Kentucky News Now – April 15th 2014

COLD CASE ARREST

Kentucky man accused in 1988 cold case in Arizona

FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) — A Kentucky man is in custody in connection with the shooting death of an Arizona woman more than 25 years ago.

Pinal County Sheriff's officials say 52-year-old Joseph Terrigino is being held on suspicion of one count of felony second-degree murder without premeditation.

The body of 40-year-old Diane McQuiston was found in Apache Junction by a water company worker in October 1988.

The county medical examiner determined McQuiston died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Apache Junction police say the the department's Cold Case Unit began reviewing the case last November.

A county grand jury indicted Terrigino and an arrest warrant was issued in February.

Authorities say he was arrested last month near Hardin County in Kentucky and extradited to Arizona.

It was unclear Monday if he has lawyer.

LOVE TRIANGLE SLAYING

NC man convicted in Ky wants conviction overturned

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A North Carolina man says his attorney did an insufficient job of representing him and wants a federal judge to overturn his conviction of complicity to commit murder in the death of his ex-girlfriend.

In a writ filed in federal court in Covington, 51-year-old Leonard William Day says his trial attorney should have called a potentially exculpatory witness. Day also claims his attorney failed to pursue evidence of an alternate suspect in the death of Tina Rae Stevens, who disappeared from a hotel near Burlington, Ky., in the southern suburbs of Cincinnati in 1999. Day is serving a 50-year prison sentence.

Stevens' remains were found in April 2000 in a remote section of Boone County.

Day's girlfriend at the time, 54-year-old Deborah Huiett, is serving a life sentence for murder.

WILD TURKEY-VISITOR CENTER

Wild Turkey opens new visitor center

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (AP) — The Wild Turkey Distillery has something new to toast — the grand opening of an expanded visitor center in central Kentucky.

The 9,140-square-foot center officially opens to the public on Tuesday. It caps a more than $100 million investment by Gruppo Campari to modernize and expand the distillery. The new visitor center is a big upgrade from the previous 1,000-square foot facility.

Despite those cramped quarters, Wild Turkey says it still had a 16 percent increase last year in the number of visitors to the distillery near Lawrenceburg. The distillery says it expects to welcome about 80,000 visitors this year, up from 62,000 in 2013.

The center features massive glass windows allowing guests to gaze at the Kentucky River.

Wild Turkey is the latest Kentucky bourbon maker to upgrade its visitor center.

JUVENILE JUSTICE

Juvenile justice bill clears legislature

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Legislation aimed at revamping Kentucky's juvenile justice system by locking up fewer minors has been sent to Gov. Steve Beshear.

The measure won final legislative approval Monday on a 30-8 vote in the Senate.

Republican Sen. Whitney Westerfield says his measure will result in better outcomes for young offenders at a lower cost to taxpayers.

He calls it the biggest step in reshaping Kentucky's juvenile code in decades.

The bill would steer more young offenders toward community-based treatment as an alternative to detention.

It aims to keep more kids out of detention centers for skipping school or running away.

Its reach goes further, allowing youths accused of misdemeanors or lesser felonies to avoid detention time, unless they committed sex or weapons crimes or had one prior offense.

SENATE RACE-MCCONNELL-FUNDRAISING

McConnell, Bevin raise $3.5 million in 1st quarter

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Republican candidates for Kentucky's U.S. Senate seat raised a combined $3.5 million in the first three months of 2014.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell raised $2.4 million in what his campaign said was the most money the Republican leader has raised in his effort to win a sixth term in the United States Senate.

Matt Bevin, McConnell's Republican primary opponent, raised $1.1 million in the first quarter.

McConnell's campaign has $10.4 million left to spend of the $22.3 million they have raised this election cycle. Bevin's campaign declined to say how much money they have left to spend. Neither candidate's report is available yet on the Federal Election Commission's website.

The Republican primary is May 20.

RUPP ARENA

Lawmakers reviewing Rupp Arena financing proposal

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Supporters of a plan to help finance Rupp Arena's renovation are mounting one last effort to persuade Kentucky lawmakers to include state-backed bonding for the project. It's the legislative equivalent of a last-second shot at the buzzer.

Gov. Steve Beshear said Monday he's trying to win support for a plan that calls for $80 million in state-backed bonds to help renovate the home of the University of Kentucky men's basketball team. Officials from Lexington and UK are pressing their case with lawmakers.

Lawmakers refused to include $65 million in state-backed bonds in the two-year state budget that passed the General Assembly.

Beshear says the revised financing plan does not depend on letting Lexington officials increase their local hotel tax. That proposal passed the House but has stalled in the Senate.