Kentucky News Now – May 8th 2014

KENTUCKY SENATE RACE

Grimes to talk jobs on 50-county Kentucky bus tour

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes says she is launching a 50-county bus tour across Kentucky on Friday to highlight her jobs plan — and jab Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

Grimes plans to criticize McConnell for telling a newspaper that it's not his job to bring jobs to a struggling Kentucky county.

McConnell has said his words were taken out of context. In a statewide TV ad he's touting his record of protecting jobs in Kentucky.

McConnell's campaign says Grimes is taking a bus tour instead of focusing on her duties as secretary of state.

The race is a marquee contest in this year's midterm elections, in which Republicans led by McConnell are reaching for a six-seat gain to control the Senate.

ETHICS-JOHN ARNOLD

Ethics panel fines former lawmaker

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Former state Rep. John Arnold has been fined $3,000 for violating state ethics laws in a sexual harassment case brought by three female state workers.

The Legislative Ethics Commission voted Wednesday to convict Arnold of violating state ethics laws by inappropriately touching the three women.

It was the second hearing on the matter in two months. Commissioners voted 4-1 at the first hearing to convict Arnold. But state law requires the commission have at least five votes to take action.

Arnold's attorney Steve Downey told commissioners Arnold has been diagnosed with dementia.

The case could have repercussions for House Democrats in the fall elections. Yolanda Costner and Cassaundra Cooper — who work for House Democratic leaders — testified their complaints were initially ignored. Republicans have used the incident to criticize Democrats.

UK-TUITION

UK proposes tuition increase

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — University of Kentucky students would face tuition increases of between 5 and 8 percent in the fall under a proposal from the school's president.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that Eli Capilouto is proposing that in-state students pay 5 percent more in tuition next year and out-of-state students pay 8 percent more.

Capilouto said in an email sent campus-wide on Monday that the "modest" hike is to offset state budget cuts.

The Council of Postsecondary Education recently approved up to an 8 percent increase in tuition over the next two years.

A University of Louisville spokesman says that school is planning a 5 percent increase in the fall and a 3 percent increase the following year.

The newspaper says UK's decision suggests a 3 percent increase for in-state students in 2015.

KENTUCKY-OHIO BRIDGE

Tolls proposed for Ohio River bridge

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Ohio Department of Transportation is supporting a legislative proposal that would require motorists to pay a toll to cross a major Ohio River bridge.

Sponsors say the bill introduced in the Ohio House on Tuesday is necessary to pave the way for a new bridge to handle traffic over the river on Interstate 71/75 in Cincinnati.

Plans call for an automated toll system on the current Brent Spence Bridge. The toll amount hasn't yet been set.

Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jerry Wray said in a statement that the legislation "will help us move forward with the revitalization of this heavily traveled corridor while improving accessibility and safety of local motorists."

The 51-year-old bridge carries about 172,000 vehicles daily between Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky.

OBAMA-CLIMATE POLITICS

Obama climate rules can't wait 'til after election

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the next few weeks, President Barack Obama's administration is set to unveil unprecedented emissions limits on power plants across the U.S.

But many Democratic candidates in energy-producing states are unhappy about that, fearing a political backlash. They would prefer that the president hold off on sweeping new climate-change steps until after November's midterm elections.

However, Obama can't wait that long.

Unless he starts now, the rules won't be in place before he leaves office. In that case, it would make it easier for Obama's successor to head off or begin dismantling the cornerstone of Obama's climate-change legacy.

So even though the new limits could bolster Republican attacks against some of this year's most vulnerable Democrats, the administration is proceeding at full speed.

ABBEY EMPLOYEE INDICTED

Police: Ex-employee, wife stole $1M from Ky. monks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A former employee at a central Kentucky abbey run by an order of Catholic monks has been indicted on dozens of theft charges that allege he stole more than $1 million from the institution.

Police said John Hutchins was working as an accountant at the Abbey of Gethsemani when he began diverting money, with help from his wife, from an abbey-owned account in 2008.

Documents from the Nelson County Circuit Court clerk's office say Hutchins was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on 87 counts of felony theft and 87 counts of unlawful access to a computer, along with 174 counts of complicity to commit those crimes, for a total of 348 indictments. Hutchins' wife, Carrie Hutchins, faces the same charges.

Luke Morgan, an attorney for John Hutchins, had no comment on the indictments Wednesday. Morgan said the couple will plead not guilty at their arraignment later this month.

FIREFIGHTERS NEEDED

Bell County seeks volunteer firefighters

PINEVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A southeastern Kentucky community is seeking volunteer firefighters in an effort to reopen two stations that closed nearly three years ago.

The Bell County Volunteer Fire Department board shut down stations in the Colmar and Brownies Creek communities during a funding dispute with the county.

Now, officials want to reopen the stations, but WYMT-TV reports they need more volunteer firefighters.

Each station would need between six and 12 volunteers, who must pass training courses before they can be firefighters.

Bell County Volunteer Fire Department spokesman Bucky Shelby says reopening the stations would lead to shorter response times that could mean cheaper insurance rates. He says they hope to get enough volunteers to reopen the stations this summer.

NORTH HARDIN BAND-2015 MACY's PARADE

North Hardin marching band to be in 2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

RADCLIFF, Ky. (AP) — A central Kentucky marching band is headed to New York for the 2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Macy's announced Wednesday that North Hardin High School's marching band will perform in the parade along with nine other marching bands from across the U.S. They were selected from more than 175 applicants for the Nov. 26, 2015, parade.

The parade, which began in 1924, also features 8,000 participants, including Macy's employees and their families, celebrities, athletes, clowns and dance groups along with floats and giant helium character balloons covering more than a two-mile route in New York City.

It draws more than 3.5 million people lining the streets in New York as well as more than 50 million television viewers around the country.

CALIFORNIA CHROME-WORKOUT

Derby winner California Chrome returns to track

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — California Chrome returned to the track for the first time since winning the Kentucky Derby last weekend.

The chestnut colt jogged one mile at Churchill Downs on Wednesday under exercise rider Willie Delgado.

Alan Sherman, who is overseeing California Chrome on behalf of his father and trainer Art Sherman, says the colt wanted to train because he was tired of walking around the barn.

Sherman says the colt will resume galloping Thursday and keep that schedule for as long as he remains at Churchill. He will travel to Baltimore early next week to prepare for the Preakness on May 17. Art Sherman has returned to his training base in Southern California and will rejoin the colt the later.