News

Kentucky’s economy remains steeped in agriculture related professions.  Sometimes the rural way of life intersects with an urban traveler.  Farmers across Kentucky are trying their best to get equipment into the fields.  Sometimes, it requires a trip down a roadway.  Triple A reports in 2012 there were 192 collisions in Kentucky involving farm equipment.  Bluegrass Triple A Spokesman Christopher Oakford says slow moving tractors have a legal right to use the roads.

A far western Kentucky welcome center takes a top honor today.  The Whitehaven Welcome Center in McCracken County is being recognized as the state’s best maintained rest area for 2012.  Maintenance Foreman Ronnie Wilson has worked at the Paducah facility for some 26 years.  “I’ve got a bunch of good people working for me that works hard, you know, take pride in what they do.  That’s the only way you could win it, to do that,” said Wilson.

Widespread showers and thunderstorms will strike today, with the worst expected mid-afternoon.Winds could gusting up to 58 mph with quarter-size hail anytime after 1 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio.  Tornadoes cannot be ruled out, but the threat for them to develop is small, said meteorologist Scott Hickman.   The high temperature will peak near 80 at 5 p.m.

A scheduled second reading of an ordinance that would open hotel and motel guest registries to inspection by public-safety officials was tabled by the Nicholasville City Commission during a special-called meeting Monday afternoon.  During the meeting, city leaders heard from representatives from three Nicholasville lodging facilities who expressed concern over how the ordinance was written. Prior to the discussion, Mayor Russ Meyer had already told the managers that the issue would be tabled until a future date.

Lexington’s City Council has given initial approval for food trucks to conduct business on certain public streets.  The matter was debated at length during this afternoon’s work session at city hall.  In the end the count was 13 yes votes, one no vote, and one abstention.  Now the matter will go on the council docket for a formal vote.  If given final approval, food trucks could be found during the day in specific zones by the first part of June.

Governor Steve Beshear has named a longtime tourism veteran to oversee the part of his cabinet dealing with travel and the arts.Bob Stewart is a familiar face in state government, having worked for 11 years as commissioner of travel from 1992 to 2003.  And now, he'll be the new Tourism Secretary, having been appointed by Beshear to fill the post vacated by Marcheta  Sparrow, who’s retiring.

Kentucky's agriculture commissioner says a recent setback shouldn't cause hemp supporters to give up hope of getting the crop legalized. James Comer says he's not surprised that language legalizing industrial hemp wasn’t added to the first drafts of farm bills in the U.S. House and Senate.   Last week, a group of Kentucky U.S. Senators and House members tried--and failed--to get the provision included in the legislation.  Comer says the federal farm bill has a long way to go before it gets passed, and a lot of things will be added and taken out in the next few months

Two Central Kentucky Red Cross volunteers are heading out today to Oklahoma to assist in tornado relief work.   Recovery efforts are continuing today in the town of Moore where many of the casualties are children.  Red Cross Spokesman Winn Stephens says the two volunteers are taking a Red Cross emergency response vehicle to the tornado site.  Russ Hoff of Lexington and Ramona Hibbard of Manchester are traveling to Oklahoma with the Red Cross vehicle.  Stephens says the two are expected to be there for ten days to two weeks.

State police again promise have patrols on Kentucky’s highways this holiday weekend, and, as always, they’ll be watchful for drunk drivers.  And, there’s a move afoot that tightens restrictions on drivers who also drink.

Exiled Tibetan leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner the Dalai Lama came to Louisville on Sunday for the first time since 1994, bringing his distinctive message of compassion not just for all humans but for other species. He blessed a Buddhist community center and then spoke to about 15,000 people at the Yum Center. The Dalai Lama was introduced by Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, who praised his moral clarity and trademark raucous laugh, which were in evidence often during the speech and question-and-answer session that followed. Read more...

Closing the Big Sandy Power plant in Lawrence County would be devastating for area. That's what speaker after speaker said during a Kentucky Public Service Commission public meeting last week at the Lawrence County Community Center. Lawrence Countian Gary Allen asked some provoking questions but did not get answers. But the main question seems to be would you rather pay more for your electricity in order to keep the Big Sandy plant burning coal, or would you rather have cheaper electricity that meets environmental code?  Read more..

Martha Raddatz told one on herself Sunday during her commencement address to Centre College’s Class of 2013. The highly decorated and respected ABC foreign correspondent who has reported from war zones around the world, the White House and the Pentagon, the woman who held Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan in check during their feisty debate at Centre last fall, never made it through college. Centre helped Raddatz fill that void in her life, bestowing on her an honorary degree.  Read more...

A flight carrying 71 Tristate veterans and their escorts departs at 8 am. Tuesday from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to Washington to see visit national memorials. Honor Flight Tri-State is a nonprofit organization that flies World War II and Korean War veterans to their memorials in Washington at no cost. The flight returns at 10:15 p.m. Tuesday.  Read more...

Kentucky Tea Party groups are planning rallies Tuesday to protest the IRS targeting of Tea Party and conservative groups for extra review. Two of Kentucky's largest Tea Party groups will protests outside IRS offices in their respective areas: the Northern Kentucky Tea Party will protest in Cincinnati and Louisville's group will join southern Indiana groups to protest in Louisville.

