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North Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty In New York Newborn Kidnap Case

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:02:21 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) - A woman who snatched a baby from a New York City hospital in 1987, then raised the child as her own daughter, has pleaded guilty to kidnapping.

Ann Pettway of Raleigh, N.C., entered the guilty plea Friday at a federal courthouse in Manhattan. As part of her plea bargain, prosecutors agreed to recommend between 10 and 12½ years in prison for the 51-year-old.

Pettway grabbed little Carlina White from Harlem Hospital while masquerading as a worker. She then raised Carlina in Connecticut, posing as her mother for 23 years.

The birth mother, Joy White, wept during Friday's court session. She says she's outraged over the plea bargain and thinks Pettway should spend at least two decades behind bars.

The judge set a May sentencing date.

State Reports Increased Revenues For January

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:02:05 GMT

FRANKFORT (AP) - Kentucky has started the year with substantial growth in General Fund revenue that rose 8.6 percent in January.

Budget Director Mary Lassiter released figures Friday showing revenue last month at more than $800 million, some $60 million more than January 2011.

Road Fund revenue also edged upward by nearly $118 million in January, a 10 percent increase over January 2011.

Lassiter said sales tax receipts rose 6.7 percent but were offset by a 6.5 percent decline in individual income tax receipts.

Property tax receipts surged by 86 percent in January. And coal severance tax revenue rose 27 percent.

Kentucky To Rebid Kennedy Bridge Repairs

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:02:15 GMT

LOUISVILLE (AP) - Kentucky officials plan to seek new proposals for replacing the deck of the Kennedy Bridge in Louisville after bids for the work came in higher than the engineer's estimate.

The state rejected three bids between $20.9 million and $26.1 million on Jan. 31. The work includes placing a new surface on the Interstate 65 span and was projected to cost $16.6 million.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokesman Chuck Wolfe said new bids will be sought Feb. 24.

The state had planned to award the project last September, but delayed it following the closure of the Sherman Minton Bridge.

Wolfe told The Courier-Journal that the Kennedy work will take place between Memorial Day and Aug. 15 and will include some lane closures.

There are no plans to close the entire bridge.

Madison County Man Sentenced To Over 12 Years In Prison For Armed Bank Robbery

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:02:57 GMT

A Madison County man was sentenced Thursday to 147 months in prison for his role in robbing a Richmond bank in 2009.

United States Chief District Court Judge Jennifer B. Coffman sentenced Leon Rozell Noland, Jr., 50, for armed bank robbery and use of a firearm during a crime of violence. Noland previously admitted that on November 2, 2009, he robbed the Madison Bank in downtown Richmond, taking $36,500.

Noland also admitted that during the robbery he pointed a firearm at the victim bank tellers and demanded money. Noland forced the tellers to open the bank's safe at gun point, took the money inside the safe, and fled.

Noland was apprehended by law enforcement on November 3, 2009 in Richmond. A search of the motel room in which Noland was staying resulted in the recovery of approximately $30,000 and a semi-automatic pistol. Law enforcement later recovered an additional $6,000 from an auto dealer in Somerset., where Noland had purchased a vehicle on November 2, 2009.

Under federal law, Noland must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for five years.

State Senate Approves Congressional Redistricting

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:02:38 GMT

FRANKFORT (AP) - A congressional redistricting plan appeared to be back on track in the Kentucky Legislature on Friday, a day after an attorney went to court to ask a judge to take over the issue.

The Senate voted 29-7 to approve a plan that significantly shifts geographic boundaries so the districts each contain the same number of people. The heavily debated measure now goes to the House where it is expected to pass Friday.

The plan bolsters the Democrats' hold on the 6th Congressional District represented by Democratic U.S. Rep. Ben Chandler. One angry Republican called the proposal the "Ben Chandler Lifetime Employment Act."

The plan also contains provisions that help incumbent Republican congressmen, including U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, who would keep some of key GOP counties.

Lamb Responds To Cal's Comments

Alan Cutler — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:02:00 GMT

If you start for Cal for two years and you are a sophomore, it's like being senior on many other teams.

Cal knows how to light a fire under a McDonald's All-American who is under achieving. Cal never used that word, but when he says you are playing okay, and that a player should be a lottery pick but you aren't playing like one, that's a strong message.

Doron Lamb is quick to tell you that his father is a better shooter.

Lamb is really hot. He's hit 15 of his last 20 shots over 3 games. On the season, he just under 50% from downtown. In SEC games, he has hit 20 of 36 from downtown.

"It's hard to do that, but I put a lot of shots up before practice and after practice and on days off," says Lamb.

Always Mr. Confident, Lamb believes if he misses two in a row, he might hit the next three. That confidence carries over to the team where he believes when UK is on, they can not be beat.

"If we all are clicking and everybody is playing, and doing their role and making shots, nobody can beat us really and other teams know that."

That can be a problem in March. You might have to win a game when you aren't clicking, if you want to win it all. That's where defense can save you, something Lamb believes the Cats are better at this year.

Here Comes The Snow!

Meteorologist Lindsay Schwarzwaelder — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:02:46 GMT

Currently in Lexington it is overcast and 33 degrees with winds from the South at 5 miles per hour.

Your LEX 18 Storm Tracker Forecast: The snow is starting to embark on the Bluegrass and it may start off as a mixture of rain and snow...but it will eventually change over to all snow as we head into the late afternoon and especially this evening and overnight. All of Central and Eastern Kentucky is still under that Winter Weather Advisory through noon on Saturday. Accumulation-wise we are looking at 1-2" across the entire Commonwealth. Besides the snow, its also going to be a COLD weekend...with highs on Saturday NOT making it out of the 20s with snow showers diminishing during the afternoon. On Sunday we'll get to about 30 under a partly-mostly sunny sky. Temperatures will get back to the 40s next week with the chance for more precipitation again by Tuesday.

Romney Aides To Speak At Super PAC Events

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:02:07 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Senior campaign aides to Republican Mitt Romney will begin appearing at fundraising events for an independent political group supporting his White House run, officials said Friday. The decision comes days after President Barack Obama gave his campaign the OK to do the same.

Both moves blur the line between so-called "super" political action committees and their favored candidates. Federal rules prohibit coordination between the committees and the candidates, but that hasn't stopped Republican- and Democratic-leaning groups from blurring the line to raise money.

Restore Our Future, the pro-Romney super PAC, spent more than $15 million on ads through Florida's primary late last month either supporting Romney or attacking his rivals. That was more money than Romney's own campaign spent on ads. Such super PAC ads targeting GOP rival Newt Gingrich were largely credited for cutting into support for the former House speaker before the Iowa caucuses.

Romney's campaign confirmed the arrangement for The Associated Press on Friday.

The campaign's decision to follow Obama's lead in allowing aides to speak at super PAC fundraising events was not surprising. Romney himself spoke at a Restore Our Future event in New York last July.

This week, Obama's campaign said top administration officials would speak at events by Priorities USA Action, a super PAC supporting his re-election bid.

Obama has voiced support for campaign-finance reform, going so far as to chide the Supreme Court for its 2010 decision opening the doors for corporate and union spending in elections.

But, in explaining his embrace of super PACs, campaign officials said the president wouldn't "unilaterally disarm" and allow each campaign to operate under a different set of rules. Election data show Democratic-leaning groups, including the Democratic National Committee, have more cash on hand than their Republican counterparts. But Obama's team is taking few chances, particularly as billionaires are poised to spend tens of millions of dollars to support the eventual GOP nominee and to go after Obama in the fall.

"Our country is at a crossroads and the stakes could not be higher," Romney campaign spokeswoman Gail Gitcho said in a statement. "President Obama and his allies will do whatever it takes, and spend whatever it takes, to hold on to power."

Gitcho added that Romney's campaign won't allow Obama to overtake it in fundraising.

The Romney campaign's decision was first reported Friday by The Wall Street Journal.

State Police Investigate Harlan County Gas Station Robbery

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:02:49 GMT

State Police in Harlan County are searching for three suspects following a gas station robbery Friday morning.

The incident happened at about 6 a.m. at the Coldiron BP station located on U.S. 119 south of Harlan. Police say three male suspects entered the station and demanded money at gunpoint. They then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Police say no one was hurt in the incident, and have not released any descriptions of the suspects.

Coming Up On LEX 18 News At Noon - February 10

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:02:13 GMT

Our flirtation with actual winter weather will continue over the weekend, with snow expected Friday and into Saturday, followed by what will likely be the coldest overnight lows of the season so far. LEX 18 will have team coverage on the coming weather event, including Storm Tracker Meteorologist Tom Ackerman's forecast.

Also - a fire nearly destroyed a Lexington home Thursday night, and LEX 18 has new information on the family who got out safely. We'll have a report on the fire that started at around 10 p.m. at a home located on Prince Albert Way in the Southpoint subdivision off Nicholasville Road.

And - two brothers accused in the murder of one man and attempted murder of another in Madison County have been indicted by a grand jury, and two others have also been indicted on charges they helped in the crime. An update in the murder of Zackary Flower is coming up on LEX 18 News at noon.

New Information On Lexington Family Whose House Was Badly Damaged By Fire

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:02:59 GMT

A fire nearly destroyed a Lexington home Thursday night, and LEX 18 has new information on the family who got out safely.

The fire started around 10 p.m. at a home located on Prince Albert Way in the Southpoint subdivision off Nicholasville Road. Ed and Carin Addams, their three-year-old son and the family dog all made it out safely. Firefighters are unsure of what started the fire, but think it began in the basement.

You may remember the family. Carin and Ed are both cancer survivors very involved in Susan G. Komen's Race For The Cure. Carin's cancer has returned, but the family has stayed positive, even starting their own charity to help those who have helped them.

The couple spoke with LEX 18 after returning home Friday morning to take a look at the damage. To say Carin and Ed Addams have been through a lot is an understatement. - cancer and chemo for both of them, and now this.

"I was in his room reading books, putting him to bed and so he yelled 'get out, get out,'" said Carin. "I grabbed the three-year-old, he grabbed the dog and ran out."

Ed ran back inside to save the scrapbook that tells his wife's story, her battle with cancer, starting in 2005. The smoke was too thick to see, and he dropped the book. "Because you think you can do it," he said. "You can't. That was a brick wall. There was no way."

Firefighters salvaged valuable auction items for the Addams' new charity, Carin For Nurses, including two guitars autographed by Justin Bieber. And that's what Carin focuses on - the good that's come out of this destruction. It's what's gotten her through one round of chemo, and now getting her through the second.

"I live by the motto God never gives us more than we can't handle," she said. "So I take it one day at a time, this has just added on top of my weight."

To help the Addams', or to see what their new organization is all about, you can visit their website, www.carinfornurses.org.

Case Of Two Brother Accused In Madison County Murder Waived To Grand Jury

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:02:46 GMT

Two brothers accused in the murder of one man and attempted murder of another in Madison County have been indicted by a grand jury, and two others have also been indicted on charges they helped in the crime.

Both Matthew and Ryan Denholm also face charges of first-degree burglary in the November shooting death of Zackary Flower, a local rap artist. Two others are accused in the attack, which took place at an apartment in Berea. Randall Burgess and Sherry Bratten were indicted on charges of facilitation to murder, facilitation of criminal attempt to commit murder and facilitation to commit burglary.

Police say Matthew Denholm planned the sniper-style attack on Flower after Flower broke up a fight between Denholm and two other men.

Flower's roommate, Kevin Price, survived.

Nissan Recalling 39,000 Versa Small Cars

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:02:38 GMT

DETROIT (AP) - Nissan is recalling 39,000 Versa small cars because the transmissions can be shifted out of park without the driver's foot on the brake.

The 2012 model cars were made from June 9, 2011 through Jan. 13, 2012 and sold in the U.S. and Canada.

Federal safety regulations require that a driver's foot must be on the brake before a car can be shifted into gear.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says on its website that a driver could inadvertently put the car into gear, increasing the risk of a crash.

Nissan said Friday that no crashes or injuries have been reported. The company says it will replace the shifter knob for free and make sure the car works properly.

The problem affects cars with automatic and continuously variable transmissions.

Cash Value Of Saturday's Powerball Jackpot Highest Ever

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:02:27 GMT

Saturday night's Powerball jackpot stands at an estimated $310 million, which ties the fifth largest jackpot ever offered for the game. However, the cash value of the jackpot - $193.4 million - is the largest ever offered in the history of Powerball.

The previous Powerball cash value record was $177.3 million. This record was set in 2006, when the overall jackpot was $365 million (still a record for Powerball).

The cash value of this jackpot is higher due to weakness in the bond market. "The overall jackpot amount is based on what we can earn on investing the cash option amount over a 30 year period," said Kentucky Lottery President and CEO Arch Gleason. "Interest rates are very low right now, so it takes more cash value to generate the annual payments over 30 years. As a result, while the overall jackpot isn't yet at a record level, the cash option for Saturday's drawing far exceeds what we've ever been able to offer."

In Kentucky, the largest Powerball jackpot ever won - $128.6 million - was for a ticket sold on Christmas Eve 2009 to a Georgetown man.

Players can purchase tickets for Saturday night's drawing until 9:58 PM EST that evening. The odds of winning the top prize are one in 175,223,510.

North Carolina School Bus Catches On Fire; None Hurt

By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. and Ann Doss Helms, Charlotte Observer — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:02:07 GMT

A Charlotte-Mecklenburg school bus that caught fire Wednesday afternoon was the same make and model as other buses that have gone up in flames in North Carolina in the past two years, prompting state officials to send at least one cautionary memo to school systems.

State and local officials say they don't think the cause of Wednesday's fire on a southeast Charlotte street was the same as previous fires. But an inspector from Freightliner, the bus manufacturer's parent company, is headed to Charlotte to determine the cause of the blaze.

Officials believe school bus No. 295 started smoking and then caught fire because of a problem with a motor for a fan heater, according to Guy Chamberlain, associate superintendent for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

No one was injured in the fire, which sent flames and black smoke high into the air. The bus driver, Lindora Richardson, and six students were on board. She moved the students to safety, lowering some out the back door. She was hailed as a hero Thursday by CMS officials as video of the inferno was broadcast on national news stations.

The bus was a Freightliner FS-65 with a Thomas Built Buses body. Thomas Built, a Freightliner subsidiary, has a plant in High Point.

Seemingly spontaneous fires involving the buses have raised questions in other parts of the Carolinas in recent years. Television station WNCT in Greenville, N.C., investigated last year after a Thomas Built bus fire there. The station found that between 2010 and 2011, at least four of the five school buses that caught fire around the state were FS-65 buses.

Those buses were 10 years to 12 years old. Bus No. 295 was 13 years old.

State officials told WNCT four of the fires were caused when wires in the engine compartment dropped onto the turbo manifold, an engine part that gets hot.

State officials sent a memo to all North Carolina school districts informing them of the problem and suggesting a fix.

It is unclear whether CMS made the fix on bus No. 295.

Other bus fires around state

Because the blaze left extensive fire damage, CMS officials are waiting for the Freightliner inspector to determine the cause, Chamberlain said. The inspector is expected to arrive Monday.

Chamberlain said CMS mechanics have seen nothing that leads them to believe that Wednesday's fire is similar to the earlier bus fires or that any other CMS buses are at risk.

About 700 of the 1,100 CMS buses are Thomas Built, Chamberlain said, but fewer than 10 are as old as the bus that burned Wednesday, which was built in 1999.

When asked whether school buses are safe, Brad Johnson, a CMS transportation director, responded, "Yes sir, absolutely."

The charred bus sat at the back of a bus maintenance facility on Craig Drive on Thursday, but district officials wouldn't let reporters near it, saying the investigation was in progress.

Derek Graham, transportation chief for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, says school districts are expected to inspect their own buses every 30 days. Once a year the state inspects 10 percent of the fleet; the bus that burned was not among the 10 percent selected this year.

Graham said the fire Wednesday does not appear to fit the pattern of previous bus fires.

"It's pretty rare that one burns to the degree of this one, but it's not unheard of," Graham said.

