Kentucky News Now – August 8th 2014

SENATE-KENTUCKY

McConnell courts coal country votes

MIDDLESBORO, Ky. (AP) — Sen. Mitch McConnell is campaigning for re-election in Kentucky's coal country, blaming the loss of thousands of industry jobs on President Barack Obama's Environmental Protection Agency and saying his Democratic rival would be a vote to continue them in Congress.

The Republican incumbent is in a close race with Alison Lundergan Grimes. He rarely, if ever, mentioned her by name Thursday as he set out on a two-day bus tour. But he blasted Obama as well as former President Bill Clinton, who campaigned in Kentucky for the Democratic challenger on Wednesday.

Hoping to discredit the former president, McConnell told each of his audiences that Obama had renamed the building that houses the EPA in Washington for Clinton.

Grimes has said repeatedly she disagrees with Obama's approach on coal issues.

COLD CASE-SEARCH

Police renew search in 2006 disappearance

WINCHESTER, Ky. (AP) — Police in central Kentucky have renewed the search for evidence in the disappearance of a man last seen alive in 2006.

WKYT-TV in Lexington reported that Winchester police and Lexington firefighters spent part of Thursday scanning the Kentucky River near Fort Boonesboro for clues as to what happened to Tom Profitt.

Police say they were looking for a car connected to Profitt's disappearance. But officers declined to comment on what led them to the river. Profitt's car, a 1997 Buick Century, hasn't been seen since he went missing on May 3, 2006.

When he first disappeared, police said it was suspicious. A few weeks after, they said no foul play was suspected.

In 2007, police thought Profitt's body had been found in Spencer County, but the remains weren't his.

SCHOOL BLAZE

Fire delays first day of school in Lincoln County

STANFORD, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky school district has delayed the first day of classes after a blaze destroyed part of the central office complex.

Lincoln County Superintendent Karen Hatter told media that the fire on Wednesday afternoon destroyed the part of the building that houses early childhood education programs, student records and food service. Firefighters were able to save the district's central office and its alternative school, but they won't be available for use immediately.

No injuries were reported.

Officials say because of the fire damage, they have decided to push back the start of the school year. The first day of classes had been scheduled on Thursday. Now, officials say they are planning for Monday.

Fire officials say they are still investigating the cause of the blaze.

SCHOOL START DELAYED

Bath County delays start of school year

OWINGSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Students in a northeast Kentucky county will see their summer extended by a week.

WLEX-TV in Lexington reported that Bath County schools have delayed the start of classes due to delays in renovations at an elementary school.

Students were originally scheduled to begin Monday, but will now be pushed to Aug. 18.

The school board says the decision was made because of delays in renovation work at Owingsville Elementary School.

BRIDGE-BIKE LANE

Bike lane eliminated from Big Four Bridge

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Bicyclists won't be pedaling up the Big Four Bridge in Louisville connecting Kentucky and Indiana.

Officials have eliminated the designated bike lane on the span over the Ohio River. Waterfront Corporation Vice President Mike Kimmel told WHAS-TV in Louisville there have been numerous complaints about the rude behavior of riders.

Kimmel says "all options are on the table" about how to handle the situation at the popular downtown spot, including making bicyclists walk their bikes across the bridge.

FORT CAMPBELL-ACCESS

Fort Campbell to tighten access to post

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — Visitors to Fort Campbell will soon need more than a driver's license to get on post.

The Army will require people to go to the visitor center at Gate 4 to obtain a pass and be subject to a criminal history check starting Aug. 15. A Department of Defense-issued identification card will still suffice to access the post.

Fort Campbell spokesman Robert Jenkins told The Leaf-Chronicle says similar measures have been used in the past and this one is to bring the installation into uniform compliance with other posts.

Jenkins says the background checks will only take a minute, but anyone with a criminal history will be denied access to Fort Campbell, a sprawling military installation on the Kentucky-Tennessee state line.

FATAL CRASH-CHARGES

Kentucky woman charged after fatal crash

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — A southern Kentucky woman has been charged with murder after a crash that killed a recent high school graduate riding a motorcycle.

The Daily News reported that a grand jury also charged 28-year-old Kathy Keller of Bowling Green with two counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and one count of operating a motor vehicle under the influence.

Police say Keller struck 18-year-old Alexander Harkins on June 25 as Harkins, a recent graduate of Greenwood High School attempted to make a left turn. Harkins was pronounced from a lacerated aorta at The Medical Center.

Keller was uninjured, as were her two children, an 18-month-old toddler and a 7-year-old.

Keller is in Warren County Regional Jail in lieu of a $250,000 cash bond.

ESCAPED INMATE

Police: Inmate walks away from work detail

SPRINGFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky State Police are searching for an inmate who walked away from a work detail in Springfield.

Trooper Billy Gregory says 28-year-old Darrell W. Arrwood left the Springfield Recycling Center at approximately 2:00 PM EDT on Wednesday. Arrwood is a state prisoner being held at the Marion County Detention Center on burglary charges.

Arrwood is a 5'9", 140 lb., white male with green eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing a brown shirt with brown pants.

Arrwood may be traveling with a woman in a midsize, 4-door, black car.

If anyone has any information regarding this investigation please contact the Kentucky State Police at 1-800-222-5555.

PGA-CHAPPELL

Chappell plays bogey-free 65 after invite to PGA

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kevin Chappell wasn't even sure how he got invited to the PGA Championship this year. He sure made the most of it Thursday.

Chappell played bogey-free and made birdie on the toughest hole at Valhalla on his way to a 6-under 65. That gave him a share of the lead with Lee Westwood among those who teed off in the morning.

Chappell was surprised to get an invitation a week ago Monday. He was at No. 104 in the world, not eligible in any category. Turns out the PGA Championship thought he was close enough to the top 100 to merit an invitation.

The UCLA grad took it from there. He hit an 8-iron to 6 feet for birdie on the 496-yard second hole. He also holed a bunker shot.