FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 31, 2017) -- A Martin County man will pay nearly $8,000 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to multiple counts of illegal guide activities and taking elk.

Byron Delong, 24, of Pilgrim, Ky., pleaded guilty Monday in Martin District Court to guiding elk hunters without a commercial guide’s license, assisting an elk hunter to hunt over bait, and assisting an elk hunter with an At-Large Elk Permit to hunt in a Limited Entry Area.

The court ordered Delong to pay $5,000 in fines, $2,718.36 in restitution for the cow elk taken illegally and $163 in court costs. The court also stripped Delong of hunting privileges for three years and probated his 60-day jail sentence. The court judgment was Martin County’s largest ever handed down for illegal elk hunting and commercial guide services.

The prosecution resulted from a months-long investigation by members of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ Special Investigations Unit and conservation officers in the department’s Seventh District.
​
“Kentucky’s elk herd has grown into the nation’s largest east of the Rocky Mountains,” said Law Enforcement Division Director Col. Rodney Coffey. “We will celebrate the 20th anniversary of our restoration of free-ranging wild elk to east Kentucky this year. Our elk have become a year-round economic engine to our state, and we will continue our vigorous prosecution of those who illegally pursue this great resource.”

The Council on Postsecondary Education set 2017-18 tuition and mandatory fee ceilings for resident undergraduate students at its meeting Friday at Northern Kentucky University.

The ceilings limit tuition and mandatory fee increases to 3 to 5 percent and include:

• 3 percent for Western Kentucky University
• 4 percent for the University of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky University
• 5 percent for Eastern Kentucky University, Kentucky State University, Morehead State University and Murray State University.

The ceiling for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System was set at $6 per credit hour, a 3.9 percent increase.

A ceiling was not set for the University of Louisville since the university’s board of trustees has already voted not to increase tuition next year.

The new tuition dollars will partially offset inflationary fixed costs, manage growth in employer-paid retirement contributions, and support continuing progress to produce a more highly skilled and productive workforce, create new jobs and grow Kentucky’s economy through higher levels of educational attainment.

“Setting tuition ceilings is not something we take lightly,” said Council President Bob King. “After a very thorough process, we believe these rates strike the right balance between keeping costs affordable for students and their families, while providing adequate funding for our campuses to address fixed and unavoidable budget challenges.”

Even with the additional tuition revenue, campuses will face an $11.5 million shortfall for the 2017-18 year.

The different ceilings for campuses reflect in part the equity adjustments of $2.5 million for Western Kentucky University and $5.1 million for Northern Kentucky University. These funds were provided in the current biennial budget. A condition of the agreement was that both campuses would set lower tuition increases.

Another factor considered in setting the tuition ceilings was the expectation that employer-paid contributions in the Kentucky Employment Retirement System (KERS) will continue to increase at an accelerated rate. Between 2011-12 and 2016-17, the mandated increases in campus contributions grew from $30.2 million to $72 million, or 138 percent.

Only two campuses, the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, do not have employees who participate in KERS.

Council staff stressed the importance of considering the net price of going to college as opposed to the published “sticker price.” The net price is the total cost of attendance, including tuition and fees, textbooks, and room and board costs, minus student financial aid from federal, state or local and institutional sources. 

In Kentucky, very few students pay the stated sticker price because of liberal amounts of grant and scholarship aid provided by the state and postsecondary institutions. For example, even though annual resident undergraduate tuition and fees at Kentucky comprehensive universities increased by $1,191 between academic years 2011-12 and 2015-16, the average net price that students paid actually decreased by $186 during this period.

The tuition action also allows campuses to submit market competitive tuition and fee rates for graduate, professional and online courses.

Council action on campus tuition and fee proposals is set for the June 16 meeting at Spalding University.

In other action, the Council:

• Extended President Bob King’s contract two years.
• Approved a KCTCS request for six new capital projects funded with a combination of Kentucky Work Ready Skills Initiative funds ($30.5 million), private funds ($5.3 million) and agency restricted funds ($2.9 million).
• Approved three academic programs: Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner, Morehead State University; Ph.D. in Radiation and Radiological Sciences, University of Kentucky; and Specialist in Gifted and Talented Education, Western Kentucky University.
• Awarded resolutions of appreciation for distinguished service for outgoing members Pam Miller, Glenn Denton and Dan Flanagan.
• Chair Sherrill Zimmerman appointed Donna Moore, Joe Ellis and Ron Beal to the Council’s Executive Committee. Zimmerman and Vice Chair Ben Brandstetter also serve on this committee.
• Zimmerman appointed Lizbetthe Rodriguez to the Committee on Equal Opportunities.

