News

A holiday tradition will sound off in the heart of summer.  Salvation Army’s red kettles are a common sight during December.  But, next month, Lexington Salvation Army’s Townsend Miller says kettles and bell ringers will return to some store fronts.

Despite a reduction in its work force, administrators at Eastern Kentucky University predict there will be little, if any, impact on students.    EKU is rearranging its finances, restructuring it organization and cutting its workforce.  

The new season at the E-K-U Center for the Arts will be heavy with Broadway musicals, seasoned with rock and country music.  The musicals range from “Mamma Mia,” “Flashdance the Musical” and “Rock of Ages” to “The Addams Family,” “Beauty and the Beast,” and “Man of La Mancha.”  As for country-western performers, there are Dwight Yoakum and LeAnn Rimes.  Plus, there are tribute bands performing the music of Pink Floyd, Queen, the BeeGees and the Beatles.  Chicago also performs.

Embattled Transylvania University President R. Owen Williams will resign at the end of the 2013-14 academic year, the university announced Monday afternoon. William T. Young Jr., the chairman of Transylvania's board of trustees, announced the decision in a meeting with faculty and staff, the Lexington school said in a news release.  "The Board of Trustees fully supports Dr. Williams’ decision to continue to lead Transylvania University through the upcoming school year," Young said in the news release. "It is with regret that we accept his resignation." Read more...

As you can imagine, most of this week’s interaction has been on the topic of fund-raising.

Kentucky lawmakers will likely make the trip back to Frankfort before fall.  They will try to finalize new legislative boundaries.  Within the next week, Governor Beshear expects to announce the dates for a special session.  Madison County Senator Republican Jared Carpenter says the realignment of lawmaker districts should be a bit easier in his legislative chamber.

As people take summer vacations, bedbugs also hit the road.  The bedbug infestation is not waning.  A national survey shows almost all pest management professionals encountered bedbugs over the last year.  And with more people travelling and changing residences,  University of Kentucky Entomologist Mike Potter says many pest control experts see a lot of activity during the summer.

From the art of the politician to an examination for the Almighty, a small venue in downtown Lexington is the focus of a lot cultural activity this weekend.  Plus there’s a new scheme afoot to decorate the city.  Here with a preview is Rich Copley, who covers the arts for the Lexington Herald Leader.  Rich spoke with WEKU’s Charles Compton.

With some important work undone, Kentucky state lawmakers will likely meet in a special session before year’s end.  Governor Steve Beshear recently met with House and Senate leaders to set what he calls ground rules for a special legislative session.  The only apparent agenda item is legislative redistricting.  Special sessions cost about $60,000 a day.  But, Governor Beshear says leaving the issue to the courts is not the way to go.

Some portions of Kentucky could see stormy weather today, but it appears the threat of an unusual wind event has passed by the Commonwealth.  It’s called a ‘derecho’ and wind speeds can reach upwards or one hundred miles per hour.  Jackson National Weather Service Meteorologist Tony Edwards says such a blast of wind isn’t expected today.

A just released report says the 50 year old ‘Cardinal Stadium’ in Louisville is ‘not on the verge of collapse.’  But, the structural stability study does say the grandstand and storage areas under the stadium need to be fixed or taken out of service.  State fair board officials earlier this year announced patrons for the outdoor concerts during this summer’s state fair would be seated only on the field.

A large Canadian automotive metal stamping firm will soon begin operations at its first manufacturing facility in the US.  Those parts will be produced at a 30-thousand square foot factory in Richmond Industrial Park South.  Thunder Manufacturing Chief Financial Officer Rahkesh Choudhary  says the location and the skilled workforce made Madison County attractive.

Lexington’s City Council has completed the tedious process of last minute budget refinements.  The panel of 15 council members spent the better part of Tuesday considering additions to the Mayor’s spending play.  In the end, the Council opted to borrow almost two million dollars more and spend another $885,000 in cash.  Vice Mayor Linda Gorton said late in the afternoon the end product is good.

A fund designed to protect rural property in Fayette County has been doubled.  The Lexington City Council today voted to double down on the Purchase of Development Rights Program.

In writing a budget for next year, Lexington leaders will assume a two-and-a-half million dollar increase in city revenues.  The money could come from a tax hike on Lexington utilities, but a final decision on the tax hike was postponed until August.  Nevertheless, spending money they don’t yet have leaves Vice Mayor Linda Gorton uneasy.

In the wake of the killing of one of their own officers, Bardstown Police are now dealing with threats against other cops. Police Chief Rick McCubbin said this morning that his department received multiple threats — by letter, phone and social media. "They were non-specific threats," he said, explaining that they did not name particular officers. McCubbin said police have no suspects as to who sent the letter. "The specific language, I can't put out, but the basic gist of them was that there were more to come," he said. "We're going to treat them as if they're credible."  Read more...

