MATT BEVIN

Senate challenger eyeing 2015 governor's race

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Former Republican Senate challenger Matt Bevin said it's likely he'll run for governor in 2015.

The Louisville businessman has been traveling the state raising money for state House Republican candidates after losing the Republican Senate primary to Sen. Mitch McConnell.

Bevin told The Associated Press he hasn't ruled out running for governor and, if anything, it's more likely. Republican Agriculture Commissioner James Comer announced his candidacy last week and former Republican Louisville Metro Councilman Hal Heiner announced his candidacy in March. And former U.S. Ambassador Cathy Bailey is also considering a run.

Republican state Rep. Russell Webber said Bevin would be competitive in a four-way race but said some of Bevin's mistakes in the Senate race could come back to haunt him.

XEROX JOBS

Xerox adding 1,200 jobs in Lexington

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Xerox is adding 400 full-time jobs and another 800 full-time seasonal positions at its call center operation in Lexington.

The company says the jobs will be added by the end of the year to support an expanding number of clients.

The Lexington Herald-Leader says Xerox currently has more than 2,500 employees in Lexington and is the city’s sixth-largest employer. Xerox said the addition of 400 regular positions could make it Lexington’s second-largest private employer.

The company said the seasonal positions will support annual open enrollment for health care providers.

Xerox said it also intends to fill 50 entry-level jobs, such as data entry operators, mail sorters and scanner operators.

LOUISVILLE JOBS

Australian company considering Louisville branch

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — An Australian company is looking to put a facility in Louisville that the company says would create 250 jobs with wages at $20 per hour.

Computershare Inc. says it is considering spending $12 million to open a facility in Louisville. Monday, the Kentucky Economic Development Authority approved up to $2.5 million in state tax incentives for the company should it decide to open an office in Kentucky.

The incentives include letting the company keep up to 3 percent of state and 1 percent of local payroll taxes.

The company is publicly traded on the Australian Stock Exchange and says it has more than 14,000 employees around the world.

The company specializes in investor services, which includes documenting the legal ownership of securities and paying dividends to shareholders.

ETHICS-FISH AND WILDLIFE

Former state worker fined for mistreating women

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Executive Branch Ethics Commission has finished its investigation into the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, fining a former assistant director on Monday for mistreating women.

Kenneth "Scott" King told female employees to wear short skirts and high heels to meetings in order to get what they want, according to a settlement agreement. He also allegedly told one female employee to show him her breasts and would point out which body parts of his female employees he and other male supervisors preferred.

King was fined $2,750 and given a public reprimand.

King did not admit those allegations. But he did not contest the charges, according to a settlement agreement. A call to King's attorney was not immediately returned.

Eight current or former Fish and Wildlife employees have been fined more than $21,000 since January. The commission hired a new commissioner in May.

CENTRE-CIVIL RIGHTS

Centre College to offer civil rights programming

DANVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Centre College is planning to offer community programs over the next year that focus on the 50th anniversary of the civil rights movement.

The Advocate-Messenger reports a grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities has made the initiative possible.

As part of the project, four films will be shown about the civil rights movement and related campus programming will be led by Professor of Politics Daniel Stroup and Assistant Vice President for Diversity Education J.H. Atkins. The events will provide students and community members an opportunity to discuss issues surrounding race relations.

In addition, racial equality will be the theme of several campus convocations, with the first being a Constitution Day address on Wednesday on the "Myth and Miracles from the King Years."

STUDENT SPORTS

Lawmaker pushing for athletics for homeschoolers

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.

RECRUITING ROSIES

WWII icon Rosie used to recruit female students

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.

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.

JUDGE-EXECUTIVE APPOINTED

Beshear appoints Jefferson County judge-executive

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.

BOURBON TOURISM

Diageo welcoming visitors at historic distillery

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Louisville-area distillery with ties to historic brands and bourbon barons is joining the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

Liquor giant Diageo said Monday it will open a visitors' center at Stitzel-Weller.

Diageo is investing more than $10 million in the distillery, including a new bottling line and a craft still.

Kentucky Distillers' Association President Eric Gregory calls it "one of the true cathedrals of American whiskey."

The Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience at Stitzel-Weller becomes the ninth stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. Last year, more than 630,000 people visited the state's distilleries.

Stitzel-Weller opened in 1935. It was home to such brands as Old Fitzgerald and Rebel Yell. The distillery was run by Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle Sr. Whiskey production ended years ago at the site, which has been used for whiskey storage.

 

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.

More From WOMI-AM