by BETH MUSGRAVE, bmusgrave@herald-leader.com – Lexington Mayor Jim Gray has resigned from the executive committee of the Bluegrass Area Development District. Gray gave no reason for his resignation in a one-sentence letter obtained Monday by the Lexington Herald-Leader. Gray’s resignation was submitted Friday and is effective immediately. Susan Straub, a spokeswoman for Gray, said Gray opted to…
by Tom Loftus, @TomLoftus_CJ – Gov. Matt Bevin announced the creation of a Criminal Justice Policy Assessment Council at a noon press conference Tuesday. From @TomLoftus_CJ on Twitter: 12:11pm – 21 Jun 2016 Bevin announces creation of a Criminal Justice Policy Assessment Council. 12:15pm – 21 Jun 2016 Gov’s new commission is a large and bipartisan panel…
by Sheldon S. Shafer, @sheldonshafer – UPS and the Muhammad Ali Center held a Monday morning press conference to announce a $500,000 gift to fund education initiatives such as UCrew, Generation Ali and Character Education Program. The Muhammad Ali Center has received a $500,000 gift from the UPS Foundation that will be used to promote education…
by Rae Ellen Bichell, NPR – When lead was taken out of products like paint and gasoline, levels of the metal in the blood of U.S. children dropped. But the American Academy of Pediatrics says the problem is not over. “Most existing lead standards fail to protect children,” members of the AAP’s environmental health council report in…
by JACK BRAMMER, jbrammer@herald-leader.com – Two members of the former Kentucky Retirement Systems Board of Trustees are suing Gov. Matt Bevin, claiming Bevin did not have the authority to remove board chairman Thomas Elliott of Jefferson County from the panel. Elliott and board member Mary Helen Peter filed the lawsuit Friday in Franklin Circuit Court. They are…
by RYLAND BARTON – Over the past few days, top Republicans have given hints that they are considering some gun control measures in the wake of the mass-shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando. That’s a sea change for GOP leaders who have typically blocked any new restrictions on gun ownership, citing Second Amendment rights. The chief proposals include…
by Nick Storm, @NickStorm_cn2 – A new court filing in the ongoing vote-buying case in Magoffin County names sitting state House Rep. John Short, D-Mallie, as having taken part in the scheme in 2012. The new filing details a vote-buying scheme in the eastern Kentucky area dating from 2002 to 2012. The filing includes sworn testimony from an…
by JACK BRAMMER, jbrammer@herald-leader.com – FRANKFORT — Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin spoke this past weekend at a Utah retreat organized by Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee who has been one of the most outspoken critics of Donald Trump. The fourth annual “Experts and Enthusiasts Summit,” held mostly behind closed doors at the five-star Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer…
by ROB CANNING & THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – The leader of a gay rights group in Kentucky has asked officials to consider providing more security at places that cater to the gay community after the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman says that it would be prudent to take extra precautions. His request…
by ASSOCIATED PRESS – Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear has been named co-chairman of a group of law enforcement officials that battles substance abuse. Beshear will serve on the Substance Abuse Committee of the National Association of Attorneys General. A release from the Attorney General’s office says the committee works with law enforcement, prosecutors and community…