Tuesday’s Kentucky News

COMBATTING DRUGS

Program that combats drugs finds success

(Information in the following story is from: The Independent, http://www.dailyindependent.com )

GRAYSON, Ky. (AP) — An initiative to combat substance abuse among youths in eastern Kentucky has found so much success that it will be funded for another five years.

The Independent reports the Carter County Drug Free Coalition received funding last week from the Office of National Drug Control Policy to continue its work.

Grant coordinator Shelly Steiner of Pathways said the coalition was founded in 2006 on the heels of an educational summit where it was discovered that substance abuse was a significant factor affecting education outcomes in the county. She said the coalition formed and began to educate the public about the problem, then rolled out several strategies to fight it.

Data shows most middle and high school students reported a reduction in the use of drugs and alcohol.

GOVERNMENT AUCTION

Ky. may take financial hit on fuel lab equipment

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky could take a shellacking in an online auction to sell some $3 million worth of equipment from the Department of Agriculture's now-defunct fuel testing lab.

Bids on laboratory and office equipment were coming in Monday far below original purchase prices.

High bids on eyewash stations ranged from $6 to $40. An explosion-proof refrigerator had garnered a $65 offer. And bids on a couple of desks stood at $2 and $3 each.

Danny Ford, director of the Kentucky Division of Surplus Property, said he's hopeful that bids will begin edging upward on Tuesday when the auction nears its scheduled 2 p.m. EDT conclusion.

Agriculture Commissioner James Comer closed the fuel lab, saying it was a waste of money, and declared the equipment surplus so that it could be sold.

RAND PAUL-SENTENCES

Paul backs sentencing flexibility for judges

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul found a receptive audience in a mostly black Louisville neighborhood as the tea party favorite spoke in favor of giving judges more sentencing flexibility and restoring voting rights for felons.

The Kentucky Republican spoke at a community meeting Monday in western Louisville.

Paul told the group that the "War on Drugs' unfairly targeted blacks. He criticized federal mandatory minimum penalties that subject people to long prison terms for non-violent crimes. Paul is sponsoring legislation that would give federal judges greater flexibility in sentencing.

The first-term senator also said he supports restoring voting rights for felons, once they have gone some time without committing other crimes.

One participant during the round table discussion, Don Smith, said people are "held hostage" by felony offenses that occurred decades ago.

CANCER FOUNDATION

Fundraising drive to combat cancer nears goal

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A public-private partnership to fight colon cancer in Kentucky appears to be gaining steam.

The Kentucky Cancer Foundation is nearing its goal of matching $1 million that Gov. Steve Beshear was able to set aside for colon cancer screening in the state budget.

Beshear and health officials provided an update on the initiative to fight cancer in a state that ranks among the worst in the nation for the disease.

Some 500 uninsured Kentuckians have already been screened for colon cancer through the initiative. That number is expected to reach 2,000 by next June.

Of those who have undergone colonoscopies, 25 percent were found to have pre-cancerous polyps that were removed to prevent the development of cancer.

The program is targeting uninsured Kentuckians between the ages of 50 and 64.

SIEGE OF BOONESBOROUGH

State park to commemorate Siege of Boonesborough

RICHMOND, Ky. (AP) — Fort Boonesborough State Park is hosting the annual 1778 Siege of Boonesborough weekend.

The events beginning on Saturday will include battle re-enactments and a "night battle" at dusk on Saturday.

Organizers say visitors can spend the weekend learning about 18th-century life in Kentucky at the central Kentucky park.

The weekend commemorates the 1778 attack on the fort during the Revolutionary War. The fort's settlers refused to surrender and the attackers eventually left.

In addition to the reconstructed fort, the park also has a campground, the Kentucky River Museum and a gift shop.

This event is free with regular admission of $8 for adults and $5 for children.

WEIGH STATION

Kentucky replacing weigh station in Shelby County

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky Transportation Cabinet weigh station along eastbound Interstate 64 in Shelby County has been closed.

The state says the weigh station will stay closed until a new facility is built on the existing site.

Officials say the weigh station will be closed for at least four months.

The old facility was built in the 1960s, and nearly 16,000 trucks rolled across its scales each month.

Message boards along eastbound I-64 will notify truckers of the closed weigh station. Safety barrels will be placed on the weigh station's entrance and exit ramps to prevent traffic from driving through the facility.