Local/Regional News

PIKEVILLE, Ky. -- An influential eastern Kentucky legislator owns the permits on Pike County coal mines that have repeatedly been cited by the state for safety and environmental violations.

Rep. Keith Hall's Beech Creek Coal Co. and other companies that are mining coal on his permits have been cited since 2010 for dropping rocks on homes, mining outside of permitted areas, water pollution and failing to obey regulations on blasting, reclamation and maintaining slurry ponds.

CENTRAL CITY, Ky. -- Former Kentucky lawmaker Steve Nunn, the son of a governor, is at once contrite and indignant about how he landed in prison.

In his first interview behind bars, Nunn repeatedly apologized for the death of his one-time fiancee, Amanda Ross. Almost in the same breath, he turned angry and frustrated about how the legal system has treated him, and vowed to push for the right to take back his guilty plea.

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Gov. Steve Beshear is expected to meet next week with House Speaker Greg Stumbo and Senate President Robert Stivers to try to work on a plan to resolve legislative redistricting.

The governor made that announcement on Friday. He said he is confident that the issue will be resolved in a special session sometime this year.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The Urban County Council voted 8-7 Thursday night to table a motion which would have increased franchise fees on utilities by one percent.

WASHINGTON -- Senator Rand Paul has introduced legislation that would require a warrant before any government agency could search the phone records of Americans.

Responding to the furor over the disclosure of the National Security Agency program, Paul says the bill introduced Friday is intended to stop the NSA from spying on U.S. citizens.

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- For a sport steeped in the thrill of 1,000-pound thoroughbreds stampeding down the racetrack, there are inherent risks.

Those hazards occasionally turn into tragedy, so Kentucky horse-racing regulators are looking at creating an equine mortality review committee in the latest attempt to reduce horse deaths. The panel would dig into details about each horse leading up to its life-ending injury. Those closest to the ill-fated horse would be interviewed.

MANCHESTER, Ky.-- A medical helicopter crashed in eastern Kentucky, killing all three crew members aboard.  A statement from Air Evac Lifeteam said the accident happened in Clay County at 11:16 p.m. Thursday.

There was no patient on board. WHAS radio reported that the helicopter came down in the parking lot of Paces Creek Elementary School outside Manchester, which is about 90 miles southeast of Lexington, in what witnesses described as a dense fog.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A small-town mayor in southeastern Kentucky has won special recognition from the state's Commission on Human Rights.

The commission said Thursday it honored Vicco Mayor Johnny Cummings for his efforts to create local civil-rights protections in his community. The town of 335 people in Perry County gained national attention for adopting a gay-rights ordinance last January.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Kentucky's U.S. senators suffered a setback Thursday in their efforts to re-establish industrial hemp as a legal crop, but they vowed to continue their campaign after getting blocked as they tried to attach hemp language to the Senate farm bill.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul said they would oppose the Senate farm legislation.