Kentucky News Now – January 31st 2014

FATAL FIRE-KENTUCKY

Fatal Ky. fire began with material against heater

GREENVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police say a fire that killed 9 people started accidentally with combustible material against an electric baseboard heater in a bedroom.

Trooper Stu Recke said the fact that all the victims were found in a master bedroom could be an indication that they were trying to escape through a window, but investigators aren't sure.

Autopsies on the remains of the family members were started Thursday afternoon.

Eight children and their mother died in the fire in Greenville in the western part of the state, while the father and an 11-year-old girl escaped with injuries.

PLANT EXPANSIONS

2 Louisville companies expanding, adding jobs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Two companies have been approved for economic development incentives in the Louisville area, and state officials say the projects will create as many as 143 new jobs.

Taylor Law's office near Louisville is adding nearly 4,000 square feet of office space. The firm is planning to invest $844,000 in capital expenditures and add 40 to 60 new jobs with a total payroll of $4 million by the end of 2015.

Mesa Foods, a flour and corn tortilla producer, is expanding its western Louisville plant and plans to add 83 new jobs with an estimated average salary of $29,453.

The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority approved the projects Thursday. They are projected to add nearly $5.6 million in new investment.

ALUMINUM SMELTER

Commission approves agreements on Sebree smelter

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Public Service Commission has approved agreements that Century Aluminum of Kentucky says are necessary to keep operating a western Kentucky smelter.

The agreements allow the smelter to be supplied power purchased on the open market by Kenergy Corp. rather than power generated by Big Rivers Electric Corp.

The PSC said in its order Thursday that the agreements are substantially the same as those it approved in August for the Century smelter in Hawesville.

The Hawesville smelter has about 700 employees and the Sebree smelter about 500.

Big Rivers has a pending rate increase request to compensate for revenue it will lose when it is no longer producing power sold to the Sebree smelter. In October, Big Rivers was granted a rate adjustment to compensate for lost revenue from the Hawesville smelter.

PAWN SHOP SHOOTINGS

Prosecutor to seek death penalty in pawn shop case

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

DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A central Kentucky prosecutor says he will seek the death penalty for a pastor accused of murdering three people at a Danville pawn shop in September.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports Boyle County Commonwealth's Attorney Richie Bottoms filed notice Thursday that he will seek a death sentence against 48-year-old Kenneth Allen Keith of Burnside in Pulaski County. Keith has been in the Boyle County jail in Danville without bond since being charged Oct. 9.

Keith is charged with three counts of murder and one count of first-degree wanton endangerment in the deaths of 35-year-old Michael Hockensmith and his wife, 38-year-old Angela Hockensmith, of Stanford, and 60-year-old gold broker Daniel Smith of Richmond. The fatal shootings happened in a pawn shop co-owned by the Hockensmiths.

Keith was pastor of Main Street Baptist Church in Burnside at the time of the shootings.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Telecommunications bill clears Ky. Senate

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Senate has passed a bill aimed at spreading high-speed broadband service by allowing telecommunications companies to cut back on landline investments.

The measure passed the Senate on a 34-4 vote Thursday.

The legislation goes to the House, where similar versions died in the past.

Current state law requires "carriers of last resort" to extend landline service to every home and business.

The bill would allow telecommunications companies to provide wireless or voice-over-Internet services in some areas.

Sen. Paul Hornback said his bill guarantees that people in rural areas won't have their landline service taken away if they want to keep it.

The bill's supporters include AT&T. It says the bill would give it the flexibility to spread newer technology to underserved areas.

APARTMENT FIRE DEATH

Central Ky. woman dies in apartment fire

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

HARRODSBURG, Ky. (AP) — Officials say a 72-year-old central Kentucky woman has died in an apartment fire.

Mercer County Coroner C. David "Sonny" Ransdell told the Lexington Herald-Leader that 72-year-old Suzanne Coullias was pronounced dead at James B. Haggin Memorial Hospital in Harrodsburg, where she was taken after the fire. Ransdell said a preliminary investigation indicates Coullias died of smoke inhalation.

The fire was reported at about 12:30 a.m. EST Thursday.

Firefighters found Coullias in the apartment where the fire began.

The cause hasn't been determined.

CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity bill clears Kentucky House

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky House has passed a bill aimed at requiring government agencies to notify people when cyberthieves steal personal information from government computers.

The measure heads to the Senate after sailing through the House on Thursday.

State Auditor Adam Edelen praised the House action and urged the Senate to pass the bill.

Edelen said cybersecurity has become a leading public protection issue.

The bill would require state and local government agencies to notify people affected by a cybersecurity breach within 35 days of the incident.

Law enforcement and the auditor's office would have to be notified within 24 hours.

Kentucky is among a handful of states without a law requiring government to notify people of such breaches.

The measure also includes provisions to strengthen cybersecurity protections.