A listener, choosing to remain anonymous, sent us a note following last week’s coverage of The Best of Bluegrass activities, “I really enjoyed the Gangstagrass and Appalatin music tonight. Thank  you for incorporating those two shows. I have enjoyed all the bluegrass coverage  this week.”

A call is going out for individuals to assist those uninsured Kentuckians looking at the federal health care law for coverage.  The state is seeking both for profit and nonprofit entities to serve as ‘kynectors’ for the health benefit exchange.  Carrie Banahan, Director of the state Health Benefit Exchange believes these individuals providing assistance will stay busy.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes are being scrutinized by each others national political parties in a pair of stinging messages this week. The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee put out dueling press releases on Friday, going after Grimes and McConnell respectively. Grimes is being chastised by the GOP for comments made at the state Democratic Party's annual Wendell Ford Dinner. During her speech, Grimes alluded to need Democrat's support in the "coming months" and said voters are tired of McConnell's obstruction and misleading politics. Read more...

Lexington leaders have rejected a web-based project that promised to put more information on city activities into the hands of residents.  The ‘Code for America’ program provides three web-experts who spend a year reworking a city’s software.  Saying current city accounting methods fall short, Council member Ed Lane argued against the new service.

The arrest of Harlan County Judge-Executive Joe Grieshop by Sheriff Marvin Lipfird on Tuesday has created a wave of publicity and stirred discussion on social media. However, not much has been said by other Harlan County officials on the matter. Previous reports state Lipfird arrested Grieshop in his office Tuesday afternoon. Lipfird said Grieshop would not come out of his office. Read more...

Three men died Thursday night in Manchester when a medical helicopter crashed, Missouri-based Air Evac Lifestream officials said Friday. The accident occurred around 11:16 p.m. Thursday while the helicopter was on its final approach to its Manchester base. "We are devastated at this loss," Air Evac Lifeteam President and CEO Seth Myers said in a news release. "These were members of our family. Our focus at this time is on providing support for the family and friends of these crew members." The crew members included pilot Eddie Sizemore, flight paramedic Herman "Lee" Dobbs and flight nurse Jesse Jones, the release said. Read more...

From brass bands to stringed bands, music festivals dominate the scene this weekend in central Kentucky.  Plus, opera students at the University of Kentucky are on stage with a summertime favorite.  Rich Copley, who covers culture for the Lexington Herald, has a preview. 

Seven thoroughbreds sold at Keeneland, including Preakness winner ‘Oxbow,’ are entered in this Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.  In fact, half the field at Belmont passed through the auction ring at Keeneland.  Jim Goodman, who directs mutuals and simulcasting at the Lexington track, says many Triple-Crown contenders are sold there in September.

Hoping to better direct downtown pedestrians, Leadership Lexington is calling for better signs, and more of them.  Pastor Ron Edmondson, who speaks for the organization, predicts signage that specifically targets walkers could improve downtown business.

Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes remains undecided about challenging U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell next year, but a pro-McConnell group is running newspaper ads linking her with President Barack Obama and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Kentuckians for Strong Leadership, an independent super PAC, ran a full-page ad Sunday in The Paducah Sun that showed photos of Grimes, Obama and Pelosi, all Democrats. Read more...

At least three churches in central Kentucky — including one of the state's biggest churches — have said they are cutting ties with the Boy Scouts of America following the organization's decision last month to allow gay scouts. So far, churches in Lexington don't appear to be following suit. James "Chip" Armishaw, the Scout Executive/CEO of the Blue Grass Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said no one in this region has broken ties with the Boy Scouts as of Wednesday. Armishaw also said he has not heard from any group that wants to renew their charter to sponsor Boy Scout troops, but that typically does not happen until later in the year. Local church officials said they have not made a decision at this point in time. Read more...

Hoping to improve interaction between taxpayers and city leaders, Lexington might join an innovative, year-long, web-based effort.  Promoters also hope it will boost Lexington’s reputation as a friendly place for ‘new technology’.

Living flowers at Kentucky gravesites often memorialize a loved one for generations.  The practice of family heritage gardening is discussed this weekend at a workshop in Frankfort.  Kentucky Historical Society Senior Librarian Cheri Daniels, who will lead a session, says the living plants found at some gravesides are real reminders of a family’s history.

Fiery speeches followed by the peaceful, staged arrests of 15 union supporters highlighted a 90-minute rally in Henderson Tuesday morning by the United Mine Workers of America. Retired coal miners from at least seven states, many of whom arrived in a fleet of approximately 30 charter buses, filled the front lawn of the Henderson County Courthouse to protest the move by bankrupt Patriot Coal Corp. to reduce pension and health care benefits. UMWA spokesman Phil Smith estimated the crowd at about 4,000 people. Read more...