Kentucky News Now – September 15th 2014

JUDGE-EXECUTIVE APPOINTED

Beshear appoints Jefferson County judge-executive

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

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Gov. Steve Beshear has appointed a longtime Democratic Party activist to fill the vacant position of Jefferson County judge-executive

The Courier-Journal reports that Friday's appointment of Queenie Averette is effective immediately. She will fill out an unexpired term that runs through early January 2015.

Averette is running unopposed for the office on the Nov. 4 ballot. She was nominated by the Jefferson Democratic Executive Committee in mid-August. The committee asked Beshear to appoint Averette to fill the vacancy.

Averette is a member of the state Democratic State Central Executive Committee.

The post had been held by Bryan Mathews, who withdrew his nomination in August. Mathews was hired recently as an administrative assistant to Metro Councilman Dan Johnson.

POLICE STANDOFF-SHOOTING

Man dies after police standoff in Madison County

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Police say a man has died after leading Lexington officers on a chase and exchanging gunfire with them.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, police on Saturday began following the man's vehicle after he attacked Officer James Winter, who had responded to a domestic violence call involving the man. Police say the man was wanted on charges of burglary, assault and wanton endangerment.

Officers followed the vehicle into Madison County, where the chase ended. Police say the man, who was not identified, fired on officers, and they returned fire.

The man was taken into custody after a half-hour standoff. He was taken to University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, where he died.

Winter was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening. The shooting is being investigated.

SISTERS-APPALACHIAN TRAIL

Somerset sisters tackling Appalachian Trail

SOMERSET, Ky. (AP) — From Southern Belles to Bad Mama Jamas.

That's what Sarita "Sam" Gibson and Lee Redmond are aiming to become by launching a daunting hike along the famed Appalachian Trail. The two local women — Gibson is 49, Redmond 56 — are both sisters and longtime travel buddies.

Gibson came back to Somerset after living abroad to live with husband James and daughter Cassandra, while Redmond served in the Air Force and worked as a journalist and career counselor for decades, lives in Europe and Asia before returning to Pulaski County.

Both work for local company Somerset Recycling Services. The taste for adventure has remained in their blood, however.

The Appalachian Trail spans about 2,200 miles between Georgia and Maine on the eastern coast of the United States.

STUDENT SPORTS

Lawmaker pushing for athletics for homeschoolers

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A central Kentucky lawmaker is pushing to allow homeschooled children to participate in middle and high school athletics.

State Rep. Stan Lee, R-Lexington, prefiled a bill that would allow students at nonpublic schools that don't offer a sport and homeschoolers to participate in the activity at a public school. The public school would be one to which the student would ordinarily be assigned.

Kentucky High School Athletic Association Commissioner Julian Tackett told the Lexington Herald-Leader the legislation for 2015 "would fundamentally alter high school athletics in the state."

Under the legislation, student athletes wanting to play at a public school would have to comply with all standards set by the public school, academic and physical. Lee noted the students would still have to try out for the teams.

BIKE RIDER VIOLATIONS

Kentucky bicyclist challenging road laws fined

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

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Jessamine County woman who commutes to work on a bicycle is being fined for repeatedly violating a law on careless driving.

Cherokee Schill battled the violations in court, saying that she should not be forced to travel in the shoulder of U.S. 27 near Lexington.

The Lexington Herald-Leader reports a judge found that Schill had violated a law requiring slow-moving vehicles to move as far to the right "as practicable." She was fined $433.

Schill's attorneys argued that it is safer for a cyclist to be in the lane of travel, so that cars behind her can see her clearly and have time to brake or merge left.

The 41-year-old Schill says she doesn't plan to change the way she rides and she will appeal the judge's ruling.

RECRUITING ROSIES

WWII icon Rosie used to recruit female students

(Information in the following story is from: The Winchester (Ky.) Sun, http://www.centralkynews.com/winchestersun)

WINCHESTER, Ky. (AP) — Technical schools around the state are planning to use the iconic story of Rosie the Riveter to encourage non-traditional students to enroll in technology courses.

The effort has grown into a statewide campaign to find women who worked in World War II-era factories producing munitions and war supplies and record their stories.

Clark County Area Technology Center Principal Mike Kindred says he and other technology center principals are searching for the women who became known as "Rosies" because of the popular Rosie the Riveter posters.

Kindred told the Winchester Sun the goal is to find former Rosies, have technology center students interview them and then start a campaign using photos and their stories to encourage female students to enroll in technology center courses.

CHILE-US WOMAN KILLED

Chile arrests suspect in slaying of Kentucky woman

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Police in Chile have arrested a suspect in the killing of a U.S. citizen in the South American country.

The body of Erica Faith Hagan was found in the bathroom of her apartment in the southern city of Temuco on Sept. 6. Local prosecutor Cristian Paredes says a poker was used to strike her.

The 22-year-old was a recent graduate of Kentucky's Georgetown College. She had been in Temuco since July 28 working as a teaching assistant at a local school.

Officials say a security guard at the school named Domingo Cofre was arrested Friday night.

Hagan was from Murray, Kentucky, and was scheduled to return home in December.

DORM FIRE-EDUCATION CREDENTIALS

Man acquitted in fire to lose teaching credentials

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man who was acquitted in a fatal Kentucky dormitory fire has agreed to surrender his Missouri teaching and administrator licenses after he was accused of lying about his past.

The Missouri Board of Education is set to consider the agreement with Jerry Walker Jr. next week. The Jefferson City school district offered Walker an assistant principal job, contingent upon him passing a background check, but rescinded the offer in April when the check revealed problems. One issue was Walker's failure to disclose that he had been fired by a Kentucky school.

Walker was twice tried for a 1998 fire at Murray State University that killed a student. After a second trial ended in acquittal, Walker pleaded guilty in 2012 to tampering with evidence charges. Walker didn't return a phone message.