The Council heard the following reports: CPE President, Kentucky Commissioner of Education, Strategic Agenda Metrics Accountability System Overview, Stronger by Degrees: Update on Opportunity, 2017 Legislative Session Summary and Committee on Equal Opportunities. Reports from the campuses were also available.

Additionally, new member Shawn Reynolds of Almo was sworn in at Thursday’s work session. His term expires Dec. 31, 2022.

​By Wes Feese
Media Relations, Adair County Schools
 
Adair County High School FFA students competed against neighboring high schools Thursday morning at FFA Regionals, hosted at ACHS.  Adair County received a superior rating in every single competition and several teams and individuals earned top finishes.
 
“All of our students worked very hard on the competitions,” says agriculture teacher and FFA sponsor Kirby Hancock.  “It’s not easy to receive a superior rating so they should be proud of how they performed.”
 
Two individuals captured first place finishes in their respective competitions:  Miller Young in Turf and Lawn Management and Ty Cheatham in the freshmen quiz contest.  Dylan Hancock finished second in the Diversified Crop Production contest, and Sarah Hancock finished second in Diversified Ag Production.
 
The welding team – consisting of Jacob Campbell, Mason Carter, Clint Garrison, and Jaykob Lee – earned a third place finish, as did the small power equipment team, made up of Corey Scott, Marcus Samuell, Lexi Feese, and Dana Greer.  The ag mechanics team, featuring Brady Baker, Sam Baker, Trevor Cole, and Matthew McCarol, finished fourth.
 
The ACHS freshmen who competed in the parliamentary procedure contest earned a superior rating.  Team members are Ty Cheatham, Brianna Dale, Emily Farmer, Kiley Feese, Maddie Harmon, Shelby Jones, Walker Karnes, Rebecca Mahieu, Jeanene Pike, Elizabeth Stamper, and Kara Turner.
 
The only other item on the day’s agenda was the election for next year’s regional officers.  Susan Spinks will represent Adair County as reporter.  The Adair County School District offers congratulations to all participating students for their exemplary representation of their school, county, and the agriculture community.

According to a report from WLEX 18 news out of Lexington. KSP has closed the case of the disappearance of Whitney Copley. The Casey County mother of 2 was last seen September 28th, 2015, when she told her family she was going to a party but never came home. She was last seen in the area of the Dog Walk Market, along Highway 127. Her remains were found over a year after she went missing in a wooded area near where she was last seen.

An autopsy of the remains showed no visible trauma. Whitney’s body was then sent to a forensic anthropologist at the University of Tennessee for a more detailed investigation. The remains were returned ruling the cause of death as undetermined.

​Story courtesy of lakercountry.com

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 31, 2017) – For the second time in as many months, Attorney General Andy Beshear is releasing information to the public on the work of his office after a request for information by Gov. Matt Bevin.

Beshear is releasing information on his Office of Civil and Environmental Law’s Administrative Hearings Branch after a March 10 letter by the governor.

Last month, Bevin requested information on the AG’s Office of Civil and Environmental Law’s Open Records/Open Meetings Branch and information on the office’s civil attorneys and caseload.

Beshear released that information to the public Feb. 10.

“As I have repeatedly said, each time the governor requests information it gives me the chance to honor the hard work of the employees in my office,” Beshear said. “While many Kentuckians are unfamiliar with this branch in the Attorney General’s office, it plays a vital role to ensure government is operating properly and within the guidelines of the law.”

Hearing officers serve as impartial adjudicators of administrative matters in government. Lawmakers established the branch in 1994 to conduct administrative hearings for government boards and agencies and provide training in administrative hearing procedures for hearing officers, who propose or render decisions on claims regarding government programs.

Currently, the branch provides hearing officer services to more than 60 government agencies and boards across Kentucky.

“Use of the branch is advantageous, as the hearing officers are independent, unlike those employed by the same agency or cabinet who often bring action in a matter or has made a decision that initiated the matter,” Beshear said. “Using an independent hearing officer can defeat claims of having ‘kangaroo courts’ in administrative matters involving an agency or cabinet.”

The branch recently conducted a training March 15 at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, providing three hours of continuing legal education and educational requirements as required by Kentucky law.
​
“Our team has spent more than 175 hours responding to the eight different requests from the governor for information on my office,” Beshear said. “This is valuable time that should have been spent furthering our missions of seeking justice for victims of sexual assault, protecting seniors from scams, addressing our drug problem and protecting children from sexual abuse.”