The numbers tell part of the story.  71-hundred children need foster homes but there are only four-thousand such residences in Kentucky.  And, State Department for Community Based Services Commissioner Teresa James says some of those foster parents hope to adopt a child...and then leave the system.  “We have some of our homes are actually considered foster to adopt.  These are individuals who want to be foster parents, but are saying to us when they come in ‘we might also be interested in adoption, if children have had their, if their parental rights have been terminated and children are free for adoption,” said James.

Beginning today and continuing through June 2, Kentucky State Police will be participating in the “Click It or Ticket” national, seatbelt enforcement campaign. The federal highway safety initiative focuses on seatbelt and child restraint enforcement as well as driver education.

Fan Outfitters, a Lexington-based chain of sports clothing stores started by two members of the Dawahare family, has been sold to the Lids Sports Group, based in Indianapolis. The company, which operates Lids hat stores, including one in Fayette Mall, and other sports retail operations, announced the acquisition in a news release last week. The deal includes Fan Outfitters' seven stores and its online retail operation. The price was not disclosed. Read more...

Let's see, Ed from Lexington called station manager Roger Duvall.  Karen emailed from London, Kentucky.   Another Karen posted on Facebook, as did Terry.  Meanwhile Chad tweeted about it.  And this all happened Saturday evening.

Tea party activist David Adams is again suing Gov. Steve Beshear. This time it's over the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare. The lawsuit aims at stopping Beshear from expanding Medicaid in Kentucky.

Most agree a $11.7 million public health clinic that could help thousands of poor people get medical and dental treatment would be positive for Lexington. But opinions vary dramatically about benefits of the land deal between developer Ted J. Mims and HealthFirst Bluegrass to locate the clinic at 496 Southland Drive. The project is the focus of an audit announced Tuesday by Lexington Mayor Jim Gray and state Auditor Adam Edelen. They cited concern over $250,000 in fees and rent that have been paid by HealthFirst for the clinic with few tangible results. Read more...

BALTIMORE — The worst part wasn't so much that Shug McGaughey was disappointed for himself that Orb didn't win the Preakness. The worst part was the disappointment he felt for all those who wanted Orb to win the Preakness. "I felt the pressure because of that," said the trainer, standing on the Pimlico dirt track where just moments before his Kentucky Derby winner had finished a surprising fourth in the second leg of the Triple Crown. "I'm disappointed for them." Read more...

Here we go again, apologizing for a technical issue, but seriously the problem with A Prairie Home companion on Saturday evening was a computer playlist error that went unnoticed when prepping for the weekend. For those who are really interested in what goes on behind the scenes, feel free to read on. Otherwise, we won't be offended.

Kentucky's Tourism Secretary, Marcheta Sparrow will retire at the end of this month. Sparrow was one of Governor Steve Beshear's first cabinet appointments, taking office in 2007. Beshear did not return a request for comment, but in a statement, he praised Sparrow for the state's recent uptick in tourism, including a 4.4 percent jump last year. Beshear says he will name a new secretary soon. The secretary oversees many departments, in addition to tourism, including parks, fish and wildlife and other humanities-related offices. 

Earlier this month, the final Chautauqua Lecture of the year at Eastern Kentucky University featured The Poetry of Thomas Merton.   Until his accidental death in 1968, the Roman Catholic monk lived at the Abbey of Gethsemani, a Trappist monastery near Bardstown. 

For 21 years, Ben Chandler served Kentuckians in the U.S. House of Representatives.  This summer, he’ll find find himself in a new role, as he says, "telling Kentucky’s story" as Executive Director of the Kentucky Humanities Council.  We spoke this week with Mr.Chandler about the position he assumes on July 1st.

The dismantling of the old Clark Regional Medical Center has begun, and should take about six months, according to Jen Algire, CEO of the Clark Regional Foundation for the Promotion of Health. “The building’s basically going to be dismantled piece by piece,” Algire said.  Read more...

Frank X Walker visited The Academy Wednesday morning to brainwash a class of about 20 students. But what Kentucky’s poet laureate described as brainwashing was really a creative exercise to show the students that poetry is connected to the brain. Walker drew a rectangle with a circle in the middle of it on the whiteboard and asked the students to tell him what they saw.

A coalition of western Kentucky businesses and residents has formed in hopes of minimizing the fallout of an electricity rates deal between Big Rivers Electric Co-Op and western Kentucky aluminum smelters.  The coalition is worried the deal will lead to higher utility bills for residents and businesses. 

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, transportation agencies and highway patrols across the area are gearing up for a busy time on the roads. With that, comes an emphasis on seat belt safety. AAA announced their commitment to joining the “Click It or Ticket” effort Thursday, holding an event at their Florence location.  Read more...

“Good news” for the Eastern Kentucky coal industry was announced Wednesday, with officials saying several new mines are opening in Pike County, bringing more than 250 jobs. According to a statement from the Pike County Judge Executives Wayne T. Rutherford’s office, High Ridge Mining, a Kentucky corporation owned by Bill Smith, of Raccoon, announced the opening of seven deep mines in Pike County.