He said school bus seats are made with fire-retardant material, but anything will burn if subjected to flames long enough.

"School buses are still the safest way for kids to get to and from school," Graham said. "We're thankful everybody did their job and got out of harm's way."

Driver called a hero

Richardson, the bus driver, said she sensed trouble when she smelled something weird coming from her bus as she neared the end of her route.

It was different from the diesel fumes and exhaust that typically emanate from the heavy vehicles. It smelled, Richardson recalled, like burning wires.

Richardson, who was taking six children home from Chantilly Montessori School around 5 p.m., stopped the bus on Bearmore Drive, between Sardis Road and Monroe Road.

Then smoke began pouring into the bus from the front console.

She corralled the children to the back of the bus, then escaped with them through the back door, lowering some of the smaller children to the ground.

They watched as flames engulfed the bus and smoke poured out of the windows.

Video footage captured by someone who lives near the site of the fire and posted on YouTube shows black smoke pouring from the bus. Flames in the front of the bus quickly spread, shooting from the windows. A firefighter who arrived at the scene is seen stepping onto the bus, working to douse the flames.

"I was just glad I was able to get them off safely. ... I think it was a little more exciting for them because there was a fire," Richardson said.

On Thursday, Richardson's colleagues and the school district hailed her as a hero, crediting her with saving the lives of the children, aged 5 to 10 years.

She credited her training. CMS bus drivers go through quarterly training sessions; a recent one dealt with getting students off a bus in an emergency.

Northern Kentucky Crews Ready For Expected Snow

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:02:42 GMT

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet snow and ice removal crews are preparing for the winter snow storm that is forecasted for the northern Kentucky. Weather reports say that the precipitation will begin Friday afternoon with more accumulating snow to come at night fall and continuing into Saturday.

•District 6 will monitor the anticipated snow storm and mobilize crews accordingly. State crews will remain on duty and contractors will report in this afternoon. Trucks will be loaded and ready to go for the snow storm that is predicted to begin this afternoon around the evening commute.

•At this time, plans include a two shift crew so that trucks will be out continuously to treat roadways throughout the evening, over night and into Saturday morning.

•Remember, salt trucks need space to do their job. Give them room so they can get the salt on the roadways quickly. We also want to remind motorists to keep shoulders open so that emergency crews can get to trouble areas and address.

Drivers are also reminded that bridges and overpasses are typically the most treacherous. Motorists should use extreme caution when traveling during this winter weather event.

Maintenance crews in KYTC District 6 have responsibility for clearing 2,000 miles of state-maintained highways in the counties of Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton and Robertson. That equates to more than 4,500 "lane miles" - all driving lanes from rural state roads to interstate highways. District 6 state maintenance crews are prepared to work to keep roads in the best possible condition during winter weather.

District 6 has 30,000 tons of salt on hand in its storage domes located at the state maintenance facilities and 123 trucks available to treat state highways and interstates. In the Northern Kentucky counties of Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties there are 62 trucks are available for snow and ice removal - three of which will concentrate solely on the "Cut in the Hill", the six mile section of I-75 between Buttermilk Pike and the Brent Spence Bridge.

Maintenance crews in District 6 are prepared to work as long as it takes to ensure the roads are in the best condition possible during this winter event. Condition reports on major routes are available by calling 511 or logging onto the 511 travel and traffic information website at 511.ky.gov. Road conditions are described in the following manner:

Wet Pavement - The roadway is wet. Ice could form as temperatures drop.

Partly Covered - The roadway is partly covered with snow, slush or ice. Markings may be obscured.

Mostly Covered - The roadway is mostly covered with snow, slush or ice. Roadway markers may be difficult to see because of packed snow and rutting conditions.

Completely Covered - The roadway is completely covered with snow, slush or ice and markings are obscured.

Impassable - Roadway conditions are not suitable for travel unless required by an emergency.

KYTC District 6 drivers and equipment are prepared to tackle "ole man winter".

Here are some ways that motorists can do their part:

-If you don't have to be on the roads stay home until we can get the roads treated and open for safe travel. If traffic is not moving, our operators can't get to the places they need to be!
-If you are traveling behind a snow plow, don't follow it too closely. Give them room to work. Be patient, don't pass a snow plow. To be effective in dispersing de-icing material effectively they tend to travel at a slower speed. A now plow may create a snow cloud which can cause a white out or zero visibility condition, so keep a safe distance away from the trucks.
-Make sure that your vehicle is in shape for winter driving.
-Have tires there are properly inflated and have good tread.
-Make sure that your windows are clear of frost and snow so that you can see all around you, not just a little "chiseled out" section.
-Make sure your wipers are adequate and working.
-Have plenty of gas.
-Have a cell phone.

If you don't do your job, you can inhibit our capability to do ours.

Motorists are also reminded to share the road with KYTC equipment and always buckle up and Drive Smart.

AP Source: Obama To Change Birth Control Rule

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:02:27 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama will announce a plan to accommodate religious employers outraged by a rule that would require them to cover birth control for women free of charge, according to a person familiar with the decision.

Obama was expected to make the announcement at the White House Friday.

The shift is aimed at containing the political firestorm that erupted after Obama announced in January that religious-affiliated employers had to cover birth control as preventative care for women. Churches and houses of worship were exempt, but all other affiliated organizations were ordered to comply by Aug. 2013.

Republican leaders and religious groups, especially Roman Catholics, responded with intense outrage, saying the requirement would force them to violate church teachings and long-held beliefs against contraception.

The issue also pushed social issues to the forefront in an election year that had been dominated by the economy. Abortion, contraception and any of the requirements of Obama's health care overhaul law have the potential to galvanize the Republicans' conservative base, critical to voter turnout in the presidential and congressional races.

Republicans vowed to reverse the president's policy, with House Speaker John Boehner accusing the administration of violating First Amendment rights and undermining some of the country's most vital institutions, such as Catholic charities, schools and hospitals.

The measure also sparked an internal debate at the White House. Vice President Joe Biden, then-chief of staff Bill Daley and deputy national security adviser Denis McDonough, all Catholics, raised concerns about how the administration proceeded on the policy. On the other side, senior White House advisers Nancy-Ann DeParle, Pete Rouse and David Plouffe argued for the need to ensure coverage for all without exception, as a matter of women's health and fairness.

The person with knowledge of Obama's decision requested anonymity in order to speak in advance of the official announcement.

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Arctic Air And Accumulating Snow

Stormtracker Meteorologist Tom Ackerman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:02:14 GMT

Old Man Winter is taking a swipe at us this weekend! After a quiet, mostly cloudy and chilly morning rain to snow showers are likely Friday afternoon with temperatures in the mid to upper 30s. Minor accumulation is possible this afternoon but the best chance at accumulating snow (still looking in the 1-2" range with higher amounts in the mountains) will be Friday evening/early Saturday as arctic air rushes in and tanks the temperature into the low to mid 20s. A winter weather advisory goes into effect Friday afternoon through noon Saturday area wide. As bitterly cold air settles in overnight roads could become icy and hazardous. The deep freeze holds this weekend with highs in the mid 20s Saturday and low to mid teens Saturday night. We're back in the 40s next week with rain showers mid week.

Feds Investigate Door Fires In 2007 Camrys, RAV-4s

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:02:16 GMT

DETROIT (AP) - Federal safety regulators are investigating reports of fires in the driver's side doors of 2007 Toyota Camry sedans and RAV-4 crossover SUVs.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says the problem could affect 830,000 vehicles.

The safety agency says in documents on its website that the fires appear to start in the power window switch on the door. Six fires have been reported to the agency. No one has been hurt.

The Camry is the top-selling car in the U.S., and the RAV-4 also is a consistent top seller for Toyota. The probe also includes the Solara, which is a coupe version of the Camry.

The investigation was opened Monday. It could lead to a recall, but there isn't one yet.

Kentucky Beef Profits Soar

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:02:39 GMT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - There's reason for optimism down on the farm, providing that's a beef cattle operation in Tennessee or Kentucky.

The mid-South states are the center of cow-calf beef production east of the Mississippi River. Kentucky ranks eighth nationally and Tennessee is ninth.

But while cattle prices are up and exports are climbing, a respected academic expert says the opportunity for quick profit may prove too tempting.

University of Tennessee professor emeritus Dr. Emmit Rawls said there are record high prices, but a reduction in the number of cattle, making it a matter of killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

In Kentucky, state cattlemen's association president Mike Bach said farmers have never seen such prices, noting some cattle are selling above $1,000 a head at auction.

NYC Sewage Plant To Offer Valentine's Day Tours

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:02:03 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) - It may not smell like a rose but a New York City sewage plant is offering tours for lovers on Valentine's Day.

The tour host and superintendent of the Newtown Creek Wastewater treatment plant in Brooklyn tells the Daily News it'll be a unique date, and one that special someone will never forget.

Jim Pynn says the highlight of the tour will be the plant's giant egg-shaped digesters, which break down the noxious waste into harmless sludge and gas.

Pynn says each Valentine's Day visitor will get a Hershey kiss - and at least something to talk about.

Santorum Amplifies Faith In Way GOP Rivals Don't

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:02:17 GMT

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Rick Santorum stirs his ever-growing crowds when he promises to right a country awash in "immoral debt" and to replace an administration he argues has "callousness toward life and family and faith."

Of the GOP presidential hopefuls, Santorum is by far the most public and emphatic about his faith, drawing on his Catholicism and deeply held views on social issues as the foundation of his message. It serves to solidify his standing among religiously motivated voters - and subtly remind them of lingering reservations of opponent Mitt Romney's spiritual background.

The former Pennsylvania senator is sure to find a receptive audience Friday in Washington, when he addresses the Conservative Political Action Committee's annual gathering. But those remarks could sound a lot like Santorum's speeches of late, particularly those delivered in a two-day visit to Bible Belt states of Texas and Oklahoma.

When the GOP field was at its fullest, several candidates were fighting to be the favorite of religious conservative voters. Now, Santorum is moving to consolidate that wing of the party, which could make him a force in places like Alabama, Kansas, Oklahoma and others on the upcoming primary calendar.

On Friday, he said he wanted to stick to substantive issues in the campaign and said he wasn't inclined to resort to the kind of negative advertising that others have employed so far this year.

Santorum said in an interview on NBC's "Today" show that he intended to stick to comparisons of his record with that of Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, saying he wants to discuss things Americans care about, "not this back and forth that we've seen" so far.

Santorum said he doesn't want to try to win the nomination "by personally attacking people." His Southern swing, which ended Thursday with a stop at Oral Roberts University, followed a stunning three-state sweep Tuesday in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri powered in part by his support among evangelical voters.

At the Christian liberal arts college, Santorum said his GOP competitors don't seem "particularly comfortable" talking about faith issues like he does.

He welcomed questions about his unbending views against abortion and gay marriage, using the latter to blast a federal appeals court ruling striking down California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage. He lashed out repeatedly at the Obama administration for a new rule requiring religious schools and hospitals to provide insurance coverage for birth control to their employees.

And Santorum offered a window into his religious underpinnings when a self-identified Democrat asked how his Catholic roots and his opposition to President Barack Obama's signature health insurance law were compatible given Pope Benedict XVI's view that health care is a human right.

"I believe that you have an obligation to approach every issue in public life as I do from the standpoint of both faith and reason. My conscience was formed as a result of my life experience primarily through faith," Santorum answered. "I bring that to the table. Yes, that's who I am."

He added: "I have an obligation not to just look at things that way but also to bring reason. I always think if your faith is true and your reason is right you'll end up at the same place."

Gingrich is also Catholic, but social issues aren't as integral to his campaign. Paul, a Baptist, mentions religion in passing as a way to make a point about liberty.

Worries about Romney's Mormonism persist in some segments of the GOP even if they are less pronounced than in his 2008 bid. During that stunted campaign he delivered a major address intended to soothe concerns about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Voters showing up at Santorum events say his willingness to make faith central to his campaign make him more attractive.

"His values are my values," said Valerie Benton, a retired teacher from Edmond, Okla. "It's not like he's forcing his beliefs on anybody."

Such empathy shows through when Santorum employs what has become a favorite rhetorical device. He fondly quotes the Declaration of Independence to stress America was a nation founded on faith and its people are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights." He lowers his own voice when he gets to "Creator" and his crowds fill it in with gusto.

Santorum scoffs at suggestions that his focus should be elsewhere in a race driven by economic issues. "Strong families and building a strong family unit is good for the economy," he'll say.

As the campaign moves on, Santorum shows no signs of altering his message. His first stop after his three-state sweep was a gathering of Texas pastors. They laid their hands on the candidate to pray for his future success and for the continued health of his youngest daughter, who was temporarily hospitalized for a respiratory illness a couple weeks ago.

Santorum told the pastors that he wasn't running to be pastor in chief, but he suggested that religion needed to play a bigger role in public life.

"You guys could do a little better than you are right now," Santorum told the pastors.

They erupted in laughter.

Kentucky Sees Increase In Fatal Crashes Over 2011

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:02:34 GMT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky State Police say the number of deaths on the state's roads has increased over the same time last year, and police want drivers to remember to wear seat belts and drive sober.

As of Thursday, there had been 64 fatalities on Kentucky roads, five more than the same time in 2011. Police say of the 64, 31 weren't wearing seat belts and nine died in crashes involving alcohol.

State police spokesman Lt. David Jude says police will "be vigilant in enforcing seat belt laws and will continue targeting impaired drivers."

Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Director Bill Bell says his agency will also keep working with others statewide to educate motorists on the benefits of safe driving habits.

More Than A Million Dollars Worth Of Pills Found In Pike County Raids

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:02:48 GMT

ASHCAMP, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky State Police say they've found more than a million dollars' worth of pain pills in coordinated Pike County raids.

Three search warrants were executed Thursday in the Ashcamp community of Pike County, according to KSP Trooper Shaun Little. Detectives confiscated large quantities of Oxycodone and Xanax pills and estimated the street value of the seized drugs at more than $1,000,000. Also seized was about $80,000 in cash and several firearms.

The seizures follow an 18-month investigation by the KSP, the FBI and agents of Operation UNITE. Little said in a news release that federal indictments are pending in the case.

7:00 AM Weather Update, February 10

Stormtracker Meteorologist Tom Ackerman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:02:49 GMT

We're cloudy and cold Friday morning with temperatures in the upper 20s to low 30s and a dry commute on the way. Rain to snow chances are coming this afternoon with highs in the mid/upper 30s.

Girl Fights Off Suspected Kidnapper In Wal-Mart

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:02:04 GMT

BREMEN, Georgia (AP) - Police say a 25-year-old parolee tried to abduct a 7-year-old girl from a west Georgia Wal-Mart store. Police say Thomas A. Woods grabbed the girl and tried to leave the store Wednesday, but he let her go when she fought back.

Police put out an alert with a description of Woods' car and he as caught by police about 10 miles west in Tallapoosa.

Woods faces a charge of attempted kidnapping and more charges are likely. Police say Woods was out on parole after being convicted of voluntary manslaughter in DeKalb County.

Teenage Girl From Afghanistan To Box At Olympics

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:02:07 GMT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Besides going after a medal in the boxing ring at the London Olympics, Sadaf Rahimi will be taking a few punches in the fight for equal rights for Afghan women.

There are female Afghan success stories, yet most women in Afghanistan remain second-class citizens, cloaked from head-to-toe in blue burqas, abused or hidden in their homes.

Rahimi, a determined 17-year-old student, wants to become the new face of Afghan women, gaining honor and dignity for herself and other women in here war-torn country and improving their image worldwide.

She will get her chance this summer in London, where women's boxing makes its Olympic debut.

"When we participate in the outside competitions, there is pressure on us," Rahimi said while training in a makeshift gym in the Afghan capital. "But I will try to show that an Afghan girl can enter the ring and achieve a position for Afghanistan."

In line with conservative norms for women in Afghanistan, Rahimi is expecting to wear black tights under her boxing gear at the Olympics to cover her knees. She trains for hours three days a week, punching heavy bags and sparring with her teammates and trainers.

