Kentucky News Now – July 15th 2014

ETHICS COMMISSION

2 Farmer employees reach deal with ethics panel

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

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Executive Branch Ethics Commission has reached settlements with two brothers who worked in the state Agriculture Department under former Commissioner Richie Farmer.

The Courier-Journal reports Bill Ed Mobley admitted claiming pay for times he didn't carry out his job duties. He also admitted violating the ethics code by claiming mileage reimbursement for trips he didn't take. He was reprimanded and fined him $3,000.

The commission found that Steve Mobley violated the ethics code for processing his brother's time sheets and mileage reimbursement claims and for failing to report a gift. He was reprimanded and fined $2,500.

The commission already reached settlements with Farmer and four other employees, and one case is still pending.

Farmer also pleaded guilty to federal corruption charges and is serving 27 months in prison.

KENTUCKY-HEMP

Test hemp crop grows with arrival of more seeds

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's first experimental hemp crop has grown with the arrival of another shipment of imported seeds that went into the ground.

The state's Agriculture Department says nearly 950 pounds of Canadian seeds cleared customs without any legal drama. An earlier shipment from Italy was detained for a time by customs officials in Louisville, setting off a legal fight between the state agency and the federal government.

Adam Watson, the ag department's hemp coordinator, said Monday the Canadian seeds were planted last week.

Those plants have a lot of catching up to do.

Watson says seeds put in the soil in late May have sprouted into leafy plants that are 6 feet high or taller.

Test plots across the state will help researchers and farmers determine the crop's potential in Kentucky.

HEALTH OVERHAUL-NURSE PRACTITIONERS

New law aims to help newly insured find treatment

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Now that more than 420,000 Kentuckians have health insurance because of the federal Affordable Care Act, state officials are helping those people find doctors to use that insurance.

A new law that goes into effect Tuesday will give nurse practitioners more authority to prescribe certain medications. Supporters say it will help the state's primary care doctors deal with the influx of new patients.

Nurse practitioners need a collaborative agreement with a doctor in order to prescribe medication. The new law would waive that requirement for nurse practitioners who have had a collaborative agreement for at least four years.

Supporters say the new law will help nurse practitioners open their own practices where they can prescribe blood pressure and cholesterol medicine, antibiotics and even some antidepressants.

FBI APPOINTMENT

New leader named for FBI in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The FBI has a new leader in Louisville.

Howard S. Marshall is the agency's new special agent in charge of the Louisville Division.

Marshall was previously inspector in the Inspection Division at FBI headquarters in Washington. His career with the FBI began in 1997 in St. Louis. He was also previously assigned to Memphis, Tennessee, and Dallas.

The FBI announced on Monday that Director James B. Comey had named Marshall to the post.

Marshall succeeds Perrye K. Turner, who is taking the helm in the agency's Houston office.

BUSES-CLEAN DIESEL

Grant to reduce diesel emissions from school buses

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A western Kentucky school district has been awarded about $95,000 in funding to reduce diesel emissions from its school bus fleet.

Gov. Steve Beshear's office says the Crittenden County school board is receiving the grant from the Kentucky Division for Air Quality. The funds were made available as a result of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Diesel Emission Reduction Act.

The project in Crittenden County will replace four older model diesel school buses with four new buses powered by propane autogas.

Propane autogas burns cleaner than diesel, producing fewer smog-producing hydrocarbons and eliminating emissions of particulate matter.

Last year, the Crittenden County school board received grant funding to retrofit 14 diesel buses with emissions-control technologies and to replace one 1992 model diesel bus with a new model powered by propane autogas.

ALCOHOL VOTE

Cave City set for alcohol vote

(Information in the following story is from: Glasgow Daily Times, http://www.glasgowdailytimes.com )

CAVE CITY, Ky. (AP) — Voters is two precincts of Cave City are set to vote up or down on alcohol sales.

A special option election is scheduled for July 22 for the 2,685 voters registered at the two precincts. The question on the ballot is "Are you in favor of the sale of alcoholic beverages in Cave City?"

The Glasgow Daily Times reported the effort to bring packaged liquor sales to Cave City was spearheaded by the Cave City Forward Committee, which began circulating petitions in November to get the referendum on the ballot.

Cave City has been already "moist" since 2006, when restaurants were allowed to sell liquor by the drink if they meet certain state law requirements.

PRISON SLAYING-APPEAL

Court set to hear appeal of inmate

INEZ, Ky. (AP) — A federal appeals court is set to take up the case of a man convicted of killing a fellow inmate at a prison in eastern Kentucky.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has scheduled 37-yer-old Dwaune "Deuce" Gravely's case for July 29. Gravely and 31-year-old Darryl "Beast" Milburne were sentenced to life in prison for the Nov. 12, 2006 assault and slaying of fellow inmate Shamoni Peterson at USP Big Sandy in Inez.

Prosecutors say the two men beat and choked Peterson to death and covered his nose and mouth until he quit breathing.

Both were transferred to ADX Florence, the supermax prison in Colorado which holds the most dangerous inmates in the federal prison system.

Milburne's case is not part of the appeal.