Associated Press

Lawmakers have a deal in the works to shore up the financially troubled pension plan for government retirees.
   
House Speaker Greg Stumbo said Monday the proposal will be presented privately to lawmakers and then released publicly.
   
Gov. Steve Beshear is expected to personally present the offer to House Democrats Monday afternoon.
   
Restoring solvency to the pension system, which has a $33 billion unfunded liability, has been divisive for the Republican-controlled Senate and the Democratic-led House that have been working on the issue since the Legislature convened in January.
   
The Senate has been insisting on a 401(k)-like retirement plan for new employees - a move the House opposes. And the House has pushed a plan that would use money from the lottery and horse tracks to generate more money for pensions.

New data shows Kentucky children are healthier on average than children across the nation.

Numbers released last week by the Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health show 85.5% of Kentucky children were in very good or excellent health for a period covering 2011-2012. Nationwide, that number was 84.2%.

The percentage of Kentucky children who received preventive dental care came in below the nationwide average, with 75.5%. Nationwide, 77.2% of children received preventive dental health care.

The data also shows that just 41% of Kentucky children live in neighborhoods with a park, sidewalks, a library and a community center. That compares with 54% of children nationwide.

The Data Resource Center gathers data for the National Center for Health Statistics.

Lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday with two days remaining to pass legislation intended to shore up Kentucky's pension plans for state and local government retirees.

Restoring solvency to the pension system, which has a $33 billion unfunded liability, has been divisive for the Republican-controlled Senate and the Democratic-led House, which have been working on the issue since the Legislature convened in January.

Rep. Tommy Turner, R-Somerset, said he expects lawmakers to meet until midnight both days.

"The last few days have historically been the busiest," Turner said. "I don't know why, but we always seem to wait until the last days, until time is running out, to get things done."

James Monroe has rebuilt a log cabin on the site where his father, bluegrass icon Bill Monroe, once lived and plans to open it to the public.

Monroe told the Messenger-Inquirer that the Ohio County cabin is complete and will open on Thursday at noon with festivities that include barbeque and bluegrass music by an assortment of performers.

The two-room cabin is basically a replica of one that belonged to his great uncle, James Pendleton Vandiver, and was made famous in a song by his father called "Uncle Pen." Bill Monroe went to live with his uncle at the age of 16 after his parents died.

James Monroe said the cabin was the last place his father lived in Kentucky, and he thinks bluegrass fans would be interested in seeing it.

Kentucky may find out Monday if the state can resume carrying out death sentences.  A hearing will be held in Frankfort on the state’s request to lift an order barring executions. 

Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd halted all executions in 2010 after finding issues with Kentucky’s three-drug method for lethal injections. Attorney for death row inmates argued the three drugs caused an unnecessary risk of pain.

Earlier this year, the state switched to one or two drugs, depending upon the availability of the drugs. 

Governor Beshear has requests to set execution dates for condemned inmates Robert Foley and Ralph Baze, but the governor has given no indication if or when he will act on those requests should the injunction be lifted.

Kentucky has executed three inmates since the death penalty was re-instated in 1976.  The last was in 2008.