning of Kentucky 114, nearly one-fifth of the projects will be underway.

The new bridge and a parallel span to carry westbound traffic are expected to be finished this fall.

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