Regional

KSP: More Than One Suspected in Slaying of Bardstown Officer

Associated Press — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:48:35 +0000

A Kentucky State Police spokesman says it appears more than one person was involved in the ambush slaying of a Bardstown police officer.

State police Master Trooper Norman Chaffins said Tuesday that based on circumstances, investigators believe more than one person had a hand in the slaying of Officer Jason Ellis. The 33-year-old K-9 officer was gunned down on May 25 after he got out of his cruiser to pick up tree limbs on a highway exit ramp.

Chaffins said police have interviewed a woman who drove around the trap before Ellis stopped.

He says police are following up on multiple tips but don’t have a suspect.

State police have set up a special email address for tips in the investigation.

Tips can be sent to EllisCaseEtips@ky.gov.

Special Email Account Set Up for Tips on Slain Bardstown Police Officer

Associated Press — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:40:20 +0000

Kentucky State Police have set up a special email address for tips in the ambush slaying of a young Bardstown police officer.

Officer Jason Ellis, who was 33, was killed by shotgun blasts as he stopped to pull limbs from a ramp on the Bluegrass Parkway on May 25.

Tips can be sent to EllisCaseEtips@ky.gov. Anyone with information that could help solve the case is encouraged to email it to that address set up by KSP Post 4 in Elizabethtown.

Laws Concerning Dropout Age, DNA Testing, and Human Trafficking Become Law Next Week in Kentucky

WKU Public Radio News — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 13:04:44 +0000

New laws passed by this year’s Kentucky General Assembly go into effect next week. Legislation concerning child safety protection, DNA testing, and school dropouts are among the measures that go into effect Tuesday, June 25.

One of the new laws allows Kentucky school districts to raise their dropout age to 18 beginning in the 2015-16 school year. If, after four years, 55 percent of districts adopt the new rules, the new dropout age will go into effect for all districts.

Another new law will allow some felony offenders in prison or under state supervision to request testing and analysis of their DNA as case evidence.

A measure intended to strengthen child protection will also become law. The bill creates an independent review panel to investigate case of child deaths and near-fatal injuries in the commonwealth. That panel will also be given access to complete records of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, as well as information from law enforcement and other agencies.

A bill strengthening Kentucky’s human trafficking laws is also designed to protect victims from prosecution for crimes they were forced to commit. The legislation passed during this year’s General Assembly will offer help to agencies responsible for helping human trafficking victims by creating a victim’s fund supported by penalties paid by those convicted of human trafficking.

Another law going into effect next Tuesday will require the Kentucky Board of Education to create a statewide evaluation system for all certified personnel.

Kentucky Judge to Decide Same-Sex Privilege Issue

Associated Press — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:43:41 +0000

A Kentucky judge is weighing whether a same-sex couple qualifies for the privilege of not testifying against a spouse in a slaying case in Louisville.

The question arose in the case of Bobbie Joe Clary. Clary is charged in the Oct. 29, 2011, murder and robbery of 64-year-old George Murphy, accused of fatally wounding Murphy with a blunt object in his Portland home.

Clary is claiming self-defense, saying that Murphy was raping her and she fought back by hitting him in the head with a hammer.

The Courier-Journal reports Clary and partner Geneva Case were legally married in Vermont in 2004. Kentucky doesn't recognize same-sex marriages.

Owensboro Named One of 20 All-American Cities

Associated Press — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:23:36 +0000

Owensboro has been tapped as an All-American City for the first time since 1952.

The National Civil League bestowed the honor on Owensboro on Sunday night in Denver. Twenty other cities were in the competition. Owensboro was one of nine to make the grade.

Mayor Ron Payne told the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer the win should be a boost to economic development.

The other nine winners were Birmingham, Ala.; Peoria, Ill., Dunn, N.C.; Montrose, Colo.; Garner, N.C.; Norfolk, Va., Downey, Calif.; Thomasville, N.C.; and Dubuque.

Owensboro's application stressed three areas: downtown revitalization, the Mechanicsville Neighborhood Redevelopment project and storm water improvements.