They throw punches on faded pink and green mats covering a concrete floor of a room in an Afghan sports stadium where the hardline Taliban regime used to stage public executions. The female boxers still don't have a real boxing ring to hone their skills.

After the Taliban banned women from participating in sporting events, the International Olympic Committee suspended Afghanistan from the games. Afghanistan missed the 2000 Olympics in Sydney as a result. The Taliban were toppled in 2001 and the suspension was lifted the following year. Afghanistan sent female athletes - for the first time in its history - to the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Rahimi, who has the support of her family in Kabul, is following in the footsteps of Robina Muqimyar, the female Afghan runner who competed in Athens. Another woman, Mehboda Ahdyar, was scheduled to go to the 2008 Beijing Games but couldn't compete because of injuries.

"I am well aware that my opponents in the London 2012 Olympics are more powerful and even twice as good as me, but I have prepared myself to participate and win a medal," said Rahimi, who started boxing four years ago and won a silver medal during a boxing competition in Tajikistan.

Female boxing is an unusual sport in a country like Afghanistan, where most of the women are still struggling for their rights and get little respect in the male-dominated society.

Recently in Baghlan province in the north, 15-year-old Sahar Gul was locked up, beaten with cables and tortured by her husband and in-laws after she refused to work as a prostitute. They deny any wrongdoing. She became the bruised and bloodied face of women's rights in Afghanistan after being rescued in late December when an uncle called police.

Her story shocked Afghanistan and prompted calls to end underage marriage. The legal marriage age in Afghanistan is 16, but the United Nations estimates that half of all girls are forced to marry before their 16th birthday.

In Kunduz province, also in the north, a 30-year-old woman named Storay was killed last month because she gave birth to a third baby girl, instead of a boy. Storay, who used only one name, was slain, allegedly by her husband, when her third child was 3 months old. Her husband has left the family.

Despite such atrocities, there are increasing opportunities for Afghan women who want to participate in sports, said Mohammad Saber Sharifi, the coach of the Afghan female boxing team.

The team was established by the Afghan Olympic Committee in 2007 and so far has registered more than two dozen female boxers.

Rahimi, who fights in the 54-kilogram (118.8 pounds) weight class, will get into the Olympics through a wild card berth. She plans to travel to London on Feb. 19 to train for several weeks. In May she will fight in a competition in China, but win or lose there, she will be at the Olympics in London.

"Sadaf Rahimi is the only girl who will participate in these games," Sharifi said. "She will represent all Afghan women, which makes her the biggest female personality in Afghanistan."

Things have been much easier for male athletes in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan's first Olympic medal winner was Rohullah Nikpai, who won a bronze medal in men's taekwondo in 2008, defeating rivals from Germany, England and Spanish world champion Juan Antonio Ramos at the Beijing Games.

Because of insecurity in Afghanistan, his family fled to Iran where he grew up. He returned to Afghanistan in 2004 - four years after the Taliban government collapsed. After participating in Beijing, he became a symbol of national pride.

"In the 2008 Olympics, I won a bronze medal and I am hopeful to win a gold medal in the Olympic 2012 in London," Nikpai said.

Two other male athletes will round out the foursome who will represent Afghanistan in this year's games. Massoud Azizi, a 25-year-old, 100-meter sprinter who competed in 2008 in Beijing, and Nasar Ahmad Bahawi, another taekwondo fighter.

"The people are expecting a lot from us. We know we will face the hardest opponents," said Bahawi, who practices inside a newly built gym at the sports stadium under the supervision of a foreign coach and Afghan trainer. "We have the prayers of our people, and God willing, we will do well."

Arab Spring Shot Wins World Press Photo Award

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:02:31 GMT

AMSTERDAM (AP) - Spanish photographer Samuel Aranda won the 2011 World Press Photo of the Year award on Friday for an image of a veiled woman holding a wounded relative in her arms after a demonstration in Yemen.

Jurors said Aranda's photo, taken for the New York Times, encapsulated many of the facets of the uprisings across the Middle East collectively known as the "Arab Spring," one of the major news themes of the year.

The photo was taken Oct. 15 in a mosque in Sanaa, Yemen, that was being used as field hospital after demonstrators protesting against the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh clashed with government forces.

"The winning photo shows a poignant, compassionate moment, the human consequence of an enormous event, an event that is still going on," said chairman Aidan Sullivan. "We might never know who this woman is, cradling an injured relative, but together they become a living image of the courage of ordinary people that helped create an important chapter in the history of the Middle East."

The woman is almost completely concealed under black robes, and she is wearing rubber gloves as she clasps her relative, a thin man whose torso is bare, grimacing in pain.

"It stands for Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Syria, for all that happened in the Arab Spring," said juror Koyo Kouoh. "But it shows a private, intimate side of what went on, and it shows the role that women played, not only as caregivers, but as active people in the movement."

The tsunami in Japan was another major theme of the competition, at which The Associated Press won three awards, including first place in the Arts and Entertainment Singles category, for David Goldman's shot of a soldier playing the drums at a Canadian army base in Afghanistan.

Japanese photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba took first prize in the People in the News Stories category for Agence France Presse for an April 3 photo of a woman, identified as Chieko Matsukawa, standing alone and holding her daughter's graduation certificate aloft after she found it amid a swirl of debris in Higashimatsushima, Japan.

In all, 57 photographers of 24 nationalities won awards in a field of more than 5,000 professional photographers, who submitted more than 100,000 entries.

The jury also selected a photo taken by an unidentified amateur for special mention: a still image taken from a video of a Libyan National Transition Council fighter pulling Moammar Gadhafi onto a military vehicle in Sirte, Libya, on Oct. 20.

"The photo captures a historic moment, an image of a dictator and his demise that we otherwise would not have seen, had it not been photographed by a member of the public," Sullivan said.

Aranda's photo also took first place in the "People in the News Singles" category. He will be given a cash prize of euro10,000 ($13,300) at a ceremony later this year.

Florida Fugitive Arrested In Lexington

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:02:51 GMT

Lexington police have arrested a man on the run from Florida, with a long and violent criminal past. Jonathan Giraldo was arrested Thursday afternoon at Eastland Parkway and New Orleans Court.

Officials say Giraldo along with Christopher Perry and Atwood Perry went to the home of the manager at an Amscot store. They tied up his family and made him go to the store in Orange County, Florida to empty the safe.

Surveillance video shows one of the men dressed head to toe in yellow gear. After the manager opened the safe, the men met an accomplice outside. Giraldo and the Perry's left a bag inside store that officials feared was a bomb. A bomb squad responded to the situation, detonated the bag, and discovered that nothing of danger was inside the bag.

Police caught up with the Perry brothers in South Carolina Thursday morning. Giraldo is being held in the Fayette County Detention Center. They will be charged with an armed home invasion, armed burglary, kidnapping, grand theft, false imprisonment, among other charges.

All three are expected to be extradited back to Florida.

3:30 AM Weather Update, February 10

Stormtracker Meteorologist Tom Ackerman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:02:11 GMT

The weekend winter weather waiting game is on! We're cloudy and in the upper 20s in Lexington with everyone coming in around the upper 20s to low 30s Friday morning. Moisture currently gathering over Missouri and Arkansas will make a run at us later today. Rain to snow showers are likely Friday afternoon but the best chance at accumulating snow (still looking in the 1-2" range with higher amounts in the mountains) will be Friday evening/early Saturday as arctic air rushes in and tanks the temperature. A winter weather advisory goes into effect Friday afternoon through noon Saturday area wide. Check out your complete Stormtracker forecast coming up on LEX 18 News at Sunrise starting @ 5.

British Man Wanted In '93 Heist Arrested In Missouri

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:02:48 GMT

OZARK, Mo. (AP) - After nearly two decades as a fugitive, a British man suspected of driving off with an armored car loaded with cash worth about $1.5 million has been captured in southwest Missouri, where he appeared in federal court wearing blue jeans and asking for a court-appointed defense attorney because he didn't have enough money to hire one.

Edward John Maher, once dubbed "Fast Eddie" in news reports after the 1993 heist in England, is accused of stealing the armored car while a fellow security guard was making a delivery to a bank in Suffolk, England. The van was later abandoned. Fifty bags containing coins and notes worth 1 million pounds, or $1.5 million, were missing.

And so was Maher.

According to U.S. property records, Maher, 56, appears to have been in the U.S. for years, moving around New England, the South and the Midwest. News reports from 1993 said he had dreamed of living in the U.S., where he wanted to open a flight school.

FBI spokeswoman Bridget Patton said federal officials do not know what happened to the money.

Maher was arrested Wednesday in an apartment in the town of Ozark, 160 miles southeast of Kansas City, where authorities said he was living under a brother's name, Michael Maher, and working as a cable installer.

Edward Maher's guise began unraveling Monday when Ozark police received a tip that a man going by that name was a fugitive from Britain. An officer compared Maher's driver's license photo with a picture from 1993 and contacted the FBI, which also compared the photos and determined they were likely the same man.

On the same day, Maher happened to be bailing his 23-year-old son out of jail in nearby Nixa when a police officer told him authorities suspected Maher was wanted in England, but they could not arrest him. Because there were no U.S. warrants for either Michael or Edward Maher, police had no reason to take him into custody.

They arrested him later, after immigration officials determined he was in the U.S. illegally.

According to an FBI affidavit, Maher's son overheard what the officer had said and asked his father about it.

The father "was irate," the affidavit said. "Maher told his son that they would have to leave again and threatened to kill the person who tipped the police off about his identity."

The son, Lee King, had been jailed on some outstanding warrants that police found after a report of a domestic situation. Officers concluded it was just a verbal argument.

The next day, Maher's son was being interviewed by an FBI agent when his father called and said they had to leave immediately. The son refused to go. A short time later, Ozark police officers and federal agents saw Maher, a woman and a boy leaving their home carrying clothes. They were later seen checking into a local motel.

The son contacted the FBI agent Wednesday and reported that his father had changed his mind about fleeing. If officers came to his home to arrest him, the son explained, the father would not resist. Maher was taken into custody a short time later.

Maher's family reluctantly opened the door to their two-story townhome Thursday to speak with an Associated Press reporter.

"He's an amazing dad," said King. "He cares for us, provides for us and takes care of us. He's been to every baseball game, football game. Everything we've ever done in our lives, he's been there for us."

Maher's wife, Deborah Brett, who also goes by the name of Deborah King, said the family had lived in Ozark about 4Â½ years.

After being taken into custody, Maher told an FBI agent he had been using his brother's name since 1998, when he began working in the U.S. He said he obtained a Social Security number under that name. Brett told agents her husband also sometimes used the name Stephen King.

She said if Maher is sent back to Britain, family members will go there with him.

"He's a wonderful father and a wonderful husband. He's never hurt anybody. Never caused any harm to anybody," she said, quietly comforting a younger boy who appeared to be about 15 as they both fought back tears.

In addition to immigration violations, federal prosecutors charged him with having illegal weapons.

Maher appeared calm during his brief appearance in federal court in Springfield on Thursday. He is in the custody of U.S. marshals and was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Feb. 22.

Ozark Police Chief Lyle Hodges praised one of his officers for his persistence after getting the initial tip that Maher was a fugitive. Officer David Overcast did research that revealed the armored car robbery and found a photo of Maher, Hodges said.

Because there were no active warrants, the chief said, "it is entirely possible that another officer might have stopped investigating."

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.)

Nearly 1 In 20 U.S. Adults Over 50 Have Fake Knees

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:02:07 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) - Nearly 1 in 20 Americans older than 50 have artificial knees, or more than 4 million people, according to the first national estimate showing how common these replacement joints have become in an aging population.

Doctors know the number of knee replacement operations has surged in the past decade, especially in baby boomers. But until now, there was no good fix on the total number of people living with them.

The estimate is important because it shows that a big segment of the population might need future knee-related care, said Dr. Daniel Berry, president of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and chairman of orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He was not involved in the research.

People with knee replacements sometimes develop knee infections or scar tissue that require additional treatment. But also, even artificial knees wear out, so as the operations are increasingly done on younger people, many will live long enough to almost certainly need a second or even third knee replacement.

The new estimate comes in an analysis being presented Friday at the academy's annual meeting in San Francisco.

"These data are sobering because we didn't know what an army of people we've created over the last decade," said Elena Losina, lead author of the analysis and co-director of the Orthopedics and Arthritis Center for Outcomes Research at Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital. "The numbers will only increase, based on current trends."

Replacement joints can greatly improve quality of life for people with worn-out knees, but they're not risk-free and it's a major operation that people should not take lightly, she said.

Modern knee replacements in the United States date back to the 1970s. Since then, advances in materials and techniques, including imaging scans to create better-fitting joints, have made the implants more durable and lifelike, surgeons say.

Losina and colleagues came up with their estimate by analyzing national data on the number of knee replacements done from 1998-2009, U.S. census data, death statistics and national health surveys.

For example, in 2009, more than 600,000 knee replacement operations were done nationwide. The study estimate includes people who had knee replacement operations that year and in previous years who are still living.

Overall, 4.5 million Americans are living with artificial knees. That includes an estimated 500,000 who have had at least two replacement operations on the same knee.

Knee replacements are most common in people older than 80 - 1 in 10 people in this age range have them, the study found. Though they're less prevalent in people younger than that, there are still more than half a million Americans in their 50s with the artificial joints, and based on current trends, operations in that age group are expected to increase.

According to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, knee replacements tripled in people ages 45 to 64 between 1997 and 2009.

Doctors think two trends have contributed to that increase: the nation's obesity epidemic and amateur athletes who don't adjust workouts to spare aging or even injured joints. Both can lead to or worsen arthritis, the main reason for replacing knees.

Donna Brent, 63, is in the latter category. The Deerfield, Ill., administrative assistant says decades of racket ball, tennis, softball and other sports took a toll on her knees, but she got used to living with the pain, even when she became bowlegged and developed a limp. When pain "started getting in the way of some of my sports," she gave in to her doctor's advice and had the operation last June on her right knee. She said she feels better than ever, is back to exercising and plans to resume tennis and softball when the weather warms up.

During knee replacement operations, surgeons slice off a small portion of the worn-out surface on the ends of both leg bones that meet at the knee, then implant an artificial joint usually made of plastic or metal. Typical operations last about two hours, require a few days in the hospital, and cost roughly $40,000.

Artificial knees generally last 15 to 20 years. While some are promoted as lasting 30 years, these estimates are generally based on use among older people more sedentary than baby boomers who expect new knees to let them be as active as they were before surgery. Sometimes that's possible, though doctors often discourage knee replacement patients from engaging in high-impact sports including jogging.

The National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases paid for the study.

Knee problems and replacements: http://1.usa.gov/xeWHqG

American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons: http://www.aaos.org

Oil Below $100 Amid Signs Of Improving U.S. Economy

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:02:54 GMT

SINGAPORE (AP) - Oil prices hovered below $100 a barrel Friday in Asia as encouraging news about the U.S. economy was tempered by European demands for Greece to make further spending cuts before getting a new bailout.

Benchmark crude for March delivery was down 29 cents at $99.55 a barrel at midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.13 to settle at $99.84 on Thursday.

Brent crude was down 50 cents at $118.09 a barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange in London.

Crude has bobbed around $100 for the last few months, buoyed by signs the U.S. economy is improving. On Thursday, the U.S. reported that the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell to near a four-year low last week, suggesting the job market is gaining strength.

"The energy market appears positioned for additional price gains as we still look for crude to work its way up to the $101 area," energy consultant Ritterbusch and Associates said in a report.

Oil has risen from $96 earlier this month on growing investor optimism Greece may avoid a chaotic debt default. Greece agreed on Thursday to new spending cuts and other austerity measures that were necessary to receive an international bailout.

However, hours later, European ministers said Greece didn't go far enough and demanded more cuts within a week in exchange for a 130 billion euro ($170 billion) bailout to stave off bankruptcy.

