LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has pardoned a man serving life in prison for sexually abusing his 6-year-old stepdaughter. News outlets report Bevin issued the pardon Friday, saying that Paul Donel Hurt was wrongly convicted of first-degree sexual abuse and sodomy in Louisville in 2001. Hurt’s accuser recanted her testimony at a hearing in 2015, but the…
SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A soggy spring followed by a summer drought has hurt the Christmas tree crop on at least one Kentucky farm. Elizabeth Werkmeister Shafer told The Courier Journal she lost half of the 600 trees she planted this year at her Werkmeister Christmas Tree Farm in Bullitt County. After an unusually wet spring, Louisville saw record-low rain…
Photo credit: parks.ky.govAURORA, Ky. (AP) — Kenlake State Resort Park is getting about $560,000 in improvements under a state initiative to upgrade Kentucky’s parks. The funding will include a new roof for the lodge at the park. It’s part of the state’s “Restoring the Finest” initiative. Kenlake State Resort Park will have received about $1.2 million in improvements since 2016….
Photo Credit: Land Between the Lakes Communications DepartmentGOLDEN POND, Ky. (AP) — Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in Kentucky and Tennessee is offering free cedar Christmas tree permits starting this week. The permits are available online Friday through Christmas Eve. Permits, maps and guidelines are available online. The permits are also available in person at the park’s Administrative…
LONDON, Ky. (AP) — Setting likely themes for his 2020 reelection bid, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says his leadership role allows Kentucky to “punch above its weight” in national politics. Speaking to a business group in London, Kentucky, the Republican leader also referred Monday to Democrat Amy McGrath as his “likely opponent.” Without naming her, McConnell predicted a “robust”…
Photo Credit: Lee Andrews, USFWSHENDERSON, Ky. (AP) — U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials along with political leaders have announced the establishment of a new national wildlife refuge in western Kentucky. The Green River National Wildlife Refuge was established with the acquisition of a 10-acre (4-hectare) parcel donated by the Southern Conservation Corp. The tract in Henderson is the first part…
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky health officials are offering help for teenagers who want to quit using tobacco products, including smoking and vaping. The service is free and can be reached by calling or texting (855) 891-9989. The program, called “My Life, My Quit,” connects the teen to a “quit coach” who will provide free and confidential support. Each teen…
CAMPTON, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky officials received calls complaining about the smell of gas before an explosion that killed two people at a home near the rural community of Campton on Saturday. Wolf County Emergency Management Director Marcus Stephens told WLEX-TV that someone at the home called twice about a gas smell coming from the basement. Stephens said gas company…
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — The Kentucky attorney general’s office says six counties have been chosen for post-general election audits. Assistant Deputy Attorney General Michael Wright says the counties selected at random were Boyle, Gallatin, Henderson, Kenton, Oldham and Powell. Kentucky’s general election was Nov. 5. The attorney general’s office says the counties’ selection doesn’t imply irregularities are suspected. Under the…
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky police department is suing a newspaper in an attempt to avoid releasing investigative records into its defunct youth program, where two officers were convicted of sexually abusing minors. The Courier Journal reports it’s being sued by Louisville Metro police, despite a state attorney general’s ruling that the department violated state law by denying the…
