Kentucky News Now – March 18th 2014

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Ky. Senate OKs bill aimed at attorney general

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky senators have passed a bill related to the attorney general's decision not to appeal a ruling allowing state recognition of same-sex marriages.

The bill would allow the state Senate president or House speaker to intervene in a court case when the attorney general or governor fail to defend a state law or part of the state constitution. The measure passed 31-6 Monday and now goes to the House.

The measure is an outgrowth of a judge's decision overturning parts of Kentucky's same-sex marriage ban and Attorney General Jack Conway's decision not to appeal. Conway said appealing the case would be "defending discrimination."

As for the bill, Conway says the Senate should focus on creating jobs and improving education.

Gov. Steve Beshear hired a private law firm to handle the appeal.

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE-KENTUCKY

Judge weighing whether to stay same-sex ruling

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A federal judge is weighing whether to allow his order requiring Kentucky to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states and countries or put the issue on hold pending an appeal by Gov. Steve Beshear.

U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II on Monday heard brief arguments from attorneys for the governor as well as lawyers for the couples seeking to attain the legal rights of married couples in Kentucky. Heyburn did not indicate when he would issue a decision.

If Heyburn does not issue a stay to his Feb. 12 order and an appeals court does not step in, the order will become law on Friday.

Beshear plans to ask the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday to take up the case.

SCHOOL DAYS

Ky. Senate OKs bill offering snow days relief

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Senate has passed its version of assisting school districts facing a mounting number of missed days due to the harsh winter.

The measure would allow local school boards to submit revised calendars to the state education commissioner to adjust for lost instructional time.

If school districts still can't make up all the lost time, school boards could request a waiver from the required 1,062 instructional hours in a school year.

The Senate attached those provisions to a House bill and passed it 38-0 Monday. The measure returns to the House.

The House passed a bill last week that would allow districts to have up to 10 missed days waived.

Some districts have missed more than 30 days due to snow and ice.

FATAL CRASH

3 killed in eastern Ky. crash identified

WURTLAND, Ky. (AP) — Authorities have identified three people killed in a highway crash in eastern Kentucky.

A news release from Greenup County Sheriff Keith M. Cooper said the crash Sunday afternoon involved two vehicles. The dead were identified as 43-year-old Tracie R. Howard of Portsmouth, Ohio; 22-year-old Ruby M. Brown of South Shore; and 30-year-old Jamond M. Buford of Ashland.

The release said a fourth person, 33-year-old Joshua D. Bowling of Flatwoods, was hospitalized and in very serious condition Monday.

The crash happened on U.S. 23 in Greenup.

The Independent of Ashland said the northbound lanes of the highway were closed for about four hours.

The crash remains under investigation.

BLUEGRASS TRAIL

Ky. lawmaker pushing to create a bluegrass trail

GRAYSON, Ky. (AP) — A state lawmaker is pushing for the creation of a bluegrass trail in Kentucky.

Democratic state Sen. Robin Webb of Grayson told The Independent that her proposal seeks to promote traditional Kentucky culture and would boost tourism.

Webb says her resolution could be accomplished with little funding — mostly for signs.

If the proposal gets legislative approval, the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet would create and promote the bluegrass trail, which would identify and locate venues, festivals, concerts, museums, schools and historic and noteworthy sites that feature bluegrass music.

Webb said she would like to see it begin in eastern Kentucky before it spreads to the rest of the state.

VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT

E. Ky. volunteer fire department reopening

PINEVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A volunteer fire department in eastern Kentucky that closed nearly three years ago after a dispute with county officials over funding is reopening.

WYMT-TV reports an agreement on funding is close, so new leaders on the Bell County Volunteer Fire Department Board agreed to reopen the facility in the community of Arjay. A grand reopening ceremony is scheduled for March 22.

Firefighters say the move will improve response times to calls and reduce insurance rates.

Officials are also working to restore enough funding to reopen two other volunteer departments that closed during the dispute in 2011.

TOBACCO TAX DISPUTE

Ky tobacco company in $3 million dispute with feds

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky-based tobacco company is involved in a $3 million tax dispute with the federal government and is asking a judge to stop the potential seizure of its equipment to settle the bill.

U.S. District Judge Joseph McKinley Jr. has scheduled a hearing for March 25 in Bowling Green on a request by Tantus Tobacco of Russell Springs, Ky., for a temporary injunction against the U.S. Treasury Department.

The dispute centers on whether Tantus properly set sale prices for its products from September 2009 through November 2011 and paid the proper amount of excise taxes on the sales.

The Treasury Department has threatened to file liens against equipment used by Tantus to settle the debt.

Tantus makes Berley Red, Sport, Main Street and GSmoke brand cigarettes.

AUDUBON PARK-CLEANUP

Spring cleaning set for Audubon State Park

HENDERSON, Ky. (AP) — John James Audubon State Park in Henderson is set for a spring cleaning.

The Audubon Outdoor Club is looking for volunteers to assist in the project, set for April 5 at the Sycamore Shelter at the park. The cleanup is scheduled to last from 8 a.m. CST to 3 p.m. CST.

Volunteer projects will include painting, planting trees, placing fire rings, and other sprucing-up tasks.

John James Audubon State Park is the site where Audubon studied and painted birds from 1810-1819.

The park is located on U.S. 41 in the northern outskirts of Henderson, a half-mile south of the U.S. 41 bridge over the Ohio River.

Groups and individuals interested in volunteering should contact Mark Kellen at 270-826-2247, or email mark.kellen(at)ky.gov.

INMATE CONVICTED-SMUGGLING

Federal inmate convicted of smuggling contraband

ASHLAND, Ky. (AP) — An inmate at the Federal Corrections Institute in Ashland is scheduled for sentencing in June after being convicted of smuggling items into the prison..

A judge could give 33-year-old Gary Musick of Newport, Tenn., a maximum of five years in prison.

A federal jury on Friday convicted Musick of conspiring with a prison guard and others to sell prohibited items such as tobacco, marijuana and nude photographs to others in exchange for stamps from December 2010 to February 2012.

Prosecutors say in some instances, he directed inmates send money to an address outside of the prison as payment. Prosecutors say the items were filtered to corrections officer James Lewis who subsequently provided the items to Musick, in exchange for payment

Charges are pending against Lewis and another co-defendant, Cindy Gates.

LINCOLN BIRTHPLACE-MOVIE

Lincoln birthplace to hold screening of film

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP) — A sneak-preview of a five-part documentary about the Civil War will be on behalf of the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park.

The screening will show Episode 5 of Civil War: The Untold Story, a documentary series Elizabeth McGovern of Downton Abbey and produced for public television by Great Divide Pictures. The showing will take place March 25 at 7 p.m. at the Historic State Theater in Elizabethtown. The event is free and open to the public.

Showing will be Episode 5, With Malice Toward None, which will be introduced by filmmaker Chris Wheeler. Against the dramatic backdrop of the Battles for Atlanta, this hour chronicles the presidential election of 1864 - one that Lincoln himself was resigned to defeat.