In other energy trading, heating oil was steady at $3.21 per gallon and gasoline futures fell 0.5 cent to $3.01 per gallon. Natural gas rose 0.1 cent to $2.48 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Charity Items Survive Fire

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:02:46 GMT

Several items that were going to be auctioned off to benefit a non-profit charity foundation have survived an overnight fire.

Lexington fire crews were called to the scene of a house fire Thursday night around 10:00pm. It happened at a home on Prince Albert Way in the Southpoint Neighborhood.

LEX 18 News has learned that the woman inside was reading to her son when she smelled smoke. Smoke alarms then alerted them to the fire, and the mother, son, and father were able to make it out of the house safely. They were taken to UK Hospital for smoke inhalation, and are expected to be okay.

Neighbors say the family was going to start a non-profit charity sometime soon. They tell LEX 18 News that they had collected several items to sell at auction to start their organization. Those items survived the fire. No other details are known about the charity, or if it the family is still planning to move forward.

Fire crews say the fire did a lot of damage to the basement, and left the first floor unstable. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Uggie, 'War Horse' Among Pawscar Award Winners

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:02:36 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Oscars aren't until Feb. 26, but winners of the Pawscars are already celebrating.

The American Humane Association, which advocates for animals on film and TV sets, announced the top animals Thursday being honored with Pawscar awards.

Uggie, the four-legged star of "The Artist," was named best scene stealer. Fellow Jack Russell terrier Cosmo, whose thoughts were communicated through subtitles in "Beginners," won best animal speaking role.

"War Horse" was recognized for "best perception versus reality" for a scene that shows the title horse becoming entangled in barbed wire that was actually made from soft rubber.

Other winners include "Dolphin Tale," ''We Bought a Zoo" and "Mr. Popper's Penguins."

The Pawscars are among an emerging breed of awards honoring animal actors. The Golden Collar dog awards will be presented next week.

http://www.americanhumane.org

Dad Of NYC Subway Bomb Plotter Faces Prison Time

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:02:26 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) - The father of an admitted terrorist is scheduled to be sentenced Friday after his conviction on charges he destroyed evidence and lied to investigators to cover up his son's plot to attack the New York City subways in 2009.

Mohammed Wali Zazi was convicted last summer of conspiracy and obstruction of justice. He faces up to 40 years in prison, although the term could be much lower under federal sentencing guidelines. He maintains his innocence.

Zazi is a former cab driver from Colorado. His son, Najibullah Zazi, (nah-jee-BOO'-lah ZAH'-zee), admitted that he returned from Pakistan to his family's Denver-area home to practice cooking up homemade bombs using chemicals extracted from beauty supplies. He then drove to New York in September 2009 with plans to attack the subway system before he learned he was being watched by the FBI and fled back to Colorado.

Some Snow to End the Week

Chief Meteorologist Bill Meck — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:02:28 GMT

The clouds will thicken up Friday with a rain/snow mixture arriving during the afternoon. The highs will top out in the mid and upper 30's.

We have a SNOW ADVISORY for Friday night into Saturday morning as the mixture changes to all snow. The roads will likely get slick as well as the temperatures drop into the low and mid 20's. At this point we're looking at about a 1 to 2" snow around the area by Saturday morning.

At 11:00 we're mostly cloudy and an ever 32 degrees, although the sky has cleared in southern Kentucky where temperatures have fallen into the 20's.

Murray State Is Undefeated No More

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:02:43 GMT

MURRAY, Ky. (AP) - Robert Covington had 17 points and eight rebounds to lead Tennessee State to a 72-68 victory over No. 9 Murray State on Thursday night, handing the Racers their first loss of the season.

Isaiah Canaan had 31 points and six rebounds for Murray State (23-1, 11-1 Ohio Valley Conference), which was the last unbeaten team in Division I.

Murray State has won the last eight meetings against Tennessee State (16-10, 9-4) dating to 2008-09.

Covington hit a 3-pointer with 4 minutes left that gave Tennessee State a 65-62 lead.

The Tigers led 69-68 when a turnover gave Murray State the ball with 11.2 seconds to play. Tennessee State stole the inbounds pass. Covington was fouled with 9.7 seconds left but he missed both free throws.

Canaan turned the ball over and committed a foul with 3.5 seconds to play. Kenny Moore made two free throws to make it a three-point lead.

Murray State again turned the ball over on a long inbounds pass and Jordan Cyphers made one of two free throws to seal the upset.

Lexington Firefighters On Scene Of House Fire In Southpoint

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:02:38 GMT

Lexington Firefighters are on the scene of a house fire on Prince Albert Way in the Southpoint subdivision off Nicholasville Road. The call went out approximately 9:30pm. When crews arrived the house was fully involved.

Lexington fire officials say the family was at home at the time the fire started. They ran to a neighbor's house, and the two adults and one child were taken to the hospital as a precuation for smoke inhalation.

There's no word on what started the fire, but fire officials say the fire was strongest in the basement of the house.

Stay with LEX 18 News for more updates.

Beef Prices Expected To Climb For Next 2 Years

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:02:27 GMT

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - The smallest cattle herd since the 1950s likely will mean higher beef prices at the supermarket for the next two years.

Experts said beef prices could climb as much as 10 percent a year in 2012 and 2013, and the increase could be even greater if demand from other countries increases.

Those higher prices would follow steady increases that have seen the average retail cost of a pound of hamburger rise 23 percent, from $2.38 in December 2010 to $2.92 last December, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Last month the USDA reported the U.S. herd had declined to 90.8 million cattle, 2 percent less than the previous year and the lowest inventory since 1952, when there were 88.1 million.

"We're producing less beef so prices are going to go up," Texas AgriLife Extension Service livestock economist David Anderson said.

Ranchers have sold more of their cattle in recent years to meet increased costs for feed, fuel and other expenses. The soaring feed costs come amid heightened demand for corn to produce ethanol and to meet a growing export market.

The situation has been worst in Texas, the nation's leading cattle producer, and other parts of the southern plains and southwest, where a record drought caused pastures to wither, leaving ranchers with few options but to sell their cattle or pay top-dollar for feed.

There are 1.4 million fewer cattle - a record 660,000 of those cows - in Texas this year compared with the previous year, accounting for about 74 percent of the drop in numbers nationally. The animals were either moved to another state or were slaughtered.

Texas still leads the nation with 11.9 million head of cattle and calves, an 11 percent drop from last January. Cattle numbers plunged 12 percent in Oklahoma, to 4.5 million head, and in New Mexico by 10 percent, to 1.39 million head.

While cattle numbers dropped in those states, they have climbed elsewhere, especially in the Northern Plains where more rain led to plentiful pastureland.

Even in the southwest, there has been some good news, as the USDA reports that producers held onto more heifers, or young cows, than some expected. The January report showed a 1 percent increase over last year's number of heifers retained.

That could put the industry in position to grow the herd more quickly

Until the cattle supply increases, consumers will see higher prices, said Lane Broadbent, a livestock analyst with KIS Futures in Oklahoma City.

Broadbent said worldwide demand for U.S. beef also could increase in the next couple of years, causing prices to stay steady or rise even if the herd size grows as expected.

"An era of cheap meat might not happen for another two to three years," Broadbent said. "It's basically supply and demand, and this USDA report showed that our supplies are going to increase."

USDA livestock analyst Shayle Shagam said producers who see good prices at auction might still sell off their heifers. Ranchers must weigh whether they'll come out ahead by selling those heifers in coming months or hang onto them and sell the calves from the animals.

"There's potential for increased retention," Shagam said. "How that evolves during the year will depend on these producer decisions."

The cattle industry has for decades gone through cycles of expansion and contraction. The U.S. herd typically grows for about 10 years before supplies increase to a point where cattle and beef prices begin to drop. That's when ranchers begin to sell off their animals and the contraction begins.

"This is free enterprise," Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist Stephen Amosson said. "Everything goes to the bottom line. If they'd be making a bunch of money they would have been expanding before this."

Starting in the 1980s and through the 1990s the cycles were influenced by a shift in demand, which brought about big declines in cattle numbers. During that time people began to eat more chicken when the meat started showing up as nuggets, wings and in forms other than whole chickens, Anderson, the economist, said.

The USDA projects per capita beef consumption will drop to 55.7 pounds in 2013 before climbing to 58.9 pounds in 2020. Meanwhile per capita consumption of chicken was forecast to increase throughout the decade, with 2020 showing 91.5 pounds.

Richard Thorpe, a rancher in Winters, about 200 miles southwest of Fort Worth, culled more than 75 percent of his 1,000-head herd because of drought. He plans to slowly rebuild with the animals he kept, and is optimistic now that the long drought is finally over.

"We've kept the youngest, best and most fertile," said Winters. "We have a lot of hope we are through with this horrible drought. What makes it scary to us is we have to have spring grass."

Stories You'll See Tonight On LEX 18 News At 11:00 - February 9, 2012

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:02:15 GMT

The homeless and less fortunate are lining up at Lexington shelters to escape the coming snow and cold.

Watch how a homeowner turned the tables on three accused burglars, even sending one to the hospital.

And caught on camera. A man pulls a gun in front of a Lexington store.

Attorney: Reagan Shooter Hinckley Not Dangerous

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:02:20 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - An attorney for the man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan told a judge Thursday that his client has shown he is not dangerous and should therefore be allowed more time away from a Washington mental hospital.

John Hinckley, who shot and wounded Reagan outside a Washington hotel in 1981, has spent most of the past three decades confined to St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington. In recent years, however, he has been allowed to visit his mother's home in Williamsburg, Va., for up to 10 days at a time. During a series of hearings that began in November, his lawyer has urged a judge to grant Hinckley longer visits of 17 and 24 days and ultimately allow him to be away from the hospital full time.

On Thursday, a judge heard closing arguments in the hearings, which have taken place sporadically but lasted a total of two weeks. Government lawyers are asking that Hinckley's visits be kept to 10 days for now. Hinckley's attorney, Barry Levine, said his client is ready for longer stretches of freedom.

"Not once during any one of these releases has Mr. Hinckley done anything violent or dangerous," Levine said of the more than a dozen visits Hinckley has made to his mother's home.

A jury found Hinckley to be insane when he shot Reagan in an effort to impress actress Jodie Foster. Doctors say his mental illness has been in remission for years, however, leading a judge to grant Hinckley increasingly longer stretches away from the hospital.

During closing arguments, Levine was critical of the government's arguments to limit Hinckley's visits, saying it was illogical to argue that 10-day visits are safe but 17-day visits are not. He also disputed government evidence that Hinckley continues to be deceptive.

Earlier during the hearings, the government presented evidence from U.S. Secret Service agents trailing Hinckley. The agents said that on one occasion when Hinckley was supposed to be going to the movies, he was at a bookstore looking at shelves that held books about Reagan and the assassination attempt.

Levine said Hinckley neither picked up nor read any of those books.

"Glancing at books does not equate to danger," Levine said.

Levine also called into question the testimony of a bookstore employee who said he believed that Hinckley on another occasion asked him about new books on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Levine said the government sent the Secret Service to follow Hinckley and find some transgression on his part only when it was clear there would be hearings about his release. The Secret Service didn't follow him at other times because the government really doesn't believe he is dangerous, Levine said.

However, government prosecutor Nihar Mohanty said in his closing argument that Hinckley needs more monitoring - not less. Hinckley has been deceptive on several occasions with people at the hospital, looked at online photographs of his dentist without her permission and lied about movies he was supposed to see while visiting his mother, Mohanty said.

Mohanty said Hinckley should first be accepted into treatment at an outpatient mental health facility near his mother's home before his visits are extended to 17 days apiece. During the visits Hinckley should also have to wear an ankle bracelet when he is not accompanied by someone such as his mother; that way authorities can ensure they always know where he is, Mohanty said.

U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman told attorneys not to expect his decision until April or May. Hinckley's 10-day visits will continue during that time.

Speaking after the hearing Levine quoted President Franklin Roosevelt in suggesting his client is not a danger.

"To quote another president, 'There's nothing to fear but fear itself,'" he said.

Rate On 30-year Mortgage Stays At Record 3.87 pct.

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:02:09 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - The average rate on the 30-year fixed mortgage stayed at a record low this week, providing some added incentive for those looking to buy a home or refinance.

Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac says the rate on the 30-year loan was unchanged at 3.87 percent.

The average on the 15-year fixed mortgage rose to 3.16 percent, up from last week's record low of 3.14 percent. Records for mortgage rates date back to the 1950s.

Still, low rates have done little to boost the struggling housing market. Rates have been below 5 percent for all but two weeks in the past year. Yet few people can qualify to buy a home or refinance. Many of those who can have already done so.

Pro-gambling Lawmaker Releases Client List

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:02:10 GMT

FRANKFORT (AP) - A Kentucky lawmaker considering filing legislation calling for a constitutional amendment legalizing casino gambling has released the names of the firms he works for as a business consultant.

Republican Sen. Damon Thayer of Georgetown identified his clients Thursday as Kentucky Speedway at Sparta, Millennium Farms of Lexington, Wintergreen Stallion Station of Midway and Whispering Oaks Farm of Carencro, La.

One of the selling points for the gambling proposal is that revenue would help bolster Kentucky's thoroughbred racing industry.

Thayer has been a staunch advocate for allowing Kentucky voters to decide whether to amend the state Constitution to allow casino gambling. He has said he is leaning heavily toward filing legislation that would have to be approved by lawmakers before being presented to voters for ratification or rejection.

Calling All Volunteers

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:02:47 GMT

Lexington's Catholic Action Center and Community Inn are hosting a two-hour training session for future volunteers.

The session is Sunday, February 19 at the Community Inn from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. The shelter's director is encouraging families to learn how to reach out to the city's homeless population and learn about those the shelter serves. Ginny Ramsey says it's also a great opportunity for youth service hours.

The why, how and way to volunteer will all be included in the training.

The Community Inn is located at 824 Winchester Road and you can call 859-514-7210 for more information or e-mail caclexky@insightbb.com or visit the shelter's website at www.godsnet.info.

2 Ex-deputies To Be Sentenced In Drug Case

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:02:13 GMT

LOUISVILLE (AP) - Two former sheriff's deputies in central Kentucky are set for sentencing on charges that they carried guns while taking part in a marijuana distribution ring.

U.S. District Judge John G. Heyburn II will handle the cases of 43-year-old Norris Wayne Bartley of Springfield and 42-year-old Billy Joe Mattingly of Mackville on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Louisville.

The two men pleaded guilty to carrying firearms issued to them by the Washington County sheriff's office while stealing 30 pounds of marijuana from a locked trailer in Washington County while on duty with the intent to sell it. Both men pleaded guilty in May to firearms charges during a drug trafficking crime. They pleaded guilty to the drug trafficking crime a month earlier.

Report: Apple To Unveil New iPad In March

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:02:03 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) - A news report says Apple plans to unveil a new iPad early next month.

AllThingsD, a website affiliated with The Wall Street Journal, says Apple Inc. is holding an event in San Francisco the first week of March - the same week Apple announced the iPad 2 last year.

The report cites unnamed people familiar with the device. Apple declined comment Thursday.

It's not known whether the new device will be called the iPad 3, and when it will be available for sale. Last year, sales of the iPad 2 began in the U.S. nine days after the announcement.

Since the first iPad came out in 2010, sales of traditional computers have slowed. Rivals PC and phone makers have been unable to mirror Apple's success with their own tablet computers.

Latest Lawsuit Calls For New Kentucky Congressional Lines

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:02:12 GMT

FRANKFORT. (AP) - A judge has been asked to draw new boundaries around Kentucky's six congressional districts.

Lexington residents filed a lawsuit in Franklin County Circuit Court on Thursday, contending that the congressional districts have grown out of balance over the past decade.

After weeks of negotiations, the House and Senate were unable to agree on redrawn congressional districts. That meant congressional candidates had to file to run in districts as they existed for the past decade.