FRANKFORT, Ky. (March 31, 2017) - With a nearly $7.5 million investment, TG Automotive Sealing Kentucky LLC (TGASK) plans to install an air-conditioning system, add new manufacturing lines and provide employee-training programs at its Hopkinsville operation, Gov. Matt Bevin announced today.

“This is a great investment by TG Automotive Sealing Kentucky, and will strengthen their ability to compete for new business as well enhance opportunities for their employees,” said Gov. Bevin. “The emphasis they place on improving working conditions, securing new contracts and raising employees’ skill levels sets them apart and reflects our vision of establishing Kentucky as the hub of excellence in engineering and manufacturing. I applaud their forward thinking and expect it will bring them even more success in the near future.”

A significant portion of TGASK’s investment allows the company to upgrade the facility’s cooling systems, an improvement that company officials anticipate will curb its spike in employee turnover during the hot summer months. The investment also will cover the purchase of additional extrusion lines, which will help offset the recent redistribution of some of the operation’s production to facilities outside the US.

Company leaders plan to complete the project by March 2019.

“We believe that investing in our team members and the environment in which they work will improve their commitment to continued employment with TGASK. This commitment will afford TGASK the opportunity to make additional manufacturing investments that can offset recent shifts in business that have negatively impacted the growth of the operation here in Hopkinsville,” said Jesse McGuire, TGASK vice president. “We need a more skilled and experienced workforce to compete for the business that is available in the near future. The support provided by the commonwealth of Kentucky through KEDFA makes our efforts financially possibly and puts TGASK in a future position to be a better contributor economically in our community.”

TGASK, a subsidiary of Japan-based Toyoda Gosei, was founded in 2002 and manufactures automotive weather-stripping, rubber molded and plastic interior auto parts. 

Toyoda Gosei, founded in 1949, researches, develops and manufactures products for a variety of industries, including automotive, agriculture and telecommunications. Its products include body sealing systems, interior/exterior systems, optoelectronics, fuel system/functional parts and safety systems. Toyoda Gosei employs more than 17,000 people at 58 facilities across 17 countries.

During his economic development trip to Japan in early March, Gov. Bevin met with Toyoda Gosei Chairman Tadashi Arashima and discussed the company’s Kentucky presence.

Rep. Myron Dossett, of Pembroke, expressed confidence in continued success of the company.
“I want to congratulate TG Automotive on their impressive investment,” Rep. Dossett said. “TG Automotive has always been a strong community partner, driven by our dedicated workforce. I am confident they will continue to succeed here in Kentucky with this reinvestment, and I look forward to working with them in the future.”

Hopkinsville Mayor Carter Hendricks noted the company’s significant role in the business community. 

“TGASK has been an important driver in Hopkinsville’s economy,” he said. “We wish them great success as they continue to supply global automotive clients from their location in Southwestern Kentucky.”

Christian County Judge-Executive Steve Tribble welcomed the reinvestment.

“Foreign direct investment has been key to manufacturing recruitment in Christian County,” Judge-Executive Tribble said. “I applaud TGASK on their growth and thank them for providing good jobs here in the commonwealth.”

To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in March preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $3.3 million through the Kentucky Reinvestment Act. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through tax credits applicable to corporate income or limited liability entity tax by meeting job-retention and investment targets.  

In addition, TGASK can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives. In fiscal 2016, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for nearly 95,000 Kentuckians and 5,000 companies from a variety of industry sectors.

For more information on Toyoda Gosei, visit www.toyodagosei.com.

A detailed community profile for Christian County can be viewed at http://bit.ly/ChristianCo.
​
Information on Kentucky’s economic development efforts and programs is available at ThinkKentucky.com. Fans of the Cabinet for Economic Development can also join the discussion on Facebook or follow on Twitter. Watch the Cabinet’s “This is My Kentucky” video on YouTube.

​By Wes Feese
Media Relations, Adair County Schools
 
Adair County High School senior Cameron Lasley signed a National Letter of Intent Friday morning to continue his football career at Lindsey Wilson College. 
 
Joined by his parents, Nathan and Quinn, three Adair County assistant coaches, Adair County Athletic Director Brent Campbell, and Lindsey Wilson head coach Chris Oliver, Lasley made the pledge in front of his teammates on the Indians’ basketball and football teams, who gave him a round of applause following the signing.
 
