by Nick Storm, @NStorm_politics – Lexington based Democratic political consultant Samuel McIntosh was charged and admitted to paying kickbacks to former Secretary of the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet, Timothy Longmeyer in federal court on Wednesday. The 58 year-old McIntosh pleaded guilty to four counts of bribery of a public official and one count of mail fraud before U.S. District…
by JOSH JAMES – A Fayette Circuit Court has handed a victory to the University of Kentucky in its bid to keep investigative documents in a sexual harassment case private, but an appeal is already in the works. Monday, Judge Thomas Clark sided with UK in its case against the school’s student newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel, arguing the documents…
by Morgan Watkins , @morganwatkins26 – A quick look at the staggering statistics regarding the impact of heroin and opioid abuse, both nationally and in Kentucky. Video by Jeff Faughender One woman relied on old needles used by her friend’s diabetic husband. Another settled for whatever syringes she could find. But for the first time since they started using…
by Nick Storm, @NStorm_politics – Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes is firing back against claims of massive voter fraud by President Donald Trump. On Tuesday, the White House said President Trump believes millions voted illegally in the November election. By Wednesday, Trump dug in on the position asserting that illegal immigrants gave former Democratic rival Hillary…
by MATT MARKGRAF – The CEO of a Paducah-based novelty ice cream company has issued an open letter to President Donald Trump’s Press Secretary, who for several years has taken to Twitter to air grievances over their branding. Dippin’ Dots CEO Scott Fischer said in the letter to Sean Spicer the company employs hundreds of Kentucky workers and has…
by James Bruggers , @jbruggers – Without any support from the Energy and Environment Cabinet or the Kentucky General Assembly, some question whether environmental advisory panel should continue to exist STORY HIGHLIGHTS Environmental Quality Commission has helped Kentucky navigate hot environmental topics since 1972. Commission has suffered from budget cuts and lack of political support. Commissioner says…
By Erica Peterson – When the legislature reconvenes next month, one of the bills lawmakers will be considering is a measure that could change Kentucky’s regulatory landscape. And experts say the changes could be particularly problematic for the state’s environmental regulations. It’s a piece of legislation that bill sponsor, Republican Rep. Kenny Imes, said is in the…
By Lisa Gillespie & Nicole Erwin, Ohio Valley ReSource – A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control offers a stark example of the declining power of medicine’s most important weapons against infectious disease. The CDC noted that a patient who died at a Nevada hospital last year had an infection that was resistant to 26 different antibiotic treatments. That’s…
by Grace Schneider , @gesinfk – A federal judge in Washington D.C. has dealt a huge blow to health insurer Aetna’s $37 billion bid to acquire Louisville’s Humana, backing regulators who’d argued that combining the companies will stifle competition in hundreds of markets around the country. Although Aetna and Humana can appeal Judge John Bates’ decision, a delay,…
by James Bruggers , @jbruggers – Agency warns of flooding, sink-holes from cave-ins, if it can’t do much more to shore up its aging infrastructure. STORY HIGHLIGHTS No rate proposal yet but engineers identify 23 percent increase this year to complete plan on time. MSD eyes plan to soften the blow to low-income customers. Agency wants residents…