McConnell, Paul Press For Answers On Paducah Plant

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:02:17 GMT

LOUISVILLE. (AP) - U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and other Kentucky congressional leaders are pressing the Department of Energy to offer a plan for the future of Paducah's government-owned nuclear enrichment plant, which could cease operations and cut its workforce later this year.

McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, along with Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Ed Whitfield, sent a letter to Energy Secretary Steven Chu Thursday demanding a plan for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The lawmakers want the Obama administration to allow the western Kentucky plant to re-enrich its leftover uranium so it can be sold on the market.

The letter says re-enrichment work at the 60-year-old plant would preserve about 1,200 jobs and raise revenue for the government.

But McConnell indicated Thursday that he feels a re-enrichment program is not in the cards for the Paducah plant, which stores 40,000 cylinders of depleted uranium.

"The administration been refusing to answer, although it's pretty clear what the answer is," McConnell said in a call with reporters. "We're going to give them one more time to change their minds and after that I think people at home will have a clear indication without any ambiguity of where we're headed."

Department of Energy spokesman Damien LaVera said in a statement Thursday that the department is "continuing to assess potential options for managing our uranium inventories."

The Cold War-era plant opened in 1952 to develop enriched uranium for military reactors and to produce nuclear weapons. The plant began selling uranium for commercial reactors in the 1960s, and is now leased and operated by a private contractor, United States Enrichment Corp.

Paul Jacobson, a spokesman for USEC, said Thursday that the company has made no decision on its operations at the plant. But he said securing low-cost electricity is a key factor in the company's decision to continue operating the site. Its power contract with the Tennessee Valley Authority expires in May.

"A program with the government to re-enrich (depleted uranium) is one component, but we must also be able to line up sufficient low-cost power and make productive use of the remainder of the plant production capacity," Jacobson said in a statement. "As we are getting close to the May 31 date, all three components are very challenging."

McConnell questioned Chu on the matter of the future of Paducah's plant during a Senate subcommittee meeting in May.

Chu told McConnell that he was concerned about the job losses but said the plant's gaseous diffusion technology is "energy intensive, and I would rather us invest in more forward-leaning technologies."

In the letter sent to Chu on Thursday, the lawmakers said it would cost about $100 million a year to idle the plant and put the uranium in cold storage, while re-enriching the tails would raise government revenue.

"This could be solved by a stroke of a pen, by a simple decision by the President of the United States to save 1,200 private sector jobs, and to raise literally billions of dollars for a federal government that's literally awash in debt," McConnell said.

LaVera, the DOE spokesman, said another consideration is the impact on the price of uranium sold on the market if Paducah's stockpiles are re-enriched and made available.

"... It is important to be clear that any decision to proceed must be consistent with applicable law that requires transfers of uranium by the (Energy) Department be conducted in a manner that does not cause an adverse material impact on the uranium market."

Broad Coalition Presses For Casino Gambling In Kentucky

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:02:18 GMT

FRANKFORT. (AP) - A coalition of groups has formed to press Kentucky lawmakers to approve a constitutional amendment that, if ratified by voters, would legalize casinos in Kentucky.

That coalition includes several longtime gambling proponents from business and labor. But it also has involvement from the Kentucky Education Action Team, which represents the Kentucky Parent Teacher Association, Kentucky School Boards of Association and the Kentucky Association of School Councils.

Members of the coalition called on lawmakers to approve a gambling amendment during a Capitol news conference Thursday.

Kentucky Education Action Team member Stu Silberman said schools need additional revenue and, for that reason, members of the group voted to support the proposed gambling amendment.

Obama Birth Control Policy Divides Democrats

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:02:34 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democrats are deeply divided over President Barack Obama's new rule that religious schools and hospitals must provide insurance for free birth control to their employees amid fresh signs that the administration was scrambling for a way out.

"This is not only unacceptable, it is un-American," says Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a Catholic who faces re-election in November in a state where Wednesday nights are reserved for church services.

Another Catholic senator, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, has pleaded with the administration "to correct this decision which will erode the conscience rights" that have been protected for decades. His opposition echoes the criticism of his bishop in Scranton, Rev. Joseph C. Bambera.

Several Democrats, including Senate candidate Tim Kaine in Virginia and Illinois Rep. Dan Lipinski, have been outspoken in assailing the recently announced administration mandate that has angered religious groups and unified Republicans in protest. In a reflection of the party split, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., on Thursday blocked a GOP effort to debate an amendment on religious freedom.

A day earlier, liberal female senators thanked Obama for the new policy during a closed-door retreat.

"We're here to stand up for the women of America who deserve to have access to free preventive care through their health insurance," Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., said later at a news conference.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday that if Republicans try to repeal the policy, "we'll use this as a welcome debate to support women's health."

Facing intense pressure, the White House has indicated that it is trying to come up with a compromise. Vice President Joe Biden, a Catholic, said in a radio interview Thursday that "there is going to be a significant attempt to work this out and there is time to do that." He spoke with Bill Cunningham of 700 WLW in Cincinnati.

The party break over the contentious issue could reverberate in an election year, with implications not only for Obama in battleground states with significant numbers of Catholic working-class voters such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, but also for Democrats in congressional races. The political upside for Casey or Manchin is a fresh opportunity to show their independence from the president; the political downside is potentially pushing too far on a matter that resonates with female voters critical to the Democrats' prospects in November.

In a show of defiance, Manchin joined forces with Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida on Thursday in introducing legislation to expand the religious exemption and undo the Obama policy.

"I don't know why the federal government jumped in at the level they did," Manchin said.

Manchin said he has been in touch with his bishop, Rev. Michael Bransfield, of the diocese for Wheeling and Charleston, who has called the rule "a radical break with the tradition of religious liberty and respect for conscience rights."

More than 150 Catholic cardinals and bishops throughout the country have been relentless in assailing the policy, with many of their letters on the policy sent to parishioners or read aloud at Sunday Masses.

Stepping up the pressure, a worldwide Catholic broadcasting network based in Alabama filed a lawsuit Thursday against the administration over the policy. The suit, filed by the nonprofit EWTN Global Catholic Network, claims the rules are unconstitutional because they would require the broadcaster to violate church principles on the sanctity of life.

"This is a moment when EWTN, as a Catholic organization, has to step up and say that enough is enough," said Michael Warsaw, the network's president. "Our hope is that our lawsuit does just that."

Among Democrats, Manchin and Casey are in line with their church's leaders and holding fast to their religious beliefs. Yet in West Virginia, the senator still has faced criticism from the Republican Party on the issue.

Frustration among some Democrats dates to early December when Casey, Manchin and several other moderate House and Senate lawmakers participated in a conference call with senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett. The lawmakers voiced their reservations but made no headway with Jarrett, who thanked them for their opinions, according to congressional aides who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

Internally at the White House, Biden, then-Chief of Staff Bill Daley and deputy national security adviser Denis McDonough, all Catholics, raised concerns about how the administration proceeded on the policy. On the other side, senior White House advisers Nancy-Ann DeParle, Pete Rouse and David Plouffe argued for the need to ensure coverage for all without exception, as a matter of women's health and fairness.

Three Democratic senators - Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Patty Murray of Washington state and Boxer - pressed for making birth control coverage widely available.

The discussions were described by administration officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks.

Snow Advisory Friday Night

Chief Meteorologist Bill Meck — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:02:14 GMT

A developing storm and an Arctic cold front will be combining to bring snow chances beginning as early as Friday afternoon, but more likely Friday night into Saturday. On our Futuretrack computer model forecast we're looking at fractions of an inch to about 2 inches of snow by Saturday evening. It's not much snow, but considering how little we've seen this year it's worth noting.

The cold may be of more note though with Saturday's highs in the 20's and the lows Sunday morning in the low teens. Stay with LEX 18 for more updates...

At 7:00 it's cloudy and 34.

Stocks Close Higher After Debt Deal In Greece

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 23:02:17 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) - The stock market finally got a deal from Greece, but it didn't produce much of a rally.

The Dow Jones industrial average is finishing six points higher at 12,890. The Standard & Poor's 500 is closing up two at 1,352. The Nasdaq composite ends the day up 11 at 2,927.

Greece says it has agreed to cut spending to satisfy some of its lenders. That's a key condition for Greece to avoid a default next month that could spook world financial markets.

Earlier Thursday, the Dow rose to within 75 points of 13,000, a milestone it hasn't reached since 2008. The S&P's gain took it within about a point of doubling its level on March 9, 2009, the low for stocks during the Great Recession.

Salato Wildlife Center Reopening

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 23:02:38 GMT

FRANKFORT (AP) - The Salato Wildlife Education Center will offer some new exhibits when it opens for the season next week.

One teaches about eagles by allowing children to climb into a life-sized replica of a nest, according to a statement from the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department. Another new exhibit that will open in April is called the Bluegrass Prairie and includes a bobwhite quail aviary that allows children to pretend to hatch from an egg and hide in grass tunnels from a giant hawk.

They've also added an area that allows visitors better views of a skunk, but said not to worry - the animal can't spray people.

In addition to the new exhibits, the Salato Center in Frankfort will be more environmentally friendly when it opens Feb. 14 with new lighting and a modified heating and air conditioning system.

Under Attack, Santorum Defends 'Good' Earmarks

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 23:02:36 GMT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Under attack for his spending habits in Congress, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum defended his use of earmarks, saying Thursday that some were necessary for defense or health programs.

With the ex-senator's senator's surprising climb back into contender status with a trio of wins this week in the race to become the GOP's presidential nominee, Santorum has become the subject of biting criticism from rival Mitt Romney.

The former Massachusetts governor is challenging Santorum's commitment to fiscal discipline by pointing out spending set-asides he sought during the days when he represented Pennsylvania in Congress.

The taint of earmarks, or spending that lawmakers direct to favorite projects, still dogs candidates courting the fiscally conservative tea party movement, which explains why Romney and his allies have been pounding Santorum on the issue.

Santorum upset Romney this week by winning nominating contests in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri.

Campaigning in strongly conservative Oklahoma, Santorum defended his record and argued that earmarks were a legislative check on the executive branch.

"There are good earmarks and bad earmarks," he told reporters after a speech.

Santorum specifically defended targeted spending for the V-22 Osprey helicopter and a human tissue medical program in Pittsburgh. He declined to identify any earmarks he regretted.

On Wednesday, Romney said Santorum and former Speaker Newt Gingrich belong to a category of Republicans who "spent too much money, borrowed too much money, earmarked too much."

Santorum said Thursday that he fought to end earmarks amid concerns that lawmakers were abusing the practice. He tried to turn the issue back on Romney, who is having trouble winning over the conservative voters that Santorum, himself a conservative, is appealing to.

Santorum said Massachusetts benefited from earmarked money from Washington when Romney was governor.

"Gov. Romney's campaign has been about serially tearing down but not offering any kind of vision about what he wants to do for this country," Santorum said. "He's not going out and talking about his record as governor of Massachusetts. He hides from that record."

Later in the day, thousands turned out to hear Santorum at a basketball arena on the campus of conservative Oral Roberts University in Tulsa.

Santorum was scheduled to be in Washington on Friday to address the Conservative Political Action Committee's annual gathering.

UK Signee Poythress Mixes Humility With Unique Skill Set

Brent Carney — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 23:02:17 GMT

Alex Poythress is the big man on campus at Clarksville Northeast High school, even if it's not by choice. Such is life when you're a six-foot-seven All-American basketball player signed to play next season for John Calipari at Kentucky.

Poythress finalized the decision in November. His signing was greeted with the typical exaltation the Big Blue Nation reserves for a big time recruit - he is a consensus top 30 player in the various national rankings - but for Poythress, the decision brought with it plenty of relief.

"My phone stopped buzzing and I could just be a normal person again," he said.

Normal is relative. Seconds after finishing an interview Wednesday he turned and swooshed a 50 foot jump shot. With teammates milling around after practice, Poythress backed up to half court, sprinted towards the lane, and leaping just inside the free throw line, jumped over a teammate's back and threw down a one hand dunk.

Both moments were brought on by the urgings of teammates and followed with a sheepish smile, as if he was embarrassed to reveal his talent so brazenly in front of a stranger.

"He's a very humble kid and he sometimes wonders why all this attention comes to him when he's just being who he is," Poythress's coach at Northeast, Al Cooper said.

Poythress has an authentic modesty rarely seen in the most gifted athletes, possibly because he wasn't a born phenom. In the sixth grade he was cut from the school team.

"I used to be clumsy and goofy and all that stuff so I had to grow in to my body," he said.

Thursday Poythress was named a McDonald's All-American. Yet Saturday while Kentucky plays nearby at Vanderbilt, another fast food giant will be at the center of his attention. Four days a week - including Saturdays - he works flipping burgers at Wendy's, where despite his stardom at the high school down the street, he's nothing more than a lowly part-time employee.

"I don't think they really know," he said of his coworkers impressions of his basketball exploits, "I just try to keep quiet about it so I don't try to get big headed."

Along with the McDonald's All-American game, Poythress was also picked to play in the Jordan Brand Classic all-star game. Even without the two nationally televised games, spring is always a busy season for Poythress, as he balances off-season training with his spot on the school tennis team.

Yep, the tennis team.

Similar to the job at Wendy's, which came about after a few friends applied for jobs, teammates on the basketball team recruiting Poythress to join the Northeast tennis team as a sophomore.

"I said I might as well play too, so I joined them...I'm alright, I just play it for fun," he said.

Poythress may be a novice at tennis but he admits he's a scary doubles partner.

"They get nervous when they see a big dude at the net," he said, cracking a smile.

**
The spring will also be busy for John Calipari, as he works to put the finishing touches on a 2012 recruiting class that will expand from the three early signees: Poythress, Archie Goodwin of Alabama and Willie Cauley of Kansas.

Poythress says he seldom speaks to other top players and when it comes to recruiting other to join him at Kentucky, he's leaving it to Calipari.

"I know how hard the recruiting process is so I try to stay away from it. They're already getting calls and texts left and right, so I try to stay back and let them make their own decision," he said.

No matter who his teammates are next season, Poythress has definite spots in his games he plans to work on to improve before he arrives in Lexington.

"I'm just going to try to tighten up areas of my game. Try to keep my dribbling more confined. Try to get my shot more consistent and I'll hit the weights again. I'm just going to try to stay in shape," he said.

As for where he fits in Kentucky's plan next year, Cooper believes Poythress will arrive on campus prepared to fill a variety of roles.

"One thing about his skill set, he can play facing or back to the basket. It doesn't matter. He's kind of freakish, he's got a long wing span, he's got great athleticism and he's been in the gym for a long time and you know honed in his skills to where he is what he is today," he said.

So for all his humility, Cooper agrees that Poythress, in his own way, is ready to be the next big deal for Kentucky.

"He's been groomed for those days coming...he'll be ready to go when the lights come on, no doubt about it," he said.

2 Former Cats Make Canadian Hall Of Fame

Alan Cutler — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 22:02:29 GMT

Former Kentucky baseball stars Andrew Albers and Chris Bisson have been voted to the 2012 class of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

Albers and Bisson will join the entire 2011 Canadian National Team as the 2012 inductees into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, which won the first gold medal in nation history in the 2011 Pan American Games during the summer with a dramatic 2-1 win over favored Team USA.

Both former UK stars helped Team Canada win the gold medal.

Albers served as one of the key pitchers on the club, pitching 6.2 innings in a start in the gold-medal winning game over Team USA, allowing only one run with eight strikeouts.

Albers starred for Team Canada and Bisson was as an infielder off the bench. Bisson notched his first career international hit during the summer in the 2011 IABF World Cup as a three-run homer.

It's been a rocky road for Albers. He left UK fourth on the all time wins list in 2008. But, it took only five appearances with the San Diego Padres farm system when he had to have Tommy John surgery and was released by the Padres.

Albers returned to baseball with the Quebec City Capitales in the independent Can-Am League in 2010, where he saved 17 games with a 3-0 mark and a 1.40 ERA in 40 outings while making an attempt at a return to affiliated baseball.

