SENATE-KENTUCKY-ADS

National Democrats return to Kentucky airwaves

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Democrats' campaign arm is returning to Kentucky airwaves with a new ad in the final week of the costly Senate race.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee on Tuesday released an ad criticizing Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for spending three decades in Washington while his Kentucky constituents struggled to make ends meet. The ad features a teacher who says McConnell voted for pay raises for himself but opposed increases to the federal minimum wage.

The DSCC stopped airing ads in Kentucky two weeks ago. Last week they said they were returning to voters' televisions. This week, they released this ad.

McConnell is locked in a tight race against Democratic nominee Alison Lundergan Grimes. Both sides and their allies have spent almost $68 million in that race.

SENATE-KENTUCKY-WARREN

Grimes courts labor votes with Warren

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren told hundreds of Kentucky union workers they will find no better fighter for America's middle class than Democratic Senate candidate Alison Lundergan Grimes.

Warren was making her second campaign stop Tuesday night for Grimes to help boost the Kentucky Secretary of State's bid to unseat 30-year-incumbent Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell. Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp from North Dakota will campaign with Grimes in central Kentucky, which Grimes is promoting as a sign the women of the Senate are uniting behind her campaign.

McConnell campaigned in Campbellsville on Tuesday morning, where he spoke at a company that makes clothing for the military. Company officials say the company was in danger of losing its military contract in 2012 to federal prison workers until McConnell stepped in.

ABSENTEE VOTING

More than 35,000 Kentuckians have voted absentee

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The polls don't open until Tuesday, but more than 35,000 people have already voted in Kentucky.

The State Board of Elections says 22,390 people have voted absentee at their county clerk's office as of Monday morning. That's about 4,500 more people than at this time in 2010, the last time a U.S. Senate seat was on the ballot.

Another 12,716 people have voted absentee by mail. Tuesday was the deadline to request mail-in absentee ballots. To be counted, the county clerk must receive all ballots by 6 p.m. local time on Nov. 4.

Kentucky's high profile U.S. Senate race between Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell and Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes is likely increasing turnout in absentee voting.

State officials could not say how many people have voted from each party.

KENTUCKY-PLAYERS CHARGED

4 Kentucky players enter not guilty pleas

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

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A lawyer for four University of Kentucky football players has entered not guilty pleas on their behalf to charges of second-degree disorderly conduct stemming from a game of "manhunt" that sent the school into an uproar.

Attorney Jim Lowry appeared on behalf of the players Tuesday afternoon in Fayette District Court for arraignment. The Lexington Herald-Leader reported a judge scheduled a hearing for Feb. 4.

The four players — Dorian Baker, Drew Barker, Tymere Dubose and Stanley Williams — were charged after a Sept. 28 incident when school officials issued an alert after receiving a report of shots fired in the Kirwan-Blanding area. UK police searched the campus and didn't find anyone. They later released a video that appeared to be the players who were seen by witnesses.

CHILD KILLED-PAROLE

Parole denied for man convicted of killing child

(Information in the following story is from: WPSD-TV, http://www.wpsdlocal6.com)

PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) — A western Kentucky man has been denied parole for a second time in the death of a two-year-old boy.

WPSD-TV in Paducah reported that the Kentucky Parole Board rejected a bid by 28-year-old Ronald Saunders on Tuesday.

Saunders pleaded no contest to second degree manslaughter in the 2010 death of Conner Bachuss. He was sentenced to 10 years with parole eligibility after serving 20 percent of that sentence.

Saunders was previously rejected for parole in 2012.

Saunders will be up for parole again in December of 2016.

FORMER COACH ARRESTED

Ex-girls basketball coach arrested on sex charges

(Information in the following story is from: WYMT-TV, http://www.wkyt.com/wymtnews)

HARLAN, Ky. (AP) — A former girls high school basketball coach from eastern Kentucky has been arrested on sex-related crimes.

WYMT-TV in Hazard reported that police picked up 41-year-old Anthony Nolan Tuesday and charged with two counts of promoting a minor in sex performance and two charges of promoting a sexual performance by a minor.

Nolan was a long-time coach in Harlan County.

Nolan is currently being held in the Harlan County Detention Center. Jail records did not list an attorney for Nolan.

3-TIME KILLER SENTENCED

Louisville man sent to prison for 3rd slaying

(Information in the following story is from: WLKY-TV, http://wlky.com)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Louisville man has been sentenced to prison for murder for the third time in his life.

WLKY-TV in Louisville reported that 70-year-old James Seay got 20 years in prison on Tuesday for the stabbing and beating death of another man in 2013.

Seay was initially convicted of murder in 1982 and spent 14 years in prison and was released in 1996. He went back to prison for 24 years after being convicted of killing another man in 1996.

He was released from the second sentence in 2011.

The latest case started in February 2013 when Orville Avis was found stabbed and beaten to death inside his apartment.

Seay pleaded guilty in August.

FIRE CHIEF-SENTENCED

Ex-fire chief sentenced to 1 year in jail

(Information in the following story is from: The Times-Tribune, http://www.thetimestribune.com)

CORBIN, Ky. (AP) — A one-time fire chief and sheriff's detective in southern Kentucky has been sentenced to a year in jail after entering an Alford plea to theft.

The Times-Tribune reported that 40-year-old Tommy F. Johnston of London entered the plea in Laurel Circuit Court on Monday and was sentenced immediately.

Johnston entered the plea to charges that he took a credit card belonging to the Laurel Fire Department and charged personal items on it.

An Alford plea allowed Johnston to maintain his innocence but plead guilty with the acknowledgement that there was enough evidence to convict him before a judge or jury.

Along with the jail time, Johnston also received a year of unsupervised probation. He wasn't immediately taken into custody.

 

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.

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