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A full field of 20 horses is expected for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. The Derby post positions will be drawn later today. An unexpected addition to the field was announced yesterday when the owners of Giant Finish announced that he would run.

The administration of Eastern Kentucky University attempted to fire EKU Center for the Arts director Debra Hoskins on June 12 because of allegations including fiscal misconduct and falsification of university records and documents. Violation of human-resources policies, improper handling of customers' credit card information, and the misleading of university officials were also alleged. The university's issues with Hoskins while she led the $33 million publicly financed arts center are described in 740 pages of documents obtained late Wednesday afternoon under the Kentucky Open Records law.

A small tuition increase and no raises were approved yesterday by regents at Eastern Kentucky University.     Tuition at the Richmond-based school will go up almost three-percent.  That’s a fraction on the tuition increases seen in previous years, but within limits recently set by the state Council on Postsecondary Education.

While U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell believes the new Coal Jobs Protection Act will expedite the EPA’s permitting process, he acknowledges that the bill maybe difficult to get passed during the next U.S. Senate session which begins next week. McConnell announced the new measure during a press conference at Whayne Supply in Pikeville on Monday.

New data from popular toy and children’s clothing manufacturers submitted to Washington State shows that more than 5,000 of them contain traces of at least one toxic chemical. These products are sold by national manufacturers that also operate in Kentucky.

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Natural gas rates are going up for 34-hundred customers in Floyd, Magoffin and Pike counties.  The state Public Service Commission today okayed an immediate rate hike requested by Kentucky Frontier Gas.  Kentucky Frontier Gas runs ten, small natural gas distribution systems.  The increase is designed to create consistent pricing for natural gas throughout the system.  

House Speaker Greg Stumbo is encouraging Gov. Steve Beshear to soon call a General Assembly special session so that lawmakers can pass new state legislative redistricting maps and end a federal lawsuit. Last week,  several county clerks in Northern Kentucky filed a federal lawsuit claiming the state's inability to finish redistricting violated federal law. In response, Stumbo  sent a letter to the governor encouraging him to call a special session.

The Democratic candidate is in place for a key special election in Central Kentucky. Attorney James Kay of Versailles will run for the Kentucky state House seat being left vacant by Carl Rollins. Rollins is leaving office to work with two state education groups.

Two Kentucky Baptist couples have accepted long-term volunteer positions in New York to assist residents who are still recovering from last year’s Superstorm Sandy. Bill and Donna Johnson of Grayson have agreed to serve for two years as rebuild coordinators for the New York post-Sandy response. Ron and Greta Wilson of Bardstown have volunteered to serve one year as warehouse coordinators for the New York rebuilding effort.

A field of 11 is set for Friday’s running of the 139th Kentucky Oaks. The post positions for the fillies-only race were drawn this  morning at Churchill Downs. The early favorite, at 3 -1, is Dreaming of Julia, one of four Todd Pletcher-trained entries.    Jockey John Velazquez will be aboard.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is endorsing fellow Republican Mark Sanford's bid for the South Carolina's First Congressional District seat. The special election is next week and features Sanford, a former governor, in a tight contest against Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch, a political newcomer who is the sister of comedian Stephen Colbert.

The decision of Seven Counties Services Inc. to file bankruptcy to avoid paying into the Kentucky Employee Retirement System has created a "no win" situation for the state, and the issue may add yet another obstacle for Kentuckians to get the mental health care they need.

For the first time since 1973, Kentucky's bourbon distillers produced more than 1 million barrels in 2012, the Kentucky Distillers' Association announced Monday. In 2012, 1,007,703 barrels were filled, topping the 1973 total of 1,004,877, the association said. "This is an incredible milestone that's been 40 years in the making," said Eric Gregory, president of the distillers group, which promotes and lobbies on behalf of the bourbon industry.

Louisville gay rights leaders are praising veteran NBA player Jason Collins publicly announcing that he is gay, but area sports commentators say the revelation will do little to change the game. The 34-year-old Collins is a free agent who reveals his sexual orientation in the upcoming issue of Sports Illustrated, which makes him the first active professional male athlete to disclose his homosexuality.

U.S. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to announce a bill to put limits on the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulation of coal mining. McConnell’s bill—which he’s calling “The Coal Jobs Protection Act”—would set deadlines for the EPA to approve or veto coal mining permits. If McConnell’s bill becomes law, the agency would have 270 days to act on some permits for water pollution. For valley fill permits, the bill gives the EPA a year to conduct an environmental assessment. This is a time-intensive process that the EPA estimates takes an average of three years.

