Kentucky News Now – January 21st 2014

WINTER STORM

Kentucky braces for another cold spell, snow

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Here it comes again. There's snow in the forecast for Kentucky on Tuesday, with lows dropping to the single digits Tuesday night, and winter weather advisories are in effect.

Road crews in the Louisville area and surrounding counties were reporting to work at midnight Monday to clear the paths for morning.

Northeastern Kentucky may see as much as 2 to 4 inches by Tuesday night, and lows are expected around zero to 5 degrees. Northern parts of western Kentucky may see an inch or two of snow with scattered flurries elsewhere and single-digit temperatures.

Central Kentucky also is expecting 2 or 3 inches of snow with lows around 10 or below.

South-central Kentucky regions should see around an inch of snow with temperatures falling into the lower teens Tuesday night.

BRIDGE BLAST

Old pier will be blasted to make way for bridge

MILTON, Ky. (AP) — A pier that is part of the original Milton-Madison bridge that spans the Ohio River is set to be demolished to make way for a revamped span.

The 92-foot-high pier will be removed with two blasts, the first aimed at taking down the portion above the water line. That detonation is scheduled to occur on Wednesday afternoon.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says a second blast will remove remaining portions of the pier under water.

The bridge's three other original piers have been strengthened and are being reused. The pier that is being removed has been replaced with a new land pier in Madison, Ind.

The bridge is sitting on temporary piers and will be slid onto the refurbished piers in the coming weeks.

OHIO RIVER CLEANUP

Volunteers sought for annual Ohio River cleanup

CINCINNATI (AP) — A water pollution control agency is soliciting volunteers to participate in its annual cleanup day for riverbanks along the Ohio River and its tributaries.

The Cincinnati-based Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission says its 25th River Sweep has been scheduled for June 21. Thousands of volunteers in six states along the river help comb for trash and debris over 3,000 miles of shorelines from western Pennsylvania to southern Illinois during the annual event.

The interstate commission says potential volunteers can visit its website for more information, and the cleanup sites will be listed in early spring.

MARTIN LUTHER KING-KENTUCKY

Ali Centers pays tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Martin Luther King Jr.'s most famous speech was the main event at the Muhammad Ali Center as the nation remembered the slain civil rights leader on Monday's federal hoilday.

It's tradition for the Louisville-based center to show King's "I Have a Dream" speech on the federal holiday honoring the slain civil-rights leader.

Ali Center spokeswoman Jeanie Kahnke said the speech was aired on the hour through the day Monday with the big-screen showings free to the public. Kahnke says the replay of the speech drew a cross-section of viewers — from young people to those who lived through the civil-rights era, and people from different ethnicities and religions.

Permanent displays relive Ali's boxing career and promote his humanitarian ideals. Visitors can see the former world heavyweight champion rail against war, segregation and poverty.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR HOLIDAY

Themes of civil rights struggle still resonate on MLK Day, 50 years later

ATLANTA (AP) — The nation remembered and reflected on Monday's federal holiday on the legacy of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., including hundreds in Atlanta.

Leaders and everyday Americans talked about how far the country has come in the last 50 years and how much more is to be done. At Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, civil rights leaders and members of King's own family spoke about poverty, violence, health care and voting rights, all themes from the civil rights struggle.

"There is much work that we must do," King's daughter Bernice King said Monday at the church where King once served as pastor. "Are we afraid, or are we truly committed to the work that must be done?"

Elsewhere, community service projects honoring King were held around the nation.

In Washington, President Barack Obama honored King's legacy of service Monday by helping a soup kitchen prepare its daily meals while a host of Cabinet officials fanned out across the nation's capital for other holiday events.

NATIONAL GUARD MEMORIAL

Fundraising for guard memorial in final stretch

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The fundraising drive for a National Guard memorial in Frankfort has hit the final stretch.

Joshua Witt, a guardsman who is volunteering his time to help with the memorial, told The State Journal that another $580,000 is needed to meet the $1.3 million goal.

He is hoping a majority of that can be raised with three benefit concerts being held this year.

The first, on Feb. 8, features Delbert Clinton and Exile. On April 19, the Kentucky Headhunters and Black Stone Cherry are slated to perform. The third concert on Aug. 23 features The Charlie Daniels Band and Sunday Best. Witt said 100 percent of the ticket price goes to the memorial.

Officials aim to break ground on the monument on Memorial Day and dedicate it on Veterans Day.

STUDENT APP

Bowling Green student creates app to control wireless lighting system in the home

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — A high school student from Bowling Green has created an app for iPhones and iPads that allows the user to control a wireless lighting system for the home.

Ethan Gill is a 17-year-old senior at Gatton Academy and says he created his app, called HueHueHue, to make operating Philips Hue lights simpler.

Western Kentucky University, where Gatton Academy students study for college credit in their junior and senior years, says the lights can be remotely controlled with a smart device. But Gill says unlocking the phone and waiting for the app to load took longer than using a regular light switch.

With Gill’s app, the lights can be toggled with a simple action on an iPhone or iPad, and the app can run even if the device's screen is locked.

T25-KENTUCKY-HARRISON

Kentucky PG Andrew Harrison gaining confidence

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Andrew Harrison knew extra practice time would eventually translate into positive game results.

The payoff came Saturday against Tennessee and Kentucky's freshman point guard looks to keep the momentum going Tuesday night against Texas A&M — and the rest of the season.

Harrison scored a career-high 26 points in a 74-66 victory over the Volunteers, including 16 in the second half to help the No.14 Wildcats (13-4, 3-1 Southeastern Conference) put Tennessee away. He was perfect 10 of 10 from the foul line and Kentucky made 23 of 24 free throws as a team.

But more notable for Harrison was how he got to the free throw line against Tennessee's physical lineup.

Drawing contact is a sign of Harrison's increased confidence and comfort with his role as Kentucky's floor leader.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.