Kentucky News Now – March 24th 2014

NORTHERN KENTUCKY TOURISM

Tourism brings about $330 million to northern Ky.

(Information in the following story is from: The Kentucky Enquirer, http://www.nky.com)

COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Northern Kentucky's Convention and Visitors Bureau says tourism had an economic impact of almost $330 million on the region in 2013.

The Kentucky Enquirer reports that the bureau's annual report showed growth in the region's hospitality and tourism industries.

Of the total economic impact, $161 million was attributed to lodging, $74 million to restaurants, $40 million to shopping, $25 million to entertainment and $20 million to local transportation.

Hotel-room demand reached an all-time high in 2013. Occupancy was 60.87 percent, the highest level since 1998 and an increase of more than 6 percent from 2012.

The average daily rate for a hotel room in Northern Kentucky was $85.56, which was also the highest on record.

The bureau discussed a new branding initiative, "Meet NKY," at its annual meeting.

WATCHES STOLEN

Lexington police look for men who stole Rolexes

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Police are searching for suspects who stole $150,000 worth of Rolex watches from a store at the Lexington Convention Center.

Police said the watches were taken from Shelia Bayes Fine Jewelers in The Shops at Lexington Center on Saturday afternoon.

WKYT-TV reports that store employees said two men used a sledgehammer to break display cases containing the Rolex watches.

Police say the suspects ran out of the center and hopped into a getaway van without being caught.

Police said the suspects were able to get away because the center was busy with foot traffic due to the Boys Sweet 16 basketball tournament.

A similar robbery took place at a Memphis mall in January. In that case, five men were arrested after $537,000 worth of Rolexes was stolen.

CRASH-TEENS KILLED

2 teens killed, 2 hurt in Ky. vehicle crash

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Officials say two teenage boys were killed and two others were injured in a vehicle crash on the Bluegrass Parkway.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Kentucky state police say the four teens were riding in a 2010 Nissan pickup truck that hit the back of a tractor-trailer stopped on the shoulder of the parkway in Anderson County on Friday.

Dr. Mark Tussey, Anderson County coroner, said the teens were students at Christian County High School who were returning home after watching Hopkinsville High School play in the Boys' Sweet Sixteen state tournament.

Tussey said one teen died at the scene, but he declined to provide his name.

The Fayette County coroner's office says 17-year-old Jacob Blankenship was taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, where he died.

ADDICTED BABIES

Hospitals treating more addicted newborns

(Information in the following story is from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The number of drug-addicted babies in Kentucky who are hospitalized has increased significantly in a little more than a decade.

The Courier-Journal cited a recent report from the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center showing that the number has gone from 28 in 2000 to 824 in 2012.

Although a multi-pronged effort was launched last year to fight the rising number of addicted newborns, medical professionals say it's not enough. Treatment centers are struggling to stay open, there are waiting lists to get in, and too many babies are born struggling.

Preliminary figures in the state report suggested that number of newborns treated for addiction rose even further in 2013 to more than 900.