Kentuky News Now – January 6th, 2014

DEEP FREEZE-KENTUCKY

Ky prepared for coldest temperatures in 2 decades

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) —Kentucky is preparing for the strongest winter storm the state has seen in two decades.

The worst of the weather is expected Sunday afternoon, National Weather Service meteorologist Dan Spaeth in Paducah says once it arrives, one to three inches of snow and temperatures below zero were expected throughout the day and into Monday.

Spaeth says the cold blast is expected to last through Monday, with wind chills in the -15 to -20 range for parts of the state.

The initial forecast for Kentucky called for more than 4 inches of snow, but that has been scaled back to 1-to-3 inches. Spaeth says the snow will move through quickly with cold air settling in behind it.

DEEP FREEZE-KENTUCKY-AIRPORT

Winter weather delaying flights in Ky

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — As a blast of winter weather moves across Kentucky, airlines are delaying or cancelling flights to and from the area because of difficulties with ice and snow around the country.

At Barkley Regional Airport in Paducah, United Airlines cancelled all flights in and out of the western Kentucky airport for Monday and Tuesday because of the freezing temperatures. Airport officials say the cancellations are because of icing at other air fields where the airline flies.

Multiple flights on U.S. Airways, Delta Airlines and American Airlines destined for Louisville International Airport were reporting delays of more than three hours and cancellations. The flights were from a variety of locations, including New York, Chicago and Dallas.

Flights at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington were also experiencing delays from Chicago and Detroit.

SEX OFFENDER-BAR EXAM

Sex offender seeks admission to Kentucky bar

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky man on a sex offender registry is pushing the state's Supreme Court to allow him to take the bar exam and become a practicing lawyer.

Guy Padraic Hamilton-Smith, of Lexington, plans to ask the justices by Jan. 13 to reconsider a decision that he lacks the moral character to join the bar.

Hamilton-Smith graduated in the top third of his law school class, but the Kentucky Supreme Court last month blocked him from taking the bar exam because he is on the registry.

Hamilton-Smith pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of matter portraying a sexual performance by a child in March 2007 and received a five-year suspended sentence. He was also required to register as a sex offender until 2027.

PROSECUTION IMMUNITY UPHELD

Court: Prosecutors immune from suit over charges

(Information in the following story is from: Richmond Register, http://www.richmondregister.com)

RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled that two central Kentucky prosecutors are immune from a civil suit brought after a failed criminal prosecution.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that Madison County Commonwealth's Attorney David Smith and his wife, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Jennifer Smith, cannot be sued for actions they took in bringing criminal charges against former Richmond police officers Garry Murphy and Brian Hensley.

The two men, and another defendant, James J. Rogers, were found not guilty in in 2010.

The Richmond Register reported that investigation stemmed from a sexual encounter they had with a woman, April McQueen, on Oct. 29. 2009.

Murphy, Hensley and Rogers sued the Smiths, then-Madison County Sheriff Nelson O'Donnell, two deputies, two of McQueen's neighbors and her landlord.

HUSBAND MURDER CHARGE

Ky man charged with shooting, killing wife

(Information in the following story is from: WKYT-TV, http://www.wkyt.com)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Police in Lexington have charged an 88-year-old man with shooting and killing his 85-year-old wife.

WKYT-TV in Lexington reported that neighbors heard a single shot Saturday afternoon from the home of John Blevins. The Fayette County Coroner's Office says they found his wife, Elizabeth Blevins, with a single gunshot wound.

Neighbor Brian Jones says police handcuffed John Blevins and walked him down a sidewalk a short time later.

Police say John Blevins may suffer from a form of dementia.

Jail records did not list an attorney for Blevins.

KENTUCKY KINGDOM

More than 2,500 show up for Ky Kingdom job fair

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

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A job fair for the reopening of the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park in Louisville drew about 2,500 people hoping to work at the park when it reopens in May.

Park spokesman John Mulcahy told The Courier-Journal that the park had received about 3,500 job applications. It intends to hire just over 1,000 seasonal workers.

Mulcahy said the number of applications will mean many of the positions will be competitive.

A group headed by businessman Ed Hart plans to reopen the park on May 24; it last operated in 2009 when Six Flags decided to shut it down.

The park is offering jobs in more than 20 areas , including guest services, health services, food services, catering, sanitation, ride operations, horticulture, merchandise sales, games, security and water safety.