Kentucky News Now

LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATES

Libertarian candidate off Boone County ballot

A judge has thrown the Libertarian candidate for county attorney of Boone County off the ballot because he isn't licensed to practice law in Kentucky.

According to the Kentucky Enquirer, Joseph Szeremet was a licensed attorney for 32 years in Michigan but retired 10 years ago.

Szeremet argued that the Kentucky Constitution only requires two years of experience, not a current law license.

Circuit Court Judge Gregory Bartlett ruled against him on Friday, saying his candidacy was "an absurdity."

Libertarians have put six candidates on local ballots in Northern Kentucky this year. At least two face legal challenges.

In Kenton County, Clerk Gabrielle Summe claims that challenger Christopher Robinson hasn't lived in Kentucky long enough to run for office.

That case will be heard in Circuit Court next Friday.

AMBULANCE CRASH

Ambulance hits teen bicyclists in median, kills 1

BARBOURVILLE, Ky. (AP) — One teenager was killed and two were injured when an ambulance struck them as they were riding bicycles in the median of U.S. 25 in Knox County.

According to Kentucky State Police, dispatchers received a 911 call at about 9:55 p.m. on Saturday saying an ambulance was involved in a collision. Police say the ambulance was carrying a patient when it dropped off the roadway and hit the teens.

One was pronounced dead at the scene and two were taken to Baptist Regional Medical Center in Corbin, where they were treated and released.

A spokeswoman for the hospital says two ambulance workers and their patient also were admitted. The patient was treated there. One worker was treated and released. The other was treated and transferred.

Troopers are investigating the crash.

MODEL-MINISTER-BODY IMAGE

Ky. minister, former model leads healthy seminars

(Information in the following story is from: Lexington Herald-Leader, http://www.kentucky.com)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — As a minister of the Monterey Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Owen County in northern Kentucky, Sarah Renfro preaches about the love of God.

As a former model, she also advocates against unrealistic expectations of women's bodies.

Renfro became a model after being spotted at a Lexington talent search.

She signed a contract with the Elite modeling agency and appeared in Seventeen magazine. She was a third runner-up in the Elite Look of the Year modeling contest.

By the time she was 21, Renfro decided to take her life in another direction. She returned home and earned degrees from the University of Kentucky and Lexington Theological Seminary.

Renfro offers body-image workshops, available for youth and women's groups.

KY--NOAH'S ARK PARK

Group opposes tax incentives for Noah's Ark park

(Information in the following story is from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A national organization for the separation of church and state is urging Kentucky officials to deny state tax incentives for the Noah's Ark theme park in northern Kentucky.

The Courier-Journal reports that the group objects to hiring practices by the park's parent organization, Answers in Genesis.

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State says in a letter to Gov. Steve Beshear that the website of Answers in Genesis requires that job applicants agree with its Christian "Statement of Faith."

Americans United officials say an applicant must profess that homosexuality is a sin on par with bestiality and incest. The group says the policy amounts to discrimination.

The coordinator of the theme park project, Mike Zovath, says hiring policies have not been written.

TROOPS RETURN

159th returns 118 soldiers from Afghanistan

(Information in the following story is from: The Leaf-Chronicle, http://www.theleafchronicle.com)

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — The 159th Combat Aviation Brigade has brought 118 soldiers home to Fort Campbell after a nine-month tour in Afghanistan.

The Leaf-Chronicle reports the soldiers returned to the sprawling base on the Tennessee-Kentucky line on Saturday. They were welcomed by friends, family and recently arrived deputy commander for support Col. Frank W. Tate, representing the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) command group.

Capt. John Giaquinto is a spokesman for the 159th. He says the soldiers conducted a "multitude of missions" in Afghanistan.

He says they provided aviation support for American troops and helped Afghan troops with their missions as they take the lead.

And he says the unit is on track to return everyone home alive.

The returns continue with more flights arriving next weekend.

RURAL POST OFFICE

Residents affected by rural post office changes

(Information in the following story is from: The (Danville, Ky.) Advocate-Messenger, http://www.centralkynews.com/amnews)

BRYANTSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Debbie Winchester has made a habit out of visiting the rural post office in Bryantsville nearly every morning on her way to work in Nicholasville.

But her routine will have to change on Oct. 1, when the post office cuts back its hours as part of a nationwide effort by the U.S. Postal Service to trim costs.

Winchester says the cutbacks may be inconvenient for elderly people who get their Social Security check delivered to their P.O. box at the office.

The Postal Service has been cutting back hours at smaller, rural facilities rather than close them down completely. Currently, downsizing has occurred or is planned at some 33,000 post offices around the country, including 317 in Kentucky.

VETERANS-EMPLOYMENT

School program aims to help veterans

(Information in the following story is from: Daily News, http://www.bgdailynews.com)

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — A program aimed at helping veterans hone their skills through education then land a job is seeing booming registration at Western Kentucky University.

The Veterans Upward Bound initiative has jumped from 99 participants in the 2008-09 school year to 165 veterans in the 2012-13 year. Final numbers for this will be calculated Sept. 30, but to date the program had 128 veterans participating.

The program coordinator, Rick Wright, told The Daily News says the staff tries to match veterans with schools and degrees that could lead to jobs that require skills similar to ones they learned in the military.

Kentucky has 2,000 to 3,200 veterans younger than 25 years old, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The state has 339,000 veterans of all ages.