Archive for July, 2009

Grayson, other GOP candidates, sound conservative themes in W.Ky.

CALVERT CITY – In his first day on the campaign trail since U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning dropped his re-election bid, Secretary of State Trey Grayson touted his conservative beliefs in Western Kentucky Friday.

Grayson, who is expected to make his Republican campaign for the U.S. Senate official in a few weeks, told a crowd of about 100 Friday night at the Calvert City Civic Center that he understands their concerns about President Obama’s energy and health care legislation and liberal attacks on guns, right-to-life views and traditional marriage.

“Maybe that’s why you have trouble sleeping,” he said.

Grayson’s comments came after the Lexington Herald-Leader reported this week that some Republicans in the state were concerned that Grayson, a former Democrat, might not espouse their conservative stances.

Democrats gather at Kentucky Dam Village

KENTUCKY DAM VILLAGE — A smaller than usual crowd of Democrats gathered at Kentucky Dam Village on Friday night. With no elections on the ballot come November and Gov. Steve Beshear on vacation, the typically packed bean soup supper was a much quieter affair than in year’s past.

The dinner, held the evening before the Fancy Farm picnic, kicks off a weekend of political activities that usually signals the beginning of the political season.

All eyes were on U.S. Senate candidates Lt. Governor Dan Mongiardo and Attorney General Jack Conway. The two men worked the Kentucky Dam Village Convention Center, shaking hands with Western Kentucky voters and the party faithful.

“If I seem a little tired, I come by it honestly,” Conway told the crowd. Conway’s first child was born more than a week ago.

U.S. House approves $5 million for battery research facility

By Ryan Alessi – ralessi@herald-leader.com

Key funding for a car battery research venture between the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville and Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois cleared the U.S. House Thursday.

The $5 million pegged for the Battery Manufacturing Research and Development Center to be headquartered in north Lexington was included in the Department of Defense appropriations bill.

The center will focus on developing efficient ways to manufacture new battery technologies, starting with lithium-ion batteries for next-generation automobiles.

“Kentucky stands on the threshold of creating the nation’s first research and development facility that will focus solely on creating the technology for energy storage that can be used by electrically powered vehicles,” Gov. Steve Beshear said in a statement.

The appropriations bill that contains money for the battery research center now heads to the U.S. Senate.

Dudgeon tapped as courts chief

FRANKFORT — A Somerset native has been named the new director of the Administrative Office of the Courts, which oversees operations of the state court system.

Laurie K. Dudgeon has served as interim director of the 3,800-employee agency since former director Jason Nemes left in April to take a position in a private law practice.

Dudgeon, who was first hired by the courts in July 2007 as a deputy director, faces a public agency in turmoil.

Garlan VanHook, the former director of facilities who oversaw the AOC’s $800 million courthouse construction program, resigned in the midst of a Lexington Herald-Leader investigation of the program.

Meanwhile, the AOC is in a high-stakes fight with Codell Construction of Winchester over insuring new courthouse construction. Codell, which has built a majority of the state’s new courthouses, also employed VanHook’s brother.

‘Comment’ guests will discuss Fancy Farm

The upcoming 129th Annual Fancy Farm Picnic, where contenders for Kentucky’s open Senate seat in 2010 will make their first major stump speeches of the campaign, will be the topic of discussion on this weekend’s “Comment on Kentucky.”

Appearing on the public-affairs show on the Kentucky Educational Television network with host Ferrell Wellman, will be three veteran journalists.

They are Bill Bartleman of the Paducah Sun; Deborah Yetter of The Courier-Journal and John Stamper of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The 30-minute show begins at 8 p.m. Friday on KET1.

On Monday, the U.S. Senate race and other contests in the 2010 election will be the topic of discussion on Kentucky Tonight, a public affairs show on KET that airs at 8 p.m.

Joining Host Bill Goodman will be State Sen. and former Kentucky Gov. Julian Carroll, D-Frankfort; State Sen. Robert Stivers, R- Manchester, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee; Charlie Moore, chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party; and Steve Robertson, chair of the Republican Party of Kentucky.

Viewers with questions and comments may send e-mail to kytonight@ket.org.

- John Stamper

Prison company asks judge to dismiss prisoner rape suit

By Beth Musgrave – bmusgrave@herald-leader.com

A private prison company has asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit of a Kentucky woman who says she was raped while a prisoner at Otter Creek Correctional Center in Wheelwright.

