Kentukcy News Now – June 13th 2014

TOBACCO SETTLEMENT

Kentucky reaches settlement with tobacco companies

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Tobacco companies have agreed to give Kentucky more than $110 million to settle a 10-year legal battle over the state's share of the tobacco master settlement agreement.

In 1998, U.S. tobacco companies agreed to pay $229 billion to 52 states and territories over many years to compensate for the costs of treating smoking-related illnesses. Kentucky had to tax tobacco companies that did not participate in the agreement.

The big tobacco companies accused Kentucky of not collecting all of those taxes. As a result, they withheld some of Kentucky's annual payments. State officials and tobacco companies have been fighting over those disputed payments since 2003.

Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and Attorney General Jack Conway said the money will go to pay for a range of agricultural and public health programs.

KENTUCKY SENATE

Warren to campaign with Grimes in Kentucky

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — After weeks of coal criticism from Mitch McConnell, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes wants to change the subject.

Grimes' campaign announced Thursday a series of campaign events with U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren to criticize McConnell for blocking a bill that would have allowed college students to refinance their loans. The stops will include an event with students.

The McConnell campaign continues to pound Grimes for ignoring the coal industry in a speech during a Washington fundraiser. The campaign trotted out a Republican state senator and a Democratic mayor, both from coal mining counties, to say they don't trust Grimes after she had promised to use the fundraiser to demand Senate action on clean coal technology.

The Grimes campaign said Grimes had a private conversation with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid about coal.

ONLINE DRIVER COURSE

New drivers can complete course online now

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky residents who are learning to drive have a new option for completing a required safe-driving course.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says an online version of the graduated driver license course is now being offered through a driver education website, I Drive Safely, at http://teen.idrivesafely.com/Kentucky/.

Three other options that have been available to complete the course remain. They are a four-hour course provided free at least twice a year in each county; a high school driver’s education course or similar program offered by a Kentucky community college, vocational school or Job Corps; or private driver training at an approved school.

The cabinet says the online course costs $15 and takes about four hours to complete. The cost of the course is collected by the website and not the state.

DESTROYED DOCUMENTS

Document shredding probe reopened

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police have reopened an investigation into documents that were shredded by former Legislative Research Commission Director Bobby Sherman.

The Courier-Journal reports police made the decision after the newspaper reported last week that investigators seized Sherman's computer during the probe but never examined its contents. Police said in May that they had finished the investigation and found no evidence that any laws were violated.

State police spokesman Sgt. Michael Webb told the newspaper that reopening the case and examining the computer files "will either reinforce that there's nothing on the computer, or it will find something of importance."

The documents were shredded last September, two days after Sherman resigned. His departure came after his office investigated sexual harassment complaints against a former state lawmaker.

ELECTION AUDIT

6 counties chosen for post-election audit

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Six counties have been chosen for audits of last month's primary election.

The counties were chosen randomly on Wednesday. The state attorney general is required by law to conduct the post-election investigation in no fewer than 5 percent of Kentucky's counties following each primary and general election.

Attorney General Jack Conway's office says selection of the counties doesn't imply that irregularities are suspected. There were no irregularities discovered during the last audit, in November 2012.

The counties chosen are Allen, Breathitt, Clark, Meade, Russell and Warren.

Conway's office said in addition to the audit, investigations are continuing into complaints made to the Election Fraud Hotline. The hotline received 205 calls from more than 60 counties on primary election day, May 20. There were 49 allegations of vote-buying.

INFANT DEATH

Second trial begins for father in infant death

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (AP) — The second trial for a central Kentucky father accused in the death of his 1-month-old son has begun.

The News Enterprise reports testimony began on Wednesday in the trial of 25-year-old Jarrod D. Davis.

Davis is charged with murder and abuse in the death of Ja'Vion Davis in January 2013. An indictment said Davis "wantonly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death" to the child.

A medical examiner found blunt force trauma to the baby's head and several other injuries.

Davis said the injuries occurred when he dropped the infant.

Radcliff police detective Mac Slack testified that he became suspicious after Davis changed his story about how the child was injured.

Davis' first trial ended with a hung jury.

RABID BAT

Bat found in Lexington tests positive for rabies

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Health officials in Lexington are advising residents to be sure their pets' rabies vaccinations are up to date after a bat there tested positive for the disease.

The Lexington Fayette County Health Department says the bat was found in a home in the eastern part of the city.

Officials say it doesn't appear there was contact between the bat and neighborhood animals but say residents should still keep an eye on pets. Early rabies symptoms include behavior change, chewing at bite site, fever and appetite loss.

Health officials warn against handling a bat to minimize the risk of contracting rabies.

Officials say anyone who finds a dead bat in the home and can't rule out possible human exposure should contact the Division of Environmental Health and Protection at (859) 231-9791.

KENTUCKY-HAWKINS

Kentucky G Hawkins returns motivated from China

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Dominique Hawkins believes his recent experience in the Far East will translate to on-court growth for Kentucky.

The Wildcats' 6-foot sophomore reserve guard averaged 9.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest in nine games of the international outreach in China, highlighted by 27 points in a win over Lithuania. That game alone was two points more than the defensive specialist scored all season during Kentucky's eventual runner-up finish.

Hawkins said Thursday the performance motivates him to improve his offense in a backcourt that returns 6-6 twins Andrew and Aaron Harrison.

He says, "We'll be a better team if I can be more aggressive on offense."

Hawkins added that the return of the Harrisons and other Wildcats regulars allows them "to do something we wasn't able to finish up last year."