UK Coach Gary Henderson helped Albers get a bullpen session with the Twins. They signed him. In 2011 he had a terrific season with two minor league stops. He posted a combined 8-2 record with a 2.16 ERA in 35 games, with seven starts, striking out 80 in 95.2 innings, with only 14 walks.

Goodwin And Poythress Make McDonald's All-American Team

Mary Jo Perino — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 22:02:24 GMT

Two future Wildcats, maybe more, we named to the McDonald's All-American team today.

Alex Poythress and Archie Goodwin are on the East and West teams respectively. Both have signed with Kentucky, along with Willie Cauley.

There are some other players on the team that UK is still heavily involved with, including Shabazz Muhammad and Anthony Bennett. Both are still undecided.

Nerlens Noel, the top center who reclassified to the 2012 class, is not on the roster despite being one of the top players in the country. It appears he reclassified too late to make the cut.

Kentucky Joins Mortgage Foreclosure Settlement

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 21:02:43 GMT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky will receive $58.8 million as part of a $25 billion national mortgage foreclosure settlement with the five of the country's largest banks.

On Thursday, Attorney General Jack Conway said he had joined attorneys general from 48 other states in the agreement, which preserves the rights of states to pursue criminal and civil actions against the five banks: Citigroup, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Ally Financial.

The agreement provides relief to thousands of homeowners who were foreclosed upon after the housing bubble burst, principal write-downs and refinancing to homeowners whose mortgages exceed the value of their homes and payments to states for consumer protection programs.

The office has set up a Web page with information: http://www.ag.ky.gov/mortgagesettlement .

The deal affects several thousand homeowners in Kentucky, Conway said.

Cause of Death Released for Whitley County Man

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 21:02:17 GMT

The Whitley County man found dead in the woods Wednesday died of self-inflicted injuries, said officials.

Investigators say a dog team found the body of Richard Martin, 67, just after 5:00 p.m. Wednesday, less than a mile from his home. His ATV was found nearby.

Laurel County Homeowner Shoots Suspect During Burglary

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 20:02:41 GMT

Police in Laurel County are investigating a home invasion in which one of the suspects was shot.

It happened just before noon Thursday on Old Whitley Road in Lily. The Sheriff's Department says a man and his infant child were alseep in their home when another man broke in. The victim woke up when the intruder came into the bedroom, and that's when he grabbed a gun. Deputies say the homeowner shot the intruder in the upper chest area, then held him and two other suspects at gunpoint until police arrived.

Deputies took two men and one woman into custody at the scene. The injured man was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The suspects' names have not yet been released.

Some Snow to Finish the Week...

Chief Meteorologist Bill Meck — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 20:02:00 GMT

A couple of things have been absent from this winter, snow and cold. We may be changing that some Friday and into the weekend.

A developing storm and an Arctic cold front will be combining to bring snow chances beginning as early as Friday afternoon, but more likely Friday night into Saturday. Snow Advisories are already posted.

On our Futuretrack computer model forecast we're looking at fractions of an inch to about 2 inches of snow by Saturday evening. It's not much snow, but considering how little we've seen this year it's worth noting.

The cold may be of more note though with Saturday's highs in the 20's and the lows Sunday morning in the low teens. Stay with LEX 18 for more updates...

Pakistani Man Fights Police Over 40-foot Shark

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 20:02:33 GMT

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - Qasim Khan waged the unlikeliest of battles with Pakistani authorities Thursday over the right to charge hundreds of curious visitors the equivalent of 22 cents each to see a roughly 40-foot whale shark he bought from a fisherman.

Khan is in the business of buying fish, albeit usually much smaller ones, and jumped at the chance on Tuesday to pay about $2,200 for the 20-ton behemoth, which was discovered dead in the Arabian Sea off the southern Pakistani city of Karachi.

Business was brisk Wednesday, as several thousand people paid to see the brown and white-spotted shark, which Khan set up under a cloth tent next to the harbor. People crowded around to put their hands on the massive fish, and families snapped their picture with it - ignoring the pungent smell as it began to rot.

But police cracked down Thursday, saying fishery authorities had decided people should be allowed to see the shark for free. Khan resisted and hid his prize attraction under the giant piece of green cloth he had previously used as a tent.

The move sparked a comic game of cat and mouse between Khan and the police. They would order him to remove the cover, which he would do briefly before replacing it. Then the cycle would start over again.

"We are told to protect and facilitate the people to see this rare fish, but this man is not allowing this," said police inspector Mohammad Aslam at the scene.

Khan countered by saying he paid 200,000 rupees for it. "To recover my cost I am charging just 20 rupees per ticket, but the forsaken fishery authorities have deprived me of this fortune," he said.

The altercation angered some of the hundreds of people who crowded around the fish.

"We came here to see the fish after the media hype, but to our dismay they are not allowing us to see it," said a young businessman, Sohail Shah.

One local newspaper had trumpeted the discovery with a headline that read "All is 'whale:' 'Moby Dick' comes to town ahead of Karachi Literature Festival."

Whale sharks, which are believed to grow up to 65 feet (20 meters) in length, are the largest fish in the sea and primarily feed on plankton, squid and small fish. They are found in tropical and warm temperate seas, and are harmless to humans.

Some people who turned up in Karachi were upset to see people climbing all over the shark.

"This is sheer disrespect for animals," said 20-year-old nursing student Usman Zada.

But nothing could dampen the enthusiasm of 9-year-old Fizza Umar, who came with her father.

"It was so huge!" Umar said. "I wish I could take it home."

Ashraf Daniel, a pastor of an Anglican church, was also delighted by the visit because he felt it reinforced his religious faith.

"Our Bible says that Saint Jonah survived three days in the abdomen of a whale, so I brought my children to see themselves the strength of God," said Daniel.

Governor Appoints Tax Reform Commission

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 20:02:13 GMT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Gov. Steve Beshear has appointed a 23-member "blue ribbon commission" to study Kentucky's tax system and propose a plan for reforming it.

In a speech at the Capitol Thursday, Beshear announced the members of the bipartisan commission, which will be headed by Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson, and said it "represents a broad spectrum of private and public sector experience," including six legislators.

Members will review the state's current tax system and propose a list of recommendations by Nov. 15.

Beshear said the state needs to ensure that it has "a tax system that produces adequate revenue that meets the needs of our people."

Revenue has been growing at about 70 percent to 75 percent of the economy's growth rate, Beshear said, and the government has cut spending by $1.3 billion.

NRC Approves First New Nuclear Plant In Three Decades

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 19:02:36 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - The nation's first new nuclear power plant in a generation won approval Thursday as federal regulators voted to grant a license for two new reactors in Georgia.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted 4-1 to approve Atlanta-based Southern Co.'s request to build two nuclear reactors at its Vogtle site south of Augusta.

The vote clears the way for officials to issue an operating license for the reactors, which could begin operating as soon as 2016 and 2017.

The NRC last approved construction of a nuclear plant in 1978, a year before a partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania raised fears of a radiation release and brought new reactor orders nearly to a halt.

NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko voted against the Vogtle license, saying he wanted a binding commitment from the company that it would make safety changes prompted by the March 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan.

"We've given them a license. They have not given us any commitment they will make these changes in the future," Jaczko said.

The meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant led to a series of recommendations by the NRC to improve safety at the 104 commercial nuclear reactors in the U.S. The changes are intended to make the plants better prepared for incidents they were not initially designed to handle, such as prolonged power blackouts or damage to multiple reactors at the same time.

The changes are still being developed, though Jaczko said it is clear that they will be required by the NRC before the new reactors open in 2016 or 2017.

Despite his opposition to the license, Jaczko called the vote "historic" and a culmination of years of work by Southern Co. and the NRC.

Southern Company Chairman and CEO Thomas A. Fanning called the NRC vote "a monumental accomplishment for Southern Company, Georgia Power, our partners and the nuclear industry."

Fanning said the company was "committed to bringing these units online to deliver clean, safe and reliable energy to our customers."

"The project is on track, and our targets related to cost and schedule are achievable," Fanning said.

Marvin Fertel, president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry lobbying group, said the NRC vote "sounds a clarion call to the world that the United States recognizes the importance of expanding nuclear energy as a key component of a low-carbon energy future that is central to job creation, diversity of electricity supply and energy security."

Allison Fisher, an energy expert for the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, called the NRC's action - less than a year after the Japan crisis - a step in the wrong direction.

"It is inexplicable that we've chosen this moment in history to expand the use of a failed and dangerous technology," she said.

While other countries such as Germany are reversing their commitment to nuclear power, "the U.S. is approving new reactors before the full suite of lessons from Japan has been learned and before new safety regulations that were recommended by a task force established after the meltdown crisis at Fukushima have been implemented," Fisher said.

The NRC approved a new reactor design for the Vogtle plant in December. Utility companies in Florida and the Carolinas also plan new reactors that use the same design by Westinghouse Electric Co.

The planned reactors are remnants of a once-anticipated building boom that the power industry dubbed the "nuclear renaissance."

President Barack Obama has offered the Vogtle project $8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees as part of its pledge to expand nuclear power.

Obama and other proponents say greater use of nuclear power could cut the nation's reliance on fossil fuels and create energy without producing emissions blamed for global warming. A new government permit process strongly encourages utilities to use pre-approved reactor designs rather than building custom models, a strategy intended to make construction easier and less expensive.

The once hoped-for boom has been plagued by a series of problems, from the prolonged economic downturn to the sharp drop in the price of natural gas, due in part to improved drilling techniques that have allowed energy companies to tap previously unavailable underground shale formations.

The Vogtle project is considered by many observers to be a major test of whether the industry can build nuclear plants without the delays and cost overruns that plagued earlier rounds of building decades ago.

Close on the project's heels is South Carolina Electric & Gas Co., which is seeking permission to build two reactors at an existing plant in Jenkinsville, S.C.

States, Banks Reach Foreclosure-Abuse Settlement

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 19:02:43 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. states reached a landmark $25 billion deal Thursday with the nation's biggest mortgage lenders over foreclosure abuses that occurred after the housing bubble burst.

The deal requires five of the largest banks to reduce loans for about 1 million households at risk of foreclosure. The lenders will also send checks of $2,000 to about 750,000 Americans who were improperly foreclosed upon. The banks will have three years to fulfill the terms of the deal.

It's the biggest settlement involving a single industry since a 1998 multistate tobacco deal.

Federal and state officials announced at a news conference that 49 states had joined the settlement. Oklahoma announced a separate deal with the five banks.

The settlement ends a painful chapter that emerged from the financial crisis, when home values sank and millions edged toward foreclosure. Many companies processed foreclosures without verifying documents. Some employees signed papers they hadn't read or used fake signatures to speed foreclosures - an action known as robo-signing.

Under the deal, the states said they won't pursue civil charges related to these types of abuses. Homeowners can still sue lenders in civil court on their own, and federal and state authorities can pursue criminal charges.

"There were many small wrongs that were done here," said U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan. "This does not resolve everything. We will be aggressive about going after claims elsewhere."

Reducing loan principal will help some homeowners who are current on their payments but are "underwater," meaning they owe more than their homes are worth.

But consumer advocates and housing activists said the deal is flawed because it covers only a fraction of at-risk homeowners. Critics note that the settlement will apply only to privately held mortgages issued from 2008 through 2011.

Banks own about half of all U.S. mortgages - roughly 30 million loans. Those owned by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not covered by the deal.

"The deal announced today is too small," said Pico National Network, a faith-based group that is active on housing issues. "It falls far short of providing real justice for homeowners and American families."

Economists also cited the size of the deal: Some said it was hardly enough to have much impact on the troubled housing market.

The settlement will be overseen by Joseph A. Smith Jr., North Carolina's banking commissioner. Lenders that violate the deal could face $1 million penalties per violation and up to $5 million for repeat violators.

About $10 billion of the settlement total will be used to reduce mortgage payments for underwater homeowners. Paul Diggle, an economist at Capital Economics, said that's a "drop in the ocean," considering that 11 million borrowers are underwater "to the tune of $700 billion."

Mark Vitner, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities, said the settlement helps the housing market in the long run because it allows banks to proceed with millions of foreclosures that have been stalled. Many lenders have refrained from foreclosing on homes as they awaited the settlement.

"We've got a lot of issues to work our way through in the housing market," Vitner said. "What this settlement does is allow that process to get started."

Bank of America will pay the most to borrowers as part of the deal - nearly $8.6 billion. Wells Fargo will pay about $4.3 billion, JPMorgan Chase roughly $4.2 billion. Citigroup will pay about $1.8 billion and Ally Financial will pay $200 million. Those totals do not include $5.5 billion that the banks will reimburse federal and state governments for money spent on improper foreclosures.

The deal also ends a separate investigation into Bank of America and Countrywide for inflating appraisals of loans from 2003 through most of 2009. Bank of America acquired Countrywide in 2008.

"The settlement includes far reaching relief that will help many of our customers and complement our already extensive efforts to improve our borrower assistance efforts and servicing processes," JPMorgan Chase said in a statement.

Under the deal, banks must make foreclosure their last resort. They are also barred from foreclosing on a homeowner who is being considered for a loan modification.

The banks and U.S. state attorneys general agreed to the deal late Wednesday after 16 months of contentious negotiations.

New York and California came on board late Wednesday. California has more than 2 million "underwater" borrowers, whose homes are worth less than their mortgages. New York has some 118,000 homeowners who are underwater.

In addition to the payments and mortgage reductions, the deal promises to reshape long-standing mortgage lending guidelines. It will make it easier for those at risk of foreclosure to make their payments and keep their homes.

Those who lost their homes to foreclosure are unlikely to get their homes back or benefit much financially from the settlement.

Some critics say the proposed deal doesn't go far enough. They have argued for a thorough investigation of potentially illegal foreclosure practices before a settlement is hammered out.

Under the deal:

- Roughly $1.5 billion for direct payouts, in the form of $2,000 checks, for about 750,000 Americans who were unfairly or improperly foreclosed upon; another $3.5 billion will go directly to states.

- At least $10 billion for reducing mortgage amounts.

- Up to $7 billion for other state homeowner programs.

- At least $3 billion for refinancing loans for homeowners who are current on their mortgage payments but who are underwater.

The deal is subject to final approval by a federal judge.

Emergency Exercise Preceded Indiana Fair Disaster

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 19:02:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A state agency's report says the Indiana State Fair's executive director and other officials took part in an emergency exercise last July that eerily foreshadowed weather conditions a month later that caused a deadly stage collapse.

The report by the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration says the July 12 exercise foretold almost the exact conditions of the Aug. 13 tragedy, when seven people were killed after the stage rigging plunged into the crowd.

The scenario imagined high winds, lighting and hail and specifically mentioned the concert by country duo Sugarland, which fans were waiting to hear before the stage collapse.

A state labor department spokesman says it proves the fair commission had insufficiently prepared for the conditions.

On Wednesday, the commission paid a $6,300 IOSHA fine for workplace violations.

USBA Honors A'dia Mathis

Alan Cutler — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 19:02:42 GMT

On Wednesday A'dia Mathies was named to the 2011-12 State Farm Wade Watch list.

Thursday, the junior guard was named to the U.S. Basketball Writers' Association Midseason Watch list.

Mathies is one of 20 players named to the midseason watch list. It is the first year the USBWA has created such a list for the Women's National Player of the Year award.

Mathies leads UK in scoring, steals, and 3-point field goal percentage. She is also second on the team in rebounds, assists, 3-point field goals made and blocks.

At 15.1 points per game and 14.7 points per game in conference action are each third best in the Southeastern Conference. Plus, she is third in the SEC in steals per game. Her nine takeaways against Nebraska Omaha tied a UK record for second most steals in a game.

Mathies had a career-night Jan. 12 vs. Tennessee. Sparking the Wildcats on both ends of the floor, the 5-foot-9 guard scored a career-high 34 points on 11-20 shooting, while also grabbing nine rebounds, passing out two assists, blocking two shots and recording two steals. Mathies' 34 points were the most points scored by a Kentucky player since 1987.