The facility, run by Corrections Corporation of America, is at the center of investigations by Kentucky and Hawaii into allegations of repeated sexual assaults. The inquiries were prompted in part by the reported rape of a Hawaiian woman at the prison in June.

CCA has contracts with both states to house prisoners at Wheelwright.

In documents filed this week in federal court in Pikeville, CCA says the Kentucky woman never filed a formal grievance about the rape and therefore the civil lawsuit she filed July 2 should be dismissed.

The Herald-Leader does not generally identify people who allege sexual abuse.

The woman is suing the company, several of its officials and the Kentucky Department of Corrections for failing to prevent the rape.

Kevin Younce, a former prison guard, was convicted of second-degree sexual abuse, a misdemeanor, for the July 3, 2008 sexual assault of the woman in Floyd County. A bench warrant is outstanding for his arrest, according to court records. He moved to North Carolina before he was convicted.

Ditty raises $26,720 for special state Senate election

FRANKFORT – Republican Jack Ditty‘s campaign for a state Senate seat reported raising $26,720 for the Aug. 25 special election.

Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Robin Webb reported no funds in the 32-day pre-election reports filed with the state Registry of Election Finance. However, her campaign has launched a 60-second radio ad.

Ditty’s financial statement covered July 18 to July 29. Webb’s was only for July 22 to July 24. Independent candidate Guy Gibbons Jr.had no report because he did not enter the race until July 27.

All three candidates will have to file a 15-day pre-election report next month. There also will be reports due 30 days and then 60 days after the election.

The three are seeking the 18th Senate District seat that became vacant when Republican Charlie Borders of Grayson accepted an appointment to the state Public Service Commission by Gov. Steve Beshear.

What happens to Bunning’s campaign war chest?

WASHINGTON — Although U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky has dropped his bid for re-election in 2010, the fate of his nearly $600,000 campaign war chest remains unclear.

Bunning raised a total of $1,071,499 for his re-election campaign and has $595,571 in cash on hand.

His poor fund-raising performance — three other candidates for his seat raised more than he did during the second quarter of the year — may have sealed his fate in the Senate, but there are plenty of interests that could benefit from the extra cash.

Under campaign finance laws, Bunning can give the money to a political party, a particular candidate or a charity, said Michael Toner, an election law expert and former chairman of the Federal Election Commission.

For now, Bunning is remaining mum on the future of his campaign coffer. In a statement, his aides would only say that “the campaign is working with the Federal Election Commission to ensure that all funds are handled in accordance with FEC law.”

Bunning can’t, however, channel money to the non-profit Jim Bunning Foundation and then draw a salary from those funds, Toner said. Bunning set up the charitable foundation in 1996, the year he entered baseball’s Hall of Fame. Every year since, he has been the fund’s biggest recipient.

“They can’t make personal use of these funds,” Toner said.

Lawson statement remains under seal

FRANKFORT — A Franklin Circuit Court judge ruled Wednesday that a 1983 statement by indicted road contractor Leonard Lawson in a previous criminal case will remain under seal for now.

In his order granting a temporary injunction, Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate said the statement Lawson made to state investigators during a previous probe of road contractors has been sealed for 26 years and there was no immediate need to release the information.

“If the public interest cannot be said to have been violated by not knowing the contents of the proffer over these last 26 years, the public interest will not be offended by slight delay until at least after the upcoming trial of the federal criminal case,” Wingate wrote.

Members of the media had filed a request under the state’s Open Records Act for Lawson’s statement with Attorney General Jack Conway’s office. The office granted the request but told Lawson’s attorneys that they could appeal that decision to a federal judge overseeing Lawson’s current federal criminal trial on bribery and obstruction of justice charges.

Lawson, former Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert and Lawson employee Brian Billings face charges in relation to an alleged conspiracy by Lawson to obtain internal Transportation Cabinet cost estimates on projects Lawson’s companies were set to bid on. A trial date in the federal criminal case has not yet been set.

Lexington attorney heads state bar association

FRANKFORT — Lexington attorney John D. Meyers is the new executive director of the Kentucky Bar Association, replacing Jim Deckard, who resigned to return to private practice in February.

Meyers was selected after a four-month search. He has been the association’s interim executive director and director of its continuing legal education program.

In making the announcement, KBA President Charles E. “Buzz” English, Jr., of Bowling Green, said Meyers’ knowledge of the association and his solid working relationship with KBA members statewide will allow him to serve the KBA with vision and versatility.

“Since joining the staff of the KBA in October, 2005, John has energized and expanded our CLE program and, in the process, greatly enhanced its benefit to our membership,” English said.