ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Kentucky gets $20 million grant for energy study

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Democrats and Republicans gathered Wednesday to celebrate a $20 million federal grant designed to move Kentucky to new forms of energy, a tricky subject in a state dominated by the coal industry.

Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and U.S. Rep. Andy Barr joined Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and state House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins to announce a federal grant spread out among the state's eight public colleges and universities. The money will pay for researchers to explore new ways to generate energy from plants and chemicals.

Beshear and Barr said the grant would complement the coal industry, which generates about 90 percent of the state's electricity.

McConnell, who has made coal a central part of his re-election campaign, said the grant shows Kentucky is in a great position to compete for federal research dollars.

SOLDIER-FRAGGING DEATHS

Appeal for soldier convicted in '03 grenade attack

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A soldier sentenced to death for killing two fellow service members and wounding 14 others in a grenade attack in Kuwait will have an appeal in military court.

The hearing for 43-year-old Hasan (ha-SAHN' ) K. Akbar (AK'-bar) is scheduled for Nov. 18 in Washington.

Prosecutors say that as a sergeant in 2003, Akbar threw four hand grenades into tents as members of his division slept, then fired his rifle at soldiers in the ensuing chaos. Air Force Maj. Gregory L. Stone was killed by a grenade. Army Capt. Christopher S. Seifert was fatally shot in the back. Fourteen soldiers were wounded, mostly from grenade shrapnel.

Akbar was sentenced to death in 2005. His appeal challenges his trial counsel's performance.

Akbar was based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He's being held in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

EARNS-BROWN-FORMAN

Jack Daniel's leads higher results at Brown-Forman

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Spirits maker Brown-Forman Corp. says its first-quarter net income rose 5 percent, led by strong growth for its flagship Jack Daniel's brand.

The company behind such other brands as Southern Comfort, Finlandia and el Jimador says the performance was slowed by lower inventory levels by distributors. Last year, distributors stocked up ahead of larger price increases.

Brown-Forman CEO Paul Varga on Wednesday predicted higher sales growth for the rest of the fiscal year.

For the quarter ending July 31, the company reported net income of $150 million, or 70 cents per share. That's up from $143 million, or 66 cents per share, a year ago. Net sales rose 3 percent to $921 million.

Analysts expected earnings of 72 cents per share.

BREATHITT SCHOOLS

Breathitt schools to remain under state control

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky Board of Education has decided to keep control of the Breathitt County school district for up to three more years.

Media report the unanimous decision came Tuesday after a nine-hour hearing in Frankfort.

Attorneys for state Education Commissioner Terry Holliday argued that continued state management was needed so that students would continue making progress.

Local school board members argued that some of their powers should be restored because they know what's best for students.

State manager Larry Hammond has overseen the district since December 2012. He recommended that it stay under state control.

Board of education member said it appears that local officials have "only a superficial knowledge" of the skills needed to run the district.

PRAYING HANDS

Set of praying hands made from tree at Campbellsville University

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — An 8-foot set of praying hands that will be displayed at Campbellsville University is the work of an artist who carved the hands from a 100-year-old oak tree that stood on the campus of the central Kentucky Christian school.

The university says the state Forestry Division had examined the tree and determined it should come down due to safety issues. The school says the tree was more than 70 percent dead. It was cut down this summer.

University Grounds Director Rob Roberts hired Louisville chainsaw artist Rob Peterson to carve the praying hands. The piece weighs 2,000 to 3,000 pounds.

Roberts would also like to have a tiger, in honor of the school?s mascot, for the next project, but as with the praying hands, it is waiting on a donor.

JAMES RIVER COAL-BANKRUPTCY

Judge OKs sale of 3 James River Coal mines to a Kentucky mining company

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of three James River Coal Co. mining complexes to a subsidiary of Kentucky-based Blackhawk Mining LLC.

The sale includes the Hampden complex in West Virginia, including the assets of Logan & Kanawha Coal Co. LLC; the Hazard complex in Kentucky, excluding the assets of Laurel Mountain Resources LLC; and the Triad Mining complex in Indiana.

Blackhawk subsidiary JR Acquisition LLC will pay $20 million in cash and assume $32 million in liabilities.

The operations employ about 900 workers.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that U.S. Bankruptcy Kevin R. Huennekens approved motions enabling James River to sell the mines on Tuesday. The company plans to complete the sale by the end of the week.

Richmond-based James River filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April.

ENERGY STAR SCHOOLS

Oldham Co. schools get energy efficiency rating

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Seven schools in Oldham County have been recognized by the state for energy efficiency.

The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet and the Kentucky School Boards Association say the schools have earned an energy star rating.

The district's most recent renovation project at Centerfield Elementary has netted an almost 50 percent reduction in energy usage.

To earn the rating, a building must receive at least 75 out of 100 points in the EPA's national energy-performance rating system.

Schools recognized at a recent school board meeting were Centerfield Elementary, Goshen Elementary, Camden Station Elementary, North Oldham Middle, North Oldham High, Oldham County High School and South Oldham High School.

LOUISVILLE SCHEDULE

Louisville schedule includes 3 games vs. Big Ten

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Louisville will prepare for the Atlantic Coast Conference with nonconference matchups against Big Ten schools Minnesota, Ohio State and Indiana along with its annual showdown versus rival Kentucky.

The Cardinals' schedule released on Wednesday also features three meetings against former assistants. The first is the Nov. 14 season opener in Puerto Rico against Minnesota, led by Louisville coach Rick Pitino's son, Richard.

Louisville also faces UNC Wilmington — coached by former Cardinals assistant Kevin Keatts — and Cal State Northridge, led by Reggie Theus.

The Cardinals host Ohio State on Dec. 2 and face Indiana in New York on Dec. 9. Kentucky visits on Dec. 27.

Highlighting Louisville's ACC home schedule are matchups against Duke (Jan. 17), North Carolina (Jan. 31) and the regular season finale against Virginia (March 7).

KENTUCKY DERBY

2 California preps added to Derby, Oaks qualifiers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The series that decides which 20 horses qualify to run in the Kentucky Derby is adding a new qualifier.

Churchill Downs announced Wednesday that the $500,000 Los Alamitos Futurity to be run on Dec. 20 will award qualifying points.

The 1 1/16-mile race was run under different names at the now-closed Betfair Hollywood Park in California from 1981-2013. It produced six Kentucky Derby winners.

The Grade 1 race will be contested for the first time at Los Alamitos Race Course this winter. Points awarded to the top four finishers will be in a 10-4-2-1 format as part of the prep season between September and mid-February.

A similar series qualifies fillies for the Kentucky Oaks that is run the day before the Derby. The 31-race series is adding the $350,000 Starlet, a 1 1/16-mile Grade 1 race set for Dec. 13 at Los Alamitos. It had been previously run at Hollywood Park.

 

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.

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