FRANKFORT – DARE America (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) has re-accredited the Kentucky State Police as the official DARE. Training Center for the anti-drug and violence program in Kentucky. The program is a police-officer-led series of classroom lessons that teach children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.

Danville is still deciding whether to dole out about $177,000 in back pay the Kentucky Labor Cabinet says it owes firefighters following a Kentucky Supreme Court ruling last week. The case heard by the Supreme Court was based on a lawsuit filed in Franklin Circuit Court on behalf of Danville and 11 other cities, counties and fire departments claiming entities were protected by sovereign immunity from honoring claims of unpaid overtime. The Supreme Court also upheld earlier opinions that the Labor Cabinet does have jurisdiction to take administrative action against the agencies.

Frankfort Independent students who pride themselves on their unique style may have to abide by a strict dress code or wear uniforms next fall as part of an effort to curb dropouts. Alan Spade, assistant principal at Frankfort High School, discussed the idea with more than 30 students, parents and teachers Monday night. Studies have shown a correlation between uniform dress codes and higher attendance and graduation rates, he said, though there’s no proof that attire alone did the trick. But as much as they love their small, tight-knit school, the half dozen girls that gathered after the meeting agreed that they would rather transfer to Franklin County Schools than wear uniforms.

A bill pre-filed in the Kentucky General Assembly could require people to submit to drug screenings if they’re receiving public assistance from the state. However, opponents say there are constitutional issues with the measure. BR63, filed by state Rep. Lonnie Napier, R-Lancaster, would set up a testing program for any adult suspected of using drugs who receives food stamps, state medical assistance and other public aid.

U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell signed an order prohibiting the public disclosure of evidence in a terrorism case against two Iraqi refugees arrested in Bowling Green on charges of trying to send weapons and money to al-Qaida in Iraq. Waad Ramadan Alwan, 30, and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, 23, have pleaded not guilty to the charges in a 23-count federal indictment that accuses the men of attempting to support terrorism in Iraq. Federal authorities arrested them May 25 in Bowling Green. A federal grand jury indicted Alwan and Hammadi on May 26. Both entered the country legally as refugees.

In a terse press release, Lexington attorney Gatewood Galbraith’s communications director Nicole Bartlett criticizes the state’s two major newspapers for ignoring the independent gubernatorial candidate’s campaign. Bartlett says Kentucky news outlets of focusing only on the major party candidates–incumbent Democrat Steve Beshear and Republican state Senate President David Williams.

Justice Department officials announced Tuesday that the troubled Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has a new leader. Officials handpicked Minnesota's top federal prosecutor, B. Todd Jones, to serve as the bureau's acting director.

Deep in the heart of Texas, home to one of his toughest rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney declared today that:

"I have spent most of my life outside of politics, dealing with real problems in the real economy. Career politicians got us into this mess and they simply don't know how to get us out."

The campaign for Republican attorney general candidate Todd P’Pool released a statement in response to news that Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway’s office has named a special prosecutor to investigate possible campaign finance violations by Sullivan University.

The office of Democratic Attorney General Jack Conway has named a special prosecutor to investigate Sullivan University for potential violations of Kentucky campaign finance laws after school executives encouraged employees to support his opponent in the general election. Earlier this month, a former admissions officer at Spencerian College in Louisville, which is run by Sullivan University, accused officials of urging them to contribute to Republican attorney general candidate Todd P’Pool this November. Spencerian is among several for-profit colleges that are currently being probed by the attorney general.