Kentucky News Now – September 9th 2015

GAY MARRIAGE-KENTUCKY-THE LATEST

Lawyer hopes clerk complies in marriage case

GRAYSON, Ky. (AP) — An attorney representing the couples who sued a Kentucky clerk over her refusal to issue marriage licenses says he will ask a judge to again hold the official in contempt if she blocks her deputies from granting licenses.

Lawyer Dan Canon said Tuesday that the couples hope Rowan County clerk Kim Davis complies and doesn't again order her staff to stop issuing licenses because of her religious beliefs about homosexuality.

"But if experience is a teacher, Ms. Davis just doesn't believe that court orders apply to her," Canon said.

Davis was released from jail after being held in contempt for several days over her refusal to follow a judge's order and issue the licenses to same-sex couples.

Davis' lawyers wouldn't say Tuesday whether she intends to issue licenses.

Three of the four couples named in the lawsuit that led to Davis' contempt charge have already been issued licenses. But Canon said the judge's order applies to all couples. If Davis opts to turn anyone away, the judge could decide on his own to return her to jail.

DISASTER AID

Disaster aid centers open in 3 Kentucky counties

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — People affected by severe weather in July can register for federal disaster aid at three applicant registration sites in eastern Kentucky.

The centers are at Carl D. Perkins Community Center in Morehead, Fleming County Extension Service in Flemingsburg and Breathitt County Library in Jackson.

The Morehead center will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EDT through this Friday only, the Flemingsburg center will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday until further notice, and the Jackson center will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday until further notice.

The sites are to help people affected by flooding and severe storms that occurred July 11 through July 20.

FORT CAMPBELL GYMNASIUM

Medal of Honor recipient being honored at Fort Campbell

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — A 101st Airborne Division soldier who was killed in Cambodia in 1970 will be honored at a Fort Campbell ceremony.

The post gymnasium will be dedicated Wednesday and named for Sgt. Leslie H. Sabo Jr.

President Barack Obama awarded Sabo the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2012 for heroic actions in combat while serving as a rifleman with the 101st in Cambodia. The post said among other actions, the 22-year-old picked up a grenade and threw it away while shielding a fellow soldier with his own body, seriously wounding Sabo but saving the friend. Sabo was killed when he threw a grenade into an enemy bunker.

The dedication ceremony is set for 2 p.m. CDT Wednesday at the post on the Kentucky-Tennessee state line.

ROADSIDE BODY

2 arrested in death of 19-year-old woman found along road

GREENUP, Ky. (AP) — Two teenagers have been arrested following the discovery of a 19-year-old woman's body alongside a roadway in northeastern Kentucky.

Greenup County Sheriff Keith M. Cooper said in a news release the body was discovered late Monday and reported to the emergency call center. The news release identified the woman as Mattellen Conley of Flatwoods.

Cooper's office said 19-year-old James Wyatt Ratliff of South Portsmouth was charged with second-degree manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence. Ratliff was released on bond Tuesday. A 17-year-old was also arrested and taken to juvenile detention, but no information was released because of the person's age.

The case remains under investigation.

BOY-FIRE DEATH

4-year-old boy dies in south-central Kentucky fire

(Information in the following story is from: Glasgow Daily Times, http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com )

GLASGOW, Ky. (AP) — A south-central Kentucky sheriff's office says a 4-year-old boy has died in a house fire.

Barren County Sheriff Kent Keen's office said the fire occurred Monday night south of Glasgow.

The Glasgow Daily Times reports a preliminary investigation indicates the fire started from a coal oil lantern in the kitchen area. The sheriff's office said the boy was Amish. The child's name hasn't been released.

Foul play isn't suspected.

COACH-ABUSE CHARGE

Kentucky case postponed in former women's coach case

COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Pretrial court proceedings in Kentucky have been delayed in the case of a former college women's basketball coach accused of groping a player.

A scheduled hearing Tuesday for Bryce McKey was rescheduled for Friday before Judge Ann Ruttle in Kenton County. The initial judge in the case recused himself because of a family connection to the Xavier University (Cincinnati) basketball program.

McKey's attorney had earlier entered a not-guilty plea for him on a charge of third-degree sexual abuse, a misdemeanor.

A player McKey had coached while he was a Xavier assistant says McKey asked her to come to his Covington, Kentucky, home and touched her inappropriately. He's been ordered to stay away from her.

He had become a University of Maryland assistant, but resigned after the Xavier player's allegation surfaced.