The Kentucky Arts Council awarded more than $50,000 in grants to six organizations to provide “creative aging and lifelong learning” arts programs for Kentucky’s senior citizens.  The Arts Access Assistance grants were created last fall to support programming for specific underserved groups. The first fiscal year of funding will support programs for the state’s senior citizens.

A leading health organization in Kentucky is putting the pressure on Gov. Steve Beshear to expand Medicaid services under the Affordable Care Act.  Kentucky Voices for Health Executive Director Regan Hunt says her group is launching a two-week radio ad campaign pressure Beshear to expand Medicaid. The radio ad campaign will be partnered with a month long online ad campaign.

Officials with The Old Pogue Distillery announced Friday the release of the first barrel aged whiskey distilled in Maysville in more than 70 years. The limited quantity brown spirit will be available only at The Old Pogue Distillery in Maysville beginning Wednesday.

An evacuation occurred at the temporary Franklin County courthouse Monday morning after the words “bomb in build” were found spray-painted on the building. The black spray-painting was on the left side of the building, near the door where judges enter. An employee first noticed the spray-painting about 8 a.m., when the courthouse opened. The employee notified the Franklin County Sheriff’s office, which is housed in the opposite end of the building. A search of the building turned up nothing.

The growing popularity of bourbon has sparked big dreams along the Ohio River and among the state’s leaders in Frankfort. An idea that began when Ken Lewis saw a surge in bourbon sales at his Party Source liquor store in Bellevue has taken shape with the stainless steel fermentation tanks now standing in front of his store on Ky. 8. Gov. Steve Beshear and other Kentucky leaders hope to help Lewis and Kentucky’s other 16 distilleries with tax credits and promotion to foster Kentucky’s signature liquor industry.

A leading Kentucky charter schools advocate says he’s hopeful the state House leadership will choose a new chairman for the House education committee who is open to charter schools. The chairmanship became vacant last week when Democratic state Rep. Carl Rollins resigned to lead the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority and the CEO of the Kentucky Higher Education Student Loan Corporation.

Following our broadcast of concerns about the amount of coverage we provided following the Boston bombings last week, we received the following email from listener Lisa, saying she agrees.  She writes, “I love your station and listen all the time. I usually donate once, often twice a year and will gladly donate more when I secure a full time job."

On this week's edition of Kentucky Tonight, host Bill Goodman and guests will the federal budget.  The program which airs "live" Monday evening on Kentucky Educational Television, will be re-broadcast Tuesday morning at 11:00 on the WEKU Stations.

Two southern Indiana sites are on the latest list of the state’s Most Endangered Places, compiled by the preservation group Indiana Landmarks.  One of the places, the Old Clarksville Site, is a holdover from last year. The nearly 300 acre site along the Ohio River includes remnants of pre-historic settlements, and the spot where Lewis and Clark launched their expedition of the western U.S. in 1803.

In the early stages of developing the University of Kentucky's master plan, hired consultants Sasaki and Associates took a deeper look at some of UK's oldest buildings, putting an emphasis on renovation over demolition. Bob Wiseman, UK's vice president for facilities, said preservation of old buildings is part of the "give and take that will go on for many years."

Just as Churchill Downs gears up for Derby Week, Keeneland wrapped up its spring meet.  Both attendance at the Lexington track and the amount of cash wagered increased. Despite traffic complicated by major road repairs on US 60, overall attendance at Keeneland was up over three percent this spring, with over 278-thousand people enjoying a day at the races. 

Breakfast has been said to be the most important meal of the day, and it can be important in fighting obesity. Policymakers in West Virginia are pushing for breakfast food programs in schools through public-private partnerships, and a new report says similar programs could save $41 billion in federal dollars long-term by preventing obesity. Does this make sense, and does it make sense for Kentucky?

Dump your unwanted prescription drugs this Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as part of the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which in the past has coordinated with local law enforcement to haul in more than than 2 million pounds or 1,018 tons of prescription medications.

Former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer may be on trial for three weeks in Frankfort’s federal courthouse, prosecutors said Thursday during Farmer’s arraignment. In addition, U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Wier told Farmer he could not take a planned vacation to Mexico and must remain in the state until his trial begins. Farmer, who played on the 1992 University of Kentucky basketball squad dubbed “The Unforgettables,” pleaded not guilty to four counts of misusing state resources and one charge of accepting property in exchange for a Department of Agriculture grant.