Kentucky News Now – May 18th 2015

GOP 2016-PAUL

Paul says asking about Iraq invasion a 'valid question'

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican Sen. Rand Paul says it is a "valid question" to ask presidential candidates whether they would have invaded Iraq in 2003.

Paul told about 1,300 Iowa Republicans gathered Saturday at the state party's annual Lincoln Dinner that it's a valid question because "history repeats itself" in the Middle East.

The Kentucky senator and presidential candidate didn't name former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who stumbled on the Iraq question in recent days. Bush's brother, former President George W. Bush, ordered the invasion.

Paul questions whether Iraq is more stable today and argues that former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton should take questions about whether it was "a good idea" to topple Libya's Moammar Gadhafi.

Paul is among 11 presidential hopefuls addressing Iowa Republicans.

MINISTER-SEXUAL ABUSE

Indiana minister faces Kentucky child sex abuse charges

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

GREENSBURG, Ind. (AP) — A southeastern Indiana minister faces child sexual abuse charges in Kentucky for allegedly molesting a child several times, including inside the church where he previously preached.

A grand jury in Lewis County, Kentucky, recently indicted 63-year-old Duncan D. Aker Jr. on sexual abuse and sodomy charges involving a victim under 12 years of age. He was arrested May 3 by Greensburg, Indiana, police on a Kentucky warrant.

Kentucky State Police spokesman Joe Veeneman says Akers was minister at the Vanceburg Christian Church at the time of the alleged abuse.

Akers was most recently a Greensburg Christian Church minister.

WTHR-TV reports that Akers allegedly sexually abused a child in Kentucky multiple times over a 3-year period in his car, home and inside the Vanceburg church where he preached.

CRAFT BEER

More craft beer operations expected to open in Bowling Green

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — The craft beer movement is growing in Bowling Green.

The Daily News reports two businesses that serve craft beer soon will be available to patrons in the city and a third new operation will have supplies for the home brewer.

Those familiar with Kentucky's market say the state has fewer than 20 craft beer operations, but more are expected.

The White Squirrel Brewery and Taproom is opening its doors this month. It will produce an IPA, a nut brown and German-style Kolsch beer.

This summer, Bliss Ave Brewing Company will open featuring site-brewed in large tanks and catered food.

In addition, Blue Holler Brew, a home brewing supplies store, will open in the city Saturday.

EMPTY DORM TOWERS

University of Kentucky high-rise dormitories to be vacated

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Two 23-story dormitory towers on the University of Kentucky campus will be empty for this fall semester as the school decides what to do with them.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports the university is planning to either renovate or raze the Kirwan and Blanding towers. Closing those residence halls means the number of low-cost housing options for students will be reduced.

The administration has not decided on a long-term plan for the towers. A university spokesman says demolishing or renovating them would cost more than $10 million.

The towers and a surrounding complex of low-rise housing are the only remaining dorms, aside from Greek housing and UK-operated apartments, that cost less than $3,000 per semester.

WRONG WAY CRASH

Victims identified in wrong-way crash on I-40

(Information in the following story is from: The Tennessean, http://www.tennessean.com)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A car traveling the wrong way on Interstate 40 near Nashville caused a crash that killed two people.

Nashville Police identified the victims as 26-year-old Devin Strong of Nashville and 34-year-old James R. Hall of Richmond, Kentucky. Police say they believe Strong was driving the wrong way on the interstate early Saturday morning when his car struck Hall's head-on. The Tennessean reports Strong died at the scene.

Another car driven by 53-year-old Christopher Miles of South Holland, Illinois, hit Strong's car after the initial collision. Miles suffered minor injuries.

Police say they don't know why Strong was traveling the wrong way on the interstate, and there was no evidence of drugs or alcohol involvement at the scene.

The crash happened around 2 a.m. on Saturday.

EXCHANGE-PRAYING WITH CANCER

Scottsville woman with cancer believes prayer saved her life

(Information in the following story is from: Daily News, http://www.bgdailynews.com)

SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Diane Johnson believes prayer healed her from stage IV throat cancer.

In 2013, the Scottsville woman noticed a spot in the back of her throat that was irritating her. Her doctor gave her antibiotics to take for two weeks, but it didn't help.

Johnson endured radiation, chemotherapy, nausea and a feeding tube that had to be cleaned every day.

Each day, Johnson would read out of a booklet and pray. She read Jeremiah 30:17 in the Bible, which in the New International Version says: "But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord, because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares."

In October 2013, she had a PET scan. She prayed there wouldn't be a tumor or cancer.

It was gone.

NORTON BRAIN LAWSUIT

Man accuses health care system of losing piece of his brain

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

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A man has filed a lawsuit against Norton Healthcare, claiming employees lost a piece of his brain after surgery.

The Courier-Journal reports 72-year-old Fred Habermel underwent surgery at Norton Center Institute last year in an experimental procedure to fight a brain tumor. Doctors extracted a piece of brain tissue and hoped to later inject it back into his head.

A few weeks later, the lawsuit said, Habermel was told by a Norton physician that someone at Norton had lost the extracted sample, meaning he could no longer receive the treatment.

Attorney Gary Weiss filed the complaint Tuesday in Jefferson Circuit Court on behalf of Habermel and his wife, seeking unspecified damages.

Norton spokesman Thomas Johnson says the sample was never lost and Habermel continues to be treated by Norton.

BUS DRAGS GIRL

Girl dragged by school bus; injuries not life-threatening

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Police say a young Louisville girl who was dragged by a school bus more than 100 hundred feet did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

Multiple media outlets report a student at Wilkerson Elementary School suffered road rash and was taken to a hospital Friday after being pulled by a bus when her backpack got caught in the door.

Louisville Metro Police spokesman Dwight Mitchell says the female driver had stopped to let the girl off at her babysitter's house and closed the door on the girl's backpack. The driver did not notice the girl was being dragged until a car behind the bus sped up to the bus with its horn blaring, causing the driver to stop.

Police have not released the identity of the girl or the bus driver.