The three-time SEC Player of the Week, Mathies was honored earlier this season by the USBWA, as the association named her the Women's National Player of the Week after her 23-point performance in Kentucky's win over then-No. 6/5 Duke. Mathies is also on the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top-20 List, the Naismith Award Watch List and the State Farm Wade Watch list.

Of the 20 players on the list, Mathies is the only one from the SEC.

The Wildcats ranked 7th (21-3, 10-1 SEC) play Monday at No. 11/11 Tennessee. The game will be televised by ESPN2.

Legislative Agency To Appeal Redistricting Case

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 19:02:58 GMT

FRANKFORT (AP) - The Legislative Research Commission will appeal a judge's ruling that found newly drawn legislative districts to be unconstitutional.

Rob Weber, a spokesman for the agency, said in a statement Thursday that the appeal would be made directly to the Kentucky Supreme Court in an effort to get a quicker resolution to a case that's been pending since last month.

The General Assembly has been embroiled in a bitter partisan fight over legislative and congressional redistricting that has put all major issues in limbo since lawmakers convened in early January.

Franklin County Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ordered the secretary of state not to recognize newly redrawn legislative districts.

La Nina Going Away, But Too Late For Texas Drought

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 18:02:48 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal weather forecasters say the La Nina weather phenomenon that contributed to the southwestern U.S. drought is winding down.

The National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center says La Nina is showing signs that it will be over by summer. Center deputy director Mike Halpert said that's too late for Texas because the rainy season will be over by that time. The effects of La Nina, a cooling of the central Pacific, are generally weaker in summer.

But it is good news for the Atlantic hurricane belt. More tropical storms form there during La Ninas.

Halpert said La Nina generally causes more weather damage to the U.S. than its flip side, the better known El Nino.

Forecasters don't know what conditions will follow this La Nina.

Section Of Loudon Avenue In Lexington To Close For Sewer Line Replacement

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 18:02:49 GMT

A contractor for the Lexington's Division of Water Quality will replace a section of the sanitary sewer line on Loudon Avenue between Idlewild Court and Maple Street, starting on Monday, Feb. 13.

The repair work is expected to be completed by Friday, Feb. 17, weather permitting.

The in-bound lane of Loudon Avenue - the lane going toward N. Limestone from Winchester Road - will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day to allow for construction.

Traffic will be able to pass through the construction zone using the parking lane at a reduced speed.

Drivers on Loudon Avenue heading toward N. Limestone may also use a detour route to pass safely through the construction area. Motorists should turn right onto Idlewild Court then left onto Castlewood Drive. They then can turn left onto Maple Street and right back onto Loudon Avenue.

Several Who Attended Weekend Basketball Tournament Sickened

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 18:02:06 GMT

Lexington health officials say several people are suffering from a stomach illness and believe it be could have been spread during a basketball tournament last weekend.

The Fayette County Health Department says it's received dozens of reports of people suffering from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, but say the symptoms are mild.

The coaches involved in the tournament have been notified.

Marines Posed With Nazi SS Symbol In Afghanistan

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 18:02:50 GMT

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The Marine Corps confirmed Thursday that one of its scout sniper teams in Afghanistan posed for a photograph in front of a flag with a logo resembling that of the notorious Nazi SS.

Use of the SS symbol is not acceptable, and the Marine Corps has addressed the issue, Lt. Col. Stewart Upton said in a statement. However, he did not specify what action was taken.

Upton said the Marines in the photograph on an Internet blog are no longer with the unit they were assigned to at the time. The picture was taken in September 2010 in Sangin province, Afghanistan.

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation in Washington says it is outraged by the photograph and wants a full investigation.

Friday Snow and Arctic Weekend Blast

Meteorologist Mat Ortiz — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 17:02:59 GMT

Cloudy and 32 degrees in Lexington.

Clouds will slowly break up later today, still going partly/mostly cloudy with high temps only reaching upper 30s/low 40s. Temps will fall into the mid 20s tonight and make it back into the upper 30s to low 40s Friday. A cold front will dive south out of the Great Lakes and throw light rain/snow showers our way late Friday afternoon, that will shift to snow showers Friday evening/Saturday morning with an accumulation of 1-2 inches possible. That cold front is the leading edge of an arctic airmass that will engulf Central/Eastern KY this weekend. Get ready to bundle up, morning lows for Saturday/Sunday in mid/upper teens w/ highs only reaching upper 20s/low 30s. Stay tuned for winter weather updates! Have a great Thursday!

Heather Mills Says Paul McCartney Calls Were Hacked

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 16:02:44 GMT

LONDON (AP) - She squared off against former Beatle Paul McCartney in divorce court; on Thursday, Heather Mills took on Piers Morgan at Britain's media ethics inquiry.

The ex-model trashed Morgan's earlier testimony, saying that one of her private voicemails, which was played to the CNN interviewer and former tabloid editor, could have been obtained only through phone hacking.

Mills spoke under oath at Lord Justice Brian Leveson's inquiry into the practices of Britain's scandal-hit press, and said two dozen messages left for her by the former Beatle were intercepted by a journalist working for British newspaper group Trinity Mirror.

She said the incident happened after she and McCartney had a fight in January 2001, when McCartney, then her boyfriend, bombarded her with phone calls.

"There were about 25 messages, all asking for forgiveness, (asking:) 'Would I come back?'" Mills said. "One of them said: 'Please forgive me,' and he sang a little ditty of one of his songs into the voicemail."

She said she found it strange that the messages were listed as having been listened to even before she had accessed them, but said she didn't realize what had happened until the Mirror journalist - unnamed for legal reasons - called her up and confronted her with details of the battle.

"I said: 'There's no way that you could know that unless you have been listening to my messages,'" she told the inquiry. "And he laughed."

The messages left for Mills by McCartney are at the center of the allegations against CNN star interviewer Piers Morgan, who was editor of the Daily Mirror tabloid at the time. Morgan wrote in 2006 that he had once been played an apologetic message left by McCartney for Mills, describing it in detail and noting that McCartney "even sang 'We Can Work It Out' into the answer phone."

Called before the U.K. inquiry last year, Morgan denied ordering anyone to hack a phone or writing stories based on hacked messages. He acknowledged listening to Mill's voicemail message but stubbornly refused to say anything about how he had gotten it.

Morgan even left open the possibility that the voicemail had been played to him with Mills' approval, but Mills said Thursday that was impossible.

"Never," she said. "Never ever."

Mills married the popular McCartney in 2002 and had a daughter with him before they divorced in 2008. She sought and got a substantial divorce settlement, becoming a tabloid hate figure after they separated. She is a fierce critic of tabloid journalists in general and Morgan in particular.

Morgan, who has become a media celebrity in the United States since taking over from Larry King at CNN, has returned the favor, casting aspersions on her credibility and calling her a "monster."

Leveson's inquiry was set up in the wake of Britain's tabloid phone-hacking scandal, which shocked the country with revelations that journalists at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World routinely eavesdropped on the private communications of those in the public eye.

Several journalists have been arrested, top media executives have resigned, and Murdoch closed the 168-year-old tabloid in July.

Kentucky Highway Fatalities Increasing In 2012

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 16:02:25 GMT

The rate of fatalities on Kentucky's roadways has increased in 2012, according to preliminary numbers from the Kentucky State Police. There were 64 fatalities as of Feb. 9, five more than at the same time last year.

"Although it is still early, we want to be proactive in addressing this increase in highway deaths on Kentucky roadways," said KSP Spokesperson Lt. David Jude.

Of the 64 people killed so far this year, 31 were not wearing seat belts and nine died in crashes involving alcohol.

"With the decent winter weather, more people have been traveling our roadways, which might explain the fatality increase," said Kentucky Office of Highway Safety (KOHS) Director Bill Bell. "However, it does not explain why people are not making safe decisions when they get behind the wheel."

Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate that seat belts, when worn correctly, reduce the risk of fatalities by 45 percent for front-seat vehicle occupants, and by 60 percent for pickup truck, SUV and minivan occupants. Also according to NHTSA, regular seat belt use is the single most effective way to protect against and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.

"KSP wants to remind motorists not to become complacent when it comes to highway safety. We plan to be vigilant in enforcing seat belt laws and will continue targeting impaired drivers who endanger the lives of others," said Jude.

The KOHS offers various highway safety educational programs to the public and distributes federal highway safety grants to state and local highway safety agencies. It annually partners with state and local law enforcement to promote the national "Click It or Ticket" seat belt campaign and "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" impaired driving campaign.

"Our office will continue working with highway safety agencies across the state to educate everyone on the benefits of safe driving habits," said Bell.

A final total will not be available until April 2, but preliminary numbers for 2011 indicate there were 720 fatalities on Kentucky roadways. Of those, 49 percent were not buckled up and 16 percent involved alcohol.

Coming Up On LEX 18 News At Noon - February 9

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 16:02:20 GMT

A horrible accident has left a nine-year-old boy dead after he was shot and killed by his older brother in Wayne County Wednesday afternoon. The latest on the death of Malcom Pennycuff is coming up.

Also -a hearing scheduled for Thursday for a Lexington man convicted last month of beating his wife to death and is seeking a new trial has been moved to Tuesday. We'll have an update on the Donald Southworth case.

And - in a winter that has seen very little snow, we may have two bouts with the white stuff in the same week. LEX 18 Storm Tracker Meteorologist Tom Ackerman will have the details in his forecast coming up on LEX 18 News at noon.

Judge Dismisses PETA Lawsuit Against Sea World

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:02:28 GMT

A federal judge has dismissed an animal rights groups' lawsuit against Sea World.

The judge threw out the claim by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals accusing Sea World of violating killer whales' Constitutional rights.

The animal rights group claimed Sea World was enslaving the whales, which violates the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, which abolished slavery.

The judge ruled that whales have no standing to seek the same Constitutional protections as people.

Stomach Flu Sickens St. Maarten Cruise Passengers

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:02:32 GMT

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten (AP) - A health ministry official in St. Maarten says that more than two dozen cruise passengers were sick as the vessel docked in the Caribbean island.

Maria Henry of the Collective Preventive Services says the Celebrity Silhouette disclosed the cases of gastroenteritis or stomach flu in its mandatory health declaration prior to arrival.

Henry said the ship's crew isolated the 31 affected passengers and cleaned public areas on board.

The number of sick passengers was far below the 10 percent threshold that would have prevented them from docking. The number of sick passengers dropped to 26 by the time the ship left port Monday.

Cruise line spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said there were more than 4,000 passengers on board.

Last weekend, three U.S.-based cruise ships reported outbreaks of stomach illness: Princess Cruise Line's vessel Ruby Princess, which sailed Sunday from Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades after being decontamiinated; the Crown Princess, which sailed from Fort Lauderdale after cleaning; and Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Sea, which left New Orleans a couple of hours late Saturday because of the same illness and decontamination protocol.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control maintains an online database of norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships at http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm. Outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness on cruise ships participating in the CDC program are posted online by the CDC when they take place on voyages from three to 21 days, when the ships are carrying 100 or more passengers, and when 3 percent or more of passengers or crew reported symptoms of diarrheal disease to the ship's medical staff during the trip.

The CDC says that norovirus is highly contagious and spreads from person to person, through contaminated food or water, and by touching contaminated surfaces. Careful handwashing with soap and water is key to the prevention of the spread of norovirus. Contaminated surfaces must be cleaned and disinfected thoroughly to prevent continued spread of the disease. Norovirus outbreaks occur in many types of settings, including, according to the CDC, health care facilities, day care settings and schools.

Quarterly Loss Hits $3.3 Billion At Postal Service

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:02:01 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Postal Service is reporting quarterly losses of $3.3 billion, hurt by declining mail volume and mounting costs for future retiree health benefits.

From October through December of 2011, losses were $3 billion more than during the same period in 2010 - even though the final quarter is typically the strongest, due to increased holiday shipping.

The mail agency says that at the rate it's going, it will run out of money by October.

Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe is warning of a possible suspension in postal operations this fall unless Congress acts to address long-term money problems.

He wants new leeway to eliminate Saturday mail delivery, raise stamp prices and reduce health and other labor costs.

Ex-Governor's Pardons Go Before Mississippi High Court

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:02:13 GMT

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - The Mississippi Supreme Court is set to hear arguments over whether ex-Gov. Haley Barbour legally pardoned 10 current and former inmates.

Among the inmates are four convicted murderers who served as trusties at the Governor's Mansion while Barbour was in office.

The Supreme Court is not expected to rule Thursday.

Barbour pardoned 198 people in his final days in office. Most were already out of prison, some for years or decades.

State Attorney General Jim Hood is challenging the legality of some of the pardons, saying some people didn't publish notifications as Hood says is required in Mississippi's Constitution.

Five of those pardoned are being held in jail on a temporary restraining order while the legal wrangling plays out.

Powerball At $310 Million; 5th Largest Jackpot Ever

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:02:48 GMT

No one hit Wednesday night's Powerball jackpot, so the top prize now rolls to an estimated $310,000,000 for Saturday night's drawing.

This amount ties the 5th largest jackpot in the history of the game, which, interestingly enough, was won one year ago on February 11, 2011. The game hasn't surpassed the $300 million mark since. The largest Powerball jackpot ever awarded was $365 million, won by a group of meat packing plant workers in Nebraska back in 2006. In Kentucky, the largest Powerball jackpot ever won - $128.6 million - was for a ticket sold on Christmas Eve 2009 to a Georgetown man.

Kentucky did have one $10,000 winner last night. The player matched four of the five white balls and the Powerball. The ticket was sold at the Kroger on Breckenridge Lane in Louisville.

Recent changes to the Powerball game have helped move the jackpot to this high level, according to the Kentucky Lottery's President and CEO Arch Gleason. "Players have told us time and time again that they love playing for these big jackpots," said Gleason. "We needed to make changes to the game as sales had declined and we hadn't seen a solid jackpot run like this for awhile. By increasing the game's price to $2, we made changes that provided better winning odds, a guaranteed $1 million cash second prize, and we hoped jackpots would grow faster. I believe this recent run has proven our point."

Players can purchase tickets for Saturday night's drawing until 9:58 PM EST that evening. The odds of winning the top prize are one in 175,223,510.

Unemployment Aid Applications Near A Four-Year Low

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:02:58 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - The number of people seeking unemployment aid neared a four-year low last week, a positive sign that strong hiring could continue in the coming months.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for unemployment benefits fell 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 358,000. That's the second-lowest level since April 2008.

The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell to 366,250, the lowest since late April 2008.

"The encouraging U.S. employment news continues," Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, wrote in a note to clients. The "job market started February off on a sturdy footing."

When applications fall consistently below 375,000, it generally signals that hiring is strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.

Employers added a net gain of 243,000 jobs in January, the biggest gain in nine months. The unemployment rate fell for the fifth straight month to 8.3 percent, the lowest in nearly three years.

From November through January, the economy has added an average of 201,000 net jobs per month.

The increased hiring in part reflects faster economic growth. The economy expanded at an annual rate of 2.8 percent in the final three months of last year - a full percentage point higher than the previous quarter.

Applications are also falling because companies are laying off fewer workers. A separate report from the Labor Department, released earlier this week, showed that job cuts have fallen below pre-recession levels. Layoffs dropped last year to the lowest annual total in the 10 years the government has tracked the data.

With job cuts low, even a modest increase in hiring results in net job gains.

The number of people receiving benefits edged up in the week ending Jan. 21, the latest data available. About 7.6 million people received unemployment aid that week, a slight increase from the previous week. That figure includes about 3.5 million people receiving extended unemployment benefits under an emergency program set up during the recession.

That program is set to expire at the end of this month, unless Congress agrees to extend it through the end of the year. Lawmakers are wrangling over how to pay for an extension of benefits and for an extension of a Social Security tax cut that is also set to expire at the end of this month.

Most economists expect growth will slow a bit in the January-March quarter, because companies won't need to rebuild their stockpiles of goods as much as they did in the winter.

But some economists are increasingly optimistic that the economy will steadily expand this year, given last month's unexpectedly large job gains and other positive signs.

