Kentucky News Now – October 8th 2013

HEALTH REFORMS-KENTUCKY

Online insurance info drawing thousands of clicks

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Nearly 175,000 people have gone online to visit the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange to review information about health insurance coverage.

Gov. Steve Beshear's office said in a news release Monday that nearly 7,000 of those people have purchased health insurance policies that will go into effect on Jan. 1.

Kentucky launched the health benefit exchange, an online marketplace for people shopping for insurance coverage, last Tuesday.

As of Monday afternoon, more than 155,000 people had completed pre-screenings to determine if they qualify for federal subsidies and discounts for insurance policies or to determine if they qualify for Medicaid.

Nearly 15,000 people have completed applications for health coverage so far.

ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN

Students urged to spread message about drug abuse

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky students are being recruited to spread the message about the dangers of prescription drug abuse.

State Attorney General Jack Conway on Monday joined in announcing the start of a public service announcement contest for middle and high school students. The competition is part of an effort to warn youngsters about prescription abuse.

As part of the competition, Kentucky students will produce a 30-second video showing the perils of prescription drug abuse.

The first-place winner will receive an Apple iPad. The runner-up will receive a $100 Amazon.com gift card.

The deadline for submitting a video is Dec. 6. Winners will be announced a week later.

Students wanting to find out how to submit a PSA for consideration can visit the attorney general's prescription drug abuse prevention page at http://ag.ky.gov/rxabuse.

STORYTELLING FESTIVAL-RECORDS

Corn Island Storytelling Fest set for Friday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville's Corn Island Storytelling Festival kicks off again this week at the University of Louisville's Belknap Campus.

Storytellers and musicians featured at this year's event include Col. Bob Thompson, John Gage, Mary Hamilton and Bob Hill.

The event is put on by U of L and the International Order of E.A.R.S., which was founded in 1985 to preserve the art form of storytelling.

U of L announced Monday that the university will house records and other materials from the storytelling festival. Corn Island was founded in 1976 by Lee and Joy Pennington. Some items from the collection will be on display on the first floor of the Ekstrom Library through October.

The storytelling begins at 7 p.m. EDT Friday in the Humanities Quadrangle in front of the library. The festival will kick off at 5 p.m. with children's activities. The public event is free.

LOUISVILLE-ABUSE ALLEGATIONS

Louisville won't punish women's lacrosse coach

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville plans no disciplinary action against women's lacrosse coach Kellie Young, alleged to have used abusive language and tactics with players.

Cardinals athletic spokesman Kenny Klein said Monday the school has addressed matters involving Young, accused by six current and former players and a group of parents of running a program amid a culture of fear in a report in the Courier-Journal.

Klein also disputed several allegations against Young in the report, such as making a player with an anterior cruciate ligament injury do 250 pushups in an airport terminal as punishment and telling two teammates to sign a contract saying they wouldn't speak to each other.

Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich has told Young to stop cursing around players, telling the newspaper she had done "a good job."

JUDGE REPRIMANDED

Ky. judge reprimanded for comments in abuse case

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — An eastern Kentucky judge has been publicly reprimanded for comments he made about juvenile victims during the sentencing of an adult male teacher convicted of sexually abusing the students.

The Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission on Monday issued the punishment of 39th Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Frank Fletcher of Jackson. The commission found that Fletcher said the victims "didn't look their age" and that the teacher was "not blind and only human." Fletcher also said the sexual encounters between the teacher and juveniles "were consensual."

Eight months after sentencing the teacher to seven years in prison, Fletcher granted shock probation in the case.

Commission Chairman Steven Woltnizek concluded that the comments showed bias or prejudice toward the teacher.

Fletcher cooperated with the investigation.