Kentucky News Now – Wednesday April 9th 2014

ETHICS-JOHN ARNOLD

State workers describe sexual harassment

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Former state Rep. John Arnold will not be punished for charges that he sexually harassed three state employees over four years.

A majority of the Legislative Ethics Commission voted to find Arnold guilty of violating state ethics laws by abusing his position as a public official. But Commissioner Elmer George voted no because he did not believe the commission had the authority to punish Arnold because Arnold is no longer a member of the General Assembly.

Elmer's vote meant each of Arnold's counts failed with a 4-1 vote. State law requires the commission to have five votes before it can fine or sanction someone.

Three state workers told the ethics panel that Arnold touched them inappropriately and made them afraid to come to work.

KENTUCKY GOVERNOR-THREATENED

June trial set for man charged with online threats

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A trial date has been set for a Kentucky man charged with threatening to kill the state's governor, first lady and their family in a series of Facebook postings.

U.S. District Judge scheduled 22-year-old William Collin Bordt of Lexington to face a jury on June 5 in Lexington. Bordt has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Federal agents believe Bordt may have also posted threats to a former employer and a political figure in South Carolina.

Department of Homeland Security Special Agent Michael Romagnoli wrote in an affidavit that Bordt posted "Your both dead if he doesn't step down" and other messages on the governor's Facebook page.

Kentucky State Police arrested Bordt in March.

UAW-STRIKE VOTE

Auto workers holding strike authorization vote

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Union workers at the General Motors plant in Kentucky that assembles Corvettes are casting ballots on whether to authorize a strike.

Voting began early Tuesday and continues into early evening for about 800 members of United Auto Workers Local 2164 at Bowling Green.

Local union President Eldon Renaud says the issues involved deal with safety and the elimination of certain quality control positions, which the union thinks affects the integrity of the plant's quality procedures.

If workers authorize a strike, Renaud says he hopes it results in stepped up negotiations with the company.

The plant says the safety of its employees and the quality of its products are at the forefront of every decision. It says it's confident that management and the union can work together.

FUGITIVE SOUGHT

Police seeking man wanted on molestation charge

FLORENCE, Ky. (AP) — Investigators in northern Kentucky are seeking a man wanted on charges he sexually molested the daughter of a friend.

Boone county Sheriff's spokesman Tom Scheben says deputies obtained an arrest warrant on Tuesday for 29-year-old Eulogio Constantion Martinez, who remained at large.

Martinez is wanted on two counts of first-degree rape and two counts of first-degree sexual abuse.

Scheben says investigators determined that Martinez had inappropriate relations with a friend's 11-year-old daughter beginning in June 2013 and ending in March.

Martinez is known to frequent the Florence area

DOWNTOWN VIOLENCE

Mayor seeks to hold parents accountable

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

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — In the wake of downtown violence in Louisville, Mayor Greg Fischer is looking for ways to hold parents accountable for delinquent juvenile behavior.

Fischer's spokesman, Chris Poynter, told The Courier-Journal that the mayor is in talks with the county attorney's office and Metro Council members to find the best ways to do that.

Meanwhile, Poynter says 26 new cameras that are being placed in the downtown area in response to the violence that erupted on March 22 will be monitored 24 hours a day in real time.

Police have said that a group of teens assaulted at least four people at Waterfront Park before a mob of up to 200 traveled through downtown and committed at least 20 more crimes including property damage and more assaults.

KENTUCKY-WRAPUP

NBA rumors swirl around Ky. coach John Calipari

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's talented freshmen shed a shaky regular season and then showed why the Wildcats were picked No. 1 in the preseason with an impressive run to the NCAA championship game.

After losing 60-54 loss to Connecticut, the annual question is who from the Kentucky basketball team will leave for the NBA, including John Calipari.

The fifth-year Kentucky coach is used to inquiries, but former Kentucky player Rex Chapman turned up the heat Monday by tweeting that Calipari coaching the Los Angeles Lakers was a "done deal." While Calipari said later he was happy and planned to be back at Kentucky, he didn't completely dismiss the scenario.

It wouldn't be a surprise if Kentucky (29-11) loses forward Julius Randle. Several of his young teammates also are going to mull over their pro prospects.