Kentucky News Now – June 10th 2015

TRUCK FIRE

Body of truck driver found under bridge after fiery crash

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The body of a truck driver has been found under the Interstate 75 bridge where his vehicle caught fire after a crash.

Police told media that they are trying to determine how the man's body ended up under the Clay's Ferry bridge along the Fayette-Madison county line. His identity was not released.

Firefighters said the tractor-trailer was hauling a large piece of electrical equipment.

Police said their preliminary investigation found that the truck driver lost control of the vehicle, hit a barrier and then the truck caught fire. Leaking fuel then caused a couple of explosions.

Fire officials say about 100 gallons of diesel fuel leaked into the Kentucky River.

The crash and fire slowed traffic along I-75 for hours on Monday.

WOMAN KILLED

2 plead not guilty in slaying of 86-year-old woman

(Information in the following story is from: WKYT-TV, http://www.wkyt.com)

LIVINGSTON, Ky. (AP) — Two women have pleaded not guilty to charges including murder and robbery in the slaying of an 86-year-old woman in Rockcastle County.

WKYT-TV reports a public defender entered the plea on Monday for Tabitha Howard and Kimberly Slusher. The women were arrested by Kentucky State Police last week in the death of 86-year-old Mary Hinton.

Hinton was found dead June 2 after an apparent home invasion. Family members say Hinton had a rare skin condition, was legally blind and hard of hearing. She had lived alone in the home for 30 years.

Howard and Slusher are being held on $750,000 bonds.

PAWN SHOP SHOOTINGS

Attorney for preacher charged in triple murder withdraws

DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The attorney for a former Pulaski County preacher charged with three counts of murder has withdrawn from the case.

Multiple media outlets report attorney Bethany Stanziano filed a motion on Monday, saying she was not in the state of mind to provide effective assistance in the wake of her husband's fatal shooting a year ago.

Public defender Sandra Downs replaces Stanziano and Brad Coffman as the attorney for 49-year-old Kenneth A. Keith.

Keith is accused of shooting and killing three people in 2013 at a Danville pawn shop. He could face the death penalty if he is convicted.

Stanziano took over Keith's defense after her husband, lawyer Mark Stanziano, was killed outside of his Somerset office last June.

Bethany Stanziano also cited her lack of experience in death penalty cases.

GAMBLING MACHINES SEIZED

63 gambling machines seized from 7 places in Pulaski County

SOMERSET, Ky. (AP) — The Pulaski County Sheriff says 63 gambling machines have been confiscated from seven places in a two-day raid.

Multiple news sources report authorities from nine different agencies, including the Pulaski County sheriff's office, seized the machines late Sunday and early Monday throughout the county. A news release from Sheriff Greg Speck says accounting ledgers and several thousand dollars in cash were taken. The raids came after an undercover investigation dating back to February.

As a part of the investigation at each location raided, people were searched, identified and interviewed. Larry Burdine, Nathan Farmer and Robert Stephens were arrested for outstanding warrants unrelated to gambling.

SUPREME COURT-GAY MARRIAGE

High court ruling against gay marriage would produce 'chaos'

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gay and lesbian couples could face legal chaos if the Supreme Court rules against same-sex marriage in the next few weeks.

Same-sex weddings could come to a halt in many states, depending on a confusing mix of lower-court decisions and the sometimes-contradictory views of state and local officials.

Among the 36 states in which same-sex couples can now marry are 20 in which federal judges invoked the Constitution to strike down marriage bans.

Those rulings would be in conflict with the nation's highest court if the justices uphold the power of states to limit marriage to heterosexual couples. A decision is expected by late June in cases from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.

NEEDLE EXCHANGE

Louisville prepares to launch needle-exchange program

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville is poised to become Kentucky's first city to offer a needle-exchange program to combat heroin addiction.

Health officials say needle exchanges will begin Wednesday in a trailer parked outside the city's Public Health and Wellness headquarters.

The goal is to prevent the spread of HIV and hepatitis C and steer drug users into treatment.

Interim Public Health and Wellness director Dr. Sarah Moyer said Tuesday she expects a slow start for the program, but predicts it will gain momentum from community outreach. She says one key is to build trust with participants.

The needle exchange is an outgrowth of the state's sweeping anti-heroin law. It allows local governments to set up needle exchanges.

In Kentucky's second-largest city, Lexington health officials are crafting a proposal to present to Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.

LOUISVILLE-PITINO

Louisville extends Rick Pitino's contract to 2025-26 season

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville has extended coach Rick Pitino's contract four years through the 2025-26 season.

The Cardinals are coming off their fifth NCAA Tournament regional final appearance in eight years, a stretch that has included the 2012 Final Four and the school's third national championship the following year.

Pitino, 62, is the first coach to win NCAA titles at two schools, having previously won with Kentucky in 1996. He is 368-126 in 14 seasons at Louisville and 722-254 in 30 seasons overall.

Pitino said during a Tuesday news conference that "I never looked at this as a job; I looked at it as a privilege."

The 2013 Hall of Fame inductee had seven years remaining on his current contract.