U.S. manufacturing activity grew in January at the fastest pace in seven months. Americans are buying more cars and trucks. And consumers stepped up borrowing in November and December by the most in a decade, which could indicate they are growing more confident in the economy.

Still, the job market has a long way to go before it fully recovers from the damage of the Great Recession. Nearly 13 million people remain unemployed, and 8.3 percent unemployment is painfully high.

One reason the unemployment rate has fallen for five straight months is that many people have stopped looking for work. The government only counts people as unemployed if they are actively searching for a job.

Pregnant Teen Held Nine Days, Beaten By Boyfriend

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:02:57 GMT

CERES, Calif. (AP) - Police say a pregnant teenager was held captive nine days in a California home, where she was bound with tape and beaten by a jealous boyfriend.

Investigators say the 18-year-old victim was allowed to leave the San Joaquin Valley home on Saturday and she called police.

She says 21-year-old Richard Garibay became enraged when he found a text message from another man on her cellphone.

Investigators say Garibay beat her and used tape to bind her arms and legs while threatening her with a handgun in the Ceres home south of Modesto.

Police say Garibay's friend, 20-year-old Armando Osegueda, helped restrain the pregnant teenager.

The Modesto Bee says Garibay was arrested on Tuesday.

Osegueda is also in jail as an accessory.

Case Of Man Accused Of Killing Mother Waived To Grand Jury

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 14:02:05 GMT

The case of a Lexington man accused of killing his mother and stuffing her body into a garbage can was waived to the grand jury Thursday morning.

Mark Cave, 27, is accused of killing his mother Sharon Cave-Howard, 54. According to the police report, officers acting on a tip in a missing person case found the body inside a trash bin in a wooded area off of Fortune Drive.

The coroner said Cave-Howard died of blunt force trauma to the head.

The police report indicates Cave told officers he intentionally caused the death of his mother on the morning of June 7. Investigators also say that Cave altered the evidence to keep police from finding it.

Cave pleaded not guilty in the case during a court appearance last week. He faces charges of murder and tampering with physical evidence. Police say he was already in jail on unrelated charges.

Beshear Says Lawmakers Have Time To Pass Gambling

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 13:02:43 GMT

FRANKFORT (AP) - Gov. Steve Beshear is expecting a proposal to amend the state Constitution to allow casino-style gambling to be filed soon.

The second-term governor told reporters Wednesday plenty of time remains in this year's legislative session for the House and Senate to vote to get a proposed constitutional amendment on the ballot this fall.

Lawmakers are just more than one-third of the way through the session that's slated to end in April. Legislative and congressional redistricting has occupied most of their time so far, and both issues remain the hot topic in Frankfort.

Beshear said his gambling proposal, which has yet to be introduced, is just one of several issues forced to the back burner while lawmakers wrestle with the once-a-decade chore of redrawing political districts.

Arctic Snap & Light Snow Soon

Stormtracker Meteorologist Tom Ackerman — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 12:02:04 GMT

We'll take Thursday off from active weather and with a ridge of high pressure building in you can expect highs just below average in the low to mid 40s and mostly to eventually partly cloudy skies. We'll dip into the mid 20s tonight and make it back into the upper 30s to low 40s Friday. A cold front will dive south out of the Great Lakes and throw light rain showers our way late Friday that will shift to light snow showers Friday night with accumulation possible. It's too early to say how much for sure but an inch or two is possible. That cold front is the leading edge of an arctic airmass that will overwhelm the Commonwealth this weekend. Get ready for highs at or below freezing and lows in the teens... the coldest air we've seen since mid January!

Official: 10 States, Including Kentucky, To Get "No Child Left Behind" Waiver

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 12:02:00 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama on Thursday will free 10 states from the strict and sweeping requirements of the No Child Left Behind law, giving leeway to states that promise to improve how they prepare and evaluate students, The Associated Press has learned.

The first 10 states to receive the waivers are Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The only state that applied for the flexibility and did not get it, New Mexico, is working with the administration to get approval, a White House official told the AP.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the states had not yet been announced. A total of 28 other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have signaled that they, too, plan to seek waivers - a sign of just how vast the law's burdens have become as a big deadline nears.

No Child Left Behind requires all students to be proficient in reading and math by 2014. Obama's action strips away that fundamental requirement for those approved for flexibility, provided they offer a viable plan instead. Under the deal, the states must show they will prepare children for college and careers, set new targets for improving achievement among all students, reward the best performing schools and focus help on the ones doing the worst.

In September, Obama called President George W. Bush's most hyped domestic accomplishment an admirable but flawed effort that hurt students instead of helping them. He said action was necessary because Congress failed to update the law despite widespread bipartisan agreement that it needs fixing. Republicans have charged that by granting waivers, Obama was overreaching his authority.

The executive action by Obama is one of his most prominent in an ongoing campaign to act on his own where Congress is rebuffing him. No Child Left Behind was primarily designed to help the nation's poor and minority children and was passed a decade ago with widespread bipartisan support. It has been up for renewal since 2007. But lawmakers have been stymied for years by competing priorities, disagreements over how much of a federal role there should be in schools and, in the recent Congress, partisan gridlock.

For all the cheers that states may have about the changes, the move also reflects the sobering reality that the United States is not close to the law's original goal: getting children to grade level in reading and math.

Critics today say the 2014 deadline was unrealistic, the law is too rigid and led to teaching to the test, and too many schools feel they are labeled as "failures." Under No Child Left Behind, schools that don't meet requirements for two years or longer face increasingly tough consequences, including busing children to higher-performing schools, offering tutoring and replacing staff.

As the deadline approaches, more schools are failing to meet requirements under the law, with nearly half not doing so last year, according to the Center on Education Policy. Center officials said that's because some states today have harder tests or have high numbers of immigrant and low-income children, but it's also because the law requires states to raise the bar each year for how many children must pass the test.

In states granted a waiver, students will still be tested annually. But starting this fall, schools in those states will no longer face the same prescriptive actions spelled out under No Child Left Behind. A school's performance will also probably be labeled differently.

The pressure will probably still be on the lowest-performing schools in states granted a waiver, but mediocre schools that aren't failing will probably see the most changes because they will feel less pressure and have more flexibility in how they spend federal dollars, said Michael Petrilli, vice president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, an education think tank.

While the president's action marks a change in education policy in America, the reach is limited. The populous states of Pennsylvania, Texas and California are among those that have not said they will seek a waiver, although they could still do so later.

On Tuesday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said states without a waiver will be held to the standards of No Child Left Behind because "it's the law of the land."

Some conservatives viewed Obama's plan not as giving more flexibility to states, but as imposing his vision on them. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., who chairs the House Education and Workforce Committee, said the president allowed "an arbitrary timeline" to dictate when Congress should get the law rewritten and set a dangerous precedent by granting the education secretary "sweeping authority to handpick winners and losers."

Duncan maintained this week that the administration "desperately" wants Congress to fix the law.

In an election year in a divided Congress, that appears unlikely to happen.

A Senate committee last fall passed a bipartisan bill to update the law, but it was opposed by the administration and did not go before the full Senate for a vote.

Kline released a draft of a Republican-written bill to update the law, earning the ire of California Rep. George Miller, the committee's ranking Democrat. Miller said such partisanship "means the end" to No Child Left Behind reform in this Congress. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who chairs the Senate committee with jurisdiction over education, has said he believes it "would be difficult to find a path forward" without a bipartisan bill in the House.

Lexington Man Held On Child Porn Charges

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:02:24 GMT

Lexington Police have arrested a man that they say had more than 800 child porn videos on his computers.

Police say Brett Michael Compton, 27, had porn videos of children and infants. Court documents allege he downloaded the videos on a computer at a home where he was staying on Sandalwood Drive last year. The home is just feet away from the grounds of the Deep Springs Elementary School.

Compton was arrested at work at the Richmond Road Applebee's Wednesday night.

Compton is charged with possessing and distributing child pornography. He is being held in the Fayette County Detention Center.

6:30 AM Weather Update, February 9

Stormtracker Meteorologist Tom Ackerman — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:02:45 GMT

It's cloudy and right around freezing with mixed precipitation reported at Bluegrass Airport in the last hour. Watch for a few flurries or sprinkles, patchy fog and an icy spot or two on the roads this morning.

Hearing Delayed For Lexington Man Convicted In Wife's Death

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:02:20 GMT

A hearing for a Lexington man convicted last month of beating his wife to death and is seeking a new trial has been moved to Tuesday.

Defense lawyers say shortly after jurors began deliberating the case of 49-year-old Donald Southworth, they asked to see an exhibit but that the document they were given wasn't the original. The exhibit was a "copy of divorce papers found in a trash can," the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

Defense attorneys say in their motion for a new trial that the jury indicated it had reached a verdict before the court had a chance to explain the discrepancy and submit the actual exhibit.

The hearing was originally scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Southworth was convicted of murdering 44-year-old Umi Southworth, who was found severely beaten behind her home in June 2010. She died the next day.

Associated Press Wire Services Contributed To This Story.

Farmer Turns Rifles Over To Agriculture Department

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:02:47 GMT

FRANKFORT (AP) - Seven rifles meant to be given to visiting agriculture officials in 2008 were among property former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer returned to his former agency.

Attorney Guthrie True of Frankfort, who advises Farmer on matters related to a special audit of his tenure as commissioner, told The Courier-Journal on Wednesday that he advised Farmer to take the guns to the department. Farmer took them when he returned missing state computer equipment.

"Because I thought it was a good idea to eliminate any issue about these, I felt the best thing to do was to return them to the department," True said. "So, to me, that ends the issue."

The weapons were purchased with private donations raised to pay Kentucky's costs for the convention of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture, which Farmer's agency hosted in Lexington, and are not state property, True said. The rifles were left over after the convention ended, he said.

Farmer didn't respond to messages seeking comment.

Farmer's successor, James Comer, requested the special audit within days of taking office at the beginning of the year because of controversies involving purchasing, personnel and management of the department under Farmer. State Auditor Adam Edelen agreed to perform the audit, which is continuing.

Stephenie Steitzer, spokeswoman for Edelen's office, declined Thursday to comment on whether the guns are being examined as part of the audit.

Regarding Farmer's possession of the guns after his term ended last month, True said: "He was the chair of the function, he was the one - he and others - who raised the private money. He was the one who was providing them as gifts to those persons who attended. So he was the one who had custody of them. And they didn't belong to the Department of Agriculture."

Lists of missing property were produced last month after the news media made Open Records Act requests. Missing items included computer equipment and other state property issued to Farmer or his office.

Documents showing that Farmer returned some of the computer equipment were later produced, and The Courier-Journal filed a follow-up request this week seeking documents showing any items Farmer delivered that may not be state property.

The department then released a copy of a receipt given to Farmer on Jan. 17. It listed the computer equipment he returned along with seven serial numbers identified as "Rifles."

Wayne County Boy Accidentally Shot To Death By Older Brother

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:02:36 GMT

A horrible accident has left a nine-year-old boy dead after police say he was shot and killed by his older brother in Wayne County Wednesday afternoon.

State Police say Malcolm Pennycuff was accidentally shot and killed by his 11-year-old brother in their home on Old Bethel Church Road just outside of Monticello. Troopers say the 11-year-old son told his father he had accidentally shot his little brother in the neck with a rifle.

Friends of the family say the injured boy was taken to the Wayne County Hospital where he later died.

State Police have opened an investigation, but they suspect it was all an accident.

An autopsy is expected sometime Thursday.

Alternative Dropout Bill Clears State Senate

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:02:52 GMT

FRANKFORT (AP) - Local school districts could increase the dropout age to 18 under a bill passed by the state Senate Wednesday and now heading to the House for consideration.

The Senate voted 35-2 to approve the measure, which would go into effect in 2014.

Republican Sen. Jack Westwood of Erlanger said the legislation is an alternative to legislation being pushed by Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear that would uniformly increase the dropout age for all school districts from 16 to 18 by 2017.

Beshear said last week that he was pleased to see some movement on the part of the Senate on the dropout issue that he and first lady Jane Beshear see as a priority that could prevent thousands of Kentucky teens from dropping out of school each year.

The House Education Committee has already approved the Beshear proposal, which is awaiting a vote on the House floor.

"Actually, I consider this a better bill than the governor's," Westwood said Wednesday. "His met with a lot of resistance from folks who say just making a kid stay in school without giving them some kind of alternative program is inviting trouble."

Under Westwood's proposal, local school districts can raise the dropout age only if they have alternative programs in and place and then only if they get permission from the state education commissioner.

Both bills would change a generations-old law allowing minors to drop out of school.

Jane Beshear has made the issue a priority and has been pressing the legislation. She got it through the Democratic-controlled House for each of the past two years only to see it die in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Critics of the Beshear measure contend that it sends an unfunded mandate to local school districts that would have to beef up alternative education programs for teens who are disruptive or unable to do regular classroom work.

Inspectors To Rappel Down Piers Of Damaged Bridge

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:02:09 GMT

AURORA, Ky. (AP) - Bridge inspectors who need to get a closer look at several piers on the damaged Eggners Ferry Bridge in western Kentucky will rappel down several of the support structures Thursday as review of the bridge continues.

The cabinet says the examination will help cabinet engineers develop options under consideration for replacing a 322-foot span torn off the bridge two weeks ago when it was hit by a cargo ship.

The cabinet says the inspection team will rappel from the top of each pier cap to the water in looking at four piers on Thursday.

The five-story-tall Delta Mariner hit the bridge on the Tennessee River, halting traffic on the western entrance to the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.

Two Ex-Deputies To Be Sentenced In Drug Case

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:02:14 GMT

LOUISVILLE (AP) - Two former sheriff's deputies in central Kentucky are set for sentencing on charges that they carried guns while taking part in a marijuana distribution ring.

3:30 AM Weather Update, February 9

Stormtracker Meteorologist Tom Ackerman — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 08:02:51 GMT

It's cloudy and cold Thursday morning with temperatures in the low to mid 30s. Watch for patchy fog southeast & a few icy spots on the roads but otherwise it'll be a quiet commute. You'll want to check out LEX 18 News at Sunrise... I'll be talking about the potential for light rain to snow Friday night!

Nine-Year-Old Killed In Accidental Shooting

Josh Breslow — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 04:02:41 GMT

Friends and family of a Wayne County 9-year-old are mourning his seemingly accidental shooting death.

State Police told LEX 18, it was just after 5:00 p.m. Wednesday when the father of Malcom Pennycuff, 9, came home to the family's house on Old Bethel Church Road, just outside of Monticello. Troopers said Malcom's 11-year-old brother told his father he accidentally shot the 9-year-old in the neck with a rifle.

Malcom Pennycuff died at Wayne County Hospital.

"Malcum, he was just a sweet little blonde-haired boy," said long-time family friend, Jeff Bertram. "When I'd see him in the stores, he was always just really excited to see me.... when he would see me, he would get real excited and he'd go, there's Jeff Bertram, and he would run and hug me and he was just such a loveable young boy."

"It just breaks my heart to no end to to see what they're going through. Words can't describe how it makes us feel. It just shocked the whole community," said Bertram.

While the shooting death has been ruled accidental, police said the investigation continues.

An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday.

Slowly Improving Weather

Chief Meteorologist Bill Meck — Thu, 9 Feb 2012 04:02:43 GMT

Thursday will begin with the overcast lingering, but as high pressure moves overhead drier air will arrive bringing more sunshine through the day.

It will also be a fairly normal day temperature wise with our highs getting up to the low 40's late in the afternoon.

What may be the coldest air of the season is slated to arrive this weekend with temperatures not getting above freezing.

At 11:00 we're continuing with the overcast and a raw feeling 33 degrees.

Some Of The Stories You'll See Tonight On LEX 18 News At 11... February 8, 2012

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 03:02:22 GMT

A southern Kentucky family is heartbroken after an accidental shooting killed a 9-year-old boy. A sad end to the search for a missing Whitley County man. And a widow pleads for answers in the unsolved murder of her husband.