Lasley, a standout wide receiver on last year’s 8-4 squad, finished his senior season ranked in the top five in Class AAA in catches (51), receiving yards (886), and touchdown receptions (15).  He is the third Indian to commit during the spring signing period.  Receiver Dylan Feese signed earlier this month with Kentucky Christian University, and running back Jordan Lasley signed with Lindsey Wilson in February.

The Barren County Grand Jury has returned the following indictments:

Christopher Jason Pitcock, 41 of Glasgow, was indicted on one count of THEFT BY DECEPTION, $500 OR MORE BUT LESS THAN $10,000, CLASS D FELONY. The Grand Jury charges that on or about September 15, 2016 in Barren County, that Pitcock obtained property or services, from another by deception with intent to deprive the person thereof and he intentionally created or reinforced a false impression including false impressions as to law, value, intention, or other state of mind. Bail amount was set at $1,500 cash.

Jacob Aaron Pedigo, 34 of Glasgow, was indicted on two charges; THEFT BY UNLAWFUL TAKING OR DISPOSITION (FIREARM), CLASS D FELONY and PERSISTENT FELONY OFFENDER, 1ST DEGREE. The Grand Jury charges that Pedigo took control over movable property of another, a Smith & Wesson firearm, cash, and a gift card belonging to another, with the intent to deprive her thereof. Furthermore, they charge that Pedigo, who is more than 21 years of age and was more than 18 years of age when the offense was committed, stands convicted of three prior felonies and is now being charged as a persistent felony offender. Bail amount was set at $5,000 cash.

26 year old Timothy Dewayne West of Nashville Tennessee has been charged with POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE (METHAMPHETAMINE), CLASS D FELONY, TRAFFICKING IN MARIJUANA, LESS THAN EIGHT OUNCES, 1ST OFFENSE, CLASS A MISDEMEANOR, POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, CLASS A MISDEMEANOR, and OPERATING ON A SUSPENDED/REVOKED OPERATOR’S LICENSE, CLASS B MISDEMEANOR stemming from events that occurred on August 8, 2016 in Barren County. West was allowed to remain on a current bond.

Julie Mae Vaughn, 41 of Glasgow was indicted on two charges; POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE (METHAMPHETAMINE), CLASS D FELONY and POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA, CLASS B MISDEMEANOR due to events occurring September 5, 2016 in Barren County. Bail amount was set at $1,500 cash.

42 year old Christie G Creek of Scottsville was charged withe one count of POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE (OXYCODONE), CLASS D FELONY for knowingly and unlawfully possessing a Schedule II controlled substance on October 1, 2016. She was allowed to remain on a current bond.

Harvey L Pennington, 19 of Glasgow, was indicted on three charges; POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE (METHAMPHETAMINE), CLASS D FELONY, POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, CLASS A MISDEMEANOR, and POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA, CLASS B MISDEMEANOR, based on events that occurred on or about October 8, 2016. Pennington was allowed to remain on a current bond.

22 year old Christian Mark Martin of Glasgow was indicted on three charges; POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE (METHAMPHETAMINE), CLASS D FELONY, POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE, 1ST DEGREE (HYDROCODONE), CLASS D FELONY, and POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA, CLASS B MISDEMEANOR, from events occurring on or about October 28, 2016. Martin was allowed to remain on a current bond.

SCOTTY W POUSARDIEN, 25 of Cave City, was indicted on one count of MAKING FALSE STATEMENT TO OBTAIN OR INCREASE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS OVER $100, CLASS D FELONY, for knowingly making a false statement or representation of a material fact or knowingly failing to disclose a material fact to the secretary to obtain or increase benefits, thereby receiving unemployment benefits of $5,236 fraudulently. Bail was set at $5,250 cash.

Remember, an indictment is an accusation only and all individuals should be considered as innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.

​Story courtesy of wcluradio.com

​Adair County Primary Center hosted “Build a Book” Tuesday evening, allowing parents and students the opportunity to work together and create a book for the entire family to read and enjoy together.
 
The program was sponsored by the ACPC Family Resource Center, Title I, and 21st CCLC-Camp Casey, and featured Lindsey Wilson College literature students assisting the families with their creations.  “We appreciate the support of Lindsey Wilson College students in our parent involvement programs,” says ACPC Family Resource Center coordinator Paula Garrison.  “ACPC students finished the night with their own unique book in which they used their imagination and creativity.”